USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Newbury > Reminiscences of a nonagenarian > Part 16
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Thomas Smith, the first in America, bore the arms of Edward Smith of Hampshire :
SABLE ON A FESSE, ENGRAILED OR, BETWEEN THREE DEMI-LIONS PASSANT, ARGENT, AS MANY
FLEUR-DE-LIS GULES.
The ancient arms of Smith of Cuerdley were :
SABLE, SIX FLEUR-DE-LIS, THREE, TWO, AND ONE ARGENT.
Of the English ancestor to whom the arms of Smith were first issued I have no account.
William Smith, Bishop of Lincoln, a descendant of the Smiths of Cuerdley County, Lancaster, was born at Peel House in the township of Widness and chapelry of Farnsworth, in the parish of Prescot County, Lancaster. about the year 1460. In 1492 he was made Bishop of Litchfield and Coventry, and on the 18th of May, 1495, he was trans- lated to the see of Lincoln. About the year 1509, in conjunction with Sir Richard Sutton of Sutton near Mac- clesfield, he founded a college in the University of Oxford, "commonly called the King's Haule and Colledge of Brazen Nose." He also held the inn- portant office of Lord President of the Marches of Wales from the 17th of Henry VII to the 4th of Henry VIII. He made his will on the 26th of Dec. 1512, appointing William Smith, Arch- deacon of Lincoln, Gilbert Smith, Archdeacon of Northampton, Thomas Smith of Chester, merchant, and oth- ers, his executors. He died at his pal- ace at Buckden on the 2d of January. 1513, and was buried in the nave of
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OF A NONAGENARIAN.
Lincoln Cathedral, near the great west- ern door. Among his other benefac- tions were a chapel in Farnsworth Church, and a grammar school at the same place. The arms of the Bishop are :
ARGENT, A CHEVRON SABLE BETWEEN THREE ROSES GULES, BARBED AND SEEDED VERT.
He sealed with a W (the initial of his Christian name) between three roses. On the brass to his memory in Lincoln Cathedral, were four escutcheons,-one bearing his arms, two containing those of his two sees-Litchfield and Lin- coln, and a fourth blazoned with a sol- taire between four fleur-de-lis.
Of the Cuerdley family were Thomas Smith, twice Mayor of the city of Ox- ford, and Thomas Smith, of Chester, a near relative and one of the executors of Bishop Smith. This Cherdley family well observed the injunction, "to in- crease and multiply." Sir Thomas Smith of Hatherton, a descendant of Thomas of Chester, had twenty-two children. Robert Smith, esq., some- time citizen and draper of London, who died 23d of March, 1609-10, had elev- en sons and six daughters, all of whom are represented upon his monumental brass in Stoke Prior Church, Worces- tershire. His son Robert was the first baronet of Upton. Robert's second son, Sir James Smith, Knt., was Lord Mayor of London in 1685, and his eldest son Sir James Smith was the first baronet of Isfield.
John Smith of St. Giles's, Cripple- gate, entered his pedigree in 1663 as the tenth son of John Smith, of "Stoke Priory," and he married two wives and was the father of ten children. Of the same family was William Smith, of Cahir Moyle, Ireland, who had issue,
two daughters and co-heiresses-Char- lotte, married to Sir Edward O. Brien, Bart, and Harriet, wife of Thomas Ar- thur, Esq. of Glenomera. The arms of John Smith :
VINCERE !
WVIVERE AR
GENTMAN, & CAPTAYNE OF 2d COM. & 50 SOL- DIERS. VERT A CHEVRON QULES BETWEEN THREE TURK'S HEADS PROPER, TUR- BANED OR. CREST-AN OSTRICH OR IN THE BEAK A HORSE SHOE ARGENT. MOTTO. "VINCERE EST VIVERE."
The exact pedigree of this worthy cannot be traced. It is generally ad- mitted that he was descended from the Smiths of Cuerdley, and he is stated to have been born at Willoughby in Lin- colnshire in 1579, and to have been descended by his mother from the Rie- cards of Great Heck in the West Rid- ing of Yorkshire. He was in the ser- vice of Sigismund, brother to Duke of Transylvania, from whom he received in 1623 "three Turks' heads in a shield for his arms by patent under his hand and seal, with an oath ever to wear them in his colors, his picture in gold, and three hundred ducats yearly for a pension." This coat was granted in memory of three Turks, whom with his own sword he overcame, and cut off their heads, in the province of Transylvania.
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Captain Smith after various advent- ures in the old and new worlds, his life being saved by Pocahontas, etc., died in London on the 21st of June, 1631, and was buried in St. Sepulchre's, in · the choir, where is, or was, a long in- scription to his memory in "fine tink- ling rhyme and flowing verse," setting forth his great prowess and many vir- tues :
"How that he did divide from Pagans three Their heads and lives, types of his chivalrie ; For which great service in that climated one, Brave Sigismundus, King of Hungarion, Did give him a coat of arms to weare,
Those conquered heads got by his sword and speare," etc.
Sir Thomas Smith of Theydon Mount, Essex county, was secretary to King Edward the Sixth and Queen Elisabeth. . His family claim descent from Sir Roger de Clarendon, Knt., a natural son of Edward the Black Prince.
Sir Thomas Smith of Hill Hall, Es- sex, was created a baronet in 1661, his arms were :
SABLE, A FESSE DANCETTE ARGENT, BILLETY OF THE FIELD, BETWEEN THREE LIONS RAMPANT, GUARDANT OF THE SECOND, EACHI SUP- PORTING AN ALTAR OB, FLAMING
PROPER. CREST-A SALAMAN- DER IN FLAMES, DUCALLY GORGED, REGUARD-
ANT PROPER.
Some have supposed this crest indica- tive of the escape of Sir. Thomas from being burned in Queen Mary's reign, but the fiery crest is rather allusive to the "Smith that forgeth at the fire" of honest Verstegan.
Thomas, second son of John Smith of Corsham County, Wilts., settled in London and became farmer of the Cus- toms to Queens Mary and Elizabeth. He purchased the estate of Ostenhan- ger (now called Westenhanger) and other property, in Kent, and died in
1591, aged 69. By Alice, his wife, daughter and heiress of Sir Andrew Judde, Lord Mayor of London in 1550 (son of John Judde of Yurnbridge, by Margaret, daughter and co-heiress of Valentine Chiche, which Valentine mar- ried Philippa, daughter and co-heiress of Sir Robert Chichele, Lord Mayor of London 1411 and 1421, by Agnes, his wife, daughter and heiress of William Apuldrefield, brother of Archbishop Chichele, founder of All Souls), he had seven sons. It is said that Smith farmed the Customs, at first, for £12,000 a year, and that they were then raised, time after time, until he paid £55,000 a year, and, £60,000 being afterward demanded, he relinquished the contract. He gave his eldest son Thomas (who was made a Knight of the Bath by King James) £8,000 a year, and upon each of his other sons he bestowed not less in estates than £6,000 a year. He had six sons, who were sheriffs of six dif- ferent counties.
The surname of Smith is of great antiquity in Scotland, and of old was variously written Smyt, Smyth and Smith, and sometimes they have been called Gow, which is Gaelic for Smith. The traditional accounts of their origin is, that they are decended from the Clan Chattan : that Niel Croomb, third son of Murdoch of that clan, who lived in the reign of William the Lion, was their progenitor. The sejant cat is the device of the Clan Chattan, the motto "Na beau d'on chat gan lamhainu." -Touch not the cat without a glove. "The Clan Chattan, who gave the name to the county of Caithness, bore as their chief cognizance the wild mountain cat, and called their chieftain the Earl of Sutherland, Mohr an Chat, the great wild cat."
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OF A NONAGENARIAN.
CHAPTER XXX.
On the maternal side my first ances- tor in America was George Little, who came to Newbury, from Unicorn street near London bridge, in 1640. Though a young man, it appears as though he brought a considerable sum of money, as he made an extensive purchase of land, which now comprises some of the finest farms in Oldtown, most of this estate being still retained by his descendants. He was a man of honesty and ability, often appointed to fill places of trust and honor. He mar- ried Alice Poore, who sailed for New England from Southampton in May 1638, together with her younger broth- ers, Samuel and Daniel, in the party of Mr. Richard Dummer. She died in 1680, aged 62. His second wife was Eleanor Barnard, widow of Thomas Barnard of Amesbury.
George and Alice Little had five chil- dren-Sarah who died in infancy, Jo- seph, John, Moses, and a second Sarah. Capt. Joseph Little married Mary, daughter of Tristram Coffin, Esq. Their children were Judith, Joseph, (who died at the age of thirteen), George, Sarah, Enoch, Tristram, Mo- ses, Daniel, and Benjamin.
Ensign Enoch Little married Eliza- beth, daughter of John Worth. En- sign Little took his bride to a farm re- cently granted on Crane-neck hill ; this comprised the lower end of the hill ; Capt. James Smith's was above ; Mr. Ezra Pillsbury's place lay on the northern, and that of Dr. Adams on the southern slopes. The bridegroom mounted his horse, with his young wife on the pillion, and with their effects packed in saddle-bags, they rode over the bridle-path through the woods to
their new home. No shelter had been provided. It was pleasant summer weather, and the young couple on the first day dined upon a large, flat rock, which is still preserved as a memorial ; at night they sought the protection of the garrison house. A small house and suitable out-buildings were built, trees were felled, and fruitful fields soon replaced the ancient forest. This pair had seven children : Joseph, Eliz- abeth, John, Edmund, Enoch, Daniel, and Benjamin. Five of these-Jo- seph, John, Enoch, Daniel and Benja- min, died of the throat distemper, which at one time committed such fearful ravages throughout the colony. The only daughter, Elizabeth, married Abel Huse. Capt. Edmund Little mar- ried Judith, daughter of Dr. Matthew Adams of Crane-neck hill; their chil- dren were Elizabeth, Judith, Joseph, John, Sarah and Mary, (twins), Enoch, Eunice, Prudence and Hannah. Elizabeth married Abram Day, and moved to Bradford. Judith married twice-first Abram Adams, at the " Farms ;" second, Capt. Joseph Noyes of Newburyport. Joseph (my grandfather) married Betty Merrill. Within one year from her nuptials Mrs. Little died of consumption ; his second wife was Mary, third daughter of the Rev. William Johnson. John married Ruth, daughter of Ezekiel Hale; and Enoch, Mary, half-sister of Ruth : Sa- rah married Samuel Thurrell, or Thur- low. Mr. Thurrell resided some time at the " Farms." In the year 1788 he purchased the Dr. Adams place and moved to Crane-neck hill. Mary be- came the wife of John Merrill ; their only child, Lydia, married Dr. Daniel Noyes Poore ; these were the great- grandparents of the present Indian
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REMINISCENCES
Hill family. Eunice married Robert Adams at the "Farms." Prudence died when a child. Hannah married Samuel Dole ; this pair resided some years in Oldtown; afterwards Mr. Dole purchased the March Farm in Newtown, and moved thither.
Capt. Edmund Little apportioned to his son Joseph about seventy acres. He erected a house and barn at the foot of Crane-neck hill, just beyond the brook. This was then a consider- able stream, with sufficient power to turn the wheel of a grist mill which accommodated the neighborhood. Capt. Little had erected the present large and commodious mansion, now owned by his great-great-grandson, Edmund Little, and here he resided, his son Enoch occupying half of the house. A smaller one was built for John, farther up the hill. The homestead was divid- cd equally between these two, who cul- tivated the place, annually paying their father one-third of the income.
To avoid confusion I have spoken of my father's mother as' Grandmother Smith, and have not mentioned her leaving the Smith homestead. In the year 1787 Capt. James Smith died. At that time Capt. Edmund Little was a widower. Two years later widow James Smith married her neighbor Capt. Ed- mund Little. Her son Enoch and daugh- ter Sarah still occupied her part of the house, and cultivated the land. Prior to her marriage, settlements were drawn up by which, if Mrs. Little survived her husband, in lieu of the widow's dower, she was to receive a certain sum of money, and return to the home of her first marriage. This aged cou- ple lived a most pleasant and contented life for fourteen years ; then great- grandsir died quite suddenly, and "lit-
tle grandmother," as I used to style her, returned to her former home. Uncle Enoch Smith bought the Major Hill farm and moved thither, while grandmother sank into her former rou- tine, with her daughter Sarah for housekeeper, Uncle Enoch tilling the land as before. This marriage brought some queer relationships into our fami- ly. Prior to his mother's second union her son James had married Prudence, granddaughter of Capt. Edmund Little. Thus my father became son-in-law to his wife's grandfather. The stone erected at the grave of my father's mother bears this inscription :
ELIZABETH, WIFE OF CAPT. JAMES SMITH, AND RELICT OF CAPT. EDMUND LITTLE, AGED EIGHTY-SEVEN.
The first ancestor in America of Elizabeth Worth, the wife of Ensign Enoch Little, was Lionel Worth, who married Susanna Whipple. Her father John Worth, married Elizabeth, daugh- ter of Israel Webster, the second son of John and Mary (Shatswell) Webster of Ipswich. Mrs. Webster's second husband was John Emery of Newbury, who emigrated to this country from Romsey, England.
The arms of Worth are ;
ARGENT, AN EAGLE IMPERIAL SABLE, MEMBERED OR, CREST-A LION RAMPANT PPR.
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OF A NONAGENARIAN.
The Rev. Daniel Little was born July 18th, 1724. He married in 1751, Mary, daughter of Rev. Joseph Emer- son, who died June 2d, 1758, aged 32, and Sarah Coffin, June 6th, 1759. Though Mr. Little did not pursue a collegiate course, he spent several years in teaching, and the degree of A. M. was conferred by Harvard College in 1766. He studied theology with Rev. Joseph Moody of York, District of Maine, and in March, 1751, was or- dained pastor of the second parish in Wells, in that district. Mr. Little was one of the most distinguished and in- fluential clergyman in that region, en- joying a most successful pastorate of over fifty years. In 1772 he was ap- pointed for missionary service in the eastern portion of the district of Maine. This work led during the succeeding years to be a series of arduous tours and he became styled the Apostle of the East. He established a school for the Indians on the Penobscot, and prepared a full vocabulary of their lan- guage. Mr. Little was much interested in the education of youth, and when far advanced in years, was selected as one of the trustees of Bowdoin College at its establishment. He died suddenly of paralysis, on the 5th of December, 1801, leaving several children and grandchildren ; one of the latter be- came the leading partner in the firm Little, Brown & Co., Boston.
Col. Moses Little, born in Newbury May 8th, 1724, married, June 5th, 1743. Abigail, daughter of Joshua Bailey, twin sister of Judith, who married his brother Stephen, also sister of Gen. Jacob Bailey, a distinguished officer in the French and Revolutionary wars. She died Feb. 6th, aged 91.
During Col. Little's early manhood
there was much activity in settling townships ; large tracts of land had been granted to the officers and soldiers of the French and Indian war ; many wealthy people were also securing grants. Col. Little obtained the ap- pointment of surveyor of the King's lands. In 1750 he was one of a com- pany who acquired from Gov. Benning Wentworth a large grant of the unoc- cupied crown lands lying within the present limits of Vermont. A few years after he purchased a large tract of land in the township of Apthorp, N. H., which was divided into two towns, one being named in his honor, Littleton, and the other Dalton, from his townsman, Hon. Tristram Dalton. His possessions in this region were in- creased by subsequent purchases, with Maj. Samuel Gerrish and Col. Jona- than Bailey. He acted as agent for the proprietors of Bakerstown, and succeeded in obtaining for them from the General Court of Massachusetts a township of land in Maine in lieu of the one granted in 1736, which was subsequently decided to be within the borders of New Hampshire. By pur- chasing from time to time the rights of the original proprietors he became the owner of the greater part of the grant, which comprised a large part of what is now Androscoggin county. In 1768 the Pejepscot Company granted to him and Col. Bailey a still larger tract in the same county, on the eastern side of the Androscoggin, on condition that they would settle fifty families there before June 1st, 1774, and build cer- tain roads. These conditions being only partially fulfilled the amount of land deeded was diminished. Though over fifty years of age, the war of the Revolution found in Col. Little one of
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REMINISCENCES
the most active and patriotic of his country's defenders. Being senior captain, at the news of the British ex- pedition to Concord, which found him ploughing, he unyoked his oxen, and rallying his company, marched to the American head-quarters at Cambridge. At the battle of Bunker Hill he com- manded a regiment. Forming his men in Indian file he led them across Charlestown Neck under a terrible fire from the British batteries and ships of war, arriving at the scene of conflict just prior to the third and final charge of the enemy. Though unhurt, Col. Little had several narrow escapes ; comrades falling on either side bespat- tered his black velvet clothes with blood. In August he returned home to attend the funeral of two of his children, and rejoined his command af- ter an absence of only two days. After the evacuation of Boston he accompan- ied the army to New York, his regi- ment forming a part of Gen. Greene's brigade. .
On the 4th of April Washington left Cambridge for New York. Expecting him at Providence, Gen. Greene, who had been detained there, ordered two regiments, Hitchcock's Rhode Island and Little's Massachusetts, to appear in their best form, and escort the Gen- eral into the city. The minuteness of Greene's directions on the occasion de- picts the personal appearance of the early Continental soldier. The follow- ing has been preserved amongst Col. Little's papers :
" Providence, April 4th, 1776.
Col. Hitchcock's and Col. Little's reg- iments are to turn out to-morrow morning to escort his Excellency into town, to parade at 8 o'clock, both ofii- cers and men dressed in uniform ; and none to turn out except those dressed
in uniform ; and those of the non-com- missioned officers and soldiers that turn out to be washed, both face and hands, clean, their beards shaved, their hair combed and powdered, and their arms cleaned. The General hopes that both officers and soldiers will exert themselves for the honor of the regi- ment and brigade to which they belong. He wishes to pay the honors to the Commander-in-Chief in as decent and respectable a manner as possible."
Upon Washington's arrival at New York he arranged the army into five brigades, under Heath, Spencer, Sul- livan, Green, and Stirling. It becom- ing necessary to despatch Gen. Sulli- van with six regiments to the north- ward, on the 29th of April the troops were anew formed into four brigades, -Green's third brigade being assigned to Long Island. Owing to bad weath- er it did not cross until the third of May. These troops consisted of Col. Edward Hand's Pennsylvania Riflemen, two Rhode Island regiments under Cols. James Mitchell Varnum and Daniel Hitchcock, and Col. Moses Lit- tle's regiment from Massachusetts. These ranked as the first, ninth, elev- enth and twelfth of the Continental Establishment, and were as well armed and under as good discipline as any in the army. Hand's regiment numbered four hundred and seventy officers and men, the others having an average of about three hundred and fifty each. These troops occupied the water front to keep the enemy's ships out of the river, and to secure themselves from an attack by land. To hold the Brooklyn peninsula a chain of works was thrown up across the neck. Three forts and two redoubts, with connecting breast- works, were thrown out. These forts were named Green, Box, and Putnam. The command of Fort Green was as-
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OF A NONAGENARIAN.
signed to Col. Little, who describes it as the largest of the works on Long Island, and he resolved it never should be surrendered while he was alive.
Washington's army at the opening of the campaign of August 27th consisted of twenty-eight thousand five hundred officers and men. Of these Massachu- setts furnished seven thousand three hundred. Greene having been advanc- ed to the rank of Major-General, his brigade had been placed under the command of Brigadier-General John Nixion,-a sixth regiment from Mas- sachusetts, under. Col. William Pres- cott, having been added to the force.
On the 22d of August the British troops crossed from Staten to Long Island. When tidings of the enemy's landing reached Washington the troops were immediately put under arms. Col. Little expecting that morning would bring on a battle, and remem- bering his promise to defend Fort Greene to the last extremity, wrote the following letter to his son Isaiah :
AUG. 22, 1776.
I have thought fit to send you my will. You will take all charge neces- sary, &c. The enemy this day landed on this island and marched within three miles of our camp. Three or four regiments lodge within two miles of the enemy. I expect morning will bring us a battle.
Below is Col. Little's account of the battle :
IN CAMP, NEW YORK, ? Sept. 1st, 1776.
The enemy left Staten Island and landed on Long Island the 22d, and encamped on a large plain five or six miles aross, at Flat Bush, four miles distant. In the morning at two o'clock, the enemy attacked our right wing ; a smart engagement for some time. The enemy also advanced on our left. Lord Stirling reinforced the right wing and
defended himself till 12 o'clock, when our wing gave way. My regiment was in the centre on guard. The enemy's right wing almost encircled two or three regiments, and as they were not together they were not able to defend themselves and retreated with about twenty wounded. Our people came in about eleven o'clock. The enemy at the same time with their light horse and English troops attempted to force our lines, but soon retreated, being met with a smart fire from our breast works.
Two deserters informed us that the number of enemy's dead and wounded was upwards of five hundred-I wish ours may not be more. On the morn- ing of the 28th, the enemy were en- camped on the heights in front of our encampment. Firing was kept up on both sides, from the right to the left. Weather very rainy ; 29th, very rainy. Firing by both sides in front of Fort Putnam. About sunset the enemy pushed to recover the ground we had taken (about one hundred rods) in in front of the fort. The fire was very hot, the enemy gave way and our peo- ple recovered the ground. The fire ceased and our people retired to the fort. The enemy took possession again, and on the morning of the 30th, had a breast work there sixty rods long and one hundred and fifty rods distant from Fort Putnam.
Two ships of war had got up the sound as far as Hell-gate by this time. The general ordered each regiment to be paraded on their own parades at 7 o'clock p. m. and wait for orders. We received orders to strike our tents and march with our baggage, to New York. Our lines were manned until day-break. The reason of the retreat was, that we should have no chance to retreat if the ships came up. I am not certain we shall be able to keep the city of New York. You may hear of our being at King's bridge. . A great battle I think will be fought here, or near King's bridge. I am in a good state of health. I am your affectionate father,
MOSES LITTLE.
To Mr. Josiah Little.
17
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Adjutant Josiah Adams, Lieut. Sam- uel Huse, Moses Pillsbury, Samuel Smith, Chase Colby, Richard Short, and David Emery, were seven of the soldiers from Newbury in this battle. The two latter stood shoulder to shoul- der in the fray. Mr. Short ever cher- ished a tender memory of his deceased comrade,-an affection extended to his son. To the latest day of his long life his first words of greeting always were, " David, your father and I faced death together."
The following is taken from Col. Lit- tle's order book :
" REGIMENTAL ORDERS.
(Col. Little's.)
Officers for fatigue to-morrow-Capt. Gerrish, Lt. Kent, and Lt. Atkinson."
" Regimental Orders for the 12th Regiment of Foot :
James Holland, a fifer in Cap. Dodge's Company, is appointed fife- major to this regiment, and is to be obeyed as such. Com'd officers for picket to-night-Lt. Atkinson and Lt. Fiske.
May 21st, 1776. Field officer for picket to-morrow night-Lt. Col. Cra- ry, Adj. from Col. Little's regiment."
GEN. GREEN'S ORDER.
May 25, 1776.
Capt. Silas Talbot of Col. Hitch- cock's regiment, Cap'n Frazier of Cap'n (Col.) Wayne's regiment, Lt. Noel Allen of Col. Varnum's regiment, and Lt. Samuel Huse of Col. Little's regiment, are a committee to inspect the provisions for the troops of this bridage.
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