Historic homes and places and genealogical and personal memoirs relating to the families of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Volume IV, Part 83

Author: Cutter, William Richard, 1847-1918, ed
Publication date: 1908
Publisher: New York, Lewis historical publishing company
Number of Pages: 912

USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Historic homes and places and genealogical and personal memoirs relating to the families of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Volume IV > Part 83

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Children of Rev. James and Abigail Fitch: I. Major James, born August 2, 1649. 2. Abigail, born August 5, 1650, married Cap- tain John Mason. 3. Elizabeth, born Janu- ary 2, 1652, married Rev. Edward Taylor. 4. Hannah, born September 17, 1653, married Thomas Mix. 5. Samuel, born April, 1655. 6. Dorothy, born April, 1658, married Na- thaniel Bissell. Children of Rev. James and Priscilla Fitch: 7. Captain Daniel, born Au- gust, 1665, at Norwich; settled in New Lon- don; active Indian fighter. 8. Captain John, mentioned below. 9. Jeremiah, born Sep- tember, 1670. 10. Rev. Jabez, born April, 1672, at Norwich; graduate of Harvard, 1694; Congregational minister at Ipswich, Massachusetts, (1703) and Portsmouth, New Hampshire (1725); died at Portsmouth, No- vember 22, 1746. II. Anne, born April, 1675, married Joseph Bradford, son of Major John Bradford, of Plymouth. 12. Captain Na- thaniel, born October, 1679, settled at Leba- non. 13. Joseph, born November, 1681, mar- ried Sarah Mason; (second) Anne Whiting. 14. Eleazer, born May 14, 1683, deacon.

(III) Captain John Fitch, son of Rev. `James Fitch (2), born at Norwich, January, 1668, died at Windham, Connecticut, May 24, 1743. He settled at Windham where he be- came a prominent citizen; was town clerk from 1704 to 1743; justice of the peace and judge of probate; deputy to general court twenty sessions; captain of militia company of his town. He owned the covenant at Nor- wich, 1700. He was a man of wealth, of high social position and extensive influence. He married, July 10, 1695, Elizabeth Waterman, born August, 1675, at Norwich. eldest daugh- ter of Thomas and Miriam (Tracy) Water- man, of Norwich. Children: I. Elizabeth, born June 1, 1696, married Nathaniel Webb. 2. Miriam, born October 17, 1699, married, October 16, 1740, Hezekiah Ripley, born June 10, 1695. 3. Priscilla, born February 5, 1703, married Rev. Solomon Paine. 4. John, mentioned below.

(IV) Captain John Fitch, son of Captain John Fitch (3), born at Windham, March 18, 1705, died there February 19, 1760. He mar- ried Alice. daughter of Ebenezer Fitch, of

Windsor. They settled at Windham, where he was captain of his militia company after his father. Children, born at Windham: I. John, born July 14, 1732, married, November 7, 1753, Mercy Lathrop; he died June 5, 1757. 2. Alice, born October 7, 1734. 3. Ebenezer, born November 30, 1736, at Wind- ham ; married, May 4, 1760, Chloe Kingsbury, and died at Salisbury, Connecticut. 4. James, born April 9, 1739. 5. Miriam, born June 9, 1741, married Isaac Canada. 6. Elizabeth, born October 4, 1743, married Sanford Kingsbury. 7. Rev. Elijah, mentioned be- low. 8. Jabez, born March 2, 1748; married, October 7, 1773, Olive Ripley. 9. Eunice. IO. Lucy, born March 26, 1753.

(V) Rev. Elijah Fitch, son of Captain John Fitch (4), was born in Windham, Connecti- cut, January 8, 1746. He was educated at Yale where he was graduated with the de- gree of A. B. in 1765; receiving the degree of A. M. from Yale ,College in 1769 and the honorary degree of A. M. from Harvard College. in 1770. He became the second minister of Hopkinton, Massachusetts. The health of the first minister, Rev. Mr. Barrett, became so much impaired in 1771 that he could no longer preach and on December 9, 1771, it was voted to concur with the church in the choice of Mr. Elijah Fitch for a pas- tor with one hundred and thirty-three pounds, six shillings, eight pence for his set- tlement and sixty pounds a year salary. He was ordained as colleague with Mr. Barrett, January 15, 1772. He was remarkably suc- cessful in his long pastorate. He died in the prime of life, however, December 16, 1788. It has been said of him: "that no man ever more feelingly participated in the happiness or misery of his fellow-men than he, or bet- ter filled the several offices of pastor, hus- band, friend, neighbor and townsman." He was an eloquent preacher, fine scholar and poet. 'He wrote and published a poem of several cantos, entitled "The Beauties of Re- ligion" which has considerable merit; also a shorter poem, called "The Choice" in which he felicitously describes his manner of life in Hopkinton. He was found of angling and the chase in which he frequently indulged himself in company with Dr. John Wilson and Major William Price. One of his Elec- tion Sermons during the Revolution was published, entitled "Flight of the British Troops," March 4, 1776. He was pastor of the church until his death. He was gifted musically and many of his descendants inher- ited musical talent. He married, April 17,

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1766, Hannah Fuller. Children : Elijah Lord, born December 12, 1766, at Windham, , died young. Elijah, mentioned below.

(VI) Deacon Elijah Fitch, son of Rev. Elijah Fitch (5), born 1779 at Hopkinton, died at Brighton, Massachusetts, near the rail- road station, April 27, 1847. His death was caused by hastening for a train. He had his father's farm ånd carried it on until a few years before his death. He introduced the culture of silk worms into Massachusetts and at one time this industry was promising. The first silk ever spun in Massachusetts was pre- pared in his house by his family. He raised bees and sold honey. He was deacon of Rev. Nathaniel Howe's church, of which his father had been the pastor previously ; was elected February 7, 1814, and held office for thirty- three years. He married, June II, 1800, Mary Valentine, born January II, 1779, died September 22, 1835, daughter of Samuel and Eliza (Jones) Valentine. He married (sec- ond) her sister, Betsey Valentine, November 2, 1836 ; she died February 21, 1743. He mar- ried (third), 1743, Olive Hayward.

Samuel Valentine was born in Hopkinton, December 7, 1745, son of Thomas and Eliza- beth (Gooch) Valentine. He married Eliza- beth Jones, daughter of Colonel John and Mary (Mellen) Jones; granddaughter of Col- onel John and Hannah (Simpson) Jones. Hannah Simpson was a daughter of Saville Simpson, of Boston, who took up the first land occupied for farming in Hopkinton, now the centre of Ashland, Massachusetts. Col- onel Jones, Sr., was of prominent English family and used his coat-of-arms during his life ; died February 7, 1773, aged eighty-two. His son, Colonel John Jones, Jr., died Septem- ber 5, 1797, aged seventy-three. Both colonels were prominent men in the county.

Samuel Valentine, farmer, inn-keeper, mill- er, was interested in the nail factory ; establish- ed with others a wire mill below his grist mill during Revolution on land now of the Eames family.

Thomas Valentine, father of Samuel, re- moved to Hopkinton about 1730; had much land ; married, July 17, 1735, Elizabeth Gooch, daughter of James and Hester Gooch. When the mansion was burned, Mr. Gooch sold out to Sir Charles Henry Frankland and removed to Boston; it is said that the shock of this fire caused the hair of Mrs. Gooch to turn white in one night.

John Valentine, father of Thomas, was from the Parish Eccles, Lancashire, England, the family owning Bancliffe Hall in 1550. After

several generations Richard Valentine, then owner, high sheriff of Lancashire, willed the property to Thomas Valentine, of Frankford, Sligo county, Ireland, vicar of the English church there. Rev. Thomas Valentine, of Frankford, bequeathed it in 1763 to his sec- ond cousin, Samuel Valentine, eldest son of the late John Valentine, of Boston; John was admitted freeman May 12, 1675; married, April 16, 1702, Mary Lynde, daughter of Samuel and. Mary (Ballard) Lynde, and she was born in Boston, November 16, 1680. Sam- uel Lynde, merchant of Boston, born Decem- ber I, 1653, married, October 20, 1674, Mary Ballard, daughter of James, died October 2, 1721 ; his wife died February I, 1697-98.

Simon Lynde, father of Samuel, born in London, June, 1624, merchant in London and Boston, married, February, 1652, Hannah Newdigate, daughter of John and Anne. Si- mon was the son of Enoch Lynde, of London ; married Elizabeth Digby, daughter of Everard and Katherine Digby. The old Lynde Bible is in the possession of this branch of the Fitch family.

Children of Deacon Elijah Fitch: I. Wil- liam Fuller, born May 28, 1801, married. Eliza Ann Lyon. 2. Emily Stimpson, born July 26, 1802, married Edward D. Baker. 3. John Augustus, mentioned below. 4. Leonard Mellen, born June 3, 1805, married Louisa Ball. 5. Mary Ann, born April 8, 1807, mar- ried Gilman Ball. 6. Fanny Valentine, born December 24, 1808, married John Sawyer. 7. James Harvey, born October 7, 1810, married Susan Hayward. 8. Elizabeth Jones, born September 7, 1813, married Fisher Hemin- way. 9. Nathaniel Howe, born July 16, 1815, married (first) Adeline Velentine ; (second) Mary Bailey. 10. Hannah Fuller, born De- cember 23, 1816, died January 24, 1838. II. Elijah, Jr., born March 1, 1819, died in Texas, May 20, 1841. 12. Charles Henry, born Sep- tember 2, 1820, married Augusta Parker.

(VII) John Augustus Fitch, son of Deacon Elijah Fitch (6), was born in Hopkinton, October 8, 1803, died there July 1, 1883. He was educated in the public schools of his na- tive town. He conducted the farm which his wife inherited, the Howe place, which he sold later and bought the Adams farm where he lived for the remainder of his days. He was elected to many positions of trust and honor. He was anti-slavery in his principles and be- came a member of the Free Soil party, an ardent co-worker and supporter of Senator Henry Wilson, afterward vice-president of the United States, and like Wilson he became a

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Republican. For many years he was assessor ; was collector of taxes several years ; member of the school committee several terms ; over- seer of the poor. In 1854 and 1855 he repre- sented Hopkinton in the general court, serving on the committee on prisons. He was for several years trustee of both the State Reform School and the State Industrial School for Girls. He was well versed in parliamentary law, and possessing sound common sense made an excellent moderator at the town meetings over which he often presided. He was for twenty-five years a justice of the peace and for some years a trial justice. As a magistrate he was notably just and competent. From 1863 to 1867 he was postmaster of Hop- kinton. He settled many estates in his town and neighborhood, wrote wills, deeds and performed much of the business of an attor- ney and conveyancer. He was trustee of the school fund founded by his father. Of strong religious convictions he was from 1848 to 1880 deacon of the Congregational church and ac- tive in the support and work of that church. He inherited his love of music from father and grandfather; Deacon Elijah was choir leader for forty years and composed much of the music used from Sunday to Sunday. All things considered John Augustus Fitch was for many years the foremost citizen of the town. He married, March 19, 1829, Lucy Ann, daughter of Rev. Nathaniel Howe, who Howe, daughter of John Jones, and sister of

kinton. Her mother was Oliver (Jones) succeeded his grandfather as minister in Hop- Mrs. Samuel Valentine, grandmother of John A. Fitch. The Jones family was very promi- nent in Hopkinton from the first. Children : I. Appleton Howe, mentioned below. 2. Ed- ward Payson, mentioned below. 3. John Witherspoon, born May 31, 1834. 4. Mary Russell, born October 17, 1836, died July 19, 1837. 5. Harriet Lord, born July 17, 1839, died September 1, 1841. 6. Elijah, mentioned below. 7. Calvin Webster, born June 8, 1843. 8. Nathaniel Emmons, born May 12, 1845; died October 12, 1846.

(VIII) Appleton Howe Fitch, son of John Augustus Fitch (7), was born at Hopkinton, March 1I, 1830. He was educated there in the public schools and at Amherst College, from which he was graduated in the class of 1851. He made teaching his profession and. during his active years taught in the public schools of Chicago and Peoria, Illinois. He made a reputation as a teacher of tact, dis- cretion and pronounced ability, and was loved and respected by many thousand pu-

pils that have come under his tuition. He re- tired from pedagogy and went to Maples, Indiana, where he became the proprietor of a steam mill for manufacturing staves. He was successful in business. A few years ago he retired and for several years has been liv- ing with his brother in Hopkinton, engaged in various literary pursuits. At the age of seventy-six Mr. Fitch began to learn the typewriter as writing became difficult owing to the unsteadiness of his hand and at pres- ent he is writing the genealogy of his imme- diate family. He married, October 3, 1859, Elizabeth Bennett, of Hopkinton. Children: I. Herbert, born April 21, 1861, died young. 2. Nellie, born April 6, 1862, married Homer H. Kingsley; their children: Margaret, Katherine, Helen. 3. Lucy Adaline, born July 12, 1865, married Dwight H. Perkins; their children: Elmer Perkins, Lawrence Perkins. 4. Florence Howe, born January 15, 1868. 5. Grace, born September 29, 1871.

(VIII) Edward Payson Fitch, son of John Augustus Fitch (7), was born at Hopkinton, March 8, 1832. Married, April 19, 1857, Sar- ah A. Wilmarth. He was educated in his town in the district schools. He became one of the first settlers in Kansas, after that ter- ritory was open for settlement, going chiefly on account of his anti-slavery opinions to help save that territory from slavery. During all the border troubles he was a firin friend of freedom, and was finally murdered in his own house in the presence of his family at Lawrence, Kansas, by Quantrell's Band Au- gust 21, 1863. He was only thirty-one years old. Children: 1. Julia Sumner, born Janu- ary 12, 1858. 2. Charles Otis, born June 6, 1860. 3. Edward Payson, Jr., born May 26, 1863.

(VIII) Elijah Fitch, son of John Augustus Fitch (7), was born in Hopkinton, October 24, 1841. He completed his early education in the Hopkinton high school, although he had no full year's schooling after he was twelve years old, being obliged in accordance with the custom of his day to work on the farm of his father in summer and attending only the winter terms of school. He has fol- lowed farming as his principal occupation all his life, and is one of the best known farmers of his section. In 1870 he traveled through the south and west, going into nearly every state from Maine to Georgia and from the Atlantic to the Pacific coast, as correspond- ent of a Boston daily newspaper, and his arti- cles describing the conditions at that time have been preserved and are even at the pres-

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ent day extremely interesting to the student of history and sociology. Subsequently Mr. Fitch studied civil engineering, and in con- junction with farming has followed that pro- fession since. He has been called to fill many positions of trust and responsibility in the town. He was for eight years assessor; for two years collector of taxes and for twelve years trustee of the Hopkinton school fund, established by his grandfather, Elijah Fitch. He succeeded his father in this trusteeship. He is a leading member of the Hopkinton Grange, Patrons of Husbandry, of which he was master two years. In politics Mr. Fitch is a Republican; in religion a Congregation- alist. He was treasurer of the Hopkinton Congregational Church for three years. Mr. Fitch is especially interested in historical and genealogical research and probably no man in the vicinity has studied the history of his native town and its families as extensively as he. At present he is making for publica- tion a copy of the vital records of the town. He has many visitors who come to him for information about their family history, and he seems to take a real satisfaction in helping others to the information revealed by his painstaking researches. Upright, honorable and straight-forward in his relations with all men, he is also kindly, courteous, and pleas- ant. He is, withal, a man of public spirit and a faithful citizen.

He married, June 13, 1876, Sarah Towle, born August 1, 1850, died June 20, 1885, daughter of Amos Towle, of Freedom, New Hampshire. Children: I. Arthur L., born July 7, 1877, now of Clarkston, Washington state, where he has charge of the electric light system of that city. 2. Roy A., born July 12, 1881, graduate of the Worcester Polytechnic Institute, class of 1895; now employed in Roanoke, Virginia, as assistant superintendent of the draughting department of a large iron works.

John Nokes, the progenitor, was NOKES of Dutch extraction, according to the history of the town of Swanton in the Vermont Historical Maga- cine, although the name itself is Scotch. It is one spelling of the surname Nocks, or Knox, and as many Scotch settlers came to Whitehall, New York, and vicinity shortly before the Revolution, it seems probable that John Nokes or his father was Scotch rather than Dutch, though he may have been of Dutch ancestry through maternal lines. He

was born about 1750, and was a soldier in the Revolution, in the Albany company, Four- teenth New York Regiment, under Colonel John Knickerbacker.

John Nokes, his wife and five children, came all the way from Whitehall, New York, to Swanton, Vermont, in a canoe and he was the first settler in that part of the town, known as West Swanton, in 1787. He landed on Hog Island, now called West Swanton, near its southern extremity and made his claim to land known later as the Richard Moore farm, and erected his dwelling house there. He was none too well prepared for his lonesome struggle to make a home, clear his farms and raise a crop. At one time his provisions being nearly exhausted and his family facing starvation, a fine large moose came running by the house and plunged into the lake. Nokes pursued in his canoe, over- took the animal and killed him in the water. This supply of meat thus brought to his home seemed providential to the pioneer. He believed that this chance visitor saved the family from death by starva- tion. About two years later he heard the barking of hounds, and going in the direction of the sound next day came on the footprints of two men, and followed their trail until he came to the Falls about five miles distant, where he found Jonathan and Thomas Butterfield, who had settled there, and who had been out hunting the day pre- vious. This was the first knowledge Nokes had that there were other settlers in the town, and it may well be imagined that both neighbors were pleased. He cut a path to the Falls through the woods, and often visits were exchanged afterward. This account of the settlement was preserved by John Pratt, `who had it from the lips of Mr. Nokes hin- self. About three years after the arrival of the Nokes family came Thomas Clark, on the west shore of the island. Nokes was elected on the first board of selectmen when the town was established in 1790. In 1800-1810 he was one of the largest tax-payers, his share being $119.70. He had then twenty- five acres of improved land. In 1798 his tax was $300, second largest on the list. The federal census of 1790 shows that John Nokes, of Swanton, was the only man of the name in Vermont, the head of a family. He had one son over sixteen, five under sixteen, and three females in his family. The names of the children are not given. Among them was Simon Pelotes, mentioned below.

(IT) Simon Pelotes Nokes, son of John

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Nokes (1), was born in New York, probably, but may have been born after the family came to Swanton. Children: I. Hiram. 2. William Riley, for whom William Riley, mentioned below, was named. 3. Gideon, mentioned below. 4. Simon. 5. Daughter married Donaldson. 6. Daughter married

Hathaway.

(III) Gideon Nokes, son of Simon Pelotes Nokes (2), born in Swanton, Vermont, died in Chateaugay, New York. He married first, Alzina Lampman, who was born and died on the line between Ellenburg and Belmont, New York. He married second, Eunice French, of Essex, New York. Children of Gideon and Alzina Nokes: I. Sarah Jane, married Melvin Hathaway, of Vermont, now of Con- necticut. 2. Albert, born 1846, died in West- ville, New York. 3. William R., mentioned below. 4. Ella, born 1852, in Westville, New York. Children of Gideon and Eunice Nokes : 5. Son, unnamed, died in infancy. 6. Charles, lives in Chicago. 7. Ida F., married Stearns; resides in Chicago.

(IV) William R. Nokes, son of Gideon Nokes (3), was born in Ellenburg or Bel- mont, New York, March 16, 1848. He was educated in the common schools. When a young man he began to buy and sell horses, and for more than forty years has been a successful dealer in horses. He is a Repub- lican in politics. He enlisted in the Union army in the civil war in Company G, 115th New York Regiment, under Captain Savage, in February, 1865, and was discharged in September, 1865. His place of business is at the corner of Main and Washington streets. He resides at 50 Main street, Reading.

He married, September 30, 1891, Charlotte E. (Potter) Pike, widow of John Steven Pike, who died February 26, 1890, daughter of Ed- ward Perkins Potter (q. v.), who was born in North Beverly, Massachusetts, September II, 1821, and Charlotte Kinsman (Roberts) Potter, born in Hamilton, Massachusetts, June II, 1828-29. Mrs. Nokes was born in Essex, Massachusetts, February 14, 1853. She had no children by either marriage. Her father was the owner of a grist mill in Essex, and also conducted a farm. He died May 3, 1890; his widow died May 31, 1892. ,Mrs. Nokes has two sisters and three brothers: I. Caroline, married Marcella C. Putnam, of Melrose, Massachusetts; she was born May 5, 1855. 2. Isaac Edward Potter, born June 21, 1858, in North Beverly. 3. Otis Warren Potter, born October 13, 1860, at Middelton, Massachusetts. 4. Stella Potter, born Janu-

ary 30, 1869, died October 15, 1888. 5. Charles Henry Potter, born January IO, 1871, in Lynn, now living in Haverhill. The paternal grandfather of Mrs. Nokes was Na- thaniel Potter, and his father was also Na- thaniel. Her grandmother, Elizabeth (Per- kins) Potter, was born in Wenham, Massa- chusetts. Her maternal grandparents were Isa Woodbury Roberts, born in Hamilton or Ipswich, Massachusetts, and Charlotte (Kins- man) Roberts, born in Hamilton. Isaac Woodbury Roberts was an active anti-slav- ery man and a prominent citizen. Edward Perkins, great-grandfather of Mrs. Nokes, was born at either Wenham or Hamilton, Massachusetts, and his remains are interred at Wenham. He died at the advanced age of ninety-four years. He was one of the large landholders at Wenham, which land was a grant to his» ancestors at an early day by some king. The old original homestead at Hamilton, which was built by one of the early members of this family, is still standing. The maiden name of his wife is supposed to have been Bethia Dodge. Their children were: I. Elizabeth, married Nathaniel Pot- ter, and they were the grandparents of Mrs. Nokes. 2. Edward, Jr., married and went to Lynn, Massachusetts; he left one son, Henry, who in turn left one daughter, Fannie, who married a Mr. Mudge, of Lynn. 3. Clara, married James Allen, of Lynn, Massachu- setts, three children: Edward, who was city marshal of Lynn; Elbridge and Lena Allen. 4. Sally, died unmarried. 5. Henry, never married, died 1885, at the old homestead in Wenham.

Anthony Potter, the immi- POTTER grant ancestor, was born in England in 1828. The first record of him in this country was in 1648, when he was living in Ipswich, Massachu- setts. His house was near the stone mill, and was built and first occupied by Major Denison, to whose compensation Potter was a subscriber in 1648. He afterwards removed to a lot opposite the present site of the sol- diers' monument, and about 1661 he built a lean-to there by premission of the town. This house was removed about 1840. His next neighbor to the northward was Robert Dutch, who was scalped by the Indians at Bloody Brook, in King Philip's war, in 1675, survived, and returned to his home. To the south Potter's next neighbor was a tavern still standing. Potter had a share and a half

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in Plum Island in 1664, and was a voter in town affairs in 1679. In September, 1653, his wife Elizabeth was presented in the court for wearing silk, but was discharged upon Anthony's proving himself worth two hun- dred pounds. He and his wife gave a silver cup to the First Church, inscribed "A. E. P .. The gift of Elizabeth Poter to the Church of Ipswich 1699." The A and E were initials of Anthony and Elizabeth. He had a farm on the road to Salem, one of the best in Ipswich, about half a mile southwest of the village, extending north to the Ipswich river. He was a successful cultivator of fruit. In will dated December 23, 1689, proved March 26 following, he bequeathed to wife, sole execu- trix; to sons John, Edmund, Samuel, Thomas and Anthony, the last two being re- siduary legatees; daughters Elizabeth Kim- ball and Lydia Putnam. He married Eliza- beth Whipple, born 1629, died 1712, daugh- ter of Deacon John and Sarah Whipple. The gravestone of his widow is inscribed: "Here lys burried Mrs. Elizabeth Potter, who died March ye 10, 1712, aged 83 years.

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Historic homes and places and genealogical and personal memoirs relating to the families of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Volume IV, Part 83

Author: Cutter, William Richard, 1847-1918, ed Publication date: 1908 Publisher: New York, Lewis historical publishing company Number of Pages: 912

Author: Cutter, William Richard, 1847-1918, ed
Publication date: 1908
Publisher: New York, Lewis historical publishing company
Number of Pages: 912