Genealogical and personal memoirs relating to the families of the state of Massachusetts, Volume III, Part 19

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 19

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This cognomen has been made BOOTH prominent by numerous distin- guished citizens of Europe and America. Among them are Sir Felix Booth, a wealthy manufacturer; Barton Booth, the actor ; Ballington Booth, of the Salvation Ariny; Charles Booth, the author; Henry Booth, Earl of Warrington ; and Junius Brutus Booth, the tragedian-all Englishmen. In America Edwin Booth, the tragedian, has made the name a household word. In the revolu- tionary war there were twenty-one enlistments in Massachusetts and twenty-four in Connec- ticut under this name, which is also spelled Boothe. Booths, Both and Bouth.

(I) Robert Booth, of Exeter, 1645, moved to Saco, Maine, in 1653, or earlier, and took

a prominent part in the affairs of that town. He was representative from 1659 to 1670. Ridlon in his "Saco Valley Settlements and Families" says: "At this day the Court had the control of ecclesiastical affairs, and when, in 1643, the town was found to be destitute of a minister, the commissioners ordered while at court in Wells, that Robert Booth, a citizen of some education, 'have liberty to exercise his gifts for the edification of the people.' Assist- ed financially by an annual appropriation voted by the town, and voluntary contributions, he 'held forth' as a preacher for some years. Those he could not edify he probably morti- fied." Robert Booth died in 1672, aged sixty- eight. The probate of his will without date, made four days before he died, was made March 10, 1673, but the inventory was taken October 26 preceding. Robert Booth was mar- ried twice. The name of the first wife is not known. His second wife, Deborah, survived him. His children were: Mary, Ellen (or Elinor ), Simeon (Simon), Martha, Robert, Mary, born September 30, 1627, married Walter Penewell; Ellen, born February, 1634, married Nicholas Bully ; Simeon is mentioned below; Martha, born April 12, 1645, married John Laighton Jr. ; Robert, born July 24, 1655. (II) Simeon (Simon), the elder of the two sons of Robert Booth, born May 10, 1641, seems to have found life in Maine in the midst of savages often at war with the whites too strenuous for him, and he removed to Enfield, Connecticut, where he became a man of wealth and prominence. He is a party to many con- veyances. December 7, 1693, Simon ( Simeon ) Booth, of Enfield, makes "a marriage deed" to Widow Elizabeth Eleaser, of Hartford, Con- necticut ; one-third of all land in Enfield ; one hundred and thirty acres at Winter Harbor near Sagadahoc ( Maine ). July 26. 1696, Simeon Booth and wife Elizabeth convey to his son, Zachariah Booth, ten acres in the south field, river division, and five acres on Scantiek river. October 14, 1696, Simeon Booth and wife Elizabeth convey to John Pryor, of Symsbury, Connecticut, all rights to Enfield lands, twelve acres houselot, Main street, east ; thirteen acres in the South field, west division; ten acres in the South field, fourth division ; and four acres near Fresh- water meadows. November 13, 1696, Simeon Booth, weaver, and wife Elizabeth make an agreement in writing concerning alienation of Elizabeth Booth's rights as given her in mar- riage contract. given above; witness, John Pynchon (2d). Samuel Ely, John Holyoke.

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Elizabeth Booth, of Hartford, Connecticut, widow of Simeon Booth, late of Hartford, Connecticut, deceased, and administratrix on his estate, made a power of attorney to Caleb Standley Jr. to collect of John Pryor all sums due the estate of said Simeon Booth, July I, 1703. Simeon Booth, "late deceased in Hart- ford, left property inventoried at £67 IOS; debts £28 14s : having distributed in his lifetime most of his property among his ehildren. Simon (Simeon) Booth married (first) Re- becca Frost; (seeond) Elizabeth Elmer. The children by the first wife were : William, Zachariah, Elizabeth and Mary; by second wife: Sarah and Phebe.

(III) Zachariah, second son of Simeon and Rebecca (Frost) Booth, was born about 1666. He was the grantee of many pieces of land, and the records contain many entries of conveyances by him to others. He was a very aetive man, a good eitizen, and the holder of several offices. In eonveyanees he is referred to as yeoman and husbandman. He married (first) Mary Warriner ; (seeond) Mary Har- mon. By the first he had one ehild, Robert; by the second nine children: John, Mary, Benjamin, Sarah, Elizabeth, Jemima, Joseph, Benjamin and Abigail.

(IV) Joseph, third son of Zachariah and Mary (Harmon) Booth, was born in Enfield, April 10, 1710, died November 9, 1784. He married Sarah Chandler, daughter of Henry and Lydia Chandler ; she died August 16. 1777. Their children were : Joseph, Sarah (died young), Isaac, Samuel, Zachariah, Sarah, Henry, David and Mehitable.

(V) Captain Joseph (2), eldest child of Joseph (1) and Sarah (Chandler ) Booth, was born in Enfield, October 17, 1736, died Febru- ary 4, 1810. He was a popular and influential citizen, a leader in the ehureh, and a captain in the militia. He was an ensign in the foree from Enfield which responded to the Lexing- ton alarm, April 18, 1775, and served six days. He enlisted again May 15, 1775, and served as a private until October 30, in the Eightli Com- pany, Jo. Smith, captain, of the Fifth Regi- ment, Colonel Waterbury's. He was ensign in the Seventh Company, Jolin Simons, captain, Colonel Wolcott's regiment, which was in ser- viee about Boston between Deeember, 1775, and February, 1776; and was seeond lieuten- ant in Captain Hezekiah Parson's company (Second) of the Third Battalion, Wadsworth's brigade, Colonel Sage. This battalion was raised June 26, 1776, to reinforce Washington at New York, and served in New York City

and on Long Island. It was caught in the retreat from the eity, September 15, and suf- fered some loss. It was engaged at the battle of White Plains, October 28. Its time expired December 25, 1776. In ehureh affairs he was prominent. In the annual meeting of First Eeclesiastieal Society in Enfield, he was chosen moderator 1778-79-80-81-82-84 and 1804. In 1780 it was voted to choose a committee to see if they ean agree to come together or agree upon a method of peaceably supplying the pulpit, and Captain Booth was one of those selected. He also served on other important committees, often being a member of the Society's standing committee "for the year ensuing." His will dated June 2, 1809, was presented for probate, February 28, 1810. His son David was executor. He married, October 21, 1762, Mary Hale, daughter of William Hale, of Enfield. Their children were: Mary, David, Annis, Lydia, Joseph, Peter, Eliphalet, Independence and Hannah.

(VI) David, eldest son of Captain Joseph (2) and Mary (Hale) Booth, was born in Enfield, Connectieut, Mareh 2, 1765, and died in Longmeadow, Massachusetts, April 12, 1827. When a young man he left the ancient seat of his ancestors and went a few miles north, where he obtained work of the widow of Samuel Colton, "Marehant," by far the richest man in Longmeadow, and its most aristocratic citizen during the period antedating the American Revolution. Young Booth was shrewd and diligent, and in a comparatively short time was entrusted with the management of the widow's property, and on September II, 1794, was eclebrated the marriage of David Booth and Margaret Colton, daughter of San- uel and Lucy (Colton) Colton (see Colton V). He was a farmer and spent the major part of his life in eultivating the soil; he left a large property. Margaret (Colton) Booth lied January 7, 1817, and David Booth mar- ried (second) Peggy Burt, daughter of Elijah and Deborah (Colton) Burt, of Longmeadow. She was born September 14, 1768, and died February 23, 1837. The children of David and Margaret were: 1. David, born Deeem- ber 10, 1796, died April 12, 1827. 2. Luey, December 11, 1798. 3. Peggy, October 3. 1800, married, April 19, 1830, Rev. Francis Bartlett. 4. Joseph, October 19, 1802, mar- ried, January 22, 1829, Sophronia Colton, and died September, 1867, at Warsaw, lowa. 5. Flavia, December 23, 1804, married. Deeem- ber 16, 1828, Rev. Amasa Converse. 6. Mary, September 8, 1807, married, October 21, 1849,

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Paul A. Haralson, Stone Mountain, Georgia. 7. Sarah, December 17, 1809, married Septem- ber 23, 1834, Rev. Jonathan Cable. 8. Samuel C., mentioned below.

(VII) Samuel Colton, youngest child of David and Margaret (Colton) Booth, was born at Longmeadow, May 6, 1812, died there September 23, 1895. He received his educa- tion in the schools of Longmeadow and in the old Amherst Academy. He was left an orphan when only fourteen years old, and soon after was obliged to lay aside his books. Mr. Booth's career was a remarkable illustration of the ordering of a whole life with one end in view, and that end the gratification of a scientific instinct. Mr. Booth's strong taste for miner- alogy in particular manifested itself very early in life. But he was a poor farmer when he was a young man, and could give but little time to the subjects which interested him most. With the object clearly in view of making him- self independent in a material way, Mr. Booth spent the first fifty years of his life in unre- mitting toil, carefully and skillfully cultivating his farm in Longmeadow, practicing economy and wisely investing his surplus funds. At the end of that period he found himself in the position in which he had been trying to reach, and from that time until he became too weak to move about his house, he was busily at work. The subjects of his study were miner- alogy, geology and general natural history. Mr. Booth secured a license to shoot birds, and his collection of mounted specimens of our native birds is interesting and fairly com- plete. His collection of minerals and fossils was almost unlimited, nearly every available nook and corner of the buildings on his prem- ises being filled during his life with specimens. His collection of Indian relics was without doubt the largest in the vicinity, and included specimens from almost every state in the union and from Canada. Mr. Booth made a practice of searching carefully through every locality in which he chanced to be staying, and a con- siderable proportion of his collection was in this way gathered in Canada, New York, Michigan, Illinois and Iowa. From 1872 he passed eleven summers on the Long Island coast, and his collections there, together with the work done by his wife, were of most valu- able assistance to his invalid daughter, Mary A. Booth, in her studies of marine natural his- tory. During the twelve years preceding his death he made numerous exchanges which brought him specimens from all parts of this country and not a few from Europe. In fact

the rocks and minerals of all countries were represented in his collections. The success of Mr. Booth's efforts is the more wonderful when the circumstances under which he work- ed are taken into consideration. Living in a locality devoid of interest in the studies which most interested him, Mr. Booth worked per- severing and steadily when it seemed as if the result of his collections must be solely the pleasure which he himself derived from them. But they gave him a happy old age, and an interest in life at a period when most interests fail. Indeed, Mr. Booth's physician positively stated that his interest in nature was the means of prolonging his life. One of Mr. Booth's last acts before he became too weak, was to prepare a number of boxes of assorted min- erals for use in the grammar schools of Spring- field. He lived to see the completion of the new art building, and one of his last works before he became ill was the preparation of a collection of minerals for that institution, and the last remnant of his strength was employed in preparing this gift. Indeed, it was over- fatigue in this work which induced the final collapse. During the last few months of his life Mr. Booth often expressed his gratifica- tion that the most of his life had not been in vain, inasmuch as he was leaving behind a mass of information which would be of great value to intelligent people in general. Mr. Booth's gift of his valuable collection gave the impetus to the movement which resulted in the building of the Science Museum; until this building was completed the collection was stored in the basement of the art building. Mr. Booth was a member of the American Asso- ciation for the Advancement of Science. Samuel C. Booth married (first) November 20, 1833, Mary Ann Allard, born about 1815, daughter of Hiram Allard, of Wilbraham. She died May 21, 1839, leaving one child, David, who was born in Longmeadow, August 9, 1837, and died August 18, 1907. He married (second) March 26, 1840, Rhoda Colton, born in Longmeadow, December 31, 1809, died March 7, 1883, daughter of Ebenezer C. and Phebe ( Barton) Colton, of Oxford, Massa- chusetts. Of this marriage was born a daugh- ter, Mary A., whose sketch follows.

(VIII) Mary Ann, only daughter of Samuel C. and Rhoda (Colton) Booth, was born in Longmeadow, September 8, 1843. In youth and early womanhood Miss Booth was an invalid, and she assisted her father in a man- ner to while away hours otherwise tedious. Soon she felt a strong interest in her father's

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scientific pursuits, and assisted and greatly encouraged him in his work. The knowledge acquired at the seashore led her to take an interest in marine natural history, which she soon made a special study. From that she went to microscopy and later photomicro- graphy, in which science she has become one of the leaders, and a great part of her time is devoted to the photography of minute objects of interest to science. Her studies under the microscope began in 1877. She has never sought to make personal gain of her skill, although, if she cared to do so, she could get more work than she could do, making plates for scientific books and slides for stereopti- cons. This work is her recreation, due to her intense love of scientific research and nature study. Only two other women in the country are engaged in similar work. Miss Booth ex- hibited specimens of her work at the Louisiana International Exposition, held at St. Louis, 1904, and although others had exhibits of the same kind, she was the only one to receive a medal. She received first honor at the New Orleans exposition, 1885. In recognition of her work Miss Booth has been made member of the following scientific societies: Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences, elected 1898; American Microscopic Society, 1882: Amer- ican Association for the Advancement of Science, August, 1885; fellow of the same, 1894; New York Microscopical Society, 1890; National Geographic Society, 1899: fcllow Royal Microscopical Society, London, Eng- land, 1889; Mcrcy Warren Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, May 12, 1900; Springfield Women's Club, and other organi- zations. The fellows of the American Asso- ciation for the Advancement of Science are elected from such members as have by their labors aided in advancing science, and not many women have had the honor of election to this society. Only one other American woman is a fellow of the Royal Microscopic Society. April 6, 1896, in compliance with the wishes of her father, Miss Booth presented to the City Library Association of Springfield, the geological and mineralogical collections which Mr. Booth had spent so much of his life in collecting. So extensive and complete are the collections of Mr. Booth that this addi- tion to the museum of the library makes a very satisfactory presentation of the mincr- alogy of Springfield and vicinity, and in view of this fact this division of the museum is known as the Booth department of local min- cralogy. In January, 1902, Miss Booth loaned

to the library the very extensive archaeological collection made by her father. This consists of Indian relics. The specimens now dis- played in two table cases were classified and catalogued by Professor Albertus L. Dakin, of the Peabody Museum of Cambridge, who reports that the collection is of unusual value by reason of the different localities represented, and of the excellence and number of the im- plements. Nearly every state east of the Missis- sippi is represented. The following is a letter received by Miss Booth from Professor Bowne of the International Young Men's Christian Association Training School of Springfield, dated October 20, 1902 :

Miss M. A. Booth,

60 Dartmouth St., City.

Dear Madam:

I write to express to you my hearty appreciation of the privilege you are offering to the Springfield public in depositing your very valuable collection of American Archaeology in our Science Museum. The wide area covered and the large variety of types show a deep interest in the whole subject on the part of the collector.

The recent classification and labeling by a com- petent archaeologist has added greatly to its edu- cational value. It would seem as though the exhi- bition of this and the other collections should lead to a greatly increased interest in this fascinating study.

I regard the Booth collection as one of the most valuable additions yet made to the Science Museum. Sincerely yours, J. T. BOWNE.

Miss Booth also presented a number of his- torical relics of much interest in connection with the annals of Springfield and Long- meadow. Samuel Colton Booth was a lieuten- ant in the Massachusetts militia, and here are his hat and sword ; also his commission, dated 1836, and signed in the neat and scholarly hand of the most learned of all Massachusetts governors, Edward Everett. There is also a revolutionary musket, which was handed down to Joseph and Samuel C. Booth, the last receiv- ing it in 1828. There is also an old fowling piece of about the same date, which has a broken stock, mended with hide. The fracture was made by an ancestor of Ebenezer C. Col- ton, while killing a bear in Longmeadow. Miss Booth removed to Springfield in 1895, and now carries on her studies in a house filled with many relics of the past and products of her skill. She also lectured and addressed many audiences, learned and otherwise, both in the States and in Canada. She has traveled much, and in her journeys she has visited nearly every state in the Union. She has been a contributor to most of the magazines in

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America and abroad devoted to Microscopy, and for about twelve years she edited the Practical Microscopy.

(The Colton Line).

The family of Colton which settled in Springfield, Massachusetts, is the earliest of the name in New England, and from its pro- genitor, George Colton, are descended the Col- tons of today in America.

(I) George Colton is said to have come from Sutton Coldfield, a place about eight miles from Birmingham, county of Warwick, England. He settled first in Windsor, Con- necticut, and was later one of the first settlers of that part of Springfield now Longmeadow. He was a freeman, 1665, a grantee of Suffield, 1670, and called "quartermaster" in the rec- ord. He was representative 1669-71-77. He has been called the "father of Longmeadow," and in 1677 stood at the head of the board of selectmen upon whom rested the burden of restoring the street to its former condition. George Colton was one of those present when William Pynchon negotiated with the Indian chiefs, Wequogan, Wawapaw and Wecombo, for their interest in lands to which Pynchon and his associates had but an imperfect title. Among the owners of land we find George Colton, taxed on sixty-one acres, sixteen shill- ings nine pence, 1647. Wheat, Indian corn and peas were accepted in payment of taxes. George Colton married (first) Deborah Gard- ner, of Hartford, Connecticut, by whom he had children, recorded in the Springfield book as follows: Isaac, Ephraim, Mary, Thomas, Sarah, Deborah, Hepzibah, John, Benjamin. He married (second) March 1, 1692, the Widow Lydia Lamb, who had been the wife of Lawrence Bliss, John Norton and John Lamb. She died February 13, 1698-99. "He d 17 Dec. 1699, at night.'

(II) Ephraim, second son of George and Deborah (Gardner) Colton, was a man of character and of good standing in the church. He was chairman of the building committee, 1722, to look after the erection of a court house. He settled in Longmeadow, and prob- ably about the year 1696 removed to Enfield. He married, November 17, 1670, Mary Drake, daughter of Job Drake. Children: Ephraim, Josiah, Job and Samuel. Mary, the mother, died October 19, 1681. Ephraim married (second) March 26, 1685, Esther Mansfield, daughter of Samuel and Catherine Mansfield. She was born September 6, 1667. Ephraim Colton died May 14, 1713, eight months before

his last child was born ; and Esther, his wife, died January 20, 1714, seven days after the birth of said child. The children of Ephraim and Esther were: Josiah, Esther, Benjamin, Sarah, Daniel, Deborah, Isaac, Margaret, Nathaniel, Thomas, Noah, Mary and Abiel.

(III) Samuel, fourth son of Ephraim and Mary (Drake) Colton, was born January 17, 1679, died March 13, 1744. He married, Jan- uary 16, 1707, Margaret Bliss ( see Bliss III), daughter of Samuel and Mary Bliss, of Spring- field, first parish. She died January 16, 1736. Their children were: Margaret, and Samuel, next mentioned.

(IV) Samuel (2), son of Samuel (1) and Margaret ( Bliss) Colton, was born Septem- ber 7, 1727, died November 5, 1784. His father died when he was seventeen years of age, and he soon after fell out with his Uncle Ephraim, his guardian, and was allowed to go into business for himself, with his own cows for a working capital, and his negro servant Tony for a helpmate. He became a merchant and soon had the largest trade in the region. He built ships also and went into the West India trade. "His shipyard was on the Con- necticut river bank at about the place where the Harvard and Yale boat crews used to finish their races. His vessels, the 'Speedwell' and the 'Friendship,' were launched at high water, floated over Enfield Falls, rigged at Hartford, and loaded with hoops and staves. These were exchanged for molasses and rum and sugar at Havana, and the West India cargo was sold at Bristol, England, for a gen- eral assortment of goods for home distribu- tion at Piscataqua (now Portsmouth, New Hampshire ), Boston and Longmeadow." "When the Revolution broke out he was the possessor of what was at that time a large fortune, amounting probably to $30,000 and he was by much the richest man in Longmeadow. His trade in slaves might have helped the enlargement of his estate. In his day-book for May 20, 1769, is the entry: 'George Cooley, Somers, Ct., By a negrow man named Jack, sd Cooley Gave me a bil of sale of sd negrow for £60.' This negro Jack turned out to be a lazy and saucy chattel, and was freed by Mr. Colton's widow, who was glad to be rid of him. Mr. Colton was a conservative man and did not join the ardent advocates of liberty in Revolutionary times. He claimed to be a patriot, but said he was not so 'liberty-mad' as some of his fellow townsmen who proceeded to call him a 'tory.'" "He would not sell his groceries for Continental currency at par

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value. He held stoutly to his right of keep- ing in his cellar the goods for which he had paid good English money. This was the gist of the accusation that he was a tory and 'inimical to the Liberties of the Country.' It was under the stress of a prejudice of this kind that Samuel Colton was mobbed. At midnight, July 23, 1776, a company of his neighbors, with whom he had always held the kindliest relations, headed by Deacon Nathaniel Ely, Festus Colton, and Azariah Woodworth, including several reputable mem- bers of the church, with blackened faces and disguised as Indians, attacked the house, broke open his store, seized his rum, salt, molasses and other goods, and carried them to a build- ing selected for storage. Meanwhile the keen eye of his wife peeping through the shutters had elearly marked each assailant and their disguise was of no avail. They appointed Jabez Colton, a Yale graduate, town elerk and select schoolmaster, to keep account of the stolen goods, as guardian and salesman. In mitigation of this high-handed proceeding, sev- eral months afterwards, when paper money had so depreciated that it would not purchase more than half the amount of goods purloined, a roll of continental bills was offered to Mer- chant Colton, which, however, he refused to take or even look at. The tradition is, that so utterly broken-hearted was the good citizen, who, according to his light, had always been loyal, both to his king, his native country and his neighbors, that after the cruel transaction of that memorable night, he never spoke to one of them, nor, indeed above a whisper to anybody, and in a few years more, though scarcely past the prime of his strength, died broken-hearted." Samuel Colton married, December 26, 1759, Flavia Colton, daughter

of Captain Simon and Abigail Colton. She died April 6, 1763. They had one child, born February 1, died February 3, 1760. Samuel married (second) October 16, 1765, Lucy Col- ton, daughter of Lieutenant John Colton and Mercy his wife. Their children were: Adna, an infant, Flavia, Margaret (died young), Margaret, Lucy, Samuel (died young), Samuel.

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Genealogical and personal memoirs relating to the families of the state of Massachusetts, Volume III, Part 19

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