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. II > Part 15
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(V) Joseph Plummer, tenth child of Samuel Plummer (4), was born in Newbury, Massachu- setts, . December 25, 1735. He married, about 1776, Mary Foster, who died May 9. 1820. He died Sep- tember 30, 1812. They lived in Newbury and their children, all born there, were: Hannah, born March 20, 1777. died May 6, 1797. unmarried : Amos, born March 10, 1779, died unmarried; Isaiah, born March 22, 1781, married Ann Chace; Samuel, born Decem- ber, 1783. married widow Richards, no issue; Nancy, born July 24, 1785, died young; Abraham, see for- ward; Joseph, born January 19, 1790, died about 1810 unmarried.
(VI) Abraham Plummer, sixth child of Joseph Plummer (5), was born at Newbury, Massachu- setts, September 1, 1787. He was brought up on the farmn. After his marriage he removed to Rindge, New Hampshire. After a few years he settled at Northfield, New Hampshire, where he bought a farm and conducted a saw mill. manufacturing shingles, lath and lumber. He owned large tracts of wood land, from which he cut timber for use in the mill. In religion he was a Baptist. He was a man of influence and held various town offices. He married Hannah Hale, born March 27. 1790. Their children were: Hannah, born November 29, 1809; Charles Edwin, born December 7. ISII, see forward; Mary K., born December 12, 1813; Saralı S., born March 19, 1816; Eliza L., born August 27, 1818; Maria M., born April 19, 1820; Abraham F., born August 22, 1822; William H., born August 1, 1824: Caroline K., born April 2, 1826; Benjamin W., horn January 16, 1828: Isaac A., born Novem- ber 24, 1830; Clementine S. (twin), born April 22, 1832: Angeline S. (twin), born April 22, 1832.
(VII) Charles Edwin Plummer, second child of Abraham Plummer (6), was born at Newbury, Massachusetts, December 7, 1811. He attended the public schools there and at Rindge, where his par-
ents moved when he was eleven years old. During his earlier years he followed several vocations. When his father removed to Northfield, he went with him and worked in the shingle mill. He was in the trucking business in Boston for a time, and finally returned to Rindge, where he carried on the hotel and livery stable. For seven years he was the postmaster of Rindge. Before the railroad was built his tavern was one of the most popular stop- ping places for teamsters and stage drivers on the road from Bennington to Boston. He removed later to Nelson, New Hampshire, where he bought a saw mill and manufactured wooden ware, such as mops, clothes pins, butter stamps, washboards, trays, etc. He removed in 1854 to Winchendon and en- tered the employ of Murdock & Fairbanks in the wooden-ware factory. After a few years he bought a quarry at Fitzwilliam, New Hampshire, and car- ried on an extensive business. He furnished the stone for many of the buildings and sidewalks in Winchendon, and carried on this business success- fully for many years. He died December 18, 1905. In 1845 Mr. Plummer astonished everybody by transporting a salt water schooner that he bought in Boston overland to Lake Monomonock, where he had a public launching and carried a hundred persons on his initial trip. He was a Baptist in religion and a Democrat, Whig and finally a Repub- lican in politics.
He married, June 2, 1835. Clarinda Rugg, born February 3, 1814. She was the daughter of Captain Luke and Cynthia (Platts) Rugg, of Rindge. Her father was a farmer, and was one of the select- men of Rindge. Children of Charles and Clarinda Plummer were: George Edward, born February 28. 1838. enlisted in the Thirty-sixth Massachu- setts Volunteers in the civil war and was killed at Campbell's Station, Tennessee, November 16, 1863; lie married, January 1, 1859, Mary A. Withington, of Winchendon; Charles William, see forward; Henry Franklin, born March 10, 1845, died October 19, 1846; Walter Bascomb, born October 1, 1857, married Harriet Church, of Boston.
(VIII) Charles William Plummer, son of Charles Edwin Plummer (7), was born at Rindge. New Hampshire, March 25, 1840. He attended school there and at Nelson, New Hampshire, whither the family went when he was nine years old. In 1854 he removed to Winchendon and com- pleted his schooling there. During his spare hours and days he worked in the wooden-ware factory of Murdock & Fairbanks, and at the age of sixteen began to work regularly as a wood turner. After some ten years there, he went to work for Orange Whitney on chair frames, and remained in his cmploy for fifteen years. He then bought a small farm and started in business for himself as a milk dealer. After conducting the business twelve years he accepted the position of janitor of the North street school house, which position he still oc- cupies, and sold his business. He resides at 26 North street, Winchendon. He attends the Baptist church. In politics he is a Republican and has been constable of the town. He is a member of Mano- monack Lodge, Odd Fellows, and has held the vari- ous offices including noble grand. He belongs to Winchendon Grange, Patrons of Husbandry.
He married, August 16, 1862, Francis E. Nut- ting, born July 7, 1839. Her parents were Jonas and Sally (Ross) Nutting, of Bakersfield, Vermont. Her father was a farmer. The children of Charles WV. and Frances E. Plummer were: Lona Ellen. born April 2, 1863, married Edison E. Sawyer, of Winchendon ; Amy Elathe, born May 12, 1866, died aged six months; Abiel Jonas, see forward; Ada
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Clara, born December 9, 1879, married Edward Buzzell, of Rindge, and had : Irene Ada, born Sep- tember 20, 1901; Ruth Frances, July 2, 1905.
(IX) Abiel Jonas Plummer, son of Charles William Plummer (8), was born at Winchendon, Massachusetts, May 12, 1869. He received his early education there in the public schools. When six- teen years old he went to work as a clerk in the market of A. A. Adams. He worked for W. W. Wilbur, Ezra Lamb, H. H. Norcross, whose market was on Front street ; L. S. Fisher, of Baldwinville; then returned to Winehendon and worked in Baxter Robinson's Union Market for three years. In 1892 his health failed and he took an extended trip through the south, locating on his return with Graves & Company, Worcester. He worked also for a time in the Washburn & Moen Wire Works and then removed to Windsor Loeks, Connecticut, where he was employed by Charles C. Graves in his market. He finally returned to Winchendon and worked for J. A. Buckmeister several years, then for Sidney E. White two years. At the death of Mr. Buekmeister he bought the market, Decem- ber 1, 1902, and has since carried on a large and growing business. He is a Baptist in religion and a Republican in politics. He belongs to Watatic Tribe of Red Men.
He married, February 1, 1894, Jessie M. White, of Fitzwilliam, New Hampshire, born February 3, 1874, daughter of Daniel Francis and Abigail J. (Bosworth) White. Her father was a farmer and wood-worker. Their children are: Leon Monroe, born July 19, 1894; Hazel, January 9, 1897.
WELLINGTON BALCOM. Alexander Bal- com (I), immigrant ancestor of Wellington Bal- com, of East Douglas, Massachusetts, was born in England about 1630. He settled in the colony of Rhode Island in New England when a young man. He was a mason by trade. He resided first in Portsmouth, then in Providence. He was deputy to the general assembly from the town of Provi- dence in 1683. He bought a tract of land, July 14, 1686, twelve miles north of Providence. He died May 4, 1711. His will was proved July 18, 1711 ; he bequeathed to wife Jane and all his children. The children of Alexander and Jane Baleom were: Alexander, Jr., married Sarah Woodcock; resided in Providence and Attleboronghi; mason by trade. Catherine, married Daniel Jenckes, who was born April 19, 1663, son of Joseph and Elizabeth Jenckes. and had nine children. Sarah, married Timothy Sheldon, son of John Sheldon, and had four chil- dren. John, married Sarah Bartlett, who was horn 1678 and died January 30, 1739: resided at Provi- dence and Smithfield, Rhode Island; kept a public house ; named various relatives in will. Freegift, never married. Joseph, see forward. Hannah, mar- rie:1. February 22, 1716, Ebenezer Ilayward, and had four children. Samttel. Deborah, had four children. Lydia, married, April 14, 1701, Daniel Hix, who was born 1660 and died March 21, 1746. (II) Joseph Baleom, son of Alexander Balcom (I), was born in Rhode Island, about 1660-70. He died at Douglas, Massachusetts, March 5, 1732-33. His children as given below were mentioned in his will. He removed to Mendon in 1717 and settled in the section that became Douglas. The will re- fers to land in Uxbridge and New Sherborn (Doug- las) as the homestead. It provides for the help- less brother Freegift. It mentions common and undivided lands, also a eedar swamp. The home- stead was located near Beating pond. All of his sons settled in Douglas. His wife Phebe died in 1732 or later. Their children: Joseph, Jr., called
the eldest in his father's will and given his gun; Samuel, forward; Elijah, Deborah, Phebe, Sarah, Mary, Martha, born May 21, 1714, married Comstock. All were probably born in Rhode Island.
(III) Samuel Balcom, son of Joseph Balcom (2), was born in Rhode Island about 1710. He was a tanner by trade and settled in Douglas, where he died 1783. His will was allowed February 4, 1783. He married Susanna Their chil- dren, all born in Douglas, were: Samuel, born November 10, 1746: Mary, July 12, 1748, died Feb- ruary 13, 1749; Susanna, June 3. 1750, married Benjamin Robbins: John, March 8, 1752; David, May 26, 1754, see forward; Belzaleel, April 2, 1757; Phebe, September 15, 1759; Moses. November 11, 1761 ; Aaron, March 27, 1764. The homestead was inherited by the two last named.
(IV) David Balcom, son of Samuel Balcom (3), was born in Douglas, Massachusetts, May 26, 1754. He married (intentions dated April 3, 1780) Marv Hayward, of Killingly, Connecticut. He was a soldier in the revolution with an excellent record, and late in life received a pension from the gov- ernment. He died September 18, 1844, aged ninety years. His will mentions all his eight children and his widow's will mentions their six daughters. The children, all born in Douglas, were: Sybil, born May 22, 1781, married David Wallis, see sketch : Ebenezer, April 14, 1783; Dolly, January 20, 1785, married Isaac Titus; Sally, February 9, 1787, married Elijah Smith; David, Jr., October 20, 1789, see forward; Polly (Mary), January 19, 1792, married Jonathan Wallis; Lucy, March 21, 1794, married Chester Morse; Charlotte, May 22, 1797. married Timothy Wallis.
(V) David Balcom, Jr., son of David Balcom (4), was born in Douglas, Massachusetts, October 20, 1789. He was a prominent citizen in his day and held various town offices. He was a Demo- crat in politics. He was active in the state militia and held the commission of captain in the Light Infantry. He married Prudence Wallis, born June 13. 1794, daughter of David and Bial ( Albee) Wallis, of Douglas. He died December 6, 1838; she died September 19, 1880. Their children, born at Douglas, were: Fanny Jane, born June 6, 1815; died May 27. 1887; Prudence, March 29. 1827; Willard Wallis, March 4, 1831, died October 19, 1896: Wellington, February 27, 1833. see forward. (VI) Wellington Balcom, son of David Balcom (5), was born in Douglas, Massachusetts, Febru- ary 27, 1833. He received a common school edu- cation in his native town. At the age of twelve years he went to work in the shoe shop of S. & C. Carpenter and learned his trade. For forty-five years he was in the shoe business as journeyman and employer. In 1887 he left the shoe business and became a farmer and has lived on his farm ever since. He is a veteran of the civil war. He enlisted in 1862 in Company I, Fifty-first Regiment, Massachusetts Volunteers. He had the misfortune to fall and injure a tendon in his leg, and though very lame he insisted on going to the front with his regiment. He fought at the battle of Kins- ton, Whitehall and in other skirmishes. He was honorably discharged on account of his disability, February 7, 1863. In politics he is a staunch Repub- lican, but has not cared for public office.
He married. August 14. 1851, Vashti Hacket Hodgkins, of Douglas. Their children: Franklyn, born September 4. 1856, married Mary Starr, of Sutton; they reside in Webster, Massachusetts : Edna May, born September 22, 1861, married Will- iam B. Metcalf, of Webster; William Elbridge,
PUBLIC LIBE
Henry florence ,
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born January 19, 1868, assisted his father on the homestead ; Lottie Belle, born January 16, 1871, died December 28, 1893; she married Stephen E. Stockwell, of Sutton; Guy Ernest, born November 3, 1874, died April 9, 1905.
HENRY GREENLEAF CRANE. Henry Crane (I), the pioneer ancestor of the late Henry Green- leaf Crane, of Worcester, Massachusetts, was born in England about 1624. He married there, about the time of his departure for this country, in 1655, Tabitha - -, who died after 1681. He married about 1683, Elizabeth Kingsley, daughter of Stephen Kingsley. She survived him. He died at Milton March 21, 1709, aged eighty-five years. He settled first in Dorchester, in the part known later as Milton, on the south side of Adams street, the pres- ent village of East Milton, in the rear and between the houses now or lately owned by W. Q. Baxter and E. B. Andrews. He was an iron worker and probably worked in the foundry formerly on Fur- nace brook, built there in 1643. The ore for this foundry was found in Milton. He was a prominent man in the town. In 1679-80-81 he was selectman.
Children of Henry and Tabitha Crane were : Henry, Jr., born 1656; Benjamin, born 1657, was wounded at the Narragansett Swamp fight in King Philip's war in 1675, serving under Captain Johnson ; Stephen; John, born January 30, 1658-9; Elizabeth, born August 14, 1663; Ebenezer, (see forward) ; Mary, born November 21, 1666; Anna, born 1667; Mercy, born January 1, 1668, perhaps the one who died August 17, 1735; Samuel, born June 8, 1669; died September 14, 1669.
Ebenezer Crane, son of Henry Crane (1), born August 6 or 10, 1665, married, November 13, 1689, Mary Tolman, born November 26, 1671, daughter of Thomas, Jr., and Elizabeth (Johnson) Tolman, of Dorchester, and granddaughter of Thomas Tol- man, the pioneer in Dorchester. In August, 1690, he was one of the Dorchester militia company, num- bering seventy-five, who went on the Quebec expe- dition under Sir William Phipps, and was one of the twenty-nine who survived to tell the story of their sufferings and defeat. He served under Colonel Withington. He received a grant of land later in Dorchester, Canada, as Ashburnham was called, in payment for his service, and many of his descend- ants have lived in the vicinity. He died July 30, 1725. He had twelve children, the first six being born in Braintree, where he first settled, and the other six in Milton, where he lived after 1705.
Children of Ebenezer and Mary (Tolman) Crane : Ebenezer, born November 21, 1692; Ezekiel, born November 20, 1694; Daniel, born February 2, 1696, died March 4, same year; Tabitha, born De- cember 27, 1697; Mary, born July 11, 1699; Ephraim, born January 17, 1702; Lydia, born April 2, 1703; Edward, born August 12, 1705; Henry, (see for- ward) ; Thomas, born May 12, 1710; Benjamin, born October 22, 1712; Abijah, born November 2, 1714.
(III) Henry Crane, son of Ebenezer Crane (2), born February 29, 1707-8, married Melatialı Vose, of Dorchester, Massachusetts, September 9, 1727, daughter of Nathaniel and Mary (Belcher) Vose, born June 23, 1716; died December 24, 1778. Chil- dren were: Elijah; Melatiah, born May 9, 1729; Vose, (see forward) ; Jerusha, born March 25, 1733; Henry, born April 6, 1735; died May 6, 1735; Henry, born February 18, 1736; Eleazer, born March 30, 1741 ; Nathaniel, born December 8, 1743, died 1743; Mary, born February 16, 1747.
(IV) Vose Crane, son of Henry Crane (3). born in Milton, Massachusetts, February 15, 1731; married Jane Vose. Children were: Melatiah, born
March 30, 1757; Jeremiah, born October 16, 1758; Henry, (see forward) ; Nathaniel, born December 16, 1761; Elizabeth, born September 7, 1763; Mary, born April, 1764; Isaac, born October 7, 1765; Dolly, born July 18, 1769.
(V) Henry Crane, son of Vose Crane (4), born June 27, 1759; married (first) Judith Swift, and (second) Elizabeth Thompson. Children of Henry : Henry, born 1784; Judith, born October 2, 1786; married - Bent; Elizabeth, born 1788, married Moses Hayden; Patience, born March 30, 1790; Henry, born March 28, 1791, married Catherine Richards; Charles Newton, born November 20, 1792, married Betsey Nuss; Robert Thompson, born Sep- tember 21, 1795, married Miriam Sanborn; Isaac, (see forward) ; Jeremiah, born January 4, 1799, probably died at Mobile unmarried; Sarah, born June 17, 1801, died February 4, 1863, unmarried.
(VI) Isaac Crane, son of Henry Crane (5), born April, 1798; married, August, 1826, Lois Greenleaf, of Salisbury, New Hampshire, the daughter of Stephen Greenleaf, born June 9, 1799. Their chil- dren were: Harriet, born June 9, 1827; Henry Greenleaf, (see forward) ; Charles, born October I, 1830, died December 8, 1867; Robert T., born No- vember 2, 1832, died August 17, 1867; Albert G., born May 31, 1836, died 1874.
(VII) Henry Greenleaf Crane, son of Isaac Crane (6), born in Franklin, New Hampshire, April 27. 1829. His father was a paper manufacturer there. He was brought up in his native town and received a common school education. He went to Manchester, New Hampshire, when a young man, to learn the trade of machinist in the Manchester machine works. He worked several years there, and then went to East Boston, where he was engaged in manufacturing machine screws for a Boston firm. In 1872 he came to Worcester, and formed a partner- ship with Charles C. MeCloud. They had been journeymen together in the same shop, and bought the business of J. H. Gray & Co., manufacturers of milled machine screws, at 50 Union street. The firm name was McCloud & Crane. They moved later .to 57 Union street. The manufacture of machine screws and nuts was the exclusive business of this firm, and a large business was built up through the enterprise and industry of the two original part- ners. The firm became a corporation in 1892, under the name of MeCloud, Crane & Minter Company, with a capital of twenty thousand dollars. Mr. Minter remained only two or three years with the company. Mr. Crane died December 1, 1899. His partner died two years before. Mrs. McCloud and Mrs. Crane sold their stock in the company to A. H. Anthony, the present secretary and treasurer of the company. He has recently moved the business to a large factory on Chandler street.
Mr. Crane was an officer of the Equity Co- operative Bank, He was a prominent Mason, hav- ing taken all the degrees, including the thirty-sec- ond. Besides the lodge, the chapter and the council, he was a member of Lawrence Chapter of Rose Croix; of the Worcester County Commandery, and of the Jerusalem Consistory; also a member of the Worcester County Mechanics' Association. He was a Republican in politics, but no office seeker. He was in every respect a self-made man, and by hon- esty and hard work accumulated a fair share of this world's goods; he was honored and respected ; a great reader and well informed on every question of his day.
He married, May 14, 1872, at Manchester, New Hampshire, Sarah E. Patten, Rev. Dr. Tucker, now president of Dartmouth College, performing the ceremony. She was the daughter of John and
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Achsah ( Patten) Patten, one of nine children, and was born January 20, 1840, at Bedford, New Hamp- shire. Before her marriage she lived at Manchester and Boston.
John Patten, the emigrant ancestor of Mrs. Crane, came with his family to this country in 1728 from the North of Ireland. He was a Scotch Presbyterian and settled among his former neigh- bors and friends from Londonderry, Ireland, and vicinity, in the new town of Bedford, New Hamp- shire, about 1738. He died there in 1746, and his widow died October, 1764. Their children were : Samuel, (see forward) ; Matthew, born in Ireland, May 19, 1719, emigrated to this country, 1728; came to Souhegan East, in 1738; was second judge of probate of the county and the first after the revo- lution; was appointed judge in 1776; was repre- sentative from the towns of Bedford and Merrimack in 1776-77; was counsellor in 1778; was appointed justice of the peace about 1751, and held that office until his death August 27, 1795. His very interest- ing diary has been published recently. He married Elizabeth McMurphy, daughter of John McMurphy, of Londonderry, by whom he had eleven children.
Samuel Patten, son of John Patten, the emigrant, born in Ireland, 1713; married, December 5, 1746, Mary Bell, and settled in Bedford, New Hampshire. Their children: Mary, married Thomas Townsend, 1794; Sarah. born March 17, 1749, married Zecha- riah Chandler; Elizabeth, born November 12, 1750, married John O'Neil and had six children; Samuel, born August 10, 1752, married Deborah Moore, and had ten children; Margaret, born August 18, 1754, died May, 1799; John, (see forward) ; Joseph, born January 3, 1758, married Mary Dickey, and had ten children; Jane, born February II, 1760, married Daniel Gould; Matthew, born July 19, 1762, died June 16, 1763; Ann, born June 12, 1764, married James Miller.
John Patten, son of Samuel Patten, and grand- son of John Patten, the emigrant, was born in Bed- ford, New Hampshire, June 23, 1756. He was a soldier in the revolution and lieutenant of the Bed- ford company, of which James Aiken and Thomas McLaughlin were captains. Colonel Daniel Moor was from Bedford. His brother Samuel, and sev- eral sons of Matthew Patten, were also in the serv- ice. He married Hannah Wallace, daughter of John Wallace. Their children were: John, (see forward) ; Nancy, born January 25, 1790; Hannah, born March 25, 1792; Samuel, born February 22, 1794; Zaccheus, born September 28, 1796.
John Patten, son of John, and great-grandson of John Patten, the emigrant, born at Bedford, New Hampshire, April 14, 1788; married Achsah, daugh- ter of Joseph Patten, who was the son of Samuel Patten and grandson of John Patten, the emigrant. They were cousins. He was killed by the fall of a tree, January 31, 1851. Their children were : Asenath, born November 24, 1818; William Bruce, born No- vember 7, 1821; Margaret A., born December 7, 1823; Alfred Foster, born February 13, 1827; La- vina Jane, born November 24, 1828; Clarissa J., born September 3, 1831, died June 14, 1832; Samuel John, born April 21, 1833; Mary Josephine, born January 17, 1837; Sarah E., (see forward) ; Charles H., born October 1, 1841.
Sarah Patten, daughter of John Patten and great-great-granddaughter of John Patten, the emi- grant, was born January 20, 1840; married Henry Greenleaf Crane. They had no children. Mrs. Crane resides at 257 Lincoln street, Worcester.
PUTNAM FAMILY. John Putnam, the immi- grant ancestor of the late Samuel Putnam, of Leo-
minster, Massachusetts, came from Ashton Ab- botts, county Buckinghamshire, England. He was born 1580 and died at Salem Village, now Danvers, December 30, 1662, aged eighty years. The earliest record of him in America is in 1640 when he had a grant of land at Salem. He was admitted to the church April 4, 1647, and a freeman the same year. He was a prosperous farmer and was apparently well educated, judging from his writing. He deeded land to his son John, March 31, 1653, and later to son Nathaniel. (See sketch of Putnams of Worces- ter and Sutton).
He married Priscilla Gould. Their children were : Elizabeth, baptized at Ashton Abbotts, England, De- cember 20, 1012; Thomas, baptized March 7, 1614, ancestor of the Sutton Putnams; John, baptized July 24, 1617; Nathaniel, baptized October 11, 1619, of whom later; Sarah, baptized March 7, 1622-3; Phebe, baptized July 28, 1624; John, baptized May 27, 1627, died April 7, 1710.
(II) Nathaniel Putnam, son of John Putnam (I), was born in Ashton Abbotts, Buckinghamshire, England, in 1619, and baptized October II, that year. He died at Salem, July 23, 1700. He was a prosperous farmer, settled in what is now Danvers, Massachusetts. He married Elizabeth Hutchinson, daughter of Richard and Alice ( Bosworth) Hutch- inson. She was born in Arnold, England, August 20, 1629, and baptized there August 30; died at Danvers June 24, 1688. Both were admitted to the church at Salem in 1648. Their children, born at Salem Village, were: Samuel, February 18, 1652; Nathaniel, April 24, 1655; John, March 26, 1657; Joseph, October 29, 1059; Elizabeth, August 11, 1662, married Sergeant George Flint; Benjamin, of whom later; Mary, September 15, 1668, married John Tufts.
John, Benjamin and Mary alone survived their youth. Part of the original homestead of Nathaniel Putnam at Danvers is still known as the Judge Put- nam place. Nathaniel was constable in 1656 and deputy to the general court in 1690-91. He was prominent in the church and town, serving for some years as selectman. He had great business ability and activity and was a man of unusual powers of mind, "of great energy and skill in the manage- ment of affairs and of singular sagacity, acumen and quickness of perception. He left a large estate." He was involved in a lawsuit over the ownership of the Bishop farm, so-called, and his side of the controversy was successful in 1683. During the trouble over the pastorate of Rev. Mr. Bayley he was an opponent, but when Mr. Bayley was dis- missed he was one of those who contributed land May 6, 1680, to make a farm for him. He had the . rank of lieutenant. He was one of the four mes- sengers to Rev. Samuel Parris to obtain his reply to their call. As the head of the large and influential Putnam family he was known for years as "Land- lord" Putnam. He was a leader in the witchcraft delusion which had its centre in Salem and Salem Village where he lived. Upham says of him: "En- tire confidence was felt by all in his judgment and deservedly. But he was a strong religionist, a life long member of the church and extremely strenuous and zealous in his ecclesiastical relations. He was getting to be an old man (at the time of the De- lusion) and Mr. Parris had wholly succeeded in ob- taining for the time possession of his feelings, sympathies and zeal in the management of the church and secured his full co-operation in the witchcraft prosecutions. He had been led by Parris to take the very front of the proceedings. But even Na- thaniel Putnam could not stand by in silence and see Rebecca Nurse sacrificed."
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