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 6
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PUBLIC
your trity I Sblack
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that the Donelsons and Pattersons were in the same parish in Ireland. The children of John Clark's son Matthew married into these families, fellow emi- grants. It seems evident that the Clarks of Lon- donderry were relatives of John Clark. The names of John Reid, James Reid, James Patterson, John Holmes, Andrew Reid, Senior and Junior, and Archibald Crawford, of West Quarters of Carrick- fergus, are the same names that a generation or two later appear in Londonderry, New Hampshire, and Pelham and Coleraine, Massachusetts. Most of John Clark's family went from Worcester, Rutland and Holden, where they first settled, to Coleraine and the vicinity. They have many descendants in the vicinity, today. They settled in Palmer, Cole- rainc, Belchertown, Pelham and vicinity.
Ifis children by wife Agnes were: Matthew, born about 1700, in Ireland, killed by the Indians, 1746; Thomas; John, born 1705, died at Pelham, Massachusetts, September 1, 1785, married Sarah Gray, December 5, 1746, at Pelham; she died there March 13, 1787, aged seventy years; William, mar- ried, April 17, 1739, at Rutland, Massachusetts, Mary Smith; Samuel; James; George, born in Worces- ter, Massachusetts, May 12, 1722, settled at Cole- raine, Massachusetts ; Sarah; Elizabeth.
(II) Matthew Clark, son of John and Agnes Clark (I), was born in Ireland, probably in Car- rickfergus, Antrim county, about 1700. He was the first settler of Coleraine, Massachusetts. (See sketch of Clark family in George Arthur Smith sketch.) He was killed by the Indians in the French and Indian war. He married Jennett Both- well, daughter of Alexander and Jane (Doneca) Bothwell, of Scotch-Irish family. He died in 1746, when his youngest son was only two years old. His widow died May, 1789. Children of Matthew and Jennett (Bothwell) Clark were: Jane, born 1726, married Andrew Smith, of Holden, were an- cestors of George Arthur Smith, former cashier of the Citizens' National Bank of Worcester; John, born 1728, married Betsey Stewart, settled in Cole- raine; Alexander, born 1730, married Elizabeth Doneca, probably a cousin, removed to Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts, died 1825; had nine children ; Agnes, born 1732, married Daniel Danelson, settled in Coleraine; William, born 1734; Hannah, born 1730, married Joseph Kowan or Cowan, settled in Cole- raine; Elizabeth, born 1738, married William Stew- art, settled Coleraine; Margaret, born 1740, married Peter Harwood. settled in Bennington, Vermont, died there February 16, 1794; he married (second) Mary (Warner) Doty; Sarah, born 1742, died 1758; Matthew, born 1744, married Jane Workman, set- tled in Coleraine, died April 18, 1813.
(III) William Clark, son of Matthew Clark (2), was born in Coleraine, Massachusetts, 1734. He married Mary Patterson (Genealogy gives her name Elizabeth, perhaps married Elizabeth for sec- ond wife), November 22, 1764. He settled in Cole- raine. He was a soldier in the revolution. He was credited to Belchertown and Wilbraham in Captain Paul Laughton's company in the Lexington alarm, April 19, 1775, and in Lieutenant Aaron Phelps' company, Colonel Elisha Porter's regiment, July 9. 1777, date of enlistment. His eldest son Enos, of Belchertown, was credited to Wilbraham. The men of these adjoining towns served in the same com- panies. As the heirs of William Clark were in 1727 granted a sixth part of the town of Belchertown, it is likely that this William Smith, nephew of Will- iam Smith, the grantee, was in Belchertown before the revolution and probably Enos and his other children were born there. Matthew Clark, brother of William, was a captain in the revolutionary serv-
ice. Children of William and Mary ( Patterson) Clark were: Esther, Naomi, Enos, Joseph, Amasa.
(IV) Enos Clark, son of William Clark (3), was born in or near Belchertown, Massachusetts, about 1755. He settled in Belchertown, Massachu- setts. He married Naomi Weston. She was the daughter of Abraham Weston, of Wellington, Con- necticut. Weston was a soldier in the revolution. He was a drummer in Captain Jonathan Parker's company, Third Battalion, Wadsworth's Brigade, under Colonel Comfort Sage, in 1776. Enos Clark was a soldier in the revolution. He was a private in Captain Samuel Coos' company, sent Au- gust 17, 1777, to reinforce the northern army under General Gates. He also responded to the call to arms, April 19, 1775, and marched to Lexing- ton. Among the children of Enos and Naomi (Weston) Clark was Asa Clark, grandfather of Malcolm G. Clark, of Leicester.
(V) Asa Clark, son of Enos Clark (4), was born in Belchertown, Massachusetts, December 5, 1776. He was a farmer at Belchertown, Massachu- setts. Married, September 27, 1804. His children were: Asa Weston, born November 23, 1810; So- phronia, born April 2, 1806, married Jonathan Wales, married (second) Hiram M. French ; Naomi, born in Belchertown, May 16, 1808, married Orrin Spooner ; Sarah, married Chester Underwood, of Belchertown; Amanda, married Chester Osborne, of Springfield, Massachusetts, died in Westfield, Massachusetts.
(VI) Asa Weston Clark, son of Asa Clark (5), was born in Belchertown, Massachusetts, No- vember 23, 1810. He attended the schools of his native town and helped with the farm work. When a young man he left home to teach school in Roch- dale, a village in Leicester, Massachusetts. There he met his future wife. He married Lydia Warren Dunbar, daughter of Ebenezer and Polly (Gould- ing) Dunbar, October 10, 1833, in Leicester, Massa- chusets. Rochdale was known as South Leicester at that time. After his marriage he bought a farm owned by his father-in-law, settled in Rochdale and spent his life there. He was one of the lead- ing citizens for many years. He was well educated and of more than ordinary ability. He served the town of Leicester as selectman for a number of years and filled other positions of trust and honor. He was a Republican in later years, after that party was organized. He united with the famous old Baptist Church at Greenville in Leicester. (See sketch of Green Family of Leicester and Worces- ter.) He was elected deacon and served the church for many years in that office. He died August 5, 1889. His wife died December 7, 1898. Children of Asa and Lydia Warren (Dunbar) Clark were : Mary Adelaide, born in Rochdale, September 17, 1834, married Edward I. Comins, of Worcester (see sketch of Edward I. Comins and family) ; John Dunbar, born at Rochdale, December 6, 1838, see forward; Malcolm G., born in Leicester, Janu- ary 30, 1841, see forward; Cecilia Lydia, born in Leicester, married Frederick A. Blake, of Worces- ter, November 7, 1867; have no children.
(VII) John Dunbar Clark, eldest son of Asa Weston and Lydia Warren Clark, was born in Leicester, December 6, 1838. He was a resident of that town all his life, the termination of which oc- curred (by a short illness) at Chicago, Illinois; he was never married. His education commenced in the schools of Leicester, and after leaving Leices- · ter Academy, he continued studying at Wilbraham, Shelburn Falls, Massachusetts, and at North Scituate, Rhode Island. Endowed from youth with
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inventive genius, as a boy he produced several clever contrivances, and in early manhood invented the rubber bucket for chain pumps, which proved to be a success, not only in saving the wear and tear of the old iron buckets, but as a business venture for himself. Keen for mechanical industry and with eyes constantly open, he early conceived the idea of putting to valuable use a mill privilege owned by his father in the village of Greenville. With this in view he left home to learn the wool sort- ing business, after which, in company with his father he built the Greenville Woolen mill in 1871. It was a wooden building, fifty feet square, three stories high with a brick picker house adjoining ; the buildings were rented to other parties for five years, at the expiration of which, in 1877, Mr. Clark took the mill and conducted the business success- fully until 1881. It was then enlarged one half, and the business being more than he cared to man- age alone, he formed a partnership with F. A. Blake, his brother-in-law, and the firm became J. D. Clark & Co., and it remained so until his death in 1893. when it was changed to a corporation com- posed of members of the family with Mr. Blake as president and manager, and Irving E. Comins, treasurer, and continued until 1900, when Mr. Blake (because of ill health) resigned his office and Mr. Irving E. Comins succeeded him as president, and Mfr. Arthur C. Comins as treasurer and manager. Mr. Clark took a lively interest as a good citizen in all town affairs, kind hearted and benevolent, ever ready to assist with time or money, a strong temperance man, never using liquors or tobacco in any form, an active member of the Greenville Baptist Church, in the prosperity of which he took great interest.
(VII) Malcolm Goulding Clark, son of Asa Weston Clark (6). was born in Leicester, Massa- chusetts, January 30. 1841. He spent his youth on his father's farm. attending the district schools and completing his education at then Leicester Academy, Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts, then entered Wil- braham Academy, and at Suffield (Connecticut), Academy. He returned from school to work on the farm. He entered the lumber business and as a manufacturer and dealer in lumber built up an ex- tensive business.
Mr. Clark has large real estate interests that claim a portion of his time. Hc built the brick mill which he lets to the J. D. Clark Company, of which he is a member. Mr. Clark is a Republican in poli- tics. He has served the town of Leicester on the school committee. He is an active member of the Baptist Church at Greenville and is interested in its charitable work. Hle married Inez F. Sibley, daughter of Franklin Sibley, of Sutton, Massachii- setts. They have one child, Ernest, born May 4, 1886, now ( March, 1906), a sophomore in Harvard College.
TAFT FAMILY. Robert Taft (1). immigrant ancestor of Cyrus A. and William L. Taft, of Whitinsville, Massachusetts, was the progenitor of most of the Taft families of Worcester county, as given elsewhere in this work. He was first at Braintree, Massachusetts, where he owned a lot in 1678. He sold his Braintree land November 18, 1679. to Caleb Hobart. and about the same time his first land in Mendon. The town had just began to recover from the baleful effects of King Philip's war He had confidence in the future and bought freely in the vicinity of Mendon pond, becoming one of the largest property owners in that section. lle evidently was a man of property and influen at the out et. lle was a housewright by trade. He
was on the first board of selectmen of the organ- ized town of Mendon in 1680, and in the same year he served on the committee to build the minister's house, evidently in good standing in the Puritan Church. Taft and his sons built the first bridge across the river Mendon. In 1729 his sons built the second bridge also. Taft was one of the pur- chasers of the tract of land from which the town of Sutton was formed. He died February 8, 1725, aged about eighty-five years. He married Sarah -, and their five sons all had large families and many descendants. The children: Thomas, born 1671, died 1755; Robert, Jr., see forward; Daniel, born 1673, died August 24, 1761: Joseph, born 1680, died June 18, 1747; Benjamin, born 1684, died 1766.
(H) Robert Taft, Jr., son of Robert Taft (1), was born in 1674. He settled on part of his father's land in what became Uxbridge, where he was chosen selectman in 1727 at the first March meeting and re-elected many times. He was one of the leading citizens of Uxbridge as long as he lived. His children, all born at Mendon, were: Elizabeth, horn January 18, 1695-96; Robert, born December 24. 1697: Israel. see forward: Mary, born December 21. 1700; Elizabeth, born June 18,.1704; Alice, born June 27, 1707; Eunice. born February 20, 1708-09: John, born December 18, 1710; Jemima, born Aprif I. 1713: Gideon, born October 4, 1714; Rebecca, born March 15. 1716.
(III) Israel Taft, son of Robert Taft (2), was born in Mendon. April 26, 1699. The homestead was in the part that was set off as Uxbridge. He settled in the town of Upton adjoining. He was also a prominent citizen. His will was made 1752 and proved September 19, 1753. He married Mercy -, who survived him and married (second), October 2. (intentions dated) 1753, Benjamin Green, of Mendon. She was the mother of nine younger Taft children who were born in Upton and prob- ably of some of the others who were born in Ux- bridge. The children of Israel Taft: Priscilla. born about 1720. married, February 5. 1738. Moses Wood: Huldah, born about 1722, married. January 25. 1738. David Daniels; Israel. Jr., see forward ; Jacob, born about 1725: Elisha, born 1728; Robert, born about 1730; Hannah, married Benja-
min: Stephen, born at Upton. before the town was incorporated. August 21, 1734: Samuel, born Sep- tember 23, 1735: Mary, born January 23, 1736-37, died June 12. 1738: Margery, born May 14. 1738, married (intentions dated October 30), 1760, Simeon Wood: Silas, born December 17. 1739, died May IO, 1741 : Stephen, born at Upton, April 1, 1741, died April 14. 1741 : Silas, married September 8, 1772. Elizabeth Sadler: Rachel, born July 18, 1742, died December 30. 1747: Amariah.
(IV) Israel Taft, Jr .. son of Israel Taft (3), was born in Upton. Massachusetts. then Uxbridge, in 1723. Ife married Martha Smith. in 1743, in Upton, and they settled there. Their children, born in Upton, were: Israel. see forward; Silas. horn November 5. 1744: Amariah, born 1746, died Sep- tember 0. 1746: AAmariah, born March 10, 1747-48; Oliver, born November 3. 1750; Elizabeth, born July 27. 1753: Mercy. horn January 16, 1757.
(V) Israel Taft, son of Israel Taft (4), was born in Upton. December 12, 1743. When a young man he settled over the line in the adjoining town of what is now Northbridge. Massachusetts. He bought a farm there in 1783, of James Nelson. Hc was a miller by trade. and in 1795 he and his brother or uncle. Jacob Taft, hought land and mill in North- I ridge with the privilege etc., by deed dated De- comber 12. 1796. Ile bought more land. January
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PUBLIC LINDSEY 1
William L. Jul!
Gustavus & Tape.
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27, 1803, of Thomas Ellison, and of Samuel Read, of Uxbridge, later. He also owned land in Sutton. He sold the mill and other real estate to his son, Elzaphan Taft, March 13, 1824. This mill was on the road from Oxford to Boston, a few rods east of the dwelling of Paul Whitin, the first of the Whitin family at Whitinsville, who had just bought the place of Colonel James Fletcher. Mr. Taft made his will April 26, 1839, and died 1842, aged ninety- eight years. The will was filed May 3, 1842. He bequeathed to his children, mentioned below. He married Submit . and their children were : Elzaphan. Cyrus, see forward ; Ruth, married Ben- jamin Fance; Clarissa, married Ebenezer Follans- bee; Lorana, married Cheney Taft, son of Marvel Taft: Lydia, Abigail, married Lyman Taft, son of Marvel Taft, of Northbridge; Lois, married Jacob Adams.
(VI) Cyrus Taft, son of Israel Taft (5), was born at Northbridge, Massachusetts, about 1790. He moved when a young man to Peacham, Ver- mont, but after a time returned to Northbridge, where he died August 29. 1883. He married (first) Lucinda Morse, and (second), June 4. 1864, Eliza- beth G. -, who survived him. The children of Cyrus and Lucinda Taft: Gustavus E., see for- ward; Peter M., Lucinda M., married Moses Darl- ing, of Boston ; S. Jennie. married C. W. Pierce.
(VII) Gustavus E. Taft, son of Cyrus Taft (6), was born in Peacham, Vermont, August 29, 1829. When he was ten years of age he returned to Whit- insville, in the town of Northbridge, Massachusetts, with his parents. He received his education in the public schools of Whitinsville and in the Uxbridge Academy. At the age of seventeen he entered the machine shop of P. Whitin & Sons as an apprentice. Here he developed his mechanical ability and skill to which his later success in life is due. He con- tinued in the employ of the Whitin firm until 1860, when he went to Holyoke in the employ of John C. Whitin, who had just bought the Holyoke Ma- chine Works. Mr. Taft took charge of the concern as superintendent, and filled the position with con- spicuous ability until Mr. Whitin sold his Holyoke interests and took the machine shop at Whitinsville on the dissolution of the firm of P. Whitin & Sons, January 1, 1864. Mr. Taft then returned to Whit- insville as superintendent of the Whitin Machine Works, where he had learned his trade, and was identified with its upbuilding and enlargements. To the success of the business he contributed largely by his eminent ability as an organizer of labor and manager of men, and by his great mechanical skill and inventive genius, exercised in the improvement of tools and machines, increased the efficiency of th plant and the output itself. He made important improvements on cotton machinery, in cards, in spinning frames, and looms; many of which proved very valuable, and for some of which he took out patents. His most valuable patent was the Whitin Gravity Spindle, the joint invention of himself and Henry Woodmancy, granted July 18, 1882. The spindle was protected also by patents in England, France, Germany and Holland and it has reaped a fortune for both inventors. The improvement was almost universally used, not only in this country but wherever looms are operated. It brought into use a new principle in the driving of the spindle, increasing vastly the producing power of the mills. In 1881 Mr. Taft was made agent of the Whitin Machine Works and remained in active management of the shops until his death.
In politics Mr. Taft was a Republican and es- pecially prominent in supporting the principle of a home market and protective tariff. He was a
leading citizen of the village of Whitinsville for a full forty years. He took a lively interest in public affairs, town, state and national, though his busy life and great responsibilities left him little time to give to the political matters in which he felt inter- ested. He licld no public offices. He supported his party liberally and contributed to many public enterprises and movements. He was of charming personal character, attracting friends, holding the esteem and love of his townsmen as few men have ever done. He gave generously to the unfortunate and needy. Though suffering for many years with a fatal disease he kept at his post bravely and cheer- fully until a short time before the end. He died at his home in Whitinsville, June 23, 1898. Among his public bequests in his will was the sum of five thousand dollars to the Pine Grove cemetery.
He married, November 8, 1855, Ruth L. Lamb, who survived him. Their children: Cyrus A., see forward; William L., see forward; Theo (daugh- ter), married Edward S. Clark; Edmund M., George L., died in infancy; Alice L., Grace R.
(VIII) Cyrus A. Taft, son of Gustavus E. Taft (7), was born at Northbridge, Massachusetts, 1856. He attended the public and high schools of North- bridge and graduated from the Massachusetts Ag- ricultural College at Amherst, in the class of 1876. He went to work then in the Whitin Machine Works and learned the business of which his father was the superintendent. He soon rose to a position of responsibility with the concern and in 1903 was chosen the resident agent and superintendent of the factory, a position similar to that his father held so many years. He is a director of the Whitin Machine Works, and has demonstrated by his suc- cessful and able management of the business his capacity to fill the position created by his father. Mr. Taft is a Republican in politics and stands high in the party councils. He is a prominent mem- ber of the Republican town committee. He has served the town of Northbridge as selectman four years. He is a trustee and vice-president 'of the Whitinsville Savings Bank. In religion he is a Congregationalist. He is unmarried.
(VIII) William L. Taft, son of Gustavus E. Taft (7), was born in Whitinsville, in the town of Northbridge, Massachusetts, September 2, 1859. He attended the public and high schools of his native town and a school in West Newton, Massachusetts. He then entered the Whitin Machine Works, of which his father was agent, and learned the busi- ness thoroughly in every department of the works and rose step by step to the position of general superintendent of the plant. After twenty "years of . active life in the works he retired and has since devoted his time chiefly to his country place on the outskirts of Whitinsville. He has one of the finest stock farms in the county. His stables are noted for their horses and dogs also. Mr. Taft is fond of hunting, and is well known among the sportsmen of the county. He is a director of the Whitin Ma- chine Works, and in politics he is a Republican and has served the town three years as superintendent of streets and also on the board of selectmen.
He married (first) Mabel Kidder, daughter of John Kidder, of Whitinsville. She died in 1890 and their only child died in infancy. He married (second), February 1, 1892, Myra Smith, of Whit- insville. She died in 1901. Their children are: Ruth, born February 14, 1893; Mildred, died young ; Myra, born March 14, 1898; William L., Jr., died young.
WILLIAM THOMAS CARROLL. John Car- roll (1), father of William Thomas Carroll, of
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Worcester, Massachusetts, came to this country when a young man. John Carroll was born in Ire- land about 1795. At an early age he entered the British navy, in which he served for fourteen years. He was on the man of war in which Napoleon Bonaparte took refuge after his final defeat. He left the navy at Portsmouth, New Hampshire, with- out the formality of a discharge when his ship was at that port, as he preferred New England to further service in the English navy. He settled in Easton, Massachusetts, and worked in the malleable iron foundry there. That foundry is said to be the first of its kind in this country. He married Emily Phillips, daughter of Abiel Phillips, of the revolu- tionary war. She was a cousin of the late Wendell Phillips, the orator. John Carroll and his family attended the Methodist Church at Easton. He had the misforune when still in the prime of life to get crippled by burns from spilling some melted iron in a puddle of water. Both legs were frightfully burned and one of them never healed; so that he had to use crutches the remainder of his life. He died at the age of eighty-one in 1859, at Foxboro, where he was living at the time. His wife died at Canton, Massachusetts, in 1880.
The children of John Carroll were: 1. Mary D., born in Easton, Massachusetts, married James Kenney, resided at New Bedford, where both died, leaving one daughter. 2. William Thomas, born at Easton, Massachusetts, June 29, 1829. 3. Harriet M., born at Easton, burned to death about 1865 by the explosion of a kerosene lamp in New York city, left one daughter who is now deceased. 4. Rachel S., born in Easton, married Franklin Ben- jamin in New Bedford, Massachusetts, resided in Buffalo, removed to Chicago where they now live (1905), having a son and daughter. 5. Daniel W., born at Easton, married Annie Bisbee, of Easton, resides at Canton, Massachusetts, a machinist by trade. Their children are: Charles Elmer. George, Eleanor Estelle. 6. Eliza A., born in Easton, un- married. 7. Martha A., born in Easton, married Charles Pierce, of New Bedford, where both died. (II) William Thomas Carroll, son of John Car- roll (1), was born at Easton, Massachusetts, June 29, 1829. He was educated in the public schools of Easton and Middleboro, where his parents lived when he was a boy. His first work was done on a farm in Middleboro, Massachusetts. He next went to work in the thread mill of Charles Whiting Morse in Easton. Two years later he moved with the family to Canton, Massachusetts, where he worked in the Neponset Cotton . Mills, continuing there for ten years. He started his career as ma- chinist and inventor in the machine shop of Luther R. Wattles, at Canton, and in three years he was foreman of the shop. He started in business for himself in the town of Stoughton, Massachusetts, which is near Canton. Later he removed to Newton Lower Falls, where he had a machine shop. He manufactured spinning rings and spindles. Busi- ness prospered and to increase his facilities he moved to Medway, where he manufactured various devices used in cotton mills. While in Medway he invented a new form of spinning ring, which he patented and sold to the Drapers of Hopedale. That was thirty-six years ago, and it, was the real beginning of his life work. That invention. how- ever, destroyed his little business which had pros- pered at Medway for ten years; his patent took the place of the spinning ring he had been making. He was employed for a time by the Woonsocket Ma- chine Company in experimental work. In May, 1874, he came to Worcester and opened a machine
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