Historic homes and institutions and genealogical and personal memoirs of Worcester county, Massachusetts, with a history of Worcester society of antiquity, Vol. II, Part 41

Author: Crane, Ellery Bicknell, 1836-1925, ed
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: New York, Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 732

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 41

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Colonel Nutt is as prominent in political and pub- lic life as in military affairs. He has always been active in the Republican party, serving for many years on the town committee, often as chairman ; frequently being delegate to the state and other con- ventions of his party. He was first elected moderator of the Natick town meeting, after a sharp contest, in 1870. He was particularly well fitted for this duty by parliamentary knowledge, experience in presiding, and knowledge of town business, and often served the town, the last occasion being 1896. He was collector of taxes in 1869, 1870 and 1871 ; represen- tative to general court, 1871-72, serving on the com- mittee on labor in 1871 and on probate and in- solvency and woman suffrage in 1872; chairman of the Natick board of selectmen, 1874, 1876 and 1881; member of the board of health, 1874; overseer of the poor three years; member of the school com- mittee 1873; on many important town committees ; deputy sheriff 1877 to 1886 inclusive; trial justice of the Natick court 1886 to 1892. He was elected state senator in 1901 by a vote of 7,328 to 4,204 for his opponent. in a district that had the year previous elected a Democrat. He served on the com- mittees on constitutional amendments, military af- fairs and chairman of the committee on taxation. He was also on the important special committee which revised the public statutes. He has been a justice of the peace since 1867, and notary public since 1874. Colonel Nutt has made a specialty of probate court practice, and has had the settlement of many important estates and trusts. He has done most of the pension business for his locality. In re- cent years much of his practice has been as attorney for the Natick Five Cents Savings Bank, a very

Deces Offish

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prosperous . institution. He has been a member of the investing board since 1869, and is at present chairman of the board and first vice-president of the bank. He is a life member of Meridian Lodge, F. and A. M., of Natick; member of the Grand Army and Union Veterans Union; former president of the Officers Association of the Fifty-fifth Massa- chusetts Regiment and also of the Second Regi- ment Association; member of the Loyal Legion of Boston; of the Vermont Association of Boston. He has always been a total abstainer, and active in no- license and temperance work. In 1861 he was a member of the Sons of Temperance, and April 12, 1861, the day Sumter was bombarded, he was elected R. S. of Neal Dow Division, Sons of Tem- perance, of Natick. Colonel Nutt is an able public speaker, and in his younger days was in constant demand. He was on the legislative committee to dedicate the monument to the Union soldiers who died in the southern prisons at Andersonville. He was in command of the Fifty-fifth regiment on the memorable occasion of the dedication of the Shaw Memorial on Boston Common.

He married, at Framingham, Massachusetts, April 25, 1863. Abigail Prentice Puffer, daughter of Josiah and Patience ( Russell) Puffer of Sud- bury, Massachusetts. She was born December 30, 1839, and died at Natick, January 27, 1906. Her father, Josiah Puffer, was born in Sudbury, July 29, 1793, and died there September 22, 1857. soldier in the war of 1812; married, May 29, 1816, Patience Russell, who was born at Marlboro, February 28, 1797, died at Natick, December 21, 1881. Josialı Puffer's line of descent was: John (6), soldier in revolution : representative to general court; Cap- tain Samuel (5), in revolution ; reed maker by trade ; Samuel (4), captain in Indian wars: Captain Jabez. (3), born at Braintree, Massachusetts, December 4, 1672; settled in Sudbury with his brother James ; James (2), was a soldier ; George (I), immigrant, settled at Braintree, where he died about 1640. Ruth Willis, wife of John Puffer (6), was a descendant of Resolved White, who came in the "Mayflower" with his parents, brother of Peregrine White, the first child born in Plymouth colony. The children of William and Abigail P. Nutt: 1. William Harri- son, born July 17, 1866, shoe manufacturer: mar- ried December 24, 1890, Carrie Maude Tenney, daughter of Hiram A. and Nellie (Fisher) Tenney. 2. Charles, mentioned below. 3. Mary Abbie, born May 25. 1871 : died August 2, 1875. 4. George, born November 5, 1872, deputy sheriff Middlesex coun- ty, Massachusetts ; officer of probate court ; married November 29, 1894, Addie M. Garfield, daughter of Josiah A. and Lucy (Stone) Garfield. 5. Henry, born February 12, 1875; was assistant editor of The Paragraph, Mamaroneck, New York; foreman of the composing room of the Worcester Daily Spy: linotype operator for the Boston Globe; married September 5. 1894, Benita Adelaide Daymon, daugh- ter of William and Ethelinda (Carpenter) Daymon of Rye, New York. 6. Bessie May, born October 18, 1876: died September 23, 1882. 7. Nellie Ann, born March 17, 1880; teacher of music in Pennsyl- vania Training School, Elwyn, Pennsylvania. 8. Julia Maria, born July 30, 1881 : law clerk in her father's office ; clerk in Natick Five Cents Savings Bank: special commissioner. 9 Matilda Ellen, born January II. 1884, resides at home.

(VI) Charles Nutt, son of Colonel William Nutt (5), was born in Natick September 26, 1868. He graduated in 1886 from the Natick high school, president and valedictorian of his class. At Harvard University he took second year honors in physics in 1887. and was graduated in 1890 with the degree 11-10

.of A. B., magna cum laude, both for general rank and for honors in physics. He did newspaper work while in school and college for the Natick Bulletin, Natick Citizen and Boston Evening Record. In 1890 he became a reporter on the staff of the Worcester Daily Spy. In 1891 he founded The Paragraph, New Rochelle, New York; and later became the owner of newspaper and printing plants at New Rochelle and Mamaroneck. He was active in politics ; was delegate to various Republican con- ventions, including the state convention when Roose- velt was nominated for governor of New York; candidate of his party for the office of supervisor ; treasurer of the New Rochelle Republican Club; chairman of the Fourth Ward Republican Commit- tee of New Rochelle. He was secretary of the asso- ciation which built the soldiers' monument at New Rochelle. He delivered the Memorial Day address in Natick in 1807. He bought the Worcester Spy, October 1, 1899, and conducted it until June I, 1904, when it passed out of his hands, and was sus- pended. The plant was destroyed by fire May zī, 1902, and the loss was disastrous to the business, During the presidential campaign of 1904 Mr. Nutt was in charge of the Speakers' Bureau of the Mas- sachusetts Republican State Committee. Since then he has been engaged in genealogical research and writing sketches for the Lewis Publishing Company of New York. Most of the sketches in this work were written by him. He sold the New Rochelle Paragraph November 1, 1900, to Robert L. Forbes, the present publisher, and the Mamaroneck Para- graph to Charles F. Rice, the present publisher. He is a member of the Massachusetts Sons of the Amer- ican Revolution: the New England Historic- Genealogical Society ; the Worcester Society of An- tiquity ; Huguenot Council, Royal Arcanum, of New Rochelle; Huguenot Lodge, Free Masons, of New Rochelle. In college he was a member of the Pierian Sodality. in which he played the double bass, and of various other clubs. He and his fan- ily attend the Church of the Unity. His home is at 7 Monroe avenue, Worcester.

He married, August 26, 1891, Ada Sophia Robin- son, who was born at Natick, March 5, 1871, the daughter of Walter Billings and Ella Maria ( Bul- lard ) Robinson. She is a member of the Colonel Timothy Bigelow Chapter, D. A. R., of Worcester, having thirteen direct ancestors who were in the revolution. Their children : I. Isabel Ella, born at New Rochelle, June 27. 1802. 2. Harold, born at New Rochelle, December 3, 1893. 3. Arthur, born at New Rochelle, February 6, 1895. 4. Dorothy May, horn at New Rochelle, August 23, 1897. 5. Charles Stanley, born November 10, 1899 at Worcester.

ISIDOR FISH was born in Brest Litov, province of Grodno, in Western Russia, near Poland, in January, 1868. His parents were Barnet and Blemmie (Schwartsberg) Fish. Barnet.Fish was a hotel-keeper in Russia. He came to America in 1889 with his family, and settled in New York city, where he is now (1905) living in retirement with his children. His wife died in Russia in 1893. Their children were: An infant died in Russia ; an infant died in Russia: Sarah, born at Grodno, Russia, married Label Fish, of New York city, where they reside, have four children: Joseph, was in the Russian army, died young : Isidor, horn January, 1868: Lizzie; married Max Greenburg, a leading ladies' tailor, of Fitchburg, Massachusetts; has six children ; Hyman; resides in New York city ; Willie, a cigar manufacturer of New York city.

The feelings of Mr. Fish and other Russians in this country may be judged from the fact that

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most of the young men emigrate, if they can, to escape military service. His father. Barnet Fish, was one of nine brothers, six of whom were taken by the government when little boys of from five to ten years of age. These children, seized under the cruel laws of Nicholas I, were educated for their army life, and were never heard from again. In many cases they probably never knew the names of their parents. They were brought up in a dif- ferent faith. If they lived they were kept in the army for twenty-five years before they were set adrift to shift for themselves. This system has been modified, but the military system is still a crush- ing weight on the industrial development of the country, and the army is a monster from which the sons of Russia try to escape. On his mother's side two boys were sacrificed to the army when mere children.

Isidor Fish had few opportunities for education in school. At the age of eleven he was put to work to learn the tailor's trade and became a skilful maker of ladies' clothing. He worked at his trade as ladies' tailor in Warsaw, Poland, and from there he went to Hamburg, then to Berlin, Vienna, Lon- don, Paris and New York. In all these cities he followed his trade, working in the most fashionable shops, and becoming a master of his trade. He came to New York alone in. 1888. In 1890 he mar- ried, in New York city. Lena Wolff, daughter of Hirsch and Mary Wolff, who was born in Vilna, Russia. He came to Worcester and started in busi- ness for himself, opening a small shop on Green street as a ladies' tailor. As his business grew he found it necessary to get larger and better quar- ters and moved to the Day building, 306 Main street in August, 1805. When the Day building was burned, two years later. he moved temporarily to the Burnside building. He returned to the new Day building in 1808, where he has occupied com- modious quarters ever since. Mr. Fish has been successful in business. He believes thoroughly in the city of Worcester, having invested, as a proof of his confidence in the value of real estate there, in over $40,000 worth. He resides at 58 Providence street, in the vicinity of which his property is lo- cated.

He is a member of the order of Sons of Benjamin. He belongs to the Synagogue of the Sons of Israel, in Worcester. In politics he is a Republican. His children are: Sylvia, born in Wor- cester, 1893: Blemmie Esther, born in Worcester, May 19, 1895: Sadie Nettie. born in Worcester, April 3. 1807: Joseph, born in Worcester, March II. 1900; Abraham, born in Worcester. September 15. 1002; Hilda, born in Worcester, April 8, 1904.

LEONARD E. THAYER. Thomas Thayer (1) was the progenitor in this country of Leonard E. Thayer. of Oxford. Massachusetts, and a very numerous line of descent. It is not known that he was a relative of Richard Thayer, ancestor also of a large number of families in this country. Both settled at Braintree, however, at about the same time. Thomas and Margery Thayer brought with them from England three sons. Thomas, Ferdinand and Shadrach. He was a shoemaker by trade. He was born in Thornbury, England, and settled in Braintree, Massachusetts, before 1639. In that year he received a grant of land for nine persons in his family and forty acres extra, or seventy-six acres in all. Ile married at Thornbury. April 13, 1618, Mar- gerie Wheeler.

He died June 2. 1665. His will was dated June 21. 1663. and proved September 13. 1665. He he- queathed to his wife and sons His widow died

February II, 1673. His children were: Thomas, baptized at Thornbury, England, September 15, 1622; Ferdinando, baptized at Thornbury, April 18, 1625; Shadrach (Sydrick), baptized May 10, 1629; Sarah, married Jonathan Hayward. Some of the original grant of land at Braintree has passed through the hands of descendants and is still owned by mem- bers of the Thayer family.

(II) Ferdinando Thayer, son of Thomas Thayer (1), was born at Thornbury, England, in 1625, bap- tized April 18. He resided with his parents in Braintree, Massachusetts, until after the death of his father, when he and others removed to a new plantation called Nipinng, afterwards named Men- don, Worcester county, Massachusetts. He was one of the largest proprietors of the new township. His home lot and house were on the Providence road, a little south of the present centre of the town. He held many offices of trust and honor in the town and state. He was a man of wealth in his day and he provided each of his sons with a farm. Several of the sons acquired much land and dealt freely in real estate. Some of this property has been held in the family to the present day. This branch of the family. descendants of Ferdi- nando, have settled chiefly in and near Mendon, ex- cept in the past fifty years. Six of his twelve chil- dren were born in Mendon. He was driven from home during King Philip's war, 1675, and probably returned to Mendon about 1680. His wife Huldah died at Mendon, September 1, 1690; he died March 28, 1678. Their children were: Sarah, born May 12, 1654; Huldah, June 16, 1657: Jonathan, born in Braintree, March 18, 1658: David, horn at Braintree, June 20, 1660, died August 1, 1674: Naomi, born at Braintree, January 28, 1662-3: Thomas, born in Mendon; Samuel, born in Mendon; Isaac, born in Mendon: Josiah, born in Mendon: Ebenezer, born in Mendon; Benjamin, born in Mendon: David, born in Mendon, baptized September 17, 1677, died August 29, 1678.

(III) Captain Thomas Thayer, son of Ferdi- nando Thayer (2), was born in Mendon about 1660. He married Mary Adams in 1688, and they settled in Mendon. He was a captain in the militia and an Indian fighter. He died May I. 1738. Their children, all born at Mendon, were: Mary, January IO. 1689: Thomas, January 14. 1694: Samuel, March 28, 1696; Temperance, July 7, 1698: David, Febru- ary 8. 1701: Elizabeth. March 2, 1703; John, Sep- tember 17. 1706: William. January 22, 1708; Mar- garet, December 12, 1710; Jemima, February 13, 1712.

(IV) David Thayer, son of Thomas Thayer (2), was born on the old homestead at Mendon, Massachusetts. February 8. 1701. He married Han- nah Thayer, daughter of Samuel and Susannah Thayer, in 1730. He was a farmer. They settled in Mendon. Their children were: Rebecca, born April 8. 1731 : Hannah. December 19, 1732: Diana, October 20, 1733. died 1738: Mary. born June 26, 1735: Susannah. March 18. 1736: David, died Sep- tember, 1738: David, May 1, 1739: Diana, December 19. 1740: John, March 12. 1742; Elijah, May 14, 1744: Elizabeth. December 6. 1749.

(V) John Thayer. son of David Thayer (4), was born at Mendon, Massachusetts, March 12, 1742. Hle married Betsey Weld. April 3. 1766. and set- tled in Charlestown. Massachusetts. Ile was a farmer. His children were: Elijah. born May 12, 1767: David, John, William, died October 10, 1828; Nanev. Betsev.

(VI) Elijah Thayer, son of John Thayer (5), was born May 12, 1767. at Charlestown, Massachu- setts. He married Huldah Town, of Charlton, Mas-

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sachusetts, April 10, 1791, and settled in Leicester, Massachusetts. He was a farmer. He died May 24, 1848. His wife Huldah, born April 21, 1773, died February 8, 1827. Their children were : Arnold, born April 19, 1792; Clarissa, born March 15, 1795, died very aged ; Ebenezer, born June 4, 1797 ; Iliram, born June 15, 1799, died upwards of eighty ; Lucretia, born August 7, 1801; died upwards of seventy-five ; Harvey, born July 28. 1803; Almira, born May 27, 1805; Roxana, born May 11, 1807, who married a Whittemore, died aged ninety-three; Charlotte, born July 27, ISHI, died at ninety-two; Horace, born October 1, 1813, died aged one year, three months.

(VII) Harvey Thayer, son of Elijah Thayer (6), was born in Leicester, Massachusetts, July 28, 1803. He died of consumption April 26, 1846. He was a carpenter by trade, and settled in his native town. He married, December 26, 1826, Sallie Everett, daughter of Peletiah Everett, of Westminster. (See Everett sketch). Their children were: Augustus, born September 4, 1827; Marcelia Fuller, November 28, 1830; Susan L., November 15, 1832; Abel Sylves- ter, March 31, 1834: Charles E., January 1, 1836; William E. (probably Hiram), November 14, 1837, died March 15, 1840; Nelson Alfen, March 17, 1839; Frances E., March 14, 1840, died May 31, 1842; Leonard E .. January 6, 1843.

(VIII) Leonard Everett Thayer, son of Harvey Thayer (7), was born at Palmer, Massachusetts, January 6, 1843. The family moved to Oxford, Massachusetts, when he was a young child. His father died when he was little more than three years ofd. He was educated in the Oxford schools. He also took up the study of law under Nelson Barthol- omew, who was subsequently an officer in the com- pany of which Mr. Thayer was a member in the civil war. At the age of eighteen he left the high school to enlist in Company E, Fifteenth Massachusetts Regiment, April 20, 1861. He was mustered into the service July 12, 1861. He took part in the Peninsular campaign, and was at the siege of York- town and in the battle of Fair Oaks. He was hon- orably discharged December 2, 1862, on account of disability by reason of sickness. He was a trusted member of his regiment and was often detailed on hazardous duty. His company was the only volunteer company leaving the state that was fully armed and equipped. The company officers were Captain Watson and Lieutenant Bartholomew.

After the war he became a shoe cutter. He left the shoe business after some dozen years to open a general store at Oxford. In 1882 he studied law, for sixteen years, was a justice of the peace and for some time a notary public. He is one of the best known and most highly respected citizens of the town in which he has spent most of his years. In politics he was formerly a Democrat, but is now a Republican. He is a member of the Protestant Episcopal church. He married. Octo- ber 4. 1863, Susan Edna Moffitt, daughter of Rufus and Hannah ( Wetherell) Moffitt. of Oxford. She was born October 3, 1843. No children have been born to them.

EVERETT FAMILY. Richard Everett ( r) was the emigrant ancestor of the mother of L. E. Thayer, of Oxford, Massachusetts. He settled first at Cam- bridge. He was a farrier by trade, was one of the proprietors of Cambridge. was one of the pioneers and first settlers of Dedham, Massachusetts in 1636. He held his property in Cambridge, and was admitted a freeman in Dedham, Mav 6. 1616 His wife Mary was admitted to the Dedham church with him March 6. 16.6. He died July 3. 1682. llis will was dated May 12, 1680, and proved Tulv

25. 1682. It mentioned his wife, Mary; sons, Jedediah, John and Samuel; daughters Abigail Puffer and Ruth; also James, Daniel and Mary Mackerwithy, children of daughter Mary, deceased, and James Mackerwithy; granddaughter Sarah Fisher.

The children of Richard and Mary Everett were : John, born probably in Watertown (Cambridge), Massachusetts. Mary, born September 28, 1638, at Dedham, married, September, 1662, James Macker (or Macheroy) ; Samuel, born at Dedham, Septem- ber 30, 1639, married, October 28, 1669, Mary Pep- per, died March 26, 1717-18; Sarah, born March 14, 1641, died April 21, 1643; James, born March 14, 1643, died April 21, 1643: Sarah, born June 12, 1644, married, July 24, 1605, Cornelius Fisher ; Abi- gail, born November 19, 1647, married, February II, 1677, Matthias Puffer : Israel, born July 14, 1651, married Abigail -; Ruth, born January 14, 1653; Jedediah, born July 11, 1656, married Rachel died about 1698-9.

(II) Captain John Everett, son of Richard Ev- verett (I), was born probably at Cambridge, Massa- chusetts. about 1636; he died June 17, 1715. He was a captain in the militia. He married Elizabeth Pepper, daughter of Robert Pepper, of Roxbury, May 13. 1662. Their children were: Elizabeth, born November 6, 1665; Hannah, November 14, 1670; Bethiah, October 3, 1673; John, June 9, 1676, married, January 3, 1700, Mercy Brown, died March 20. 1751; William, January 20, 1678, married, Feb- ruary 24, 1703, Rachel Newcomb, died 1765; Israel, April 8, 1681 : Richard, October 24, 1683, married, March 3, 1708-9, Mary Fuller, died 1746.

(III) Richard Everett, son of Captain John Ev- erett (2), was born at Dedham, Massachusetts, Oc- tober 24, 1683, died 1746. He married, March 3, 1708-9, Mary Fuller. His children were: Joshua, born at Dedham, December 14, 1709, died August 31, 1786; married (first) Margaret Avery, who died March 3, 1755, married (second) Patience Mary, born December 17, 1711, married, February 3. 1737-8, Josiah Macky, of Attleborough. Massa- chusetts. Jeremiah, born November 12, 1713, mar- ried Rebecca Timothy, born October 14, 1715. Jonathan, born August 3, 1717, married, Sep- tember 5. 1744, Jemima Mann. Israel, born Decem- ber 3, 1719, married, October 13, 1743, Sarah Met- calf. Bethiah, born November 18, 1721, died No- vember 22, 1722. Bethiah, born 1722, married. April 8, 1743, Jonathan Day. Hannah, born December 4, 1725. Abigail, born December 3, 1727.

(IV) Joshua Everett, son of Richard Everett (3), was born at Dedham, Massachusetts, December 14, 1709, died August 31, 1786. He married ( first) Margaret Avery, who died March 3. 1755. He mar- ried (second) Patience He and others of the family removed to Attleboro, Massachusetts. Some of his children were: I. Joshua, born in Attle- boro. September 21, 1741, died February 4, 1823. Removed to Westminster, Massachusetts, about 1762; married Molly Titus, of Attleboro. He sold his farm in the centre to buy the confiscated estate of John men ~ Invalist "absentee" of the neighbor- ing town of Princetown in 1781, and soon afterward moved to his new farm, the vicinity of which be- came known as Everettville in later years. He owned a tannery there. His wife, Molly (Titus) Everett. died June 5. 1823. They had three chif- dren, William, born April 15, 1765, married Pamela Howe and Widow Lucy Richardson, died December 7, 1857: Joshua, born February 4, 1767, married Ruth Wood and Lucy Roper, died February 21, 1751; Rhoda T., born January 31, 1770, married

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Houghton Osgood, of Princeton, died May 7, 1853. 2. David, died in Westminster, 1775, wife Susan administered estate.

(VI) Peletiah Everett, son of David (5) and grandson of Joshua Everett (4), was born in Attle- boro, probably about 1750. Dr. Jeremiah Everett, his grandfather's brother, located in Westminster, coming from Attleboro as early as 1763, and prac- ticed here for twenty years. Other members of the Everett family had located in Westminster when Peletiah settled there as early as 1775. He enlisted at the outbreak of the revolution for eight months service in Captain Edmund Bemis' company, en- gaged in the siege of Boston. He was long con- nected with the army during the struggle for in- dependence, and attained the rank of lieutenant in the service. First he was ensign in the Fifth Massa- chusetts Regiment, Colonel Rufus Putnam, from 1777 to 1781. He was lieutenant in the First Regi- ment in 1783, and he bore this title ever after. He was a charter member of the Society of the Cin- cinnati, established by the commissioned officers of the revolutionary army at the close of the war. Washington himself was the president general in 1787 and served until his death in 1799. Everett was present at the headquarters of General Steuben when the first meeting was held to organize, June 9, 1783. Mr. Thayer has in his possession an interesting relic of the revolution in an invitation from Wash- ington to Lieutenant Everett to dine with him. The history of Westminster records that all of the. land comprising the present site of that town was granted to the Everetts (Peletiah and brother) for what was classed in the Act "meritorious services during the Revolutionary War."

Lieutenant Everett was a saddler and harness maker by trade, but he was engaged in various other pursuits. He bought the Pond House near Hobart Raymond's in 1784, when he returned from the war, and opened a general store. He opened a tavern the next year and conducted it until 1796. In 1805 he sold his place and located on the borders of Tophet swamp, at the extreme westerly end of the village.

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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. II, Part 41

Author: Crane, Ellery Bicknell, 1836-1925, ed Publication date: 1907 Publisher: New York, Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company Number of Pages: 732

Author: Crane, Ellery Bicknell, 1836-1925, ed
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: New York, Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 732