Historic homes and institutions and genealogical and personal memoirs of Worcester county, Massachusetts, with a history of Worcester society of antiquity, Vol. I, Part 75

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 75

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James A. Norcross was not a seeker of public office. although he served the city one term as a member of the common council in 1877. He was a member of the Worcester Board of Trade, the Com- monwealth Club, the Sportsman and Continental Clubs, also the Worcester County Mechanics' Asso- ciation. In the building of the South Unitarian Church he was one of the most liberal contributors. In this society he took an active interest, and within its circle found his religious home. He was a man of charitable disposition, and his kindliness was often evinced by his many acts of charity. He died at his home, August 4, 1903, and was survived by his widow, who was Mary Ellen Pinkham, and their children, as follows :

I. Julia Ellen, born October 14, 1851; married, June 8, 1871, at Worcester, Thomas Seymour Os- borne, of Nova Scotia, and had children: John Seymour, born February 28, 1872, died an infant; Mary Gertrude, May 5, 1873, married Alfred Mer- rifield, of Worcester; Florence Elizabeth, born April 27, 1875, died July 9, 1902. She married, 1892, Fred A. Corey, of Worcester, and had children: Charles E., died August 29, 1893; James Earle, born April 27, 1896; Fred, born September 10, 1900. Rosie Winifred, born April 5, 1878, married, January 18, 1899. Harry E. Mayo, of Worcester, and had one child, Virginia, born June 3. 1899. John Edwin Norcross, born August 24, 1880, married Nellie Billings. James William Thomas, born July 24, 1882, married Ethel Comstock, and have Lawrence Wilmot. Arthur Wilmot, born February 7, 1888, died January 18, 1889. Ellen, born September 28, 1890. David Benjamin, born July 7, 1894.

2. James Ephraim, born I853, in Salem; died I855.

3. James Franklin Norcross, born in Salem, Massachusetts, January S, 1856. He attended the common schools there, and in South Adams and Worcester, in turn. He left school at the early age of fourteen years to enter the employ of Norcross Brothers, and took up carpentering, in which he continued almost three years. He then went to East Longmeadow, Massachusetts, to learn quarry- ing and stone cutting. After ten years he was made superintendent of all this business for Nor- cross Brothers, and served in that capacity until April 1, 1897, when he resigned, and later engaged in the same line of business on his own account. After a year he sold his plant, and on December I, 1898, removed to Springfield, Massachusetts, where

he has since resided. He was engaged in caring for his father's business and arranging his own affairs until 1901, when he bought an interest in the West- field Marble and Sandstone Company, a corpora- tion doing business in Westfield, Massachusetts, where their quarries are located. He was vice- president and manager from the time he entered the company until 1906, when his widowed mother, desiring his assistance in the management of her affairs, he resigned the position of manager, but has retained to the present time, that of vice-president. While in East Longmeadow, Mr. Norcross attended the Congregational church, and served as a mem- ber of its parish committee, and was also for one year secretary of the school board. In 1882 he joined Hampden Lodge No. 27, I. O. O. F., of Springfield, Massachusetts, of which he is yet a member. In politics he is a Republican. He mar- ried, March 7, 1878, Sarah Etta Robinson, born in East Longmeadow, Massachusetts, July 13, 1857, a daughter of Jonas and Martha (Bradbury) Robin- son ; her father is a leading stone cutter and setter. To Mr. and Mrs. Norcross were born two children: Jonas Walter, May 23, 1879; and Mary Etha, August 21, 1882.

4. Arthur Warren, born at Salem, Massachusetts, July 27, 1861. He received his education in the Wor- cester public schools, graduating from Woodland grammar school in June 1878. In the fall of that year he entered the Classical High School, where he continued his studies for a time, subsequently taking a course in Bryant & Stratton's Business College at Boston. In 1881 he entered the employ of Norcross Brothers, contractors and builders, where he remained about a year, subsequently removing to New York city, Baltimore, Cleveland and other cities in the employ of the firm until about 1897, when he became a partner in the firm of Norcross & Cleveland, contractors and builders, of Boston. This firm built the present Brewer building on Front street, Worcester. Mr. Norcross, since the dissolution of Norcross & Cleveland, continued as contractor until recently, and is at present super- intendent of a large building concern in New York city. He was an attendant of the First Universa- list Church at Worcester, and is a Republican in politics. He married, December 18, 1888, Alice Willard Warren, born in Worcester, adopted daugh- ter of Otis and Caroline E. Warren, of Worcester. One child was born to them, Pauline, born Sep- tember 12, 1890, died February 10, 1892.

5. Rosa Minerva, born in Salem, June 2, 1863; died April 5, 1877.

6. William Ephraim, born at Salem, Massachu- setts, May 11, 1866. At the age of three years he removed with his parents to Worcester, where he attended the public schools at Woodland street, from which he graduated, taking a year's course in the Classical High School. He then entered the employ of Norcross Brothers, where he was pay- master of the outside help for two years, after which time he entered the shipping department as head shipper, continuing for three years. Subse- quently he entered the office of the draughting de- partment, where he remained for two and a half years. About a year before the dissolution of part- nership of Norcross Brothers, he became interested in the affairs of "Fairlawn," the estate of his father, where he assumed charge of the farm and has re- mained in charge of affairs to the present day. In 1898 he built his residence at "Fairlawn," adjoining the home of his father, where he resided until the death of his father, August 4. 1903, when he came to live with his family at "Fairlawn." Mr. Nor- cross is an attendant of the South Unitarian Memor-

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jal Church in which he has served as treasurer and clerk. He is a Republican in politics, and a member of the Worcester Automobile Club; he was a mem- ber for two years of the Lakeside Boat Club, and for three years of the Commonwealth Club. He mar- ried, November 23, 1890, Lillian Mabel Blenus, born at South Dedham, Massachusetts, June 17, 1867, daughter of Charles W. and Vesta (Gates) Blenus, of Worcester, Massachusetts. Charles W. Blenus was a piano case maker, a veteran of the civil war, and a member of Post No. 10, G. A. R. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Norcross are: Hazel, born August 19, 1893; Rosemary, born November 26, 1899.

7. Mary Elizabeth, born at South Adams, Massa- chusetts, October 31, 1868, married, September 20, 1892, William Lorin Davis, of Millbury, Massachu- setts, a brick manufacturer. One child, Margaret, born at Worcester, Massachusetts, January 10, 1896.

8. Florence A., born in Worcester, 1871; diel July 9, 1871.

9. Jesse Orlando, born at Worcester, Massachu- setts, December 1, 1875. He received his education in the Woodland street grammar school, the pri- vate school of John Dalzell on West street, where he remained two years. He then entered the employ of Norcross Brothers as clerk and bookkeeper in his father's office. Here he remained about two years, and then entered the employ of his brother, who was of the firm of Norcross & Cleveland. In the latter position he began to learn the trade of carpenter, and later became a journeyman in the business. He remained about two years in their em- ploy. In 1901 he purchased an eleven acre farm on Millbury avenue, just over the line in Millbury, where he built an elegant mansion and engaged in the poultry business for some time; he still resides at this place. In January, 1905, the firm of Nor- eross & Shiland under Massachusetts laws was incorporated with quarters at 214 Summer street, for the sale of automobiles. Jesse O. Norcross is the president and director; H. E. Shiland, secretary, S. Norcross, clerk of the corporation. Mr. Shiland retired from the company six months later. In February, 1906, the company moved to more com- modious quarters at the corner of Foster and Com- mercial street, the firm name having changed to that of Norcross Automobile Company, agents for the "Packard," "Peerless," and "Auto Car." Mr. Nor- cross is an attendant of the South Unitarian Memor- ial Church, a Republican in politics, a member of Worcester Grange, No. 22, Patrons of Husbandry, the Worcester Automobile Club, and was formerly a member of the Lakeside Boat Club. He was a charter member of Wellington Rifles, Company H, Second Regiment, Massachusetts Volunteer Militia, enlisting as private at its organization, May 2, 1894, serving three years. He married, December 16, 1896, Maud Marie Smith, born July 13. 1877. daugh- ter of Marcus M. and Ann Elizabeth (Butterfield) Smith, of Keene, New Hampshire. Marcus M. Smith has been connected with the foundry depart - ment of the Crompton & Knowles Company.

Mrs. Mary Ellen Norcross, widow of Jame: Atkinson Norcross, was born January 8, 1835, in Peabody, Massachusetts, daughter of Hieks and Mary B. Pinkham. Her father was born October 6. 1806. in New Hampshire, and died December 23, 1849: he was a contractor and carpenter : his wife, the mother of Mrs. Norcross, was born in Massachusetts, December 16, 1806; and died January 21, 1850. Mrs. James A. Norcross is possessed of like charitable and philantrophie traits of character with her lamented husband. Like him she has always

been deeply attached to the South Unitarian Church of Worcester, to which, since her husband's death, she has presented the sum of $20,000 for the liquida- tion of its debt. Her benefactions have been con- stantly extended to all worthy purposes.

CHARLES ANDREW FLETCHER. Robert Fletcher (I) was the emigrant of Charles Andrew Fletcher, of Worcester. The family name is doubt- less of French origin, signifying archer. While some genealogists state that the family came to England first at the time of William the Norman, others be- lieve that the first of the name was Jean de la Flechiere, who came to England with the Duke of Savoy in the thirteenth century. He came from Burgundy, now the Canton de Vaud of Switzer- land. His son Henry and other descendants were prominent in English and Scotch history.

Robert Fletcher, the emigrant, was born as shown by the record of his death, in 1592. Family tradi- tion has it that he was from Yorkshire, England. He settled in Concord, Massachusetts, early. He is said to have come to New England in 1630. He was appointed the constable of the town of Con- cord by the general court, November 2, 1637. He removed to Chelmsford and joined with William Fletcher and others in 1654 in inviting Mr. John Fiske and the Wenham Church to remove to Chelms- ford. His will was made February 4, 1672, "aged about fourscore," as the will has it. He commits his wife to the care of his son Francis and his wife. and bequeatbs also to sons, Francis, William and Samuel. The inventory was dated May 12, 16,7. He died April 3, 1677, at Concord, at the age of eighty-five years. He was counted among the most influential and wealthy men of the vicinity. The children of Robert Fletcher were: Luke, born in England, died in Concord, May 21, 1665, probably tinmarried : William, born in England, 1622, settled in Chelmsford. Massachusetts; Cary. married - Kebby ; Samuel, see forward ; Francis, born in Con- cord. Massachusetts, 1636. settled there.

(II) Samuel Fletcher, son of Robert Fletcher (1), was born in Concord. Massachusetts, in 1632, He was admitted a freeman March 21, 1680-90. He settled in that part of Chelmsford now Westford, Massachusetts. He married Margaret Hailston, Octo- ber IO. 1659. He died December 9, 1697, and his grave is in the Middle Chelmsford cemetery. The inscription on the headstone reads: "Here lyes ye body of Samuel Fletcher, aged 65 years, died Decem- ber Q. 1607." The children of Samuel and Margaret ( Hailston) Fletcher were: Samuel, born in Con- cord, Massachusetts, 1661, married Mary Cotton; Sarah, born August 24, 1663; Hannah, born Septem- zer 26. 1669: William. see forward.

(III) William Fletcher. youngest son of Samuel Fletcher (2), was born in Chelmsford, Massachu- setts, January 1. 1671. He married there, Decem- ber 10. 1701, Mary - He died about 1743. His will (Vol. 21, Page 205. Middlesex) names his liv- ing children. His children, all born in Chelmsford. were: William, born 1702, at what is now Westford in Chelmsford. died September 22, 1784; Samuel (captain), born 1707, had fifteen children at West- ford: Oliver (TI. C. 1735). selectman 1758-61. died December 1. 1771: Thomas, born January 15, 17II; Robert, born April 20, 1713. resided near what is now the Lowell city farm: Benjamin, see forward ; Mary, born January 1. 1718; Lydia, born June I, 1724.

(IV) Benjamin Fletcher, sixth child of William Fletcher (3). was born in Chelmsford, now West- ford, Massachusetts. February 22. 1715, died 1774. He lived in Chelinsford and vicinity. He was a

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prominent man and wealthy for his day, as the in- ventory of his estate in the possession of Charles A. Fletcher shows. He was collector of taxes in Chelmsford in 1754. He held other offices. His children were: Benjamin, see forward; Eleazer.

(V) Benjamin Fletcher, son of Benjamin Fletcher (4), was born probably in Chelmsford. Massachu- setts, about 1750. He married, December 4, 1770, Rachel Spaulding, of Chelmsford, and they settled in that town. Among their children was: Benja- min William or William Benjamin, see forward.

(VI) Benjamin William Fletcher, as his name is given in the Weare, New Hampshire, history, son of Benjamin Fletcher (5), was born November 1, 1772, in Chelmsford, Massachusetts. He settled in Weare. New Hampshire, about a mile north of the Oil Mill village. He was a farmer. He ap- pears as a taxpayer of Weare as early as 1820 and as late as 1840, and probably lived all his active life in Weare. He married Sarah Ballard, and their children were: William, removed to Vermont ; Har- riet. Sarah, remained in Weare; Susan, Benjamin, see forward: Charles B., Beulah, Mary Grace.

(VII) Benjamin Franklin Fletcher, son of Benja- min William Fletcher (6), was born in Weare, New Hampshire, January 7. 18II, died at Manchester, New Hampshire, June 18, 1886. He married Elvira Adams Wilson, of the well known Scotch-Irish Wil- son family, whose progenitor was among the settlers of Londonderry. New Hampshire, in 1718. She was a native of New Boston, New Hampshire. He re- sided at Manchester, New Hampshire, was a house carpenter and contractor. His wife was born April 24, 1812, in New Boston, New Hampshire, and died in Manchester, September 25, 1886. The children of Benjamin F. and Elvira Adams (Wilson) Fletcher were: I. James Franklin Wilson, born April 9. 1843, died November 13, 1902: was a house carpenter ; served through the whole civil war in Company E, Eighth New Hampshire Regiment ; he enlisted as a private and was discharged as first lieutenant : he resided in Manchester and Nashua, where he died ; never married. 2. Eben Harris, born in Manchester. July 5. 1845. died at Manchester, New Hampshire. September 5. 1868. resided at Man- chester, New Hampshire, and Salem. Massachu- setts, where he was editor of the Salem Enterprise ; was captain of a militia company in Manchester ; never married. 3. Mary Maria, married George War- ren Currier, he is deceased and she resides in Bed- ford. New Hampshire, with her son, Allen Fletcher Currier, who conducts the farm. 4. Sarah Eliza- beth. married John Milton Todd, resides at New Boston, New Hampshire; their son. Samuel Herbert Todd. resides at home. 5. Laura A .. born January 7. 1850, died June 1. 1853. 6. Charles Andrew, born July 17. 1851. see forward.

(VIHI) Charles Andrew Fletcher. president of the Clark-Sawyer Company of Worcester, was born in Manchester, New Hampshire, July 17. 1851. He was the son of Benjamin Franklin and Elvira Adams (Wilson) Fletcher. His mother came from a well known Scotch-Irish family that settled in 1718 in Londonderry. New Hampshire. Mr. Fletcher at- tended the Manchester public schools. After grad- uating from the grammar school he accepted a clerk- ship in the crockery store of Charles A. Smith in Manchester, New Hampshire, where he gained his first experience and knowledge of the business, in which he has been engaged ever since. After a year and a half later he came to Worcester, in November, 1860, and went to work for Clark, Sawyer & Com- pany, then as now the leading store in the crockery, glassware and housefurnishing trade. Except for two periods of two years each Mr. Fletcher has re-

mained in the Clark-Sawyer store ever since he came to Worcester, serving in various capacities from clerk to president. In 1874-75-76 Mr. Fletcher was in business in Fitchburg. In 1884 he left the company again and established at Gardner, Massa- chusetts, the Central Oil and Gas Stove Company. After two years he was induced by the Clark-Sawyer Company to return and take charge of the house furnishing department. The business was incor- porated at this time and Mr. Fletcher became a director and clerk of the company. The company became a Massachusetts corporation in 1890 with a capital of $100,000. The officers for the past few years have been: President, Charles A. Fletcher ; treasurer, George Richardson; secretary, Stephen Sawyer. Mr. Fletcher has been president since 1897, and during these years the company has en- joyed a season of great growth and prosperity. The Clark-Sawyer Company stores occupy 36,000 square feet of floor space in the best business section of Worcester. The wholesale department has be- come the larger and more important end of the business. The company has commercial

travelers all over New England, and they make a specialty of foreign novelties, having their own buyers in the markets abroad every season. A characteristic of the house is to take hold of a new invention of an attractive novelty, a specialty for instance having been made of refrigerators. Mr. Fletcher has for many years given personal atten- tion to the imported goods of the house. The holi- day trade has grown to enormous proportions in both wholesale and retail departments, owing largely to the attractive line of toys and bric-a-brac of both foreign and domestic manufacture sold there. The markets of England, Germany, France, Italy, Austria and Bohemia are visited every season. The Clark- Sawyer Company carries the largest line of whole- sale novelties in New England. It is the largest retail house furnishing store in New England, and outside of Boston also the largest crockery house.

Mr. Fletcher is a member of the Commonwealth Club and of the Worcester Society of Antiquity. He is a Republican. On account of the pressure of business he has in late years withdrawn from most of the clubs and societies to which he formerly be- longed.

He married, October 1, 1874, Helen Maria Shat- tuck, daughter of Samuel F. Shattuck, of Worcester. They have had two children: Helen Esther, born July, 1876, married Edward Marcus Dodge (See sketch elsewhere in this work) ; Charles Shattuck, born July 21. 1878. died September 13, 1903, while a junior at Harvard College.

STILLMAN HOUGHTON FAMILY. Sir

Richard Houghton (1), bart., of Houghton Towers, Lancashire. England, father of Ralph Houghton, of Lancaster, was a progenitor of the Houghton family, of Worcester county, to which the late Still- man Houghton belonged. Sir Richard fought against King Charles, although the rest of the family fought for the king. If tradition is correct then, and John Houghton. of Lancaster, was cousin of Ralph, son of Sir Richard, the two men came, for opposite reasons. to America : one because he was against the king. the other because he was not. That is not important. The two cousins seem to have lived amiably side by side in Lancaster, the son and nephew of Sir Richard Houghton. The Houghton ancestors are traced to Roger de Bushi, one of the followers of William the Conqueror.

(II) Ralph Houghton, son of Sir Richard Hough- ton (1), born in England, in 1633: died April 15, 1705, in Lancaster. He is believed to have emigrated

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to New England in 1635. He was in Lancaster in 1647, and was one of the founders of that town with five others: Edward Breck, Nathaniel Had- lock. William Kerley, Thomas Sawyer, John Pres- cott. He was the first town clerk, and the writing of the early records in his hand show that he was not only a good penman but well educated. His home was on the Neck. He was town clerk for many years ; was admitted a freeman in 1668, and was deputy to the general court in 1673-89. He was one of the leaders, and was identified with the organiza- tion of the town and its government until his death. He had to abandon his home with the others at the time of King Philip's war in 1675. In 1682 he set- tled in Milton. He returned to his Lancaster home in1 1685, but was again in Milton in 1690, and built a homestead there in which seven generations of de- scendants have been born. He married Jane - who was born 1626, in England, and died January IO, 1700-I. Their children were: 1. Mary, born Janu- ary 4. 1654. 2. John, born April 28, 1655. 3. Joseph, born July 6. 1657 ; settled in Milton. 4. Experience, born October 1, 1659; married May 22, 1784, Ezra Clapp, of Dorchester. 5. James (see forward). 6. Sarah, born February 17, 1664. Ralph Houghton, of Dorchester ( Milton later), was lost at Port Royal June 7. 1782. aged twenty-eight, in the earthquake.

(III) James Houghton, son of Ralph Houghton (2), born in Lancaster, in 1661. (This date is given in the American Ancestry.) It is stated by some writers that he was born before the family came to Lancaster. Ralph Houghton's family was among the first to come, and was doubtless living there by 1650. James Houghton settled first on the Neck but removed to Still river before the massacre in 1697. with his brother-in-law, Caleb Sawyer. and built upon lands given him by his father, Ralph Houghton. He had eight children. The second son, Ralph, was a soldier in the Acadian expedition to Canada and died in 1710, in the service. His brother James was his administrator.

James Houghton died in 1711. His will was proved September II, 17II. His widow was the Widow Mary Houghton mentioned in the list of those in the garrison house in 1711. The garrison house of James Houghton has descended from father to son for five generations, and has been occupied the longest of any in old Lancaster, continuously in the same family. The present house is a capacious farm house, including at least three structures, all ancient. The west end is the original garrison house which sheltered the families of the neighbor- hoods from Indian raids. It was built from 1692 to 1704. The first chimney was of stone, and the huge foundations still fills half the cellar. It was early replaced by the present many-flued brick pile, with eight fire places, ovens, cupboards, and smoke closet, where there is room enough to cure simul- tancously the hams and shoulders of a dozen swine. Many of the little windows remain, though the sash has been renewed, at nearly double the height now thought convenient. The walls are filled with brick and stone so as to be bullet proof. The huge oak beams and plates show for a third of their length below plaster and laths. These timbers are 12X14 inches. Once when it became necessary to remove some of the panels of the wainscoting, during renova- vations. the wood was found to be unpainted soft pine without knot or check, of excellent workman- ship, thought to be from the hand of James Hough- ton, himself a carpenter, and builder of his own house. The house passed to Thomas Houghton, his son, also ancestor of Stillman Houghton. It passed to his son Elijah, to his son Thomas, to his son Cephas and then to his son now or lately

the owner. Edward Warren Houghton, of Harvard, Massachusetts, as that section of Lancaster is now known1.

Children of James and Mary Houghton were: I. James, born 1690; married Sarah (called James Houghton, Sr., to distinguish him from James Houghton, son of Jonas Houghton, a younger man). 2. Ralph, died in service in Canada, his brother James administered his estate. 3. John. 4. Thomas (see forward). 5. Edward (see Houghton family under Knapp family). 6. Ephraim, joined in deed, with Edward and James, to Jonas. 7. Hannah. 8. Experience. In 1723 Ephraim, Edward, Thomas and John, sons of James, lived in the vicinity of the old house in Harvard. James Houghton, who mar- ried Sarah, was not there at that time.

Caleb Sawyer was grandson of John Prescott, the founder of Lancaster, and fifth son of Thomas Sawyer, one of the first proprietors, who married Mary Prescott. Caleb Sawyer was born in Lancaster, April 20, 1659; married Sarah, daughter of Ralph Houghton, December 28, 1683. He had a special grant of thirty acres on the east side of Bare Hill where he built his house some time after the massacre of 1697. The well known "rendezvous" tree was near his house. . He died February 13, 1755.

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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 75

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