Historic homes and institutions and genealogical and personal memoirs of Worcester county, Massachusetts, with a history of Worcester society of antiquity, Vol. IV, Part 75

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 75

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Jn 1890 Mr. Wilder was joined in marriage with Miss Agnes Warren, daughter of William and Jane Warren, of Boston. Mr. and Mrs. Wilder have two children: Frederick Earle, born May 29, 1894; and Galen Fanson, born September 9, 1898.

MRS. FRANK STARRETT, wife of Frank Starrett, deceased, was before marriage, Miss Lena Hoehm, daughter of Rev. Henry Hoehm, who was the pastor of Christopher Street Lutheran Church of New York city at the outbreak of the civil war, and who went to the front as a chaplain in a New York regiment and never returned. He contracted sick- ness from undue exposure, from which he died while at the front.

Mrs. Starrett was united in marriage to Mr. Starrett, July 12, 1887. (See other notices of these families elsewhere in this work.) Frank Starrett was the son of L. S. Starrett, and his mother was a de- scendent of the Bartlett who signed the Declaration of Independence. One of his maternal grandfathers educated llorace Greeley. He was the secretary of the L. S. Starrett Company of Athol, Massachu- setts. Mr. Starrett died January, 1904. The chil- dren born to Mr. and Mrs. Starrett were: Arthur, born November 27, 1885, a graduate of Erskine Academy of Maine, and is now connected with the plant of the Starrett Manufacturing Company. Mil- dred, born August 9, 1888, a student at the Northfield Seminary. Sarah. born November 25, 1889, now in the high school. Frank, born July 16, 1891, now a pupil in the high school at Athol. Dora, born Sep- tember 13, 1893. Carrie, born January 19. 1808. Philip, born July 28, 1899. John, born September 28, 1903. Dora, Carrie, Philip and John are all at- tending school at this date (1906).

PAUL CUNNINGHAM, a prominent agricul- turist of Bolton, Massachusetts, and one of the most successful breeders of Jersey cattle in Worcester county, is a son of John Adams Cunningham and belongs to an old Dorchester family of repute, which was established there at an early date in the colonial period. His grandfather, John Adams Cunningham, Ist, who was born February I, 1789, married. March 21, 1816, Mary Ann Loring, of Boston, whose birth took place January 3, 1792. Their children were: 1. John Adams, 2d, see forward. 2. Ann Greeley, born in 1820, died January 19, 1870. 3. Caleb Loring, born November 22, 1821, married Clementina Tru- fants, of Boston. 4. Edward, born February 23, 1823, died in 1889; married Fanny M. Carey, of Boston, and had a family of seven children. 5. Frances, born April 6, 1824, died November 25, 1848. 6. Mary Ann, born July 13, 1825, died October 14, 1847. 7. Francis, born August, 1829, died April 16, 1857. 8. Arthur, born May 27, 1831, married Alice Merritt. He died October 26, 1886.

John Adams Cunningham. father of Paul Cun- ningham, was born in Dorchester, June 13. 1818. His early education was acquired in the Dorchester public schools, from which he entered the Boston high school, and after the completion of his studies began his business career in the employ of R. G. Shaw, of Boston. He shortly afterward went to sea in the capacity of "supercargo" of a merchant- man, and taking kindly to a seafaring life his natural ability enabled him in an unusually short space of time to become a master mariner. About the year 1850 he became associated in business with his brother in Boston under the firm name of Cunning- ham Brothers. That partnership continued some ten years, at the expiration of which time he ac- quired an interest in the firm of Russell and Com- pany, an extensive American shipping house in Shanghai, China, and upon his return to Boston, after an absence of some four years, he retired. In 1874 he settled permanently upon a valuable agricul- tural estate in Bolton, where he thenceforward in- terested himself quite extensively. in raising thorough- bred Jersey stock, and he was one of the pioneers in producing that particular breed of cattle in Worces- ter county. Captain Cunningham was a prominent member of the Unitarian Church, and evinced a lively interest in the welfare of that denomination.

On June 5, 1850, he married Alice H. Haskell, of Boston, who later accompanied him to China. She is a sister of Mrs. George C. Lee, of Boston, whose daughter was the first wife of President Roosevelt, and Mrs. Cunningham is therefore the great-aunt of the former Alice Roosevelt, daughter of the president by his first marriage. John Adams and Alice ( Has- kell) Cunningham became the parents of eleven children, namely: Alice H., born May 5, 1851; Charles Greeley, born July 9, 1852; Francis Hatha- way, born April 24, 1854: Caleb Loring, born No- vember 16, 1855: Annie Greeley, born August 13, 1857: John Adams, Jr., born October 19, 1859; Marion Shaw, born February 3. 1861 : Paul, see for- ward; Rachel, born January 8, 1865: William Loring, born December 25, 1868; and Frederick Haskell, born March 30, 1870. Alice H .. who died June II, 1000, married Francis William Rotch Ware. of Mil- ton, Massachusetts, and was the mother of seven children. Charles Greeley Cunningham married Ida 31. Carey, of Boston. Francis Hathaway Cunning- ham died February 20, 1861. Caleb Loring married Ann Payson, of Milton. Annie Greeley Cunningham is the wife of William Edison Howe, of Bolton, and

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FRANK E. STARRETT

JOHN HANCOCK DAY

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has three children. John Adams Cunningham, Jr., married Saralı Ford, of Boston, and ha, two chil- dren. Marion Shaw died June 21, 1862. Rachel, who is unmarried, resides at the homestead in Bol- ton. William Loring Cunningham died July 31, 1887. Frederick Haskell Cunningham is still living.

Paul Cunningham was born in Bolton, November 8, 1864. From the public schools of Bolton he went to the Boston high school, and after graduating he entered upon a business career in that city. A year later he went to Minnesota, where he entered the service of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Rail- way, and in the interest of the system he travelled extensively through the western states and territories. Returning to Bolton in 1900 he succeeded his father in managing the estate, and he has also continued with equal success the breeding of fancy Jersey cat- tle, for which the elder Cunningham had established and perfected unusually excellent facilities. Hle is a well-known figure at the more important cattle shows and county fairs, where he has been awarded numer- ous prizes, and his strain of Jersey stock is con- sidered by experts as being among the very finest in New England. Mr. Cunningham takes a lively in- terest in political affairs, local, state and national, de- voting his energy and influence to the welfare of the Republican party when occasion demands, and in ad- dition to serving as chairman of the town com- mittee he has attended as a delegate several party conventions.

JOHN HANCOCK DAY, born in Webster (then Dudley), October 27, 1787, was a son of Colonel Jon- athan Day, an early settler in that town, an exten- sive farmer and real estate owner prior to the de- velopment of Webster as an industrial town. His death occurred in May, 1813. On May 21, 1767, he married Mary Mayo, of Oxford, this county, and their children were: Jabez, Rebecca, Elizabeth, Anna and John Hancock. Colonel Jonathan Day won his title as a soldier in the Patriot army during the revolutionary war. There was a personal friendship existing between him and John Hancock, whose name so firmly and with chirographic grace heads the list of signers to the immortal document declaring our independence, and he named his son after his friend.

The active period of the life of John Hancock Day was devoted to agricultural pursuits, and he was one of the most prominent citizens of Webster in his day, participating actively in civic affairs and serving as a selectman for many years. He married Martha Kidder, born in Wardsboro, Vermont, in 1796, daughter of Samuel and Zilpha (Bacon) Kidder. John Hancock Day died October 27, 1865, surviving his wife, whose death occurred in the previous year. They were the parents of seven children, namely : John, born September 27, 1827; Samuel; Kidder, died aged eight years ; Augustus Eddy ; Martha, see forward; Lucien, died in infancy; Larned, now de- ceased.

Martha Day was born in ' Webster, January &, 1829. She was educated in the schools of her na- tive town, where she has passed the major portion of her life, and is consequently familiar with the var- ious changes and improvements that have taken place there during the last half century. On Octo- ber 27, 1870, she married W. L. Burleson, a native of Jewett City, Connecticut, son of Edward Burleson, and a member of a highly reputable family of that locality. W. L. Burleson was a machinist by trade and a mechanic of recognized ability. He died De-

cember 20, 1890. By a former marriage he had two children, Allen B. and John Edwin Burleson. He was a member of the Baptist Church. Mrs. Burleson has no children.

EDGAR HORACE CLAPP. There were at least five immigrants by the name of Clapp who were early arrivals in Boston. They were cousins and their names were Roger, Thomas, Edward, Nicholas and John. Roger Clapp was prominently identified with the early settlement of Boston, having organized and commanded the military forces for its defence. Thomas, Nicholas and John settled in Dorchester. The late Edgar Horace Clapp, of Barre, was a lineal descendant in the eighth generation of the above- named Thomas, and the line of descent is through Thomas (2), Thomas (3), Thomas (4), Timothy (5). Samuel (6), and Horace (7).

Thomas Clapp was born in England in 1597, son of Richard Clapp. It is quite probable that he ar- rived at Boston from Weymouth. England, July 24, 1633. His name appears in the records of Dorches- ter the following year, and he was admitted a free- man there in 1638. According to Farmer's "Genealo- gical Register" he removed from Dorchester to Wey- mouth, Massachusetts, and from thence to Scituate, where he was a deacon of the church in 1647, and in 1675 was chosen one of a committee of three to formally notify the Second Church by letter that a reconciliation between the two churches had been ef- fected after a controversy of thirty years. He served as deputy to the general court in 1649, and as over- seer of the poor in 1667, being the first to hold the latter office. He died April 20, 1684. The Christian name of his wife was Abigail. His children were: Thomas, Increase, Samuel, Eleazer, Elizabeth, Pru- dence, John and Abigail.

Thomas Clapp, eldest son of Thomas and Abigail Clapp, was born in Weymouth, March 15, 1639. His occupation was that of a housewright, which he fol- lowed in Dedham, having located there in or prior to 1663, and he died there in 1691. November 10, 1662, he married Mary Fisher, and their eight children were named: Thomas, John, Joshua, Mary, Eliza, Abigail, Hannah and Samuel.

Thomas Clapp, eldest son of Thomas and Mary Clapp, was born in Dedham, September 26, 1663, and died there January 28, 1704. He was a farmer. The maiden name of his wife cannot be ascertained, but her Christian name was Mary, and about 1709 she married for her second husband a Mr. Jennery. Of her first union there were seven children, namely : Thomas, Mary, Deborah, Mehitable, Stephen, Han- nah and Elizabeth.

The birth of Thomas Clapp, the first born of the preceding Thomas and Mary Clapp, took place in Dedham about the year 1686. Although but eighteen years old when his father died, he seems to have been well able to care for his younger brothers and sisters, who were dependent upon him for support. and upon attaining his majority he was appointed their guardian. He was a blacksmith by trade. but followed agriculture during the latter years of his life, which terminated February 18, 1741, at the age of about fifty-five years. Again the records fail to give the maiden surname of his wife, who was bap- tized Hannah. He was the father of at least nine children, and their names were: Hannah, Mary, Thomas, James, Abigail, Elizabeth, Sarah, Hepzibah and Timothy.

Timothy Clapp, youngest son of Thomas and Hannah Clapp, was born in Dedham, December 24,

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1733. He settled in Sharon, where he died in 1811, and some of his descendants are still residing in that town. He married Rhoda Witherell, and his chil- dren were: Thomas, Samuel, Reuben and Hep- zibah.

Samuel Clapp, second son of Timothy and Rhoda Clapp, was born November 9, 1769. The greater part of his life was spent in Sharon and his death occurred in that town, February 18, 1846, at the age of seventy-six years. On October 18, 1795, he inar- ried Abigail Paul, born in Dedham, March 6, 1777, died December 23, 1869, at the advanced age of nine- ty'-two years, nine months and fifteen days. Samuel and Abigail Clapp were the parents of twelve chil- dren, namely : Reuben, Samuel, Isaac P., Abigail, Betsey, Horace, Luther, Warren, Albert, Emily J., Elbridge and George.

Horace Clapp, fourth son of Samuel and Abigail Clapp, and father of Edgar H. Clapp, was born in Sharon, April 12, 1809. Ile went to Charlotte, Maine, where he resided for some time, butt returned to Ashland in 1857. His death occurred November 21, 1847, the day following that of his brother Reu- ben, and the unusual event of a double funeral took place in Sharon on November 23. The mortal re- mains of both were buried side by side in the ceme- tery at Sharon, which is located in the immediate vicinity of the home of their childhood. Horace Clapp married Sarah Fisher for his first wife and Emily Fisher for his second wife. His children, all of his first union, are: Elzina S., Edgar H. and Laura C.

Edgar Ilorace Clapp, only son of Horace and Sarah Clapp, was born at the family homestead in Sharon, February 16, 1839. He acquired his educa- tion in Charlotte, Maine, and prior to his majority accompanied his parents to Ashland, where he re- mained for some time. Going to West Groton, this state, he found employment in a leather board manu- factory and eventually became its superintendent. He also served in the same capacity at the Charles River Mill for over thirty years. He was at length enabled to relinquish the duties which he had ably and faithfully performed for so many years, and re- tiring to a farm in Barre he devoted the remainder of his life to agricultural pursuits. In politics he acted with the Republican party, but was always too busy to take any active part in civic affairs beyond the exercise of his elective privileges. He was a member of the Universalist Church.

In 1863 Mr. Clapp was united in marriage with Miss Sarah Elizabeth Lawrence, daughter of Ed- inund Lawrence, of West Groton. She became the mother of five children, two of whom died in child- hood. The survivors are: Fanny L., wife of Tilton, and resides in Boston, N. Josephine, who will be again referred to: and Leon E., born September 19, 1876, and is engaged in mercvantile business in Boston. Edgar Horace Clapp died January 26, 1901, surviving his wife, whose death occurred July 30, 1803-

N. Josephine Clapp was reared and educated in West Groton. She accompanied the family to Barre and after the death of her father assumed the manage- inent of the farm, which she has ever since conducted with success. She devotes her attention chiefly to dairy products and raises nearly all of the feed neces- sary for the maintenance of her stock, which is an important item in the expense account of a dairy farm, and she is therefore realizing good financial results.

JOHN ALBION CARTER. The Carters of Petersham are descendants of the Rev. Thomas Car- ter, who was the first pastor of the first church or- ganized in Woburn. He is supposed to have been a great-grandson of Richard Carter, lord of the manor of farston, and it is quite probable that his birth took place at or near St. Albans in Hertfordshire, England. in 1610. On the maternal side he was de- scended from John Rogers, the martyr, and one of his most cherished possessions was a Bible which had once belonged to that stalwart Christian reformer. Developing at an early age a desire and capacity for study, he was admitted a student at St. Johns Col- lege, Cambridge, in 1626, took his bachelor's degree in1 1629-30 and received that of Master of Arts in course (1633). April 2, 1635, he sailed from London in the "Planter," being listed as a servant to one George Gliddings, ( Savage says) in order to elude detection by officers under instructions from the Privy Council to prevent the embarkment of non- conformist ministers. Arriving in Boston in the following May he went to Dedham, where he became a freeman March 9, 1636-7 and he subsequently re- moved to Watertown. In 1642 he was called to the pastorate of the newly organized church at Charles- town Village (now Woburn). The ceremony of his installation, which was short and simple, was per- formed by two prominent members, who laid their hands upon his head and repeated together the fol- lowing words: "We ordain thee Thomas Carter, to be pastor unto this church of Christ." The records affirm that he was an eloquent preacher, an excellent pastor and a popular man. He died in Woburn, September 5. 1684 (O. S.), in the seventy-fourth year of his age and the forty-second of his ministry. His wife was before marriage Mary Dalton, probably a daughter of Philemon Dalton. There has been a genealogical dispute relative to her maiden surname, someone having claimed to have discovered that it was Parkhurst, but as far as the writer is able to learn this fact has not been fully substantiated. Her death occurred March 28, 1687. Rev. Thomas and Mary Carter were the parents of eight children, namely : Samuel, Judith. Theophilus, Mary, Abigail, Deborah, Timothy and Thomas.

Timothy Carter, son of Rev. Thomas, was mar- ried May 3. 1680. to Anna Fiske, daughter of David Fiske, of Cambridge Farms (Lexington). She died January 27, 1713. The children of Timothy and Anna were: David, Timothy, Ann, Timothy (2d), Theophilus. Thomas. Abigail, Sarah, Elizabeth, Ben- jamin, Mary, Martha, and Benjamin (2d), who was born November 8, 1704, died July, 1727. From the latter the line of descent is through Timothy, John and Hosea, to John Albion Carter, the principal sub- ject of this sketch, who is therefore of the seventh generation from his immigrant ancestor, Rev. Thomas. ( Although a diligent research has been made for the births, deaths and marriage of Benja- min, Timothy, and John Carter, mentioned in the list of ancestors, efforts to accurately identify them among the many descendants of the original Thomas have thus far proved unavailing, and the task was reluctantly abandoned owing to the uncertainty of the records).

Hosea Carter. father of Jihn A. Carter, resided in Petersham. He married Martha Hinckley, who bore him three sons, Hosea, Seth H., and John A. Hosea, Jr., is now residing in Gardner, this state. Seth H. is a resident of Petersham.

John Albion Carter was born in Petersham, Feb-

Wheeler Polana

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Iuary 27, 1852. After the conclusion of his studies, which were pursued in the public schools, he turned his attention to mercantile pursuits, and conducted a general country store at Petersham Centre. Sell- ing his store he was, for a time, engaged in carrying on building operations, but finally established himself in the manufacture of boxes and packing cases, and in that industry he has been unusually successful. He owns or controls many acres of timber-land, whereon he cut his stock, which is hauled to his own saw-mill for manufacture, and he is carrying on a large and constantly increasing business, employing an average of twenty operatives the year round. In addition to his industrial enterprise he owns and con- ducts what is known as the old Paige farm, consist- ing of three hundred and twenty-five acres and sit- uated at a higher altitude than any other cultivated land in the state. This property, which is exceed- ingly fertile, he devotes to the cultivation of native products, such as vegetables, hay and grain. He also raises fancy cattle and horses, giving his prin- cipal attention to the breeding of pure-blooded Ayrshire stock, and he is credited with having possessed the most speedy trotting horses and the heaviest steers in Petersbam, owning at one time four oxen, the combined weight of which was over four tons.

In politics Mr. Carter is a Republican, and aside from being a member of the local party organization he is serving as assessor, constable, surveyor of lum- ber, and as a justice of the peace. He was commis- sioned by the commonwealth to purchase one thous- and acres of land and to erect thereon suitable buildings for the Rutland Prison Camp. This public duty he has performed in a most able, economical and satisfactory manner. He is a member of the Peter- sham and Barre Agricultural societies and a charter member of the local grange, Patrons of Husbandry. His religious affiliations are with the Unitarians. In 1875 Mr. Carter married Ella L. Richardson, daugh- ter of Samuel Richardson, of Dana, this county.

WHEELER POLAND. Samuel Pland (I), the immigrant ancestor of Wheeler Poland, of Winchen- don, Massachusetts, came to New England on the ship "Susan and Ellen," at the age of twenty-five years. Daniel Pland, or Pod, as the name was abbreviated in some of the records, was in Ipswich in 1652, and there Samuel Poland settled in 1648. The records of both are meagre. It seems likely that they were brothers or relatives, as there were no others of the early days of the colonies.

According to the age given when he sailed from England, Samuel Poland was born in 1623. 11e probably married after he came to Ipswich. From time to time his name occurs in the early records, while nothing more is found about Daniel Poland. He may have been lost at sea or returned to England. It is presumed therefore that the following were among the children of Samuel Poland, of Ipswich : I. John, who was killed by the Indians, July 4, 1677, a soldier in King Philip's war. 2. Increase, a soldier from Ipswich, killed in King Philip's war in 1676. 3. Samuel, see forward. 4. James, born about 1665. Samuel Poland (1) was in Ipswich apparently in 1678, when he was mentioned among the pro- prietors, and again in 1679, when he appears in a list of voters. The name is difficult to trace on account of its similarity to Pollard, a family of that name living in the same town.

(II) Samuel Poland, Jr., son of Samuel Poland (1). was born in Ipswich or vicinity about 1670. Ile

was a soldier in the Expedition to Quebec against the French in 1690 from the town of Ipswich. Forty- five years afterward he was among the grantees of the town of Winchendon, Massachusetts, which was given to the soldiers of that expedition and their heirs. His name appears several times on the early records of Winchendon, but not among the actual settlers. If he came at all, he soon returned to Ham- ilton, a town near Ipswich, where he made his home and where his children were born. His lot in the first division of Winchendon was N. D. No. 18 and in the second division III, 16, 89. His grandson, William Poland, became a settler of Winchendon after the revolution. He was a lieutenant in his company and is so designated on the records usually. He is sometimes called Samuel Poland, Jr., the most convincing proof that his father was the immigrant, Samuel Poland. Children of Samuel Poland were : I. Joseph, see forward. 2. Nathaniel, born about 1710 3. Samuel, settled at Hamilton and had a large family there. Probably several others.

(III) Joseph Poland, son of Samuel Poland (2), was born in Hamilton, 1703, died at Ipswich, October 14, 1798, aged ninety-five years. He married Elizabeth Burnham, born 1713, died June 10, 1775. aged sixty-two years. They lived at Hamilton Their children: Joseph, born February 22, 1733 father of Joseph of North Brookfield; Francis, borr. December, 1735; Elizabeth, April, 1738; Nathan, Lucy, Samuel, William, see forward. All were born in Hamiton.

(IV) William Poland, son of Joseph Poland (3), was born in Hamilton, Massachusetts, April 6, 1757. He was a brother or cousin of Joseph Poland born 1757, at Hamilton, who is the progenitor of the Polands of Brookfield and Vermont. He was a sol- dier in the revolution, serving in 1778 and 1779 in Captain Simeon Brown's company, Colonel Nathaniel Wade's regiment, which was raised out of Essex and York (Maine) counties, Massachusetts. The regi- ment was stationed in Rhode Island. In 1780 he served in the warship Rambler. He was a farmer and after his naval service in the year 1780 came to Winchendon, to settle in the town where his grand- father had drawn land for military service ninety years before. These land grants for military service in the Pequot, King Philip's and French wars, were long delayed in many cases. William Poland was also a cooper and manufactured pails on liis farm, and must be reckoned among the pioneers of the woodenware business that has since flourished in Winchendon and surrounding towns.

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Historic homes and institutions and genealogical and personal memoirs of Worcester county, Massachusetts, with a history of Worcester society of antiquity, Vol. IV, Part 75

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