USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Royalston > Reflections on Royalston, Worcester County, Massachusetts, U.S.A > Part 31
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Royalston Grange has held successful fairs and field-days, and has made prize- winning exhibits at the fairs of the Worcester Northwest Agricultural Society. It has assisted its members and others in times of sickness and trouble, and made generous financial contributions for numerous worthy objects. And it is the nucleus of a large part of the social entertainment at the Center.
SOUTH ROYALSTON GRANGE, NO. 320, P. OF H.
South Royalston Grange, No. 320, Patrons of Husbandry, was organized March 11, 1913, with 49 members. The first officers were: Master, Harold C. Mosher; Overseer, Forest E. Richmond; Lecturer, Victoria Connolly; Chaplain, Lura Williams; Steward, Franklin A. Brown; Assistant Steward, Charles Stewart; Lady Assistant Steward, Elizabeth D. Brown; Secretary, Florence E. Wheeler; Treasurer, John Heath; Gate-Keeper, Harry J. Greenhall; Ceres, Marguerite Henderson; Pomona, Helen Struthers; Flora, Mary Sullivan; Executive Commit- tee, Brenton H. Mosher, Carl E. Heath, J. Frank Wilkey.
The meetings were held in Whitney hall, in the school building, for about two years; but in the spring of 1915 the old Methodist church building was purchased by the Grange and fitted up for its purposes. The South Royalston Grange, how- ever, was not destined, like the one at the Center, to flourish for many years. Va- rious causes, perhaps, led to its disbandment,-removal of prominent members, lack of interest in agricultural affairs, other attractions more appealing, etc. Some of the members became members of the Granges at the Center and in other places, and the Methodist church building was sold to the Finnish people, who had located in considerable numbers in and near South Royalston village, and needed the build- ing for their own public purposes.
LADIES' BENEVOLENT SOCIETIES.
The Royalston Ladies' Benevolent Society has been in existence for more than a century. Its gracious work has been going on from year to year during all of that time, and new members have been taken in to fill the places of those incapaci- tated by sickness or age or removed by death. It would be impossible to compile anything like a complete list of all the good offices performed by the kind-hearted members in the name of the society; but their work has consisted in part of sewing for families in need; the making of bedquilts and other articles, which have some- times been turned into cash at fairs and sales; festivals and suppers, the proceeds of which have been devoted to benevolent uses; and many other self-sacrificing serv- ices for the good of individuals and the community as a whole. One of its most conspicuous public works was the raising of $250 by various means (at the sugges- tion of Mrs. George Woodbury, see page 129,) to which was added another $250 by Joseph Raymond, for the beginning of the Royalston Public Library.
The meetings of the society are usually held at the homes of the members, in the afternoons, and sometimes the gentlemen are invited to "tea" or supper, and perhaps to "spend the evening." Occasionally the whole afternoon and evening occurrence transpires at the town hall. Many of the best public entertainments have been given under the auspices of the society. Its 100th anniversary was cel- ebrated June 26, 1925, with an elaborate entertainment, and a historical sketch was read by Mrs. Emma (Pierce) Stowe. The oldest member, Mrs. Martha (Turner) Nichols, 89 years of age, was present.
South Royalston has a Ladies' Aid Society, which for many years has rendered benevolent services, similar to those of the society at the Center.
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OLD ROYALSTON FAMILIES.
Mr. Caswell devoted a large amount of space in his History of Royalston to "Old Royalston Families." The results of his researches in preparing sketches of those old families are interesting, enlightening, amusing, and sometimes exasper- ating. An alien like Mr. Caswell is at a great disadvantage in carrying on such work, as compared with the person who has lived in the town and is in possession of a large amount of information that may be secured by the alien only with a great deal of trouble, and much perhaps not secured at all.
It is a wide open question how much these old family records are worth,-how many people are interested in these lists of names and dates for numerous genera- tions, of people who for the most part were only mediocre, with occasionally one with talents so well developed as to merit a place in a printed "hall of fame."
It's what some folks would call "fascinating work,"-this hunting out and har- monizing names and dates, and building up families, and so on. But it is work that should be done by interested parties, members of the families, desiring to perpet- uate the memory of their loved and honored relatives, rather than by others as a means of commercial gain.
Even those best equipped in such matters are liable to make mistakes. A cousin who had done more than anybody else in our connection in working out the genealogy of the Morse family, in sending me a transcript of a part of her record, gave the year of the deaths of our grandparents as 1870, which I knew was not correct when I discovered that the dates as given by her would have brought our grandmother's funeral on the same day as my marriage, which did not so occur.
Another relative, in informing me of the death of an aunt, referred to the pre- vious deaths of two other aunts, and made three errors in giving the dates.
A girl, whose home was on Royalston Common, and who had been my school- mate, died July 3, 1861. I know positively that she died in 1861, for that was the only year that I was employed in the woolen mill at South Royalston; the Fourth of July holiday that year came on Thursday; I walked to my home at the Center Wednesday evening, and learned of the death of the girl; walked back to South Royalston Thursday evening in order to be ready to resume my work in the mill at 5 o'clock Friday morning; worked Friday and Saturday forenoon, and then walked up to the Center and attended the funeral of that schoolmate Saturday afternoon. There is no event in my life of the date of which I have more positive and indis- putable evidence; and yet on the marble at that schoolmate's grave it is stated that she died July 3, 1862, and in Mr. Caswell's history it is stated that she died in 1863.
Written family records are convenient, if carefully kept and reasonably com- plete; but how often are they so? As frequently as otherwise, perhaps, they are partially filled at some gathering of several or many members of a family; some- one suggests that it is an opportune time to fill out the family record, and the big family Bible is brought out, and someone who is known to be a good penman is designated to make the entries. A few are executed with ease; and then comes a call for the date of some family event which no one present can supply, and finally the work is laid aside, perhaps never again to be taken up, or perhaps to be ex- tended by someone who has the desire but lacks the ability to do it properly.
Old town records are far from being complete, even if they are accurate as far as they go. Town clerks probably made them on "hearsay" or perhaps on request of interested persons, and many events were omitted. In later years laws have been made requiring all physicians, clergymen and justices, and undertakers, offi- ciating at births, marriages, deaths and funerals, to certify to city and town clerks the details of dates, names and parentage, residences, ages, etc., of persons in- volved in the events.
A citation of a few peculiar, contradictory and impossible things that have become a part of the published history of Royalston's people may be of interest to some readers.
On page 32 mention is made of a set of books with an elongated title, "pre- pared under the editorial supervision of Ellery Bicknell Crane," and devoted to the history of Worcester County and the genealogy of many of its people. This set of 4 large volumes was undoubtedly brought out under a subscription scheme, and the
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subscription price probably covered the publication of sketches of the families of the subscribers, with the subscribers (or other members of the families) brilliantly "illuminated" at the beginnings and the endings of the sketches.
The Newton Family in Royalston was the subject of two sketches, probably because there were two subscribers. At any rate, we may suppose, from its posi- tion in the work, that the courteous solicitor, having secured the subscription of Willard Hazen Newton, blocked out a sketch of the family, getting such informa- tion as he could from the subscriber, and leaving the rest to be filled out under the "editorial supervision" of Mr. Crane, from the storehouses of the Worcester Society of Antiquity, of which he was the librarian. Then later, we may believe, the alert solicitor secured the subscription of Phinehas S. Newton for the work, but Phinehas In his modesty not caring to be exploited, arranged that the "illumination" should be thrown on his deceased brother, Charles Homer Newton. And although Willard Newton, grandfather of Willard Hazen Newton, and Elmer Newton, father of Charles Homer Newton, were brothers and credited as sons of Nathan Brigham Newton, the ancestry back of that is quite different in the two sketches, as shown in the following compilation of the lineages from the printed sketches:
Ancestry of Willard Hazen Newton: Ancestry of Charles Homer Newton: I. Richard Newton, born in England.
I. Richard Newton, born in England.
II. Daniel, son of Richard.
II. Daniel, 5th child of Richard.
III. Nathaniel, son of Daniel.
IV. Simon, son of Nathaniel.
IV. Hezekiah, 2nd child of Isaac.
V. Nathan Brigham, son of Hezekiah.
VI. Willard.
VI. Elmer.
VII. Horatio Danforth.
VIII. Willard Hazen Newton.
VII. Charles Homer Newton.
In apparent support of the statement that Nathan Brigham Newton was a son of Simon Newton, the Crane work states that Simon Newton "bought land in Roy- alston, Sept. 5, 1765, of William Pierce, of Royalston, and he sold land there, March 9, 1772, to Joseph Lee, of Concord, Mass." It is also stated that Simon Newton "had 7 children born and baptized at Royalston." And further, referring to Nathan Brigham Newton: "Nathan Brigham, for whom he was named, was guardian of his father, Simon Newton, when his grandfather [Nathaniel Newton] died, and was doubtless related."
In support of the version which places Nathan Brigham Newton as a son of Hezekiah Newton, it is stated that Hezekiah Newton had a son Hezekiah, born June 25, 1755, died at Royalston, Jan. 6, 1848, aged 92 years.
Nathan Brigham Newton also had a son Hezekiah, born in 1787, married and father of 9 children, who followed Major John Norton on the farm at the north part of the town which has since been known as the Metcalf and the Mosman place and has now been owned and occupied by Miss Edith Ely Metcalf as a summer home for nearly a quarter of a century. This Hezekiah Newton died in 1852.
So it appears that the Newtons who all acknowledge Nathan Brigham Newton as a common ancestor, have a choice in their progenitors for 3 generations back of him.
The sketches of "Old Royalston Families" in Mr. Caswell's History of Royals- ton abound in contradictory, misleading, untrue and ridiculous statements.
The story of the Metcalf family is, in many respects, one of the best in the book, and was probably blocked out by a member of the family, who had access to such records as had been kept and knew where to seek other needed information. Perhaps the following quirk was "edited" into it after it left the hands of the orig- inal compiler. On page 167 it is stated that Isaac Stevens Metcalf married Antoi- nette Brigham Putnam, that she died Aug. 14, 1875, and that they had 12 children. Then follows a list of 9 of the children, numbered in consecutive order, and it is stated that the 9th one was born Sept. 7, 1875,-24 days after the death of her mother, and no mention is made of the births of the 10th, 11th and 12th children, whether they were born before or after the death of their mother. Allowing that an error was made in the date either of the death of the mother or of the birth of the 9th child, we may imagine that the 3 other children were born between the 9 as listed and "died young," so that they were not of sufficient importance to mention. But that explanation of the quirk will not be likely to come to all readers.
III. Isaac, 4th child of Daniel.
V. Nathan Brigham, son of Simon.
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In his illumination of the Leathe family Mr. Caswell, on page 321, stated that John Walton Leathe was born Jan. 22, 1815, and married Polly Morse of Fitzwillam Nov. 15, 1828, before he was 14 years old, which is rather startling; and then a few lines below on the same page, he stated that John Leathe, uncle to John Walton Leathe, married apparently the same Polly Morse of Fitzwilliam, on the same date, Nov. 15, 1828. A few other quirks appear in this sketch of the Leathe family.
The Stone family was extraordinarily embellished by the statement, on page 324, that Robert Waldo Stone, the son of Edward Lyman Stone, was born Aug. 7, 1862, when his father was less than 11 years of age; and also that Edward Lyman Stone was the father of Cora Viola Stone, born May 9, 1869, when the reputed father was less than 18 years of age, and that she was married Dec. 24, 1891. On page 323 it is stated that Edward Lyman Stone had a sister, Cora Viola Stone, and that she was born May 7, 1868, and married Dec. 24, 1892. A queer mixup.
The Bragg family was the recipient of a liberal allowance of double dating. On page 104, it is told that Rev. Jesse Kendall Bragg was born Oct. 11, 1811, while on page 304 the date of his birth is set along 6 years, to Oct. 11, 1817. On page 304 it is stated that Henry Obookiah Bragg was born Aug. 21, 1824, and on page 306 the date is set back 4 months, to April 21, 1824. The date of the birth of Everett Bert Bragg is given in two ways on page 306,-March 2, 1856, and March 20, 1856.
The Bullock family was given surplus treatment on page 183, when two birth- days were specified for Calvin Bullock. The first date is set as Sept. 21, 1829, and very likely is the correct one, as it corresponds with the one given in the Vital Records. The other date of birth is given as Sept. 20, 1830, and in my opinion was secured by erroneous rockoning backward. As is well understood, it is a common practice with many people to "keep track" of the ages of relatives and friends by remembering their ages at the last anniversaries, and then when the next anniver- saries come, adding a year and remembering the resulting figures for another year; and probably in the majority of such cases no recollection is kept of the year of the birth, and an effort is made to secure it by reckoning backwards, which, if not very carefully done, may lead to an error. But a historian should be on guard against things of this nature, and by investigation, comparison and analysis establish the correct dates, and never publish contradictory statements without explanation.
THE CHAMBERLAIN FAMILY.
In his sketch of the Chamberlain family, Mr. Caswell traced them down from Simeon Chamberlain, who came from Sutton to Royalston about 1768, and became Royalston's first schoolmaster, down through 4 generations to Bela N. Chamber- lain, whom he stated was married to H. Jane Cram, Aug. 15, 1849, and that their first child, Herbert Bela Chamberlain, was born Aug. 15, 1849,-the same date that his parents were married. As it seemed probable to me that Herbert Bela Cham- berlain had furnished much of the data for that sketch, that if the dates as given by Mr. Caswell were correct he would have avoided giving them, and that he might still be living, I addressed a letter to him at Brattleboro, Vt., which was given as his place of residence, to give him an opportunity to correct the error, if one had been made.
But Herbert Bela Chamberlain had "passed on" before my letter reached his home, and it was answered by his widow, Mrs. Nettie L. (Phillips) Chamberlain. She sent a sketch of the branch of the Chamberlain family which removed to New Hampshire and expanded there and in Vermont; the date of the marriage of Bela N. Chamberlain is given as Oct. 27, 1847, and of the birth of his first son, Herbert Bela Chamberlain, as Aug. 15, 1849. This makes it quite apparent that the publi- cation of both events as of the same date was due to Mr. Caswell's carelessness in copying the dates from the letter sent him.
Herbert Bela Chamberlain, who had served as town lister, or assessor, for 20 years, and as town auditor of Brattleboro for 28 years, died July 31, 1917. I was grieved when I read in a news item that his widow, with whom I had corresponded, had ended her own life in despondency over physical ills, July 5, 1925.
The interest awakened by the results of my correspondence with Mrs. Cham- berlain led me to yield to the "fascination" of working out, from the information given by her, by the Vital Records and by Mr. Caswell's book, a full genealogical
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sketch of the Chamberlain family in Royalston; but I will refrain from printing it, as I cannot see that it would be of very much interest to anyone who is likely to come in contact with this work, and the matter sent me by Mrs. Chamberlain shows quite plainly that the Chamberlain family, which would be the ones most interested, have the genealogy well worked out on their own account.
Two Chamberlains married Metcalfs in 1816 and 1823; and Elder John Shep- ardson married Maria Chamberlain of New Salem, but perhaps of Royalston origin, in 1843. Perhaps the latest connection of the Chamberlains with anyone known to Royalston people in recent times came when John Chamberlain married Widow Sarah Holden of Templeton for his 3rd wife, in 1828, and John Holden, son of the erstwhile Widow Holden, married Hannah, daughter of this John Chamberlain, in 1829. It seems probable that this John Holden was a progenitor of the late Emory A. Holden, and the Holden place, "under the hill," where he was born, was previously a Chamberlain place, and quite probably the home of "Royalston's first schoolmaster," Simeon Chamberlain (see page 98).
THE GALE FAMILY.
The first member of the Gale family to settle in Royalston, probably, was Isaac Gale, son of Isaac Gale, of Sutton, who, about 1770, took over the mill lot and privilege on the Lawrence, about 2 miles south from the Common, on what is now known as the. Athol road, which had previously been conveyed by the Proprietors to Benjamin Marsh, also from Sutton. This Isaac Gale died about 1778, and Henry Nichols, who was the grandfather of the late Joseph T. Nichols, and whose wife had died, married the widow of this Isaac Gale and removed to the Gale mills and operated them (see page 61).
Isaac Gale left a large family; one son, Jonathan Gale, served in the Revolu- tionary army; his son, Isaac Gale, 2d, was born in 1787, served in the War of 1812, and married Tamar Goddard; they had 10 children.
Three of those children went to the great west and there achieved careers which entitled them to positions in Royalston's printed "hall of fame."
Amory Gale, born in Royalston in 1815, acquired a good education and became a clergyman. His first sermon was delivered in Worcester in 1837, and following successful pastorates in Massachusetts, in 1857 he became pastor of the First Bap- tist Church at Minneapolis, Minn., and in 1859 engaged in home missionary work in Minnesota, which continued for 16 years, during which he pursued his work under the hardships of the new country with indomitable zeal and great success. In 1874 he gave up his work on account of failing health, and started on a journey to the "Holy Land," reached Jerusalem, but died from sunstroke while on the way to Joppa, and was buried in the German cemetery at Joppa.
Samuel Chester Gale was born in Royalston in 1827, educated himself for the legal profession, went to Minneapolis in 1857, and was admitted to practice in 1858. But the development of real estate in that new country promised more profitable results than the practice of law; and in 1861, in partnership with his brother, Har- low A. Gale, he established a real estate and loan business, which resulted in much profit to the firm and aided greatly in the growth of the city. He was active in everything pertaining to the welfare of the community, and held many positions of trust and responsibility with honor to himself and advantage to the public. Iden- tified with the Unitarian Church, he was the chief contributor to the cost of its edi- fice. In 1861 he married Susan A. Damon, of Holden, Mass .; they had 5 children. In 1887 Mr. and Mrs. Gale presented to the Town of Holden the Damon Memorial Library and school building, at a cost of more than $45,000, to which Mr. Gale added $3,000 for books. At about the same time he gave the parsonage and grounds to the West Royalston Baptist Church.
Harlow A. Gale was born in Royalston in 1832, acquired a good education, and went to Minneapolis about 1857, where he became connected with some of the im- portant enterprises in the development of that flourishing city. In partnership with his brother he plotted new land and added much to the territory of the city. He built the first public market in Minneapolis, in 1877, and continued in that line almost throughout his life. He married Elizabeth C. Briggs of Bristol, Conn., in 1859, and they had 4 children.
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THE FRYE FAMILY.
Captain John Frye, the progenitor of a large family of his name, was one of the earliest settlers of Royalston, as he came to the town some time before its in- corporation in 1765. He was born in Andover in 1719, but in his early manhood he became a resident of Sutton, where he operated a grist-mill and was a deacon of the Congregational church, moderator of town meetings 2 years and assessor 6 years. He had served as lieutenant and as captain in the militia.
In Royalston he at once acquired a position of prominence and leadership, and was chosen as the first Town Clerk, first Selectman, first Assessor, first Moderator of a town meeting, Representative to the General Court, all of which positions he filled for several years, with honor to himself and to the satisfaction of the people. He was chosen the first Deacon of the first "Church of Christ in Royalston," and continued in that office for more than 45 years, until the end of his life, in 1814, at the ripe old age of nearly 95 years.
Captain John Frye married Elizabeth Woodbury, of Sutton, in 1848. She was a sister of Benjamin Woodbury, another first settler, first Selectman and first Dea- con, and of Capt. Peter Woodbury, also another first settler, first Town Treasurer, and later Town Clerk, Selectman, Assessor, Representative, etc.
The place on Frye hill originally settled by Captain John Frye, has now, in 1925, been continuously occupied by members of his family for more than 160 years, the present occupant being Benjamin Alexander Frye, a great-grandson of Captain John. It is doubtful if there is another case of continuous occupation of a place by one family for so many years in the history of Royalston.
Captain John and Elizabeth (Woodbury) Frye had 9 children, 6 of whom were born in Sutton and 3 in Royalston.
Ebenezer Frye, their 3rd child, was born in Sutton in 1754, came to Royalston with his parents, married Mary Waite in 1783, and they had 7 children.
Benjamin Frye, the 5th child of Ebenezer and Mary (Waite) Frye, was born in 1793. He became prominent in town affairs, and served as Town Treasurer 16 years, Selectman 4 years, and Representative 3 years. He married Miranda Bar- ton, of Croydon, N. H., in 1836. Benjamin Frye died Sept. 29, 1861, and Miranda (Barton) Frye died March 25, 1890. They had 6 children:
1. George Ebenezer Frye, born Aug. 18, 1837; married Aurilla Howard of Croydon, N. H .; enlisted in the 5th New Hampshire Regiment of Infantry in the Civil War, and lost his life at the battle of Chancellorsville, May 2, 1863.
2. ªRosette Miranda Frye, born Dec. 14, 1839, became a teacher in public schools and a member of the board of education of Fitzwilliam, N. H. She mar- ried Dea. Leonard Byam of Fitzwilliam, Nov. 1, 1865, and died Dec. 3, 1892.
3. Benjamin Alexander Frye, born May 10, 1841; enlisted in the 36th Massa- chusetts Regiment of Infantry in the Civil War and served for 3 years; married Alice Morrison Giggie, May 15, 1867. They had 5 children:
(1.) Harriet Miranda Frye, born March 28, 1868; married William H. Shepard, Sept. 1, 1890; they had 3 children: Walter Earl Shepard, born June 11, 1891; Olive Mildred Shepard, born Dec. 19, 1896; Freda Elizabeth Shepard, born Aug. 22, 1898.
(2.) George A. Frye, born Jan. 18, 1870, died Feb. 9, 1870.
(3.) Myra Elizabeth Frye, born Jan. 20, 1871; married Clarence Hamilton. (4.) William Alexander Frye, born Dec. 21, 1872. He served in various town offices and as Deacon of the First Congregational Church. He married Alice Russell Fairbanks (see page 211) July 10, 1899, and they had 2 children: Richard Fairbanks Frye, born Sept. 7, 1900, graduated from Northeastern College, Boston, and mar- ried Nina Beady of South Royalston, June 21, 1925; William Russell Frye, born April 5, 1906.
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