USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Newton > History of the early settlement of Newton, county of Middlesex, Massachusetts, from 1639-1800. With a genealogical register of its inhabitants, prior to 1800 > Part 37
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VIII. WOODWARD, SAMUEL N., (s. of Dea. Elijah,) m. Marian G. Bacon, 1842, and had Maria L., June 17, 1843; Frederick Newell, March 14, 1845.
VIII. WOODWARD, EBENEZER, (s. of Deacon Elijah,) m. Lucy B. Livermore, 1839, and had Francis H., Sept. 9, 1839, d. 1840 ; Emily F., May 11, 1841 ; Ann Louisa, May 18, 1844; Mary Ellen, Feb. 10, 1851.
VIII. WOODWARD, ELIJAH W., m. Almira Flanders, 1839.
VIII. WOODWARD, WILLIAM, m. Maria Dickerson, 1834.
WOODWARD, BENONI, from Needham, m. Elizabeth Mirick, Nov. 1716, and had Eunice, Aug. 13, 1717; Ephraim, Sept. 1, 1719 ; Josiah, Sept. 18, 1721. In Needham, Elisha, Sept. 3, 1726 ; Moses, Oct. 5, 1728 ; Elizabeth, 1730; Esther, 1732 ; Beulah, 1734 ; Sarah, 1736; Abigail, 1737 ; Hannah, 1739. He d. in Needham, 1745. Will in Suffolk, s. Josiah, executor.
WOODWARD, NATHANIEL, had by w. Dorcas -, Dorcas, Feb. 11, 1719 ; Moses, June 7, 1721.
WOODWARD, DANIEL, m. Margaret Hammond, 1751.
APPENDIX.
CAPT. THOMAS PRENTICE.
[See Page 389.]
CAPT. THOMAS PRENTICE was born in England, in 1620 or 1621. The earliest record of his being in this country, is the birth of his son Thomas and daughter Eliza- beth, (twins,) 22. 11. 1649. This doubtless means Jan. 22, 1650. The Rev. Jonathan Mitchell's list of Camb. Church members, states that "Thomas Prentice and Grace his wife, and daughter Grace, baptised in England, and about four years old at her parents' joining." This daughter Grace married Capt. Thomas Oliver, in 1667, and died in 1681, æ. 33, therefore born in 1648. At her birth and baptism they were in England. At the birth of Thomas and Grace, they were in this country. They probably came in 1648 or 1649. Mitchell's list also states that their chil- dren, Thomas, Elizabeth, Mary and John, were baptised at the Camb. Church. They joined in 1652, and he took the Freeman's oath same year. He settled at the easterly part of Camb. Village. His house was near the spot where the house of Harbach now stands. In 1653, he hired Gov. Haynes' farm, in the s. w. part of Newton ; and according to the deeds, he occupied part of it in 1694. In 1656, he
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was chosen Lieut. of the company of Troopers, in the lower Middlesex division, and in 1662, Capt. He was chosen one of the Deputies (Representative) from Camb. to the Gen- eral Court, in 1672, '73 and '74; and Chairman of the first board of Selectmen of New Camb., in 1679, and for many years after. He administered on the estate of Robert Prentice, of Rox., who died in 1665; and from his inven- tory it appears that some of Robert's property was in Capt. Prentice's possession, which facts lead us to believe that they were related to each other.
Capt. Prentice purchased three hundred acres of land in the Pequod country, bounded w. by L. I. Sound, and N. E. by the College land. Two hundred and thirty acres of this tract is probably the same that was appraised in his son Thomas' inventory, (1685,) at £109, and on which Thomas, Jr.'s son, Samuel Prentice, settled, in Stonington, Conn., about 1710. In 1663, he purchased eighty-five acres of land in the easterly part of Camb. Village, adjoining the land of John Ward. This was his homestead for upwards of fifty years. He was a proprietor in the Camb. lands, and also in the Billerica lands, where he had a division of one hundred and fifty acres, in 1652.
In the will of Roger Harlakenden, dated 1638, there are some small bequests to his domestics, among whom was Thomas Prentice. If this was our Capt. Thomas, which is probable, he doubtless came to this country with Harlaken- den, and returned after his death, in 1638.
There is a tradition that Capt. Prentice, James Prentice, and Thomas Prentice, 2d, of Camb. Village, were in Crom- well's army, and belonged to his body guard. If Capt. Prentice was in Cromwell's army, it must have been pre- vious to 1648-9. Cromwell turned Parliament out of doors in April, 1653, and died in Sept. 1658. It can be shown from records here, that Capt. Prentice was in this country
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during all those five and a half years, and onward to the end of his life ; and if he were in Harlakenden's family, he probably came over with him in 1635, then fifteen years old. In the same ship came Capt. George Cook, whom we know went back and joined Cromwell's army. Harlaken- den was himself a Lieut. Col. In such company it would be very natural to conclude that Prentice imbibed some of the military spirit he so brilliantly developed during Philip's war, which broke out in June, 1675. Six companies of troops were raised in Massachusetts to prosecute that war. On the 26th of June, a company of Foot, under Capt. Henchman, of Boston, and a company of Horse, under Capt. Prentice, of Camb. Village, marched towards Mount Hope. On the 28th they arrived at the Rev. Mr. Miles' house, in Swanzey, and within a quarter of a mile of the bridge leading into Philip's lands. Twelve of the troopers immediately rode over the bridge for discovery, within the enemy's territories. They were fired upon by a party of Indians, who were concealed in the bushes, killing William Hammond,* and wounding Corporal Belcher. The troop- ers returned the fire and the Indians fled. The next day, (29th,) they reconnoitred Mount Hope, and found that Philip and his Indians had retreated to the east side of Taunton river. The night following, Capt. Prentice's troop retired to Rehoboth, about six miles distant, to lodge for the night; as they returned to Swanzey the next morning, Capt. Prentice divided his company, giving half his men to his Lieut. Oakes, and keeping the other half himself, each taking different routes, the more effectually to scour the country and capture the enemy. Capt. Prentice discovered a party of Indians burning a house, to which he gave chase, and they fled into a swamp. Lieut. Oakes' party had a like
* He was not of Camb. Village.
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discovery. They fell in with some Indians upon a plain, gave chase to them, and killed four or five, one of which was known to be Thebe, a sachem of Mount Hope, and another was one of Philip's chiefs. In this affair, Lieut. Oakes lost one man, John Druce, who was mortally wounded, to the great grief of his companions ; he was brought home to his house; near the bounds of Camb. Village, and died the next day. Previous to his death he made a will, by word of mouth, in the presence of Joseph Dudley, Esq., and re- quested that Capt. Prentice should see that his will was executed. John Druce was the son of Vincent Druce, one of the early settlers of Camb. Village.
On the 16th of Dec., Capt. Prentice received advice that the Indians had burnt Jeremiah Ball's house, at Narragan- sett, and killed eighteen persons, men, women and children, who were sheltered within. He immediately marched in pursuit, overtook and killed ten Indians, captured fifty-five, and burnt one hundred and fifty wigwams, with the loss of four men killed and four wounded. On the 21st of Jan., 1676, Capt. Prentice's company of Troop, being in advance of the Infantry, met with a party of Indians, captured two and killed nine. On the 18th of April, 1676, the Indians made a vigorous attack on Sudbury. Capt. Wadsworth's and Capt. Brocklebank's companies fought bravely in de- fence of the place, but were overpowered; a remnant of their men took refuge in a mill. The alarm was given and reached Capt. Prentice, who started immediately for Sud- bury, with as many troopers as could readily be notified. The men in the mill fought the Indians until night, and were rescued by Capt. Prentice, who rode into the town at great speed, having but few troopers that could hold way with him. He was soon reinforced by Capt. Crowell, from Quabog, with thirty Dragoons. *
* These facts were extracted from the History of Indian Wars.
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Capt. Prentice's presence and bravery contributed largely to check the progress of Philip's troops, and he rendered invaluable services throughout the war. He was constantly on the alert, and by his bold and rapid marches, put the enemy to flight wherever he went. His name had become a terror to the hostile Indians. After Philip was slain, terms of peace were offered, in July, 1776, and a pardon to all Indians who would come in and surrender themselves. A Nipnut sachem, called John, with a number of his men, came in, and they were given in charge of Capt. Prentice, who kept them at his house for some time.
Capt. Prentice had been an officer of the company of Troop about twenty years when Philip's war broke out, at which time he was 55 years old. That he was hardy, ath- letic, and robust, and of unbounded courage, we may safely conclude. It is said that a servant of his was attacked by a bear, in haying time, and kept the animal at bay with a pitchfork, until the old Capt. hastened to his assistance with an axe, and killed the bear outright. *
During Philip's war, the Indian converts discovered un- shaken fidelity to the English; neither the persuasions, promises, nor threats of their hostile countrymen could draw them from their allegiance to the English. They suffered much by their peculiar position, both from their own coun- trymen and from the prejudice entertained against them by many of the English. In consequence of the prevalent excitement and their dangerous position, the General Court passed an order, at the breaking out of the war, for the immediate removal of the Natick Indians to Deer Island, in Boston harbor; and Capt. Prentice was appointed by the Court to superintend their removal, with a party of Horse. He took a few men and five or six carts, to carry
* Homer.
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away such commodities as would be indispensable for their comfort. When he arrived at Natick, to enter upon that service, he made known to them the order of the General Court, and they sadly but quietly submitted, and were soon ready to follow him. Their number was about two hun- dred, including men, women and children. They were ordered to the Pines, a place on the southerly bank of Charles river, about one mile above the great Cambridge bridge, where boats were in readiness to take them to the Island. After the war, they were removed from the Island, and landed near the same place where they had embarked, and where a temporary residence was afforded them, on the lands of Thomas Oliver, Esq., where they found convenient employment by fishing. The Winter of 1776-7 being past, they returned to their old settlements at Natick, and other places.
The General Court had early appointed a ruler or magis- trate to manage, advise and watch over them, and to whom they could appeal to settle their controversies. Maj. Daniel Gooken had acted in that capacity for many years. After his death, the Indians residing at Natick, Punkuppaog, Wamessik, Hassanameskok and Keecummoochoog, sent a petition to the General Court, in 1691, requesting that Capt. Thomas Prentice might be appointed their Ruler. This petition was signed by Daniel Takawomplait, Jacob, Deacon, Nathaniel and Thomas Waban, in behalf of the Indians of those places.
Capt. Prentice was a terrible enemy to the hostile In- dians, but was ever a friend and counsellor to the Indian converts.
Capt. Prentice settled his own estate, by deeds of gift, to his grand children, his own children having died before him. He conveyed his homestead in the easterly part of Newton, to his grandson, Capt. Thomas Prentice. Mr.
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Edward Jackson's will, made in 1681, contains this item : " I bequeath to my honored friend, Capt. Thomas Prentice, one diamond ring."
Capt. Prentice was a most substantial, efficient, and val- uable man for the settlement of Camb. Village, and for the country. He continued to ride on horseback to the end of his long life, and his death was occasioned by a fall from his horse. He died on the 6th day of July, 1710, so says the Town Record; but his gravestone has it July 7, 1709, æ. 89. The Hyde MS. states that he was buried under arms, by his old company of Troopers, on the 8th of July, 1710.
COL. EPHRAIM WILLIAMS.
[See Page 441.]
[Extracts from the life and character of Col. Ephraim Williams, the founder of Williams' College, taken from the 8th vol., Ist series, of the Collections of the Mass. Historical Society. Published in Jan. 1802.]
COL. EPHRAIM WILLIAMS was born at Newton, near Boston, Feb. 24, 1715, and was the oldest son of Col. Eph- raim and Elizabeth (Jackson) Williams, who afterwards was one of the first settlers of Stockbridge, and a Justice of the Court of Common Pleas, in the County of Hamp- shire ; grandson of Capt. Isaac and Judith (Cooper) Wil- liams, of Newton, great grandson of Robert and Elizabeth (Stratton) Williams, early settlers of Roxbury. Col. Eph- raim, the son, for several years in early life, followed the seas, but, by the persuasion of his father, he relinquished that business. In his several voyages to Europe he visited England, Spain and Holland, acquired graceful manners, and a considerable stock of useful knowledge. He possessed
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uncommon military talents ; and in the war between Eng- land and France, from the year 1740 to 1748, he found opportunity to exert them. He was appointed Capt. of a company in the army, raised in New-England, in what was called the Canada service. Afterwards he commanded the line of Massachusetts Forts, on the west side of the Con- necticut river. During this command, his principal place of residence was Hoosac Fort. This stood on the bank of the Hoosack river, in Adams, about three and a half miles east of Williamstown. He had also under his command a small fort in Williamstown, which stood on an eminence, a few rods north west of the Meeting-house. Under the pro- tection of these forts, the first settlers in this part of the country began their improvements. Col. Williams was much conversant with them, and witnessed with humane and painful sensations the danger, difficulties and hardships which they were obliged to encounter. To encourage them, he intimated his intention of doing something liberal and handsome for them.
After the peace concluded at Aix-la-chapelle, in 1748, he resided chiefly at Hatfield, in the County of Hampshire. When war again broke out between England and France, in 1755, he had the command of a regiment in the army, raised in this then Province, for the general defence. While at Albany, and on his way to join the army, he, on the 22d of July, 1755, made his last will. Early in Sept. following, he fell, - being shot with a musket ball through the head, in the memorable battle fought with the French and In- dians, near Lake George. He was then a little more than forty years of age, and had always lived a single life. In his person, he was large and fleshy. He had a taste for books, and often lamented his want of a liberal education. His address was easy, and his manners pleasing and concil- iating. Affable and facetious, he could make himself agree-
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able in all companies ; and was very generally esteemed, respected and beloved. His kind and obliging deportment, his generosity and condescension, greatly endeared him to his soldiers. By them he was uncommonly beloved while he lived, and lamented when dead. When Capt. at Fort Massachusetts, he frequently entered into the pastimes of his soldiers, upon an equal footing with them, and permitted every decent freedom; and again, when the diversions were over, with ease and dignity he resumed the Captain. His politeness and address procured him a greater influ- ence at the Gen. Court, than any other person at that day possessed. He was attentive and polite to all descriptions and classes of men, and sought the company and conversa- tion of men of letters.
His property, at the time of his death, was not very con- siderable. It consisted principally in notes, bonds and obli- gations ; and in new lands in the two western counties of the Commonwealth. Yet, as far as his circumstances ena- bled him, he generously made provision in his will, to an- swer the expectations which he had raised in the minds of the first settlers of Williamstown. After several small bequests to his relatives and friends, he willed " that the remainder of his lands should be sold, at the discretion of his executors, within five years after an established peace ; and that the interest of the moneys arising from the sale, and also the interest of his notes and bonds, should be ap- plied to the support of a Free School, in a township west of Fort Massachusetts, provided the said township fall within Massachusetts, upon running the line between Mass- achusetts and New York, and provided the said township when incorporated, be called Williamstown." Both of these conditions took place.
John Worthington, Esq., of Springfield, and Israel Wil- liams, Esq., of Hatfield, the executors of the will, sold the
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lands, agreeable to the direction of the testator. The mon- eys arising from the sale were loaned to responsible men, and mortgages taken to secure the payment of principal and interest. The yearly interest was again loaned, and thus, by the provident and faithful management of the exec- utors, the fund was annually increased. In the year 1785, they applied to the General Court, for an Act to enable them to carry into effect the benevolent intention of the testator. An Act was accordingly passed, incorporating " William Williams, Theodore Sedgwick, Woodbridge Lit- tle, John Bacon, Thompson J. Skinner, Israel Jones, David Noble, Esq., Rev. Seth Swift and the Rev. Daniel Collins, trustees of the donation of Ephraim Williams, Esq., for maintaining a Free School in Williamstown."
In the year 1788, the Trustees voted to erect a building for the accommodation of the Free School. A lottery was granted them by the General Court, to raise the sum of four thousand dollars ; and the inhabitants of Williamstown raised by subscription two thousand dollars more, towards the expense of the building. In 1790, a brick building, eighty-two feet long, forty-two feet wide, and four stories ' high, was erected, containing twenty-eight rooms for the accommodation of the students, and a chapel, which occu- pies the space of four rooms. The expense of the building when finished, was estimated at about eleven thousand seven hundred dollars. The funds then remaining at inter- est amounted to about the same sum. In Oct., 1791, this Free School was opened, under the direction of a preceptor, and an English schoolmaster. An usher was soon after- wards appointed. This school consisted of two departments, a grammar school or academy, and an English free school. The latter was almost wholly composed of boys from the higher classes in the common schools in Williamstown. They were taught reading, writing and arithmetic. In the
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former, all the arts and sciences, which compose the usual course of education in the N. E. Colleges, were taught. This department rapidly increased in numbers. Youth resorted to it, not only from the country and vicinity, but from New York, Canada, and other distant parts of the country. Its usefulness, in several respects, and especially in one, was soon experienced. Many young men came to this academy to qualify themselves to become useful and reputable instructors of common schools. Not a few of them had before taught school, though very imperfectly qualified for the business. The happy consequence was, that many of the common schools in this part of the country were soon furnished with much more competent instructors than had before been employed.
In this situation, as to officers and instruction, and in a state of increasing reputation and usefulness, the free school and academy continued until Sept. 1793. In June of that year, the General Court incorporated the institution into a College; and, in honor to Col. Williams, whose liberal dona- tion laid the foundation of the funds, they called it Williams' College. All the gentlemen who were Trustees of the Free School, were made Trustees of the College; and to them were added the Rev. Stephen West, D. D., (elected Vice President at the first session of the Board,) Henry Van Schaack and Elijah Williams, Esqs., and the President of
the College for the time being. The charter, or act of incorporation, allowed the Board of Trustees to consist of seventeen members, including the President, - empowered them to fill all vacancies which might take place, by death or resignation, - to confer the usual academic degrees and doctorates, after the 1st of January, 1800, and to hold property to the clear annual amount of six thousand pounds. The General Court accompanied this charter with a liberal
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COL. EPHRAIM WILLIAMS.
grant of four thousand dollars, payable out of the treasury of the Commonwealth, at four annual instalments.
To the gentlemen of the Board of Trustees, whose names are inserted in the charter, three have since been added by election. These are the Hon. Stephen Van Rensselaer, of Albany, (late Lieut. Governor of the State of N. Y.,) Rev. Job Swift, of Bennington, Vt., and the Rev. Ammi R. Rob- bins, of Norfolk, Conn.
In October, 1793, the College was duly organized, and three small classes were admitted. The English free school was discontinued; but the Grammar school or acad- emy was continued, in connection with the College.
The General Court, at their session in January, 1796, granted to the President and Trustees of Williams' College, the right of locating two townships in the District of Maine. One of these was sold in May following for about ten thou- sand dollars.
The situation of the College, in a decent thriving country town, is found by experience to be highly favorable to the improvement and morals of the youth. Comparatively few temptations to dissipation and vice are presented to them ; and the happy consequence has been that close application to study, due observance of the laws, good manners, and good morals, have, with very few exceptions, characterized the youth who have resorted to the College for education.
The following notice of Col. Williams, is extracted from an oration delivered before the Union Society of Williams' College, at the Commencement, in 1837, by the Hon. Ed- ward Everett : -
" My friends," we might conceive he would say to a group of settlers, collected about old Fort Massachusetts, on some fit occasion, not long before his marching to his place of rendezvous, "your hardships, I am aware, are
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great. I have witnessed, - I have shared them. The hardships incident to opening. a new country are always severe. They are heightened in our case by the constant danger in which we live, from the savage enemy. At pres- ent, we are more encamped than settled ; we live in block houses - we lie upon our arms by night - and like the Jews who returned to build Jerusalem, we go to work by day with the implements of husbandry in one hand and the weapons of war in the other. We have been bred up in the populous settlements on the coast, where the school house and the church are found in the centre of every vil- lage. Here, as yet, we can have neither. I know these things weigh upon you. You look upon the dark and im- penetrable forests, in which you have made an opening, and contrast them with the pleasant villages where you were born and passed your early years ; where your parents are yet living, or where they have gone to their rest ; and you cannot suppress a painful emotion. You are more espe- cially, I perceive, disheartened at the present moment of impending war. But, my friends, let not your spirits sink. The prospect is overcast, but bright days will come. In vision, I can plainly foresee them. The forest disappears, the corn-field, the pasture, takes its place ; the hill sides are spotted with flocks ; the music of the water-wheel sounds in accordance with the dashing stream. Yon little group of log cabins swell into prosperous villages. Schools and churches spring up in the waste; institutions for learning arise, and, in what is now a wild solitude, libraries and cab- inets unfold their treasures, and observatories point their tubes to the heavens. I tell you that not all the united powers of the French and Indians on the St. Lawrence, - no, not if backed by all the powers of darkness which seem at times in league with them to infest this howling wilder- ness, will long prevent the valleys of the Hoosic and Hoosa-
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tonic from becoming the abodes of industry, abundance and refinement. A century will not pass before the voice of domestic wisdom and fireside inspiration, from the vales of Berkshire, will be heard throughout America and Europe.
"It is my purpose, before I am taken from you, to make a disposition of my property for the benefit of this infant community. My heart's desire is, that in the picture of its future prosperity, which I behold in mental view, the last and best of earthly blessings shall not be wanting. I shall deem my life not spent in vain, though it be cut off to-morrow, if at its close, I shall be accepted as the humble instrument of promoting the great cause of education.
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