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 52
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A committee chosen by the old South Parish, in 1846, report at length upon the subject, March 16, 1848, taking the position that the town had always retained its ownership of the burial-ground till it was conveyed to the parish. The report of the committee indicates a most thorough examination of the whole matter, and their conclusions seem to be well founded.
In 1846, the parish chose Dr. Horace P. Wakefield, Sylvester Harn- den, and Stephen Foster a committee to purchase land of Dana Parker, lying north of the old burying-ground, to lay out the same in lots and avenues, and make sale of lots for payment of expenses. The commit- tee purchased thirteen acres of land, and employed Amasa Farrier, an
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engineer from Stoneham, to superintend the work of laying out the lots and avenues, and prepare a lithograph plan of the new cemetery. The cemetery was consecrated with appropriate services Nov. 25, 1846. Rev. Daniel Temple, the returned missionary, made the invocatory prayer. Rev. Aaron Pickett delivered the address. The consecrating prayer was by Rev. E. W. Allen. Several original hymns were sung. The pleasure of the occasion was seriously marred by the occurrence of a furious snow-storm.
In 1853, the parish relinquished its interest in the cemetery to the town, which thereupon resumed control of it.
March 7, 1870, the town chose a board of trustees, to have charge of the cemetery and of all moneys appropriated by the town, or contrib- uted by individuals, for the improvement of the cemetery. The first board of trustees were Solon Bancroft, F. H. Knight, for three years ; F. O. Dewey, Gilman C. Gleason, for two years ; William Proctor and Thomas B. Pratt, for one year. The same persons have been contin- ued by re-election to the present time. Three and a half acres of land have been purchased of Mr. Dana Parker, which extends the cemetery. at the northwest corner to "Love Lane." The wall on Main Street has been nearly completed, and the trustees have brought the cemetery into a condition that is alike creditable to themselves and the town. There are few cemeteries that possess such diversity of surface in so small compass, or that are capable of being made so attractive. Mr. Gilman C. Gleason, the present efficient sexton, has had charge of the cemetery for many years.
SLAVES.
It is said that previous to the Revolutionary war nearly every large landholder here had also a slave. In 1754 there were twenty colored persons in town ; in 1765, thirty-four ; in 1783, twelve. It is probable that nearly all of these were, or had been, slaves. In 1744, Sandy, servant of Dea. Raham Bancroft, married Pegg, servant of Thomas Nichols. In 1771, Chester, servant of Dea. Samuel Bancroft, died. In 1723, Benjamin Pool advertises a negro man who had run away from him. In 1754, Raham Bancroft in his will orders his negroes sold. In 1774, Samuel Bancroft is charged by Joseph Bancroft for shoes for "Prince " and "Cato " and "Fillis." In 1764, Joseph Damon is charged for shoes for "Sesar." Cesar was probably a native of Africa. His face was scarred with tattoo marks. He is described as " a clever old man, and a favorite with the children," but inclined to get intoxicated. When in this condition, he said he "didn't know
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what the matter, was, but things would go round and round just like a cart-wheel." It was said he could read his own Bible, but no other.
" Prince Merrow" was the name of another slave who seems to have gone into the army as a substitute.
" Keemer," formerly a slave in Woburn, removed to this town and married " Dinah," a slave belonging to the Pool family. He served in the army of the Revolution, and received a pension.
Sharper Freeman was formerly a slave to Mr. Breed, of Lynn. He was brought from Africa when about sixteen years old, and was believed to be the son of a king. He remembered the crying of his mother when he was brought away. He gained his freedom, as did several others in this town, by enlisting in the army, when he received the name of "Freeman." By the aid of Gov. Brooks and Dea. Wake- field, he obtained a pension. He died Jan. 4, 1833, aged about 90, and was buried in our cemetery.
Amos Potamia, son of Titus and Pegg Potamia, was born a slave in Wilmington, and baptized Nov. 24, 1765. He removed to this town and accumulated some property. He invested two thousand dollars in the Andover and Medford turnpike, which shared the fate of similar investments by his white neighbors, and was lost. He owned the house now belonging to Mr. John Bowditch. He was greatly esteemed as a man and was an active Christian. He never married.
TORNADOES.
This section of the State suffered considerable damage in the Great Gale of Sept. 23, 1815. Dea. Caleb Wakefield relates that a storm of rain with wind in the N. E. commenced on the previous evening and continued through the night. In the course of the next day the wind changed to S. E. and increased till about two o'clock, P. M. There was a case on trial before John Weston, Esq., that day, in which Dea. Wakefield was a witness. It became necessary to pro- duce the commission he held as a captain of the military company to which he belonged. He went home for it, and the wind blew so strongly that on the way his horse was thrown down. On his arriving in the village the chimney of Mr. Silas Smith's house was blown down, giving his horse a sudden fright. On his way he noticed several sea gulls that had been driven hither by the wind, trying to make their descent into the Quannapowitt. They were repeatedly driven upward by the force of the tempest and finally disappeared. The wind did not appear to move with a power that the results proved it to possess. The trees were borne down and uprooted by it, as a sapling would be
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borne down by a strong man. An immense amount of timber was prostrated ; and so great was the apparent destruction that Dea. Wake- field at first estimated his loss at a thousand dollars. The fallen tim- ber on his premises produced 80,000 feet of boards, besides other lumber and wood not taken into the account. The sales turned the seeming loss into actual gain, and gave a net profit of five hundred dollars. The wood on the ministerial lands was extensively damaged, and in order to save the timber, the Old South Society was led to build their present house of worship, which was dedicated early in the year 1818. The granite for the underpinning and steps of the church came from Tyngsboro', whence it was brought over the Middlesex Canal to Wilmington, and delivered there, near the present railroad depot. These facts, like others connected with other subjects referred to in these historical sketches, seem too valuable to be lost, and are thrown in for safe keeping, though in a disjointed manner. The wind destroyed the sheds on the common near the old church (now Union Hall). It is asserted that the falling rain was so charged with the salt spray blown hither. from the ocean, that its presence could be detected by the taste.
The tornado of 1857 occurred Thursday, August 13. It was accom- panied by a thunder shower, and came about 7 or 8 o'clock in the evening. It commenced on the premises of E. Appleton, Esq., and thence took a southward course, prostrating a few apple-trees and fences on land of Thomas Sweetser. It seemed to expend its force principally in the south part of the town. The orchard of Dea. Thos. H. Sweetser was almost entirely prostrated, and the building occupied by him as a shoe factory completely wrecked. The school-house upon the hill, just above, was turned upon its foundations about six feet. The house of A. F. Converse was similarly displaced. The barn of John Parker was razed to the ground. A horse in it was carried over two walls and the street, but was found uninjured and quietly feeding. The house formerly belonging to John Weston, Esq., was partially destroyed, and Mrs. Austin who resided there was completely shut in by the ruins. D. F. Weston's buildings were considerably injured, as were others in the vicinity. The barn of Aaron Weston, at Weston's Corner, was partly unroofed. It also prostrated many trees on the Prescott farm. Considerable damage was done to the house of George C. Coney by the falling branches from the elms in front, and otherwise.
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PERSONAL REMINISCENCES.
Thomas Sweetser, Esq., among the interesting reminiscences we have freely used, relates others that show some of the peculiar features of former times. His father, Thomas, Sen., at the age of forty years, married Miss Sarah Pratt, of Saugus, sister of David, the early shoe manufacturer of this town. His wedding suit, which was long pre- served, consisted of the olden style coat of peach-blow color; a white vest, made of Marseilles quilt, with glass buttons ; pants of nankeen color, reaching only to the knees, where they were met by white stock- ings, to which they were united with silver knee buckles. A beaver "cocked hat," costing sixteen dollars, and silver shoe-buckles, costing nine dollars, helped make up the outfit. The wife of Mr. Sweetser, at the age of eighteen, went out spinning for a shilling a week. She re- ceived for her first week's labor a silver piece known as the " Pine Tree Shilling," dated 1652, which she preserved during her life. It is now in possession of her son Thomas. It is somewhat worn, but could not be purchased for a week's work of the smartest woman of. the present time, though wages have greatly advanced.
Mr. Sweetser, Sen., removed here in 1807, and bought the house of Ephraim Parker on Washington Street, which still remains, and is con- sidered one of the oldest houses, if not the oldest, in town. It was kept as a tavern before and during the Revolution. It is said that several British officers boarded here while their army held Boston, and some interesting traditions are preserved relating to them. It is also said that some of the prisoners belonging to Burgoyne's army were quar- tered here, and it is related by others that they were accustomed to march around the pond for exercise. A brass spoon of quaint fashion was found in this house, with a minute impression of a stamp in the inside representing the British lion and other emblems. It is possible that the stamp may have been used to designate the furniture and uten- sils belonging to the royal troops.
After Mr. Sweetser came he removed a cedar gate post which he was told had stood in its place forty years. It was again set in the fence fronting Mr. Sweetser's present residence, where it seems good for another century. There is a boundary post in Cedar Swamp, in this town, marked " R. B." (Raham Bancroft), that is supposed to be one hundred and forty years old.
Daniel Chute, Esq., after coming to this town, lived for about ten years in the parsonage of the Old South Society, now the residence of Mr. Grouard. Rev. Mr. Sanborn, who had been instrumental in in- 69
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ducing him to come here, for a time boarded with him, and subsequently married the niece of Mrs. Chute. The parsonage farm extended from the common, westward, to the Jaquith farm, the boundary line between the two passing just eastward of Mr. William Wakefield's garden. The Jaquith farm extended westerly and southerly to Washington Street, and northerly to the Bancroft farm. Mr. Chute bought the Jaquith place, and in 1802 built the house now owned and occupied by Mr. William Carter, the conductor, which was then the only house between the parsonage of Mr. Sanborn and the old Jaquith house. That part of Woburn Street which connects these houses, was laid out in 1798. In 1809, Mr. Chute erected, a little eastward of his house, a building which was for some years used for an academy. The school kept here was under the instruction of Misses Elizabeth Eaton and Susan Eaton, sisters of the editress of the " Friend of Virtue." One room in the building was used as the office of Dr. Abner Phelps, who came here about 1812. He was the father of Hon. Charles A. Phelps, for- merly president of the Massachusetts Senate.
Mr. Chute prosecuted his business with an energy that for many years knew no rest, and was considered for those days quite wealthy. He was a man of strict integrity, excellent judgment, devoted piety, and uni- versally respected. During the last thirty years of his life he was com- pelled, by ill health, to give up active business. He died March 21, 1843, in the eighty-third year of his age. He adopted the daughter of Rev. Mr. Sanborn, who married Samuel W. Carter, father of William Carter.
Mr. Chute was born in 1760, and married Polly Stimpson, of Read- ing. He was the tenth child of Daniel, born 1722 ; who was a son of James, who commenced a settlement in Byfield in 1681 ; who was son of James Chewte, register in Salem, Mass. ; who was son of Lionel, who came from England to America in 1634 or '5. He was son of Lionel, son of Anthony, son of Charles, son of Robert, son of Edward, of Sussex, who sold the manor of Taunton to Lord Dunhare in 1502. Edward was son of Charles, born 1438, son of Robert, Esq., of Taunton, son of Henry, son of Edmond, son of Ambrose, son of George, son of Philip, Esq., son of Cuthbard, son of John, son of Alex- ander, born 1268. The Chute or Chewte family had a coat of arms, described as "Three swords barways argeant, hilt and pummeled," or, which in plain English appears to be three swords placed horizontally across the face of a shield. Henry VIII added to this a lion of Eng- land, and a crest representing a hand, couped at the wrist, holding a broken sword. This was given to Philip Chewte, captain of Cumber Castle, and standard-bearer of the arms at the siege of "Bollonge " (Boulogne).
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The genealogy from which this account is taken is written on an ancient parchment, now in possession of Rev. Ariel P. Chute, of Bos- ton, a nephew of Daniel, Esq. It shows the coats of arms of the Chute family, and of other families with whom they intermarried. The Chute families still exist in England, some of the name retaining high official and social positions. Challoner Chute, who was a descendant of the senior branch of the family, was speaker of the House of Commons in Cromwell's Parliament. His estate was at the Vine in Hampshire, which is still in possession of his descendants.
John Damon, whose name appears upon the town records in 1652, came, it is said, with his son Samuel, from Reading, County of Northum- berland, England. He may have been here some years earlier. In the list of those "who desire to be made freemen," in May, 1645, the name John Daming is given. The spelling of the name is unusual ; but as none of that name appears afterwards, there is a fair presumption that? John Damon is meant, especially as in the same list, Humphreys is spelled " Umphryes."
John Damon at first located near Bear Hill, where he built a house over the cellar which is still visible. The year of his death is uncertain. His son Samuel was born in 1656, which seems conclusive evidence that he was not born in England. 'On his way to or from church he was thrown from his horse and killed ; and his wife, who was riding on the pillion behind him, was so injured as to be unable to walk for the re- mainder of her life. It is unknown when the family removed to what is since known as the John Damon farm. The present house was built in 1751 by his grandson Samuel, who used in its construction some of the material from the house preceding this. Some of these old boards used in the roof of the present house, are said to have been sawed by hand in what was called a saw-pit mill.
Samuel, Jr., born in 1756, lived with his father many years, expect- ing to succeed to the ownership of the farm. At length, however, he gave up his expectations to his younger brother John, and removed from town. The father soon after died, and Samuel desired a portion of the property to remunerate him for his long service to the aged parent, though he had no legal claim for it. John magnanimously paid his demand, and thus preserved the brotherly ties, where many, under similar circumstances, have sundered them. His subsequent prosperity soon replaced more than he had sacrificed for peace. His son John, born in 1795, sold the homestead a few years since, and now lives near, - his house occupying one of the lots belonging to the original farm.
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In 1840, Dea. Wakefield, who administered upon the Damon estate, laid out that portion of it near the village, in streets and building lots. The streets were Union, Pleasant, Parker, and John. The last was so named out of respect to its then late owner, and may be considered as a compliment to each of those who bore the name, and owned the land, on which it was located. The ground occupied by Union Hall was donated for its use by Mr. Damon. After the laying out and sale of the lots by Dea. Wakefield, the Hon. Edmund Parker remarked to him, "Well, you have laid out your lots and sold them well, but you will never live to see half of them built upon." Whether the Squire mis- judged as to the length of the good deacon's life, or as to the future prosperity and progress of Reading, need not be decided ; but Dea. Wakefield, now nearly eighty-nine years of age, still in the enjoyment of life, health, and his faculties, lives to recall the prophecy, and re- mark that he has seen every lot built upon One of the lots which then sold for thirty-six dollars was divided, and one of the halves was re- cently sold for four hundred and fifty dollars.
Dea. Wakefield retains a vivid recollection of the memorial services held here after the death of Washington. The people from both the other parishes met here on that occasion. A procession was formed at the tavern of Col. Nathan Parker, under his superintendence, which marched to the church, the present Union Hall, which then stood on the south part of the common. A sermon was preached by Rev. Mr. Stone, of the North Parish. By vote of the town it was printed, and every family in town supplied with a copy. The title-page reads : " A discourse delivered at Reading, Feb. 22, 1800 : the day recommended by Congress to the people of the United States, by their assembling, in such manner as might be convenient, and publicly testifying their grief for the death, and their respect for the memory of General GEORGE WASHINGTON. By Eliab Stone, A. M., minister of the second church in Reading. Boston : Manning and Loring, printers, near the Old South meeting-house."
Rev. Aaron Bancroft, D. D., born in Reading, Nov. 10, 1755, died in Worcester, Aug. 19, 1839, was said to have been one of the most accomplished scholars of the country. He was a volunteer in the bat- tles of Lexington and Bunker Hill ; was three years a missionary in Nova Scotia, graduated at Harvard, and was settled in Worcester in 1785. He published a life of Washington, and a volume of his own sermons. He was a son of Samuel, Esq., son of Capt. Samuel, son of Dea. Thomas, son of Lieut. Thomas, son of John, who died in Lynn in 1637. George Bancroft, the historian, is a son of Rev. Aaron.
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James Bancroft, Esq., and captain in the army of the Revolution, was son of Dea. Raham, who was a brother of Capt. Samuel, the grand- father of Rev. Aaron. The only son of James, Esq., died unmarried. The ancestors of Lieut. Joseph Bancroft, - who was a cousin of Rev. Aaron, - for four generations, reaching back to John of Lynn, were each named Thomas. In the sixth generation, to which Lieut. Joseph belonged, there were fifty-three of the Bancroft name, but it is a singu- lar fact that all the Bancrofts now belonging in Reading are the de- scendants of Lieut. Joseph, b. 1735, who m. Elizabeth Temple, and had five sons : Joseph, b. 1762, Timothy, b. 1764, Thomas, b. 1766, Nehemiah, b. 1768, and Jonathan, b. 1774. Capt. Joseph, Jr., had Joseph, father of John M., and Lewis H. ; and Emery, father of Solon, Esq., Emery, and Frederic. Timothy had Timothy, father of Newton, Charles, James, Nathan, Wendell, and Moses ; Capt. George, father of Thomas E., killed in the war of the Rebellion ; Parker, father of Parker E. and Francis J. ; Abner, father of Wm. Hazen ; Bradley ; John Hart. Nehe- miah had James H., father of James A., the land surveyor and present town treasurer. Jonathan was father of Harrison.
Col. Nathan Parker was a leading man in this part of Reading. He kept the hotel where Mr. James Davis has resided for many years, near the head of Ash Street. It is not known when he commenced, but he is credited in 1781 with " a pale of toddy," and again with " I quart wetin and 3 pints rum," which implied that he was then keeping tavern there, and it is probable that he continued to keep it until his removal to the new tavern in 1806, where the bank now stands. He was the first postmaster here, and held the office till the appointment of John Weston, Esq. The law passed by Congress imposing what was called " the direct tax," to raise money for paying the expenses of the war of 1812, was an unpopular enactment, and a meeting was called here which passed resolutions disapproving it. Col. Parker presided over the meeting, which gave offence to the President, and was the cause of his removal from the office of postmaster.
When John Weston, Esq., was appointed his successor, with due for- mality he waited upon the Colonel, and commenced a speech, saying, " It becomes my painful duty, sir, to inform you that the post-office is transferred " - " No pain to me, Squire," replied the Colonel, inter- rupting the speech, "I am glad to get rid of it."
The first wife of Col. Parker was Phebe, daughter of Ephraim Pratt. Hon. Edmund, and Rev. Dr. Nathan, afterwards of Ports- mouth, N. H., were her sons. Col. Parker's second wife was widow Abigail Eaton, whose daughter m. Joshua Prescott, Esq., father of
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A. A. Prescott, Esq. The children of the second wife were Thomas Parker, the storekeeper, and Susan, who m Thaddeus B. Pratt; Esq., father of N. P. Pratt, Esq. The third wife of Col. Parker was Lydia Stearns, of Bedford. Her daughter Phebe m. Thomas Pratt. Her son, Nathaniel, kept the hotel for a few years; Gould, Sarah, and Eunice m. and removed from town.
Hon. Edmund Parker, son of Col. Nathan, is remembered as a man of excellent judgment, sensible and practical, well known and popular throughout the county. He was a "Federal " and afterwards " Whig " in political sentiment, and repeatedly served as the representative of his town in the Legislature. He was councillor in 1840, and senator in 1841. He was a justice of the peace, and was often called. upon to act as referee in cases decided by arbitration. Caroline, daughter of Hon. Edmund, m. James Davis, father of William Wallace.
The Parker families in this town all descend from Thomas, who embarked at London March 1I, 1635, and came to Lynn. He was made freeman in 1637, m. Amy -, d. 1683, aged 74 years ; was probably a resident of Reading for upwards of twenty years. His son, Sergt. John, b. 1640, m. Hannah Kendall, 1667, had John, b. 1668, who had John, b. 1701, who had Jonas, 1728, who had Jonas, Aaron, William, and Amos. Jonas had Capt. Jonas, and Ephraim, father of Jerome and Clarkson. Aaron, b. 1756, m. Jerusha Damon, and had Aaron, b. 1788, who m. Rebekah, daughter of Capt. Joseph Bancroft, and had Dea. Stillman E., Henry F., and Rebekah, who m. John Adden, parents of John Henry. The other sons of Aaron, born 1756, were Jabez D., father of Samuel and Wyman; John; William, father of Warren, Edward, and William C .; and Rev. B. Wyman, the mission- ary. Polly, the daughter of Aaron, m. Silas Smith, parents of Sydney, who was asst. engineer on the "Kearsarge." William, son of Jonas, b. 1728, had Luther, father of William Strong ; Sarah, who m. William" Wakefield, parents of Frederick and Rev. William ; Sophronia, who m. Henry Kingman, parents of William P. and Gilman D .; and Lavinia, who m. Daniel Nichols, parents of Howard P., Hartwell, and Wyman.
Amos, son of Jonas, b. 1728, m. Polly Taylor, and had Amos, who m. Nancy Batchelder, parents of Solon A .; and Dana, who m. Eliza- beth Steele, parents of Milton D., who m. Melvina Bancroft, and Galen A., who m. Edna S., daughter of Hiram Barrus ; Betsey, first wife of Amos Temple ; Philomela, who m. Walter Damon, parents of Washing- ton P. ; and Harriet, who m., Ist, Samuel Dinsmoor ; 2d, Jacob Smith
Benjamin Parker, b. 1703, brother of John, b. 1701 ; had William, b. 1735, and Asa, b. 1740, and others. William had Richard, father of
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William, Cephas, Theron, and Loton. Asa had Loea, b. 1782, m. Anna Bancroft ; parents of Loea, b. 1809, Asa and Harrison Loea, Jr., was father of Gilman L. and Elmore.
Thomas, the pilgrim, had Ensign Nathaniel, who was the first person buried in the Reading cemetery, b. 1651, d. 1737, who was the father of Lieut. Nathaniel, b. 1679, d. 1761, who had Capt. Nathan, b. 1719, who was father of Col. Nathan, b. 1748, d. 1815, and Dr. Nathaniel, who died in Salem at the age of 36, and Edmund, who died in the Revolutionary war. Ensign Nathaniel, who d. 1737, had Jonathan, b. about 1682, who m. Barbara Ilsley in 1706, and had Daniel, b. 1725, who m. Sarah, daughter of Benjamin Parker. Daniel, Jr., b. 1752, m. Sarah Richardson, 1780, and had Jonathan, b. 1783, who m. Susanna, daughter of Capt. Joseph Bancroft. They were the parents of Dea. Milo Parker.
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