USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Newbury > Reminiscences of a nonagenarian > Part 20
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dailey see that death is the end of all men and women, and the wise man tells us the living will lay it to heart. i e, we should do so, & if we are rational we shall do so, if we act wisely for our- selves we shall consider ourselves as we are, probationers for that final state of retribution & judgment after which there will be no change-consider my dear child, you and I are near this change of states, by which unconceiva- ble happiness or unconceivable misery will take place on us. I beseech you to allow yourself a little time, if it be but a quarter of an hour in a day, to retire from company to your closet or chamber to look into the state of your immortal soul, and think with yourself if you had a large estate in prospect, even in this world, if you doubted as to your title to the same, if you feared you should lose all & be a beggar in misery & distress, how solicitous would you be to secure a good title to that es- tate which you could keep & enjoy but for a short, limited time,-but alas, what a faint similitude is this to set forth the favor of God, & an interest in Christ, and an interest in that king- dom, where you may enjoy all that heart can wish or tho't conceive, con- sider if you lose your soul, 'twill be an infinite loss, an irreparable loss, there- fore your all is at stake. I beseech you lay to heart Christ's own words viz : 'what will it profit a man if he gain the whole world & lose his soul,' these are the words of him that is Wisdom itself & truth itself, they are the words of him that laid down his precious life a ransome for mankind - sinners ; that will be the final Judge of all the world, both Angels & men, for God the father has constituted the Son, as God man, Mediator to that office, and has given assurance of it to all men in that he has raised him from the dead, declared him to be the son of God, with power by his resurrection. Set him at his own right hand, exalted him for this very purpose, to give repentance & re- mission of sins. This Jesus will be our Judge at the last day, inspiration tells us he will come in flaming fire to
take vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord & from the glory of his power. Dreadful words, and more dreadful day, when this exalted God man shall assume his throne, appear in his robes of majesty, to take vengeance on his enemies, on all contemners, & sliters of gospel sal- vation & merey, which he has tendered to lost. perishing sinners. in & through that precious blood of his, which he shed for the remission of our sins, how can we endure to hear that dreadful sentence, depart from me ye cursed, you have slited offered mercy, abused my patience, resisted & grieved my spirit, and now the door is shut. This my dear child, will ineviably be the doleful doom of all that set light by Je- sus Christ & neglect the great salva- tion, purchased by the blood of him that was God as well as man. But am I saying all this to an Infidel-a Soei- nian who denies the Divinity of Jesus Christ,-or to a Universalist, who hopes & expects that all men will be saved at last, tho' they have no gracious princi- ple wrought in them in this life of pro- bation & trial, or am I writing to a fa- talist that presumes on the decrees of God, and argues thus with himself: if I am elected I shall be saved let me do as I will, and live as I list ; and if I am not elected. 'tis impossible for me to be saved, let me do all that I can in a way of means, and take ever so much pains for the salvation of my soul, be- cause God's eternal decrees stand against me. These pernicious tenets, and a thousand more artfices the malicious Adversary of our precious souls sug- gests to us to wheedle us along by his artful devices. till the summons of death arrests us and then he will be sure of us. O, my dear child, resist and shun his devices, flee to Christ by faith now while the door of merey & hope are yet open, make God in Christ your refuge, & believe God's word, whatever his se- cret decrees are (which you can not know at your pleasure), his word &
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promises are plain, viz, If you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ you shall be saved, and as a good means to convince you of the perniciousness and falsity of Socinian heresy, I beseech you for your soul's sake, upon reading this let- ter, to set apart some time in secret, open your bible, and read with prayer- ful attention, the fore part of the first chapter of St John's gospel, and beg God that you may know the truth of those words, viz, In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God, &c., &c. I beseech you not to think your conver- sion impossible, or that you cannot for- sake your old companions & steer another course, these are Satan's devi- ces to hold you where you are, till he has made sure of you ; I pray the Lord to pluck you out of his snare, & con- found his devices, and set you at liber- ty, for although his malice is infinite, his power is limited, you are in God's hands & he can deliver & save you. But if you are resolved to keep on & live in a careless neglect of the salva- tion of your immortal soul, if you still harden your heart and refuse to come to Christ for life, I can only tell you my soul shall weep in secret places for you still, and that God will glorify his justice in your eternal destruction. But how can I bear the tho't, that you my dear child should be the object of God's everlasting displeasure & wrath? Since it is the last time I expect to write to you, please to bear with me while I ex- postulate the case with you. why will you die when life is to be had for the taking ? God is yet upon a throne of glorious grace, holding out the sceptre of his merey to you, his voice is to you, O man, I call, &c., as I live saith the Lord, I have no pleasure in the death of him that diethi, but had rather he would turn and live, him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. But if you refuse to hearken to my expostulations, pray my child hearken to Christ's expostula- tions. Oh that they had known in this their day, the things that belong to their peace, this God speaks to you my child, as I told you in my other letter,
you are welcome to Christ if Christ be welcome to you, nothing does or can hinder your salvation if you be willing to come to Christ for life, he says, I will take away the heart of stone, and give you a heart of flesh, I will blot out all your transgressions, tho' your sins are as scarlet or as crimson, tho' your sins were as many as the sands, or as mighty as the mountains, tho' your sins were as numerous as the stars in the sky, the blood of Christ is suffi- cient to expiate all their guilt, and his spirit is able to purge away all the filth of them, and to sprinkle your guilty con- science with the blood which cleanses from all sin & he still says, whosoever will, let him come & take the water of life freely, & him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out. God grant for his name's sake that you may be made willing to accept his offered mer- cy', and be made a triumph of his sov- ereign grace thro' Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. So prays your loving parent,
BENJAMIN COLMAN." Dea. Colman died in 1797.
Rev. Henry Colman, son of Col. Dudley, a distinguished Unitarian cler- gyman, was first settled at Hingham, afterwards in Salem ; in his latter years he became noted as an agriculturist and an author.
Thomas, born in 1751, the third son of Deacon Benjamin Colman, graduat- ed at Harvard in the class of 1770, and was drowned at Newbury bar October 28, 1784.
Benjamin, born in 1752, married Ma- ry Chute. He owned a farm nearly opposite the Congregational meeting- house in Byfield, and was also engaged in the shoe business. After his father's decease he succeeded him as deacon in the church.
Moses, born 'in 1755, inherited the original farm of the first settler, Thom- as Colman, which, from his father, Col.
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Jeremiah Colman, has descended to Moses Colman, esq., of Boston. Mr. Colman also carried on an extensive butchering business. His first wife was Dorothy Pearson, by whom he had one son, Jeremiah. His second wife was Betty (Little) Emery, who also had one son, Daniel Colman.
Samuel, born in 1762, a graduate of Harvard, married Susanna, grand- daughter of Joseph Atkins, esq. He studied medicine, and entered into prac- tice in Augusta, Me. He afterwards returned to Newburyport, engaged in teaching, where he died in 1810, and was interred in St. Paul's churchyard.
Caleb, born in 1762, married a Miss Burbank, and purchased a farm in Han- over, N. H.
William, born in 1768, for a time re- sided on the homestead, then removed to Boscawen, N. H., where he owned a farm and mill. His first wife was Susan Thurston. She was the mother of Daniel Thurston and Hannah (twins) Dorothy, Judith, Sumner, Lucy, Mary, and Betty who died in childhood. His second wife was the widow Temple ; she had three sons, Luther, William and David Emery. After her death Mr. Colman married the widow Brown, daughter of Mr. Moses Pillsbury of Crane-neck hill.
Mary, the only daughter, born in 1757, married Mr. Joseph Searle of Byfield.
Charles Harris, oldest son of Daniel Thurston and Nancy (Harris) Colman, born February 8, 1819 ; graduated at Bowdoin in 1843; October 19, 1844, married Deborah Dinsmore of Auburn, N. H. For many years Mr. Colman has resided at the West.
Samuel, son of Samnel and Tamelia (Chandler) Colman, and grandson of
Dr. Samuel Colman, born in 1832; studied art; went abroad in 1860, studying in Paris and Spain ; was made a member of the National Academy in 1864; president of the American Water Color Society in 1866 ; resigned in 1872 and went abroad spending some years in the principal cities of Europe. He was married in 1862.
The Colman arms are :
PARTI PER FESS, OR, SABLE; A CROSS PATEE BETWEEN FOUR MULLETS COUNTERCHANGED. CREST, A GREYHOUND'S HEAD.
The Hale family is of considerable antiquity, and of high respectability in England. Thomas Hale, of Codicote, in Hertfordshire, married Anne, dangh- ter of Edmund Mitchell, and had three sons, Richard, William and John. Rich- ard, the eldest son, purchased the es- tate of King's Walden in Hertford- shire, and died in 1620. His son Wil- liam succeeded him, and died in Aug- ust, 1634, aged sixty-six. He left nine children : Richard, born in 1596 ; Wil- liam. 1597 ; Rowland, his heir ; George, born July 30, 1601; Alicia, in 1603 ; Winefrida, in 1604 ; Thomas, in 1606 ; Anne, in 1609; and Dionesia, March 17. 1611.
Thomas Hale. with his wife Tamosin, came to Newbury in 1635, and located
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on the south side of the river Parker. He died December 21, 1682, aged 78. She died January 30, 1683. Children : Thomas, born 1633; John, born 1636; and Samuel.
Thomas Hale, jr., married Mary Hutchinson of Danvers, May 26, 1657. He died October, 1688. Children : Thomas, born February, 1658 ; Mary, born July 15, 1660; Abigail, born April 8, 1662 ; Hannah, born Novem- ber 29, 1663 ; Lydia, born April 17, 1666; Elizabeth, born October 16, 1668 ; Joseph, born February 20, 1671 ; Samuel, born June 6, 1674.
Capt. Thomas Hale married Sarah, daughter of Ezekiel and Edna (Hol- stead) Northend of Rowley, May 16, 1682. Children : Thomas, born March 9, 1683; Edna, born November 21, 1684; Mary, born April 28, 1687; Ezekiel, born May 13, 1689 ; Nathan, born June 2, 1691 ; Sarah, born March 9, 1693; Ebenezer, born April 21, 1695 ; Daniel, born February 22, 1697 ; Hannah, born June 7, 1699; Joshua, born March 17, 1701.
Ezekiel Hale purchased a farm in the west precinct, and married Ruth Moody of Pipestave hill. She died, leaving two daughters, Ruth, and Elizabeth who died in childhood. Mr. Hale next married Mary Sargent of Amesbury. She died, leaving a daughter Mary. His third wife was Sarah, daughter of Parson Balch of Bradford. She died, leaving a daughter Sarah. The fourth wife was Mary (Poor) Spofford. She had one son, Ezekiel, and three daugh- ters ; one of these married Mr. But- trick, the second Mr. Hildreth, and the third Squire Farnum of Dracut. Ruth, the oldest daughter, married John, sec- ond son of Capt. Edmund Little, of Crane-neck hill. Mary, the second
daughter, married Enoch, the third son of Capt. Edmund Little. Sarah, the third daughter, 'married Mr. Moses Pillsbury, of Crane-neck hill. From the son, Ezekiel, descended Joshua Hale, born in Dracut, August 27, 1777, who died in New Orleans, of yellow fever, Angust 29, 1817. He went to Worcester, where he was a clothier and builder of machinery, and was the first who built a wool-carding machine in New England. Rev. Christopher Sar- gent Hale, Brown University 1820, and Hon. Ezekiel James Madison Hale, Dartmouth 1835, now of Haverhill, Mass.
Daniel, fifth son of Capt. Thomas Hale, married Judith Emery. He com- manded a company in Col. Samnel Waldo's Massachusetts regiment in the expedition against Louisburg in 1745, and was killed at the head of his com- pany, in the trenches before that forti- fication, May 21, 1745. His descend- ants are numerous in Essex county, Mass., and elsewhere. Among them are the late Francis Pickard Hale, Bow- doin 1845, of Charlestown, Mass., and Daniel Harris Hale, esq., of Rowley, . president of the Rowley Historical Society.
Rev. Moses Hale, born July 10, 1678 ; graduated at Harvard in 1699; ordained in Newbury, Byfield, October, 1706 ; and died in January, 1743, aged 66 years.
Rev. Moses Hale, born in Newbury in 1703 ; graduated at Harvard in 1722 ; was ordained in Chester, N. H., Octo- ber 20, 1731, and dismissed June 4, 1735.
Rev. Moses Hale, born January 18, 1715 ; graduated at Harvard in 1734; settled in Newbury, west parish, Feb-
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ruary 20, 1752 ; and died January 15, 1779, aged 64.
Rev. Moses Hale, son of the preced- ing, born in Rowley, February 19, 1749 ; graduated at Harvard in 1771 ; was or- dained in Boxford, and died May 26, 1798.
Nathan Hale, born in Newbury, March 1, 1720 ; graduated at Harvard in 1739, and died in Newbury.
Samuel Hale, born in Newbury, Aug- ust 24, 1718 ; graduated at Harvard in 1740. In 1745 he commanded a com- pany of provincials at Louisburg, and for more than thirty years was a dis- tinguished teacher of youth in Ports- mouth, N. H. He died July 10, 1807, aged 89.
Thomas Hale of Newbury, May 25, 1797, married Alice, the eldest daugh- ter of Col. Josiah Little. Children :
Rev.Benjamin, D.D., born November 23, 1797, graduated at Bowdoin Col- lege in 1818, studied theology at An- dover, was professor of chemistry and mineralogy at Dartmouth College, pres- ident of Hobart College, Geneva, N.Y., for over twenty years, and the author of various educational works. He married, April 9, 1829, Mary Caroline King. Dr. Hale died July 15, 1863.
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Moses Little, born April 7, 1799. An eminent business man of Boston, deacon of the Bowdoin street church, and the occupant of many responsible positions. He married Mary Lane, youngest daughter of the Rev. James Miltimore, first pastor of the Belleville church. He died June 22, 1874.
Thomas, born October 13, 1800 ; married Caroline Charlotte Jordan Oct- ober 7, 1836. He died May 28, 1854.
Sarah, born March 29, 1802; died April 9, 1834.
Josiah Little, born December 9, 1803 ;
entered the office of the Merchants In- surance Company, of Boston, at the age of eighteen, where his fidelity and courteous manners soon won him pro- motion. In 1825 he became secretary of the Washington Marine Insurance Company, and in 1828, on the opening of a branch office, he went to New York as its manager. After a year of marked success in this position, he joined with the late Walter R. Jones in establishing the Atlantic Insurance Company of New York. To do this he had to raise $150,000 of the capital stock, and his Boston friends proved their confidence in his character and ability by subscriptions to twice that amount. In this position he remained for twenty-five years, in which time the Atlantie became the leading marine in- surance company in the country. He was compelled, by continued ill health, to resign his office in 1854. In the resolutions of respect and regret then adopted, the trustees refer to the com- pany as established essentially through his active instrumentality, and as hav- ing under his administration enjoyed a course of uninterrupted success. Mr. Hale held with an intelligent and firm conviction the great doctrines of grace, but without bigotry or sectarianism. The Bible was his constant companion, and doing good his constant delight. He died February 26, 1875.
Edward, born November 8, 1805; married widow Elizabeth L. Brown Jan- nary 30, 1837.
Mary, born July 5, 1807 ; died March 13, 1859.
Dr. Ebenezer, born April 28, 1809 ; graduated at Dartmouth in 1829 ; mar- ried Sarah Bannister June 13, 1844. He died August 2, 1847.
Alice Little, born April 15, 1811 ;
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married, April 23, 1832, Rev. John Charles March, second pastor of the Belleville church, who died September 26, 1846.
Capt. Joshua, born December 14, 1812 ; married Sophia Cutler Tenney January 4, 1844.
Alice, wife of Thomas Hale, died July 27, 1819. On September 17, 1822, Mr. Hale married Mary, fifth daughter of Col. Josiah Little. Their only child was James White, born September 8, 1827, and died October 11, 1832.
Mr. Thomas Hale died August 14, 1836. Mary, widow of Thomas Hale, died January 26, 1871.
Benjamin, oldest son of Dr. Benja- min Hale, born October 31, 1827; graduated at Hobart College in 1848 ; October 29, 1855, he married Lucy Balch Hale, only daughter of Col. Ebenezer Hale.
Thomas, the second son, born July 11, 1834 ; graduated at Hobart College in 1853; vice-president of the Pacific Mutual Insurance Company, New York ; February 24, 1870, married Lucy F. Searcy.
Cyrus King, third son, born March 17, 1838 ; graduated at Hobart College in 1858; May 9, 1866, married Alice Little, only child of Capt. Joshua Hale ; died June 6, 1874.
Dr. Josiah, fourth son, born April 1, 1841 ; graduated at Hobart College in 1860 ; studied medicine at Harvard Medical School and in Europe ; April 24, 1873, he married Annie Skinner Pierce.
Eben Thomas Hale, only son of Col. Ebenezer and Lucy (Balch) Hale, born May 9, 1842 ; graduated at Yale Col- lege in 1862. That year he enlisted in Forty-fifth Massachusetts regiment for nine months' service, under General
Foster. Stationed at Newbern, N. C., the regiment did provost duty ; was in the engagement at Whitehall and Kingston, returning home in June, 1863. Afterward he studied law at the Harvard Law School. His health becoming impaired, he went to South Ameriea in 1866, visiting Rio Janeiro and other places of interest. After his return he became a partner in the firm of Lowell & Brett, stationers, Boston, continuing in the business until his death, which took place September 7,1868.
Moses Hoyt Hale, born May 24, 1829 ; married C. Adeline Preston, of Danvers, January 29, 1852 ; repre- sented Salem in Massachusetts legisla- ture in 1868 and 1869. Since Febru- ary 14, 1870, a special agent of the United States treasury department. He died at his home in Danvers, in 1879.
Albert Hale, born . September 13, , 1839 ; graduated at Harvard in 1861 ; principal of the high school in Fair- haven, Mass., from January, 1862, to April, 1864; principal of female high school at Newburyport, Mass., from May, 1864, to November, 1865; pri- vate tutor in Cambridge and Boston in 1865 and 1866 ; teacher in the English high school, Boston, from 1866; since 1875 a master in said school. August 18, 1869, he married Katherine, daugh- ter of Albert and Katherine (Daven- port) Wood, of Newburyport.
Frank A. Hale, born January 8, 1854; received the degree of M. D. March 1, 1876, at the Boston Univer- sity School of Medicine.
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The arms of the Hales of King's Walden, are :
AZURE, A CHEVRON EMBATTLED, COUNTER-EMBAT- TLED OR. CREST-A SNAKE PROPER, ENTWINED AROUND FIVE ARROWS OR, HEADED SABLE, FEATHERED ARGENT. ONE IN PALE, FOUR SALTIRE.
William Moody came from Ipswich, England, to Ipswich, America, in 1634, and to Newbury in 1635. His wife was Sarah. Children : Joshua, Caleb, William and Samuel.
Caleb Moody married Sara Pierce, who died August 25, 1665. Children : Daniel and Sara. His second wife was Judith Bradbury. Children : Caleb, Thomas, Judith. (born September 23, 1669, and died at Salisbury, January 28, 1679), Joshua, William, Samuel, Mary, and Judith.
Joshua Moody married Mary Green- leaf in 1696. Children : Mary, born June 26, 1697; Elisabeth, December 4, 1698 ; Joshua, born Nov. 11, 1700 ; Abigail, born September 30, 1703 ; and Judith, born October 26, 1705.
Elisabeth, second daughter of Mr. Joshua Moody, married my great-grand- father, Capt. James Smith, the first owner of the Crane-neck hill farm.
Caleb Moody, married Ruth Morse, Dec. 9, 1690, and settled on a farm at
Pipestave hill, now known as the Ridgway place. Their daughter Elisa- beth, married Mr. Ezekiel Hale, whose daughter Ruth, became the wife of John Little, of Crane-neck hill.
William Moody, of Ipswich, Eng., settled on a farm in Oldtown, which is still retained by his descendants ; the son of Mr. N. Warren Moody, being the ninth generation born on the place.
William Moody married Mehetabel Sewell, November, 1684, and settled on a farm in Byfield, where his descend- ants became prominent citizens. It was from one of these, Capt. Paul Moody, that the company which found- ed the first woolen factory in the state, purchased the water power at the falls of the river Parker. Perkins's cut nails were first manufactured in the mill house previously owned by Capt. Moody. By such surroundings his sons from youth, became initiated in mechanics.
Paul Moody, jr., and Steven Kent, manufactured the first broadcloth in the United States, at the factory in Byfield. Afterwards Mr. Moody was engaged on the mills at Waltham, then in com- pany with John Dummer, another By- field genius, and Kirk Boot; he was prominent amongst the founders of the city of Lowell, ranking as the first ma- chinist in New England.
David Moody, a younger brother, superintended the construction of the Boston mill dam, and for several years was the surerintendent of the iron works there.
The two oldest sons of Capt. Paul Moody, Nathan and Samuel, after graduating at Dartmouth college, with another son, Enoch, went to Hallowell, Maine, where Mr. Enoch Moody found- ed the Hallowell bank. Afterwards he
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returned to Massachusetts and became a resident of Newburyport, where he died.
Rev. Joshua Moody, the oldest son of William, of England, born in 1632, graduated at Harvard in 1655; was or- dained at Portsmouth, N. H., 1671; was minister of the first church in Bos- ton, from May 23, 1684, till 1692, and died in Boston, July 4, 1697, in his 65th year. This divine was distinguish- ed for his vehement opposition to the witchcraft delusion, in which he stood nearly alone amongst the New England clergy, at the imminent risk of himself becoming a victim to the popular frenzy.
Caleb, the second son of Mr. William Moody, represented Newbury in the General Court, where his plucky resist- ance to the tyrant, Sir Edmund An- dross, caused him to be imprisoned for treason.
Rev. Joseph Moody of York, the father of the renowned Master Moody of Dummer Academy, was known throughout the colony as "Handker- chief Moody," from his wearing, for many years, a handkerchief over his face in the pulpit, or in any public place. This monomania was induced by the idea that he was responsible for the death of an intimate friend ; to expiate his sin he veiled his face forevermore from the sight of his fellow mortals. This pious maniac was a man of, supe- rior ability, which was manifested in various civil offices, including that of county judge, which he held previous to entering the ministry. His son, Samuel Moody, a graduate of Har- vard in 1763, became the first preceptor of Dummer Academy, Master Moody was a stout, stalwart man, odd and ec- centric, but few teachers have been more revered and beloved by their pupils,
amongst whom he lived to count with some of the most eminent men in the country. To dunces he showed as lit- tle sympathy or mercy as Master Chase. He was wont to mingle in the sports of his scholars, whom he encouraged to become good swimmers, for which exercise the vicinity of the river Parker gave ample opportunity. He also, to the horror of the Puritan com- munity, introduced dancing as a school exercise, a French dancing master be- ing hired to give the boys instruction. I think the dancing hall was in the loft of the school-room, in the gamble roof, which was well lighted by end windows, and dormer ones in front. This pro- ject, which no one but the omnipotent and favorite Master Moody could have carried out, caused a great commotion. Mrs. Daniel Chute, who had two sons in the school, wrote a long poem, com- mencing :
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