Historic homes and institutions and genealogical and personal memoirs of Worcester county, Massachusetts, with a history of Worcester society of antiquity, Vol. II, Part 65

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 65

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(II) Thomas Stow, eldest son of John Stow (I), was in Concord with his father before 1640. Ile and his brother Nathaniel owned six hundred acres of land between Fairhaven pond and the Sud- bury line. Thomas sold his rights there in 1660 to Thomas Gobble and David Dan, having removed to Connecticut about 1650. He lived in Middleton, then part of Hartford, Connecticut. Children of Thomas were: Samuel, see forward; Nathaniel ; Thomas, born 1650, settled in Middletown, Con- necticut.

(III) Samuel Stow, eldest son of Thomas Stow (2), was born in Concord, Massachusetts, in 1645. He returned to Massachusetts and located before 1684, and probably soon after the Narragansett war in Marlboro, where he bought of Waban and James Atehult, two Indians of Natick, Massachusetts, a farm of twenty acres. He paid the natives six pounds for the land, half corn, half money. He became one of the proprietors of the Ockoo- cangansett plantations purchased of the Indians. He was a prominent man among the proprietors and in the town affairs. He was a soldier in King Philip's war and is believed to have been in Marlboro in 1677. He married Elizabeth and they are the ancestors of the Stow families in Marlboro and vicinity. She died June, 1737, and he died February 9. 1721. Children of Samuel and Elizabeth Stow, born in Marlboro, Massachusetts, were: Samuel, see forward; Thomas, born Decem- ber 27, 1682; Mary, July 18, 1685; Thankful, Oeto- ber 8, 1687; Rachel, February 21, 1690; John, March 30, 1696.

(IV) Samuel Stow, eldest son of Samuel Stow (3), was born in Marlboro, Massachusetts, May 2, 1680. He married, December 19. 1704, Sarah Snow. She died February 20, 1762. He died February 13, 1768. He and his good wife lived together on the old farm in Marlboro for the space of fifty-eight years. Their children, all born in Marlboro, were : Abner, see forward; Jonathan, born October 9, 1708; Thankful, April 30, 1711; Solomon; October 10, 1714; Sarah, March 22, 1717; Mary, August II, 1719; Simon. May 19, 1722.

(V) Abner Stow, eldest son of Samuel Stow (4), was born in Marlboro, Massachusetts, Novem- ber 29, 1705. His father was one of the original proprietors of the town of Grafton, and from 1728 to about 1736 appears to have been in Grafton. His

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brother, Thomas Stow, uncle of Abner Stow, was also one of the first settlers. Samuel Stow appears in the Indian deed as grantee under date of May 10, 1728. In 1732 Samuel was collector in Grafton, in 1734 on a school committee and 1736 a highway commissioner. He had a pew in the Grafton church in 1732. Abner Stow was virtually the original set- tler in Grafton. His father gave him his farm on George hill where, about 1734, he built himself a log hut, very near the present location of the house of his descendant, Silas E. Stow. Abner Stow built a frame house in front of the log hut in 1735. The farm has descended in direct line, as given here- with, to Silas E. Stow. His father, Jonathan W., built the barn now on the place a building forty by one hundred and seven feet with an ell twenty- six by forty-eight feet. In 1832 he also built a shoe shop on the opposite side of the road. The shop was finished in 1836 for a dwelling for the farm help, but has since been removed.

Abner Stow was proprietors' clerk in 1727, and his name is on the petition for the church at Grafton. He was a member of the church in 1731, and was elected deacon of the first church September 27, 1750. He was on the school committee as early as 1736. He was on the list of alarm soldiers from Grafton in 1757. Children of Abner Stow were : Mary, born July 10, 1734; Sarah, September 27, 1738; Jonathan, see forward: Abner, September 5, 1743; Samuel, November 24, 1746, died November 12, 1751; Lydia, March 12, 1748, died August 28, 1751.

(VI) Jonathan Stow, son and third child of Abner Stow (5), was born in Grafton, Massachu- setts, February 4, 1740. He married Elizabeth -. He inherited his father's farm and became a promi- nent citizen. He was selectman. He was sergeant in the company of Captain Aaron Kimball and marched to Lexington, April 19, 1775, in General Ward's regiment. He appears to have served as a young man in 1757 under Captain Warren in the French war. He was elected. deacon of the church, April 14, 1790. Children of Jonathan and Elizabeth Stow, all born in Grafton, were : Elizabeth, born July 29, 1766; Lucy, November 23, 1771; Sarah, March 11, 1776; Jonathan, see forward.

(VII) Jonathan Stow, youngest son of Jona- than Stow (6), was born in Grafton, Massachusetts, May 22, 1779. He inherited his father's farm, the old Stow homestead on George hill. He was in Cap- tain Joseph Merriam's company in 1804 and 1805, and probably longer. His wife died February 17, 1836; he died 1840. Children of Jonathan and Eliza- beth Stow were: Jonathan W., see forward; Sum- ner E., born January 24, 1812, married, April 3, 1834; Irene E., January 15, 1814, married Charles J. Fay; Silas N., January 16, 1816, removed to Ux- bridge, Massachusetts; Fred A., 1818, settled in Troy, New York, where he was a pioneer in the manufacture of shoes; had large tannery and amassed a fortune in his business ; Ann M., March 25, 1820, married Lawson Munyan ; Charles, June 26, 1822, resided New York city ; John A., June 29, 1824. resided New York city ; Mary A., October 21. 1826, married Otis Fay; Moses P., December 3, 1828.

(VIII) Jonathan W. Stow, eldest son of Jona- than Stow (7), was born in Grafton. Massachusetts, November 25, 1810. He inherited the Stow home- stead on George hill and made many improvements. He married Mary Hunt, of Grafton, who was born March 9, 1809. He was a Whig in politics and held a number of town offices. He died March 13, 1866; she died March 5, 1868. Children of Jonathan W. and Mary (Hunt) Stow. all born in Grafton, were:

Jonathan P., born July 26, 1832, died of wounds received in the battle of Antietam: Silas E .. see for- ward ; Elliot M., May 15, 1835, died August 14, 1843; Horace W., August 28, 1837, resides in San Fran- cisco; Louisa A., November 17, 1841 (twin), died April 20, 1865, unmarried ; Louis A., see forward.

(IX) Silas E. Stowe, second son of Jonathan W. Stow (8), was born on the old Stow homestead, where he now lives, October 10, 1833. His Stow an- cestors have lived on this farm since 1733-34, when Samuel Stow gave it to Abner. Mr. Stowe was educated in the common schools of his native town. As the oldest son living he inherited the home- stead. It came into his possession in 1867, and in 1874 he built the present residence which was pronounced at the time and for years afterward the finest farm house in the county. The farm itself ranks among the best in a region of ex- cellent farms. He has taken a prominent part in town affairs. He has served as assessor and select- man. He is a trustee of the Grafton Savings Bank, elected in 1879. In politics he has been a Republi- can since the party was organized. He is a member of the Unitarian church and assessor, as its financial officers are called. Mr. Stowe and other members of the family in late years have spelled their name Stowe. The early records give the name as often one way, perhaps, as the other. Mr. Stowe repre- sents the best type of New England farmers. Com- ing from a long line of prudent and thrifty ancestors, he possesses ample means. He is respected among his neighbors for his probity and esteemed for his excellent character and attractive personality.

He married (first), October 14, 1857, Lucy A. Geary, born May 7, 1835, died November 11, 1874. She was the daughter of N. H. Geary, of Grafton. He married (second) Emma F. Burgess, daughter of James Burgess, of Grafton. Children of Silas E. and Lucy (Geary) Stowe were: Mary E., born January 1, 1859, married Charles Wood; they have one child: Lucy J., September 17, 1860, married Clinton Ball; Jonathan W., August 30, 1867, died at the age of nineteen; Anna Louise, June 20, 1869, married Joseph Goddard; Rosie A., August 5, 1871 ; Harris G., November 4, 1873, inarried Nellie A. Shaw; is in partnership with his father in the firm of S. E. Stowe & Son, farmers ; Silas M., November II, 1876, died young. The only child of Silas E. and Emma F. (Burgess) Stowe was: Chester, died young.

(IX) Louis A. Stowe, son of Jonathan W. Stow (8), was born in Grafton, Massachusetts, November 17, 1841. His twin sister, Louisa A., died unmarried, April 20, 1865. Mr. Stowe had a common school education in the Grafton schools. He has made farming his business and owns one of the best farms and dairies of the section. His farm is on Stowe street, near Upton. In politics Mr. Stowe is a strong Republican. He has served the town on the school committee and on the road com- mission. He is counted upon as one of the most substantial citizens, a man of kindly disposition, ex- cellent judgment and good business capacity.

He married, November 25, 1868, Mary S. Leland, of Grafton, daughter of Rodney and Orinda (Car- penter) Leland. She was born November 5, 1850. Her father was born in Grafton, 1808, married, April 3, 1833, Orinda Carpenter. The Leland line of descent from Henry Leland, the emigrant ancestor is: John (VI), Eleazer (V), Phineas (IV), James (III), Ebenezer (II), Henry (I). Children of Louis A. and Orinda Carpenter (Leland) Stowe are: Lola M., born December 16, 1869, lives with her parents ; Frederick A., October 21, 1871, one of the prominent business men of the town, manufac-

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turer of cider, owner of grist mill and wheelwright shop, on George Hill, road off Upton street, beyond Stowe street ; resides on Upton street; married Grace Ford; Walter L., February 3, 1874, works for his father at home, married, June 13, 1906, Winifred E. Pope; Frank R., December 19, 1876, married Elinor Warren, works on the homestead.

CHARLES ANDREW WHITNEY. John Whitney (I), of Watertown, was the immigrant an- cestor of Charles Andrew Whitney, of Millbury, Massachusetts. He was born in England, 1589, and came to Watertown, June, 1635. He bought a six- teen acre homestall of John Strickland. IIe became an extensive land proprietor and an influential citi- zen. He was admitted to freemanship March 3, 1035-36, appointed constable of Watertown by the general court, September 29, 1769.

He married (first) in England, Elinor - and (second) in Watertown, September 29, 1659, Judith Clement. She died before her husband. He died June 1, 1673. Further details of the immigrant will be found elsewhere in this work. Children of John and Elinor Whitney were: Mary, baptized in Eng- land, May 23, 1619, died young; John, born in Eng- land, 1620, married Ruth Reynolds; Richard, born in England, 1626, married Martha Coldam; Nathaniel, born in England, 1627; Thomas, born in England, 1629, married Mary Kettell; Jonathan, born in Eng- land, 1034, married Lydia Jones; Joshua, born in Watertown, July 5, 1635, married three times; Caleb, born in Watertown, July 12, 1640, buried July 12, 1640; Benjamin, born in Watertown, June 6, 1643, married twice.

(II) John Whitney, son of John Whitney ( I), was born in England in 1620. He settled in Water- town. He was admitted freeman May 26, 1647, and was selectman from 1673 to 1680 inclusive. His home was on a three acre lot on the east side of Lexington street, on land first granted to E. How. He was a soldier in King Philip's war. He died October 12, 1692. His will was dated February 27, 1685, but was not probated. He married, 1642, Ruth Reynolds, daughter of Robert Reynolds, of Water- town, Massachusetts, and Wethersfield, Connecticut. Their children were: John, born September 17, 1643, married Elizabeth Harris; Ruth, April 15, 1645, married, June 20, 1664, John Shattuck; Na- thanicl, see forward; Samuel, July 26, 1648, married Mary Bemis; Mary, April 29, 1650; Joseph, Janu- ary 15, 1651, married Martha Beach; Sarah, March 17, 1653, married, October 18, 1681, Daniel llarring- ton; Elizabeth June 9, 1656, married, December 19, 1678, Daniel Warren; Hannah, about 1658; Benja- min, June 28, 1660, married Abigail Hagar.

(III) Nathaniel Whitney, son of John Whit- ney (2), was born February 1, 1646, at Watertown. Ile settled in Weston, formerly a part of Watertown. He married Sarah Hagar, of the Watertown family. He died at Weston, January 7, 1732. Their children were: Nathaniel, Jr., born March 5, 1675, married Mercy Robinson ; Sarah, February 12, 1678, married Jonathan Ball; William, May 6, 1683, see forward; Samuel, 1687, married Ann Laboree; Hannah, bap- tized March, 1688, married Billings; Eliza- beth, December 15, 1692; Grace, 1700, died March 23, 1719; Mercy, married - Greaves.

(IV) William Whitney, son of Nathaniel Whit- ney (3), was born in Weston, Massachusetts, May 6, 1683. He settled in Weston. He married, May 17, 1706, Martha Pierce, born December 24, 1681. He died January 24, 1720. Their children were: William, born January II, 1707, married Hannah Harrington. Mrs. Mary Pierce, Margaret Spring and Mrs. Sarah Davis; he was founder of the fam-

ily at Winchendon, Massachusetts; Judith, born November 15, 1708; Amity, born October 6, 1712; Martha, born April 4, 1716, married in Sudbury, February 26, 1734, Timothy Mossman; they were living in Princeton at the same time that Silas Whit- ney was there and later lived at Westminster; Sam- uel, born May 23, 1719, married Abigail Fletcher ; Silas, see forward.

(V) Silas Whitney, presumed to be the son of William Whitney (4), though the birth record is not found, was born about 1714 in Weston, Massachu- setts. He removed to Rutland, Massachusetts, where he followed his trade of blacksmith. He bought a farm in Rutland District, now Princeton, May 2, 1758, lot No. 16, comprising one hundred and twenty acres of Joshua Wilder, Jr., of Rutland. He bought land of Samuel Minot, John Jones, Jr., and Nathan Merriam, all of Concord, November 1, 1759. He bought land of Richard Parsons in Ipswich Canada ( Winchendon ). July 15, 1762. He bought a tax ti- tle in Princeton, June 23, 1781, but may have been living in Winehendon, of which he was an early settler. He went there to live about 1764 and became a prominent citizen. There was an auction at his tavern there in 1771 of public lands and he was one of the purchasers. He was closely related to the Westminster family of Whitney, and may be the Silas Whitney, who bought of Sweetser et al. land there March 18. 1777. Another Silas Whitney of the Stow family, relatives of this line, settled in Ashburnhamn.

He married Jane Their children were: Andrew, born 1754, see forward; Love, born Princeton, December 18, 1758, baptized at Rutland, June 10, 1759; David, baptized at Rutland, October 12, 1760; Silas, Jr., born at Princeton, August 31, 1760, baptized at Rutland, August 15, 1762.

(VI) Andrew Whitney son of Silas Whitney (5) (no birth record found), was born in Sterling or vicinity, probably in 1754, before Silas Whitney came to Rutland. He married Lucy Miles, of West- minster, of the family to which General Nelson A. Miles belongs, (intentions dated October 1, 1787). She died June 26, 1842, aged seventy-six years. He died October 26, 1818, at Princeton, aged sixty-four years. Andrew Whitney settled in Princeton and brought up nine children of the eleven born to him. All of the sons were over six feet in stature, and robust mentally as well as physically. Children of Andrew and Lucy Whitney were: Reuben Miles, born May 23, 1788, at Princeton; Lucy, born Feb- ruary 8, 1792, died young; John, see forward; Lucy, born January 11, 1795, married September 4, 1819, Merrill Davis, who was guardian to the younger children after the father's death; Charles, born April 4, 1797, died August 18, 1808; William, born February 10, 1799, never married; Anna Miles, born February 21, 1801, married Captain Nathan Whit- ney, of Westminster, January 8, 1822, a relative; Elisha Dana, born June 29, 1805; Caroline, born July 8, 1808, married March 8, 1830; Charles An- drew. horn August 20, 1810.

(VII) Colonel John Whitney, son of Andrew Whitney (6), was born in Princeton, Massachusetts, December 31, 1792. He died there May 15, 1846. He was a farmer and stock dealer, buying cattle and driving them to market at Brighton. He held various town offices and was representative to the general court. He was active in the militia and rose from the ranks to the command of a regiment. He married (first) (intentions dated August 23, 1822), Mary Newton, of Royalston, Massachusetts. She died October 6, 1831, aged thirty-one years, leaving three of her six children. He married (second), October 4, 1832, Eliza Ann French Watson, born in

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Princeton, April 22, 1814, died January 2, 1891. She is buried in the Rural cemetery, Worcester. Chil- dren of Colonel John and Mary Whitney were: Abigail Perkins, born June 28, 1823, died December 10, 1826; John Newton, born September 21, 1824. died young ; William Newton, born December 15, 1825; Abigail Perkins, born November 25, 1827, died 1830; Marion Engene, born October 26, 1829, died December 19, 1845 (a daughter). Mary New- ton, born September 28, 1831, died in Omaha, Janu- ary 22. 1892; she married Samuel C. Nash and had three children : John W., William F., and Samuel C. The children of Colonel John and Eliza A. F. Whitney were: John Newton, born July 6, 1833, has a cattle ranch in Wyoming with ten thousand head of cattle; is unmarried; Charles Andrew, see forward; Eliza Ann French, born February 26, 1836, died February 18, 1839; Levi Lincoln, born Janu- ary 20, 1839, is a stock broker in Boston; Eliza Ann French, born July 1, 1840, married H. L. Norton ; Lydia, born March 19, 1843, died February 21, 1844.

(VIII) Charles Andrew Whitney, son of Colonel John Whitney (7), was born in Princeton, Massa- chusetts, November 14, 1834. He attended the pub- lie schools of Princeton until he was fifteen years old, when he went to Millbury and began to learn the trade of cutter in the boot and shoe factory of Amasa Wood & Son at West Millbury. Nine years later, in 1859, he engaged in manufacturing shoes in Chicago with - Thompson and his brother, Levi L. Whitney, under the firm name of Thompson, Whitney & Company. For about ten years this firm carried on a prosperous and growing business, hav- ing a factory in North Clark street, and having from three to five salesmen on the road selling their products in the northwest. They also had govern- ment contracts. At the time of the great fire in Chi- cago they lost their plant and suffered heavy losses. In 1875 Mr. Whitney returned to Millbury and has since made his home there. Mr. Whitney is a well known Free Mason, being a member of all the bodies up to that of the thirty-second degree. In politics he is a Republican, and since 1898 has been the collec- tor of taxes of the town of Millbury. He has been two years on the board of selectmen, during one year of which he was the chairman. He has been engaged in the real estate and insurance business since 1888 in Millbury and has won a high standing among the business men of the town.

He married, November 29, 1864, at Millbury. Martha E. Waters, daughter of Jonathan E. and Martha R. (Leland) Waters, of Millbury, descendant of the Waters family. which located among the early settlers of Sutton in what is now Millbury. The farm formerly owned by Mrs. Whitney, sold in 1897, was a part of the three thousand acres owned by Nathaniel Waters, the pioneer. (See sketch of the Waters family.) The two children of Charles Andrew and Martha E. Whitney are: Charles Dana, born in Chicago, March 18, 1866, was educated at Chicago and Millbury, is agent at Millbury of the Adams Express Company ; married Nellie L. White, and they have one son, Raymond Cyrus, born March 19, 1893. Jesse Marion, born in Chicago, March 2, 1869, graduate of Wheaton Seminary ; mar- ried S. Foster H. Goodwin of Duncan-Goodell Hard- ware Company, Worcester; they have two children -- Haven Whitney Goodwin, born March 31, 1895; Marjory, born August 6, 1896.

THE STAPLES FAMILY of America is de- seended from an ancient English family. The origin of the name is in doubt. Judging from the most common use of the word "staple," meaning a piece

of hardware, and the fact that some of the English coats-of-arms of the family bear a picture of a sta- ple, the first Englishman who adopted the name was in some way associated with staples. Many Eng- lish surnames were derived in this simple way. An- other origin of the name as given by the family historian is that it came from the occupation of the first one bearing the name, who was probably in the wool business, known as staple, during the early history of England. A guild of woolen mer- chants in London holding a charter from Edward

lll about 1450 is called "The Staple," wool being then the staple of the country. The family name was originally spelled without the s. Another probable origin of the family name is from the French town of Etaples, formerly Estaples. There was a Hugh d'Estaples with William the Conqueror, and though his history cannot be traced in England, it is likely that some member of the family whose seat was in this little French seaport, eleven miles from Bou- logne, established the present family of Staples.

(I) John Staple, the immigrant ancestor of the Staples family of Mendon, was born in England, about 1610. He was in Weymouth, New England, 1637, and settled in North Weymouth, about ten miles from Boston. His home was at the foot of King Oak Hill. He was admitted a freeman May IO, 1648, and died at Dorchester. The inventory of his property was taken July 13, 1683. His will dated March 18, 1681-2, was proved August 2, 1683. He bequeathed to his children, as given below, all born in Weymouth: John; Rebecca, born November 27, 1639; Abraham, mentioned below; Joseph, born February 19, 1641-2; Sarah, married Inerease Sumner.

(11) Sergeant Abraham Staples, son of John Sta- ple (1), was born at Weymouth, Massachusetts, about 1637. He learned the trade of weaver at Dor- chester, where he united with the church of Rev. Richard Mather, March 20, 1658. He was dismissed January 13, 1660 to the Weymouth church. In 1662 he became associated with other Weymouth men in the petition for the grant at Mendon. He must have settled there in the spring of 1663, for his son Abraham was born in June, the first white child born in the town. The first birth on the records of the town on file at Cambridge is that of Abraham Jr., Abraham Staples's farm was located near the present site of the Congregational church on Main street, long known as the site of the Stone Tavern. The original place was owned by the Staples family for about one hundred and forty years. When King Philip's war broke out in 1675, the Staples family like all the rest, had to abandon their home. They returned when the resettlement began and built a new house, and as a sergeant in the military com- pany of the town also may have been in the In- dian wars. He was granted the Staples farm on the border of Little Pond in 1685, and this estate has remained to the present time in the hands of his descendants. He served on various town com- mittees, and was admitted a freeman in 1673. He was a man of influence and good character. He married, July 7, 1660, Mary, daughter of Robert Ran- dall, who came to this country from Berkshire, Eng- land. Some of the records mention children of Abraham and Hannah, an error on the part of the clerk, it has been proved, for he had but one wife. He died October 20, 1703, and his will was proved December 21, 1703. The date 1704 on the grave- stone is another proved error. There is a similar error on the gravestone of the wife, who died March 2, 1712, instead of 1712-3. The stones were erected long after the death of the pioneers, and the errors are due probably to reckoning by subtraction,

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or to the change in the calendar. The descendants placed a monument on the grave and dedicated it with appropriate ceremonies October 31, 1877. The speakers were Rev. Carlton A. Staples, of Provi- dence, Rhode Island, and Hon. Hamilton B. Staples, of Worcester, and their addresses were published in pamphlet form. Judge Staples said of the memorial : "The structure is plain, but enduring in matter and construction. The granite column quarried out of the earth here harmonizes with the qualties of char- acter possessed by the early settlers of New Eng- land-simplicity, strength and a certain hardness or severity. It rests on a deep-laid foundation pre- pared in the most solid manner." Staples is the only one of the twenty pioneer settlers of Mendon whose grave is known and marked. He removed to Taunton in 1697, but returned to Mendon in 1700 and died there. Children of Sergeant Abraham and Mary Staples: I. Abraham, inentioned below. 2. Ebenezer, inherited the homestead in the village; married thrice; was a blacksmith by trade. 3. John (non compos). 4. Jacob, married Abigail Winter, 1690. 5. Ephraim, born Mendon, 1678. 6. Mary, born 1680. 7. Benjamin, born 1682. 8. Hannah, born 1686, married John Darling 1708.

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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 65

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