USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Historical collections: containing I. The Reformation in France; the rise, progress and destruction of the Huguenot Church. Vol II > Part 45
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He resided for a time, while engaged in commercial busi- ness, at Paris ; and had visited Rochelle, and Bordeaux, in the department of the Gironde, and remarked that the name Aimedoune, or Amidon, Amadon, and Ammidown, as now spelled, was not uncommon in that part of France, but gener- ally spelt Amidon.
The following tribute to the memory of this Mr. Ammidown (quoted from a pamphlet printed in Philadelphia, which was presented to the writer by Philip Russell Ammidown, of Boston, soon after his decease), gives a fair exhibit of his character, and shows the high estimate entertained of him by the large circle who had his acquaintance in that city, where he had resided many years :
" At a meeting of the session of the Second Presbyterian church, Philadelphia, the following preamble and resolutions were unanimously adopted :
"WHEREAS, This church having experienced a great loss in the death, on the 23d of December, 1858, of our late revered and beloved col- league, Otis Ammidown, Esq., who for forty years filled the office of ruling elder; whose humble, unaffected piety, earnest and liberal zeal, warm and affectionate sympathy, gentleness of manners and meekness of wisdom, present an example worthy to be long remembered and cher- ished by those among whom he moved; therefore,
" Resolved, That the pastor, the Rev. James M. Crowell, be requested to furnish for publication the funeral discourse pronounced by him, as a memorial to be distributed among the families of this church.
"At a meeting of the Board of Managers of the Lehigh Coal and Nav- igation Company, held, December 29, 1858, the president reported the death, on the 23d instant, of Otis Ammidown, Esq., late Treasurer of the Company ; whereupon, it was unanimously
" Resolved, That the Board have heard with regret of the decease of the late Treasurer, who, to the sterner virtues of unblemished integrity, and of strict conscientiousness in the discharge of duty, added the grace of Christian kindness of heart, and the charm of courteous man- 374
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ners, and who, throughout a protracted term of service, at all times commanded the respect and coneiliated the regards of those with whom he was associated.
" Resolved, That a copy of the above resolution be furnished to the relatives of the deceased, with an expression of sympathy of this Board with them in their bereavement.
(Signed) "EDWIN WALTER, " Secretary."
QUOTATION FROM REV. MR. CROWELL'S REMARKS.
" Mr. Otis Ammidown was born in Mendon, Massachusetts, January 30, 1771.
"He was in early life engaged in commercial pursuits, and was for several years a resident of the island of St. Domingo, while a colony of France. He left there at the commencement of the troubles which terminated in the massacre and expulsion of the white population from that place. Soon after his return from St. Domingo to the United States, he visited Europe, and was a resident merchant in Paris at the close of the Revolution in the time of the first Napoleon, and when he, Napoleon, was declared First Consul. Surrounded as he was there, by numerous temptations, by which so many youth are lured in that profligate city to destruction, he maintained a high moral sense, which protected him from the dissipations to which others beeame vietims, and this was the more remarkable as he did not, at that time, profess to have experienced a religious change. He had received, however, a religious education, and had a pious mother, to whose early instructions he was much indebted. After leaving Paris, he was settled in Norway, for a time, in commercial business. He returned to the United States in the year 1798. Some time after his return to his native country he became a subject of Divine grace, and he lived long to adorn the profession which he then made. He came to Philadelphia at the elose of the year 1813, and soon after his settlement here he connected himself with this church, and was elected a ruling elder of it in 1818; the duties of which office he filled with great fidelity and acceptance till the close of life.
"In early life he was connected in mercantile pursuits with his brother-in-law, the late Hon. Jonathan Russell, who was one of the commissioners associated with Messrs. Adams, Clay, Gallatin, and Bay- ard, in negotiating the treaty of peace between our country and Great Britain at Ghent, in 1814.
"In January, 1827, Mr. Ammidown was elected treasurer of the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company, the duties of which office he discharged with exemplary fidelity until within a few days of his death.
"In all the relations of life he was highly esteemed and respected. Of quiet and retiring habits, he was, nevertheless, a man of most genial, guile-
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less, and cheerful spirit. His countenance was usually lighted with a smile, and his soul was the seat of a benevolence which earnestly desired the welfare of all. None doubted the sincerity of his friend- ship; and the public exhibition of his character, for more than four score years, was the best proof of his Christian consistency. Few men, perhaps, have lived for so many years with so few faults, and with a character so unstained and exemplary.
"From every department of society we hear the same testimony to his sterling worth. It needed but to know him to love him. He was an upright man, and, what is more, he was a good man, and full of faith and the Holy Ghost. . My own acquaintance with him has been of but short continuance-but little over a year and a half-but I have seen far more than enough of him to assure me of the excellence and beauty of his character as a man, a Christian, and an elder in the house of God.
" My visits to him will always be cherished most pleasingly in my memory ; a fragrance most delightful lingers around the remembrance of of him. I always felt like sitting humbly at his feet, as I regarded him as one of God's noblemen-one of God's saints, fast approaching the time of full maturity, just about to join the venerable company of the Apostles, and the godly fellowship of the martyrs in the house of God on high. His sun was beginning to go down when I first met with him, and the golden radiance of God's grace has been around him ever since. I never met with any one of more bland and winning suavity of manner. It was refreshing to cross his threshold, and feel the warm grasp of his hand, and meet the kindly smile of welcome which lit up his face as he gave his cordial greeting.
" It was pleasant to retreat for a little while from the discordant noises of a tumultuous city into the quiet retirement of his parlor, and by the side of the blazing fire in the grate, sit and talk with him of days gone by. If ever there was a perfect type of a gentleman of the olden time it was our departed and beloved friend. He has been emphatically a man of the past. In our city he has been one of the links that bind us to our earlier history ; and in this church he was the connecting bond between its former and its latter days. He was born five years before our country was free; he was twenty-eight years old when Washington died; and all the members of the session of this church at the time he became a men- ber of it are gone.
"Like the old Israelites leaving Egypt, so this venerable man has been living in this world, having his quiet home here, but having his heart above and beyond it in Canaan ; his feet have pressed the soil of the strange land, but his heart has beat for his home in the house of many mansions.
"His dying was a fitting close to this quiet and beautiful life. But a brief sickness preceded his removal. There was nothing of terror or
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gloom in his passage down the dark valley. He was gently cheerful ; there was all the calm, unfaltering confidence of one who could say, 'I know in whom I have believed, and that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him against that day. I know that my Redeemer liveth ; and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God.' To my inquiry, 'Is the Saviour precious to you, and is He with you ?' he replied with great deliberation and fervor, as he looked with intelligent cheerfulness at me, 'Yes, yes, oh, yes!'
"On the day before his decease a former pastor called on him, and being greeted by him with evident pleasure, he remarked to him, 'My friend, you well know in whom you have so long believed, and you are well assured Ile will never leave or forsake you!'
"The dying Christian, although utterance was difficult, exclaimed, with a strangely marked emphasis, 'Never! Never!'
" His death was but a pilgrim going home to take his rest.
" There was no death: What seemed so was transition; That life of mortal breath Was but a suburb of the land Elysian, Whose portal we call death."
FREDERICK WHITING BOTTOM,
CHARLTON AND SOUTHBRIDGE.
Mr. Bottom was born at Plainfield, Connecticut, the 1st of March, 1780 ; died at Southbridge the 25th of May, 1855.
He was the son of Abial Bottom, a machinist by trade. His prior ancestors were Jedediah and John Bottom, who resided at Norwich, Connecticut.
He graduated at Brown university in 1802, read law with Hon. Tristam Burgess, of Providence, and Hon. Pliny Mer- rick, of Brookfield, and began the practice of his profession in Charlton; removed to the poll parish, known as "Honest Town," in December, 1814, and became active in favor of form- ing the parish into a town, which took place in February, 1816. He continued his practice here till his decease, as above.
Mr. Bottom married Celestina Winslow, daughter of Jacob Winslow, innkeeper at Providence. Their children were: Pierpont Edwards Bates, born in 1803 ; Celestina Winslow,
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born in 1805; and Frederick Whiting, born in 1811. The first son has been referred to in another place. The daughter married Samuel Cheever Fiske, a native of Sturbridge; they had two children, sons, Frederick Botham and Alexander Parkhurst ; the first, a merchant in New York ; the latter was a captain in the army of the late Rebellion.
The youngest son, Frederick Whiting Botham, married Almira Keith, of Thompson, Connecticut ; commenced the practice of law in Douglas, Massachusetts; and after- wards removed to Southbridge, where he continues his profession, and maintains a position of respectability as a townsman.
He is one of the special justices of the Worcester South District Court. His sister, Mrs. Fiske, died during the present year, 1873.
DR. JACOB COREY.
Having mislaid some papers relating to Dr. Corey, they were omitted in the proper connection with Sturbridge, but are now inserted in the latter part of the volume.
Dr. Jacob Corey studied medicine with Dr. Lilley, of Rut- land; he married Matilda Walker of this town, and began his practice here, where he continued to reside and to labor during the remainder of his long life.
Dr. Corey, it has been remarked before, in connection with Sturbridge, in the list of physicians, was noted in his pro- fession, and enjoyed the confidence of the people, as well as of the medical fraternity ; and, furthermore, he possessed, in a considerable degree, the character of a humorist, fond of jocularity, keen in his perceptions, and enjoyed those things that tended to good feeling, and the pleasantry of society. His characteristics are quite well given in the following lines, the composition of his son, G. V. C., which also exhibit a
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trait of character in the son, not much dissimilar to that of the father :
Full fifty years he plied the healing art, Twice twelve students learned the art of him; " He could minister to the mind diseased," Wipe out the ooze of dismal melancholy ; And with his genial smile and cheerful word, Bring hope and comfort to despairing invalids.
Ilis spirits seldom flagged, They beamed from his great face, And floated round his huge head, Like a halo round the genius of Mirth! " There was no winter in his bounty."
Twice ten thousand would not cancel The unpaid charges on his ponderous books ; He never dunned but when his purse was lean, And he was urged by stern necessity ; Therein he failed of justice to himself And his posterity.
The honest, laboring man he always honored, But liars, cheats, and all non-paying scoundrels He utterly despised.
In all his childrens' minds he did instill The sacred principles of honesty and truth ; He compounded the incomparable Bezor! That even the learned Dr. Hartwell Did not know ! It is death to fevers-not to patients.
He used to ride a white-faced mare, Her eyes were large and white: In flesh the mare was rather spare, And she would kick and bite.
" Old Gospel " was the creature's name, She paced with wondrous ease ; None ever knew the old mare lame, None ever heard her wheeze.
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His monstrous, huge, black saddle-bags, Bestrode the old mare's back ;
On top of that rode "Dr. Vags,"* And gave the mare a whack.
She would pace, and he would sing; He said God made things right, Except one solitary thing : 'Twas not moonlight every night."
EARLY SETTLEMENTS IN THIS VICINITY.
The history of the first planting of the territory, now the county of Worcester, shows that there were only a few scattered settlements in all this territory until the elose of the war between England and France, terminated by the treaty of Utrecht, July 13, 1713.
Previous to this time several plantations had been granted by the General Court, commencing in 1643 with Laneaster, then Mendon, 1660; Brookfield, 1660; Worcester, 1668 ; Ox- ford and Woodstock, in 1683; but the two latter, as has been shown, did not commence settlements before 1686.
All these, except Woodstock, had at some time during their progress been destroyed before 1713, and efforts had contin- ued during all that period (from 1643 to 1713) to induce set- tlers to locate in them, with but little success.
The fear of assault from the Indians was such that but few settlers could be persuaded to remove to any of them until after the peace before mentioned.
But now settlements spread over all this territory with great rapidity, and within a period of twenty-two years (up to 1735) following 1713, all the territory in this county had been granted for towns.
This period was remarkable for a spirit of land speculation ; it became a mania with the noted and influential men of the
* The only profane language he ever used was, " I vags," and "pox it." So people, for fun, called him "Dr. Vags."
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colony. The governors, judges of the courts, clergymen, officers of the college, and merchants, all entered into this scramble for these interior lands .*
It has been stated in connection with Dudley, that settle- ments commenced in its territory in 1721, and in Sturbridge in 1730, and also in the west part of Oxford, afterwards Charl- ton, abont the same time.
These dates are likewise the time when settlements began in the territory now Southbridge, and, as the deeds recorded at Worcester, and in Suffolk county at Boston show, the whole line of the lands bordering upon the Quinebang river were occupied in the years from 1730 to 1733.
The center part, including the water-power and the land now ocenpied by the center village, as before related, was held by Moses Marcy ; that adjoining above, now the Globe village, by William Plimpton; and that above him by John Plimp- ton, covering Westville and vicinity.
The land next below Mr. Marey was occupied by Colonel Thomas Cheney on both sides, down to Saundersdale, and thence on the south side to land bought by John Vinton, of Stoneham, in 1738.
On the north side of the Quinebang, below the bridge across the river (lately called the " Red Bridge)," was the land of Joseph Sabin, where he settled in 1733. The Ammidowns did not locate in that vicinity till 1760. The first sale of land by Moses Marcy, in the tract now the center village, was to Samuel Freeman, blacksmith, of Sturbridge, six acres, partly in Sturbridge and partly in Oxford ; another lot adjoining, eight acres, and one of 110 rods, on which said Freeman's honse now stands, as expressed ; and a third lot of 32 perch in Oxford, a triangular piece adjoining the road. These two latter pieces are those on which stand the house of Mrs. Vin- ton, lately the Shumway house, on Elm street, the building
* See Hutchinson's History of Massachusetts, vol. II, pp. 299 and 300.
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on the corner east of the Edwards hotel, and extending to a point near the present bank building, the property of Mr. Leo- nard at this time. The first lot includes the large building west of Elm street, formerly the "Old Tavern." The low part at the south end, by the large elm and the well, was Samuel Freeman's dwelling-house, in which he raised his family of children. His son, the late Colonel Benjamin Freeman, was born there the same year it was erected, in 1744.
This deed is witnessed by Nathaniel Walker and Rowland Clark, recorded b. 29, p. 400, Worcester. This Nathaniel Walker was from Weston, near Boston ; he bought a tract of land in the large gore, north part of Sturbridge and Charl- ton, of John Davis, May 12, 1743-270 acres; consideration £1,600. (See b. 26, p. 596). He was the father of the late Deacon Asa Walker, and the ancestor of all of the name in this vicinity. Rowland Clark bought, in 1746, on the hill south, known now as the "Clark Place," as will be shown hereafter.
Samuel Freeman located his blacksmith shop east of the south part of the Edwards briek hotel, standing where Elm street now is, and the front on the range of the two large elms recently cut down. These two trees grew up, one at the south front corner, and the other at the north front corner of said shop.
The location of the saw-mill and grist-mill erected by Mr. Marcy, was a point to be reached by roads, first in the direc- tion of Woodstock, as at this time that town had been settled 58 years, having begun its first settlement in 1686. The second road was to Oxford, that town having been settled since 1713, then 31 years. Then it became necessary to accommo- date the pioneer settlers in New Medfield (Sturbridge), and those in the west part of Dudley. All these roads were built at first with the design of reaching these mills in the shortest and most convenient way.
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Mr. Freeman, no doubt, selected his location at the june- tion of these roads, to secure the business for his blacksmith shop, as the farmers came to the mills. It is proper to observe, that the first settlers in Sturbridge, many of them settled within the limits of this town; one range of these set- tlers, extending from the Globe village, south, on the hill land; beginning with the Plimptons, at what is now the Globe village ; thence south, the Hardings, Denisons, Wheelocks, Masons, Morses, Ellises, and Fosters; then, on the south road, the Clarks, and on Lebanon hill, the Morses; thenee east on the lower road to Woodstock, the Morses, Morrises, Pratts, and Bacons; and to the east, on the road to Dudley, the Cheneys, Sabins, Putneys, Ammidowns, and Vintons; all these settlers made these mills a common center, now about 135 to 140 years since, and 126 years (now 1870) since Samuel Freeman located here.
May 26, 1746. John and Caleb Harding to Rowland Clark, all of Sturbridge, 102 aeres, £160; b. 30, p. 132.
December 30, 1747. Nehemiah Underwood to Rowland Clark, both of Sturbridge; b. 30, p. 126.
This farm descended to his son, Jephthah Clark, and then to his grandson, the late Joseph Clark.
April 10, 1747. Richard Williams, of Boston, one of the heirs of Capt. Papillon, to William Alton, of Thompson, Con- nectient, 60 acres of land in Oxford.
April 10, 1747. Ebenezer Scott, of Oxford, to William Alton, of Thompson, 60 acres, £138, bounded N. on Brown lot, south on Holmes Ammidown's own land, and west on Kitchen's land.
May 27, 1751. Martha Williams, wife of the late Richard Williams, of Boston, to William Alton, 20 acres; b. 31, p. 182.
This William Alton was one of the principal men in the west part of Oxford, and headed the petition for setting off this part of Oxford, which became Charlton in 1754. This is
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the late Major Calvin Ammidown's farm, lately known as the " William Bradford Place."
May 10, 1796. The heirs of William Alton, to wit, Ben- jamin, Moses, Amasa, Susannah, Miriam and Silence Alton, sold to Luther and Calvin Ammidown, 130} acres, this home- farm, when it passed from the Altons to the Ammidowns.
1748. Moses Marcy, of Sturbridge to Jedediah Marcy, his son, with a house on same, in Dudley, adjoining land of the Rev. Mr. Gleason, Samnel Newell, Benjamin Newell, and Samuel Fairbanks; 100 acres granted as a portion of his estate to his oldest son.
June, 1751. John Peacock, to Joseph Barrett, land in west part of Dudley.
April 9, 1760. Reuben Ellis, of Sturbridge to Gershom Plimpton, of Sturbridge, 1} acres.
July 1, 1761. Jonathan Perry to Gershom Plimpton, of Sturbridge, 44 acres, £4; b. 49, pp. 43 and 44. This Gershom Plimpton was the father of the late Oliver Plimpton, Esq., and Captain Gershom Plimpton, well-known men in the history of the parish, and in the early history of the town.
. May 9, 1765. James Denison to Ralph Wheelock, both of Sturbridge, 12 acres, £200; b. 51, p. 296. Mr. Denison was one of the pioneer settlers in Sturbridge ; Mr. Wheelock married Experience, daughter of Mr. Denison, and the first white child born in Sturbridge. A large family was the result of this marriage, who became worthy residents here.
April 16, 1765. Aaron Gleason, of Charlton, to Alexander Brown, of Killingly, Connecticut, 193 acres in Charlton, £46; b. 55, p. 363. This Mr. Brown was the father of Nathan, Rufus, and Charles Brown.
November 5, 1761. Jonathan Mason, to Abel Mason, both of Sturbridge, 85 acres in Sturbridge; b. 59, p. 329. This farm is supposed to be the present residence of a descendant. This Jonathan was one of the proprietors of Sturbridge; and
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this Abel, his son, is known as the elder, late Captain Abel Mason. Their descendants are now residents here.
March 8, 1764. Joshua Mason to Oliver Mason, both of Sturbridge, 35 acres, £20. This Joshua Mason is supposed to be the father of this Oliver Mason.
January 4, 1765. Thomas Cook and wife, of Union, Luke Upham and wife, of Killingly, Thomas Sabin and Ebenezer Sabin, of Pomfret, to Ephraim Bacon, of Woodstock, 81 acres in Sturbridge, £20; b. 51, p. 283. This is located in the south-east part of Southbridge, near the farm now the home- stead of Mr. Francis S. Morse. Mr. Ephraim Bacon is the ancestor of the Bacons now residing in that vicinity, and father of the late Enoch Bacon.
1766. Samuel Davis to Asa Walker, both of Sturbridge, 50 acres.
March 20, 1770. Isaac Wood to Asa Walker, both of Sturbridge, 60 acres, £100; b. 65, p. 147. This Mr. Walker is the late Deacon Asa Walker, who was born in 1743, and died in 1814, and was the son of Nathaniel Walker, who bought the 270 acres in the county gore in 1743, the year this son was born.
August 28, 1769. Ebenezer Edmonds, of Dudley, to Henry Pratt of Sturbridge, 80 acres, £60.
November 12, 1778. Edward Learned to Henry Pratt, both of Sturbridge, half of 91 acres, £112; this Mr. Pratt was the father of the late Freeman Pratt; b. 82, p. 166.
August 28, 1769. Ebenezer Edmonds, of Dudley, to Dan- iel Morse, of Sturbridge, 56 acres, £39 ; land in Sturbridge ; b. 82, p. 193. This is the late Deacon Daniel Morse, born, 1744, died, 1832; he was brother of Jeremiah Morse, the father of the late Alpha Morse, whose son, Francis S., retains their homestead ; also, a brother of Asa Morse, the father of the late Parker Morse. This family came from Sherburne to Sturbridge.
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1775. Joseph Morse to Jason Morse, both of Sturbridge, 30 acres.
December 14, 1775. Daniel Hill to Jason Morse, both of Sturbridge, 60 acres, £10; b. 82, p. 74. This Jason Morse was the father of the late Jason Morse and a distant branch of the Morse family above.
October 6, 1772. Samuel White, Junior, to Edward Morris, of Dudley, 50 acres, £60; b. 76, p. 50. This is the farm of the late Elisha Morris, on the hill, south-east of South- bridge village, and residence of the late Widow Prudence Morris.
December 8, 1772. Edward Foster to his son, Fletcher Foster, both of Sturbridge, £80, b. 71, p. 416. This family have been long known ; their farm was at Westville. The first improvement of the water-power on the Quinebaug at this place was by this family, aided by the late Jedediah Ellis ; this Mr. Ellis was the son of Samuel Ellis, one of the pro- prietors of New Medfield.
April 27, 1789. Jedediah Marcy, of Dudley, to his son, Jedediah Marcy, Junior, land partly in Sturbridge, and partly in Charlton, 400 acres, with a grist-mill, saw-mill, dwelling- house, and several barns and other buildings, £1,000 ; witnessed by and acknowledged before Caleb Ammidown. The grantor here was the oldest son of Colonel Moses Marcy ; and the grantee the late Captain Jedediah Marcy.
March 11, 1797. Jedediah Marcy, of Dudley, to Nathan and Charles Brown, of Charlton, 446 acres, bounded on the south by Woodstock north line. This tract of land is known as the "Brown Farm," b. 109, p. 48; deed witnessed by and acknowledged before Caleb Ammidown.
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