Genealogical and personal memoirs relating to the families of the state of Massachusetts, Volume III, Part 127

Author: Cutter, William Richard, 1847-1918, ed; Adams, William Frederick, 1848-
Publication date: 1910
Publisher: New York, Lewis historical publishing company
Number of Pages: 986

USA > Massachusetts > Genealogical and personal memoirs relating to the families of the state of Massachusetts, Volume III > Part 127

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

(XXI) Joseph, second son of Deacon David and Deborah (Colton) Morgan, was born in Brimfield, Massachusetts, August 19, 1705. He married Margaret Cooley, December 25, 1729, and she died July 17, 1754; he married (second,) August II, 1757, Rachel Dada, who died March 27, 1810. The children of Joseph and Margaret (Cooley) Morgan, born in Brimfield : 1. Margaret, April 20, 1730; mar- ried, February 2, 1747, John Mighell. 2. Joseph, April 17, 1733. 3. Mary, February 8, 1735, died 1736. 4. Mary, June 15, 1737; married Captain Ebenezer Hitchcock, May 7, 1761. 5. Benjamin, July 24, 1739. 6. Mariam, May 7, 1742. 7. David, January 25, 1745. 8. Keziah, January 26, 1746; married Benjamin Cody, December 31, 1767. 9. Aaron, March 16, 1749; married Abigail Sherman, Novem- ber 26, 1772. Joseph and Margaret (Cooley) Morgan probably had at least one other son, Noah (q. v.) born about 1741. The mother died July 17, 1754, and they gave Bible names to most of their children. Children by second wife, Rachel Dada. whom he married August II, 1757 : 12. Elijah, born May 31. 1758 ; mar- ried, on October 8, 1778, Patty Hitchcock. 13. Enoch, born August 3, 1763 ; married Mercy Bates, April 23, 1795; children: Betsey, Franklin, Eleanor and Mercy.

(XXII) Noah, probably sixth child and third son of Joseph and Margaret (Cooley) Morgan, was born about 1741. He married Mercy King, April I, 1762; children: I. Lo- vina, born October 24, 1762; married. August 27, 1789. Daniel Brooks, of Greenfield. 2. Apollos. December 2, 1764. 3. Mary, October 23, 1767 : married, 1793, Levi Merriman. 4. Noah (q. v.), baptized June II. 1769. 5. Can- dice, baptized July 21, 1771, died August 16, 1777. 6. Samuel King, baptized December 16, 1776; married Sarah, daughter of Morton Kellog: settled in Hadley. Mercy (King)

Morgan died December, 1776, aged forty years, and he married (second) Mary, widow of Aaron Robbins, July 18, 1782; children : 7. Fannie E., born May II, 1783 ; married Jere- miah Pratt, February 6, 1811. 8. Aaron, born December 8, 1785, died August 31, 1803.

(XXIII) Noah (2), third son and fourth child of Noah ( I) and Mercy (King) Morgan, was baptized in Northfield, Massachusetts, June II, 1769. His homestead, Northfield Farms, was located about five miles from the centre of the town, where he conducted a gen- eral store and carried on an extensive and val- uable farm. He married, and had nine chil- dren.

(XXIV) Elisha, seventh child of Noah (2) Morgan, was born in Northfield, Massachu- setts, June 16, 1793. He received his school training in the district school of his native town, and was employed as a clerk in the rail- road office. He became bookkeeper in the office of the Connecticut River Railroad Com- pany at Greenfield, and was subsequently transferred to the office of the company at Holyoke, where he remained six months, and in 1814 went to Springfield as paymaster of the road at the general offices of the company at Springfield. In 1816 he was promoted to general freight agent, and in 1818 to general passenger agent, which position he held twen- ty-eight years, resigning in 1846, after a ser- vice for the road of thirty-five years. He died in Springfield, Massachusetts, October 30, 1856, aged sixty-three years. He married, January 1, 1818, Harriet Ruggles, born Janu- ary 28, 1797, children : I. Minerva, born De- cember 18, 1818, died March 20, 1822. 2. Louisa, August 25, 1820; married Harlow Humes. 3. Minerva, December 30, 1822; married James Dewing. 4. Mary H., Febru- ary 14, 1825 ; married Orves Lucy. 5. Jere- miah P., September 15, 1827 ; married Eliza, daughter of Peleg Adams; settled in Green- field. 6. Marshall M., March 29, 1829; mar- ried Alice Dike. 7. Julia P., April 11, 1831. died September 22, 1845. 8. Elisha (q. v.). September 7, 1833. 9. Harriet J., March 21, 1836. 10. Fidelia, January 6, 1840.

(XXV) Elisha (2), third son and eighth child of Elisha and Hannah (Ruggles) Mor- gan, was born in Northfield, Massachusetts, September 7, 1833. He received his school training in the schools of Springfield, and be- came general ticket agent of the Boston & Maine Railroad Company at Springfield, and held the office until 1864. when he resigned to

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establish the firm of E. Morgan & Company, for the purpose of manufacturing envelopes. The paper and stationery world knows the gigantic proportions attained by the business thus begun. The other member of the firm was Chester W. Chapin, at the time president of the Boston & Albany railroad, who re- mained in the firm for eight years. This firm were the pioneer manufacturers of stationery put up in fancy boxes containing one quire of note paper and accompanying envelopes, the first known as papateries. They were also the first to contract with the United States gov- ernment for the manufacture of postal cards. The business was incorporated as a joint stock company in March, 1872, and Mr. Morgan held the office of treasurer of the corporation, and was the managing head of the concern. Besides the extensive and in many ways intri- cate business, Mr. Morgan was a director in the Massasoit Paper Company of Holyoke ; of the Chester Paper Company of Huntington ; of the Hartford Manila Company, of East Hartford; of the John Hancock National Bank of Boston ; and of the Springfield Print- ing & Binding Company. He was president of the United Electric Light Company and acting president of the American Writing Paper Company. He had large real estate holdings in the vicinity of Dwight and Hill- man streets, in Springfield, and through his influence and liberality that section of the city was greatly improved and largely increased in value. He was a member of the executive council of the commonwealth of Massachu- setts during the administrations of Governors Russell and Wolcott, 1887-90, and Republican elector from Massachusetts in the electoral college in 1889, voting with the two hundred and thirty-two other Republican electors for their candidates, Harrison and Morton, who were elected president and vice-president of the United States.

He married, June 18, 1862, Sara G., daugh- ter of Sidney and Mary (Mckinney) Grant, of Manchester, Connecticut. Children : I. Miles, born April 25, 1864, died in infancy. 2. Helen, May 3, 1865; married Frank L. Worthy. 3. Roger, February 18, 1867. 4. Louise Chapen, February 15, 1869; married Alfred Leeds. 5. Fanny, July 3, 1870, died in infancy. 7. Rachel, October 6, 1876, died in infancy. 8. Daniel Harris, January 14, 1879. 9. Stewart Chase, August 30, 1880, died May 15, 1888. Mr. Morgan died in Springfield, Massachusetts, February 1, 1903.

This family seems to have CHOATE migrated from Holland to the eastern counties- of England about the beginning of the sixteenth century. The name at that time was Van Choate; in deference to the opinions and prejudices of their English neighbors the prefix was dropped. The family seems to have flourished along the borders of Essex and Suffolk coun- ties. In the ancient parish of Finchingfield, in Essex, it is found of record as early as 1500. It appears later in the same parish, and also that of Groton in Essex, and in Hundon Clare, and in Birdbroke, county Suffolk. It has been especially noted in America in con- nection with the learned professions, and has left its indelible mark upon the history of American jurisprudence. Among the most noted representatives was Rufus Choate, the famous advocate of Boston; and Joseph H. Choate, a leader of the New York bar, is among its most prominent present representa- tives. By marriages in the successive genera- tions the blood of many other leading families of America has been brought down to present generation.

(I) Robert Choate and Sarah, his wife, were residents of Groton, England, in the early part of the seventeenth century. Among the interesting ancient documents connected with American history, is preserved a letter from the pastor of "Goodman" Choate, in Aughton, Yorkshire, England, written to Gov- ernor Winslow, of Massachusetts, and urging that the governor redeem his promises to send for Choate and his wife. This may have been the Robert Choate whose son was the pioneer of the family in America.

(II) John, son of Robert and Sarah Choate, was baptized June 6, 1624, in Groton, Box- ford, Colchester, England, and came to Mas- sachusetts in 1643, being then nineteen years of age. He settled in Chebacco parish, Ips- wich, Massachusetts, and paid for his first farm in grain and West India goods. The grain is described as English and Indian, pre- sumably wheat and corn. He subsequently purchased more land and became the owner of several farms adjacent to his original pur- chase. In 1667 he began buying shares in the common lands held by other residents, and in time became owner of nearly all of Hog Island, near the Ipswich coast, containing about three hundred acres. These purchases included the birthplace of the famous Rufus Choate. He subscribed to the freeman's oath in1 1667, became sergeant of militia, and an ac-

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tive member of the church. He seems to have incurred the enmity of others, who may have been envious of his prosperity, and in 1651 he was acquitted of the charge of stealing ap- ples. He also cleared himself in 1657 of the charge of lying, and in 1659 was able to escape the penalty for refusing to assist the marshal in making an arrest. His heirs succeeded in setting aside his will, and these various ex- periences have been said by one of his de- scendants to have inculcated a liking for deal- ings with the law, which has continued among his descendants to the present day. He mar- ried, in 1660, Anne born 1637, died February 16, 1727. He died December 4, 1695. Children : John, Margaret, Samuel, Mary, Thomas, Sarah, Joseph and Benjamin. (III) Thomas, third son of John and Anne Choate, was born 1671, in Chebacco, and died there March 31, 1745. He received lands on Hog Island, a gift from his father, and was the first white man to settle there. He was a leading citizen of the parish, a prosperous and progressive farmer, and a man of bright mind, distinguished for his industry and energy. He resided for thirty-five years on the island, and in 1725 removed to the mainland. He was a large landed proprietor, being the owner of seven farms, and kept slaves, and was often called "Governor" Choate, either because of his being the owner of Hog Island, or because of his other landed possessions. He married (first ) in 1690, Mary, daughter of Thomas and Abigail ( Proctor) Varney, born 1669, in Ipswich, died November 19, 1733; (second) September 24, 1734, Mary, widow of Joseph Calef; (third) November 9, 1743, Mrs. Han- nah Burnham, who died October 2, 1752. Chil- dren : Anne, Thomas, Mary, John, Abigail, Francis, Rachel, Ebenezer and Sarah.

(IV) Francis, third son of Thomas and Mary (Varney) Choate, was born September 13, 1701, in Chebacco, where he died October 15, 1777. He was by trade a blacksmith, a very industrious man and prosperous in busi- ness. He made the iron work for three schooners which he built, and by the aid of his negro slave sawed out the planks used in their construction. He was not only an owner of vessels, but chartered others used in the fish- eries and coasting trade. He was prominent in town and church affairs, being a ruling eld- er, and actively identified with the "Whitefield Movement". He was the owner of slaves and provided in his will for their freedom or main- tenance and comfort in old age. About 1739 he bought a farm on the mainland, but con-

tinued to retain his lands on the island. In his last years he lost his right hand by a cancer. He married, April 13, 1727, Hannah, daughter of Isaac and Mary (Pike) Perkins, born April 14, 1708, in Boston, died October 2, 1778. Children : Francis, died young ; William, Abra- ham, Isaac, Jacob, John, Hannah and Francis.

(V) William, second son of Francis and Hannah (Perkins) Choate, was born Septem- ber 5, 1730, and died April 23, 1785. He fitted for college in Salem, and it was his father's wish that he enter the ministry, but his tastes inclined to other callings, and he pursued the study of navigation and was captain of a ship at the age of twenty-five years. He made voyages to southern shores in winter and con- tinued to work on the farm in summer. He was not only commander but owner of vessels. In early life he taught school on the island, and when not engaged as teacher in the public schools, he maintained an evening school and taught navigation to all of his sons, who spent more or less time upon the sea. William Choate is described as a very handsome man, having a tall figure, with black hair and dark complexion. He was collector and treasurer of the parish during the revolution. He is described as a serious and exemplary man, though not a member of the church. He mar- ried, January 16, 1756, Mary, daughter of Job and Margaret (Low) Giddings, born March 27, 1732, died November 1, 1810, in Chebacco. Children : William, died young, David, Wil- liam, George, Margaret, Job, Mary, Hannah, Sarah, Lydia.

(VI) George, fourth son of William and Mary (Giddings) Choate, was born February 24, 1762, in Chebacco, and died February 8. 1826. He was a man of much ability and strength of character, and filled many local of- fices, being a justice of the peace and repre- sentative of Ipswich in 1814-15-16-17, and of the town of Essex in 1819. A man of most amiable disposition, he made no enemies, and died much regretted. He married, January I, 1789, Susanna, daughter of Stephen and Mary (Low) Choate, born January I, 1762, died August 13, 1827. Their first child died at birth. The others were: William, John, George, Francis, Sarah.

(VII) George (2), third son of George (I) and Susanna ( Choate) Choate, was born No- vember 7, 1796, in Chebacco, and died June 4. 1880, in Salem. He studied latin in the northern district school of Chebacco parish, Ipswich, of which Rev. Dr. William Cogswell was master. He subsequently spent a year at

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Dummer Academy in Byfield, and a like period at Atkinson Academy, and entered Harvard College in 1814, graduating in 1818. Of his class numbering eighty-three men, only eight survived him. For two years he was master of Feoffee's Latin School in Ipswich, and pur- sued the study of medicine during the same time. He then spent two years in the office of Dr. Thomas Manning, of Salem, and was subsequently in the office of Dr. George C. Shattuck, of Boston, and received his medi- cal degree in 1822. He immediately began the practise of his profession at Salem, where he became the beloved physician of many fam- ilies and was distinguished among his contem- poraries. He was president of the Essex Southern District Medical Society, and of the Salem Athenæum for many years; represent- ed Salem in the state legislature; was long chairman of its school committee; and was a member of the board of aldermen. In 1825, he joined Essex lodge, A. F. and A. M., and was its worshipful master in 1828 and 1829. He was also very much interested in the work of the church and the encouragement and progress of education. The large amount of labor which devolved upon him made inroads upon his health, and he retired in 1867 and removed to Cambridge, where the remainder of his years were passed in quiet and content- ment. He married, December 6, 1825, Mar- garet Manning, daughter of Gamaliel and Sarah ( Williams) Hodges, born January 25, 1805, in Salem, died October 5, 1887. She was a woman of superior mind and character, a model mother, prudent and industrious in the care of her household, and retained her faculties in a remarkable degree to the end of her life. When eighty years old she wrote many interesting letters, which are still pre- served. All of her children have attained dis- tinction in life, and have reflected credit upon themselves and their ancestry. 1. George Cheyne Shattuck, was an able physician and resided upon the paternal homestead in Salem. 2. Charles Francis, mentioned below. 3. Sarah Elizabeth, died unmarried. 4. William Gardner, A. M., LL.B. ; began the practice of law in North Danvers, Massachusetts, was subsequently in Salem, and removed to New York City. He was assistant attorney general while residing in Salem, and in 1878, was ap- pointed United States district judge for south- ern district of New York, a position which he resigned in 1881, because his talents could command a much larger income than that af- forded by the official position. 5. Joseph

Hodges, is the present leader of the New York bar, being a member of the firm of Evarts, Southmayd and Choate. 6. Caroline, became the wife of Dr. Bruno de Gersdorff, of German birth, and resided in Salem, both are now deceased.

(VIII) Charles Francis, second son of George (2) and Margaret M. (Hodges) Choate, was born May 16, 1828, in Salem, and like his distinguished brothers has become 4 a leader in his chosen callings. He not only achieved fame as a lawyer, but is universally known in connection with the management of large and important railroad and steamship prospects. He began his education in the pub- lic schools of his native town, and was sub- sequently a student at the Salem Latin School, and graduated from Harvard College in 1849. He subsequently pursued the course of Har- vard Law School, from which he was gradu- ated in 1852, being a tutor in mathematics from 1851 to 1854 in the college. In Septem- ber, 1854, he was admitted to the Massachu- setts bar, and immediately began a brilliant legal career in Boston, and in 1877 he was counsel for large corporations, among them the Boston & Maine railroad, and having in- vested of his means in the Old Colony rail- road, he became one of its directors in 1872, having been its counsel since 1864, and in 1877 became its president, in which capacity he continued until 1907, when he resigned. He was president of the Old Colony Steamboat Company from 1877 to 1894, and during his administration was constructed the magnificent fleet of vessels which have made the Fall River line a famous means of transportation. This was leased on May 1, 1893, to the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad Com- pany, of which Mr. Choate was a director, until 1907. He is a director and vice-president of the New England Trust Company, and his remarkable mathematical faculties were called into play as actuary of the Massachusetts Hospital Life Insurance Company, to which position he was elected June 15, 1893, and continued until 1891, when he was elected its president and so continues. Mr. Choate re- sided nearly thirty years in Cambridge, and in 1863 he represented that city in the state legislature, and was a member of the city gov- ernment in 1864 and 1865. In 1883 he took up his residence in Southboro, and has a win- ter home in Boston. Despite his many years, Mr. Choate is still an active business man, and is widely esteemed for his ability and graces of character. He is a member of the Union

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Club of Boston, and was for many years identified with the University and Algonquin clubs, and is still connected with the Union, Eastern Yacht and Commercial clubs, having served three years as president of the last. He is a member of St. Mark's (P. E.) Church of Southboro. Though a staunch Republican, he was offered by President Cleveland the post of superintendent of the coast survey.

He married, November 7, 1855, Elizabeth W. Carlile, of Providence, Rhode Island, daughter of Edward and Hannah ( Thomp- son) Carlile, born August 8, 1834, died Octo- ber 18, 1898. She was descended from a brother of Benjamin Franklin. Children : I. Edward C., died in 1904. 2. Sarah C., wife of Joshua Montgomery Sears, of Boston. 3. Margaret M., (Mrs. Nathaniel I. Bowditch ), of Framingham, Massachusetts. 4. Helen T., deceased. 5. Charles F., a leading attorney of Boston, head of the firm of Choate, Hall & Stewart.

TOWNE This name has also been spelled Town, Towns, and other ways. The earliest mention of it found

in England is 1274, when William de la Towne, of Alvely, a village in Shropshire, prosecuted a lawsuit, and the following year he acted on a jury at Astley, in the same coun- ty. The arms of the Towne family were on the windows of a church at Kensington, Kent county, in the reign of Henry IV ; and Thom- as at Towne, bearing this coat-of-arms, owned land about Charing, and married Bene- dicta, only daughter of John Brampton. In the year 1459 William Town was made clergy- man at Stow, in Lindsey, and in 1470 he was appointed almoner to King Henry VI ; he died the same year.

(I) Richard Towne. of Braceby, Lincoln county, by wife Ann had children: Richard ; Edward; Elizabeth; Helen ; Prudence; Ann; Katherine, born October 14, 1599; Mary, born April 15, 1601 ; William, born May 21, 1603 ; and Margery. The name of Towne had been common in Lincoln county, England, fully a hundred years before this time.

(II) William, supposed to be son of Rich- ard and Ann Towne, was born in England, and the earliest positive information found of him is his marriage to Joanna Blessing, on March 25, 1620, at Yarmouth, Norfolk coun- ty. on the east coast of England, about one hundred twenty miles from London, in the church dedicated to St. Nicholas in 1251, and still bearing the name. The baptism of their

six children is also found in the church rec- ords here. He emigrated to America and set- tled at Salem, Massachusetts, where his name is found in 1640 in the list of early grants made ; he received a "little neck of land over against his house on the other side of the river." His house was in the part of Salem known as Northfields, where he resided until 1651, and after the incorporation of Tops- field he purchased about forty acres in that town. In 1652 he sold his land in Salem, and in 1656 purchased additional land in Tops- field; in 1663 he gave his son Joseph two- thirds of the home where they lived, with barn, etc., at the time of his contemplated mar- riage to Phebe Perkins. William Towne died in 1672, at Topsfield, and his wife survived him about ten years. By his wife Joanna he had children, baptized on dates given: Re- becca, February 21, 1621 ; John, February 16, 1624; Susanna, October 20, 1625; Edmund; Jacob, March II, 1632; Mary, August 24, 1634; Sarah, September 3, 1648; and Joseph, September 3, 1648, twin of Sarah.

(III) Edmund, second son of William and Joanna (Blessing) Towne, came to America with his parents. His name appears in 1675 as one of a committee from Topsfield who pe- titioned the general court for permission to form military companies to protect the people from Indians while at work ; this was during King Philip's war. He died May 3, 1678, and the will of his widow was proved December 16, 1717. He married Mary, daughter of Thomas Browning, baptized January 7, 1638 : children : Mary : Thomas, born 1655: Sarah. April 26, 1657: William, March 13, 1659; Joseph : Abigail, August 6, 1664: Benjamin, May 26, 1666: Rebecca, February 2, 1668; Elizabeth, November 2, 1669; Samuel, Febru- ary II, 1673.

(IV) Joseph, third son of Edmund and Mary (Browning) Towne, was born Septem- ber 2, 1661, at Topsfield, and died in 1717. He married, March 13, 1687, Amy, daughter of Robert Smith, born August 16, 1668. died February 22, 1756; children : Joseph, baptized May 30, 1703 ; Benjamin ; Nathan, 1693 : Dan- iel. August 22, 1695 : Jesse. December 5, 1697 : Nathaniel, June 1, 1700; Amy, February 3. 1704; Amos, July 2, 1709.

(V) Benjamin. second son of Joseph and Amy (Smith) Towne, was born May 10, 1691, at Topsfield. Massachusetts, where he became a wealthy and prominent citizen, and held offices of town clerk, selectman and assessor. He married (first) Catherine, daughter of

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Jacob Towne, Junior; (second) April 12, 1722, Susanna Wildes, by whom he had nine children, and she died July 5, 1736; he mar- ried (third) Mary Perkins, May 2, 1738, and she died November 6, 1760; (fourth) April 15, 1761, Mary Clark, who died December II, 1782. He had by his second wife, children : Benjamin, born May 12, 1723; Ephraim, July IO, 1725; Jacob, March 7, 1728; Joseph, March 7, 1728; Eli; Susannah, September 6, 1733; Edmund, April 30, 1736; Ezra, April 30, 1736; Elijah, April 30, 1736.

(VI) Eli, fourth son of Benjamin and Su- sanna (Wildes) Towne, was born March 3, 1731, at Topsfield, Massachusetts, was a sol- dier in the revolution, and died October 14, 1800, at Sturbridge, Massachusetts. He mar- ried, May 2, 1754, Elizabeth Gould, born 1736, died April 27, 1799; children : Elizabeth, born February 13, 1755, died October 23, 1756; Eli, March I, 1757; Susanna, October 7, 1758; Lydia, September 22, 1760; Jacob, October 3, 1762; Ruth, November 7, 1764; Hannah, De- cember 29, 1766; Daniel, March 4, 1769, died March 5, 1770; Elijah ; Elisha, twin to Elijah, October 28, 1771; Solomon, September 5, 1773; Daniel, March 4, 1776; Amos, March 14, 1779.

(VII) Elijah, fourth son of Eli and Eliza- beth (Gould) Towne, was born October 28, 1771, at Sturbridge, Massachusetts, and died in 1854, at Alstead, New Hampshire. He mar- ried Miriam Lane; children: Laura, born March 31, 1802, died September 8, 1805; Eliza, born August 5, 1803; Elijah, July 1, 1805, died in infancy ; Elisha, born January 14, 1808; Melinda, February 27, 1810; Miriam, June 20, 1812; Salem; Marcia, Au- gust 12, 1816; Samaria, July 18, 1820.

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Genealogical and personal memoirs relating to the families of the state of Massachusetts, Volume III, Part 127

Author: Cutter, William Richard, 1847-1918, ed; Adams, William Frederick, 1848- Publication date: 1910 Publisher: New York, Lewis historical publishing company Number of Pages: 986

Author: Cutter, William Richard, 1847-1918, ed; Adams, William Frederick, 1848-
Publication date: 1910
Publisher: New York, Lewis historical publishing company
Number of Pages: 986