History of the town of Oxford, Massachusetts with genealogies and notes on persons and estates, Part 98

Author: Daniels, George Fisher, 1820-1897
Publication date: 1892
Publisher: Oxford : Pub. by the author with the cooperation of the town
Number of Pages: 916

USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Oxford > History of the town of Oxford, Massachusetts with genealogies and notes on persons and estates > Part 98

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Samuel Dowse, store, 1820 to 1832.

Benjamin F. Campbell, store, 1833.

Daniel T. Penniman, store, 1834 to 1836.

Peter Butler, store, 1821 to 1830.

Richard Olney, store, 1821, '22.

William Dudley, North Oxford, store, 1823 to 1825.

Jonathan A. Pope, store, 1823 to 1825.

Andrew Sigourney, Jr., 1825 to 1828.

Charles Preston, North Oxford, store, 1825.

Ashbel M. Hawes, store, 1826 to 1841.

Danforth Brown, store, 1829, '31.

John W. Bates, 1829.

Edmund F. Dixey, store, 1830, '31.

William H. Bigelow, 1830, '31.

Jasper Brown, 1833 to 1841.

Emory Sanford, North Oxford, store, 1834, '36, '37.

James M. Sanford, North Oxford, store, 1838 to 1841.

Stephen Prince, Jr., store, 1836 to 1838.

Wolstan Dixey, store, 1838.

William Robinson, store, 1839 to 1841.

Erastus Ormsbee, store, 1841.

Miscellaneous Land Conveyances. 1729, May 20. William Dudley for Paul Dudley, Samuel Sewall, Jr., and wife Rebecca, Hon. William Dummer of Boston, wife Catharine, Mary Wainwright, widow, Josiah Willard of Boston, guardian of children and heirs of Daniel Allen, deceased, and Ebenezer Pierpont of Roxbury and wife Anne, which said Paul Dudley, Rebecca Sewall, Catharine Dummer, Mary Wainwright, Daniel Allen and Anne Pierpont were legatees or devisees of the will of Hon. Joseph Dudley, to Richard Kidder of Oxford 150 acres. [This land, then in Oxford, was in the Upham neighbor- hood, now northeast part of Dudley.]

1729. John Eddy to Samuel Eddy, a 60-acre lot in the northeast part of Oxford, now Auburn.

1730, Oct. 7. Jeremiah Morse of Walpole and Uriah Morse of Medfield to Ebenezer Eddy of Watertown, land on Prospect Hill, Oxford.

1732, Jan. 1. Abial Lamb to Abial Lamb, Jr., half of all his real estate in Oxford.

1745. Richard Williams to William Campbell, blacksmith, 23 acres, bounded partly on " Brown's land," being " a part of the farm whereon I now dwell."

1747. By authority of the State, John Willson, Jeremiah Shumway, Samuel Eddy, Jonathan Pratt and Duncan Campbell, committee, to John Nichols 80 acres, joining a lot sold 12 June, 1740, to Larned from Danforth land, for taxes for building the new Meeting-house.

1761, Oct. John Nichols to his son John, 100 acres, apparently the same, " bounded on all sides by Danforth's estate."

1756, March 20. Ebenezer Learned to Edward Davis one-half a lot of 340 acres in the east part of Charlton, and one-half another lot of 800 acres in Charlton, bounding 410 rods on Oxford line. [This deed shows that Learned and Davis owned other lands in partnership and were transacting business as partners in selling lands. Quite a number of conveyances as such appear.]

1763, Jan. 31. Heirs of Joseph Dudley to Edward Davis of Oxford, one square mile, " adjoining the Meeting-house in the town of Dudley," being that which William Dudley leased to the Indian natives April 9, 1724, except- ing for said Indians 200 acres on the east side thereof . . . so long as they

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NOTES. ETC.

shall continue to improve the same, agreeable to a resolve of the General Court, Jan., 1763, etc. [Worcester Records, XLIX., 314.] Edward Davis' son Edward settled on this estate.

1767, March 1. Samuel Fairbanks to Nathaniel Davis of Oxford, 274 acres and buildings, in the southeast part of Dudley, bounding a half mile on the French river. Davis removed thither.

1767, Sept. 10. Isaac Larned to Joseph Davis, 100 acres [southwest, near north village, Webster], bounded N. on John Larned, Jr., S. and E. on grantor. Davis is.supposed to have lived here before purchasing H. 34.

1768, April 16. Moses Gleason to Rev. William Phips of Douglas, 60 acres with buildings in Oxford, now Auburn. Phips removed thither.

1769, March 6. Benjamin Davis of "Oliver's Farm," near Oxford, to Ruth, wife of Joseph Davis, land in Douglas. The only instance noted where Thompson's grant is called by this name.

1785, June 15. The State's Committee to Ebenezer Davis of Charlton, 740 acres in Charlton and Oxford, part of the confiscated estate of William Brown of Salem.

Richard Rogers' Real Estate. May 14, 1743, Jedediah Barton deeded for £155, 32 acres and buildings in the north part of Oxford to Richard Rogers, Scrivener. This estate, which has not been identified, was bounded partly on a 4-rod road, partly on land of widow Eddy and also on land of Ebenezer Learned. Rogers sold it 28 Dec., 1743, to Jacob Cummings who in Sept., 1744, deeded to Cornelius Waldo of Worcester, " being the place whereon I now dwell." In 1746 Waldo sold to Ebenezer Learned.

Old Time Housekeeping. The following annual provision for a widow by her husband in his will shows what were considered the necessities of life a hundred and fifty years ago : 9 bushels corn, 3 bushels rye, 12 bushels barley malt, 3 barrels cider, 5 pounds beef, 100 pounds pork, fire-wood, 8 pounds sheep's wool, 12 pounds flax, the use of a horse and saddle, house- furniture, attendance in sickness and health.

Early Carriages. The first wheel vehicles to be used solely as conveyances were the square canvas-top chaises, with bodies swung on leather "thor- oughbraces," heavy affairs with large wood axles, and tires in separate pieces fastened upon the wheels, and usually with a large window in the back of the top. Of these the following were owners in 1800 or soon after : Josiah Wolcott, James Butler, John Larned, 3d, Amasa Kingsbury, Gen. Ebenezer Learned and Jonathan Davis.

A few years later appeared a novel carriage, the ponderous, square canvas- top two-horse family conveyance of Capt. John Nichols, for a long time the only two-horse vehicle in town. About 1810 one-horse open wagons 'came into use and soon every prosperous farmer in town was owner of one, and thereafter horseback travel fell into disuse. Chaises were fashionable until about 1840, after which they were gradually displaced by the four-wheel phaeton now used.

An Old Man's Reminiscences. A native of the town, absent more than fifty years, living on the western plains, recently wrote: "I should like to see those old hills again, especially old ' Camp Hill,' for close by there I attended school five or six months, and was sent home because I had no wood to warm by." This is an allusion to a custom of the olden times when the father of every family was required to furnish wood for the school fire in proportion to the number of his children attending.

776

HISTORY OF OXFORD.

The Printing of Town Reports began 1841, when the selectmen's report was printed on a single sheet. This continued until 1855. In 1856 and later, "Auditor's Reports " were printed in pamphlet form; in 1863 the school com- mittee's report was added, and in 1865 the present plan of incorporating all officers' reports together was adopted.

Homestead 214. In 1771 Abijah Harris, then owner of this estate of 12 acres and buildings, bargained with James Brown, the tailor, for the sale of it, and executed a bond to give him a warranty deed within four years, Brown to pay £52. On the back of this bond is a receipt dated 6 Feb., 1771, for four notes from the purchaser for the said sum, which would indicate that Brown took possession of and occupied the premises. But he evidently did not be- come bona fide owner. In 1783 Harris sold to Jonas Coller, who in turn on 12 April, 1786, bargained for £60 the premises to Adams Streeter, the minister of the newly formed Universalist Society, and also gave a bond for a deed. Mr. Streeter died the following September and this sale was therefore not consummated. A receipt of Daniel Fisk in behalf of Samuel Davis, adminis- trator of Streeter's estate, for £3. 4s. indicates that Streeter had made partial payment, and that he was in possession at the time of his decease.

Right of Way over the Town Farm. There was a long controversy between the N. & W. R. R. Co. and the town as to the amount of damages to be paid for the railroad crossing the town farm. In April, 1836, it was voted in town meeting that a way 175 rods long and 3 rods wide be granted for $350, the company to build passes across the same for the convenience of the farm. Later a vote of the town conceded the privilege in consideration of the rail- road company building the new piece of road across the meadow at the north end of the Plain. But neither of these propositions was the basis of a settle- ment. On 7 Dec., 1837, a board of referees, Morris Larned of Dudley and Samuel Taylor of Sutton, met at the centre tavern, heard the case and awarded the town $400 damages; but the railroad was built and had been operated two or three years before the matter was adjusted. In town meet- ing Nov., 1842, a committee of three strong men was chosen to settle with the railroad company, with instructions if they could not do it as they judged expedient, to "prosecute the claim." The report of this committee was made and accepted April, 1843. but is not recorded. As nothing appears later on the subject, it is inferred that a settlement was then effected.

Gleanings from the Town Records. 13 March, 1714. John Bolles of Simsbury, Conn., sold to Ebenezer Chamberlain two horses. [Marks de- scribed. ]

On 30 Nov., 1716, David Tillotson of Lyme sold to Ebenezer Chamberlain a horse. [Marks described. ] The fact that one of this name had thus early transactions with Oxford people strengthens the opinion that Jonathan Tillotson the settler was from Lyme.

The house built for Mr. Rogers seems to have been after his decease a kind of foot-ball. In March, 1764, it was voted to sell it. In May an attempt was made to appropriate it for a school-house, which failed. In May, 1765, it was voted to sell "the house Mr. Bixbee lives in at Vendue," and it was struck off to Capt. Griffin at £53. O. T. In May, 1766, it was voted to take it again for a work-house. but the vote was not carried into effect. In 1774 it was again voted to sell it. In 1789 a committee reported the house lately occupied by widow Fuller sold for five dollars to Obadiah Allen. [See page 96.]

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NOTES, ETC.

Oct., 1761, voted to sink the rates of the son of Uriah Gleason, he having died in the public service.

April 30, 1783, is recorded a deposition of Mary Gardner, widow of Nathan- iel, giving the name of her brother, Joseph Green, Esq., of Boston, and declaring that he left that place in 1775, at which time she, the deponent, lived with Charles Dabney in Providence, R. I.

She being then of Oxford, undoubtedly came hither with Mr. Dabney from Providence.

In a warning for March, 1785, was an article "To see if the town will allow Capt. William Campbell his proportion of the 'Sword in Hand' money which said Campbell paid before he left Oxford." Dismissed. The purport of this vote is not clear. This " money " was an issue of Massachusetts currency named from its bills having on them the figure of a man with a drawn sword in his hand.

March, 1792, voted " to petition to have the South Gore laid to some other town, or disconnected with Oxford." Also to have the North Gore annexed to Oxford.

May, 1798, is recorded the mark by which Rev. Elias Dudley recognized his sheep, a very suggestive entry. Ministers of those and previous days " lived of the Gospel " only in part, but were in an important degree dependent in common with the rest of the community upon the produce of the soil, and mnuch care and often drudgery were thus entailed upon them.

From town action May, 1802, we learn that the saddler's shop built on the common that year by Archibald Campbell occupied the site of the blacksmith shop of Mr. Trow, then removed. [See page 227.]

Of the surplus revenue the town of Oxford received from the State treasury as follows :-

16 June, 1837, paid to Stearns DeWitt, $2,287.66

22 July, 1837, paid to Samuel Dowse, 1,301.92

[See page 45.] Total, $3,589.58

The highway from near Charles H. Wellington's to the North Oxford rail- road station, it was thought, was not in the first instance legally laid out. In 1890 the selectmen re-located it and April, 1891, it was duly accepted by the town. [See page 119.]

Return of the Fifteenth Mass. Regiment. PAGE 169. The Worcester Palla- dium of 27 July, 1864, says of this regiment, "only 85 officers and men returned." The Ægis and Transcript of 30 July reported "about seven officers and eighty men remain of this gallant and glorious old regiment," adding, "eleven of the prisoners of 22 June were of the number." Capt. Gale of Northboro' was in command, and there were present two surgeons, Captains Albert Prince of Oxford and George W. Brown of Leominster, and Lieut. Nelson V. Stanton of Northbridge, acting adjutant, and Lieut. William Bixby of Hopkinton, Quartermaster.

Company E Soldiers. Owen Tonar of Co. E died 26 Feb., 1864, of small- pox at a hospital in Washington, D. C., whither he was removed after being wounded at Gettysburg. [Page 177.]

John Eckersley died 13 June, 1890, at Lonsdale, R. I. [Page 172.]

778

HISTORY OF OXFORD.

Roman Catholic Parsonage. PAGE 95. This house was built by William H. Thurston, having been begun in 1872 and finished Sept., 1873. It passed from him to Sylvanus Robinson, the executors of whose estate deeded 2 July, 1885, to John E. Kimball, who on 20 Aug., 1886, conveyed to Rt. Rev. P. T. O'Reilly of Springfield, diocesan Bishop.

Who was the first Flannel Maker ? PAGE 201. At the date of the estab- lishment of flannel manufacture at North Andover, from time immemorial home-made flannel had been spun and woven in most of the farm houses of Massachusetts. A quest might as well be instituted for the first baker of a loaf of brown bread.

Old time Currency. In the earlier days of New England the amount of currency (which was furnished chiefly by the mother country) was very limited. Indian wampum was largely in use, and up to 1661 was a legal ten- der, and in minor transactions was current many years into the 18th century. As early as 1652 Massachusetts began coining pine-tree shillings and sixpences. Another expedient was the issuing of Bills of Credit as noted, page 44. Banking and the issue of Bank Notes began in country towns early in the present century, but at first there was much distrust of these institutions as a foreign innovation, tending, as often declared, to " bring the people under Lordships."

Defences against the Indians. PAGE 13. At the date of the action of the Council in reference to the Indians at Keekamoochaug, 1 Aug., 1693, the fol- lowing was passed :---

"Upon application made by the Town of New Oxford they are allowed to enclose two of the most convenient houses in said Town with Stockado's for the security and defence of the Inhabitants against the Indian Enemy, two English men to take up their residence among them, one at each Garrison, to have the Inspection of them.

"Ex. Rec. of Council II., 249.

WILLIAM PHIPS."

Isaac Bertrand Du Tuffeau. PAGE 22. The following concerning this important member of the Huguenot colony has been gathered from Dr. Charles W. Baird's " Huguenot Emigration to America." He was a refugee in London in 1686 from Poitou, became warmly interested in the plan of the settlement at Oxford and induced Bernon to furnish means by which he was able to join in the project. He came a short time after the settlement began, bringing letters from Bernon and Mr. Thompson to Dudley, who soon made him a grant of 750 acres of land, as previously set forth. He was at this time about 40 years of age, and after his arrival was married to " demoiselle de la Rochefoucauld," but had no issue. With him came as servants or employés two Englishmen (one being John Johnson) and Jacques Thebaud and daughter Catherine. The glowing accounts he forwarded to Bernon con- cerning the country induced the latter also to emigrate, and with "above 40 persons " whose passage he paid he landed in the summer of 1688.

In 1689 the General Court, meeting 1 June, appointed Du Tuffeau " Com- missioner for the Town of New Oxford," with power to try petty cases and to act " as any other Assistant may doe as the laws of the Colony direct." 1

1 " Commissioners to end small causes" were appointed in every town where no assistant dwelt. Their duties are defined in Whitmore's Colonial Laws, 1674, pp. 20, 21. The Court of Assistants or County Court was the appoint- ing power except in Boston. Ibid, p. 21.

Du Tuffeau's appointment was exceptional. Letter of A. C. Goodell, Jr.

Johnson's residence so far from the main vil- lage is explained by the fact of his having been employé of Du Tuffeau, who, as supposed, resided at H. 64.

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NOTES, ETC.

In 1694, reverses having come, he left the settlement in discredit. "Being called to account for gross mismanagement of interests committed to him, he sold the stock and furniture of Bernon's plantation and abandoned the place." Soon thereafter he went to New Rochelle, N. Y., where he continued several years, and later, as asserted by Bernon, went to London, where he died. [Mass. His. Col. 3d Series, II. 69.]

The Papillon family. PAGE 283. Dr. Baird thought them descended from the Huguenot family of the name in Avranches, Normandy, which had suffered severely from persecution. Whitmore, in "Sewall's Diary," refers to Mr. Papillon of London, a distinguished person in his day, of great wealth. Peter, the emigrant, of Boston in 1679, supposed to have been his descendant, re- moved about 1681 to Bristol, where he died; date of inventory 26 Nov., 1697. His widow Joan 23 March, 1700, was granted by a special act of legislature leave to sell real estate for her support, she having " several small children." Judicial Courts had then no power to authorize the sale of lands of minors. [Prov. Laws, VI., 73.] Peter, Jr., known as Captain, was a Boston merchant and held a high social position. He died 1733 and was buried "under arms." His widow Katherine and son-in-law John Wolcott, Esq., of Salem, were appointed administrators 10 May, 1733. Among his effects were "a farm in the Huguenot settlement at Oxford," and a mansion-house on Bennet Street, Salem. His widow died a few months later.

Presentation of Ensign to the "Invincibles." PAGE 157. This ceremony took place 13 Sept., 1824, two days before the annual muster, which was at Sutton. The addresses, believed to have been prepared by Ira Barton, Esq., were printed in full in the Massachusetts Spy of 29 Dec., 1824.

Burning of Old Huguenot Mill. PAGE 194. On 1 Oct., 1891, between 2 and 4 o'clock A. M. the mill at the south end of the Plain and also the old saw-mill near, used as a store-house, were with all their contents entirely consumed.

" Chase Mill No. 2." PAGE 210. Manufacturing at this locality by Chase & Son, Webster, was suspended in the summer of 1891.

Changes in School affairs. PAGE 100. At April meeting, 1891, an important step was taken in reference to school interests, Oxford voting to unite with some adjoining town or towns in employing a superintendent of schools. Upon this vote the committees of Millbury, Oxford and Dudley came together and engaged to fill this position Mr. John S. Cooley of Enfield, Conn.1 At the close of the Spring term of 1891 George A. Willey and Albert G. McIntyre, respectively, resigned their positions as principals of the High and Grammar Schools, and Edgar L. Willard of Leominster, a graduate, 1891, of Brown University, was engaged as teacher in the High School, and Edith M. Keith, a graduate, 1891, of the Bridgewater State Normal School, of the Grammar School. These all began their term of service with the opening of the Fall term, 1891.

1 Mr. Cooley is a native of Springfield, educated in the city schools and Collegiate Institute, was a teacher in Enfield and Windsor Locks for 20 years, the last seven in the latter place as principal of High School, and also superinten- dent of schools of the town; member of the

faculty in Summer schools at Saratoga, N. Y., Asbury Park, N. J., Conn. State, Texas State, and Martha's Vineyard National; and also em- ployed for several years by the Conn. State Board of Education as lecturer on educational subjects throughout the State.

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HISTORY OF OXFORD.

The Will of Jeremiah Learned. Date, 27 June, 1888.

"Item 1. After the payment of my just debts and funeral charges and expenses of settling my estate I direct and request my Executor of this my last will to deposit and put on interest in the Worcester County Institution for Savings in said Worcester the sum of two thousand dollars, the interest and dividends thereon to be paid semi-annually to the Town of Oxford in said County for the purpose of maintaining and improving my burial lot and the burial lot of my sister Clarissa Alverson and her husband Rufus G. Alverson, situated in the north cemetery in said Oxford, also the burial lot of my parents and of Nathaniel Stockwell in the cemetery at Oxford Plains in said Oxford, and I do give said sum of two thousand dollars accordingly to the inhabitants of said town of Oxford in trust for said purposes."

He then disposes of a portion of his estate in legacies to relatives and friends. The residuary clause follows :-

" Item 13. All the rest, residue and remainder of my estate, real, personal or mixed I give, devise and bequeath as follows: one third part thereof to the inhabitants of the town of Oxford, in trust, to expend one half the income thereof in maintaining a free public library for the use of the inhabit- ants of said town, and to expend the other half of the income thereof in maintaining and improving said cemeteries at North Oxford and at Oxford Plains in said town of Oxford,-one third part of said rest, residue and remainder to the Old Men's Home in the City of Worcester,-one third part of said rest, residue and remainder to my nephew George Henry Kelley . . . but in case said Kelley shall die before he shall be entitled to the possession of any portion of his share of said residue, then such portion so remaining in the hands of said Executor or Trustee shall belong to and shall be paid over and delivered to the other two residuary legatees aforesaid in equal shares for the uses and purposes above stated."

On 25 March, 1889, Mr. Learned executed a codicil to his will, changing the manner of the disposition of the residuum of his estate, item 4 of which follows :-

"Whatever balance may remain in the hands of my said Executor after settling my estate paying the legacies provided for in said will and this codi- cil and making the appropriations for the trust funds as therein provided I give to said George Swan, in trust, to pay the net income thereof semi- annually to my said daughter Blanche Warren Learned during her life, and at her decease to pay over the principal to my residuary legatees in manner provided, and for the uses stated in the residuary clause, Item No. 13, in my said will."

Mr. Learned's estate was inventoried at $121,000. The town of Oxford will receive no immediate benefit from it, and no estimates as to the future are possible. It is believed however that at some future day $25,000 at least, and possibly a considerably larger amount, will come to the town treasury for the benefit of the Free Public Library and cemeteries.

Ancestry of Rev. John Campbell. PAGE 422. The doubts so long envelop- ing this subject appear to have been in late years to an extent removed in the minds of some of his descendants. Through the efforts of Mrs. M. DeW. Freeland communication was opened with a supposed collateral branch of the family in Scotland, and a letter received, which while not positive and con- clusive, offers a plausible solution of the mystery. Cecil Campbell Higgins, Esq., of New York (who has kindly furnished a copy for publication), after five or six years of investigation in England, asserts his belief that this account of Mr. Campbell's identity is correct. Much significance is attached to the fact of Lord Loudon's visit to Mr. Campbell at Oxford which has

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NOTES, ETC.

doubtless always been considered by the public a remarkable event, and from present view to be explained only on the hypothesis of a family relationship.1 The letter follows :-

" TREESBANK HOUSE, Kilmarnock, 16 January, 1876.

" MADAM :

"On receipt of yours of the 23rd August, 1875, my father, Col. Campbell, at once wrote to me and requested me to give you any information in my power. Absence from home, however, not being able to have access to my books and other reasons quite beyond my control have rendered it impossible for me to answer your enquiries sooner. I hope that this will account for my apparent want of courtesy.

" The Rev'd John Campbell, to whom you refer as mentioned in Boswell's 'Life of Johnson,' was brother to my great-grandfather James Campbell of Cessnock. The said John Campbell was ' Minister' of Riccartown and died there in 1761. The following is an extract from his brother's (elder) pocket- book (in my possession) recording it: 'Revd. Mr. John Campbell Minr of Riccartown my Broyr Died very suddenly of a' plethory upon yr morning early (as supposed being found dead in bed) of the third day of Aprile 1761 and buried upon the 6th yr after. Marked James Campbell.' It is a curious coincidence that he should have died the same year as your ancestor, but they could not possibly have been identical as the one never left the country and lies at Riccartown in the family vault. The interest attached by Dr. Johnson to his collection of books arose merely from the fact that it was a large and most valuable and in those days almost unequalled one. He left them all to his elder brother (my direct ancestor). Many were afterwards destroyed by fire, but those that escaped are still in my father's library here. I am writing these lines in the room in which Dr. Johnson slept when on his visit here.

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History of the town of Oxford, Massachusetts with genealogies and notes on persons and estates, Part 98

Author: Daniels, George Fisher, 1820-1897 Publication date: 1892 Publisher: Oxford : Pub. by the author with the cooperation of the town Number of Pages: 916

Author: Daniels, George Fisher, 1820-1897
Publication date: 1892
Publisher: Oxford : Pub. by the author with the cooperation of the town
Number of Pages: 916