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. III > Part 15
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(VI) David Adams, youngest son of Jesse and Thankful (Watkins) Adams, was born in Hollis- ton, and learned the trade of a printer in Dedham. He married, September 16, 1804, Truelove Corbett, of Milford, eldest daughter of Ichabod and Olive ( Lazell) Corbett, both of that place. Ichabod Cor- bett served as private in Captain Gershom Nelson's company, and marched on the alarm of April 19,
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1775, serving nine days. He was also in Captain Nelson's company under date of July 19, 1776. Previous to that he was private in Captain John Tyler's company, Colonel Joseph Read's regiment ; return endorsed December 10, 1775. He enlisted August 23, 1778. and was discharged September 12, 1778. Fourth Suffolk County Regiment, service twen- ty-one days. In addition to the above four enlist- ments, we learn by a diary kept by him (and which has been printed in the proceedings of the Worcester Society of Antiquity) that he served from December 22, 1776, at which date he marched for the Hudson river, reaching North Castle, January 13, 1777, was at Tarrytown, West Chester, Mile Square, Court- land Manor, Haverstraw, Morristown, Boundbrook and other places then occupied by the American army, reaching Mendon after a three months' service. March 25, 1777. He also mentions another term of service from January 8, 1778, to March 18 of that same year, in Rhode Island, Captain Samuel Craggin's company, Colonel Ebenezer Sprout's regi- ment. Mr. Corbett died February 19, 1829. David Adams died in West Medway, February, 1815, leav- ing three children: Otis Corbett, born August 14, 1805, died 1859; Adaline, January 10, 1808, died 1852; David. January 17, 1815, see forward. After the death of Mr. Adams, his widow married John Knights, 1820, and they had Augustus and Charles (twins), born December 24, 1822.
(VII) David Adams, youngest son of David and Truelove (Corbett) Adams, married, February 9, 1841, Jemima Ann Rawson, daughter of Simon Rawson and granddaughter of Edward Rawson, who was a soldier in the revolutionary war. David Adams was born in Milford, but after the death of his father, which occurred when he was a babe, his mother married John Knights, as aforementioned. David Adams passed his entire life in Mendon. Starting out as a lad for the purpose of providing for himself, he found his early life beset with trials and discouragements, but he overcame them all and, although experience proved a hard instructor, profited by the lessons given. By strict fidelity, frugality and a life void of hypocrisy, he gained the confidence of his fellow townsmen. Mr. Adams' early education was limited to the public schools. Being endowed with a retentive memory and a desire to inform himself upon the various public questions of the day, he became a regular reader, not only of the daily papers, but of books, and very few men were better read than he on the issues of the hour. In early life he worked in the Mendon bakery, later was employed in the making of boots and shoes, the factory being in Mendon, and he was engaged there until the industry was abandoned.
In politics Mr. Adams was first a Whig, then a Republican. In the year 1855 he was elected to the office of town clerk, and continued in office through annual elections for thirty-five years, or until failing health caused him to decline a re-election. In the meantime he had purchased the property known as the "Bakery," where as a poor man he labored. This he renovated and enlarged, arranging and fitting it for a hotel, naming it the Adams House, and for fifteen or more years, under the management of Mr. and Mrs. Adams, this house enjoyed the repu- tation of being an attractive, comfortable, homelike public house. The death of Mrs. Adams, April 19, 1877, soon caused him to relinquish the hotel busi- ness and sell the property. He then purchased the Aaron Cook place, where he passed the remaining days of his life in comparative ease and comfort, attending to the cultivation of his productive farm. He died April 14, 1900, in his eighty-fifth year. Their children were: Isabella Phipps, born October
27, 1841, married Charles H. Spencer ; Horace Cor- bett, July 18. 1848, see forward; Maria Miller, Octo- ber 31, 1850.
(VIII) Horace Corbett Adams, only son of David and Jemima (Rawson) Adams, attended the public schools of Mendon. He became the assistant and chief reliance of his father in conducting the hotel, livery and farming business, and at the death of the latter succeeded to the family estate, and was also elected to succeed his father in the office of town clerk in 1890, and at present writing (1906) retains that position. He was also elected to represent the Tenth Representative Worcester County District, composed of the towns of Hopedale, Mendon, Mil- . ford, Upton and Westboro in 1901, and re-elected to serve in 1902. Mr. Adams has been one of the trustees of the Taft Public Library since its organi- zation in 1881, and is also secretary of the Mendon Historical Society. He is one of the useful and reliable representative men of Mendon. He married, October 31, 1871, Cora G. Taft, who died September 25, 1872.
FARNUM FAMILY. Farnham is the name of an ancient and honored English family. In America the spelling Farnum is used by some branches of the family, and branches of the Varnum family spell their name Farnum also. According to Burke, the family seat of the Farnhams in England was in Leicester county, at Querndon House. By deeds without dates there appears to have been two Lords of Querndon in Leicestershire prior to the reign of Edward I. Burke gives the line of the principal family of the name, as follows: I. Robert Farnham. 2. Sir Robert Farnham, knight. 3. Sir John Farn- ham, of Querndon, county Leicester, of the reign of King Edward I. 4. Sir Robert Farnham, knight, living in Querndon, 1346. 5. John Farnhanı, Esquire, married Margaret Billington. 6. Robert Farnham, Esquire, living in 1440, ancestor of many of the Farnhams of Querndon and of
7. Thomas Farnham, Esquire, of Nether Hall, ancestor of the fourth degree. 8. William Farnham, Esquire, of Nether Hall, knight, married Barbara Hersey, sister of Sir John Hersey, and had: I. John, married Dorthy Walwyn, whose only daughter Dorothy married Sir George Wright. 2. Thomas, of Stough- ton, died 1562, leaving an only daughter Katharine, who married Sir Thomas Beaumont. 3. Matthew, succeeded his elder brother in the estates. 9. Matthew Farnham, Esquire, of Nether Hall, mar- ried Lamentia Barrett, of Medbourn, Leicestershire, and had : Mary, married Richard Dawes ; Humphrey, see forward. 10. Humphrey Farnham, of Nether Hall, married Elizabeth Digby, daughter of William Digby, Esquire, of Welby. He lived at the period that the two American emigrants, John and Ralph, went to New England, and while he was perhaps not their father, there is every reason to believe the emigrants were from Leicestershire and close relatives. About the same time a branch of the family located in Ireland. The coat of arms : Quar- terly, or and az. in the two first quarters, a crescent, counterchanged. Crest : An eagle or, wings close, preying on a rabbit, argent.
(I) Ralph Farnum, the immigrant ancestor of all the Farnum families of southern Worcester county, was born in England, probably in Leicester- shire, in 1603. He came from London in the brig "James," which sailed from Southhampton, April 6, 1635, and reached Boston, June 3, 1635. He gave his age at sailing as thirty-two, his wife Alice's as twenty-eight, and they had with them three young children, Mary, Thomas and Ralph. He was a barber by trade, but a yeoman after coming to
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America. He settled at Ipswich, of which he was a proprietor in 1639. He removed to Andover, Massa- chusetts.
Ralph Farnum had a brother John who settled in Dorchester about 1638, was made a freeman May 13, 1640, removed to Boston and bought shop and land there about 1647, was member of Second Church and deacon June 5, 1650; first wife Eliza- beth; married (second), April 7, 1654, Susannah Arnold, daughter of Thomas Arnold, of Water- town, and had ten children. Ralph Farnum died January 8, 1692-93, and the inventory of his estate is dated March 29, 1693. The children of Ralph were: I. Mary, born 1628, married Daniel Poor, of Andover, Massachusetts, in Boston, October 20, 1650; resided at Andover; she died February 3, 1714, aged eighty-five years. 2. Thomas, born 1631, married, July 8, 1660, Elizabeth Gibbons, who died August 26, 1683; he died January 11, 1685. 3. Ralph, Jr., born 1633, married Elizabeth Hall, in An- dover, October 2, 1658; she died October 14, 1710, aged seventy-eight years ; he died January 8, 1691-92. 4. Sarah, born at Andover, married George Abbot. April 16, 1658. 5. John, born 1640, see forward.
(II) John Farnum, son of Ralph Farnun (1), was born at Andover, Massachusetts, about 1640, and died there June 17, 1723, in his eighty-third year. He married, November 12, 1667, Rebecca Kent, daughter of Stephen Kent, of Newbury, Massachu- setts. She died February S, 1728-29, aged seventy- eight years. Their children, born in Andover, were: 1. John, born January 20, 1670, died February 14, 1670. 2. John, see forward. 3. Stephen, born Octo- ber 19, 1674, died young. 4. Anne, born Decem- ber II, 1677, married Thomas Russ. April 17. 1701. 5. David, born October, 1681, died November 30, 1687. 6. Jonathan, born April 27. 1684. died May 24, 1761; married (first), 1708, Elizabeth Parker, who died June 18, 1732; (second), May 31, 1733. Mehitable Poor, who died January 19, 1763, aged seventy years. 7. Thomas, horn August II, 1687, probably died young. 8. David, born April 4, 1690, married Dorothy Duncan.
(III) John Farnum, Jr., son of John Farnum (2), was born in Andover, Massachusetts, April 13. 1672, died in Mendon, September 9, 1749, in the seventy-eighth year of his age. He removed to Mendon, Massachusetts, about 1700. On the early records there his name is spelled usually Ffarnum. This double "F" was common on the colonial records as well as English for many names beginning with this letter. He bought the lot and town rights of Job Tyler, called a fifteen acre right, July 8, 1701, recorded in Suffolk, liber 23, folio 2. His name is third on the list of proprietors who drew at the sixth division, February 4, 1707. From time to time he bought more land and drew with the other pro- prietors from the common land until he was a large owner of real estate. In his will which was proved August 30, 1749. he mentioned his wife Abigail, sons John, Jr. and Moses, daughters Mary and Ann Penniman. He married, June 30, 1693, Mary Tyler, and (second), November, 1733, Abigail Marsh, of Bellingham. She died February 21, 1759. The chil- dren of John and Mary (Tyler) Farnum: I. Mary, born at Andover, March 16, 1694. married Nathan Penniman, of Mendon, December 5, 1716. 2. Anna, born January 18, 1696, at Andover, died April 20, 1696. 3. John, Jr., born at Andover, December 26, 1697, married Mary Wood. of Mendon, November 8. 1722. 4. Ann, born June 3, 1701, married - Penniman, at Mendon. 5. Moses, born at Mendon, September 8. 1705. see forward.
(IV) Moses Farnum, son of John Farnum (3). was born at Mendon, September 8, 1705, died at
Uxbridge, Massachusetts, September 8, 1770. The part of Mendon in which he was born was set off. in 1727 as the town of Uxbridge. He was a farmer and lived in Uxbridge on the farm afterwards. known as the Daniel Farnum place and later as the Martin Brown place, about east from what is now called Happy Hollow, and perhaps three-quarters of a mile from the Hollow. He and his wife were Presbyterians in religion until late in life when they became Friends, according to the biographer of his son. He had one acre of land granted by the pro- prietors, March 21. 1745-46, adjoining David Aldrich's. His father conveyed to him, April 25, 1743, two hundred acres in Uxbridge. He bought a farm of fifty-three acres in Douglas, November 27, 1738, but seemed to prefer Uxbridge as a home. He bought of Robert Clark, of Uxbridge, forty-eight acres at a place in Uxbridge called Hoop Pole Hill, October 20, 1742. He also bought land of Ephraim Hill in Douglas, May 20, 1737; of David Read, in Uxbridge land at Shockologue, Marchi 5, 1742-43; of Jacob Aldrich in Uxbridge, March 2, 1742-43; of Benjamin Taft in Uxbridge, December 20, 1743; of Joseph Damon in Uxbridge, October 2, 1749. The aggregate of his land purchased was over six hun- dred acres. His will is dated May 25, 1768, and was allowed November 12, 1770. In it he mentions the cedar swamp at Shockologue and other property.
He married, November 10, 1726, Abigail Sanford, who died October 2, 1773. Her will allowed Novem- ber 8, 1773, mentions the children, namely: 1. John, born 1727-28, married (first), May 3. 1750, Eliza- beth Gaskill, daughter of Samuel; married (sec- ond). July 19, 1756, Martha Comstock. Children- Joseph Noah, Stephen, Mary, and Rachel. 2. Moses, born October 25, 1730, see forward. 3. Mary (twin), born September 2, 1732. married Silas Taft. Chil- dren-Ephraim, Moses, Darius, Peleg, Levi, Rachel. and Preserved Taft. 4. Anna (twin), born Sep- tember 2, 1732, married Benjamin Buffum. 5. Han- nah, born September II, 1737, married John Reed, of Smithfield, and had ten children. 6. Stephen, born September 19, 1739, died April 27, 1761. 7. Abigail, born August 19, 1741, married David Harris, of Smithfield, 1761. 8. Rachel, born January 13, 1743, married Daniel Reed, of Smithfield. 9. Jonathan" (twin), born June 28, 1745, married Uranah Harris, September 29. 1765, at Smithfield. 10. David (twin), born June 28, 1745, died before his father.
(V) Moses Farnum, Jr., son of Moses Farnum. (4), was born in Uxbridge, Massachusetts, Octo- ber 25, 1730, died there May 9, 1780. The memorial written by Moses Brown is given here in full : "His parents were then (1730) in profession with the Presbyterians and were afterwards convinced of the Truth as professed by us and were zealously concerned to educate their children therein. This concern was afterwards gratefully remembered by the subject of this memoir as being to his lasting advantage. When quite young he appears to have heen inattentive to these parental reproofs and to have lightly esteemed concerned friends until his tender mind was reached by the supplication of a friend, particularly for his father's family in a meet- ing held at his house. After this he dare not speak lightly of our profession. Notwithstanding the repeated visitations of Divine Goodness to him he made but little progress in religious experience for several years.
"After he married and had a family of several children around him, he became more obedient to the teachings of truth and useful in our society, and being favored to improve the talent received. the Lord was pleased to commit unto him a gift in the ministry. In entering upon which service he
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was deeply baptised under a humbling sense of the weight of such a work and often appeared much af- fected in our meetings under the influence thereof. He as a minister was a close reprover of back- sliders ; but to the sincere and heavy laden. his words were like oil to their comfort and encouragement. He was short but comprehensive in his public testi- monies and at times much favored in supplication. He was ready to indite in a short and comprehensive manner and was extensively useful in the discipline of the church.
"He was a man of good natural understanding and capable of argument, yet he seldom engaged in any doubtful disputation, but in our meetings for discipline, when such questions arose, he forbore, . keeping a bridle upon his tongue until the truth ·opened his way ; often by a simple expression of his feelings they were satisfactorily settled.
"He was steady in the attendance of our religions meetings and a good example therein, humbly wait- ing for divine assistance and often recommended it to others as the only way to renew their strength. In the endearing relation of father and husband, he was kind, tender and careful, keeping his family constant in attending our meetings and bringing them up in our Christian order of plainness of speech, behavior and apparel and in the frequent reading of the Holy Scripture and often called them together to sit in silence, sometimes counseling as truth gave utterance.
"But what rendered him more amiable in the view of his friends as being a strong mark of true discipleship was his readiness to be advised and to take advice, showing thereby his great love for the brethren. In his neighborhood he was useful and respected, having a disposition and qualifications which rendered his company and conversation in- structive and desirable. He was useful and instru- mental in obtaining the freedom of oppressed en- slaved Africans and became so deeply concerned to unbind the heavy burden and let the oppressed go free, that for several years before his death he declined the use of such goods as he knew to be the product of the labor of slaves.
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"He very constantly attended the quarterly and yearly meetings to which he belonged and traveled ·considerably within their limits as a minister visiting monthly meetings in company with other friends. He visited on a religious account most of the fam- ilies in his own monthly meeting and some of them several times to their satisfaction, being well quali- fied for such a service. And in this as well as his other labors he was fervently engaged for the pros- perity of the youth.
"In the year 1799, with the concurrence of Friends, he visited Pennsylvania on a religious ac- count and attended the yearly meeting in Philadel- phia and many adjacent meetings to the satisfaction of Friends. Shortly after, in company with Abra- ham Griffiths from Pennsylvania he made a religious visit to Friends in the Salem Quarterly Meeting, in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine, and it being winter and much snow on the ground suf- fered great hardship. And this with his exposure afterwards in going to meetings through roads im- passible for horses by reason of snow, caused him to think he must perish by the way.
"He however remained in comfortable health until the third month of 1780, about which time he was observed to fail and his disease proving to be apoplectic greatly affected his speech, yet he con- versed brokenly and by signs until near his last. Being asked as to the state of his mind he said that on a review of his life, he had seen many things in which he had been unfaithful, but had
known them all done away, so that now nothing but peace and quiet of mind remained and that this was his happy state fully appeared by his patient resignation through the whole of his illness.
"He gave his family much good advice, exhorting them to live in love one to another and counseling his children to be obedient to their remaining par- ent and was enabled so to speak to them that they were much affected.
"He had borne his testimony against war and bloodshed by refusing to pay the tax for the sup- port of it and near his end he expressed his satis- faction that he had so done and his belief that such a testimony would rise into dominion.
"About two days before his decease, feeling himself drawn to a conclusion, he took his solemn and final farewell of his family (at which time his understanding appeared clear and he a little revived) taking them each by the hand as well as others present, being unable to say more than yes or no, but with the appearance of a mind truly sensible of the nature and solemnity of such a parting.
"He gradually sunk till near the close, when falling into a sleep, he remained till he breathed his last without a sigh or groan, the ninth day of the fifth month 1780. His remains were interred in the Friends' burying ground in Uxbridge on the eleventh following, on which occasion a large concourse of Friends and other attended.
"This time closed with a valiant in the Lord's cause, who we doubt not is now at rest in a mansion of glory. Signed on behalf and by direction of the meeting aforesaid held at Smithfield the first day of the ninth month 1780 by Thomas Lapham, clerk."
Moses Farnum married Sarah Comstock, who died March I, 1776, and (second) Elizabeth South- wick, who died May 2, 1777. His real estate was divided May 21, 1782. The children of Moses and Sarah Farnum: I. David, born at Uxbridge, Sep- tember 29, 1753, see forward. 2. Daniel, born June 14, 1755, died October 14, 1772. 3. Ann, born Janu- ary 19, 1758, died June 4, 1833; married Seth Gif- ford, of New Bedford, settled in Uxbridge. 4. George, born June 12, 1760, died March 15, 1837; married (first). 1787, Sarah Pitts; (second) her sister Deborah Pitts, in 1790. 5. Royal, born Janu- ary 7, 1763, married, 1792, Widow Aldrich, who died April 12, 1852. 6. Peter, born May 22, 1765, removed to Grafton where he died May 6, 1832; married Susannah Wadsworth, March 9. 1788, and died September, 1865. 7. Abigail, born July 20, 1767, died May, 1794; married (first), May, 1784, James Buggum; (second), 1791, Seth Sumner, of Taunton. 8. Moses, born April 10, 1770, died August 21. 1855; married (first), December 5, 1792, Rachel Daniels, born December 25, 1767, died August II, 1846; (sec- ond), December 21, 1847, Widow Mary (Barker) Allen, the gifted Friends minister, who died at Nantucket, January 31, 1861, aged eighty-seven years. 9. Sarah, born April 7, 1780, died Septem- ber 10, 1853; married, May 3, 1797, James Hark- ness; he died April 27, 1806: (second), August 5, 1807. Caleb A. Wall, of Worcester, well known antiquarian and editor, and had several children.
· (VI) David Farnum, son of Moses Farnum (5), was born at Uxbridge, Massachusetts, September 29, 1753, died at Grafton, February 29, 1844. He mar- ried, December 7, 1781, Ruth Southwick. He had land laid out to him by the proprietors in the western part of Uxbridge, May 31, 1805. The children of David and Ruth Farnum: 1. Hannah, born De- cember 22, 1782, died May 29, 1860; married Humphrey Taylor, resided in Grafton. 2. Daniel, born November 22. 1784. see forward. 3. Moses, born January 29, 1789, settled in the state of Michi-
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gan. 4. Phebe, born April 15, 1791. died October 3. 1852, unmarried. 5. Jesse, born June 7, 1795, died July 10, 1877, in Grafton, Massachusetts. 6. Mowry, born December 23, 1799, see forward. 7. Samuel Judson, born November 8. 1805, removed to Pough- keepsie, New York; married Sally Ann Swartout, and resided at Newburgh, New York.
(VII) Daniel Farnum, son of David Farnum (6), was born in Uxbridge, Massachusetts, Novem- ber 22, 1784. died December 10, 1879, in North- bridge, the town adjoining. He lived in North- bridge near the Uxbridge line through all the mature part of his life. We quote from Hurd's history : "Daniel Farnum was born with a good constitution, which he preserved well by regular and temperate habits, experiencing but little sickness, and retain- ing his faculties in remarkable vigor till within the last year of his life. He was emphatically a sound mind in a sound body; he was characterized for sound common sense, a strong sentiment of justice and honesty. insistence on his own rights, and re- spect for those of others; economy, simplicity and hospitality in domestic affairs; was provident, faith- ful and kind in the family circle: a serviceable, judicious and trustworthy townsman, honored with the principal municipal offices, including those of selectman and representative to the general court ; a reliable counselor in financial matters; a lover of his country and its liberties; a firm opposer of slavery and oppression; sparing in religious pro- fession, of broad tolerance toward all denomina- tions ; liberal in theology, and a steadfast hoper in the final triumph of good over evil. These were qualities and characteristics which in Mr. Farnum overshadowed the incidental imperfections common to human nature.
"He was warmly attached to the interests of the town, and was a constant attendant on the town meetings, the last one he attended being in 1878, when in his ninety-fourth year. Among the posi- tions of public financial trust he occupied was that of director of the Blackstone National Bank of Ux- bridge over twenty years. He had been expecting his departure for three years, expressed his entire resignation to the Divine disposal, and passed away in the confident assurance of the life everlasting, December 10. 1870, aged ninety-five years and eighteen days."
He married, February 28, 1811, Mary Southwick, of Uxbridge. Their children: 1. Jonathan, born October 15, 1812, died July 14, 1814. 2. Joseph S .. born August 21, 1814. died December 22, 1873, at Worcester; married Lois N. Stoddard. 3. Luke S., born January 20, 1817, died August 23, 1883; mar- ried Chloe Taft and had four children. 4. Ruth M., born August 29. 1819. resided at Uxbridge and Northbridge. 5. James M., born April 11, 1822, see forward. 6. Mary Alice, born August 4. 1828, married - Rockwood, of Brookline. 7. Ann Eliza, resided in Lancaster.
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