USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Royalston > Reflections on Royalston, Worcester County, Massachusetts, U.S.A > Part 44
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Edward J. Richmond, son of Alfred J. and Elizabeth (Forrest) Richmond, was
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born in England, in 1870; he came to South Royalston with his parents, and was employed as a weaver in the woolen mill until it was destroyed by fire, in 1892; a year or two later he bought a half interest in a general store in Baldwinville, and in 1896 he acquired the whole business of the store, and began taking orders and delivering goods in South Royalston; in a short time he acquired the old store of Lyman L. Clark & Co., at South Royalston, restocked it, and with his father, Al- fred J. Richmond, as manager, continued a successful business in both stores; he was appointed postmaster at South Royalston in 1911, and his brother, Forrest E. Richmond, served as assistant. After a few years he disposed of the South Roy- alston store and made his home in Baldwinville. He married Bessie Margaret Harris, and they had 2 children.
THE CLARK FAMILY.
Members of the Clark family were quite numerous in Royalston during the first century of its history. From incomplete and not very exactly corresponding records in the Memorial and in Caswell's History, and from other sources, without any attempt to trace the genealogy through the published Vital Records, the fol- lowing information relating to members of the family has been gathered.
Benjamin Clark came to Royalston a few years after its incorporation, and settled on a farm the buildings on which were placed at the end of a short road leading easterly from the road from the Center to South Royalston, and south of the place for many years known as the Jones place and more recently as the Lemon place. His wife was Mehitable Edson, and it is told that he brought her from Bridgewater to the new home in an ox-cart. He served 2 years in the Revolution- ary War, as drummer, and he was also reputed as a "singing master." . He died in 1815, aged 66, and his wife died in 1841, aged 88; they had 6 or 7 children.
Benjamin Clark, Jr., a son of Benjamin Clark, married Susannah Dolbear; he succeeded his father on the farm, where he died, in 1833; his widow survived him many years, and attended the Centennial Celebration, in 1865, in her 91st year.
Timothy Clark, a son of Benjamin, Jr., and Susannah (Dolbear) Clark, was born in 1808; he married Mary A. Sprague, in 1843, and remained on the old farm of his father and grandfather for the most of his life; they had 7 children.
Edson Clark, son of Benjamin and Mehitable (Edson) Clark, married Lepha Fuller, and they had several children. He lived for many years at the place pre- viously occupied by Benjamin Blanchard, who established the first saw-mill and the first grist-mill at South Royalston, and owned a large part of the land on which South Royalston wss built, but which originally was parts of Athol and Phillipston. (See page 66.) This Edson Clark place has now for many years been known as the Putney place.
Ambrose Clark, son of Edson and Lepha (Fuller) Clark, was born in 1806; he married Joanna Sherwin, in 1827; they had 6 children; he died in 1882.
Lyman Clark, son of Edson and Lepha (Fuller) Clark, was born in 1813; he was the village shoemaker, and a prominent musician in the South Royalston Band; he married Olive Chandler, and they had 3 children.
Lyman L. Clark, son of Lyman and Olive (Chandler) Clark, was born in 1844; in his early life he was employed in the chair shop, and became a member of the band. In the vicinity of 1873 he bought a general store in South Royalston, and continued in trade there for about 30 years, with Henry R. Safford as partner part of the time; he was postmaster from 1885 to 1901. He married Ellen Sargent. He died in 1922.
Samuel Clark, son of Benjamin and Mehitable (Edson) Clark, married Luseba Ward; they lived on a farm in the south-west part of Royalston. They had 7 children, one of whom, Susan G. Clark, married Calvin C. Chapin, and they settled on the farm with her parents, and had 5 children born there.
Eber (not Eben) Clark, another son of Benjamin and Mehitable (Edson) Clark, settled east of the Cutler place, now long known as the Harrington place. He married Sally Chase, in 1813; they had 7 children, among whom were Mary Ann Clark, who married Luke Temple, and Moses Lovell Clark, who married Anna M. Temple; both resided in Fitchburg for many years.
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THE STONE FAMILY.
Lyman Stone was born in Dover, Vt., in 1825, the youngest of 7 children of his parents. The father died while Lyman was an infant, and the mother had a hard struggle in caring for the family. His home was in Fitzwilliam, N. H., after he was 5 years of age until he was 21, when, with $400 and 3 suits of clothes, which he had accumulated by hard work and economy, he acquired the old Lieut. Jonas Allen saw-mill place, on Beaver Brook, in the easterly part of Royalston.
On page 65 James Stone was named as one of the proprietors of this former Allen sawmill .. The Masschusetts Register for 1853 erroneously gave the name of James Stone, Royalston, in its list of sawmill proprietors, which led to the assump- tion that Lyman Stone's father might have been named James and that he might have preceded Lyman, which better information disproves.
Lyman Stone acquired the place in the vicinity of 1846, and for more than half a century he was extensively engaged in lumbering and turning out chair stock and other material. He was a public spirited citizen, and served as Selectman, Assessor, School Committee, and in charge of highways many years.
Lyman Stone married Marilla Amanda Waste, of Whitingham, Vt., in 1850. They lived in the home which he had built, near his mill, for more than 50 years, and there, on Feb. 14, 1900, they celebrated their golden wedding anniversary, with a dinner served to 39 descendants and those connected by marriage, and a reception which was largely attended. Mr. Stone died Sept. 21, 1900. His wife, Marilla Amanda (Waste) Stone, has lived to celebrate many birthday anniversaries, as it has become a custom to observe the occasion each year at the home of one of her children, a large company of relatives always gathering for the event. She is a guest of special honor at gatherings of aged people, and always appreciated by the younger people. She gracefully presided at the old-fashioned spinning wheel on a float in the street parade at the Sesqui-Centennial Celebration, in 1915, when she was within a few days of her 85th birthday.
Lyman and Marilla Amanda (Waste) Stone had 9 children, and their descend- ants of later generations are numerous; full details cannot be given, for it is im- possible for anyone to gather anything like complete data relating to a constantly increasing and changing line of descendants; but the following, gathered from various sources, are probably reasonably accurate, "as far as they go."
1. Edward Lyman Stone, son of Lyman and Marilla Amanda (Waste) Stone, born March 31, 1852. After attending school he was employed at his father's mill for a while. In 1877 he removed to Fitzwilliam Depot, where he became a member of the firm of Burbank & Stone, with a sawmill and a gristmill, producing lumber, chair stock, pail stock, and other material; the next year the partnership was dis- solved and Mr. Stone continued the business. In 1894 the mill was destroyed by fire, and was rebuilt the same year. In 1913 the business was turned over to his son, Robert W. Stone.
Edward L. Stone married Emma Frances Collins, March 31, 1875; they had 2 children; she died Oct. 6, 1920. He married, 2nd, Mrs. Nellie (Hayden) Norris, Dec. 22, 1921. Mr. Stone died suddenly, Dec. 6, 1926. He and his wife were active in the affairs of Fitzwilliam Depot village, and loyal supporters of the Methodist church there; by his will he left a fund of $1000 for that church. At the annual March meeting for 1927 the town of Fitzwilliam accepted from his son, Robert W. Stone, a gift of 23 acres of land for reforestation purposes, in memory of Edward L. Stone, with the provision that a suitable commemorative tablet be erected.
Robert Waldo Stone, son of Edward L. and Emma F. (Collins) Stone, in his early life gained practical knowledge of his father's business, so that he was well prepared to take it over in 1913, and has carried it on up to the present writing, in 1927; the mill was destroyed by fire again in 1923, but it was soon rebuilt.
Robert W. Stone married, and had several children; his 1st wife died, and he married, 2nd, Mabel L. Francis, in 1921. Mildred Bailey Stone, a daughter of Robert, married William Haskell Davis, in 1924, and they are credited with a daughter, Marilyn. Other children of Robert W. Stone are Evelyn, Frank, Rollin and Roscoe.
Florence Stone, daughter of Edward L. and Emma F. (Collins) Stone, married Charles Cudworth, and they made their home in Orange.
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2. Clarence Ebenezer Stone, son of Lyman and Marilla Amanda (Waste) Stone, was born Jan. 10, 1854. He married Mary Isabelle Averill, of North New- castle, Maine, Jan. 10, 1876. They settled on a place north of the Stone sawmill, and with his farming there, and service of the town in highway and bridge work, cemetery improvements, inspection of meats and other lines, he has filled his life with useful activities. The golden wedding anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. Stone was observed May 31, 1926, the time having been advanced from the actual date in January, perhaps to insure a more comfortable season. About 120 relatives and friends called at the home during the day and evening, to offer congratulations and good wishes, and enjoy the hospitality and sociability of the occasion. Royalston's youngest old lady, Mrs. Marilla A. Stone, in her 96th year, assisted in the receiv- ing line. Among the gifts were a beautiful clock from the people of the northeast neighborhood, and a purse of $185 in gold from townspeople, relatives and out of town friends.
Clarence E. and Mary Isabelle Stone had 4 children: Clara, Maude, Chester, and Roland. Clara Stone married Ryland Doten, and resided in Gardner. Maude E. Stone married Harry D. Bixby, in 1900; they had a daughter, Louise S. Bixby, born in 1908; Mr. Bixby died in 1915; Mrs. Maude E. (Stone) Bixby married, 2nd, Sidney E. White, of Winchendon. Chester Stone and Roland Stone are both men- tioned in newspaper items as having families.
3. Emma Marilla Stone, daughter of Lyman and Marilla A. Stone, was born Nov. 24, 1855. She married Sidney H. Thayer, of Athol, Nov. 18, 1875; he died Nov. 4, 1919. They had 3 children: Etta, Sadie and Frank.
4. Mary Lucinda Stone, daughter of Lyman and Marilla A. Stone, was born Sept. 23, 1858. She married James Orville Hayden, May 11, 1877. They had 3 children: Edith, born in 1881, married Frank A. Barlow, and died in 1906; Arthur; and Orville, who died in 1919.
5. Harriet Maria Stone, daughter of Lyman and Marilla A. Stone, was born Oct. 15, 1862. She married George E. Carkin, July 4, 1882. They had a daughter, Winnifred E., who died in 1888.
6. Julia Lillian Stone, daughter of Lyman and Marilla A. Stone, was born June 4, 1866. She married Alonzo S. Parker, June 17, 1885. They had 2 children: Harry and Ruth.
7. Cora Viola Stone, daughter of Lyman and Marilla A. Stone, was born May 9, 1868. She married George H. Richards, Dec. 24, 1892; he died June 9, 1909. They had 4 children: Guy, Eva, Ray, and Roy. That Guy and Roy have married and had children is indicated in a newspaper report of the golden wedding celebra- of Mr. and Mrs. Clarence E. Stone, which listed, among the large number of rela- tives present, 12 bearing the name of Richards, as follows: Mrs. Cora Richards, Mr. and Mrs. Ray Richards, Mr. and Mrs. Guy Richards, George, Neva, Dorothy, Ina, Rita, Hope, and Master Guy Richards.
8. Lizzie Amelia Stone, daughter of Lyman and Marilla A. Stone, was born Dec. 11, 1869, and died Feb. 23, 1870.
9. Alice Ella Stone, daughter of Lyman and Marilla A. Stone, was born Jan. 11, 1871. She married Herbert O. Smith, Nov. 24, 1898. Mr. Smith followed his father-in-law, Lyman Stone, at the mill place, and has continued there to the time of this printing, in 1927. In 1914 he was elected as a deacon of the First Congre- gational Church, and has been re-elected to the position for each following term.
THE MACKENZIE FAMILY.
Colin Mackenzie was born in Montreal, Canada, of Scottish parentage, in 1854. Following the death of his parents in 1870 he removed to Winchendon, attended Cushing Academy 2 years, learned the carpenter's trade, and removed to Royals- ton in 1876. He has taken an active part in the affairs of the town, and has served as Selectman, Overseer of the Poor, member of the Board of Health, Trustee of the Phinehas S. Newton Public Library, Trustee of the John N. Bartlett Fund, on the Financial Advisory Committee, deacon of the First Congregational Church, and in other positions, most of which he has held for many years; and he has also served as Sexton at the Center for several years.
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Colin Mackenzie married Emeline Esther White, daughter of Stephen P. and Lucinda (Woodbury) White, Sept. 20, 1880. Mrs. Mackenzie has served as Libra- rian of the Royalston Public Library and the Phinehas S. Newton Public Library since Sept. 1, 1897, a period now at this writing in 1927, of nearly 30 years. Colin and Emeline (White) Mackenzie have had 2 children:
1. Bessie Janet Mackenzie, born May 26, 1884. She graduated at Cushing Academy, and was at Simmons College 2 years. She became an educator, and has been mentioned as having served as teacher of history in a Junior High School at New Haven, and as supervisory principal of a school at Danbury, Conn. She married Everett Edward Kahrman, Oct. 1, 1921. They have a child, Elizabeth.
2. Harlan Roderick Mackenzie, born Sept. 24, 1886. He graduated at Cushing Academy, and was at Colby College 2 years. He was Boys' Work Director with the Fitchburg Young Men's Christian Association for several years, resigning to accept a position for larger service with the Association at Franklin, Mass. He married Gladys D. White. They are credited with 3 children: Charlotte, Ruth, and Harlan R., Jr.
THE MORSE FAMILY.
The place in Royalston long known as the Russell Morse place, was first set- tled by Thomas Perry, who married and had children and grandchildren. The Memorial states that he sold the place to Ammi Faulkner, and resided with him there; feeble, and somewhat deranged, on a night in January, 1810, Mr. Perry wan- dered in the cold and snow, and died; he was 90 years old.
Ammi Faulkner was twice married, and is credited with 9 children by his first wife. He was a man of prominence in town affairs; he served as Selectman in 1798, and as Assessor 20 years between 1783 and 1810; he was a soldier in the Revo- lution, and a deacon of the First Church for 35 years. He died in 1845, aged 89.
RUSSELL MORSE HOMESTEAD.
The buildings shown in the picture are located near the center of Square 15 on our map on page 40, and adjacent to the old schoolhouse location designated by S, about 2 miles north of the Center. There is reason for supposing that the first buildings were not located at the position of those in the picture, for there is a remembrance of an old cellar hole some distance to the west, at a point overlook- ing a large section of the west part of the town, the place being on the ridge some- times called the "backbone" of Royalston, with the valley of the Lawrence River at the east and the valley of the Tully River at the west.
Russell Morse was of the 6th generation from Samuel Morse, who, with his wife and a son, came from England to New England in 1635. More than a century and a half later, July 12, 1786, Russell Morse was born, probably at Hubbardston,
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where his parents resided. Russell Morse acquired the Ammi Faulkner place; but the Memorial story that Faulkner was caring for Perry there as late as 1810, while Morse's first child was born in 1808, leads to the supposition that Morse might have resided elswhere in Royalston before he acquired the Faulkner place.
Along with his farming activities Russell Morse was called to notable public service. He was a member of the famous military company, the Royalston Grena- diers, and probably marched with his company to Boston, starting on Sunday, April 10, 1814, after attending divine service, in answer to a call for help to repel a possible invasion by the British. He served as Representative to the General Court 3 years, as Selectman 9 years, Assessor 9 years, School Committee several years, and in other important and influential positions.
Russell Morse married Betsey Waite, July 30, 1807. They had 7 children. He died Oct. 27, 1869; she died Nov. 13, 1869.
In the details relating to the children following, they are all mentioned as chil- dren of Russell and Betsey; but in the Vital Records, probably very accurate transcripts of the original town records, the 5th, 6th and 7th are named as children of Russell and Elizabeth. Russell Morse had only one wife; but apparently she had two names; without doubt she was named Elizabeth, and her relatives had that name placed on the record at her grave; but Betsey was apparently a name that was used by and concerning her so much that it got into the town records. Probably many of those who were named Elizabeth were called Betsey in the olden time; but in later years many Elizabeths have become Lizzies.
The 4th child is not mentioned in any way in the Vital Records. She was very generally known as Eliza, and the first knowledge that some of her relatives had that her name was Elizabeth came from the funeral and cemetery records. While in this case both names, Eliza and Elizabeth, have adhered to one person, we find among the children of Col. Benjamin Brown, Eliza, born in 1820, and also Elizabeth, born in 1833, who was originally named Betsey, but later took the name of Elizabeth, and the sisters lived scores of years as Eliza and Elizabeth.
1. Caroline Morse, daughter of Russell and Betsey (Waite) Morse, was born Nov. 15, 1808. She married Chauncy Chase, Dec. 2, 1830. He died Feb. 26, 1878; she died Dec. 28, 1894. They had 6 children. Details relating to the children and other descendants and other items concerning the family are given on page 256, under the Chase Family, and need not be repeated here.
2. Nelson Morse, son of Russell and Betsey (Waite) Morse, was born Feb. 18, 1810. He resided in Fitzwilliam, N. H., for several years, and about 1854 removed to Keene, N. H., where he was in charge of the Cheshire County jail, and after- wards engaged in real estate and auction commission business. He was one of the founders of St. James Episcopal Church. He married Sarah W. Flagg, in 1834; she died in the vicinity of 1880, and he died Jan. 3, 1883. They had 2 children:
(1.) Milo Morse, who died in infancy.
(2.) Julius Nelson Morse, born in Royalston, Aug. 5, 1840. After the family removed to Keene, and when he was 14 or 15 years of age, he entered the office of the Cheshire Republican as an apprentice, learned the printer's trade and became familiar with the details of newspaper work. He gained valuable experience by working on newspapers elsewhere, and in 1865 he returned to Keene, and with a partner purchased the Cheshire Republican, and a little later he bought his part- ner's interest and became sole proprietor; he continued as editor and publisher until 1878, when he sold out and retired from active business, although he con- tinued some editorial work for the Republican, and was correspondent for the Associated Press and several prominent newspapers. He was a member of the Masonic fraternity, an official of St. James Episcopal Church, trustee of a savings bank, and an officer in several societies engaged in humanitarian and public im- provement work, in which he was deeply interested. He married, 1st, Elizabeth W. Poole, Jan. 23, 1868; she died Sept. 28, 1869; he married, 2nd, Anna M. Chase, Oct. 18, 1874; he died Feb. 21, 1896.
3. Esther Morse, daughter of Russell and Betsey (Waite) Morse, was born Jan. 3, 1813. She married George Chase, Sept. 2, 1835. He died March 9, 1886; she died Dec. 13, 1906. They had 5 children. Further information relating to the descendants and the affairs of the family are given on page 258, under the Chase Family, and for that reason are omitted here.
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4. Eliza Morse, daughter of Russell and Betsey (Waite) Morse, was born Feb. 16, 1815. She married Elmer Bartlett, Aug. 2, 1843. He was in business in Boston, and they resided there until his death, Nov. 14, 1851; after that she made her home in Royalston for many years, but resided during the latter years of her very long life at the home of her son in Cambridge, where she died Jan. 15, 1905. She and her husband were the parents of 2 children:
(1.) Emma Greene Bartlett, born Jan. 24, 1848; died Oct. 8, 1865.
(2.) Edward Elmer Bartlett, born Sept. 23, 1850.
5. Russell Morse, Jr., son of Russell and Betsey (Waite) Morse, was born May 17, 1819. He lived on the John Prescott place, near his father's. For several years, in connection with his farming, he manufactured door mats from palmleaf waste, as mentioned on page 86. He was a partner with his oldest son in the firm of R. Morse, Jr. & Co., operating the store at the head of the Common. He was a member of the Centennial Celebration Committee in 1865, and of the Town Hall Building Committee in 1866; he died before the building was completed. He married Mary Ann Stebbins, Feb. 1, 1843. He died Oct. 27, 1867. He had arranged to care for his aged parents for the remainder of their lives, and his death was a severe shock to them; they survived him only about 2 years. The wife of Russell Morse, Jr., died Aug. 16, 1876. They had 4 children:
(1.) Edwards Russell Morse, born Aug. 23, 1844. In addition to his work on the farm, in his boyhood he assisted his father in manufacturing palmleaf mats; later he was employed at splitting palmleaf at the Newton shop at the Center. In 1866, in partnership with his father, under the firm name of R. Morse, Jr. & Co., he acquired the store at the head of the Common; his father died Oct. 27, 1867, and Edwards Russell Morse continued the business for about a year, when he sold out. He had a drygoods store in Gardner, and afterwards was employed in similar stores in Gardner, Fitchburg, Worcester, and elsewhere. The latest information is that he has lived at the south many years, probably in Tennessee. He married Carrie W. Neff, at Worcester, June 10, 1873; they had a child. There was informa- tion of a 2nd marriage, too indefinite to be recorded here.
(2.) Calista Stebbins Morse, born July 12, 1846. At the same time and place that her brother, Edwards Russell Morse, was married, June 10, 1873, at Worces- ter, she was married to George Harrison Wood; details pertaining to his career are given on page 279, under the Wood Family. They removed to Florida about 1884, and resided there the remainder of their lives. Mr. Wood died at Tangerine, in 1908, and his wife died there, Jan. 10, 1925. They had a daughter:
[1.] Winifred Morse Wood, born May 1, 1884; she married Clarence H. Estey, June 8, 1920; they had a child, Emma Winifred Estey, born Feb. 3, 1922.
(3.) John Prescott Morse, born probably about 1850. He remained at the old Morse farm until his early manhood. After the death of his mother he removed to Brockton, where he engaged in express business, an important part of his work being the transportation of the product of the numerous shoe manufactories of Brockton to the metropolitan market at Boston, and quite likely the carrying of a large portion of the materials used in the manufacture in the opposite direction; the business expanded immensely under his management, and was very remunera- tive. He became a member of the Brocton city government, and it has been told that he served as mayor of the city, as to the truth of which there is uncertainty. He was also said to have been prominently identified with street railway and real estate development. He married, and had a daughter. He died in Brockton.
(4.) Jenner E. Morse, born Nov. 29, 1859. After the death of his mother, in 1876, he attended St. Johnsbury (Vt.) Academy, with the intention of preparing for Dartmouth College; but after graduating from the academy he changed his plans, and entered a law office at Westboro, Mass., where he remained a year and a half, after which he went to the University of Michigan, at Ann Arbor, entering the law department, and in the following spring he was admitted to the bar by the Supreme Court of Michigan; he continued his law reading at Westboro during the summer vacation, and afterwards continued his studies at the University, gradu- ating in the class of 1883, with the degree of Bachelor of Laws. He then located at Saginaw, Mich., where he practiced his profession, and became prominent in politics and public affairs.
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