USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Westminster > History of Westminster, Massachusetts (first named Narragansett no. 2) from the date of the original grant of the township to the present time, 1728-1893, with a biographic-genealogical register of its principal families > Part 112
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187. JUSTINS, b. July 9, 1831; m. Betsey J. Taylor and Emma J. Nash; res. Boston; 3 chn .; living. 188. WALTER®, b. Nov. 30, 1832; m. Mary L. Stoddard; res. Gr .; no chn .; d. July 17, 1858.
189. MARY®, b. Dec. 20, 1834; m. John T. Emerson; res. Claremont, N. H .; 2 chn .; living.
190. H. WEBSTER8, b. April 7, 1836; m. Ellen M. Blodgett; res. Camb .; 1 chd .; 1. 19[. ELIZABETH®, b. March 11, 1838; m. Wm. S. Folger; res. Boston; 2 chn .; 1.
192. ALFRED®, b. Aug. 18, 1840; m. Cordelia Knowles; res. Claremont; 4 chn .; 1.
193. WILLIAM HENRY8, b. Oct. 29, 1842; d. Sept. 23, 1843.
194. CATHARINE D.8, b. Feb. 27, 1845; m. George C. Woodman; res. Chelsea; 4 chn .; living.
195. ALVIN8, b. Nov. 24, 1847; m. Maria A. Rich; res. Chicago; 3 chn .; living.
196. CYNTHIA J.8, b. Aug. 17, 1850; m. Winthrop Magee; res. Boston; no chn .; 1.
197. ELLEN H.8, b. Nov. 7, 1853; m. - Putnam; res. Brooklyn, N. Y .; living.
[167.] WHITNEY, THEODORE", youngest bro. of the last two, m. Betsey, dau. of Josiah and Betsey (Puffer) Wheeler, Nov. 4, 1835, and set. on a small place near his childhood home, but later in life purchased the Luke Bigelow estate half a mile north of the village, where he res. till after the decease of his wife, which occurred March 31, 1884. A misfortune in his early manhood made him more or less a cripple for life. He has been a worthy, respected citizen of the town, having held the office of Assessor some 15 years. For some time past he has res. with his surviving dau., at Brattleboro', Vt. Chn. :
198. ELLEN M.8, b. June 10, 1841; d. Nov. 26, 1842.
199. MARY J.8, b. June 2, 1843; m. Julius Whitney; res. Brattleboro', Vt.
931
THE WHITNEY FAMILY.
The foregoing sketches and accompanying tables complete essentially the record of the early Whitney families of W. and their descendants to the present day. A considerable number of other persons bearing the same name have res. in tn. temporarily at different periods of its history. but it is deemed best to notice only two of them.
200. WHITNEY, STEPHEN6, s. of Stephen5 of Watertown, s. of John4, s. of Benjamin3 of Waltham before spoken of, was b. in 1771. He came from Lunenburg in 1807, and occupied for a few years the Dr. White (Burnham) house, where he had a hotel and prob. a store for general merchandise. He d. Sept. 16, 1811, a. 40. By his wife, Sally, whose history is unknown, he had:
201. SALLY™, b. Feb. 10, 1807. 202. SUSANNAH™, b. Aug. 20, 1809. 203. E. STEPHEN™, b. Jan. 20, 1812.
204. WHITNEY, BENJAMIN H.7, s. of Abijah6, the bro. of Stephen6, and Betsey Whitney of Lunenburg, came to tn. ab. 1836, and established the wheelwright business in the shop which stood near the site of the Baptist meetinghouse, his place of residence being on Bacon Street, where Israel Dickin- son now lives. His first wife (name unknown) died Sept., 1843, and he m. (2) Sarah Phelps of Lunenburg in 1844. No children recorded.
205. WHITNEY, GILES H., s. of Abel and Abigail (Town- send) Whitney, was b. Boston, Jan. 18, 1818. He grad. at Har- vard in 1837, studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1842. After practicing at Harvard awhile he re-opened the Sanderson office here, remaining, however, but a few years. He rem. to Baldwinville, and thence to Winchendon, where he d. ab. 1887. He was a well-read lawyer, and a man of sterling character. He m. Nov. 28, 1850, Lydia Ann Davis of B., by whom he had 3 daus. and 2 sons.
206. WHITNEY, REV. QUINCY8, s. of Samuel and Abigail (Wilder) Whitney of Ash., and gd.s. of Silas6 (7), was b. Oct. 7, 1822. He attended the Academy sev. terms in his early man- hood, afterwards completing a course of study for the Univer- salist ministry, to which he was ordained ab. the year 1847. Some two years later he assumed the pastorate of the chh. and society of that faith in this town,-a position he occupied till 1853. His subsequent places of settlement were Quincy, Adams, and Wakefield. He m. Mandana, dau. of Rev. Benja- min Whittemore of Lanc., by whom he had 2 chn. She d. some years since and he has been residing more recently in Cam- bridge, holding no regular pastorate, but supplying vacant pulpits from time to time as opportunity offered. Chn .:
207. ELMINA M.9, b. Aug. 20, 1849; unm .; res. with her f. at Camb.
208. ANNIE B.9, b. Jan. 1, 1854; m. Gerard Churchill, and lives in Loyal, Kansas.
932
HISTORY OF WESTMINSTER, MASS.
WILDER.
Thomas Wilder, or Wyellder, as he was accustomed to spell his name, is sup. to have been the s. of Thomas, who d. at Shiplake, Berks Co., Eng., in 1634 and whose presumed wid., Martha, came to N. E. with her chn. in the ship Confidence four years afterward. Thomas, the father, was gt.gd.son of Nicholas, one of the commanders in the army of the Earl of Richmond at the memorable battle of Bosworth Field, Aug. 23, 1485. This Nicholas was the first of the name known in English history.
The immigrant mother, Martha, set. at first with her chn. at Hingham, but in 1639 m. Thomas Ensign of Scituate and went to that town. One of her sons, Thomas1, mentioned above, became an early proprietor and settler of Lancaster. By his w., Anna, he had a s. Thomas2, the f. of James3, who m. Abigail Gardner and lived in that part of the present town which was set off to form Leominster in 1740. A son of theirs, by the name of Gard- ner4, was a prominent man in Leom., and a Deacon of the church. In com- pany with Jonathan White, a sup. bro .- in-law, he bought May 3, 1740, lots Nos. 28 and 67, covering what has been ni possession of the Wood family for 135 years, holding and improving it until 1750, when it was sold to William Edgell.
The first Thomas1 had another s., Nathaniel2, the f. of Oliver3, who m. Mary Fairbanks and lived in what was called the second precinct, now Sterling. Of this union came the first resident of the name in this town, as hereinafter set forth.
I. WILDER, TILLY4, known in his day as Lieut. Wilder, was s. of the last named, b. June 23, 1722. He m. Persis House in 1744, and after res. in Lanc. many years, 10 chn. being b. to them there, came to W. and located on the farm where Porter F. Page now lives. A road was laid out from the extreme north part of the town to his ho. in 1764. He was here but a short time, returning to Lanc., and rem. thence to Newfane, Vt., be- ing dism. to the chh. there in 1777.
2. WILDER, JOSHUA5, s. of Joshua4 and Sarah (Keyes) Wilder, and gd.s. of Nathaniel3, the bro. of Oliver3, just referred to, was b. Lanc., Aug 19, 1734. He was bro. of Rezina, who m. Wm. Bemis; of Sarah, who m. Thomas Merriam ; and of Phebe, who d. Aug. 26, 1824, a. 82. He m. Margery, dau. of David and Mary Dunster, June 17, 1760, and first set. in this tn., but rem. to Brattleboro', Vt., in 1765. They had 12 chn., of whom only two were born here:
3. SARAH6, b. March 28, 1761; d. Sept. 16, 1764.
4. MARY E.6, b. Sept. 9, 1763; d. Sept. 19, 1764.
5. WILDER, JOEL, s. of Ephraim and Lucretia, was b. Lanc. July 7, 1767. His connection with the preceding has not been traced. He m. Lucy, dau. of Josiah and Esther (Sawyer) Ken- dall, and coming to W. ab. the year 1796, located on lot 21, 2d Div., now the res. of Amasa Lovewell, which he bought of his brother-in-law, Josiah Kendall, Jr. March 18, 1802, he sold to Daniel Howe of Pn., and returned to Lanc., where he d. May 2, 1837, a. 70.
933
THE WILLARD AND WILLIAMS FAMILIES.
I. WILLARD, LAFAYETTE, s. of Joshua and Polly of Sterling, a descendant, no doubt, of Simon, one of the first settlers of Lanc., was b. May 14, 1796. He came to W. when a young man, and was pub. to Lucinda, dau. of Daniel and Keziah (Dun- ster) Munjoy, Nov. 10, 1821. She d. Nov. 18, 1852, a. 50, and he m. (2) Aug. 23, 1860, Wid. Mary A. Puffer, a native of Swit- zerland. He d. May 31, 1872, a 76. The only chd. recorded was:
2. MARTHA, who m. - Pratt, Fg.
WILLIAMS.
Robert Williams, sup. to have come from Norwich, Eng., during one of the early years of the Mass. Colony, set. in Roxbury and was made "free- man " there in 1637. He was one of the founders of the church of which the celebrated John Eliot was Teacher and Rev. Thomas Weld Pastor, and an active, influential citizen of the town. He m. before leaving his native land, and delayed emigrating, as he desired, for some time, on account of the resolute opposition of his wife. Her objections to the change were over- come, it is said, by a spiritual vision which revealed to her the fact that if it were made she would become the mother of many devout and illustrious ministers of the Gospel of Christ. Being profoundly religious and happy in the thought of being an instrument for the accomplishment of results that would redound to the extension and glory of the faith she held dear, she cheer- fully yielded to the wishes of her husband and consented to accompany him to the new world. Whatever of reality there may have been in the as- sumed revelation, it has come to pass that a very large number of clergy- men, distinguished for their talents, usefulness, high position, and exalted Chn. character, have not only traced descent from her, but have borne her married name. Among these were William, of Hatfield; Ephraim, founder of Williams' College ; John, of Deerfield; Solomon, of Lebanon, Conn .; Wil- liam, of Weston; Eleazer, of Louis XVII pretentions and fame; Elisha, of Yale College ; Samuel, of Harvard College, etc. Few families, if any, in this particular, have been so marked in the annals of the country.
Isaac Williams2, s. of the immigrant, b. in 1638, upon arriving at maturity, set. in Newton, where his descendants multiplied exceedingly and were crowned with distinction and honor. By his w., Martha Parke, he had Isaac8, b. 1661, who m. Elizabeth Hyde. A s. of these b. 1686, also named Isaac4, m. Martha Whitman, of whom was born another lsaac5 in 1725. His wife was Sarah Stratton. These all resided in Newton and have many representatives there and in the vicinity still.
I. WILLIAMS, ISAAC6, s. of Isaac5 and Sarah, was b. Sept. 7, 1748. He came to W. in his opening manhood, and, Nov. 8, 1774, m. Hannah, the dau. of Dea. James and Abigail (Wood) Walker, who were then living on lot 68, adjoining Wachusett Pond, and the contiguous lot No. 69. Soon after, he purchased a portion of the farm and built the brick house still standing. The Walker residence was on the W. side of the road, nearly opposite. Mr. Williams was nephew of the w. of Dea. Joseph Miller. He was a carpenter by trade, as well as farmer, work- ing at the two callings alternately, as convenience or profit dic- tated. He served the town 2 yrs. as Selectman, and was crowned with the honors of a Captain's office in the militia of his time.
934
HISTORY OF WESTMINSTER, MASS.
He opened his dwelling as a public house in 1779, and kept it as such for ab. 30 years, being succeeded by his s. in the same business. He d. Sept. 8, 1817, a. 69. His wid. survived him more than 30 years, passing away June 8, 1849, a. almost 97. Chn .:
2. ISAAC7, b. Feb. 20, 1776; d. Oct. 11, 1778.
3. ISAAC7, b. Feb. 21, 1781; m. Phebe Sawin and Polly Eaton; res. W.
4. EPHRAIM™, b. April 3, 1785; m. Betsey Sawin; res. Gr .; 6 chn .; d. April 12, 1861.
5. HANNAH7, b. May 22, 1788; m. Ebenezer Sawin; res. W., etc .; 7 chn .; d. April 14, 1823.
[3.] WILLIAMS, ISAAC7, s. of the last and his successor in es- tate, avocation, civil and military office, etc., m. (1) Phebe, dau. Samuel and Martha (Miller) Sawin, Feb. 16, 1804. She had 3 chn. and d. Dec. 19, 1809, a. 26. He then m. (2) Jan. 6, 1811, Polly, dau. John and Mary (Larkin) Eaton of Gr., who bore him 3 chn. He remained in town till ab. 1842, when he sold his place and rem. to Jamestown, N. Y., that he might be near a dau. res. there. He d. in 1860, a. 79. His w. Polly d. 1870, a. 80. Chn. :
6. GEORGES, b. May 5, 1805; d. unm. at Pittsfield, Sept., 1831. (See below.)
7. Unnamed&; d. 1808. 8. Unnamed8; d. 1813.
9. MARY8, b. May 4, 1814; m. Ezra Wood; res. Jamestown, N. Y .; living.
IO. CHARLES8. b. Sept. 14, 1816; no further record.
II. CALVIN8, b. Feb. 21, 1819; no further record.
George Williams, the oldest of the above chn., says Mr. George Wood who knew him well, "was a young man of rare genius, and gave promise of success and eminence had his life been spared. He improved every opportunity for cul- ture, was of very pure character, and high moral sensibilities." He early learned the trade of cabinet making, but finding himself possessed of much skill and taste in the painters' art, turned his attention to that calling in some of its higher and more delicate forms. "After spending a year in the studio of Prof. West in Bos- ton, he produced many protraits, to which high merit was accorded, and subse- quently several Scriptures scenes, which attracted much attention." A short time before his death he completed arrangements with the celebrated Am. sculptor, Powers, for a course of study under his direction at Rome, Italy. But his sudden and premature demise put an end to his earthly labors and aspirations, and re- moved from the world one who, it is believed by those who knew him best, would have been an honor to himself and his friends, and given another name to the catalogue of those that shine illustrious in the annals of Am. art. "Sic transit gloria mundi."
I. WILSON, BENJAMIN, S. of Edward and Margaret (Rice?) Wilson of Shrewsbury, was b .ab. 1730, and m. Sarah, dau. Joseph Sawyer, prob. in 1754. Though the W. records contain the names and dates of birth of his chn., yet it is difficult to fix the place of residence here. He at one time seems to have lived at what was called Gardner's Farm in No-town, now Pn. But he and his w. were both members of the W. chh., whence they were dismissed to the chh. in Fitzwilliam, N. H., July 8, 1787, where his last days were spent. His w., Sarah, d. Sept. 1I, 1769, a. 33, and he m. (2) Mehitable Foster the following year. He d. at F. Oct. 31, 1790. Chn., all by first w .:
2. NATHANIEL, b. April 15, 1755; m. Abigail -; res. Fitzwilliam; no chn .; d. Jan. 3, 1817.
3. ARTEMAS, b. Feb. 14, 1757; m. Cata Drury; res. Fitzwilliam; 4 chn .; d. April 30, 1847.
935
THE WINSHIP FAMILY.
4. Unnamed, b. Sept. 28, 1758; d. Nov. 23, 1758.
5. TABITHA, b. June 3, 1760; m. Jonadab Baker; res. Marlboro', N. H .; 4 chn.
6. MARY, b. March 21, 1762; m. Peter Prescott; res. Sterling; 9 chn .; d. July 10, I846.
7. BENJAMIN, b. Nov. 25, 1763; d. Nov. 26, 1765.
S. LUKE, b. Nov. 4, 1765; d. Oct. 3, 1794.
9. BENJAMIN. b. Aug. 31, 1767; d. infancy.
WINSHIP.
The common ancestor of the Winships of N. E. was Edward1 of Cam- bridge, who was made "freeman" there in 1635. He was an active and honored member of the chh. and a very useful and influential citizen of the town. His ability and worth were duly recognized and rewarded by his con- temporaries, who elected him Selectman 11 yrs., and sent him to the Gen. Ct. 8 yrs. He possessed a large amount of real estate and was able to bequeath a farm to each of his four sons at his decease. He spelled his name Winshipp, and the historian of Camb., Rev. L. R. Paige, found twelve other varieties of orthography in the early records.
Edward Winship1 had by his w., Elizabeth, a s. Edward2, who, like his father, occupied responsible and prominent positions before the public, and owned extensive landed property. His w. was Rebecca Barsham, who bore him 7 chn. Of these, Ephraim8 m. Hannah Cutter and set. at Camb. Farms, Lexington. He too was a man active and honored in public affairs, and his wife was a public school teacher of some note. The records of this family are imperfect, the names of some of the chn. not appearing in them at all. This was the case with the one who settled in this town, and it was only after long search, and by the use of many expedients, that his ancestral rela- tionship was discovered.
I. WINSHIP, JONAS4, s. of Ephraim3 and Hannah, was b. ab. 1726, as indicated by the date of his d. and age given in the W. records. His parentage, sought for a great while in vain, was at length determined by a charge against the estate of his f. in the account of the administrator filed at the Middlesex Co. Pro- bate office, to wit: "To journey to Narragansett No. 2, to no- tify one of the heirs and expenses, 12 shillings." This was the key that unlocked the previously inscrutable mystery. There was no other person in No. 2 at the time of Ephraim Winship's decease to whom the phrase "one of the heirs" could possibly be applied, and the question of his lineage was settled beyond question.
Mr. Winship came to these parts in 1751, purchasing Sept. 3 of that year, of Wm. Brattle of Camb., lot No. 46, located on what is called Prospect Hill, - the estate that is still owned by his granddaughter, Mrs. Maria W. Comee of Charlestown. He was not a man of special public prominence, though a substan- tial and worthy citizen, but he brought into the township with him, either in his own person or that of his wife, one gift or faculty which has made the people at large his debtor to this day, and is worthy of special commemoration,-and that was the gift or faculty of song. Without ignoring or disparaging what others have done in this behalf, it may be said that the original Winship family contributed more largely than any other ever residing here to the musical character of the people, and to the
936
HISTORY OF WESTMINSTER, MASS.
profit and happiness that are derived from that source. Wher- ever the Winship blood has gone, through whatever channels it has flowed, it has rippled forth into singing, and multitudes of hearts and lives have been refreshed and blest thereby.
Soon after appearing in town, Mr. Winship m. Mary whose family name has not been ascertained. She became the m. of his 10 chn., and d. Nov. 1I, 1779, a. 45, when he m. (2) Mary, wid. of Josiah Jackson, the dau. of Andrew and Elizabeth (Patch) Darby. He d. April 16, 1805, a. 79; and his surviving widow, Feb. 4, 1823, a. 87. The record of the family is given as it stands in the town clerk's book, to wit:
2. Feb. ye 26, 1755, Dorcas Winship Borne about 3 of clock in ye morning on Wednesday.
3. Nov. ye 7, 1756, Mary Winship Borne Between Nine and Ten in ye evening.
4. Apr. ye 29, 1758, Moses Winship, Borne on Saturday three clock afternoone.
5. Jan. ye 4, 1760, Prudence Winship Borne att five clock afternoone.
6. June ye 3, 1762, Jonas Winship Borne. Jonas Winship Deceased June 3, 1762.
7. Sept. ye 9, 1763, Hannah Winship Borne on Friday 9 of clock forenoon.
S. Sept. ye 7, 1765, Jonas Winship Borne on Saturday, 12 of clock, att noone.
9. Oct. ye 31, 1767, Cyrus Winship Borne Saturday 7 clock evening.
IO. May 27, 1772, Bethia Winship Born.
II. Dec. 26, 1773, Asenath Winship Born.
Of the daughters of this family, Dorcas m. Aaron Bolton, had 10 chn., and d. May 5,1826; Mary m. Jonathan Brooks of Fg., had sev. chn., and d. at unkn. date; Prudence m. Samuel Taylor, had 4 chn., and d. Jan. 23, 1813; Hannah m. Silas Smith, and d. soon, leaving no chn .; Bethia m. Asa Miller, had 7 chn., and d. Nov. 26, 1854; Asenath m. Luke Bigelow, had II chn., and d. Aug. 2, 1845. Moses, the oldest s., enlisted in the army, where he contracted disease of which he d. on his way home.
[6.] WINSHIP, JONAS5, second s. of the last, m. Deborah, dau. Ephraim and Beulah (Wheeler) Miller, Feb. 5, 1795, and set. on lot 52, 2d Div., in the N. W. part of the town. The place was recently owned by Leonard Smith. He d. April 20, 1839, a. 73. His w., Deborah, d. Aug. 8, 1844, a. 67. Chn .:
12. PEGGY6, b. Dec. 14, 1795; d. March 24, 1868, unm.
13. MARY6, b. Nov. 4, 1797; 3 twins; no record of them; prob. d. young.
14. JONAS6, b. Nov. 4, 1797; S
15. JOHNG, b. Nov. 10, 1799; m. Mary F. Munroe; res. Ash .; 3 chn .; d. Nov. II, I879.
16. CYRUS6, b. Sept. 22, ISO1; d. Oct. 24, 1851, unm.
17. FREDERICK6, b. May 28, 1805; m. Sarah F. Gray; res. W ; no chn. recorded; d. Oct. 3, 1857.
18. SYLVESTER6. b. April 25, 1807; m. Lucy Munroe; res. Ash .; 4 chn .; d. July II, IS83.
19. CHARLES6, b. May 9, 1809; d. unm. May 10, 1873.
20. SALLY6, b. Jan. 27, 1813; d. Sept. 20, 1826.
21. DOLLY6, b. June 7, 1818; d. Oct. 9, 1818.
[9.] WINSHIP, CYRUS5, bro. of the last, m. (1) Peggy, dau. Jonathan and Jerusha (Flint) Sawyer, Jan. 9, 1794, and spent his days upon the old homestead, Prospect Hill. He was an active, influential, and honored citizen, public spirited, generous- hearted, and of courteous and gentlemanly manners. He was Selectman 5 years, Assessor 9 years, and 5 years Rep. to the Gen. Ct., besides serving on the Sch. Com. and in other respon- sible positions of public duty. He was also an earnest member
937
THE WINSHIP AND WISWALL FAMILIES.
of the Universalist (Restorationist) Society, being one of its founders and an intelligent believer in its doctrines. Inheriting unusual musical ability and taste, which were improved by cul- ture, he was for many years an efficient and acceptable teacher of singing and leader of church choirs. His first w. d. Feb. 9, 1813, and he m. (2) June 22, 1814, Wid. Mercy Woodbury of Orange, dau. of Benj. and Cady Wood, by whom he had I chd. She d. March 6, 1845, a. 61, and he Oct. 25, 1855, at the vener- able age of 87 yrs., II mos., 25 ds. Chn .:
22. NANCY6, b. Nov. 27, 1796; d. unm. May 24, 1879.
23. HANNAH6, b. March 2, 1799; d. unm. Feb. 12, 1879.
24. PEGGY6, b. March 11, 1801; m. Ezra Jones; res. Temp .; I chd .; d. March 5, 1867.
25. FRANKLIN6, b. March 14, 1803; m. and res. Boston; had chn .; dec'd.
26. CYRUS6, b. April 10, 1805; m. and res. Rochester, N. Y .; had chn .; d. Oct. 1I, 1879.
27. MARSYLVIA6, b. June 19, 1807; m. Marshall White; res. W .; 7 chn .; living.
28. LORENZO", b. Oct. 2, 1809; d. unm. July 15, 1886.
29. HANDEL6, b. Sept. 9, 1811; m. Sarah D. Clark; res. W .; no chn .; living.
30. MARIA6, b. April 13, 1817; m. Wm. W. Comee; res. Fg. and Boston; 3 chn .; 1.
WISWALL.
Elder Thomas Wiswall1, with his bro. John1, came from Eng. in 1635 and, settling in Dorchester, was one of the leading citizens of that town. A s. Noah2, who located at Newton, was known as Capt. Wiswall, having dis- tinguished himself in the Indian wars by exploits evincing much valor and bravery. He was f. of Lieut. Thomas3, who had a s. Noah4, also dignified by the title of Capt. These all res. in Newton. In 1733 the heirs of the first Capt. Noah2 were allowed 1500 acres of land in Lunenburg and Rut- land, east of Wachusett Hill, for services rendered the Mass. Colony. It was by reason of this grant that the family was represented in these parts.
I. WISWALL, NOAH5, s. of the second Capt. Noah4 and Thankful (Fuller) Wiswall of Newton, was b. July 7, 1740. He m. Mary Palmer, also of Newton, whose bro. in turn m. one of his sisters. The latter were parents of the eccentric Joseph Palmer, whose persistent habit of wearing a full beard 60 years ago, made him somewhat notorious in the community and the subject of not very commendatory remark. Out of the lands granted as above stated, Capt. Noah Wiswall4, into whose pos- session large portions of them had come, gave his son Noah5 and son-in-law Palmer each a farm lying side by side in what proved afterward to be the unincorporated district called No-town. Upon these farms the two in due time settled. They supposed that their estates were within the limits of Fitchburg (which, how- ever, was not the case), and Mr. Wiswall petitioned the Legis- lature to be set off from that town to Westminster, a request that received favorable consideration. (See p. 428.) The records of his family are very imperfect. He d. Oct. 21, 1800, a. 60. Mrs. W. d. June 1, 1824, a. 71. His chn., so far as ascertained, were Noah6, Ebenezer6, William6, Seth6, Howard6, John P.6, Joseph6, Japheth6, Jane6, and Nancy6. William6 became a permanent
938
HISTORY OF WESTMINSTER, MASS.
resident in town, as noted below, and Nancy6 m. Abel Wood, as stated a few pages hence.
2. WISWALL, WILLIAM6, s. of the last, m. Lydia, dau. of Jon- athan Hager, in 1802, and set. on the original Samuel Hager place, now occupied by W. C. Foskett. He was a religious en- thusiast and a leader in the Millerite excitement which culmi- nated and collapsed in 1843. His w. d. Feb. 22, 1846, a. 64, and he m. (2) Wid. Susan B. Rice of Ash. He d. July 26, 1849, a. 68, and his wid. m. (3) Abel Bennett of Hub. She d. Dec. 2, 1883. Chn. :
3. LOUISA7, b. Jan. 21, 1803; m. Asaph Derby; went to Iowa; I chd.
4. MELINDA7, b. April 24, 1804; m. B. N. Prescott; res. W .; 6 chn.
5. WILLIAM7, b. June 4, 1806; d. April 23, 1818.
6. LUCY7, b. Sept. 23, 1809; m. - Johnson; res. Ill .; 3 chn .; living.
7. JANE7, b. July 14, IS15; m. J. T. G. Cruse; res. W .; 4 chn .; d. June 24, 1862.
S. SETH7, b. Feb. 17, 1817; unm .; joined U. S. Army; in Florida war.
9. LEONORA7, b. Aug. 24, 1819; d. May 1, 1830.
IO. WILLIAM7, b. Feb. 17, 1821; d. July 27, 1840.
II. CAROLINE7, b. Nov. 20, 1822; m. Geo. W. Johnson; res. Iowa; no chn.
12. LYDIA E.7; m. Isaac Newton; sev. chn .; dec'd.
WOOD.
William Wood! the founder of the principal N. E. family designated by this name. and a somewhat distinguished character in N. E. history, was b. in Derbyshire, Eng., 1582. He is the accredited author of a book entitled "New England's prospects," which gives a glowing account of the condi- tions of things in this part of the country soon after its settlement, and of the outlook for the future, and was evidently written for the purpose of promoting emigration from the old world to these shores. It is sup. that he was here in the first years of the Mass. Colony, made observations and gath- ered data for his work, went back to his native land and wrote it, as it was printed there in 1636; soon after returned and set. permanently at Concord. He had two chn .- Ruth2, who m. Capt. Thomas Wheeler of Indian warfare memory, and Michael2, one of whose sons, Abraham3, lived awhile in Con- cord, but rem. to Sudbury in 1729, and d. there thirteen years afterward. Of his 7 chn., three set. in W. - Hannah, who m. Daniel Walker; Abigail, the wife of James Walker; also the youngest s., now to be mentioned.
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