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 99
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rejoice in the final enfranchisement of the oppressed during the next decade. He was a devoted friend of Temperance to the extent of Total Abstinence for the individual and Prohibi- tion for the State. Holding strictly and even rigidly to the Puritanic system of religious belief, he yet mingled much of humanity with his piety, in accordance with the Apostolic doc- trine: "He that loveth God, must love his brother also."
Dea. Peckham lived to advanced years, passing to his rest June 29, 1877, aged nearly 92. His w., Ruth, who bore him 9 chn., d. Feb. 7, 1842, a. 53. He m. (2) April, 1843, Mahala, dau. of Albigence and Lydia (Fletcher) Griggs of Brimfield, who bore him a dau. His wife d. April 23, 1883, a. 83. Chn. :
2. ELIZABETH K.7, b. Feb. 14, 1814; d. March 25, 1817.
3. JOSEPH™, b. April 23, 1816; m. Mary H. Russell; res. Kingston; no chn .; d. May 17, 1884.
4. SARAH7, b. Feb. 21, 1818; d. Sept. 24, 1840.
5. ELIZABETH7, b. March 31, 1820; m. Samuel T. Field; res. Worc .; 2 chn .; d. July 20, 1856.
6. ROBERT WILLIAM7, b. Aug. 9, 1822; d. Aug. 10, 1825.
7. RUTH7, b. Oct. 28, 1825; m. Ephraim Beaman; res. Worc .; no chn .; living.
8. GEORGE R.7, b. Oct. 2, 1827; m. Caroline C. Felt; res. Worc., etc .; 7 chn .; d. Sept., 1884.
9. JAMES™, b. Sept. 21, 1829; d. Oct. 13, 1829.
10. SAMUEL HENRY", b. June 2, 1833; d. Andersonville prison, Sept. 29, 1864. (See Chap. XX.)
11. MARY™, b. Feb. 14, 1844; res. Westboro', unm.
Joseph Peckham7 (3) grad. at Amherst Coll. in 1837, studied divinity at Andover and Union Seminary, N. Y., grad. at the latter institution in 1842; was ordained at Kingston the same year, where, with the exception of two years, 1856-1858, spent in Minn., he remained through life. While in M. he was elected to the Legislature, serving on the committee that framed the State Constitution. He was pastor of the church in Kingston, 1842-1856, and from ab. 1859 to 1881, some 36 years. He was a public-spirited citizen as well as a clergyman, and had much to do with the schools of the town.
I. PEELER, GEORGE W., s. of Allendis and Lucy (Patterson) Peeler of Vernon, Vt., was b. Dec. 6, 1815. He m. Dec. 31, 1841, Maria L. Dickinson of Northfield, and, after living awhile at Vernon, Northfield, Athol, and Worc., came to W. some 10 yrs. since and set. on the John C. Miller place in the east part of the town, where himself, w., and s. still res. Chn. :
2. GEORGE A., b. Vernon, Vt .; killed at Winchester, Va., Sept. 16, 1863.
3. MARIA A , b. Northfield; m. C. Barnard and res. Boston.
4. LUCY A., b. Northfield; d. Athol, Nov. 28, 1867.
5. LOUISA A., b. N .; m. O. F. Davis; res. W.
6. LAURA A., b. N .; m. O. G. Blanding; res. Leom.
7. LILLA A., b. N .; d. N., Sept. 6, 1858.
8. DURWARD A., b. N .; m. B. L. Engel; res. W.
[8.] PEELER, DURWARD A., just named, m. Bertha L., dau. of Peter and Marie A. C. Engel of Boston, Nov. 27, 1888. He is a farmer, and shares with his f. the old Fessenden (Miller) homestead mentioned above. Chn .:
9. MARIA L., b. Oct. 22, 1889.
10. ADDIE L., b. Dec. 17, 1890. ANNA E., b. Aug. 22, 1892.
828
THE PENNIMAN FAMILY.
PENNIMAN.
Among the fellow-passengers of John Winthrop, Jr., afterwards Gov. of Conn., who came from Eng. to this country in the ship Lion in 1631, was James Penniman1, the first of the name in Mass. He set. to begin with, it is believed, in Boston, but soon rem. to Braintree, whence his descend- ants went to other localities in the colony and elsewhere. He was made " freeman," with John Eliot, March 6, 1732. The line of descent from him to William of W. ran through the intervening generations as follows: Joseph2, b. of his w., Lydia. Aug. 1, 1639: James3, s. of Joseph2 and Waiting, b. Feb. 16, 1683; William4, s. of James3 and Abigail, b. July 7, 1705; William5, s. of William4 and Ruth, b. Jan. 19, 1731-2, - all residents of Braintree.
I. PENNIMAN, WILLIAM6, s. of William5 and Sarah, was b. Feb. 17, 1756. He appears to have lived, when a young man, at Cambridge, working at his trade as a tanner, from which place he came here ab. 1780. On May 26, 1781, he purchased of Joshua Everett the well-known Forbush place in the Central Village, now owned by E. L. Burnham, where a public house had been kept for some years, and on which there was a tannery. He carried on both kinds of business there for nearly half a century. His tavern was a famous hostelry in "ye olden time." There the traveling public shared a generous hospitality and each other's overflow of information, anecdote, wit, and song, in which the townsfolk, as inclination or leisure allowed, bore a by no means unimportant part ; and there the motley company of worshipers from the honored sanctuary on the hill gathered Sunday noons to eat their simple luncheon, - moistening it, per- chance, with something stronger than water from the potables of "mine host,"-to indulge in friendly chat, tell and hear the news of the day, talk politics, criticise, it may be, the sermon of the morning and possibly him who delivered it, and now and then, as the custom was, discuss, pro or con, some point of theo- logical doctrine which had been brought to their notice by the occupant of the sacred desk or otherwise. Could that ancient inn, stripped of its modern comely garb, appear in its old-time form and garniture, and tell of what had transpired within its walls - of what had been said and done there as the genera- tions came and went, what a tale would it unfold ! What a revelation of the life of other days would it bring to view !
After occupying the place under notice more than 45 yrs., Mr. Penniman sold it and its belongings, March 29, 1827, to David Forbush, and retired to the more modest and unpretend- ing habitation erected by himself, nearly in the rear of the recent chair manufactory of Nichols Bros., now occupied by William Eaton, in which he spent the remainder of his life. He held the office of Town Assessor several years, and was 2 years Selectman. Soon after locating here he m. Sarah, dau. of Elisha and Sarah (Goodridge) Bigelow, who bore him but I chd. He d. April 27, 1837, a. 81. Sarah, his wid., d. March 16, 1843, a. So. They had a s .:
2. JOEL7, b. Dec. 3, 1783; he d. unm. March 17, 1817, a. 33.
.
824
HISTORY OF WESTMINSTER, MASS.
I. PERKINS, BENJAMIN, S. of Benjamin and Lydia, was b. Leom., Oct. 11, 1767. He res. awhile at Bakersfield, Vt., in early manhood, but finally set. in Fg., where he m. Achsah Boutelle, Jan. 11, 1804, and where his chn. were b. Late in life he came to W., and located on the original Philip Bemis place, near where George Harris lives. He d. Sept. 16, 1849, a. 71. His wid. d. April 28, 1861, a. 84. A dau., Maria, long resident in tn., d. June 11, 1877, a. ab. 71.
2. PERKINS, HENRY, s. of the last, was b. Fg., July 30, 1810. He seems to have come here with his f., and to have succeeded him on the Bemis farm. He m. (1) Martha, dau. of Joel and Zilpah (Jones) Sawin of Pn., Dec. 25, 1840. She d. June 13, 1852, a. 37, and he m. (2) Rosilla R. Gibson of Ash., Feb. 22, 1853. They subsequently went to Minn. and finally to Cal., where he d. July 5, 1871, a. 61. His wid. d. there March 18, 1888. His chn. were:
3. BENJAMIN F., b. Dec. 22, 1841; d. Jan. 15, 1842.
4. SARAH M., b. Dec. 8, 1842; m. A. W. Darling; res. Dimond, Cal .; 5 chn .; 1.
5. WILLIAM H., b. Aug. 30, 1846; res. Napa, Cal .; unm.
6. JOHN F., b. Dec. 11, 1847; d. May 13, 1848.
7. GEORGE F., b. Jan. 9, 1852; m. Emaline Silvers; res. San Francisco; no chn.
S. EUGENE B., b. Monticello, Minn., March, 1862; d. Sept., 1865.
9. EMMONS M., b. Buffalo, N. Y., Aug., 1864; d. June, ISSO.
IO. PERKINS, HARRISON, S. of John and Polly (Whitney) Per- kins, was b. Leom., July 13, 1825. He m. Jan. 1, 1850, Almira, dau. of Leonard and Lucinda (Sawin) Hoar of this tn. He is a farmer, and for a while res. in Monticello, Minn., but for many years has lived in Wachusettville, opp. the reservoir. Chn. :
II. MYRA ADELIA, b. Oct. 13, 1850. 12. ELIZA JANE, b. May 12, 1852.
13. HATTIE LUCINDA, b. March 24, 1854.
14. CHARLES HARRISON, b. June 25, 1856.
15. ALBERT HARRISON, b. April 6, 1862.
I. PERRY, SILAS, ancestry unknown, but said to have come from Leom., bought Sept. 13, 1768, a small piece of land front- ing on Main st., of Joshua Bigelow, and built upon it the house now owned by Charles Eaton, where he resided ab. a dozen years. He was a cabinetmaker by trade and, having erected a shop on the premises, carried on business to a considerable ex- tent there. He disposed of the property in 1798 to Edward Kendall and John Miller, who prob. had been apprentices un- der him, and left the town. His subsequent place of residence is unknown. His second son, Joseph, grad. at Dartmouth Coll., 1811, and became a teacher of some note in Keene, N. H., and vicinity. By his w., Catherine, he had in W. 7 sons :
2. JOHN, b. June IS, 1785. [1865.
3. JOSEPH, b. May 30, 1788; 1 ( m. Lydia Peters; d. Keene, N. H., July 17,
4. JAMES, b. May 30, 1788; S
twins;
- d. Sept. 25, 1789.
5. JAMES, b. April 25, 1790. 6. ABEL, b. March 22, 1793.
7. SILAS, b. May 9, 1795. S. HORACE, b. March 21, 1797.
825
THE PERRY, PETTS, AND PHILLIPS FAMILIES.
9. PERRY, JOSEPH, s. of Joseph and Betsey (Pierce) Perry, was b. Fitchburg, May 14, 1790. He married Eunice, dau. Samuel and Huldah (Miles) Brooks, 1815 (pub. April 24), and settled in this town. His place of res. was on the old turnpike in the E. part of the town, nearly opp. the site of the former red schoolhouse. (See A. H. No. 47.) He d. Dec. 8, 1860, a. 72. His wid. d. Feb. 22, 1877, a. 85. They had a large family :
10. BETSEY, b. Oct. 23, 1815; m. Isaac Seaver; res. W.
II. LEVI, b. Oct. 15, ISIS; nothing further.
12. WILLIAM, b. Feb. 8, 1821; m. Lydia Libby.
13. SALLY, b. April 15, 1822; m. Jason Dunster, etc .; res. W.
14. MARY, b. March 29, 1824; m. Joseph A. Estabrook.
1 5. Unnamed, b. Oct. 4, 1826; d. Infancy.
16. Unnamed, b. May 2, 1828; ¿ S d. May 2, 1828.
twins;
17. Unnamed, b. May 2, 1828; \ 1 d. May 7, 1828.
IS. CAROLINE, b. Aug. 2, 1829; killed by lightning, Aug. 23, 1845.
19. NANCY, b. Jan. 4, 1832; m. Daniel H. Fisher of New Bedford.
20. HULDAH M., b. Oct. 8, 1834; m. William Fay.
PETTS, JONATHAN, s. of Jonathan and Relief, was b. Stoddard, N. H., July 31, 1796. He m. Elizabeth Smith and came to W. in mid-life, locating in Whitman River valley. Little authentic information of the family has been found. He d. Feb. 16, 1864, a. 67. Elizabeth d. Sept. 23, 1876, a. 70. A s., T. Augustus, was in the war (see p. 410); Aaron G. d. July 27, 1876, a. 40; Martha d. July 15, 1861, a. 22 ; Arvilla R. m. Joseph Barrell, Ash; Eliza Ann m. Townsend. Besides these, there are said to have been Everett, Frank, Charles, and Rosa, but nothing more is kn. of them.
I. PHILLIPS, JONATHAN, ptge., etc., unknown, is said to have come from Sterling. He was here ab. 1778, and was pub. to Elizabeth, dau. of Wm. and Rezina (Wilder) Bemis, May 21, 1780. He was a cooper by trade. Nov. 29, 1793, he bought two acres of land bordering on Bacon st., of Samuel Gerrish, on which he built a res. for himself and family. It was the Wm. Sawin house, in which Mrs. Delva now res. Place and date of d. not ascertained. Chn. b. W .:
2. JOHN, b. May 5, 1781; m. Roxa Bancroft; res. Gr .; 5 chn.
3. BETSEY, b. Oct. 29, 1783; m. William Spring.
4. WILLIAM, b. Oct. 5, 1785; d. Nov. 15, ISIO.
5. EZRA, b. July 14, 178S; town charge 1824; nothing further.
6. REZINA, b. April 10, 1791; d. unm. July 31, 1842.
7. SOPHIA, b. Sept. 9, 1795; nothing further.
S. JONATHAN, b. July 16, 1798; nothing further.
PIERCE.
The Pierce families of W. and vicinity descended from Anthony2, the sup. s. of John1, the immigrant, who was b. in Eng., 1609, and, coming to this country in the early days of the Mass. Colony, set. in Watertown, where he was made "freeman" Sept. 3, 1634. Anthony2 had Joseph3, whose s. John4 was f. of Jonas of Lexington, who m. Abigail, dau. of John and Martha (Monroe) Comee, aunt of David Comee of Gr. Jonas5 spent the last years of his life with his chn. in W., where his will was dated, Aug. 15, 1776.
826
HISTORY OF WESTMINSTER, MASS.
I. PIERCE, NATHAN6, s. of Jonas5 and Martha, b. Dec. 15, 1732, was the first of the name in this town. He m. Sarah, dau. Israel and Sarah Mead of Lex., Dec. 26, 1753, and, coming here, located on lot 55, which he had bought of Wm. Bowman the preceding July. There he remained till 1781, when he sold to Thaddeus Bond of Sudbury and disappeared. His w., Sarah, d. March 4, 1765, and he m. (2) Mary Cottenham, Oct. 31, the same year. Chn .:
2. SARAH7, b. Oct. 28, 1754; m. Samuel Fessenden; res. W .; 9 chn .; d. Dec. 10, IS44.
3. Unnamed7, b. prob. 1756.
4. ABEI, b. Sept., 1758. 5. THADIES7, b. Jan., 1761; d. infancy.
6. AMOST, b. Aug., 1763.
7. THADEUS7, b. Nov. 2, 1766.
8. PIERCE, JOHN6, younger bro. of the last, was b. July 14, 1736. He m. (1) Abigail Demport, who soon d. leaving no is- sue, and (2) Abigail, dau. Andrew and Elizabeth (Nichols) Beard of Reading, a sr. of Joseph Beard of this town. He seems to have lived for a time in Waltham, but Nov. 22, 1773, he purchased of Jacob Emerson, the original occupant, lot 46, 3d Div., later the Ivers Ray place, where he spent the remain- der of his days. His w., Abigail (Beard), d. June 19, 1813, a. 73, and he m. (3) Susannah Beard, prob. his sister-in-law, the fol- lowing year. She d. July 11, 1818, a. 65. He d. Oct. 16, 1828, a. 92. His chn., all by 2d w., were:
9. MARY7, b. Sept. 5, 1760; m. Oliver Jackson; res. W .; 8 chn.
IO. BETTIE, b. Jan. 6, 1763; m. Nathaniel Sawyer, Jr .; res. Rutland; chn.
11. JOHNT, b. Feb. 28, 1766; m. Lucy Graves; res. Gr. and W.
12. BENJAMIN™, b. Sept. 5, 1768; m. Azubah Richardson; res. Vt .; killed by a horse, March, ISO2.
13. ELIZABETH7, b. 1770; nothing further.
14. ELISHA7, b. Aug. 26, 1772; m. twice; res. W.
15. JARVIS7, b. prob. 1774; m. Rhoda Darby; res. W., etc.
16. JONAS7, b. March 21, 1777; m. Achsah Haynes; res. W .; 7 chn.
[II.] PIERCE, JOHN7, s. of the last, m. Lucy, dau. Peter and Azubah (Hager) Graves (?), 1788 (pub. March IO), and res. suc- cessively in W., Gr., and Ash. Place and date of d. not found. Chn. :
17. NATHAN8, b. Ang. 19, 1788; m., but had no chn .; d. July 31, ISHI.
IS. Lucy8, b. Dec. S, 1790; m. John Gates; had chn .; d. 1879.
19. PETER8, b. Sept. 9, 1792; m. Sophia Anderson; 6 chn .; d. Sept. 24, 1836.
20. ABIGAILS, b. July 28, 1795; m. Joel Oakes; I chd.
21. JOHNS, b. June 1, 1799; m. twice; res. Bethlehem, N. H .; 7 chn .; d. July 9, 1828.
22. SUSANNAH8, b. Feb. 17, 1802; m. John Ball; I chd .; d. 1879.
23. JOEL8, b. Dec. 19, 1806; m. Hannah F. Rowe; 8 chn .; d. Dec. 12, 1876.
24. BETSEY8, b. April 12, ISII; m. Thomas White; I chd .; d. Sept., 1838.
[14.] PIERCE, ELISHA7, bro. of the last, m. (1) Deborah, dau. Jabez and Anna (Twichell) Partridge of Gr., 1797 (pub. Aug. 12). He lived awhile in Gr., but returning to W., built and occupied the large house half a mile W. of his father's, which was destroyed by fire a few years since. He also erected a sawmill on the small stream in front of his dwelling, where, in connection with his farming, he got out lumber and chair
827
THE PIERCE FAMILY.
stock. His wife, Deborah, d. Oct. 22, 1846, and he m. (2) her sr., Cynthia, wid. of Luke Whitney of Gr. He d. April I, 1858, a. 86, and his surviving wid. d. July 1, 1860, a. 74. Chn. :
25. NANCY8, b. Nov. 6, 1798; m. Andrew Beard; 3 chn .; d. Sept. 28, 1843.
26. AMOS8, b. Nov. 8, 1804; m. twice; 5 chn .; d. Aug. 17, 1873.
27. ELISHA8, b. Dec. 11, 1806; m. twice; res. W., etc. [per. more.
28. ROXANA®, b. Feb. 28, 1809; ( S m. Joshua H. Holden; res. Gr .; I chd.,
29. DEBORAH8, b. Feb. 28, 1Soo; § twins; 1 d. March 1, 1809.
30. HANNAHS, b. March 28, 1812; m. Luther Baker; res. Gr .; d. Oct. 24, 1834.
[15.] PIERCE, JARVIS", sup. bro. of the last, b. - , 1774. He m. Rhoda, dau. Nathan and Abigail (Pierce) Darby in 1794. He was a carpenter by trade, and purchased May 31, 1799, the N. W. corner of the original Bigelow farm, and erected the large dwelling near the parting of the two roads to Gr., in the W. part of the village. March 7, 1807, he sold the premises to Gilman Thurston and prob. left town. Nothing later has been learned of him. The name of only one child is found in the records : 31. MARIETTA®, b. Dec. 9, 1794, who seems to have d. in 1800.
[16.] PIERCE, JONAS", bro. of the last two, m. Achsah Haynes, 1800 (pub. Feb. 8), and lived on the old homestead. He d. in mid-life, Jan. 17, 1824, a. 46, and his wid. m. (2) Dec. 17, 1830, Levi Fairbanks of Gr. Chn. of Jonas and Achsah :
32. BETSEY8, b. March 28, 1802; m. John Taylor; res. Preston, N. Y .; 6 chn.
33. ACHSAHS, b. Dec. 28, 1805; m. John Sawin; res. W .; I chd .; d. Oct. 17, 1832.
34. MARY8, b. Nov. 4, 1808; m. John Sawin; res. W .; 4 chn .; d. April 1, 1845.
35. JONAS8, b. Sept. 12, ISHI; m. three times; res. Gr., etc.
36. Unnameds, b. prob. 1814; d. Sept , 1815.
37. LOENZAS, b. Nov. IS, IS16; m. Abram Sawin; 3 chn.
38. SYLVESTER K.8, b. April 11, IS20; m. twice; res. Gr .; 3 chn .; d. Jan. 28, 1888.
39. BENJAMIN F.8, b. Oct. 12, 1822; m. three times; res. Hub .; 5 chn .; living at Gr.
[27.] PIERCE, ELISHA8, son of Elisha7, m. June 20, 1833, Thuseba, dau. of Luke and Cynthia (Partridge) Whitney, and set. on the place where his f. res., more recently occupied by his s .- in-law, George K. Ray. (See A. H. No. 35.) Mrs. Pierce d. Jan. 24, 1864, a. 48. Mr. Pierce d. March 2, 1868, a. 62. Chn. :
40. MARY F.9, b. Dec. 16, 1834; m. George K. Ray; res. Gr.
41. LEONARD W.9, b. Oct. 29, 1836; m. Laura A. Stoddard, etc .; res. Mich.
42. NELSON J.9, b. March 3, 1839; m. Mary A. Putney; res. Keene, N. H. (See P. 411.)
43. FRANKLIN W.9, b. Aug. 29, 1845; d. W., Oct. 16 1846.
44. WILSON F.9, b. May 4, 1849; d. July 9, 1879.
45. PIERCE, HARVEY L., relationship to the former, if any, unkn., was s. of Josiah and Polly Pierce of Gr., b. Oct. 22, 1837. He m. Louise J., dau. of Samuel T. and Jane (Wilson) Bruce, April 22, 1863. He is a chair maker by trade and res. in W. Chn. :
46. STELLA L., b. Feb. 9, 1864; m. Clark R. Smith, Nov. 3, 1886.
47. MABEL J., b. Oct. 4, 1871.
48. PIERCE, JOSEPH, was s. of John and Esther of Lunenburg. He came to W. in his early manhood and worked with Jos. W.
828
HISTORY OF WESTMINSTER, MASS.
Forbush as tanner and currier for many years, finally succeeding him in the business. He rem. hence to Fg., where he still res. He m. (1) Sept. 27, 1849, Charlotte, dau. of M. S. and Dorcas (Whitman) Forbush, who bore him twin daus. and d. June 29, 1851. The chn., unnamed, lived but a few days. He m. (2) El- mira, dau. of Luther and Mary (Sampson) Barrell, April, 1854, by whom he has had three chn. The name of but one is in the W. rec .:
49. MERRILL, b. April 21, I857.
POND.
About the year 1650, Daniel Pond1 came to N. E. and established him- self in the town of Dedham, originally named Contentment, becoming the head of a long line of descendants. A considerable branch of the family located at an early date in Wrentham, scions of which went out in all direc- tions to found new homes for themselves and their chn., and to help build up new townships in the wilderness. One of these, Joseph5, whose lineage ran back through Ezra4, Ezra3, and Robert2, to the immigrant, Daniel1, m. Margaret Pond and res. some years in his native place, but rem. to Hub- bardston sometime during the eighties of the last century, a large family accompanying him. He is the connecting link between the Ponds of W. and their more remote ancestry.
I. POND, PRESTON6, was s. of Joseph5 and Margaret, and was b. Wrentham, Jan. 2, 1779. While yet a lad he went with his parents to Hub., where he spent a considerable portion of his life. He m. April 7, 1802, Hannah, dau. David and Abi- gail Rice of Pn., settling first in Hub., where all of his chn. were b. On the IIth Oct., 1830, he purchased the H. G. Buttrick (formerly Barnard, but now Simeon L. Bolton) place and soon after took possession of it. A few yrs. later he passed it over to his s., Stillman, and moved to the so-called "Pond House," re- maining there till after the d. of his w., which took place July 27, 1855, at the age of 68. His last days were spent with his dau. in Templeton, where he passed away June 30, 1868, a. 89. Chn. :
2. BETSEY', b. Feb. 5, 18or; m. Joel Newton; res. Temp.
3. STILLMAN™, b. Oct. 20, 1803; m. twice; res. W., etc.
4. ARETHUSA7, b. Dec. 14, 1805; m. twice; res. Temp .; 4 chn .; d. 1890.
5. HANNAH™, b. Nov. IS, 1807; m. Benjamin Miller, etc .; 3 chn .; d. Sept. 16, 18SS.
6. ABIGAIL7, b. Dec. 18, 1809; m. George W. Hager: 3 chn .; still living.
7. REUBEN S.7, b. May 29, 1812; m. Susan Darby; res. W. and parts unkn.
S. SUMNER7, b. Feb., 1815; d. infancy.
9. CHARLES SUMNER7, b. Aug. 6, 18i8; scalded to death.
10. SEWALL7, b. Sept. 18, 1822; d. April, 1823.
1I. ADALINE E.7, b. Dec. 5, 1825; m. George P. Hawks; res. Temp .; chn.
[3.] POND, STILLMAN7, m. Almira Whittemore, Hub., Nov. 1825. He res. for a few yrs. in W. and had sev. chn., but their names have not been found. Went West, became a Morman, and set. at Nauvoo, where his w. d. Himself and chn. started from N. for Salt Lake City when the general migration took place, but most of the chn. d. on the way. So far as kn. he is still living.
829
THE PRATT AND PRESCOTT FAMILIES.
PRATT.
One of the early settlers of Plymouth, though not a passenger in the Mayflower, was Joshua Pratt1, b. in Eng., 1598, whose s., Ephraim2, located in E. Sudbury, now Wayland. He had a s .. Ephraim3, b. Nov. 30, 1704, who res. for many years in Shrewsbury, but late in life rem. to Shutesbury, where he d. in May, 1804. It has been claimed by some that he was b. in 1687, and hence attained the wonderful age of 115 years, but Rev. Dr. Summer of Shy., who was familiar with the case, in an article published in the Mass. Spy, June 13. 1804, set the matter right. Another Ephraim Pratt4, s. of the last, b. Feb. 7, 1728, came to W. with his w., Abiah, ab. 1775 and purchased lands in the west part, establishing himself upon them. In the formation of Gr. ten years later, he was set off to that town, his place being on the back road west of and adjoining the Joseph Beard now - place. His s .. Aaron5, m. Betsey Warren and had S chn., of whom 4 became residents of W .: Betsey, who m. Joseph H. Whitney: Lovisa, who m. Levi Richardson; Susannah, who m. John Mosman; and one s., as follows :
I. PRATT, RUSSELL6, was b. in Gr., Nov. 18, 1812. Coming to W. he m. Oct. 28, 1838, Ann, dau. of Hayman and Betsey (Mosman) Wheeler, and set. on the Wheeler place in the north part of the tn., where James Morrell now res. He d. Dec. IS, 1868, a. 56. His wid. d. Ash., May 25, 1876, a. 68. Chn. :
2. JOHN W.7, b. Aug. 18, 1842; m. Julia Blackman; res. Charlestown; 2 chn. (See p. 41 1.)
3. HENRY R.7, b. Feb. 25, 1845; d. Jan. 12, 1864.
4. CHARLES H.7, b. Nov. 11, 1848; m. Mary G. Sampson; res. Ash .; 1 chd .; l.
5. PRATT, DAVID, ptge., etc., not traced, came to this town ab. 1770 and purchased lands of Dr. Harvey and others, on and adjoining Bean Porridge Hill, where he erected a dwelling house and res. some years. The site of his buildings is still pointed out by those familiar with the locality. (See A. H. No. IO.) He furnished lumber for a new Sch. House in 1773. In 1778, April 14, he sold 92 acres, with house and barn, to Samuel Whit- ney, Jr., father of the late Smyrna Whitney, and prob. left town, as nothing more of him appears in the records. By w., Hepzi- bah, he had:
6. LUTHER, b. Sept. 25, 1772.
7. DAVID, b. July 20, 1774.
PRESCOTT.
At the head of an ancient autograph list of the early proprietors of Lancaster stands the name of John Prescott, who has been appropriately called the founder of that town. He was the s. of Ralph and Ellen Pres- cott of Lancashire, Eng., where he was b. ab. 1604. When 25 years old, Jan. 21, 1629, he m. Mary Platts, "a Yorkshire lass." He is sup. to have been a supporter of the Cromwellian policy in English affairs, and to have left his native land to escape religious persecution. He came to Boston in 1640 via Barbadoes, and took up lands at Watertown, where he first made a home. Three years later, he was enrolle'd as one of the Nashaway com- pany, and in 1745 or 6 rem. to the banks of the stream which gave to that body its name. On his way to his new home he lost his horse in attempt- ing to ford Sudbury river. and a week later his wife and child came near being drowned at the same place, circumstances which led to the building
830
HISTORY OF WESTMINSTER, MASS.
of the first bridge across that stream by the Mass. Colony; though Gov. Winthrop was disposed to regard them as judgments from Heaven against him for certain heretical or uncanonical doctrines he was understood to en- tertain in the direction of larger religious liberties than even the Puritan dissent contemplated.
John Prescott1 had 8 chn., 5 of whom prob. were b. before he left the mother country. Of these, John2 was bap. at Halifax Parish, Eng., April I, 1635, and so was scarcely ten years of age when the family located at Lanc. He m. Sarah Hayward and had John3, b. 1672, who may have been f. of another John+, whose w., Mary White, bore him a s., Jonathan5, July 4, 1761. The latter m. Ruth, dau. of John Glazier, first of this town but subsequent- ly of Gr., in which place he settled, opening the first store in what is now the central village, and serving as town clerk for sev. years. He removed to Boston, where he spent his last days.
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