USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Reading > Genealogical history of the town of Reading, Mass., including the present towns of Wakefield, Reading, and North Reading, with chronological and historical sketches, from 1639 to 1874 > Part 14
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THOMPSON, George, came from Lynn to Reading about 1660; by wife Sarah had chil .: Sarah, b. 1659, and m. 1680, John Upton ; John, b. 1661; David, b. and d. 1663 ; Mary, b. 1664, and m. 1682, Benjamin Hartshorne; George, b. 1666; Elizabeth, b. 1669 ; Jonathan, b. 1671. George, the father, d. 1674.
THOMPSON, John, son of George, b. 1661 ; by wife Elizabeth had chil. : Mary, b. 1690 ; John, b. 1691 ; George, b. 1694. TONY, John, d. 1691.
TOWER, Thomas, m. 1662, Hannah Dustin. His servant, William Crocker, d. 1681. He d. 1684, and his wid. m. T. Jackson.
TOWNSEND, George, probably son of Andrew, of Lynn ; removed from
Lynn to Reading, and by wife Rebecca had Rebecca, b. 1689,
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and perhaps was father of Abigail, who m. in 1704, Nathaniel Evans.
TOWNSEND, John, probably brother of the foregoing ; m. 1698, Sarah, dau. of James and Rebecca Boutwell. Chil .: Sarah, b. 1705, and m. 1725, Brown Emerson ; Jacob, b. 1712, and d. soon ; Mary, b. 1717; and perhaps other children. Mrs. Sarah d. 1737, aged 60.
UNDERWOOD, Joseph, son of Joseph, of Watertown ; b. probably, 1650; d. 1691 ; by wife Elizabeth had chil .: Mary, b. 1673 ; Joseph, b. 1675, and d. soon; John, b. 1677, and settled in Charles- town ; Elizabeth, b. 1679, and m. 1700, Nathaniel Cutler ; Jo- seph, b. 1681 ; Joshua, b. 1682, and settled in Sherburne ; and perhaps others ; these children were born, some in Watertown, and some in Reading.
UNDERWOOD, Joseph, probably son of Joseph and Elizabeth, and b. 1681 ; m. 1707, Susan Parker.
UNDERWOOD, Joseph, probably son of Joseph and Susan, m. 1739, Ruth Bancroft.
UNDERWOOD, Joseph, probably son of Joseph and Ruth; m. 1762, Mary Poole. Chil .: Mary, b. 1763, and m. 1785, Tho. Miles ; Lucy, b. 1771 ; Joseph, b. 1773; Rebecca, b. 1775 ; Sally.
NOTE. - This family lived on the place long owned and occupied by Rev. Dana Clayes. They afterwards removed to North Reading and Chelmsford.
UPHAM, Thomas, of Malden ; m. Mary Brown, of Reading, in 1704. UPTON, John, came from Salem; settled in the northeasterly part of the North Precinct; was a blacksmith; by wife Eleanor had chil. : John, Joseph, Ezekiel, and probably Samuel, William, and Sybel, who d. 1689, and Francis, who d. 1694. He, the father, d. 1699.
UPTON, John, son of John and Eleanor ; m. 1680, Sarah, dau. of George and Sarah Thompson. Chil. : Sarah, b. 1681, and m. 1706, James Stimpson ; John, b. 1683 ; Mary, b. 1685, and m. 1706, Samuel McIntire ; Joseph, b. 1687, and m. 1718, Abigail Gray ; Ezekiel, b. 1689 ; Jonathan, b. 1692, and m. 1724, Eliza- beth Wilkins, of Salem; Elizabeth, b. and d. 1694; Francis, b. and d. 1695; Elizabeth, b. 1696, and m. 1729, Joseph Cross ; Hepzibeth, b. 1700, and m. 1733, Robert Hayward ; and by 2d wife Tabitha : Sarah, b. 1710 ; Ephraim, b. 1712 ; John, b. 1717 ; Naomi, b. 1719.
UPTON, Joseph, son of John and Eleanor ; m. 1692, Abigail -, and
EDWARD UPTON,
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had chil. : Joseph, b. 1692 ; Abigail, b. 1697, and m. 1713, Jo- seph Swallow ; Mehitabel, b. 1701, and m. 1726, Hezekiah Wil- kins, of Boxford ; Ebenezer, b. 1702, and m. 1727, Sarah Good- ale, of Salem ; Lucy, b. 1708, and m. 1733, David Wilkins, of Middleton.
UPTON, Ezekiel, son of John and Eleanor ; m. 1692, Rebecca -, and had chil ..: Isabel, b. 1695; Amy, b. 1697; Francis, b. 1699; Elizabeth, b. 1701 ; Ezekiel, b. 1703.
NOTE. - From these settlers has sprung a numerous posterity, among whom may be mentioned the late Benjamin Upton, Esq., son of Dea. Amos Upton, and grand- father of the present Edward A. Upton, Esq., of Wakefield ; Elias Upton, of Maine, of Har. Coll. 1802 ; and Hon. George B. Upton, of Boston, and E. W. Upton, Esq., of South Danvers, all grandsons of said Benjamin Upton, Esq., who lived in the North Parish, and is said to have been a man of sterling integrity, of good native intelligence, of much firmness, and very stiff in adherence to his opinion.
VINTON, John, son of John Vinton, Esq., and Elizabeth (Richardson)
Vinton, of Stoneham, and grandson of John Vinton, of Woburn, and great-grandson of John Vinton, of Lynn; was born in Read- ing, near Woburn line, in 1706. He m. 1731, Mary, dau. of Ebenezer Parker, and had one son, John, b. 1732. He d. 1733, aged 27.
VINTON, John, son of John and Mary, b. 1732 ; m., Ist, 1755, Sarah Swain ; m., 2d, 1758, Lydia, dau. of Thomas and Ruth Nichols. He lived on the spot where now stands the "Perkins Building,', at the corner of Main and Albion Streets, a place notable as having been the "First Parsonage." Chil .: Lydia and Mary, twins, b. 1759 ; Lydia m. 1780, Thaddeus Richardson ; Mary, m. 1778, William Wilson; Sarah, b. 1761, and m. 1780, Joseph Brooks ; John, b. 1763, and m. 1785, Mary Green, and was father of John, Sarah, Eliza, Joseph W., Nathaniel, and James G .; Timothy, b. 1765, and m. Bracy McLeod; Rebecca, b. 1769, and d. at the age of 15 ; Nathaniel, b. 1772, and d. soon ; Elizabeth, b. 1774, and m. 1794, Samuel Wiley, of South Read- ing ; Hannah, b. 1777, and m. Samuel Stacy.
WAKEFIELD, Joseph ; was in Boston as early as 1727. His wife was Cossy Bridge. He was said to be a native of Wales, and an emi- grant from France. His son Thomas was born in Boston.
WAKEFIELD, Thomas, son of Joseph and Cossy, b. in Boston, August 5, I727; was adopted while an infant by Abraham Gould, of Stoneham ; was apprenticed to Timothy Pratt, of Reading ; married in 1750, Dorcas Pratt, dau. of Timothy and Dorcas 16
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(Eaton) Pratt ; d. 1791, aged 64. His wid. d. 1802, aged 77. Chil .: Thomas, b. 1751 ; Joseph, b. 1752 ; Ebenezer, b. 1753 ; Timothy, b. 1756.
WAKEFIELD, Thomas, son of Thomas and Dorcas (Pratt), b. 1751, in Reading ; m. 1772, Elizabeth Hardy, of Hollis, N. H., and d. in Jaffrey, N. H., 1839. Chil. : James, b. 1782.
WAKEFIELD, Timothy, son of Thomas and Dorcas (Pratt), b. 1756; lived in Reading; was justice of the peace and representative, etc. ; m., Ist, 1778, Susanna, dau. of Joseph and Elizabeth Ban- croft ; m., 2d, 1793, Hannah B., dau. of Thomas and Elizabeth
Emerson. Chil .: Timothy, b. 1779; Ebenezer, b. 1781; Bridge, b. 1783 ; Caleb, b. 1785 ; William, b. 1787 ; Thomas, b. 1789 ; Susy, b. 1791 ; John, b. 1795, and d. 1796.
WAKEFIELD, James, son of Thomas and Elizabeth (Hardy), b. 1782 ; m. 1803, Hannah Hemenway, and settled in Roxbury, N. H., and d. 1864. Chil. : James P., b. 1805 ; Sylvester, b. 1808, and d. 1823 ; Cyrus, b. 1811 ; m. Elizabeth, dau. of late Capt. Henry Bancroft ; Enoch H., b. 1814; Elias, b. 1816, and d. 1818 ; Hannah H., b. 1820; May R., b. 1827 ; Julia, b. 1831, and d. 1863.
DEA. CALEB WAKEFIELD.
WAKEFIELD, Caleb, son of Timothy and Susanna (Bancroft), b. 1785 ; has been captain, deacon, justice, and representative ; m., Ist, Matilda, dau. of Jonathan and Ann (Bancroft) Poole ; m., 2d, ---- Temple. Chil. : Horace Poole, b. Jan. 4, 1809 ; Marietta, b. 1810 ; and other children.
.
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OF THE TOWN OF READING.
DR. HORACE POOLE WAKEFIELD.
WALKER, Richard, was at Lynn in 1630, where he was selectman, captain, and representative ; appears to have resided a while at Reading, but returned soon to Lynn, and there died very aged.
WALKER, Richard, son of the above, came to Reading from Lynn among the early settlers ; lived on the place long occupied by the wid. of Maj. Suel Winn ; was first captain of Reading Com- pany, and was noted for his bravery as a captain in the Indian wars ; he (or possibly his father) was selectman and representa- tive of Reading in 1658 ; he soon returned to Lynn.
WALKER, Samuel, was dismissed from the Boston church to the Read- ing church. Chil. : Samuel, b. 1643 ; Joseph, b. 1645 ; a dau. b 1647; Israel and Hannah, twins, b. 1648 ; John, b. 1650; Benjamin, b. 1651, and d. soon ; perhaps removed to Woburn. WALKER, Shubael, settled first at Rowley ; removed to Lynn, and there m. 1666, Patience Jewett, dau. probably of Joseph Jewett, of Rowley; came to Reading and here had chil. : Richard, b. 1667, and Mary, b. 1669 ; went to Bradford and there d. 1689. He was selectman at Reading 1667 and '8. His wid. m. Richard Dole.
WALKER, Obadiah, m. Sarah, dau. of Rev. Samuel Haugh ; had a dau. Sarah, b. and d. 1674, and d. himself soon after. His wid. be- came the third wife of Capt. Eph. Savage.
WALTON, Samuel, son of Rev. William Walton, of Marblehead, b. 1639 ;
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m. Sarah, and long lived in Marblehead, but late in life removed to Reading to reside with his sons John and Samuel, and where his wife. Sarah d. in 1714, and where he d. in 1717, aged 78. Chil. : John, b. 1627 ; Elizabeth, b. 1629, and m. - Conant ; Martha, b. 1632, and m. - Munjoy (these b. in England) ; Nathaniel, b. (at Hingham) 1636 ; the residue b. at Marblehead : Samuel, b. 1639 ; Josiah, b. 1640, and killed by lightning at sea ; Mary, b. 1644, and m. Robert Bartlett.
NOTE. - Rev. William Walton aforesaid was educated at Emanuel's Coll., Eng- land, where he took his degrees in 1621 and 1625; became a clergyman ; came to America before 1635 ; stopped a while at Hingham, and afterwards settled at Mar- blehead. His wife's name was Elizabeth.
WALTON, John, probably son of Samuel and Sarah, b. in Marblehead ; removed first to Malden and afterwards to Reading ; by wife Mary had chil .: John, b. 1710; Josiah, b. 1711; Mary, b. 1714 ; Abigail, b. (at Malden) 1716; Jotham, b. 1718 ; Jacob, b. 1720 ; Nathan, b. 1729 ; Isaac, b. 1733.
WALTON, Samuel, probably son of Samuel and Sarah, b. in Marblehead ; settled in Reading ; wife's name was Hannah ; had chil. : Han- nah, b. 1703 ; Samuel, b. 1705; Sarah, b. 1707; William, b. 1709 ; Moses, b. 1712 ; Mercy, b. 1717 ; Jonas, b. 1720.
WALTON, John, son of John and Mary, b. 1710; m., Ist, 1734, Martha, dau. of Lt. Joseph and Tabitha Burnap ; she d. 1737, and he m., 2d, 1739, Mary Williams. Chil. : Martha, b. 1735 ; Mary, b. 1740; Margaret, b. 1742, and m., Ist, Dr. Oliver Swain, and 2d, Dea. Jacob Emerson ; John and Hepzibeth, twins, b. 1744 ; Bridget, b. 1746 ; and Benjamin, b. about 1751. He was a cap- tain, and lived on the farm lately owned by Benjamin aforesaid. WALTON, Josiah, son of John and Mary, b. 1711 ; m. Ruth -, and had chil .: Josiah, b. 1736; Ruth, b. 1738; James, b. 1740; Timothy, b. 1743, married, and was father of the late Ebenezer and James, of South Reading, and of Andrew of South Reading, who d. in 1869 ; Lydia, b. 1745; Amos, b. 1749; William, b. 1751 ; Nathan, b. 1753 ; Ebenezer, b. 1756.
WALTON, Jotham, son of John and Mary, b. 1718; m. 1740, Eliza- beth, dau. of David Green. Chil. : Elizabeth, b. 1742 ; Jotham, b. 1744; Phebe, b. 1746 ; Martha, b. 1748; Hannah, b. 1750; Sarah, b. 1755 ; Oliver, b. 1758 ; m. - Tarbell, and was father of Oliver, Leonard, John, Jotham, and other children ; Rebecca, b. 1763.
WALTON, Jacob, son of John and Mary, b. 1720; m., Ist, 1744, Eunice
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Hawkes, of Lynn; m., 2d, Elizabeth ; and 3d, wid. Thankful Brown. Chil. : Jacob, b. 1745 ; Eunice ; Israel, b. 1748 ; Mary, b. 1749 ; Lois, b. 1752 ; Israel, b. 1756 ; Samuel, b. 1765. WELLMAN, Thomas, perhaps the son of Abraham, of Lynn, who had a son Thomas, b. 1669. He m. 1697, Sarah, dau. of Josiah Brown, of Reading, and settled probably in Lynnfield. WESTON, John. " About the year 1644, being thirteen years of age, he came from. Buckinhamshire, in the west of England, to Salem, Mass. His mother was then a widow. His desire to come over was such that he concealed himself in a ship bound for America until she sailed. He was a member of the first church in Salem in 1648. He removed to Reading about the year 1652, to that part which is now Wakefield. His land, of which he was a large proprietor, adjoined the Meeting-house Square, and lay upon the southeast part of Reading Pond, and extended thence southerly. He was deeply engaged in religious subjects. He d. about 1723, aged over 90 years. He was a man of great industry, ac- cumulated a great estate, and paid the highest tax of any one in his town." 1 (John Weston's manuscript.) He m. 1653, Sarah, dau. of Zachariah Fitch, of Reading, - the earliest marriage in Reading of which there is any record ; had eight children, four of whom became heads of families, forming four distinct branches, namely : -
WESTON, John, b. 1661 ; m. 1684, Mary Bryant. Chil. : John, b. 1685, and killed in 1707 in war ; Abraham, b. 1687, and d. 1765, unm. ; Samuel, b. 1689 ; Mary, b. 1691 ; Stephen, b. 1693 ; Zachariah, b. 1695 ; James, b. 1697 ; Benjamin, b. 1698; Jeremiah, b. 1700 ; Timothy, b. 1702 ; another, b. 1704 ; Jonathan, b. 1705 ; Sarah, b. 1707 ; John, b. 1709. His descendants are numerous in Reading and elsewhere.
WESTON, Samuel, b. 1665 ; by wife Abigail had chil. : Abigail, b. 1689 ; Samuel, b. 1690.
WESTON, Stephen, b. 1667 ; m. Sarah Townsend. Chil. : Stephen, b. 1697 ; Isaac, b. 1699 ; John, b. 1707, and d. soon.
WESTON, Thomas, b. 1670; by wife Elizabeth had chil .: Thomas, b. 1695 ; Joseph, b. 1698 ; Ephraim, b. 1700; Ebenezer, b. 1702 ; Josiah, b. 1708.
WILEY, John, one of the earliest settlers; lived in "Little World," now called Woodville. He died probably in 1672. His wife, whose
1 The town records do not show that he paid the highest tax, or near it.
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GENEALOGICAL HISTORY
name was Elizabeth, d. 1662. Chil .: John (perhaps) ; Benja- min (perhaps), who m. 1707, Mary Nichols ; Elizabeth, b. 1649 ; Timothy, b. 1653 ; Susanna, b. 1655, and m. 1678, John Damon ; Sarah, b. 1658.
WILEY, Timothy, son of John and Elizabeth, b. 1653 ; succeeded his father on the homestead ; was selectman and representative, and d. 1728; m., Ist, 1678, Elizabeth, dau. of George Davis ; she d. 1695 ; m., 2d, 1697, Susanna · Chil .: John, b. 1679; Elizabeth, b. 1681, and d. soon; Elizabeth, b. 1690; Thomas, b. 1697 ; and Timothy, probably.
WILEY, John, son of Timothy and Elizabeth, b. 1679 ; m. 1705, Dorcas Green, and had Esther, b. 1721, and probably other children.
WILEY, Timothy, son, no doubt, of Timothy and Elizabeth, although no record of his birth is found ; m. 1714, Mary Poole, of Lynnfield, and lived in Woodville ; had chil. : Sarah, b. 1715 ; Susanna, b. 1717, and m. 1741, Isaac Smith ; Mary, b. 1721, and m. 1745, Moses Bancroft ; Lydia, b. 1724, and m. 1747, Adam Hawkes, of Lynnfield, and was ancestress of George L. Hawkes, Esq., now of Lynnfield ; Timothy, b. 1725, and m. 1748, Elizabeth Wiley ; John, b. 1727 ; Nathaniel, b. 1729 ; Phineas, b. 173I.
WILEY, Thomas, son of Timothy and Susanna (2d wife), b. 1697; m. 1723, Tabitha, dau. of John and Tabitha (Pearson) Goodwin. Chil. : James, b. 1725, and m. Lois -; Elizabeth, b. 1727, and m., Ist, 1748, Timo. Wiley, and 2d, 1750, Jona. Brown ; Ebenezer, b. 1729 ; Ephraim, b. 1732.
WILEY, Ebenezer, son of Thomas and Tabitha, b. 1729 ; m. Elizabeth Sprague ; he d. 1771, and his wid. m. 1772, Gen. Benjamin Brown. Chil. : Elizabeth, who m. 1778, Thomas Edmands, of Charlestown ; James, b. 1755, and m. 1779, Mary, wid. of Peter Brown, and dau. of Elias Bryant, of Stoneham, and father of late James, of Philadelphia, Capt. Peter B. Wiley, of Charlestown, and of Benj. B. Wiley, Esq., and of the late Ebenezer Wiley, of South Reading; William, b. 1757, and d. soon; William, b. 1758, and m. Hannah Smith ; John, b. 1760, and m. - Cooley ; Ebenezer, b. 1762, and m. Catharine Dunn ; Sarah, b. 1767.
WILEY, Nathaniel, son of Timothy and Mary, b. 1729 ; m. Mary Eaton, of Andover, and d. 1822, aged 93. Chil. : Timothy, b. 1749, and m. 1781, Susanna Hay, of Stoneham ; Mary, b. 1756; Na- thaniel, b. 1759, and m. 1782, Sally Poole ; Phineas, b. 1761, . and m. 1782, Susanna Green ; Benjamin, b. 1763, and m. Miss
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Sherman, of Lynnfield ; Edmund, b. 1766, and m. 1791, Nancy Edes ; Ephraim, b. 1768 ; was father of Rev. Ephraim, a Meth- odist clergyman ; Samuel, b. 1772, and m. 1794, Eliza Vinton ; Eli, b. 1774; m., Ist, Love Mansfield, and 2d, Lucy (Tapley) Wiley.
WILLIAMS, Thomas, came from Boston ; by wife Hannah had Sarah, b. 1690, in Boston.
WILLIAMS, William, had chil. : Mary, who m. 1738, Richard Nichols ; James, who with his father were both drowned in the Great Pond, in 1729, by the upsetting of a boat ; and probably other children.
WINBORNE, Mas., was taxed 2s. in 1686 to pay for land bought of Indians. In 1691, he sold land to the town, for payment of which a special rate of £16 was made. Mr. Winborne was probably a non- resident proprietor. His wife was a dau. of Isaac Hart, of Reading.
WOODWARD, John, came from Newton to Reading; was b. 1649, and was son of George and Mary Woodward ; m., Ist, Rebecca Rob- bins, of Cambridge ; she d. 1686 ; m., 2d., 1686, Sarah, dau. of Thomas Bancroft, of Reading ; she d. 1698 ; m., 3d, 1700, Mar- garet Leaman, of Charlestown. Chil .: James, b. 1687, and d. soon ; Sarah, b. 1689, and d. 1706 ; Elizabeth, b. 1691 ; Mary, b. 1694, and m. 1717, John Teal, of Charlestown (2d wife) ; John, b. 1696 ; Margaret, b. 1701 ; Jonathan, b. 1703 ; James, b. 1706 ; Joseph, b. 17II.
WOODWARD, John, son of John and Sarah (Bancroft), b. 1696 ; m. 1720, Hepzi., dau. of Thomas and Sarah Burnap. Chil. : John, b. 1721 ; Timothy, b. 1723; Hepzi., b. 1725 ; Beulah, b. 1726; Benjamin, bap. 1728 ; James, b. about 1730 ; Susanna, b. 1734. NOTE. - The ancient homestead of the Woodward family was the "Stimpson Place," at the head of the Great Pond, in the South Parish, where we find a John Woodward still living in 1765.
WOODWARD, James, son of John and Hepzi., b. about 1730; by wife Rebecca had chil .: Margaret, b. 1761; James and Joseph, twins, b. 1762 ; John, b. 1764 ; Elizabeth, b. 1766 ; John Cham- berlain, b. 1769 ; Thomas, b. 1773 ; Rebecca, b. 1775. This family settled in Lynnfield.
WOODWARD, Thomas, son of James and Rebecca, b. 1773 ; settled in South Reading, and was the original manufacturer of the cele- brated " Woodward's Awls " and other " Improved Shoe Tools.' WORMWOOD, Henry, drew land in 1658 ; nothing further is known of him
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GENEALOGICAL HISTORY
CHAPTER III.
CONTINUATION OF CHRONOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL SKETCHES FROM 1700 TO 1812.
1701. - "June 6, At a meeting of the Selectmen, Geo. Lillie being desired some time before to meet them to Receave the money deu to him for keeping his mother, Jane Lillie, this present year, did apere, the day aforesaid, befour the Selectmen, and the money being ofered to him by the Selectmen, he refused to receave the same, notwithstanding all fare arguments was yused to perswad him to receave the said money." "Payd, for Iron Work for the stocks, 4s. 6d." Aug. 24, " Then the Selectmen indented with Jno. Herbert to keep the toun scoole to teach children in reding, wrighting and sifering." Salary £II per year in money.
School Meadow was let to John Felch and Tho. Bancroft for 14s. in money per year.
1702. - Town voted, " that all such persons as sends their children to school, and does not send wood, their just proportion shall be added to their town rate."
This year, "the Selectmen, being informed that Kendall Parker, Esq., had received into his house one Elizabeth Jonson, without the knowledge of the Selectmen, and they sending for Kendall Parker, Esq., on the same day, and he not coming till the next day, then the Selectmen warned him forthwith to convey the said Elizabeth Jonson out of town, or enter into bond to keep her from being a town charge."
This year the town voted to enlarge the meeting-house.
1703. - This year, Rebecca, wid. of Dea. Thomas Kendall, died. (See Ear. Sett.) She was 85 years old at the time of her death, and had long been a valued mother among the families of the early settlers. She had a large family of children, ten, her grave-stone says, and she left 175 grand. and great-grandchildren. Her children that lived to have families of their own were all daughters, and married in different
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OF THE TOWN OF READING.
families of the first settlers ; and although her name has become extinct among the present inhabitants of the town, her blood still runs in the veins of many of them. She was long nurse, midwife, and medical attendant generally.
1705. - Stephen, son of Samuel Dix, was drowned in the Great Pond.
1706. - Mr. John Rogers, of Salem, was appointed " to teach read- ing, writing, casting accounts, and the Latin and Greek tongues, for four months, at £3 per month."
This year, five Indians from a party who had attacked Dunstable ventured down to this town, and surprised and attacked the family of John Harnden, who occupied a lonely cottage that was situated in what was then the northwesterly part of 'Reading, but which, at the in- corporation of the town of Wilmington in 1730, was included within the bounds of that town. It is said that the cottage, long since gone, stood some sixty or seventy rods southerly of the house now or recently occupied by Jonathan Harnden, of Wilmington, in a pasture, where the cellar and well may still be seen, near a large rock, since called “In- dian Rock." The attack was made in the night-time ; Mr. Harnden himself, it is said, was absent, leaving his wife and eight children at home ; the Indians descended through the roof of the house (it was a low house) and killed Mrs. Harnden and three children, and carried away the rest ; but the children were recovered by the pursuers. They left the house standing. It was afterwards occupied by a French family by the name of Labador, whose business it was to pick to pieces old cloths and make them into new ; they wore wooden shoes. The " Shoddy " manufacture is not new.
Agreement with a schoolmaster : -
Whereas we, whose names are underwritten, are empowered and intrusted by the town of Reading for the giting and procuring of a Gramer Scool master, we have therefore agreed accordingly with Mr. John Rogers, of Salem, to teach as followeth, viz : Reading, writing, casting accompts, and to teach them the Latin and Greek tongue, for the space of four months, commencing the fifteenth day of November hence insu- ing, until the fifteenth of March foloing, for the satisfaction whereof, we, hoe are the subscribers, doe oblig ourselves and Selectmen for the time being to pay or cause to be payd unto the said Rogers the just sum of twelve pound, current money of New England, in confirmation whereof both parties have set to there hands.
JOHN ROGERS.
By order of ye Selectmen, JNO. HERBERT, Clerk.
This was probably the John Rogers who graduated at Har. Coll. in 1705, became a clergyman, and died in 1755.
17
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GENEALOGICAL HISTORY
1707. - "Mr. Lewis was appointed School Master, at eleven pounds for four months, and so proportionable for more time." This may hive been Daniel Lewis, who graduated at Har. Coll. in 1707, became a clergyman, and died 1753.
Town voted "that the Masters, and parents of the scolers, that goes to scoole shall find the scoole wood."
"Capt John Browne and Left. Hanani. Parker were chosen a Com- mittee to joyne the Selectmen in order to provide a Scool Master for the towne scool."
1708. - The town voted "that the northwest corner of the towne shall have the scoole kept in there end one quarter part of the time for this present year, and Ensign Parker was added to the Scoole Com."
The part of the town here referred to is what is now Reading, and Ensign Parker was probably Nathaniel.
Agreement with a teacher : -
Whereas wee, whose names are underwritten, are impoured and intrusted by the Town of Readding for the giting and procuring of a Gramer Scoole Master ; we have therefore agreed accordingly with Mr. John Webb of Brantrey to teach as foloeth, viz : reading, writing, casting accoumpts and to teach the latine and greek tongues for the space of three months commensing the nineteenth day of October until the nineteenth of Janewary next insuing ; and for the satisfaction whereof, if he discon- tinues to keep the scoole any longer, then we, who are the subscribers do oblig our- selves and the Selectmen for the time being to pay or cause to be payd unto the above said Webb the sum of Eight pounds five shillings in current money of New England, that is to say, in silver at fifteen pennywait the pece of Eight, and bills of credit. But before the three months was expired, on the fourth day of Janewary, at a meeting of the Selectmen and Comity, they did then agree with the said Webb to continuy the scool for one whole year, including the three months, which year will expire the nine- teenth of October next insuing ; and the Selectmen and Commite for the time being doe oblig themselves and the Selectmen and Commite to pay or cause to be payd unto the above said Webb, the sum of thirty pounds Current money of New England as aforesaid at or before the nineteenth of October 1709; and for the trew perform- ance of the above said premisis we have hereunto interchangeable set our hands.
JNO HERBERT, Town Clerk.
Mr. Webb does not appear to have signed the agreement. He was probably the same John Webb who graduated at Har. Coll. in 1708, became a clergyman, and died in 1750.
1709. - This year, Rev. Jonathan Pierpont, fourth minister of Read- ing, died, aged 44. (See Ear. Sett. for more particular account.)
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