Historic homes and institutions and genealogical and personal memoirs of Worcester county, Massachusetts, with a history of Worcester society of antiquity, Vol. IV, Part 43

Author: Crane, Ellery Bicknell, 1836-1925, ed
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: New York, Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 710

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. IV > Part 43

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).

mother; Scott Edmunds, who is employed with the Graton & Knight Manufacturing Company in Worcester. 3. Wright Seth, see forward. 4. Bert Henry, born March 2, 1871, married in Worcester, Minnie Rice; has no children. 5. Lettie Laura, born November 13, 1872, married Herbert Hutchin- son, of Jericho, Vermont; resides at Jericho, Ver- mont. 6. Willis Garfield, born November 18, 1879, is employed by the Transcendent Light Company in Worcester.

(IV) Wright Seth Prior, son of Cyrus Prior (3), was born at Underhill, Vermont, March 30, 1867. He was educated in the district schools, Un- derhill Academy and Norwich University, a military college of high grade at Northfield, Vermont. In the latter institution he pursued the regular course in civil engineering, and in the military department attained the captaincy, graduating in 1889 with the degree of Civil Engineer. Three years later he was awarded the degree of M. S., by his Alma Mater. After a short time of service in the office of the city engineer of Brockton, Massachusetts, he went south to engage in railroad work in Georgia and Ala- bama, where he was employed as topographier for the Georgia, Tennessee & Illinois Railroad. He made the preliminary surveys for the railroad and also laid out miany town sites. After two years he came north and was for several months in the city en- gineer's office in Worcester when Charles A. Allen filled that position. He returned south and entered partnership with the title of Rogers, Bellinger & Prior, architects and civil engineers, but was called north by the serious illness of his father, and sold his interests in the business.

In 1893 Mr. Prior became one of the assistant city engineers of Worcester under Frederick A. Mc- Clure, retaining this office for about six years. He was elected street commissioner of Worcester, Jan- uary 4, 1898. The incumbent of this office has am- ple powers, and is virtually in charge of and re- sponsible for the streets of the city. He has charge of the construction and maintenance of streets as ordered by the city council. In this position Mr. Prior gave the utmost satisfaction to the taxpayers. He ignored newspaper bullying and political in- fluences that make use of his department for dis- pensing jobs and favors. Hle fought, when fighting was necessary, for the kind of pavement that in his judgment was best for the city streets. He showed unprecedented independence and ability in the dis- charge of the duties of his office. He expended money in his department carefully and showed re- sults for every dollar spent. He declined to accept a re-election, January 4, 1904, and has since devoted his energies to the Transcendent Light Company of Worcester, of which he is treasurer and manager. This company was organized to furnish the Trans- cendent light to stores and places of business in Worcester. This light is an incandescent light, burning kerosene, and is cheaper than gas or elec- tric lights. The kerosene is forced through tubes to the light, where it is vaporized and burned un- cler a mantle. It is similar to the systems commonly used for street lamps for gasoline, except that kero- sene lamps are made more substantial. The light has proved very popular in Worcester. Mr. Prior has organized a similar company to rent lamps and furnish light in the city of Providence. He has the exclusive agency for the lamp in New England, and will organize similar companies in other cities. The lamp is also sold direct to users. The patents

ION POLIC LIR

NOAH JACKSON

159

WORCESTER COUNTY

are owned by the Transcendent Lamp Company of New York. Lamps for all sorts of uses and devices for heating and cooking stoves are also made. Mr. Prior has developed a large and growing business in a short time. The other officers of the local company are : F. H. Hamblin, president ; B. H. Prior, director. It is a Massachusetts corporation, with a capital of $50,000.

Mr. Prior has an interest in a valuable mining property in Colorado, which he has visited several times, and to which he contemplates devoting a larger part of his time in the future. He was a charter member of the Wellington Rifles, and his military training in the university was called into action when he was elected second lieutenant. Ile served three years, half the time as second and half as first lieutenant. He is a trustee of Norwich Un- iversity. He is a member of the Vermont Associa- tion of Boston. He was formerly a member of the order of Sons of Veterans (Vermont Division) and an officer. He is a member of the Worcester Coun- ty Society of Engineers, Athelstan Lodge, Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons and Eureka Royal Arch Chapter. He is a Republican. He belongs to Old South ( Congregational) Church. He is a member of the Board of Trade.

He married, October 1, 1896, Mary Elizabeth Tatman, daughter of R. James Tatman. ( See sketch of the Tatman family and Charles T. Tatman else- where in this work). Children are: Helen, born July 4, 1897; Miriam, May 2, 1900; Kathryn, April 8, 1903; Beatrice, December 4, 1905.

NOAH JACKSON. John Jackson (1), the im- migrant ancestor of Noah Jackson, of Fitchburg, Massachusetts, was an early settler of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Very little is known about him. Judging from the meagre records, he came about 1650. In 1656 he bought the houses and lands and the island which was formerly possessed by John Crowther, or rather, the property was re-granted by the proprietors to him. Savage and other author- ities name Richard Jackson, of Dover, as his son. It is possible also that John was the father or some relation to James, Patrick and Richard Jackson, Scotch prisoners of war taken in the great battle of Worcester, September 3, 1651, and sent with thous- ands of others to America and let out to the planters. Savage finds no further record of Patrick or Rich- ard, but thinks that James, who was taxed at Dover in 1659 and 1661, may be this soldier taken by Crom- well.

Among the children of John Jackson were: Richard, of whom later; James, taxpayer in Dover, 1659-61 ; Walter, was in Dover 1658, in Portsmouth 1667, received a grant of land adjoining his own at Dover, March 1, 1666.

(II) Richard Jackson, son of John Jackson (I), was born about 1635 in England or Scotland. He was at Portsmouth in 1658, when he took the oath of fidelity. Savage names two sons and- there were probably more. Children: Nathaniel, married, May 14. 1694, Margaret Ellins, of Portsmouth ; John, of whom later ; Samuel, married, October 12, 1693, Mary Melchis; they had two daughters at Dover ; Judith, baptized September 20, 1739; Patience, born at Dover, baptized May 22, 1746.

(III) John Jackson, son of Richard Jackson (2), was born about 1655. He married Margaret -, and he died in 1601 before his father, who administered his estate. Perhaps the only child was John, Jr., born about 1675.

(IV) John Jackson, son of John Jackson (3), was born in Dover, New llampshire, or some of the adjacent towns or parishes, about 1675. The record of only one of his children has been found. There is reason to believe that he had children, as follows : John, born at Dover, December 11, 1707, and record- ed as "Jr."; William, had a sou William, Jr., in Dover; James, resided in Medbury with Joseph and with him signed petition dated May 13, 1743; Jo- seph, of whom later.

(V) Joseph Jackson, son of John Jackson (4), as indicated by Dover records, was born about 1710 in Dover or vicinity. Two of his children were baptized in Dover. His children were: Meribah, baptized in Dover, September 10, 1741; Joseph, bap- tized January 8, 1742, probably died young; Joseph, of whom later.

(VI) Joseph Jackson, son of Joseph Jackson (5), was born, according to the family record, April 21, 1744, in that section of Dover and Durham, now the town of Medbury, New Hampshire (incorpor- ated May 31, 1755, as a precinct or parish and May 26, 1768, as a town). He settled in Medbury, but removed to Nottingham, an adjacent town, where some if not all of his children were born. He was a farmer. He was one of the signers of the Asso- ciation Test in Nottingham before the revolution. Benjamin, supposed to be his brother, was also in Nottingham. Joseph Jackson was a soldier from Nottingham in the revolution.

He married Martha Runlett, who was born at Stratham, New Hampshire, January, 1747, and died July 18, 1840, aged ninety-three years, six months. She was the granddaughter of James Rundlett, who was born in Exeter, New Hampshire, in 1678, and settled in Stratham, where he died about June, 1724, a man of some influence and considerable property. James Runlett or Rundlett married, November 21, 1699, Elizabeth Robinson. Ilis father, Charles Rundlett, was the immigrant ancestor, said to be of Danish descent, born probably 1640 and died Au- gust 1, 1709. He came from England and settled in Exeter, New Hampshire, before 1673; was cap- tured by the Indians in 1675 but escaped; married, November 10, 1675, Mary Smith. The children of Joseph and Martha (Runlett) Jackson were : Joseph, born April 12, 1767, of whom later; David, settled in Maine : Samuel, settled in Maine; Sarah, married Folsom; -, married Solomon San- born, of Tamworth, a farmer; Betsey, died unmar- ried.

(VII) Joseph Jackson, son of Joseph Jackson (6), was born in Nottingham, New Hampshire, April 12, 1767. He was a farmer in Tamworth, New Hampshire. He married Betsey Adams, who was born September 10, 1757. Their children were all born in Tamworth, viz .: Mary, born February 29, 1788, died at the age of ninety-nine years, five months; Betsey, born June 18, 1791, married James Woodman, and had four children; Levi, who died in Kansas; James, who removed to California; Joanna, married - Martin ; Elizabeth, died unmarried ; Joseph, born August 26, 1793, resided at Ports- mouth, New Hampshire; Noah, born October 9, 1795, settled at Westmeath, Canada, married Al- freda Cobb ; Charles Adams, of whom later; Nancy, born December 1, 1799, died in 1828.

(VIII) Charles Adams Jackson, son of Joseph Jackson (7), was born at Tamworth, New Hamp- shire, October 2, 1797. He was brought up on his father's farm and educated in the district schools of his native town. He learned the trade of carpenter

160

WORCESTER COUNTY

and woodworker, and used to make oars and rakes in his shop at certain seasons of the year.

He married, December 24, 1824, Elizabeth S. Dean, daughter of Thomas and Lucy ( Price) Dean. Her father was born in Beverly. Massachusetts, September 7, 1766, and her mother at Newburyport, September 29, 1768. Their children, all born at Tamworth, were: Alfreda Cobb, born September 16, 1825, married Stephen C. Kendall, of Mount Ver- non, New Hampshire, a carpenter ; they removed to Fitchburg and resided on Mt. Vernon street ; Charles Edwin, born October 1, 1827, married Pa- melia Kittridge ; he died in 1861; they had three chil- dren : Mary Frances, Nellie M., of Antrim, and Charles, of Boston; Nancy, born October 13, 1829, died aged twenty-three years; married Edwin Hastings. Noah, of whom later. Lucy Dean, born May 2, 1834: married Ira Blake, who lost his life in the civil war; they had one son, Harry. Eliza- beth, born May 23, 1837, married Elbridge Tilton, of Tamworth; they had three children: Edwin Jack- son, Samuel N., Charles A. Tilton. Mary Hill, born May 14, 1839, married Rev. Josiah Kingsbury, of Braintree; their children are: William J., Joseph, Samuel, George Dean, Noah Jackson, Mabel H., Mary Elizabeth, Grace. Thomas Dean, born March 31, 1841, died aged three days. George Henry, born April 17. 1846, died aged three days. Enoch Edgell, horn August 4, 1847, died 1880. Samuel Hadden, born August, 1851, married Anna Perrington, and they had three children: Enoch' E., of Tamworth; Nellie N .; Alice A.

(IX) Noah Jackson, son of Charles Adams Jackson (8), was born in Tamworth, New Hamp- shire, January 1, 1832. He attended the district schools there and learned the carpenter's trade of his father. When he was fourteen years old he went to Claremont, New Hampshire, to live. On finishing his education he went to work at the car- penter's trade. He bought an outfit from a tin ped- dler and made his first start in business with it. When a young man he began to take contracts from the government to carry the mails and during the thirty years in which he followed this business he had contracts over sixty different routes for longer or shorter periods. Many of the stage lines which he owned were in the vicinity of Keene. As each contract to carry the mails involved the maintenance of a stage line, Mr. Jackson became one of the best known stage drivers and proprietors in New Hamp- shire. For a time he owned and conducted the hotel and livery stable at Hillsboro, New Hampshire. He also owned the hotel at Washington, New Hamp- shire, but always leased it. At the age of fifty he gave up the stage business in which he had ac- quired a competence and in 1872 removed to Fitch- burg, Massachusetts, where he has since made his home.

Mr. Jackson has invested extensively in real es- tate in Fitchburg and has been occupied in building houses, buying and selling real estate. He has built and owned some thirty tenement houses in Fitch- burg and some real estate in Hillsboro, New Hamp- shire, where he also built and sold a number of houses. Ile was formerly interested in the Jackson Shirt factory of Fitchburg, and is a stockholder of the Fitchburg Comb Factory, which succeeded the shirt factory. Mr. Jackson also for a number of years dealt in horses and carriages in Fitchburg. He is known as an excellent judge of horses. His home in Fitchburg is at 05 Mount Vernon street.

In politics Mr. Jackson is a Republican, but has never sought public office. He has served as con- stable.

He married (first), October 29, 1857, Apphia J. Haywood, daughter of Barzilla Haywood, of Croy- den, New Hampshire. She died December 12, 1871. He married (second ), June 3, 1873, Lauretta ( Keyes ) Train, widow, who died July 23, 1891. He married (third), October 2, 1894, Nellie Milligan, daughter of Samuel and Sarah ( Webber) Milligan, of Plymouth, New Hampshire. The children of Noah and Apphia J. Jackson were: Cornelia Jennie, born April 5, 1863, married Levi Woodbury, and they have two children, Marguerite and Philip Jack- son, reside at Somerville, Massachusetts; David, born October 31. 1858, died August 2, 1860. There was one child by the third marriage: Beulah Arpha, born September 22, 1895.

JESSE PARTELOW TABER. Philip Taber or Tabor (1), was the emigrant ancestor of Jesse Parte- low Taber, of Worcester, Massachusetts. He was born in England, about 1610, and settled first in this coun- try at Watertown, Massachusetts, where he was ad- mitted a freeman May 14, 1634. He was one of the contributors of plank for the building of the fort at Boston, April 1, 1634. He was proprietor of five lots of land in Watertown, which he sold to John Wolcott. He married Lydia Masters, daughter of John Masters, of Watertown. He became an ori- ginal settler of Yarmouth, Massachusetts. While still a member of the Watertown Church and re- siding at Yarmouth, had a son John baptized in Yarmouth, November 8, 1640. He was a proprietor of Yarmouth, January 7, 1638-39. He must have been at that time a man of mature years and high character, for he represented his town in the earliest assembly of the Plymouth colony in 1639-40. He

was afterwards at the Vineyard and thence went in 1651 to New London, where some of his descendants remained. In 1656 he was among the freemen of Portsmouth, Rhode Island, and not long afterward at Providence, R. I., of which he was a representa- tive in the legislature in 1661. He lived later in Tiverton, Rhode Island. He was a teacher, a scholarly man, well educated and influential in every community in which he resided. There are records of four children, John, Philip, Thomas, and Job or Joseph.

· John, baptized at the Barnstable Church, No- vember 8, 1640, was probably the oldest child. 2. Philip, see forward. 3. Thomas, born February, 1646, at Yarmouth, Massachusetts, married a daugh- ter of John Cook, of Dartmouth, last male survivor of the "Mayflower" emigrants. By her he had Thomas, born October 22, 1668, died July 14. 1748, and Esther, born April 17, 1671. By his second wife Mary , whom he married. June, 1672, he had: Lydia, born August 8, 1673; Sarah, born Jan- uary 28, 1675; Mary, born March 18, 1677; Joseph, born March 7. 1679, married Elizabeth Spooner ; John. born February 22, 1681, married Phebe Spoon- er ; Jacob, born July 26, 1683; Jonathan, born Sep- tember 22, 1685; Bethia, born September 3, 1687; Philip. horn February 7. 1689: Abigail, born May 3, 1693. Thomas Taber died November II, 1730; his wife died May 3, 1734. He was representative to the general court from Dartmouth in 1679-93. Most of the Tabers are descended from him. 4. Job or Joseph, of whom the records tell nothing.

(II) Philip Taber, son of Philip Taber (1),

16F

WORCESTER COUNTY

was born probably about 1648, at Yarmouth, Mass- achusetts. He was a farmer and resided at Dart- inouth. Massachusetts, where his children were born and where many of his deseendants have lived. His children were: 1. Mary, born January 28, 1670. 2. Sarah, born March 26, 1671. 3. Lydia, born Septem- ber 28, 1673. 4. Philip, see forward. 5. Abigail, born October 27, 1678. 6. Esther, born February 23, 1681. 7. John, born July 18, 1684. 8. Bethia, born April 18, 1689.

(III) Philip Taber, son of Philip Taber (2). was born at Dartmouth, Massachusetts, February 29, 1676. He married Susannah about 1710. He was an assessor of the town of Dartmouth in 1723 and a seleetman in 1736 and probably other years. He was one of those who declined to pay taxes for the support of an established church. In 1723 he refused to collect taxes while assessor and was prosecuted by the authorities. The controversy ended finally in the complete separation of church and town affairs, and Quakers and Baptists in Dart mouth were no longer obliged to pay taxes to the

English Church settled or minister of the town. In 1730 Philip Taber was appointed the Bap- tist minister. He was on the committee to receive Dartmouth's part of the fifty thousand pounds dis- tributed to the various towns, of which Dartmouth got five hundred and eighty pounds. His children were: 1. Richard, born November 25. 1711. 2. Thomas, born November 18, 1713. 3. Zephaniah, born October 1, 1715. 4. Tucker, born October 10. 1717, died June 25, 1749. 5. Jesse, see forward. 6. Peace, born February 22, 1722. 7. Huldah, born March, 1724. 8. Noah, born July 7. 1727. 9. Philip, born October 31, 1730.

(IV) Jesse Taber, son of Philip Taber (3). was born at Dartmouth, Massachusetts, November 21, 1719. When a young man he went to New Jer- sey, where he had a family. His son Jesse was born in Monmouth county, New Jersey, in 1754. The Tabers appeared first in New Jersey in 1738, aeeord- ing to records searched, and evidently Jesse was not the only one to remove from Plymouth county, Massachusetts, to Monmouth county, New Jersey. They lived at Gloucester, where Elizabeth Taber married David Row, in 1738; in Shrewsbury. where Daniel Taber married Hannah Tallman, of Shrews- bury, November 5. 1763, and probably (second) Sarah Welley, October 1, 1765. He may have been Jesse's son. In Monmouth county Margaret Taber married Michael Hoht, July 19, 1757; Huldah Taber married Peter White, 1747-48, and Peaceable, prob- ably the sister of Jesse, born February 22, 1722, at Dartmouth, married William Chadwick, January 22, 1747-48. A family tradition locates the family of Jesse at Freehold, New Jersey, of which there are no vital records available.

(V) Jesse Taber, son of Jesse Taber (4), was born in Monmouth county, New Jersey, 1754. At the age of twenty, about a year before the revolution, he enlisted in the army and when the war eame he was obliged to fight with his regiment against his own countrymen. He was in the service eight years before he was discharged. Then he found it best to leave the colonies with those who for various rea- sons did not remain in sympathy with the revolt against the mother country. He had married two years before his discharge from the army. With his wife he sailed in the "Sally" from New York, Cap- tain Bell. October 27, 1783, to St. John, New Bruns- wiek, where many hundreds of loyalists from the

'disaffected colonies had gone. He remained there until spring. April 3, 1784. when he set out to find a new home. He settled seventeen miles up the Hamond River at Hampton, Kings county, New Brunswick. In 1798 he removed about thirteen miles farther up and bought a farm at Upham, Kings county, New Brunswick, where the family has been located since in considerable numbers. lle died at Upham, New Brunswick, 1844. He mar- ried, about 1780, Elizabeth Wood, daughter of George Wood, who came to this country, when eleven years of age and married Hilliard, daughter of Judge Hilliard, of Staten Island. She was born at Sehuyler's Mountain, July 4, 1763, and was but seventeen when she married. She belonged to the Church of England. She died at Upham. Kings county, New Brunswick, November 8, 1857, in her ninety-fifth year, leaving six children, sixty- eight grandchildren, one hundred and ninety-one great-grandchildren and nineteen great-great-grand- children-a total of two hundred and seventy-four descendants. Mr. Jesse P. Taber has preserved an obituary of this remarkable woman. The children

of Jesse and Elizabeth were: I. Jesse, see forward. 2. Noah. 3. James. 4. Charles. 5. Elizabeth, mar- ried John Sanders. 6. Meribah, married Andrew Sherwood. 7. Deborah, married William Rupert. 8. Susan, married Samuel Vaughan. The above are probably not in exactly the chronological order of their birthi.

(V1) Jesse Taber, son of Jesse Taber (5), was born at St. John, New Brunswick, October 27, 1783, died in 1854 at Upham, Kings county, New Bruns- wick. He married Mary Vaughan, of Quaco, New Brunswick. He was a farmer and always resided at Upham. She died in 1857. Their children were : 1. John Vaughan, born June 29, 1807, died 1869: married Leah Wilson. 2. Elizabeth, born July 13- 1809, died July 30, 1823. 3. Mary, born September 30, 1812, died April 5, 1813. 4. Lydia Ann, born September 4, 1814, married Peter Colicutt, of Elgin, Albert county, New Brunswick. 5. Samuel, born June 18, 1816, died May 7, 1867; married Rachel Mallory and Martha Odell. 6. Jesse, born May 16. 1818, died September 26, 1900; married Lydia Ann Wilson. 7. James V., born May 15, 1820, died Au- gust, 1905, at Hodgen, Maine; married ( first) Mary Thorne. George, see forward. 9. Abigail, born Nareh 23, 1825, died December 30, 1904; married James Thorne.

(V11) George Taber, son of Jesse Taber (6). was born at Upham, New Brunswick, June 13, 1822. died March 24, 1893. He inherited part of his father's farm and remained in Upham until 1889, when he came to West Boylston, Massachusetts. to be nearer his children, who were located in Worces- ter. He bought a farm, which he conducted until his death. He married Mary Jane Porter, of Sus- sex, Kings county, New Brunswick, born 1826, died Alay 4. 1903. Their children were: 1. Matilda Jane born February 12, 1848, died 1904, unmarried. 2. Jesse Partelow, see forward. 3. James Franeis, horn Mareh 5, 1852. 4. Bethiah Porter, born Marchi g. 1855, married Theodore Sherwood, and resides at Woodstock, St. John river, New Brunswick ; have son and two daughters. 5. George Weldon, born September 10, 1861, came to Worcester in 1881, fore- man for American Watch Company, Waltham, Massachusetts ; he married May Ryan, 1884. 6. 1da Hannah, trained nurse, resides at Woreester, came to West Boylston with parents in 1889. 7. David

1V-11

162

WORCESTER COUNTY

Roland, born August 24, 1866, was a bookkeeper in the New Amsterdam Bank, New York City, dicd October 27, 1906, in New York. He married Della Goodhue and had two sons: David Roland and Reginald Goodhue. 8. Elsie Cleora, born April 17, 1871, unmarried, studying at Moody's School at Northfield ( 1905).

(VIII) Jesse Partelow Taber, son of George and Mary Jane Taber, was born at Upham, New Bruns- wick, April 15, 1850. He spent his youth in his na- tive town, living the typical life of the down-east boy, farming in summer and attending school in winter. After he was eighteen he continued for a time to help his father on the farm. His father did some lumbering in the winter and Jesse drifted na- turally into the mill and lumber business. In 1871 he came to Worcester, where he located permanently. He worked at the carpenter's trade until 1877, when he undertook contracting and building. He has since followed this line of work, and is considered one of the most successful and reliable men in the busi- ness. He has built many of the fine residences that the present generation of Worcester men have had constructed. Trained to hard work and accustomed to the knotty problems of a rather trying accupation, Mr. Taber has reason to take satisfaction in the reputation he has won among business men. In politics Mr. Taber is a Republican. He was elected to the common council from his ward in 1896. He served his party on the city committee from 1890 to 1896. He is a member of Damascus Lodge, Knights of Pythias, since 1885 and is a past chancellor. He is a trustee of the Knights of Malta and past com- mander. For fifteen years he has been trustee of Grace Methodist Episcopal Church.

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. IV, Part 43

Author: Crane, Ellery Bicknell, 1836-1925, ed Publication date: 1907 Publisher: New York, Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company Number of Pages: 710

Author: Crane, Ellery Bicknell, 1836-1925, ed
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: New York, Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 710