Historic homes and institutions and genealogical and personal memoirs of Worcester county, Massachusetts, with a history of Worcester society of antiquity, Vol. I, Part 71

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 71


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(II) Robert Searls, son of Robert Searls (I), born in Dorchester. Massachusetts, July 2, 1671; married there December 4. 1695, by Rev. Mr. Dan- forth, Rebecca Evans. He settled in Dorchester


.


Joseph F. Hanschwan f


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and died there July 13, 1752, of smallpox "being," the town records tell us, "the fourth person that had it in the town in the year 1752, and the only person that died of it in the town of Dorchester, though such numbers had it in Boston and sur- rounding towns, and hundreds died of it there." His widow, Rebecca, died May 17, 1761, in her eighty-fifth year. Both were buried in Dorchester, and their graves are marked with headstones. The children of Robert and Rebecca (Evans) Searls were: Salter, baptized December 6, 1696, died at Dorchester, May 15, 1753 (headstone at Dorchester) ; Rebecca (twin), born February 15, 1700; Deborah, (twin), born February 15, 1700, died January 20, 1755. unmarried: Mary, born December 21, 1701, died unmarried October 12, 1765; Robert, (see for- ward).


(III) Robert Searls, son of Robert Searls (2), born in Dorchester, Massachusetts, July 3, 1705; set- tled in Dorchester and married Sarah Maudsley, who was of an old Dorchester family, January 6, 1731. He was known generally as Robert Searls, Jr. Children, all born in Dorchester, were: Eliza- beth, born December 17, 1732; Rebecca, May 26, 1734; Elijah, March 28, 1736; John, May 17, 1738, settled in Dorchester and raised a- family there; Salter, (see forward).


(IV) Salter Searls, son of Robert Searls, Jr. (3), was born in Dorchester, Massachusetts, June 15, 1741. When a young man he removed to Brooklyn, the county seat of Windham county, Connecticut. He died there May 25, 1808. He served on the school committee and in other offices. He married Alice Cady, of Brooklyn, Connecticut, born Feb- ruary 23, 1747; died October 24, 1819. Their seven sons and one daughter all settled in Windham county in the towns of Plainfield, Brooklyn, Hampton, and Pomfret. The children were: Daniel, Sarah, Phine- has, (see forward) ; Elijah, Joel, John, Richard, Bela.


(V) Phinehas Searls, son of Salter Searls (4), was born April 26, 1773; died May 30, 1856; married (first ) Alithea Brown, born in Brooklyn, Connecti- cut, April II, 1786; died February 15, 1825. She was the daughter of Alpheus and Sarah Brown; married (second) Mary Witter Paine, born January 30, 1785: died January 5, 1857.


The children of Phinebas and Alithea ( Brown) Searls were: Harriet, born May 28, 1805; died July 8, 1805: William, (see forward) ; Charles, July 5, 1815, died October 18, 1892; Alithea, October 27, 1819, died January 24, 1824; Henry, March 18, 1821, died July 13, 1821; Almary, August 12, 1822; died April 8, 1856; Daniel, February 15, 1825, died June 29, 1866. The children of Phinehas and Mary Witter ( Paine) Searls were: Martha Ann, Novem- ber 29, 1826, died February 15, 1829; Lewis, Sep- tember 2, 1828, died December 19, 1902.


(VI) William Searls. son of Phinehas Searls (5) and father of William P. Searls, was born in Plainfield, Connecticut, (now called Wauregan) on the Quinebaug river, January 26, (?) 1811; died January II, 1900. He married Catherine Jane Backus, of New York city, May 27, 1841. She was the twin daughter of Simon and Eunice Alice (Linus) Backus, of a family of ten children. She was born in New York city December 8, 1822; died in Worcester, April 20, 1905. She was the great-great-granddaughter of Rev. Timothy Ed- wards, her father's grandmother being a sister of the famous Rev. Jonathan Edwards. The record of the Linus family was destroyed in a fire some years ago, when the old homestead at Bridgeport, Connecticut, was destroyed. The family was of English and French descent.


Mr. Searls removed from Plainfield, with his parents, to Brooklyn, Connecticut, when he was a young boy. The Searls place at Brooklyn is the farm now owned there by Frank Weaver. The family occupied the place forty-seven years. lle began life as clerk in the country stores at Brook- lyn and Plainfield, Connecticut. From there he went to Hartford, Connecticut, where he held a po- sition in a dry goods establishment. He went to New York to take a responsible position in one of the largest dry goods store there. Eventually he went to Wall street and became one of the leading brokers of his day. With his brother Charles he became associated with several of the most prominent oper- ators of Wall street. Both were members of the New York Stock Exchange for many years. Will- iam Searls was elected president of the Stock Ex- change in 1868. At the end of his term he retired from active life. For thirty years he enjoyed his retirement, occupied only with the cares of his in- vestments. He resided in Brooklyn, New York. He became a member of the Clinton Avenue Congre- gational Church of that city May I, 1850.


Children were: Catherine Isabelle, born in New York city, June 2, 1842, died July 26, 1842; Flor- ence Amelia, born in Brooklyn Heights, New York, June 29, 1848; educated in private schools and at the Parker Collegiate Institute; has lived in recent years in Worcester, at the home of her brother, William P. Searls, 105 Burncoat street ; William Phinehas, (see forward ).


(VII) William Phinehas Searls, son of William Searls (6), was born in Brooklyn, June 3, 1851; died November 20, 1904. His early education was obtained at private schools and at the Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute. For a time he was with his father on Wall street in the brokerage business. Later he was associated with Hatch & Foote. bank- ers and brokers, and with the Tiffany jewelry es- tablishment. He went to Chicago, where he was connected with the grocery business of J. W. Doane. Returning to New York, he married September 12, 1882, Kate Robinson, daughter of John R. Robinson. His father-in-law was interested in Mexican silver mines and Mr. Searls for a time managed a mine for him at Chihuahua, Mexico. He was in the real estate business until 1890, when he came to Worces- ter to live on account of the health of his daughter Florence. Ile made his home at 105 Burucoat street, in an attractive portion of the suburbs of the city. Soon after coming to Worcester he became inter- ested in the North End Street Railway Company. When the company was organized in , 1892 he became its first president. While his company was fighting for its franchise and locations he was called upon inany times to appear before the Board of Aldermen at hearings in opposition to the powerful Consoli- dated Street Railway Company, of Worcester. He won for his company, and the line was constructed from Greendale to Washington Square, and it was operated by the North End Street Railway Company until it was leased to the Consolidated August I, 1895, for a term of ninety-nine years. The North End Street Railway Company is still in existence as a corporation. It was the intention of the company from the first to extend its lines to Clinton. He was also interested for a time in the Drapery Fixture and Wood Carving Company, and during the last years of his life was interested in the Worcester Manufacturing Company, which conducted extensive experiments with compressed air motors, etc.


He was one of a committee of seven appointed to recommend a plan for the investment of the funds obtained by the Worcester Agricultural Society from the sale of its grounds. His committee reported


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in favor of the purchase of the present grounds at Barbers' Crossing. At a meeting in Horticultural Hall it was voted to accept the recommendation and to negotiate the purchase of the tract, also to locate and lay out a regulation racing track, much to the satisfaction of horsemen generally. Mr. Searls was an ardent Republican. He represented Ward Two in the general court in 1893-94-95. He was on the committee on election laws in 1894, and chairman of the committee on finance and house chairman of the committee on expenditures in 1895. He was a man of attractive personality. He made friends readily and kept them. He was a shrewd man of business. The only child of Will- iam Phinehas and Kate (Robinson) Searls was : Florence, born on West End avenue, New York city, November 3, 1888.


DANIEL KINSLEY. Richard Montague (1) was the emigrant ancestor of Daniel Kinsley, of Worcester, and of many others in Worcester county and Western Massachusetts. His pedigree is traced in England back to 1066. An abstract of the line of descent is as follows: Beginning with William Montague, who was born about 1500. William Montague, of Boveney Parish, Burnham, Bucking- hamshire, England. Robert Montague, married Mar- garet Cotton, daughter of Roger Cotton, of Ward- ville, Berkshire. William Montague, married Mar- garet Malthouse, daughter of John Malthouse, of Binfield, Berkshire. William Montague of Boveney, M. A., Fellow of Kings College, Cambridge, left Eton College and succeeded to his estate at Boveney, 1585; living in 1634. He married Richard Burn's daughter Elizabeth. Their children were: William, Peter, was in Virginia in 1634; Richard, Robert, Elizabeth, Anne, Margaret.


Richard Montague was born about 1614 in Boveney, where for generations his ancestors had lived. When he came to New England is not known. The first record is 1646, when he removed with his wife from Wells, Maine, to Boston, Massachusetts. It is believed that he went to Wells in 1637 from Boston. He married Abigail Downing, daughter of Rev. Dr. Downing, of Norwich, England. The Downing family in England has a well established pedigree in the Montague genealogy, but some of the links connecting Rev. Dr. Downing with the pedigree seem to lack proof, though probably cor- rectly guessed.


In 1651 Richard Montague removed to Wethers- field, Connecticut, taking with him a letter from Emanuel Downing, of Salem, his wife's cousin, to Governor Winthrop, of Connecticut. He was one of the original fifty-nine citizens who signed the agreement April 18, 1659, at Goodman Ward's house in Hartford to settle at Hadley, Massachusetts. He held various town offices in Hadley and was select- man in 1671 and 1677. In March, 1681, he was made clerk of writs. He died December 14, 1681. His wife died November 8, 1694. Their children were: Mary, born about 1642, probably in Wells, Maine; Sarah, born June 15, 1646, in Boston, died June 19, 1646, in Boston; Martha, born June 16, 1647, in Boston; Peter, born July 8, 1651, probably in Weth- ersfield, Connecticut ; Abigail, born 1653, in Wethers- field; John, born probably 1655, in Wethersfield.


(11) John Montague, son of Richard Montague (1), was born probably in 1655 or 1656, in Wethers- field, Connecticut. He removed with his parents to Hadley, Massachusetts, in 1659 or 1660. He mar- ried, March 23, 1681, in Hadley, Hannah Smith, daughter of Chileab and Hannah (Hitchcock) Smith, granddaughter of Luke and Elizabeth (Gib- bons) Hitchcock, of Wethersfield. She was born


July, 1662. The grave-stones of her parents are of interest. They read: "Ens. Chileab Smith d. March 7, 1731, aged 96 years, and Hannah his wife d. Ang. 31, 1733, aged 88 years. It is a worthy memorial they lived in marriage state 70 years." John Mon- tague was a selectman in 1697. He lived on the original homestead at Hadley until his death about 1732, as stone shows. The children of John Mon- tague were: John, born December 31, 1681 ; Rich- ard, born March 16, 1684; Hannah, born August 8, 1687, died November, 1688: Hannah, born March 21, 1689, died April 19, 1689; Peter, born May, 1690; William, born December 16, 1692; Samuel, born April 2, 1695; Hannah, born May 28, 1697; Luke, born October 4, 1699; Nathaniel, born October 6, 1704.


(III) Deacon Samuel Montague, son of. John Montagne (2), was born in Hadley, Massachusetts, April 2, 1695. He married, January or June 24, 1716, Elizabeth White, daughter of Deacon Na- thaniel White, of Hadley. She died October 15. 1753, aged fifty-seven years. He married (second), June 13, 1754, Mary Billings, widow of Jonathan Billings, and daughter of Joseph Root. He was one of the first forty settlers in Sunderland, Massachu- setts. His home lot, which he received from his Uncle Peter, was No. 14 and this land is now or was recently owned by his descendants. He was a man of energy, activity and good judgment, and in the course of his long life filled almost every office in the gift of his fellow citizens. The records indi- cate the order or rank of certain offices. He is designated as lieutenant, then deacon, then captain, showing the rank of deacon in the estimation of the people was higher than lieutenant but lower than captain. He was selectman also. He died January 31, 1779, aged eighty-four years. The chil- dren of Deacon Samuel Montague were: Samuel, born June 30, 1720; John, born January 10, 1723, died February 15, 1748, unmarried; Daniel, born January 13, 1725; Giles, born January 29, 1727; Richard, born May 7, 1729; Caleb, born July 27, 1731; Giles, born December 16, 1733, died Septem- ber 10, 1734: Elizabeth, born September 18, 1735, died September 17, 1743; Nathaniel, born February 13, 1739, slain in battle at Lake George, August 7, 1757; Ebenezer, born October 1, 1741, died Sep- tember 28, 1743.


(IV) Samuel Montague, son of Samuel Mon- tague (3), was born in Sunderland, Massachusetts, June 30, 1720. He. married in 1742, Elizabeth Mon- tague (his cousin), daughter of Peter and Mary (Hubbard) Montague, of South Hadley, Massa- chusetts. He resided in Sunderland many years and there his children were born. Hewas one of a number of Separatists who were excommunicated from the church at Sunderland, September 24, 1753. He removed to Bennington, Vermont, in 1761, and was moderator of the first town meet- ing there. Some of the Kinsley family, among them John Kinsley, were also among the early settlers of Bennington. The church at Bennington was founded by the Separatists. In 1773-4 he removed to Pitts- ford, Vermont, but returned to Bennington, where he died of smallpox, January 17, 1777. His widow married Rev. James Smith, a Baptist minister. She died January 31, 1816, in Pittsford, aged ninety-five years, three months. He was a weaver by trade. His sons settled on the land he owned in Pitts- ford. His children were: Samuel, born in Sunder- land, as were all the other children, January 15, 1743; Elizabeth, born October 4, 1744; Mary, boru November 25, 1746, baptized February I, 1747, at Amherst ; Martha, born November 21, 1748; Persis, born February 13, 1751; Azubah, born February 14,


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1753; Experience, born May 14, 1755; Adonijah, born April 11, 1757; Nathaniel, born June 4, 1759, died in Oneida, New York; Rufus, born October 28, 1762.


(V) Samnel Montague, son of Samuel Mon- tague (4), was born in Sunderland, Massachusetts, January 15, 1743. Ile married, 1764, in Benning- ton, Vermont, Lucy Safford, daughter of Joseph and Ann (Bottom) Safford, of Ipswich, Massachusetts, and Norwich, Connecticut. She was born June, 1748, and removed with her parents to Bennington. They resided in Bennington until eight of their children were born. He removed in July, 1784, to Cam- bridge, Vermont, when there was no road and the trail was blazed. They were among the first set- tlers in Cambridge. He died March 27, 1826, in Cambridge, Vermont. She died April 4, 1828, aged eighty-one. The children of Samuel and Lucy ( Safford) Montague were : Lucy, born February 12, 1765; Darins, born April 18, 1767, died of smallpox ; Anna, born October 2, 1769; Elizabeth, born Feb- ruary II, 1771; Samuel, born April 23, 1775; Ce- linda, born November 28, 1777; Child, born April 3, 1779, died April 27, 1780; Joseph, born July 6, 1781; Solomon, born April 15, 1785; Challis, born November 18, 1788.


(VI) Lucy Montague, daughter of Samuel Mon- tague (5), was born in Bennington, Vermont, Feb- ruary 12, 1765. She married Daniel Kinsley. (See Kinsley Family).


KINSLEY FAMILY. (I) Stephen Kinsley was the emigrant ancestor of Daniel Kinsley, of Wor- cestor. The records show that his descendants have followed this way of spelling the name without a "G" wherever they have settled. The emigrant was in Braintree, first in 1637. John Kingsley, of Dor- chester, is believed to be a brother. Stephen was a proprietor of the town of Braintree and was ad- mitted a freeman May 13, 1640. He removed to Dorchester and bought half of the Hutchinson farmi, February 23, 1656. He returned to Braintree and sold land in Milton, May 11, 1670. He was an elder of the church and deputy to the general court. His will was dated at Milton, May 27, 1673, and proved July 3, 1673, in which he mentions his family. His children were: Samuel; John ; a daugh- ter who married Henry Crane; a daughter who married Anthony Golliver; a daughter who mar- ried Robert Mason; Mary, born August 30, 1640, at Braintree.


(II) Samuel Kinsley, son of Stephen Kinsley (I), was born probably in England. He married Hannah He died before 1673, when his father's will was made. He probably lived at Milton. His children were: Samuel, born 1662; and two daughters.


(III) Samuel Kinsley, son of Samuel Kinsley (2), was born in 1662, at Dorchester. He married Mary Washburn, in 1694. She was the daughter of John Washburn. They settled at South Bridge- water, Massachusetts, and bought the Jeduthan Robbins place, adjoining Thomas Washburn's. His children, except Daniel, who is believed to belong


. here, are given by the Bridgewater history. See also Easton, Massachusetts, history. The children : Samuel, born 1720, died 1773, at Worcester; John, married Thankful Washburn, daughter of William Washburn, 1746; Nathan, married Betty Dunbar, daughter of James Dunbar ; Benjamin, born March 16, 1701, married (first) Priscilla Manley, died March 13, 1759, Easton ; married ( second) Widow Perkins; Mary, married Thomas Willis, 1716; Sarah, mar- ried Josiah Hayward, 1715; Benjamin; Bethia, mar- ried William Brett, 1732; Susanna, married Samuel


Packard, 1729; Daniel, born 1720-30, (need proof of this connection). (Samuel (IV) died in Wor- cester on his way from Deerfield to his family in Bridgewater, September 25, 1773, aged fifty-three. His son Samnel went to Charlemont, Massachu- setts, where Daniel Kinsley settled. His son Martin settled at Hardwick, Massachusetts. His son Caleb at Montague, Massachusetts. He married Sophia White, about 1742.)


(IV) Daniel Kinsley, son of Samuel Kinsley (3), of Bridgewater, probably, was born about 1720-30. He removed to western Massachusetts and was one of the prominent settlers of Charle- mont in Hampden county. His brother, Samuel Kinsley, had sons settle in Charlemont and other towns in the vicinity. Samuel died at Worcester on his way home from Deerfield to his home in Bridge- water, as the inscription on his stone tells. Ile was buried in Worcester. He must have been one of the early settlers at Charlemont, as his son Daniel was born there in 1764, and in 1770 he was one of the three largest property owners as shown by the tax list. The others were Othniel Taylor from Deerfield, and Aaron Rice, brother of the founder, Moses Rice. He married Eunice The fol- lowing list of children is probably incomplete : Daniel, born at Charlemont, Massachusetts, April 22, 1764; John, settler at Bennington before 1775; Stephen, who drew lot 47 in Cambridge at the same time Daniel, Sr., and Daniel, Jr., drew land there in 1783. (The records show that the family was in Bennington, Vermont, before coming to Cambridge and the adjoining town of Fletcher, Vermont.)


(V) Daniel Kinsley, son of Daniel Kinsley (4), both in battle of Bennington, Vermont, was born at Charlemont, Massachusetts, April 22, 1764. He removed with his father to Bennington, Vermont, abont 1780. He and his father drew land in Cam- bridge, Vermont, together, August 28, 1783. Daniel, Sr., had lot No. 1; Daniel, Jr., lot No. 44; Stephen Kinsley lot 47.


Daniel Kinsley married, November 22, 1788, Lucy Montague (q. v.), daughter of Samuel Mon- tague (V). This was the first marriage in the town of Cambridge, Vermont. (Date from family record differs from that in Montague Genealogy). He died in Fletcher, Vermont, September 27, 1828; she died February 10, 1850, in Fletcher. Their chil- dren, all born in Cambridge, were: Clarissa, born August 9, 1789, died at North Hero January 22, 1820, married Moses Haynes, of North Hero, March 31, 1805; Eunice, born August 23, 1790, died at Cambridge ; Hannah, born Jannary 21, 1792, married Elihu Parks, of Russelton, Canada, January 31, 1812; Lucretia, born January 19, 1794, lived at Brasher, New York, died there 1871, married Melzar E. Buck, at Russelton, Canada, January 6, 1812; Ben Alvah, born January II, 1796, died at Lowell, Ver- mont, December 6, 1870; Elvira, born January 5, 1798, died at Fletcher, Vermont, July 3, 1859; Guy, born May 8, 1800, married Emily Scott Fletcher, July 4, 1826; Earl, born in North Hero, Vermont, August 4, 1802, died at Grand Isle, June 29, 1868; Nancy, born December 17, 1804, married Jefferson Scott, at Fletcher, May 8, 1828; Samuel, born May 29, 1807, died at North Hero, October 5, 1808; Chellis, born July 19, 1809, married, March 12, 1837, Almira Hubbard, at North Hero; Calista, born in Russelton, Canada, April 20, 1812, died in North Hero, August 8, 1847.


(VI) Ben Alvah Kinsley, son of Daniel Kinsley (5), was born in Cambridge, Vermont, January II, 1796. In 1812 he served six months in the New York state militia. He enlisted April 27, 1813, in


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the Second Company, Thirtieth Vermont Volunteers, and served a year in the army commanded by Gen- eral Wade Hampton. The sufferings and privations of this campaign were terrible. He was slightly wounded by a bullet in the battle of LaCole Mill, Odelltown, Canada. He had a narrow escape from death crossing the ice from Butler's Island to North Hero, which is related in Vol. 2, page 200 of the Vermont Gazeteer. He married, February 26, 1824, Catherine Montague, daughter of Rufus Montague, granddaughter of Samuel Montague (q. v.) above, a second case of marriage of cousins in the line. She was crippled several years before her death, Feb- ruary 15, 1849. He married (second) Lucy or M. P. Blair, of Fletcher. He was the author of the history of Fletcher in the Vermont Gazeteer. He was said to be a man of good judgment, deep feel- ing and excellent religious principles. He was original in his ways and thought. His biographer terms some of his ideas eccentricities. Five of his sons, Rufus, Jason, Edgar, William and Alonzo, were soldiers in the civil war and all passed through the service. After the war a very interesting family reunion was held at which all the children were present. He died December 6, 1870, at Lowell, Vermont.


The children of Ben Alvah Kinsley, all born in Fletcher, Vermont, were: Guy, born February 12, 1825, married, March 14, 1853, Lucinda Ellsworth, resides at Council Hill, Clayton county, Iowa, has had eleven children. Lucretia, born February 13, 1827. Daniel, born June 13, 1829. Rufus, born October 9, 1831, printer by trade, married, April IO, 1872, at Cambridge, Ella L. Bingham, daughter of Judge Royal T. Bingham, of Fletcher, has seven children. Jason, born October 25, 1833, served in First Iowa Cavalry throughout civil war, teacher, died at McGregor, Iowa, October, 1903. Alonzo, born February 3, 1836, served in Company 11, wounded in breast by minie ball July 16, 1861; farmer at Cambridge, Vermont, married, January 6, 1869, at Johnson, Vermont, Emma Alsie Brown, daughter of Dexter W. Brown, of Waterville, Ver- mont, has four daughters. Edgar, born August 16, 1837, adopted by his uncle, Rufus Montague, and name changed by act of legislature; married, March, 1860, Louise Sherwood, daughter of Zalmon Sher- wood, of Fletcher ; married ( second) Annette Blair, daughter of Charles Blair, of Fletcher; was a sol- dier in the civil war; has had six children. Will- iam Lyon, born March 12, 1844, died September 24, 1901; carried a ball in his elbow received in the battle of Cold Harbor ; married Ellen Lucretia Whit- tle, in Lowell, Vermont ; has one son. Ross.


(VII) Daniel Kinsley, son of Ben Alvah Kins- ley (6), was born in Fletcher, Vermont, June 13, 1829. He spent his boyhood in his native town, working on a farm and attending the district school. He came to Massachusetts when he was seventeen, as many Vermont boys did about that time, hoping to save money enough to buy a farm and settle in Fletcher. He went to work for Bonum Nye, of North Brookfield, one of the county commissioners, and he became acquainted with the other county commis- sioners in the course of business. When a vacancy oc- curred in the messenger's office at the court he was the unanimous choice of the board. Ile was elected June 21, 1853, as messenger of the courts and held the position for fifty years. His duties at first in- cluded work now done by the janitor and others. Time has worked many changes in the court house and the courts of Worcester county. One interest- ing souvenir of the early days. of his work for the county is the magnificent elin, known as the Kins- ley elm, between the court house and the Unitarian




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