USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Historic homes and places and genealogical and personal memoirs relating to the families of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Volume IV > Part 82
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(IV) Joseph Hoyt, son of Zerubbabel Hoyt (3), born 1676-78, lived in Norwalk, died De- cember or January, 1730-31. Land was granted him in Norwalk on the east side of Five Mile river, February, 1699, and his father deeded him a house and lot in 1704, other land in 1710, 1721-22, 1725-26, and his name is often in the land records of his day. His will was dated December 28, 1730, proved January 22, 1730-31. He married Sarah Children : I. Zerubbabel, born 1698- 1708; resided in Norwalk, Connecticut, and
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Bedford, New York. 2. James, born May 25, 1708, mentioned below. 3. Moses, born be- fore 1712; lived in Norwalk. 4. Joseph, sea captain, admirer of Whitefield; died about 1782. 5. Sarah. 6. Elizabeth, married Sam- uel Raymond, Jr. 7. Hannah, living in 1730. (V) James Hoyt, son of Joseph Hoyt (4), was born May 25, 1708. Married Hannah Gould and they settled in Norwalk, where he died January 28, 1774. His widow Hannah died December 31, 1778, aged sixty-three. He was appointed guardian of his brother Joseph January 26, 1730-31. He bought and sold various tracts of land from 1734 to 1743. His will dated May 26, 1772, was proved Sep- tember 2, 1775. Children : I. Captain James, born 1732 in Norwalk, married Sarah Han- ford; lived in Bridgeport, Connecticut; died November 17, 1787; sea captain, sailing be- tween New York and Italy. 2. Gould, born January 9, 1738, married, June 13, 1765, Eliz- abeth Dimon ; had a large estate for his time. 3. Jesse, born June 2, 1744, mentioned below. 4. Captain Stephen, born 1750 in Norwalk, married Esther Lamson, of Fairfield; a cap- tain of Loyalists in the Revolution, American volunteers from Nova Scotia. 5. Isaac, born 1754, married, June 30, 1776, Mary Ray- mond; lived in Norwalk. 6. Hannah, living in 1772. 7. Ann, married, November 15, 1785, George Raymond; sailing master under Paul Jones.
(VI) Colonel Jesse Hoyt, son of James Hoyt (5), was born in Norwalk, June 2, 1744. He married there October 1, 1764, Mary Ray- mond; lived in Norwalk, in Oyster Bay and Huntington, Long Island, and Weymouth and Annapolis, Nova Scotia. He died at Annapolis, April 22, 1822. His widow Mary died there May 24, 1828, aged eighty-four years. He was a Loyalist. In 1776 he accom- panied the British fleet to New York as Ad- miral Howe's pilot. This act gave great dis- pleasure to some of his brothers at Norwalk, and he was compelled to send a flag of truce there to have his wife and children conveyed to New York City. From there he removed with his family to Oyster Bay and in the autumn of 1782 his wife and five children were sent to Annapolis, Nova Scotia ; he join- ed them at the close of the war in the spring of 1783. He had been colonel of his regiment in the Connecticut militia. He was a man of strong opinions and sterling character. He was a farmer and his farm and estates at Nor- walk were forfeited. The appraisal dated January 13, 1779, "according to the present value thereof in Continental Bills was 1327
pounds, four shillings." Children : I. Silas, born April 4, 1766, at Norwalk, mentioned . below. 2. Jesse, Jr., born October 25, 1767, married, May 19, 1799, Irene Wheelock ; lived at Aannapolis. 3. Polly, born June 16, 1769, married, July 18, 1787, Nathan B. Miller ; lived in Newport, Rhode Island, and in An- napolis, Nova Scotia. 4. Hannah, born June 9, 1774, died April 23, 1777. 5. Frederick, born February 4, 1776, lost in the woods at Weymouth, Nova Scotia, November 20, 1783. 6. Hannah, born February 13, 1778, at Oyster Bay, died June 19, 1779, in New York. 7. Harriet, born November II, 1781, at Oyster Bay, died July 26, 1796, in Annapolis. 8. Alfred, born January 21, 1783, at Annapolis. 9. Anne, born November 12, 1784, at Wey- mouth, married, June 19, 1814, Handley Chip- man ; lived at Cornwallis, Nova Scotia. IO. James Moody, born January 25, 1789, at Nesbit, went to New York City and became a prominent and wealthy merchant; died in Norwalk, August 5, 1854; widow Mary died there September 6, 1867, aged seventy-five.
(VII) Silas Hoyt, son of Jesse Hoyt (6), was born at Norwalk, April 4, 1766. Married Weymouth, married, May 12, 1814, Mary Jane, daughter of Robert Dickson, of Annapo- lis, February 20, 1802. He lived at Annapolis ; was a farmer. He and all his brothers were members of the Protestant Episcopal church or Church of England. He died at Annapolis, May II, 1838, and his widow Jane died May IO, 1849, aged sixty-six years. Children: I. Alexander Dickson, born March 17, 1803, in Annapolis, married, October 18, 1827, Sophia Jones, daughter of Stephen Jones ; he was a house joiner by trade; justice of the peace ; resided at Weymouth, Digby county, Nova Scotia. 2. Polly Miller, born March I, 1805, in Annapolis, married, March 13, 1837, John Easson; resided at Bridgetown, Nova Scotia. 3. Mary Anna, born December 12, 1806, mar- ried, February 20, 1839, Benjamin Fairn ; re- sided at Rosette, Nova Scotia. 4. James Fred- erick, born February 21, 1809, married Eu- phemia Stewart Easson, daughter of Alexan- der, November 13, 1834 ; resided at Annapolis. 5. William Henry, born March 13, 1811, mar- ried, April 30, 1834. Eliza J. Doucette ; lived at St. John, New Brunswick. 6. Alfred, born November 26. 1817, married, November 25, 1841, Helen Easson, daughter of Alexander Easson ; farmer lived at Lequille, Annapolis. 7. George, born October 25, 1819, in Annapo- lis, married, July 23, 1845, Maria Alfrida Doucette, daughter of Captain Charles Dou- cette, of Clare : they lived at Bridgetown,
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Granville, Nova Scotia. 8. Charles, born May "9, 1822, mentioned below.
(VIII) Charles Hoyt, son of Silas Hoyt (7), was born at Annapolis, Nova Scotia, May 9, 1822 .. Married there Sarah Jane Quirk, daughter of John and Eliza (Chip- man) Quirk. Children : Sarah Jane, Mary ' Ann, Eliza, Helen, Rhoda, James, John and Thomas Quirk. Charles Hoyt was a mer- chant, having a general store at Bridgetown, Nova Scotia. Children of Charles and Sarah Jane (Quirk) Hoyt : I. Eliza Quirk, born Jan- uary II, 1848, in Bridgetown. 2. Henry Spurr, born December 27, 1849, resided in Halifax. 3. Anne, born February 28, 1852, married Cutler Colin Crowell; (See Crowell sketch). 4. Charles John, born May 9, 1854. 5. Lewis William, born March 18, 1856. 6. Catharine Jane, born May 1, 1858. 7. Sarah Alice, born November 30, 1863.
(IX) Anne Hoyt, daughter of Charles and Sarah Jane (Quirk) Hoyt (8), was born Feb- ruary 28, 1852. She married Cutler Colin Crowell, born in Annapolis county, Nova Scotia, May, 1850, the son of Hiram and Ann (Saunders) Crowell. Children of Hiram and Ann Crowell : I. Reuben, died unmarried. 2. Cutler Colin, born May, 1850. 3. Barlow, married Lizzie Dakin and had children: An- nie, Nina, Cutler and Warren. 4. Eliza, died unmarried. The Crowell family settled in Nova Scotia after the American Revolution.
The immigrant ancestor of the Crowell family, John Crowell, was born in England, and as early as 1635 settled in Charlestown, Massachusetts Bay. His wife had come the year before and had bought a house of Wil- liam Jennings on her arrival. In June, 1638, the list of possessions shows that he had ac- quired considerable property at Charlestown. He was a town officer there. In 1638 with Mr. Thatcher and Mr. Howes he went to Yarmouth in the other colony and took the oath of allegiance December 18, 1638; was admitted a freeman soon and was appointed magistrate to determine small causes June 2, 1640 (not over twenty shillings), this being the first judicial establishment in the colony. In 1641 he sold a farm in Dorchester to Thomas Makepeace. Crowell was a very strict and faithful Puritan. His wife was ad- mitted to the church at Charlestown, Janu- ary 4, 1634-35. His home was an eighth of a mile north of the meeting house in Dennis, then Yarmouth; it stood two hundred years; was plastered inside and out and the walls were filled with a sort of concrete made of clay and stone to protect the occupants
against Indian missiles. He died January, 1673: Children of John Crowell: I. Moses, baptized June 24, 1637, died young. 2. John, born about 1638, proprietor at Billerica. 3. Samuel. 4. Thomas. 5. (?) Yelverton, of Yarmouth. From one of these sons whose family located at Sandwich and Truro on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, the Nova Scotia family is descended.
Cutler Colin Crowell was educated in the public schools of his native town. At the age of eighteen he left home and located in Bos- ton, Massachusetts, where he learned the printer's trade and has since followed it as an occupation. He is at present the superin- tendent of Sawyer & Son, printers, of Boston. He resides in Somerville, Massachusetts, and is active in the church and social life of that city. He was a member of the board of di- rectors of the Young Men's Christian Asso- ciation in 1897 and has been an active work- er in this organization. He is the junior warden of the Somerville Protestant Episco- pal Church. He is a director and member of the finance committee of the Somerville Co-operative Bank since its organization. He is a member of the Central Club. Children of Cutler C. and Anne (Hoyt) Crowell: I. Harry, born and died 1876. 2. Louis Follett, born in Boston, 1878, educated in the public and high school, stock broker with John Ab- bott Mason, Boston; member of Central Club. 3. Edna Gertrude, born at Somerville, 1881, married Harry Cox and has one daugh- ter, Ruth Cox, born March 30, 1904.
John Brown, the immigrant BROWN ancestor, was a Scotchman, ac- cording to one of his deeds on record at Cambridge, and was doubtless born in Scotland. Many Scotch soldiers taken prisoner by Cromwell were sent to New England and placed with the settlers for stated periods, and most of the Scotch ap- pearing in Massachusetts Bay about 1650-60 came in this way. John Brown was born in 1631. He settled in Marlborough, Massachu- setts, about 1662, having lived previously at Cambridge. In 1678, after King Philip's war he sold his farm at Marlborough to Thomas Rice and probably then removed to Fal- mouth (now Portland), Maine. He removed from Falmouth to Watertown. His will, in which he is designated as "late of Falmouth" mentions wife; sons John, Thomas, Daniel and Joseph, daughter Deborah Meacham; sons-in-law John Gustin, John Adams,
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Thomas Darley or Darby and John Harts- horn. He married, April 24, 1655, Esther Makepeace, of Boston. Children, born in Cambridge: I. Joseph, born February 8, 1655-56, killed by a cart September 24, 1671. 2. Elizabeth, March 26, 1657. 3. Sarah, July 18, 1661. 4. Mary, December 19, 1662. Chil- dren born at Marlborough: 5. John, No- vember 27, 1664. 6. Hester, born and died in 1667. 7. Thomas, 1669. 8. Daniel, 1671. 9. Deborah, 1673. IO. Abigail, March 9, 1675. II. Joseph, mentioned below.
(II) Joseph Brown, son of John Brown (I), was born in 1677. He was a cordwainer by trade. He probably settled in Watertown Farms, now Weston, as he sold to Benjamin Garfield seventy-two acres of land in Wes- ton, April 20, 1709, about the time he re- moved to Lexington. He and his wife were admitted to the Lexington church, May, 1713, and of this church he was afterward deacon. He was constable in 1700 and town clerk of Watertown in 1708. His mother conveyed to him a house and six acres of land in Watertown, March 16, 1698-99, bounded northeast and west by land of John Barnard, south by the highway. He bought seventy-two acres of land in Watertown, January 4, 1708-09, of John Mixer and wife Abigail with house, bounded by lands of Daniel Harrington, Thomas Woolson, Sam- uel Whitney and John Warren. He bought and sold other parcels of land in Watertown. He died January II, 1766, aged about eighty- six according to the record, and his widow died July 1, 1772, aged ninety-two. He mar- ried, in Watertown, November 15, . 1699, Ruhamah Wellington, daughter of Benjamin and Elizabeth (Sweetman) Wellington. Eliz- abeth was the eldest daughter of Thomas and Isabel Sweetman, of Cambridge. Benjamin Wellington died January 8, 1709-10; he mar- ried, December 7, 1671, Elizabeth Sweetman; was son of Roger Wellington, born 1609, an early settler at Watertown; Roger married Mary Palgrave, eldest daughter of Dr. Rich- ard Palgrave; he died March II, 1697-98. Children of Joseph and Ruhamah (Welling- ton) Brown: I. Ruhamah, born July 15, 1701. 2. Daniel, born December 21, 1703, married (first) who died January II, I734-35; (second), July 16, 1736, Anne Bright. 3. John, born May 5, 1706, died January 21, 1730. 4. Joseph, born September 2, 1758, settled in Holliston, where he was deacon. 5. James, mentioned below. 6. Josiah, baptized in Lexington, August 2, 1714, settled in Sterling, Massachusetts. 7. Benjamin, born
in Lexington, June 30, 1720, died 1801; dea- con of the church; married, December 23, 1732, Sarah Reed. 8. William, born 1723, baptized April 28, 1723, in Lexington; select- man and deacon in Framingham, where he settled and built mills called by his name.
(III) James Brown, son of Joseph Brown (2), was born in Lexington and baptized there in July, 1713; died there June 13, 1768. Married, January 21, 1734-35, Jane Bowman, died May 8, 1761, daughter of Nathaniel Bowman. Her father was born February 9, 1668-69, died June 30, 1748; married, De- cember 16, 1692, Anne Barnard, who died September 16, 1757. Francis Bowman, fath- er of Nathaniel, died aged fifty-seven years; married September 26, I661, Martha Sherman, daughter of Captain John Sher- man, who was born in Dedham, Eng- land, 1613, prominent citizen of Water- town, progenitor . of many famous men. Nathaniel Bowman, father of Francis, was born in England, of high social standing, set- tled in Watertown and Lexington; died Jan- uary 26, 1681-82. The first wife of James Brown, Jane, died May 8, 1761, and he mar- ried (second), May 18, 1762, Elizabeth Smith, daughter of Hezekiah. Children by the first wife: I. Mary, born at Lexington, August 13, 1735, married, September 3, 1753, Samuel Thatcher, of Watertown, son of Ebenezer and Susanna (Spring) Thatcher. 2. Eunice, born January 27, 1738. 3. Rev. Joseph, men- tioned below. 4. James, Jr., born November 26, 17 -.
(IV) Rev. Joseph Brown, son of James Brown (3), was born in Lexington, Massa- chusetts, April 14, 1741, and was graduated at Harvard College in 1763. He was ad- mitted to full communion in the church May 6, 1764, and dismissed to the church at Win- chendon, Massachusetts, where he was or- dained and installed as minister in April, 1769, succeeding Rev. Daniel Stimpson. He was a preacher of ability, and for thirty years was the beloved and honored pastor of this church. But when age began to creep upon him a faction arose in the church against him, resulting finally in his dismissal, Sep- tember 3, 1799, by an ecclesiastical council which exonerated him from any real blame. Mr. Brown was a class mate in college with Josiah Quincy, Joshua Upham, Samson Sal -- ter Blowers, Timothy Pickering and Caleb Gannett. During Mr. Brown's pastorate a new meeting house, was built, dedicated January 1, 1793. Mr. Brown preached a memorial sermon in 1799 on the occasion of
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Washington's death. It was printed and some copies have been preserved, while the original manuscript is in the possession of his descendants. He removed to Windsor coun- ty, Vermont, about 1800, and supplied the pulpit at Guilford, Vermont, and Springfield of the same county. He died in 1810 at the home of his son-in-law in Windsor, Vermont. Mr. Brown received the Master's degree at Harvard in 1766. He married, May 7, 1765, Sarah Smith, born March 28, 1746, daugh- ter of Hezekiah Smith, born April 2, 1706, married, February 24, 1725-26, Elizabeth Wellington, daughter of Joseph and grand- daughter of Roger Wellington. Hezekiah died April 16, 1760, and his widow married as second wife Deacon James Brown (3), mentioned above, father of Rev. Joseph Brown.
Joseph Smith, father of Hezekiah, born April 10, 1677, married, October 14, 1701, Mary Richards, born May 15, 1680, daughter of William and Mary Richards.
Joseph Smith, father of Joseph just men- tioned, was born June 10, 1643, died June, 1712; married, December 1, 1674, Hannah Tidd.
Thomas Smith, father of Joseph just men- tioned, was born in England, came to America in the summer of 1635 and was a proprietor of Watertown, 1636-37, where he died March 10, 1692-93, aged ninety-two. He married Mary Knapp, daughter of William, Sr. He is believed to be son of John Smith, Sr., and Isabella, early settlers of Watertown, of whom little is known.
Children of Rev. Joseph and Sarah (Smith) Brown (three eldest born at Lexington, the remainder at Winchendon, but all recorded at Winchendon) : I. Elizabeth, born July 20, 1765. 2. Jane, February 27, 1767. 3. Joseph, mentioned below. 4. James, April 24, 1771, died young. 5. James, November 13, 1772. 6. Sarah, January 5, 1775. 7. Mary, May 18, 1778. 8. John, February 22, 1780. 9. Amos, July 14, 1782.
(V) Joseph Brown, son of Rev. Joseph Brown (4), was born in Lexington, Massa- chusetts, November 26, 1768. He was brought up in Winchendon, Massachusetts, and settled in Cavendish, Windsor county, Vermont. He died about 1840. He married Child, George Washington, men- tioned below.
(VI) George Washington Brown, son of Joseph Brown (5), was born in Cavendish, Vermont, in 1814. He was educated in the public schools. He settled in Weston, Mas-
sachusetts, where he followed the trade of carpenter and joiner. In 1854 he removed to Waltham, in the same county, and was for a number of years employed in making pianos and organs in the factories of Chickering & Son and Mason & Hamlin. He died in Wal- tham, December 6, 1896, and his wife died the following day. He married Irene Wood- bury, daughter of Leonard Woodbury, of Croyden, New Hampshire. Child, Frank H., mentioned below.
(VII) Frank H. Brown, son of George Washington Brown (6), was born in Weston, August 15, 1853. He was educated in the public schools of Waltham, graduating from the high school with the class of 1868. He began his business career as clerk in a drug store in Chelsea, Massachusetts, where he worked for ten years. He spent the summer of 1876 in California. He then made an ex- tended trip through the west in the fall of 1877, and in the year following entered the employ of the Davis & Farnum Manufactur- ing Company as bookkeeper, serving in that position for about five years, when he became superintendent. In 1894, when the business. of the firm was incorporated under the laws of the Commonwealth, under the name of Davis & Farnum Manufacturing Company, he continued to be the superintendent and he was also elected a director and treasurer of the company and has continued to fill both offices to the present time. 'Mr. Davis has, won a foremost position among the manufac- turers and business men of the city. His in- dustry, energy and executive ability have been the source of much of the prosperity and the cause of the rapid growth of the business of the foundry.
In politics Mr. Brown is a Republican, but has held no public offices except that of mem- ber of the board of public buildings and grounds, in the work of which he has been greatly interested and to which he has given much time. Mr. Brown's fondness for art. and nature have made him especially useful in this office. In the architecture and equip- ment of public buildings and in the landscape gardening of the public parks his judgment has been alike valuable. To him the city owes much of the beauty and charm of Prospect Park, which is located in the highest eminence in the city, where the range of vision extends from the White Mountains in New Hamp- shire on the north beyond the Blue Hills to the south, from the Berkshires of western Massachusetts to the horizon on the Atlantic from Marblehead to Plymouth Bay. He is a
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member of the Boston Art Club. He is a member of Monitor Lodge of Free Masons ; of Waltham Chapter, Royal Arch Masons; of Waltham, and of the Order of the Mystic Shrine. He married, 1878, Henrietta E. Far- num, daughter of John and Henrietta M. Far- num. Her father was member of the firm of David & Farnum ..
Thomas Fitch, the English pro-
FITCH genitor, was born in England about 1590 and died in 1645. He inherited an estate near Braintree, Essex county, England. He married, August 8, 16II, Annie Pew. After his death the widow and three sons came to New England, where two sons had already located. Children : I. Thomas, came to America in 1638, settled in Norwalk; in 1663 was one of the wealthiest citizens; from whom in three generations each bearing the name of Thomas Fitch de- scended Governor Thomas Fitch, who was at the head of the colony of Connecticut from 1754 to 1760. 2. Joseph, settled in Norwalk, Connecticut, in 1652; in Northampton, Mas- sachusetts, in 1655; in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1660; married Mary Stone, daughter of Rev. Samuel Stone, a founder of Hartford ; removed to Windsor. 3. James, mentioned below. 4. Samuel, of Hartford. 5. John, of Windsor ; left no issue.
(II) Rev. James Fitch, son of Thomas Fitch (I), was born December 24, 1622, at Bocking, Essex county, England. He was well educated in youth in England, and when he came to New England was well instructed in the learned languages. He passed seven years under the instruction of "those eminent divines" Mr. Hooker and Mr. Stone. He dis- charged the pastoral office for fourteen years at Saybrook, from whence with the greater part of the membership of his church he went to Norwich and there spent the remainder of his active life "in the work of the Gospel un- til age and infirmity obliged him to withdraw from the public labor." At his ordination Mr. Hooker, of Hartford, was present, but the im- position of hands was by two of the brethren appointed by the church to that office. He preached the election sermon in 1674 and it is the oldest election sermon preserved of the Connecticut ministry, perhaps the first one preached. Another of his sermons that is pre- served is the one on the death of Anne, wife of Major Mason (1672). He was zealous and faithful in his work for the material as well as the spiritual welfare of the Indians. Dur- ing King Philip's war he was almost constant-
ly with the soldiers when they were in the field, acting as their chaplain, under Major Treat. In 1666 he had a grant of one hundred and twenty acres of Major Mason's land at Pomahook. To this tract Owaneco, son and successor of the chief Uncas, added a strip of land a mile wide and five miles in length. It was called "Mr. Fitch's Mile." The place be- came the site of the town of Lebanon, the name of which Mr. Fitch chose. To this new and interesting plantation Mr. Fitch retired in the year 1701 to spend his last days. "A brief summer passed in its quiet, secluded shades, led him forward to the tomb," as one writer quaintly phrases it. His three youngest sons, Nathaniel, Joseph, and Eleazer, all early set- tlers of Lebanon, were buried near him. His tomb has a succinct and appreciative account of his life and services engraved upon it. He died November 18, 1702.
"He was a man famed for his penetration of mind, solidity of judgment and devotion to the sacred duties of his office and entire holi- ness of life ; as also for his skill and energy in preaching, inferior to none." As a pastor Mr. Fitch was zealous and indefatigable. In addi- tion to his other labors he trained several young men for the ministry-Rev. Samuel Whiting, of Windham; Rev. Mr. Taylor, of Westfield, and Rev. Mr. Adams, of New Lon- don. He was fifty years in active service as a pastor, from 1646 to 1696, when he suffered a stroke of palsy. He married (first) Abigail Whitfield, who died September 9, 1659, hav- ing had six children. He married (second), October, 1664, Priscilla Mason, daughter of Major John Mason, the famous Indian fighter of Colonial days.
Major Mason was born in England in 1600; served in the English army in the Netherlands under Sir Thomas Fairfax, attaining the rank of Lieutenant ; came to New England in 1630. settling first at Dorchester where he was a deputy to the general court ; in October, 1635, removed to Windsor, Connecticut, with Rev. John Warham, Henry Walcott and others of the first settlers ; was assistant or magistrate of the colony in 1642; led a successful expe- dition against the Pequot Indians in May, 1637, near New London ; married, 1640, Anne -, and in 1647 removed to Saybrook ; in 1660 became one of the first settlers of Nor- wich with his son-in-law, Mr. Fitch ; was dep- uty-governor and major-general of the forces of the colony : died January 30, 1672, at Nor- wich; his widow died soon afterward. Pris- cilla Mason was born October, 1641, at Wind- sor.
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It has been said of Fitch that he was "a wise, kind and good man, greatly beloved by his people and who during fifty years of ministry exercised beneficent and extended influence not only in spiritual matters but in secular affairs-in things pertaining to the welfare of the colony and the good order and prosperity of the new plantations."
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