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 40
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This place was the most ancient Bryant homestead. James Bryant, b. 1719, and who m. Sarah Swain, was living here in 1765 ; and, after his death, his wid. m. in 1785, Dea. Francis Smith, the relative of Col. Amos Boardman. Dea. Smith lived on the place until his death in I799.
DAVID SMITH lived on the Lambert place, s) called, now owned by the Quannapowitt Ice Company. He was son of Capt. David and Mary Smith ; b. 1771 ; was a Baptist deacon, selectman, etc. ; m., Ist, 1795, Catharine Emerson, sister of the late Rev. Reuben Emerson ; she d. 1796, aged 272 ; m., 2d, 1801, Phebe, dau. of James Howard, of Mel- rose ; she d. 1848, aged 69 ; he d. April 6, 1855. Children : Catharine, b. 1795 ; m. Aaron M. Chambers, and removed to Lancaster ; David and George, twins, b. 1802 ; m. and removed to the West ; Phebe, b. 1809 ; m. 1831, Tho. B. Skinner, and lives in Wakefield ; Lydia P., b. 1812 ; m. 1836, A. F. Hutchinson, Esq., of Wakefield; Porter, b 1814; m., Ist., 1837, Sarah D. Clay ; m., 2d, 1850, Emeline Brown ; mn .. 3d, 1857, Lucy A. Frink ; Eunice, b. 1817, m. 1837, Asa N. Sweet- ser (2d wife) ; Lot, b. 1819 ; m. 1851, Catharine Kain, and was killed on Danvers Railroad ; and other children, who d. young.
Dea. David Smith was a man of high respectability ; of good natural
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GENEALOGICAL HISTORY
abilities, a devout worshipper, slow and sparing of speech, and of great firmness ; he was a valuable citizen.
WILLIAM LAMBERT occupied a part of the Lambert place ; was brother of Capt. John, who d. 1794, and son of Tho. Lambert, who m. Elizabeth Nichols, probably a daughter of Jonathan Nichols.
William was a bachelor, of some singularities ; was many years a sailor ; an excellent penman ; honest, but not very forcible. During his latter years, he had for a housekeeper one Hannah Turner, a maiden lady, who had been brought up in the family of Col. Ebenezer Nichols, whose relative married Thomas Lambert, the father of William Hannah d. 1817, aged 76.
The old house and farm, occupied at this time by David Smith and William Lambert, was the ancient homestead of the Nichols family.
Thomas Lambert married into this family (it is supposed that he m. Elizabeth, dau. of Jonathan, and granddaughter of James and Mary) ; he succeeded to the property. This Thomas Lambert is said to have come from England ; was a gentleman of wealth and leisure, and was fond of books and literature. He d. 1753, aged 57. He was called Esq., and his widow Mrs., showing that they were of the gentility.
John Lambert, son of Capt. John Lambert, and grandson of Thomas, lived on the late Davis Foster place, occupying a part of it ; m. Mary, dau. of Col. Amos Boardman, and is dead. Chil. : Mary, m. Rev. Wm. Gage, Amherst Coll., 1828, who settled in Concord, Ohio, where she still lives a widow; Amos Boardman, who settled in Salem, N. Y., is a clergyman ; Rebecca, a successful school-teacher, m., and d. in early life ; Thomas Scott, became a physician, a lecturer on physiology and anatomy, and the donor to his native town of a copy of a large and valuable work on physiology, of which he was the author. He lives in New York city.
DAVIS FOSTER owned and occupied a part of the same house that Mr. Lambert occupied. He was son of Jonathan and Sarah Foster ; b. 1771, and d. 1855, aged 84. He m., Ist, a Miss Holt, of Andover, who had one dau., Emma, who m. Benj. Young, of Reading, and died without issue. He m., 2d, Nancy (Johnson), dau. of Capt. Wm. John- son, who d. 1805, and wid. of Stephen Russell, who d. 1803. Children by 2d wife : Russell, who m. Sophia Wiley ; Betsey, who m. Joel Rog- ers, of Tewksbury ; Stephen (Esquire), who m., Ist, 1835, Louisa, dau. of Thaddeus B. Pratt, Esq. ; m., 2d, 1857, Harriet N. Fullington, of Johnson, Vt. ; has had two daughters by Ist wife, and a son and daughter by 2d wife ; lives in Reading ; trades in Boston.
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OF THE TOWN OF READING.
The house was formerly owned and occupied by Captain William Johnson, whose wife was Esther, dau. of James and Esther Weston.
Davis, who died young.
PROSPECT STREET.
JOHN B. ATWELL lived in the smaller of the two houses still owned by him and his sons ; was son of Joseph and Pamela (or Pearn) (Cow- ell) Atwell ; b. about 1787 ; m., Ist, 1809, Philomela, dau. of Wm. and Esther (Cowdrey) Stimpson ; m., 2d, 1867, - Kingston, and lives in Wakefield. Children : Louisa, b. 1810; m. 1833, Jacob Eaton, of Cambridgeport, and d. 1867 ; John, b. 1812 ; m. 1836, Susan H. Burn- ham ; William Henry, b. 1824; m. Abigail Hartshorn.
The house above referred to was probably erected by Wm. Stimpson, who was living here in 1795.
AARON COWDREY lived on Cowdrey's hill, on the " Cowdrey farm," long so called, in the mansion lately owned and occupied by Henry L. Eaton, and now owned by Mrs. George O. Carpenter, of Boston ; was son of Nathaniel and Sarah (Parker) Cowdrey ; b. 1777 ; m. 1798, Betsey Harris, of Lunenburg ; he died 1856, aged 80 ; he was an intel- ligent and respectable farmer. Children : Jonas, b. 1799 ; m., Ist, 1832, Emily, dau. of Capt. James Gould ; owns and occupies a portion of the ancient farm ; m., 2d, 1870, Mrs. Lawrence ; Harris, b. 1802 ; be- came a physician ; settled in Acton ; is father of Dr. A. H. Cowdrey, of Stoneham ; Eliza, b. 1809, became the 2d wife of Philander Braley, of Illinois ; Sarah P., was Ist wife (m. 1838) of Philander Braley, of Illinois ; Almine, b. 1814 ; m. 1836, Dana Holden, of Malden ; Henri- etta, m. Charles H. Stearns, of Wakefield.
This old farm has been in possession of the Cowdrey family ever since the early settlement of the town, and continued in their posses- sion until the year 1866, and a portion of it is still owned by Jonas Cowdrey, Esq.
JESSE. DIKE, JESSE POPE, WILLIAM BEARD, were each tenants, for longer or shorter terms, at about this time, of the place lately occupied by Matthew F. Leslie.
Mr. Dike was from Stoneham ; lived in South Reading but a short time, and returned to Stoneham, where he has been representative he is now dead. He was father of Hon. Geo. W., of Col. Lyman, and other children ; was a man of intelligence, and fond of books.
Mr. Pope was a native of Danvers; son of Ebenezer and Sarah
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(Whittredge) Pope ; m., Ist, 1799, Nancy, dau. of Dr. John Hay ; m., 2d, 1837, Ede Odell, of Merrimack, N. H. Children : Nancy, who d. in early life ; Sarah Ring, b. 1808; m. 1827, Samuel Kingman, Esq. ; Lucy has been twice m., and lives in Westboro'; Jesse W., m., and lives in Boston.
Mr. Pope, at the time of his death, owned the place on Cedar Street recently owned by Charles Davis.
Mr. Beard m. Nancy, dau. of Thomas Poole ; had several children, among whom was William, a teacher of the Terpsichorean art. He d. 1831, aged 57.
This old farm was one that was settled very early ; the house now standing thereon is among the oldest, perhaps the very oldest, now remaining. It was the homestead of Sergt. John Parker (see Early Settlers), and of his son, Kendall Parker, Esq., whose dau. m. Capt. John Goodwin ; her dau. m. James Nichols, and thus the place passed into the Nichols family, the larger part of which is now owned and occupied by the children of the late Hero Nichols, a son of James Nichols.
CORNELIUS SWEETSER, Jr., lived on the place recently owned by Tho. Davis (formerly Jameson's) ; was son of Cornelius and Sarah (Smith) Sweetser ; b. 1778 ; m. Phebe, dau. of Lilley and Sarah Eaton. Chil. : Stephen, b. 1802; m., Ist, Lydia, dau. of Eliakim Stowell; m., 2d, 1831, Nancy Witherspoon ; m., 3d, Charlotte Kenney ; Phebe, b. 1805 ; m. William Mansfield ; Cornelius, b. 1808; settled in Saco, Me .; Sarah, b. 1811; m. Joseph Poland, and d. young ; Madison, m. Phebe G. Bayrd, and recently deceased.
A family of Hills were the immediate predecessors of Mr. Sweetser on this place, and were living here in 1795 : several of the family were soldiers in the Revolution ; Hon. John Hill, Luther Hill, Esq., and others, of Stoneham, are understood to be descended from this family.
The place was the early homestead of Nathaniel Eaton, son of Jona. and Mary (see Early Settlers) ; this Nathaniel, it is said, during the old French war, tempted by the reward offered, surrendered up a de- serter who had taken refuge with him; and so great was his remorse on account thereof that he committed suicide.
His son William Eaton succeeded to the homestead ; m. 1762, Re- becca Flint ; was living here about 1765, and soon after removed, probably to North Reading or Lynnfield.
JOSEPH HOPKINS lived on the farm now occupied by E. Sumner Hopkins.
He was son and successor of Ebenezer and Ruth Hopkins ; b. 1761 ;
E.T. Stuart Bos !!!
Samuel Kingman
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OF THE TOWN OF READING.
m., Ist, 1797, Patience Hale, of Newbury ; m, 2d, 1812 (or '13), Patty Crooker, of Stoneham ; he was a soldier in the Revolution ; a farmer. intelligent, active, honest ; he d. 1853, aged 92. Children : Elizabeth Francis, b. 1813 ; m. 1839, John Adden, Jr., of Reading ; Joseph Ban- croft, b. 1815 ; m. and lives in Reading ; E. Sumner, b. 1816 ; m. Miss Parker, of Reading ; Martha C., b. 1819; m. 1842, Henry W. King- man, of New York ; Mary W., b. 1821; m. Joseph L. Pratt ; Sarah H , b. 1823 ; m. Elias Boardman, Jr., of Saco, Me .; Lucretia A., b. 1824 ; Lucy Ann, b. 1826.
EBENEZER HOPKINSON (or HOPKINS), as said Ebenezer wrote it in his latter years, an orthography continued by the family; came from Bradford ; m. Ruth, dau. of Joseph Bancroft, and succeeded to his father-in-law's homestead ; he was a deacon, a strict religionist, and somewhat of a poet, as the following lines from his pen will show :-
" Ladies, can you in conscience say Your useless, costly, fine array, As tassels, top-knots, flowery stuff, Jewels and rings, and heaps of rust, With pains, expense, and spending time, Can be slipp'd o'er, and thought no crime ? Can you procure those things of cost, And say no time nor money 's lost ? Can you spend months to curl your hair, And years to fix the clothes you wear ? Can you spend all the Sabbath morn Your dust and ashes to adorn ? Nor all the morning read or pray, Or once think 't is a holy day ?' And think it is no thing of weight, That you come into church so late ? At length, into the church you gather, With here a tassel, there a feather, And many other knacks and knicks, Which, I judge, took you hours to fix ; One practice more, among the rest, With which you ladies are possest, - Pray, let me mention just this one, Then I'll dismiss you, and will done, - When you together hap to meet, Tea for to drink and food to eat, Without a thought that God has given, Or thinking all you have 's from heaven, Heedless, you set yourselves to eat, And thus contemptuously do treat Him who has given the present food,
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Who is the author of all good ; And what's more heaven-daring still, Is, when you 've eaten to the fill, You bless not God, return no thanks, But fall to playing of your pranks, By telling fortunes by an art Which none but Satan could impart ; Pretending, by the dregs of tea, To read another's destiny ; You fortunes tell in this and that, That only youthful lusts incite, Setting your passions all on fire, And rousing up impure desire ; Which serves to draw the mind from good, In disobedience to your God. Ladies ! I now to you appeal, What spirit does this thing reveal ? Can you think God, who is most high, Is pleased with such vanity ? To you thus freely intimates The thing which in his heart he hates ?
You can't, I'm sure ; then you must own Your art is from the wicked one.
What, be familiar with the devil !
That is both wicked and uncivil ! Remember, when you eat or drink, Whatever do, whatever think, You are obliged, by laws of nature, To glorify your great Creator."
Dea. Hopkins was grandfather to the late Col. James Hartshorn. This farm was originally set off from theKendall Parker estate, and was first separately occupied by Joseph Bancroft, who m. a dau. of Kendall Parker.
CEDAR STREET.
JAMES EMERSON, Sen., and JAMES EMERSON, Jr., father and son, lived on the place now occupied by Lois, wid, of James, Jr.
James Emerson, Sen., was son of James and Elizabeth Emer- son, b. 1759 ; m. 1788, Abigail, dau. of Thomas Rayner ; d. 1839, aged 80. Children : James, b. 1789 ; m. Lois, dau. of Col. Joshua Burnham ; was a farmer and razor-strap maker, and is dead (see Special Account) ; Thomas, b. 1790. and d. unm .; Abigail ; married Joseph Hartshorn ; Nancy ; was betrothed to Timothy Burnham, and d. 1815, young ; Richard, m. 1819, Sarah Chandler, of Andover, and d. a young man; Betsey, m. 1825, Jona. Nichols, of Wakefield ;
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OF THE TOWN OF READING.
Mary, m., Ist, 1825, Aaron Burditt, Jr. ; had a 2d husband ; Lucy, m. Robert H. Raddin.
James, Sen., was a quiet, unambitious, but reputable man ; was a soldier of the Revolution ; succeeded on this place, his father, James Emerson, who was called "Judge Emerson," probably on account of his wisdom and judiciousness, and who was the son of Ebenezer and Mary (Boutwell) Emerson, and a great-grandson of Dea. Thomas Ken- dall, a first settler and the first occupant of this farm.
ENOCH STOCKER lived on the place where Charles Davis recently lived, in a very small house.
Mr. Stocker came from Lynn; m. 1787, Hannah Berry, of Lynn; he was a soldier of the Revolution ; was at the battle of Stony Point, under Gen. Wayne ; was of a volunteer corps, that made an assault upon the enemy's works, and as he climbed to the top of the parapet, the enemy ran a bayonet through his thigh; Stocker forthwith drew trigger, shot his foe, and fell inside the fort upon the dead body of his assailant. He lost a part of a hand in battle and was ever lame from the wound in his thigh. His wife was a very religious woman, though some- what credulous and excitable, as the following circumstance will show.
During the last war with England, a detachment of U. S. flying artillery came galloping into the village one day, en route from Salem to Boston. It was the same corps to which Thos. Melburn, of this place, belonged, and they paraded on the common in front of the Con- gregational church. It was Fast day, and during the time of service in the church. The tramp and neighing of war steeds, the rumbling of artillery carriages, the clangor of trumpets, the roar of cannon, and the shouts of the populace created quite a sensation in the congregation, and all with one accord left their devotions and rushed to the doors and windows to see what was coming. Mother Stocker went with the rest ; and just then the bugle gave a loud and piercing blast, that "made the welkin ring," and Mother Stocker was so filled with con- sternation, that she exclaimed, "The day of doom has come! The last trump is sounding "; and observing the ammunition carts, "See," said she, " there are the hearses."
They had a dau. Sally, b. 1788, and perhaps other children.
It is understood that the wife of Mr. Newhall, who recently owned and occupied the Dr. Hay place, was a descendant of Mr. Stocker.
This place was subsequently occupied by Prince Keemer, a colored man, who was once a slave, and whose wife, Dinah, was formerly a slave of Jonathan Poole ; very industrious, intelligent, and respectable people. Prince died in 1835, supposed to be 100 years old.
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Jesse Pope succeeded Mr. Keemer as owner of the place, by whom it was enlarged.
CHARLES GOULD lived on the place lately occupied by his daughters, Rachel and Clarissa ; he was son of Daniel, and nephew of Ebenezer Gould, who was living on the place about 1765. He m. 1809, Rachel Hitchins, of Saugus. Children : Rachel, who m. Mr. McDougall, and is now dead ; Clarissa, who lives in Wakefield, unm.
Mr. Gould was a man of quiet manners, and pleasant and kind dis- position ; honest, but slow and indolent in his habits.
DANIEL GOULD, brother of the foregoing, lived on the "Dr. Gould place," recently so called, and now owned by Wm. M. Arrington.
This place, although within a half mile of Wakefield common, was formerly within the bounds of Stoneham, but has been recently annexed to Wakefield.
Mr. Gould was a justice of the peace, and long known as "Squire Gould"; b. 1767. He has been selectman and representative of Stone- ham. He married Eunice Coates, and was an intelligent, kind-hearted, industrious, and worthy man ; succeeded his father Daniel on this place. Children : Daniel ; became a physician, settled first at Read- ing, and afterwards at Malden ; had an excellent reputation as a skil- ful practitioner, and an extensive practice ; was a cheerful, social, and honest man. Mary, m. Capt. Wm. Richardson, of Stoneham ; Eunice, m. Eli A. Yale, Esq., lately of Charlestown ; Lucinda, m. David Tilton, Esq., of Stoneham ; Abraham became a physician, settled in Lynn, and was highly esteemed. Sophronia, m. Sam'l Sweetser, of Boston, and is now dead.
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OF THE TOWN OF READING.
CHAPTER X.
SOUTH READING.
HISTORY, FROM ITS INCORPORATION TO 1844, WITH CENTENNIAL CERE- MONIES IN 1844.
1812, Feb. 25, the town of South Reading was incorporated. The following is the act of incorporation : -
" SECT. I. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives, in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same. That all that tract or parcel of land, with the inhabitants thereon, which is within the bounds of, and known by the name of, the First, or South Parish in Reading, in the County of Middlesex, as the same has been heretofore bounded and described be, and the same is hereby incorpo- rated and established as a town by the name of South Reading, and the said town is hereby vested with all the powers and privileges, and subject to all the duties and requisitions of other towns, according to the constitution and laws of this Commonwealth.
" SECT. 2. Be it further enacted, That the inhabitants of said town of South Reading shall be holden to pay all State, town and county taxes, which have been assessed upon them prior to the passing of this act, and they shall also be holden to contribute and pay to the town of Reading their just proportion of all debts now due and owing by that town, and the said town of South Reading shall also be holden to sup- port, as nearly as may be, its due proportion of all paupers who are now supported by said town of Reading, whether the same be in whole or in part so supported, and after the organization of South Reading, such proportion of paupers shall be delivered to the overseers of that town, to be supported and maintained by them accordingly. And in case any person, not resident in Reading, but having a legal settlement therein, shall hereafter be returned to that town for support ; in case such person derives his settlement from any person who has heretofore resided in that territory now established as South Reading, then, and in such case, such poor person shall be returned to, and be liable to be maintained by South Reading ; provided, that such town shall in no
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case be chargeable with the support of any paupers who would not have been chargeable to said town of Reading.
" SECT. 3. Be it further enacted, That any justice of the peace for the County of Middlesex, is hereby authorized, upon application therefor, to issue a warrant, directed to a freeholder and inhabitant of said town of South Reading, requiring him to notify and warn the inhabitants thereof to meet at such convenient time and place as shall be appointed in the warrant, to choose such officers as towns are by law empowered and required to choose at their annual town meeting ; provided, that the said town of South Reading shall be holden, until the further order of the Legislature, to pay to the town of Reading such proportion, if any, of the expenses of maintaining the bridges and causeways over Ipswich river, within said town, as a committee of the Court of Sessions for said county shall determine; and said Court of Sessions are hereby authorized, on the application of either of the inhabitants of Reading or South Reading, from time to time, to appoint a committee for the above purpose, whose report, made to and accepted by said court, shall be binding upon said towns.
The first meeting of the said town was held March 5th, under a war- rant from John Hart, Esq., and the following list of officers elected, namely : -
Moderator. - John Hart, Esq.
For Town Clerk. - John Gould.
For Town Treasurer. - Lilley Eaton.
For Selectmen, Assessors, and Overseers of Poor. - James Gould, Ben- jamin Badger, John Gould.
For Surveyors of Highways. - Wm. Williams, Suel Winn, Lt. John Sweetser, John Gould.
For Constable. - Benjamin Swain.
For Fence Viewers. - Lilley Eaton, Benjamin Swain, Burrage Yale. For Field Drivers. - James Emerson, John Adden, Aaron Burditt.
Fire Wardens. - Capt. Noah Smith, John Rayner, Col. Amos Boardman, Jeremiah Green.
For Surveyors of Timber. - Lt. Benjamin Walton, Benj. Swain.
For Fish Committee. - Benjamin B. Wiley, Joseph Bryant, James Walton, Caleb Green.
For Tythingmen. - Benjamin Emerson, Joseph Hopkins.
For Leather Sealer. - John Gould.
For Pound Keeper. - John Rayner.
For Hog Reeves .- Amos Evans, John Brown, Jr., Jesse Carter, James Mitchell, Wm. Sweetser.
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OF THE TOWN OF READING.
At a second meeting of the new town held March 14th, Messrs. James Gould, Benjamin Badger, John Gould, Dr. John Hart, Capt. Noah Smith, Lt. John Sweetser, and Burrage Yale, were chosen a committee to settle with the town of Reading respecting the poor, and other affairs.
At a meeting, held April 6th, of such inhabitants of South Read- ing, as "are twenty years of age and upwards, having a freehold estate within the Commonwealth of the annual income of three pounds, or any estate to the value of sixty pounds,"
Voted, To raise eight hundred pounds for common and ordinary charges.
Voted to raise three hundred and fifty dollars for schooling. Then chose Col. Amos Boardman, Lilley Eaton, * Paul Sweetser, and Caleb Green, a committee to spend the money.
Voted to raise four hundred and fifty dollars for repairs of high- ways.
This year war with England was declared by the United States. The town of South Reading being largely Republican in its politics, was decided in favor of the war, believing that it would be dishonor- able in the nation tamely to submit to the insults inflicted by England upon our seamen, and upon our national flag.
They chose Capt Noah Smith and Capt. Thomas Emerson as dele- gates to a convention at Concord, "to take into view the situation of our public affairs."
A new powder-house was erected on "Hot-house Shore," and sup- plied with powder and ball, An extra allowance of money was voted to those who should be detached or drafted for the public service ; and that riflemen that shall be detached, shall be received the same as drafted men. Selectmen were authorized to procure men for the pub- lic service, whenever called for.
South Reading subsequently authorized the purchase of guns and accoutrements to supply those of the militia who have none ; to fur- nish ball cartridges to the militia, and lead and powder to the rifle and cavalrymen ; chose Lt. Aaron Cowdrey, Lt. John Sweetser, Joseph Eaton, and Lilley Eaton, a committee to provide for the support of the families of such soldiers as may be called into the field ; adopted, as a signal for an alarm, the firing of three guns, ringing the bell, and beat- ing the base drum, and adopted the following resolutions (reported by
* Lilley Eaton declined serving as school committee, and Le.nuel Sweetser was chosen in his place.
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a committee consisting of John Hart, William Nichols, and Samuel Evans) :-
" Ist. That in times like the present, big with danger, and threat- ening momentary change, we should lose no time, in our corporate as well as individual capacities, in making the utmost exertions to meet the enemy and repel his attacks.
"2d. That our Government has a right to the services, as well as money, of all its citizens, when necessary for the common good ; and that we ought freely to bestow either or both, when duly required by the proper authorities.
"3d. That in a government like ours, emanating from ourselves, however we may censure the heads of the Federal or State Govern- ment, for past or present errors ; during the period of their election, we ought to submit to their will, constitutionally expressed, for the public good ; and that we will support them, with our feeble means, in all lawful measures for the public defence.
" 4th. As the enemy have generally evinced a disposition to save private property ; so this is not a war to preserve property, but our rights, liberties, and independence; and as those are as dear to the poor man as to the rich one, to whom alike is the desire of transmitting them to their posterity, so the poor man has as much at stake in this war as the rich one, and is equally interested in its success.
"5th. That the militia has been, and is considered, the bulwark of our defence ; that it ought to receive every assistance from us ; and in return, we presume it will be willing to perform its all important duties. On the present emergency, it is our chief reliance; for, though indi- vidual ardor may occasionally perform prodigies of valor, it is in the united valor of numbers, disposed in order and method, and directed by one mind, that we may hope to withstand the well disciplined legions of the enemy.
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