USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Northborough > History of Northborough, Mass., in various publications and discourses > Part 6
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HISTORY OF NORTHBOROUGH.
or, undoubtedly the same person who has been mentioned in our ac- count of the Indian Plantation. It appears from the Proprietors' records that a grant of land was made to John Brigham, in 1672, "in the place formerly desired, that is, on Licor Meadow plain." This land was probably part of the Coram Farin, so called, the principal part of which lay on the northern side of the old Marlbo- rough line,* and now constitutes, in whole, or in part, the farms of Nahum Fay, Esq. John Green, Asa Fay, Lewis Fay, and Stephen Williams, Esq. The lands of Mr. Brigham extended to the saw mill of Mr. Lowell Holbrook, near which he erected a small cabin, in which he lived several years, remote from any human habitation, till, at length, the fear of the Savages compelled him to retreat to a place of greater security ; and, it is said, that only a few days after his removal, a party of Indians came to the place and burned his house to the ground.
The first Saw Mill erected in this town was built by the above named Brigham, and stood on the same spot, which is now occupied for the same purpose.t
In the same year (1672) a grant of land was made to Samuel Goodenow, grandfather of the late Asa Goodenow, and to Thomas Brigham, the person mentioned in the last note, "by Double Pond Meadow, on both sides said meadow."t The lands taken up on the account of the above named Samuel Goodenow, constituted three
* The old Marlborough line, was a straight line of seven miles in extent, running through the northwest angle of this town, and cutting off more than 2000 acres, which constitute what is called the new grants, of which an ac- count will be given hereafter.
t John Brigham was one of three brothers (John, Samuel, and Thomas) who came from Sudbury to Marlborough sometime previous to 1672. Their father was from England, married a Mercie Hurd also from England, settled in Sudbury, where he died probably in middle life, as his widow had buried a second husband by the name of Hunt, before lar sons removed to Marlho- rough. Samuel Brigham, was the grand-father of the late Dr. Samuel Brig- ham, of Marlborough : Thomas was an ancestor of the late Judge Brigham, of Westborough ; and John, who was sometimes called Doctor Brigham, was the father of the Mrs. Mary Fay, wife of Gershom Fay, of whose remarkable es- cape from the Indians we shall presently give an account. John Brigham was one of the selectmen of Marlborough is 1679, and in the winter of 1689 90, representative to the Convention then sitting in Boston. The Coram Farm, was granted him, it is said, by the General Court to compensate him for ser- vices as a surveyor of lands. Mr. Brigham lived to be quite aged, and used to come to reside with his daughter Mrs. Fay, in this town.
# Quere. May not this meadow be the one which lies between Great and Little Chauncey ponds, which, as they are connected with each other by a water communication, might have been called at first Double Pond ? David Brigham, son of Thomas, lived on the borders of Great Chauncey, on the farm now in the possession of Lovett l'eters, Esq.
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HISTORY OF NORTHBOROUGH.
of the oldest settlements in this town, on one of which was the prin- cipal garrison house, used for many years as a defence against the Indians, and which stood on the farm of Mr. Gill Bartlett, then own- ed by Samnel Goodenow, Jr. The other two, were in the vicinity of this, and constitute in whole, or in part, the farms of Deac. Jonas Bartlett and Mr. Stephen How.
In the same year, a grant of land was made to John Rediet, "west of Assabeth River, northwest side of the Chauncey Great Pond, bounded on the east by a Spruce Swamp :" another tract on "the Nepmuck road, that formerly led toward Coneticoat."* The land of John Rediet, who was one of the first proprietors and great- est land holders of Marlborough, came into the possession of Na- thaniel Oaks, who married his daughter, and who lived on the farm owned in succession by Rev. John Martyn and Rev. Peter Whitney, and now in the possession of Mr. Jacob Pierce.t Capt. James Ea- ger was another of the first settlers of this town. He lived near the centre of the town on the farm now in the possession of Mr. John Fisk. His house was once used for a garrison, and was for many years occupied as a tavern, being the first that was opened in the place.
* "The Nepmuck Road, that formerly led toward Coneticoat," was the old Connecticut road that passed through the southeast part of this town, over Rock Hill, cast of Great and Little Chauncey ponds, into Westborough aud thence through Hassanamesit or Grafton. 1. Ilist. Col. 1. p. 135 and 192.
t Nathaniel Oaks came from England, married Mehitabel, daughter of John Rediet, who died Nov. 25th, 1702, without children. His second wife Mary, was a daughter of Adam Holloway, by whom he had the following children, viz .- Nathaniel, who lived at Bolton. Williams, burned to death at Shrewsbury in the house of Capt. Keyes. Hannah, married to Gersham Fay, Jr. died March &, 1806, wanting but a few months of a century She was the mother of the late Thaddeus Fay, who died. July 22. 1B22. aged 91 years. Mary, married to Daniel Maynard. Mariborough. Ann, married In David Maynard, Westborough. John, built the house year ! of. Crawford's. owned by Joel Gasset. Jonathan, removed to Harvard. Georg., lived near the house of Mr. Luther Hawse, and built a saw mill on the river Assabrih.
# Capt. James Eager was a native of Marlborough, born in 1685, died 1755, aged 70. He was one of the leading men of the place at the time that Northborough became a separate precinct. It is said that his house was the first that was built on the new Connecticut road, between the house of samu- el Goodenow and the town of Worcester. It is but little more than a hund- red years, since there was not a human habitation on the road from Marlbo- tough to Brookfield, west of the Goodenow farm, in the eastern part of this town, with the exception of a few log houses in that part of Worcester called Boggachoag. James Eager, Jr. a son of the above, was married to Marian, daughter of Joseph Wheeler. Their daughter Zilpeh, was married to Mich- ael, son of Rev. John Martyn through whom there are several persous in this town who trace their desceut from the first minister of the place.
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HISTORY OF NORTHBOROUGH.
Several other persons settled in what is now Marlborough, in the early part of the last century .*
Soon after the commencement of the eighteenth century, the English settlers of Marlborough were again exposed to the horrors of Indian warfare. It will be difficult for us, who are permitted to dwell in security under the shelter of the domestic roof, to form an adequate idea of the perilous condition of our forefathers, at this gloomy period. "We have, indeed, heard within our cars, and our fathers have told" us the story of their dangers and suffer- ings " in the waste and howling wilderness." But how difficult to enter into the feelings of men, who were in constant peril for their lives ; who, like the children of Israel in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, repaired to their work with weapons in their hands, and who were liable to be waked from their midnight slumbers by the savage yells of a pitiless foe ? In many instances were they
*Simeon Iloward was the father of Cornet Simeon Howard, and of Jona- than Iloward, whose son, Gideon Howard, removed to Worthington, in this state, where his descendants, it is supposed, still live.
Simon iloward, Senior, from Concord, was another of the first settlers. His house stood near the bearse house, on the land of Mr. Asa Fay.
It is not known whether the Simeon Howard mentioned above, was re- lated to Simeon Howard, D. D. late pastor of the west church in Boston.
Adam Holloway, from Concord, (died in 1733, aged 80,) and his son Lieut. Wm. Holloway, (died Jan. 6, 1700, aged 71,) settled on the farm now owned by Stephen Williams, Esq.
Lieut. Win. Hodoway, married Mary, (died March 9, 1788, aged 94.) a daughter of Simeon Howard, Senior, by whom he had two sons and four daughters. The sons died young. Of the daughters, Mary, married Jonathan Barth tt, died Dec. 22, 1821, aged 95 .- Hannah, married Capt. James Stone, of Western. - Betty, married Daniel Wheeler, of Hardwick .- Jemima, mar- ried John Taylor, who died at St. Albans, Vt.
John Taylor, was the father of Cel. Holloway Taylor now of St. Albans and of John Taylor, Esq an Attorney at law, at Northampton.
Gershom Fay, Senior, was one of the first settlers of this town. He was the son of John Fay, of Marlborough. married Mary, a daughter of John Brigham, died in 1720. Ile lived at first in the easterly part of the town. af- terwards, built a house on the Coram Farm, near the bend of the road, between the dwelling house of Capt. Hastings, and that of Stephen Williams, Esq. Ilis children were Gershom, Mary, Susanna, Sarah, Silas, Timothy, and Paul.
Thomas Ward, from Marlborough, was the first settler on the farm now in the possession of Asaph Rice ; and Deac. Isaac Tomblin on the farm of the late Deac. Isaac Davis.
Hezekiah Tomblin, lived first on Tomblin Ilill, so called ; Ephraim Bee- man, on the farm of Samuel Dalrymple.
Joseph Wheeler, ( lied iu 1747, aged 56,) lived on the southern declivity of Ball's Hill, so called.
Ephraim Allen, from Roxbury, purchased of an Eleazer How, a few acres of land, with a grist mill erected thereon, the site of the present mill, and Cotton Factory. This was the first, and for many years the only grist mill, in this town.
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HISTORY OF NORTHBOROUGH.
compelled to desert their farms, leaving their lands untilled, while old and young, the strong and the feeble, flocked to the frail forti- fications, denominated garrisons, as their only means of safety.
These were usually nothing more than common dwelling hous- es, surrounded by palisades, and furnished with a supply of fire arms and ammunition. In the year 1711, there were no fewer than twenty six garrison houses within the limits of Marlborough, to each of which were assigned, on an average, five or six fami- lies, the whole number of families being one hundred and thirty seven .*
* " MARLBOROUGH, DECEMBER 11, 1711.
" These several persons are allowed by the Captain Generall.
"The persons assigned to each particular Garrison are as followeth : Ordered, by us the Subscribers, by the direction of an act of the Generall Court, entitled an act for the better security and defence of the fronteers.
Capt. How's GARISON.
Lieut. WILLIAMS' GARISON.
Samuel Stevens
Thomas Beman
James How
Peter Bent
Jonathan How
Richard Barns
Samuel Stow, Senior
Edward Barns
Thomas Stow
Jonathan Morse.
ENSIGN HOW'S GARISON.
DIr. BRECK'S* GARISON.
Capt. KERLY'S GARISON.
Nathaniel Joslin
Joseph Maynard
Deacon Woods
Nathaniel Johnson
Thomas Amsden
SAMUEL MORRIL'S GARISON.
Simon Gates
Joseph Johnson.
Sergeant Barret John Barns
Benjamin Baylis
Joseph Ward
Joshua Rice
Thomas Martin
Samuel Bush.
ISAAC AMSDEN'S GARISON. Thomas Newton
Sergeant Mainard James Woods
Adam Martin
Is. Tempels
Deacon Newton
John Amsden.
1s. How's GARISON.
Moses Newton
Samuel Wheelock
David Fay John Newton Widdow Johnson
Obadiah Ward
Thomas Axtel.
Moses Newton, Jr. James Kady.
THOMAS BRIGHAM'S GARISON. Jonathan Brigham Oliver Ward Increas Ward.
JOIIN HOW'S GARISON. Zac. Eager
Abraham Eager
Daniel Johnson
SAMUEL GOODENOW'S GARISON. Nathaniel Oakes
* This undoubtedly was the Rev. Robert Breck, the second Minister of Marlborough.
Jacob Rice
Joseph Rice.
Capt. BRIGHAM'S GARISON. Peter Plimpton Benjamin Mixer
Ensign Bouker
Joseph Wait
David Church
Benjamin Rice
Peter Rice
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HISTORY OF NORTHBOROUGH.
For several of the preceding years, the inhabitants, especially such as lived in the borders of the town, had been kept in a state of constant anxiety and alarm, in consequence of the hostile atti- tude of the Indians.
August 8th, 1704, a party of Indians, eight or ten in num- ber, rushed suddenly from the woods, and fell upon a number
Jonathan Farbush Gershom l'ay.
John Wheeler Josiah llow
B- Curly (Kerly) Senior
James Curly.
SIMON MAINARD'S GARISON. Adam Holloway
Benjamin Whitney
Joseph Newton
John Keyes Abrell Bush.
MILL GARISON. Thomas Barret John Banister.
JOHN NEWTON Jr's GARISON. Eliazer Bellows
John Bellows
James Eager
James Newton
Benjamin Newton
Ephraim Newton
John Woods
Abraham Newton.
JONATHAN NEWTON'S GARISON. Is. Woods
Thomas Witherby
Is. Amsden
Moses Lenard
Roger Bruce.
JOSEPH MORSE'S GARISON.
Thomas Biglo Samuel Biglo
Samuel Mors
John Biglo
John Sherman
Daniel Harington.
THOMAS HOW SAMUEL BRIGHAM ISAAC AMSDEN ELEAZER HOW DANIEL HOW JOHN BOUKER JONATHAN JOHNSON NATHANIEL JOSLIN PETER RICE JOHN MAINARD JOHN BARRETT
COMMITTEE."
Lieut. How's GARISON. Thomas Ward Edward Rice
NATHAN BRIGHAM'S GARISON.
Joseph Stratten Henry Bartlett Ellicksander Steward.
SAMUEL WARD Senior's GARISON. William Ward Widdow Hannah Ward Jonathan Johnson, Senior Caleb Rice.
JOHN MATHEW'S GARISON. William Johnson Samuel Ward.
DANIEL RICE'S GARISON. Widdow Sarah Tayler Suply Weeks Elyazer Taylyer.
SAMUEL FORBUSH'S GARISON. James Bradish Thomas Forbush James Glesson.
EDMOND RICE'S GARISON.
David Brigham Isaac Tomblin David Maynard.
THOMAS RICE'S GARISON. John Pratt Charles Rice.
THOMAS HAPGOOD'S GARISON. John Forbush
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HISTORY OF NORTHBOROUGHI.
of the inhabitants of what is now Westborough, while at work in the field; killed Nahor, a son of Mr. Edmund Rice, on the spot, seized and carried into captivity two other sons, Silas and Timo- thy ; also Ashur and Adonijah, two sons of Mr. Thomas Rice. Ashur was redeemed by his father, and returned in about four years. He afterwards settled in Spencer. Adonijah remained in Canada, cultivated a farm in the vicinity of Montreal. His Indian name was Asaunaugooton. The other two lived among the Indians, married Indian wives, acquired their habits, and lost all knowledge of the English language. The puritanical names of Silas and Timothy were changed into the heathenish, but not onmusical ones of Too- kanowras and Oughtsorongoughton. The latter is said to have been the third of the six chiefs of the Cagnawaga tribe, and the one who made the speech to Gen. Gage, in behalf of his tribe, soon after the reduction of Montreal. This chief, in the year 1740, thirty six years after his captivity, visited his relations in Westho- rough, and retained, it is said, a distinct recollection of the circum- stances of his captivity, and of several aged persons then living. Mr. Seth Rice, father of the late Deac. Seth Rice, and who died in 1796, aged 91, was a brother, and Thankful, wife of the late Mr. Josiah Rice, was a sister, of the above named Silas and Timothy.
In the preceding month, (July) two of the inhabitants of Marl- borough, viz. Abraham How and Benjamin Hutchins, were slain by the Indians at Lancaster.
On the 15th of October, 1705. Mr. John Biglow, of Marlborough, being then at Lancaster, at the garrison house of Mr. Thomas Saw- yer, was, with Mr. Sawyer and his son Elias, taken by the Indians, and conveyed to Canada. They obtained their release in the fol- lowing manner: Both of them were ingenious mechanics, one, (Sawyer) a blacksmith, the other, (Biglow) a carpenter. While they were at Montreal, they proposed to the French Governor, who resided in that city, that, in case he would procure their ransom, they would erect for him a saw mill, there being none at that time in all Canada. The offer was readily accepted ; they tulfilled their engagement, and, after some delays, were permitted to return to their friends, with whom they lived to a good old age. Mr. Big- low, in token of his gratitude for his remarkable deliverance from captivity, called his daughter, born soon after his return, " Free- dom ;" and a second, born some time afterwards, he called " Com- fort," as expressive of the happiness and peace he then enjoyed, contrasted with the hardships and fears of a state of captivity.
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HISTORY OF NORTHBOROUGH.
Comfort was married to Joseph Brigham, the father of Mr. Jonah Brigham, of this town, who, when a child, often listened to the ac- count given by his grandfather Biglow, of the circumstances of his captivity and escape.
In 1707, August 18th, the following tragical event occurred in what is now the easterly part of Northborough. There was at this time a garrison house standing on the south side of the road, near the brook, known by the name of Stirrup Brook, which cros- ses the great road between the farms of Messrs. Jonas and Gill Bartlett, then in the possession of Samnel Goodenow. As Mary Goodenow, daughter of Samuel, and Mrs. Mary Fay, wife of Ger- shom Fay, were gathering herbs in the adjoining meadow, a party of' lodians, twenty four in number, all of whom are said to have been stout warriors, were seen issuing from the woods and making towards them. Mrs. Fay succeeded in effecting her escape. She was closely pursued by a party of the enemy ; but before they came up, had time to enter the garrison, and to fasten the gate of the enclosure. There fortunately happened to be one man then within, the rest of the men belonging to the garrison being in the fields at work. Their savage invaders attempted in vain to break through the enclosure. These heroic defenders, by dint of great exertion, maintained the unequal conflict, till a party of friends, alarmed by the report of the muskets, came to their relief, when the enemy betook themselves to flight .*
The other unfortunate young woman, Miss Goodenow, being re- tarded in her flight by lameness, was seized by her merciless pur- suers, dragged across the brook to the side of the hill, a little south of the road, where she was killed and scalped, and where her man- gled body was afterwards found and buried, and where her grave is shown at this day.
On the following day, the enemy were pursued by a company of about thirty men, from Marlborough and Lancaster, and over-
* Mrs: Fay, it is said, discovered great presence of mind during this as- sault, being constantly employed in loading and reloading the muskels be- longing to the garrison, and handing them to her companion, who by this means was able to keep up a constant fire upon the invaders. No wonder that she was brave, for she had much at stake. She was then the mother of two young children, one four, and the other two years old. Gershom, fath- er of the late Thaddeus Fay, and Mary, afterwards married to George Smith. Her third, called Susanna, who was born on the 18th of the following Novem- ber, was subject to a constant nervous trembling, caused, it is supposed, by the mother's fright, received at this time. At her father's death, Nov. 24, 1720, she was left to the care of her brother, the late Timothy Fay, with whom she lived till her decease.
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IHISTORY OF NORTHBOROUGH.
taken in what is now Sterling, where a hard conflict ensued, in which nine of their number, and two of our men were slain. In one of their packs was found the scalp of the unfortunate Miss Goodenow, which was the first intimation that was obtained of her melancholy fate.
Nothing worthy of record is preserved of what took place be- tween this period* and the incorporation of the westerly part of Marlborough, then called Chauncey Village, and including what is now Westborough and Northborough. The act of incorporation is dated November 19, 1717, O. S. or, in our present reckoning, No- vember 30.
In the fall of 1718, the first meeting house was raised, which stood near the northern limits of Westborough, not far from the public house kept by Mr. Silas Wesson. It was not, however, till October 28, 1724, or nearly seven years after the town was incor- porated, that a church was gathered, and the Rev. Mr. Parkman, the first minister of Westborough, was ordained.
It was at this house that our fathers, the first settlers of North- borough, worshipped for more than twenty years, some of them being accustomed to walk every Sabbath the distance of five or six miles.
At length, October 20, 1744, the town of Westborough, consist- ing at that time of one hundred and twenty five families, was di- vided into two precincts ; the north part, to use the words of Rev. Mr. Parkman, "being indeed very small."t "The number of families set off to the north precinct was only thirty eight ; while eighty seven families remained attached to the old society. Nor was the separation effected without much opposition, and mutual recrimina- tion, the unhappy effects of which lasted many years.
Having arrived at that period of our history, when Northbo- rough became a separate precinct, we proceed to give some ac- count of its boundaries, dimensions, face of the soil, &c.
* I find, from a record kept by Col. Williams, of Marlborough, that Jon- athan Johnson was slain by the Indians, October 12, 1708, but at what place, and under what circumstances, I have not been able to ascertain.
t The act of the General Court, setting off the north part of Westbo- rough as a separate precinct, provides, "that the Inhabitants of said north part should give security to Rev. Mr. Parkman, their present pastor, to give him £100, lawful money, settlement, and £50, like money, per annum, in case he should inclme to settle with them, agreeably to what they now prom- ise ; or otherwise, £12, 10s. like money, if he chooses to continue in the south part." It is unnecessary to add, that Rev. Mr. Parkman chose to remain the minister of the old parish. Ile died Dec. 9, 1782, in the 80th year of his age, and the 59th of his ministry.
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HISTORY OF NORTHBOROUGHI.
BOUNDARIES, &c .- A plan of the town was made in 1795, by Mr. Silas Keyes, surveyor, then an inhabitant of the place. According to this plan, Northborough contained 10096 acres, including ponds and roads. Since that date, that is, Feb. 15, 1806, the dividing line between this town and Berlin, was by mutual consent, altered so as to bring both towns into a better shape ; and in June 20, 1807, the line between Northborough and Marlborough was altered, so as to include the farm of Deac. Jonas Bartlett, within the limits of this town. In its present state, the town contains about 10,150 acres.
The boundaries according to the plan made in 1795, are as fol- lows* :- Beginning at the southwest corner, at a heap of stones on Shrewsbury line, it thence runs east, nineteen degrees north, four hundred and eighty nine rods, to a stake by the river Assabeth ; thence, in a northeasterly direction, as the river runs, one hundred and seventy six rods, to the County road, near the dwelling house of Phineas Davis, Esq. ; thence, by said river, one hundred and ninety four rods, to a stake and stones ; thence east, twenty degrees "north, eight hundred and sixty four rods, to a stake and stones on Southborough line. (The above are the boundaries between Northborough and Westborough.) From the last mentioned bounds, the line runs north, thirty two degrees west, one hundred and forty rods by Southborough, to a stake and stones at the corner of Marl- borough. (The above are the boundaries between Northborough and Southborough.) From Marlborough corner the line ran, ac- cording to the plan of Mr. Keyes, north, thirty degrees forty five minutes west, one hundred and eighty seven rods, to a stake and stones; thence north, forty degrees thirty minutes west, one hun- dred and ten rods, to do .; thence north, twenty two degrees thirty minutes west, one hundred and forty eight rods, to do. ; thence north, thirty two degrees west, forty rods, to a swamp white oak ; thence north, twenty nine degrees west, seventy two rods, to a stake and stones; thence north, thirty degrees west, sixty four rods, to do. by the County road ; thence north, thirty one degrees forty minutes west, seventy seven rods, to do .; thence north, twenty eight degrees fifteen minutes west, one hundred and twenty eight rods, to a walnut tree by the river ; thence north, thirty three de- grees thirty minutes west, sixty eight rods, to a large oak tree marked; thence north, twenty seven degrees west, forty seven
* For the alterations referred to above, see Massachusetts Special Laws, Vol. IV. p. 3 and 112.
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HISTORY OF NORTHBOROUGHI.
rods, to a pine tree marked; thence north, thirty one degrees thir- ty minutes west, one hundred and twenty nine rods, to a stake and stones by Berlin line or corner. (The above were the former bounds between Northborough and Marlborough ; for the alteration see note.) From Berlin corner, the line ran north, thirty degrees west, one hundred and forty eight rods, to a heap of stones ; thence east, thirty two degrees north, ninety rods, to the Long Stone, so called ; thence west, sixteen degrees north, eight hundred and ten rods, to a heap of stones on Boylston line. (These were the for- mer bounds between Northborough and Berlin ; for the alteration see note.) Thence south, sixteen degrees west, eight hundred and sixty eight rods, to a heap of stones at Shrewsbury corner. (This is the line between Northborough and Boylston.) Thence south, sixteen degrees west, one hundred and forty nine rods, to a heap of stones. (This is supposed to be on or near the old Marl- borough line, which extended thence in one direction to the north- west corner of Marlborough.) Thence south, twenty four degrees east, one hundred and eighty two rods, to a great oak ; thence south, twenty one degrees east, one hundred and fifty rods, to a heap of stones ; thence south, one degree east, twenty rods to the County road; thence, in the same direction, three hundred and seventeen rods, to a red oak ; thence south, twenty eight degrees thirty five minutes east, one hundred and ninety four rods, to where it began. (These are the bounds between Northborough and Shrewsbury.)
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