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 31
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The name of Rogers does not belong in Concord. I find on my record against the first appearance of the name of Daniel Rogers, the pencilled memorandum " prob. son of Rev. Daniel of Littleton," but I cannot now remember on what authority I made it. You can probably verify or confute that conjecture more easily than I can.
Daniel Rogers, Jr., the son of the Littleton minister, did not die until March 16, 1803, which throws him out of the question, as Simon's father was dead in the autumn of 1760, when his mother is called " widow of Daniel Rogers."
For other references to Simon Rogers and Elizabeth Parker, see the second volume (page 86, under " Parker ") of this Historical Series, and also the fourth volume (pages 330, 331, under " Parker Family ").
LIST OF MARRIAGES FROM THE CHELMSFORD RECORDS.
A LIST of carly marriages recorded, at Chelmsford is printed in " The New-England Historical and Genealogical Register" (1.1. 307, 308; 447, 448) for July and October, 1897. In this list is the entry of several marriages of Groton men, which do not appear in the town-book. The record also fur- nishes the maiden names of the wives, which were not previ-
416
LIST OF MARRIAGES.
ously known, though in some instances their given names are found in the Appendix to Mr. Butler's History. The several entries are as follows : -
Joseph Gilson mar. Nov. 10, 1661, Mary Cooper.
Robert Parise mar. May 22, 1663, Seborne Cromwell.
Robert Parise mar. April 16, 1667, Mary Crispe.
Josiah, son of Capt. James Parker, mar. May 8, 1678, Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas Saxon, of Boston.
James, son of Capt. James Parker, mar. Dec. 11, 1678, Mary, daughter of Abraham Parker.
Daniel Cadye mar. July 6, 1683, Mary Green.
John Parise of Groton mar. Dec. 29, 1685, Mary, daughter of John Wattell of Chelmsford.
Samuel, son of Samuel Wood of Groton, mar. Dec. 30, 1685, Hannah, daughter of Joseph Farwell.
William, son of William Laking of Groton, mar. Jan. 4, 1685, Elizabeth, daughter of James Robinson of Groton.
Nicholas, son of Nicholas Cady, of Groton, mar. March 20, 1685, Percime, daughter of William Redland of Groton.
LIST OF MARRIAGES, ETC., FROM THE TYNGSBORO RECORDS.
The following list of Tyngsboro marriages, etc., is taken from a copy, made from the town records by Jonathan Franklin Bancroft, who has kindly allowed me to use it.
MARRIAGES.
June 14, 1798. John Woodward, of Tyngsboro, to Widow Mary Fletcher, of Groton.
April 9, 1803. Frederick Dolt, of Groton, to Nancy Bell, of Tyngsboro.
July 3, 1810. John Johnson, of Groton, to Mary Blodgett, of Tyngsboro.
June 21, 1819. Benjamin Moors, of Groton, to Abagail Farwell, of Tyngsboro.
417
PUBLIC CLOCK.
MARRIAGE INTENTIONS.
February 5, 1803. Benjamin Tenney, of Tyngsboro, to Betsey Taylor, of Groton.
December 13, 1823. John Woodward, of Tyngsboro, to Rebecca Sawtell, of Groton.
This man is the same person whose marriage is recorded above, on June 14, 1798.
August 28, 1836. Amos R. Barker, of Tyngsboro, to Maria Ames, of Groton.
The following marriage is also recorded, but with only a year-date, as having taken place at Groton. See page 99 of this volume for the exact date, which was November 30.
1797. Jonas Jewett, of Pepperell, to Mary Danforth, of 'Tyngs- boro.
THE AGE OF APPLE-TREES.
ON my place in the village of Groton there are several old apple-trees which sixty years ago bore well, and still continue to bear a fair crop of fruit. While they begin to show the signs of age, they do not seem to be very much larger or taller than they used to be, when I first remember them, though, of course, they are thicker through the butts. Per- haps to my youthful fancy these trees then appeared larger than they really were. I mention the fact here in order to show that apple-trees will continue to bear during a long period of time, probably through a century.
PUBLIC CLOCK.
The new clock in the tower of the Baptist Meeting-house was made by the E. Howard Watch and Clock Company, Boston, and was first put in running order between three and four o'clock on Thursday afternoon, November 18, 1897. Henry Wm. Whiting did the carpentry preparatory to the placing of the time-piece in position.
418
REV. CALEB TROWBRIDGE.
ABEL SPAULDING.
ABEL SPAULDING, who died at Groton, on October 15, 1897, aged 94 years, 10 months, and 25 days, at the time of his death was the oldest person in town. He was a son of Hezekiah and Sarah (Lewis) Spaulding, whose children were as follows : -
Eliza, born at Groton, on January 25, 1799. John, born at Groton, on November 30, 1800. Abel, born at Groton, on November 20, 1802. Sally, born at Mason, New Hampshire, in August, -
Mr. Zara Patch, another well-known citizen, was also born on November 20, just ten years after Mr. Spaulding ; and for a long time this venerable couple, who were neighbors, used to celebrate the anniversary by dining together. He is still hale and hearty, and his familiar figure is seen daily on the street.
John Spaulding, the elder brother of Abel, graduated at Middlebury College in the Class of 1825, and at the Andover Theological Seminary in 1828. The statement, made in John B. Hill's " History of the Town of Mason, N. H." (page 299), that he was born there, is probably incorrect, as the entry of his birth is found in the Groton records, as given above.
REV. CALEB TROWBRIDGE.
IN Mr. Butler's History of Groton (page 174) it is said that the Reverend Caleb Trowbridge, minister of the town from 1715 to 1760, was born at Newton, on November 17, 1692 ; and this statement is repeated in the " Historical Sketch of Groton " (page 74). In Francis Jackson's History of Newton (page 420) November 7 is given as his birth-day ; and I have reason to think that this is the correct date. In the Chelmsford church records the following entry is found : - "The Rev! M' Caleb Trowbridge Pastor of Groton died
419
GROTON IN FICTION.
Sep! 9, 1760 ÆE: 68 & in y. 46 year of his Ministry." At the time of his death he lacked two months of being sixty- eight years old; and the inscription on the tablet over his remains in the Groton Burying Ground keeps up a similar inaccuracy in regard to his age.
RICHARD BRENTON.
ACCORDING to tradition Richard Brenton was a soldier in the British army who deserted during the Revolution. At a later period he took up his abode in this town, where, on September 8, 1832, he ended his days in the poor-house. He was a man of great ingenuity ; and fifty years ago there were many persons who remembered him and told of his deft handiwork.
GROTON WATER COMPANY.
THE reservoir on Gibbet Hill was filled with water for the first time on Monday, November 29, 1897. The height from the pumping station to the bottom of the reservoir is 280 feet. The town has forty hydrants for fire purposes, for which it pays $1,000 annually.
GROTON IN FICTION.
IN the "St. Nicholas" magazine (XXV. 246-251) for January, 1898, is the story of a giant, of which the scene is laid in Groton. It is entitled " Johnny and the Giant," and was written by J. Rowe Webster. The time of its occurrence was many years ago, when " there was no Groton school at all, and in the village there were only nine houses and no town hall." The giant lived in a " big stone house on Gibbet Ilill," and was jolly and kind, and " always ready to do all he could for everybody."
420
A CORRECTION.
For other references to " Groton in Fiction," see Volume II. (pages 382, 383) of this Series, under the heading of " An Uncloseted Skeleton ;" and page 319 of the present volume, under that of " Groton School."
GROTON PEACHES.
Ex-Gov. George S. Boutwell, of Groton, will send to market this fall 2,000 baskets of peaches grown on his farm ; and Capt. Moses P. Palmer, also of Groton, will send to market 1,000 baskets. While these peaches may not be so handsome to look at as the New Jersey or California fruit, they have a better and richer flavor which is the true test of their quality.
" Boston Morning Journal," September 11, 1897.
WILD DEER.
DURING the year 1897 wild deer were seen in Dunstable, Tyngsboro and Chelmsford, and I have talked with various persons who saw them. Since June 8, deer have been seen in Groton on three different occasions. (See page 369 of this volume.) These repeated instances of their appearance in the northern part of this Commonwealth in modern times show their natural increase, due, doubtless, to the protection they receive from the State of New Hampshire, whence they migrate over the boundary line, and to the further protection here given.
A CORRECTION.
ON page 100 of this volume a suggestion is made that the marriage of Nathaniel Whittemore, of Lancaster, to Polly Stone, of Groton, there recorded, on May 30, 1799, is a dupli- cate entry of the marriage of Nathaniel Whittemore, of Lan- caster, to Sarah Stone, of Groton, on December 20, 1798, which is found on the preceding page. Since making that
421
JOHN KEMP AND SAMUEL STONE.
suggestion I have learned from "The Birth, Marriage and Death Register, Church Records and Epitaphs of Lancaster, Massachusetts " (pages 150, 151), edited by the Honorable Henry S. Nourse, that the person, who was married to Polly Stone, on May 30, 1799, was Nathaniel Whittemore, Jr. ; and presumably he was a son of the other man.
According to Mr. Nourse's book (page 444), Mrs. Mary, wife of Nathaniel Whittemore, died at Lancaster, on August 15, 1828, aged 49 years ; and probably she was the same person as Molly, eldest daughter of Amos and Molly (Moors) Stone, of Groton, who was born on April 21, 1778, as their ages are near enough to correspond with each other. Ac- cording to the same work (page 193), Mrs. Sarah, wife of Nathaniel Whittemore, died at Lancaster, on March 17, 1809, though no age is given ; and undoubtedly she was the same person who was married at Groton, on December 20, 1798.
JOHN KEMP AND SAMUEL STONE.
IN Glazier's " History of Gardner, Massachusetts," there is an account of some of the early settlers of that town ; and among them are two from Groton, who are mentioned as follows : --
" Kemp, John, from Groton, was a miller in the south part of the town. He m. Sarah Shattuck " (page 39) ; and then follows a list of their children and grandchildren.
"Stone, Samuel, from Groton, purchased a lot of wild land in the north part of the town ; the same that is now the town farm ; he cleared the land and erected buildings thereon ; he was a very substantial man, and a great help in building up the town. He m. Martha Wilder" (page 49) ; and then follows a list of their children and grandchildren.
John Kemp, born on March 3, 1771, was married at Groton to Sally Shattuck, on April 10, 1798. See Shattuck Memorials (page 292).
Samnel Stone was probably the youngest son of Joseph and Mary Stone, born on November 7, 1751. See Butler's Ilistory of Groton (page 439).
422
STEEL BRIDGE.
ANOTHER ARTESIAN WELL.
IN the autumn of 1896 an Artesian well, six inches in diam- eter, was drilled in the house lot of Dr. William B. Warren, on the southerly side of his dwelling. It was carried through solid rock one hundred and four feet below the bottom of his old well nineteen feet deep, from which it started, thereby reaching a depth of one hundred and twenty-three feet in all. When water was struck, it came suddenly and copi- ously, and was of an excellent quality.
Work was begun in September, 1896, and lasted about six weeks. The contractor was James Starr, of Groton, a man of large experience in drilling wells of this kind.
For an account of three other Artesian wells in town, see pages 198-200 of this volume.
STEEL BRIDGE.
THE new steel bridge over the Nashua River at Groton was finished on Saturday, February 12, 1898. It takes the place of a wooden one on the same site, built by Luther Blood in the year 1871. For many years the bridge at this spot has been known as Fitch's Bridge, so called from Captain Zechariah Fitch who lived in the immediate neigh- borhood, and who for a long time had an agreement with the town to keep it in repair. Captain Fitch was a prominent citizen in the community, having served with distinction as an officer during the Revolution.
In the summer of 1817 a bridge over the Nashua River on this site was built by Zechariah Fitch, Jr. I have seen a memorandum made by him which says that he began to take down the old bridge on July 7 of that year, and that he finished the new one on July 26. For three or four days during the work he employed eight. men, though generally less than that number. A few months later this new bridge was carried off by a freshet, on March 3, 1818.
423
IION. JOSIAH G. ABBOTT.
For an allusion to Fitch's Bridge, see the second volume (page 108) of the Historical Series ; and for an account of Captain Fitch, see pages 379-385 of the present volume.
NEW BRIDGE AT GROTON.
The town of Groton has recently voted to replace Fitch's Bridge, over the Nashua River, by an iron structure. To that end a con- tract has been made with the Berlin Iron Bridge Company of Connecticut, and it is expected that the work will be completed during the coming winter.
" Boston Evening Journal," November 27, 1897.
AN EPITAPII.
The following inscription is taken from a stone in the burying ground at Littleton Common, as given in the Pro- ceedings (page 162) of the Littleton Historical Society :
This Stone | Erected to the Memory | of Mr. Joseph Morton | of Boston, who died at | Groton July 25" 1793 ; | 2Etatis 81. - And in Memory | of Cap' Dimond Morton | his son, who died Feb! 2ª | 1792 Act. 49.
Death great proprietor of all, 'tis thine To tread out Empires & to quench the +Leurs. Young's night tho"
Joseph Morton was the father of Perez Morton, a gradu- ate of Ilarvard College in the Class of 1771, and afterward Attorney-General of the Commonwealth ; and of Ephraim Morton, a graduate in the Class of 1787.
HON. JOSIAH G. ABBOTT.
" A MEMOIR of Hon. Josiah Gardner Abbott, LL.D.," by Charles Cowley, LL.D., is printed in the " Contributions of the Old Residents' Historical Association, Lowell, Mass." ( Vol. V., No. I, pp. 49, 50), in which appear the reminiscences of various persons who had been closely associated with Judge
424
ST. PAUL'S LODGE.
Abbott. Among these several writers was the late Honorable Benjamin Dean, of Boston, a noted fisherman as well as lawyer, who had studied his profession in Lowell; and in giving his recollections of the judge, he says : -
He lived on Stackpole Street and I on Alder Street, in Lowell, and after one o'clock in the morning whichever awoke first would rattle his fish-pole against the other's window, and we would walk to Raymond Kimball's stable, ride to the Ridge [Hill] Tavern in Groton, and put up the horse : " Peter" would then take us in a wagon to Knop's Pond, where we would begin our sport. "Peter " came for us at meal times, and the evening would see us on our way home. We became very expert, and we never failed of a handsome catch of pickerel. . . . . I once, when with Hapgood Wright, caught one in Springy Pond, in Groton, weighing four pounds and two ounces.
ST. PAUL'S LODGE.
ST. PAUL'S LODGE was installed at Groton on August 9, 1797; and the account of the ceremonies at that time, given below, is taken from the "Columbian Centinel " (Boston), Saturday, August 12, 1797. The Centennial Anniversary of the Lodge was duly celebrated at Ayer, on January 26, 1897, when an historical address was delivered by the Hon- orable George J. Burns, which has since been printed.
On Wednesday last [August 9], St. Paul's Lodge was consecrated, and its officers installed, in ample form, at Groton, by the Rt. W. SAMUEL DUNN [Dana], Esq. D. G. M. attended by the officers of the Grand Lodge. The ceremonies were performed in the Meet- ing-House, before a large assembly ; of which the ladies formed a brilliant and beautiful part. The Rev. Br. HARRIS, delivered a pertinent and pointed discourse on the occasion ; and an ingenious Oration was pronounced by R. W. Br. THOMAS, acting D. G. M. After the business was finished, the Lodge which had proceeded in order from Richardson's tavern to the Meeting-House, repaired in like order, to an arbour, where they partook of a liberal entertain- ment, and closed the day with festive hirality [sic], social greeting, and deeds of benevolence. The clergy of the vicinity were guests, and appeared gratified.
425
BURNT MEADOW.
TWO GROTON SOLDIERS IN THE EXPEDITION AGAINST CARTHAGENA.
WAR between Great Britain and Spain was declared on October 23, 1739; and early in the year 1740 the English government sent out an expedition against the Spanish pos- sessions on this continent. The English provinces in America were called upon to furnish their share both of men and means toward the undertaking ; and Massachusetts sent five hundred soldiers who took part in the operations against Carthagena, the principal town on the Spanish main, in the province of New Granada. Of this number only fifty men lived to return, the others for the most part dying of pestilential disease. Among the Massachusetts Archives (XCI. 333) at the State House is an imperfect Muster Roll of Captain John Prescott's Com- pany, which gives the names of two soldiers, natives of Groton, and presumably residents of the town, who served in that unfortunate expedition. They were Josiah Blanchard, aged 40, a blacksmith by trade, who enlisted on May 10, 1740 ; and Joshua Parker, aged 39, " Gentelman," who enlisted on July 1. Probably neither lived to return, as there is no later reference to them in any public record. Blanchard was an only son of James and Anna Blanchard, and was born on June 24, 1698. For eight years his father was town-clerk of Groton. I am unable to identify Parker, who belonged to a family very numerous in the town.
BURNT MEADOW.
I HAVE recently learned that Burnt Meadow, mentioned in the early records, lies in the easterly part of the town, east of the highway running from the Lowell road to the Rocky Hill School, now called the Trowbridge School. There is a small pond within its limits, which is still known as Burnt Meadow Pond. I have seen an old deed which speaks of Burnt Meadow farm, and also mentions both the meadow
426
THE SURNAME " GROTON."
and the pond. In the printed edition of " The Early Records . of Groton " (page 142), it is said that this meadow lies in the neighborhood of Cow Pond, which is not a close identification of the site, though correct as far as it goes.
THE SCHOONER "GROTON."
THE despatch, given below, is printed in the "Boston Morning Journal," November 12, 1897. It would be an interesting fact to know when and where the schooner was built, and why she was so named. See the third volume (page 135) of this Historical Series, for similar queries in regard to the ship "Groton."
SCHOONER LOST.
Port Stanley, Ont., Nov. 12. - The schooner Groton of Detroit left Cleveland yesterday loaded with slack coal for London, Ont. She was caught in the gale that night and came to anchor 12 miles west of this place, where she foundered. The crew of six men took to the yawl boat and were discovered drifting down the lake yester- day. Capt. Berry of the life boat station here got his crew together and rescued them. The vessel, with her cargo, will no doubt be a total loss.
THE SURNAME "GROTON."
DURING the twenty-five years immediately preceding 1897, each issue of the Boston Directory contained the addresses of a few persons, on an average two or three, who bore the sur- name of " Groton." Among the graduates of Harvard College is the Reverend William Mansfield Groton, class of 1873; and among those of Bowdoin College were Nathaniel Groton, class of 1814, and Isaac Giddings Groton, class of 1821, both lawyers.
427
BILLERICA BRIDGE.
WIDOW PAGE.
I HAVE a scrap of paper which contains the following memorandum, though I know not by whom written. The record was made in the year 1818, doubtless, and may be correct, though it differs slightly from that in Mr. Butler's History of Groton (page 436). Perhaps it will serve as a clew to something else.
Elizebeth Shed the daughter of daniel Shed and abagail his wife born in groton March 9 1724 and now the widow page aged 94 1818. She hes been the mother of fouteen children and hes but three living
CENTURY DICTIONARY.
IN the Century Dictionary (New York) one definition of the word " squadron " is " a division of a town for highway care ;" and the authority there given for such usage is " Town Records, Groton, Mass., 1671." This reference is found on page 40 of the printed edition of the Records.
Mr. Butler, in his History of Groton, says : -
"The terms " angles " and " squadrons " were, for many years, used for what we now call school districts. (Page 221.)
About this time [1790] the term district began to be used instead of angle or squadron. (Page 222.)
BILLERICA BRIDGE.
IN very early times the town of Groton was required by law to share in the expense of a bridge over the Concord River at Billerica, then on the line of travel to Boston, or to the Bay, as the expression was. This requirement was deemed a hardship by the inhabitants of the town ; and more than once they sought from the public authorities relief from
428
BILLERICA BRIDGE.
the tax. An account of the case, somewhat in detail, is given in the first volume (No. XIX., pages 8-13) of this Historical Series. See also an article on " Middlesex County Bridges " in the third volume (pages 379-381). A petition relating to the subject, addressed to the General Court, is found among the manuscripts of the Massachusetts Historical Society. It is in the handwriting of the Reverend Samuel Willard, the second minister of the town, and, according to the official endorsement, was presented to the Court in May, 1668.
The petition once belonged to Mr. Butler, the local histo- rian, and was given to the Society by his grandson, Mr. Charles Butler Brooks, on June 19, 1894. It is as follows : -
To the Honored Genlf Co't, Assembled in Boston : The Humble Petition & Addresse of y" Inhabitants of Groton :
Wheras it hath seemed meet unto you heretofore (most Hon- o'ed Senate) to impose upon us, together with some other planta- tions, the building, repairing, & constant mainteining, of the Bridge, vulgarly knowne by the name of Billerikey Bridge; & now we are called upon, in obedience to y' order, to collect o' pportion for y" building of it ; we have delayed to doe it as yet, weh we humbly request, may not bee imputed as disobedience: it being only in order to this p'sent opportunity, of Rationally submitting o'selves to yo' censure, when we shall have given you the account of o' grievances, in this respect : And what we have to plead for o' Immunity, from this Charge is much, though the weight of it lyes in yo' candid Judgm' to interpret : But (not to tire yo' patience with many words) in briefe, wee, upon true intelligence, find, that yo' hono's were informed that this was like to be or proper roade to y" market, & therfore thought it fit wee should beare o' propor- tion in mainteining of it : wee crave leave to plead both by way of supposition & negation : first, supposing that were a truth ; yet wee would beg favo' to be considered, as a new-plantation, remote, in o' beginning, who have in the necessityes of such an undertaking (buying o' food from other places divers yeers, setting up a place of worship, constant necessary charges of, Towne, Church, & Com- onw ; ), well neere wasted of substance, & though, by the blessing of God hopefull not to lose o' Labo's, yet at present it is in hopes, not in hand :.
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BILLERICA BRIDGE.
Withall, what other Townes have gotten off from this very worke by, we may as well plead as they, viz. the necessity of much time & cost to be laid out in reparation of wayes, & building of bridges in o' owne plantation, partly in o' way to the Market, partly, because a River as troublesome & chargeable to be kept with bridges as that it runes through neere the midst of o' land ; to the maintenance of which wee can expect no foreigne helpe : But besides all this, we can plead by way of absolute denyall ; that we have no more ordinary use or need in way of traffique of that road & bridge, then any other Towne in the County, or Countrey : Neither yet hath it bin the practice of us (Such only excepted, who tooke that way, their friends living in some of those Townes) to follow that tracke, The way Lying by Concord, being (when repaired) every whit as feisable, & not only soe, but (as wee are able to vindicate) neerer by many miles : Yea, so little use have wee of that way in order to the market, that many, yea most of us, if need required, durst engage to pay o' charge for every time wee shall passe to market that way, although 5" for a time should bee demaunded : & therefore if needs wee must repaire out of o' owne bounds, wee had rather doe it where it might be beneficiall to us, then otherwise :
But wee ly at yo' feet ; & (knowing wee have to doe with men Just, wise, & mercifull,) we rejoyce that wee soe doe, & (nothing doubting but we shall find such favor as may stand with equitye, which is all wee desire) wee freely resigne o' whole case to you, & Remaine
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