Genealogical and personal memoirs relating to the families of the state of Massachusetts, Volume III, Part 81

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 81

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Brewster's historic church ; but it is only defi- nitely known that he early joined the Pilgrims at Leyden, and continued of their company un- til his death. When the first of the colonists departed for America, Mr. Morton remained behind, although he "much desired" to embark then and intended soon to join them. His rea- sons for such a course is a matter ofconjecture. As he was a merchant, possibly his business interests caused his detention, or, what is more probable, he remained to promote the success of the colony by encouraging emigration among others. That he served in some official capacity before coming to America, is un- doubted. One writer states that he was "the agent of those of his sect in London," and an- other, that he acted as "the financial agent in London for Plymouth County."

The work, however, for which this eminent forefather is most noted, and which will for- ever link his name with American history, is the publication issued by him in London, in 1622, of what has since been known as "Mourt's Relation." This "Relation," may justly be termed the first history of New Eng- land, and is composed of letters and journals from the chief colonists at Plymouth, either addressed or instrusted to George Morton, whose authorship in the work is possibly lim- ited to the preface. The "Relation" itself is full of valuable information and still continues an authority. Shortly after it was placed be- fore the public, George Morton prepared to emigrate to America, and sailed with his wife and five children in the "Ann," the third and last ship to carry what are distinctively known as the Forefathers, and reached Plymouth ear- ly in June, 1623. "New England's Memorial" speaks of Mr. Timothy Hatherly and Mr. George Morton as "two of the principal pas- sengers that came in this ship," and from Mor- ton's activity in promoting emigration it may be inferred that the "Ann's" valuable addition to the Colony was in a measure due to his ef- forts. He did not long survive his arrival, and his early death was a serious loss to the infant settlement. His character and attain- ments were such as to suggest the thought that, had he lived to the age reached by several of his distinguished contemporaries, he would have filled as conspicuous a place in the life of the Colony. The Memorial thus chronicles his decease :

"Mr. George Morton was a pious, gracious servant of God, and very faithful in whatso- ever public employment he was betrusted with- al, and an unfeigned well-willer, and accord-

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ing to his sphere and condition a suitable pro- moter of the common good and growth of the plantation of New Plymouth, labouring to still the discontents that sometimes would arise amongst some spirits, by occasion of the diffi- culties of these new beginnings ; but it pleased God to put a period to his days soon after his arrival in New England, not surviving a full year after his coming ashorc. With much comfort and peace he fell asleep in the Lord, in the month of June anno 1624."

He married Juliana Carpenter, as shown by the entry in the Leyden Records :

"George Morton, merchant, from York in England, accompanied by Thomas Morton, his brother, and Roger Wilson, his acquaint- ance, with Juliana Carpenter, maid from Baths in England, accompanied by Alexander Carpenter, her father, and Alice Carpenter, her sister, and Anna Robinson, her acquaint- ance."

. "The banns published 6-16 July, 1612; the marriage took place 23 July-2 August, 1612."

Mrs. Morton married (sccond) Manasseh Kempton, Esquire, a member of the first and other assemblies of the colony. She died at Plymouth, 18 February, 1665, in the eighty- first year of her age, and is mentioned in the Town Records as "a faithful servant of God."

Children of George and Juliana (Carpen- ter) Morton : Nathanicl, Paticncc, John, Sarah and Ephraim.

(II) Ephraim, third son of George and Juliana (Carpenter) Morton, was born in England. He married, in 1644, Ann Cooper, and had George, born in 1645: Ephraim, 1648; Rebecca, 1651; Josiah, 1653; Mercy, Nathanicl, Eleazer, Thomas, 1667; Patience.

(III) Elcazer, fifth son of Ephraim and Ann (Cooper) Morton, was born in Ply- mouth, and married, in 1693, Rebecca (sur- name unknown), and had Ebenezer, born in 1693; Ann, 1694: Nathaniel, 1695 ; Rebecca.

(IV) Nathaniel, second son of Eleazer and Rebecca Morton, was born in Plymouth, and marricd, in 1720, Rebecca, widow of Mor- dicai Ellis and daughter of Thomas Clark. They had Elizabeth, born in 1720: Nathaniel, 1723: Eleazer, 1724: Ichabod, 1726.

(V) Nathaniel (2), cldest son of Nathanicl (1) and Rebecca ( Clark) Morton, was born in Plymouth, and lived in Frectown, Massa- chusetts. Married, in 1749, Martha Tupper and had Rebecca, who married William Da- vee, an ancestor of Thomas T. Davec, of Springfield (sce Davee HII), Nathaniel, 1753;

Martha, Elizabeth and Job. This line of Mortons is from the same ancestry as vice- president, the Honorable Levi P. Morton.

The Hurlbuts of this article

HURLBUT are the first of the name in New England. The courage and energy which made the immigrant a good soldier and hardy pioneer have made many of his descendants successful men in various vo- cations in life.

(I) Thomas Hurlbut is thought to have come to America in 1635. Lyon Gardiner, who built and had command of the fort at Saybrook, Connecticut, is said to have sailed from England in a little Norse fishing vessel, July 10, 1635, with a wife and female servant and eleven male passengers, and after a long and tempestuous voyage to have arrived at Bos- ton, November 28, following. Thomas Hurl- but is claimed to have been one of the eleven passengers referred to, but nothing of his prev- ious history is known. It is confidently be- lieved that he was born as early as 1610. While at Saybrook he was a member of a party of eleven men sent out February 22, 1637, to burn leaves, weeds, and reeds upon the neck of land half a mile from the fort. While attending to this work they were attacked by a party of Indians (said to have numbered a hundred), and Hurlbut and two others were wounded and two shot dead. "Hurlbut was shot almost through the thigh," but escapcd. After the Pequot war Hurlbut settled at Wethersfield, Connecticut, and was the first blacksmith there. "A single extract from the Colonial Records would seem to indicate that he was a good workman and charged a good price for his work : 'March 2, 1642, Thomas Hallibut was fincd 40 shillings for encouraging others in taking excessive rates for work and ware.' but this finc appears to have been 'respited' Fcb- ruary 5. 1643, upon Peter Bassaker's 'tryal' to make 'nayles' with less loss and cheaper ratcs." He was a man of substance and good standing in the settlement, and was clerk of the "Train Band" in 1640, deputy to the gencral court, grand juror and also constable in 1644. Hc received various tracts of land in the several divisions of the town, which were recorded to- gether in 1647. In 1660 the town of Wethers- field granted Thomas Hurlbut lot 39, one of the "four score acre lots" (in Naubuc on the east side of the river ), which he afterward sold to Thomas Hollister. For his services in the Indian wars, the assembly voted him a grant of one hundred and twenty acres of land

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J. Searle Hurtbut-

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October 12, 1671. He is supposed to have died soon after that time. In 1694, on the pe- tition of John Hurlbut Jr., of Middletown, a grandson of the settler and soldier, the land which his grandfather had never claimed was set off to him. The baptismal name of the wife of Thomas was Sarah, but no further fact is known of her. Their sons were: Thom- as, John, Samuel, Joseph, Stephen and Corne- lius. There is no record of any daughters.

( II) Samuel, son of Thomas and Sarah Hurlbut, was born probably in Wethersfield, about 1644. He was a farmer, and first set- tled in Wethersfield, where he bought, Decem- ber 27. 1668, a house and home lot of John Goodrich. He owned other lots in town. He appears as a resident of Wethersfield in 1692. A Samuel Hurlbut died in Wethersfield, in 1712, who may have been this Samuel, though he may have moved to Farmington, as has been suggested, where some of his family were living. There is no record of his death or that of his wife, or of the probate of his will. His wife's name was Mary, but there is no record of his marriage. His children were: Stephen, Nathan, Mary, Sarah, Jonathan, David, Titus, Miriam, Samuel, Elizabeth and Lemmon.

(III ) Stephen, eldest child of Samuel and Mary Hurlbut, was born in Wethersfield, De- cember 27, 1668, and died October 7, 1712. He settled in New London soon after 1690. He married. about 1696, Hannah Douglas, of New London, and they had Stephen, Freelove, Mary, John, Sarah, Titus and Joseph.

( IV ) John, son of Stephen and Hannah (Douglas ) Hurlbut, was born in New London, and settled in North Groton, now the town of Ledyard, where he died May 5, 1761. He mar- ried Mary, a daughter of Ralph Stoddard. She was living in 1782. Their children, though per- haps not given in the order of their ages, were : Stephen, Mary, John, Rufus, Hannah, Ralph, Lydia and Rispah.

(V) Stephen (2), son of John and Mary ( Stoddard) Hurlbut, was born in Groton. It is probable that he first settled in his native town where he resided some years, but he later became a settler of Southampton, Massachu- setts, after a number of children had been born to him. He was a land surveyor, and was at the Connecticut settlements on the Susquehan- na in 1772 and the spring of 1773, and per- haps part of the succeeding year in that capac- ity. It is quite probable also that he was there in the year 1770, and was the individual re- ferred to in Miner's Wyoming, page 120, er- roneously called Christopher Hurlbut, em-

ployed by the Susquehanna company to make surveys. Christopher Hurlbut, son of Dea- con John and nephew of Stephen, afterward became a settler and surveyor at Wyoming, and hence probably comes the error. He mar- ried ( first ) Mary Morgan; (second) Widow Alley ; ( third ) Widow Rebecca Sheldon. The children by wife Mary Morgan were: Sarah, Mary, Phebe, Hannah, Freelove and Stephen Douglas ; by the second wife: Martin Luther, Collins, Rispah, Susannah and Eunice ; and by the last wife: Rufus.

(VI) Stephen Douglas, youngest child of Stephen (2) and Mary (Morgan) Hurlbut, was born in Groton, December 14, (or 19), 1770, and died April 4, 1832, in Southamp- ton, Massachusetts, where all his children were born. June 9, 1791, he married Eunice Clapp, born November 26, 1770, in South- ampton, who died December 24, 1824. Their children were: Phebe, Stephen, Sarah, Doug- las, Asaph, Samuel and Moses Clapp.

(VII) Asaph, third son of Stephen Doug- las and Eunice (Clapp) Hurlbut, was born in Southampton, Massachusetts, September 28, 1801, and resided in West Springfield. where he was engaged in milling. Later, to gain better educational opportunities for his children, he settled in the center of Spring- field, where he was in the employ of the Bos- ton & Albany railroad till his death. He was a Whig in politics, and a Congregationalist in religion. He married, in Southampton, No- vember 8, 1827, Asenath Searle. He died Au- gust 28, 1867, and she died December 20. 1860. Their children, all born in West Springfield, were: Milton Clark, Cornelius Searle, Sarah Jane, Edward Asaph, Jairus Searle and Lewis Seneca.

(VIII) Jairus Searle, fourth son of Asaph and Asenath (Searle) Hurlbut, was born in West Springfield, January 5, 1842, and died very suddenly, November 9, 1902. At ten years of age he accompanied his parents in their removal to Springfield, and was edu- cated in the schools of that city, graduating from the high school, under Ariel Parish, in 1860. From school he went into the dental office of his brother, Dr. Cornelius S. Hurl- but, with whom he was associated as student and partner until 1865, in which year he went to the Philadelphia Dental College, from which he graduated the same year. He went west for his health, and spent a winter in St. Paul, Minnesota, and then returned to Spring- field and located at 374 Main street. After an occupancy of twenty-seven years he re-

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moved his business from that place, in 1893, to the Masonic building at the corner of Main and State streets, where for the remainder of his life he maintained his office, complete with equipment of every appliance known to modern dentistry. Dr. Hurlbut was a mem- ber of the Connecticut Valley Dental Society, of which he was president and executive offi- cer. He was president, orator and member of the executive committee of the Massachu- setts Dental Society, and belonged to the American Academy of Dental Science, the New England Dental Society and the American Dental Association, the Interna- tional Dental Congress, and the Odontological Society of New York. On the passage of the state dental law in 1887 he was ap- pointed by Governor Ames on the board of registration, and from 1891 till his death he was its president. He was also president of the American Association of Dental Ex- aminers, before which every aspirant to the dental profession must come for examination. It is a fact worth remark that Dr. Hurlbut was president of every dental society of which he was a member, and he had a national repu- tation. Dr. Hurlbut voted the Republican ticket but never sought political honors. Al- though domestic in his habits he was a mem- ber of the Winthrop and the Nayasset clubs. While not a member of the church, he was a very active member of the South Church Society and did very much for it. While Dr. Hurlbut seemed in late years the picture of health, his appearance was due to his fine phy- sique, and his strength was kept up only by the strictest care of the body, for he was never robust. He had been away from Springfield much because of ill health, and for a number of years had spent his winters in Nassau, a place he was very fond of. In former years he had visited Florida many times, and had also traveled in Mexico and California. He traveled extensively through Europe, and was benefited by all these trips. Accompanied by his wife and her two sisters, he made his first visit to Europe in 1876, and while absent vis- ited all the countries in that continent except Spain, Sweden, Norway and Russia, and in 1882, on a return trip they toured these coun- tries and various others. He was particular- ly interested in the benevolent and charitable institutions of the city, and by the terms of his will he left the Springfield Public Library a fund, the income of which is to be used for the purchase of dental books. He also left bequests to the Home for the Friendless, the

Young Men's Christian Association, and sub- sequent to his death Mrs. Hurlbut presented to the Science Museum his valuable collection of Mexican curios. He also left bequests to nieces and nephews and to several of his cousins. Very soon after the death of Dr. Hurlbut, Mrs. Hurlbut presented to the Springfield Hospital, on the staff of which he served thirty years, the operating chair used by him and a large number of his in- struments. Dr. Hurlbut made a collection of native woods while in the Bahamas, and these, with a handsome case, presented by Mrs. Hurlbut, went to the Science Museum. He also gave to the Science Museum a col- lection of fine photographs of rare and beau- tiful trees of the Bahama Islands. Dr. Hurl- but started in life without money, and by his own efforts made his way to a splendid pro- fessional and social success, being a man of attractive personality, fine character and help- ful to all who came in contact with him. His was a cleanly life and his virtues and his charities made him many friends. As a friend, Dr. Hurlbut excelled. One of his most intimate acquaintances said of him: "He was something special to each of his friends, and his thoughtfulness and gentleness in times of trouble were remarkable." He died of apoplexy after an illness of only four months. He had been injured by a fall in a barn in Southampton about eight weeks before his death, sustaining injuries to his head and in- ternal organs, from which he never fully re- covered. Dr. Hurlbut is missed in business circles where he was well known as a careful investor. His judgment in business matters was often asked and freely given. He was a director from the time of its organization till his death of the Springfield Safe Deposit & Trust Company, and for many years a close friend of Henry S. Lee, with whom he had much in common.

Dr. Hurlbut married, October 15, 1868, Julia Ann Sampson, who was born in Worth- ington, May 10, 1844, daughter of Ira B. and Julia Ann (Blush) Sampson, of Springfield. (See Sampson VI).

(The Sampson Line).

( II) George, second son of Abraham Samp- son, (q. v.), was born in Duxbury, in 1655. He was one of the first settlers of Plympton. which was originally a part of Plymouth. The site of the house lie lived in was afterward owned and occupied by his great-grandson, George Sampson, and also by a son of the lat-

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ter. George Sampson died July 26, 1739, aged eighty-five. He and his wife were buried in the old cemetery in Plympton near its north- erly side. Their gravestones were still stand- ing some years ago. He married, about 1678, Elizabeth, whose surname is unknown. They had ten children, as follows: Joseph, Abigail, Judith, Ruth, Benjamin, Martha, George, Elizabeth, William and Seth.

(III) George (2), third son of George (I) and Elizabeth Sampson, was born in Plymp- ton, March 10, 1691. He resided in Plympton, in a house which stood two or three rods north from the Lower Mill pond on the Winnetuxet river. It had a stone chimney, and the fire- place in the front was capacious enough to contain the whole family, sitting on each side of the fire. Mr. Sampson and his wife were members of the church in Plympton, admitted during the pastorate of the first minister there, Rev. Isaac Cushman. Mr. Sampson was fre- quently moderator of the town meetings, and was a selectman and assessor. He was town treasurer from 1739 to 1760, a period of twen- ty-two years. His will is dated August 27, 1773 ; proved April 8, 1774; recorded in Ply- mouth. In it he calls himself "yeoman." He died in Plympton, February 6, 1774, in the eighty-third year of his age. He and his wife were buried near the north side of the bury- ing-ground, and their gravestones were recent- ly standing. He married, December 10, 1718, Hannah Soule, born March 18, 1697, died Sep- tember 22, 1776, daughter of Benjamin and Sarah (Standish) Soule, who were among the first settlers of Plympton. Benjamin was the son of John Soule by his wife Esther, who had been the wife of Samuel Sampson; and John Soule was the son of George Soule, one of the passengers in the "Mayflower" 1620. The children of George and Hannah were: Gideon, Sarah, Deborah, Zabdiel, Hannah, George, Rebecca and Elizabeth.

( IV) Zabdiel, second son of George (2) and Hannah (Soule) Sampson, was born in Plympton, April 26, 1727. He lived in Plymp- ton, in the house which his father had occu- pied. He was a soldier in the "Old French WVar" of 1756, and the years following. Tra- dition has it that he was taken by the In- dians, who tied him to a tree and amused themselves with throwing hatchets on each side of their prisoner, to see how near they could throw and miss. He was also a revolu- tionary soldier. A private in Captain John Bradford's company, Colonel Theophilus Eas- ton's regiment, which marched April 19, 1775,

to Marshfield; service twelve days; reported enlisted into the army. His name appears on the Massachusetts archives as one of the "Eight Months' Men" who served from the be- ginning of May till the end of December, 1775, his service from May 2, being three months seven days. He is also mentioned on the com- pany return dated October 7, 1775, and on an order November 9. At the end of that period of service he re-enlisted and was slain in the battle of Harlem, in the upper end of the is- land of Manhattan, September 16, 1776, aged forty-nine years. He married (first) Decem- ber 31, 1747, Abigail Cushman, born Novem- ber 22, 1727, daughter of Benjamin and Sarah Cushman. She died in Plympton, May 4, 1751, aged "23 years, 5 mos., 12 days." He married (second) August 22, 1752, Abiah, daughter of Richard Whitmarsh, of Abington. She and her husband became members of the church at Plympton in 1763. She died De- cember 26, 1800, aged seventy-seven. He had by his wife Abigail one child, Sarah; by wife Abiah, nine: Zabdiel, George, William, Abi- gail, Gideon, Hannah, Abiah, Philemon and Issachar, next mentioned.

(V) Issachar, youngest child of Zabdiel and Abiah (Whitmarsh) Sampson, was born in Plympton, June 12, 1768, died in Worthing- ton, July 31, 1825. He married, May 28, 1795, Deborah Wilbur, who died November 23, 1833, aged sixty. Their children were I. For- dyce, born April 12, 1797, died April 24, 1842. 2. Polly, March 27, 1800, died May 21, 1803. 3. William, January 23, 1803, died July 23, 1825. 4. Philo, January 3, 1807, died Febru- ary 14, 1876. 5. Abigail, January 22, 1810, died 1908. 6. Ira Bradford, mentioned below.

(VI) Ira Bradford, son of Issachar and Deborah (Wilbur) Sampson, was born in Worthington, January 18, 1812, died in Springfield, April 26, 1856. He worked at the trade of shoemaker for some time, and in 1846 removed to Springfield and became a partner with his brother-in-law, H. S. Rev- nolds, in the manufacture of fine broadcloth. He was for some years tax collector of Springfield. He was always of a delicate con- stitution and died at the age of forty-four. In politics he was first a Whig and then a Re- publican. He married, June 9, 1834. Julia Ann Blush, born at Middlefield, June 29. 1814. died in Springfield, March 14, 1864, daugh- ter of Amasa and Anna (Durant) Blush. (See Durant VII). The children of this mar riage were: I. Henry Fordyce, born May 12, 1835, was educated in the common and high

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schools of Springfield; in 1855 he became connected with the Connecticut River railroad, and served in the freight department till 1865; he there became passenger conductor running between Springfield, Massachusetts, and Windsor, Vermont ; in 1891 he was made su- perintendent of this road and served in that capacity till 1901, when he resigned; he has been a successful man and has taken a prom- inent part in local politics as a Republican, and was a representative in the state legisla- ture in 1902, and served in the senate in 1903- 04: he married (first) October 21, 1857, Mary B. Rice, born in Springfield, daughter of Charles B. Rice ; she died February 16, 1879: married (second) October 27, 1880, Martha M. Rice, of Springfield, who died April 23, 1887; married (third) October 15, 1890, Nel- lie (Cobb) Hooper, of Westminster, Ver- mont, who died May 15, 1900; two children were born of the first marriage: Frederick Henry and Charles Bradford; Frederick H .. born July 10, 1865, married. January 1.4. 1891. Mary H. Benjamin, of Cameron, Mis- souri ; they have one son, George Benjamin, born October 13. 1891: Charles Bradford born February 15, 1868, married, November 6, 1889, Bertha A. Wilcox, of Springfield ; they have one child, Effie Dorris, born August 4, 1890. 2. Amasa Blush, born June II, 1837, went to Helena, Montana, in 1855, and during the civil war was in the cavalry ser- vice : at the close of the rebellion he became a merchant in San Francisco, California, where he was engaged in business until 1886; he then settled in Tuscon, Arizona, where he has since been engaged in copper mining. 3. Ira Bradford, born April 22, 1840, enlisted in the Twenty-seventh Massachusetts Infan- try in 1861, and was sergeant major at the battle on Roanoke Island, where for gallantry and meritorious service he was made captain of the Second Massachusetts Heavy Artillery ; he was taken prisoner and confined eleven months in Columbia and other Confederate prisons, but escaped and joined Sherman in his march to the sea; at the close of the war he settled at Albany, New York, and engaged in the manufacture of corks; his health fail- ing he removed to Arizona, where he died ; he married, ( first ) April 24, 1865, Mary ('. Cooley, daughter of O. C. Cooley, of Spring- field ; they had three children : Marcus Cooley, February, 1867: Walter Cooley, September, 1868; and Lulu, January 5, 1871. 4. Clark Durant, born June 9, 1842, died in 1843. 5. Julia Ann, born May 10, 1844, married, Oc-

tober 15, 1868, Dr. Jairus Searle Hurlbut, whom she survives; (see Hurlbut VIII) ; she resides in Springfield, is a woman of means. lives in a large and handsomely furnished house, and has a large circle of friends, won by her general intelligence and attractive per- sonality. 6. Martha Newton, born November 18, 1848, married Frank Moseley Hurlburt, a native of Ohio, now president of the Union Square Bank of New York City; they have four children : Elsie and Ruth (twins), born October 15, 1880: Julia Sampson, August 31, 1882: Stephen Durant, June, 1890; Ruth married Mason Young Jr., and has two chil- dren, Mason and Hurlburt. 7. Mary Etta. born April 7, 1852, married John Arthur Murphy and had three children : Ritta, Blanche and Helen.

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Genealogical and personal memoirs relating to the families of the state of Massachusetts, Volume III, Part 81

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