USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Lexington > Genealogical register of Lexington families, from the first settlement of the town > Part 3
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Thaddeus, b. Feb. 10, 1743; m. Nov. 7, 1764, Elizabeth Lawrence, b. Dec. 13, 1741, dau. of Jonathan and Elizabeth (Swain) Law- rence. He was a member of Capt. Parker's company in 1775, and was the messenger who brought the first reliable intelligence of the near and rapid approach of the British upon Lex. on the morning of the 19th of April, 1775. On the year following, Thaddeus and his wife Elizabeth were dismissed from the Lex. ch. to that of Winchendon, to which place they had removed.
Solomon, b. Feb. 10, 1743, a twin of Thaddeus ; d. June 6, 1744. Solomon, b. June 2, 1745. He was a Lieutenant in the 25th Regi- ment of the army of 1775, was in the battle of Bunker Hill, and was killed at the battle of Monmouth, in 1778.
Joshua, b. Jan. 22, 1747. He went to Wilkesbarre, Penn., and from thence to Ohio, where his descendants are still living.
Samuel, b. Dec. 2, 1753. (Samuel and the following children were by Thaddeus's second wife. ) Samuel Bowman enlisted at the commencement of the Revolution, and became a captain in the Continental line, and served to the close of the war. It is said that he was with Maj. Andre the night before his execution, and commanded the guard which conducted him to the gallows. Hem. in Philadelphia, Nov. 3, 1784, Eleanor Ledlie, whose parents were from Ireland. About 1789, he moved to Wilkesbarre, Penn., where his wife had a large estate, and where he had a family of children, some of whom have become quite distinguished.
54 Sarah, b. July 4, 1755.
55 Ebenezer, b. July 31, 1757 ; grad. H. C. 1782; studied law, and es- tablished himself at Wilkesbarre, Penn.
56 | Gideon, b. Sept. 30, 1759 ; d. Oct. 20, same year.
36-46 47 48
49
50 51
52 53
20
HISTORY OF LEXINGTON.
57 58
Lucy, b. Jan. 21, 1761'; m. in Walt., June 17, 1790, Rev. Richard R. Elliott, of that town, as his second wife. Sybil, b. Aug. 2, 1764; d. Dee. 2, 1765.
13-37-
WILLIAM BOWMAN m. May 5, 1753, Mary Reed, of Lex. Previ- ous to his marriage he resided in Narraganset No. 2, (now West- minster, ) in which settlement his father had an interest. He was dismissed from the ch. of Lex. and recommended to that of Narra- ganset, Sept. 26, 1742. We find in a pamphlet history of West- minster, published in 1832, the following well authenticated anecdote of William Bowman .*
" In 1748, William Bowman, from Lexington, who had been in the township five or six years, and who garrisoned, if not resided, with Capt. Hoar, was mowing one day in the field, some distance from Hoar's fort, when he discovered some Indians in the adjacent woods. They had placed themselves in such a position as to cut him off from his fort; and no doubt felt sure of their victim. Bowman very adroitly concealed his agitation, and, as though he had made no dis- covery, kept at work, but moving at the same time in a direction from the fort and his insidious foe, until he had gained the deelivity of a hill, when he dropped his scythe, and made for Grave's fort in another part of the town about two miles distant, with such speed as to elude the grasp of his fleet-footed pursuers. Bowman soon after this occurrence left the place, having no desire, it would seem, to continue his hand with adversaries trained to every art of guile, and every method of cruelty and torture."
After leaving Westminster, he returned to Lexington, and married as before stated. He at last moved to West Cambridge. He d. Oct. 12, 1793, aged 78 years. His wife d. Oct. 27, 1802, aged 76.
37-59
Mary, b. Feb. 28, 1754 ; m. June 27, 1775, Joel Viles.
60 Hannah, bap. Jan. 4, 1756; m. James Walker, of Burlington. Phebe, bap. June 19, 1757 ; m. Feb. 22, 1781, Jonathan Bridge.
63 64
61 62 Martha, bap. Nov. 19, 1758; m. May 8, 1788, Abraham Smith. Betty, bap. Oet. 28, 1759 ; m. William Bridge, of Walt.
Lydia, bap. Dec. 14, 1766 ; m. John Davis, of Methuen.
19-39-
JOHN BOWMAN m. Feb. 19, 1737, Susanna Cooledge, dan. of Capt. Joseph and Elizabeth (Bond) Cooledge of Wat. They owned the covenant in Lex. Dec. 4, 1737. He d. Apr. 21, 1760. The Records do not enable us to fill out the following families.
39-65 66 68 70 Benjamin, bap. June 5, 1757 ; d. Feb. 17, 1776. 71 John, bap. July 15, 1759.
19-40-
JONAS BOWMAN m. May 19, 1739, Abigail Russell. June 17, 1739, he owned the covenant.
40-72 Jonas, b. July 19, 1739 ; m. May 18, 1758, Susanna -, of Wat., and had Abiathar b. Feb. 18, 1759.
73
Abigail, b. Jan. 19, 1741. 74 Lydia, b. Jan. 14, 1743.
21-45-
FRANCIS BOWMAN m. Aug. 11, 1788, Susanna Chamberlain. She d. 1855.
45-75 76
Salle, b. June 7, 1789; m. June 30, 1808, Wm. Clapp, of Boston. Isaac, h. July 27, 1790. 77 Francis, b. Apr. 23, 1792.
* See Hudson's History of Westminster.
Susanna, b. Jan. 19, 1738; m. Dee. 16, 1779, Bezaleel Learned. Josiah, b. Mar. 21, 1740. 67 Mary, b. Aug. 1, 1742.
Elizabeth, b. Nov. 4, 1744. 69 Ruth, bap. Oct. 5, 1746.
21
GENEALOGICAL REGISTER.
THE BRADSHAW FAMILY.
The name of Bradshaw is but rarely found on the Lex. records. Those of that name probably came from Camb. or Med. where the Bradshaws were somewhat numerous.
ABRAHAM BRADSHAW, by wife Abigail, had Abigail, b. Feb. 14, 1749; Jonathan, b. July 19, 1751; Susanna, b. Ap. 26, 1759.
THE BRIDGE FAMILY.
The Bridges, who were among the earliest settlers in what now comprises the town of Lexington, were the descendants of Deacon John Bridge of Camb. He came from Essex County, England, in what was called Hooker's Company, and settled in Camb. in 1632. Hooker and a great part of his company, as we have already seen, removed to Conn. and commenced the settlement of Hartford; but Mr. Bridge remained, and connected himself with Mr. Shepherd's church - of which he was for many years a leading member and officer. He was ad. a freeman in 1634. He was an influential and prominent man, not only in the church, but in the town and in the Colony. He filled almost every office of honor and profit within the gift of his fellow citizens. He represented them in the General Court in 1637, '38, '39, and '41, and served them as selectman eleven years from 1635 to 1652. He was also often employed by the General Court to lay out lands, serve on committees, and per- form other important duties. He was a large landholder, not only in Camb. but in other parts of the Colony. He was one of the first to whom lands were granted at the " Farms," as this part of Camb. was then called. As early as 1643, he had a lot granted him on Vine Brook in Lex. and this lot was described as bounding upon his other and earlier improved lands.
He had a daughter Sarah, b. Feb. 16, 1649, who probably died in early infancy. His son Thomas d. 1656 The inventory of his estate was dated Dec. 1, 1656, and was returned by his father Jan. 10, 1657. Thomas left a widow, Dorcas, and a daughter of the same name. His wid. m. Jan. 3, 1666, Daniel Champney, of Camb. The will of John Bridge, proved Oct. 3, 1665, mentions his wife Elizabeth, his son Matthew, daughter-in-law Dorcas, and sister Betts. His wife, it is said, had previously been the wife of Roger Bancroft, and of Martin Saunders; and after the decease of Dea. Bridge, she had a fourth husband, Edward Taylor, of Boston. She was living in 1683.
There can be no question but that the Bridges of Lex. may with certainty trace their pedigree to
DEA. JOHN BRIDGE, of Cambridge, who d. Apr. 1665.
MATTHEW BRIDGE, son of John Bridge, was a lad when he came to this country. In 1643, eleven years after he came to the Colony, he was a member of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Co. About the same time, viz. 1643 or 4, he m. Anna Danforth, dau. of Nicholas Danforth, formerly of Framingham, Suffolk, England. He d. Apr. 28, 1700; and she survived him about four years, and d. Dec. 2, 1704. We have no means of knowing the exact time when Matthew Bridge took up his abode at Cambridge Farms ; but as his father owned lands on Vine Brook, within the territory, and these lands were cultivated, so far at least as to cut the grass, as early as 1643, it is probable that he removed to the place soon after. He was in the place at the organization of the Parish in 1692, and had 61
1
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22
HISTORY OF LEXINGTON.
previously subscribed towards the erection of a meeting-house. He was a large landholder; and in the first parish tax in 1693, he stood higher on the list than any other man except Samuel Stone, Sen. William Munroe, Sen. and Benjamin Muzzy. Though quite ad- vanced in life, he was appointed on a committee to wait upon Mr. Hancock, and make the necessary arrangements for his ordination in 1698. As a mark of distinction, he was seated at the table in the meeting-house by the order of the Parish.
2- 3 John, b. Mar. 16, 1644.
4 Anna, b. - , m. June 4, 1668, Samuel Livermore of Wat.
5 Martha, b. June 19, 1648; d. Jan. 15, 1650.
6 +Matthew, b May 5, 1650; d. May 29, 1738, aged 88.
7 Samuel, b. Feb. 17, 1654; died Feb. 25, 1692.
8 Thomas, b. June 1, 1656; d. Mar. 28, 1673.
9 Elizabeth, b. Aug. 17, 1659; m. June 19, 1678, Capt. Benjamin Garfield of Wat. He d. Nov. 28, 1717, and she m. Oct. 25, 1720, Samuel Harrington.
2-6-
MATTHEW BRIDGE m. 1687, Abigail Russell, dau. of Joseph and Mary Russell of Camb. who d. Dec. 14, 1722, aged 55. His will, dated and proved in 1738, mentions sons Matthew, John and Sam- uel, and daughters, Abigail Whitney, Elizabeth and Martha. He was either b. in Camb. Farms, or came here in early infancy. He was a soldier in the Narragansett war, and served in the ill-fated Canada expedition from July to Nov. 21, 1690. He was a subscri- ber for the first meeting-house in Lex. 1692, and was clerk of the precinct eight or ten consecutive years. He enjoyed in a great degree the confidence of his townsmen, who conferred upon him with a liberal hand their temporary honors. He was chosen, at their first organization as a town, first seleetman, treasurer, and clerk - to which offices he was reelected on the following year. He served many years as Treasurer, and filled almost every town office from time to time. He was also a prominent member of the church to which he was admitted Dec. 7, 1718.
6-10 Mary, b. June 19, 1688; m. Capt. William Russell; of Camb.
11 Anna, b. Sept. 12, 1691 ; m. Isaac Watson, of Camb.
12 +Matthew, b. Mar. 1, 1694; d. Mar. 25, 1761, in Walt.
13 Abigail, b. Apr. 1, 1696; m. Benjamin Whitney, then of Marlbo- rough, but afterwards of Boston, about 1730. She was his second wife, and had five children, -making in all fourteen children b. to Benjamin Whitney. She d. Aug. 1, 1767.
14 +Joseph, b. July 8, 1698; m. Nov. 18, 1722, Abigail Cutler.
15 +John, b. Sept. 1, 1700; d. Mar. 8, 1776, aged 76 years.
16 Elizabeth, b. Nov. 30, 1703; d. Nov. 24, 1751, unm.
17 +Samuel, b. May 2, 1705; d. June 8, 1791, aged 86.
18 Martha, b. Sept. 20, 1707; d. Ap. 20, 1752, aged 44, unm.
6-12-
MATTHEW BRIDGE m. Mar. 22, 1719, Abigail Bowman. He resided in Lex. till 1748, when he moved with his family to Walt., to the ch. of which place he and his wife, together with Nathaniel and Sarah Bridge, were dismissed from the ch. of Lex. Like his father, he filled the office of selectman, town clerk, treasurer, and assessor before leaving his native place. She d. Dec. 13, 1797, aged 92.
12-19 +Matthew, b. July 18, 1721 ; grad. H C. 1741.
20 Anna, b. Sept. 21, 1723; m. - Brooks.
21 Nathaniel, b. July 8, 1725; d. Dec. 19, 1794.
22 Sarah, b. Sept. 30, 1728 m. Pierce.
23
GENEALOGICAL REGISTER.
6-14-
JOSEPH BRIDGE m. first, Nov. 18, 1722, Abigail Cutler, and, second, about 1730, Mary - He d. Nov. 11, 1778, aged 79.
14-23
Thomas, b. July 8, 1723; went to Spencer and m. 1745, Mary Har- rington, of Brookfield. He removed to Shutesbury in 1771, and was living there in 1795. He had a family of eight children be- tween 1745 and 1764.
24 25 26 27 28
Abigail, b. Sept. 28, 1726; m. Mar. 26, 1750, Jacob Fox. Benjamin, b. Nov. 15, 1728; by his wife Anna he had Benjamin, who d. June 4, 1758.
+Joseph, b. May 9, 1731 ; d. Sept. 11, 1775, aged 45.
Jeremiah, b. Dec. 28, 1734; he was a soldier at Lake George. Millicent, b. Apr. 16, 1738 ; d. July 24, 1753.
6-15-
JOHN BRIDGE m. June 4, 1730, Anna Herrick, of Wenham, who d. in childbed, Dec. 14, 1730, aged 22, and he m. Sarah Tidd, dau. of Joseph and Mary, who d. Mar. 14, 1754, aged 42; and he m. Oct. 14, 1756, Mary Porter, of Wo., for his third wife. He was selectman in 1746 and 1756.
15-29
Anna, b. Dec. 7, 1730; d. in early infaney.
Mary, b. Apr. 9, 1733; m. Apr. 22, 1754, Isaae Reed.
30 31 Sarah, b. Dec. 21, 1735; m. Apr. 11, 1754, Oliver Reed. 32 tJohn, b. Dec. 17, 1737 ; he was twice married. 33 Josiah, b. Dec. 28, 1739; grad. H. C. 1758; ordained as a clergy- man at East Sudbury (now Wayland) Nov. 4, 1761. He d. June 21, 1801. He was quite distinguished in his profession. He preached an election sermon. He m. Martha, dau. of Rev. Aaron Smith, of Marlborough, and had a family of six children. His youngest son, Josiah, m. Eunice Morse and moved to Lancaster, where he had, among other children, William F., who was b. Feb. 15, 1821, grad. H. C. 1846, studied theology, and was settled in East Lex. 1849. It is a remarkable fact that though Rev. William F. Bridge came to Lex. a stranger, he, through the line of his ancestors, had been only one generation from the town.
34
Ebenezer, b. Feb. 3, 1742; grad. H. C. 1756; d. 1814. He m. in Framingham Nov. 3, 1763, Mehitabel Wood.
6-17-
SAMUEL BRIDGE m. Susanna Reed, who d. in childbed Jan. 16, 1735, aged 24 years, and he mn. Apr. 27, 1738, Martha Bowman, dau. of Joseph and Phebe. She d. June 10, 1793, aged 76, and he d. June 8, 1791, aged 86. Samuel Bridge appears to have been very unfortunate in his family, losing a large number of his children in their infancy.
17-35 36
Samuel, b. Jan. 6, 1735.
Edmund, b. Aug. 8, 1739; m. Sept. 6, 1764, Phebe Bowman. He united with the ch. in Lex. in 1764. He moved to Pownalborough, Me., afterwards called Dresden, to the ch. of which he and his wife were dismissed from Lex. June 26, 1801. He was appointed by Gov. Haneock sheriff of Lincoln co., an office which he held about thirty years. He d. Sept. 10, 1826, aged 87. He had several sons, who were quite distinguished. His oldest son, James, was grad. H. C. 1787, studied law with Judge Parsons, and established himself at Augusta, Me. He filled the office of judge and counsellor, and was offered by John Quincy Adams, his old class-mate, a mission to Russia, which he deelined on account of ill health. He d. 1834. Edmund, a brother of James, was a distinguished merchant at Wil- mington, N. C., where he d. 1822. Nathan, another brother, was
24
HISTORY OF LEXINGTON.
a lawyer in Gardner, Me. He d. 1828. Samuel, another brother, was a merchant in Boston, and for a time was partner of the late Robert G. Shaw. He moved to Dresden, Me., where he d. 1822. His son, Samuel J. Bridge, b. 1812, was appointed in 1841 an appraiser in the Boston custom house, where he remained twelve years, when he was appointed appraiser-general for the Pacific Coast, and resides at San Francisco. William, another brother of James, Edmund, &c., was a merchant at Augusta, and afterwards moved to New Orleans, where he d. 1818. Joseph Bowman Bridge, the last of the brothers, resided in Me., where he filled various offices. He was an elector for President in 1848, when Gen. Taylor was chosen.
37
William, b. Apr. 19, 1741 ; m. Oct. 17, 1765. Mary Porter, of Lex. He settled in Rutland, where he d. Feb. 9, 1804.
38 Nathan, bap. Mar. 20, 1743; d Sept. 14, 1771, aged 28.
39 40
Francis, bap. Dec. 29, 1745; d. Nov. 20, 1747.
Francis, bap. Aug. 28, 1748; m. Feb. 11, 1773, Eunice Brown. He resided many years in Winchendon. They had one child, Lucy, bap. in Lex. 1789. Ile d. Apr. 28, 1796. He had other children, among whom was Ruhamah, who m. Feb. 6, 1810, James Tyler, of Charlestown.
+Matthew, bap. Mar. 11, 1753; m. Apr. 29, 1779, Alice Parker.
Joshua, bap. Dec. 29, 1754; d. Dec. 20, 1760.
Phebe, bap. June 6, 1756; m. Nov. 11, 1789, Stephen Barrett of Con.
James, bap. Nov. 13, 1757 ; d. Oct. 9, 1760.
+Jonas, bap. Sept. 2, 1759 ; m. Susanna Reed.
Joshua, bap. Sept. 12, 1760; d. 1761.
MATTHEW BRIDGE grad. H. C. 1741. He studied Divinity and settled in Framingham, Feb. 19, 1746. He m. Anna Perkins, of Bridgewater, dau. of Rev. David Perkins. He d. Sept. 2, 1775, and his wid. m. Rev. Timothy Harrington, of Lancaster. At the breaking out of the Revolution, Mr. Bridge, in common with other patriotic clergymen, volunteered his services as Chaplain to the American Army, which was stationed at Cambridge. While in the discharge of his duty, he was seized with an epidemie disease which prevailed in the camp, to which he fell a sacrifice in a week or two after he returned home.
14-26-
JOSEPH BRIDGE m. May 3, 1757, Eliot Reed, dau. of William and Sarah Reed, who was b. Apr. 28, 1731. They were ad. to the ch. July 23, 1758. He d. Sept. 11, 1775, aged 45. They were severely afflicted in the loss of their children.
26-47
¡Jonathan, b. Sept. 20, 1758; m. Feb. 22, 1781, Phebe Bowman, of Camb.
48 Eliot, b. May 3, 1761 ; d. young.
49 Eliot, b. Apr. 28, 1763; m. Feb. 7, 1786, David Blanchard, of Wo.
50 Isaac, b. , 1765; d. Feb. 5, 1769.
51 Joseph, b. Feb. 27, 1767 ; d. Sept. 3, 1775.
52 Isaac, b. Dee. 5, 1768; d. Feb. 1, 1769.
53 Sarah, bap. Aug. 8, 1773.
15-32-
JOHN BRIDGE m. Apr. 14, 1761, Hannah Reed, dau. of William and Sarah, who was b. Oct. 21, 1740. She d. Oet. 26, 1782; and he m. Mary Moore. She d. Apr. 1, 1788, leaving an infant one year old. He was a soldier under Capt. Blodgett, who marched for the relief of Fort William-Henry, in 1757, and was several times
41 42 43 44 45 46
12-19-
·
25
GENEALOGICAL REGISTER.
ealled into active service during the Revolution. He was a member of Capt. Parker's company, and was at the battle of Bunker Hill. He rose to the rank of Maj. in the militia. He filled many posts of honor in the town, and was for a long time a leading magistrate, and solemnized more marriages than any other Justice in the town.
32-54
John, b. July 12, 1762; went to the State of Maine, where he m. Rachel Flagg, of Boston. They resided in Wiscasset, where they had four children, Hannah, Fanny, John, and Rachel. John d. young, and Rachel m. Mar. 24, 1814, Joseph Veazie. They r. in Boston.
55
Eliab, b. July 2, 1764 ; d. young.
56
Hannah, b. Ap. 30, 1771; m. Sept. 29, 1791, Joseph Chandler. He d. Oct. 26, 1807, and she m. June 7, 1810, Dr. Thomas Whiteomb, of Lex. and had Elizabeth, who m. - Gerry.
57 58 59
Mary, bap. Jan. 14, 1776; d. Sept. 4, 1778. Sarah, b. June 20, 1780; d. Dee. 1, 1780.
Mary, bap. May 6, 1787 ; m John Bridge, of Bil.
17-41-
MATTHEW BRIDGE m. Apr. 29, 1779, Alice Parker. He moved to Charlestown, where he became a prominent merchant. He and his partner, T. K. Jones, are said to have owned the first eopper- bottomed ship which sailed out of Boston.
41-60 61 62
Alice, b. Nov. 18, 1779; m. Ebenezer Baker, of Charlestown. Nathan, b. Apr. 18, 1782; m. Betsey Bartlet, of Charlestown. Sally, b. - -; m. Seth Knowles.
63
Samuel, b. -; grad. H. C. 1816; d. 1830, unm.
17-45-
JONAS BRIDGE m. Susanna Reed, dau. of Joshua and Susanna (Houghton) Reed. She d. Aug. 1830.
45-64 Their first child b. Jan. 16, and d. Jan. 17, 1784.
65 Patty, b. June 3, 1785 ; d. Feb. 19, 1788.
66 Susanna, b. Jan. 24, 1787 ; d. unm.
67 Patty, b. Apr. 24, 1788; d. unm.
68
Betsey, b. Apr. 23, 1790; d. Mar. 27, 1793.
69 70
Jonas, b. Aug. 26, 1792 ; d. July 5, 1813.
71
Bowman, b. June 18, 1795 ; went to St. Louis, where he d.
72 t Samuel, b. Dec. 12, 1796; m. Hannah Maria Wellington.
73 Betsey, b. Jan. 7, 1799 ; d. unm.
74 Caroline, b. July 28, 1800; d. unm.
26-47-
JONATHAN BRIDGE m. Feb. 22, 1781, Phebe Bowman, of Camb. They were ad. to the ch. Mar. 30, 1785. He was one of a detach- ment of Capt. Parker's Co., which marched to Cambridge on the memorable 17th of June, 1775. He d. 1849, aged 91.
47-75 Joseph, bap. Apr. 9, 1783.
76 Nancy, b. Sept. 12, 1785; d. unm.
77
Phebe, b. Nov. 7, 1789 ; m. - Sargent, of Malden.
78 Eliot, b. Oct. 20, 1793. Hannah work 79
Jonathan, b. Feb. 1798; m. Smith, of Charlestown.
45-72-
SAMUEL BRIDGE m. June 15, 1836, Hannah Maria Wellington, dau. of Nehemiah Wellington, b. Nov. 17, 1809.
72-80 Caroline Eliza, b. June 3, 1837 ; m. Sept. 2, 1858, George O. Davis. 811 Jonas Francis, b. June 27, 1839; d. Sept. 4, 1845.
Samuel, b. Nov. 12, 1793; d. Sept. 30, 1795.
26
HISTORY OF LEXINGTON.
Amelia Maria, b. Dec. 23, 1841; d. Aug. 24, 1842.
James Bowman, b. Feb. 26, 1843; d. Apr. 13, 1843.
82 83 84 Annie Marie, b. Sept. 8, 1846; m. Nov. 16, 1865, George Lyman Stratton, of Boston ; r. in Lex.
THE BRIGHAM FAMILY.
There has been a family of the name of Brigham in Lexington, the extinction of which is so remarkable as to deserve notice.
AARON BRIGHAM b. 1785, son of Ithamar Brigham, of Marlboro', m. 1808, Comfort Valentine, by whom he had three children, Catha- rine, William, and Sophia. Catharine was an invalid, and for years conld not dress herself, or get off from her bed without help. Her father, after doing business in Boston, and acquiring a comfortable property, purchased a small farm, and came to Lex. in 1853, hoping that the country air might prove beneficial to his feeble daughter. Mr. and Mrs. Brigham were very domestie, and seemed to make the comfort of their invalid daughter the great object of their eare; and the daughter often expressed the hope that she should not survive her parents. Thongh Mr. Brigham enjoyed good health for a man of his years, he was taken down with a fever, and d. Oct. 3, 1863, aged 78 years. His wife d. suddenly Dec. 19, 1863, aged 80 years ; and Catharine, the invalid daughter, as if she had nothing on earth to live for, d. Dec. 29th of the same year, aged 54 years. Thus, in less than three months, the whole family in Lex. became extinct.
WILLIAM BRIGHAM b. Mar. 27, 1805, came to Lex. about 1830. He m. Aug. 4, 1835, Abby Ann Muzzey, dau. of Rev. William and Anna Mnzzey. He is a dea. of the Unitarian church, and takes a lively interest in religious affairs. They have but one ehild, Laura Muzzey, b. July 20, 1836.
Dea. Brigham is a son of Elijah and Mary (Gleason) Brigham, of Sudbury, who had a family of eleven children. Elijah was born Oet. 13, 1776, and was a direct descendant from John Brigham, the second son of Thomas who came to this country in 1635, in the ship Susan & Ellyn, and settled in Wat.
THE BROWN FAMILY.
The name of Brown is so common, that in tracing the line of family descent, we are in great danger of confounding one person with another, and of becoming bewildered among the William Browns and John Browns, as we should be if we fell into the laby- rinths of the John Siniths. But being favored by the labors of one of the family, I have been materially aided in giving a connected view of the Lex. Browns. The original ancestor of this family, who eame to this country, was
1
JOHN BROWN, who was baptized at Hawkedon, Eng. Oct. 11, 1601. He was son of John, an elder brother of Richard Brown; he arrived in New England in the ship Lion, Sept. 16, 1632, and settled in Wat. He was ad. freeman in 1634, and d. June, 1636, aged 36. By his wife Dorothy, he had three children, one of whom must have been born abroad. .
1- 2 |tJohn, b. in England, 1631.
3 Hannah, b. Sept. 8, 1634.
4 | Mary, b. Mar. 24, 1636.
27
GENEALOGICAL REGISTER.
1-2-
JOHN BROWN, m. Apr. 24, 1655, Esther, or as it is sometimes written, Hester Makepeace, of Boston. They had eleven children- the first four of whom were born in Camb. and the remaining seven in Marlborough, to which place he had removed. He sold out his place in Marl. to Thomas Rice, and removed to Falmouth, and from thence to Wat. His Will, dated at Wat. Nov. 20, 1697, in which he is designated as "late of Falmouth," mentions his wife Hester ; sons John, Thomas, Daniel, and Joseph ; dau. Deborah Meacham ; sons-in-law John Gustin, John Adams, Thomas Darby, and John Hartshorne.
2- 5 Joseph, b. Feb. 8, 1656 ; killed by a cart Sept. 24, 1671.
6 Elizabeth, b. Mar. 26, 1657. 7 Sarah, b. July 8, 1661.
8 Mary, b. Dec. 19, 1662. 9 John, b. Nov. 27, 1664.
10 Hester, b. and d. 1667. 10} Ruth, b. Dec. 8, 1668.
11 Thomas, b. 1669.
12 Daniel, b. 1671.
13 Deborah, b. 1673 ; m. -
Meacham.
14 Abigail, b. 1675.
15 tJoseph, b. 1677 ; d. Jan. 11, 1764, aged 86.
2-15-
JOSEPH BROWN m. in Wat. Nov. 15, 1699, Ruhamah Wellington, dau. of Benjamin and Elizabeth (Sweetman) Wellington, of that place. He probably settled at Wat. Farms, (now Weston,) as he sold a place there in 1709, soon after which he removed to Lex. On the 31st of May, 1713, he and his wife were ad. to the ch. in Lex. and a few weeks after one of their children was baptized. He was a prominent member of the ch. and was chosen dea. in 1727, which office he held till his death in 1764. His services were also appre- ciated in the town. While in Wat. he was constable, selectinan, and town clerk; and after he came to Lex. he was called to fill similar offices, being assessor, and selectman. He d. in Lex. Jan. 11, 1764, aged 86. She d. July 1, 1772, aged 91. They lived together, husband and wife, 64 years.
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