USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Groton > Groton historical series. A collection of papers relating to the history of the town of Groton, Massachusetts, Vol IV > Part 13
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Mr. Sawtell died on October 8, 1768, in the eighty-third year of his age. In his will be mentions his daughters " Ennis " Farnsworth, Sarah Farwell, and Hannah Lawrence ;
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and his sons " Euriah," Amos, and John, the executor of the estate. He was born about the year 1686, and was perhaps a son of Obadiah and Hannah (Lawrence) Sawtell, of Groton, though his birth is not recorded.
See page 9, under date of November 11, 1768, for a refer- ence to this bequest.
LONDON BRIDGE'S BEQUEST.
THE following are extracts from the will of London Bridge, which was dated May 23, 1775, and presented for probate on January 25, 1776. He was a tanner by trade, and presumably had no family ; and probably he was an Englishman by birth.
Imprimis, Whereas there is the Sum of Thirteen pounds six shillings L M". due to me from Jeremiah Dummer Rogers Esq' my vill'is and I do hereby give and Bequeath the s4 sum of Thirteen pounds six shillings and eight pence to the Church of Christ in ¡roton afores"! the Interest of which Sum is to be annually given to he poor of s! Chh. at the Discretion of their Comtes.
He then makes provision for the payment of his debts and of a small bequest to Captain Henry Farwell, and adds :
and if that should not be sufficient for those purposes my will is hat my Executor take so much out of the sum given to the Chh. s to Defray the Charges Aboves! and the Remainder be applyed y the Chh. in manner as Aboves" for their poor.
JOSIAH SARTELL'S BEQUEST.
THERE is some confusion in regard to the Sartell and Saw- ell families formerly resident at Groton, owing to the slight difference in surnames. I am inclined to think, however, hat they belonged to the same stock, and that the variation the name was simply a matter of pronunciation. In the ccords of the General Court for the session of 1732, Nathaniel Sartle is given as the representative from Groton, and in the ecords of the town for the next year Nathaniel Sawtell, Risq., ppears in that capacity ; and these two names stood for the
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same person, who was the father of Josiah Sartell. From this fact I infer that the distinction between the two was neither closely drawn nor always kept up. The member of the General Court from Groton for the year 1742 was proba- bly not a son of his immediate predecessor, though both were named Nathaniel Sartell. For a short account of the family, see the first volume of this Historical Series (XVI. 13, 14).
By his will, dated September 3, 1775, Colonel Josiah Sartell made liberal provisions for the support of the minister of the town, but unfortunately the will is not now on file in the Mid- dlesex Registry of Probate at East Cambridge. Mr. Butler, in his Ilistory of Groton (pages 208-212), makes copious extracts from it, undoubtedly using the original document, and for that reason I take his version. Three clauses are as follows : ----
My will is, and I do hereby give and bequeath to the town of Groton, forever, the annual income or rents of that piece of land in said Groton, where John Archibald now dwells, to be applied towards the support of the gospel minister in said town.
My will is, and I do hereby give and bequeath to the town of Groton the sum of one hundred and thirty-three pounds six shil- lings and eightpence, the interest of which, one year after my decease, to be annually applied towards the support of the gospel minister in said town for ever.
My will is, and I do hereby give and bequeath to the town of Groton for ever (after the decease of my wife,) all the buildings and lands which I have heretofore given her during life, [two farms,] to use and improve for ever ; and positively order, that the same be not sold, but that they be rented out, and the premises kept in good repair forever hereafter, and that the overplus of the rents be annually applied towards the support of the gospel min- ister in said town ; and this to be under the inspection and direc- tion of the three senior selectmen by choice in said town for ever.
After making his will, Colonel Sartell became dissatisfied with the preaching of Mr. Chaplin, the minister of the town, and also disaffected toward the church ; and he took a prom- inent part among those who separated from the old parish in order to form a Presbyterian Society. See the first volume of
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this Historical Series (XIV. 21-25) for an article on "The Presbyterian Controversy in Groton."
Colonel Sartell died on August 30, 1784, and the will, when presented for probate, was warmly contested by two heirs at law, but its validity was finally established. Mrs. Mary Sartell, his widow, died on March 30, 1790, whereupon the two farms came into the possession of the town, and for some years were rented by the three senior selectmen. After trial, it was found that under a lease the lands rapidly ran out, and that a large part of the rents was needed to keep the fences and buildings in good repair ; and consequently the " over- plus," mentioned in the will, was very small.
Upon application by the parish, the General Court, on Feb- ruary 21, 1804, passed an Act incorporating certain officers of the church, under the name and style of " The Trustees of Groton Ministerial Fund," of which a copy is given later in this Appendix.
On May 1, 1809, the town voted unanimously to sell the lands that had been bequeathed by Colonel Sartell for the support of a minister, and to pay over the amount received therefrom to the Trustees of the Ministerial Fund. In order to accomplish this end, and to avoid any legal difficulties that might stand in the way, an enabling Act was passed by the General Court, two years afterward, as follows : -
CHAP. CII.
An Act to authorize the town of Groton to sell certain real estate devised to said town.
E it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, That the inhabitants of the town of Groton be, and they are hereby authorized and fully empowered to sell, and execute a deed or deeds, by a committee of three persons, or any two of them, to convey the whole or any part of the real estate devised to the said inhabitants in and by the last will and testament of Josiah Sawtell, Esquire, late of said Groton, deceased, for the support of a gospel minister in said town, as expressed in said will, and such deed or
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deeds executed in due form of law, shall be valid and effectual to convey such real estate, and the proceeds of any such sales shall be paid over by such committee, or any two of them, to the Trustees of Groton Ministerial Fund, and be denominated "The Sawtell Donation for the support of a gospel minister in the first parish in Groton," and shall be preserved, managed and appropriated by said Trustees, as by law they are required to preserve, manage, and appropriate any other funds in their hands, or under their care.
[This act passed February 27, 1811.]
Under the authority of this Act, the town sold the two farms for the sum of four thousand dollars ($4,000), which was paid over to the Trustees, who held their first meeting and organized on June 13, 1812. Soon afterward the Archi- bald land was sold for about five hundred dollars ($500), and this sum also paid to the Trustees. The bequest in money to the town was not received for the want of sufficient estate.
Josiah Sartell was the second son of Nathaniel and Sarah Sartell, and was born about the year 1710, probably in England. His father was an English mariner, who came to this country about 1720, and was admitted to the church at Charlestown, on June 9, 1728; and soon afterward he removed to Groton, where he died on January 16, 1741-2, aged sixty years. Josiah was married to Mary Green, whose family I have as yet been unable to identify. Their children, two sons and two daughters, died young. For an account of the wife's legacy to the church, see below.
MRS. MARY SARTELL'S BEQUEST.
THE first clause in Mary Sartell's will, made on November 28, 1789, is --
First, I give and bequeath to the first Church in the Town of Groton aforesaid my Silver Tankard, and the Sum of Fif- teen pounds Lawfull money, to be for the use of said Church Forever.
Mrs. Sartell was the widow of Colonel Josiah Sartell, who died on August 30, 1784, aged 74 years ; and she died on March 30, 1790, aged 80 years. In her will she gives a large
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number of household utensils "To my Maid Phillis, formerly Servant," who was the last survivor of negro slavery within the limits of Groton. The following entry is found in the town records : -
Phillis Walby, servant to Josiah Sartell, Jun., deceased, died at Groton, aged 79, February , 1821.
The Church has now in its possession two silver cups, on which is inscribed the following : -
The Widow Mary Sartell to the Church of Christ in Groton 1792
Also three other silver cups inscribed as follows :
The Gift of the Widow Mary Sartell to the Church of Christ in Groton 1792.
Presumably these cups were bought with her bequest, but I see no reason for the verbal changes in the two inscriptions.
JONATHAN LORING'S BEQUEST.
IN his will, dated December 24, 1849, Jonathan Loring made the following bequests : -
I give and bequeath to the first Parish in Groton twelve hundred Dollars to be loaned upon interest, and the annual interest thereof to be expended in teaching, encouraging and providing sacred music in public worship in said parish, in said manner as said parish may from time to time vote, order, & direct.
I give and bequeath to the Trustees of Groton Ministerial Fund all the rest, residue and remainder of all my estate, both real and
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personal, to be managed and improved like other funds in their hands: to have & to hold the same to them & their successors forever.
There was some litigation over the will, but its validity was finally established. For an account of the suit, see the sec- ond volume (page 344) of this Historical Series.
Mr. Loring was a son of John and Elizabeth Loring, and a native of Sterling. He was married to Mary, daughter of Nehemiah and Abigail (Farnsworth) Trowbridge, on January 12, 1815, at Groton, where he died on July 12, 1855, aged 82 years and 6 months. llis widow died on October 23, 1865, aged 89 years.
WILLARD DALRYMPLE'S BEQUEST.
By his will dated August 14, 1882, Willard Dalrymple gave a handsome sum to the town of Groton, as specified in the following clauses : -
Eighteenth. I give to the Union Orthodox Society of Groton, Massachusetts, the sum of four thousand (4000.) dollars, in trust to apply the income thereof toward supplying the pulpit of said Society.
Nineteenth. To my native Town of Groton aforesaid I give the sum of four thousand (4000) dollars, to be known as the " Dal- rymple Fund," of which the income only of two thousand (2000) shall be applied to the purchase of books for its l'ublic Library, and the income only, of two thousand (2000) dollars shall be applied under the direction of the Overseers of the Poor of said town, to the treatment of worthy American citizens of said town suffering from disease of or of injury to, the eye.
By a codicil dated July 6, 1883, both of these legacies were increased as follows : -
Ninth. For the sum of four thousand dollars ($4000) given by the eighteenth clause of said will to the Union Orthodox Society of Groton, I substitute the sum of Five Thousand (5000) Dollars, and add to said eighteenth clause this proviso, viz. Said sum shall be called the " Dalrymple Fund " and in case said society is dissolved, then I give said sum to the issue of my brother George.
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Tenth. For the sum of four thousand (4000) dollars given by the nineteenth clause of said will to the Town of Groton, I sub- stitute the sum of Five Thousand (5000.) Dollars, upon the same trusts and applied in the same proportions as said sum of four thousand dollars.
Willard Dalrymple was a son of William and Sarah (Gibson) Dalrymple, and was born at Groton, on April 20, 1804. For many years he was a resident of Charlestown, where he died on July 26, 1884, and for a long time had been afflicted with cataract, from which he was relieved by an oculist.
LUTHER BLOOD'S BEQUEST.
THE town of Groton will always have good reason to remember the name of Luther Blood with affection and gratitude. The largest gift for public purposes ever received from one of her citizens came from his generosity; and it represented on his part the savings of a long and frugal life.
Mr. Blood was a son of Luther and Sally (Cook ) Blood, and was born on October 21, 1810, on the westerly side of the Nashua River, near Fitch's Bridge. He was married, on May 2, 1844, to Sarah Park, daughter of Nathaniel and Sarah (Park) Stone, who was born in that part of Groton which is now Ayer. He died on September 22, 1893 ; and his widow a few months later on April 4, 1894, aged 79 years, [ month, and II days. They both were representatives of families belonging in the town since its earliest settlement.
The following extracts are taken from his will, which is dated July 5, 1893 : ---
Fourth : I give and bequeath unto said Town of Groton the sum of Four Thousand Dollars in trust, and I direct that said sum be kept safely invested on interest by said Town, and the interest or income thereof be annually expended in maintaining a Course of Public Lectures in said Town, admission to which shall be free to all the inhabitants of said Town.
Fifth : I give unto said Town of Groton the further sum of One Thousand Dollars and I direct that the same be safely invested on interest under the direction of the Trustees of the Groton Public
2.1
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Library, and the income or interest thereof be annually expended to purchase books for said Library.
Eighth : I give and devise unto Groton First Parish, connected with the Unitarian Society, of which Rev. Joshua Young is now pastor, all the real estate, of which I shall die seized and possessed, subject to the life estate of my said wife, and all my household furniture, remaining in and about my homestead residence at the time of the decease of my said wife, together with all gardening implements and other portable effects used on and about my grounds. I also give unto said Groton First Parish the sum of Two Thousand Dollars, and I recommend, that my homestead estate be used by said Parish as a Parsonage House, and that said sum of Two Thousand Dollars be kept invested, and the income thereof be used to pay taxes, insurance, repairs and improvements on said homestead estate, but direct that this recommendation shall have no legal effect to restrain said Parish in its management and disposition of said homestead estate and the expenditure of said Two Thousand Dollars, but that the same shall be considered in law and equity an absolute gift to said l'arish, free of any trust or conditions.
REV. JOHN MILLER.
THE earliest documents relating to any inhabitant of Gro- ton, found among the files of the Middlesex County Probate Office, are those belonging to the estate of the Reverend John Miller, the first minister of the town. l'ower of admin- istration was granted to his son John Miller, on July 3, 1663 ; and his library was appraised at 66 5s 7d.
Mr. Miller graduated at Gonville and Caius College, Cam- bridge, England, in the year 1627, and came to this country in 1637. In the first return of deaths, made by the town clerk of Groton to the recorder of the County, it is stated :
" M! Jn" Miller, minister of Gods holy word died. June 12h 1663."
See " An Historical Sketch of Groton, Massachusetts. 1655-1890" (1894), pages 68, 69, for a short account of Mr. Miller.
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THE GROTON MINISTERIAL FUND.
The following Act, passed more than ninety years ago, and a supplementary Act relating to the same subject, passed more than sixty years ago, are here given for the convenience of persons interested in tracing the changes of its management : -
CHAP. XX.
An Act to establish a Fund for the support of the Gospel Ministry, in the first parish of the town of Groton, in the county of Mid- dlesex, and to appoint trustees for the management thereof.
SEC. 1. BE it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives, in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, That the three senior selectmen of said town, for the time being, the treasurer of said parish, and the junior deacon by age, of the church in said parish, both for the time being, be, and they are hereby constituted a body politic and corporate, by the name of " The Trustees of Groton Ministerial Fund," and they and their several successors, in their respective offices, shall constitute a body politie and corporate by that name forever ; and by the same name may sue and be sued in all actions, and pursue and defend the same to final judgment and execution. Provided always, that whenever either of said selectmen, or said deacon, shall be treasurer as afore- said, or whenever said treasurer shall be the said deacon, and also one of said selectmen, then the next senior selectman by choice, and the next junior deacon by age, or one of them, as the case may require, shall belong to said corporation ; or whenever such deacon shall be a selectman as aforesaid, in that case the next junior dea- con as aforesaid, shall be one of said trustees, to the end that the said corporation may always consist of five members.
SEc. 2. And be it further enacted, That any gift, grant, bequest, or devise, hereafter made to said trustees, shall be valid and effec- tual, to all intents and purposes whatever; and they and their successors as aforesaid, are hereby empowered, by purchase, or operation of law, to take, have, hold, use, improve and manage, any estate, real or personal, the annual income whereof shall not exceed the sum of two thousand dollars, in trust, for the support
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and maintenance of the gospel ministry in said parish ; and when- ever the net annual income or interest of such fund or estate, shall amount to the sum of six hundred dollars, and not before, the said trustee shall proceed to pay the same quarterly, to such teacher or teachers of religion, as shall be regularly ordained and settled in said parish, by the joint concurrence of the inhabitants and church thereof ; and such teacher or teachers of religion, shall be entitled to recover the same by action of debt, against said trustees : And during any vacancy in said parish, of a regular ordained and settled minister, they shall appropriate such income or interest, to the increase of the principal fund, any thing herein to the contrary notwithstanding.
SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That nothing herein contained, shall be construed to alter, impair, vacate, or in any wise affect the contract now existing, between said parish and their present min- ister ; but the proceeds of said fund, whenever the same shall be paid to him, in manner aforesaid, shall be deemed to be in satisfac- tion of his salary, for the time being, so far as the same will apply to the discharge thereof.
SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That the said trustees may assemble and meet together, as often as they may think necessary, for the promotion of their trust, any three of whom shall constitute a board for doing business ; but the concurrence of three, at least, shall be requisite to every act and proceeding whatever ; they may determine the manner of calling meetings ; they may appoint a clerk, an agent or agents, and other needful officers and commit- tees ; they may make reasonable rules, regulations and bye-laws, and annex penalties for the breach thereof, not repugnant to the laws of this Commonwealth ; they may have a common seal, and change the same at pleasure ; and they may alienate, by good and sufficient deeds in law, any real estate, the title whereof shall be vested in them, by way of mortgage, or by operation of law.
SEC. 5. And be it further enacted, That the clerk of said corpora- tion, who shall be a member thereof, and shall be sworn in the same manner as town officers are, to the faithful performance of the duties of his office, shall have the care and custody of all papers and documents, belonging to said trustees ; and shall carefully and fairly record all their votes and proceedings, in a book kept for that purpose, and shall certify the same, when thereunto required ; and he shall call meetings, when he may think the same necessary,
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or when thereto directed by said trustees ; and do whatever else may be incident to said office. And he shall deliver up to his suc- cessor in office, as soon as may be, all the records, papers and documents in his hands, in good order and condition ; and if he shall negleet so to do, for the space of thirty days, next after such successor shall be duly appointed, he shall forfeit and pay a fine of fifty dollars, and the further sum of thirty dollars per month, for such neglect afterwards.
SEC. 6. Aud be it further enacted, That the said parish treasurer shall always be the treasurer of said trustees, and the receiver of all money and effects, due, owing and coming to them ; and may demand, sue for, and recover the same, in their name, unless pro- hibited by them ; and he shall have the care and custody of all the money and effects, obligations and securities for the payment of money or other things, all evidences of property, belonging to said trustees, and be accountable to them therefor, and shall dispose of the same, as they shall order and direct; and shall render an account of his doings, and exhibit a fair and regular statement of the property, and evidences of property in his hands, whenever they shall require the same to be done ; and he shall deliver up to his successor in office, as soon as may be, all the books and papers, property, and evidences of property in his hands, in good order and condition ; and shall give bond to sand trustees, and their succes- sors, with sufficient sureties, to be approved by them, in the penal sum of twenty thousand dollars, at least, condition to do and per- form, all the duties incumbent on him as their treasurer ; and if he shall fail to deliver up the same as aforesaid, or neglect to give bond as aforesaid, for the space of thirty days, next after such treasurer shall be duly chosen, he shall forfeit and pay a fine of fifty dollars, and the further sum of thirty dollars per month, for such failure or neglect afterwards.
SEc. 7. And be it further enacted, That it shall be the duty of said trustees to use and improve such fund or estate, as shall be vested in them by virtue of this act, with care and vigilance, so as best to promote the design thereof ; and they shall be amenable to the inhabitants of said parish for negligence or misconduct, in the management or disposition thereof, whereby the same shall be impaired or suffer loss, waste or diminution; and the inhabitants of said parish may have and maintain a special action of the case, against the proper persons of said trustees, and their goods and
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estate, jointly and severally, for such negligence or misconduct, and recover adequate damages therefor ; and any sum so recovered, shall be deemed to be for the benefit of said fund, and shall be paid to said trustees, who may have an action of debt therefor accordingly.
SEC. 8. And be it further enacted, That the said trustees shall cause to be recorded, and kept in their book of records by their clerk, a statement of the funds and estate in their hands, wherein shall be particularly designated the nature and amount of each original grant or donation, the period when made, the design thereof, and the donor's or grantor's name and place of abode at large, with such other circumstances, as they may think useful or proper, to distinguish the same, and perpetuate the remembrance thereof ; and they shall make report of such statement to the inhabitants of said parish, at their meeting in the month of March or April annually, where the same shall be publicly read, or to a select committee, if said parish shall choose one for that purpose ; together with a specific estimate of what estate they actually hold, and by what tenure ; what money and effects are due to them, and how the same are secured ; and what receipts have been obtained, and disbursements made by them the preceding year.
SEC. 9. And be it further enacted, That the said trustees shall always loan, upon interest, all the money belonging to said funds, in sums of not less than two hundred dollars each, and for the term of one year, upon the bond or note of the borrower, with a mort- gage of real estate, to three times the value of the sum loaned, as collateral security for the repayment of the principal sum, with interest annually till paid ; and if any debtor of said corporation shall fail to pay the interest due on his bond or note, for the space of ten days, after the same shall become due, it shall be the duty of said treasurer to cause such bond or note, and mortgage, to be put in suit, and prosecuted until it shall be obtained.
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