USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Hardwick > History of Hardwick, Massachusetts, with a genealogical register > Part 50
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16. ELIJAH C., s. of Reuben (15), m. Harriet Stedman 16 Nov. 1848, and had Albert Eastman, b. 20 Nov. 1851; Samuel Elijah, b. 3 June 1856, d. 18 May 1857; Freddie Lincoln, b. 25 July 1860, d. 17 Aug. 1862; Harriet Jane, b. 19 June 1863, m. Dwight F. Howard 15 Jan. 1883.
17. EPHRAIM, by w. Polly, had Mary S., b. about 1821, m. Almon Snow 31 Dec. 1845; Harmon, b. about 1831, a soldier in the War of the Rebellion, d. at Washington, D. C., 18 Sep. 1864, a. 33.
ZACHARIAH, m. Hannah Goodnow, pub. 25 Nov. 1766. HANNAH E., m. Ebenezer T, Fox, 29 June 1834. POLLY M., m. Horace Barnes of Gr., pub. 7 Mar. 1837. ELIZABETH, widow of Davis Newton, d. 1 Jan. 1837, a. 81.
NEYLON, MICHAEL, m. Johanna Carney, pub. 3 Ap. 1864, and had Marga- ret, b. 22 Dec. 1866; John D., b. 7 Dec. 1868; William, b. 5 Feb. 1871 ; Joseph, b. 18 Jan. 1873 ; Francis Martin, b. 22 Jan, 1877; Michael Edward, b. 23 June 1880.
2. JOHN, m. Catherine Hogan of Springf., pub. 27 Dec. 1867, and had Mi- chael Joseph, b. 12 Dec. 1868.
NICHOLS, JACOB, by w. Elizabeth, had Joseph, bap. 23 Mar. 1739-40 ; Ben- jamin, bap. 20 Dec. 1741; Jesse, bap. 27 Nov. 1743 ; Elijah, bap. 5 Mar. 1748-9.
2. JACOB, by w. Almira, had Eda Bell, b. - Mar. 1872; Walter J., b. 2 Jan. 1876, d. 16 Ap. 1876.
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NICHOLS -NYE.
TIMOTHY, m. Joanna Dean 13 Jan. 1774. SUSANNA, W. of John, d. 9 Oct. 1796, a. 19. STEPHEN, d. 24 Sep. 1879, a. nearly 90.
NORRIS, RICHARD, by. w. - , had John, b. -; Patrick, b. -. RICH- ARD the f. d. 28 Aug. 1879, a. 70.
2. JOHN, S. of Richard (1), m. Mary Flynn, pub. 17 Dec. 1864, and had Richard, b. 8 Jan. 1866; Mary S., b. 24 Jan. 1867.
3. PATRICK, s. of Richard (1), m. Bridget Sullivan 1 Jan. 1876, and had Richard E., b. 20 Jan. 1880.
NURSE, CALEB, of Barre, m. Polly Fletcher, pub. 12 Feb. 1809.
BENJAMIN, d. 5 Nov. 1812, a. 81; and his w. LUCY, d. 14 Oct. 1809, a. 70.
NYE, BENJAMIN, was in Sandwich as early as 1637, m. Catherine Tupper 19 Oct. 1640, and had John; Ebenezer ; Jonathan, b. 29 Nov. 1649; Mercy, b. - 1652; Caleb ; Mary ; Benjamin ; Timothy.
2. JONATHAN, s. of Benjamin (1), m. Hannah -, by whom he had two chil., and (2d) Patience Burgess, by whom he had nine chil., one of whom was Jonathan, b. - Nov. 1691.
3. CALEB, s. of Benjamin (1), by w. Elizabeth, had Elizabeth and Hannah, twins, b. - 1697; and prob. Caleb.
4. JONATHAN, s. of Jonathan (2), m. Deborah Blackwell 7 Feb. 1723; she d. -- , and he m. Remember or Remembrance -, who survived him. His chil. were Thomas, b. - 1726 ; Hannah, b. - 1728; Jonathan, b. 23 Ap. 1731 ; Joshua, b. - 1733.1 JONATHAN the f. rem. to Hardwick about 1762. He prob. d. in 1770, as his will, dated 1 June 1761, at Sandwich, was proved as the last will of Jonathan Nye of Hardwick, 18 Sep. 1770.
5. CALEB, prob. s. of Caleb (3), m. Hannah Bodfish and had, at Sandwich, Silas, b. 27 Dec. 1732; Joseph and Benjamin, twins, b. 18 Ap. 1735. He had also Simeon, Caleb, Ebenezer, Hannah (who m. Benjamin Robinson 3 Nov. 1768), Azubah (who m. Jonathan Glazier 23 June 1774), and Prince, b. about 1752. CALEB the f. rem. from Sandwich to Hardwick, and prob. res. about a mile northerly from the Old Furnace, at the place marked " M. Nye " on the R. Map. His will, dated at Hk. 13 Dec. 1775, and proved 5 June 1787, names w. Hannah (who. d. 7 Mar. 1779, a. 68), and the nine children before mentioned; and the homestead was bequeathed to his son Prince. His w. Han- nah d. 7 Mar. 1779, a. 68, and he added a codicil to his will, 7 June 1781, dis- tributing several articles of furniture inherited from his " honored mother-in- law, Lydia Bodfish of Sandwich."
6. JONATHAN, S. of Jonathan (4), m. Rebecca, dau. of William Freeman of Sandwich, 18 Mar. 1756 (she was sister of Thomas Freeman and of Joanna, w. of Nathaniel Paige, both of whom res. in Hk.). His chil. born here were Oliver, bap. 4 Ap. 1762; Mary, bap. 5 Ang. 1764, m. Nathaniel Johnson, Jr., 5 Sep. 1783; Hannah, bap. 12 Oct. 1766, m. Silas Johnson, Jr., 15 Dec. 1785; Rebecca, bap. 28 Jan. 1770; Jonathan, b. 12 Feb. 1773; Thomas, b. 13 Aug. 1776 ; and perhaps he had one or more others before he left Sandwich, about 1762.
7. JOSHUA, s. of Jonathan (4), by w. - , had Lydia, bap. 18 May 1766; Sarah, bap. 17 Ap. 1768; Joshua, bap. 26 Jan. 1770.
8. SILAS, s. of Caleb (5), m. Patience, dau. of Nathan Carpenter, 27 Nov. 1766, and had Sarah, b. 13 Jan. 1768; Hannah, b. 22 Nov. 1769. No further trace found.
9. JOSEPH, s. of. Caleb (5), m. Thankful -, who d. 19 Feb. 1768, in childbed, and he m. Patience, dau. of James Robinson, pub. 14 Ap. 1771. His chil. were Caleb, b. 27 Sep. 1758, d. 8 Oct. 1758; Jemima, b. 28 Sep. 1759, m. Gamaliel Ellis 21 Feb. 1782; Meribah, b. 27 Oct. 1761, m. Stephen Chandler 23 May 1782; Thankful, b. 10 Feb. 1764, m. William Davis 5 July 1787; Mary, b. 18 Jan. 1766, d. 21 Feb. 1767 ; Joseph, b. 5 Feb. 1768; also, by second wife, and named in his will, dated 14 May 1806, Elizabeth, b. - , m. Levi Robin- son of Barre 20 Sep. 1798; Mary, b. about 1773, m. William Woods 15 Nov.
1 The early residence of this family was names and dates, I am indebted to the Rev. in Sandwich, and, thus far, for most of the Frederick Freeman of that town.
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NYE.
1798, and d. at Pelham 19 Feb. 1855, a. 81; Hannah, m. William Merrick 15 Nov. 1798, who d. early in 1803, and she m. Aldrich Worley of Boston, pub. 8 July 1805; Stephen, b. about 1778; Lucinda, b. - , m. Delano Witherell 10 July 1804, and d. before the date of her father's will, 14 May 1806; Zenas, b. -. JOSEPH the f. d. 21 May 1806, a. 71.
10. SIMEON, s. of Caleb (5), by w. Alice, had Bathsheba, b. 10 Dec. 1769, m. Elijah Robinson of Barre, pub. 31 May 1786, and d. 21 Oct. 1843; Alice, b. 11 Oct. 1771, m. Francis Jenks 28 July 1793; John Ruggles, b. 27 June 1776 . Hannah, b. 10 July 1779 ; Keziah, b. 27 May 1784, m. Isaac Atwood, and d. 9 Oct. 1861.
11. CALEB, s. of Caleb (5), m. Abigail Goodspeed of Barnstable, pub. 24 Mar. 1771. No record of children. They res. in a house which formerly stood on the easterly road to Gilbertville, about half a mile southerly from the Com- mon, between the places marked " O. Trow " and " J. Mann " on the R. Map. I suppose he lacked energy, as he and his wife in their old age were dependent; but I never heard aught against their moral character; on the contrary, they were " Uncle Caleb " and " Aunt Nabby " to all the neighborhood. Person- ally, I cherish an affectionate memory of them for their kindness to me in my childhood, when I so often resorted to their fireside to warm myself, being chilled and nearly frozen on my way to and from school. Mr. Nye d. 15 Oct. 1811, a. 69.
12. EBENEZER, s. of Caleb (5), res. in Oakham, and executed a will 5 July 1793, which was proved 3 Sep. 1793 ; legacies were devised to his wife, and to chil. Crocker ; Temperance, w. of Jonathan Richardson; Lucretia, w. of Alpheus Stone; Mary, w. of Bowman Chaddock ; Timothy ; Meletiah, w. of Calvin Chad- dock; Achsah ; Salmon ; John.
13. PRINCE, s. of Caleb (5), m. Dinah Joslyn 15 Dec. 1774. No record is found of the birth of their children; but from other records and from his will the following names and dates are gleaned: Anna, b. - , m. Jonathan Makepeace 10 July 1799; Rufus, b. about 1778; Joseph, b. -; Martin, b. -; Marshall, b. about 1787; Frances, b. about 1790, d. unm. 14 Ap. 1820, a. 30; Sewall, b. about 1792, d. 13 Nov. 1816, a. 24; Francis. PRINCE the f. was a farmer, and inherited the homestead. He was selectman twelve years, be- tween 1793 and 1810. He was very corpulent, and d. suddenly 24 July 1812, a. 59; his w. Dinah d. 9 July 1842, a. 87.
14. STEPHEN, s. of Joseph (9), m. Lois, dau. of Nathaniel Merrick, 10 Jan. 1802, and had Sarah Ellis Howe, b. 13 Jan. 1803, m. - Holbrook, and d. at Holden 23 Dec. 1870 ; Elmira Mary Blackmore, b. 4 Dec. 1805. STEPHEN the f. d. 28 Jan. 1807, a. nearly 29; his w. Lois survived.
15. JOHN RUGGLES, s. of Simeon (10), m. - , and had a child b. - 1802, d. 11 June 1803, a. 1 year and 3 months. He prob. rem. early to Barre, where he d. 12 Ap. 1852.
16. RUFUS, s. of Prince (13), m. Betsey Edson of Oakham, pub. 4 Jan. 1801, and had Calvin Edson, b. -; Hosea W., b. 1804; Lydia. RUFUS the f. d. 15 May 1806, a 28; his w. Betsey m. John Bruce of Springf. 19 May 1813.
17. JOSEPH, prob. s. of Prince (13), m. Mary Robinson, pub. 10 Mar. 1805, and had a child d. 2 Feb. 1806, a. 3 months; a child d. 7 Feb. 1807, a. 2 weeks.
18. MARSHALL, s. of Prince (13), m. Polly Whittemore, pub. 29 Nov. 1813, and had Persis Maria, b. 10 Nov. 1816, m. Thomas R. Greene of Bel. 9 May 1844, and d. 16 Mar. 1848; Susan, b. 1 Mar. 1818, m. William W. Dunbar of Rochester, N. Y., 26 May 1846; Ann Makepeace, b. 22 May 1820, m. John D. Dunbar of W. Brk. 26 Dec. 1844; Marshall Prince, b. 6 Nov. 1822, m. Sarah P., dau. of Apollos Fay, 16 Nov. 1848; she d. 13 Sep. 1851, a. 24, and he m. Emily Ann, dau. of Hosea W. Nye, 9 Nov. 1852; he res. in Boston ; Sewall, b. 5 Jan. 1832, m. Mary A. Pike of Pet., pub. 6 Ap. 1855, and res. in Boston. MARSHALL the f. was a farmer and inherited the homestead ; he was select- man in 1832, and d. 2 Mar. 1860; his w. Polly rem. to Boston.
19. HOSEA W., s. of Rufus (16), by w. Emily -, had Emily Ann, b.
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NYE - OLMSTEAD.
about 1829, m. Marshall P. Nye, as above, 9 Nov. 1852; Sarah Elizabeth, b. about 1838, m. Rufus J. Peirce of N. Br. 16 Ap. 1860; Charles Bartlett, b. 3 Aug. 1844; a dau. b. 23 Feb. 1846 ; Henry H., b. 1 Ap. 1848, d. at Auburn 3 Sep. 1865; Lisette Frances, b. 23 May 1850. HOSEA W. the f. d. at Worc. 14 Aug. 1874.
20. SAMUEL, parentage not ascertained, m. Lydia -; she d. 30 June 1756, and he m. Mehetabel, widow of Cornelius Cannon, 16 Nov. 1756. His chil. were Ebenezer ; Susanna ; Ann; all bap. 16 Sep. 1750; Lydia, bap. 16 Sep. 1750, m. Lot Whitcomb 9 Dec. 1762; Deborah, bap. 16 Sep. 1750, m. Joseph Chamberlin of Pet. 18 Ap. 1776; Jabez, b. 13 June 1749, prob. d. young; Ichabod, b. 28 Mar. 1753; Joseph, b. 28 Mar. 1755.
21. SPENCER, parentage not ascertained, by w. Sarah B., had Harry Spencer, b. 11 Ap. 1870.
JOSEPH, m. Sarah Bradish, 27 Dec. 1764; ISAAC, m. Hannah Walker 29 Nov. 1770; MARY, mn. Jonathan Orcutt of Shutes. 17 Aug. 1779. WILLIAM, m. Molly Purington 26 Dec. 1782. MARTHA P., of Barre, m. Elijah Amidon, pub. 18 May 1818. HARRIET, of Springf., m. Thomas Hale, pub. 12 Sep. 1848. ALPHEUS S., of Dana, m. Evelyn Sturtevant, pub. 3 Ap. 1854. CHARLES, d. 14 June 1803, a. 16. HARRIET, d. 5 Oct. 1810, a. 15. BATHSHEBA, widow of Benjamin of Barre, d. 26 July 1865, a. 96.
OAKES, ELEANOR, m. John Jenkins of Ware, pub. 4 Dec. 1785. CALVIN, m. Polly Carey of Ware 26 July 1787. NABBY, m. Levi Town of Gr. 8 Mar. 1790. JOHN, m. Polly Marsh, pub. 14 July 1793. LORINDA, of N. Sal., m. Luman Chase, pub. 27 Ap. 1854.
OLIVER, DANIEL, s. of Lieutenant-Governor Andrew Oliver, b. about 1744, grad. H. C. 1762, rem. from Boston to Hk. soon after 19 May 1767, when he bought of Caleb Benjamin, for £600, a farm of 177 acres, near the Old Fur- nace, at the place marked "E. Trow " on the R. Map, together with five acres in N. Br., five eighths of a saw-mill and utensils, and a pew in the meeting- house " between the pew of Timothy Ruggles, Esq., and Nathaniel Whitcomb." He was a barrister at law, and probably established himself here under the auspices of General Ruggles, to whose fortunes he constantly adhered. He was active in town affairs, and was representative in 1770. At the com- mencement of hostilities in the Revolution, he left town, and his estate was confiscated. He d. at Ashstead, Warwickshire, Eng., 6 May 1826, a. 82. No record is found of wife or chil. here.
2. WILLIAM, of Middleborough, "gentleman," perhaps s. of Chief Justice Peter Oliver, and, if so, cousin of Daniel (1), bought of Thomas Freeman 68 acres of land, formerly the homestead of Doctor Jedediah Rice, about midway between the places marked "M. Mandell " and " A. Ruggles," on the R. Map. This estate, which he purchased 12 Sep. 1767, he sold to Joseph Washburn 3 July 1770. He m. Sarah Fuller of Middleborough, pub. 25 Feb. 1770, and prob. left town before the end of that year.
3. THOMAS, a negro, perhaps brought here by Daniel (1), or William (2), as a hired servant, or possibly as a slave, d. 15 Oct. 1820, a. 71. No further trace of him appears on record.
4. NATHANIEL, prob. s. of Thomas (3), m. Lucia Bridges of N. Br., pub. 28 Dec. 1812; m. (2d) Esther Green of N. Br., pub. 24 July 1830; m. (3d) Mrs. Mary Freeman, "colored," 26 Ap. 1843; and d. 12 Feb. 1851, a. 74. He res. many years on the Petersham road, at the place marked " L. P." on the R. Map. Nathaniel 2d, who m. Mary H. Saunders of Boston, pub. 18 Dec. 1846, was perhaps his son.
ELIZABETH, m. Peter Newport of Hatfield, pub. 23 May 1779. SIMON, of Barre, m. Mary Morgan 24 July 1785. SUSANNA, m. Timothy Paine, " col- ored," of Boston, puv. 24 Ap. 1822. JUDITH, m. Luther Barber of Hartford, Conn., 25 Ap. 1824.
OLMSTEAD, JABEZ, of Brookfield, m. Thankful, dau. of Thomas Barnes, and had Thankful, b. 15 Feb, 1712-13, perhaps the same who m. Joseph Mac- mitchell 21 Jan. 1756; Jeremiah, b. 6 Jan. 1714-15; Israel, b. 24 Mar. 1716; Hannah, b. 22 Ap. 1718, m. Judah Marsh 4 Nov. 1736; Martha, b. 16 Sep.
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OLMSTEAD - PADDLEFORD.
1721, m. Thomas Hammond 21 Aug. 1741; Dorcas, b. 15 Ap. 1724, m. Benoni Walcott 13 Oct. 1741; Sarah, b. 24 May 1726, m. Ephraim Marsh 8 Oct. 1741; Silence, b. 30 Oct. 1728; Abigail, b. 24 Mar. 1731 ; Prudence, b. 28 Oct. 1733; Moses, b. 29 Jan. 1736. All these births and marriages are recorded in Brook- field. JABEZ the f. is supposed to have removed into the territory which after- wards became a part of Ware about 1729, " and to have made the first per- manent settlement " there, and erected a house in the village, near the present location of the Bank, which was standing in 1821. " Tradition represents Capt. Olmstead to have been a man of great shrewdness and energy, and that Indian blood ran in his veins. He was a mighty hunter, and is said to have been an officer in the expedition against Louisbourg, upon the island of Cape Breton, in 1745." 1
2. ISRAEL, s. of Jabez (1), m. Sarah Banister 12 May 1737; she d. - and he m. Anna Safford 25 Nov. 1756. Two of his chil. were bap. here, - Joseph, 28 Ap. 1751; Israel, 4 June 1758. ISRAEL the f. was a soldier in the French War, and prob. rem. to Warwick about 1761.
3. MOSES, s. of Jabez (1), by w. Abigail, had Jabez, b. 4 June 1760; Moses, b. 20 June 1762.
ORCUTT, ALMON M., m. Mary Ann, dau. of Theophilus Knight, 16 Oct. 1850, and had Lucretia W., b. 31 Dec. 1851, m. Charles J. Kellogg of Orange 20 Jan. 1874; Effie Miner, b. 11 Dec. 1853, d. 24 May 1857; Robert Bliss, b. 27 Mar. 1861, d. 31 July 1862; Emeline Babcock, b. 9 Jan. 1863; May Mitchell, b. 25 Nov. 1870. ALMON M. the f. was b. in Cummington, and established himself here, as a physician, soon after the death of Dr. Joseph Stone in 1849; he still continues in a very successful practice. He was town clerk in 1858, representative in 1874, and has served the town several years as treasurer, col- lector, and a member of the school committee. He res. near the south end of the Common.
JONATHAN, of Shutesbury, m. Mary Nye 17 Aug. 1779. SOPHIA, of Tem- pleton, m. Charles C. Chamberlain, pub. 21 Aug. 1808. CLAUDIUS B., of Amh., m. Mary G. Ellis 5 Nov. 1839. Widow ALICE, of Athol, d. 8 Aug. 1842, a. 70.
OSBORN, LEVI G., m. Candace Rawson of Orange, pub. 4 Feb. 1847, and had Levi Arthur, b. 31 Aug. 1859.
POLLY, m. Benjamin Sumner 10 Oct. 1816.
PACKARD, ELEAZAR, had w. Mercy, who was adm. to the church, by letter, 3 July 1768; she d. - , and he m. Mary Woodbury 9 June 1769. Two of his chil. were Daniel, bap. 28 July 1765; Mercy, bap. 31 Oct. 1768.
LEAH, of Bel., m. Apollos Snow, pub. 14 July 1794. ALVAH, m. Fanny Fisk 4 Dec. 1820.
PADDLEFORD, JONATHAN (otherwise written Paddlefoot, Padlefoote, Padl- foote, and recently Padelford), m. Mary Blanford 5 Oct. 1652, and had Jona- than; b. 6 July, and d. 29 Oct. 1653; Mary, b. 22 Aug. 1654; Jonathan, b. 13 Aug. 1656; Zechariah, b. 16 Dec. 1657, d. in Framingham 7 July 1737; Edward, b. 14 June 1660, "slayn in the wars." JONATHAN the f. res. in Cambridge, and d. in 1661 ; his w. Mary m. Thomas Eames, rem. to Sudbury, and thence to Framingham, where she had five chil., and was killed by the Indians 1 Feb. 1675-6.
2. JONATHAN, S. of Jonathan (1), m. Hannah Flint of Braintree, had only child Jonathan, b. at Br. 1679; he afterwards rem. to Taunton, and d. there in 1710.
3. JONATHAN, S. of Jonathan (2), res. in Taunton, where, by w. Hannah, he had Jonathan, b. - 1708, d. - - 1750; Zechariah, b. - 1710, d. 1765; Edward, b. - 1712, d. - -- 1800; Hannah, b. - 1715; John, b.
1720, d. - 1758; Philip, b. -- 1722; Peleg, b. - 1728, d. 1812; Judith, b. - 1730; Sarah, b. - 1732; Abigail, b. - 1734.
4. JOHN, s. of Jonathan (3), res. in Taunton, and by w. Jemima had John, b. - 1748; Seth, b. - 1751; Jemima, b. - 1755, m. - Hewitt.
1 Hyde's Address, delivered at the Opening of the New Town Hall, Ware, Mass., March 31, 1847, pp. 46, 47.
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PADDLEFORD -PAIGE.
5. JOHN, s. of John (4), m. Bathsheba, dau. of Dr. Tobey of New Bedford, and had Sophia, b. 22 Feb. 1770, m. Benjamin Cooper; John, b. 6 Aug. 1771 (by w. Mary had six sons, of whom the youngest, Seth, b. - 1807, was a merchant in Providence, Governor of Rhode Island, and d. 26 Aug. 1878; Elisha, b. 19 Dec. 1772, "left his widowed mother, a poor boy, to seek his living; shipped as cabin boy, and went to France; worked his way, by studious and hon- orable habits, up to a lieutenancy in the French navy, and d. in that service ; " Harriet, b. 13 Oct. 1774, m. Capt. Nathaniel Crane; William, b. 28 May 1776 ; Joseph, b .-- 1778. JOHN the f., b. - 1748, grad. Y. C. 1768, studied medicine with Dr. Tobey of New Bedford, and commenced practice in Hk., where all his chil. were born, except Joseph, and where he was an active patriot at the commencement of the Revolutionary War. He res. at the place marked "Mr. Wesson " on the R. Map. He " was skilful in his profession, entered the navy as a surgeon, was taken prisoner, and d. at St. Eustasie, 1779, when about to be exchanged. . . . He was a man of vigorous intellect, upright morals, and profound patriotism." 1
6. SETH, s. of John (4), b. - 1751, grad. Y. C. 1770, and received the degree of LL. D. from B. U. 1798. He commenced the practice of the law in Hk., where he was a member of the Committee of Correspondence in 1774 and 1775, and generally active in the Revolutionary struggle. He rem. to Taunton about 1778, was judge of probate, and, though not eminent as an advocate, was confessedly at the head of the bar as a counsellor. He m. Rebecca Dennis, had four sons and seven daughters, and d. of apoplexy 7 Jan. 1810.
PAIGE, NATHANIEL, m. Joanna -, and had Nathaniel, b. about 1679; Elizabeth, b. prob. about 1681, m. John Simpkins of Boston 28 Dec. 1698, had three children, and prob. d. before 1735, when her husband sold her paternal inheritance, and her concurrence in the sale does not appear in the deed; Sarah, b. prob. about 1683, m. Samuel Hill, Jr., of Billerica, 7 Jan. 1698-9, had six children, and d. 30 Ap. 1758 (her only son, Samuel, m. widow Abigail Dunton, dau. of Thomas Richardson, and d. 26 Jan. 1748-9, leaving only one child, Abiel or Abigail, who m. Samuel Kidder); James, bap. at Roxbury 28 Nov. 1686, d. 31 July 1687 ; Christopher, b. at Billerica (now Bedford), 6 Feb. 1690-1. NATHANIEL the f. is supposed to have come from England to Roxbury about 1685, with w. and three children. The earliest trace which I have found of his presence in New England is contained in his deposition recorded with Suffolk Deeds (xiii. 470), that on the 10th of March 1685-6 he saw Joseph Dudley, Esq., take peaceable possession of certain real estate in Billerica on behalf of " Daniel Cox of Aldersgate Street, London." On the organization of the government, 2 June 1686, after the abrogation of the first Charter, he was appointed by President Joseph Dudley one of the two marshals (equivalent to sheriffs) of Suffolk County ; and it was " ordered that the President have an honorable maintenance when 'tis known how the revenue will arise, and that Mr. Paige have five pounds a quarter for his at- tendance on the President." 2 He was also licensed by the County Court of Suffolk, 2 Aug. 1686, as an innholder in Roxbury. He was one of the eight original purchasers 8 from the Indian sachems 27 Dec. 1686, of the territory now embraced in the town of Hardwick. See chap. ii. pp. 15-17. A month afterwards, 27 Jan. 1686-7, the same persons, together with Ralph Bradhurst, in like manner bought the territory which is now embraced in the towns of Leicester and Spencer. These purchases, however, were merely speculative, from which no pecuniary benefit resulted for many years. For immediate use, Mr. Paige bought of George Grimes, 1 Mar. 1687-8, a farm of 250 acres in that part of Billerica which is now the easterly portion of Bed- ford, where he resided during the remainder of his life. His inventory in-
1 See chart of the "Descendants of Jonathan Padelford " by S. C. Newman, 1859, in the library of the N. Eng. Hist. Gen. Society, from which the foregoing quotations are made.
2 Council Records.
3 The eight purchasers were Joshua Lamb, Nathaniel Paige, Andrew Gardner, Benjamin Gamblin, Benjamin Tucker, John Curtis, Richard Draper, and Samuel Rug- gles, all of Roxbury.
28
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PAIGE.
dicates that he was a prosperous farmer, as the value of his farm had more than doubled during the four years of his ownership, and it was abundantly stocked with horses, neat cattle, sheep, swine, and farming tools ; and among his possessions was also a " servant man " valued at fifteen pounds. His real estate at Billerica and the wild lands near Quabaog and Worcester he devised to his two sons (a double portion to the elder, as was then customary), and 200 acres of land in Dedham, near Neponset Bridge, which he bought of the Indians in 1687, to his two daughters, in equal shares. Whether he was in Boston on business, on a visit, or for medical aid, does not appear; but he died there on the 12th of April 1692, as the Billerica records show. His last will, dated on the day next preceding his decease, and describing him as " of Bilrekey in the County of Middlesex, New England, yeoman, being sick and weak of body," is signed " Natt Paige; " and the signature is unusually plain and distinct, indicating a remarkable steadiness of nerve so near the close of life. His w. Joanna probably died in 1724, as on the fourth day of July in that year her sons divided the real estate in which she had dower under the provisions of their father's will.
2. NATHANIEL, s. of Nathaniel (1), m. Susanna, dau. of Maj. John Lane of Billerica, and grand-daughter of Job Lane of Malden, 6 Nov. 1701; she d. 2 Sep. 1746, a. 63, and he m. Mrs. Mary Grimes, who long survived him. His chil. were Nathaniel, b. 4 Sep. 1702; John, b. 11 Oct. 1704; Christopher, b. 16 July 1707; Susanna, b. 29 Ap. 1711, m. Samuel Bridge of Lexington 9 Ap. 1734, and had son Samuel, b. 6 Jan. 1735; she d. 16 Jan. 1735 ; Joanna, b. 29 Oct. 1714, m. Josiah Fassett 14 Ap. 1747. NATHANIEL the f. was a farmer, cornet of a company of cavalry, selectman, and a prominent manager of af- fairs in Billerica, and in Bedford after the incorporation of that town, where he d. 2 Mar. 1755, a. 75; his head-stone, on which his name is erroneously spelled PAGE, is still standing in the cemetery near the Common. In his will, dated 1 June 1748, he devised his homestead to his son Christopher, 200 acres of land in Hardwick to his grandson Samuel Bridge, £350, old tenor, to his dau. Joanna Fassett, and the remainder to his three sons; and he directed that his chil. John, Christopher, and Joanna, and his grandson Samuel Bridge, on penalty of forfeiting £60 each, should release to his eldest son Nathaniel, all " right to the estate in Old England, which belonged to their mother Su- sanna Paige late of Bedford, deceased." 1 He appointed his three sons as executors of his will, who wrote their name PAIGE on their bond of adminis- tration in 1755; later in life they changed the orthography, and wrote it PAGE, and the larger portion of their descendants have perpetuated the error.
3. CHRISTOPHER, s. of Nathaniel (1), m. Joanna -; she d. 27 Oct. 1719, and he m. Elizabeth, dau. of Deac. George Reed 2 of Woburn, 23 May 1720. His chil. were Joanna, b. 10 Aug. 1717, m. Benjamin Farley of Bedford, and
1 This estate was probably in Yorkshire. Job Lane of Malden, in his will dated 28 Dec. 1696, devised to his son John "all the land I have in England, in Yorkshire, to him and his heirs forever." When the es- tate of Maj. John Lane of Billerica was di- vided, 26 Mar. 1718, it was agreed that the English estate should be shared by all his children, namely, Job, John, James, Susan- na, w. of Nathaniel Paige; Mary, w. of John Whitmore; and Martha, w. of James Minott; the eldest son to take a double portion. Nathaniel Paige, son of Susanna, devised to his son Thomas, in 1772, "my estate in Old England." The same property is mentioned in the settlement of estates for a few years afterwards, and then disappears. There is a tradition, in various forms, and in several branches of the family, that the change of name from PAIGE to PAGE pre-
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