USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Shirley > History of the town of Shirley, Massachusetts, from its early settlement to A.D. 1882 > Part 37
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(1.) John Allen, b. June, 1829.
(2.) Ellen Lucy, b. Sept., 1831.
2. JOHN HEALD, b. May 13, 1806, d. Nov. 25, 1821.
3. MARY, b. Feb., 1807, m. Jonas Longley, April, 1840, had two children :
(I. Hiram, b. Jan. 7, 1841.
(2.) Charles, b. April 26, 1845. -
HENDERSON.
Mr. Savage, in his Genealogical Dictionary, mentions but one of this name-William, of Dover, 1679. The name is not of frequent occurrence in the New England towns.
Denderson, Thomas, resided in Shirley, near the middle of the last century, and left the birth-dates of two children upon its records :
I. JOHN, b. Nov. 5, 1751.
II. BETTY, b. Oct. 6, 1753.
HENRY.
Denry, Robert, and Eleanor, his wife, lived on a farm in the extreme south-western section of the town and of the original terri- tory of Groton, at least ten miles from the center of that territory.
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GENEALOGY .- HENRY-HOLDEN.
The hill which formed a portion of their domain, presents the deepest and most difficult cut which the workmen had to make on the whole line of the Fitchburg railroad. The farm which the Henrys occupied has become amalgamated with other estates, and its buildings are abolished, but the hill still bears the name of Mount Henry.
As might well be supposed, the original proprietor would be inter- ested in the establishment of a new town, whereby his municipal facilities might be enlarged. His name, therefore, appears among the signers to secure this object. He had seven children, as shown by the records of Groton and Shirley ; but farther than the first generation their descent has not been discovered.
I. SARAH, b. at Groton, Feb. 10, 1744.
II. ANNA, b. at Groton, April 3, 1747, must have d. before 1758.
III. ROBERT, b. at Groton, April Io, 1749.
IV. ELEANOR, b. at Groton, May 19, 1751.
V. SILAS, b. at Shirley, Jan. 28, 1754, d. Feb. 23, 1754.
VI. SILAS, b. at Shirley, Feb. 3, 1755.
VII. ANNA, b. at Shirley, March 4, 1758.
HOLDEN.
It was facetiously said of the town of Dracut, that one might perambulate its entire territory and address the first man he met as Coburn and the next as Varnum, and so alternate during his whole route, without incurring much danger of mistake. Something like this might be said of Shirley, during some periods of its history, in relation to the Holden and Longley families-names that have had a large representation among its inhabitants.
Connected with the early settlers of the town there were seven families bearing the name of Holden. At the time of this writing (1878), there are twelve households of that name. And during the interregnum of a century and a quarter, there never has been less than the number first stated, but often more than the second.
For the facts connected with the origin of the Holden settlers in town, the compiler is indebted to letters received from John A. Boutelle, an accurate genealogist, who recently died at Woburn, and from Major Frederic A. Holden, connected with the "Department of the Interior," at Washington, D. C., and to the histories of Groton and Watertown. Though they differ at some small points, there is as great harmony in their independent accounts as could be expected under the circumstances. The Holden settlers in Shirley descended from one and the same family, the head of which was Richard Holden. He was of English birth, and embarked at Ipswich for America, in "the good ship" Frances, Captain John Cutting (or
456
HISTORY OF SHIRLEY.
Nutting), Master. He left England May 30, 1634. After he arrived at the land of his adoption, he is known as living first in the town of Ipswich, Essex county, Mass. This was the year of his immigration, and here he was admitted freeman, giving his age-twenty-five years -which makes the year of his birth 1609. In Ipswich he owned real estate.
The same year a younger brother immigrated to America, in the ship Elizabeth, and settled at Watertown. He was b. in 1611, was twice m., (first) to Elizabeth who d. 1672; m. (second) Mary Rutter of Sudbury, had seven children, and d. 1691.
In 1640 Richard Holden was m. to Martha Fosdick, and in 1644, when he was thirty years of age, he left Ipswich and removed to Watertown. Here he purchased an estate containing five acres, which bordered upon land owned by his brother Justinian, where he remained some eight or nine years, when he sold his property in Watertown to Rev. J. Sherman of that place, and in 1655 his name appears upon the tax-list of the town of Woburn.
The proprietorship of the territory which bore the general name of Groton, was established by the "Great and General Court of Massa- chusetts," in 1656-7. Not far from this time, Richard Holden, having become a member of this proprietorship, with two of his sons-Justinian and Samuel-who were also proprietors, removed to said territory, and made it his home for life.
When this domain of sixty-four square miles was apportioned to the grantees, according to their several subscriptions to the general stock, Richard Holden found himself in the possession of over nine hundred and seventy-five acres of land, much of which lay in the north and north-westerly parts of what is now Shirley. It appears from ancient deeds that his landed estate began on the west bank of the Nashua river, near to Beaver pond, and extended westward on what became the northern bound of Shirley and the southern bound of Groton, and included what is now the farm of the heirs of the late Porter Kittridge.
Of this land he deeded to his son Stephen-the second of the name in his family-one hundred and eight acres, all of which, and some more, passed, eventually, into the possession of Lieutenant Simon Holden, who removed to the territory and became the first resident occupant of what is now known as the Porter Kittridge place. He afterward became a large land-holder, and passed for a rich man.
As farms were taken up from time to time, by Holden settlers, along the line of the north section of what is now the town of Shirley, reaching to Lunenburg line on the west, and down as far south as where Luke Holden now lives, it is probable that much of the terri- tory including these farms and their surroundings, when in a wild state, belonged to Richard Holden.
The history of Watertown limits the number of Richard's children to nine, but Mr. Boutelle adds two to this number, and gives their names as follows : I."Stephen, b. 1642, killed at Groton, while felling a tree, 1658 ; 2. Justinian, b. 1644 ; 3. Martha, b. 1646 ; 4. Mary ; 5. Sarah ; 6. Samuel ; 7. John ; 8. John ; 9. Stephen ; 10. Thomas ;
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GENEALOGY .- HOLDEN.
II. Elizabeth. Richard Holden d. at Groton, March 1, 1696, at the house of his son Stephen, "aged, infirm, and a widower." His wife, Martha, d. at Watertown, Dec. 6, 1684.
Stephen Holden, the ninth child of Richard, had eleven children, and d. at Groton, 1715. Among the names of his children John, Stephen, and Nehemiah are found, and from their families came the Holden settlers within the territory of what was afterward Shirley. The first of these settlers was
Holden, Caleb,4 (John,3 Stephen,2 Richard,1) b. at Groton, Feb. 1, 1723, m. Abigail , and had four children :
1. ABIGAIL, b. at Groton, March 25, 1748.
II. SARAH, b. at Groton, Jan. 11, 1749.
III. JOHN, b. at Groton.
IV. CALEB, b. at Shirley, Jan. 19, 1755.
Holden, Amos,4 (John,3 Stephen,2 Richard,1) b. at Groton, June 16, 1726, was twice m., (first) to Prudence Feb. 6, 1750 ; she d. Nov. 1, 1762 ; m. (second) Sarah Blood, 1763 ; she d. 1800. He owned and lived on a farm situated on the north side of Mulpus brook, and recently known as the Amos Day place. He was among the patriots of the town during the dark days of the Revolu- tion, and was one of the volunteers called out by the alarm of the 19th of April, 1775. He was also one of the eight-months men of the same year. He had sixteen children, all born in Shirley.
I. AMOS, b. Sept. 21, 1752, m. Lydia Sloan of Mason, N. H., Sept., 1778, was one of the eighty volunteers that marched to Cambridge the day after the Lexington battle. He removed to Mason about the time of his marriage, where he remained two years, and had two children ; he then returned to Shirley, but was refused recognition as a citizen by the selectmen of the town, Oct. 4, 1780.
II. NATHANIEL, b. Jan. 12, 1755, d. March 10, 1755.
III. PRUDENCE, b. March 9, 1756.
IV. ABEL, b. Sept. 26, 1758 ; when but a little over sixteen years of age he enlisted for eight months in the war of 1775, and was in Captain Robert Longley's company. He was twice m., (first) to Emma Blood of Groton ; she d., and he m. (second) Elizabeth Henry of' Lunenburg, had four children, and d. at Shirley, 1797.
1. ABEL, b. 1785.
2. BETSEY, d. young.
3. JONAS, b. 1795, m. Nancy Kimball of Fitchburg, had eight children, d. at Fitchburg, 1878.
(I.) Nancy, b. 1819, m. Jonathan M. Whitman of Fitchburg, d. at Fitchburg, 1854, no children.
58
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HISTORY OF SHIRLEY.
(2.) Harriet, b. 1821, m. J. Q. A. Mellen, resides Claremont, N. H., has two children : I. "Edgar P.," m. May P. Young, has one son, resides Claremont ; 2. "Ella," m. Baxter Emer- son, r. Claremont; has had one child (died young).
(3.) Mary, b. 1823, m. Frederick Mellen, r. in Vermont, a widow, has had no children.
(4.) Henry Jonas, b. 1825, m. Amanda H. Kendall of Marl- boro', N. H., r. in Fitchburg ; occupation, millwright ; he has had seven children : I. "Willis Henry," b. June 17, 1851, m. Dora R. Hall of Brattleboro', Vt., r. Hastings, Dacota county, Minn., has had two children : 1. Henry Hall, b. July 11, 1880 ; 2. Cecil, b. Sept. 11, 1881 ; 2. "Frederick Augustine," b. July 23, 1853 ; 3. "Ida Amanda," b. June 5, 1855, m. Charles N. Ordway of Fitchburg, and d. Feb. 2, 1882 ; had one child : 1. George Ernest, b. Sept. 7, 1881, d. Nov. 7, 1882 ; 4. "Edith May," b. March 10, 1860, m. Eugene Dodd of Fitchburg, has one child : Otho Eugene, b. Feb. II, 1881 ; 5. "Arthur Lincoln," b. June 1, 1862 ; 6. "Lulie Au- gusta," b. Dec. 7, 1867 ; 7. "Jonas Kendall," b. June 23, 1868, d. Sept. 13, 1870.
(5.) James, b. 1827, m. Margaret A. Coolidge, and d. at Cam- bridge, 1853 ; no children.
(6.) Elvira, b. 1829, m. George P. Hildreth of Fitchburg, and d. 1864; had one child, which d. in infancy.
(7.) Porter, b. 1833, m. Clara Stout, has five children, and r. in Belmont, Allegany county, N. Y.
(8.) Joseph, b. 1836, m. Anna E. Bates of Fitchburg, has two children, and r. Belmont, N. Y.
4. WILLIAM, was living at some town in Maine, as last known to his friends here (1877).
V. LYDIA, b. April 18, 1761.
VI. JOHN, b. May 21, 1765, m. Sally Sanderson of Lunenburg, pub. March 13, 1791, d. 1847.
VII. SARAH, b. Sept. 10, 1767, m. Nathan Pierce of Putney, Vt., d. at Shirley, 1849.
VIII. EUNICE, b. Aug. 12, 1770, m. Francis Harris, Jan. II, 1 782, d. 1814.
IX. ELIZABETH, b. Aug. 23, 1772.
X. MOSES, b. June 6, 1776, m. Priscilla Stearns, pub. Nov. 13, 1803.
XI. THOMAS, b. April 30, 1778, was four times married ; when about twenty years old he removed his residence from Shirley to Boston ; m. (first) Nancy Briant, and had one child, but buried wife and child in 1802 ; m. (second) Sophia Briant, and had four children ; of these, three, viz., GEORGE, THOMAS and OSCAR, d. between the ages of twenty and thirty years, and NANCY still lives
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GENEALOGY .- HOLDEN.
(1876) ; Sophia, the second wife of Thomas Holden, d. in 1812 ; he m. (third) Hannah Baldwin, and had six children ; of these, five died in infancy ; HENRY, the one remaining, was b. May 5, 1817, d. March 12, 1839 ; Hannah, the third wife of Thomas d. 1827 ; he m. (fourth) Mary Jewett, and had one child, SARAH, b. 1831, living in 1856; he d. at Boston, 1847, leaving his fourth wife a widow, and two daughters.
XII. JOEL, b. March 13, 1780, m. in 1813, and had four chil- dren ; he d. at New Orleans, Oct. 4, 1821 ; his children were
1. JOEL M., b. Nov. 4, 1815.
2. WILLIAM, b. 1817, d. 1818.
3. WILLIAM S., b. June 9, 1819, r. in California (1860).
4. THOMAS, b. May 29, 1821 ; he found a home with the Shakers in early childhood, and as he grew up became initiated into the faith and polity of his guardians ; while yet a young man he became a trusted leader and minister of the order, was regarded by the older brethren as one who would be an ornament in their denomination, and exert an influence beneficial to the "United Friends" beyond the limits of their order. But the charms of a lovely sister, (who stood equally high with himself in the estima- tion of their community,) by her amiable and winning ways, so wrought upon his heart as to cause him to concentrate his affec- tions. upon her, which movement was reciprocated by her ; and thus he was led to abandon a life which he had firmly believed to be the true spiritual state, for one which he had as faithfully looked upon as the abnormal condition of the sexes, viz., matri- mony ! In one day, therefore, the "United Friends" were called to give up to the world two of their most efficient helpers, and, as they had supposed, two of their firmest associates. Thomas Holden m. Louisa B. Blanchard ; he has since died ; his widow r. in Boston.
XIII. SEWALL, b. Feb. 19, 1782, d. at sea.
XIV. HANNAH, b. March 14, 1784 ; her destinies removed her to Canada in early life. She was twice married, (first) to A. Loomis, 1801 ; he d. in Canada, and she removed to some town in Vermont, and m. (second) P. Adams. She had seven children :
1. SALLY, who was a resident of Harvard (1867).
2. SERINDA, b. Jan. 17, 1811, died young.
3. ALANSON, b. Nov. 30, 1812, r. somewhere in Vermont (1860).
4. CHLOE, b. Feb. 14, 1816, d. young.
5 and 6. LUCIUs and LUCAS, b. Aug. 22, 1818.
7. JOHN, b. April, 1824, d. at Boston, 1846.
XV. EMMA, b. March 23, 1786, was twice m., (first) to S. Blanch- ard, and had four children, when she was separated from her
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HISTORY OF SHIRLEY.
family, her husband and daughters having joined the Shakers. Mr. Blanchard became a distinguished actor in the Shaker com- munion, and died at Harvard in the fulness of the faith. Being thus forsaken by husband and children, who had taken vows of celibacy, Emma felt at liberty to renew her family relations (which had been broken much against her will) with other parties. She accordingly m. (second) B. Winchester, by whom she had four children. She d. at Boston, 1847. The children she had by her first marriage were
1 and 2. LOUISA and LUCY, b. Dec. 28, 1807, both d. young.
3. LOUISA B., b. Oct. 15, 1810. She was taken into the Shaker communion with her father, became a very enterprising and useful Shakeress, and was much beloved and trusted by the entire fraternity ; yet she did not so far renounce the world as to resist all its temptations, but became the bride of her kinsman, Thomas Holden, who was eleven years her junior in age-a brief biography of whom is given on a previous page of this record. She is now (1882) a widow, r. Boston.
4. JANE, b. Nov., 1812 ; she became a Shakeress with her sister, and was joined to the community at Lebanon, N. Y. ; she lived there in 1856.
XVI. MOODY, b. Nov. 5, 1789, d. at sea.
Amos Holden, the father of this numerous family, d. at Shirley, about 1805.
Dolden, Nehemiah,4 (John, Stephen,2 Richard,1) b. at Groton, March 12, 1731, m. Elizabeth [Stevens], and had six children :
I. ELIZABETH MARY STEVENS, b. at Louisburg, Dec., 1758.
II. RICHARD STEVENS, b. at Shirley, April 14, 1761.
III. NEHEMIAH, b. at Shirley, July 16, 1763.
IV. OLIVER, b. at Shirley, Sept. 18, 1765, removed to Charles- town in 1788. He was a carpenter by trade, but afterwards kept a music store, and was highly gifted as a musical composer. He was the author of "American Harmony," 1793, and "Union Har- mony," collections of sacred music. In company with two others, he composed the "Massachusetts Compiler," 1795. He also pre- pared the Worcester collection of "Sacred Harmony." But what has most distinguished him, and that for which he will be longest known and remembered, is the composition of that divine tune, "Coronation." He died at Charlestown, Sept. 4, 1844.
V. MIRIAM WHITNEY, b. at Shirley, Jan. 20, 1 768.
VI. DANIEL, b. at Shirley, Oct. 28, 1771.
The record now brings us to another branch of the Richard Holden family, that of Stephen, who was the seventh son of Richard.
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GENEALOGY .- HOLDEN.
Stephen had seven children, among whom were Stephen, Philemon, Simon and Nathaniel. To pursue the record according to seniority, we must begin with
molden, Stephen,4 (Stephen,3 Stephen,? Richard,1) b. at Groton, June 11, 1720. Stephen and Hannah Holden were his parents. He m. Sarah Wheelock of Lunenburg, and settled on a farm adjoining the estate of the present Luke Holden. His dwelling -first a log cabin, afterward a framed house-stood a few rods north of Luke Holden's barn. He had seven children, and d. at Shirley (1776).
I. SARAH, b. at Shirley, March 24, 1741, m. Lemuel Woods of Shirley, 1769 ; she lived and died in Pepperell.
II. FRANCIS, b. at Shirley, May 6, 1743.
III. STEPHEN, b. at Shirley, March 16, 1744, m. Martha Wason. He was one of the volunteers from Shirley on the alarm of April 19, 1775, and was one of the eight-months men the same year. He had ten children while he lived in Shirley ; he then removed to some parts unknown. His children were
1. MARTHA, b. March 13, 1771, m. Josiah Shipley of Pepperell, Dec. 31, 1793. .
2. STEPHEN, b. June 6, 1773, d. Jan. 28, 1776.
3. SUSANNA, b. March 26, 1775 ; she was removed from town in early life.
4. STEPHEN, b. April 7, 1777.
5. JOHN, b. June 9, 1779.
6. SARAH, b. June 17, 1781.
7. THOMAS, b. March 25, 1783, d. April 17, 1783.
8. LUCY, b. July 7, 1784.
9. ELIZABETH, b. July 17, 1786.
10. EMMA, b. Sept. 6, 1789.
IV. CHARLES, b. in Shirley, July 17, 1747.
V. ZACHARIAH, b. in Shirley, April 3, 1750, m. Rebecca Martin of Derryfield, pub. Feb. 8, 1776. He was one of the band of eighty that volunteered at the alarm of April 19, 1775; he also enlisted into the regular service for eight months, April 26, 1775.
VI. SAWTELL, b. at Shirley, May 13, 1752 ; he was one of the volunteers from Shirley at the alarm of April 19, 1775 ; m. Hannah Cook of Groton, pub. Dec. 16, 1778, and probably removed to Woodbury, Vt., between 1793 and 1796. He had eight children :
1. BEULAH BANCROFT, b. at Shirley, Aug. 9, 1781, m. Charles Warren, May 6, 1802.
462
HISTORY OF SHIRLEY.
2. JULIUS SAWTELL, b. at Shirley, Dec. 13, 1783.
3. POLLY GOLDING, b. at Shirley, May 20, 1785.
4. ARETHUSA, b. at Shirley, Aug. 7, 1787.
5. HANNIBAL CARTHAGE, b. at Shirley, May 20, 1789.
6. LYDIA PRESCOTT, b. at Shirley, Jan. 24, 1791.
7. OCTAVIUS AUGUSTUS, b. at Shirley, July 15, 1793.
8. GUSTAVUS AUGUSTUS, b. at Woodbury, North District, Vt., June 15, 1796.
VII. ANNE, b. at Shirley, April 15, 1761, m. John Davis of Shirley.
Dolden, Philemon,4 (Stephen,3 Stephen,2 Richard,1) born at Groton, Feb. 28, 1725, m. Lucy Walker, Jan. 10, 1751, and settled, lived and died, on the farm now owned by his great-grandson, Luke Holden. Thus the two brothers, in making their homes in a primeval forest, located their dwellings as near each other as circum- stances would allow, and, with their families, had daily and hourly opportunity for social intercourse and mutual assistance.
Stephen became a resident here in 1741, and Philemon in 1746. They were both twenty-one years of age when they left their home at . Groton, for a permanent settlement in the wilderness of what after- wards was Shirley. They both signed the petition that the new territory might be separated from their parent town and have a cor- porate existence, and both were given official positions at the organization of the new town. Stephen was made a constable, and also sealer of leather ; Philemon was chosen for a fence-viewer. Philemon had eleven children, and died at Shirley, June 19, 1810.
I. LEMUEL, b. June 27, 1751, was one of the volunteers called out by the alarm of April 19, 1775, and he also enlisted, July 14 of the same year, into service for eight months. He m. Lucy Bartlett, pub. June 2, 1780.
II. LUCY, b. March 27, 1753, m. Jonas Page of Shirley, pub. Nov. 23, 1775.
III. EDE, b. June 10, 1755, m. Benjamin Farwell of Groton, pub. Aug. 27, 1774, removed to Chesterfield, N. H., where she buried her husband, and was. a second time married.
IV. PHILEMON, b. April 1, 1757, d. Feb. 4, 1761.
V. DANIEL, b. Jan. 2, 1760.
VI. PHILEMON, b. May 24, 1762, m. Huldah Davis of Shirley, pub. Oct. 19, 1782.
VII. PHINEHAS, b. April 6, 1764, m. Polly Craig, and had seven children :
1. LOVE, b. at Pepperell, Aug. 1, 1792. 1
1
Autoglyph Print, W. P. ALLEN, Gardner, Mass.
SYLVANUS HOLDEN, ESQ.
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GENEALOGY .- HOLDEN.
2. THEODORE, b. at Shirley, Jan. 28, 1794.
3. MOSES, b. at Shirley, Jan. 20, 1796.
4. POLLY, b. at Shirley, July 3, 1798.
5. PHINEHAS WALKER, b. at Shirley, April 9, 1800.
6. LUCY, b. at Shirley, Feb. 20, 1803.
7. PHILEMON, b. at Brookline, Nov. 22, 1804.
VIII. SYLVANUS, b. March 17, 1766, m. Polly Bathrick of Lun- enburg, pub. Jan. 16, 1791. He remained on the farm that was settled by his father, in Shirley, unto the time of his death, which occurred April 5, 1843. His widow d. Oct. 13, 1849. He had nine children, all b. at Shirley.
1. LUKE, b. July 17, 1791. He was twice m., (first) to Rebecca . Polley of Leominster, pub. Sept. 11, 1814 ; she d. Feb. 4, 1848 ; m. (second) Mrs. Betsey Fairbanks of Lunenburg, had two children, and d. Aug. 26, 1852.
(I.) Luke, b. at Shirley, April 28, 1815, m. Mary Nutting of Pepperell, July 26, 1840 ; he has had eleven children ; r. in Shirley, on the same farm settled by his great-grandfather. His children are : I. "Margaret Augusta," b. at Shirley, Dec. 29, 1840, m. William Jubb, Nov. 5, 1865, r. Fitchburg (1882) ; 2. " Andrew Nelson," b. at Shirley, Aug. 6, 1842, m. Antio- nette N. Whitcomb, Sept. 5, 1869, r. at Shirley, and is a blacksmith by trade; 3. "John E.," b. at Shirley, Oct. 13, 1843, m. Sybil C. Coburn, July 12, 1874 ; 4. "A son," b. at Shirley, Sept. 22, 1844, d. Oct. 1, 1844 ; 5. " Robertus F.," b. at Shirley, June 16, 1846, was a soldier in the war of the Rebellion, m. Maria B. Rhodes, Nov. 17, 1872; 6. "Celinda Mary," b. at Shirley, Sept. 25, 1847, m. Ephraim B. Cobleigh of Boxboro', May 5, 1865, r. Boxboro' (1877) ; 7. "Juliet S.," b. at Shirley, Aug. 26, 1850, m. Monroe R. Bacon, March 7, 1871, d. May 19, 1872 ; 8. "Julius C.," b. at Shirley, Aug. 26, 1850, m. Mary J. Richards, April 16, 1879; 9. "Luke Sylvanus," b. at Shirley, Dec. 6, 1851, r. Shirley (1882) ; 10. "Timothy Nutting," b. at Shirley, Nov. 21, 1853 ; he is a physician, and lives in the city of New York, where he is in the practice of his profession; II. "Fred Zenas," b. at Shirley, Jan. 10, 1854, d. at Shirley, Oct. 23, 1867.
(2.) Sylvanus, b. at Shirley, May 3, 1817, m. Celinda M. Col- burn, Jan. 19, 1849 ; he had one child : I. "Austin Colburn," b. June 15, 1857, m. Nelly C. Munson, daughter of N. C. Munson of Shirley, pub. June 11, 1877 ; he had two children, and d. March 8, 1880. Sylvanus Holden d. at Shirley, March 17, 1882. He had large judgment and business ability, and was continually engaged in active and remunerative employ- ments. In his personal, social and domestic relations he was courteous, affable and affectionate. He had been separated
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HISTORY OF SHIRLEY.
from his only child for about two years, by the death of that child, when his own end came, and he left a widow to mourn in loneliness the sad changes to which her life had been sub- jected.
2. SYLVANUS, b. May 3, 1793, m. Lucy Ramsdell of Lunenburg, Jan. 10, 1822. He was an industrious and thriving farmer, labored on the soil that had come down to him from an honored ancestry, and during each year was enabled to give increased proof of his careful husbandry. He had four children, all b. in Shirley, and he d. Aug. 1, 1870.
(1). John Ramsdell, b. April 15, 1825, m. Martha Jane Parker of Shirley, May 4, 1858, r. Shirley. He has had two children, b. in Shirley : 1. "Ella Jane," b. March 1, 1859 ; 2. "Homer P.," b. June 6, 1865.
(2.) Seth Ramsdell, b. Jan. 19, 1826, m. Esther Ann Jenkins of Shirley, Jan. 1, 1852, r. Shirley (1882). He has had two children : I. "Edward J.," b. at Shirley, May 3, 1856; 2. " Herbert Elbridge," b. at Shirley, May 1, 1859.
(3.) Augusta Ann, b. Feb. 10, 1831, d. June 30, 1831.
(4.) Henry M., b. Aug. 7, 1832, r. Shirley (1882), unm.
3. RUFUS, b. at Shirley, March 22, 1795, m. Phila Webber, had seven children, and d. May, 1831.
(1.) Rufus, b. 1813, and d. the same year.
(2.) Lucy, b. Aug., 1815, m. Charles Kezer of Shirley, Oct. 20, 1835, removed to Royalston, where she lived in 1856.
(3.) Mary, b. Nov. 14, 1819, m. Benjamin G. Farmer of Lunen- burg, Dec. 1, 1836, and d. Nov., 1866; she had three children : I. "Sarah," b. at Shirley, 1839, d. Oct. 14, 1842 ; 2. "James Thomas," b. at Shirley, May 9, 1845, d. March 25, 1847 ; 3. "Mary Ann," b. Jan. 9, 1852.
(4.) Rufus, b. at Shirley, and d. in childhood.
(5.) Metcalf, b. Jan. 10, 1824, d. at Shirley, Aug. 22, 1879.
(6.) Daniel, b. at Shirley, is dependent on the town for support (1882).
(7.) Rebecca, b. at Lancaster, 1829.
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