Historic homes and institutions and genealogical and personal memoirs of Worcester county, Massachusetts, with a history of Worcester society of antiquity, Vol. III, Part 46

Author: Crane, Ellery Bicknell, 1836-1925, ed
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: New York, Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 772

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 46

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).

( II) James Whiting, son of James Whiting (1), was born at Hingham, July 15, 1551. He settled near his father's place in Hingham. He also owned land in Scituate, Abington and Great Plain. He died February 20, 1724-5. His widow Abigail died May 4, 1740. Their children were: Hannah, born July 4. 1678; James, February 17, 1679; John, April I, 1681; Abigail, Scituate, 1683; Samuel, November 12. 1685; Joseph, March 23, 1686-7; Judith, May 1, 1689: Rebecca, December, 1691; Benjamin, May 21, 1693: Solomon, June 10, 1695.

(III) Benjamin Whiting, son of James Whit- ing (2), married Sarah Tower, of Hingham, April 19, 1716. They settled in Queen Anne's corners, Hing- ham. Their children were: Benjamin. born Decem- ber 28, 1716; Thomas, January 29, 1718-9; William, March 28, 1720; Jacob, August 10, 1723, removed to Plainfield, Massachusetts; Nathaniel, born and died 1725; Sarah, October 22, 1726; Levi, August 7, 1729; Abel, May 7, 1733.

(1\') Lemuel Whiting. son of Benjamin Whiting (3), was born in Hingham, Massachusetts. He mar- ried Mary Whiting, of Hingham, April 9, 1754, and lived in Hanover, Massachusetts, an adjoining town, on Whiting street where Sylvanus Whiting now or lately lived. His widow died June 12, 1826, aged ninety-five. The children of Lemuel and Mary (Whiting) Whiting were: Mary, born April 18, 1755. died unmarried at house of Lebbeus Stock- bridge, June 21, 1849; Samuel, June 4, 1757 ; Thank- ful, February 19, 1759; Lucinda, March 8, 1761, died 1771; Margaret, November 18, 1763; Beulah, March 17. 1766; Lemuel, born and died 1769; Bethana, Jan- uary 21, 1770; Lemuel. born and died 1772; Lemuel, November 5, 1773: Lucinda, December 14, 1766; Perez, September 18, 1788; Buchsa, April 9, 1782 .. (V) Samuel Whiting, son of Lemuel Whiting, was born in Hanover, Massachusetts. He married Elizabeth Gardner, of an old Hingham family, Sep- tember 6, 1778, and is said to have removed to Lunenburg. Another Samuel Whiting, of Lunen- burg at this time, a descendant of Samuel Whiting, of Boston, and of the Billerica branch went to Rindge, New Hampshire, Eliza- beth Gardner's line of descent was: Joseph, Joseph, James, John, of Hingham. She was born January 25, 1758.

(VI) Gardner Whiting, probably son of Samuel, undoubtedly of the ancestry given herewith, was born in Hingham or some neighboring town. He was born about 1775. He married Lucy Cook, of Abington. She was a descendant of "Mayflower" stock.

(I) Francis Cook came in the "Mayflower." He left four sons: Jacob. Josias, John, Thomas.

(II) Jacob Cook, son of Francis Cook (I), was admitted a freeman in Plymouth colony in 1646. He had three sons: Jacob, Francis, Caleb.

(I11) Francis Cook, son of Jacob Cook (2), was the father of four children: Caleb, Robert, Elizabeth, Francis.

(IV) Robert Cook, son of Francis Cook (3), died in 1731. His children were: Charles, Nathaniel, Robert, Francis. Simeon.

(V) Nathaniel Cook, son of Robert Cook (4).

died in 1760, leaving three children: Isaac, Levi, Mary.

(VI) Levi Cook, son of Nathaniel Cook (5), settled in Abington in 1772-3. He married Sarah Pool, daughter of Joshua Pool. Their children were : John, Susanna or Lusanna, Levi, Nathaniel, Mary, Peleg, Deborah, Asa, Isaac, Robert, Randall, Thomas Jefferson.

(VII) Asa Cook, son of Levi Cook (6), had the following children at Abington, Massachusetts : Sarah, Davis H., Pamelia, Asa, Lucy, Lydia, Jo- seph, Mary E., Emeline H., Abigail W.

(VII) Lusanna R. Whiting, daughter of Gardner Whiting (6), was born May 27, 1813. She mar- ried ( first) Samuel L. Hunstable, and (second) Al- bert Tolman, of Worcester. She was the mother of Edward F. Tolman. (See Tolman Family.)

Gardner Whiting resided at Charlestown, Massa- chusetts. He died there June II, 1829, aged forty- eight years. His wife died there in 1842, aged sixty- six years. He owned real estate in Charlestown. Their children, all recorded in Charlestown, were: Elizabeth Gardner, born February 1, 1807, at Quincy, Massachusetts; Gardner Cook, February 11, 1809; Emeline, December 24, 1810; Lusannah Russell, May 27, 1813; William Corey, June 11, 1815. 1

BARRETT FAMILY. The Barrett family of Worcester, Massachusetts, descends from James Barrett, of Dingle, county Kerry, Ireland. He had three sons, two of whom were sea captains and owners of trading vessels. The youngest son, An- drew Barrett (2), became a farmer at Dromoulton, just outside of the town of Castle Island, county Kerry, Ireland. His son Thomas Barrett (3), was born in the village last named, settled upon a farm in the vicinity, and there died. He married Johanna Connors, of the same town, who died in 1788, aged fifty-three years. Their children were: 1. Andrew, who came to America in 1845, and died in Tennessee about 1870. 2. Mary, who remained in Ireland. . 3. Kate, who came to America with her brother in 1850, married, went to California in 1852, and died 4. Ellen, who came to America and direct to Wor- cester, in 1846, and lived there until her death; she married William Fitzgerald, and their children were : Catherine M., Margaret, Josephine V., John B., Thomas W., and Ellen E. 5. Julia, came to America alone, and to Worcester, and married Martin Mc- Hugh, (now deceased), and their children were: Thomas J., Francis M., John, Mary E., Margaret N., Kate, Elizabeth, Winifred, and Hannah. 6. Thomas, see forward. 7. Dominick, came to Amer- ica in 1857, and went to Alabama, where he died, 1861. S. John, came to America in 1875 or 1876, but after three or four years returned to Ireland.

Thomas Barrett (4), son of Thomas and Johanna (Connors) Barrett, was born in Castle Island, county Kerry, Ireland, February 23, 1830. He re- ceived the usual common school education availa- ble at that time in his native place. He was ap- prenticed to a stone mason and became a master of his trade. At the age of twenty he came to Amer- ica with his sister Kate, and November 30, 1850, they arrived in Worcester, where their sister Ellen ( Mrs. William Fitzgerald) had preceded them. Mr. Barrett soon found employment at his trade, and worked in Worcester until 1852, when he went to Hartford, Connecticut, and there learned bricklaying and plastering. After four years he returned to Wor- cester (in 1856) thoroughly equipped for all manner of building work. He first took employment with A. B. Lovell, a well known mason and builder. Sub- sequently he was employed by the contractors on

164

WORCESTER COUNTY

the stone structure known as "the castle," built for the Oread Seminary, and now in use as the Oread Institute. In 1868 he began on his own account in a modest way as a contractor, He then was liv- ing on South Irving street, and attended to his office business at his residence, and built Hotel Bel- mont, at Lake Quinsigamond, during his first year as a contractor. About 1875 he closed up his mason business, and entered partnership with James W. Doon, under the firm name of Doon & Barrett, in the flour and grain business, with a store at 223 and 225 Front street, near Canal street. After a time the partnership was dissolved and a year later Mr. Barrett engaged in the same business under his own name. He meantime kept closely in touch with his former occupation, and in 1883 returned to it, retiring from the grain business. He took the masons' contract for the building the armory on Waldo street (now the police station) for the Com- monwealth, and thenceforward was so continually engaged that few builders in Worcester have left more enduring monuments of their energy and abil- ity as well as masterly workmanship. He was active at a period when the city was building rapidly, and labored in the construction of hundreds of dwelling houses of all classes and description, was entrusted with the mason work of some of the finest and most durable buildings in the city, and public and private work alike gave entire satisfaction to his employers. He not only displayed large common sense and in- flexible integrity as a contractor, but his thorough practical knowledge and careful personal attention were devoted to all the details of his work. Among the public buildings that stand today as monuments of Mr. Barrett's mechanical skill upon which he and the mason work, and for most of which he had the contract for the entire construction, were: The public school houses at Woodland street, Winslow street, Gage street, Chandler street, Millbury street, Lee street, Freeland street, Lamartine street (re- built) and the English high school; St. Vincent's Hospital and the Old People's Home; the Catholic Church at Leicester, the Congregational Church at Spencer, and the Boston & Albany freight depot at Spencer; the Town Hall at Uxbridge, Massachu- setts; the Pawtucket Opera House, at Pawtucket, Rhode Island; Park Theatre, Front street, and Lothrop's Opera House, Pleasant street, Worcester ; Father Matthew Hall, Worcester; the State Normal school (rebuilt), and the new stone building at the State Normal school.

Among the mills and factories that he built were : Charles Allen's Sons boiler shops; the Walker building in Barton place, remodeled; mills for the Whittall carpet works, at South Worcester ; the Union Water Meter shop; the Benaiah Fitts factory, Hermon street; Sawyer's factory, Hermon street, rebuilt; J. C. Frenchi's shop, in the rear of Hermon street; the factory of Johnson & Bassett, Foster street; the Turner building, Foster street; the shop of the Whitcomb Machine Company, Sar- gent street; the factory of the G. H. Whitcom En- velope Company, on Prescott street; the shop of the Draper Machine Company, Gold street; the Crompton loom works, on Cambridge street; all the buildings of the Worcester Electric Light Com- pany; Franklin Hotel, Main street, rebuilt; the Union Passenger Station at Middletown, New York, for the New York, Ontario & Western Railroad. Among the large apartment houses he buit were: Connery's, Summer street ; Sheedy's, Belmont street : the Forrest building, corner of Main and Austin street, the Denholm apartments, Wellington street ; T. II. Hall's, Wellington street ; W. E. Hall's, Well- ington street ; the Houghton, Park street. He built

the following business blocks : At the corner of Main and Chatham streets; the building occupied by C. T. Sherer's store, Front street; the Sherwood Hotel (rebuilt) ; the Taylor building, Front street; L. G. White's building, Bridge street; Harrington block, Main street; Richard Healy's building, Main street; Taylor's granite block, after the fire. He retired from business in January, 1905.

Mr. Barrett is a member of the Worcester County Mechanics' Association, and of the Board of Trade. One of the oldest living members of the Builder's Exchange, vice-president of the Bay State Savings Bank; and trustee of St. Vincent's Hos- pital. He has belonged to the Democratic party, but has never cared for politics or for office, and has not been a mere partisan when it came to munici- pal affairs especially. He has been a member of St. Paul's parish since January, 1869, and a strong and liberal supporter of his church.

Mr. Barrett married Johanna McGillicuddy, daughter of Daniel and Ellen (Bresnihan) McGil- licuddy, of Worcester. All their children were born in Worcester, except Dr. Thomas J. Barrett. who was born while the family was living in Hartford, Connecticut. The other children are: Ellen E., resides at home, unmarried; Thomas James, of whom later; Daniel, died young; Elizabeth J., mar- ried John J. Linehan, president of the Linehan Cor- set Company, Austin street, Worcester. Mr. Line- han is a son of the late Colonel John C. Linehan, for many years insurance commissioner of New Hampshire, a well known writer and Irish historian; John Timothy, born December 28, 1869, died Octo- ber 14, 1895; he was a student at Holy Cross and Fordham Colleges, but left the latter just before graduating to take up the study of architecture and building; he was with Fuller & Delano Company for a year, and was then associated with his father until his death; Mary, lives at home, unmarried.

Dr. Thomas James Barrett (5), second child of Thomas Barrett (4), was born in Hartford, Con- necticut, November 15, 1864, while the family was living there temporarily. He was brought up in Worcester, and educated in the public and high schools of that city. He chose the profession of dentistry, and entered the Pennsylvania College of Dental Surgery, from which he was graduated in May 1885 with the degree of D. D. S. He opened an office immediately afterward in the building where he has been located ever since, 492 Main street. He has been very successful from the outset, and ranks high in his profession. He was appointed in 1892 a member of the State Board of Registration of Dentistry by Governor Russell, was reappointed in 1893 for a three-year term, and has been reappointed at the expiration of each term to the present time, having been equally satisfactory as a state official under Republican and Democratic administrations. He is the president of the National Association of Dental Examiners, president of the North-Eastern Dental Association of New England; ex-pesident of the New England Association of Dental Examiners, and member of the Massachusetts Dental Society. He is a frequent guest and speaker at the meetings of other societies of dentists, and is widely known among the members of his profession in this country.

Dr. Barrett is one of the most prominent Demo- cratic leaders in this section of the state, and has served as member at large on the Democratic state committee. He served in the board of aldermen in 1898 and 1899. He was chairman of the committee in charge of the memorial volume published as tes- timonial of gratitude to the City Hall commissioners by the city council, acting in behalf of the citizens

165

WORCESTER COUNTY

gencrally, after the new city hall was dedicated. This work is a model of its kind. It was edited by Frank- Iin P. Rice, an authority on Worcester history, and author of numerous historical works. During his second year, although the board of alderman was Republican, and Dr. Barrett was a Democrat, he was elected to the chairmanship of every committee upon which he was appointed-the committees on water, fire, education, and that mentioned above, and the committee on dedication of the new city hall. He could have been nominated for mayor on several occasions had he not declined to run. He has never allowed his political service to interfere with his profession, and for its sake has declined many op- portunities for political preferment.

He is trustee of the Bay State Savings Bank, and a member of the board of investment; a trus- tee and member of the executive committee of St. Vincent's Hospital ; and was for six years a director of the Public Library, and president of the board for several years. He has been president of the Wapiti Boat Club, and of the Washington Social Club. He is a member of the Worcester Lodge of Elks, the Clover Club of Boston, and other social organizations. He is a member of St. Paul's Church. He resides in Wellington street.

He married, June 5, 1900, Ellen Mary Kidney, daughter of Ella Mary Kidney, of New York city, formerly of Worcester, where Dr. Barrett and she were schoolmates. Mrs. Barrett is a talented vio- linist and organist. Her musical training was be- gun at an early age under the late A. S. Allen, of Worcester, and later was continued under the best inasters in New York city. She played at a re- cent Music Festival in Worcester, and was highly commended for her ability and skill. Her father was a stone contractor and mason. Children of Dr. Thomas James and Ellen Mary (Kidney) Barrett are: Thomas William, born in Worcester, April 14, 1901; Alice Mary, August 6, 1903; William, born August 15, 1905, died September 21, 1906.

WHITCOMB FAMILY. John Whitcomb (1), the pioneer ancestor in America, appeared in Dor- chester, Massachusetts, as early as 1633. He was born in England, and it is believed that he was the second son of John and Anne (Harper) Whitcomb, of London. John Harper, whose daughter was the mother of John Whitcomb, was a member of the East India Company, June 16, 1620, and it is recorded that he gave John Whitcomb, who married his daughter Anna, a share in Virginia, viz: America. Whitcomb is an ancient English surname, derived from white and "combe," (valley, odale or pocket) from which it is inferred that when the surname was assumed by the progenitors their home was among the white cliffs and valleys of counties Somerset and Dorset, England. The ancient coat-of-arms was : "Per pale, gold or silver, and sable, with eagles dis- played and countercharged." John Whitcomb joined the Puritan church at Dorchester in 1635. In 1640 he settled in Scituate, was elected constable there, and in 1643 was on the list of men able to bear arms. He was admitted a freeman June 3. 1652. In 1654 he removed to Lancaster, Massachusetts, being among its founders. He died there September 24, 1662, aged seventy-four years, and was buried in the old graveyard in Lancaster, but there is no stone. He married in England, Frances -, and their children were: 1. Catherine, married, 1644. Ro- dolphus Ellmes, of Scituate; resided there; had nine children. 2. James, born in England, settled in Bos- ton; may have remained in Dorchester and Boston when his father removed to Scituate: owned five acres opposite Boston Common; died in Boston,

November 23, 1686; married twice, Rebecca and Elizabeth -; had ten children. 3. John, Jr., may have been eldest son; was most likely closely associated with his father; married, May 19, 1669 or 1671, died April 7, 1683, leaving wife Mary and two daughters. 4. Robert, remained at Scituate ; married Mary, daughter of General James Cudworth, in Rhode Island; they were the first to settle in the Beeches, the family place at Scituate. 5. Jonathan, see forward. 6. Abigail. 7. Job, a land surveyor at Lancaster, married, May 19, 1669, Mary : after King Philip's war settled at Weathers- field, Connecticut. 8. Josiah, born 1638, married, at Lancaster, January 4, 1664, Rebecca, daughter of Lawrence and Ann (Linton) Waters, of Bolton; was selectman and deputy to general court. 9. Mary, married August 13, 1663, John Moore.

(II) Jonathan Whitcomb, son of John Whit- comb (I), was born about 1630, in England, and died in February, 1690. He removed to Lancaster in 1655, and except during the war period lived there the remainder of his life. He shared the home lot there with his brother John until the death of Jolın in 1683. He married, November 25, 1667, Han- nah - , who was killed by Indians at Lancaster, July 18, 1692. Their children were: Hannah, born September 17, 1668, died December 9, 1668; Jona- than, Jr., see forward; Hannah, born August 29, 1671, married Joseph Blood, of Groton; Abigail, born May 5, 1674. married William Kelsey, of Wind- sor, 1694: Elizabeth, born 1676; Katherine, born 1678; Ruth, born 1680; Mary, born 1682; John, born May 12, 1684.

(III) Jonathan Whitcomb, son of Jonathan Whit- comb (2), was born in Lancaster, Massachusetts, February 26, 1669. He married Mary, daughter of Abraham and Mary Blood, of Lancaster. He mar- ried (second) Deborah Scripture, of Groton, Septem- ber 4, 1710, at Concord. He died April 10, 1715, and she died shortly before that. His children : Jonathan, see forward; Joseph; Nathaniel; Hannah, married Joseph Powers; Martha, born March 18, 1701; Ephraim, born April, 1702; Mary, born 1704, married John Cobleigh, Jr .; Benjamin, born December 11, 1711, at Groton; Lydia.

(IV) Jonathan Whitcomb, son of Jonathan Whit- comb (3), was born at Lancaster, 1690, and died about 1767. He resided at Littleton. He had lime kilns, and was at various times called a tanner, currier, blacksmith, shoemaker, and also made cof- fins. The dam he built at Littleton and the place where he quarried limestone may still be found. He married, May 15, 1716, Deliverance, daughter of James Nutting, granddaughter of John Nutting, the pioneer at Groton. Children: Jonathan, born De- cember 23, 1717; William, born September 10, 1719; Oliver, born August 21, 1721; Elizabeth, born Janu- ary 17, 1723-24; Tamer, born March 20, 1726, mar- ried, June 7, 1845, Isaac Heald; Lydia, born March 22, 1727-28, married Ezekiel Powers; she died 1767; Job, born April 16, 1730; Martha, born December 25, 1732, died unmarried 1767; Abner, born Feb- ruary 12, 1734, see forward; Jotham, born August 8, 1737.

(V) Abner Whitcomb, son of Jonathan Whit- comb (4). was born at Littleton, Massachusetts, February 4. 1733. He was a blacksmith by trade. He was one of the Groton minute men who re- sponded to the Lexington call, April 19, 1775. In 1783 he was one of the founders of the town of Hancock. New Hampshire, and he was received in the church there, April 1, 1787, from the church at Groton. He married four times: (first), March 27. 1759, Sarah Jefts, born July 12, 1734; (third) September 8, 1796, Susannah Mead; (fourth) Feb-

166

WORCESTER COUNTY

ruary 21, 1806, Abigail, daughter of Thomas and Alice Boynton, of Hancock; she died October, 1823. The children of Abner and Sarah (Jefts) Whit- comb were: Abner, born at Groton, February 13, 1760; Samuel, born January 30, 1763; John, born August 30; 1764; Ebenezer, born July 30, 1766-67 ; Oliver, born June 18, 1768; Eli, born February 18, 1770; Sarah, born February 2, 1772, married, Oc- tober 23, 1792, James Graham ; (second) Gil- son ; Ira, born February 13, 1774, died young ; Lucy, died August 5, 1823; married, December 19, 1822, Samuel Dannis. Children of Abner and Susannah Whitcomb: Ira Meads, born 1795: Eunice, died young. The only child of Abner and Abigail Whit- comb was David, see forward.

(VI) David Whitcomb, son of Abner Whit- comb (5), was born at Hancock, New Hampshire, May 30, 1808. The house in which he was born is still standing on Main street. It was the third occupied by his father in Hancock, and was built by him when he was an old man. He was bound out at the age of seven in a family where he suffered harsh treatment; was chore-boy in another farmer's family at the age of nine. and went to the district school for only a few winter terms. His father died when David was twelve years old, and his mother, leaving him to his tasks, went to reside with her brother, the landlord of the Lamb Tavern, Bos- ton, but returned after a time and died at Hancock. David Whitcomb left his native town on foot at the age of eighteen years, and obtained employment in Gill, Massachusetts. In 1829 his health failed, and he returned to Hancock. He was then of age, and in possession of $450, derived partly from his father's estate, and partly from his own savings. When his health improved, he went to Templeton, Massachusetts, for employment, but failing in this, went back to Gill, stayed a few weeks, then walked to Northampton, where he found a place with a Mrs. Mills, for five dollars a month. Going thence to Ware, Massachusetts, he found work

in the hotel of Deacon Porter. In January, 1830, he went to Templeton and engaged with a cousin as a tin peddler, for a wage of $100 for the first year's work, with board and a "vest pattern." He subsequently went into the tinsmith's shop, then entered partnership with his employer in 1831, each having the same capital in the business. Next year Whitcomb took charge of a branch at Leominster, and the business there soon surpassed that at Templeton. In two years he returned to Templeton and became practically the head of the entire business, which he extended beyond all previous records. After fifteen years of uninterrupted harmony in partnership, Mr. Boynton retired from business, in 1846. Mr. Whitcomb con- tinned the business alone until 1848. when he formed a new firm with Colonel Henry S. Smith, afterwards his son-in-law, and continued until 1853, when he sold out to his partner.

He came to Worcester in January, 1854. and became a partner in the firm of C. Foster & Com- pany, hardware dealers. It was for him a new busi- ness, but he mastered it rapidly, and personally directed some of its most important transactions. The firm prospered not only during the civil war, but afterward, and its successor, the Duncan-Goodell Company of Worcester, still enjoys a very large and prosperous business. He subsequently became associated with his son in the development of the G. Henry Whitcomb & Co. and then one of the largest and most successful corporations of its class in the country, and which brought large returns to both.

In the disposition of his wealth Mr. Whitcomb

set a noble example in Worcester. We condense from a writer who knew him well: "Had he done nothing and aimed at nothing but to achieve success in business, he would have been a far richer man at his death, but the world would have been far poorer. In Leominster he and has young wife had made their church home with the Unitarians. On going to reside in Templeton they chose the Trini- tarian church for such a home, although a Unitarian society, and a leading one, was there also. Soon afterward the Rev. Dr. Lewis Sabin became their pastor, and under his ministry, they united with the church. Gradually Mr. Whitcomb came to be regarded as the chief pillar in the church. Deliberately, systematically, persistently, he made giving not only a business of principle, but a principle of business. The whole amount

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.

Historic homes and institutions and genealogical and personal memoirs of Worcester county, Massachusetts, with a history of Worcester society of antiquity, Vol. III, Part 46

Author: Crane, Ellery Bicknell, 1836-1925, ed Publication date: 1907 Publisher: New York, Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company Number of Pages: 772

Author: Crane, Ellery Bicknell, 1836-1925, ed
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: New York, Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 772