History of Bristol County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 104

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1818

USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > History of Bristol County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 104

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Edward J. W. Morse was born in Dedham, Mass., and had a common school education, and from an early age worked in cotton-mills in Mansfield and Ded- ham as mule-spinner, and from a low round on for- tune's ladder rose step by step to occupy a high financial standing by his attentive industry and the force of his strong individuality. He came to Easton about 1828 to take charge of a cotton-cloth factory as agent and manager at the early age of nineteen, and ever after made his home here. He was connected with business in the same building in which he com- menced his labors at the time of his death. (It was built in 1802, and is still standing.)

About 1833 he began the manufacture of cotton

thread, under the firm-name of E. J. W. Morse & Co. This name is still continued in the business, which is now conducted by his son, Edward N. Morse, and his grandsons. He established his business in eight other places, and was a general partner in each man- ufactory. Six were in Easton, one in Kingston, Mass., one in Portsmouth, N. H., and one in Milford, N. H. The building up of this enormous business in twenty- three years indicates something of the push and busi- ness ability of Mr. Morse. At the time of his death, Aug. 17, 1865, he was the largest land-owner in Easton, and was but fifty-six years old. He was uniformly suc- cessful in his undertakings, and, although a Whig in politics, attended to his business strictly, leaving to those who cared for them the emoluments and honors of official place. He joined the Congregational Church at the age of seventeen, and continued in its fellowship during life. He had decided musical tastes. When but eighteen was a member of the Medfield Brass Band, was leader of the church choir of Easton for years, bought for the church its first organ and was its organist, and retained the same position when the larger one was introduced.

He was liberal to all good objects, social and full of humor in his associations with others, and, while very affable and courteous, was of prompt decision and res- olute character. He could and would say "No" to all plans or schemes which his judgment did not approve. Positive in his own convictions, he was very consider- ate of the opinions of others, did much to mold pub- lic opinion, and had many warm and stanch friends.

He married Eliza C., daughter of Daniel and Cath- arine Newcomb. She was a direct descendant of Francis Newcomb, the emigrant. (See biography of Nathaniel Newcomb, of Norton.) She first came to Easton on the day of her marriage to Mr. Morse, May 17, 1830, and shortly after united with the Congrega- tional Church, with which she was in communion for many years and until her death, at the ripe age of seventy-seven years, April 9, 1883. The last few years of her life she was prevented by poor health from taking the active part in the church and benev- olent causes which she had been wont to take, but her interest was unabated, her zeal never flagged, and her heartfelt sympathy and generous assistance were given to every call for aid. "She stretched out her hand to the poor; yea, she stretched out her hand to the needy."

Mr. Morse had two children, Edward N. and Car- oline E., who died unmarried.

Edward N. Morse, born Oct. 12, 1831, succeeded to his father in manufacturing, married, Oct. 4, 1854, Hannah Alice, daughter of Deacon John and Eliza- beth (Bassett) Bryant, of New Bedford, Mass. Their children are Caroline A. (married Abner J. Towne, of Boston), Edward J. W. and Gertrude B. (twins), Alfred B., Grace N. (deceased), Justin N., and Flor- ence W.

John Kimball

433

EASTON.

JOHN KIMBALL.

The Kimball family is one of the oldest in New England. It sprang from Richard Kimball, who, with his wife Ursula and seven children, left their home in England, braved the dangers of a stormy ocean, landed on the inhospitable shores of an un- broken wilderness, and commenced a new life, de- prived of the comforts and luxuries of civilization, but blest with civil and religious liberty. He came from the old town of Ipswich, England, on the ship " Elizabeth," and in 1634, at the age of thirty-nine, settled in Ipswich, in Massachusetts Bay Colony. The next year he was admitted a freeman, which fact proves him a Puritan in good standing. He was the father of cleven children, and died June 22, 1675. From this patriarch most of the New England Kim- balls are descended.

John Kimball, son of Isaac and Rebecca (Evans) Kimball, was born in Easton, Mass., Jan. 1, 1810, in the building now (1883) occupied by his son George as a store. His father was born in Easton, Sept. 18, 1770, married Nov. 15, 1797, Rebecca Evans, born in South Reading, Oct. 15, 1776. They began house- keeping where John was born. Isaac was a trader, in early life a carpenter, and built the house spoken of, and kept it as an inn and small store. It was a stage station, where the aristocratic and pretentious coaches changed horses, and in those days the "inn- keeper" was a man of consequence. Isaac and Rebecca had four children who grew up. Betsey (second wife of Barzillia Drake), Rebecca (first wife of Barzillia Drake), John, and Sarah, who married Calvin Keith. Mr. Kimball died Aug. 28, 1848, aged seventy-six. His wife died April 21, 1813. Ammi Kimball, father of Isaac, came to Easton in carly life, and was a laboring man, attaining a good length of days.

John Kimball had a common-school education merely, remained with his father as clerk from the age of ten, and finally succeeded him in business in 1834. For twenty-one years he was in trade, devot- ing himself closely to business, and was prosperous withal. In 1855 he retired from merchandising with wealth, and was succeeded by Drake & Goward, who were in trade eleven years. In 1866, John T. Kim- ball succeeded them, and after six years he was suc- ceeded (in 1872) by his brother, George L., who now occupies his father's and grandfather's stand. Mr. John Kimball is Republican in politics, and was postmaster for nineteen years from 1863 to 1882, was town clerk and treasurer from 1853 to 1872, selectman and overseer of the poor from 1860 to 1872, and was representative from Easton to the Massachusetts Leg- islature in 1857. He married, April 30, 1833, Lu- sanna Williams, who was born in Easton, Aug. 5, 1814. She was daughter of Lieut. Seth and Sarah (Mitchell) Williams, and is a lineal descendant of Richard Williams, the early settler of Taunton. (See history of Taunton.) The descent and brief history of her immediate ancestors is this: Benjamin

Williams settled in Easton, Mass .; Josiah settled at Bridgewater, where Seth Williams, great-grandfather of Mrs. Kimball, was born May 21, 1722. At the age of eighteen he came to Easton, and took up one thousand acres of government land. IIe married Susannah Forbes, of Bridgewater, and built the homestead now in possession of his descendants. His son Edward married Sarah Lothrop, of Bridgewater, in 1772, and lived on the homestead where Lieut. Seth was born, Jan. 29, 1776. He was a tanner by trade, and took part in the war of 1812. He married Sarah Mitchell, daughter of Col. Mitchell, of Bridge- water, Oct. 23, 1800. Col. Mitchell was a very active man in the Revolution, and for many years was member of the Legislature from Easton. Lieut. Seth lived near the old homestead, and had eight children, viz. : Nathan (deceased), Julia (deceased), Sarah (deceased), Sally, Harriet (deceased), Seth, Lusanna, Charles, and George.

Mr. and Mrs. Kimball have had the following chil- dren : Lusanna W., married J. D. Howard, has one child, Nelly, who married Frank Foster, and has one child, Howard Kimball; Harriet, married George Copeland, of South Easton, and has three children, Marion A., Ethel H., and George Hubert; John T., married Belle G. Heath, has one child, Florence B .; George L., married Sarah E. Heath, sister to Belle, and is engaged in trade as mentioned above.

Among the representative citizens of Easton, who enjoy the confidence of the community, we can safely place John Kimball.

BARZILLIA AND THOMAS H. DEAN.

Thomas Holmes Dean was born in Taunton, Mass., Nov. 28, 1819. (For early ancestral history see his- tory of Taunton in this volume.) His grandfather, Nathaniel Dean, was born July 5, 1747, in Raynham, where he always resided. He married Elizabeth Car- ver, and reared a family of nine children on his farm in that town. Of these Barzillia was the youngest, and was born Nov. 25, 1794. He was first a grocer in Taunton, and afterwards was interested in cotton manufacturing in Somerset or Dighton with his brother Asa. He was also drafted as a soldier in the war of 1812. From Dighton he went to Pawtucket, R. I., and became a machinist, working for Avery, Ives & Wilkinson. In 1824 he came to Easton as a machinist, to superintend the putting in operation of a cotton-mill near the present Easton depot. Re- maining here one year, he engaged in business as a cotton manufacturer at South Easton, and followed this business successfully until his death June 29, 1848, in the prime of life, which was caused by the falling upon him of the roof of a tomb in which he was at work. He was an active man, strong and resolute, and uncompromising in his nature, with great force of character. He was a Whig in politics, I and a Congregationalist in religious sentiment. He

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HISTORY OF BRISTOL COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

Bonnilla Dean

married Deborah, daughter of Thomas and Sylvia (Shaw) Holmes, of Taunton. Her father was a con- sequential man in public affairs during the Revolu- tionary period, held various important positions, not the least of which was that of tithingman (an office conferring much dignity at that day, but now known only in history). Barzillia and Deborah Dean had eight children,-Henry H. (deceased), Sarah F. (Mrs. Adonijah White, deceased), Thomas H., Susan W. (Mrs. William Blanchard, deceased), Elizabeth H. (Mrs. N. B. Dana), Mary R. (deceased), Sylvia S. (Mrs. F. G. Gushee, deceased), and John O.

Thomas H. Dean had a common-school education, which was improved upon by attendance at Deacon Heman Packard's select school at North Bridgewater, now Brockton. Upon leaving school he went to Fall River to learn the machinist's trade of an uncle, who afterwards moved to Taunton to work there. Thomas accompanied him, and stayed with him there one year, when, desiring to see more of the world, the young man went to Matteawan (Fishkill), N. Y., and worked at his trade there one year. Returning to Easton in 1838, he connected himself with his father in cotton manufacturing, and also carried on a machine-shop in connection with this. The fluctuations in busi- ness arising from agitation, and the unsettled condi- tion of the tariff question in the frequent Presidential campaigns, caused Mr. Dean to relinquish the cotton business soon after his father's death, and for the last twenty-five years his principal business has been to make tools and other hardware for the piano-forte

makers of Boston. In this he is now engaged, and may be found, as in the days of long ago, hard at work personally in any department where he thinks his service is needed, showing by his practice that, although possessed of a good property, he does not despise the means by which his wealth was made. He is also connected with his brother, John O., under the firm-name of T. H. & J. O. Dcan, in a flour, grain, and coal business, which is quite extensive.

In politics, Mr. Dean has been a Whig, and since the Republican party was organized a stanch sup- porter of its candidates.

Mr. Dean married, Nov. 12, 1843, Elizabeth C., daughter of Philip and Sarah (Johnson) Willis, of Easton. Their only child, Herbert B., born Sept. 24, 1851, died March 23, 1868. He was a bright and promising youth, a good student, and of an ingenious and mechanical turn of mind.

H. P. DRAKE.

Hiram P. Drake, son of Phineas and Fanny Drake, was born in Easton, within one-fourth of a mile from where he now resides, Nov. 17, 1814. He had very limited school advantages, as he was a poor boy and compelled to labor, and what education he did secure was "picked up." His father labored at farming, but owned no land. Hiram went to work for one Reed to learn shoemaking, but was used so badly : that he only stayed one year. He remained at home with his father for several years thereafter, and at

Vivar JO Gralle

435

MANSFIELD.

last was bound out to Gen. Shepard Leach to learn the trade of molder; two older brothers being al- ready engaged there. Gen. Leach died before Hiram completed his apprenticeship, but the works were carried on by Lincoln Drake, who succeeded to the ownership. For thirty years Hiram worked here after learning his trade. In March, 1869, he went to Maine, and settled in Sherman, Aroostook Co., as a farmer, where he continued for seventeen years, and was prospered. He returned to Easton in 1875, and built the house he now occupies the next year. For the last seven years he has lived a retired life by reason of failing health. He has been in succession Whig, Free-Soiler, and Republican in politics. He has been for many years a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, joining it at eighteen years of age. He has held various positions in connection with his church, class-leader, steward, Sunday-school teacher, treasurer, and superintendent for many years. He is no longer connected with the Methodist Episcopal Church, and affiliates with the Wesleyan Methodists. He is a great reader of wholesome and valuable litera- ture. He has taken great interest in Freemasonry, has been treasurer of Molunkas Lodge, Sherman, Me., and now is a member of Paul Dean Lodge of North Easton, and Keystone Royal Arch Chapter of Fox- borough. He is actuated by truly Masonic princi- ples, and, with his wife, gives freely to every church and benevolent object and cause.

He married (1), Feb. 1, 1836, Nancy, daughter of Greenfield and Bethiah Williams, a descendant of the old Taunton family of that name. (See Taunton history in this volume.) She was born May 26, 1814, and died Nov. 1, 1845. They had five children,- Nancy M. (died young), Lenura A., Hiram S., Nancy H. (twins, of whom Nancy died young), Hiram (who is living in Canada, engaged in lumbering), and Sarah L. (died young). He married (2) Mary L. Morey March 5, 1864. She was the daughter of Augustus L. and Mary L. (Billings) Morey. She was born Aug. 19, 1813, at Woodstock, Conn. She had one son, Aaron C., who died in infancy. By the death of a brother in Norwich, Conn., Mrs. Drake inherited a handsome property with which she is, in an unosten- tatious way, doing much good.

Phineas Drake, father of Hiram and son of Thomas, was born on the old Drake homestead in Easton, always resided here, and died at the age of seventy-two. He had eight children,-Phineas, Rachel, Thomas, El- mina, Hiram P., Fanny H., Charity, and William K. His father, Thomas Drake, was for many years a resi- dent of Easton, where he was born, and died an old man after rearing a family of ten children, the last of whom, George Washington, was buried March 1, 1883.

From "Centre Items" of the Easton Journal of March 9, 1883, we extract this in reference to him : " The old hermit, George Washington Drake, who for sixty years lived alone in a little hut in the woods, died recently. He was well known in this and ad-

joining towns. He was a very religious man, and would travel miles to church, and would pray and exhort in prayer-meeting. In early life he fell des- perately in love, but the fair damsel broke his heart by a refusal to marry him, and ever afterwards he avoided the society of women, and would cross the street rather than meet them. About the same time he was converted to the Methodist faith and sought an opportunity to preach, which was denied him. Before these two disappointments he had been a man of vigorous intellect and good judgment, but these blows to his aspirations seemed to unsettle his mind, and since then he has been eccentric and peculiar. He was a constant reader of the Bible, and a most rigid observer of the Sabbath. He sought to gain a livelihood by chopping wood for the farmers, who had a great respect for him. He was a patient, inno- cent, and conscientious man, and was the recipient of many charitable attentions from the people in the neighborhood, and his nephew, Hiram P. Drake, did much towards mitigating the severities of his lonely and comfortless existence. Especially during his last illness has this nephew been unremitting in his atten- tions to his aged and unfortunate relative. The ne- cessary expenses of his uncle's illness and funeral were likewise borne by Mr. Drake."

CHAPTER XXXII.

MANSFIELD.1

MANSFIELD lies in the northern part of the county, and is bounded as follows : On the north by Norfolk County, on the east by Easton, on the south by Norton, and on the west by Attleborough.

The most important structures to the early settlers were the meeting-house and the grist- or corn-mill. The first must have been a terribly cheerless and for- bidding place, located upon some hill or large open common, receiving in full force the north wind and the noonday sun ; stoveless, blindless, with its white- oak seats, high and straight back, with its long ser- mons upon the closest theological points. They were strict disciplinarians in the old days, and men must give good reason for the faith and belief they pro- fessed or they would be condemned by both the clergy and people. This strictness would be irksome to us of to-day, but it might be the better for us. The mill was always a cheery place. Farmers met there and discussed the merits of the last Sunday's sermon, told stories of the winter's storms, told of the ravages of the red man and of the encroachments of the beasts of prey, discussed the prospects of the crops, and rehearsed the items gathered from some newspaper which some one of them had heard read

1 By E. M. Reed.

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HISTORY OF BRISTOL COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

in Boston or Taunton, or Plymouth or Medfield. In 1732 the Groves and Skinners, and Wellmans and Leonards, and Williams and others, to the number of twenty-five or thirty families, having for many years attended meeting in Taunton, Norton, or Wren- tham, determined to separate themselves from the Norton Church or Norton North Purchase, and they mustered all the heads of families and all permitted to vote in parish affairs, and started for Norton meet- ing-house, where the question was to be put whether a separate parish should be established in what we call Mansfield. They had been often upon the same errand, but had theretofore met always with defeat. This day in 1732 noses had been counted, and as the fathers presented their nays they felt sure of the sue- cess they attained, and on that day it was voted that Mansfield be a parish and maintain its own preach- ing. They already had a meal-mill near " Cobbler's Corner," but a little way from the grist-mill we call Fisher's. This "Cobbler's Corner" is frequently made mention of in old deeds, and it is supposed that at some time beyond the " historie period" an itinerant shoe-mender located there for a brief period. At any rate it was of such note and importance as that it is made a boundary or point in several old deeds of land in that locality, being located south to west, a little distance from the present residence of James W. Cable.

Mansfield was a parish, and the next thing was to get a meeting-house. Various meetings were held. The money for this object was raised by tax upon the ratable polls and estates of the inhabitants of said precinct. The lumber was cut from the ministerial land. The meetings where this important matter was discussed were held at the house of David Wellman, and the votes were recorded by Benjamin Williams, clerk. At a meeting, legally warned, on the 30th day of June, 1732, " for to do what may be proper as to the hiring a minister to preach in said precinct, and to raise money to pay him, and to do what may be proper concerning finishing the outside of the meet- ing-house, met at the house of Isaac Wellman, of said precinet, first they made choice of Mr. Eph- raim Leonard to be moderator of said meeting; sec- ondly, they made choice of Mr. Thomas Skinner, Deacon Nicholas White, and Mr. Ephraim Grover to hire a minister or ministers to preach in said precinct, as they shall think proper; thirdly, they voted to raise the sum of twenty pounds upon the polls and ratable estates in said precinct, according to law, for the payment of the ministry in said precinct. Re- corded by me, Benjamin Williams." At the same house another meeting was held June 27, 1733, to see what to do about hiring a minister and finishing the meeting-house. Thomas Skinner was chosen mod- erator, Capt. Ephraim Leonard, Andrew Grover, and Ephraim Grover were chosen a committee, and em- powered to hire a minister for the balance of the year. At a meeting held Aug. 19, 1734, the moderator

called for a vote by paper ballots for the choice of a minister, "and they broght in thayer vots, and made choyce of the Reverend Mr. Abial Hayward, of Bridge- water, to be theyr minister without one negative vote." They then voted to pay their newly-elected minister the sum of one hundred pounds annually in money or bills of credit, or yearly, during his abode in the work of the ministry in said precinct. They made choice of " Deacon Nicholas B. White, Ephraim Grover ye 1st and Benjamin Williams, all of said pre- cinet, to be a committy to treat with the Reverend Mr. Abial Hayward in the above read affairs." This vote made a disturbance, for it is upon record that on the 7th of October, 1734, at an adjournment of a meeting in Norton, North Precinct, referring to the settling of a minister, "We, whose names are under written, do enter our protest against the proceedings of that day, Samuel Brintwell, Thomas Skinner, John Skinner, Isaac Wellman, Solomon Skinner, Ebenezer Brintwell, Samuel Wellman, John Skinner, Joseph Skinner, Nathaniel Brintwell, Ebenezer Skinner, Benjamin Wellman, Samuel Skinner, Benjamin Skin- ner."

The following letter was received from Rev. Mr. Hayward, dated Bridgewater, Nov. 30, 1734 :

" DEAR BRETHREN AND GENTLEMEN.

" Inasmuch as it has pleased God to incline your Hearts to give me an Invitation to settle in the work of the Gospel ministry in your precinct, I do hereby with hearty thankfulness acknowledge your Love and Re- gard; but since there is a number among you (whose souls are precious) which are dissatisfied with your proceedings, and not well satisfied with my ministry, and thinking it unlikely that I should be very serviceable to them unless their hearts are turned towards me, and trusting that they will fall in and unite with you in a future choice, which possibly may be more for your comfort and their spiritual interest, I must declare that at present I cannot see my way clear to accept your call, and there- fore accept my love, earnestly praying that God, through infinite Riches of free Grace, would be pleased to bless you all with a happy and ser - viceable ministry, with peace and plenty in this world, and Eternal Glory and Happiness in the world to come.

" ABIAL HAYWARD."

At meeting held April 30, 1734, they voted to hire a minister for three months, provided he commenced June 1st following.

At a meeting of the precinct, held in the meeting- house on the 5th May, 1735, but adjourned to the 12th day of the same, very important business was transacted ; they voted to settle a minister, and made choice by paper votes, without a dissenting vote, of Rev. Atherton Wales; they voted to build a pulpit in their meeting-house suitable for a minister to preach in; they voted to build the seats below in said meeting-house, and to have a convenient alley between the men's seats and the women's seats. Mr. Wales declined the offer.

On the 29th day of December, 1735, another meet- ing was held in the meeting-house to see about set- tling a minister in the work of the Lord, and they made choice of Rev. Samuel Tobey, of Sandwich ; they appointed a committee to wait upon Mr. Tobey, and the committee made several journeys to Sand- wich. The meeting was adjourned several times.

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MANSFIELD.

The freeholders were anxiously waiting the report, but waited in vain until March 1, 1736, when the committee reported that "Mr. Tobey declined to ac- cept the brilliant offer made because of his being 'young in years.'" This report was "excepted," and the moderator dismissed said meeting.

On the 7th day of September, 1736, another meet- ing was held in the meeting-house to make choice of and settle a gospel minister. A vote was called for by paper votes, and they brought them in and made unanimous choice of " Rev. Mr. Ebenezer White, of Brookline, to be their minister to follow in the work of the gospel ministry in said precinct, according to the Congregational platform," and voted to pay him "one hundred pounds annually or yearly." A com- mittee was chosen to wait upon Mr. White, and he returned the following reply :

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History of Bristol County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 104

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed Publication date: 1883 Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & Co. Number of Pages: 1818

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1818