Historic homes and institutions and genealogical and personal memoirs of Worcester county, Massachusetts, with a history of Worcester society of antiquity, Vol. I, Part 52

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 52

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Merriam district, east of the centre of the town, occupying part of the eastern slope of Chestnut Hill and meadow land beyond. There is now on exhibition at the museum of the Worcester Society of Antiquity a large wooden bowl hewn from a tree on this hill by Eleazer Flagg in 1732, four years after the original settlement. In 1745 a substantial dwelling house was built, which was torn down in 1845. He was one of the charter members of the church in 1731. He was appointed deputy sheriff in 1746 by Sheriff Benjamin Flagg, a cousin of Eleazer Flagg (III), who was a very prominent man in Worcester. He married at Concord, September 28. 1731, Huldah Chandler, daughter of Samuel and Dorcas (Buss) Chandler, who was born in Con- cord, July 5, 1709. She was received in full com- munion by the Grafton Church, February 20, 1742. She died January 27, 1765; he died 1771. Their children were: Huldah, born December 14, 1732, died at West Sutton, January 24, 1825, married, 1762, Stephen Waters: Eleazer, born November 12, 1734, died at Grafton, February 10, 1767, married, 1763, Sarah Chandler; Simon, born May 25, 1736. died at Grafton, May 26, 1736; John, born August 2, 1737, probably died young; Mary, born March 19, 1740, died April 6, 1724, married, 1763, Benjamin Goddard ( See Goddard Family) ; Samuel, born De- cember 5. 1741, died at Grafton, October 17, 1822. married, 1769, Lydia Rockwood; Submit, born Sep- tember 5, 1744, died at Berlin, Vermont, March 14, 1839. married, 1773, Daniel Hayden.

(V) Huldalı Flagg, daughter of Eleazer Flagg (4), was born at Grafton, December 14, 1732, mar- ried, May 19, 1762. Stephen Waters. (See WVaters Family sketch in this work.)

(I) Roger Chandler, one of a company of twenty from Plymouth Colony who settled Concord about 1658, was an ancestor of Samuel W. Foskett and most of the Worcester county Waters and Flagg families. He was admitted a freeman May 24. 1682. He died at Concord, January II, 1716-7, aged about eighty, according to his gravestone. Ile mar- ried at Concord, April 25, 1671, Mary Simons, of Concord, probably daughter of William and Judith ( Phippen ) Simonds, born December 9, 1647, died in Concord. August 29, 1728. Their children were : Mary, born at Concord, January 7, 1671-2, died there August 14. 1759. married, 1690, Lieutenant John Heald; Samuel, born at Concord, March 23. 1673-4; Joseph, born at Concord, October 7. 1678, died there November 14, 1679; Abigail, born at Con- cord, May 31, 1681, died there March 29, 1766, mar- ried Eleazer Brown,.of Concord; Hepzibath, married (first) Ephraim Jones, inarried (second), 1711, Joseph Fletcher, of Concord and Acton, who died 1746, married (third ) Stow.

(II) Samuel Chandler, son of Roger Chandler (1), was born in Concord, Massachusetts, March 23, 1673-4. He was a prominent citizen of Concord, serving as selectman in 1718-19-20-21-22-23-24-30- 31-32-33-34-35-36-39; town treasurer from 1723 to 1727, inclusive, and representative in the general court from 1729 to 1736, inclusive, and again in 1739. He was active in the purchase of Grafton township from the Indians in 1728, being one of the forty proprietors ; was also an early petitioner for the grant of the Narragansett townships to survivors of King Philip's war in the right of his father-in- law. John Buss, who had been a member of Captain Nathaniel Davenport's company in that war. In the records of Narragansett No. 6, now Templeton, granted by the general court in 1733. His name also occurs in the drawing of lots among the proprietors in 1735. He probably never gave up his residence in Concord, however. He died there April 27.

1743. He married in Concord, December 11, 1695, Dorcas Buss, daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth (Jones) Buss, born in Concord, January 26, 1672-3, died January 13, 1757. The children of Samuel Chandler were: I. Elizabeth, born October 6, 1696, died October 18, 1712. 2. Mary, born September 22, 1699. died before 1773. married (first), 1718, Joseph Dudley; married (second), 1752, Judah Clark, of Lexington. 3. Joseph, born October 11, 1701, died at Concord, January 31, 1746. 4. Samuel, born Octo- ber 19, 1704, was a farmer in Concord, will proved November 17, 1754, married about 1730 Dinah had nine children. 5. John, born January 1I, 1700-7, died at Concord, May 3, 1730. 6. Iluldah, born July 5, 1709, married Eleazer Flagg, (III). 7. Rebecca. born December 2, 1709, married, 1731, Eleazer Davis, of Bedford. 8. James, born August 28, 1714, was on committee of safety and correspondence in 1774, and the military stores the seizure of which was one of the objects of the British expedition to Concord April 19, 1775, were in part in his care at that time ; he died December 8, 1792; married (first) Mary Wright, (second) Mary Flagg, daughter of Joseph and Mary Tompkins Flagg; married (third) Mary Whittaker, of Carlisle; daughter Sarah married Eleazer Flagg (5).

(III) Huldah Chandler, daughter of Samuel Chandler (2), was born July 5, 1709, married Eleazer Flagg (4). (See Flagg Family. Also Waters and Foskett families.)

RUFUS BENNETT FOWLER. Philip Fowler (1), the emigrant ancestor of Rufus Bennett Fowler, was a cloth worker and was probably born in Marl- borough, Wiltshire, England, about 1590. He sailed from England on the ship "Mary and John" the 2.1th day of March. 1633-4, and arrived in New Eng- land in May. Owing to misrepresentation of the activities and intentions of the colonists in New England, ships sailing to that place were subjected at that time to a rigid scrutiny, the passengers were compelled to take the "Oathes of Allegiance and Supremacie" and the master to give bond to per- form the services of the Church of England during the voyage. On his arrival in New England Philip settled in Ipswich, Essex county, Massachusetts, and the "Fowler place" in that town on which he lived is still occupied by a Fowler. Fle received grants of other lands in and near Ipswich during his life, and performed the duties of a respected and honored citizen of the town of Ipswich. He died in 1679, having reached the age of eighty-nine. He was twice married, first to Mary Winslow in England. Of this marriage there were seven children: Mar- garet, Samuel. Hester. Joseph and Thomas, all of whom except Thomas were born in England. Mary Fowler died in 1659. and in 1660 Philip married Mary Norton, by whom he had no children.

( II) Samuel Fowler was born in England in 1618 and came to Ipswich with his parents in the ship "Mary and John." The record of Samuel (2) is confused, but it is probable he lived in Ports- mouth, New Hampshire, until 1668, when he moved to Salisbury, Massachusetts. He was a shipwright. He was probably a Quaker, and there is a record of his being brought before the court in 1675 for travelling on Sunday. He married twice, his first wife's name being unknown. He married as his second wife, about 1675. Margaret, the widow of Robert Morgan. He died in Salisbury, January. 1710-II, at the age of ninety-two. His children, probably by his first wife, were: William, Mary, Sarah and Samuel.

(III) Samuel Fowler was born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and came to Salisbury with his

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fathier in 1668. He was a laborer and lived in Salis- bury until his death in 1737-8. In 1693 his father Samuel (2) transferred all his property to his son Samuel (3) in return for the care of him and his wife Margaret during their old age. At his death Samuel (3) was possessed of considerable property for that time. He married in 1684 Hannah Worthen. and their children were: Samuel, Hannah, Susanna, Jacob, Mary, Saralı, Ann, Ezekiel, Robert, Abraham, Thomas, Lydia and Judith.

(IV) Ezekiel Fowler was born at Salisbury, 1697-8. He lived at Salem and married, in 1722, Martha Chase, of Bristol county, Rhode Island, He died at Salem in 1735. The record of his children is incomplete. He had however a son Samuel.

(V) Samuel Fowler was a cordwainer and was horn probably about 1730. His place of birth is un- known. He married Hannah Bowen. of Swansea. Rhode Island, in 1752, and lived there until 1753. He moved to Warren, Rhode Island, in the follow- ing year, and about 1764 moved to Northbridge, then a part of Uxbridge, settling in the easterly part of the town. Like his father and grandfather he was a Quaker. His children were: Sarah, Ezekiel, Mary, Isaac, Olive, Bernard, John, Martha, Elizabeth, Han- nah, Peace and Phebe.

(VI) Bernard Fowler was born in Warren. Rhode Island, in 1762, and came to Northbridge with his father in the following year. He married his first wife, Rebecca Mowry, of Smithfield. Rhode Island, in 1790; she died in 1805. In ISIo Bernard (6) married Abigail Steere, of Gloucester, Rhode Island. Bernard (6) died in 1843, at the age of eighty-one. He was a farmer. His children by his first marriage were: Mary, Robert, Willis, Phebe, Caleb and Samuel, and by his second marriage: Thomas, Rebecca, Charles and Nancy.

(VII) Charles Fowler was born at Northbridge in 1815. He was a farmer and lived in Northbridge until about 1890. He married, February 9, 1841, Susan Frost Bennett, of Northbridge. She was the daughter of Rufus Bennett, known as "Father" Ben- nett, a farmer in Northbridge, and member of the legislature from that town for a number of years. He was ordained a Methodist minister in the early days before the Methodists settled and became salaried preachers, and he refused to accept such a settlement. He continued to minister without pay to all who required his services. since as he said. "The Grace of God is free." All the country side was his -parish, in which he solemnized marriages and attended funerals and no gathering of the citi- zens was complete without the presence and advice of "Father" Bennett. Charles (7) died in Wor- cester, in 1895, at the age of eighty, surviving his wife but three days. He was born a Quaker. He had three children : Rufus Bennett, named for his maternal grandfather: Charles Thomas and Mary Abby.

(VIII) Rufus Bennett Fowler was born at Northbridge, Massachusetts. December 5. 1841. He graduated at the Barre Academy, Barre, Vermont, in 1861. After his graduation he became assistant superintendent of the Uxbridge woolen mill. He later took a course in the Eastman Business College at Poughkeepsie. New York, the first to adopt actual business methods in its course of instruction and at that time at the height of its popularity. having about fourteen hundred students. At the close of his course Mr. Fowler accepted the position of superintendent and instructor of the banking depart- ment of the Eastman College. In this department two banks and a clearing house illustrated in a practical way the functions of banks in business life. In addition to his duties as instructor and super-

intendent Mr. Fowler also studied law. In 1864-5 he became lecturer on commercial law at the United States College of Business in New Haven, Connecti- cut. This college was an ambitions undertaking of Mr. Thomas H. Stevens, for many years teacher in the Claverack Institute, New York, to broaden the instruction in schools of this class. From 1865 to the time of the great fire, Mr. Fowler was engaged in the wholesale business in Chicago, gradually drift- ing into mechanical pursuits and patent law, urged both by his natural ability and his inclination in that

direction. His services as an expert in such matters were in constant demand. In 1872 he returned to the east and was for some time engaged in designing special machinery in Worcester. He also at this time completed an invention of a ribbon loom.

He married in 1875. Helen M. Wood, of Barre. Vermont, and after his marriage lived in Stafford Springs, Connecticut, where he conducted the manu- facture of narrow wares by means of looms of his own invention. In 1881 he returned to Worcester. where he now lives, and took up the profession of patent attorney and expert in patent causes. The nature of his profession is such that a comparatively few become acquainted with his merits and ability. and although he ranks high in his profession he is better known through his connection with various organizations devoted to public service.

He was president of the Worcester Board of Trade in 1900 and I901, his natural fitness and ability for the position and his public spirit and inter- est in the welfare of Worcester directing attention to him, and he was recognized as a very capable and efficient president. While at the head of the board of trade there was a spontaneous movement to run Mr. Fowler for mayor of Worcester, and he could have had the Republican nomination with the sup- port of all the newspapers, but he declined it on account of the pressure of his private business. The only public office he has accepted is that of park commissioner of Worcester, which he now holds. He is a member of the Worcester Society of Anti- quity, the Worcester Economic Club, the Public Education Association of Worcester, the Worcester County Musical Association, the Massachusetts Civic League, the National Municipal League, the Ameri- can Forrestry Association and the National Geog- raphie Society. He is an honorary member of the Worcester Continentals, a trustee of the Worcester County Institution for Savings and a director in several manufacturing corporations. Although he was reared as a Quaker he and his family have at- tended Central Congregational Church. His children are Hory Wood, born in 1876, and Susan Bennett. born in 1885, died in 1892.

WOODWARD FAMILY. Thomas Woodward (I), seems to be the first person of this family of which there can now be any positive knowledge. He married Elizabeth Tynen, in Childwell parish, Lancashire, England, May 23. 1592. Five children were born to them, two of whom, John, born April IO. 1504. and Henry, born March 22, 1607. emigrated to America in the company that followed Rev. Rich- ard Mather. They landed in Dorchester. Massachu- setts, from the ship "James," Captain Taylor, Au- gust 16. 1635.

(II) Henry Woodward, above named, remained in Dorchester until 1660. when he went to Northamp- ton, on the founding of the church there, where he became one of the "seven pillars." He died April 7. 1685, aged seventy-eight years. His wife, Eliza- beth, died August 13, 1690.

(III) John Woodward, son of Henry (2), was born in Dorchester, 1649, went to Northampton with

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his father, and married in 1685. He was among the first party to settle Northfield, and five years later, on the desertion of this northern post, came back and went to Westfield, from which town his wife came. Before 1700, he removed to Lebanon, Connecticut, where his name appears as one of the fifty-one grantees to the "five mile purchase." He died in Lebanon about 1718. He married Anna Dewey, at Westfield, May 18, 1671. Of their six children the second, John, was born April 2, 1674.

(IV) John Woodward, son of John (3), born in Northampton, accompanied his father on his many migrations and was thus one of the original pro- prietors of Lebanon. He was a constable in 1703, selectman in 1717-19-25-26, again from 1731-35. He was a deputy to the general court of the province of Connecticut from 1720 to 1731. A justice of the peace for Windham county from 1725 to 1743. He was a deacon in the church and a member of the council. He died September 19, 1743, aged sixty- nine years. He married Experience Baldwin. June 2, 1703. They had three children, of whom Israel, the second. was born June 5, 1707.

(V) Israel Woodward, son of John and Ex- perience Woodward, born in Lebanon, lived on the old place until after the death of his father. In 1747 he bought a farm in Watertown, Connecticut. He died August 17, 1800, aged ninety-three years. In October, 1744. he was commissioned captain of a train band and was ensign in May, 1749. He served in the French and Indian war as captain of the Sixth Company of the First Regiment, Connec- ticut Line, and was at Fort Edward, Ticonderoga and Crown Point. He married Abigail Baird, of Huntington, Connecticut, Marchi 31. 1730. His wife died December 27. 1803, aged ninety-six years. Of the ten children all but one, who died in infancy, were present at their mother's funeral, the oldest being seventy-one years and th youngest fifty-three.

(VI) Samuel Woodward, son of Israel Wood- ward, the youngest of the family. was born October 25, 1750. He was apprenticed to his brother to learn the tanners trade and remained with him until he was of age. He taught school for five years and entered Yale College in 1776. In 1779 the college was broken up by an attack of the British and he decided to study medicine. Alter due training he began the practice of medicine in Torringford, Con- necticut, where he remained until his death, Janu- ary 26, 1835, at the age of eighty-four. For twenty years he was a member of the legislature, and for a long period the "father of the House." He was the unsuccessful Democratic candidate for Congress froin 1800 to 1810. He married Mary Griswold, daughter of Captain Shubael Griswold, February 10, 1782. There were eight children born of this mar- riage.

(VII) Samuel Bayard Woodward, M. D., the eldest son of Samuel and Mary ( Polly) (Griswold) Woodward, was born in Torringford, Connecticut, June 10. 1787. His mother was a daughter of a captain in the French and Indian and the revolu- tionary wars. Her brother was a state senator for fifty sessions. Another brother, Stanley, was secre- tary of the territory of Michigan and its governor under Jefferson's administration. Later he became United States senator from Ohio. Samuel Bayard Woodward, with three brothers, studied medicine under his father, who was a physician with a large practice in Torringford and educated many students in his profession. In ISog he received a license to practice in Connecticut. He remained with his father one year, and in 1810 removed to Wethersfield, Con- necticut, began practice for himself and there re- mained until he came to Worcester in 1832. In 1822

he received the honorary degree of Doctor of Medi- cine from Yale College. He was instrumental in founding the Retreat for the Insane at Hartford. While working up this project he traveled over a large part of Connecticut in his gig. From 1827 to 1832 he was physician to the Connecticut State Prison, and here became familiar with the cases of the insane poor, to which he was to devote the best years of his manliood.

The Massachusetts State Lunatic Hospital at Worcester, the first public institution of the kind in America for the care of criminal and pauper in- sane, had meanwhile been established through the unceasing exertions of Horace Mann and was being built. Dr. Woodward was made first superintendent. He began in December, 1832, and served until June, 1846, and during this period made the Worcester Hospital a model for the entire country for the suc- cessful treatment of the insane poor. The report of the trustees in 1846 says: "The success of the hospital is due to the professional skill, personal address and energy, conscientious fidelity and pure ardent philanthropy of Dr. Woodward." In ac- cepting his resignation they add: "We feel that we are bound to bear our unqualified testimony to the justice of your claims to be recognized and remem- bered as one of the most distinguished benefactors of the Commonwealth." After resigning, he retired to a beautiful estate in Northampton, where he re- ceived a few private patients, but he never recovered his impaired health and passed from earthly scenes, January 3, 1850, aged fifty-three years.

Hon. Stephen Salisbury describes his personal ap- pearance and character as follows: "His person was a rare model of strength and manly beauty. On his brow sat courtesy and command in entire harmony, and it is no exaggeration to say that his form and carriage were majestic. His stature was six feet four inches and without the deformity of obesity, his weight was two hundred and sixty pounds. His temper was benevolent, liberal, sanguine, decided and persevering. He understood readily the character of men, had great power over their feelings and easily gained their confidence and love. His mind was of a practical character."

He married in 1815. Miss Maria Porter, of Had- ley, Massachusetts, a lineal descendant of Jonathan Edwards. She died in Worcester, October 10, 1873. at the home of her son Samuel. By her he had twelve children : Charles, born April 17, 1816; Urania B., born June 16, 1817, died October 7, 1857 ; Rufus, born October 3, 1819, mentioned below ; Stan- ley Griswold, born June 5. 1821; Henry, born Sep- tember 2, 1822, mentioned below : Samuel, born Janu- ary II, 1825 Maria Porter, born August 3. 1826; Edwin, born June 9, 1828, died 1829: Catherine Todd, born March 30, 1831, died 1849; Edwin Porter, born July 16, 1832; Algernon Sidney, born June 6. 1835, died February, 1836. Of these children Dr. Rufus, Samuel and Henry bore well their part in the history of Worcester.

To better fix the reader's mind on the wonderful skill and capacity of this man it may be summed up by the subjoined review of his work: He studied with his father; practiced twenty years at Wethersfield, Connecticut ; was elected secretary of the Connecti- cit Medical Society; was one of the examiners of the Medical College ; six years physician of the Con- necticut State Prison; was a prime mover in the formation of the Retreat for the Insane at Hartford; served fourteen years as superintendent of the In- sane Asylum at Worcester: in 1832 represented the Hartford district in the legislature as senator : became a Fellow of the Albany Medical College; was the first president of the Association of Insane Asylum

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Superintendents and the founder of the society; a member of the Ohio State Medical Society and Ohio Historical Society ; he wrote extensively for medical works and scientific journals.

(VIII) Samuel Woodward, son of Dr. Samuel B. Woodward, and father of Samuel B. Woodward, was born at Wethersfield, Connecticut, January 11, 1825, and came to Worcester with his father. He attended the Worcester schools and from school soon went into the Worcester postoffice as a clerk under Mr. Fisher, postmaster ; after one year of faithful work there he entered the employ of the leading hardware store of the city at that date-Kinnicutt & Rice, in 1846, was admitted to the firm as partner 1847. After the death of Mr. Rice he still continued in the firm of which he and Mr. Kinnicutt were active members. In 1887 he retired. Though many times tendered office he always declined to accept, preferring rather to attend to his own matters and support other capable fellow-citizens for the various offices. For a number of years he was a director in the Citi- zens' Bank of Worcester"; also connected officially with the Worcester Gas Company. He held an im- portant business trust as member of the board of sinking fund commissioners, which place he held at the time of his death, which took place December 30, 1888, at the age of sixty-four years. September 1.4, 1852, he married L. E. R. Treadwell, of Ipswich, by whom one child was born-Samuel B., August 24, 1853. Mrs. Woodward died March, 1857.

(VII) Edwin Woodward, son of Samuel Wood- ward (VI), was born July 16, 1832, at Wethers- field. - In 1861 he entered the service of his country as lieutenant in Captain Studley's company, Fif- teenth Massachusetts Regiment of Infantry, and was subsequently detailed to serve in the signal corps, where he remained until the close of the war. After the close of the war he engaged in the drug business at Worcester in partnership with David Scott, and later went to New York and engaged in the brokerage business. He now lives a retired life at Summit, New Jersey. He married Helen M. Mus- grave, five children: Thomas N., born July 8, 1863, died July 27, 1864; Helen M., horn December 8, 1864, died January 9, 1870; Martha G., born July 6, 1867; William S., born October 17, 1869, died 1890; Anna T., born September 17, 1871.

(IX) Dr. Samuel. B. Woodward, son of Samuel Woodward (8). born August 2.4. 1853. In Worces- ter, his native city, he attended the common schools, in 1870 entered Harvard College, graduating in the class of 1874, and the Harvard Medical School in 1878. He began his active medical practice at Wor- cester in 1881, and is to-day among the leaders in his profession. Dr. Woodward has descended from a line of eminent medical practitioners-his grand- father and great-grandfather being such in their day and generation; also his uncle and others. Dr. Woodward is a Republican, and in church relations affiliates with the Unitarians. Among the offices held by this gentleman are that of surgeon of the Memorial Hospital, consulting surgeon of City and St. Vincent's Hospital, trustee of the Worcester Insane Hospital and Worcester Insane Asylum. Has been president of the Worcester District Medical Society, director of Worcester Gas Liglit Company, trustee for Worcester County Institution for Sav- ings, and one of its investment board.

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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 52

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