USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Historic homes and places and genealogical and personal memoirs relating to the families of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Volume I > Part 31
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(IV) Samuel Child, eldest son of Deacon Richard and Elizabeth (Crocker) Child, was born in Barnstable, November, 1678, re- moved from Barnstable to Deerfield, Frank- lin county, Massachusetts, when a young man and worked at his trade of blacksmith. When the church was formed at Northfield, February 22, 1714, he was made a deacon, and when the town government was formed June 15, 1823, he was by virtue of his office in the church made an officer of the town. He was married July 7, 1709, to Hannah Barnard, who was the daughter of Joseph Barnard and Sarah Strong. Joseph Barnard was a son of Francis Barnard, one of the or- iginal settlers of Hartford, and Sarah Strong was the daughter of Elder John Strong, one of the prominent settlers of Northampton. The children of Samuel Child and Hannah Barnard were: I. Hannah, born 1710. 2. Sam- uel, Jr., born 1712. 3. Asa, born 1715, (q. v.). 4. David and 5 Jonathan, twins, born 1718. 6. Ebenezer, born 1720. 7. Elizabeth, born 1724. The mother of these children died May 16, 1727, and Deacon Samuel Child was married, about 1729, to Experience
and they had one child, Experience, born June 7, 1730. Experience, wife of Deacon Child, died May 25, 1744, and he married for his third wife. Sarah Philip (Mattoon) Field, widow of Zachariah Field, of North- field, and she died March 21, 1752. Deacon Samuel Child died March 18, 1756
(V) Asa Child, son of Deacon Samuel and Hannah (Barnard) Child was born in North-
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field, Massachusetts, January 3, 1715. He married Rhoda Wright, who was the daugh- ter of Benjamin Wright and Hannah Steb- bins. They had several children both boys and girls.
(VI) Reuben Childs, son of Asa and Han- nah (Barnard) Child, was the first man to add on the "s" to the name, and in 1780 he married Thankful Bliss. They had a son Joshua and other children.
(VII) Joshua Childs, son of Asa Childs, married Susan King, the daughter of Lieu- tenant Asaph King, of Endfield and Wilbra- ham, and Mary Robbins, and made his home in Wilbraham, which was a part of Spring- field, Massachusetts, up to January 15, 1763, and their son Otis was born in Wilbraham, Massachusetts, March 19, 18II. Asaph King's father was Parmenas King, and his mother Hannah Terry.
(VIII) Otis Childs, son of Joshua and Susan (King) Childs, was brought up in Wil- braham where he attended the public school, married Abigail, daughter of Samuel and Mary (Warriner) Holman, and while resi- dents of Milledgeville, Baldwin county, Georgia, their son Edwin Otis Childs, was born September 29, 1847.
(IX) Edwin Otis Childs was brought up in the city of Springfield, Massachusetts, where he attended the public schools. He was prepared for college at Phillips Aca- demy, Andover, Massachusetts, and matricu- lated at Williams College in 1867. He was graduated at Williams, A. B., 1871, and re- moved to Newton, Massachusetts, where he became prominent in local politics as a Re- publican. He was appointed assistant clerk of the city and assistant to the city treasurer on January 5, 1874, and served in the double capacity up to January 1, 1876. January 3, 1876, he was unanimously elected by the city council, city clerk, and served in that re- sponsible office by continuous re-elections up to April 1, 1883, when he resigned to accept a position in the Harvard Clock Company and he served as treasurer of that corpora- tion up to 1888, when he resigned. He was a member of the board of aldermen of the city of Newton, representing the first ward of the city in 1888 and 1889. In 1901 he was appointed deputy sheriff and court officer for Middlesex county, and served the county in these offices for six years. On January 4, 1897, he was appointed by the county com- missioners of Middlesex county, register of deeds for the south district of the county to fill a vacancy caused by the death of
Charles B. Stevens, and at the general elec- tion in November, 1897, he was elected to the office as his own successor to fill the unex- pired term and has been re-elected register of deeds at each recurring election from that time, still holding the office in 1907.
He was married June 25, 1874, to Caroline A., daughter of Edwin and Caroline A. (Gore) Chaffin, of St. Louis, Missouri, and their children, the descendants in the tenth generation from Richard or Samuel Child, the immigrants, were: Mary C., a graduate of Smith College, class of 1899. Edwin O., Jr., a graduate of Harvard University, class of 1899, and a lawyer in Boston, Massachu- setts. Carolyn H., a graduate of Smith Col- lege, class of 1902.
James Freese, the immigrant FREESE ancestor of the Freese family, was born in England, 1641-42. He may have been son of James Freese, a London merchant, whose family descended from the Northampton and Essex families of this surname. James Freese settled at Salis- bury, Massachusetts, about 1665. He had a seat in the meeting house at Amesbury, the adjoining village, in 1667, and was a common- er there in 1669. He built a ship at Salisbury in 1678. He was probably the James Freese killed by the Indians in 1689 at Casco, near the present site of Portland. He married Eliz- abeth Their children : I. James, born March 16, 1666-67; mentioned below. 2. John, born October I, 1669, at Amesbury ; published July 25, 1696, at Salisbury, to Carr, of Salisbury. 3. Katherine, born January 31, 1671. 4. Frances, born Septem- ber 28, 1674. 5. Jacob Sr., of Hampton, born September 29, 1685. Probably other children. (II) James Fresse, son of James Freese (I), was born in Salisbury, (now Amesbury, Massachusetts) March 16, 1666-67; married, June 2, 1697, Mary Merrill, daughter of Na- thaniel Merrill, and granddaughter of the im- migrant, Nathaniel Merrill. James Freese was a witness in the trial of Susanna Martin for witchcraft, and on his testimony she was convicted and executed on the scaffold, 1692. Among his children were: I. John, born about 1700, mentioned below. 2. Jacob Jr., resided at Hampton, New Hampshire.
(III) John Freese, son of James Freese (2), was born about 1700, in Salisbury, Mas- sachusetts, or vicinity. He settled on what is called Freeze Island, off the coast of Maine, and was living at Deer Isle, an adjacent isl-
6
Quin Childs.
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and, in 1764. He and his sons, John Jr. and George contributed to the support of a min- ister at Deer Isle in 1764. Children : I. George, born 1730; married Sarah Cromwell, and had ten children. 2. John Jr., married, but had no children. 3. Abraham, born 1749, mentioned below. 4. Isaac, born about 1750. 5. Jacob, named for his uncle. 6. Return (twin). 7. Retire (twin).
(IV) Abraham Freese, son of John Freese (3), was born at Salisbury or Hampton, 1749, and died at Orono, Maine, in 1800. He lived at Deer Isle and Bangor, Penobscot county, and had one of the best farms there, building the first frame house in that town. He re- moved to Orono in 1790. He was succeeded on the homestead by his son, Retire W. Freese, who lived there more than half a cen- tury. The farm is on the right bank of the Penobscot river, directly opposite the Uni- versity of Maine. Abraham Freese was a sol- dier in the revolution, enlisting July 14, 1775, as private from Deer Isle; also corporal in Captain Parker's company, Colonel Little's (Twelfth) regiment, enlisting January I, 1776, and March 2, 1777, in Captain Lane's company, Colonel Nixon's regiment. He married Hannah Whittemore, June 25, 1777. She was the daughter of Edmund Whitte- more, of Salem, Massachusetts. They were married by Rev. Thomas Barnard. Children : I. John, born August, 1778, at Deer Isle, mentioned below. 2. Abigail, born October 8, 1780; died May 1, 1831; married Joshua Lunt. 3. Isaac. 4. Retire W., born January 19, 1785 ; died October 23, 1860. 5. Abraham. 6. Hannah, born May 26, 1788; died Decem- ber 6, 1867; married James Lunt. 7. Jona- than, born December II, 1793; died Novem- ber 4, 1815.
(V) Captain John Freese, son of Abraham Freese (4), was born at Deer Isle, Maine, August, 1778, and died at Orono, Maine, January 17, 1855. He had a remarkable car- eer. He followed the sea for twelve years. On one of his voyages he found himself on the coast of Africa in a vessel engaged in the slave trade. On another occasion he was taken by an British press gang who invited him him to accompany them aboard an English man-of-war. His answer was characteristic : "You have crew enough to take me there, but if you do, and I get to the magazine, we will go to hell together." They did not take him. Again, in Cuba he was attacked by an angry Spaniard, who thrust at his with a poniard. He parried with his left hand, the thumb of which was nearly severed by the weapon, but
at the same time he struck the Spaniard with his right fist and knocked him into a dock. In consequence of his great strength and cour- age he was employed as constable. He was in the war of 1812, and stood against the British at Castine, where his sword belt was severed by the fragment of a shell. He was then an ensign, later having the rank of captain. On this occasion he stood by the colors longer than prudence would warrant. He had the the stature and courage of a giant. He was called a "Puritan of the Middle Period," for his strictness in piety and religious forms. He said grace standing at every meal, and insist- ed on the most literal observance of Sunday as a day of rest and devotion. In 1821 he entered upon Lot No. 14, in Hammond, (now La Grange) Maine, the corner lot in that plantation on the west side of the State road. He felled some acres of trees, cleared the land, and in the spring of 1822 planted his first crop. His title to the farm was found defective, and he had to pay for the land twice. Another piece of bad luck was the loss of eighteen acres of wheat in the Miramichi fire in 1825. Captain Freese was the first permanent settler of the town.
He married, December 24, 1800, Rebecca Rider, of Providence, Rhode Island. She was born August 31, 1779, and died at Orono, Maine, of cancer of the tongue, September 27, 1853. Their children : I. Angal Bartlett, born March 19, 1803; died March 4, 1868; mar- ried Sarah Rand. 2. Retire E., born Decem- ber 25, 1804, mentioned below. 3. Mary R., born March 2, 1807. 4. Allen B., born March 13, 1809. 5. John, born April 30, 1811. 6. Hannah, born September 17, 1813. 7. An- drew J., born October 13, 1816. 8. Paul D., born August 1, 1820. 9. Edward F., born August 26, 1822. IO. Rebekah, born January 5, 1826.
(VI) Retire E. Freese, son of Captain John Freese (5), was born at Orono, Maine, De- cember 25, 1804. He received his education in the common schools of that town. His father being a seafaring man, he was obliged to help carry on the farm at an early age. When he was eighteen years old he moved with his parents to La Grange, and assisted his father there until he married. Then he bought a farm of a hundred acres in the northern part of the same town. He left his farm at the beginning of the civil war to en- list in Company K, Eighth Maine Volunteers, and served two years under General Sherman, principally in the hospital corps in and near Washington, D. C. He returned home at the
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expiration of his enlistment and conducted his farm until his death, July 1, 1893. He was a Baptist in religion, and a Republican in politics.
He married, September 20, 1828, Rebecca Jones, of Bristol, Maine. Their children: I. Margaret D., born September 12, 1829; died February 20, 1868; married John Bishop, of LaGrange. 2. Matilda, born November 26, 1830; married Bodwell; children : Mary, Letty, Ola Bodwell. 3. William Lunt, born May 13, 1832; married, October 25, 1855, Clementina Harvey, of Maxfield, Maine; enlisted in Company B, Twentieth Maine, and was discharged June 4, 1865, serving in Fifth Corps, Army of the Poto- mac; children : i. Fred M., born December 20, 1856; ii. Frank H., born April 17, 1861 ; iii. William H., born April 1I, 1863; iv. Etta E., born June 17, 1875; v. Bertha B., born June 10, 1878. 4. Allen, born November 5, 1833; died June 4, 1905 ; married, March 12, 1852, Sarah Drake, of Concord, New Hamp- shire, who died July 6, 1896; children : i. Ellen I., born February 1, 1854; ii. Anna A., born August 1, 1858; iii. Myra E., born June 2, 1867; iv. Ola May, born February 16. 1871; died March 7, 1881. 5. Fanny, born March 12, 1836; married Clarke, of Philadel- phia, Pennsylvania ; children : i. Walter Clark, born 1859; ii. Herbert Clark, born 1860. 6. Retire E. Jr., born May 19, 1839; killed May 10, 1864, at Spottsylvania, Virginia, in civil war. 7. Olive L., born June 17, 1841 ; died July 3, 1864. 8. Elizabeth C., born February 14, 1843 ; married, November 26, 1879, Henry C. Sargent, of Suncook, New Hampshire ; child, Addie May Sargent, born July 6, 1882. 9. Edwin Abraham, born January 24, 1845, mentioned below. 10. Martha E., born July 22, 1846; married, March 5, 1872, Henry R. . Allen, of Webster, Maine; children: i. Ernest H. Allen, born February 13, 1873; ii. Isora E. Allen, born June 3, 1877 ; iii. Edith E. Al- len, born February 13, 1879; died March 7, 1899. iv. Alice Maud Allen, born October 27, 1880. II. George B., born January 16, 1851, married, 1875, Hester Martin; children: i. Ralph E., born January 24, 1883; died July 22, 1883; ii. Roy E., born April 5, 1885.
(VII) Edwin Abraham Freese, son of Re- tire E. Freese, (6), was born at La Grange, Maine, January 24, 1845. He spent his boy- hood on his father's farm, attending the district school of his native town. At the age of nine- teen he enlisted, February 27, 1864, in Com- pany F, Thirty-first Maine Volunteers, and was in the Second Brigade, Second Division,
Ninth Army Corps. His regiment embarked for New York, going thence by rail to Wash- ington, thence to Alexandria, Virginia. He took part in the battle of the Wilderness, May 6, 1864, and was severely wounded, spending many weeks in the hospital. He joined his regiment December 2 and served in the trenches in front of Petersburg until April 2, 1865, when the regiment went into battle, en- tering Petersburg the next day. From this time to the end his regiment was in pursuit of Lee's army. After the surrender at Appo- mattox the regiment escorted prisoners to City Point and took part in the Grand Review at Washington. He was mustered out of service in Bangor, July 15, 1865. He returned to the home of his father at La Grange and helped him carry on the farm until May, 1873- He left home then to take a position on Wash- acum Farm, South Framingham, Massachu- setts, owned by Sturtevant Brothers. After two years he entered the employ of Fales & Williams, carpenters and builders, and fol- lowed the trade of carpenter until 1880. He then became a salesman for Willis M. Ran- ney, dealer in lumber at South Framingham, and remained in that position for a period of fifteen years. In 1895 Mr. Freese went into business as carpenter and builder on his own account and has had gratifying success. Be- sides nine ·dwelling houses that he has built for investment, he has had the contracts for residences of H. L. Davenport, at South Framingham; H. G. Pride, at Quincy, Mas- sachusetts ; for F. W. Smith, Union avenue, South Framingham; for D. Leverone, at South Framingham, and various other build- ings. He is a member of Grace Congrega- tional (Orthodox) Church at South Framing- ham. In politics he is a Republican. He married, October 22, 1870, Orilla M. Luce, of North Dixmont, Maine, born June 24, 1845, daughter of George W. Luce. Her father was a blacksmith. Their children: I. George Retire, born January 29, 1872, mentioned be- low. 2. Olive Lunt, born April 29, 1879; married, July 19, 1900, Rexford A. Nash.
(VIII) George Retire Freese, son of Ed- win Abraham Freese (7), was born in La Grange, Maine, January 29, 1872. He re- moved with his parents to South Framing- ham, Massachusetts, when one year old, and was educated there in the public and high schools. At the age of twenty years he en- tered the employ of the Atkinson Furniture Company of Boston. Starting as the office boy he rose to the position of shipping clerk, and remained with this firm until May 4,
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1901, when he was killed by a fall in the ele- vator shaft while in the discharge of his du- ties at the store. He attended Grace Congre- gational Church at South Framingham. In politics he was a Republican. He was a faith- ful and conscientious man, enjoying the con- fidence of his townsmen and especially of his employers. He was unmarried.
STAPLES Peter Staples, immigrant an- cestor of the Staples family of northern New England, had a grant of land at what is now Kittery, M'aine, as early as 1671. He also bought a tract of land there on Long Beach, July 4, 1674, of Thomas Turner. He married (prob- ably second) Elizabeth Edwards, widow of Stephen Edwards, and daughter of Robert Beadle. He and his wife deeded their land to the son Peter Staples in 1694. His will was dated June 6, 1718, proved April 7, 1719. His wife was living 1720. Children. I. Peter, mentioned below. 2. John, married Mary Dixon. 3. James, married Mary Tetherly.
(II) Peter Staples, son of Peter Staples (I), was born about 1670, at Kittery, Maine, and died December 17, 1721. He was a car- penter by trade. His will was dated Decem- ber 6, 1720. He provided for his mother, who survived him, and mentions brother John and his children. The estate was in- ventoried at $1,102 pounds fifteen shillings sixpence. He married, January 6, 1695-6, Mary Long, who was born in 1678. Chil- dren, born at Kittery: I. Mary, born Sep- tember 20, 1696; married Moses Noble. 2. Peter, born August 20, 1699; married Joanna King. 3. Elizabeth, born October 10, 1701; married William Ham. 4. Robert, born May 1, 1704; married Hannah Tobey. 5. Annie, born March 16, 1705-6; married Stephen Tobey. 6. Enoch, born March 12, 1707-8, mentioned below. 7. Grace, born April 7, 1710-II; married Tobias Leighton. 8. Joshua, born September 16, 1712; mar- ried Abigail Fernald.
(III) Enoch Staples, son of Peter Staples (2), was born at Kittery, Maine, March 12, 1707-8: married, September 24, 1728, Anne Hill, born 1711, died April 23, 1742, daugh- ter of David and Anne (Adams) Hill. Their children, born at Kittery: I. Enoch, born December 3, 1729; died December 31, 1740. 2. Shuah, born March 2, 1732-3; married Joseph Libby. 3. David, born August 24, I734; married Anne Libby. 4. Grace, born Ocober 15, 1736. 5. Robert, born January
14, 1737, mentioned below. 6. Enoch, born October 29, 1740.
(IV) Robert Staples, son of Enoch Staples (3), was born in Kittery, Maine, January 14, I737; married, December 4, 1764, Elizabeth Kennard, born January 5, 1746-7, and died July 26, 1832, daughter of Edward and Eliza- beth (Marsh) Kennard. He was an early settler at Limington, Maine, where he died July 2, 1822, aged eighty-five years. He was a cordwainer by trade. His will was dated September 8, 1743. His farm is in that part of Limington set off to Limerick, Maine. Children, born at Kittery: I. Enoch, born August 5, 1765, died young. 2. Enoch, born July 4, 1767. 3. Anna, born July 1, 1769; married Paul Stone. 4. Betsey, born July I, 1771 ; died July 8, 1793. 5. James, born May IO, 1773; died March 12, 1855. 6. Hiram, born April 14, 1775; died June 10, 1846. 7. Na- thaniel, born 1777, mentioned below. 8. Shuah, born August II, 1779; married Samuel Stone. 9. Lucy, born Novem- ber II, 1781; married Ezekiel Small. IO. Sally, born November 30, 1783; married Alexander Boothby. II. William, born June 7, 1786; died April 18, 1868. 12. Mary, born, July 17, 1791; married Samuel Chad- bourne.
(V) Nathaniel Staples, son of Robert Staples (4), was born at Kittery, Maine, 1777, and died at Temple, Maine, Janu- ary 30, 1872. He married Abigail Oakes. They settled at Temple, Maine. Children: I. Nathaniel Kinny. 2. Susan. 3. Patience. 4. Samuel Baker, born November 26, 1812, mentioned below. 5. James, born March 15, 1815; died September 1, 1876; father of Rev. L. W. Staples, now pastor of the Asbury Temple (Methodist) of Waltham, Massachu- setts. 6. Jeremiah. 7. Olive. 8. Daviď Copeland, medical student, died November 28, 1849.
(VI) Samuel Baker Staples, son of Na- thaniel Staples, (5), was born at Temple, Maine, November 26, 1812. He received his education in the district schools of his native town. He worked at home on his father's farm until he married, then bought a hun- dred acre farm in the west part of the town and conducted it a number of years. In 1849 he sold it to William Farmer, of Temple, and bought three adjoining farms at Byron, Maine, known as the Thomas, Cutting and Dunham farms, comprising about three hun- dred acres, and located in the western part of the township. After farming there five years he sold part of his land to Benjamin Cole,
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the remainder to a corporation, and in 1854 removed to Westborough, Massachusetts, where he purchased the old Kimball farm of one hundred and forty acres, situate on Kim- ball Hill. He carried on this farm for fifteen years, then sold it and bought a residence on Ruggles street, where he died October 22, 1895. He was a member of the Westborough Methodist Episcopal Church. In politics he was a Republican. He was in the Maine militia in his youth, and enlisted for the Mexican war, but his company got no fur- ther away from home than Portland, Maine.
He married, November 23, 1837, at Salem, Maine, Lucena Richards, who was born at Leeds, Maine, July II, 18II, and died at Westborough, Massachusetts, March 17, 1885, daughter of John Richards, of Leeds.
Children: I. Nancy Lucena, born July 24, 1838; married Lorenzo Wheelock, of Graf- ton, Massachusetts; child: Emma, born May 28, 1876. 2. Samuel Orrington, born May 7, 1840; died May 8, 1841. 3. Angeline Al- phina, born October 4, 1841; married Ed- ward F. Chamberlain, of Grafton, May 9, 1859. Children: i. William Edward, born December 19, 1860. ii. Emma Louise, born November 28, 1867. iii. Marion E., born February 23, 1873. iv. Norman G., born January 28, 1889. 4. Samuel Orrington, born April 16, 1843, mentioned below. 5. Mary Augusta, born 1845; died 1846. 6. Henry Dearborn, born September 16, 1848; mar- ried Annie E. Fisher, of Westborough. Chil- dren: i. Parkman F., born September 10, 1881. ii. Theron P., born July 16, 1887. iii. Ruth P., born December 22, 1889. iv. Annie P., born January 13, 1892. 7. John Rich- ards, born at Bryon, July 13, 1851; died at Grafton, Massachusetts, February 1, 1876. 8. Holman Cole, born at Westborough, May 16, 1854; died at Grafton, December 2, 1868.
(VII) Samuel Orrington Staples, son of Samuel B. Staples (6), was born in Temple, Maine, April 16, 1843. When he was six years old he went to Byron, Maine, with the family, and attended the public schools there until he was eleven years old, when he came with his parents to Westborough, Massachu- setts, in 1854. Here he completed his school- ing. He worked with his father on the farm until he enlisted in the civil war. He entered the service August 27, 1862, in Company E, Fifty-first Regiment Volunteer Infantry, Colonel A. B. R. Sprague, serving in the campaigns in North Carolina and Virginia in the Eighteenth Army Corps. He took pan in the engagements at Kinston, Whitehall
and Goldsboro, North Carolina, after which the regiment came to Newberne and re- turned to the Army of the Potomac. While he enlisted for nine months, his time of ser- vice extended to eleven, being discharged July 27, 1863. He returned to his home in Westborough, but soon afterward went south again to become general clerk and salesman for G. P. Simonton & Company, wholesale commission merchants, Newberne, North Carolina. He was employed later in the commissary department of the government, going thence to Norfolk, Virginia, and to the Army of the James as a citizen clerk for eight months, and later in Richmond in the same capacity. At the close of the war he returned to Westborough and entered the employ of George N. Smalley, manufacturer of straw goods. He worked for this concern for twenty-one years, seventeen of which he was a designer of hat forms. In 1888 he re- moved to Framingham, where he and H. W. Smalley bought the straw business of H. O. Billings, and under the firm name of Staples & Smalley they manufactured ladies, misses and children's straw hats for four years. Then he sold his interests to his partner, and was during the following year superintendent of the straw shop of E. P. Bassett & Sons, Franklin, Massachusetts. He subsequently bought the assets of Del Shepley & Com- pany, at 127 and 129 Kingston street, Bos- ton, where he made straw goods three years. In 1897 he retired from active business and has devoted himself to public affairs and to the care of his property. He resides at South Framingham, and has invested largely in real estate. He is the owner of Staples Block, a modern business building in Westborough.
Mr. Staples is a staunch Republican. His first public office was that of water commis- sioner of Westborough in 1886, 1887, 1888. He was next elected to the office of high- way surveyor, a position he held in Fram- ingham from 1898 to 1901. He was chair- man of the board of selectmen in 1902. In 1904 he represented his district in the general court, serving on the committee on roads and bridges. He was re-elected, and in 1905 served on the committees on military affairs, and chairman of the committees on towns. Mr. Staples is a member and ex-president of the Framingham Board of Trade, and a member of the Middlesex and Massachusetts clubs, of the Framingham Grange, Patrons of Husbandry; of the Westborough Lodge, Ancient Order of United Workmen; of A. G. Biscoe Post, No. 80, Grand Army. He has
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