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 65
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2. PHILIP4; bap. Nov. 13, 1726; m. Lydia Dix. [Nov. 8, 1801.
3. WILLIAM4; bap. Nov. 13, 1726; m. (1) Rezina Wilder, (2) Abigail Annis; d.
4. DAVID4; bap. July 30, 1729; m. Mary Dunster; 11 chn .; d. 1813.
5. ABIGAIL4; bap. July 25, 1731; nothing further found; prob. d. young.
6. EDMUND+; bap. Oct. 22, 1732; m. Elizabeth Rand; 9 chn .; d. Dec. 1, 1806.
7. ZACCHEUS4; bap. July 25, 1736; m. Elizabeth Lyon; 7 chn .; d. 1805.
[2.] BEMIS, PHILIP4, s. of the last, seems to have left No. 2 soon after reaching his majority and returned to Cambridge, remaining there some yrs. He m., Feb. 22, 1749, Lydia Dix of Waltham, but, so far as kn., s. p. He was a res. here in 1759, as stated in a deed dated June 4th, conveying lot No. 56 -the old Raymond homestead -to John Baldwin of Pelham, N. H. Two yrs. later he, then "of Cambridge," bought the adjoining lot, No. 119, and built or caused to be built the first sawmill on the premises, -the original of the well-known "Raymond Mill." Sept. 20, 1765, he sold this property to his foster bro., Daniel Munjoy, and thereafter is lost to all research. He was only an intermittant res. here.
[3.] BEMIS, WILLIAM4, bro. of the last, set. upon lot No. 6; adjoining his f.'s on the N. W., now owned by Alton Battles, having purchased it Nov. 17, 1747, of Abram Skinner of Malden. He m. (1) Rezina, dau. of Joshua and Sarah (Keyes) Wilder of Pn. and sr. of Mrs. Thomas Merriam, prob. in 1755, who bore him 6 chn. She d. at unkn. date and he m. (2), Nov. 12, 1772, Abigail Annis, by whom he had 3 more. He d. at W. Nov. 8, 1801, a. 76; she d. at Harvard, where she had been 1. with her s., in Dec., 1823, or Jan., 1824. Chn .:
S. WILLIAM5, b. July 29, 1756; d. Oct. 10, 1764.
9. PHILIP5, b. Nov. 9, 1757; d. Oct. 4, 1764.
544
HISTORY OF WESTMINSTER, MASS.
IO. ELIZABETH5, b. April 17, 1759; m. Jonathan Phillips.
II. JOSHUA5, b. March 19, 1761; m. and had I s. living in 1801; d. bef. ISoI.
12. REZINA5, b. Jan. 30, 1763; d. March 8, 1763.
13. WILLIAM5, b. Nov. 10, 1764; d. July 25, 1776.
14. REZINA5, b. June 3, 1773; living unm. in 1801; nothing further.
1 5. STEPHEN5, b. Sept. 10, 1774; m Rejoice --; min. Harvard; 5 chn.
16. ANNIS5, b. Sept. 1, 1776; m. Joseph Beaman; res. W.
[4.] BEMIS, DAVID4, m. Mary, dau. of David and Mary Dunster, ab. 1751, and located on lot No. 21, S. E. of principal tn. cemetery, where the site of the dwelling ho. may be easily recognized. (See A. H. No. 61.) In 1783 he sold his est. to his bro. Edmond, I. near by, and rem. with his fam. to Dum- merston, Vt., and there became an active and influential citizen, and a zealous deacon and lay exhorter in the Baptist Chh. His chn., all b. in W., set. ab. him in his new home, and have many descendants in that vicinity still 1. He d. in 1813, a. 84, but the date of w.'s d. is unkn. Chn .:
17. JOHN5, b. June 4, 1752; m. Abigail Stevens and Jemima Whipple; res. Dum- merston, Vt .; d. 1835.
18. ABNER5, b. March 28, 1756; m. Kate Freeman; res. Halifax, Vt .; Baptist clergyman.
19. JOSEPH5, b. Feb. 1, 1758; m. Jemima Stoddard; res. Dum., Vt .; d. Aug. 16, 1837.
20. LEVIS, b. May 18, 1760; d. infancy.
21. SARAH5, b. April 8, 1762; m. Paul Dickinson; res. Dum., Vt.
22. ELIAS5, b. Aug. 13, 1763; d. infancy.
23. LEVI5, b. July 25, 1765; m. and set. Dum., Vt.
24. ELIAS5, b. July 15, 1767; m. Experience Kendrick; res. Dum., Vt .; d. June 2, 1806.
25. SAMUEL5, b. April 26, 1769; m. Betsey Bemis; res. Dum., Vt.
26. EZRA5, b. April 5. 1771; no record.
27. BENJAMIN5, b. April 5, 1771; m. Olive Baldwin; res. Dum., Vt.
[6.] BEMIS, EDMUND4, fourth s. of Philip3 and Elizabeth, m. (1) Elizabeth, perhaps dau. of Thomas and Elizabeth (Parker) Rand of Salem and Shrewsbury, and set. with his f. on the home place, lot No. 66. He was a man of good standing in the tn. and a Capt. in the war for independence, having com- mand of a Co. at the battle of Bunker Hill He served the tn. I yr. as Assessor and 3 yrs. as Selectman, as well as in other less notable positions. His w., Elizabeth, d. ab. 1777, and he m. (2) wid. Phebe Spring, prob. sr. of Dr. Benjamin Marshall, who was associated with her in the execution of Mr. Bemis' will, but of whom nothing further has been learned. He d. Dec. 1, 1807, a. 75. Chn .:
28. ELIJAH5, b. March 10, 1761.
29. ABIGAIL5, b. June 21, 1763.
30. EDMUND5, b. June 4, 1766; m. Susannah Graves; res. W. and Troy, N. H.
31. SAMUEL5, b. Oct. 27, 1768.
32. DEBORAH5, b. Oct. 27, 1768.
33. EBENEZER5, b. Sept. 2, 1772.
34. SARAHIS, b. July 12, 1774; m. Elisha Hall.
35. Unnamed6, b. May 12, 1777; d. infancy.
36. Unnamed5, b. May 13, 1777; d. infancy.
[7.] BEMIS, ZACCHEUS4, youngest s. of Philip3 and Elizabeth, m. Elizabeth Lyon "of Westminster" at Lanc. Feb. 10, 1761. He set. on a 2d Div. lot, No. 48, where Alonzo Curtis now res.
545
THE BEMIS FAMILY.
He d. in 1805, a. 69. His w. survived him ab. 6 yrs., passing away in 1811 at an unkn. a Chn .:
37. ZACCHEUS5, b. 1761 ?; m. Susannah Farnum; res. Windham, Vt., and N. Y.
38. POLLY5, b. 1762; m. John Cole; res. Gr. and Gilsum, N. H .; d. Dec. 30, 1825.
39. BETSEY5, b. 1764 ?; m. Samuel Taylor; res. Fg.
40. PHILIP5, b. 1766 ?; m. Sally Pierce; res. Dunbarton, N. H .; d. Jan. 2, 1844.
41. STEPHEN5, b. March 16, 1768; m. Dolly Ross and Achsah Pollard; res. W.
42. LYDIA5, b. 1771; m. Stephen Sawin and Levi Graves; d. May 10, 1855.
43. MERCY5, b. 1774; m. Azariah Fuller; res. Fg.
44. WILLIAM5, b. Jan. 11, 1777; m. Hannah Darby; res. W.
[30.] BEMIS, EDMUND5, s. of Edmund4 and Elizabeth (Rand) Bemis was m. to Susannah, dau. of Peter and Susannah (Hager) Graves, April 6, 1797. He res. for a few yrs. in W., purchas- ing lot No. 19, the present Hobart Raymond est., of Elias Holden, July 22, 1802. He remained upon it but a short time, selling to Elijah Hager, and rem. to Fg. in 1804 and thence to Troy, N. H., where he d. Feb. 1I, 1857, a. 91. His w., Susannah, d. Jan. 5, 1848, a. 73. They had 7 chn., only one of whom seems to have been b. here :
45. CLARA6, b. June 22, 1801; m. Wm. Whitcomb; res. Troy, N. H.
[33.] BEMIS, EBENEZER5, bro. of the last, also set. for a time in W. He m. the sr. of Edmund's w., Lucy Graves, and prob. 1. on the Fenno place, which he bought of his cousin William, March 18, 1806. In Dec., 1808, he sold to Dodd and Sawyer and afterwards res. on "the Dunster place," as it was called, which he disposed of to Nathan Darby in 1816. This was presumably the original Dudley Bailey farm, lying between Wachusettville and the Smith sawmill. (See A. H. No. 85.) He d. in tn. Jan. 2, 1829. No chn. rep.
[41.] BEMIS, STEPHEN5, s. of Zaccheus and Elizabeth (Lyon) Bemis, m. (1) Dolly Ross of Fg. Oct. 25, 1792. After giving b. to 2 chn. she d., and he m. (2), Nov. 17, 1796, Achsah Pol- lard of Ash., mother of the others named below. He res. for some yrs. with his f. on lot No. 48, 2d Div., but, after the latter's death, he sold, in 1806, to Francis Curtis of Sharon and rem. to Ash. He d. July 18, 1841, a. 73. Date of w.'s d. not learned. Chn., of whom 8 were b. in W .:
46. SOPHIA6; m. Thos. Fuller, Fg. 47. Unnamed6; d. ISoo.
48. STEPHEN6, b. June 16, 1797; d. 1800.
49. WILLIAM6, b. Aug. 22, 1798; d. 1800.
50. DOLLY6, b. March 6, 1801; m. Arnold Dwight; res. Dover; d. Sept., 1883.
51. HANNAH6, b. Nov. 24, 1802; m. Saml. Danforth; res. Salem; d. June 10, 1880. STEPHEN6, b. March 20, 1804; m. Miriam Farwell; res. Nashua, Ill.
52.
53. SYLVIA6, b. Oct. 20, 1805; d. unm. Feb. 23, 1849.
54. ACHSAH6, b. May 14, 1807; m. Lincoln Hart and Bradish Baker; res. Ash.
55. BETSEY6, b. Feb. 14, 1809; m. James S. Mills; res. Dunbarton, N. H .; now living.
56. WILLIAM P.6, b. April 6, 1810; m. Sally Blodgett; res. Salisbury, Conn .; d. Sept. 26, 1866.
57. SAMUEL6, b. Jan. 13, 1812; m. Mary Pettingill; res. Col .; d. 1878.
58. ZACCHEUS6, b. Jan. 1, 1814; m. Maria Garfield; res. W. Camb .; d. May 9, 1849.
35
546
HISTORY OF WESTMINSTER, MASS.
[44.] BEMIS, WILLIAM5, bro. of the last, m., Nov. 23, 1799, Hannah, dau. of John and Hannah (Gerry) Darby. He was a blacksmith by trade and carried on the business for some yrs. at the Fenno place, opposite Hobart Raymond's, which he bought of Abner Holden, Esq. After disposing of that he 1. for a time in the S. W. part of the tn., opposite the present residence of Mrs. Norman Seaver (see A. H. No. 76) and was also in Pn. a few yrs. He finally purchased a small lot with ho. upon it near the present No. 3 Sc. ho., where L. W. Bassett now res., and 1. there till his dec., Oct. 8, 1835, at the a. of 58. His fam. soon after moved to Ash., some of the chn. being already set. in that tn. Mrs. Bemis d. Aug. 12, 1861, a. 80. Chn .:
59. REUBEN6, b. Jan. 22, 1801; led a wandering life; killed by Indians ab. 1840.
60. WILLIAM6, b. April 3, 1803; d. Aug. 28, 1805.
61. LORETTA6, b. Sept. 30, 1805; m. Brigham Wallace; res. Ash .; 2 chn .; d. June 25, 1890.
62. WILLIAM6, b. Jan. 2, 1808; m. Elijah B. Beard; res. Ash .; 2 chn .; d. March 23, 1881.
63. JOSEPH D.6, b. Jan. 23, 1810; d .. July 4, 1820.
64. HANNAH6, b. July 8, 1812; m. Alvin Kendall; res. Ash .; 6 chn .; d. June 11, 1886.
65. CHARLES R.6, b. Dec. 5, 1814; m. Elmira Parmenter; res. Marlb., N. H .; 2 chn .; d. March 11, 1890.
66. NANCY6, b. May 5, 1817; m. Col. Francis I. Barrett; res. Ash .; 3 chn .; d. Dec. 10, 1864.
67. JOHN6, b. Dec. 28, 1819; m. Lucy R. Sawtelle; res. N. Y .; 3 chn .; d. Jan. 26, 1879.
68. RUTH D.6, b. Oct. 18, 1822; m. Chas. F. Johnson; res. Ash .; 4 chn .; d. Nov. 21, 1892.
69. JOSEPH M.6, b. April 18, 1824; d. Dec. 18, 1830.
Here ends the record of the Philip Bemis line of the family.
70. BEMIS, THOMAS3, another s., as is sup., of Joseph and Anna Bemis of Cambridge, b. at an unkn. date, came to No. 2 ab. the same time as Philip did and located on lot No. 104 in the east part of the tn., now owned by John Curry. This lot had been drawn by his f. as a sold. in the Nar. War. He was accompanied by his w. only, and their oldest chd., Anna, according to tradition, was the first female b. in the place. He d. in 1757, his est. being divided between his wid., Anna, and their 2 chn., by Daniel Hoar and others, agreeably to an order from the Probate Court. She d. in 1798, at the great a. of 100 yrs. Chn .:
71. ANNA4, b. April 22, 1741; m. John Estabrook; res. W .; 14 chn .; d. Feb. 26, 1832. 72. THOMAS+, b. at unknown date; m. Lucy Green; 5 chn .; d. 1814 ?.
[72.] BEMIS, THOMAS4, only s. of the last named, m. Lucy Green, said to be "of W.," Sept. 3, 1787, and l. upon his f.'s est. He was a blacksmith and carried on that business in connection with his farming operations. He owned for some yrs., wholly or in part, the trip hammer property at Wachusettville, which was sold to David Wyman after his dec. (See Chapter on Industries.) The date of his d. has not been fd., but he was last taxed in 1811 ; his w., Lucy, d. Sept. 13, 1824. Chn .:
547
THE BENJAMIN AND BIGELOW FAMILIES.
73. DANIEL5, b. 1788 ?; m. Polly Sawin.
74. PEARSON5, b. 1790 ?; m. Betsey Jackson.
75. POLLY5, b. 1792 ?; m. (1) Henry Dunster, (2) Wm. Lewis; d. May 16, 1845.
76. BETSEY5, b. 1794 ?; d. 1800. 77. REUBEN5, b. 1797 ?; d. April, 1811.
[73.] BEMIS, DANIEL5, s. of the last, continued the business of his f. at Wachusettville for a few yrs., manufacturing knee- buckles and other small wares in company with his bro., but rem. to Chesterfield, N. H., in 1812, where he shortly after dec'd. He was pub. to Polly Sawin April 12, 1811. She prob. d. soon, and he m. (2) Lucy -, who survived him. No chn. so far as kn.
[74.] BEMIS, PEARSON5, bro. of the last, and associated with him, as stated, in business, remained in tn. some yrs. longer. He went hence to Holden and from there to Bellingham, where he d. 1833. He m., 1811, Betsey Jackson of Hub., but no chn. are rep.
I. BENJAMIN, AHIJAH W., s. of Francis and Dorothy (Wood), was b. Winchendon, Jan. 15, 1810. The f., early in his m. life, left his fam., and the mother and s. were kindly and abundantly cared for by her parents, Ahijah Wood and w. of W. She d. Dec. 6, 1849, a. 64. May 25, 1837, he m. Mary, dau. of Nathan and Polly (Brooks) Merriam of Pn. and in due time set. on the Timothy Hoar place, No. 101, where his s. now res. He was a man of quiet ways, but of unquestioned worth and honor. He d. May 7, 1889, a. 79. His wid. is still 1. in W. Chn .:
3.
2. GEORGE F., b. April 25, 1840; k. at Ball's Bluff, Oct. 21, 1861. (See Chap. XX.) MARY M., b. May 24, 1845; d. July 28, 1845.
4. MYRON N., b. July 2, 1846; m. Florence M. Cowee; res. Fg .; 1 chd .; living.
5. FRANK E., b. Dec. 16, 1851; m. Ella M. Ferrell; res. Charlestown.
6. WILLIAM H., b. March 28, 1857; m. Anna F. Nutting; res. W.
[6. BENJAMIN, WILLIAM H., the last named, remained at home with his pts. and succeeded to the homestead on which he continues to res. He m., Nov. 26, 1889, Mrs. Anna F. Nutting, the dau. of Ervin and Frances A. (Sawyer) Stuart of Sterling. They have had I chd .:
7. WILLIE, b. March 19, 1891 and d. the same day.
BIGELOW.
It has been the generally received opinion that this family, one of the oldest, most substantial, and honorable in New England. descended from one Richard, lord of the baronial demesne of Baguley, who lived during the reign of Henry III., about the middle of the thirteenth century. Mr. Hudson. in his Centennial Address, assumed that this view was well authen- ticated, in accordance with the published statements of other historians and genealogists. It was based chiefly upon the supposition that John Bigelow1 of Watertown, the immigrant ancestor of most or all of those bearing the name in this part of the country, was identical with a certain John Beagely. a reputed scion of the ancient house of Baguley, who. according to the parish records, was born in Wrentham, Suffolk Co .. Eng .. Feb. 16. 1616-17.
548
HISTORY OF WESTMINSTER, MASS.
More . ecent inquiries, however, prosecuted with painstaking diligence and care, have not only failed to establish the identity referred to, but have ren- dered the whole theory under notice so uncertain, not to say improbable, that some of those most interested in the matter have abandoned it alto- gether. It has, indeed, been found impossible to trace the American family to its ancestral home and hereditary relationships beyond the sea. Not even the name Bigelow, nor any one akin to it, so far as ascertained at the present date, appears in the historical literature or patronymic vocabularies of the old world.
The first notice of the immigrant head of the American branch of the family is in an item in the early records of Watertown, reading as follows : "1642-30-8, John Biguloh and Mary Warin joyned in mariag before Mr. Nowell." Of this union thirteen children were born. The wife and mother dying, Mr. Bigelow married Sarah, the daughter of Joseph Bemis, and great aunt probably of Philip Bemis, third settler of Westminster. He was a man of ability, character, and good standing in the community, as attested by the fact that he was elected successively to the several offices of Sur- veyor of Highways, Constable, and Selectman. He was a soldier in the war with King Philip, as were also some of his sons. He d. July 14, 1703, aged 86. which makes the date of his birth 1616 or 1617-the only circum- stance which indicates that he may have been John Beagely of Wrentham, as formerly believed. As an illustration of the orthographical versatility of those days, in respect to family names as well as otherwise, it may be noted that this man's name was spelled Biguloh in the quoted record of his mar- riage ; Biggalough when he took the oath of fidelity in 1652; Bigolo when made freeman in 1669; while in his will, dated Jan. 4, 1703, it was reduced to its simplest form, Biglo.
I. BIGELOW, JOSHUA2, s. of John1 and Mary (Warren) Bige- low, was b. Watertown, Nov. 5, 1655. When the war with Philip broke out in 1675 he enlisted in the service of the colo- nies, joined the forces under Gov. Winslow, and was in the memorable swamp fight, Dec. 19, 1675, where he was wounded. In recognition of the faithful and honorable part he bore in the conflict with the savage foe, he received a special grant of land in Worc., in addition to his rights as one of the eight hundred and forty Nar. Grantees spoken of at length in one of the earlier chapters of this work. In the classification of those grantees and final distribution of townships among the sev. classes, he was of the company to whom Nar. No. 2 was as- signed, and drew lot No. 12 in the first division of lands. He m., Oct. 20, 1676, Elizabeth Flagg of Watertown, by whom he became the f. of 12 chn., all of whom were b. in that place, where he first set. He rem. thence to Worc., occupying there for many yrs. and improving the grant he recd. from the colony, but finally taking up his res. here with his s. Eliezer3, when of far advanced a., in 1742. Through his s. Daniel3 he was gd.f. of Col. Timothy Bigelow4 of Revolutionary fame, whose appro- priately chaste and beautifully designed monument adorns the old Common of the city of Worc., and through Daniel3 and David+ the gt .- gd.f. of Geo. T. Bigelow5, a former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the state of Mass. He was also the progenitor of numerous other descendants more or less distin- guished in the three learned professions, - theology, law, and
549
THE BIGELOW FAMILY.
medicine, -and in other useful and honorable positions and callings in life. He d. after a res. here of 2 yrs. and 8 months, Feb. 21, 1745, in the goth yr. of his a., and is said to have been the first adult person who dec'd in the township. He was the only Nar. sold. that ever became an actual resident of the place.
2. BIGELOW, ELIEZER3, the youngest of the 12 chn. of Joshua2 and Elizabeth (Flagg) Bigelow, was b. March 14, 1704-5. He m., Nov. 24, 1724, Mary, dau. of William and Hannah (Smith) Fiske of Watertown, where he first set. and where most of his chn. were b. He came to Nar. No. 2 in the early part of 1742 with his fam., his aged f. accompanying them, and located upon lot No. 12 aforesaid, bounded on the N. E. and S. E. by Main St. and the Hubbardston road, respec- tively. He built his ho. on the crown of the hill towards the westerly boundary of the lot, a still existent well marking the site. He d. Feb. 24, 1762, a. 57. Chn .:
3. BENJAMIN4, b. Oct. 13, 1726; set. Portsmouth, N. H .; only 1 chd. reported.
4. ELISHA4, b. Jan. 11, 1727-8; m. Sarah Goodridge; res. W.
5. MARY4, b. Sept. 13, 1730; m. Gideon Smith.
6. JOSHUA+, b. April 12, 1733; m. Margery Knowlton; res. W.
7. JABEZ4, b. Dec. 19, 1736; m. Deborah Knowlton; res. W.
8. ANN4, b. Mav 30, 1740; m. Saml. Titus; res. Ashburnham.
9. ESTHER4, b. March 22, 1743; m. Moses Thurston; res. W .; d. Oct. 24, 1831.
[4.] BIGELOW, ELISHA4, s. of the last, m., Dec. 1, 1757, Sarah, dau. of Benjamin and Lydia (Stearns) Goodridge of Lunenburg, and set. on lot No. 18, lying S. W. of that of his f., now owned by R. J. Lavers. He was an able, enterprising, public-spirited, and highly esteemed citizen, holding various positions of trust and responsibility both before and after the incorporation of the township, the duties of which he dis- charged with scrupulous fidelity. In 1781 he opened his ho. as a public inn, the principal County road through the tn. run- ning past it, and for many yrs. "Bigelow's tavern" was the leading hostelry of the place. He d. Feb. 1, 1814, a. 86. Sarah, his w., d. May 10, 1809, a. 76. Chn .:
IO. A son (unnamed)5, b. Aug. 9, 1758; d. the same day.
II. SUSANNAH5, b. Aug. 13, 1759; d. Sept. 24, 1767.
12. EPHRAIM5, b. Aug. 8, 1761; m. Lydia Johnson; res. W.
1 3. SARAH5, b. July 5, 1763; m. Wm. Penniman; res W.
14. ELISHA5, b. July 18, 1765; d. Oct. 12, 1767.
15. ELISHA5, b. Oct. 22, 1767; m. Lucy Benson; res. W.
16. SUSANNAH5, b. Nov. 6, 1769; d. June 15, 1777.
17. ABIJAH5, b. Dec. 5, 1775; m. Hannah Gardner; res. Leom., etc .; 9 chn .; d. April 5, 1860.
Abijah Bigelow5, the youngest of this family, was intellectually inclined by na- ture, and early in life acquired studious habits and a taste for literary pursuits. He prepared for Dartmouth College, entering the class of 1795, graduating with honor. Choosing the law for a profession, he duly qualified himself for practice, and was adm. to the bar in 1798. He established himself at Leom., where he was highly esteemed as a citizen, and where he gained distinction for his legal ability and skill. Besides crowning him with the responsibilities of local office, the town sent him to the Gen. Ct. as its Representative, and in 1809 the Congressional Dis- trict to which he belonged elected him to a seat in the lower house of the National Legislature, where he rendered 6 yrs.' service, being twice re-elected. In 1817 he
550
HISTORY OF WESTMINSTER, MASS.
was appointed Clerk of the Courts for Worc. Co.,- a position held by him for many years. Soon after this appointment he rem. to Worc., where he remained through life. Whatever duties he assumed were discharged with singular diligence, skill, and efficiency. He m. in Leominster, April 8, 1804, and had a family of 9 chn. His highly useful and honorable career came to a close April 5, 1860, at the age of 84 yrs., 4 mos.
[6.] BIGELOW, JOSHUA4, bro. of the last, m., April 11, 1764, Margery, dau. of Dea. Ezekiel and Susannah (Morgan) Knowl- ton of Shrewsbury. He succeeded to the est. of his f., upon which he res. some 25 yrs., selling the bulk of it, two small lots on Main St. having been previously disposed of, to his bro. Jabez, Nov. 15, 1790, shortly bef. leaving tn. He rem. hence to Worc., Otsego Co., N. Y., whither his eldest s. had already gone, and where it is sup. he remained till his d. Nothing more has been learned of him or his fam. Chn .:
18. JOSHUA5, b. April 6, 1766; m. Rhoda Bowman; res. Worcester, N. Y .; 4 chn .; d. 1835.
19. MARY5, b. March 16, 1768. 20. ELIEZER5, b. Dec. 26, 1769.
21. REBECCA5, b. May 3, 1772. 22. LYDIA5, b. Oct. 21, 1775.
23. GIDEON S.5, b. Dec. 25, 1777.
24. MARGERY5, b. June 21, 1781.
25. SUSANNAH5, b. Aug. 25, 1786.
[7.] BIGELOW, JABEZ4, youngest s. of Eliezer3 and Mary (Fiske) Bigelow, m. Deborah Knowlton, sr. of Margery above, Oct. 5, 1760, and set. on lot No. 3, bounded S. W. and N. W. by Main and Bacon Sts. respectively, which he had purchased the spring bef. of John Wheeler. He was a sold. in the Co. of Asa Whitcomb during the closing campaigns of the F. and I. War, and a minute man az the opening of the Revolution. He served at sev. times during the continuance of the conflict, attaining to the position of Lieut. under Capt. Elisha Jackson. He is said to have been at the battle of White Plains and in other engagements, and was at West Point under Arnold when he turned traitor and fled to the enemy. He was kn. by his military title during the later yrs. of his life. In 1781 and 1782 he served the tn. on the board of Selectmen, and at other times in subordinate places of honor and trust. He d. Aug. 13, 1822. His w., Deborah, d. Feb. 22, 1816. They had a large fam. as follows :
26. JOHN5, b. June 22, 1762; m. (1) Mary Cowee, (2) Rebecca Cowee; res. W. 27. JABEZ5, b. March 26, 1764; m. Betsey McIntosh; res. Ryegate, Vt .; 1I chn .; d. Dec. 31, 1851.
28. BENJAMIN5, b. Aug. 6, 1765; m. Rebecca Bowman; res. W.
29. DEBORAH5, b. May 2, 1767; m. (1) Saml. Hoar, (2) Ezra Holden; res. W .; 9 chn.
30. ABRAHAM5, b. Dec. 21, 1768; m. Syrena Richardson; res. Princeton; 4 chn .; d. Dec. 8, 1802.
31. SUSANNAH5, b. Aug. 22, 1770; m. Ezra Holden; res. W .; 3 chn .; d. Feb. 21, 1798. 32. EZEKIEL K.5, b. April 4, 1772; m. Prudence Penniman; res. W., etc.
33. LUKE5, b. April 26, 1774; m. Asenath Winship; res. W.
34. REUBEN5, b. Nov. 22, 1775; m. Abigail Brooks, Pn .; res. Peru, Vt .; 12 chn.
35. ASA5, b. Aug. 19, 1779; m 3 times; res. W.
[12.] BIGELOW, EPHRAIM5, s. of Elisha4 and Sarah (Good- ridge) Bigelow, m., Dec. 15, 1786, Lydia Johnson and 1. in tn.
.
551
THE BIGELOW FAMILY.
many yrs. It is not kn. where he res., perhaps in the dwelling sup. to have been standing on lot No. 5 near the so-called Pen- niman Mill, north of the chair factory of Nichols Bros., said lot being a part of his f.'s large landed est. Whither he went when he left W. early in the present century, or what was his subsequent history has not been ascertained. The chn. b. in W. are named below, but there may have been others of a later date :
36. SUSANNAH6, b. March 17, 1787; m. James Bean.
37. MOSES6, b. Aug. 6, 1788; prob. d. young.
38. SARAH6, b. July 25, 1790; m. Samuel Noyes.
39. Lucy6, b. July 25, 1792; m. Nathan Ellick.
40. BENJAMIN G.6, b. Aug. 7, 1794; m. Mary Matthews; res. Vt. and Ill .; 4 chn ; d. Feb. 20, 1870.
41. RUFUS6, b. Aug. 19, 1796; m. Sally Pilsbury; res. Lynden, Vt .; 3 chn .; d. Nov. 6, 1835.
42. SAMUEL6, b. May 15. 1799; m. Sally Davis.
43. LYDIA LOUISA6, b. May 6, ISO1; m. John Drown.
44. CAROLINE6, b. May 31, 1803; m. Hiram Melvin.
[15.] BIGELOW, ELISHA5, bro. of the last, m. Lucy Benson of Hubbardston, Oct. 9, 1794, and succeeded to his f.'s est., which consisted of the homestead, lot No. 18, and outlying lands. A quiet but worthy and much esteemed citizen. neigh- bor, and friend. He d. March 12, 1835, a. 67; his wid. d. Oct. 29, 1843, a. 68. Chn .:
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