Historic homes and places and genealogical and personal memoirs relating to the families of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Volume I, Part 23

Author: Cutter, William Richard, 1847-1918, ed
Publication date: 1908
Publisher: New York, Lewis historical publishing company
Number of Pages: 624

USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Historic homes and places and genealogical and personal memoirs relating to the families of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Volume I > Part 23

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belting and manufacturers' supplies. Later he added the manufacture of leather fire hose, and in 1858 established a tannery for the manufacture of his own leather. The tanyard was on Chelmsford street. He owned the patents of the Murkland Carpet Power Loom and had an interest in the company manufac- turing them. In 1866 he associated with him in business his two sons, J. E. and P. C. Gates, and in 1870 R. W. Gates. In 1881 he erected a large brick block on Market street for the manufacture of his supplies. Since his death, May 2, 1882, the business has been continued by his sons. In politics he was an earnest and active Republican, serving the city as member of the common council, and as alderman. He represented his district in the general court and served with credit on several important committees. He was a director of the Wame- sit National Bank and of the Lowell Hosiery Company. He attended the Congregational church with his family. He was upright and enterprising in business, and enjoyed the con- fidence and respect of all his townsmen.

He married (first) Lydia West; (second) Harriet N. Coburn, who died May 29, 1855. She was the daughter of Prescott Coburn, of Dracut, a descendant of Edmund Coburn, one of the first settlers of Dracut. He married (third) Sophronia Pike. Children of Josiah and Harriet N. Gates I. Ellen Harriet, born August 3, 1839, married, April 14, 1880, Solon S. Whitehead, born November 22, 1832; no children. 2. Augusta Pauline, born October 3, 1842, married, February 21, 1867, Gideon Foster White; children : i. Alice Gates, born August 9, 1869, married John Milton Wash- burn ; ii. Harriet A., born October 2, 1872 ; iii. Royal P., born December 3, 1881. 3. Josiah Emery, born April 19, 1845, died September 4, 1878; married Anna Tilton; child, Josiah Emery, born February, 1871, resides at Med- ford, Massachusetts. 4. Prescott C., born in Lowell, July 30, 1846, mentioned below. 5. Royal Wiswell, born June 25, 1849; men- tioned below. 6. Abbie Ann, born August 19, 1852, resides in the homestead, Lowell; is a member of the Congregational church and Dolly Varnum Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution. 7. Clara Maria, born November 3, 1854; married June 12, 1884, Charles Abbott Roby, children: ii. Marion, born May 6, 1885; ii. Kathleen, born Febru- ary 12, 1891; iii. Luther Abbott, born No- vember II, 1894. Child of Joseph and So- phronia Gates: 8. Kate.

(XVII) Prescott C. Gates, son of Josiah Gates (16), was born in Lowell, July 30, 1846.

He attended the public and high schools of Lowell and then entered the employ of his father, learning the business thoroughly and in 1866 becoming a partner in the firm of Josiah Gates & Sons with his father and brother. He and his brother Royal W. have continued the business, since their father's death, with substantial success. He is a direc- tor in the Wamesit National Bank, the Lowell Hosiery Company, the Hillsboro Mills, the Lowell Mutual Fire Insurance Company, the Lowell & Andover Railroad Company, trustee of the Central Savings Bank, and member of the Lowell Board of Trade. He married, De- cember 29, 1868, Ellen F. Kittridge, daugh- ter of William Kittridge, of Lowell. Children : I. Henry Kittridge, born August 26, 1870. 2. Thayer Prescott, born May 14, 1879. 3. Edith Harriet, born August 31, 1880.

(XVII) Royal Wiswell Gates, son of Josiah Gates (16), was born in Lowell, June 25, 1849, and received his early education in the public schools, grad- uating from the Lowell high school. He then entered the business office as bookkeeper and in 1870 became a member of the firm of Josiah Gates & Sons. He is a Republican in politics, attends the Kirk Street Congrega- tional Church, and is a member of the Lowell Board of Trade. He is a prominent Free Mason, belonging to Kilwinning Lodge of Lowell, to Pilgrim Commandery, Knights Templar, and to the Massachusetts Consistory, having taken the thirty-second degree. He is also a member of the Yorick Club and Vesper Country Club.

William Richard Cutter, author CUTTER and editor, is a direct descend- ant of Elizabeth (1) Cutter, a widow, who came to New England, about 1640, and died in Cambridge, Massachusetts, January 10, 1663 (1663-64). In her will she gave her age as about eighty-seven years. but as she lived about two years longer, she was at death aged about eighty-nine. She dwelt with her daughter in Cambridge about twenty years. Three of her children emigrated to this country: William, who after living in America about seventeen years, returned to his former home in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, in Eng- land; Richard, the founder of the Cutter fam- ily in America; and Barbara, her daughter, who came to this country unmarried, and later married Mr. Elijah Corlet, the schoolmaster of Cambridge. In a relation Elizabeth made be-

MIDDLESEX COUNTY.

fore the church she is called "Old Goodwife Cutter," and she makes a statement to the ef- fect that she was born in some small place, without a church, near Newcastle-upon-Tyne. She "knew not" her father, who may have died in her infancy, but her mother sent her, when she was old enough, to Newcastle, where she was placed in a "godly family," where she remained for about seven years, when she en- tered another where the religious privileges were less. Her husband died, and she was sent to Cambridge, New England, and came thither in a time of sickness and through many sad troubles by sea. What her maiden name was is not known to the present writer. From her own statement the inference is drawn that her mother at least was in humble circum- stances. She had with her in Cambridge a sis- ter or a sister-in-law, a widow named Mrs. Isabella Wilkinson, who undoubtedly was from Newcastle-upon-Tyne. There is more known of the Cutters in Newcastle, where it is said an English antiquary has discovered the name of the grandfather of William and Rich- ard Cutter, and this information is as yet with- held from us.

Richard (2) Cutter, son of Elizabeth, died in Cambridge, at the age of about seventy-two, June 16, 1693. His brother William had died in England before this time. Richard was un- der age and probably unmarried when he came to America. He was one of the first to build a house outside of the settlement, in that part of Cambridge called Menotomy, and his house for defense against the Indians was furnished with flankers. In December, 1675, he sent four young men of his family-his two sons Ephraim and Gershom, and his stepsons Isaac and Jacob Amsden-to the severe cam- paign in Rhode Island which culminated in the Narragansett fight, in which a great part of the New England military were engaged. Richard Cutter was twice married : first, about 1644, to Elizabeth Williams, who died March 5, 1661-2, aged about forty-two years (grave- stone) ; she was the daughter of Robert Wil- liams of Roxbury and his wife Elizabeth (Stalham) Williams. Second, February 14, 1662-3, to Frances (Perriman) Amsden, par- entage unknown; she was the widow of Isaac Amsden, and survived Richard Cutter's de- cease, and died before July 10, 1728. Fourteen children, seven by each wife.

Elizabeth, eldest daughter and child of Richard Cutter, married William Robinson, and several of her descendants became famous as governors. She probably died a long time before her father, and was omitted in his will.

Two of her sons laid claim to their share of their grandfather Cutter's estate at a later per- iod. William Robinson, Jonathan Robinson, and Elizabeth Gregory, and also Samuel Rob- inson, children of Elizabeth Robinson, daugh- ter of Richard Cutter, quitclaimed their rights to their grandfather Richard Cutter's estate (Middlesex Registry Deeds, 39: 113, etc.) William Robinson died in 1693.

William (3) Cutter, third son and fourth child of Richard Cutter, the immigrant, was a thriving farmer, and died in Cambridge, April I, 1723, in the seventy-fourth year of his age (gravestone). By his wife Rebecca he was father of ten children. She was Rebecca, daughter of John (2) Rolfe (Henry I) and his wife Mary Scullard (Samuel I). Rebecca Rolfe married for her second husband John Whitmore, Senior, of Medford, and died No- vember 13, 175I, aged ninety.

John (4) Cutter, second son and fifth child of William, born October 15, 1690, died Jan- uary 21, 1776, in his eighty-sixth year, and thirty-seventh in his office as a deacon. He was a farmer. He married Lydia Harrington (John (3), Robert (2), and possibly Ann (I); she was formerly of Newcastle-upon- Tyne, England,) and she died January 7, 1755, in her sixty-fourth year. Eleven chil- dren.

Ammi (5) Cutter, tenth child of John, born October 27, 1733, died April 19, 1795, in his sixty-second year. He was a farmer and a miller, and had three wives and twenty-one children. By his first wife, Esther Pierce, he had ten children, the ninth of whom was Ephraim Cutter, born October 31, 1767, died March 31, 1841, who by his wife, Deborah Locke, had fourteen children, the tenth of whom was Benjamin Cutter, a physician, born June 4, 1803, died March 9, 1864, who by his wife Mary Whittemore had six children, the youngest of whom was William Richard Cut- ter, born in Woburn, August 17, 1847, the sub- ject of this sketch.

Mr. Cutter was educated in the public schools of his native town until his fifteenth year, when he was sent to the Warren Academy in Woburn, where he remained until April, 1865, when he entered Norwich University at Norwich, Vermont,-the institution now situ- ated at Northfield, Vermont, and known as the Military College of the State of Vermont. When at Woburn at the Warren Academy he commanded (1863-1865) a corps of cadets known as the Warren Cadets. He performed his share of duty at Norwich Military Univer- sity during the two years of 1865 and 1866,

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and leaving there in the latter year returned to Woburn, where he pursued his studies under a private instructor. In the fall of 1867 he en- tered the Sheffield Scientific School of Yale University at New Haven, Connecticut, as a special student, and left there in 1869. In the meantime, having access to the large college library at Yale, he became interested in the study of history and more especially geneal- ogy, as he had the use of a larger and more valuable collection of books here than he had ever had before, and he decided to publish a history of the Cutter Family, and issued, while at New Haven, his proposals for that work. He travelled extensively in his pursuit of ma- terial, and published his book at Boston in 1871, under the title of "A History of the Cut- ter Family of New England."

He was married, on August 31, 1871, to Mary Elizabeth, daughter of Daniel Kimball, teacher, editor, and lecturer, and his first wife, Mary Ann (Ames) Kimball, and a grand- daughter of Rev. David Tenney Kimball, for upwards of sixty years minister of a church in Ipswich, Massachusetts. One child, Sarah Hamlen, was born to them, July 25, 1873, but died April 26, 1890. Another died in infancy in 1880.

In 1871 Mr. Cutter removed his residence to Lexington, Massachusetts, and devoted himself for ten years to various pursuits. While at Lexington he prepared and published a "History of the Town of Arlington, Massa- chusetts," which was issued from the press in 1880. This work contained a very full geneal- 'ogy of the early inhabitants, and copies are now scarce. At Lexington also he edited, with notes, his article for the "New England His- torical and Genealogical Register," entitled a "Journal of a Forton Prisoner, England," 1777-1779, whose length caused its publication to extend through the numbers of that period- ical from April, 1876, to January, 1879. While at Lexington also he prepared a sketch of Arl- ington, which was printed under his name in Drake's "History of Middlesex County" (1880).

During his residence in Lexington he held the office by successive elections of clerk of the Hancock Congregational Church, and for sev- en years from 1875 that of member and clerk of the town school committee, and in connec- tion with the last named office that of trustee of the Cary Free Public Library, being for a greater part of that time clerk and treasurer of : that board. In 1882 he was elected librarian

of the Woburn Public Library in his native city, and assuming his duties on March I, of that year, removed at once to Woburn. He holds this office at the present time. He has served on the nominating committee of the Massachusetts Library Club, of which he was one of the original members, and has been one of its vice-presidents. In Woburn he has held the office of secretary of the trustees of War- ren Academy since 1885, and that of trustee, clerk, and treasurer of the Burbeen Free Lec- ture Fund since 1892. He is also one of the vice-presidents of the Rumford Historical As- sociation of Woburn, and is a member of the Massachusetts Society of Colonial Wars. He has been a vice-president of the Boston Alum- ni Association of Norwich University, and for more than a generation, or since 1870, a resi- dent member of the New England Historic Genealogical Society. He has written consid- erable for the publications of the Genealogical Society, and has held a position on its govern- ing council, and in 1906 was elected its his- torian. He has edited for the Massachusetts Historical Society a section of Hon. Mellen Chamberlain's "History of Chelsea," making a greater part of the second volume of that mon- · umental work. He has prepared for publica- tion and now nearly finished, three volumes of the Towne "Memorial Biographies," published by the New England Historic Genealogical Society. In 1906 Mr. Cutter was elected by the Lewis Historical Publishing Company -as editor of two of their publications.

Since 1882, in his leisure from the urgent work of his library position, Mr. Cutter has written much for the newspaper and periodi- cal press, and has written or edited a number of works of greater or less extent. Among them sketches of the city of Woburn, and of the towns of Burlington and Winchester, for Hurd's "History of Middlesex County," 1890; "Contributions to a Bibliography of the Local History of Woburn," 1892, with additional ma- terial, 1893; "Diary of Lieut. Samuel Thomp- son of Woburn, while in service in the French War, 1758" (with copious notes) 1896; "Life and Humble Confession of Richardson, the informer" (fifty copies printed) 1894; "A Model Village Library" (an article descrip- tive of the Woburn Public Library) in "New England Magazine," February, 1890; "Wo- burn Historic Sites and Old Houses," 1892; etc.

He received the degree of A. M. from Nor- wich University in 1893.

MIDDLESEX COUNTY.

Thomas Dexter, the immigrant DEXTER ancestor, was born in England. He came to America either with Mr. Endicott in 1629 or in the fleet with Governor Winthrop in 1630. He brought with him three children or more and several ser- vants. There is reason to believe that his home in England was in Bristol, for he had consid- erable dealings afterward with people who lived there. In 1640 he gave a mortgage to Humphrey Hooke, an alderman of Bristol. He had a good education and was in the prime of life when he emigrated. He settled in 1630 on a farm of eight hundred acres in the town of Lynn, Massachusetts ; was well-to-do and was called "Farmer Dexter." His house was on the west side of the Saugus river about where the iron works were afterwards erected. In 1633 he built a bridge over the river and stretched a weir across it and soon afterward built a mill there. He was greatly interested in the establishment of the Lynn iron works, inter- ested English capital and became general manager, but when convinced of the unprofit- ableness of the enterprise, he withdrew. He was admitted a freeman in 1631, but was dis- franchised March 4, 1633. He was constantly involved in litigation and in 1631 had a quar- rel with Captain Endicott, afterward the gov- ernor. Mr. Endicott struck Dexter in court and was prosecuted for the assault in Boston. The defendant said in answer to the charge: "I hear I am much complained of by Good- man Dexter for striking him. Understanding since it is not lawful for a justice of the peace to strike, but if you had seen the manner of his carriage with such daring of me, with arms akimbo, it would have provoked a very patient man. He has given out that if I had a purse he would make me empty it, and if he cannot have justice here, he will do wonders in England, and if he cannot prevail there, he will try it out with me here at blows. If it were lawful for me to try it out at blows and he a fit man for me to deal with, you would not hear me complain." The jury awarded Dexter a verdict of ten pounds. Two years later the court ordered Dexter set in bilboes, disfranchised and fined ten pounds "for speak- ing reproachful and seditious words against the government here established." Mr. Dex- ter, having been insulted by Samuel Hutchin- son, met him one day on the road "and jump- ing from his horse bestowed about twenty blows on the head and shoulders of Hutchin- son, to the no small danger or deray of his senses as well as sensibilities." These instances would indicate, suggests the family historian,

"that Mr. Dexter was not a meek man." In 1637 he and nine others obtained from the Plymouth Colony court a grant of land which became the town of Sandwich, where he built the first grist mill, but he did not remain there long. In 1638 he had three hundred and fifty acres assigned to him in Lynn, where he lived until 1746. About this time he bought two farms in Barnstable, one adjoining the mill stream, the other on Scorton hill. His dwell- ing in Barnstable was on the north side of the old county road in a sightly location. Here he lived a quieter life, yet his taste for litiga- tion continued, and in 1648 he had no less than six lawsuits decided in his favor. His most important case was lost. He bought the land on which the village of Nahant is now situate from the Indian chief, Pognaum or Black Will, paying therefor a suit of clothes, fenced it for a pasture and his title was undisputed until 1657, when the proprietors claimed it. The case was in the courts over thirty-eight years. In 1657 he took the oath of fidelity and was admitted freeman in the Plymouth colony, June 1, 1658. He gave most of his property to his sons, sold his farm on Scorton Hill in 1673 to William Troop, and removed to Bos- ton to spend his last days with his daughter, the wife of Captain Oliver. He died there in 1677 and was buried in the King's Chapel burying ground. The name of his wife is not known. Children: I. Thomas, born in Eng- land, mentioned below. 2. William, married Sarah Vincent in 1653. 3. 'Mary, born in England, married (first) John Frend, (sec- ond) Captain James Oliver, of Boston. 4. Frances, born in England, married Richard Woodde (Woodhouse, Woodis, etc.).

(II) Thomas Dexter, son of Thomas Dex- ter (I), was born in England about 1623; came to America with his father and settled finally at Sandwich, where he was elected con- stable in 1647. In 1648 he kept the mill his father built. . In 1655 he was ensign of the mi- litia company and was afterward known by this title. He was often on juries; was sur- veyor of highways and collector of taxes in 1675 and in 1680 was an inn-keeper. In 1663 he served with Thomas Hinckley and Cons- tant Southworth on a committee to determine the line between Sandwich and Plymouth. He was a worthy citizen, enterprising, useful and influential. He died December 29, 1686. He married, November 8, 1648, Elizabeth Vin- cent. Children : I. Mary, born August II, 1649, married, October 12, 1670, Daniel Allen, of Swansea. 2. Elizabeth, born September 21, 1651, died young. 3. Thomas, born 1653,

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MIDDLESEX COUNTY.

Thomas and Joan Faxon, of Brinton, Massa- chusetts ; was a surveyor of town of Dedham, 1652-1654, removed to Dorchester and was selectman there 1664. He was a printer, and was paid by the town £4 Ios. for printing the catechism prepared by Rev. Richard Mather, the pastor at Dorchester. He died February 13, 1670, and his wife Joanna died October 16, 1694. Their children were: Mehitable, born 1648, died young; Experience, 1650, died young ; Josiah, 1654; Abial, 1656, died 1688; Sarah, 1658, married John Wild; De- borah, 1661, married James Fales; Judith, 1663, married John Bullen; Eleazer, 1669.

(III) Eleazer Fisher, son of Anthony and Joanna (Faxon) Fisher, born in Dedham, September 18, 1669, married there October 13, 1698, Mary (1674-1744), daughter of William and Mary (Lane) Avery, and their children were: Eleazer, born 1699; William, 1701; Jemima, 1703, married Hezekiah Gay, of Dorchester ; David, 1705; Ezra, 1707; Na- thaniel, 1708, died 1733-34, unmarried ; Mary, 1710, married William Alexander, of Stough- ton; Ezekiel, 1712; Timothy, 1714; Stephen, 1715, probably died young; and Benjamin, 1721. Ezekiel Fisher died in Dedham, Febru- ary 6, 1722, and his widow at Stoughton, March 25, 1749.

(IV) David Fisher, third son of Eleazer and Mary (Avery) Fisher, born in Dedham, June 21, 1705, married, February 16, 1732, Deborah Boyden, of Walpole. With his wife he joined the South Parish church, November 7, 1736. He removed to Stoughton, where his wife died July 18, 1770, aged fifty-nine years, and he married (second), November 7, 1770, Elizabeth Talbot, of Stoughton, born February 22, 1754. He died July 30, 1779, and his widow July 2, 1802. His children were: David, born 1733; Thomas, 1735; Jacob, 1737; Deborah, 1739; married John Lewis; Hannah, 1742, married Nathaniel Kingsbury ; Nathan, 1745; Oliver, 1747; Abi- gail, 1749, married William Starrett; Mary, 175I, died 1768; Abner, 1755.

(V) Thomas Fisher, son of David and De- borah (Boyden) Fisher, born in Stoughton, March 10, 1735, married, October 12, 1758, Mary, daughter of Samuel and Mary (Ciney) Pettee, of Dedham. They both, joined the South Parish Church, July 13, 1760. Thomas Fisher served in Captain Ebenezer Tisdale's company from Stoughton for twenty-two days at the Lexington Alarm, and in Theophilus Wilder's company, Colonel Dike's regiment, from December 20, 1776, to March I, 1777. He died January 16, 1781, and his widow

of Sharon, and died April 27, 1825, aged eighty-two years. The children of Thomas Mary married, April 26, 1787, Gilead Morse, and Mary (Pettee) Fisher as per record in Stoughton were: Seth, born 1759; Thomas, 1761; Mary, 1763, married Jonathan Billings, Jr .; Lucy, 1765, married Captain John Morse ; Ezra, 1769; Oliver, 1778, died 1830; Jabez, 1780.

(VI) Jabez Fisher, youngest child of Thomas and Mary (Pettee) Fisher, born in Sharon, May 7, 1780, married, May 13, 1819, Sarah (1788-1854), second child of Jonathan and Mary (Robbins) Livermore, of Brighton, or Little Cambridge. Jonathan Livermore (1743-1822) was a son of Oliver and Ruth (Stearns) Livermore, of Watertown, and a descendant from Jonathan Livermore, the im- migrant. Mary (Robbins) Livermore was a daughter of Solomon and Martha Robbins, of Newton. Jabez and Sarah (Livermore) Fisher settled in Cambridge where their chil- dren were born, and where he died November 30, 1845. Children : George, born February 15, 1820; Sarah, 1821, died 1823; Jabez, 1824; Sarah Livermore, 1826, died 1828; Oliver, 1829, died 1830; Benjamin Franklin, 1832, died 1832. Jabez Fisher was a coal dealer in Cambridge. He died November 30, 1845.

(VII) George Fisher, eldest child of Jabez and Sarah (Livermore) Fisher, was born in Cambridge, February 15, 1820. He took the full course in the public and high schools of Cambridge, and a partial law course at Har- vard University Law School, and was made a member of the Law School Association. He succeeded his father in the coal and wood business in 1845, and after carrying it on for several years sold it out and became a partner in the firm of Simmons & Fisher, organ build- ers in Charles street, Boston. On March 30, 1859, he purchased the Cambridge Chronicle, and made the paper a profitable investment, and in 1859-66 it had no competition in Cam- bridge. In 1873 he sold the newspaper plant to Linn Boyd Porter. In the Chronicle he advocated anti-slavery, temperance and Am- ericanism as opposed to the "perilous en- croachments" of the Roman Catholic church. He represented his district in the general court in 1885. He founded the Cambridge Conser- vatory of Music in 1873, and with the assist- ance of his daughter taught music to large classes for several years. He was a well known expert performer on the organ, and held positions at various times in the largest churches in Cambridge. He made a discrim- inating collection of music both printed and in

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Historic homes and places and genealogical and personal memoirs relating to the families of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Volume I, Part 23

Author: Cutter, William Richard, 1847-1918, ed Publication date: 1908 Publisher: New York, Lewis historical publishing company Number of Pages: 624

Author: Cutter, William Richard, 1847-1918, ed
Publication date: 1908
Publisher: New York, Lewis historical publishing company
Number of Pages: 624