USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Shirley > History of the town of Shirley, Massachusetts, from its early settlement to A.D. 1882 > Part 42
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GENEALOGY .- LITTLE.
25, 1838, m. Jane Speed, Jan. 21, 1857 ; 5. "Charles Wallis," b. June 23, 1839, m. Marion Hill, Nov. 8, 1865 ; 6. "Tristam Henry," b. Dec. 15, 1840, m. Anna L. Clough, Nov. 7, 1877 ; 7. "Albert Tobias," b. Sept. 30, 1842, m. Amanda Parker, March 22, 1864.
The real estate of Thomas Little, Sen., (that has been described as composing five farms at the present time,) with the exception of that part which lies in Lunenburg, now the property of John Fairbanks, passed into the possession of William, son of Thomas, and from William it passed to his eldest son, Wallis, and he in his turn divided it among his sons, William, Ebenezer, and Wallis, Jr. William received the central farm, where Mr. Masters now lives, with all the buildings thereon, and the appurtenances of the ancient household. Ebenezer was settled on the north-westerly portion of the original estate, upon which he erected good farm buildings, all of which soon passed into other hands, when he left the home of his birth for a residence in the West. The house, which he builded with great care and expense, was eventually torn from its place and carried to what is now the town of Ayer, and the farm has ceased to exist as a homestead. Its lands have been divided among different owners. On the southerly side of the original estate, a farm was set off for the use of Wallis, Jr., and buildings erected thereon ; but, after some ten years' residence upon the patrimony of his father, he sold it to strangers, and removed to Iowa, as before stated. John W. Thacher is present owner and occupant of the farm.
In the year 1863 the central farm in the estate of Wallis Little, Esq., on the death of his son William, who was of the fourth generation from Thomas the immigrant, passed into other hands, and the name of Little has, among the inhab- itants of Shirley, become extinct.
There is something singular in the fact that three of the four sons of Wallis Little, Sen., should from their childhood be deprived of the sense of hearing and of a knowledge of sound ; but such was their unhappy fate.
2. WILLIAM, b. at Worcester, 1752, d. in some portion of the West Indies.
3. ELIZABETH, b. 1754. She was twice m., (first) to Jonas Parker of Shirley, pub. March 17, 1774 ; he d. Feb. 15, 1794; she m. (second) Benjamin Lawrence of Pepperell, pub. Aug. 12, 1798 ; she d. March 19, 1821.
4. REBECCA, b. at Shirley, 1756, m. Ephraim Jackson of Newton, pub. Nov. 15, 1783. She had one child :
(1.) William, b. Jan. 16, 1784, d. Nov. 25, 1785.
5. THOMAS, b. at Shirley, 1758, d. Aug. 31, 1771, while a member of Harvard University.
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HISTORY OF SHIRLEY.
II. JANE or PEGGY. There is a doubt concerning the true name of the second born of Thomas and Jean Little. Jane is a slight change in the orthography of Jean, the name of the mother, but the next daughter bears the same name, though she was usually called Jeannet in her native land. It would hardly seem that two children in the same family would receive names alike ; and besides, the tradition of the Little family is that her parents gave her the name of Peggy, and that she was known only by this name in her father's house. But the family derived from her mar- riage knew her as Jane. She has that name attached to her in the household records, and that appears on the headstone that marks her resting-place in the cemetery of Palmer,-the town where she passed her married life, and where she died. Perhaps that dis- liking the paternal choice of Peggy, she might arbitrarily change it for Jane when her new relations commenced.
She was born in Ireland, in 1723, and immigrated with her parents to America, and with the family of the man whom she afterwards married. She m. John Shearer in 1737. He was born in 1706. They were probably married soon after their arrival in this country, and Palmer, Mass., was the town in which they passed the residue of their lives. Mrs. Shearer died Aug. 2, 1793 ; her husband died Jan. 12, 1802. They had ten children, all b. at Palmer :
1. JOHN, b. at Palmer, m. Jane White of Peterboro', N. H., d. in 1816 ; his wife d. in Aug., 1815.
2. JOSEPH. 3. THOMAS. 4. WILLIAM. 5. DAVID.
6. NOAH. 7. JONATHAN. 8. DANIEL.
9. JANE, m. Wallis Little of Shirley, 1780, d. in Shirley, Feb. 7, 1826.
10. BETSEY, b. Aug. 4, 1754, m. William White of Peterboro', June 12, 1777, d. July 14, 1836. She had seven children :
(I.) John S., b. at Peterboro', June 9, 1778, m. Jean Gray, Dec. 2, 1813, and d. Feb. 22, 1855. He had two children : I. "Elizabeth P.," b. at Peterboro', June 24, 1817, m. James Swan, March 17, 1846 ; 2. "John Kelso," b. at Peterboro', July 2, 1819, m. Mary H. Swan, r. at Hanover, Ill. (1875).
(2.) Jane, b. at Peterboro', May 30, 1780, d. Dec. 22, 1849, unm.
(3.) Polly, b. at Peterboro', Sept. 24, 1783, d. at Hanover, Ill., Sept. 8, 1856, unm.
(4.) Betsey, b. at Peterboro', Sept. 29, 1785, m. William Stearns of Temple, N. H., Nov. 17, 1808, d. May 7, 1818.
(5.) William L., b. at Peterboro', April 13, 1789, m. Jane White, June 6, 1811 ; he had two children : I. "Sarah E.," b. July 18, 1817, m. Thomas Upton, d. at Reading, Mass., June 3, 1840 ; 2. "Lucinda," b. Sept. 28, 1819, m. Joseph B. Pierce.
(6.) Jonathan, b. at Peterboro', March 17, 1792, m. Sarah B. Goss of Amherst, N. H., Jan., 1817 ; she lived to number 105 years.
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GENEALOGY .- LITTLE.
(7.) Nellie, b. at Peterboro', June 16, 1797, m. Dexter D. Car- ley, d. at Hanover, Ill., Jan., 1874.
III. THOMAS, second son of Thomas the immigrant, was b. in Ireland in 1727, and came to America with the family of his father, when a lad of ten years. For what further relates to this branch of the Little family-in the way of facts or dates-this record is indebted to two sources, viz .: The town records of Shirley, where Mr. Little passed a portion of his married life, and Smith's History of Peterboro', where he ( Little ) resided in his latter days. There is a discrepancy between the statements of these respective sources of information, which will not mislead the cautious reader who properly examines the facts in the case. The records of Shirley ought to be reliable for the entries made while he resided there, and the History of Peterboro' has the like responsibility while his residence was in that town.
Thomas Little, Jr., m. Susanna Wallace, who, with her parents and maternal grandmother, lived in Peterboro', and died there, and their remains repose in a group of graves in the ancient ceme- tery of that town. She d. March 6, 1822.
The records of Shirley imply that the first residence of Mr. Little, after his marriage, was Peterboro', for they say that William, his first child, was born there ; but Mr. Smith's history says he was born at Shirley. His second child, born in 1755, the Shirley records say in Lunenburg, while the Peterboro' history gives her birth to Shirley. The next four of his children were born at Shirley, and the seventh and eighth at Peterboro'. From these accounts the following facts may be legitimately deduced. That at and after his marriage Mr. Little resided in Peterboro', cer- tainly until after the birth of his first child ; that, before the year 1755, he lived in Lunenburg. In the easterly part of that town, bordering on the western line of Shirley, his father owned and lived on a farm which was adjoining his extensive lands in Shirley. It is probable that his son, between leaving Peterboro' and settling in Shirley, might call at his paternal home and stop for a season before establishing himself in this town, as his father had a well- provisioned home, and, in his old age, might be glad to entertain the family of his son for a season. Certain it is, however, that Thomas Little, Jr., was an inhabitant of Shirley as early as 1756, where he lived until after the year 1763, when he returned to Peterboro', which became his home for the remainder of his life. His place of residence in Shirley was on the road leading from the center to the South Village, about midway between the present residences of Dr. James O. Parker and Mr. W. P. Wilbur. Mr. Little died at Shirley, while here on a visit to his relatives, and his remains were interred in the old cemetery of this town ; he died June 6, 1808. He had eight children ; the births of six of them have been entered upon the records of Shirley, and the other two may be found in the history of Peterboro'.
1. WILLIAM, b. at Peterboro', Oct. 20, 1753. "He was a physician, studied medicine with Dr. Young, was settled at Hillsboro', and
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HISTORY OF SHIRLEY.
was drowned in the Contoocook river. He had two children : Dea. Willam Little of Antrim, and a daughter, unm."
2. ESTHER, b. at Lunenburg, Jan. 30, 1755. Smith's history omits this name.
3. ELIZABETH, b. at Shirley, Nov. 19, 1756, m. William Blair, Dec. 2, 1787. Smith's history calls her name Betsey.
4. SUSANNA, b. at Shirley, April 21, 1759. Smith's history calls her name Sally, and says she was b. in 1 758.
5. JOSEPH, b. at Shirley, Jan. 22, 1760 ; Smith's history says 1761.
6. THOMAS, b. at Shirley, May 11, 1763, m. Relief White of Leominster, April, 1793. She was b. July 4, 1776, d. Sept. 21, 1839. Mr. Little removed to Belmont, Me., where a number of his children were born, but he returned to Peterboro', and spent his last days in that town. He d. Oct. 19, 1847. He had eight children :
(1.) Relief, b. at Peterboro', Dec. 3, 1800, m. Oliver Heald, Esq., in 1858.
(2.) Betsey, b. at Belmont, Me., May 10, 1803, m. Alvah Ames, May 21, 1828, d. March 27, 1872.
(3.) Jane, b. at Belmont, April 3, 1804. She was twice m., (first) to William Youngman, March 30, 1826 ; he d. Nov. 29, 1833 ; she m. (second) Benjamin Read of Newport, Nov., 1834 ; she d. Feb. 12, 1866.
(4.) Harriet, b. at Belmont, April 14, 1806, d. Dec. 10, 1833.
(5.) Thomas, b. at Peterboro', Sept. 22, 1808. He has been twice m., (first) to Lucretia Munson ; she d. Nov. 2, 1874 ; he m., (second) Mrs. Mary W. Leathers of East Jaffrey, N. H., Dec. 5, 1875. He had three children : I. "Louisa W.," b. Aug. 19, 1833, d. March 20, 1834 ; 2. "Thomas J.," b. May 25, 1835, m. Louisa Stearns of Greenfield ; 3. " Louisa W.," b. Aug. 14, 1837. She has been twice m., (first) to Lieut. Timothy K. Ames, 2d, April 1, 1858; he was first lieutenant of Company K, Sixth Regiment New Hampshire Volunteers, and was killed in the second Bull Run battle, Aug. . 29, 1862 ; she m. (second) - Peaslee, 1875.
(6.) Mary, b. Sept. 14, 1810, m. Frederic Loring, d. Feb., 1848. (7.) John Wallace, b. at Peterboro', Feb. 28, 1812, m. Clarissa Parker, Oct. 26, 1837, d. Sept. 23, 1867.
(8.) Jesse C., b. Sept. 26, 1815, m. Eliza G. French, Sept. 29, 1840. He removed in 1852 to Salt Lake City. He is a pro- fessed Mormon, and has a number of additional wives. He has held important offices in that community, and is now one of the leading men.
7. JOHN, b. at Peterboro', 1764, m. Lucinda, daughter of Joshua Longley, Esq., of Shirley, Aug. 27, 1809, d. Sept. 19, 1850 ; she d. Sept. 13, 1850 ; they had three children :
(1.) John, Jr., b. at Peterboro', Aug. 7, 1810, m. Mary R. Hunt, Dec. 1, 1837, r. Peterboro' (1878). He has had six
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GENEALOGY .- LITTLE.
children : I. "Mary Lucinda," b. at Peterboro,' Oct. 19, 1838, d. Aug. 10, 1865 ; 2. "Ann Maria," b. at Peterboro', Jan. 30, 1840, d. July 1, 1869 ; 3. "Lydia Carloener," b. Nov. 28, 1841, d. Nov. 28, 1862 ; 4. "Lucretia Jane," b. at Peterboro', Aug. 22, 1846 ; 5. "John," b. at Peterboro', May 21, 1848, d. April 13, 1866; 6. "Carrie Wallace," b. at Peterboro', March 7, 1851, d. Aug. 3, 1865. All of the above d. of consumption, but Lucretia Jane.
(2.) Joshua L., b. at Peterboro', Sept. 8, 1812, m. Dorothy Carter, April 27, 1837 ; she was b. at Leominster, Jan. 30, 1814; he d. at West Wilton, Sept. 8, 1846. He had two children : I. "John L.," b. March 3, 1838, m. Ann Lakin, Aug., 1862; he removed to Hancock, where he had one child : 1. William L., b. March 19, 1864. 2. "Charles C.," b. May 12, 1843, m. Mary W. Lakin, Oct. 18, 1860 ; he has had three children : 1. Minnie M., b. at Hancock, March 21, 1861, d. July 25, 1861 ; 2. Annie M., b. April 14, 1864 ; 3. Ellen D., b. Oct. 26, 1867.
(3.) Lucinda, b. at Peterboro', Sept. 16, 1814, m. Ezra Peavey, April 14, 1836 ; she d. March 12, 1847. She had three children : I. "John," b. Dec. 12, 1837 ; 2. " Henry," b. Aug., 1839 ; 3. "Wallace," b. 1841.
8. WALTER, b. at Peterboro', 1766. "A graduate of Dartmouth college. He was a clergyman, and was settled as the first min- ister of Antrim, 1800 ; remained till 1804, when he changed his surname to Fullerton, and subsequently went to the state of Maryland, where he died in 1815. He did not sustain his good character until the last, as I have learned of those who knew a little of him; but both he and his errors are now consigned to oblivion."-History of Peterboro'.
IV. JEAN, or Jeannet, as she was called in her native land, was b. in Ireland in 1729. She lived in her father's family at Lunen- burg until her marriage, in 1751, with David Steele of London- derry. She lived at Londonderry ten years, when she removed to Peterboro', where she passed the residue of her life. She d. Sept. 30, 1816. She had eight children :
1. THOMAS, b. at Londonderry, March 5, 1754; he m. Ann Moore, and r. at Peterboro' during life. He was a very useful man, held the office of selectman eighteen years, and was town clerk for nineteen years. He d. Nov. 11, 1847. He had eight children, all b. at Peterboro' :
(I.) Ann, b. June 5, 1786, d. April 28, 1858, unm.
(2.) Jeremiah S., b. Feb. 29, 1788, m. Irene Felt, April 29, 1823 ; he d. Sept. 30, 1856. He had eight children, b. at Peterboro' : I. "James," b. Feb. 9, 1824, m. Mary J. Lindsey, Nov. 7, 1854, r. Chester, Ill. ; 2. "Samuel M.," b. Nov. 17, 1825, m. Lizzie Montroy, April, 1866, d. at Hamilton, Ill., in 1874; 3. "Margaret," b. Oct. 6, 1827, d. Jan. 11, 1828 ; 4. "Cyrus Felt," b. May 1, 1829, m. Susan Cockran, May,
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HISTORY OF SHIRLEY.
1856, r. Carthage, Ill. ; 5. "Mary Ann," b. March 13, 1831, d. Feb. 5, 1858, unm. ; 6. "Charlotte J.," b. April 22, 1833, m. Harrison A. Rice, June 18, 1868 ; 7. "George," b. July II, 1836 ; 8. "Charles E.," b. July 23, 1838 ; he has been twice m., (first) to Mary E. Smith of Norwich, Vt., Oct., 1859 ; m. (second) Alma Fletcher, Nov., 1870.
(3.) Margaret, b. April, 1790, d. Feb. 4, 1824.
(4.) Jonathan, b. Feb. 8, 1792. He graduated from Williams college in 1811, was a lawyer by profession, and resided at Epsom, N. H., after his preparation for the bar, during life. He m. Elizabeth McClary, and d. Sept., 1858. He had five children : I. "Charles ;" 2. "John ;" 3. "Michael M. ; " 4. "Thomas ;" 5. "Elizabeth."
(5.) David, b. Nov. 27, 1793, m. Lydia Burnham, and lived in New Durham, where he was engaged in the practice of the law. In 1867 he removed to Dover, where he resided in 1876. He has had two children: I. "Thomas ;" 2. "George." The latter d. in the war of the Rebellion.
(6.) Fanet, b. Nov. 27, 1795, m. Dr. John Ramsey of Green- field, Oct. 1, 1829.
(7.) Samuel, b. Sept. 1, 1797, d. at Montebello, Ill., Nov., 1860.
(8.) Betsey, b. Aug. 6, 1799, d. 1877, unm.
2. JANE, b. at Londonderry, Sept., 1756, m. Samuel Gregg of Sharon, d. Aug. 15, 1850.
3. DAVID, b. at Londonderry in 1758. He was twice m., (first) to Lucy Powers of Hollis, N. H., in 1784 ; she d. Jan. 27, 1795; he m. (second) Sarah Gregg ; she d. Jan. 15, 1822. He was a major general in the New Hampshire militia, and held important town offices. He d. March 19, 1836. He had three children : (1.) Stephen Palmer, b. July 26, 1784, m. Jane McCoy. He was a lawyer, and practiced his profession in his native town. He d. July 22, 1857. He had one child : I. "Stephen Powers," b. at Peterboro', June 14, 1850.
(2.) David, b. Sept. 30, 1787. He was a graduate of Williams college, 1810, studied law, and practised his profession at Hillsboro' for many years. He m. Catharine Kendall, and d. Dec. 10, 1866.
(3.) Fanet, b. May 24, 1790, m. Samuel Swan.
4. JONATHAN, b. at Peterboro', Sept. 3, 1760. He practised law, having studied his profession in the office of Gen. John Sullivan. For a time he was a judge of the superior court of New Hamp- shire. He m. Lydia Sullivan, Jan. 23, 1788, and d. Sept. 3, 1824. He had two children :
(1.) Janet, b. June 14, 1794, d. in Durham, 1870.
(2.) Richard, b. Jan. 6, 1797. He graduated from Dartmouth college in 1815. "He was educated a physician, and was a bright and intelligent man, but, ruined by intemperance, died at Durham, 1870."-History of Peterboro'.
5. MARTHA, b. 1763, m. Benjamin Mitchell.
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GENEALOGY .- LITTLE.
6. ELIZABETH, b. 1766, m. James Wilson, a distinguished lawyer, who practised his profession at Peterboro', and afterwards at Keene, and was a representative in Congress during the admin- istration of President Madison. She d. at Peterboro', Nov. 4, 1806. She had two children, both b. at Peterboro'.
(I.) Charlotte, b. May, 1794, d. March 26, 1796.
(2.) Fames, fr., b. March 18, 1797, m. Mary L. Richardson. He was a lawyer of distinguished ability, and was known as such beyond the limits of his own state ; he was a political leader of great note, being an eloquent stump speaker. He was often a member of the New Hampshire legislature, and
was at one time a candidate for governor. He was also a major general of the New Hampshire militia. When past middle life he resided several years at California, but returned to Keene to spend his last days. He d. May 29, 1881. He had seven children, all born in Keene. I. "Mary E.," b. Oct. 27, 1826, m. John Sherwood of New York; 2. "James E.," b. July 28, 1829, d. March 9, 1832 ; 3. "William R.," b. Nov. 22, 1830, d. March 17, 1834; 4. "Anna F.," b. Sept. 23, 1832, m. Col. Francis S. Fisk ; 5. "Charlotte J.," b. Aug. 31, 1835, m. Frank S. Taintor of New York; 6. "James H.," b. Dec. 31, 1837 ; 7. "Daniel W.," b. Feb. 13, 1841, d. Jan. 18, 1846.
7. MARGARET, b. at Peterboro', Jan. 3, 1771, m. John Smith of Peterboro', Dec. 1, 1791. He had great influence in town, and was often elected to places of official trust. His death, which occurred Aug. 7, 1821, caused a general and deep affliction among all classes of his fellow-citizens. His death was occa- sioned by a fall from a load of hay. Margaret Smith d. Sept. 30, 1830. She had eight children, all b. at Peterboro'.
(I.) Harriet, b. Nov. 3, 1792, d. May 17, 1818.
(2.) Louisa, b. May 9, 1795. She was twice m., (first) to Joshua Fifield of Franklin, Sept. 18, 1827 ; he d. at Alton, Ill., Nov. 27, 1840 ; she m. (second) George Kellenbenger, who d. Jan. 4, 1866 ; she r. at Alton (1882), and has had three children : I. "Mary Mansfield," b. Feb. 8, 1835 ; 2. "Anna ;" 3. "Edith."
(3.) John, b. April 16, 1797. He was a young man of much promise, and d. at Northfield, Mass., Oct. 8, 1822.
(4.) Jane, b. March 14, 1800, m. John Cavender, Jan. 26, 1823, d. at St. Louis, Dec. 5, 1858. She had two children : I. "Robert ;" 2. "John S."
(5.) Robert, b. June 12, 1802, m. Sarah P. Bingham of Lemp- ster, N. H. He removed to the West, and engaged success- fully in manufacturing, near what is now the city of St. Louis. He was a skillful politician, and became a member of the lower house in Congress in 1843, which place he held for six years. He died at Alton, Ill., Dec. 21, 1867. He had two children : I. "Robert Bingham," b. July 31, 1838 ; 2. "Sarah Bingham," b. May 27, 1843.
(6.) James, b. Oct. 28, 1804, m. Persis Garland of Franklin, May 15, 1832.
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HISTORY OF SHIRLEY.
(7.) Jeremiah, b. Oct. 1, 1806, d. April 6, 1816.
(8.) William H., b. Dec. 26, 1808. He has been twice m., (first) to Lydia Pettengill of Salisbury, Nov. 5, 1837 ; she d. at St. Louis, Feb. 10, 1841 ; he m. (second) Ellen Smith, Sept. 13, 1843, r. Alton. He has had three children,-"Wil- liam Eliot," b. Dec. 31, 1844, m. Alice Cole of Alton, 1873,- and two daughters, both of whom are dead.
8. JOHN, b. at Peterboro', Feb., 1773. He was twice m., (first) to Polly Wilson ; she d. Feb. 9, 1819 ; he m. (second) Mrs. Hep- zibeth Hammond of Swanzey, who d. April 22, 1836. He was a soldier in the war of 1812, and was subsequently a major- general in the New Hampshire militia. He was likewise a selectman of the town for seven years, and for fourteen years he was clerk of the town. He d. Aug. 10, 1845.
The dates and most of the facts in the foregoing record of the family of Janet (Little) Steele, may be accredited to Smith's History of Peterboro'.
V. JOHN, born soon after the arrival of the family in this country in 1737, m. Margaret Park of Groton. He passed his active life on that part of his father's estate that was situated in Lunenburg,- the paternal homestead,-and was the temporal support upon which his parents leaned in their years of helpless age.
He was in the war of the Revolution, and held the office of captain. At the battle of White Plains he commanded a company, almost every member of which was slain. As a man and a Christian he merited and received the confidence and respect of his fellow-citizens. He d. Dec. 13, 1824 ; his widow d. Dec. 16, 1834. Both were interred in the old cemetery at Shirley, where their remains now rest. He had three children, all b. at Lunen- burg.
1. JOSEPH, b. Jan. 3, 1768, d. April 26, 1776.
2. JENNY, b. Jan. 1, 1770. She lived with her parents, at Lunen- burg, until after the death of her father, when the homestead was sold, and she, with her aged mother, removed to Shirley, and became the owners of that pleasant home, in the center of the town, now occupied by Mr. Henry Stone. Here she passed the residue of her days. She d. July 2, 1845, unm.
Miss Little was a lady of the old school of thought, believed in a distinction of society derived from birth, and endeavored to maintain that dignity of character and position that proved a faith in hereditary reputableness. She was a professor of religion, and a strict adherent of the Calvinistic scheme of faith. She was instrumental in building a church for the worshippers of her belief in Shirley ; and, in the end, distributed her worldly sub- stance for the benefit of charitable associations connected with her sect.
3. JOHN, b. Nov. 17, 1772, m. Mary Prescott of Groton. They removed to Gorham, Me., where he resided until his death.
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GENEALOGY .- LITTLE-LIVERMORE.
VI. ELIZABETH, b. at Lunenburg, in 1740. She m. Samuel Hazen, 2d, of Shirley, d. at Shirley, Sept. 11, 1814.
VII. MARTHA, b. at Lunenburg, 1743, m. Henry Haskell of Shirley, Dec. 21, 1772, d. Sept. 20, 1778.
VIII. MARY, m. Paul Hale ; he was a volunteer in the band called from Shirley by the alarm of April 19, 1775. They had one child : 1. POLLY, b. Jan., 1775, d. March 22, 1785.
LIVERMORE.
In the month of April, 1634, John Livermore, then twenty-eight years old, embarked at Ipswich, England, for New England, in the ship Francis, Capt. John Cutting, master. He came in the same vessel with Richard Holden,-the ancestor of the numerous families who have borne that name in the records of Shirley,-and as early as 1642 he (Livermore) had become an inhabitant of Watertown, which proved his home for life. Previous to leaving England, he married Grace -- , who came with or after him to America. and survived him for many years. He was a potter by trade, and was held in high esteem by his fellow townsmen, and was frequently called to serve them in official positions of honor and responsibility. He had nine children, and died April 14, 1684.
John Livermore, Jr., was the fourth child born of John, Sen. He was born in 1638, lived in that part of Watertown now known as Weston, and was twice married, (first) to Hannah , who was the mother of all his children,-nine in number ; married (second) Elizabeth Grout of Sudbury, and died Feb. 9, 1718.
Daniel Livermore was the fifth of the family of John, Jr., and was born at Watertown, June 8, 1677. He was by trade a potter. He was twice married, (first) to Mary Coolidge, May 28, 1697; she died in childbed, Dec. 10, 1702 ; he married (second) Mary -, and died Nov. 16, 1820. He had eight children.
Oliver Livermore was the eldest born of Daniel's family. He was born at Watertown, Mar. 11, 1697. He was twice married, (first) to Ruth Stearns of Lexington ; she died in childbed, Feb. 8, 1725 ; he married (second) Mrs. Ruth Bowman of Cambridge, Aug. 4, 1726. He had eleven children, and died at Watertown, Nov. 18, 1754.
Livermore, Oliver, fr., the sixth born of his father's family, and of the fifth generation from the immigration, (Oliver, Jr.,5 Oliver,4 Daniel,3 John, Jr.,2 John,1) was born at Watertown, June 2, 1735, married Katharine Bond of Watertown, June 2, 1758. He was first settled in Watertown, where he remained until about the year 1767, when he removed to Shirley and purchased the farm now owned by Sidney Benjamin, where he lived until his death, June 16, 1782. His widow died June 11, 1800.
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HISTORY OF SHIRLEY.
Mr. Livermore had a higher intellectual standing than an average of the people of his time, and by his urbane manners and condescen- sion of spirit, secured a corresponding influence. He was in the midst of active life during the conflict of the American Revolution, and lent his aid on the side of the patriot revolters. He, however, manifested greater prudence than warmth, and thus, in a measure, incurred the suspicion of his fellow-citizens. They intrusted him, nevertheless, with important official duties. In 1778 and 1779 he was one of the selectmen of the town, and for eight years was the treasurer of the town, and died while in that office. He had ten children :
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