Historic homes and institutions and genealogical and personal memoirs of Worcester county, Massachusetts, with a history of Worcester society of antiquity, Vol. I, Part 53

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 53

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He married. September 16, 188.4. Margaret Perley, of New Hampshire, daughter of the late chief jus- tice of that state.

(VIII) Henry Woodward, son of Dr. Samuel B. Woodward (7), was horn in Wethersfield. Con- necticut, September 2, 1822. He came with his

parents to Worcester when he was only seven years old, and his early education was received in the common and high schools there. When he was in the high school his father gave him his choice of studying art or a college education, and he chose art. He had a gift for drawing and painting and he studied under good masters. While he never made painting his exclusive occupation it has been an absorbing avocation. He has been prominent among the artists of Worcester for many years. Ile has frequently sold his pictures and exhibited in various exhibitions for many years. He was one of the organizers of the Worcester Art Students' Club and has been president of that interesting or- ganization. When a young man he taught drawing and painting at Holy Cross College and at one time had a studio in the business section of the town. For the most part he has worked in his studio at his residence, 43 West street, Worcester. He devoted virtually all his time not claimed by business to painting pictures, and in spite of ill health is still at work with the palette and brush at every opportunity. Mr. Woodward is an artist by nature. He loved nature and art alike and many of his pictures were out-door scenes along the sea shore or in the fields. He did not confine himself to scenery, however, but painted many and varied subjects.

Mr. Woodward is known to many who are not interested in art as an excellent business man. For many years he was an active factor in the financial life of Worcester. He began his business career in Boston as clerk in the dry goods store of Henry Pettis, who was a relative. After a few years he returned to Worcester to accept a position as secre- tary to his father, who was the superintendent of the Worcester Insane Hospital on Summer street.

After a few years he entered the Worcester Me- chanics' Savings Bank, where for forty-nine years he was the treasurer. The Mechanics' Savings Bank was the second in Worcester. It was chartered May 15, 1851. with Isaac Davis as president and Parley Hammond as treasurer. In 1854 Mr. Woodward be- came treasurer, and at the end of a half century re- tired from active work at the bank. He was the oldest and best savings bank official of the state. While Mr. Woodward divided his time between banking and painting he had few other interests. He is a member of the Worcester Horticultural Society and of the Worcester Agricultural Society. In politics he is a Republican.

He married (first), May, 1853, Mary Hunt, daughter of Eben and Mary (Abbey) Hunt. She died January 24, 1872. She was born in Milford, Massachusetts. He married (second) Mrs. Amelia (Gerry) Wells, of Boston. December 21, 1875. She was the widow of Benjamin Wells, of Boston. The children of Henry and Mary (Hunt) Woodward were: Henry, died young; Catherine Burns, died young; Alice Hunt, resides at home; Maria Phil- ips, resides at home; Harry Andrews, graduate of the Classical high school, married Lottie Benson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James K. Comstock; Harry Andrew is with Goldman & Sachs, brokers, in New York city: he has one son, James Henry Woodward; Norman Porter, graduate of the Classical high school, is with Samuel Ward & Co., stationers, Boston, as traveling salesman; resides itt Boston; Mary Hunt, teacher of kindergarten at the Winslow street public school. Mr. Woodward is a member of the Church of the Unity of Wor- cester, being one of its early members when its first pastor was Edward Everett ITale, and he has taken great interest in its building up.

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FOX FAMILY. Thomas Fox (1), who settled in Cambridge, Massachusetts, as early as March, 1631, was the emigrant ancestor of Mrs. C. W. Hamilton and Dr. Lemuel F. Woodward through their mother's line. He was evidently one of the earliest political reformers in New England and a man of great moral courage, for the very first record of Thomas Fox is an account of the proceedings in the general court which punished him for sug- gesting that the court had taken bribes in thie Bratcher case. That was in March, 1630-31. He was evidently a man of influence. He was admitted a freeman in March, 1637-8, and was then thirty years of age, showing that he was born in 1607-08 and probably came over when he was twenty-one, in 1630. It is said that he came from London and that he was the son of Dr. Thomas Fox, a physician of that city. He seems to have been an apprentice to Governor Craddock, who had a farm in Medford. A tradition that has more than the usual claim for credence states that he emigrated from England in anger and disgust at the injustice done him in a law suit, which he believed was decided against him because he was a grandson of John Fox, the author. The suit was about a lease for three lives on seven- teen houses in London, and as it happened in the reign of Charles I, when Puritans were persecuted at every opportunity, Fox had good reason, per- haps, to doubt the justice of the English courts.

Thomas Fox was one of the original proprietors of Cambridge, Massachusetts. He dealt in real estate and was executor and administrator of many estates. He was selectman in 1658 and repeatedly afterwards elected to that office. He was an es- teemed and enterprising citizen and stood well in the church. The name of his first wife was Re- becca - She died May II, 1647. He mar- ried (second) Ellen Green, widow of Percival Green, May 24, 1650. She died May 27, 1682, aged eighty-two years. He married ( third), April . 24. 1683, Elizabeth Chadwick, widow of Charles Chad- wick. She died in 1685, aged seventy-one years. He married ( fourth) Rebecca Wyeth, widow of Nich- olas Wyeth, December 16, 1685. He died April 25. 1693, aged eighty-five years.

The house at Cambridge owned by Thomas Fox. sometimes called the Holmes house, stood originally on the north side of the college grounds, but is now owned by the college. In the early days of the colony the place belonged to Mrs. Ellen Green, the second wife of Fox. The house was repaired by their grandson, Jabez Fox, who owned it, and his son Thomas Fox, of Woodstock, Connecticut, sold it to Rev. John Fox, of Woburn, Massachusetts. General Ward, of Shrewsbury, made this house his headquarters while in command of the American forces in Cambridge in 1775, and he was there at the time of the battle of Bunker Hill. Dr. Abiel Holmes, while he was chaplain to the college, and Dr. Oliver Wendell Hohnes, his son, was born in this house. The house was torn down in 1890, and the site is suitably marked. It is near the law school.

The daughter of Mrs. Rebecca Fox by a former husband, Thomas Andrews, was a victim of the witchcraft craze, and there is on record a pathetic letter written by Mrs. Fox in 1692 to the general court, asking for the release of her daughter "who was crazed, distracted and broken in mind and had been so these twelve years and upwards." She had then been in prison for six months. Her hus- band was a fugitive to avoid the same fate, and she had four young children, one a baby, left to the mercy of neighbors. Not until the following January was she tried, acquitted and released. By that

time the delusion had passed and the persecution ccased abruptly.

Thomas Fox had one son, Jabez, baptized at Concord, Massachusetts, and possibly Thomas Fox. who married, December 13, 1647, Hannah Brooks.

(II) Rev. Jabez Fox, son of Thomas Fox (1), was born in Concord in 1647 and baptized there. He was educated at Harvard College, where he graduated in 1665. On taking his second degree there, three years later, his public address consisted of a few lines of Latin verse. He served one year as assistant of Rev. Mr. Carter, pastor of the Wo- burn church, and November 5, 1679, he was called to be minister there. The house which the town built for him was on Pleasant street, near the site of the public library, and was occupied by Mr. Fox and his son, who succeeded him as minister, for seventy-six years. He died of smallpox, February 26, 1702, in the city of Boston, and was buried in Woburn, where in the oldest burying ground his grave stone may be seen.

He married Judith Rayner, daughter of Rev. John Rayner, minister of Plymouth, Massachusetts, and Dover, New Hampshire. His widow married (second) Colonel Jonathan Tyng, of Boston, formerly member of the council of Sir Edmund Andros, governor. Colonel Tyng died January 19, 1723. His widow died June 5. 1736, in her ninety- ninth year. The children of Rev. Jabez and Judith Fox were: John, born at Woburn, May 10, 1678: Thomas, born at Woburn, November 6, 1680, died July 10, 1730; Thomas, born at Woburn, November 13,- 1681; Jabez, born at Woburn, December 2, 1684; Judith, born at Woburn, June 19, 1690, died 1703 of smallpox.

(III) Jabez Fox, son of Jabez Fox (2), was born at Woburn, Massachusetts, February 25, 1705. He was a merchant tailor and maker of woolen cloth. He married Hannah Burroughs, daughter of Rev. George Burroughs, March 8. 1705. Their chil- dren were: Thomas, born in Boston, December 6, 1706; Hannah, born in Boston, June 27, 1708; Judith, born in Boston, August 19, 17II; Rebecca, born in Boston, 1714.

(IV) Thomas Fox, son of Jabez Fox (3), was born in Boston, Massachusetts, December 7. 1706. He married Mercy They settled at Wood- stock, Connecticut, among the first settlers, where he followed the trade of fuller, manufacturing and dressing woolen cloth. He resided in a two-story frame house near the famous Putnam wolf cave. The old house was destroyed by fire in 1850. He died in 1796. His children were: Hannah, born April 27, 1731; Thomas, born April 27, 1731 ; Thomas, born September 7, 1732; Maria, born April 23, 1735; John, born March 10, 1737: Mary, born March 10, 1740; Jabez, born May 6, 1745: Fanny, born November 17, 1749; Rebecca, born July 9, 1753. It is said that there were seven daughters while the names of only five are known. It is said also that one of these daughters married Parmenter.

(V) Sergeant Jabez Fox, son of Thomas Fox (4), was born at Woodstock, Connecticut, May 6, 1745. He married Mary Strobridge, September 28, 1769, at Woodstock. She was born August 10, 1749, at Middleborough, Massachusetts. He was a draper and had a fulling mill at Ketch brook. He was the first in this country to make Scotch plaids. He was an ardent patriot and was actively engaged in the revolution. Sergeant Fox raised a company of men to defend the coast at the time General Arnold, the traitor, was attacking Connecticut. Ser- geant Fox and twelve men were attacked by a

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largely superior force of British and Tory cavalry. The Americans were stationed in a brick school house, where they defended themselves desperately, killing six of the attacking party. Their ammuni- tion became exhausted and they attempted to escape through the back window to a swamp in the rear. Sergeant Fox, the last to leave the building, was Overtaken by the Tory leader, Captain Finch, a man who Fox knew and to whom he appealed for quarter. Finch called him a damned Rebel and eut him down with his sabre. The sword, coat and hat of Sergeant Fox were preserved in the Boston Atheneum. He was killed May 20, 1780, and July 1, 1780, his widow gave birth to a daughter ( Ilan- nah). The children of Sergeant Jabez and Mary (Strobridge) Fox were: Thomas, born May 12, 1770; Polly, born June 20, 1772; William, born March 19, 1773; Jabez, born December 13, 1774, died in infancy; Asa, born March ,23, 1776, died at City Point, Virginia, of yellow fever; Jabez, born August 5, 1777; Betsey, born February 4, 1779; Hannah, born July 1, 1780. The widow of Sergeant Fox marricd (second) William Spear, by whom she had a daughter Miriam, who married Marvin Mudge and had ten children.

(VI) Thomas Fox, son of Sergeant Jabez Fox (5), was born at East Windsor, Connecticut, May 22, 1770, and was but ten years old when his father was killed. He learned the same trade that his father and grandfather had followed. He had a fulling mill first at Westfield, Massachusetts, and later at Tolland, Connecticut. He married Chloe Bradley, of Tolland. He died of malignant fever. November 1, 18II, probably in Ulster county, New York. His wife died at Crystal Lake, Henry county, Illinois, aged seventy-two years. Their children were: William Bradley, born in Scotland, Connecti- cut, in 1795; Chauncy Johnston, born at Tolland, Connecticut, August 21, 1797; Pliny L., born at Tolland, Connecticut, 1799; Mary, born at Tol- land, probably in 1802; Eliza, born at Tolland ; Har- riet, born at Tolland.

(VII) William Bradley Fox, son of Thomas Fox (6), was born in Scotland, Hartford county, Connecticut, in 1795. At the time of his father's death he was only sixteen years of age. He was apprenticed to the fuller's trade that had been fol- lowed for at least four generations by his ancestors. After serving his apprenticeship he married Eliza Ingalls in 1819, and three years later went to Wor- cester, where he established himself in the business he had learned. From a modest fulling mill he de- veloped a large industry. He owned the well known Fox's mills and became wealthy. He died in 1860. His children were: 1. Lemuel Ingalls, born at Tol- land, Connecticut, January 23, 1821. 2. William Bradley, Jr., born at Tolland, Connecticut, April 16, 1823. 3. Nancy Jane, born February 10, 1825, married Dr. Rufus Woodward; she died December 8, 1905. 4. Charles, born in Worcester, June 7, 1827, married Jennett Hyde in 1855; he died 1891. no children. 5. Ann Rebecca Sumner, born Decem- ber 16, 1829. 6. Thomas, born February 29, 1832, died young. 7. Eliza, born March 23, 1834, married, 1859, C. Willard Hamilton, of Worcester, a tape manufacturer, who died Oct. 3, 1901; she resides at 37 Oak avenue, Worcester, with her daughter, Fanny Maria, born March 9, 1865, unmarried 1905. 8. Thomas, born in Worcester, May 24, 1835, married Mary Feel in 1863; he died 1875; no children. 9. Maria Peabody, born in Worcester, September 30, 1837, dicd young. 10. Maria, born January 22, 1841, died 1886, unmarried.

(VIII) Nancy Jane Fox, daughter of William

B. Fox (7), was born in Worcester, February 10, 1825, married Dr. Rufus Woodward (q. v.).

(VIII) Rufus Woodward, M. D., son of Dr. Samuel B. Woodward (7), and father of Dr. Lemuel F. Woodward, was born in Wethersfield, Connecti- cut, October 3. 1819. He was fitted in the Worcester schools for Harvard College, which he entered in 1837. After his graduation in 1841 he began the study of medicine with Dr. Joseph Sargent, and in 1842 entered the Harvard Medical School, from which he graduated in 1845. For three years he was assistant physician at the State Lunatic Hospital, of which his father was the first superintendent. Then he spent two years in study in Europe, devot- ing much attention to insanity with the intention of assisting his father in a private asylum at North- ampton, Massachusetts. Ilis plans were changed by the sudden death of his father in 1850, and on his return home, soon afterward, he began to prac- tice his profession in Worcester. His first office was at No. 2 Elm street. Later he built the house at 52 Pearl street, now occupied by Dr. Lemuel F. Woodward or "Doctor Lem" as he is universally known to distinguish him from his cousin, "Doctor Sam" Woodward. This house was built in 1870. For thirty-three years he devoted himself to his pro- fession, seeing patients on the very day of his own sudden death, December 30, 1885, at the age of sixty-six.

He was a member of the local and state incdical societies. During the civil war he was examining surgeon for volunteers, and in 1862 volunteer sur- geon under the sanitary commission. From 1863 to 1866 he was city physician, and on the formation of the board of health in 1877 was induced to ac- cept the position again. He was city physician the remainder of his life and was chairman of the board of health, of which ex-officio he was a mem- ber. From 1871 to 1880 he was visiting surgeon to the city hospital. He was consulting surgeon to the Washburn Dispensary from 1874 till his death. He was physician to the House of Correction and to the Orphans' Home. For twelve years he was a member of the school board. He was elected a mem- ber of the American Antiquarian Society in 1861. He was a member of the Harvard Natural History Society and always greatly interested in botany and natural history. He was one of the founders of the Worcester Natural History Society, an organi- zation that has shown much activity recently. He was president of it for many years. Much of Dr. Woodward's leisure time was spent in his garden. Perhaps nobody in Worcester knew more about the flora of this vicinity than he. He was a member of the famous old Worcester Fire Society.

He married Nancy Jane Fox, daughter of Will- iam B. and Eliza Fox. She was born in Worcester, February 10, 1825. Her father came to Worcester ahout 1825 and was the proprietor of the Fox mills at Vernon square. He formerly lived at Tol- land, Connecticut. His children were: Dr. Lemuel F., Rufus S., Ralph, Jane, (see Woodward Family sketch and Dr. Samuel B. Woodward sketch else- where in this work).

(1X) Dr. Lemuel F. Woodward, son of Dr. Rufus Woodward (8), was born in Worcester, April 26, 1857. He attended the public schools of his native city and the high school, preparing for college at the latter institution. He graduated from the Lawrence scientific school at Harvard University in 1878. He went to Harvard Medical School, where he took his degree of M. D. in 1882. He spent two years in the Boston City Hospital and the Lying-in Hospital in Boston. He began to prac-

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tice medicine in Worcester, at 49 Pearl street, but soon afterward his father died and he succeeded to his practice and has since occupied his father's of- fices at 52 Pearl street. The medical library alone is exceedingly valuable and interesting from a his- torical point of view. The medical works date back in some cases two centuries and are the collections of four generations of Doctors Woodward. The father, grandfather and great-grandfather of Dr. Woodward were all noted doctors in their day. He has a group of portraits of the three in his office. Their libraries and aparatus have descended di- rectly to him. With this inheritance of three genera- tions of education and training, of practice and skillfulness, Dr. Woodward could scarcely help tak- ing the leading position he has among the surgeons of Worcester. His great-grandfather was Dr. Sam- uel Woodward, his grandfather and father have been mentioned here. Further history of the family will be found elsewhere in this work.

Dr. Lemuel F. Woodward succeeded his father as city physician of Worcester and held the position until 1893, when he resigned and was succeeded by Dr. W. T. Clark, the present city physician. Dr. Woodward was the first ont-patient surgeon at the City Hospital, when that department was estab- lished. For the past nine years he has been house surgeon at the City Hospital. He has been on the staff of the Memorial Hospital since it was organ- ized. This institution was endowed by Ichabod Washburn and incorporated in 1871. A dispensary was opened in 1874 and the hospital in 1888. It is devoted exclusively to the treatment of diseases of women and children. He is orthopedic surgeon at St. Vincent's Hospital, Worcester. He is a member of the Worcester District Medical Society, the Massachusetts Medical Society; the Worcester Nat- ural History Society ; of which he is a director ; the Worcester Club; the Quinsigamond Boat Club ; the Tatassit Canoc Club : the Tatnuck Country Club ; All Saints' Protestant Episcopal Church. In politics he is a Republican.

While Dr. Woodward has had a general prac- tice in Worcester, he has made surgery a specialty. He is called upon to perform a large number of the major operations in the hospitals and ranks among the best and most successful surgeons in this sec- tion of the state. His personalty helps him win the confidence of his patients. His work as city physi- cian among the poorer classes has made him gen- erally popular and his professional skill is recognized by physicians and surgeons as universally as by the public. Dr. Woodward lived for many years at 52 Pearl street with his mother, who died December 8, 1905. He is unmarried.

(IX) Rufus S. Woodward, second child of Rufus (8) and Mary Jane (Fox) Woodward, and brother of Dr. Lemuel F. Woodward, was educated in the public schools of Worcester and Amherst College, from which institution he was graduated with the class of 1881. He was employed by his uncle, Samuel B. Woodward, in the hardware firm of Kinnicutt & Co. until 1886, and from that time until 1889 by Jerome, Marble & Co. From 1889 until 1904 he was a member of the last named firm, which then became the J. Russel Marble Company, with which he became identified and with which he continues to be connected. He attends All Saints' Protestant Episcopal Church, and in politics is a Republican. lle is a member of the Quinsigamond Boat Club, of which he was a former president. In 1894. he married, at Newburg, New York, Stella Brooks, daughter of Colonel T. Benton and Han- nah ( Hulse ) Brooks. Her father was breveted colonel of the First Regiment, New York Engi-

neers, for gallant and meritorious conduct at the siege of Fort Pulaski in Charleston Harbor dur- ing the war of the rebellion. He is a distinguished geologist and mining engineer. Mrs. Woodward was educated chiefly in German private schools. Mr. and Mrs. Woodward are the parents of four children, all born in Worcester: Rufus Stanley, Jr., born in 1895; Hildegard Hulse, in 1898; Katherine Fox, in 1900; Stella Brooks, born July 2, 1905.

ELIAS HARLOW RUSSELL. Robert Russell (1) was the emigrant ancestor of Principal E. Harlow Russell, of the Worcester State Normal school.

Robert Russell is said to have come from Scot- land. He settled in Andover, Massachusetts, and from the strength of his characteristics, or some- thing. the district in which he had his home was called the Scotland District. He was there probably in 1677, perhaps earlier. He took the oath of fidelity February II, 1678. He was one of the proprietors in 1681, and doubtless earlier. He married Mary Marshall July 6, 1659. He was admitted a frec- man in 1691 ; died December, 1710, in the eightiethi year of his age. He was the first person buried in the South Parish graveyard. His homestead is now, or was recently, owned by a lineal descendant, Dr. Ammon Russell.

The children of Robert Russell (I) were :

1. Robert, died in military service, in war, May 27. 1689. 2. Thomas, died 1731, aged sixty-eight. 3. Benjamin. 4. John, (see forward). 5. James, and perhaps daughters.

(II) John Russell, son of Robert Russell (1), born about 1682. at Andover, probably ; died 1778. aged ninety-six years, four months. He married Sarah Chandler and settled in Andover. Among his children were: John; Joseph.

(III) John Russell. son of John Russell (2), was born in Andover, Massachusetts, settled there, and married Hannah Foster. Among their children were two who removed to Bethel, Maine: I. Ben- jamin, born January 27, 1737; married Mary Favor. 2. Abraham, married Abigail Swan, resided at Bethel, Maine.

(IV) Benjamin Russell, son of John Russell (3), born in Andover. Massachusetts, January 27, 1737; married, October 7, 1762, Mary Favor, born March 1, 1739. He removed from Andover and he- came one of the early settlers at Fryeburg, Maine. in 1767. There he became a leading citizen, serving the town as chairman of the board of selectmen. In March, 1777, he removed to Bethel, Maine, where he was, in 1779, the first town clerk. He performed the duties of magistrate under his commission of justice of the peace. His records indicate that he was well educated. His penmanship was excellent. He was one of the most prominent citizens for many years. He died November 23, 1802. His children were: I. Benjamin, Jr., born July 28, 1763; mar- ried Mehitable Abbott. 2. Mary, born October 15, 1764: married Nathaniel Segar. 3. Theodore, born December 6, 1765: married Abigail Abbott, of An- dover, Massachusetts. 4. William (see forward). 5. John, born at Andover, Massachusetts, married Susie Twitchell.

(V) William Russell, son of Benjamin Russell (4), born at Andover, Massachusetts, in 1766; re- moved with his parents to Fryeburg and later to Bethel, Maine, where he died suddenly about 1846. He was a farmer. He married Mehitable Kilgore, of Bethel. Maine. Children were: Mchitable, born January 4, 1792; married Sebra Dunham, of Paris, Maine. 2. Cynthia, born December 20, 1793; married William Bent, of Paris. 3. Elsie, born

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March 8, 1796; married William Bartlett. 4. Will- iam, born March 12, 1798. 5. Elias, (see forward). 6. Samuel, born March 9, 1802; married Hannah Dustin. 7. Henry, born February 15, 1804, resided at Newburyport, Massachusetts. 8. Mary, born June 13, 1806; married Paul Pearson. 9. Theodore, born August 1, 1808; removed from Bethel early. 10. Sophia, born August 8, 1811, married Rodney Cole. 11. Palmer, born August 1, 1813; removed from Bethel early.

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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 53

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