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 41
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Shepardson, and resides in Warwick, Massachu- setts. (The genealogy gives also: 9. Elmore, a son, born June 6, (probably 1810 instead of 1811) died at Candor, Tioga county, New York, married, 1834. Caroline Cooke, who was born March 20, 1816, daughter of, Samuel and Diadama (Green) Cook. of Tioga county, New York. He was a farmer at Oneonta, where his father died, and at Candor. His children were: I. Rebecca. born October 12, 1838. 2. Mary, November, 1840. 3. Eliza, November, 1842. 4. Seth G., March 18, 1845. 5. Lois D .. April 2. 1847: died July 7, 1899. 6. A. DeWitt, November 5, 1850. 7. Frances L., March 12. 1852; died August, 1895. 8. Emma, July 5, 1857. 9. Edmund, September 23. 1860. 10. Polly ( sic) born at Wardsboro; married Joseph Guile of Orwell, Vermont, and died at Mount Holly, Vermont. Their children were: George ; Andrew, shoemaker at Sandy Hill, New York ; DeWitt G .: Asenath, married Richmond, of Orwell, Vermont ; Orange S.
(VII) Lucina Hammond, daughter of Joel Hammond (6), born in West Wardsboro, Vermont, September 24, 1811: married Hosea White, father of Franklin B. White, of Worcester. (See sketch of this White family.)
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DR. JOHN MERRICK BEMIS. Joseph Bemis (I) was the immigrant ancestor of Dr. John Mer- rick Bemis, of Worcester, Massachusetts. Not all of the Bemis families of America can be traced to him, but most of them have been. He was born in England in 1619, and came to Watertown, Massa- chusetts, as early as 16440, when he was about twenty- one. He died in Watertown, August 7, 1684. There is some evidence to show that he married in England before emigrating here, and that his wife Sarah came over with him. Their first child, however, was born at Watertown, Massachusetts, in 1642, and they may have been married in Watertown or, as the birth is on the Boston records, in Boston, Massa- chusetts. It is known that Joseph Bemis was the son of Jolin Bemis, who was born in Dedham, Es- sex county, England, as early as 1550. The will of John Bemis was proved June 28, 1604. His chil- dren were: Isaac, Luke, Mary, James, Susan, Jo- seph, and Abraham. Joseph and his sister Mary came together to Watertown. Perhaps others of the family also came. Mary married William Hagar March 20, 1644-45; died December, 1695. Her huis- band died January 10, 1683-4. They had ten chil- dren and have a host of descendants.
Joseph Bemis was a quiet, hard-working man, a blacksmith and farmer. He served the town of Watertown as "haward." collector of taxes, member of the school committee, constable and selectman. He was on the board of selectmen in 1648-73-75. There was an amusing case before the magistrate where he was fined for having "one disorderly hog." Truly New England has always taxed her ingenuity to invent crime! On another occasion he was fined three pounds for cutting trees on the common land without the formal permission of the constituted authorities. Most of the fine was re- mitted. As his biographer says, otherwise than this he was apparently a good and law-abiding citizen. He was fairly well-to-do, leaving an estate valued at over two hundred pounds. His will was made the day of his death, August 7, 1684, and proved October 7, 1684. The widow administered the estate. She died 1712, and the estate was divided among the heirs November 18, 1712, except those parts al- ready given to the eldest son Joseph, and daughter Martha. The children of Joseph Bemis were: I. Sarah, born January 15, 1642-3; married at Water- town. October 2, 1694, John Bigelow, born in Eng- land, 1617; died in Watertown July 14, 1703; black- smith; freeman in 1652; selectman in 1665-70-71 ; married, before, Mary Warren (this was the first marriage recorded in Watertown, Massachusetts), who died October 19, 1691, Sarah being, it is said, his third wife. 2. Mary, born September 10, 1644; died before 1730; married February 16, 1683-4, Sam- uel Whitney, son of John, Jr., and Ruth ( Reynolds) Whitney, of Watertown, born in Watertown, July 23, 1648; died there 1730. John Whitney was born in England 1624, and died in Watertown October 12, 1692. Samuel Whitney was a soldier from Groton or Watertown in King Philip's war. He had a large family of children and has many descendants. 3. Joseph, Jr., (twin) born October 28, 1647. 4. Ephraim (twin), born October 28, 1647, died a few days later ; buried November 4, 1647. 5. Martha, born March 24, 1649; died unmarried; was admitted to the church February 25, 1697-8. 6. Joseph, Jr., 2d., born December 12, 1651; died at Westminster, Massachusetts, August 7, 1684. 7. Rebecca, born April 17, 1654; married ( first ) at Watertown, April II, 1684, John White, born at Watertown, February 25, 1648-9; died there (killed by a bull) May 30, 1684; the son of Anthony White, who was born in England 1607; died at Watertown, March 28, 1686,
and who embarked from Ipswich, England, for New England, April, 1634, with his wife, Grace ( Hall) White; married (second) at Watertown, April 1, 1686, Thomas Ifarrington, born at Water- town, April 20, 1665; died there March 29, 1712; the son of George and Susannah Harrington, of Watertown, leaving by this second marriage a large family of children. 8. Ephraim, 2d., born August 25, 1656; was living 1738, at Windham, Connecticut. 9. John, (see forward).
(Il) John Bemis, son of Joseph Bemis (1), born at Watertown, Massachusetts, August, 1659; died there October 24, 1732; married (first) at Water- town, 1680, Mary Harrington, daughter of George and Susannah Harrington, born January 12, 1663-4; died at Watertown September 8, 1716; married ( sec- ond) January 1, 1716-7, Mrs. Sarah ( Holland) Phil- lips, widow of Jonathan Phillips and daughter of Nathaniel Holland. Her mother was Sarah ( Hosier ) Holland, second wife of Nathaniel. Sarah ( Holland) Bemis was born at Watertown, Novem- ber 30, 1662; died there prior to 1726; married (third) at Watertown, May 30, 1726, Mrs. Judith (Jennison) Barnard, born at Watertown, August 13, 1667; died there. She was the daughter of En- sign Samuel and Judith ( Macomber) Jennison, and widow of James Barnard, who was born at Water- town, January 14, 1666-7; died there January 23, 1726. Ensign Jennison was born at Watertown 1645; died there October, 1701. His wife, Judith Macomber, died at Watertown, March I, 1722-3.
John Bemis sold. April 26, 1701, for fifty-six pounds, a half of the quarter of Alcock's farm of nine hundred acres in Marlboro. With his son-in- law, Daniel Child, he bought, April 6, 1702, of Nathaniel Saltonstall (Fellow of Harvard College) one hundred and sixty acres of land in Watertown, Lot No. 30, origanally granted to Sir Richard Salton- stall. Here the home of John Bemis was established and the property remained in the Bemis family for some generations.
John Bemis was a farmer. He was corporal in the militia company. He served the town of Water- town as tithing-man, as a member of the school board, as highway surveyor, as selectman, and on important special committees. He was one of the leading citizens of his time. Children were: Beriah, born June 23, 1681; died at Watertown about 1768; married (first) at Watertown, February 10, 1701-2, Daniel Child, baptized June 5. 1687. After the sec- ond marriage of his mother, he died in Watertown, January 29, 1723-4; son of John Child, (born 1636; died October 15, 1676) and Mary ( Warren) Child, (born November 29, 1651 ; died May 12, 1734) ; mar- ried (second) August 12, 1736, Joseph Pierce, born at Watertown, October 2, 1669; died at Weston, March 13, 1753, son of Joseph and Martha Pierce, of Watertown; married (third) John Whiting, born at Watertown, June 15, 1694; died at Westford. Massachusetts, 1776, son of Benjamin Whiting, (born at Watertown, June 28, 1660; died there 1736), and Abigail (Hagar) Whiting, daughter of William and Mary ( Bemis) Hagar; Beriah had many children and has many descendants; she is buried in the old graveyard at Watertown. 2. Susanna, born December 24. 1082; died November 15. 1703; married at Watertown, November 2, 1702, John Hastings; (died prior to 1747), son of John Hastings, (born March 1, 1653-4; died March 28, 1718), and Abigail (Hammond) Hastings, (born June 21, 1659 ; died April 7, 1718) ; had no children. 3. Joseph, born November 17, 1684; died 1738. 4. John, born October 6, 1686. 5. Mary, born Septem- ber 24. 1688; married at Watertown, October 26. 1708, Isaac Stearns, born December 31, 1674; died
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1737: son of Samuel Stearns of Watertown. (born April 24, 1638; died August 3. 1683), and JJannah ( Manning) Stearns, ( born June 21, 1642; died Feb- ruary 26, 1723-4) : had large family of children and has many descendants. 6. Samuel, born 1690, died at Spencer, Massachusetts, August, 1776, founder of the well known Spencer branch of the Bemis family. 7. Lydia, born 1692; married April 10, 1716, Jon- athan Fiske, baptized at Watertown, December 8. 1680, son of John Fiske, (born at Watertown, No- vember 20, 1055: died at Watertown 1709-18), and Abigail ( Parks) Fiske, (born at Watertown, March 3. 1758-9) ; left a large family of children and other descendants. 8. Hannah, born October 9, 1694; died October, 1700. 9. Isaac, born 1696. 10. Jona- than, born April 30, 1699; probably died young. II. Jonathan, 2d., born November 17, 1701. 12. Abra- ham, born November 26, 1703. 13. Susanna, 2d., (twin) born December 3. 1705; died November 25. 1785: married July 2, 1731, John Viles (Vilas), of Waltham, Massachusetts; who died at Waltham, February 4, 1774; had. many children. 14. Hannah, (twin) born December 3. 1705; married (first) April II. 1724, John Flagg, born September 21, 1700; killed accidentally March 14, 1733-4, son of John Flagg. (born November 6, 1677: died prior to 1755), and Anna Flagg, (died prior to 1712) ; mar- ried (second) July 23, 1734. Captain John Brown, born April 19, 1705; died at Weston, Massachu- setts, 1804. son of Captain Abraham Brown (born August 26, 1671; died November 27. 1729), and Mary (Hyde) Brown, (born June 21, 1673: died November 29, 1723). Hannah Bemis was his sec- ond wife. Captain Brown was selectman of Water- town, 1744-45-46-47-48-52, representative to the gen- eral court in 1748. He was an innholder, and a man of uncommon energy and enterprise. He re- moved to Weston in 1761, lived at Newton 1770 to 1778 and returned to Weston 1779. They had a large family of children.
(III) John Bemis, son of John Bemis (2), born October 6, 1686, at Watertown, Massachusetts; mar- red ( first ) May 8, 1710, Hannah Warren, born Jan- uary 25, 1690-91 ; died prior to 1713. daughter of Daniel Warren, (born October 6. 1653), and Eliza- beth ( Whitney) Warren (born June 9. 1756), mar- ried ( second) April 2, 1713, Anna Livermore, born 1690. daughter of Samuel Livermore, (born about 1640: died 1690), and Anna (Bridge) Livermore, (born 1646: died August 28, 1727). After John Bemis died his widow married ( second) December 5. 1769, Josiah Smith. Iohn Bemis was a constable in Watertown 1730; selectman in 1735. His children were: I. John, born February II. 1711. 2. Anna, born April 20, 1714: died at Waltham, Massachu- setts, a widow, January 9, 1793: married ( first ) February 26, 1734, Samuel Fiske. born January 4, 1709; died March 29, 1761; son of William Fiske, (born February 23, 1663-4: died 1742), and Hannah ( Smith) Fiske. (born December 27, 1672; died December 7. 1728) ; married ( second) April 26. 1763. Hopestill Bent, of East Sudbury, Massachu- setts, and had a large family of children by each husband. 3. Josiah, born February 29, 1715-6. 4. Abraham, born December 27, 1717. 5. Grace, born November 5, 1719; married and had many children 6. Lydia, born April 5, 1721 ; married Jonas Dix, born May 21, 1721 ; died August 30, 1783. He was captain in the militia ; civil magistrate for the trial of small causes; selectman for twenty-one years; assessor eighteen years ; representative to the general court from 1764 to 1783, inclusive. He was the son of John Dix and Martha ( Lawrence) Dix. They had many children and have many descendants. 7. Abijah, born March 16, 1722; died at Paxton June
19. 1790. 8. Elisha, born March 20, 1725. 9. Eliza- beth, born March 23, 1727-8. 10. Nathaniel, born May 6, 1730. 11. Susanna, born April 3, 1732; mar- ried November 15, 1753. Elisha Garfield, son of Lieutenant Thomas Garfield, of Weston, and Mercy ( Bigelow) Garfield, and had many children. 12. Phinehas, born March 24, 1734.
(IV) Abijah Bemis, son of John Bemis (3), born at Watertown, Massachusetts, March 16, 1722- 23; died at Paxton, Massachusetts, June 19. 1790 ; was the founder of what is generally known as the Paxton branch of the Bemis family. He went from Weston, Massachusetts, to Paxton about 1751 ; married January 29, 1751, Dinah Hagar, of Wal- tham, born in 1728, baptized May 5, 1728; died January 19. 1792, at Paxton, daughter of William Hagar, of Waltham, and Mary (Flagg) Hagar, born December 7, 1690. Dinah Hagar was a direct de- scendant of Mary Bemis, sister of Joseph Bemis, the immigrant. She was descended through her mother from John Livermore, the ancestor of all of that name in this country. All his children were prob- ably born at Paxton. The children were: I. Abijah, born 1753, died December 6. 1829. 2. Daniel. 3. Dinah; married July 15, 1788, David Cutting, of Brookfield. 4. Beulah, married November 11, 1784. John Pike, born November 10, 1762, son of John. and Mehitable Pike, of Sturbridge, Massachusetts. John and Beulah Pike moved to Marshfield, Ver- mont, in 1806. They had seven children. 5. Lydia. married January 25, 1788, Francis Pike. 6. John (see forward). 7. Ruth, married at Spencer, April 7, 1785, John Pike, of Paxton. 8. Alpheus.
(V) John Bemis, son of Abijah Bemis (4), born at Paxton, Massachusetts, 1767 ; died at Brook - field, Massachusetts, August 8, 1852; married (first ) July 1, 1793, Grizel Livermore; married ( second) July 5. 1796, Mary Flagg ; married (third) Jemima Adams, born at Brookfield, 1779, died there March 27, 1861, daughter of Eleazer Adams. He had one child by his first wife, three by the second, and the rest by the third wife. His children were: I. Celicia, born September 4, 1794; died at Brookfield. January 23, 1875 ; married. at Warren, Michael Walsh. 2. Samuel Flagg ( see forward). 3. Catherine, born 1797: died at Warren, Massachusetts, March 3, 1878: married, at Sturbridge. April 2, 1822, Charles Goodell. 4. Mary, died young. 5. Mary. died at Sturbridge, July 19, 1851 ; married Thomas Kellogg. 6. John, born September 24. 1803. died at Brook- field. April 7, 1871: married at Brookfield, Mary Newton. 7. David Adams, born March 16, 1805 : died at Warren, Massachusetts, April 30, 1886. 8. Charles, born at Spencer, Massachusetts, March 9, 1807 : died at Warren, December 18, 1891 ; married at Warren. Lucinda Reed. 9. Eleazer Adams born at Spencer. September 30, 1810; died at Brookfield, June, 1886; inarried at Brookfield, Sarah Harwood. 10. Addison, born at Spencer, Massachusetts, March 17, 1812, died March 7. 1895. II. Eliza A., born at Paxton 1817: died at Sherburne, Vermont. March 7, 1895: inarried (first) at Brookfield, Jan- uary 1, 1837. Hiram Gleason; married (second) at Brookfield, April, 1851, Lyman H. Hodgman. 12. Sophronia, born 1818; married at Brookfield, Austin Woodward; died at Brimfield, Massachusetts, May 30, 1901. 13. Waldo, (twin) born at Brookfield. October 13, 1820; died there November 24. 1856. 1.4. William. (twin) born October 13. 1820; married (first) at Stafford, Connecticut, September 9, 18.48. Frances A. Daniels ; died at Oxford, Massachusetts, March, 1905. 15. Austin F., born at Sherburne, Ver- mont, November, 1863.
(VI) Samuel Flagg Bemis, son of John Bemis (5). born March I. 1795; died at Brookfield, Massa-
PUBLIC LIBRAR
Merride Bernis
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chusetts, November 10, 1869; married Betsey Barrett, of Charlton, Massachusetts, born November 28, 1796; died at Brookfield, April 15, 1842, daughter of Philip and Elizabeth ( Barrett) Bigelow, of Charl- ton. Their children were 1. Merrick, see for- ward. 2. Freeland, born December 9, 1821; died January. 1880: married at Enfield, Massachusetts, Mary A. Underwood. 3. Fitz Henry, born No- veinber 9, 1823. 4. Ann Elizabeth, born November 15, 1826; married at Brookfield, Massachusetts, May 30, 1851, Eli Truxton, born at Sturbridge, March 27, 1821; died there January 3, 1897, son of Benjamin Brooks (born at Warren, Massachusetts, February 7, 1769; died at Sturbridge 1852), and Esther (Fink) Brooks (born at Wellington, Con- necticut, 1780 ; died at Sturbridge 1863) ; had several children. 5. Samuel Flagg, Jr., born November 15, 1828, at Sturbridge ; married Hannah Blodgett. 6. Maria Louisa, born October 3, IS31 ; died 1863 ; mar- ried at Sturbridge, Henry C. Storrs. 7. Francis Emily, born June 21, 1832, at Sturbridge, Massachu- setts ; married March 13, 1855, Marvin Clark, born at Southbridge, Massachusetts, February 3, 1816, son of Marvin Clark, of Woodstock, and Nancy (Car- penter) Clark, of Ashford, Connecticut: had five children. S. Daniel Webster, born in Charlton, Massachusetts, April 21, 1835; married (second) Maria T. Woods.
(VII) Dr. Merrick Bemis, son of Samuel Flagg Bemis (6), born at Sturbridge, Massachu- setts, May 4, 1820; died October 3, 1904. He was one of the most eminent physicians that ever re- sided in Worcester. He practiced his profession for fifty-six years. Almost to the day of his death hc retained his faculties and health. It was often said of him during the last score of years that he practiced, that he was one of the most active aged men of Worcester, carrying on a business that would tax the energies of a man of fifty. Through his entire period of practice Dr. Bemis confined his study and attention to his specialty, nervous and mental diseases, and he was for many years recog- nized as one of the leading alienists of the country. The wide range of knowledge and experience in cases of insanity, coming under his observation and care during his long connection with large insti- tutions for the insane, gave him an advantage over most of the specialists in this line of study. He was called often as an expert in consultation, and by the courts. His record of twenty-five years of continuous service in the State Insane Asylum, at Worcester, was in itself a remarkable record, and evidence of his ability and powers of endurance.
His parents moved from Sturbridge to Charlton when he was quite young. He was brought up on a farm, getting what educational advantages the district schools of his day afforded. He sought a higher edu- cation and worked his way through Dudley Acad- emy. He walked each way every week from his home to the academy, a distance of twelve miles. He taught school in winter to pay his way in the academy. He went to Amherst Academy for two years with the expectation of going to Amherst College. A long and severe illness caused him to abandon his plans for a college education, and for several years he taught school in Brookfield, Massa- chusetts. He began to study medicine when he was twenty-two years old, and entered the office of Dr. Winslow Lewis as a student, but continued to pay his way by teaching school in the winters. He attended medical lectures at Pittsfield, Massa- chusetts, Medical College, where he received the first half of his medical education. He then changed to Castleton Medical College, of Ver- mont, where, in 1848, he received his degree of
M. D. He came to Worcester November 14, 1848, to take the place, temporarily, of one of the physicians in the lunatic asylum, and soon after- ward received an appointment as assistant phy- sician to Dr. George Chandler, the superintendent. When, eight years later, in 1855, Superintendent Chandler resigned, the attention of the trustees was at once turned to Dr. Bemis as the most cap- able man for the position, and he was elected to the office. Being given a leave of absence for the pur- pose of travel and study in Europe, he made an extended tour, lasting eight months. He returned to Worcester in the summer of 1857, and took charge. He began immediately to put into opera tion the reforms and new methods he had learned. For seventeen years he filled the position of super- intendent to the satisfaction of the state authori- ties, and developed the institution until it stood among the foremost American hospitals for the in- sane. Radical changes in the methods of treating insanity were made during his administration. One of the innovations due to Dr. Bemis was the em- ployment of competent female physicians in luna- tic asylums. It is difficult to understand now how these institutions got along without women physi- cians. The custom has now become general. One of his last and most important duties in the state institution was the establishment of the hospital at Bloomingdale, the land for which was bought dur- ing the last years of his superintendency of the Summer street institution. He submitted plans for the buildings and again visited Europe in 1868, to inspect hospitals for the insane and study the treat- ment of lunatics. The Massachusetts institution was kept in the front rank of progress. The ex- ample set by this Commonwealth has been ex- ceedingly useful and beneficent, because it has been followed in other states, and by private insti- tutions generally in this country.
Dr. Bemis resigned his position in 1872 to estab- lish a private hospital for the care and treatment of patients afflicted with the various forms of mental and nervous diseases. He located the hospital on Salisbury street, Worcester. The main building is the mansion built in 1857, by Rev. Nathaniel Bent, for a young ladies seminary. This property, which includes ten acres of land, is very favorably located for its purpose. The hospital is known as Herbert Hall. The large, handsome mansion is cheerful, airy and well furnished. There are spacious veran- das surrounding the buildings. The view from the hall is one of the most picturesque in a country abounding in fine scenery. There are attractive walks under the stately old shade trees in the spa- cious grounds, and altogether it is an ideal place for an invalid and convalescent. It has been suc- cessfully conducted ever since its foundation, first by Dr. Merrick Bemis, then by him and his son Dr. John M. Bemis, and since the founder's death by his son alone. No mention of Dr. Bemis's profes- sional career would be complete without referring to his prominence as a specialist in psychiatry. He was frequently consulted both by medical breth- ren and by the courts in difficult cases of insanity or alleged insanity. He wrote many monographs upon hospital work among the insane and on the general subject of insanity. He was a man of large heart and generous impulses. He gave freely to charities. Few have equalled him in proportion to his means in the number of gifts judiciously distributed among a variety of worthy objects. His patriotic service during the civil war deserves special mention. When in 1861 the president's proc- lamation, calling for a force of 75,000 men to take the field immediately, was made Dr. Bemis earn-
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estly desired to enter the service. He was unable to pass the physical examination, however, but he gave freely of his means to support the Union cause. He organized and equipped a company and sent it to the front. He took an active in- terest in their welfare while they were in the field, and contributed freely to the support of the fami- lies of the boys in that company while the war continued. It was due largely to his efforts that the public subscription to purchase the organ for Me- chanics' Hall was successful. In 1864 the organ, which cost $9,000, was dedicated, and it has proved to be one of the finest instruments of its kind. It lias been one of the factors in making the Musical Festivals there so successful, from a musical point of view.
Dr. Bemis collected one of the most valuable and interesting private libraries in the state. Much of the library is, of course, devoted to medical works, and some of the volumes are very old and rare. He found some time to devote to public af- fairs and was a member of the Worcester board of aldermen in 1861-62-63., serving at the same time on the school board. This was a particularly im- portant period during the early and darker years of the civil war. He was a director of the Me- chanics' National Bank; a member of the Worcester Horticultural Society, the Worcester Society of Antiquity, the Natural History Society, of which he was president till his death, the Massachusetts and Worcester District Medical Societies, the American Medical Association, the New England Psychological Society and the American Medico- psychological Association. He was connected with various Masonic bodies. He was a member of the Church of the Unity, and a life member of the American Unitarian Association. He was for about fifteen years one of the state trustees of the Bald- winville Hosptal Cottages for Children, in the man- agement and development of which he had taken a leading part, and was president of the corporation at the time of his death. He was the first American physician to take a stand for the division of hos- pital buildings for the insane into separate cot- tages or pavilions. He married January 1, 1856, Caroline A. Gilmore, whose father was for thirty years a successful practitioner at Brookfield, Massa- chusetts. In his office, in fact, Dr. Bemis received his first lessons in medicine, and was started on his professional career while a school teacher at Brookfield. They had one child: John Merrick, (see forward).
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