Historic homes and institutions and genealogical and personal memoirs of Worcester county, Massachusetts, with a history of Worcester society of antiquity, Vol. I, Part 138

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 138


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


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P. Knowles, son of F. B. Knowles, at Pacachoag Hill, Auburn, where a beautiful country home has been built and a magnificent stock farm equipped and developed. Mr. Hunt was in charge of the work until 1897, when he resigned. Since then Mr. Hunt has resided in Worcester and been engaged in the real estate business. His home is at 62 Dewey street. He is a member of the Old South Con- gregational Church, Worcester.


He married, September 4, 1855, Laura Warner, of Springfield, Massachusetts. Their children are: I. Hattie Maria, born March 21, 1858, at home; she taught school seven years at Granby and Waltham. 2. Frank, born March, 1862, married Lucy Cathon, and has two children: Francis and Ruth G .; they reside in Allston. 3. Samuel, born April 12, 1868, married Cordelia Mathers, two children: Gertrude and Charles; they reside in Allston. 4. Fred, born September, 1870, unmarried, remained with his father until 1897, when he learned the trade of moulder and is now employed in Detroit, Michigan, as in- structor.


BIRNEY ASHER ROBINSON. Thomas Rob- inson (I) was the emigrant ancestor of Birney Asher Robinson, of Worcester. He was a proprietor of Roxbury about 1636, and his wife Silence was a member of the church there. He removed to Bos- ton. It was not until November 11, 1662, however, that he disposed of all his land at Roxbury. He was a mariner and sold the ship "Speedwell," in which many emigrants came to this country, to Thomas Witherly of Southwark, county Surrey, July 27, 1640. Then he appears to have gone to Scituate where, in 1640, he bought land of William Gilson. He bought house and lands there in 1642. He represented Scituate in the general court in 1643. He was elected deacon of the second church of Scituate. He was a juryman at Scituate in 1644, and took the oath of fidelity March 3, 1641-5. He was proposed for freeman and probably admitted 1650. In August and September. 1654. he bought two estates in Boston, adjoining each other, on the west side of Washington street, opposite the Old South church. The lots were two hundred and seventy feet deep. He lived there some of the time, though his children were taken to Scituate to be baptized, perhaps because he was a deacon there. All were baptized there except James. Isaac Robinson, unquestionably a son of Rev. John Robin- son, pastor of the Pilgrims in Holland, settled in Scituate at the time that Thomas went there, and somne believe that he also was a son of Rev. John Robinson, but proof is lacking.


He made his will March 17, 1665, and it was proved April 27, 1666. He made bequests to his wife: to children, Thomas, James, Joseph, and Mary ; son Jolin supposed to be in England: to brother Joseph Rocke. After his first wife Silence died, he married (second) Mary (Cogan) Woody, of Boston, in that town January 11, 1652-3. She was the widow of John Woody and the daughter of John Cogan, of Boston. She died October 26. 1661. He married (third) Elizabeth Sherman, widow of Richard Sherman. Her will was dated August 21, 1666, and was proved November 16, 1667. Thomas Robinson died March 23, 1665-6. Children of Thomas and Silence (probably) were: 1. John; merchant, supposed to be in England at the time of his father's death ; was administrator of brother Samuel's estate October 28, 1662. 2. Samuel ; merchant ; died un- married January 16, 1661-2, aged twenty-four years. 3. Josiah : apprenticed to Joseph Rocke, who was named in father's will; died April 17, 1660. 4. Ephraim, born in Scituate probably; died Septem-


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ber 22, 1661. Children of Thomas and Mary (Cogan) Robinson were: 5. Thomas ( see forward ). 6. James, born in Boston, March 14, 1654-5: died September, 1676. 7. Joseph, baptized March 8, 1656-7 ; married Sarah -: died April, 1713. 8. Mary, bap- tized February 28, 1657-8; died young. 9. Mary, baptized November 6, 1659; married Jacob Green, Jr., of Charlestown. Joseph Rocke, before men- tioned, married Elizabeth, sister of Mary Cogan, second wife of Thomas Robinson.


(II) Thomas Robinson, son of Thomas Robin- son (I), born probably in Boston, but baptized in Scituate, March 5, 1653-4; married Sarah Dennison, daughter of Edward Dennison, of Roxbury. He in- herited part of the Robinson homestead, where he resided, and also his grandfather Cogan's house and store on the corner of Washington and State streets. He was a cordwainer or shoemaker by trade. He died June, 1700. His wife Sarah died in Roxbury November 15, 1710, aged fifty-three years. Their children were: I. Thomas, born No- vember 5, 1677; married Sarah Beswick, June 26, 1707 . died (s. p.) February 15, 1729-30. 2. Sarah, baptized December 28, 1679: married (first) John Ingoldsbury, May 4, 1704; married (second) John Perry, May 27. 1707. 3. Joseph, baptized Novem- ber 20, 1681; died young. 4. Elizabeth, born Sep- tember 26, 1686; died young. 5. James, born March 15, 1689-90.


(III) James Robinson, son of Thomas Robinson (2), was horn March 15, 1689-90, at Roxbury ( ?). He married, at Roxbury, Patience Ruggles, daughter of Captain Samuel Ruggles, of Roxbury. He was a housewright. The homestead of his grandfather on Washington street, Boston, he sold February 7. 1711-12. He bought a house on the south side of Boylston street which he sold April 12, 1714, and removed to Rochester, Massachusetts, where Rev. Timothy Ruggles, his wife's brother, was settled. He lived there until the Spring of 1757, when he exchanged his farm in Rochester for one in Hard- wick, Massachusetts, where several of his children were already settled. Of his eight children Dorothy alone remained in Rochester, all the others settling in Barre and Hardwick in Worcester county. His farm was on the road to Ware, marked on the R. map "Mr. Leonard." He died shortly before March II. 1762, when the will was proved. His wife Patience died January, 1768, aged seventy-eight years. Their children were: 1. James, horn March 1, 1711-12; married Elizabeth Smith : settled on the River Road from Hardwick to Barre, in the then wilderness. 2. Thomas, born September 15, 1713; died young. 3. Samuel, born November I, 1715. 4. Thomas, born April 20, 1718. 5. Sarah, born July 2, 1720; mar- ried Ebenezer Spooner, of Rochester, 1746. 6. Dorothy, born March 10, 1722-3: married David Peckham, October 27, 1743, and Major Elnathan Haskell, November 26, 1749: died at Rochester, September 25, 1810. 7. Dennison, born July 16. 1725. 8. Joseph, born September 13, 1727. 9. Hannah, born November 16, 1730; married Benjamin Green Au- gust 31. 1764.


(IV) Joseph Robinson, son of James Robinson (3), born September 13, 1727; married Martha Hedge in 1753, and they settled in Barre. Six of their twelve children are recorded as born in Barre. Some of their children were: 1. Mary, born June 3. 1754. 2. Dorothy, born February 23, 1756. 3. Lemuel, born January 4, 1758; his son Lemuel. Jr., and probably others, settled in Bennington, Ver- mont. 4. Martha, born November 23, 1759. 5. Sam- uel Hedge, born January 25, 1761. 6. Levi, baptized May 20, 1770.


(V) Levi Robinson, son of Joseph Robinson (4),


was born in Barre, Massachusetts, and baptized in the First church there, May 20, 1770; married Sep- tember 30, 1798, Betsey Nye, of Hardwick, in that town. They settled in Westford, Vermont. Their children, born at Westford, were: I. Nye, born March 14, 1799: had three children. 2. Annis, born 1800; taught school at Westford, Vermont, 1820; died, unmarried. 1821. 3. Charles : had two children. 4. Lucinda, married Ira Graves and had two chil- dren. 5. Levi, born February 23, 1808, at Westford, Vermont, had eight children; died October 16. 1877. 6. Joseph, born November 28, 1809. 7. Stephen Pearl, born March 16, ISO8; lived at Westford.


(VI) Joseph Robinson, son of Levi Robinson (5), born in Westford, Vermont, November 28, 1809; married Aurelia Cross, October 17, 1833. They set- tled in Fairfax and Underhill, Vermont. Their children were: I. Sarah E., born August 18. 1834, at Fairfax, Vermont ; died September 18, 1834. 2. Sophronia L., born October 2, 1836; died at Fair- fax June 7, 1843. 3. Asher C., born February 15, 1839, at Fairfax. 4. Lucinda A., born July 13, 1841, at Fairfax ; died August 1, 1858. 5. Sophronia ( twin), born March 26, 1845, at Fairfax; died August 8, 1845. 6. Malona (twin), born March 26, 1845: died July 9, 1847. 7. Fillmore Joseph, born October 27, 1849. at Underhill, Vermont. 8. Fayette H., born March 17, 1854, at Underhill; died April 7, 1854.


(VII) Asher C. Robinson, son of Joseph Robin- son (6), born in Fairfax, Vermont, February 15, 1839; married Euretta Stevens, of Richmond, Ver- mont, March 22, 1860. She was the daughter of Rufus and Ann Stevens and was born in Richmond, Vermont, August 20, 1838; died May 27, 1903. He represented the town of Westford in the Legisla- ture in 1874-5 and Chittenden county in the Senate


in 1880-81. Their children were: George C., born December 28, 1860, at Clifton, Michigan; re- sides at West Rutland, Vermont. 2. Mortimer C., born March 2, 1862, at Richmond, Vermont. 3. Adelle, born at Underhill, September 9, 1863. 4. Erminie, born in Underhill, May 16, 1865. 5. Birney A. (twin), born August 24, 1869, at Westford. Ver- mont (see forward). 6. Bertha (twin), born Au- gust 24, 1869, at Westford, Vermont. 7. Fanny L., born June 12, 1874, at Westford, Vermont; died January 1, 1888.


(VIII) Birney Asher Robinson, son of Asher C. (7) and Euretta (Stevens) Robinson, was born at Westford, Vermont, August 24, 1869. His boy- hood was spent in his native town and he attended the public schools there. Later he attended St. Johnsbury Academy at St. Johnsbury, Vermont. His first business experience was with Swift & Company, the meat dealers and packers, of Chicago, Illinois, where he worked as salesman in one of the Chicago branches of the concern. He left this company to accept a position in the office of the Vermont Marble Company, of which Senator Proctor, of Vermont, is the head, at Proctor, Vermont. Later he was sent to St. Louis to the branch office in that city. In 1896 he spent most of the year in St. Johnsbury, Vermont. coming to Worcester, Massachusetts, to live in 1897. After an extensive foreign trip he returned to Wor-


cester and started on his own account in the auto- mobile business in Worcester. When he opened his first place at the corner of Clinton and Pleasant streets. he was the first to venture in this line of trade in Worcester, and has perhaps been the most successful. As the demand for the machines in- creased he was obliged to enlarge his quarters. He moved first from Pleasant street to the Bellmar block on Main street. In August, 1904, he removed again to a large building on Church place, at the rear of the First Universalist Church on Pleasant


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street. Here he conducts a general business in auto- mobiles and supplies in connection with the garage, boarding and renting machines as well as dealing in them. He has also a repair shop, a not unin- portant part of the business. Mr. Robinson deals in a number of the leading styles of automobiles and has sold a large proportion of the machines owned in Worcester.


He is a member of the Worcester Automobile Club, the Worcester Continentals, the Common- wealth Club and the American Automobile Associa- tion. In politics he is a Republican. He and his family attend the Plymouth Congregational Church. He married October 23. 1895, Mabel Fairbanks, daughter of William P. Fairbanks, of the famous Fairbanks Scale Company, of St. Johnsbury, Ver- mont. Her mother was Rebecca Pike. She ( Mabel ) was born at St. Johnsbury August 14. 1871. Their children are: I. Bertha, born November 9, 1896. 2. Clifton Fairbanks, born July 13, 1901. 3. Winfield Fairbanks, born September 28, 1902.


FAIRBANKS FAMILY. (I) Jonathan Fair- banks, of Dedham, one of the most famous of the pioneers on account of his large and distinguished posterity, and perhaps also because his home in Dedham is still preserved and has always been oc- cupied by his family and descendants, is the emi- grant ancestor of Mrs. Birney A. Robinson, of Wor- cester. and of many others to whom reference is made in this work.


Jonathan Fairebanke (Fairbank. Fairbanks) came from Sowerby, in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England. to Boston, Massachusetts, in the year 1633. and in 1636 settled in Dedham, Massachusetts, where he built the noted old "Fairbanks House" which is still standing, and is to be indefinitely preserved by the family, which, through the Fairbanks Associa- tion, has purchased it. This house is an object of great interest to the visitors to Dedham. It is claimed that the oldest part of the house was built in 1636. The house as it stands to-day was prob- ably complete as early as 1654. Jonathan Fairbanks . signed the famous Dedham Covenant which regu- lated the future conduct of the town. Among the one hundred and twenty-five signers were his sons John, George and Jonathan Fairbanks, Jr. Jonathan Fairbanks was admitted a freeman March 23, 1637-8. Jolin was admitted a freeman as early as 1642, George about 1651 and Jonathan, Jr. in 1654. Jonathan re- ceived numerous grants of land. He joined the church August 14, 1646.


His will was made June 4. 1668. He evidently believed in the old English law of primogeniture, for he bequeathed the homestead to his eldest son, John. The house has since been occupied successively by John, Joseph, Joseph 2d., Ebenezer, Ebenezer 2d., Prudence. Sarah (Sally), Nancy and Rebecca. In July, 1892 the house was struck by lightning and damaged and Rebecca Fairbanks removed for a time to Boston, but later returned and occupied it until 1904 when the Fairbanks Family Association took possession.


Of the immediate English ancestors of Jonathan Fairbanks little is known. He was evidently not of the ignorant lower classes. but had a fair education and was, as tradition says, a man of strong common- sense, sound judgment and good executive ability. His name appears frequently in the town records, though he held only minor town offices. There are good grounds for the inference that he had more ample means than the average pioneer. He built a better house and seems to have lived in better style than most of his neighbors. And he left con-


siderable property. He was born about 1600, in England ; died in Dedham December 5. 1668. His wife was Grace Lee. She died December 28, 1673, or May 19, 1076.


Their children, all born in England, were: I. John: married Sarah Fiske in 1641 ; held offices and various commissions to explore the Charles river, Deerfield, etc .; inherited the homestead ; joined the church May 4, 1651; died November 13. 1684; wife died November 26, 1683; had nine children. 2. Captain George (see forward). 3. Mary, born April 18, 1622; died May 10, 1676 or June 4, 1684; married Michael Metcalf, April 2, 1644 (born in Eng- land August 29, 1620; died March 25, 1654) : mar- ried (second) August 2, 1654, Christopher Smith; among their descendants was Judge Theron Met- calf, of the Massachusetts supreme court. 4. Susan ; married Ralph Day, of Dedham, a mason; she died July 8, 1659, and he married (second) November 15, 1659. Abigail Craft, daughter of Griffith Craft, of Roxbury, and widow of John Ruggles; he died November 28, 1677: had six children. 5. Jonas, an- cester of Hon. Charles W. Fairbanks, vice-presi- dent of the United States; removed to Lancaster, Massachusetts, in 1657: signed the Covenant March 7. 1659, and was called one of the "fathers of the town;" he was a farmer and believed to be also a carpenter; in 1652 he was fined for wearing great boots before he was worth two hundred pounds, which was contrary to a statute of 1651 : he and his son Joshua were killed by the Indians February 10, 1676. during a raid in King Philip's war; he mar- ried May 28, 1658, Lydia Prescott, daughter of John Prescott, who came from Sowerby, Parish of Hali- fax. England. She was born in Watertown, Massa- chusetts. August 15, 1641, and after the death of Jonas, she married (second) Elias Barron, of Water- town, afterwards of Groton and Lancaster. Jonas had seven children. 6. Jonathan. born in England ; admitted townsman in Dedham, January 1, 1654-5, and signed the Covenant ; resided at Dedham : died January 28, 1711-12: was a soldier in King Philip's war. serving in the first or Mount Hope campaign in 1675. and in several subsequent campaigns ; mar- ried Deborah Shepard, of Cambridge, daughter of Edward Shepard, who came from England with her May 10, 1643; she died September 7. 1705: had thirteen children.


(II) George Fairbanks, son of Jonathan Fair- banks (I), came with his father from England and resided in Dedham until about 1657, when he re- moved to the southern part of Sherborn, afterwards East Medway, now the town of Millis. He was one of the first settlers there and was an esteemed citi- zen. His homestead in Medfield remained in the family for four generations. The stone house orig- inally occupied by him was the garrison house built by the settlers on the Bogistow Farms, on the borders of Bogistow Pond, as a place of refuge and defence in time of Indian troubles. It was sixty-five or sev- enty feet long and two stories high. The walls were built of flat stones laid in mortar. It had a double row of port holes on all sides and was lined with heavy planks of oak. The Medway Historical Society has marked the site, the building having been long since removed. In 1662 he signed the first petition for the town of Sherborn. and again in 1674 he signed the successful petition, becoming one of the proprietors of Sherborn, including the present towns of Sherborn, Holliston and parts of Framingham and Ashland. He was four years select- man of Sherborn, and was on the committee to en- gage and settle a minister. His sudden death by drowning in 1682 was a severe loss to the new settle-


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ment. He was a member of the Ancient and Honor- able Artillery Company of Boston. He died Janu- ary 10, 1682.


He married October 26, 1646, Mary Adams, of Dedham. who died Angust II, 17II, in Mendon, Massachusetts, probably at the home of her son-in- law. William Holbrook. Their children were: I. Mary, born November 10, 1647; married January 16. 1665-6, Deacon Joseph Daniels, son of Robert and Elizabeth Daniels: freeman of Medfield; she died August 9, 1682; he died June 23, 1715; had nine children. 2. George, born May 26, 1650, in Medfield, Massachusetts, inherited south part of father's farm; died 1737; was principal inhabitant of the new town of Medway, October 14. 1713: mar- ried Rachel Adams, daughter of Peter and Rachel Adamıs. in 1671: she died May 12, 1678, and he married Susanna and Sarah - -; had ten children. 3. Samuel, born October 28, 1652; died November 20, 1676. 4. Eliesur, born June 8, 1655. 5. Jonas, born March 23, 1656-7: died November 28. 1676. 6. Jonathan, born in Medway, May I, 1662: resided in Sherborn, afterwards set off as Medway. probably in the old stone garrison house near Bogistow Pond; was the first physician in Sherborn; selectman for several years and town clerk ; drowned December 19, 1719, by falling through the ice while crossing the river from Medfield in the night ; married Sarah - , who died July 9, 1713; married (second) Annie -; had six children. 7. Margaret, born June 27. 1664; married William Hol- brook, of Mendon; will proved December 16, 1714; had three children.


(III) Eliesur Fairbanks, son of George Fairbanks (2), born June 8, 1655: settled in Sherborn, Massa- chusetts. He drew a home lot of eighteen acres on the main street of Sherborn. adjoining Peters Hill; he was selectman in 1703. He married Martha -. Their children were: I. Mary, born October 31, 1678: married May 8, 1700. Isaac Woods. of Sud- bury. second wife; he died July 18, 1720; had seven children. 2. Martha. born January 22, 1680: mar- ried Oliver Death, April 17, 1697; he died March 3. 1704-5, and she married (second) Ebenezer Le- land. January 9, 1708; he planted the magnificent elms to be see on the old Leland place about 1708; had six children. 3. Lydia, born March 8. 1682; married May 25, 1702, Edward Rice, of Marlboro ( born June 20, 1672: died July 20, 1741) ; she died September 13. 1755; had ten children. 4. Margaret, born December 19. 1684; died in 1698. 5. Mercy, born October 18. 1688: married (first) Lieutenant Joshua Underwood. of Sherborn, January 13, 1708; married (second) Joshua Fairbanks July 26. 1732; she died September II. 1742; had seven children. 6. Eleasur, born December 29. 1690.


(IV) Captain Eleasur Fairbanks, son of Eliesur Fairbanks (3), born in Sherborn, December 29, 1690; resided there: died September 19, 1741. He married Martha Bullard, daughter of Captain Sam- uel Bullard. December 25, 1712. She married (sec- ond) John Phips. December 22, 1743, and removed to Brookfield, Massachusetts. Their children were : I. Eleazer, born July 23, 1716: removed to Plain- field, Connecticut, where he was admitted to the Congregational church May 24. 1753; removed to Killingly, Connecticut ; married Prudence Cary; was a preacher; had seven children. 2. Joseph, born September 17. 1718; was commissioned Lieutenant of Foot by General William Shirley, Captain Gen- eral of his Majesty's Governors of Massachusetts Bay under George II in 1755; was at the siege of Louisburg and after its capture went to. Halifax. where he was one of the earliest settlers; was a member of the first House of Assembly, which


was convened by Governor Lawrence in 1758 with nineteen members; became a wealthy and influen- tial man and with the most prominent people there was identified with the growth and prosperity of Halifax; married (second) Lydia Blagden, daughter of Samuel and Ann Blagden, and sister of Colonel Samuel Blagden of the American revolutionary army, died 1790 without issue. 3. Deborah, born November 12, 1719; married Joseph Twitchell, Esq., June 28, 1739; was captain of the militia; commissary for the army in 1776; town clerk, representative and magistrate, and the leading man of the town until succeeded by his junior half- brother. Hon. Daniel Whitney; had fourteen chil- dren, all born in Sherborn. 4. Moses, born August 14. 1721; was in the colonial wars from April 2, 1759 to September 29, 1760. 5. Sarah, born August 2. 1724; married September 28, 1741, Benjamin Mason, son of Joseph and Mary (Monck) Mason, who was born in Watertown, Massachusetts, July 14, 1717; died July 5, 1801; she died in Sullivan, New Hampshire. February 4, 1815; they settled in Dublin, New Hampshire; one of their descend- ants is the author, Alice Morse Earle. of Wor- cester, Massachusetts, and Brooklyn, New York. 7. Abel, born November 28, 1726. 8. Abigail. horn August 18, 1728; died young. 9. David, born Feb- ruary 2, 1731. 10. Abigail, born May 5, 1732. II. Ebenezer, born June 1, 1734. 12. Mary; married in 1757, Captain Samuel Sanger, and died without issue.


(V) Deacon Ebenezer Fairbanks, son of Eleazer Fairbanks (4), was born in Sherborn, Massachu- setts, June 1, 1734. He removed to Brimfield, Massachusetts, and settled on a farm in the north- east part of the town. He was an esteemed citizen, and a deacon in the Congregational church there. He died June 6, 1812. He was one of the minute men who responded to the Lexington Alarm, April 19, 1775, with the rank of lieutenant. He also served as a private later in the war. He married July 2, 1761, Elizabeth Dearth, who was born Sep- tember 24, 1743 and died at Monson, Massachusetts, June 15, 1818. Their children were: I. Asa, born March 4, 1762; removed to Dublin, New Hampshire, in 1784, and died there July 26, 1819; enlisted in the revolution service at the age of fourteen and served on guard duty in Sherborn, at Rhode Island and West Point; married April 28, 1784, Hepzibah Adams, daughter of Captain Moses Adams; she was born in Sherborn, December 8, 1761; had four children. 2. Joseph. (see forward). 3. Betsey, born August 23, 1766; died September 22, 1767. 4. Eben- ezer, born December 15, 1768; died October 26, . 1796. 5. Henry, born December 21, 1770, at Brim- field; died July 20, 1827; married October 29, 1795, Margaret Bliss, born March 5, 1773; died June 4, 1843, aged seventy years, two months, twenty-nine days; had six children. 6. Thaddeus, born March 13. 1773; was graduated at Yale College in 1796; licensed to preach in 1800; preached as a licentiate apparently for some years, but was not ordained; preached at Canterbury, Connecticut, for a time; married Pamelia Burt; died at Monson, Massachu- 7. setts, December 21, 1815; had three children. Elizabeth, born January 3. 1775; married Roswell Merrick; died at Dayton, Ohio, January, 1855; aged eighty years; had ten children. 8. Levi, born August 24, 1778. at Sherborn, Massachusetts : settled in Brimfield, Massachusetts; died there about 1850; married Betsey Smith and Mrs. E. Howard; had one child by each.


(VI) Joseph Fairbanks, son of Ebenezer Fair- banks (5), was born in Sherborn. November 1. 1763. When he was twenty years old, his uncle Joseph,




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