USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Lexington > Genealogical register of Lexington families, from the first settlement of the town > Part 10
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Esther, b. Sept. 7, 1718; m. Sept. 26, 1734, when she was only 16, Amos Muzzy. He d. June 26, 1752, and she m. May 4, 1758, Thomas Prentice, Esq., of Newton, who d. March 3, 1760.
Phebe, b. April 22, 1721 ; d. Aug. 9, 1722.
t Samuel, b. April 17, 1723.
Elizabeth, b. June 22, 1727; ad. to ch. Nov. 7, 1742; d. June 10, 1750.
Benjamin, b. Dec. 2, 1732 ; probably went to Waltham and m. 1756, Martha Brown, and in 1770 m. Eunice Smith. This may have been the Benjamin Green who d. in Lex. Oct. 26, 1822.
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SAMUEL GREEN m. April 3, 1750, Kezia Smith. There is little or nothing known of this family.
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Samuel, bap. Aug. 16, 1752; perhaps the Samuel Green who was dismissed to the ch. in Charlemont, March 28, 1779.
There were other Greens in Lex. from time to time, but whether they were connections of the Samuel Green family, I have no means of knowing.
Thomas Green came to Lex. from Camb. 1782.
William Green and family came from Wo. 1792.
Lucy Clark Green d. in Lex. Oct. 28, 1793.
Benjamin Green was taxed in Lex. in 1784 and 1785, and subse- quently as a non-resident.
Isaac Green, of Lex., m. Sept. 5, 1778, Eleanor Tufts of Medford.
THE GREENLEAF FAMILY.
The Greenleaf family of Lex. probably descended from Edmund Greenleaf of Newbury, who settled there 1635. He had a son, Stephen, who m. Sarah Kent, and had among other children Stephen, who m. Elizabeth Gerrish in 1676. They had a large family, and among them Stephen, b. Oct. 21, 1690. This Stephen was probably the Stephen Greenleaf of Medford, who m. Mary, and had six chil- dren. Gardiner, their first child, b. Jan. 9, 1726, m. Jan. 21, 1748, Catharine Thompson. He d. Nov. 21, 1808.
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JONATHAN GREENLEAF, the fourth child of Gardiner, b. June 9, 1754, m. May 5, 1778, Joanna Manning.
3 4 5 6
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HISTORY OF LEXINGTON.
1- 2 | Jonathan, b. Feb. 16, 1784.
3 Joanna, b. Dec. 28, 1786 ; m. Amos Locke of Lex.
4 William, b. Oet. 7, 1788.
5 + Thomas, b. Ang. 1, 1791; m. Oct. 2, 1822, Phebe Reed.
6 Mary M., b. Dec. 28, 1792; d. unm. aged 17.
7 Joseph, b. Jan. 31, 1794; d. unm.
8 Sarah, b. Oct. 25, 1797 ; m. - Upson.
1-5- THOMAS GREENLEAF m Oct. 2, 1822, Phebe Reed, dau. of Joshua and Susanna (Leathers) Reed. He d. Sept. 29, 1862, aged 70. He resided in Lex.
5- 9 William, b. Oct. 25, 1825; m. Esther Horton of Gorham, Me.
10 Thomas, b. Dec. 17, 1826.
11 Mary, b. Sept. 12, 1830; d. May 17, 1848.
THE GRIMES FAMILY.
There were Grimeses in Lex. at the time the town was incorpo- rated. The earliest record of any of the name is June 28, 1713. when Jonathan Grimes was bap., but the name of the parents is not given, nor have I ascertained from what place they came. George Grimes d. in Lex. July 28, 1716, aged 76. He could hardly have been the father of Jonathan. I am inclined to believe that William is the ancestor of the Lex. family. It is most likely he had other children, but I will set down the family as follows :
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WILLIAM GRIMES m. Mary, who was ad. to the ch. June 30, 1717. He d. June 1, 1719, aged 43. His gravestone is in the old yard in Lexington.
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+William, b. 1706. 3 Mary, b. -. Jonathan, bap. June 28, 1713. 5 Joseph, bap. Aug. 21, 1715.
Elizabeth, bap. June 30, 1717. 7 Ruth, bap. May 13, 1719.
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WILLIAM GRIMES m. Bethia - -. He d. Dec. 3, 1766, aged 60, and she d. March 15, 1772, aged 49.
2- 8 +William, b. Sept. 19, 1744 ; m. Jan. 21, 1766, Abigail Reed. Joseph, b. Oct. 22, 1746; d. March 26, 1750.
9 10 John, bap. Dec. 25, 1748; d. March 28, 1750.
12
11 Mary, bap. July 28, 1751 ; m. Sept. 18, 1770, Samuel Ditson of Bil. Sarah, bap. Aug. 14, 1753.
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WILLIAM GRIMES m. Jan. 21, 1766, Abigail Reed, dan. of Wil- liam and Abigail (Stone) Reed, b. Sept. 22, 1744. They were ad. to the ch. Nov. 8, 1767. He was a member of Capt. Parker's com- pany, was on the Common on the 19th of April, 1775, and was also in a detachment of that company called to Camb. May 10 and June 17 of the same year. He also did other service in the revolutionary war. He resided in the north part of the town, near where Mr. Cummings now resides, on Grove Street, which place still retains the name of its original owner and occupant. They were dismissed to the ch. at Littleton, Jan. 20, 1793, to which place they had removed.
8-13 William, b. May 22, 1768. 14 Nabby, bap. June 24, 1770.
15 Nathan, bap. Dec. 20, 1772.
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GENEALOGICAL REGISTER.
THE GROVER FAMILY.
Jolin and Antipas Grover came to Lexington from Grafton in 1789. The family have not been numerous, but remain in town to the present time. John and Antipas are believed to be brothers. Their father's name is said to be Benjamin, and hence we shall set down as the head of the family BENJAMIN GROVER, probably of Grafton.
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JOHN GROVER m. Aug. 12, 1790, Polly Pierce. He resided in the part of the town commonly known as Scotland. She was b. Oct. 12, 1770, and d. Oct. 15, 1854, aged 74.
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John, b. April, 1792. He m. Sarah Merriam, of Bedford. They resided a few years in Lexington, where they had three children born, viz. Mary Ann, Edward, and John; they then moved to Boston, where he died.
Nathaniel, b. June 4, 1794. He went to Boston, m. Katharine Biscom, of Charlestown. They now reside in Chelsea.
4 5 William, b. Oct. 17, 1796 ; m. Oct. 13, 1829, Lucy Harrington, and second, Oct. 8, 1834, Maria Fessenden, dau. of Nathan Fessen- den. They reside on Lowell street, near Woburn street. They have the following children.
5- 6 William Henry, b. April 21, 1837.
7 Caroline M., b. Sept. 6, 1838. She is a teacher in Boston. Charles A., b. March 24, 1841.
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Mary Jane, b. Aug. 29, 1843; d. June 25, 1847. Alice Jane, b. Feb. 17, 1846.
ANTIPAS GROVER m. May 27, 1794, Sarah Pierce. They lived on Lowell street near where George Munroe now resides. They had one child born in Lexington, as seen by the record - Nathan Grover b. Jan. 1, 1795. They buried an infant Feb. 4, 1796. They moved to Fitzwilliam, N. H.
THE HADLEY FAMILY.
The Hadleys, or Headleys, as the name is sometimes spelt in our records, first appear about 1740; from what place they came we have not ascertained. The records of the family are very imperfect, and tradition but poorly supplies the defect.
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THOMAS HADLEY m. April 15, 1741, Ruth Lawrence, dau. of Samuel and Elizabeth Lawrence. He d. July 15, 1788, in his 75th vear, hence must have been born 1712. She d. May 26, 1819, at the advanced age of 94. He was a member of the gallant band who appeared under Capt. Parker in 1775. He was probably a son of Benjamin and Mehitable Hadley, of Groton, b. Aug. 11, 1712.
1- 2 Elizabeth, b. May 11, 1742; d. April 18, 1832, unm. aged 90.
3 Thomas, b. July 3, 1744; d. in early infancy.
4 + Samuel, b. July 9, 1746 ; killed on the Common, April 19, 1775.
5 Ruth, b. May 15, 1749 ; d. in infancy.
6 Ebenezer, b. May 5, 1751; m. May 11, 1779, Phebe Winship.
7 +Thomas, b. July 8, 1754.
8 +Benjamin, b. July 25, 1756.
9 Ruth, b. June 1, 1759; m. Nov. 30, 1780, James Fowle, of Camb.
10 |+Simon, b. July 26, 1761; m. Jan. 27, 1791, Olive Porter, of Bed.
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HISTORY OF LEXINGTON.
11 12 13
Sarah, b. Nov. 26, 1764; m. April 26, 1784, David Fiske, 3d. Mary, b. May 20, 1767 ; d. in Boston, unm. John, b. Aug. 6, 1770; d. in Cambridge.
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SAMUEL HADLEY m. Betty Jones. He was of the number who died for freedom on the first morning of the Revolution, and whose memory is embalmed in the hearts of his countrymen. After his death his widow m. again.
4-14 15 16
Lucy, bap. April 22, 1772. Betty, bap. May 24, 1772 ; m. Dec. 25, 1793, William Blaekington, of West Cambridge.
Samuel, bap. May 8, 1774.
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THOMAS HADLEY m. Sept. 16, 1773, Aliee Newton, of Bedford. She united with the eh. in Lexington, July 16, 1778. In September of the same year, three of their children, Amity, Alice, and Calley, were baptized. He probably d. about 1784, and she m. Feb. 21, 1785, Samuel Merriam, of Bedford. The record of the marriage has this addendum : " Said Alice Hadley married in a borrowed suit of eloathes." We find no record of the birth of his children ; but find the marriage of Thomas Statson, of Boston, and Amity Hadley, of Lexington, Feb. 26, 1792, who was probably his daughter. The singularity of her wedding suit probably arose from a notion which formerly prevailed, that if a man married a wife, and had no property with her, he could not be held responsible for any of her debts. Henee he took her without even the clothing she had on.
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BENJAMIN HADLEY m. Lucy Dean, of Wilmington. He was a member of that patriot band commanded by Capt. Parker in 1775.
Benjamin, b. He went to Charlestown, m. Martha Ireland, and d. 1852.
Samuel, b. March 30, 1785; d. in the army, 1813.
John, b. Aug. 10, 1788 ; m. Jan. 1, 1822, Susan Harrington.
Thomas, b. -; m. Thankful Whitney, went to N. Y.
Jonas, b. - ; m. Mary Ann Whitney.
Martha, b. -; m. Joseph Littlefield, lived at Somerville.
Lucy, b. - ; m. Joseph Miller, lives at Sandwich.
Eliza, b. -; d. Aug. 1857, unm. in Lexington.
As we have no record of this family, they may not be arranged in chronological order.
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SIMON HADLEY m. Jan. 27, 1791, Olive Porter, of Bedford. Previous to his marriage, we find this entry upon the town record : "Betsey Hadley, dau. of Simeon Hadley and Betty Loeke, born April 11, 1784"; from which. we infer that he may have had two wives, and that Olive Porter was his second wife.
There are several families of Hadleys in town at the present day, but the imperfect records, and the want of the necessary information in the families on this subject, prevent a proper classification, or a connection of them with the Hadleys mentioned above. The follow- ing is all that has been obtained.
SEWELL HADLEY, thought to be the son of Samuel, m. Lovina Hall, of West Camb. She d. May 14, 1841, aged 39. They had
8-17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
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GENEALOGICAL REGISTER.
the following children, viz. Lovina, b. Aug. 31, 1819; m. Dec. 25, 1844, George Stearns ; Sewell Thomas, b. -; Benjamin, b. Apr. 12, 1828 ; Mary Ann, twin with Benjamin.
SEWELL THOMAS HADLEY m. Nov. 30, 1846, Millicent A. D. Lakin, dau. of Samuel. They have had Charles S., b. Sept. 22, 1850; d. Jan. 7, 1855; Avery T., b. May 25, 1853; Millicent A., b. Aug. 28, 1855 ; Adelle C., b. Jan. 12, 1858 ; Florence E., b. Jan. 3, 1861; L. Evelyn, b. July 22, 1863.
BENJAMIN HADLEY m. Anna Hall, July 4, 1852. They have four chil. Gilbert P., b. July 16, 1853; Warren ; Charles ; Anna.
JONAS HADLEY, son of Benjamin, b. 1809; m. April, 1844, Mary Ann Whitney, of Wat. dau. of Jonathan Whitney. They have Jonas H., b. Nov. 1, 1845 ; Mary Eliza, b. Jan. 6, 1850.
THE HALL FAMILY.
AMMI HALL, son of Ebenezer Hall of West Camb., b. Jan. 16, 1798 ; m. April 21, 1834, Eliza Crandall of Salem. He came to Lex. when a young man, and d. here April 10, 1867, aged 70 years. They have had but one child, Eliza A., b. Jan. 25, 1835.
THE HAM FAMILY.
WILLIAM HAM, b. at Grampond, County of Cornwall, Eng., Nov. 21, 1818. He came to this country in 1837, and settled in Charles- town, where he remained till 1855. In 1856, he settled in Lex. Though he left old Eng. in 1837, the remembrance of early acquain- tanec induced him to revisit his native country, and take Mary Grose as a wife. They were m. Jan. 21, 1846. They have had six chil- dren. William F., b. Aug. 2, 1846; he has served three years in the U. S. army ; Walter T., b. July 17, 1848; Lucy Ann, b. Feb. 21, 1850; Joseph F., b. Feb. 14, 1853; Mary P., b. April 11, 1855, d. April 15, 1865 ; Jane T., b. Sept. 11, 1857.
THE HANCOCK FAMILY.
Though we have had occasion to speak of Rev. John Hancock, the second minister of Lex., and of several members of that family, I will, in accordance with the plan I have adopted, give a connected view of the family.
1 NATHANIEL HANCOCK was in Camb. as early as 1635. He m. Jane, and had a large family of children. His oldest child may have been born before he came to this country. He d. 1652.
1- 2 Mary, b. Nov. 3, 1634. 3 Sarah, b. March 3, 1636.
4 + Nathaniel, b. Dee. 13, 1638; m. Mary Prentice, March 8, 1664.
5 John, b. April -; d. April 2, 1642.
6 Elizabeth, b. March 1, 1644.
7 Lydia, b. July 2, 1646.
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8 |Abigail, b. - -; d. May 7, 1672.
9 |Ann, b. -; d. Oet. 5, 1672.
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HISTORY OF LEXINGTON.
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NATHANIEL HANCOCK m. March 8, 1664, Mary, dau. of Henry Prentice of Camb. He was a dea. of the ch., and appears to have enjoyed the confidence of his fellow-citizens. He d. April 12, 1719, in his eighty-first year.
4- 9 Nathaniel, b. Feb. 28, 1665; d. same year.
10 Mary, b. May 6, 1666. 11 Sarah, b. Aug. 23, 1667.
12 Nathaniel, b. Oct. 29, 1668. He m. Prudence, who d. July 15, 1742, aged 72. He had five children, among whom was Nathaniel, b. Jan. 14, 1701, grad. at H. C. 1721, settled as a elergyman, and d. 1744.
13 Abigail, b. Dec. 22, 1669 ; d. young.
14 +John, b. Dec. 1671; grad. H. C. 1689.
15 t Samuel, b. June 2, 1673; m. Dorothy
16 Abigail, b. Aug. 25, 1675.
17 Elizabeth, b. Aug. 25, 1677.
18 Ebenezer, b. March 28, 1681; m. Susanna Clark, Jan. 14, 1702.
19 Joseph, b. April 28, 1683.
20 Thomas, b. 1685 ; m. Oct. 30, 1712, Susanna Fethergill.
21 Solomon, b. -
4-14- JOHN HANCOCK grad. H. C. 1689, and settled in Lex. He m. Elizabeth Clark, dau. of Rev. Thomas and Mary Clark of Chelms- ford. Mr. Clark was b. in Boston about 1652, grad. H. C. 1670, settled in Chelmsford, 1677, d. Dec. 7, 1704. Ilis wife, Mary, d. Dec. 2, 1700, and Mr Clark m. Elizabeth Whiting of Billerica. Mr. Hancock probably resided in that part of Camb. which is now Newton. In the church record kept by Rev. Mr. Hancock, we find this entry. "Oct. 16, 1698. I was received into full communion with the church of Christ in this place (Lexington) by virtue of a letter of dismission from the ch. of Christ in Newtowne." He was ordained at Lex. Nov. 2, 1698. He d. Dec. 5, 1752, in the eighty- first year of his age, and in the fifty-fifth of his ministry. His wife d. Feb. 13, 1760. I have had occasion to speak of Bishop Hancock, as he was familiarly called, in all the relations of life, and have done it so fully that it is entirely unnecessary to add anything more in this place. His remains rest in a tomb in Lex. with those of his wife and son Ebenezer, together with those of his successor, Rev. Jonas Clarke, and his family.
14-22 +John, b. June 1, 1702; m. Mrs. Mary H. Thaxter.
23 t Thomas, b. July 13, 1703; m. Lydia Henchman.
24 Elizabeth. b. Feb 5, 1705 : m. Rev. Jonathan Bowman of Dorches- ter. She was bap. the day of her birth.
25
Ebenezer, b. Dec. 7, 1710. He was grad. H. C. 1728, was settled a colleague with his father Jan. 2, 1734, and d. Jan. 28, 1740, with- out issue. He was highly esteemed by the people of the parish.
26 Lucy, b. April 20, 1713; m Rev. Nicholas Bowes of Bedford. It is a singular fact that Lucy Hancock, the daughter of a clergyman, married a clergyman, and her daughter, Luey, became the wife of Rev. Jonas Clarke of Lex., and that from them clergymen have proceeded as streams from a fountain.
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SAMUEL HANCOCK m. Dorothy -. He probably came to Lex. about the time of his brother's settlement, as his son John was bap. here in Sept. 1699. Ile was ad. to the ch. in Lex. April 10, 1715.
17-27 John, bap. Sept. 10, 1699; d. in Camb. March 18, 1776, aged 77. 28 Mary, bap. April 19, 1702 ; probably m. James Thompson of Wo. 29 Solomon, bap. June 18, 1704.
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GENEALOGICAL REGISTER.
Samuel, bap. July 21, 1706; d. June 14, 1716.
30 31 Hannah, bap. Feb. 27, 1709. 32 Sarah, bap. Feb. 17, 1712.
JOHN HANCOCK grad. at H. C. 1719, and was ordained at Brain- tree, Nov. 2, 1728, and d. May 7, 1744. He m. Mary H., widow of Samuel Thaxter of Braintree. He was a divine of more than ordi- nary ability, and, though he d. young, had arisen to distinction in his profession, and so gave weight to the character and celebrity of the name.
22-33 34 35
+John, b. Jan. 23, 1737 ; m. 1775. Dorothy Quincy. Ebenezer, b. Nov. 26, 1741 ; m. Eliza Lowell.
Mary, b. --; m. Richard Perkins, and d. 1779.
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THOMAS HANCOCK m. Nov. 5, 1730, Lydia Henchman. He was a merchant in Boston, was eminently successful, and aceumulated a large fortune. He d. 1764, without issue, and gave the great mass of his property to John, his nephew, a son of his brother John of Braintree, deceased. He built a house in Lexington for his honored father about 1735, which afterward became the property and resi- denee of Rev. Jonas Clarke, his father's successor. The house is now standing, and is revered for its age and associations.
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JOHN HANCOCK m. at Fairfield, Conn., Sept. 4, 1775, Dorothy Quincy, dau. of Edmund Quincy of Boston. The relations which John Hancock sustained to the town of Lex .- the birthplace of his father, and the residence of some of his near relations and esteemed friends ; the place where he had spent some seven years of his boy- hood, and where he was boarding temporarily at the opening of the Revolutionary drama-will justify us in going a little beyond our ordinary course, and noticing somewhat in detail the character and services of this Revolutionary patriot. John Hancock was left an orphan by the death of his father, when he was but seven years of age. His education was intrusted to the care of his relatives, and he spent the greater portion of his boyhood with his grandfather in Lex. He was graduated at Harvard College in 1754. He entered the store or counting house of his uncle Thomas as a clerk, where he acquired a knowledge of business, and learned the importance of commerce to the colony. He made such proficiency in business, that in 1760 he was sent abroad to look after the affairs of the house ; and was in England, and present at the funeral of George II., and at the coronation of George III., - pageants not uncongenial to his taste. Soon after his return to this country, and about the time that the oppressive policy of the British ministry began to develop itself, he came into possession of the princely fortune left him by his unele. It is well known that great efforts were made by the Royalists to engage him on the side of the mother country. Standing, as he did, almost at the head of the merchants of Boston, it was a great object to enlist him in the Royal cause. The safety of his large property, the flattering offers of promotion and place, would naturally have their influence on a young man of Hancock's taste and temperament, coming at onee into possession of such an estate; and it was at one time suspected that he was inclined to join the royal party. But happily for him and for America, there were other influences which were brought to bear upon him. That stern and inflexible patriot, Samuel Adams, who in a manner held the fortunes of the colony in his hand, contributed in no small degree to the wise choice which Hancock made. There was another influence, more silent but more controling, which contributed to the formation of his character.
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HISTORY OF LEXINGTON.
Rev. Jonas Clarke of Lexington, his old college acquaintance, had married a cousin of Hancock's. Mr. Clarke was then residing in the house erected by Thomas Hancock of Boston for a residence of his venerable father. In this mansion young Hancock had spent a por- tion of his early life. All these circumstances would naturally draw him to Lexington. And it is well known that there was a peculiar intimaey between him and Mr. Clarke, whose devotion to the inter- ests of the Colony was well known and acknowledged. The dignity of character, the urbanity of manners, and the commanding talents of the patriotic priest, must have impressed the mind of the pliant and generous young merchant. And those who know the character and talents and patriotic devotion to the cause of liberty of Mr. Clarke, will not doubt that his influence upon his nephew must have been great and controlling, and all in the right direction.
Under such influenees John Hancock chose the better part, and devoted himself and his all to the cause of his country. Having made his choice, no man in the community was more decided, and no man had more at stake. With his large property in the town of Boston at the merey of the enemy, he deelared himself perfectly willing, if it was thought the best policy, to lay the place in ashes. At a meet- ing of the " North End Caucus," an association of patriots of which he was a member, the question of the best mode of expelling the regulars from Boston being under discussion, he exclaimed, " Burn Boston, and make John Haneock a beggar, if the publie good requires it." In a letter to Washington, dated Dec. 22, 1775, in- forming him that Congress had authorized him to attack the British in the town of Boston, if he thought it expedient, Haneoek employs this patriotie language,-" I heartily wish it, though personally I may be the greatest sufferer." No one can doubt the patriotism of John Hancock. He came in direct contact with Royal authority, and was ever found true and reliable. The manner in which he was treated by the erown officers shows that they regarded him as hope- lessly lost to their cause. He was elected a representative from Bos- ton, and also a member of the Council, but was rejected and spurned by the royal prerogative. In 1767 Gov. Bernard sent him a lieuten- ant's commission, but he tore it in pieces in presence of the citizens. He was captain of the cadets, the Governor's body guard, and was removed by Gage. He also received several personal indignities from the British troops stationed in Boston before the breaking out of hostilities. The fact that he was coupled with Samuel Adams in the proclamation of Gage immediately after the battle of Lexington, and proseribed as beyond the pale of executive clemency, shows the light in which he was viewed by the minions of power.
In 1774, John Hancock was selected as the orator to deliver the address on the anniversary of the Boston massacre, and the bold, independent manner in which he spoke of the rights of the people, gave great offence to the friends of Parliament. John Adams, who was present, says of this performance, " the composition, the pro- nunciation, the action, all exceeded the expectations of everybody. They exceeded even mine, which were very considerable." In the same year John Hancock was elected to represent the town of Boston at a General Court, which was called at Salem. And although Gage subsequently to the election issued a proclamation exeusing their at- tendance, many of the representatives assembled, and after waiting one day, they organized themselves into a convention, and elected John Hancock chairman ; and when the same body resolved them- selves into a Provincial Congress, they organized by choosing John Hancock President, and adjourned to Concord. During the session measures were adopted looking directly to open resistance, and no
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GENEALOGICAL REGISTER.
one of that band of patriots was more firm and decided than he who presided over their deliberations. He was elected chairman of the Committee of Safety, and also of the committee to take into consid- eration the state of the Province - the two most important commit- tees. During the same Congress he was chosen a delegate to the Continental Congress, which met at Philadelphia, May 10, 1775. Having taken a seat in that august body, he found that his fame had preceded him, for on the third day of the session he was chosen unanimously to succeed Peyton Randolph, as President. He was President of Congress in 1776, and when the Declaration of Independence was first circulated among the members of that body, it bore the name of John Hancock alone, as President of the Con- gress, he being the first to affix his name to an instrument which would have proved the death-warrant of the signers, if the cause of the Col- onies had not succeeded; and it is said that the bold and striking characteristics of his signature served to inspire confidence and con- firm the doubtful. He resigned his station as President in October, 1777, owing to ill-health.
In 1780, John Hancock was elected a member of the Convention which framed the State Constitution, and was the first Governor of Massachusetts after its adoption, to which office he was several times reelected. As a man and a public servant, he was noted for his benevolence and hospitality - spending his money freely to enter- tain distinguished guests, or to relieve the distresses of the poor and unfortunate.
Gov. Hancock was elected a delegate to the State Convention on the adoption of the Federal Constitution, and was made President of that body. For a time it was exceedingly doubtful whether the Constitution would be ratified or rejected. Hancock favored the scheme of adopting it, and at the same time proposing certain amend- ments to obviate the objections which had been made to it. This plan was adopted, and the Constitution was ratified by a small major- ity. It was thought at the time that without his influence it would have been lost. On taking the question he said, " I should have con- sidered it one of the most distressing misfortunes of my life to be deprived of giving my aid and support to a system which, if amended, as I feel assured it will be, according to your proposals, cannot fail to give the people of the United States a greater degree of political freedom, and eventually as much national dignity as falls to the lot of any nation on earth. The question now before you is such as no na- tion on earth, without the limits of America, has ever had the priv- ilege of deciding." Thus are we in a manner indebted to John Hancock for the blessed Constitution under which we live, and which has fully verified his prediction.
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