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 57
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105 | Part 106 | Part 107 | Part 108 | Part 109 | Part 110 | Part 111 | Part 112 | Part 113 | Part 114 | Part 115 | Part 116 | Part 117 | Part 118 | Part 119 | Part 120 | Part 121 | Part 122 | Part 123 | Part 124 | Part 125 | Part 126
(V) Charles F. Soule, son of Anson Soule (4), was born in Brimfield, Massachusetts, June 4. 1856. When a young boy he moved with his parents to
202
WORCESTER COUNTY
Wales, Massachusetts. After finishing his school- ing there hie went into the building moving business. After three years he took up the shoemaker's trade with his father, but did not follow it as a business except for a short time. He took up the trade of corset cutting in a West Brookfield factory. In 1892 he bought a farm of one hundred and ninety acres near Millbury, Massachusetts, and started a dairy farmı. He has developed one of the best and most profitable farms of the kind in the vicinity. As a business venture it has been very successful. His experience illustrates the strength of an inherited love for agriculture, coupled with a knowledge of the world and a general business experience. It is a common thing in Massachusetts for a man to fol- low a trade and perhaps acquire a competence be- fore returning to farming for a vocation. But the man with the trade and business experience always tends to raise the standard of life on the farm and make farming more of a business than it ever has been. Mr. Soule is regarded throughout the county as a model farmer. He knows the principles of bus- iness and seems to conduct his dairy as if he liked it and were as proud of it as he should be. He certainly has the esteem of all who know him. He has a wide acquaintance. He is a member of the local lodges of Odd Fellows and Masons and is act- ive in the work of both of them. He was an en- gineer of the Millbury fire department. He is a Republican in politics.
He married, in 1877, Mary F. Dane, daughter of Warren Dane, a farmer of West Brookfield, Massa- chusetts. They had two children, both of whom died in infancy. His wife died in 1889.
JULIUS O. MURDOCK. (I) Robert Murdock, of Roxbury, was the progenitor in this country of Julius O. Murdock, of Leicester. He was the only one of the name in the New England colonies pre- vious to 1700. John Murdock, Jr., who married Ruth Bartlett in Duxbury in 1725; Thomas Murdock, of Plymouth, merchant, who made his will in 1751 ; John Murdock, of Scituate, who made his will in 1756 and had sons, James and Bartlett, may have been connected with Robert Murdock, but the re- lationship with this Plymouth branch has not been established.
Robert Murdock settled in Roxbury, where he married Hannah Stedman, April 28, 1692. The fam- ily removed to the adjacent town of Newton in 1703 .. He bought a house and one hundred and twenty acres of land there for ninety pounds from Jonathan Hyde and John Woodward. His place was bounded on the cast by the school land and the Dedham road; south by land of Jacob Chamberlain and west by land of John Hyde. This place was subse- quently known as the Captain Jeremiah Wiswall farm. His wife Hannah died in 1727 at the age of sixty. He died April, 1754, at the age of eighty-nine years, hence he was
born the old country about 1661. The children of
in Robert and Ilannah (Stedman ) Murdock
were : Hannah, born in Roxbury, 1693; Robert, born in Roxbury, February I, 1694; John, born in Roxbury, March 25, 1696; Samuel, born in Roxbury, March 24, 1698; Benjamin, born in Rox- bury, May 4, 1700; Hannah, born in Newton, May 22, 1705.
(11) Lieutenant Robert Murdock, son of Robert Murdock (1), was born in Roxbury, Massachusetts, February 1, 1694. He was a prominent man in New- ton, Massachusetts, and bought the homestead of his father in 1754, just before his death for £1,500. He had worked the farm, which contained one hun- dred and twenty acres, for many years before, how-
ever. He was lieutenant of the militia, selectman of Newton for nine years and representative in the general court of Massachusetts for two years. He married, November 5, 1719, Abigail Hyde, daughter of Samuel Hyde. He died in 1762 at the age of sixty-eight years. His will was proved in 1762. The children of Lieutenant Robert and Abi- gail (Hyde) Murdock were: Joshua, born Decem- ber 31, 1721; Hannah, born May 22, 1725; Samuel, born May 28, 1726, died 1742; Elizabeth, born May 27, 1731, married Deacon Jeremiah Wiswall, 1750. (111) Joshua Murdock, son of Lieutenant Rob- ert Murdock (2), was born in Newton, Massachu- setts, December 31, 1721. He married Esther Child, of Brookline, March, 1745. He bought sixty acres of land in Newton for three hundred and fifty pounds in 1754, and this place was bounded by the farms of Ephraim Fenno, James Allen, Lieutenant Will- iam Hyde and Nathan Hyde. . He built his house sixty rods west of the centre of the meeting house. He was a sergeant in the revolutionary war, and selectman two years. His wife died 1755, aged thirty. He married (second) Esther Greenwood, 1756. He died July 3, 1797, aged seventy-six. The children of Joshua Murdock were: Abigail, born September 18, 1746, married Samuel Fish 1774; William, born January 14, 1748, married Achsah Woodward. settled in Westminster; Ann, born April 25, 1749, married Elisha Woodward, 1773; Elizabeth, born September 14, 1750, died young; Samuel, born March 4, 1752, married Beulah Fuller ; Joshua, born October 15, 1753, married Mindwell Parker, 1783, resided at Hubbardston; Elisha, born February 19, 1757; Jona- than, born May 17, 1759, married Joanna Wait, 1785; Esther, born April 28, 1761, married Samuel Ward; Robert, born November 30, 1763, married Mary Hyde, daughter of Samuel Hyde; Phebe, born De- cember 3, 1765, married Nathan Bond; Nathaniel, born March 16, 1768, married Lydia Marean and lived in Brookline; Asa, born December 31, 1772; Elizabeth, born September 14, 1770; Artemas, born February 2, 1771.
(IV) William Murdock, son of Joshua Murdock (3), was born January 14, 1748. He settled at West- minster, Massachusetts, September 18, 1773, and bought of Amos Conant lot No. 46, of the second division, where Deacon John P. Roper lately resided in Westminster, and soon afterward removed to that town. In 1775 he married Achsah Woodward, daughter of Deacon John and Hannah (Greenwood) Woodward, of Newton, sister of the wife of Ed- ward Bacon, who was already located on an adjoin- ing farm. He died suddenly May 27, 1827, aged sixty-seven. His wife Achsah died July 7, 1806, aged fifty-five. Their children were: Artemas, born at Westminster, September 10, 1776, died 1855; mar- ried Keziah Clark, resided at West Boylston; had nine children ; John, born October 3, 1778, married twice, resided at Westminster; Joshua, born Octo- ber 29, 1780, married Clarissa Hartshorn; Hannah, born February 4, 1783, married Stephen Dole ; Lydia, born August 30, 1785, married Luther Clifford, and lived at Hubbardston; Lucy, born October 25, 1787, married Elijah F. Woodward, resided at Newton; had seven children; Anna, born October 19, 1790; Samuel, born August 21, 1792, Catharine, born Feb- rtary 20, 1796.
(V) Joshua Murdock, son of William Mur- dock (4). was born October 29, 1780, in West- minster, Massachusetts. He served a regular ap- prenticeship as cabinet maker to Artemas Wood- ward of Medfield, Massachusetts. He married. June 3, 1806, Clarissa Hartshorn, of Medfield, Massa- chusetts, and soon afterward removed to West Boylston, Massachusetts, where he and his brother,
203
WORCESTER COUNTY
Artemas Murdock, began the business of cabinet- making. In 1810 he removed to Leicester and pur- chased the place still owned by his descendants. His cabinet shop was on the farm east of the house. Here he carried on the business for a number of years, employing several hands. He was a skillful mechanic himself and manufactured some fine furniture. Many of the specimens of his handiwork are to be found in the neighborhood and they are among the heirlooms most prized by the owners.
In IS33 and 1834 he was elected to represent the town in the general court. He was for many years treasurer of the first parish, first elected when the affairs of the parish were managed by the town . through the selectmen. He was also the trustee of the invested funds of the church and parish to the time of his death, and was made deacon of the church January 7, 1817, and retained that office ail his life. He was the first superintendent of the Sunday school and filled that position for twenty- five years. In April, ISI2, he and his wife united with the First Congregational Church and he was the first person to make public profession of faith after the settlement of Rev. Dr. Nelson the month before.
Rev. A. H. Coolidge writes of him: "He pos- sessed a singularly even and benign spirit, sweetened by genuine piety. He was always modest and re- tiring, yet. he cheerfully accepted the cares and re- sponsibilities of his office in the church, and was always heard with interest and pleasure in the sev- eral meetings of the church. The writer remem- bers him with the deepest respect and tenderness as one of the truest, most helpful and sympathetic friends in the first years of his ministry."
He died suddenly in his shop. December 30, 1859. His wife died October 25, 1847, aged sixty- two years, ten months. Their children were : Francis Hartshorn, born August 17, ISI2; married (first) Angeline Maul, who died June 3, 1846; Joshua, born October 3, 1815, married (second) Julia T. Hurd, January 10, 1849: Joseph, born June 15, 1819; Caroline Clark, born July 12, 1822, died September 19, 1825; John Newton, born January 7, 1827.
(VI) Joseph Murdock, son of Joshua Murdock (5), was born in Leicester, Massachusetts, June 15, ISI9. He attended the common schools of his na- tive town and Leicester Academy, and remained in Leicester until he was eighteen years of age. He then went to Macon, Georgia, where he was clerk in a store, and afterward became partner in the firm of Bond & Murdock, doing business at Macon until 1847. Returning in 1848 to his native town he formed a partnership with his brother, Joshua Murdock, Jr., under the title of J. & J. Murdock in the manufacture of card clothing used in cotton mills. The business grew and prospered. The original firm continued in business until the forma- tion of the American Card Clothing Company in 1890, since when the business has been conducted by the Murdocks under the name of the new com- pany. All the card clothing companies of the vicin- ity were consolidated at that time. Joseph Mur- dock as president of the company was the most important factor in the development of the busi- ness. His judgment as a business man was sound and his influence large. He was president of the American Card Clothing Company and filled the position satisfactorily.
He was a director of the Mechanics National Bank of Worcester, and was a trustee of Leicester Academy for a long period. In politics he was a Republican and for a number of years served the town on the board of selectmen, part of the time
as chairman. He was a member and liberal sup- porter of the Congregational church in Leicester. Mr. Murdock was distinctively a self-made man. He won his own fortune in a business that he himself developed and won a position among the best in his town and county. He was universally honored and respected in business circles. He died April 19, 1898, and was buried in Pine Grove ceme- tery, Leicester. Mr. Murdock married, October 18. 1842. Julia Carpenter, of Brookfield. Their only child was Julius O. Murdock.
(VII) Julius O. Murdock, son of Joseph Mur- dock (6), was born in Macon, Georgia, January 15, 1817. When a young child he came to Leicester with his parents and has since made it his home. He attended the public schools of that town and Leicester Academy ; entered Williston Academy at Easthampton, Massachusetts, but left before grad- uating on account of trouble with his eyes. He went into the card clothing factory of his father, J. & J. Murdock, and has been until recently engaged in that business. The firm of J. & J. Murdock was composed of Joshua Murdock, Jr., and his brother Joseph, father of Julius O. Murdock. It was founded by Joshua Murdock, Jr., in 1840 in partner- ship with Samuel Southgate, Jr., but since 1844 was managed by the Murdock family. Joseph be- came a partner in 1848 and John N. Murdock in 1858. In March, 1883, Joshua Murdock died and in the following June Julius O. Murdock was ad- mitted to tlic firm. The business showed a steady growth and development and the factory was re- peatedly enlarged. After his father's death Mr. Murdock conducted the business alone until it was bought by the American Card Clothing Company in 1890. At that time the Murdock factory was conducted the largest business of any of the card clothing factories in town. Mr. Murdock became a director in the American Card Clothing Company, continuing the business as before. When the Amer- ican Card Clothing Company was put into liquida- tion in 1905 the factory was sold and at present is closed. Mr. Murdock is president of the Leices- ter Savings Bank, succeeding Dexter Knight, who resigned in 1902. He was a director of the Leices- ter National Bank, which is in process of liquida- tion on account of the law in Massachusetts re- quiring the business of the national and savings banks to be entirely separate. Mr. Murdock is a member of Morning Star Lodge, A. F. and A. M., and Worcester Royal Arch Chapter.
He married, November 10, 1869, Hattie Agnes Clifford. daughter of Warner and Lorinda (Hart- well) Clifford, of Hubbardston, Massachusetts. Mr. Clifford was the first proprietor of the Bay State Hotel, Worcester. The children of Julius O. and Hattie Agnes (Clifford) Murdock are: Lester Bige- low, born November 18, 1873, married, November 7. 1000, Alice M. Aldrich, and they have one child, Donald Aldrich, born August 28, 1902: Harold Clifford, born February 19, 1885.
THE CLIFFORD FAMILY. (I) Jonathan Clifford, progenitor of Mrs. Julius O. Murdock, of Leicester, was born 1752 and died 1803. He married Mary Bridges, who was born May 8, 1758, died March 5. 1839. They lived at Hubbardston, Massachusetts, where their children were born: Thankful, born October 17, 1779: Joanna. born June 16. 1781; Luther, born December 24, 1782; Nellie, born January 24, 1785: Josephus, born April 20, 1790: Polly, born September 7, 1705.
(II) Luther Clifford, son of Jonathan Clifford (I), was born in Hubbardston, Massachusetts, De- cember 24, 1782, died in Fitchhurg. May 10, 1864. He married, September, 1805, Lydia Murdock, who was
201
IVORCESTER COUNTY
born August 30, 1785, died May 10, 1875. She was born in Westminster. Massachusetts. Their chil- dren were: Martin, born September 5, 1806; Achsah, born January 27, 1808; Warner, born Feb- ruary 25, 1810; William J., born November 29. 1812; Betsey, born July 2, 1819; Samuel N., born February 20, 1827.
(III) Warner Clifford, son of Luther Clifford (2), was born February 25, 1810, died September 5. 1888. He married Lorinda Hartwell, born October 14, ISII, died August 31, 1883. Both are buried in Worcester. Their children were: Ellen M., born June 7, 1835; Henrietta M., horn February 25, 1839; Ilattie A .. horn March 18, 18.18.
(IV) Hattie Agnes Clifford, daughter of Warner Clifford (3), was born in Barre, Massachusetts, March 18, 1848. She married Julius O. Murdock, of Leicester. Massachusetts, November 10, 1869. ( See sketch of Murdock family for descendants). SARGENT FAMILY. (I) William Sargent, the emigrant, was an ancestor of Mrs. Julius Mur- dock of Leicester, Massachusetts. (See the Sargent Family of Leicester and Dr. Joseph Sargent for de- tails of first and second generations. )
(II) John Sargent, son of William Sargent (1), married (first ) Deborah Hiller, of Barnstable, ( second) Mary Bense, (third) Lydia Chipman, of Barnstable, Massachusetts. She was daughter of John and Hope (Howland) Chipman and grand- (laughter of John Howland of the "Mayflower." (See Howland sketch.)
(III) Samuel Sargent of John Sargent (2), was born September 15, 1688, died December 7, 1721. He married, December 2, 17144, Elizabeth Pratt, who was born January 24, 1698, died December 7. 1721, at Malden. Their children were: Samuel, born June 22, 1717; Anna, born 1718; Thomas, born September 18, 1720.
(IV) Thomas Sargent, son of Samuel Sargent (3), was born September 1, 1720, died January 25, 1795, at Hubbardston. He married, September 27, 1744, Tabitha Tuttle. She was born August 8. 1724, died June 10, 1804. Their children were: Tabitha, born August 19, 1745; Thomas, born March 4, 1747; Samuel, born December 30, 1748; Abigail, born April 7, 1750: Thomas, born March 2, 1752: John, born May 24, 1755; Martha and Mary, (twins) born October 15, 1757; Pbebe, born December 4, 1759: Ebenezer, born June 5. 1762.
(V) Ebenezer Sargent, son of Thomas Sargent (4), was born June 5. 1762, died October 12, 1849. at Hubbardston, Massachusetts. . He married Phebe Shute, April 12, 1785. She was born De- cember 5, 1763, died March 5, 1834. Their children were : Thomas, born January 28, 1786; Daniel. born July 23. 1788; Roxa, born December 23, 1790; Russell, born june 28, 1793; Parker, born April 7, 1796; Phebe, born March 12, 1798; Mary, born June, 16, 1802; Stillman, born April 13, 1804.
(VI) Roxa Sargent, daughter of Ebenezer Sar- gent (5), was born December 23, 1790, died January 27, 1875. She married, April 16, 1808, Simon Hart- well, horn May 15, 1789, died January 24, 1868. They lived at Hubbardston, Massachusetts. Their children were: James H., born June 17, 1809 : Lorinda, born October 14, 1811; Mary P., born December 31, 1813; W. Stedman, born August 21, 1817: Harriet N., born March 22, 1820; Phebe S., born April 14, 1822; Sarah, born June 22, 1826; S. Willard, born February 14, 1829; Mary R., born November 28, 1835.
(VII) Lorinda Hlartwell, daughter of Simon and Roxa (Sargent) HIartwell (6), was born at Hubbardston, Massachusetts, October 14, 18II. She
married Warner Clifford. (See Clifford Family sketch.)
KEYES FAMILY. Robert Keyes (1), immi- grant ancestor of George Harvey Keyes, of West Boylston, Massachusetts, was the progenitor of virtually all of the colonial families of this name in New England. He came from England to Water- town, Massachusetts, as early of 1633. He was also at Lynn among the early settlers. He removed to Newbury, Massachusetts, in: 1644. He married,
about 1630, Sarah - He died July 16, 1647, and she married ( second), November, 1658, John Gage. Children of Robert and Sarah Keyes were: Solomon (?), born about 1631; Sarah, born May 26, 1633; Rebecca, born March 17, 1638; Phebe, born June 17, 1639; Mary (twin ?), born June 17,
1639, died young; Mary, born February 16, 1642, died young ; Elias, born May 20, 1643, of whom later ; Mary, born at Newbury, June 16, 1645, mar- ried Benjamin Cady, February 16, 1664; Peter ( ?).
(II) Elias Keyes, son of Robert Keyes (I), was born in Watertown, Massachusetts, May 20, 1643. He removed to Newbury with his parents, but set- tled later in Sudbury, Massachusetts. He married Sarah Blanford, daughter of John Blanford, Sep- tember II, 1665. Their children were: Elias, Jr., born at Sudbury, November 15, 1666; James, born September 13, 1670: Sarah, born April II, 1673; Thomas, born February 8, 1674-75, of whom later; John (?).
(III) Deacon Thomas Keyes, son of Elias Keyes (2), was born February 8, 1674, at Sudbury, Massachusetts, and died August 25, 1742, aged sixty-eight years. He settled on a new farm in the eastern part of Marlborough and lived there all his life. It is now, or was lately, still owned by his descendants. He was deacon of the church. The story of his marriage is romantic. After be became engaged to Elizabeth Howe, daughter of John Howe, Jr., granddaughter of John and Mary Howe, the first white settlers of Marlborough, she went to Lan- easter to visit her sister, the wife of Peter Joslin, and while there on July 18, 1692, an Indian out- break occurred and she was taken captive and car- ried to Canada. She spent four years in captivity before the government redeemed her. Although she suffered many hardships, they were such as the Indians had to share with her, for she was treated humanely and kindly all the time. She brought back to her home in Marlborough many of the habits and customs she had learned from the Indians. The lovers were reunited and after a few months they were married. January 23, 1698. She lived to the advanced age of ninety years, dying August 18, 1764.' Their children were: David, born October 30, 1699, killed at age of twenty-one years by acci- dent: Jonathan, born November 19, 1702, of whom later; Cyprian, born September 15, 1706, settled in Shrewsbury, died June 18, 1802, nearly ninety-six years old; Dinah, born March 4. 1710, married John Weeks, 1731, and they lived with her father and stayed on the homestead all their lives; Thomas, born September 29, 1713, died young.
(IV) Jonathan Keyes, second son of Thomas Keyes (3), was born at Marlborough, November 19, 1702, and died June 25, 1778. He settled in that part of Shrewsbury that became Boylston on a lot of land that he bought about 1727, shortly before his marriage. He lived there the remainder of his life and raised a large family there. He set out an orchard which was for many years noted for its produetiveness. His first house was destroyed by fire. He married, 1727, Patience Morse, daughter
LI
for Mundoak
C
205
WORCESTER COUNTY
of Joseph Morse, of Marlborough. She died May I, 1776, in her seventy-first year. Children of Jona- than and Patience Keyes were: Jonathan, born Jan- uary 21, 1728, died aged sixty years; Miriam, Octo- ber 27, 1729, died young; Dinah, August 22, 1731, died 1733; Timothy, 1733, died 1810; Miriam, De - cember 14, 1735, married Artemas Maynard ; Thomas, December 24, 1737, (January 4, 1738, new style) of whom later; Benjamin, January 29, 1740, died aged sixty-five years; Asa, 1742, died 1745; Catherine (twin), August 15, 1743, died young; Sarali ( twin), August 15, 1743, died young; Catherine, October 9, 1747, married Warren Smith, died nearly one hun- dred years old.
(V) Thomas Keyes, son of Deacon Jonathan Keyes (4), was born in Shrewsbury, January 4, 1738, new style, and died December 21, 1812, aged seventy-five years. He settled after his marriage in Westminster on a lot given him by his father for three years service after he became of age. Ile lived there until 1767, when he sold out and re- moved to that part of Shrewsbury that became West Boylston. He bought a farm there and spent the remainder of his days on it. He was a prom- inent Whig, "active," it is said, "in devising plans and assisting the execution thereof for the benefit and advantage of the cause of the country in her struggle for liberty and independence." He was in Captain Robert Andrew's company from the sec- ond precinct of Shrewsbury with the rank of cor- poral and marched to Lexington April 19, 1775. Again, he turned out to the relief of the northern army on the Bennington alarm in 1777 and marched as far as Hadley with Captain John Maynard's com- pany, Colonel Job . Cushing's regiment.
He married, April 25. 1765. Mary Temple, daugh- ter of Isaac Temple. She was born March 9, 1741, and died January 21,' 1800, aged fifty-nine years. "She was a laborious. enterprising woman." Chil- dren of Thomas and Mary Keyes were: Lucy, born August 18, 1765, died April 4, 1776; Thomas, Jan- uary 20, 1767, died June 25, 1856; Asa, September 21, 1768, died December 27, 1850; Francis, April 15, 1771, died April 18, 1851; Luther, September 21, 1772, died November 5, 1773; Lucy, July 27, 1778; Luther, May 8, 1781, died August 26, 1826.
(VI) Thomas Keyes, son of Thomas Keyes (3), was born at Westminster, Massachusetts, January 20, 1767. In that same year his parents removed to the northwest part of Shrewsbury, afterwards Boylston, now West Boylston. He died in West Boylston, June 25, 1856, in his ninetieth year. He had to depend mainly on his own exertions for his success in life. He was industrious and frugal and fairly successful in a material way. He had his farmi from his father. It was taken up first by Ben- jamin Bigelow, who became the legal proprietor about 1735. The first house he built in 1750 and his barn in 1753. The farm came by will in 1812 to Thomas Keyes, Jr., the eldest son, who lived there all his life. One of the houses on the place was built in 1784, when the old house was torn down and the other built in 1791 on the site of the first house.
In politics Mr. Keyes was a Federalist and an ardent friend and supporter of Washington and John Adams and vigorously opposed to Jefferson and Madison. He was always interested in public and town affairs, and served in many town offices. He had an active and vigorous mind and great firmness and decision of character. He was a stanch supporter of the anti-slavery and temperance move- ments, and was much interested in the work of the American Missionary Association, to which he left a bequest in his will. During the last eighteen years
of his life lie was afflicted with blindness, becom- ing finally unable to see anything but the brightest light.
He married, May 26, 1791, Lydia Harthan, of Boylston, born February 18, 1765. died October 25, 1824. She was the daughter of Micah Harthan. Iler son calls her "Amiable, kind, sympathetic and friendly." Children of Thomas and Lydia Keyes were : Benjamin Franklin, of whom later; Polly, born January 13, 1795, died September 18, 1800; Betsey, November 17, 1796, died May 11, 1839; Thomas, April 20, 1802, died October 30, 1831; Jonathan, November 17, 1808, died August 13, 1813.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.