USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Royalston > The history of the town of Royalston, Massachusetts > Part 16
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Wilmot Vernon Metcalf, son of Eliab W. and Eliza ( Ely) Met- calf, born Bangor, Me., Sept. 2, 1860. Elyria Public Schools and Oberlin College, 1883, Johns Hopkins University, Univer- sity of Wurtzburg, Germany, and University of Leipsig. Pro- fessor of Chemistry and Physics Whitman College, Carleton College, Fisk University. Married in Taunton, Mass., to Caroline G. Soule, graduate of Wellesley College, 1880, Teacher in Clinton College, Kentucky and Wellesley College. They have two children, Rachel Victoria, student in Grinnell College, Iowa, and Oberlin College and Norman Wight, in Oberlin High School.
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Maynard Mayo Metcalf, youngest son of Eliah Wight and Eliza (Ely) Metcalf, born Elyria, Ohio, March 12, 1868. Elyria Public Schools, Central College Academy, Oberlin College, 1889. Ph. D. Johns Hopkins University, University of Wurtz- burg, Germany, Professor of Zoology Goucher College, Balti- more and Oberlin College. Trustee Marine Biological Labora- tory, Woods Hole, Mass. Married in Elgin, Ill., Sept. 10, 1890, to Ella May Wilder, Oberlin College, 1889. One daughter, Mildred Ella in Oberl'n Public Schools. Author Organic Evolu- tion and various papers on Zoological subjects.
THE BROWN FAMILY
The pioneer ancestor in America of the Brown family of Royalston was Nicholas Brown; he was the son of Edward Brown and Jane Side, daughter of Thomas Side. The father lived and died in the parish of Inkbarrow, Worcestershire, England, and the son, Nicholas, was doubtless born there. Nicholas Brown was in Lynn in New England before 1638. His son John's name appears in the Indian deed of Lynn as "ye Worshipful Mr. Brown". This son, John, was sent to England in 1660 to look after the property of his father-in-law, which as next heir to the Side estate, he had inherited.
Joseph Brown, son of Nicholas Brown, married Elizabeth Ban- croft, whose mother was Elizabeth Metcalf, daughter of Michael Metcalf, the emigrant ancestor of the Royalston Metcalfs, thus linking in Old England, these two prominent families of Royalston. The first member of the Brown family to settle in Royalston was William Brown of the sixth generation; he was a son of General Benjamin Brown, and was born in Reading, Mass., April 1, 1758. He married Martha Richardson, who was probably born in Lynnfield, Mass. He was a soldier in the Revolution and marched with his father on the Lexington alarm in the Reading company. He was also in the Train Band under John Walton, captain, May 13, 1775. He settled in Royalston about 1790, on what has been known as the Prouty place. He was a tanner by trade and built a tannery on his farm. He bought of Elder Whitman Jacobs, the farm south of and adjoin- ing Newton's, annexed to his farm the Thomas Heminway place, and became a large landed proprietor. In his later years
COLONEL BENJAMIN BROWN
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THE BROWN FAMILY
he settled his son, Colonel Benjamin Brown, with him on the farm, which has been in possession of his descendants to the present time. William Brown died in Royalston Dec. 23, 1830. His widow died there Jan. 16, 1851, aged ninety years, nine months, seven days. The children of William and Martha (Richardson) Brown were: William, born April 15, 1784, died at the age of nineteen years; Benjamin, born May 16, 1787; Otis, born Sept. 11, 1793, died Aug. 19, 1796; Hannah, born Dec. 13, 1795.
Benjamin Brown, second child of William Brown, was born at Reading, Mass., May 16, 1787, and came to Royalston with his parents. He married Betsey Reed of Winchendon May 19, 1814. He was prominent in town and public affairs; commanded the Royalston grenadiers when they marched for the defence of Boston in the war of 1812, was a colonel in the militia, served two terms in the General Court, was Selectman six years between 1821 and 1836, and held other town offices. The children of Benjamin and Betsey (Reed) Brown were: William Otis born March 30, 1815; Isabella R., born May 3, 1818; Eliza Morse, born Oct. 18, 1820; Mary Richardson, born Dec. 29, 1822, died Jan. 10, 1823; Benjamin Hammond, born July 31, 1824; Edward Augus- tus, born Aug. 7, 1827; Moses Reed, born April 1, 1830; Elizabeth Reed, born March 22, 1833.
Hannah Brown, daughter of William Brown, married William Pierce of Royalston and (second) Samuel Dadmun of Fitchburg, where she lived.
William Otis Brown, oldest child of Col. Benjamin Brown, was born in Royalston March 30, 1815. He was brought up on his father's farm and received his early education in the district schools of Royalston. He worked at mechanical trades when a young man in his native town, and in 1854 removed to Fitchburg where he started in business as a dealer in grain and flour with his brother Edward A. Brown, and W. A. Crehore, under the firm name of Brown, Crehore & Co., In 1857 he formed a partnership with Ex-Mayor H. A. Blood. He enlisted as quarter- master in the Twenty-Fifth Mass. Regiment, and was mustered into service with the rank of first lieutenant Sept. 20, 1864. Soon after the capture of Newbern, North Carolina, he was appointed first commissary at that important point. After the close of the war he held a responsible position on the con- struction of the Hoosac Tunnel which was then being excavated
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under the state management and remained in that position until the contract for the completion of the tunnel was let to the Shanleys in 1869.
He had a long record of public service both in town and county and was highly esteemed as a discreet, conservative and thoroughly honest official. He was Selectman of Fitchburg from 1857 until 1861, and after his return from the war in 1865, 1866 and 1870. After Fitchburg became a city, he represented ward three in the board of aldermen in 1888, and served on the committees on police, highways, city property and buildings. He was elected County Commissioner of Worcester County in 1868, and re-elected six times. He completed his twenty- first year of continuous service at the close of 1889, only a few months before his death, when failing health compelled him to decline a re-election. In January, 1877, he succeeded J. Warren Bigelow as chairman of the board, a position which he held during the remainder of his term of service. He was one of the incor- porators of the Wachusett National Bank of Fitchburg, which began business June 1, 1875, and was a director to the time of his death, and vice-president since Jan. 9, 1877. For several years he was treasurer of the Walter Heywood Chair Manu- facturing Co., and was a director of the Fitchburg Mutual Fire Insurance Company. He married Hannah G. Heywood of Royalston Nov. 25, 1841. She died in October, 1868. She bore him two sons, George and Charles, who died at the ages of thirteen and nine years, respectively. He married (second) Oct. 4, 1870, Rosa Heywood, daughter of Walter and Nancy (Foster) Heywood of Gardner. They had no children. He died Jan. 29, 1890.
Isabel R. Brown, eldest daughter of Benjamin and Betsey (Reed) Brown, was born May 3, 1818. She married John Forrester Brooks of Petersham April 28, 1842. Mr. Brooks was for many years the well-known proprietor of the Massasoit House in Barre. She was a person of strong character and many sterling qualities.
Eliza Morse Brown, born Oct. 18, 1820, never married. She resided in Royalston and Fitchburg and died in 1913 in her 93d year, after a long and useful life, always lending her influence for what was right and good
Moses R. Brown, was born April 1, 1830, and died Jan. 27, 1864, at the age of thirty-four years, during the Civil War,
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BENJAMIN HAMMOND BROWN
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from which he was prevented participating on account of ill health.
Benjamin Hammond Brown, was born at Royalston July 31, 1824, a son of Col. Benjamin and Betsey (Reed) Brown. He was educated in the public schools of the town, and his early life was spent on the home farm. He worked for a number of years in Winchendon, Mass., and Waterville, Me. On Jan. 10, 1853, he left New York on a sailing vessel bound for Australia via Cape of Good Hope, Africa, and after spending twelve days at Cape Town reached Australia after a voyage of nearly four and one-half months. He spent about nine years in that country and returned to the United States in 1862 via Cape Horn, South America, thus completing a sea voyage around the world. On Oct. 17th of that year he enlisted in Co E of the 53d Mass. regiment, of which he was commissioned First Lieutenant, and was mustered out Sept. 2, 1863. On Oct. 14, 1864, he was married to Nancy Lord Wood, also a native of Royalston. They settled upon the home farm, where they resided for more than forty years, and where five sons and one daughter were born to them, all of whom are now living. His interest in the welfare of his country never waned, and he was always very patriotic. He took an active part in the affairs of his town and held various offices, being chosen as selectman, assessor and for many successive years overseer of the poor and school committee. In 1870 he represented his district in the Legislature. He was a charter member of Royalston grange, and was a regular attendant of its meetings as long as his health permitted. In 1904 he moved to the centre of the town where he spent the remaining years of his life and died Oct. 14, 1910, at the age of eighty-six years.
The children of Benjamin Hammond Brown are:
Charles H. Brown, born in Royalston Feb. 3, 1865, whose sketch will be found on another page of this history.
Frank H. Brown, born Nov. 21, 1866, married Florence Forbes Ruggles of Fitchburg, March 6, 1895. He resides in Fitch- burg and was cashier of the Wachusett National Bank before consolidation, since which he has been Assistant Cashier of the Fitchburg Bank and Trust Co. Has no children.
William L. Brown, born May 1, 1868, married Sadie E. Skelley of Chelsea, Mass., June 4, 1894. Is manager of a boot and shoe store in Chelsea. No children.
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Benjamin E. Brown, born Nov. 15, 1869, married Susan Josephine Geddes of Winchendon, June 28, 1899. He is now a member of the firm of the Demond & Brown Chair Co., of Win- chendon, Mass. No children.
Isabelle E. Brown, born March 2, 1875, married Rev. Augus- tus M. Rice of Sturbridge, Mass., Aug. 17, 1898. No children.
Arthur H. Brown, born March 9, 1877, married Florence May Ritchie of Fitchburg, June 14, 1905. He is Assistant Treas- urer Fitchburg Savings Bank, Fitchburg, Mass. Had one son, Robert Arthur Brown, born June 23, 1912, and died July 28, 1913.
Edward Augustus Brown, son of Colonel Benjamin Brown, was born in Royalston Aug. 7, 1827. He was educated in the public schools of Royalston and at Westminster Academy. After leaving home he was employed first by Capt. Ephraim Murdock of Winchendon in his wooden ware establishment for about two years. In 1854 he went to Fitchburg in the store of Brown, Crehore & Co. The following year be went west and located in Beloit, Wisconsin, as a dealer in furniture and remained there until the fall of 1859, when he returned to Fitch- burg and was employed in the flour and grain store of Blood & Brown for whom he worked until he enlisted in the Twenty- Fifth Mass. Regiment when it was organized and was made quarter master-sergeant. The regiment went into camp Sept. 20, 1861. It was in the Burnside expedition to Roanoke Island and Newbern. In the fall of 1862 he was appointed first lieutenant and quartermaster of the Fifty-third Massachusetts Volunteers, and went with his regiment to Louisiana where he was stationed during the remainder of his service with that regiment. After the nine months of his enlistment had expired and he was mustered out, he returned to Newbern and worked in the commissary department until the summer of 1864, when he received from President Lincoln a commission as commissary of subsistence with the rank of captain, and remained in the service until the surrender at Appomattox Court House and the close of the war. He was also breveted major by President Andrew Johnson and discharged as such. He was mustered out October 2, 1865, after more than four years of service. He returned to his father's home in Royalston and assisted him until his father died in February, 1866.
On the first of May following he was appointed general passenger and ticket agent of the Boston, Clinton & Fitchburg
MRS. NANCY (WOOD) BROWN
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THE BROWN FAMILY
railroad with central office in Fitchburg, which position he held until he resigned Jan. 20, 1876, to accept the appointment of county treasurer to fill an unexpired term of Charles A. Chase who had resigned. He was re-elected at the expiration of each of his three year terms of office until 1912 when he declined to be a candidate for another term. He served continuously for a period of thirty-six years, a longer time than any other treas- urer of Worcester County has served. While a resident of Fitch- burg he was, in 1875, a member of the Common Council.
He married Sept. 13, 1869, Bessie Maria Harding, daughter of Theodore and Nancy (Clark) Harding of East Medway, Mass. She was born April 14, 1841, and died at Worcester Aug. 15, 1903 He died Jan. 6, 1916.
The children of Edward Augustus and Bessie Maria Brown are:
Anna Grace, born at Fitchburg Feb. 5, 1872, married Dec. 25, 1899, to Clifford Raymond Harris, graduate of the Worcester Polytechnic Institute 1897. They have two children.
Sarah Abbie Brown, born Feb. 22, 1875, and Mary Alice Brown, born Aug. 30, 1879, reside at home with their father.
Elizabeth R. Brown, youngest daughter of Col. Benjamin and Betsey (Reed) Brown, was born March 22, 1833, her education was received in the public and high schools of Royalston and in the Academies at Townsend and Westminster, Vt. She began teaching in what was known as the Cutler district in Royalston and after teaching several terms in her home town and neigh- boring towns, transferred her field of labor to the West spending four years in the graded schools of Beloit, Wisconsin, five in Lycamoie, Ill., after which she went to Chicago in 1880, in season to be a lively participant in the "Big Fire", which occurred there in 1871. Her work as teacher in that city was continuous for twenty-seven years, when she resigned, but still continuesto reside there.
THE BULLOCK FAMILY
The family that was the most distinguished in Royalston history from the Revolution for nearly a century was the Bullock family. The first of the name to come to this country was Richard Bullock who settled in Rehoboth, Mass., in 1643. He was a man of prominence in the town and among other positions he held was that of town clerk in 1659. He lived there during
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the balance of his life and died in 1667. He left ten children. The oldest was a son, Samuel, born Aug. 19, 1648. He married Mary Thurber of Swanzey Nov. 12, 1673, and died in Rehoboth March 10, 1718, leaving nine children. The oldest, Ebenezer, was born Feb. 22, 1676. He married Sarah Moulton March 29, 1699, and lived in Rehoboth until his death. He left four children, among them Hugh, who was born in Rehoboth April 1, 1706, and died Feb. 3, 1771, leaving seven children.
Hugh Bullock, of the fifth generation, was born August 12, 1751 at Rehoboth, Mass., and went to Royalston during the Revolution. His brother Moulton Bullock had removed to Royalston before the Revolution and settled in the northwest part of the town on a farm which has been known as the Jason Fisher place. Hugh Bullock's farm was just north of his brother's. Christopher, Ebenezer, Nathan and David Bullock also settled in Royalston about 1770 and bought three lots containing 345 1-2 acres, at 8 shillings per acre. They were cousins of Deacon Moulton and Hugh Bullock. They were all stalwart men, David being the tallest man in town. Their stay in town was short; for when they had their places well cleared, and were in the full vigor of manhood, they went westward, following the tide of settlers from the Atlantic states inland after the Revolution. Hugh Bullock married Rebecca Davis. He was one of the company that started for Saratoga to repel the inva- sion of Burgoyne. He was in Capt. Peter Woodbury's company, Col. Job Cushing's regiment, which reinforced Gen. Stark at Bennington, Vt. After his sons grew up he left the farm and built a house on the Common west of his son Barnet's house. The children of Hugh and Rebekah Bullock were : Rufus Bullock, born Sept. 23, 1779; Moulton Bullock, born Nov. 4, 1783; Calvin Bullock, born July 3, 1785; Barnet Bullock, born June 9, 1798 and Candace Bullock born June 20, 1800.
Rufus Bullock, the oldest son of Hugh and Rebecca Bullock, was born Sept. 23, 1779. He was the most distinguished man who spent his life in the town of Royalston. With small means he early laid the foundations of a good education, and became an acceptable school teacher, before reaching his majority. For some years he made teaching his business in winter and worked at farming during the other seasons. Two or three of his schools in Truro, on the Cape, extended through most of the year. From school teaching he turned his-attention to trade, working in a
RUFUS BULLOCK
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THE BULLOCK FAMILY
store as clerk, till he was induced to open a store on the Common on his own account. This proved so successful that he concluded to settle down in life as a country merchant. As his means increased he expanded his business, never going bevond, but always using fully all his resources. He engaged in manufacturing about 1825, when the Royalston Cotton and Wool Manu- facturing Company at South Royalston came into the hands of Silas Coffin and Rufus Bullock. Their mill was burned in 1833, and Mr. Bullock became the sole proprietor of the privilege and the property appertaining to it. The next year he built what was known as the Stone mill; put in four sets of woolen machinery and continued to run them till his death. He built up a large fortune and became widely known as a man of estab- lished and growing wealth, of eminent business talents and of high moral worth. In addition to his extensive business he kept up his interest in farming.
He was also prominent in public affairs; represented Royal- ston in the Legislature five years, and in 1831 and 1832 occupied a seat in the State Senate. In 1820 and 1853 he was a delegate to the State Constitutional Conventions and was once a Presiden- tial elector. He was town clerk in 1812 and 1813, town treasurer from 1835 to 1837 inclusive, selectman for three years and assessor six years between 1807 and 1826. In all these public trusts he put in practice the same maxims and principles, as those by which he conducted his own private business. One who had known him describes him as "A patriot of the early type,-a gentleman of the olden school-a friend to be trusted, and a man whose principles bore the test of intimate ac- quaintance and inspection, and whose influence, unobtrusive but potent, has been eminently useful."
While living he was a cheerful and liberal supporter of the institutions of learning and religion, and dying he left the material means for the support of the schools and churches of his native town. He died Jan. 10, 1858,
By his will the First Congregational Society in Royalston Centre received the sum of Five Thousand dollars; the Baptist Religious Society in the west part of the town Twenty-five Hundred dollars, and the Second Congregational society at South Royalston Twenty-five hundred dollars; and another clause of the will reads as follows: "Sixteenth, I give and bequeath to the town of Royalston the sum of Five Thousand dollars to
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be held and applied as a fund, the income of which shall be appro- priated and paid over for the benefit and use of Common schools in said town, the said income to be divided among the several School Districts in like manner as the school money raised by the town shall be divided; and it is my will that a Committee, to be chosen by the town for such purpose, shall act in concur- rence with my Executors in investing said sum, and that every year a committee shall be chosen by the town at a legally called town meeting who shall have the charge and oversight of such investment, and shall report annually to the town the condition and income of the same, provided, however, that when the said town of Royalston shall neglect to keep, or cause to be kept, in a good state of repair, the new cemetery now being established on the ground recently purchased of C. H. Maxham, that is to say shall neglect to maintain in good order and condition the said ground, fence, gate, and receiving tomb therein, then this sum of Five Thousand Dollars shall revert to and be paid over to my children and their heirs by right of representation."
Mr. Bullock was also for some years a trustee of Amherst college, and was the donor of a fine telescope for the College observatory. He married Miss Sarah Davis of Rindge, N. H., May 4, 1808. Their children: Louise Maria, born Oct. 14, 1809; Emily Bullock, born Sept. 10, 1811; Rebecca Bullock, born April 29, 1814; Charles Augustus Bullock, born March 31, 1818; Alexander Hamilton Bullock, born March 2, 1816; Rufus Henry Bullock, born Jan. 9, 1821.
Alexander Hamilton Bullock, oldest son of Rufus and Sarah (Davis) Bullock and Royalston's most distinguished son, was born in Royalston, March 2, 1816. He entered Amherst College in 1832 and on his graduation in 1836, delivered the salutatory oration at commencement. After graduating he taught school for three years in Princeton, New Jersey, but partly by the urgency of his father and partly from his own inclination, he decided to study law, and entered the Harvard Law school, then under the presidency of Judge Story.
After leaving the Law School he spent a year in the law office of the well-known lawyer, Emory Washburn, of Worcester. He was admitted to the bar in 1841, and soon began practice in Worcester; the rough contests of the court-house did not prove congen al to him, and although he had a considerable clientage for a young man, he soon established a large business as
Alex. H. Bullock
Metropolitan Publishing & Engraving Co. New York
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THE BULLOCK FAMILY
agent of important insurance companies and withdrew himself altogether from the practice of law. From early manhood he took a decided interest in politics, but did not allow it to absorb an undue portion of his time till the period arrived when he could safely make it a leading object. In constitutional law he was well versed. In party affiliation he was of the old Whig school.
He held many important offices in State and City. He was a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives for eight years, first in 1845, and last in 1865, and was also in 1849 a State Senator. In 1852, 1863, 1864 and 1865 he was Speaker of the House. He was judge of the Worcester County Court of Insolvency for two years, 1855-1858, having under a previous jurisdiction, served as commissioner of insolvency from 1853, He was mayor of Worcester in 1859. But the most prominent event in his public life was his election as Governor of Massa- chusetts, which office he held three years, 1866, 1867 and 1868. At the first election he received nearly fifty thousand votes more than his opponent. He might undoubtedly have held prominent positions in national affairs but his ambition did not seem to run in that direction. In 1879 he was offered the then vacant English mission by President Hayes, which he declined to accept. After his retirement from the Governorship he held no other public office, and declined to entertain any of the sug- gestions made to him of further political service, which would involve to some extent, the abandonment of those studies and employments which were so agreeable to him. In financial, humane, and all reformatory measures he was actively interested.
He was president of the State Mutual Life Insurance Com- pany, and of the Worcester County Institution for Savings, a director in the Worcester National Bank, chairman of the Finance committee of the Trustees of Amherst College, and a life member of the New England Historic-Geneological Society. He was also a writer of more than ordinary ability, and while editor of the Aegi; newspaper, which position he held for several years, gained a high reputation as a journalist. Governor Bullock was an orator of great power and eloquence and his addresses which have been published contain many models of pure style and elegant scholarship. Speaking of him in this connection, Senator Hoar says: "Above all, he posessed beyond any of his living contemporaries, that rare gift of eloquence
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which always has been and always will be a passport to the favor of the people where speech is free."
In 1869 he visited Europe with his family, and on his return the following year the civic authorities and citizens of Worcester gave testimony of their appreciation of his character and his services by a public reception. One of his biographers has said of him, "he was a lover of scholarship, a citizen of many resources and large usefulness, whose life diffused all around it an influence and charm, which elevated the standard of the domestic and moral life of the community." He died in January, 1882.
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