USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Hardwick > History of Hardwick, Massachusetts, with a genealogical register > Part 58
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1 It is worthy of remark that John P. Rob- inson, his sister Rebecca, and his brother David, all born on the Green Mountain at
Windsor, were the longest livers and the last survivors of their father's family.
2 MS. letter from Rev. William B. Stone.
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ROBINSON - ROGERS.
3. CHARLES, s. of Jonathan (2), m. Sarah Adams of W. Brk., and had two chil., both of whom d. in infancy; she d. and he m. (2d) Sara T., dau. of Myron Lawrence, Esq., of Belchertown. A brief sketch of his eventful life was published in the Commonwealth, at Topeka, Kansas, January 18, 1877, under the head of "Senate Directory:" "Charles Robinson of Lawrence was born in Hardwick, Massachusetts, July 21, 1818, received an academic education and passed two years at Amherst College, but left on account of ill health; studied medicine at Pittsfield Medical College, and graduated as M. D. in 1843; practised medicine at Belchertown, Springfield, and Fitchburg; went to California in 1849, was elected to the California Legislature, serving one term; returned to Fitchburg in 1851; resumed practice as a physician; in 1854 published a journal of his trip through Kansas in 1849; this led to his appointment as agent of the New England Emigrant Aid Society ; removed to Kansas in 1854, and took an active and well-known part in the struggle which followed; was twice elected Governor under the Topeka Constitution of 1855; was elected first Governor of the State of Kansas under the Wyan- dotte Constitution; has served many years as Regent of the State University; was a member of the House in 1872; was elected to the Senate in 1874, and was reelected in 1876."
4. DANIEL, of Monson, m. Anna Bridges 28 Ap. 1788, and had Alvan, b. 20 Oct. 1788, d. at Deerfield 8 Nov. 1864 ; a child b. - Mar. 1790, d. 3 May 1790, a. five weeks; Arathusa, twin, b. 13 Oct. 1794; Minerva, twin, b. 13 Oct. 1794, d. unm. at Deerfield 1 Mar. 1872; a child which d. 7 Aug. 1805. DANIEL the f. may have rem. to Deerfield; his name early disappears from our records.
5. NATHAN, m. Hannah Grant of Barre 16 Oct. 1804, and had Nathan Warren, b. 20 Mar. 1806, m. Persis Wright 5 Jan. 1853, and d. 17 Mar. 1876; Betsey Field, b. 12 Sep. 1807, m. Justus Allen 21 Nov. 1831, and d. 4 Dec. 1876; Joseph Williams, b. 25 Sep. 1809 ; Lucinda, b. 9 Aug. 1811; Philip Rosann Grant, b. 13 Aug. 1813. NATHAN the f. d. 18 May 1813, a. 34; his w. Hannah survived and buried an infant who d. 2 Feb. 1822, a. four months.
6. DANIEL (possibly s. of Daniel (4)), m. Rhoda Goddard, of Pet., pub. 1 Oct. 1831, and had Daniel Lewis, b. -; David Franklin, b. 26 Feb. 1846.
7. EBENEZER W., m. Susan Bartlett of Pelh., pub. 9 Dec. 1842, and had Lizzie Augusta, b, 29 June 1861 ; and prob. others.
8. FRANK, by w. Maria, had Emma, b. 14 Dec. 1870.
9. WILLIAM D., of Barre, m. Susan S. Davis 5 Ap. 1871, and had, in Hk., Walter M., b. 18 Oct. 1872; Jenny M., b. - 1876, d. 12 Oct. 1877; Alice Etta, b. 8 Ap. 1878.
HANNAH, was pub. to Isaiah Carpenter 24 Feb. 1762. MARY, m. Joseph Nye, pub. 10 Mar. 1805. JOSIAH, m. Elizabeth Walker of N. Sal., pub. 2 Nov. 1806. CHARLOTTE, m. Jesse Paige 4 Sep. 1823. JOHN P., of Brk., m. Eliza Ann, dau. of Stephen Rice, Jr., 18 Feb. 1835, and rem. to Boston, where he d. 5 Aug. 1882, a. 73. PHINEHAS L., of Bennington, m. Elizabeth Clark, pub. 30 Mar. 1836. JACOB, m. Rachel Davis 25 July 1836; she d. at Green- wich 16 Feb. 1879, a. 60. JOSEPH, of Amh., m. Almira Richardson 31 Dec. 1840. NELSON, of Norwich, Vt., m. Abigail Morton 12 Jan. 1841. SARAH, m. Alexander Bartlett of Pelh., pub. 15 Nov. 1841. ARATHUSA M., of Barre, m. Gershom P. Wright, pub. 10 Feb. 1849. ALICE A., m. Charles S. Turner 24 Nov. 1853. HARRIET A., of Barre, m. Warren W. Barnes, pub. 10 May 1854. CAROLINE, of Enfield, m. Billings Cummings, pub. 24 Dec. 1855. MELISSA, m. Billings Cummings, pub. 21 Dec. 1857. CLARA, m. Monroe Turner 4 Mar. 1858. DRUSILLA, of Barre, m. David Wyatt 9 Jan. 1873. PHILENA, of Barre, m. Edgar F. Stone 29 Jan. 1873. ELLA, m. Norman Bartlett of Orange 1 July 1873. EMMA A., of Barre, m. J. Warren Patrill 22 Aug. 1876.
ROGERS, BENJAMIN, m. Mehetabel, dau. of James Fay, 10 Sep. 1760; she d. 1761 or 1762, and he m. Temperance Phinney 5 Ap. 1763. His chil. were John, b. 6 Dec. 1761; Gershom, b. 6 May 1764; Benjamin, b. 26 Dec. 1766;
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ROGERS - ROSS.
Naomi, bap. 26 Dec. 1768; Rebecca, bap. 14 Oct. 1770. BENJAMIN the f. was recommended to the church in Ashfield, 24 Jan. 1775.
2. JAMES, prob. brother of Benjamin (1), m. Hannah, dau. of James Fay, 23 Nov. 1769, and had Martin, b. 22 Aug. 1770; James, b. - 1782, d. 27 Sep. 1796, a. 14 ; Medad, b. 25 May 1786; John, b .- 1791, d. 22 Sep. 1796, a. 5; and perhaps others. JAMES the f. was a cordwainer, and rem. from Kingston to Hk. before 6 Nov. 1766, at which date he bought a farm in the northerly part of the town, at or near the place marked " Wid. Rogers " on the R. Map. He d. 7 July 1823, a. 78 ; his w. Hannah d. 18 Oct. 1835, a. 86.
3. MARTIN, s. of James (2), m. Elizabeth, dau. of Seth Taylor, 30 Nov. 1797, and had James Phinney, b. 16 July 1799; Irena, b. 12 Jan. 1802; Seth Taylor, b. 29 Aug. 1804, d. 14 Jan. 1819 ; Dorus Dwight, b. 9 June 1806 ; Mary (or Mercy) Taylor, b. 29 Aug. 1808, d. unm. 5 Dec. 1841; Convers Cut- ler, b. 24 Jan. 1811, m. Mary L. Smith 20 June 1833, and rem. to Ware; Rhoda Taylor, b. 15 June 1813, m. Zemira F. Shumway 11 Feb. 1835; Ar- minda Spooner, b. 25 Nov. 1815, m. Cutler Barnes 20 Dec. 1837; Fidelia Fay, b. 6 Mar. 1818, m. George P. Danforth of Dana, pub. 4 Ap. 1843 ; Eunice Ann, b. 23 Aug. 1820, m. Horace Terry, pub. 7 Ap. 1843. MARTIN the f. res. in the northerly part of the town, but perhaps rem. to Gr. after the death of his wife, where he was drowned in a well, 23 Feb. 1857, a. 86 ; his w. Elizabeth d. here 14 Nov. 1853, a. nearly 76.
4. MEDAD, s. of James (2), m. Cynthia Parkhurst 12 Nov. 1810, and had Roxana, b. 20 June 1811; Charles, b. 17 Aug. 1814, d. at Springf. 11 Aug. 1873; Pamelia, b. 1 Mar. 1816. MEDAD the f. res. on or near the homestead, and d. 26 Jan. 1824.
5. JAMES P., s. of Martin (3), m. Eliza Shumway 5 Mar. 1822, and had Enos, b .- 1824, d. at Springf. 15 Jan. 1854, a. 29; Warren F., b. about 1843. JAMES P. the f. d. 5 June 1876, a. nearly 77; his w. Eliza d. 8 Aug. 1881, a. 81.
6. DORUS DWIGHT, s. of Martin (3), m. Susanna G. Bond 1 Dec. 1831. Their s. Joseph J., b. about 1838, was a soldier in the late Civil War, and was killed in the battle of the Wilderness, 6 May 1864, a. 26.
7. WARREN F., s. of James P. (5), m. Catherine E. Presho, 7 May 1876, and had Charles Warren, b. 30 July 1877; Minnie E., b. 1 Dec. 1880.
8. SETH, m. Sally Ann Bartlett 2 May 1845, and had Sarah A., b. - 1849, d. 22 Aug. 1852, a. 3.
9. ANTHONY, b. in Canada, m. Lucy -, and had Lucy, b. 27 Dec. 1862; Julia, b. 8 Nov. 1864; Anthony, b. 6 July 1866; Ellen, b. 10 June 1871 ; Ro- sanna, b. 17 Dec. 1873 ; Joseph, b. 5 July 1876; Mary, b. 1 May 1878; Emma, b. 23 Mar. 1881.
MARTHA, of Gr., m. Timothy Gilbert, pub. 13 Oct. 1771. BETSEY, m. Phineas Rollins 12 Sep. 1793. SUSANNA, m. Nathan Phinney of Williams- burg 19 Jan. 1794. SALLY, m. Dorus Dwight of Williamsburg, 29 Nov. 1798. (The before-named BETSEY, SUSANNA, and SALLY were prob. daughters of James 2.) OBADIAH, m. Lydia Reed of Wendell, pub. 3 Ap. 1815, and rem. to Tecumseh, Mich. JOSHUA, of Enf., m. Sally Reed, pub. 6 Oct. 1817. EDMUND, m. Rebecca Woodward of Ware, pub. 24 Jan. 1820. ELIZA JANE, of Barre, m. Frederick D. Ruggles 14 June 1859. FRANKLIN E., of Gr., m. Carrie E. Newland 16 Sep. 1865. Wid. SARAH d. 17 Dec. 1879, a. 81. CLARENCE, d. 23 July 1880, a. 17.
ROPES, GEORGE, of Portland, m. Charlotte, dau. of Constant Ruggles, Esq., pub. 9 July 1832.
ROSE, ELIZABETH, was pub. to Isaac Pratt 24 Jan. 1756 ; the banns were forbidden, and she was pub. 15 Feb. 1756, to Larkin Green, whom she married soon afterwards.
Ross, HANNAH, m. Jonas Bridges 16 Feb. 1806. ROWENA, of Brk., m. Uriel Spooner, pub. 26 May 1816. SARAH, of Brk., m. Henry Fish, Jr., pub. 21 Sep. 1823. JEANNETTE, m. Alfred Greenwood 14 Mar. 1871. CHAR- LOTTE E., of Barre, m. Samuel K. Trow 5 June 1876. SAMUEL, m. Jessie Kennedy 23 Dec. 1876.
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RUGGLES.
RUGGLES, THOMAS, m. Mary Curtis at Nazing, Essex Co., England, 1 Nov. 1620, and had Thomas, b. about 1623, d. in England; John, b. about 1625, m. Abigail, dau. of Griffin Crafts, 24 Jan. 1650-1, and had four sons, three of whom, - John, Thomas, and Samuel, - survived him ; he d., or was buried 15 Sep. 1658; Sarah, b. about 1627, m. William Lyon of Roxbury, 17 June 1646, had six sons and one daughter, and d. 9 Feb. 1688-9; Samuel, b. about 1629. THOMAS the f. came from England to Roxbury in 1637. He and his wife are very favorably mentioned by the " Apostle Eliot " on the Records of the Roxbury church, of which he was pastor and they were members : " Thomas Ruggles: he came to N. E. in the year 1637 ; he was elder brother to John Ruggles, children of a godly father ; he joined to the church soon after his coming, being as well known as his brother ; his first born son died in Eng- land; his second son John was brought over a servant by Philip Eliot ; and he brought two other children with him, Sarah and Samuel. He had a great sickness the year after his coming, but the Lord recovered him in mercy." -" Mary, the wife of Thomas Ruggles: she joined to the church with her husband, and approved herself a godly Christian by a holy and blameless con- versation, being converted not long before their coming from England." He res. in Roxbury seven years, and d. 15 Nov. 1644; his death is recorded by Eliot, with the following remark: "1644, 9m. 15ª. Thomas Ruggles, a godly brother; he dyed of a consumption. These two1 brake the knot first of the Nazing Christians; I mean they first dyed of all those Christians that came from that town in England." 2 His w. Mary was sister of the first William Curtis of Roxbury, and was bap. in Nazing - April 1589 ; she survived her husband, m. (2d) - Root, and d., or was buried 14 Feb. 1674-5, a., according to the record, 88 ; but prob. 86 was the actual age.
2. JOHN, brother of Thomas (1), " came to N. E. in the year 1635, and soon after his coming joined unto the church; he was a lively Christian, known to many of the church in Old England, where many of the church enjoyed soci- ety together; he brought his first-born, John Ruggles, with him to N. E., and his second son was still-born in the first month 1636, of which his first wife died." Church Record. He m. a second w., Margaret -, but prob. had no chil. by her. He was representative three years, and d. 6 Oct. 1663. His son John, b. about 1632, m. Mary Gibson of Cambridge, 3 Ap. 1655; she d. 6 Dec. 1674, and he m. Sarah Dyer of Weymouth 15 Mar. 1675; she d. 2 May 1687, 7 and he m. Ruth -; she d. 11 Ap. 1710, and he d. 25 Feb. 1712-3. By his second wife he had son Benjamin, b. 11 Aug. 1676, grad. H. C. 1693, was pas-y tor of the church in Suffield, and d. 7 Sep. 1708.
3. SAMUEL, s. of Thomas (1), m. Hannah, dau. of George Fowle of Charles- town, 10 Jan. 1654-5 ; she d. 24 Oct. 1669, and he m. Anna, dau. of Deac. Henry Bright of Watertown, 26 May 1670. His chil. were Hannah, b. 21 Jan. 1655-6, d. 16 Mar. 1655-6 ; Mary, b. 10 Jan. 1656-7, d. 31 Mar. 1658 ; Sam- uel, b. 1 June 1658 ; Joseph, b. 12 Feb. 1659-60 ; d. 5 Feb. 1664-5 ; Hannah, b. 11 Dec. 1661, d. 6 Nov. 1669; Sarah, b. 18 Nov. 1663, d. 11 Nov. 1664; Mary, b. 8 Dec. 1666, m. Ebenezer Pierpont 20 Oct. 1691, and (2d) Isaac Mor- ris, 3 Nov. 1702; " an infant, newly born," buried 3 Oct. 1668 ; Sarah, b. 30 Aug. 1669, d. 17 Nov. 1669; Thomas, b. 10 Mar. 1670-1; Anna, b. 30 Sep. 1672, m. William Heath of Roxbury ; Nathaniel, b. 22 Nov. 1674, d. - May 1674 ; Elizabeth, b. 1 May 1677, m. James Bayley ; Henry, b. 7 July 1681, d. unm. 9 Dec. 1702; Huldah, b. 4 July 1684, m. Samuel Hill 3 of Guilford, Conn., 9 June 1709. SAMUEL the f. res. in Roxbury, kept a tavern, but was very ac- tively engaged in public life. He was selectman fourteen years, assessor dur-
1 " These two" were John Grave, who d. sions of the Legislature, was several times 4 Nov. 1644, and Thomas Ruggles, who d. Speaker, was judge of our County and Pro- eleven days later.
2 Nazing is described as "a parish in the hundred of Waltham," near Epping in the county of Essex, England.
3 Samuel Hill was " one of the most dis- tinguished men that Guilford ever produced. He represented the town in forty-three ses-
bate Courts, was town clerk, and all the busi- ness of the church, society, and a large share of that of the county and of the colony for forty years seems to have centered in him." MS. Letter from R. D. Smith, E'sq-, Guilford.
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RUGGLES.
ing the same period, and representative for the four critical years succeeding the Revolution of 1689. He was for several years captain of militia, and when Governor Andros and his associates were seized and imprisoned, Joseph Dud- ley (afterwards Governor) was committed to his special charge, while tempo- rarily released from prison. His preservation from death by lightning on the 25th of May 1667 was so remarkable that an account of it was entered on the Church Record by Rev. Samuel Danforth: " 25 (3) 1667. There was a dread- ful crack of thunder. Samuel Ruggles happened at that instant to be upon the meeting-house hill, with oxen and horse, and cart loaden with corn. The horse and one ox were strucken dead with the lightning; the other had a little life in it, but it died presently. The man was singed and scorched a little on his legs, one shoe torn apieces, and the heel carried away; the man was hurled off from the cart and flung on the off side, but through mercy soon re- covered himself and felt little harm. There was a chest in the cart, wherein was pewter and linen; the pewter had small holes melted in it, and the linen some of it singed and burnt." He (or his son Samuel) was one of the eight associates, who purchased of the Indians 27 Dec. 1686, the territory, now the town of Hardwick ; and he with his son Samuel and four others, on the 5th of May 1686, bought of Capt. James Fitch of Norwich, Conn., a tract styled the " Mashamoquet Purchase," which afterwards became the town of Pomfret, Conn. It was many years, however, before his posterity derived much pecu- niary advantage from these purchases. He d. 15 Aug. 1692, a. 63; his w." Anna d. 5 Sep. 1711, a. 67.
4. SAMUEL, s. of Samuel (3), m. Martha,1 dau. of Rev. John Wood- bridge of Newbury, and grand-daughter of Gov. Thomas Dudley, 8 July 1680, and had Samuel, b. 3 Dec. 1681; Lucy, b. 8 Sep. 1683, m. Joseph Stevens 15 Feb. 1715-16; Timothy, b. 3 Nov. 1685; Hannah, b. 10 Ap. 1688, m. William Noyes 17 Dec. 1712; Patience, b. 9 Nov. 1689 (or 7 Nov. 1690), m. James Robinson of Boston, 3 July 1711; 2 Martha, b. 1 Feb. 1691-2, m. Job Lane of Billerica, 17 Dec. 1713; Sarah, b. 18 June 1694, m. John Holbrook 19 Aug. 1714 ; Joseph, b. 21 July 1696, m. Joanna White 20 Oct. 1720, res. in Roxbury, and d. 9 Sep. 1742; Mary, b. 20 Sep. 1698, d. unm. before 1716; Benjamin, b. 4 July 1700. SAMUEL the f. res. in Roxbury, and was a "set-work cooper " and an innholder. He inherited his father's military spirit and succeeded him in many of his offices; he was captain of militia, 1702; assessor, 1694; repre- sentative, 1697; and selectman continuously from 1693 to 1713, except in 1701 and 1704, nineteen years. His death occurred after a very short sickness, 25 Feb. 1715-16, and his funeral is mentioned in Sewall's Diary : " Feb. 28, 1715- 16. Capt. Samuel Ruggles was buried with arms. . . . He is much lamented at Roxbury." 8 . His w. Martha d. - 1738.
5. THOMAS, s. of Samuel (3), grad. at H. C. 1690, and was ordained pastor of the church in Guilford, Conn .; he m. Sarah - ; she d., and he m. Mary Hubbard of Boston 1 June 1708. His chil. were Sarah, b. 27 Mar. 1699, d. unm. 23 Mar. 1722; Anne, b. 3 May 1701, m. Charles Caldwell 3 Nov. 1724, and d. 19 May 1760; Mary, b. 8 Oct. 1702, d. young ; Thomas, b. 27 Nov. 1704, grad. Y. C. 1723, succeeded his father in the ministry at Guilford, and d. 20 Nov. 1770; Rebecca, b. 23 May 1712, d. 11 June 1713; Nathaniel, b. 16 May 1713, grad. Y. C. 1732, a physician in Guilford, d. 16 Dec. 1794 ; Eliza- beth, b. - 1715, m. Jehoshaphat Starr 1 Nov. 1734, and d. 9 Sep. 1769. THOMAS the f. d. 1 June 1728; his w. Mary d. 17 Dec. 1742.
6. SAMUEL, s. of Samuel (4), grad. H. C. 1702, was ordained pastor of the church in Billerica, 19 May 1708. He m. Elizabeth, dau. of Samuel Whiting, and grand-daughter of Rev. Samuel Whiting, 19 Dec. 1710; she d. 29 July 1727, and he m. Mrs. Elizabeth Williams of Roxbury 18 Ap. 1728. His
1 Of Mrs. Ruggles it is worthy of remark, and Timothy, her husband's brother, Thom- that not only was her father a clergyman, as, and three of her sons Samuel, Timothy, and Benjamin, also sustained the clerical of- fice, and all held an honorable rank in the profession. descended from numerous clergymen on both sides (including the famous Rev. Robert Parker), but her uncle, Benjamin Wood- bridge (the first graduate of Harvard Col- 2 See note under James Robinson (3). lege), three of her brothers, John, Benjamin, 3 Coll. Mass. Hist. Soc., xlvii. 75.
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chil. were Elizabeth, b. 21 Sep. 1711, d. 21 Aug. 1713; Samuel, b. 29 May 1713; Nathaniel, b. 16 July 1715, d. 29 Dec. 1717; Elizabeth, b. 21 June 1717, m. Samuel Dummer, Esq., 31 May 1737, and (2d) Rev. Daniel Rogers of Little- ton ; Martha, b. 9 Dec. 1719, m. John Whiting of Littleton; Dorothy, b. 7 Jan. 1721-2, m. Rev. Isaac Morrill of Wilmington 4 Aug. 1743; Lucy, b. 9 Feb. 1723-4; Joseph, b. 9 Jan. 1725-6 ; Nathaniel, b. 14 June 1729, d. 14 Ap. 1730; John, b. 4 July 1730; Sarah, b. 6 Nov. 1731, m. Rev. Josiah Stearns of Epping, and d. 2 Ap. 1808 (she had three sons and three daughters; one of her sons was Rev. Samuel Stearns of Bedford, who grad. H. C. 1794, and d. 1834, and was father of Rev. Samuel H. Stearns, grad. H. C. 1823, and d. - 1837; Rev. William A. Stearns, D. D., grad. H. C. 1827, President of Amherst College, and d. 8 June 1876; Rev. Jonathan F. Stearns, D. D., grad. H. C. 1830, res. in New Jersey; Josiah A. Stearns, Ph. D., an eminent teacher; Rev. Eben S. Stearns, D. D., Chancellor of the University in Nashville, Tenn .; and others); William, 30 Ap. 1733. SAMUEL the f. died in office at Billerica 1 Mar. 1748-9 ; his w. Elizabeth d. 25 June 1748.
7. TIMOTHY, s. of Samuel (4), grad. H. C. 1707, was ordained pastor of the church in Rochester 22 Nov. 1710. He m. Mary, dau. of Benjamin White of Brookline, 27 Sep. 1710; she d. 23 Jan. 1749, and he m. Anne Woodworth of Little Compton, pub. 26 Mar. 1750. His chil. were Timothy, b. 20 Oct. 1711; Benjamin, b. 19 May 1713; Samuel, b. 5 July 1715; Joseph, b. 13 June 1718; Mary, b. 1 Jan. 1719-20, m. John Hammond, Jr., 13 Nov. 1740; Susanna, b. 6 Jan. 1721-2, m. Paul Mandell of Dartmouth 8 Feb. 1746-7, and rem. to Hk .; Edward, b. 30 Aug. 1723; Nathaniel, b. 12 Ap. 1725; Thomas, b. 13 July 1727, d. 5 Dec. 1727; Hannah, b. 18 Oct. 1728, d. 25 Nov. 1728; Thomas, b. 2 Mar. 1730 ; John, b. 2 Sep. 1731 (very eccentric, perhaps partially insane, but harmless), res. several years in New Braintree, ret. to Rochester, and d. unm. about 1815. TIMOTHY the f. held a high rank in the ministry, and was preeminently a man of business. He was apparently more active and efficient than any other individual in promoting the settlement of Hardwick. Through his influence and exertions, six sons and a daughter of his own family, five sons and two daughters of his sister Patience, wife of James Robinson (also their father and mother, late in life), and many members of his parish, were among the early settlers. On behalf of the proprietors he personally visited the town several times, both arranging the financial affairs of the people and ministering to their spiritual wants. He d. in office as sole pastor of the church 26 Oct. 1768, a. nearly 83. In the epitaph on his head-stone he is described as " an Able Divine, and a Faithful Minister. Having a peculiar talent at composing Differences and healing Divisions in Churches, he was much improved in Eccle- siastical Councils."
8. BENJAMIN, s. of Samuel (4), grad. Y. C. 1721 (A. M. at Y. C., and also at H. C. 1724). He m. Dorcas, dau. of Samuel Whiting, and grand-daughter of Rev. Samuel Whiting of Billerica, 30 Dec. 1725. I have not seen his family record; but, from other sources, I learn that he had Benjamin, b. 18 Dec. 1726; Whiting, b. - 1733; Mary, b. - , m. Dr. Joel Carpenter of Hk. 9 Dec. 1755; Dorcas, b. - , m. Edward Smith of Hk. 25 Aug. 1757; Lucy, b. - 1740, m. Elijah Chapin of Granby - 1801;1 Betsey, b. 1745, d. unm. 29 May 1795, a. 50; and perhaps Nancy, who m. Dr. Freeman Perry of New Bedford, pub. 6 May 1795. BENJAMIN the f. was ordained pastor of the sec- ond church (then newly formed) in Middleborough, about 1724, where he re- mained until the church was organized in New Braintree 1754, of which he became the first pastor, and remained in office during the remainder of his life, having Rev. Daniel Foster as a colleague about four years. He d. sud- denly 12 May 1782, a. nearly 82; his w. Dorcas d. 5 Sep. 1778, a. 75.
9. TIMOTHY, s. of Timothy (7), m. Bathsheba 2 (or Bathshua), widow of comb, who grad. H. C. 1722, and d. 8 Ap. 1736, a. 33, she had eight children: Mercy, b. 4 Feb. 1723-4, m. John Bassett 21 Oct. 1742; Desire, b. 21 July 1725, m. Dr. Elisha Tobey 12 Jan. 1746 ; Peter, b. 4 Sep. 1726, prob. d. young ; Mary, b. 3 Sep. 1728, m.
1 " Married at New Braintree, Mr. Elijah Chapin of Granby, aged 51, to Miss Lucy Ruggles of New Braintree, aged 61, daughter of the former minister of that place." Mass. Spy, Dec. 30, 1801.
2 By her first husband, William New- 31
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RUGGLES.
William Newcomb, and only dau. of Hon. Melatiah Bourne of Sandwich, pub. 18 Sep. 1736, and had Martha, b. 10 Aug. 1737, m. John Tufts of Brk., pub. 11 Nov. 1765, d. 26 July 1813; Timothy, b. 7 Jan. 1738-9; Mary, b. 10 Feb. 1740-1, m. Dr. John Green of Worc., pub. 19 Mar. 1762, d. 16 June 1814; John, b. 30 Sep. 1742, was captain of the first company of militia in Hk. 1771, went to Nova Scotia with his father, and d. at Wilmot in old age; Richard, b. 4 Mar. 1743-4; Bathsheba, b. 13 Feb. 1745-6, m. Joshua Spooner of Brk., pub. 8 Jan. 1766, and was executed at Worcester 2 July 1778, having been adjudged guilty of hiring other persons to murder her husband. The known circumstances of this case, however, indicate insanity rather than moral turpi- tude ; and confinement in a lunatic asylum would seem to have been a more appropriate result than death on the gallows, -involving, as it did, the death of her unborn child ; 1 Elizabeth, b. 15 May 1748, m. Gardner Chandler, pub. 18 May 1772./ TIMOTHY the f. grad. H. C. 1732, and was one of the most promi- nent citizens of Massachusetts, and indeed of New England, in both military and civil affairs. As a soldier, he raised a company for service in the West Indies, 1740, and received his commission as captain ; but as the number of companies exceeded the demand, his company was disbanded, and thus escaped almost certain destruction, inasmuch as scarcely a tithe of those who embarked in this expedition lived to return. In the French War, which commenced in 1753 (though not formally declared until 1756), and continued until 1763, he rendered active and important service, first as colonel of a regiment, and after- wards as brigadier-general of the provincial troops on the northern frontier. But he was, perhaps, even more eminent in civil life. He commenced the practice of law in his native town (Rochester), rem. to Sandwich about 1737, and thence to Hardwick between 24 Ap. 1753, and 4 Mar. 1754. In his prac- tice, before his removal to Hk., he was the dreaded rival of James Otis, senior, as he was, at a later period, of James Otis, junior, in the General Court. After his removal, he was commissioned justice of the peace and quorum 19 Ap. 1754, judge of the Court of Common Pleas 19 Ap. 1757, and chief justice of
Lemuel Pope, Jr., of Dartmouth 10 Ap. 1760; Sarah, b. 21 Oct. 1729, m. Benjamin Fessenden 19 Oct. 1760; William, b. 27 Jan. 1731, m. Elizabeth -; Hannah, b. 4 June 1732, m. Jonathan Sturgis 14 Aug. 1768; Thomas, b. 17 June 1734, or 1735, prob. d. young. She must have been several years older than her second husband, General Rug- gles, who was not many months more than twelve years old when her first child was born.
1 The conduct of Mrs. Spooner, both be- fore and after the murder, bears evident marks of insanity. It appeared on the trial, that two entire strangers, James Buchanan and William Brooks, who had been British soldiers, were invited by her into the house, and were entertained for two weeks; during which time she engaged them to kill her hus- band, on his return from Princeton, - pro- vided that Ezra Ross failed to destroy his life, as he had promised. And after the murder, she not only rewarded the three murderers with money, but dressed them in her husband's clothes, in the presence of her household servants. The argument of her advocate, Hon. Levi Lincoln, Sen., although it failed, in that period of furious excite- ment, to convince the jury, deserves con- sideration. A sketch of that argument is printed in Chandler's Criminal Trials, ii. 26-33. Among other things, he said: "The whole evidence was that of a fool, or a dis- tracted person. Born in a high rank of life, well educated, and accomplished, a wife and a mother, and in the enjoyment of a good
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