Genealogy and history of representative citizens of the commonwealth of Massachusetts, Part 77

Author: Hurd, Charles Edwin, 1833-1910
Publication date: 1902
Publisher: Boston, New England historical publishing company
Number of Pages: 850

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An active, public-spirited citizen, Mr. Sprague has served his fellow-townsmen in various offices of trust. In 1887 he was elected Selectman, and served nine years, being chairman of the board seven years, a member of the Board of Health during the time, and for five years was also Superintend- ent of Streets. In 1889 he was Tax Collector, and for a number of years was one of the Re- publican Town Committee, being its chairman seven years. In 1892 he was elected to the State Legislature, where he served on the Street Railroad Committee in both 1893 and 1894. On July 15, 1899, he was appointed Postmaster at Stoneham by President McKin- ley, from whom he received his reappointment

to the same office on December 14, 1899. Fraternally Mr. Sprague is a member of Co- lumbian Lodge, No. 29, I. O. O. F., of Stone- ham; is a charter member of Columbian En- campment, I. O. O. F., of Stoneham, in which he has passed all the chairs, having been trans- ferred from Bunker Hill Encampment when the Columbian Encampment was organized; is a member of Canton Fells, of Stoneham, in which he has held the position of Bannerette, serving on the Colonel's staff, with the rank of Lieutenant. He is a member of the Middle- sex Club, of Boston, and also belongs to the American Mechanics Lodge, of Stoneham, and to the local Athletic Club. He attends the Congregational church.

EORGE BRADFORD FRENCH, lawyer, of Boston, born July 28, 1853, son of Calvin, Jr., and Han- nah F. (Brigham) French, of Randolph, Mass., is a representative of the eighth generation of the family founded by John French, an early settler of Dorchester, Mass., admitted freeman in 1639. The line is: John,' who d. in 1692 when about fourscore years of age; John, Jr., 2 b. in 1641; Thomas,3 b. in 1690; Thomas, 4 baptized in 1723; Luther,5 b. in 1762; Cal- vin,6 b. in 1791; Calvin, Jr.7, b. 1811; George Bradford8, whose name heads this sketch.

John' French and his wife Grace, some time after the birth of their second child, Thomas, in 1643, removed to Braintree, and there six more children - Dependence, Temperance, William, Elizabeth, Thomas (second), and Samuel - were b. The first Thomas d. in 1656. The mother, Grace French, d. in 1680. John French, Jr., m. Experience, daughter of Thomas Thayer, Jr., and grand-daughter of Thomas' Thayer, immigrant, an early inhabi- tant of Braintree. The children of John, Jr.,2 and Experience (Thayer) French were: John, b. in 1686; Anna; Thomas; Grace; Deborah; William; and John (second), b. in 1699. Thomas, 3 the second son, m. in 1714 Mary Allen, and was the father of six children, the eldest, Joseph, b. in 1716, the youngest, Micah (second), b. in 1726. The others

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were: David; Micah, who d. in 1720; Thomas; and Samuel. Thomas4 French m. Silence Wild, of Braintree. They had eleven children, the eldest, Silence, b. August 22, 1750, the youngest, William, b. January 28, 1770. The others, in order of birth, were : Thomas, Joseph, Sarah, Timothy, Susannah, Jotham, Luther, Polly, and Calvin, who d. young. Luther5, the eighth child, m. Han- nah French, daughter of Joshua, and settled in Randolph. They had : Polly, b. September 2, 1782; Luther, Jr. ; Calvin; Ephraim ; and one b. in 1800 that did not survive the period of infancy. Calvin6 French, b. in 1791, was a blacksmith, and lived in Randolph. His first wife was Anna, eldest child of Elisha and Sarah (Thayer) Holbrook.

Her father, Elisha Holbrook, was a de- scendant in the seventh generation of Thomas Holbrooke, who came with Pastor Barnard from Weymouth, Dorsetshire, to Wessagusset, on the south shore of Massachusetts Bay, the town being incorporated as Weymouth, Sep- tember 2, 1635. The line of descent was : Thomas,1. Captain John, Samuel, 3 Deacon John, 4 Deacon John, 5 Colonel John,6 Elisha7. Thomas Holbrooke served six years as towns- man of Weymouth. His will, which was proved in April, 1677, mentions his wife Jane ; sons. John, to whom he gave his sword; Peter, who was to have his gun; and William, to have his musket; and daughters. Captain John2 Holbrook, b. in England in 1617, d. at "Old Spain," North Weymouth, in 1699. He was Selectman in 1648, afterward was for six years Representative to the General Court, and was an officer in King Philip's War. His will (Probate Records, Suffolk County) disposes of much property, including land at Weymouth, Scituate, and Braintree, and a house in Boston, beside money, in which he makes many be- quests. His first wife, Sarah, d. in January, 1643-4; his second wife, Elizabeth, daughter of Elizabeth Stream, wife of John Otis, d. in 1688; his third wife was the widow Mary Loring. Samuel3 Holbrook, a housewright and husbandman, b. about 1654, d. in 1695. John,4 son of Samuel3 and his wife Lydia, was b. in 1690, and d. in 1762. He was Select- man, 1731-36, and nearly thirty years Deacon

of the church at Braintree, which had received him and his wife Sarah to full communion in 1715. His son John, 5 b. in 1715, m. Mary Hunt, of Weymouth, resided in Braintree, and was chosen Deacon in 1761. Colonel John6 Holbrook, b. in 1740, m. Anna, only child of John and Anna (Thayer) Wilde, and step- daughter of Elisha Niles, all of Braintree. Colonel Holbrook d. October 13, 1802. His wife Anna, who was b. in 1749, was living in 18II, when the Rev. Dr. Richard S. Storrs was ordained and settled as pastor of the Braintree church, of which he was a member. Their children were: Anna, first wife of Caleb Thayer; John, unmarried; Susanna, who m., first, Caleb Holbrook, and second, Seth Turner ; Elisha, b. in 1775, m. Sarah Thayer; Joseph m. Ruth Linfield; Mary (twin sister of Jo- seph), second wife of Caleb Thayer; Sarah, wife of Samuel Dyer; Abiah, who m. Mary Thayer; Charlotte, wife of James Adams, of Milton; and Clarissa, wife of Barnabas Loth- rop, of Randolph, and grandmother of Mary Wilkins, the author.

Elisha? Holbrook was Deacon of the church at East Randolph. His wife Sarah, b. in 1776, was a daughter of Captain Isaac and Abigail (Thayer) Thayer, of Braintree. Isaac Thayer enlisted June 1, 1776, to serve in the War of the Revolution; was Captain of a com- pany in Colonel Thomas Marshall's regiment. Discharged a ftera few weeks' service, he re- enlisted and appears with rank of Cap- tain in muster and pay-roll of Captain Isaac Thayer's company; discharged, second time, January 1, 1777. The descent of Captain Isaac Thayer from Richard' Thayer, a native of Thornbury, Gloucestershire, England, who m. in 1624 Dorothy Mortimer, and coming to New England a number of years later was ad- mitted freeman at Braintree in 1640, was through Richard, Jr.,2 who m. at Braintree in 1651, Dorothy Pray; Nathaniel, 3 b. in 1658, who m. Hannah Heyden; Nathaniel,4 b. in 1680, who m., first, Sarah Wales, and second, in 1709, Relief Hyde; Abraham, 5 b. in 1717, who by his wife Sarah was father of Isaac6. The children of Calvin6 French and his wife Anna were : Calvin, Jr.,7 Elisha H., and Sarah A. By his second wife Mary, daughter of

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General John French, he had a daughter Mary, who d. in 1840. His third wife, Susan H. Sylvester, survived him. Calvin French, Jr.,7 b. at Randolph, in 1811, m. for his first wife Harriet F., daughter of Captain Battles, of North Bridgewater. She was b. in 1817, and d. September 23, 1844, leaving one child - Bradford Holbrook, b. July 9, 1844, who d. September 18, 1845. By his second wife, Hannah F., daughter of Holloway and Frances Reed Brigham, of Northboro, he had one child, George Bradford, & whose name stands at the head of this sketch. Calvin French, Jr., d. December 21, 1884, aged seventy-three years, two months, ten days.

The following is a record of Mr. George B. French's maternal ancestry : Thomas' Brigham was b. in 1604. He came to this country in 1634, and settled in Sudbury, Mass. His wife was Mary Heard, by whom he had three sons - John, Thomas, and Samuel. He d. in early or middle life; and his widow m. a Mr. Hunt, who, with the three sons, settled in Marlboro. Thomas2 Brigham, b. in 1643, m. Susannah Fay, by whom he had two sons - Nathan and David. Hed. in 1719. David3 Brigham, b. in 1678, m. Mary Newton, by whom he had four sons - Silas, Asa, Jonas, and Levi -and a daughter. Jonas+ Brigham was b. in 1716, and d. in 1789. He m. Persis Baker, who d. in 1784. By this marriage he had the following children : Martha, b. 1746; Jonas, b. 1748; Antipas, b. 1750, d. 1756; Eli, b. 1752, d. 1777; Edward, b. 1754; Barnabas, b. 1756; Antipas, b. 1758; Daniel, b. 1760; David, b. 1762; Joseph, b. 1766; William, b. 1768. Davids Brigham, b. in 1762, m. Lucy Harrington, by whom he had nine children : Otis, b. 1788; Elmer, b. 1790, d. 1796; Arethusa, b. 1792; David, b. 1794; Hannah, b. 1796; Elmer, b. 1798; Holloway, b. 1801; Lucy H., b. 1805; Martha, b. 1808. Holloway6 Brigham, b. in 1801, m. Frances Reed (b. in Portland, Me., April 27, 1805, d. 1882), by whom he had six children : Jane P., b. 1824, d. 1887; Hannah Farrar, b. 1827; Maria E., b. 1834 (deceased) ; Lyman M., b. 1836, d. 1885; Cyrus, b. 1838, d. 1899; Harriet F., b. 1842. Holloway Brigham d. at Northboro, Mass., March 28, 1869.

Mrs. Frances (Reed) Brigham d. at Somer- ville, September 1, 1882. She was a daugh- ter of Jonathan and Hannah (Farrar) Reed. Her father removed from Portland when she was a little child. The will of Jonathan Reed, of Royalston, Mass., was probated in 1808. Three children - Frances, Hannah Farrar, and Mary E. --- were placed under guardianship. Hannah Farrar, wife of Jona- than Reed, was b. in November, 1779, daugh- ter of Major John and Hannah (Brown) Farrar, who were m. in Concord, Mass., in 1765, and who settled in Shrewsbury, Mass. Major John Farrar, b. in Concord in 1741, was son of John+ Farrar (Jacob3-2-1). Jacob' Farrar and his brother John came from England in the seventeenth century, and were among the origi- nal proprietors of Lancaster, Mass.

George Bradford French married April 30, 1889, Abbie Frances Hollis, daughter of New- ton and Sarah (Tillson) Hollis. She was born July 5, 1860. She is a descendant of John1 Hollis, who came at an early date from Eng- land and settled in Braintree. His children were: Adam, b. July 5, 1760 (entered the Revolutionary War at the age of eighteen) ; Ambrose; and Eve. Adam2 Hollis (b. 1760) m. Ruth Hollis, of Weymouth, and their chil- dren were: Polly, Lydia, Ruth, Deborah, David, Joseph, Gardner, Hosea, Benjamin, and Samuel. Hosea3 Hollis, b. March 9, 1793, m. Sarah Pratt, of Quincy, November 16, 1818. She was a daughter of Jonathan Pratt, of Weymouth, whose wife was Sarah Cook, of Eastham, Cape Cod. The children of Hosea and Sarah were : Almira Jane, Emeline, George W., Adoniram Newton, Henry F., Sarah Cook, and Marcus M. Newton4 Hollis, b. July 31, 1830, m. Sarah Tillson, October 11, 1857.

Mrs. French's maternal grandfather, Martin Luther Tillson, was a son of Isaiah and Sarah (Bradford) Tillson, and belonged to the eighth generation of the family founded by Edmund Tillson, the line being: Edmund'; Ephraim2; John3; John4; John,5 b. in 1713; Isaiah,6 b. in 1744; Isaiah,7 b. in 1777; Martin Luther, 8 b. March 10, 1804, d. March 25, 1858.

Mrs. Sarah Bradford Tillson, great-grand- mother of Mrs. French, was a daughter of Levi and Elizabeth (Lewis) Bradford, and a

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descendant in the seventh generation of Will- iam' Bradford, the second governor of Ply- mouth Colony. The ancestral line was : Will- iam,1. William,2 John, 3 Samuel, 4 Gideon, 5 Levi,6 the father, above named. Governor Bradford's first wife, Dorothy May, who came with him in the "Mayflower," was drowned in Cape Cod Harbor a few days before the land- ing of the pilgrims at Plymouth. In 1623 he m. Mrs. Alice Carpenter Southworth, widow, who came over in the "Ann," the third fore- father ship, in August of that year. William2 Bradford, b. of this union in 1624, was Deputy Governor of the colony, and held the military rank of Major. He lived at Kingston, near Duxbury. He was three times m. His first wife, Alice Richards, was the mother of six children. Major John3 Bradford, b. in 1652, the eldest of these, m. Mercy, daughter of Joseph and Priscilla (Faunce) Warren, and grand-daughter of Richard Warren, one of the "Mayflower " pilgrims. Samuel4 Bradford, b. in 1683, the fifth in a family of seven chil- dren, m. in 1714 Sarah, daughter of Edward Gray, of Tiverton, R. I., and was the father of ten children, the eldest, John, b. in 1717, the youngest, Samuel, b. in 1740. Gideon, 5 b. in 1719, the second child, m. Jane Paddock. Levi,6 b. in 1743, the eldest of the six chil- dren of Gideon and Jane, m. in 1764 Eliza- beth Lewis. They had: Lewis, Joseph, Levi, Daniel, Ezra, Elizabeth, and Sarah, the young- est, b. in 1782.

The children of Isaiah and Sarah (Bradford) Tillson were: Martin Luther, Phebe Crocker, Sylvanus, Elizabeth Lewis, Sarah, Isaiah, and Mary Winslow. Martin Luther Tillson m. March 4, 1830, in Alexandria, Va., Fran- ces Barber Grey, who was b. at Fredericks- burg, Va., December 23, 1808. Their chil- dren were: John, Justin, Rebecca, Ann Eliza- beth, Sarah, and Martha. Sarah Tillson, b. February 4, 1838, m. October 11, 1857, in Randolph, Mass., Newton Hollis. She was the mother of two children: Abbie Lizzie, b. in November, 1858, d. in 1859; and Abbie Frances, b. July 5, 1860, now Mrs. French. Edward Gray, of Tiverton, father of Mrs. Sam- uel4 Bradford, was the son of Edward, Sr., and Mary (Winslow) Gray, of Plymouth. Mary

Winslow was the daughter of John Winslow, who came to Plymouth in the "Fortune" in 1621, and before 1627 m. Mary Chilton, who came with her parents, James and Susanna Chilton, in the "Mayflower" in 1620, Mary being, it is said, the first woman to land on Plymouth Rock. John Winslow was a brother of Governor Edward Winslow.

T APPAN EUSTIS FRANCIS, M. D., retired physician residing in Brookline, Mass., is a native of Boston. He was born August 28, 1823, in a house that was part of a new brick block built by Benjamin Fiske on Lynn Street, near the east corner of Fiske's Wharf. His parents were Nathaniel and Eliza (Knox) Francis. His paternal ancestry in this country begins with Richard Francis, of Cambridge, of whom he is a descendant in the seventh generation, the line being : Richard, ' John,2 Nathaniel, 3-4 Stephen,5 Nathaniel, 6 Tappan Eustis7.

Richard Francis came to New England in one of the vessels of Winthrop's fleet in 1630, arriving at Salem, June 22 (N. S.), and shortly removing to Medford. He was by trade a brickmaker. On July 4, 1644, he bought of Nathaniel Sparhawk four acres of land with buildings thereon at Cambridge, the land being included in the tract now called the Holmes Field, and the house standing on the north-east corner of Holmes Place, now covered in part by one of the newer University build- ings, the Law School. At the time the Fran- cis house was torn down (in 1881), a local newspaper spoke of it as one of the oldest in Cambridge, and said that it stood within a few feet of the old mansion widely known as the birthplace of the Rev. Abiel Holmes, father of Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes of literary fame. Richard Francis d. March 24, 1687, aged about eighty-one years. He is thus com- memorated in the diary of Judge Sewall, "Goodman Francis, an ancient and good man indeed, of Cambridge, died to-day." His grave, marked by a headstone of slate, is in the old burial-ground at Cambridge.

John, 2 son of Richard' Francis and his wife Alice, was b. in January, 1649-50. On Au-

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gust 7, 1674, while "helping about raising of the new college," he had his right leg broken a little above the ankle, and also his left thigh by the falling of a piece of timber, as noted in Judge Sewall's diary. This misfortune very likely was one reason why his marriage was delayed till he was thirty years of age. His wife was Lydia, daughter of Deacon John and Anne (Sparhawk) Cooper. John2 Francis re- moved to Medford a few years after marriage, and d. there in 1727. Nathaniel3 Francis, who m. in 1723 Sarah Whitmore, removed from Medford to Charlestown. Nathaniel, 4 Jr., m. at Cambridge in 1751 Phebe Frost, daughter of Thomas and Mary (Butterfield) Frost. Her father was a grandson of Edmund1 Frost, Ruling Elder of the church at Cam- bridge. Stephen,5 b. July 25, 1757, at Med- ford, m. in Boston Nancy Green, of Boston. They had seven children, all b. in Boston, namely : David, b. October 22, 1779; Ste- phen, b. September 3, 1781; Nancy, b. Sep- tember 8, 1783; Joseph, b. November 28, 1785; Fanny, b. October 20, 1787; Nathan- iel, b. September 12, 1789; and Charles, b. October 27, 1800. Nathaniel,6 father of Dr. Francis of Brookline, m. in 1811 Mrs. Eliza Hill, daughter of Adam and Ann (Giles) Knox. She d. in 1833. He m., second, Mrs. Elizabeth Lydia Coolidge.

Tappan Eustis Francis was named for Will- iam Tappan Eustis of Boston. In his early years (before the days of kindergartens) he attended successively an infant school kept by Miss Hope in Mr. Emmons' yard on Pleasant Street, on the site of the rear of Warren Street Chapel, and the Boys' Monitorial School of George Fowle on Harlem Place. He was fitted for college at the Boston Latin School on School Street, which he entered in 1835. Matriculating at Harvard in 1840, he was graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Arts in 1844, receiving his medical degree after a three years' course of study in 1847. The next three years he practiced medicine at New- ton Lower Falls, and in .1850 he removed thence to Brookline. Here he continued suc- cessfully engaged in the active duties of his profession till 1896, when he retired from active practice. Dr. Francis was married

May 9, 1855, to Helen, daughter of Dr. Sam- uel Attwood and Eliza (Carleton) Shurtleff. Dr. and Mrs. Francis have three sons: Na- thaniel Atwood, lawyer; George Hills (Har- vard College 1882, Doctor of Medicine 1887) ; and Carleton Shurtleff (Harvard College 1888, Doctor of Medicine 1892), both practicing physicians in Brookline. Dr. Francis's wife, Mrs. Helen Shurtleff Francis, died October 2, 1898, aged sixty-nine years, eleven months, fourteen days.

EUBEN SAMUEL SWAN, a busi- ness man of marked ability, vice- president of the Brookline National Bank, was born in Dorchester, Mass., January 7, 1850, son of William Henry and Mary Elizabeth (Bronsdon) Swan. He is a descendant in the seventh generation of John1 Swan (name also written Swann, Swaine, and Swayne), who was brought up in the family of Thomas Bittlestone, an early settler in Cam- bridge. A farmer by occupation, John' Swan lived in that part of Cambridge then known as Menotomy, afterwards as West Cambridge and now as Arlington. He m., first, January I, 1650-I, Rebecca Palfrey, who d. in July, 1654. His second wife was Mary Pratt. He d. on June 5, 1708. Gershom2 Swan, b. in June, 1654, son of John' and Rebecca, m. in 1677 Sarah. Holden, daughter of Richard' and Martha (Fosdick) Holden. Her father came to New England in 1634, settling at Water- town. His wife, Martha, mother of Sarah, was a daughter of Stephen Fosdick, of Charles- town. John3 Swan, b. in 1683, son of Gershom2 and Sarah (Holden) Swan, d. March 31, 1752. He was twice m., and by his first wife, Eliza- beth (who d. December 21, 1723), was the father of John, 4 baptized August 4, 1728.

John4 and his wife Mary Richardson, daugh- ter of Reuben Richardson, of Woburn (Jo- seph, 3-2 Samuel'), were the parents of Reu- ben, 5 grandfather of Reuben S. Swan. Reu- ben5 Swan was b. in that part of Cambridge now known as Arlington, and baptized April 5, 1778. He was m. December 2, 1804, to Ruth Teel, who was b. in Charlestown in 1786, and was brought up in West Cambridge.

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She belonged to a family that was prominent in the early history of New England. Her parents were Jonathan4 and Lydia (Cutter) Teel, her father being a lineal descendant of William Teel, of Malden, thus: William,1 Benjamin,2 Samuel,3 and Jonathan,4 and her mother a daughter of Ammi and Esther (Pierce) Cutter, and a descendant of Richard1 Cutter, of Cambridge. Reuben and Ruth (Teel) Swan had ten children, two of whom are still living, both residents of Dorchester, one being cashier of the New England National Bank of Boston. Mrs. Ruth T. Swan d. at the age of fifty years. Both she and her husband were members of the Congregational church.

William6 H. Swan, son of Reuben and father of Reuben S. Swan, was b. in Dorches- ter March 17, 1816. He obtained a good education in his native town, and for a con- siderable period followed the profession of teacher, being submaster of the Wells School, Boston, for nearly twenty years. Subse- quently he became book-keeper in the New England Bank, a position that he held till 1893, when he retired from active business life. His death occurred January 9, 1896, when he was in his eightieth year. A Repub- lican in politics, he took an active part in town affairs. For eight years he was a Selectman of Dorchester, being a member of the board when the town was annexed to the city of Bos- ton. For thirty years and up to the time of his demise he was a director in the Dorches- ter Mutual Fire Insurance Company. He was also a member of the Old School Boys' Asso- ciation. In 1842 he m. Mary E. Bronsdon, a daughter of Samuel Bronsdon, a well-to-do farmer of Milton, and in 1892 they celebrated the golden anniversary of their union. Of the eight children b. into their household, six are now living; namely, Mary Richardson, Wal- ter Eugene, Reuben S., Allen Webster, Jo- seph Warren, and Edith. Mary Richardson is the wife of Frederick A. O'Connor. Allen Webster is a well-known musician, residing in New Bedford, Mass. Edith is the wife of Joseph T. Burtch. Both parents united when young with the Unitarian church, and always took an active interest in its growth and pros- perity.

Reuben S. Swan after graduating from the Dorchester High School began industrial life as clerk in a woollen jobbing store, where he remained for a year. He was then employed for a short time in a leather importing house, and in the following year he was an assistant surveyor. He then entered the First National Bank of Boston as a messenger, not very long after becoming a clerk. His connection with that institution covered sixteen consecutive years, and he was among the most trusted and capable of its employees. At the date of his resignation he had been for some time collec- tion clerk. Upon the establishment of the Brookline National Bank in 1886, Mr. Swan accepted the cashiership, a position for which, by virtue of his previous experience, he was well qualified; and he has since been largely instrumental in building up the business of the institution. The office force has been increased from one to three members, four clerks being required at times to do the work. Mr. Swan was made vice-president in 1898. He is also one of the directors of the bank, and has much to do with the management of each of its departments.

An influential Free Mason, he is Past Mas- ter of Beth-horon Lodge, A. F. & A. M., of Brookline; of St. Paul's R. A., Chapter, of Boston; and of De Molay Commandery, K. T., of Boston. He also belongs to the A. O. U. W., and is a prominent member of the League of American Wheelmen. In the latter he has held various offices. For three years he was chairman of the Finance Committee, and for several years he was a delegate to the national conventions of this body and to the National Assembly. He is likewise a member of the Norfolk Club, of Boston. In politics he is a stanch Republican, and has served in the Common Council of Boston. He and his fam- ily are members of the Congregational church.

On October 8, 1873, Mr. Swan married Miss Emma Augusta Melville, daughter of William and Mary Jane (Wight) Melville, of Dorches- ter. They have one child - Clifford Melville, born August 6, 1877, who received his early education in the Brookline schools, and in 1899 was graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

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ENRY OSCAR HOUGHTON, printer and publisher, long identified with The Riverside Press and with the eminent publishing house known in these latter years as Houghton, Mifflin & Co., until recently under his leadership, was a native of Vermont and a graduate of the Uni- versity at Burlington. His birthplace was Sutton, Caledonia County. Born April 30, 1823, son of Captain William and Marilla (Clay) Houghton, he was a lineal descendant of John1 Houghton, who, it is said, came over from England in 1635, before he had grown to manhood. John Houghton in 1653, the year of the incorporation of the town of Lancaster, Worcester County, Mass., was one of the sub- scribers to the covenant or bond to bind all comers to the new town. He d. at Lancaster, April 29, 1684. His will mentions his wife Beatrix and seven children - John, Jr., Rob- ert, Jonas, Benjamin, Mary, Beatrix, and Sarah.

Ensign Jacob Houghton, one of his descend- ants, m. in February, 1724-5, Mary Willard. Their son Abraham, baptized October 23, 1726, m. at Lancaster, August 1I, 1750, Sarah Divoll, who was b. at Lancaster, March 22, 1733-4. Abraham Houghton was a pri- vate in Captain Jonathan Whitney's company, Colonel Samuel Willard's regiment, in 1748. He was the father of Captain William Hough- ton, and grandfather of Henry O. Houghton, the subject of this sketch. Mr. Houghton's great-grandmother, Mary Willard, wife of Ensign Jacob Houghton, was the daughter of Henry3 Willard, and great-grand-daughter of Major Simon' Willard and his third wife, Mary Dunster, a near kinswoman (sister · or niece, it is thought) of the Rev. Henry Dun- ster, first president of Harvard College. Cap- tain William Houghton was a native of Bol- ton, Worcester County, Mass., and by occupa- tion a tanner. After sojourning a few years in Sutton, whither he had removed with his family in 1820, he went to Bradford, Vt., later migrating to New York State, and afterward returning to Massachusetts, town of Dana. He d. in October, 1863, at Nunda, N. Y. His wife, Marilla, d. at Cambridge, December 6, 1858. She was the daughter of Captain James

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Genealogy and history of representative citizens of the commonwealth of Massachusetts, Part 77

Author: Hurd, Charles Edwin, 1833-1910 Publication date: 1902 Publisher: Boston, New England historical publishing company Number of Pages: 850

Author: Hurd, Charles Edwin, 1833-1910
Publication date: 1902
Publisher: Boston, New England historical publishing company
Number of Pages: 850