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 33
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I have seen a letter written by Dennie to a classmate, dated February 24, 1790, wherein he says: " A better, more royal, social club of Lads cannot be found in America,
444
EXEMPTION FROM TRAINING.
College excepted, than at Groton." He used to say that he was sent away from Cambridge to let his class catch up with him in their studies.
EXEMPTION FROM TRAINING.
THE following petitions, found among the Court files of Middlesex County at East Cambridge, relate to some of the earliest settlers of Groton : -
Groton the 22. 7. 65. To the Honored The County Cort at Cambridge, Octob. 3. 65.
The Humble Request of Jno Lawrence of Groton.
That I having a Son being now neere upon age & being called upon to attend service in training, I w1 crave libertye to request that hee may bee considered, & if yo' Wors"" see cause freed from training : his Infirmitye is a losse of more then two joynts on his left Thumb which is his hand hee is most active withatt, & is much disenabled fro doing any activity by it : I am not unwilling in my spheare to bee beneficiall to ye publique service, yet I psume this may bee a disobligem' upon this acc; The case of ye Lad o' Chief officer is able to informe you of further, & y fore not any farther to trouble yo' Ilono" : depending upon yo' equatt determi- nation
I leave my selfe with you, & Rest Yo's Humbly engaged? JNO LAWRENCE
What is Aboue Exspresed by Jno Larance is the treuth witnes my band
JAMES PAKKER
[ Endorsed] Mathias farnworth Ri: Holden & Jno. Lauranc freed from trayneing.
In connection with the Request just given, see the third volume (pages 360, 361) of the Historical Series for an entry in regard to Enosh, a son of John Lawrence, though perhaps this allusion is to Peleg, another son.
445
EXEMPTION FROM TRAINING.
To the Honored The County Cont In Cambridge : Octob. 3. 1665.
The Humble request of Richard Holden of Groton.
Whereas the Providence of the alewise God hath ordered, that sicknesse & weaknesse in body hath followed mee & increased upon mee this twenty yeere, & now a lingring Consumption is more then formerly p'vailing upon mee, disenabling mee from service, especially to beare armes, & being never like to bce capable of any good in a military way, my weaknesse & destemper being come to such a height, & God knowes how it is likely to bee with mee, but it is little likely that yt body sh1 rise agen, which hath soe long been failling : I wld yrfore entreat yt yo' W''!" wld consider mee, & release me fro training : Loth I have been, to trouble y' W'" this 7 yeers, though I had cause enough, but now I am enforced to ly at yo' feet, & wait yo' pleasure, but not to trouble yo' W''s any further, confiding in yo' benignitye
I commed my selfe to yo' W's & Rest RICHARD HOLDEN
Groton. Sept. ult 1665.
I doe Conceiue what is Aboue expresed by Richard Holden is reall
Witness my hand JAMES PARKER
To the Ifonred the County Co't At Cambridge. Octo. 3. 65. The Humble request of Mathias Farnworth of Groton,
It having pleased Alwise God to incapacitate mee fro publicke service ; both by a fall & wound received at the fall of the draw- bridge In Boston ; 1 ever since which I have had a constant numb- nesse in my right arme, & also am dayly troubled with a breach in my body, dayly encumbring of me, in such wise as though I have attended the company, I yet for these many yeers have not borne
! This reference is to an accident which happened on October 27, 1659, at the Draw over the canal, in Ann Surcet. The bridge fell through, as the people were passing over it, on their return from witnessing the execution of William Robinson and Marmaduke Stephenson, two Quakers hung on the Common. One woman was fatally hurt, and several other persons were severely injured.
446
WILLIAM L. GREEN.
armes, my request to yo' W' is, that you wh consider my case, & grant me a release from the service of training, Soe shall you engage
yo' WV!"> ever devoted :
MATH : FARNWORTH.
Groton. Octo.
2. 1665. -
I doe Conceiue that what is here
Aboue exspresed by Mathias Farnworth
is real
Witnes my hand JAMES PARKER
WILLIAM L. GREEN.
WILLIAM LAWRENCE GREEN, eldest child of Dr. Joshua and Eliza (Lawrence) Green, died at his father's home in Groton, on October 21, 1847. Within a few days of that date, the following notice of him appeared in a Boston newspaper, though I am unable now to name the journal. It was written by the late Dr. David Keyes Hitchcock, of Newton.
MR. WILLIAM L. GREEN.
DIED in Groton, Mr. WILLIAM L. GREEN, of the firm of Jewett, Tebbetts & Green, of Boston, aged 21 years.
One of the most interesting and promising young men in our city has been smitten in death. In the morning of life, in the midst of usefulness, surrounded by a large circle of devoted friends, the manly form has been laid low by the King of Terrors. Disease which before had never visited him, soon assumed a dangerous form ; and in a few days -and to his affectionate relatives, days of anxious fear and hope -life's silver cord was loosed and the golden bowl was broken!
Bitter as is this bereavement, it cannot but be a sweet conso- lation to the afflicted parents to know, that though death has deprived them of a most amiable, affectionate and beloved son, it cannot rob them of the sweet recollections of his virtues or the sacredness of his memory ; for as deep as the wounds which this
447
PRONUNCIATION OF GROTON.
bereavement has made, are they embalmed in their hearts, where time shall neither deface nor erase them, but where they shall live forever.
The funeral of the deceased was numerously attended, and among those assembled were to be found a number from the city. The Rev. Mr. Phelps, of G, made an appropriate address and a very impressive prayer, and all present seemed to feel that they were in the 'house of mourning.' As the tear stole down the cheeks of those who came to pay their last tribute of respect and affection to the memory of the departed, the silent prayer ascended to heaven in behalf of the sorrowing parents, that they might be sus- tained in this their hour of trial and sadness, and that it might work out for them ' a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.' H.
PRONUNCIATION OF "GROTON."
THE two notes, given below, appeared in the "Boston Evening Transcript," Saturday, January 1, and Thursday, January 6, 1898, respectively, and are self-explanatory : -
CALL IT "GROTTON."
To the Editor of the Transcript :
Will you kindly tell me the true pronunciation of the town of Groton in your State? In Lippincott's Gazetteer it is called Graw- ton ; in the Century Dietionary Groton, long o in the first syllable, and among people who have boys at school in the town it is pro- nounced to rhyme with "rotten." I am an old man, and don't like to change the pronunciation of my early days. I have been told that the late Robert C. Winthrop is authority for "Grotten." Much as one may respect Mr. Winthrop's scholarship and general knowledge of things, is he infallible? On page 297 of his biog- raphy, edited by his son, I find Horace's proverb, "Non cuivis homini contigit adire Corinthum," quoted in this way : "Non cuivis contigit adire Corintho," the dative case instead of the accusative for the last word. How do the old people of Groton call their town?
PROVIDENCE, R. I.
J.
CALL IT GRAW-TON.
To the Editor of the Transcript :
Your Providence correspondent " J." is right in his pronunciation of the word Groton. The natives of the town and those to the manner born always call it Graw-ton ; and this pronunciation holds good not only in England but also in the American towns bearing the name. I have myself visited six of these towns in the United States, which include all but the one in South Dakota, and have also visited the English town of the name. In all these places I have made special inquiries on this very subject, and as a result have found that the inhabitants without exception call the word Graw-ton. I have often heard the late Mr. Winthrop speak of the Massachusetts town, and he always called it after the native fashion ; so that he is not the authority for "Grotten." For the same reason that strangers make the name rhyme with "rotten," New Yorkers, following the analogy of their Croton, are apt to say Grow-ton. If the natives of the town and the old settlers are a final tribunal in the matter, then the orthodox pronunciation of the word is most assuredly Graw-ton. G.
Z
A LIST OF CIVIL OFFICERS.
RESIDENTS OF GROTON HOLDING COMMISSIONS, ETC.
JUSTICES OF THE PEACE.
THE following names are to be appended to the list given on page 271 of this volume.
March 11, 1897
David Roscoe Steere.
March 11, 1897
Grant Warren Shattuck.
May 20, 1897
Myron Perley Swallow.
October 28, 1897 Appleton Howe Torrey.
January 5, 1898
Charles Woolley.
4-19
A GENEALOGICAL, PUZZLE.
A GENEALOGICAL PUZZLE.
AMONG the genealogies recorded by the Reverend Seth Chandler, in his History of Shirley, are the following, which are given under the respective surnames : -
Jayden, Caleb, and Abigail, his wife, lived in Shirley about the middle of the last century, and left upon the records of the town the following imperfect family registry :
I. ABIGAIL, b. March 20, --.
II. SARAH, b. Jan. 11, 175 -.
III. JOHN, b. in Shirley, Nov., -.
IV. CALEB, b. in Shirley, Jan. 19, 1755. (Page 445.)
Wagen, Caleb. This name occurs in the records of the town, and the presumption would be that Caleb was a relative of the families given in the preceding registry ; but the most careful investigation fails to give the most distant kinship. This is the more strange on account of the uncommonness of the name in New England.
The following are the names and birth-dates of the children of Caleb and Abigail Hazen, b. at Shirley :
I. ABIGAIL, b. March 20, 17 -; date imperfect.
HI. SARAH, b. Jan. 11, 1750.
III. JOHN HOLDEN, b. Nov. 2, 1753.
IV. CALEB HOLDEN, b. Jan. 17, 1756. (Page 453.)
Molden, Caleb,' (John," Stephen," Richard,') b. at Groton, Feb. 1, 1723, m. Abigail -- , and had four children :
1. ABIGAIL, b. at Groton, March 25, 1748.
II. SARAH, b. at Groton, Jan. 11, 1749.
III. JOHN, b. at Groton.
IV. CALEB, b. at Shirley, Jan. 19, 1755. (Page 457.)
From the resemblance between the surnames of these three families, together with the exact identity. of the names of the children and the similarity in their ages, it is evident that there is an error somewhere in the record. In the middle of
450
A GENEALOGICAL PUZZLE.
the last century what is now Shirley was a part of Groton, and its population less than 350 inhabitants. According to the doctrine of chances, in such a small community, it is not at all likely that there would have been this singular sequence of facts. The confusion of these several entries may be explained, perhaps, as follows : ---
Caleb Holden, a son of John and Sarah (Davis) Holden, was a resident of Groton, where he was born on February 1, 1723-4. While living here, he was married, - though there is no record of his marriage, --- and two children were born, whose names are duly entered in the town-book. Mr. Butler, in his Ilistory, gives a record of the family, as follows : -
CALEB HOLDEN and ABIGAIL.
Abigail, born March 25, 1748. Sarah, Jan. 11, 1749. (Page 408.)
The year of Sarah's birth is necessarily 1749-50; and that entry in the records is the last one which relates to the Caleb Holden family. Presumably soon after the birth of this daughter, they left town and removed to Shirley.
Again, in Mr. Butler's account of Shirley, given in con- nection with his History of Groton, the following record appears : -
CALEB HOLDEN and ABIGAIL.
Abigail, born Mar. 20, 17 -.
Sarah, " Jan. 11, 175 - .
John, " Nov. - , -.
Caleb, " Jan. 19: 1755. (Page 491.)
This entry of Holden's family by Mr. Butler agrees with that made by Mr. Chandler under " Hayden, Caleb." Why there should be three distinct entries in the Shirley records, all relating evidently to the same family, I do not understand. It seems clear that in some mysterious way the three families have been mixed up either by the town clerk or by a copyist. While these several records differ slightly from each other, without much doubt they belong solely to Caleb Holden's family.
45I
THE PHYSICIANS OF GROTON.
THE PHYSICIANS OF GROTON.
THE following sketch should have been inserted in its proper place among the Physicians of Groton who were born in the town, but practised their profession elsewhere. Under the heading given above, see pages 1-90 of the third volume of the Historical Series, where this sketch should have ap- peared on page 52 ; and see also the several supplementary additions to that article.
DR. CHARLES HALE BROWNE was the second son of Isaac and Susan (IIale) Browne, and was born at Groton, on April 14, 1812. During his boyhood the family removed to New Salem, Franklin County, where they lived for a while; and later the son took up his abode in Ipswich. While residing there he began the study of medicine in the office of Dr. Thomas Manning of that town; and he graduated at the Harvard Medical School in the Class of 1839. Immediately afterward he became a member of the Massachusetts Medical Society, and entered upon the practice of his profession at Ipswich, where he remained until the year 1857, when he re- moved to Boston. After a short illness his death took place on February 28, 1898, at No. II Hancock Street, which had been his home for nearly forty years.
On January 21, 1847, Dr. Browne was married in Portland, Maine, to Cornelia Maria, daughter of Captain Nathaniel Blake of that city, who died on August 13, 1894. By this union there was one daughter, Nellie Maria Browne, born in Ipswich on November 3, 1847, who married in Boston, on October 22, 1872, Carl Edward Pruefer ; and both are dead. They left one child, Mrs. Nellie Hildegarde (Pruefer) Smith, now a widow, who has a daughter Lillian Hildegarde, nearly three years old.
Dr. Browne's eldest brother, Samuel Somes, was born at Groton, on June 26, 1810, and died at Burlington, Vermont, on November 13, 1879. Three other brothers and two sisters were born at Stow and New Salem.
452
LONG-LIVED PERSONS IN GROTON.
INSTANCES OF LARGE FAMILIES IN GROTON.
THE following are some instances of large families in Groton between the years 1700 and 1800. The maiden names of the mothers, so far as known, are given within parentheses.
Robert and Deborah Parker had sixteen children, and Jona- than and Ruth (Shattuck) Farnsworth had fifteen. Ebenezer and Abigail Blood, Joseph and Abigail (Sawtell) Parker, and Oliver and Sarah (Tarbell) Farnsworth were blessed, cach couple, with families of fourteen children.
Mrs. Joseph Parker, named above, " left two Hundred or upwards of Children & Grandchildren," according to the in- scription on her gravestone. She died on February 19, 1787, in the goth year of her age.
Jonas and Jemima (Holden) Green were the happy parents of ten children, all born within a period of less than eleven years, and among them were twins and triplets. By a second marriage, Jonas became the father of nine more children.
Elisha and Elizabeth ( Adams) Rockwood were favored with thirteen children. Isaac and Priscilla ( Dodge) Bowers, John and Ruth Frost, Jonathan and Esther (Shedd) Lawrence, Nathaniel and Elizabeth (Page) Nutting, John and Elizabeth (Nutting) Nutting, Joseph and Mary (Prescott) Stone, Cap- tain John and Molly (Everett) Williams, and Nathaniel and Alice Woods were each the parents of twelve children.
INSTANCES OF LONGEVITY IN GROTON.
SOME remarkable cases of longevity and of regular succes- sion of deaths, during a single year, are given in the Groton "Spirit of the Times " for July 26, 18.18. The list was fur- nished by Mr. Butler, and is as follows : -
Molly, widow of Amos Stone, died May 13, 1847, aged 91 years and i month.
453
FASHION IN GIVEN NAMES.
Abigail, widow of John Lawrence, died July 10, 1847, aged 93 years and 9 months.
Mary, widow of John Capell, died September 6, 1847, aged 93 years, 4 month and 25 days.
Major Amos Farnsworth, died October 19, 1847, aged 93 years, 6 months and i day.
Elizabeth, his widow, died December 11, 1874, aged 90 years, 7 months and 24 days.
Lucy, widow of Deacon Samuel Rockwood, died May 12, 1848, aged 90 years, 8 months and 23 days.
All these persons, with the exception of Mr. and Mrs. Capell, were natives of Groton, and each one of the six, at the date of death, was the oldest person in town.
FASHION IN GIVEN NAMES.
IT is interesting to note the changes that have occurred in baptismal names within a few generations. During the early days of New England, certain names that now seem uncouth to the ear were common in every community. They were taken largely from the Bible, which was the only book univer- sally read at that period. Zerubbabel Kemp was living in Groton at the beginning of the last century, and he gave the same name to one of his sons, who lived to grow up, notwith- standing the infliction. Mephibosheth Adams was a resident in the west parish of Groton a hundred and fifty years ago, - and tradition says that he was known among his neighbors as "Fib" Adams, - but he spared his own boys. A class of girls' names, common in the last century, and representing abstract qualities, such as Faith, Hope, Charity, Temperance, Prudence, and Virtue, have now become obsolete. The good old names of Molly, Polly, Dolly, and Sally are never seen in their original spelling. Susie is considered a better form than Sukey, and Bessie is preferred to Betty or Betsey. At the present time, however, there is a tendency to take up certain names long out of fashion, such as Dorothy, Rachel, Esther, etc., and to bring them again into vogue.
454
THE FITCH FAMILY.
The name of Gabriel Lakin, of Groton, was kept up through several generations, and the name of Sibyl was in common use in the same family. John Frost, perhaps a kinsman of the well-known " Jack Frost," had among his twelve children one called Scripture, possibly the maiden name of the mother. His eldest daughter was Jemima, and his three youngest children were named respectively Tryphena, Patience, and Submit.
THE FITCH FAMILY.
ZECHARIAN Frren, eldest child of Zechariah and Elizabeth (Grimes) Fitch, was born at Bedford, on April 1, 1734. Hle was married to Rebekah, eldest daughter of Eleazer and Rebekah (Chandler) Davis, who was born on August 2, 1736; and they settled in Groton. By this marriage there were two daughters: Rebecca, born in 1759, who married Benjamin Whitney, of Pepperell, as his second wife, and died on June 23, 1793; and Abigail, born in 1761. Neither Mr. Fitch's first wife nor his second lived a long time after their marriage, as it is entered in the church records, under date of August 4, 1763: "Zechariah Fitch of Groton to Lydia Tuck of Bedford; " and again, under date of February 3, 1767: " Zacheriah Fitch to Sibele Lakin both of Groton." By the second marriage there were two sons, Richard, born on October 25, 1763, and Joseph, on February 13, 1766. Mr. Fitch's third wife was Sibyl, second daughter of John and Lydia (Parker) Lakin, of Groton. She was born on October 16, 1739, and died on October 11, 1806. By her there were four sons and three daughters, as follows, with their dates of birth : William, February 18, 1768; Betty, December 30, 1769; Sibyl, May 7, 1772; Zechariah, April 21, 1775 ; John, September 20, 1777; Sally, May 19, 1780; and Luther, Jan- uary 28, 1783.
Late in life, on May 11, 1809, Mr. Fitch was married at Pepperell to Betsey Tuttle, of Littleton, as his fourth wife, who died on January 5, 1823. His own death had taken place previously, on September 2, 1820.
455
A NAVAL HERO.
In the army during the Revolution Mr. Fitch served with credit as an officer. Ile was First Lieutenant in a company of Minute-men which marched from Groton on April 19, 1775 ; and in the autumn of 1776 he commanded a company at Fort Ticonderoga.
For references to Captain Fitch's note-book, see pages 378-385 of this volume.
A NAVAL HERO.
The following extract is taken from " The History of our Navy from its Origin to the Present Day 1775-1897 " (New York, 1897), by John R. Spears. An account is there given of the last battle fought by the United States frigate " Essex" against two British vessels in the harbor of Valparaiso, on March 28, 1814. Owing to more men and heavier guns on the part of the enemy, Captain David Porter, the American commander, was obliged to give the order to strike the colors.
At that, Benjamin Hazen, a Groton seaman (who, though pain- fully wounded, had remained at his post, and at the last had joined in the request to haul down the flag to save the wounded), bade adieu in hearty fashion to those around him, said he had deter- mined never to survive the surrender of the Essex, and jumped overboard. He was drowned (III. 43, 44).
For several generations the name of Benjamin Hazen has been a familiar one in Groton. Heroes do not spring up, here or elsewhere, in such numbers that the town can afford to forget such a son, who long since passed into obscurity. Hazen's name, numbered 180, is given in a list printed in the " Journal of a Cruise made to the Pacific Ocean " ( Philadelphia, 1815), by Captain David Porter. It is found on page 9 of the first volume, where he is rated as a " seaman ; " and on page 161 of the second volume it appears in the list of those killed in action.
456
OBITUARY NOTICES.
OBITUARY NOTICES.
THE following items, taken from the " The New England Historical and Genealogical Register" for 1853, relate to men connected with this town. Thomas Tarbell was an only son of Nehemiah and Martha Tarbell, of Groton, where he was born on February 15, 1783; and he had two sisters.
BLODGETT, Mr. William, Groton, (formerly of Tyngsboro',) 15 Nov., [1852] æ. 90 8-12 ; a revolutionary pensioner. His descend- ants were 6 children, 37 grandchildren, 23 great-grandchildren, and I of the next generation. (Page 97.)
See the first volume of this Series (No. XVII., pages 22, 23), for a fuller account of Mr. Blodgett.
TARBELL, Thomas, Esq., at Jamaica Plain. A well known mer- chant of Boston. While walking, in [West] Roxbury, he dropped down dead, supposed from disease of the heart. He was for many years one of the Overseers of the Poor ; a Director of the House of Industry, and an active member of the Howard Benevolent Society. He d. 28 April, æ. 69. (Page 101.)
GRAGG, Rev. William, Groton, 19 Nov., 1852, æ. 66 ; son of T. G., of Groton ; 17 Sept., 1786 ; H. C. 1820; ord. at Windham, Me., 15th Oct., 1828 ; after a few years was dismissed and removed to Carlisle, Mass. ; thence to Bedford and finally returned to his native place, Groton. His wife d. 29 Nov., having survived him but ten days. (Page 375.)
See " Groton Epitaphs " (page 212).
MRS. DENNISON KIMBERLY.
The news from Paris of the death from grippe of Mrs. Martha A. Kimberly, the wife of the now venerable artist Mr. D. Kimberly, will be received with regret. Her life has been devoted to her husband, and a few short stories, poems, and translations alone testify to her rare literary ability. She was a descendant of the first Parkers of Groton, Mass., ber great-grandfather being Captain Nathaniel Parker of Groton, a lineal descendant. Her gentle, loyal
457
OBITUARY NOTICES.
nature and wit made and held many friends, who will sympathize with the bereaved husband.
FAREWELL. Farewell, dear one ! I will not say, " How sad To part ! How long before we meet ! " But I will say, " How full of joy the past ! How full the future of dear memories !" If I return not in the years to come, Yet I am blest beyond the common lot,
For I have known you, I have been your friend. E. W.
" Boston Evening Transcript," March 19, 1898.
In Dedham, November 29, 1892, William Ames, aged 85 years, a native of Groton.
For an account of his family, with references to himself, see the third volume (pages 158-160) of this Series.
MITCHELL - In Chelsea, April 13, at the Soldiers' Home, Wil- liam C. Mitchell, private, Company B, Fifteenth Massachusetts Infantry, 65 yrs. Born in Canada ; admitted to the Home Aug. 13, 1897, from Groton, Mass.
" Boston Morning Journal," April 14, 1898.
John McKeen Gilson, the oldest inhabitant of Groton, died on Thursday last [April 28] at the age of 93 years and 19 days. His birthday on April 9 was duly celebrated by a large number of descendants and other kindred.
" Boston Sunday Journal," May 1, 1898.
Francis Worcester Died in Groton November 5th 1836
Mrs. Worcester relick of Francis Worcester Died in Groton Aged 80 May 17 1839
Town-records, " Births & Deaths " (III. 87).
At Groton, on the 12th instant, Capt. JAMES LEWIS, aged 74, (formerly of Billerica.) In every situation in which he was placed through a long and active life, he bore an upright and honorable character. He was an officer of the militia during the whole of the revolutionary war ; the companion of Buttrick, Davis, and others who composed the valient little band that resisted a superior British force, at the bridge in Concord, on the memorable 19th of April,
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