Historic homes and institutions and genealogical and personal memoirs of Worcester county, Massachusetts, with a history of Worcester society of antiquity, Vol. I, Part 116

Author: Crane, Ellery Bicknell, 1836-1925, ed
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: New York, Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 824

USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Historic homes and institutions and genealogical and personal memoirs of Worcester county, Massachusetts, with a history of Worcester society of antiquity, Vol. I > Part 116

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Major Peter Harwood, great-grandfather of Mrs. John C. Pellett, son of Ebenezer Harwood, was born in Littleton, Massachusetts, May 10, 1740. He was a millwright and farmer. He married, May 26, 1763, Phebe Prouty, of Spencer, who was born August 3, 1744, died February 13, 1811; he died in Delaware, January 14, 1805. He was an officer in the revolutionary army-brave, daring and impetu- ous. He was court-martialled for disobedience of orders to abandon and destroy a bridge at White Plains, then being held by the American army; in attempting to hold it he was captured; the result of the court-martial was in his favor and he retained his rank and was further promoted. After the war he built a brick house, the most expensive one in town. He had nine children.

Ebenezer Harwood, father of Major Peter Har- wood and son of Peter Harwood, was born in Con- cord, Massachusetts, February 22, 1714. He mar- ried Dorothy Hubbard, who died in Brookfield, Au- gust 15. 1809. He removed from Concord to Little- ton in 1737 with his father and brother Joseph, and thence to North Brookfield in 1743-4. In April, 1745, he joined the secret expedition against Louis -. burg in Captain Olmstead's company under Sir Will- iam Pepperell and was killed during the siege June 17, 1745. His widow drew his prize money at Bos- ton, February 15, 1748. She married (second) at Worcester, July 5, 1750, Nathaniel Bartlett, of North Brookfield.

Peter Harwood, father of Ebenezer Harwood and son of Nathaniel Harwood, was born in Concord, Massachusetts, January 12, 1671. He married, No- vember 7, 1700, Mary Fox, of Concord, and died at Littleton in 1740. He had seven children.

Nathaniel Harwood, the immigrant ancestor of Mrs. John C. Pellett and her descendants, father of Peter Harwood, was first in Boston, then in Con- cord between 1665 and 1667. In 1665 he signed a declaration of non-freemen of Boston as to their satisfaction with the government. He married Eliza- beth -, who died April 25, 1715. He died Febru- ary 7, 1716.

(VII) Thomas Armit Pellett, son of John C. Pellett (6), was born in Wales, Massachusetts, Mav 19, 1850. He attended the public schools in Brattleboro, Vermont, whither his parents moved when he was only four years old. He learned the mason's trade in Brattleboro. In 1874 the contractor for the Worcester Insane Hospital at Bloomingdale, Worcester, J. D. Plummer, sub-let the contract for the brick work to Mr. Pellett. This contract took three years during the warm months and took thirteen million bricks. Mr. Pellett next superintended the building of the Mount Hermon Boys' School at Gill, Massachusetts, for Rev. Dwight L. Moody, for about a year and a half. In partnership with Mr. Plummer,

under the firm name of Pellett & Plummer, his firm built a school house at Saxtons river and a paper mill in Bellows Falls; the Amherst hat shop and two stores at Amherst. In partnership with his brother, John C. Pellett, under the name of Pellett Brothers, he built the high school building in Brattleboro, Ver- mont ; the Canal street school house; the Hooker hlock; the railroad station and the engine house, all at Brattleboro. In company with J. M. Boswell he built an addition to the Worcester Insane Hospi- tal, comprising two large wings. This firm also executed important contracts at the gas works, Wor- cester, and built Lamb's block on Front street.

Again he went into partnership with his brother as T. A. and J. C. Pellett. This firm had the con- tract for the tower on St. Paul's Church. In 1903 the firm was dissolved, J. C. having important contracts in Brattleboro, Vermont, where he has been working since then, while Thomas A. Pellett has remained in business in Worcester under his own name. In 1896 the firm was associated with John H. Pick- ford in building the Standish Hotel; additions to Bowler Brothers' brewery; additions to the gas house ; The Aurora, Main street, for Charles F. Stevens; the foundations of Bicknell block and two tenement buildings for Rice Brothers. Pellett Brothers also built the Worcester Society of An- tiquity building ; Mr. Shell's residence, Northfield, Massachusetts ; the Free Will Baptist Church; the German Lutheran Church, Worcester; the old Ethan Allen factory on Jackson street. Some of the build- ings constructed by Mr. Pellett, when he was not in partnership werc: The Methodist Church at Brattleboro; engine house and barn at North Brook- field; stable for Charles Bush ; engine house for the town of North Brookfield; a fine residence at St. John, New Brunswick.

He married, April 2, 1878, Emily Barrett, of Wardsboro, Vermont. Her father, Emerson Barrett. was a wood-worker by trade. Their children are : Arthur, born August 26, 1880; Annie, born February 24, 1882; Bradford, born June 15, 1889; Marion, born April 6, 1901.

FRANK LUCIUS MURDOCK. The name Murdock ( Murdoch or Murtogh) is of Gaelic origin and signifies Admiral, Sca Leader or Sea Power. The Murdock coat of arms is thus described : Argent, two ravens hanging paleways (sable) transfixed by an arrow through their heads fess ways. The family motto is: "Omnia Pro Bono." (All Things for the Good). The C. of A. was registered by Murdock of Camlodden in 1672 and has never been reduced. The crest is a raven rising, shot through the breast by an arrow.

Murdoch is the Scotch way of spelling the sur- name, which in England and America is spelled Murdock. The name has been common in Scot- land for centuries, especially in Ayrshire. At the same time branches of the family are found over the line in England. Henry Murdac, who died in 1153, was a famous archbishop of York. He came of a wealthy and important family in Yorkshire. He

joined the Cistercian order of Monks at Clairvaux. He was enthroned at York, January 25, 1151. The second Duke of Albany was Murdac or Murdoch.

John Murdoch, born in Ayr, in 1747, died there 1824, was a distinguished writer and friend of Robert Burns. Another famous Scotch author was Patrick Murdoch, who died in 1774, educated at Edinburgh, a native of Dumfries. Perhaps the best known mem- ber of the family was William Murdoch, the in- ventor of coal-gas lighting. He was born in Ayr- shire at Bellow Mill, near Old Cumnock, the second son of John Murdock, millwright, August 21, 1754,

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died in 1839. His father and grandfather were both gunners in the royal artillery. After Murdoch re- moved to England he spelled his name Murdock. At the present time Rev. Alexander Murdoch is Canon of Edinburgh, an office he has held since 1883. He has been rector of All Saints Church, Edin- burgh, since 1867

(I) Robert Murdock, the first American ancestor of Frank L. Murdock, of Worcester, Massachu- setts, was born in Scotland about 1665. He and his brother, John Murdock, came to America about 1688 and settled in Plymouth colony in New England. John remained there and is the ancestor of a numer- ous branch of the family. Robert stayed about four years in Plymouth. In 1692 he removed to Roxbury, Massachusetts. On the early records the name is spelled Murdo and Murdow as well as Murdock. His was the only name of this family on the Rox- bury records before 1700. He married, at Roxbury, April 28, 1692, Hannah Stedman, born in 1667, daughter of Thomas and Mary Stedman, of Cam- bridge. Robert Murdock and his family removed from Roxbury to Newton in 1703 and bought a house and one hundred and twenty acres of land there for ninety pounds of Jonathan Hyde and John Wood- ward. The farm was west of the school lot and the Dedham road, north of Jacob Chamberlain's farm, and east of John Hyde's. Later he owned the place called the Captain Jeremiah Wiswall place.

His wife Hannah died 1727, aged sixty. He mar- ried ( second) Abigail He died April, 1754, aged eighty-nine years. Children of Robert and Han- nah (Stedman) Murdock were: Hannah, born Jan- mirary 22, 1693; Lt. Robert, February II, 1695, married Abigail Hyde, daughter of Samuel Hyde, Novem- ber 5. 1719. and his only son settled in Hubbardston with his cousin, Robert, ancestor of the Worcester branch; Lieutenant Robert was seclectman, repre- sentative to the general court, etc .; John, May 25. 1696, ancestor of the Uxbridge, Massachusetts, and Windham county, Connecticut, branches of the fam- ily, see forward; Samuel, March 24, 1698; Benjamin, March 4, 1701, married, 1725, Mary Hyde; Hannah, born at Newton, May 22, 1705.

(II) John Murdock, third child of Robert Mur- dock (I). was born in Roxbury, Massachusetts, May 25, 1696. He married, in 1722, Sarah -. He bought twenty-two acres of land in Newton in 1721 of William Hyde for two hundred pounds. His place was on the west side of the road. His neighbors were on the north James Prentice and on the south Daniel Hyde. He died March, 1744, aged forty- eight years. His wife died 1779, aged seventy-six years. Children of John and Sarah Murdock were: Hannah, born July 17, 1723, died young ; Abiel, Feb- ruary 21, 1724-25, went to Brookfield, Massachu- setts, thence to Hubbardston, married Rebecca Wat- son, who died June 3, 1772, aged seventy-five years ; he died January 20, 1834, aged ninety years; John, December 24, 1727, founder of the Uxbridge branch ; Ephraim, April 18, 1729. died young ; Amos, August 7. 1730, founder of the Windham, Connecticut, branch; Elisha, August 25. 1732, died 1749; Aaron, August 28, 1735; Ephraim, March 19, 1737, married, 1761, Sarah Sever, and 1768 Charity Davis, lived at Roxbury. deacon; James, March 15, 1738, mar- ried Deborah Williams. October 10, 1765; Robert, see forward; Sarah, September 17, 1741 : Hannah, February 21, 1744, married Nathaniel Sparhawk, 1768.

(III) Robert Murdock, tenth child of John Mur- dock (2). was horn in Newton, Massachusetts, Sep- tember, 1739. He was a soldier' in the revolution. He was in Coptain William Marean's . company, Colonel Doolittle's regiment, at Lexington, April 19,

1775. He was second lieutenant in Captain William Marean's company, Colonel Nathan Sparhawk's (Seventh Worcester) regiment. He was commis- sioned as lieutenant April 6, 1776. Lieutenant Robert Murdock removed from Newton to Hubbardston, Massachusetts, about 1765. He married Margaret Cheney, of Newton. He died October 1, 1819; she died March II, 1826, aged eighty-four years. Chil- dren of Robert and Margaret (Cheney) Murdock were: Margaret. born 1768, in Hubbardston, mar- ried Luther Goodspeed; Ebenezer. 1771; Robert, see forward; Sarah, November 14, 1779, died September 24. 1798; Hannah, July 8, 1782, married Ebenezer Stowe.

(IV) Robert Murdock, third child of Robert Mur- dock (3), was born in Hubbardston, Massachusetts, August 31, 1773. He settled in his native town and his children were all born there. He married Sally Nichols, March 15, 1804. He died April 27, 1852; she died September 5. 1855. Children of Robert and Sally (Nichols) Murdock were: William, born January 27, 1805, married Sarah Wheelock, Febru- ary, 1833; he died at Wendell, June 4, 1860, and she died October 14, 1863, aged fifty-six; they had nine children ; Mary, August 10, 1806. married, March 1, 1832, Joshua P. Pillsbury and lived in Washing- ton, D. C., died April 30, 1892; Ebenezer, September 27. 1808. married Betsey Wheeler, March 2, 1836, died July 6, 1845; their daughter Ellen married, June 3, 1863, John D. Williams; Sumner, July 28, 1810. married Charlotte W. Howe, January 23, 1833, and had four children, among whom were Charles W., Henry L., Clara E., married Albert Mason, of Gardner; Joseph Cheney, November 30, 1812, died December 14, 1882; married Julia Greenwood, Janu- ary 5, 1838, and had six children : Julia Ann, Leander L., Willie C., Alfred C., Abby L .. John G .; Elisha, see forward; Sarah, July 31, 1818, married Richard Leonard, died December, 1900.

(V) Elisha Murdock, sixth son of Robert Mur- dock (4), was born in Hubbardston, Massachu- . setts, June 21, 1815. He married Nancy Temple, daughter of Thomas Temple, January 17. 1837. She died September 2, 1853. He married (second) Abigail A. (Clark) Young, May 24, 1855. She died February 17, 1875. He married (third) Mrs. Martha J. Evans, of Royalston, Massachusetts, April 9, 1877. He resided all his life in Hubbardston and was a highly respected and esteemed citizen of that town. Children of Elisha and Nancy (Temple) Murdock were: Lucius Adelbert, see forward; Elwin, died young: George Elwin, August 7. 1840, resided in Worcester. Child of Elisha and Abigail A, (Clark) Murdock was: Nancy Ella, born March 16, 1857.

(VI) Lucius Adelbert Murdock, son of Elisha Murdock (5), was born in Hubbardston, Massachu- setts, August 28, 1837. He attended the public schools of his native town until eleven years old. At that age he left home with fifty cents in his pocket and hired out to William Joslin. He earned sixteen dollars in the first month of working out and he saved as well as earned money. At the age of fifteen he bought a farm in Hubbardston, which has since been known as the Murdock Farm, and in three years he had cut off wood enough, so that with his savings he had the property free of debt. His ambition led him finally to leave Hub- bardston. He sold the farm to good advantage and went to East Templeton as engineer for the Derby Chair Company. He was there but a short time when he had an opportunity to make some money by handling winnowing machines. His thrift and energy interested William Smith, a manufacturer of tinware, in Templeton Centre, and Mr. Murdock accepted a position offered him by Mr. Smith. In

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1861 Mr. Smith moved his business to Worcester and took Mr. Murdock into partnership. The firm name was Smith & Murdock and their place of business was 174 Main street, near Lincoln square. The firm manufactured and dealt in silver and tin ware. In 1873 the firm was dissolved and Mr. Mur- dock went into business with his son, Frank L. Murdock, dealing in wool stock at Bigelow court.

In 18So he was appointed general agent of the Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company of Philadel- phia, Pennsylvania, with offices in Boston, and he withdrew from business in Worcester. For twenty- five years he was actively engaged in the duties of his position with the Penn company. He was well known throughout New England among insurance men and took a high standing among them. He enjoyed the complete confidence of his company, and under his management the business grew to large proportions. Mr. Murdock made his home at 21 Highland street. He attended the Plymouth Con- gregational Church, Pearl street, and was one of its founders. In politics he was a Republican. He was a charter member of the Brookline Lodge of Elks at Brookline, Massachusetts, where he lived during his later years. He was a member of the Home Market Club of Boston. He was always in -. terested in public affairs and was well posted in cur- rent events. He was an authority on insurance matters. He died January 29, 1905, at Worcester. He married, November 25, 1858, Ellen Hager, daughter of Charles White and Lydia Parkhurst (Whipple) Hager. of Hubbardston, Massachusetts. Charles W. Hager was a farmer there. Children of Lucius A. and Ellen (Hager) Murdock were: Frank Lucius, see forward; William Herbert, born July 10, 1863, died August 24, 1864; Mary Boyden, born March 17, 1870, married Charles Crompton, son of George Crompton, of Worcester, June 6, 1892.

(VII) Frank Lucius Murdock, eldest child of Lucius A. Murdock (6), was born in East Temple- ton, Massachusetts, February 29, 1860. His parents removed to Worcester when he was a year old. At the age of five he began to attend the public schools in Worcester. He took a two years' course in the high school and left to enter upon a business career. In 1876 he entered into business with his father, dealing in wool stock. He was in the firm of Lucius A. Murdock for four years, when his father went into the life insurance business and he became connected with Tower, Wing & Co., of Lawrence, Massachusetts, manufacturers in wool stock and commission merchants. He remained with this firm until 1892, when he became vice-president of the Basch & Greenfield Company, of Newark, New Jersey. He resides at 714 Pleasant street, Worcester. He and his family attend the First Universalist Church. In politics Mr. Murdock is a Republican. He is a member of the Worcester Auto- mobile Club, and the Home Market Club of Bos- ton. He was from 1877 to 1880 a member of Com- pany C, Worcester Light Infantry, Second Regi- ment, Massachusetts Volunteer Militia.

He married, January 1, 1880, Inez Estelle Bud- ding, daughter of Benjamin Quincy and Lucy Ann (Fessenden) Budding, of Worcester. Mrs. Mur- dock is a member of the Home Club of Worcester, Timothy Bigelow Chapter, Daughters of the Ameri- can Revolution. Their only child is Alice Camille, born March 22, 1881, who lives with her parents. Mrs. Murdock's father, Benjamin Quincy Budding, was a well known inventor of shoe machinery.

JOSEPH RICE TORREY. In all parts of the world, wherever razors and razor strops are used, the name of Torrey is known, and that for a reason

to be seen farther on in this brief memoir of one of the enterprising manufacturers of the city of Worcester.

Joseph Rice Torrey was born August 23, 1828, at New Salem, Massachusetts. When but two years of age his father died and his mother moved to Barre, Massachusetts, where he attended the common schools and subsequently his his own efforts the Wesleyan Academy at Wilbraham, Massachusetts, and also took a course at the Leicester Academy, where he early showed in a marked degree the , physical strength and power of endurance of an athlete which has served him so well in the hard and constant work of later years. At the age of seventeen he taught school, teaching for two years in Barre and Leicester, and then became an ap- prentice to the trade of stone-cutting, at which he worked for about four years.

Being considered an expert penman he took up the teaching of penmanship at Leicester and West- minster academies and other places in Worcester county, finally locating in the city of Worcester in 1852, where he engaged as bookkeeper with Will- iam H. Dexter, then in the flour and grain busi- ness. While occupying this position he originated a system of accounts which was approved by Mr. Dexter, and adopted by several large dealers in the same line of business. We next find him in the grocery trade, conducting a large retail business under the firm name of Eddy & Torrey; this part- nership was dissolved in 1858. Feeling that he had not yet discovered his favorite calling he decided, after carefully following out a line of investiga- tion in which he had been much interested for some time, to engage in the manufacture of razor strops. His grocery business not having proved financially successful owing to the great trade depression cul- minating in the disastrous year of 1857, he began his new venture without capital depending solely upon his own labor for the support of his family, but by untiring industry nights as well as days lie soon established a reputation for making goods superior to any other in this his newly chosen line. Year by year he continued to expand this business and enlarge his territory for trade. Commencing in a small way in 1858, by 1880 he owned the largest industry of the kind in existence. During the year 1880 he added the manufacture of razors and organized with Joseph Turner, a skilled expert in that line of cutlery, the J. R. Torrey Razor Com- pany, with Mr. Turner as president and himself as treasurer. They were as conservative in this venture as Mr. Torrey had been in the strop busi- ness, but with the passing years of steady growth, the razor business has increased until now this firm is by far the largest exclusive manufacturers of razors in this country, if not in the world, and wherever men shave their faces the "Torrey" brand is known and appreciated for its exceedingly fine temper and keen cutting qualities.

There had been several previous attempts to manufacture razors in the United States. Some of them on quite an extensive scale, bringing from England experienced workmen, and in one instance barrels of water were imported in which to harden the blades, under the singular delusion that the, water in this country was not suitable for that purpose. But all these attempts proved failures, and it remained for the J. R. Torrey Razor Com- pany to establish the first successful manufactory for that article in America.

Joseph Rice Torrey was never above his busi- ness and never shirked his personal duty. He learned to creep before he tried to walk. He first made by hand the razor strops which he sold upon

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the streets of Worcester, New York and other cities, until the people who used such articles be- came acquainted with the superior quality of his goods, and dealers sought after them. Reputation thus gained became his capital and earned for him the handsome reward he now enjoys. Let his record stand out boldly as an example to the rising young man who would make a success of life.

In 1870 he was elected to represent Worcester in the state legislature, being re-elected in 1871. He is a stanch Republican in his political views, and at one time wielded an influence in the councils of his party second to none in the county. He served on city, county and congressional committees in many hotly contested campaigns. He has always been a strong advocate of temperance and always practiced total abstinence as the only consistent and safe man- ner of living. In his social relations he is num- bered among the Masonic fraternity, Worcester Board of Trade, Massachusetts Club of Boston. He belongs to the Old South Congregational Church. He is an associate member of the Grand Army, George H. Ward Post, No. 10, of Worcester.

In 1852 he married Ann Adelia Lewis, daughter of Jolin Lewis, of Westminster, Massachusetts. Two children blessed this union: Frank William, who died at the age of sixteen years, and Lewis Hamil- ton, who is now associated with his father as a member of the firm of J. R. Torrey & Company. and is also a director in the Torrey Razor Com- pany. Mrs. Torrey died in 1869, and in 1877 he married Eliza Rice, of Barre, Massachusetts, by whom he has one daughter, Annie Louise.

The following regarding the ancestry of Joseph Rice Torrey is of interest :

(I) William Torrey, one of the American im- migrant ancestors of the Torrey family in Massa- chusetts, was born at Combe St. Nicholas, Somer- setshire, England, about 1590; he was descended from an eminent family of that county, received a good classical education and came to Massachu- setts with his brother James about 1640. James settled at Scituate, and William at Weymouth, where lie became a magistrate and captain of the train- band of the colony (the highest military rank of the time), and was many years a representative from Weymouth in the general court. Being a good penman he was frequently chosen clerk of that body. He was prominent in all committee work where they had to do with literary and educational questions. He died at Weymouth about 1675.

His son Samuel, born in England, graduated at Harvard College, and became an eminent minister at Weymouth. Preached the "Election Sermon" three times and twice declined the presidency of Harvard College. Ile was born about 1631, and died in 1707.

Ebenezer Torrey, the grandfather of Joseph Rice Torrey, born in 1771, at Weymouth, Massachusetts, when a young man moved to New Salem, Massa- chusetts. He married a Miss Day of that place by whom he had two sons: Sumner and William. Ebenezer Torrey was very active politically and prominent in the state militia. In 1810 was com- missioned captain by Gevernor Gore. He served as a member of the Massachusetts legislature from 1831 to 1833, and was earnestly interested in securing the charter for the first line of railway from Boston to Worcester. He died in 1863 and was buried at New Salem, Massachusetts.

William Torrey, son of Ebenezer Torrey, was born at New Salem, in 1799, married Clarissa Rice, daughter of Josepli Rice, of Barre, December I. 1825. she being of the fourth generation from Gersham Rice, one of the first settlers of Worces-

ter. Their only child was Joseph Rice Torrey, whose father, William Torrey, died in 1830, aged thirty-one years, and was buried in New Salem, that part of which is now in the town of Orange.

CRAWFORD FAMILY. While the Crawford family was well established in Scotland before 1200 we are told that it is of Anglo-Norman origin some two centuries earlier, and the Crawfords of Scotland trace their ancestry to a Norman noble of the days of William, the Conqueror. The name is spelled sometimes Crawfutt in the early Scotch records, while Crauford was the ordinary spelling until later days. A list of the heads of important Scotch fam- ilies in 1291 has been preserved. . It is known to historians as the Ragman's Roll. On this list are the names of five Crawfords: John de Crauford, of Ayrshire: John de Crauford, tenant le Roi, Ayrshire ; Renaud de Crawford, of Ayrshire; Roger de Crauford and William de Crauford. The records show families in Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire and Stirlingshire, as well as Ayrshire, before the year

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Historic homes and institutions and genealogical and personal memoirs of Worcester county, Massachusetts, with a history of Worcester society of antiquity, Vol. I, Part 116

Author: Crane, Ellery Bicknell, 1836-1925, ed Publication date: 1907 Publisher: New York, Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company Number of Pages: 824

Author: Crane, Ellery Bicknell, 1836-1925, ed
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: New York, Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 824