USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Shirley > History of the town of Shirley, Massachusetts, from its early settlement to A.D. 1882 > Part 41
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(6.) Artemas, b. July 6, 1826, r. Lunenburg, unm. (1877).
(7.) Tryphena, b. Feb. 19, 1832, m. Silas M. Lovering of Towns- hend, Vt., Nov. 25, 1853 ; Mr. Lovering is a pattern-maker, and r. in Fitchburg (1883) ; they have five children : I. "Wil- liam F.," b. July 21, 1855 ; 2. "Herbert P.," b. April 26, 1859 ; 3. "Minnie Gertrude," b. Feb. 5, 1868 ; 4. "Carrie Augusta," b. July 5, 1869 ; 5. "Lizzie Ann," b. Nov. 27, 1871.
9. MOSES, b. at Groton, July 26, 1790, m. Celinda Page of Shir- ley, Dec. 12, 1812, d. July 15, 1825. He had five children :
(I.) Densly, b. at Shirley, June 22, 1813 ; he has been twice m., (first) to Catharine E. Bactle of Belvidere, Ill., Jan. 5, 1844 ; she d. April 9, 1845 ; he m. (second) Mrs. Amanda M. Hol- comb (maiden name Wilder) of Belvidere, Jan. 30, 1849, r. Cherry Valley, Winnebago county, Ill. (1877.) He has had eight children : I. "Charles H.," b. March 17, 1845; 2. "Jerome Munroe," b. Jan. 11, 1850, m. Florence A. Rowley, July 2, 1874, r. Iowa ; 3. "Hosea Bolton," b. Feb. 29, 1852, m. Carrie B. Cockling, Oct. 22, 1874 ; 4. " Harriet Maria," b. May 4, 1854 ; 5. "Charles Fremont," b. Nov. 4, 1856; 6. "Walter Page," b. Oct. 17, 1859, d. Nov. 7, 1862 ; 7. "Hope," b. Oct. 12, 1862, d. Nov. 7, 1862 ; 8. "Helen Amanda," b. Feb. 7, 1866.
(2.) Charles, b. at Shirley, March 24, 1815, m. Sophrona B. Cole of New Salem, Jan. 13, 1862 ; he has had four children : I. "Alfred C.," b. Sept. 28, 1863 ; 2. "Henry M.," b. June 28, 1867; 3. "Lester W.," b. April 12, 1871, d. April 30, 1871 ; 4. "Nelson E.," b. May 1, 1874.
(3.) Walter, b. at Shirley, Sept. 3, 1817, m. Lucinda Wilbur of New Salem, May 4, 1852, r. New Salem (1877).
(4.) Elvira, b. at Shirley, Oct. 30, 1819, m. Mark Pitman of Portsmouth, N. H., April 2, 1840, r. Boston (1877). She has had five children : 1. "Mark Albert," b. Dec. 20, 1840, d.
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GENEALOGY .- KEZER-KILLICUTE.
Nov. 30, 1841 ; 2. "Ella H.," b. Dec. 1, 1843; 3. "Mark S.," b. May 20, 1845 ; 4. "Caroline S.," b. Nov. 28, 1847, d. in four months ; 5. "Frank," a twin brother of the last, b. Nov. 28, 1847, d. on the third day.
(5.) Maria Sill, b. at Shirley, Aug. 3, 1821, r. Nashua, unm. (1882.)
10. SALLY, b. at Groton, Sept. 14, 1794, m. James Watson of Sand- wich, N. H., r. Sandwich (1877).
11 .. NATHANIEL, b. at Groton, Aug. 17, 1796, m. Betsey Messer of Lunenburg, Feb. 21, 1821, d. at Shirley, May 15, 1858 ; he had ten children :
(I.) Elizabeth, b. at Lunenburg, July 30, 1823, m. William Gibbs of Fitchburg, June 4, 1845, d. May 30, 1857. She had five children : 1. "Helen," b. Jan. 7, 1847, d. Oct. 15, 1847 ; 2. "Edward," b. at Groton, July 7, 1850; 3. "James F.," b. at Groton, Oct. 24, 1851 ; 4. "George W. M.," b. at Stow, Oct. 16, 1853 ; 5. "Franklin," b. June 16, 1855.
(2.) Nathaniel, b. at Lunenburg, Feb. 7, 1825, m. Frances Morse, 1849, r. Nashua, N. H. (1870).
(3.) Stillman, b. at Lunenburg, Dec., 1825, m. Maria Knowlton of Ashland, 1854, d. at Lunenburg, Feb. 6, 1869. He had five children, all b. at Lunenburg. I. "Edward," b. Aug. 3, 1859 ; 2. "Carrie I.," b. March 3, 1861 ; 3. "Nellie Effie," b. Oct. 10, 1861 ; 4. "Almira Maria," b. Nov. 8, 1862 ; 5. "Charles E.," b. Oct. 19, 1863, d. Dec. 4, 1863.
(4.) Sarah J., b. at Lunenburg, Sept .. 9, 1827, m. Charles Web- ster, July, 1858, r. California, a widow (1877).
(5.) Nancy, b. at Lunenburg, April 8, 1829, m. Edward M. Derby, Sept. 4, 1853, r. California (1877).
(6.) Mary A., b. July 3, 1831, m. Moses Proctor, r. Lawrence (1877).
(7.) Luther, b. at Lunenburg, July 4, 1833, d. at Pepperell, Dec. 21, 1863.
(8.) James W., b. at Lunenburg, Nov. 29, 1835, m. Martha Nelly Knowlton of Ashland, April 10, 1858, r. Ashland (1877). He has had two children : I. "Carrie Isadore," b. at Lunen- burg, March 3, 1861 ; 2. "Almira Maria," b. at Lunenburg, Nov. 8, 1862, d. at Ashland, March 14, 1870.
(9.) Henrietta C., b. at Lunenburg, Feb. 7, 1839.
(10.) Walter H., b. at Shirley, Oct. 1, 1845.
IV. DANIEL, b. Sept., 1752, was one of the eighty Shirley vol- unteers who marched to Cambridge on the alarm of the 19th of April, 1775 ; he was also one of the recruits of 1776.
V. MOSES, b. Nov. 4, 1755.
KILLICUTE.
This name is found in no genealogical record that has passed under our observation, and
496
HISTORY OF SHIRLEY.
Rillicute, Thomas, is the first, and, with his son, the only individuals of the name of whom I ever heard. He was a resident of Groton, and married Sarah Hartwell of Shirley, pub. Jan. 17, 1 778, when he removed to Shirley, where he lived for a season, and where three children were born.
I. SARAH, b. Feb. 18, 1779.
II. THOMAS, b. Feb. 29, 1781.
III. NAOMI, b. Nov. 6, 1783.
KINGMAN.
Ringman, Nathan, and Lunata, his wife, had a residence in Shirley, for a time, and had the birth of one daughter entered upon its records.
I. NABBY, b. at Shirley, Nov. 6, 1783.
KNEELAND.
Anecland, Joseph, and Abigail, removed from Cambridge to Shirley in 1765 or 1766, but did not remain here through life. They had the birth-dates of three children registered here :
I. HANNAH, b. at Cambridge, May 14, 1764.
II. MARY, b. at Shirley, Nov. 30, 1768.
III. ANNA, b. at Shirley, July 30, 1771.
LANDARS.
Landars, George, lived at Shirley, and is thus brought to notice upon the town records :
"There is a marriage intended between Mr. George Landars of Shirley and Mrs. Sarah Moffit of Lunenburg. Shirley, July 4th, 1 790. Sarah Moffit forbid the bans. JOSHUA LONGLEY, Town Clerk."
LARRABEE.
Mr. Stearns, in his history of Rindge, says that "Samuel Larrabee and wife Sarah, were admitted into full communion of the church in Lunenburg by letter from the Second church at Lynn, 1743." He was a son of Isaac Larrabee, and was born at Falmouth, Conn., but his father's family was driven from that town by the Indians about 1680, and they went to Lynn, from which place he (Samuel) removed
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GENEALOGY .- LARRABEE-LAWTON.
to Lunenburg, where his children-seven in number-were born, and where his wife died. In 1762 he removed to Rindge, and lived, and probably died, with the family of his eldest son. Two of his sons had seasons of residence in Shirley. The first of these was
Larrabee, Samuel, Jr., (born at Lunenburg,) m. Annie Williams of Groton, April 23, 1746. He had six children ; three of them were born at Lunenburg, two at Shirley, and one in Rindge. His home was at Lunenburg after his marriage, until about 1753, when he removed to Shirley, and remained there until 1762, when, with his widowed father, he removed to Rindge, where he remained until 1771, after which time nothing is known of his movements. His children were
I. STEPHEN, b. at Lunenburg, Aug. 4, 1747.
II. ANNA, b. at Lunenburg, April 28, 1750.
III. SAMUEL, b. at Lunenburg, Aug. 1, 1752.
IV. WILLIAM, b. at Shirley, July 7, 1755.
V. EBENEZER, b. at Shirley, Oct. 10, 1759.
VI. DAVID, baptized at Rindge, March 29, 1766.
Larrabee, Benjamin, son of Samuel, and brother of Samuel, Jr., was b. at Lunenburg and m. Margaret Williams, a sister of the wife of his brother Samuel, Dec. 7, 1752. He established a home in Shirley, and lived there until after 1760, after which time his name is not found upon its records. He had five children b. at Shirley :
I. HANNAH, b. Aug. 15, 1753.
II. BENJAMIN, b. Nov. 26, 1754.
III. ELIZABETH, b. Oct. 8, 1757.
IV. SARAH, b. Dec. 27, 1759.
V. REBECCA, b. Oct., 1760.
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LAWTON.
Sometimes written Laughton and Leighton,-not a very common name ; but, on the records of Shirley, the name
Lawton, Thomas, appears, in a single instance. He signed the petition that the town be set off from Groton and be made an independent municipality. This proves that he lived at what is now Shirley, in 1747.
Lawton, Oliver, was a son of John and Jane Lawton, of Groton. He was born in what is now called the Squannacook dis- trict of that town, Oct. 24, 1773. In his boyhood his father removed,
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498
HISTORY OF SHIRLEY.
with his household, to Norridgewock, Maine, where he passed the residue of his life, and from whence his family was scattered abroad. At the age of twenty-one years, the subject of this notice returned to Groton, his native town, and established a home near the place of his birth. Within two years he bought a farm in Hancock, N. H., where he resided for a few months, and then returned to Groton, where he lived in 1797. In the November of that year he became the owner of a farm in Shirley, situated in the fifth school district, which was his home for life. The estate still bears the name of the "Lawton farm," though it has passed from the possession of the family.
Mr. Lawton was a fair specimen of the New England yeomanry of his time. He started his life-work with a very moderate outfit, and was gradually surrounded by a large and dependent household ; yet he had the faculty of grading his wants by his means, of meet- ing all demands according to appointment, and of turning his daily industry to its best account, so that his course was one of regular thrift, and in the end he was blessed by a success satisfactory of his highest ambition. He was twice m., and d. a widower, March 18, 1855. He m. (first) Sarah Symonds of Groton, March 13, 1794; She d. March 24, 1828 ; he m. (second) Polly Phelps Jennerson of Shirley, Nov. 4, 1828 ; he had fifteen children :
I. NANCY, b. at Groton, Feb. 15, 1795. She was twice m., (first) to Luther Davis of Groton, March 26, 1823 ; he d. Dec. 24, 1836 ; she m. (second) Samuel Bowers of Groton, and d. there May 2, 1877. She had four children :
1. IRA LAWTON, b. at Groton, Oct. 5, 1824, r. Newburyport (1877).
2. ABEL HOLDEN, b. at Groton, Aug. 17, 1827, r. Newburyport (1877).
3. MANDANA, b. at Groton, Feb. 28, 1830, m. Noah Coffin Ricker, 1850, d. Jan. 16, 1876.
4. ROXANA, b. at Groton, Jan. 28, 1834, m. S. H. Sawyer, Oct. 8, 1863, d. Jan. 7, 1876. She had two children :
(I.) Ernest Luther, b. at Groton, Oct. 12, 1865.
(2.) Alice C., b. at Groton, May 22, 1873.
II. AMELIA, b. at Groton, April 11, 1797, m. John Wood of Han- cock, N. H., April 2, 1823, d. at Hopkinton, Sept. 26, 1869. She had four children :
1. HARRIET, b. at Hancock, Feb. 11, 1824, m. True George Mor- rell, Nov., 1842, d. Aug., 1845.
2. MARY ANN, b. at Hancock, March 27, 1826, m. William Ham- let, Dec., 1844, d. May, 1853.
3. SARAH J., b. at Hancock, Sept. 2, 1828, m. James W. Bliss, Dec. 20, 1849.
4. ELVIRA, b. at Hancock, March 3, 1831, m. E. D. Hutchinson, March 24, 1866.
Autoglyph Print, W. P. ALLEN, Gardner, Mass.
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OLIVER LAWTON.
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GENEALOGY .- LAWTON.
III. OLIVER, b. at Shirley, July 22, 1799. He was twice m., (first) to Rachel Gilson, Feb. 6, 1820; m. (second) Elizabeth Allen, Aug. 11, 1866, d. at Shirley, Aug. 8, 1881. He had five children :
1. JANE W., b. Dec. 23, 1821, d. Feb. 8, 1829.
2. RACHEL, b. Nov. 21, 1823, d. Feb. 5, 1829.
3. WILLIAM, b. at Shirley, Aug. 4, 1830, d. at Dunleath, Ill., leav- ing a wife and two children.
4. JULIA ANN, b. at Shirley, Sept. 21, 1835, m. Charles Gilchrist of Lunenburg, Sept. 27, 1854, d. July 10, 1860 ; she had two children :
(1.) Mary Ella, b. at Lunenburg, Aug. 10, 1855, d. April 17, 1871.
(2.) William C., b. at Lunenburg, Nov. 22, 1858, d. July 1, 1876.
5. STILLMAN, b. at Shirley, July 27, 1839.
IV. JEPHTHAH, b. at Shirley, June 27, 1801, m. Lucinda Wood of Hancock, N. H., April 5, 1828, d. at Shirley, June 16, 1861 ; his widow d. June 7, 1868.
Mr. Lawton never sought distinction as a public citizen, but was very faithful to his various private requirements. He enlarged his estate and its comforts as fast as his means would safely allow, but never incurred perils in the way of business speculation or through blind adventure. His life, which was brought to a close in the midst of his usefulness, was passed in the quiet walks of agricul- tural industry ; and he had the honor of being the first teetotaler within the limits of the town, and that, too, without a pledge. He had six children, all b. at Shirley.
1. MARY ANN, b. May 15, 1829, m. Thomas Wasson, April I, 1851, d. Oct. 30, 1851.
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2. SARAH JANE, b. May 30, 1831, m. Henry Brown, Nov. 30, 1848, r. at Ayer (1882).
3. ALVIN, b. Aug. 31, 1833, m. Luseba T. Bennett, April 28, 1857, r. Shirley (1882). He has had three children :
(1.) Fred Alvin, b. at Shirley, Sept. 24, 1858.
(2.) Frank I., b. at Shirley, June 27, 1861.
(3.) Abbot Augustine, b. at Shirley, Oct. 21, 1868, d. June 2, 1871.
4. LUCINDA, b. Aug. 28, 1835, m. David Holley Firmin, Sept. 28, 1857, d. at Shirley, Aug. 4, 1875.
5. SOPHIA, b. April 28, 1840, r. at Ayer, unm. (1882.)
6. FRANKLIN, b. Jan. 11, 1844, m. Almeda M. Dyke of Shirley, April 5, 1866, r. Shirley (1882). He has had five children :
(I.) Bertha Almeda, b. at Shirley, August 11, 1867.
(2.) Ada M., b. at Shirley, May 13, 1869.
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HISTORY OF SHIRLEY.
(3.) Clifford Franklin, b. at Shirley, July 2, 1870.
(4.) Henry, b. at Shirley, April 5, 1872.
(5.) Myron Eugene, b. at Shirley, April 23, 1879, d. June 5. 1881.
V. SARAH, b. June 9, 1803, m. Junius Lucius Brutus Treat of Waltham, June 30, 1825, d. Nov. 13, 1827 ; she had two children :
1. MARIA, b. at Shirley, June 1, 1825.
2. AMANDA, b. April 6, 1827, m. Benjamin T. Lane, Oct. 14, 1847 ; she became a widow May 16, 1862, r. West Newton (1882). She has had seven children :
(1.) Frederick T., b. Nov. 4, 1848, m. Margaret Holdfelder, Jan. 1, 1875 ; he has had three children : 1. "Annie M.," b. Jan., 1877 ; 2. "Frank T.," b. April 16, 1879 ; 3. "George E.," b. Jan., 1881.
(2.) Lucy M., b. Aug. 2, 1851, m. George W. Simpson, Jan. 31, 1872 ; she has had three children : I. "Isabel T.," b. Dec. 4, 1873 ; 2. "Bertha J.," b. March 2, 1875, d. June 4, 1875 ; 3. "Walter R.," b. June 29, 1879.
(3.) Elliott T., b. Feb. 8, 1854, d. June 23, 1854.
(4.) Carrie A., b. Aug. 27, 1857, d. May 30, 1862.
(5.) George E., b. Jan. 7, 1859.
(6.) Mary A., b. June 27, 1860, d. Oct. 6, 1860.
(7.) Nathaniel T., b. Sept. 30, 1862.
VI. LUTHER, b. Oct. 20, 1805, m. Caroline Dean Jenkins of Shirley, March 14, 1829, d. at Malden, March 16, 1877. He had two children :
1. LUTHER EDWIN, b. Sept. 7, 1831. He has been twice m., (first) to Lizzie Lawson, April 7, 1861 ; she d. ; he m. (second) Janette Forsyth, Dec. 10, 1872. He has had one child : (1.) Abijah Edwin, b. Nov. 27, 1861.
2. CAROLINE AUGUSTA, b. Oct. 29, 1839, m. James F. George, Aug. 22, 1861. She had one child :
(1.) James Luther, b. March 25, 1866.
VII. THOMAS, b. Oct. 9, 1807, m. Miriam, daughter of Dennis H. and Sarah (Jennerson) Page, March 31, 1834, d. at Ayer, Aug. 29, 1876. He had one child :
1. MARGARETTA, b. at Lunenburg, July 5, 1834, d. Jan. 1, 1838.
VIII. PHEBE, b. March 10, 1811, m. David Hartwell of Shirley, April 20, 1834, d. Sept. 22, 1853.
IX. MARY ANN, b. Dec. 22, 1813, d. Sept. 8, 1816. 4
X. JOHN, b. Aug. 13, 1815, m. Sophia Farnsworth of Shirley, April 5, 1842, r. Lunenburg (1882). He has had three children :
1. SARAH EMELINE AMANDA, b. at Waltham, July 29, 1844, m. Leander W. Bowles of Shirley, April 14, 1864 ; she has had one child, and r. at Lunenburg (1882).
(1.) Ida Sophia, b. at Shirley, Dec. 5, 1864.
501
GENEALOGY .- LAWTON-LITTLE.
2. ETTA A., b. at Shirley, Aug. 20, 1849, m. Arthur M. Stocking of Leominster, April 3, 1878, r. Leominster (1882).
3. LIZZIE P., b. at Shirley, m. Madison Beal of Leominster, Aug. 16, 1882, r. Leominster (1882).
XI. HARRIET, b. Sept. 17, 1818, m. Thomas Wason, Feb. 22, 1855, r. New Boston, N. H. (1882.)
XII. ASA SYMONDS, b. July 28, 1829, m. Hannah Wheeler Gil- christ of Lunenburg, Oct. 21, 1852, r. Fitchburg (1882). He has had two children :
1. CHARLES W., b. at Townsend, Sept. 16, 1853, d. Sept. 19, 1853.
2. ALDA I., b. at Lunenburg, July 8, 1856, d. Aug. 29, 1856.
XIII. ABEL LONGLEY, b. July 28, 1829, m. Sarah E. Smiley of Hillsborough, N. H., Jan. 11, 1853, r. Ayer (1882). He has had six children :
1. EDWARD, b. at Shirley, Oct. 8, 1853, m. Eunice A. Sanderson, July 1, 1878. He is a widower.
2. MARY A., b. at Shirley, July 17, 1855.
3. HATTIE W., b. at Shirley, April 27, 1857, m. Benjamin Taft, Nov. 10, 1880.
4. LIZZIE A., b. at Shirley, Feb. 10, 1859.
5. ROBERT, b. at Shirley, Dec. 21, 1860, m. Sarah E. Griffin, June 18, 1882.
6. CHARLES K., b. at Ayer, Aug. 27, 1871.
XIV. CHARLES, b. Oct. 13, 1831, m. Caroline A. Manning of Townsend, Jan. 28, 1854, r. at Ayer (1880).
XV. GEORGE F., b. Dec. 14, 1833, m. Rachel A. Pollard of Townsend, Jan. 18, 1854, r. at Townsend (1882). He has two children :
1. GEORGE F., JR, b. at Townsend, Dec. 11, 1856.
2. LYDIA M., b. at Townsend, July 17, 1859.
LITTLE.
Tradition is an unreliable basis of history when unconnected with written or printed records, and yet is, at times, the principal and only resource in the compilation of historic and biographical items that connect themselves with family genealogy. And why may it not be safely used, if it has been faithfully kept, properly communicated, and is accordant with reason and consistency ?
502
HISTORY OF SHIRLEY.
The account of the origin of the Little family, which follows, saving the dates, is founded on tradition alone, and carries with itself an interest as well as a truthfulness.
Little, Thomas, was born in Ireland, in 1688. His wife, Jean, was also born there, in 1702. They were married, and had four children, before their emigration, which occurred sometime within the year 1737. Their descendants claimed that they came from the north of Ireland, were of the people denominated Scotch- Irish, and uncontaminated by any Romish proclivities. There was a story connected with his (Little's) change of country that was fully credited by his posterity, though unsustained by outside evidence. He held in Ireland the office of tax collector, and while in possession of a generous amount of the public finances, escaped, with his family and as many contraband goods as they could well conceal, and came to make a home in the wilds of America.
Whether this be truth or fiction, certain it is that Mr. Little soon gave evidence of possessing larger worldly substance than most immi- grants of his time. Like some from his isle of to-day, he took very little interest in public affairs, but sought, through almost every allow- able means, to enrich himself, and left behind but few of those precious remembrances that follow justice and generosity.
He did not immediately settle in Shirley or vicinity, on coming from Ireland, but, within a short period, made his first purchase of real estate in the northerly section of what is now Shirley, which pur- chase was sufficiently large to include what now forms four farms of respectable size, and contiguous lands that do not belong to either of these farms to-day.
The present occupants of these farms are Abram Fairbanks, Bruce Masters, John W. Thacher, and Henry S. Humes. The estates all lie within the limits of Shirley, but the original purchase of Mr. Little extended beyond the north boundary of the town, into Lunen- burg, and included the farm now owned and occupied by John Fair- banks. Mr. Little owned, also, the land where "Lake Mill" and the surrounding buildings now stand. His own dwelling was located in Lunenburg, a short distance north of the line between that town and Shirley. Nor is it known that he ever lived within the limits of Shirley, though the most of his estate lay there, and his social and business relations were mainly there ; and in the old cemetery of the town the remains of himself and those of his wife lie interred. He died Jan. 2, 1767 ; his widow died Sept. 29, 1783. They had eight children :
I. WILLIAM, b. in Ireland, 1720, m. Elizabeth Wallis, also of Irish birth, who, with her mother, came to this country with the Littles. William resided at Worcester until two of his children were born, when he removed to Shirley and settled in a central part of his father's estate, his house standing a little to the west of the present residence of Mr. Masters. In 1763 and 1764 he held the office of a selectman of the town, but in general he abstained from public trusts or was not trusted by the public ; at any rate, the more quiet duties of the private citizen absorbed his chief
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GENEALOGY .- LITTLE.
attention. He was one of the eighty that marched at the call of April 19, 1775. He died July 20, 1797. His widow died Aug. 3, 1802. He had five children :
1. WALLIS, b. at Worcester, March 16, 1751, m. Jane Shearer of Suffield, Conn., 1780. He inherited his father's estate, and erected the buildings that are now upon it, which Mr. Masters owns and occupies. In intellectual capacity he was above the average of his day. He possessed a large private library, which contained several law books, by whose contents he sought instruction, and was enabled to meet the demands of duty as a justice of the peace (which office he held) with greater readi- ness than most in that position at the time. He was not, how- ever, popular with his fellow-townsmen, and received at their hands but few appointments of official trust. He was a volun- teer among those who marched on the alarm of April 19th, 1775. He died April 25, 1823. His widow died Feb. 7, 1826. They had seven children :
(I.) Betsey, b. at Shirley April 5, 1781, m. Hon. James Wilson of Peterboro', N. H., pub. Aug. 30, 1810. In 1815 her family removed to Keene, N. H., where she died Sept. 30, 1830. She had three children : I. "Robert," b. at Peter- boro', Sept. 24, 1811, d. at Keene, April 8, 1870 ; 2. "Eliza- beth Jane," b. at Peterboro', Sept., 1815 ; 3. "Sarah Mary Ann," b. at Keene, 1821.
(2.) Jenny, b. at Shirley, March 25, 1783, m. Matthew Perkins, Esq., of Keene, July 11, 1816. She passed the most of her married life in Sanbornton, N. H., but d. at Wilton, N. H., Aug. 7, 1854. She had one child : I. "Matthew," b. at San- bornton, Nov. 1, 1821 ; he was twice m., (first) to Caroline Bowen, June, 1844 ; she d. April, 1851 ; he m. (second) Har- riet Worcester of Clinton, May 17, 1854, d. April 23, 1865.
(3.) William, b. at Shirley, April 7, 1786, m. Betsey Hammond of Shirley, Nov. 23, 1820. He'd. at Shirley, Nov. 13, 1858 ; his widow still lives, and has a home with a daughter at Winchester, Mass. (1882.) Mr. Little had five children : I. "Jane Elizabeth," b. at Shirley, Dec. 11, 1824, d. April 3, 1851 ; 2. " William Wallis," b. at Shirley, Sept. 3, 1827, d. April 13, 1831 ; 3. "Amanda Malvina," b. Dec. 26, 1830, m. Albert Worcester of Shirley, May 12, 1853. She has had one child : I. Charles, b. at Shirley, Feb. 9, 1855 ; 4. "Mary Eme- line," b. at Shirley, Nov. 13, 1833, m. George P. Brown of Groton, Nov. 29, 1860, r. Winchester (1882). She has had five children : 1. Frank Little, b. at Ayer, Dec. 14, 1862 ; 2. Helen Porter, b. at Winchester, June 19, 1865, d. March 27, 1869 ; 3. George Henry, b. at Winchester, Sept. 6, 1867, d. July 20, 1868 ; 4. Grace Mitchell, b. at Winchester, June II, 1869 ; 5. Harry Webster, b. at Winchester, March 10, 1874. 5. "James Henry," b. at Shirley, June 29, 1838, m. Mary A. Howe of Sterling, Nov. 14, 1860, d. at Titusville, Pa., Aug. 18, 1879 ; his wife d. July 4, 1877 ; they had five children : I. Jane Elizabeth, b. at Shirley, Nov. 12, 1861; 2. Carina
504
HISTORY OF SHIRLEY.
Hammond, b. at Titusville, Feb. 16, 1866 ; 3. Arthur Wilson, b. at Titusville, Aug. 8, 1867 ; 4. Ora Howe, b. at Titusville, June 25, 1869 ; 5. Mary Helen, b. at Titusville, June 24, 1875.
(4.) Abijah Brooks, b. at Shirley, June 25, 1789, d. at Towns- end, Sept. 2, 1811. He was a member of Harvard college for a time, but did not graduate. His death was self-inflicted. The following "Rhapsody" was found in his handwriting, among his papers, after his death :
" As I mused with myself I said to myself, And myself again said to me, Look to thyself, Have a care for thyself, For nobody cares for thee."
On reading this rhapsody which Mr. Little left upon his desk, a gentleman wrote underneath it the following extempore imitation :
" As I thought of Little, I little thought How big a little thing might be ; But thinking a little more That a big thing was so little, Was a little more amazing to me."
Mr. Little had a thoughtless mind, that would not seriously consider duty, or apprehend coming peril,-the result of present gratification,-and suffered his errors to increase until they produced despair, ruin and suicide.
(5.) Sukey, b. at Shirley, May 20, 1791, d. Dec. 24, 1791.
(6.) Ebenezer, b. at Shirley, Nov. 12, 1793, m. Abigail H. But- trick of Shirley, Feb. 18, 1818. He removed from Shirley to Arcadia, N. Y., at the time of his marriage, where he lived until 1832, when he went to Bowen's Prairie, Jones county, Iowa, where he died Jan. 14, 1876. He had six children : I. "Theodore W.," b. at Arcadia, N. Y., July 4, 1818, r. Bowen's Prairie, Iowa (1878) ; 2. "Abby Alisia," b. at Arca- dia, Aug. 28, 1820, d. Oct. 13, 1821 ; 3. "Charles Ebenezer," b. at Arcadia, March 30, 1822 ; 4. "Abby Ann," b. at Arca- dia, Nov. 17, 1824, d. March 30, 1843 ; 5. "Frances Jane," b. at Arcadia, July 8, 1827, d. April 6, 1828; 6. "Frances Ann," b. in Arcadia, Feb. 20, 1829.
(7.) Wallis, b. at Shirley, Sept. 27, 1800. He was thrice m., but is now a widower, r. at Strawberry Point, Clayton county, Iowa (1878), the place to which he removed on leaving Shir- ley. He m. (first) Martha Hammond of Shirley, May 27, 1823; she d. June 16, 1832; he m. (second) Catharine Tobias, May 28, 1837 ; she d. Nov. 16, 1843 ; he m. (third) Almira Speed, Feb. 24, 1845 ; she d. March 9, 1877. He has had seven children : 1. "Wallis Hammond," b. at Shirley, March 25, 1824, d. Feb. 11, 1825 ; 2. "Martha Ann," b. at Shirley, Dec. 25, 1825, d. Feb. 27, 1827 ; 3. "James Wilson," b. at Shirley, Dec. 16, 1827 ; 4. "William Ebenezer," b. Jan.
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