Genealogical and personal memoirs relating to the families of the state of Massachusetts, Volume IV, Part 91

Author: Cutter, William Richard, 1847-1918, ed; Adams, William Frederick, 1848-
Publication date: 1910
Publisher: New York, Lewis historical publishing company
Number of Pages: 886

USA > Massachusetts > Genealogical and personal memoirs relating to the families of the state of Massachusetts, Volume IV > Part 91

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).

After the arrival of the army in New York in May, 1776, General Washington organized a battalion of light troops composed of volun- teers from different New England regiments, and Thomas Knowlton, who had been com- missioned major in the Continental army in December, 1775, was now appointed lieutenant- colonel, commandant, and Thomas Grosvenor commanded a company in this organization, which was called the Knowlton Rangers. With them he participated in the battle of Long Island, and also in the spirited action on Har- lem Heights, in the vicinity of McGowan's Pass, where Colonel Knowlton was killed. Colo- nel Knowlton's silk sash, which had been pre- sented to him by the town of Boston, is pre- served in the family of the youngest daughter of Colonel Grosvenor, Hannah, mentioned below. Captain Brown, who succeeded Colonel Knowlton in command, fell in the defense of Fort Mifflen in November, 1777. Colonel Grosvenor used to describe him and Colonel Knowlton as the bravest of brave men, and related an anecdote of Captain Brown's coolness at the battle of Long Island, when the British cavalry, advancing on the Bedford road, came near capturing his command.

On October 28, 1776, Colonel Grosvenor took part in the battle of White Plains, fol- lowed the apparently desperate fortunes of Washington on the march through New Jer- sey, and participated as a captain in Durkee's regiment in the battles of Trenton, Trenton Bridge and Princeton, and in Valley Forge.

He was captain in Colonel Wyllis's regiment and was with him at the capture of Ticon- deroga on May 10, 1775. On February 6, 1777 he was commissioned major in that regi- ment. During the encampment at Valley Forge in the winter of 1777-78, Colonel Gros- venor belonged to Huntington's brigade which took part in the battles of Germantown and Brandywine, and in the movements at White Marsh and Chestnut Hill from November 23 to December 22, 1777, and down to the encamp- ment at Valley Forge. On March 13, 1778, Colo- nel Grosvenor was commissioned as lieutenant- colonel of Durkee's regiment, and in that ca- pacity marched with the army from Valley Forge to Monmouth, where on June 28, 1778, a battle was fought which decided the fate of Washington. The regiment was in the ad- vance under Lafayette, and was ranged upon the heights behind the causeway after Lee's retreat. Colonel Grosvenor was also in Gen- eral Sullivan's expedition against the Seneca Indians in the summer and autumn of 1779.

On May 22, 1779, he acted, and July II following was commissioned as sub-inspector of the army under Baron Steuben. On Janu- ary 1, 1781, he was commissioned as inspector. On the death of Colonel Durkee, May 29, 1782, he was appointed lieutenant-colonel, commandant of the first Connecticut regiment, and continued in that command to January 1, 1783, when the Connecticut regiments were consolidated under the act of congress of Au- gust 7, 1782. He was also assistant-adjutant- general of the Connecticut line for a consid- erable time, as his orderly books show. After January 1, 1783, Colonel Grosvenor returned to Pomfret and resumed the practice of law.

He married, in 178-, Ann Mumford, youngest daughter of Captain Peter and Abi- gail Martin Mumford. Captain Peter Mum- ford was born March 16, 1728, died May 3, 1798; married, June 2, 1756, Abigail Martin, born January II, 1728, died June 30, 1809. Captain Peter Mumford was son of Benjamin Mumford, born April 10, 1696, at South King- ston, who married in 1720, Ann Mumford, born April 28, 1701, died October 22, 1773, daughter of John and Peace ( Perry) Mum- ford, and granddaughter of Rev. Stephen and Anne Mumford, who came from London to Newport, Rhode Island, and died in 1707. Benjamin Mumford was son of Thomas and Abigail Mumford, of South Kingston, Rhode Island, and grandson of Thomas Mumford, born in England; high constable; settled in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, and died Febru-

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ary 12, 1692 ; married Sarah Sherman, daugh- ter of Philip and Sarah (Odding) Sherman. For more than twenty years after his marriage, Colonel Grosvenor was a member of the Gov- ernor's council in Connecticut, and for a still longer period chief justice of the court of common pleas for Windham county, and judge of probate for his district. The diploma signed by Washington constituting him a mem- ber of the Order of the Cincinnati still hangs in the hall of the mansion house which he built at Pomfret, where he died. The raising of the frame of that house was an occasion of festivity, and many were the recipients of his bounty at that time. It was said that a young Mohegan Indian danced upon its ridge-pole as a part of the celebration. This house was always open to the chance visitor and for many years was a refuge for the remnants of the Indian tribes which still lingered in Connecticut, and for other unfortunates. Among them were the venerable Indians, Isaac and Joshua Sen- seman and Martha. wife of Joshua. . Soon after the death of his second son. Colonel Grosvenor united with the Congregational church in Pomfret. and was a valued coun- sellor and adviser of that church, which often looked to him for encouragement and support. No man was more venerated and respected. Although wounded at Bunker Hill, Colonel Grosvenor steadily refused a pension, thoughi strongly urged to accept one by his neighbors and friends. He considered that the oath re- quired of him was dishonorable and refused to avail himself of its provisions. He died July 11, 1825. in his eighty-first year. His wife died June 11, 1820. Both were buried in the little burying-ground in Pomfret, where monuments have been erected to their memory. Children : 1. Thomas Mumford, married Char- lotte Lee. 2. Amin, married Henry King, of New York City. 3. Peter, died young. 4. Major Peter, was in the war of 1812: married Ann Chase ; liad four sons, who, together with the five sons of his brother, Thomas Mum- ford Grosvenor. were in the war of the re- bellion, and five of the nine were killed. 5. John H., was consul of the United States at Canton, China, and died unmarried in New York City, January 3. 1848. 6. Hannah, mar- ried Edward Eldredge ( see Eldredge. VT).

UNDERHILL Captain John Underhill, inimigrant ancestor of this family, was reputed to be an eccentric character and his career was some- what checkered. He was one of the first

planters of Massachusetts, one of the first three deputies from Boston to the general court, and one of the earliest officers of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company. He came to New England with John Winthrop in 1630. Sir Henry Vane appointed him to the command of the troops of the colony, and with Captain John Mason he waged the war against the Pequot Indians, resulting in the annihilation of that fierce tribe in 1637, and in giving to the English colonists "rest from sav- age violence for forty years." He published in 1640, in London, an account of this war under the title "News from America." He became governor of the Piscataqua Plantation and while there made utterance which offended the Massachusetts Bay authorities. He came to Boston, in response to a summons and Jan- uary 29. 1639-40, apologized to the church. He was restored to fellowship September 3. 1640. Because of his religious opinions he was banished from Boston. He removed to Exeter, New Hampshire, and was governor of the New Hampshire colony in 1641. He re- moved to the Dutch settlement in New York ¡11 1642. He was for some time, however, in Stamford, Connecticut, and in 1643 was dele- gate to the legislature at New Haven, and later assistant justice of the high court. His military talents were again in use in the war between the Dutch and the Indians. He was a delegate from Oyster Bay to Hempstead in 1665. and at another time under-sheriff of Queens county, New York. The Matinecock Indians gave him 150 acres of land which is still owned by his descendants. His wife Helena, a Dutch woman, was admitted to the Boston church December 15, 1633, dismissed to Exeter church August 22, 1641. Among their children were: I. Elizabeth, baptized February 14. 1635. 2. John, baptized April 24. 1642.

(1) Sampson Underhill, a descendant in the third or fourth generation of Captain John Underhill, according to family tradition, born about 1690, was living in Salisbury, Massa- chusetts, as early as April, 1717. He was a fuller or clothier by trade, and was one of the carly settlers of the town of Chester, New Hampshire. He married, at Salisbury, Jailti- ary 15, 1717, Elizabeth Ambrose, born October 2. 1698, daughter of Nathaniel Ambrose. She married (second) Benjamin Batchelder. Her father was born in Salisbury, December 14, 1677: married in December, 1697, Sarah Eastman. He was son of Henry and Hannah Ambrose of Salisbury. It is probable, how-

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ever. that Sampson Underhill did not settle permanently in Chester until about 1730, for that year he sold his farm on which he lived and kept tavern, for five hundred pounds. He is believed to have died about 1732, for that year his wife was appointed to administer his estate, inventoried at nearly five hundred pounds. So far as the somewhat incomplete records tend to show, Sampson and Elizabeth (Ambrose) Underhill had sons, John, Jere- miah and Hezekiah, but there was a son Moses and perhaps daughters of whom we have no account. John, eldest son, was born March 16. 1720, and died July 31, 1793; he married Joanna, daughter of William Healey, and had nine children. Jeremiah, second son, was born December 29, 1724. Moses, third son, lived in Exeter, New Hampshire, and being a hatter by trade, was known as "Hatter Un- derhill." He married Ann Glidden, and died in 1827.

(II) Hezekiah, son of Sampson and Eliza- beth (Ambrose) Underhill, was born early in 1738, and settled in Chester, on lot No. 47, dying there March 8, 1800. He was a shoe- maker by trade, but probably engaged chiefly in agriculture, his descendants succeeding him in the ownership of the homestead. He mar- ried Tabitha, widow of John Foss, and daugh- ter of Jacob and Judith (Harvey) Sargent, born November, 1724, who survived him over three years, and died August 24, 1803. Chil- dren : 1. Jonathan died in military service. 2. Hannah, married and removed to Cabot, Ver- mont. 3. Sarah, married her cousin Samuel Underhill, and resided in Chester. 4. Josiah, mentioned below.

(III) Josiah, youngest child of Hezekiah and Tabitha (Sargent) Underhill, was born about 1759, in Chester, and died there May I, 1822. He was a lieutenant of militia, and was the first of the family to engage in tool making, for which many of his descendants afterward became famous. He served an apprentice- ship with E. Fitts at the blacksmiths trade, and subsequently set up in business on his own account. He did a large business in the manu- facture of scythes, axes, hoes, and other im- plements. He married, February 26, 1754, Anna, daughter of Benjamin and Mehitabel (Bradley) Melvin, born March 27, 1763, and survived him nearly half a century, dying March 17, 1847. Her mother, Mehitabel Bradley, was daughter of Samuel Bradley, who was killed by the Indians at Concord, New Hampshire, August 11, 1746. Benjamin Bradley was a son of Patrick Bradley, whose

name first appears on the records of Chester. June 10, 1735, as one of the signers of the Presbyterian protest. His wife's name was Mary. Children of Lieutenant Josiah and Ann ( Melvin) Underhill: 1. Jesse J., born October 2, 1784, died October 21, 1860; mar- ried Elizabeth, daughter of Deacon John Gra- ham; she died September 18, 1851. 2. Catherine J., born July 15, 1786; married (first) Samuel Graham; (second) Dr. Kitt- redge : (third) John Bradley. 3. Hazen R., born July 24, 1788, died at Detroit, Michigan. about 1820. 4. Edward Reed, born 1790, died in Boston ; married, 1817, Abigail Conner. 5. Mary T., born May 12, 1798; drowned at Amoskeag Falls, June 1, 1808. 6. Nancy T., married Caleb Merrill. 7. Sally T., married Dr. Rufus Kittredge. 8. Dolly T., died De- cember 5, 1846; married John Folsom. 9. Jay Temple, born March 17, 1802. 10. Flagg T., born February 8, 1804, died 1850; married, November, 1831, Mary Brown.

(IV) Jesse J., eldest child of Josiah and Anna ( Melvin) Underhill, was born October 2. 1784, in Chester, and died there October 21, 1860. He learned the trade of axe making from his father, which was all done by hand in his time, using Russian iron and blistered steel. No American steel was found available for this purpose at that time, and he was obliged to procure the metal from England. During the war of 1812 it was very difficult to procure this, but he finally succeeded in smuggling some through Canada, for which he was obliged to pay seventy-five cents per pound. His first shop was at the corner of the Candia road and Londonderry turnpike, but he subsequently removed to his father's shop and engaged ex- clusively in the manufacture of tools. In his time it was considered a good days work for two men working together to produce six axes, and these were in a rough and unfinished state, requiring some hours of grinding by the pur- chaser to make them convenient for use. In 1822 he removed to Boston along with two of his apprentices, one of whom was his brother, J. T. Underhill, and entered the employ of Mr. Faxon, a celebrated workman. The latter died in 1824 and the Underhills succeeded to his business, and operated the shop until 1826. when Jesse J. returned to Chester and set up a horse power for use in his manufacture. In 1829 he again went to Boston with his son Samuel G., and conducted a business there until 1832, when he returned to Chester and fitted up a water power in his father's old grist mill, and there continued until his death. In 1839

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the use of hard coal in the manufacture of tools was adopted, and this made possible more rapid and better work. Jesse J. Under- hill married Elizabeth, daughter of Deacon John and Sarah (Hall) Graham, born 1791, died September 18, 1851. Children: I. Jane Eveline, born August 6, 1807; married ( first) Elisha Thayer, and (second) Asa Edgerton. 2. Samuel Graham, mentioned below. 3. Cath- erine Graham, December 30, 1811, became wife of David L. Osgood. 4. George W., July 19, 1815 ; was one of the organizers of the Under- hill Tool Company, of Nashua, of whose works he was many years superintendent. His son, Dr. Underhill, resides at Nashua. 5. Belinda K., May 7, 1817: married Edmond Sleeper, of Chester. 6. Rufus K., March 8, 1819; con- ducted a tool business at Billerica, Massachu- setts, where his wife is still living at the age of eighty-four years. 7. Hazen B., March 27, 1821; engaged in manufacture of tools at Derry Village, New Hampshire.

(V) Samuel Graham, eldest son of Jesse J. and Elizabeth (Graham) Underhill, was born January 22, 1809, in Chester, where he grew up and learned the trade of his father. He en- gaged in the tool business at Boston in 1829, as before related, and was very successful and prosperous in business. For some years he was retired and resided in Somerville, Massa- chusetts, where he died. He married, in 1833, Mary Anne, eldest child of Samuel and Han- nah ( Blanchard) Dinsmore, of Chester (see Dinsmore, V). Children: 1. Jesse, mentioned below. 2. Anna Elizabeth, became wife of Charles Perkins. 3. Elihu, married (first) Maria Mann, ( second) Maria Smith; resides at Winthrop, Massachusetts. 4. Frances D., is wife of John C. Garrett, of Somerville (see below). 5. Mary W., wife of Albion Clapp ; has two children: Erma, wife of Professor George White, and Albion, married Catherine Warren, and has a daughter. 6. Samuel Au- gustus, married Minnie Warden; resides in Dartmouth street, Somerville. Their only child Alice died at the age of ten years. 7. Emma G., married William Aiken; resides in Win- throp, Massachusetts. Their only child Harry married Eleanor Stewart Patrick, and they had three children: i. Eleanor G., now de- ceased ; ii. Harry W., Jr., born June 20, 1908 ; iii. William Edward, November 10, 1909 . Eleanor Stewart Patrick is second daughter of Ralph and Annie ( Fennerty) Patrick, now re- siding on Grove street. Somerville. They are the parents of Annie, Eleanor Stewart, Alice Souther, Ralph Lawson, Lloyd Alexander,

George Hyde and William Edward. The latter is now a student at Harvard University, and the second son is pursuing a special course in architecture in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The third daughter is wife of Edwin E. Garrett, of Somerville (see below). 8. Caleb B., studied at Harvard, graduated M. D .; died at Somerville, Massachusetts, soon after graduation.

John C. Garrett (see above) was youngest son of Robert Garrett, who was born near Baltimore, Maryland, and married Sarah Smith, a native of London, and had children : Robert, Eliza, Susan, Sarah, Richard, Henry, John C. and Laura. John C. Garrett, born in Boston, January 21, 1833, died September 25, 1907. He was a hardware proprietor in Boston thirty-two years, at No. 59 Haverhill street. He was a member of the Franklin Street Con- gregational Church, Somerville. In politics he was a Republican, but never sought office. While healthy, he was not robust. He was a man of sterling character. He married Fran- ces D., daughter of Samuel G. and Mary A. (Dinsmore) Underhill, of Somerville. (See Underhill, V). Children: 1. Edwin E., mar- ried Alice Patrick; has two sons: i. Francis A., born July 15, 1905 ; ii. Ralph Lawson, born December 4, 1909. 2. Ernest O., married Mary Davis; resides 113 Pearl street, Somerville ; they are the parents of Maurice Franklin Gar- rett, born September, 1901.

(VI) Captain Jesse J. Underhill, son of Samuel Graham Underhill, was born in Bos- ton, March 3, 1834. He was educated in the public schools. He enlisted for service in the civil war, September 8, 1862, in Company F, Fortieth Massachusetts Regiment, as com- missary sergeant. This regiment was com- manded by Colonel Burr Porter, and was first assigned to the defence of Washington, D. C. From April 19 to May, 1863, he took part in the siege of Suffolk, Virginia ; thence went to Blackwater and took part in the engagement at Baltimore Cross Roads, July 2. From the Peninsula, Virginia, the regiment proceeded to South Carolina and besieged Fort Wagner from August 17 to September 9, when the fort was taken after a bloody battle. He was in the fighting at Morris Island, August 21-30; at Seabrook Farm, South Carolina, November 15, 1863; in the fighting at Fort Sumter and Folly Island, December 31, 1863; and in the expedition to Florida under General Q. A. Gil- more and Admiral Dahlgren, February 5 to April 14, 1864, and was at the taking of Jack- sonville. He participated in the capture of

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Camp Finnegan and Arty Camp, February 8, 1864, and was at the fight at Ten Mile Run, Florida, February 9; at St. Mary's River, February 10; at Lake City, February 11-12; at Gainesville, February 14; Barber's Ford, Feb- ruary 20; at Baldwin, February 22; Cedar Creek, March 1; Gurth Creek, April 2. The regiment returned to the centre of hostilities in Virginia, and he was in the engagement at the Richmond & Petersburg railroad, Virginia, May 5-6, 1864; at Port Walthal, Chester, Vir- ginia, May 7, 1864; at Arrowfield Church, Swift Creek, Virginia, May 0-10; at Fort Darling, Drewry's Bluff, Wierbottom Church, Proctor's Creek, Palmer's Creek, Virginia, May 12-16; at Bermuda Hundred, May 16-30; at Cold Harbor, Gaines's Mills, Salem Church and Hawes's Shop, Virginia, June 1-12; at Petersburg, Virginia, May 15-19, 20-30, and July 1-31 ; at Malvern Hill and Deep Bottom, July 27 ; at Mine Explosion, July 30 ; at Peters- burg again, August 1-28-in all ninety-six days under fire, almost in succession. From August 28 to September 28 he was on provost duty. He took part in the engagements at Fort Harri- son, New Market, Chapin's Farm, and Laurel Hill, September 28-30; at Bermuda Hundred, September 28 to October 27, 1864, and again in April 3, 1865 : at Fair Oaks, Virginia, Octo- ber 27-28, 1864, and at Appomattox. He was one of the first to enter Richmond, April 3, 1865, and saw Lee's surrender, April 9, 1865. His company was first in his Corps in discipline and morale on five successive weekly inspec- tions, and was then barred from further com- petition and excused from details, outside picket duty or fatigue duty for five weeks, and as a further reward for its high standard was madc mounted infantry from January 23 to March, 1864. He was successively in Brigadier General Abercrombie's corps (Seventh), Sec- ond Brigade, Tenth Division; in Eleventh Corps, Third Brigade, Third Division, and in the Twenty-fourth Corps, Third Brigade, Third Division. He was commissioned first lieuten- ant February 26, 1863, and captain of Com- pany K, November 24, 1864. He was mustered out at Richmond, Virginia, June 17, 1865 ; paid and honorably discharged at Readville, Massa- chusetts, June 30 following.

He made his home in Richmond, and en- gaged in the boot and shoe business in that city until late in 1873, when he came to Somer- ville, Massachusetts, where he resided the rest of his life. For over twenty-five years he was engaged in the wood and coal business, but for several years previous to his death he followed

the real estate and insurance business with offices at East Somerville and Winter Hill. He joined Grant Post, No. 1, G. A. R., of Rich- mond, Virginia, in the spring of 1866, and in 1869-70 he organized the first post of colored veterans in the country, that at Portsmouth, Virginia. Later he was a member of Willard C. Kinsley Post, G. A. R., of Somerville, and of the Massachusetts Commandery, Military Order of the Loyal Legion. At the time of his death he was said to be the oldest member of the Grand Army in the state in regard to length of membership. He was a prominent Republican, and keenly interested in public affairs. In 1878 he was a member of the Som- erville common council and in 1879-80 of the board of alderman, of which he was president during his second term. He was appointed one of the principal assessors during the last year of the administration of Mayor George O. Proctor, and served to the time of his death, a period of about seven years. He was a mem- ber of Washington Council, Home Circle ; Warren Lodge, Knights of Honor, and secre- tary of Excelsior Council, No. 3, Royal Ar- canum. He was financial reporter and treas- urer of the two former organizations for sev- eral years. He died of heart disease, July 30, 1905, at the Boston City Hospital, whither he went June 17 to be under the care of his son, Dr. Samuel G. Underhill, resident physician there. He married (first) in June, 1866, at Richmond, Virginia, Sarah J. Clements, born May 9, 1849, died May 28, 1891, daughter of Lewis H. and Martha (Walker) Clements. He married (second) at Somerville, July 22, 1895, Sarah A. Nichols. Children: 1. Charles Lee, born July 20, 1867, mentioned below. 2. Jessie Blanche, born February 2, 1870; married T. 3. Richmond Fletcher, of Wellesley Hills. Elizabeth Bertha, born January 26, 1872 ; mar- ried Dr. Allen Greenwood, of Waltham. 4. Samuel Graham (M. D.), born May 10, 1876. 5. Ida Florence, born September 16, 1883; graduate of Mount Holyoke College, class of 1904.

(VII) Charles Lee, son of Captain Jesse J. Underhill, was born at Richmond, July 20, 1867. When he was four years old his father came to Somerville with his family and made his home at Cross street. The children attend- ed the Edgerly School and the Prescott School of Somerville. At the age of fourteen Mr. Underhill left school to go to work, and at seventeen he embarked in business for him- self as a manufacturer of wrought-iron and steel hardware specialties, being the fifth gen-

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eration of the Underhill family in this line of business. He makes a specialty of hooks for truckmen, longshoremen, etc., for handling cotton, wool, hay, meat, etc. Various other tools are manufactured, such as staging bracket irons, shingle and slate rippers, adjustible lad- der hooks, ripping and boning chisels. Since 1896 Mr. Underhill has also been engaged in the retail hardware and paint trade, with store at Gilman Square, Somerville, under the name of the Underhill Hardware Company.

He has been prominent in several fraternal organizations. He is a member of Soley Lodge of Free Masons; Excelsior Council, Royal Arcanum ; Somerville Lodge of Elks ; the Cen- tral Club ; the Somerville Young Men's Chris- tian Association; the Winter Hill Improve- ment Association ; and the Ward Five Repub- lican Club. For a number of years he has been active in the Somerville Board of Trade, and one of its directors. He was a member of the Boston Chamber of Commerce committee of one hundred on reciprocal trade relations, and of the sub-committee of eleven ; and was secre- tary of the New England Hardware Asso- ciation from 1907 to 1910. He has taken an active and prominent part in public life. As soon as he came of age he became a zealous worker in the Republican party. In 1890 he was one of the organizers of the Somerville Young Men's Republican Club, which did effec- tive work in several campaigns. For several years he was a member of the Republican city committee. In November, 1901, became an · and his conservatism, consideration, modera-

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Genealogical and personal memoirs relating to the families of the state of Massachusetts, Volume IV, Part 91

Author: Cutter, William Richard, 1847-1918, ed; Adams, William Frederick, 1848- Publication date: 1910 Publisher: New York, Lewis historical publishing company Number of Pages: 886

Author: Cutter, William Richard, 1847-1918, ed; Adams, William Frederick, 1848-
Publication date: 1910
Publisher: New York, Lewis historical publishing company
Number of Pages: 886