USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Shirley > History of the town of Shirley, Massachusetts, from its early settlement to A.D. 1882 > Part 50
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Mr. Parker came to Groton at or near the time of its organization, and was the first and largest proprietor of the territory. The town was originally divided into what were called acre rights, each one of which would entitle its owner to nearly fifty acres, on an equitable division of the territory. Mr. Parker had fifty of these rights. His landed estates were frequently increased by additional purchases, so that he became the largest land-holder if not the richest man within the territory, during its early history.
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GENEALOGY .- PARKER.
The position which he held among his fellow-townsmen proved that he had a commanding intellect as well as a long purse. Accord- ing to Mr. Butler's History of Groton, he was a deacon in the church, a sergeant, and so on up to captain, in the military service. He was one of the selectmen of the town at its organization, in 1662, and held that office for more than thirty years. He was also for a season the town clerk. During the years of his activity he was moderator at most of the town meetings ; a member and chairman of all important committees appointed to locate roads, lay out lands, establish bound- aries of the town, and in fine for the transaction of any business of a municipal, parochial or public. nature. In the latter years of his life, he was appointed to represent the town in the General Court.
His home was far out from what is now the village, near Martin's pond, somewhat removed from the highway, in a shaded, secluded spot, with, at present, no house to mark the place where dwelt the chief original proprietor.
This account of the early home of James Parker, came from some of his descendants, who retained a few acres of the estate through several generations, in remembrance of their illustrious ancestor, of whom they were very proud. But quite recently a pamphlet has appeared, entitled "Old Homesteads of Groton, Mass.," written by Francis Marion Boutwell, where the following account of the Parker homestead appears ; but it was probably a second establish- ment :
"Captain James Parker lived on the Dr. Amos B. Bancroft place, where Captain Asa S. Lawrence now lives. His home estate occu- pied both sides of the present main street, the northern boundary being James brook, probably named for him; and his southerly line was near, if not exactly upon, the line which now separates the land of George D. Brigham from the high-school lot and the land of Andrew Robbins, known as the Loring estate. The southerly line upon the east side of the road was no doubt near the present line which separates the Dr. Joshua Green estate from the brick-store lot.
"Captain Parker owned a large part of Half-Moon meadow, and was the owner of a good deal of real estate in different parts of the town. He was for many years the richest, and in all matters of secular character, the leading man in town."
To follow down the lineage of the Shirley Parkers from this, their illustrious ancestor, we come to
James Parker, Jr. He was the fifth of the twelve children in his father's family, was b. at Woburn, April 15, 1652, m. Mary Parker, Dec. 11, 1678, lived at Groton and had five children ; he was killed by the Indians, July 27, 1694, and his family were carried into cap- tivity. His second son was
Phinehas Parker, who was b. at Groton, in [1684]. He was twice m., (first) to Abigail , who d. Feb. 4, 172 -; m. (second) Eliz- abeth He d. Aug. 13, 1744. He had eight children. His second son was
Leonard Parker, who was b. at Groton, June 3, 1718, m. Abigail , and had ten children, the third of whom was
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HISTORY OF SHIRLEY.
Parker, James, who was b. at Groton, Nov. 26, 1744. He came to Shirley soon after he attained his majority, and was settled upon that beautiful valley farm that is now in the possession of his descendants of the third generation. He m. Sarah Dickerson of Shirley, and had ten children.
Unlike his distinguished ancestor, of Groton, he troubled himself very little with public official business. He had, for a time, a lieu- tenancy in the town militia, and was for one year a selectman. Towards the close of his life he had a justice's commission, but he exercised none of the functions of that office, being content with the title alone.
He lived in the days of the American Revolution, yet he took no personal part in the strife with the mother land, except to be enrolled with the eighty volunteers who were called out by the alarm of April 19, 1775. His life was mainly passed in the discharge of his private business, to which he devoted himself with becoming fidelity. His lands were kept under skilful cultivation, and his business relations were conducted with so much shrewdness as to give him a pecuniary position above that of the most of his fellow-townsmen. In 1802 he resigned his farm to the care of his eldest son, and removed to the centre village of the town, and occupied the house which, at a later period, was the home of his youngest son, Hon. L. M. Parker, but which is now owned and occupied by Mrs. Lucy R. Holden. Here he d., Sept. 29, 1830. His wife, Sarah, preceded him to the grave ; she d. Nov. 22, 1829. His children were all b. at Shirley, and were :
I. SARAH, b. July 8, 1768. She was twice m., (first) to Benjamin Edgarton of Shirley, Dec. 7, 1788 ; he d. April 2, 1806 ; she m. (second) Moses Jones of Lancaster, and d. at Shirley, Feb. 25, 1844.
II. JAMES, b. Feb. 4, 1771, m. Ruth Harkness of Lunenburg, pub. Sept. 4, 1803. He d. Nov. 18, 1853. His widow d. Sept. I, 1859. In early manhood he held a military commission during the usual time of such appointments, rising through all the minor grades of the service to the office of captain, which was the usual title by which he was addressed through life. He held some places of municipal trust,-was many times appointed overseer of the poor, and filled other responsible positions. It was his choice, however, to stand aloof from public cares, that he might the better fulfil the obligations of home ; this he did with faithfulness, was a pattern of industry and economy, and "went down to his grave in a good old age." He had three children, who were b. at Shirley :
1. THOMAS HARKNESS, b. July 14, 1804, m. Nancy Crossman of Boylston, pub. May 5, 1839. He d. July 25, 1881. His widow and children reside at the old mansion, in the pleasant valley, where all their fathers of the name dwelt before them. Mr. Parker had two children, b. at Shirley :
(1.) Emerson, b. June 2, 1840, unm. (1883.)
(2.) Pamelia H., b. May 22, 1846, unm. (1883.
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GENEALOGY .- PARKER.
2. SALLY, b. March 14, 1807, m. Edmund Fales of Thomaston, Me., June 4, 1835. She had one child, and d. at Shirley, Dec. 30, 1845.
(1.) Sarah, b. at Shirley, Dec. 19, 1836, m. Edward Roberts of Shirley, Nov. 12, 1857, d. Feb. 22, 1859.
3. JAMES OTIS, b. June 5, 1811. He has been twice m., (first) to Martha Lincoln Carter of Lancaster, May 13, 1845; she d. at Lancaster, April 30, 1847 ; m. (second) Harriet Morgan Gould of Shirley, Jan. 1, 1863 ; she d. at Shirley, Sept. 14, 1876. Dr. Parker is a widower, r. Shirley (1883). He has one child :
(I.) James C. C., b. at Shirley, June 19, 1846, r. Shirley, unm. (1883.)
III. LOVEY, b. Jan. 7, 1773, m. Samuel Hazen of Shirley, April 17, 1796, d. at Shirley, April 4, 1821.
IV. HENRIETTA, b. July 3, 1775, m. Thomas Whitney of Shirley, July 7, 1799, d. at Shirley, Nov. 6, 1864. The following notice of Mrs. Whitney, giving the prominent traits of her character, was written by one who had the partiality of a near kinswoman and friend :
"In speaking of this aged and estimable woman, we are aware that to those who enjoyed the privilege of an intimate acquaint- ance all eulogy is needless ; but when a career so actively useful is ended on earth, and a spirit so pure has passed tranquilly to its rest, the influence of such a life has yet its work to accomplish. With a mind of no ordinary stamp-of almost masculine vigor, she combined a woman's heart, tender and loving. Strong in her feelings, firm in her friendships, decided in her opinions, (which, formed with deliberation and good judgment, were emphatically her own,) she unconsciously commanded from all respect and con- fidence.
" After a life of practical religion, in which much of her happi- ness was the reflection of that generously bestowed on others, she approached its close with a faith in her Savior and a trust in her Maker which banished from the tedious hours of her last illness all fears for her future. And with words of affectionate counsel on her lips, and peace in her heart, beloved and honored, she fell asleep."
V. RHODA, b. Oct. 20, 1777, m. Stephen Longley of Shirley, Jan. 17, 1798, d. at Shirley, Dec. 7, 1832. She was a true and faithful wife, a tender and careful mother, a trustworthy friend, and a de- voted Christian believer.
VI. ABIGAIL PRESCOTT, b. Dec. 17, 1779, d. at Shirley, Oct. II, 1801, unm.
VII. DANIEL, b. June 29, 1782, m. Ann Collins of Philadelphia. He had several children, all but two of whom d. young. The eldest, a daughter, m. Clement Hill. The youngest, a son, d. at Philadelphia, 1848. Mr. Parker d. at Washington, D. C., April 5, 1846.
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HISTORY OF SHIRLEY.
VIII. DAVID, b. May 19, 1784, m. Pamelia Dwight, daughter of John and Susanna. Dwight, of Shirley, Jan. 1, 1804. He d. at Shirley, July 16, 1873. He had ten children, all b. at Shirley :
1. LEONARD M., b. Jan. 7, 1805, m. Paulina Twing, Jan. 7, 1828. He has had two children, r. Shirley, a widower (1883).
(1.) Martha Fane, b. Nov. 2, 1829, m. John R. Holden of Shirley, May 4, 1858, r. Shirley (1883).
(2.) Minerva, b. July 26, 1836, d. Aug. 26, 1836.
2. PAMELIA, b. June 16, 1807, m. Jeremiah C. Hartwell, Dec. II, 1832, d. at Shirley, April 26, 1875.
3. CATHERINE, b. Nov. 22, 1808, m. Gilman Roby of Dunstable, Oct. 26, 1837, d. at Dunstable, by a stroke of lightning, June 21, 1838. It was on a Sunday that she was smitten. She had just returned from church, and while passing through a lower room of her dwelling, during a sudden shower, the electricity entered the house at the eaves, passed down between the ceil- ings, and burst through between the windows of the basement story, shattering the looking-glass in its course, and was attracted to the head of the unfortunate woman by a silver comb in her hair. The fluid entered her head, passed through her body, and made its outward passage through the heels of her shoes. She breathed for a season, under intense agony, when she quietly passed away.
4. DAVID, b. April 23, 1811, m. Eleanor L. Wetherbee of Fitch- burg, Nov. 12, 1834, r. Lancaster (1883). He has had nine children, all of whom were b. at Lancaster.
(1.) Henry J., b. Aug. 17, 1835. He had a captain's commis- sion in the war of the Rebellion, and was slain at the battle of Resaca, Ga. He survived his fall but a few moments. He expressed a wish to see his far-off friends, and then took his handkerchief and tried to assuage the fast-flowing tide of life, -but in vain ; he then returned it to his cap, and breathed his last. The handkerchief was sent, in the state he left it, to his sorrowing mother,-the only relic she possesses of her brave son who gave his life at the call of his country.
He m. Mary A. Richardson, Jan., 1856; she d. Oct. 27, 1874. He was killed May 15, 1864. He had five children : I. "Charlie H.," b. at Lancaster, Aug. 11, 1856, d. Aug. 25, 1856 ; 2. "Lottie E.," b. at Lancaster, Feb. 14, 1858; 3. " Mary E.," b. at Lancaster, March 9, 1860; 4. "Henrietta A.," b. at Lancaster, July 22, 1861, d. Aug. 22, 1864; 5. " Henry J.," b. at Lancaster, July 19, 1862, d. Aug. 31, 1863. (2.) Minerva E., b. Sept. 17, 1837, m. Levi P. Wood, Dec. 21, 1858. She has had three children, r. Lancaster (1883). I. "Minett A.," b. Oct. 26, 1860, d. Feb. 21, 1861 ; 2. "Carrie . E.," b. Dec. 18, 1864 ; 3. "Etta E.," b. Nov. 20, 1872.
(3.) Catherine R., b. Feb. 18, 1839, m. George F. Maynard of Fitchburg, Feb. 19, 1860; he d. Oct. 22, 1877. She had
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GENEALOGY .- PARKER.
three children : 1. "Frank H.," b. July 3, 1861 ; 2. "Annie L.," b. Nov. 26, 1866 ; 3. "Lenora S.," b. Sept. 11, 1868, d. July 11, 1869.
(4.) Loring D., b. Oct. 25, 1840. He has been twice m., (first) to Francena E. Wood of Harvard, March 2, 1861 ; she d. at Ashburnham, April 9, 1870 ; m. (second) Laura J. Green of Alstead, N. H., Jan. 21, 1871, r. Rockingham, Vt. (1880.) He has had eight children : 1. "Emerson F.," b. at Shirley, Nov. 27, 1863 ; 2. "Henry E.," b. at Fitchburg, June 23, 1866 ; 3. "Lillian A.," b. at Fitchburg, March 18, 1868 ; 4. "Charles W.," b. at Fitchburg, Aug. 28, 1871 ; 5. "Ada E.," b. at Fitchburg, March 5, 1874 ; 6. "Frank G.," b. at Ayer, Aug. 30, 1876; 7. "Leon D.," b. at Fitchburg, Oct. 13, 1877; 8. "Grace L.," b. at Rockingham, March 12, 1880, d. March 14, 1880.
Mr. Parker is a musical instrument maker, and is particu- larly devoted to the manufacture of violins, in which he has had good success.
(5.) Leonard H., b. May 1, 1842, m. Hannah J. Wood of Har- vard, Dec. 21, 1863, r. Harvard (1880). He has had four children : 1. "Addie M,," b. at Shirley, Nov. 19, 1867; 2. "Eugene M.," b. at Groton, April 1, 1870 ; 3. "Willie M.," b. at Groton, Jan. 28, 1872 ; 4. "Herbert H.," b. at Littleton, July 9, 1877.
Although Mr. Parker has scarcely arrived at the period of middle life, he has passed a somewhat eventful career. When about seventeen years of age, he was standing by the side of a younger brother, looking out of an attic window of his father's dwelling, during a shower of rain. A bolt of lightning struck a neighboring tree, passed down the trunk, and entered the window. The subject of this notice found himself prostrated at the opposite side of the room, without serious injury ; while his less fortunate brother had fallen, under horrid disfigure- ments, to rise no more ; the stock of a musket which the lad held in his hand was split in pieces.
In 1863 Leonard H. Parker enlisted in Company G, 36th regiment of Massachusetts volunteers, for three years, or during the war. He was stationed at Camp Nelson, Ky., for a season. Here he became sick with measles, attended by erysipelas and chronic diarrhoea. On the ninth of March, 1864, his army corps was ordered to the front, and the hos- pital patients were conveyed by ambulance to Nicholasville station. There he was put into a box car, and conveyed to Lexington station, where he was taken out and laid upon the platform as a dead man, and was so reported and recorded. He was covered with a blanket, and, to use his own words, " How long I lay I don't know, but when I revived three doctors were standing by, and I heard one of them tell the nurse not to give me any more medicine, as I could not live. I was then suffering from lung fever. In a few weeks I was brought
74
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HISTORY OF SHIRLEY.
back to Camp Nelson, where I stayed until the close of the war, during which time I was confined in the small-pox hos- pital by varioloid."
During the years that have followed, Mr. Parker has sus- tained an active and enterprising career ; has been called to places of trust and usefulness, and such are his present health and habits as to promise for him a valuable future.
(6.) Charlotte W., b. Jan. 28, 1844, d. March 8, 1844.
(7.) David Waldo, b. June 1, 1845, d. June 29, 1859, killed by lightning.
(8.) Alfred H., b. June 18, 1848, m. Ella Gerry of Fitchburg, May, 1877. He has two children : I. "Edgar O.," b. June 21, 1878 ; 2. "Irving F.," b. May 6, 1880.
(9.) Dana E., b. June 16, 1851, d. March 17, 1867.
5. LORING, b. July 24, 1813, m. Pamelia Lawrence, Nov. 13, 1856, r. Shirley (1883). He has had one child :
.(I.) Amos, b. at Shirley, Oct. 12, 1859.
6. HARRIET, b. Feb. 23, 1818, m. Ansel Tyler of Lancaster, Nov. 12, 1840, r. Leominster (1880). She has had four children :
(I.) Josie P., b. July 15, 1848, m. W. H. Adams of Pepperell, Dec. 3, 1873. She has one child : I. "Clesson T.," b. Aug. 16, 1876.
(2.) Hattie J., b. Sept. 22, 1849, d. Aug. 22, 1851.
(3.) Nettie L., b. Nov. 15, 1851, m. R. A. Hillson of Leom- inster, Oct. 19, 1872.
(4.) Hattie C., b. Sept. 7, 1856.
7. GEORGE, b. Aug. 29, 1819, d. July 14, 1873, unm.
8. DANIEL, b. Jan. 3, 1821, d. Dec. 30, 1825.
9. JANE, b. July 29, 1824, d. Jan. 7, 1825.
10. HENRY, b. 1826, d. when eight days old.
IX. LYDIA BOWES, b. Dec. 20, 1786, m. Moses Treadwell of Ipswich, Sept. 20, 1814. She d. at Ipswich, Oct. 10, 1830. She had five children, b. at Ipswich :
1. LYDIA BOWES PARKER, b. Aug. 6, 1815, m. James P. Whitney of Shirley, May 31, 1836. She d. at Shirley, Feb. 28, 1842.
2. JAMES PARKER, b. June 25, 1817, r. San Francisco, Cal., unm. (1880.)
3. SARAH ANN, b. May 18, 1819. She has been twice m., (first) to James P. Whitney of Shirley, June 11, 1846 ; he d. Jan. 14, 1847; she m. (second) Isaac Kendall of New York, Sept. 13, 1855. She has four children, and is a widow. Her children were b. at New York.
(1.) Virginia Beverly, b. June 24, 1856.
(2.) Leonard Treadwell, b. July 17, 1857.
(3.) George Choate, b. Jan. 18, 1859.
(4.) Edith, b. Oct. 13, 1861.
4
587
GENEALOGY .- PARKER.
4. LEONARD LINCOLN, b. April 5, 1821, d. at San Francisco, Feb. 12, 1876, unm.
5. LUCY ELIZABETH, b. Dec. 22, 1826, m. Samuel B. Woodward of Worcester, Sept. 14, 1852, d. at Worcester, March 25, 1857. She had one child :
(1.) Samuel B., b. at Worcester, Aug. 24, 1853, r. Worcester (1880). .
X. LEONARD MOODY, b. Jan. 9, 1789, m. Martha, daughter of Gov. Levi Lincoln, Sen., pub. March 22, 1814. He d. at Shirley, Aug. 25, 1854. Mrs. Parker d. at Charlestown, April 26, 1822. He had three children, all of whom were b. at Charlestown :
1. MARTHA LINCOLN, b. Aug. 4, 1815, d. at Worcester, unm., Oct. 2, 1835.
2. ELIZABETH WALDO, b. May 9, 1817, m. Francis H. Kinnicutt of Worcester, Oct. 26, 1837, r. Worcester (1883), and has had six children, all of whom were b. at Worcester.
(1.) Rebecca Newton, b. Sept. 17, 1838, m. Dr. George E. Francis of Worcester, June 23, 1868, r. Worcester (1883). She has had two children, both b. at Worcester : I. "Eliza- beth Kinnicutt," b. Aug. 14, 1869 ; 2. "George Kinnicutt," b. Nov. 24, 1871, d. Dec. 20, 1877.
(2.) Elizabeth Waldo, b. Aug. 18, 1840, m. Dr. William H. Draper of New York, Oct. 15, 1861, d. Dec. 19, 1869. She had three children : 1. "William Kinnicutt," b. Feb. 2, 1863 ; 2. "Martha Lincoln," b. Aug. 23, 1864 ; 3. "Robert Watts," b. Dec. 24, 1867, d. Sept. 20, 1868.
(3.) Julia B., b. July 1, 1843, m. John M. Barker, Sept. 17, 1868, r. Worcester (1880).
(4 ) Frank Parker, b. July 13, 1846, m. Eleanor Kissel of New York, Nov. 19, 1875, r. New York. He is engaged in the practice of medicine. He has had two children : 1. "Frank Harrison," b. Nov. 13, 1876 ; 2. "Gustave Herman Kissel," b. Jan. 19, 1878.
(5.) Lincoln Newton, b. March 14, 1849, m. Edith Paley, daughter of Judge Paley of Concord, N. H., Oct. 10, 1878, r. Worcester (1883). He has had one child : I. "Roger," b. at Worcester, Feb. 12, 1880.
(6.) Leonard Parker, b. May 22, 1854.
3. SARAH REBECCA, b. March 6, 1822, m. Joseph Mason of Worces- ter, Nov. 10, 1846, r. Worcester (1883). She has had one child : (1.) Joseph P., b. at Worcester, Sept. 15, 1848, m. A. Wright of New York city, Nov. 13, 1877, r. Worcester (1883).
Parker, Jonas, son of Leonard and Abigail Parker, and brother of James. (Jonas,5 Leonard,4 Phinehas,3 James, Jr.,2 James.1) He was b. at Groton, June 15, 1750, m. Elizabeth Little of Shirley, pub. March 17, 1774. He d. at Shirley, Feb. 15, 1794. He lived in a westerly section of the town, on the farm, and, as some suppose, in
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HISTORY OF SHIRLEY.
the very dwelling of the late Luke Holden (now the home of Zopher Jones). The name of Jonas Parker, Jr., is included in the report made by Capt. Henry Haskell, to the colonial authorities, Dec. 23, 1775, as one of the volunteers under his command, from Shirley, on the alarm of April 19, 1775. The subject of this genealogical notice must have been the person intended ;- his son, Jonas Parker, Jr., was at this time only about six months old.
Jonas Parker had eight children, all b. at Shirley :
I. JONAS, b. Oct. 9, 1774, m. Esther Lawrence of Shirley, Nov. 23, 1799. After short residences in several different towns, he was removed to Pepperell, where he d.
II. THOMAS LITTLE, b. Feb. 22, 1776, m. Rachel Willard of Harvard, pub. June 28, 1802, and settled in Boston, where there were b. to him three children :
1. CAROLINE. 2. MARY. 3. THOMAS. Caroline d. at Boston, and the family removed from New England to parts unknown.
III. BETSEY, b. Nov. 29, 1777, m. Leonard Edgarton, July 12, 1798, lived and d. at Harvard.
IV. WILLIAM, b. Dec. 11, 1779, m. Martha Wellington. As may be seen by reference to the third chapter of this history, Jonas Parker, the older brother of William, was a pioneer in the manu- facture of paper, in town ; and William Parker wrought under the instruction of his brother, and was engaged through life in making and trafficking in paper. He lived and d. at Boston, but his paper manufactory was located at Sudbury. Mr. Parker had three chil- dren, b. at Boston ; one d. early ; the others were :
1. WILLIAM THOMAS, b. Dec. 26, 1814, r. Boston (1880), unm.
2. MARTHA WELLINGTON, b. Aug. 13, 1826, m. Rev. Samuel Hobert Winkley, Aug. 13, 1849, and has several children, r. Boston (1883).
V. REBECCA, b. Nov. 12, 1781, m. John Robbins of Shirley, Jan. 20, 1800.
VI. PHINEHAS, b. Feb. 2, 1784, d. young.
VII. LYDIA, b. Nov. 8, 1785, m. John Foley of Boston.
VIII. JOSEPH, b. Nov., 1787, d. young.
Parker, Abel, was b. at Groton [probably], Nov. 24, 1745, a son of Nathaniel and Eleanor (Walker) Parker, m. Sarah - and lived at Shirley as early as 1772. He went from this town with the volunteers called out by the alarm of April 19, 1775, and left the birth-dates of two children upon the town records.
I. ABIGAIL, b. March 29, 1772.
II. SEWALL, b. March 15, 1775.
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GENEALOGY .- PARKER-PATTERSON.
parker, Abel, Jr., supposed to have been a son of Abel and Esther (Shattuck) Parker of Groton, and b. Nov. 18, 1754, is supposed to have lived in Shirley, at the commencement of the war of the Revolution, as he was one of the eighty volunteers under Capt. Haskell, on the alarm of April 19, 1775. He also enlisted under Capt. Robert Longley, on the 26th of the same month, for a service of eight months. Whether or not he had a family in town is unknown.
Parker, peter, Dr., son of Peter and Prudence (Lawrence) Parker of Groton, b. Jan. 15, 1747. He was one of the 19th of April volunteers. He m. Mary -, and lived in town until his death, which occurred March 28, 1777, two months before the birth of his youngest child. He had three children :
I. MARY, b. at Groton, Dec. 12, 1771.
II. PRUDENCE, b. at Shirley, Aug. 12, 1774.
III. PETER, b. at Shirley, May 29, 1777.
Parker, John, (supposed to have been a son of Abel and Esther Parker of Groton, and a brother of Abel Parker, Jr.,) was b. April 15, 1757; and that he was a resident of Shirley in 1775 is proved by the fact that he enlisted into Capt. Longley's company from Shirley, July 13, 1775, for a service of eight months.
PATTERSON.
James Patterson, or Pattison, was a Scotchman by birth, and was a soldier in the army opposed to Cromwell and the Commonwealth. He was made a prisoner by the Cromwell army at the battle of Dun- . bar, Sept. 3, 1650, and was transported to America by order of the Protector. He embarked at London, Nov. 6, 1651, and the first that is known of his whereabouts, on this side of the Atlantic, was in 1658, when he was a resident of Billerica, where he became a large landholder. He m. Rebecca Stevenson of Cambridge, May 29, 1662. In King Philip's war his house was a garrison; and for his services in that war he was awarded (or his heirs were) a grant of land in Narragansett No. 6, which is now Templeton. He had eight children.
James Patterson, Jr., was the seventh in the order of age, and was b. at Billerica, April 13, 1683. He removed to Dunstable, where he resided several years, and then he became an inhabitant of Groton, where he d. '1738. He had six children, of whom
Patterson, James, was second in order of birth. (James," James, Jr.,2 James.1) He married Mrs. Elizabeth Bartlett, (whose maiden name was Nichols,) Jan. 17, 1744, and lived in that part of Groton now known as Shirley, on or near the farm now owned by
590
HISTORY OF SHIRLEY.
Warren Wilson, situated on the east road leading from the centre of the town to the South Village. He was one of the petitioners, in 1747, that Shirley be made an independent municipality, and was chairman of the board of selectmen the second year after the organi- zation of the town. He died May 4, 1759. His children-six in number-were all b. in Shirley, three before and three after its organization.
I. SYBIL, b. July 22, 1747, m. Brown, and removed to Temple, N. H.
II. NICHOLAS, b. March 22, 1749. He removed to Harvard, and established himself in that place as a tanner. He was twice m., (first) to Anna , (second) to Mrs. Abigail Whitney, pub. Sept. 12, 1778. About the year 1790 he and his son Artemas went to Vermont, and took up some wild land at Otter Creek. Both d. of fever while there. He had seven children, all b. at Harvard :
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