History of Norfolk County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 100

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1534

USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > History of Norfolk County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 100

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Whiting Hewins was descended in a direct line WHITING HEWINS, born Aug. 13, 1789, was the youngest of the thirteen children. He was brought up the common schools of his town afforded, and in addi- tion the benefits of a short attendance at Framingham Academy. His constitution not being of that robust character calculated to endure the hardships and toil incident to a farm life in New England, he came to Boston when a young man and engaged as clerk in a store devoted to the sale of West India goods. He remained here a few years until he had thoroughly , familiarized himself with the details of the business. from Jacob Hewins, who about the middle of the seventeenth century came to New England and settled | on the farm in Sharon, and received such instruction as in Boston. He purchased about 1656, from Samuel Mason, a dwelling-house and three acres of land in Dorchester. This he made his homestead. He was, | it appears, a man of much thrift and energy, coupled with business sagacity, as is evidenced by the fact that he added from time to time to his landed posses- sions various lots and tracts of land, and became be- fore his death one of the largest real-estate holders in that section. Some of his acres are said to be still in possession of his descendants. He was held in much | He then, in company with other parties, embarked in respect by the early colonists, as was shown by the trade for himself, continuing with this partner but a large cortège attending his funeral. His wife was | short time, however; when, in copartnership with

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HISTORY OF NORFOLK COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

Warren Fisher, he opened a store in the same line of trade at South End, Boston. The young men were energetic, enterprising, and intelligent, and they suc- eeeded in their enterprise. Boston was growing, and, as is the case in all growing cities, the " trade centre" gradually changed; so, following the tide of busi- ness emigration, they removed their quarters, and opened a store on State Street. After some years of successful venture in West India goods, they changed the nature of their traffic and began dealing exclu- sively and extensively in sperm oil. To facilitate matters they fitted out a number of vessels for the whale-fishery, and established a manufactory or re- finery for making whale-oil at Edgartown, Dr. Daniel Fisher, a brother of Warren Fisher, having charge of this branch of the business. The partnership of Messrs. Hewins & Fisher extended over a period of thirty years ; and with such prudence, enterprise, and foresight were their various undertakings conducted, that at the end of that long period it was their proud boast that they had never failed, had always paid all debts contracted, and owed no man a dollar. How very, very few of the great army of active business men can say the same ! Some years prior to his death, having accumulated a handsome competence for that time, Mr. Hewins retired from active busi- ness pursuits. He married, in 1817, Olive, daughter of Lemuel and Hannah (Belcher) Eastey, of Sharon. They had three children,-Olive Eastey, George Whiting, and Horace Holley. Of these, the two sons grew up to manhood, but died unmarried. The daughter, Olive E., married Isaac Hayden, a manufac- turer and inventor. They reside in Boston.

Mr. Hewins was a very genial, warm-hearted man ; a conservative, honest, safe business man ; a man upon whose word the strictest reliance could always be placed, and whose judgment and counsel could be confided in with safety. In politics he was a Whig, and was a great admirer and enthusiastic supporter of New England's great statesman, Daniel Webster. He died Aug. 16, 1855. Mrs. Hewins, July 30, 1867.

MOSES RICHARDS.

The first American ancestor of Moses Richards was Edward Richards, who-from the most authentic data obtainable-came to America in the ship " Lyon" (1632), and resided at Cambridge until about 1636. He became one of the proprietors of Dedham, 1636-37, and was the sixty-second signer of her " social compact ;" was chosen selectman, 1646,

and served nine years. He married Susan Hunting, Sept. 10, 1638, and both he and his wife died in 1684. They had five children, two sons and three daughters. Nathaniel, the second son and fourth child, was born Nov. 25, 1648. He inherited his father's homestead in Dedham and a large share of his lands, which were extensive. He was a man of

high standing in the community. He married, in 1678, Mary Aldis, by whom he had eight children, five sons and three daughters. He died in 1726-27. Jeremiah, the second son and child, was born in 1681, married Hannah Fisher, settled in West Roxbury, and became a large landed proprietor. He bore the title of captain. He lived to be over seventy years of age, but no record is found of the exact date of his death. He had eight children, of whom William was second, born in 1707. He married, 1733, Eliza- beth, daughter of Thomas and Sarah (Pike) Baker, of Roxbury, and settled on lands given him by his father at Pigeon Swamp, in north part of Sharon, about 1734. These lands are still in possession of the family, and the house in which he lived is now occupied by his great-grandchildren. These descend- ants have a number of heirlooms which have been handed down from this ancestor, among which are his spear, and his commission as an officer under King George II. This commission bears date Sept. 25, 1751, and is signed by Spencer Phips, Com- mander-in-Chief and Lieutenant-Governor of the Colony of Massachusetts Bay. He had six children, the youngest of whom was Ebenezer, who was born Feb. 27, 1744-45, and died July 6, 1811.

William died in 1797, in his ninetieth year. Ebenezer married, Oct. 6, 1769, Elizabeth Lyon, daughter of Benjamin and Ann (Dwight) Lyon, of Roxbury. He was by occupation a carpenter and farmer, and was a much respected citizen of Sharon. He had a family of eight children, of whom the elder was Moses, whose portrait accompanies this sketch. Moses was born at the old homestead in Sharon, July 27, 1770. He was brought up on the farm, and his life was spent in that avocation. He had the usual common-school education, nothing more ; but he was a man of strong intellect, and physically was of splen- did appearance, large, commanding, strong, very ener- getic and active. After he was eighty-four years old, he on one occasion hoed two thousand one hun- dred hills of corn and walked to Canton-two miles distant-and back in one day.

He married, Nov. 24, 1799, Esther Hodges, daughter of Benjamin Hodges. They had seven children,-Esther (1), born Sept. 19, 1800 ; married James Smith, of Stoughton ; died April 10, 1882 ; had

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one child, Erastus. Moses (2), born Sept. 6, 1802 ; married Mary H. Sumner. Betsey (3), born Nov. 19, 1804 ; died Jan. 1, 1877, unmarried. Nancy (4), born March 1, 1807 ; married John F. Randall. William (5), born June 2, 1810 ; resides at the old homestead in Sharon ; is unmarried. Amy (6), born Nov. 24, 1812 ; married Seth Pettee, of Boston ; died Feb. 18, 1840. Olive (7), born Aug. 5, 1818; she resides with her brother William at the old home, and has never married. She has always taken much in- terest in matters pertaining to the family history, and rendered very valuable assistance in the preparation of the very elaborate " History of Richards Family," which was published in 1861 by Rev. Abner Morse. Moses Richards was a Unitarian in religious faith, and in politics a Whig. He was a very unobtrusive man, and could never be prevailed upon to offer him- self for office.

Probably no man in Sharon was more universally respected. He belonged to that class of sturdy, honest yeomanry in whom are deeply grounded the principles of honor, equal rights, and freedom, and in whose keeping the sacred trust of political and reli- gious liberty confided by our fathers may safely rest. He preserved in a remarkable degree all his faculties to the time of his death, which occurred March 15, 1857.

WARREN TALBOT.

Warren Talbot was born June 15, 1798, in Sharon, Mass. He was descended from two of New England's old and honorable families. His father, Deacon Jo- siah Talbot, was born in Stoughton, Mass., and when a lad removed to Sharon, where, when he grew to manhood, he married Susanna, daughter of Nathaniel Morse, one of the early settlers of Sharon, and who was a native of South Dedham.

Warren Talbot's youth was spent, like the sons of most farmers of that period, attending school a few months during the year, and working on the farm the remainder of the time. He chose farming as his life's work, and occupied the same spot whereon he was born. On Nov. 6, 1828, he married Esther A., daughter of Daniel and Nabby Hodges. They had four children,-Warren A., born Dec. 13, 1829 ; mar- ried Angenette Stone, and has two sons, and is now a floriculturist in Norwood, Mass. Edwin (1), born March 17, 1831, died Aug. 15, 1832. Edwin (2), born May, 1833. Hervey, born Aug. 2, 1842, and died in infancy. Mrs. Talbot died Aug. 6, 1842, aged thirty-four years.

Mr. Talbot married, as his second wife, Hannah,

daughter of Benjamin Holmes (see Warren Holmes' biography). Their children were Hannah Esther (died in infancy), Etta F. (now resides in Newbury- port), and Sarah Emma (died in infancy).

Warren Talbot lived the quiet, retired life of a far- mer, and while he never sought or obtained office, or took an active part in public affairs, yet he was not wanting in public spirit, and was as benevolent as his means would allow. He was a very energetic and industrious man, one who attended strictly to his own affairs, and meddled with no other person's. He was conservative in his ideas, and was a Unitarian in relig- ious belief. He lived far beyond the threescore and ten years allotted as the span of life, and was prepared and resigned when the hour and the summons came for him to pass to the other shore. He died Aug. 13, 1882.

WARREN M. HOLMES.

Warren M. Holmes was born in Sharon, Mass., Nov. 12, 1810. He is the son of Benjamin and Sarah (Morse) Holmes, and grandson of Zebulon and Abigail (Sable) Holmes. This Zebulon was a soldier in the war of the Revolution, and was a native of Stoughton, but came from there to Sharon in the early settlement of that town. His children were Zebulon, born June 26, 1758; Abigail, born Jan. 11, 1760; Olive, born July 10, 1763; Olive (2), born Jan. 17, 1766; Jesse, born May 18, 1768; Benjamin, born Sept. 7, 1770; Mary, born Dec. 25, 1772.

Benjamin married, Nov. 7, 1796, Martha Talbot. Their children were Lewis, born July 26, 1797; Benjamin, born May 16, 1799, died May 20, 1804. Mrs. Holmes died June 14, 1799. Benjamin mar- ried, as his second wife, Sally Morse, Feb. 11, 1802. Their children were Joseph ; Martha, born Dec. 3, 1803 ; Benjamin (2), born Nov. 26, 1806; Warren M., born Nov. 12, 1810; Hannah, born Sept. 13, 1813. Benjamin Holmes died June 1, 1842. His wife, Sally, died in September, 1846.

Warren married Lydia Norris, Feb. 26, 1866. She died without issue. He married, as his second wife, Mrs. Eliza Sears, Dec. 15, 1872. They have no children. Mr. Holmes has been surveyor of high- ways more than thirty years. He is one of the quiet, unobtrusive yeomanry of Sharon.

LUTHER MORSE, OF DEDHAM, ROXBURY, AND SHARON.

The ancestry of Luther Morse is traced only in Massachusetts, and the first of the family in America

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HISTORY OF NORFOLK COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

was Samuel Morse, of Dedham, who was born in | England in 1585, came to New England in 1635, and after about a year's residence at Watertown be- came one of the company of original settlers of the | town of Dedham.

Samuel Morse was a Puritan, and as such was re- quired to get a permit from the government before he could emigrate from England to America.

His wife, Elizabeth, and his son, Joseph, accompa- nied him, and six other children soon joined them in the new home.

John, the eldest of these, had a family of ten chil- | 14, 1755. At twenty-two years of age he married dren, two of whom were probably born in England. He died at the age of forty-six.

The sixth child of John was named Ezra, which name was borne by the eldest son successively in this line until the seventh of the name, who died without issue.

The first Ezra, born 1643, died 1697, was but fourteen years old when his father died, but he pos- sessed those conspicuous family traits,-good abilities, a strong will, great energy, and therefore self-reliance. His patrimony, about fifty pounds, was doubtless care- fully husbanded for him, as we find him on attaining his majority joining two others in the purchase of a mill at Dedham. For some reason he sold out that interest within a year, but, with one partner, he was soon building another mill, and a dozen years later was largely extending his mill facilities in other parts of the town. A portion of this kind of his property continued in possession of his descendants for two hundred years or more.

He married Joanna Hoare, and, although we find but eight children of this union recorded in the " Memorial of the Morses," there is a tradition in the family that Joanna was but twelve years old when married, that she gave birth to twenty-four children, and that eighteen of them attained majority.

The second Ezra, born Jan. 28, 1671, died Oct. 17, 1760, was a captain of militia, and for a period of twenty-four years was deacon of the Second Church in Dedham. He attained the age of eighty-nine years, eight months, and nineteen days. He had four children, three of whom became heads of families.

Majesty's Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England, &c." It bears that Governor's signature, and is dated March 3, 1745. In the same year Capt. Morse and his wife, Anna, were received into the church at Dedham. He died in 1789, as stated above, at the ripe age of ninety-five years and eleven days. Although he had but five children, there had been two hundred and sixty-two descendants born to him, of whom two hundred and sixteen survived him.

The fourth Ezra, born March 26, 1718, died June Bethia Lewis. At his death he left a widow with four children, to which number a daughter was added a few weeks later.

Col. Ezra Morse, the fifth to bear this full name, but the seventh generation of the line in New Eng- | land, was born at Dedham, Sept. 17, 1741, and proba- bly passed his minority in that town. In 1764 he was married to Susanna Guild, and in the same year paid a poll-tax in Sharon. The next year he paid taxes in that town on real and personal property, but probably sold out that year and removed to Dedham, which was his home during the next nine years or more. In 1775 he was again at Sharon, where the records show that Ensign Morse was one of a commit- tee appointed, Feb. 23, 1775, in Sharon, to raise minute-men. He was styled Maj. Ezra Morse on the Sharon tax-lists of 1781, and Col. Ezra Morse in 1787. In 1764, he married Susanna Guild, by whom he had four sons and one daughter, viz., Ezra, Jr., Luther, Amos, Susanna, and Harford.

" He was distinguished for high-mindedness, pa- triotism, and combativeness. When the Continental army was organized he enlisted for the war, at the close of which he commanded a regiment, and, on the disbanding of the army, was entitled to prece- dence in marching from the field. This honor he exacted with cocked pistol of another colonel, who attempted to supersede him. On his return he settled upon a farm in Sharon, but his military habits con- tinued through life, and the support denied him by the new government was mainly furnished by the in- dustry of his sons. In his will he left his farm to his youngest son, Harford, for the maintenance of Morse.]

The third Ezra, born Dec. 12, 1694, died Dec. 23, | his widow." [" Memorial of the Morses :" by Abner 1789, like his father became prominent as a military man. He received a commission as " Captain of the The leading traits of the father's character were inherited by his sons, as also were the persevering industry and thrift which distinguished their mother. They were also endowed with strong constitutions and great power of endurance. third foot company in Dedham in the first regiment of militia in the County of Suffolk, whereof Francis Brinley, Esqr., is Colonel." So reads the commission issued to him by " William Shirley, Esqr., Captain- General and Governour-in-Chief, in and over His Luther Morse, of Dedham, Roxbury, and Sharon,

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the second son of Col. Ezra, was born at Dedham, Feb. 3, 1770.

The family removed to Sharon probably in 1775, and there the home of the parents continued as long as Col. Morse lived. During all that time the farm- work was done by the sons, who also obtained other employment at times, thus securing an income from which they accumulated some money for future needs or enterprises.

Luther performed his full share of the homestead labors, and continued to do so as long as he remained in Sharon.

On the 1st day of February, 1798, he was married to Mary, daughter of Zebulon and Abigail Holmes, of Sharon. The next day his brother Amos was married, and the two couples went, together, to Granby, Mass., where Amos had previously bought a farm. In March, Luther bought an undivided half of the farm, and the brothers carried it on for a time.

In April, 1801, we find he is a resident of Ludlow, and in November of that year he bought a farm, a part of which was on each side of the line between Granby and Ludlow; also a twenty-acre lot in Granby. He appears to have had a penchant for trading, and bought and sold both farms and outlying lots. But he did not neglect the cultivation of his lands, for he always seemed to have a surplus of vari- ous crops to sell, and rarely bought such things as could be raised on his farm.

A daughter was born to him in 1799, and in Oc- tober, 1802, twins were added to the family. But the mother died, and one of the twins also. The surviving twin was a son, Luther Morse, Jr.

Dec. 8, 1803, Luther Morse married Miss Eliza- beth Holmes, a younger sister of his first wife. She had been his housekeeper several months, and taken care of the children also. One fact about this wed- ding contract is well worth recording, viz., a solemn compact was made that if either became disturbed or incensed by the other, that other was to abstain from all retort or any other manifestation of irritated feeling ; and it is a still more interesting fact that, during their long lives, no altercation between them was ever known to acquaintance, friend, or child, and yet both were persons of very strong feelings and strong wills, but also possessed of a strong sense of honor.

Some time in 1806-7, Luther and Amos Morse engaged in the manufacture of soap at Roxbury, and the family of Luther was removed from Ludlow to Sharon temporarily, but on Dec. 3, 1807, he bought a house and lot on Union (now Taber) Street, Rox- bury, where the family was soon established, and there | 1842-43.

remained until 1836, except that during the war of 1812, when Boston was menaced by British war- ships, the children and their mother were at Sharon for a short time. But his investments at Ludlow and Granby were not disposed of at once, perhaps not for years. Indeed, he bought some seventy acres of land in Granby, probably as an investment, as late as 1821.

His brothers, Ezra and Lewis, were residing at Roxbury when he removed there, and his sister soon after married Timothy Gay, and located near them.

Their father, as before stated, died in 1807, and by his will left each of his elder children twenty dollars in money, but the rest of his estate, including his farm and whatever other property he left, was be- queathed to his youngest child, Harford, for the maintenance of his widow during the remainder of her life.

Harford was then about nineteen years old, and, being the youngest of the family, had been reared more tenderly than the elder children. He had not been put to work on the farm to an extent that quali- fied him to carry it on after it came into his hands. But he was a fair scholar, and had a natural bent for business, and a desire to be near and with his brother and sister. After a short trial of farming, he pro- posed to his brothers to turn in the farm as common stock, to be himself taught the business, and become a partner in their firm.

A satisfactory arrangement was made, and in time the firm-name appeared as Harford Morse & Co., of which, Luther, Harford, and Amos Morse were the members. Their factory was on Washington Street, on the lot adjoining the old burial-ground at the corner of Eustis Street. Their business was a grow- ing one, and their trade extensive, they having cus- tomers in many of the States, and some foreign trade. A statement of accounts, including six months' trans- actions with a single firm at New Orleans, amounted to more than two thousand three hundred dollars. There were several cases where accounts were settled by receiving deeds of real estate, not only in Massa- chusetts, but also in other New England States.

In some cases they bought estates as investments when a good bargain was offered. As an instance, the Zeigler property, which had been converted into a public-house known as the Roxbury Hotel, and later, the City Hotel, at Roxbury, was bought by the firm in 1826. and held until the firm was dissolved by the death of Harford, in 1830, and when, in order to settle his estate, it was sold at auction in October, 1831. Luther and Amos Morse purchased it, and the former continued to hold a claim upon it until

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HISTORY OF NORFOLK COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

The firm continued in business until 1829, when, | vantages of that town. Mr. Morse and his brothers in April, they sold the stock and tools on hand, and contributed to that object, and thus assisted in estab- lishing what is known as the " Sharon Friends' School Fund." leased their works to Messrs. Ammon Rodgers and Benjamin F. Campbell for a term of five years.

From that time until 1836, Luther Morse was busy taking care of property of his own, and also of other property of which he was part owner. Beside this, he did some business as administrator upon estates.

In 1835, accompanied by his family, he spent several months in Sharon, and in the spring of 1836 removed there permanently, locating upon the old " Tom Randall Farm," situated about a mile from the village, on the road leading from Sharon to Foxboro', over Sharon Plain. This property, extending from Foxboro' road to Massapoag Pond, was a part of the original Randall purchase, and had been held by members of the Randall family from the first white | owner down to that time, when it was in possession of Mr. Horatio Gates Ware, of Boston, a grandson of Benjamin Randall, Esq., builder of the present substantial and rather stately dwelling upon it, which was erected towards the end of the last century, but was renovated and furnished with the French roof and the piazza only a few years ago.

In 1842-43, Luther Morse-associated with his son Harvey-bought this estate, and there, in peace- ful and comfortable retirement, he passed the remain- ing years of his life.

Mr. Morse was a man of rather stately presence, about six feet in height, somewhat portly, but exceed- ingly well-proportioned in figure, and of erect and dignified carriage. His features indicated the strength of character which distinguished the man. While his eyes were dark, he was not a dark-complexioned person. His hair was rather fine, very thick set, and stood out from his head as if to show the strong in- dividuality of the wearer; but although it turned gray at an early date, it never grew thin in any part.

He enjoyed the pleasures of the table, and was what is called a liberal provider. His wife was his faithful supporter in all good works, and never failed to make his table command his approval. Their " Thanksgiving dinners" were feasts, including nearly all the standard dishes of the time, the turkey and plum pudding merely crowning the glory of the occasion.

Liberal to himself, he was equally so to his family, to his friends, and the community. He was ever ready to subscribe for the promotion of any good work, or to assist in defeating any project which he believed to be wrong.

At some time between 1825 and 1830, the busi- ness of conveying passengers between Boston and Roxbury was in the hands of a single company, who were charged with fixing too high a price for the service. Luther and Harford Morse, with a few others, united in establishing a competing line, which wrought a wholesome and a welcome change in both the cost and accommodation to the public.

Originally, his political affinities were with the old Republican party. In 1828 he supported Andrew Jackson for President, and from that time to the end of his participation in public affairs his sympathies and votes were given to and for the Democratic party of his time. He had no taste for public office, and so far as the writer has been able to learn, never held one; but he exerted his influence to secure the adop- tion of measures which he approved, and the election to office of men whose character, ability, integrity, and known sentiments gave assurance that they would conduct public business in the way he believed to be right.

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History of Norfolk County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 100

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & Co. Number of Pages: 1534

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1534