USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Waltham > Waltham as a precinct of Watertown and as a town, 1630-1884 > Part 10
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HAGER FAMILY. William Hager and Mary Bemis were married in Watertown in 1645. They lived in the eastern part of the town but when an inventory of his estate was made in 1683 it included over 100 acres in what is now Waltham. His real estate was left to his sons Samuel and William who seem to have lived together on the homeplace until in 1701 William sold his half to his brother and bought of John and Joseph Sherman a house and 30 acres on the north side of the Great Road and west of Bacon Street. His sons William and Joseph were the two members of the family living in Waltham at the time of the incorporation.
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Joseph Hager, the youngest son of William and Sarah (Ben- jamin) Hager inherited his father's homestead on the north side of the Great Road and west of Bacon Street in 1732. He served four terms as selectman of Waltham. He willed his estate to his sons Isaac and Benjamin who sold it in 1790 to William Fisk, Esq.
William Hager, son of William and Sarah (Benjamin) Hager, received from his father in 1715 seven acres of land south of Worcester Lane and built a house there about 1717. This building now forms an ell of a house now standing there. Feb. 21, 1733-4, he sold his farm here then including 4312 acres to Nathaniel Smith and the same day he bought the farm of John Fisk, Jr. in the northwest part of the town. He sold it back the next year and seems to have moved to the adjoining farm of Anthony Caverly which the latter, then a resident of Boston, sold to Harvard College in April 1738. Hager leased the farm or operated it for the College until about 1741 when he and his wife Mary (Flagg) were dismissed to the church in Weston.
THOMAS HAMMOND is included with the eight prominent men who headed the Province tax list. As he was not a deacon and bore no military title it is presumed that his name was so placed because he was the largest tax payer. His home was on Beaver Street opposite Linden. He had inherited the estate from his father and grandfather of the same name. The latter pur- chased from John Stowers in 1650 a house and 67 acres adjoining together with about 140 acres in many other scattered lots. Much of this land remained in the possession of his grandson although each generation bought and sold extensively. Thomas Hammond the third of the name died in 1762 and his son Jona- than received the house and the larger part of the land. His heirs sold to Theodore Lyman in 1815.
Thomas Hammond, Jr. is mentioned only on the Town list. In 1736 his father gave him 25 acres on the present Lexington Street and we presume that he built at about that time although he was married in 1732. He was a deacon of the church and select- man in 1741 and 1743. In 1767 he sold his house and 80 acres to his son John who about four years later sold to Isaac Gleason. Dea. Thomas died in 1782 leaving no real estate.
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HARRINGTON FAMILY. Robert Harrington was the owner of a homestall in Watertown in 1644 that had been given him by Dea. Thomas Hastings. He was then a young man not marry- ing until about five years later. He subsequently bought many other lots of land but always lived on his first possession which, according to Bond, was on the north side of the Great Road only a short distance east of the Waltham line. Among his purchases was, in 1684, the remaining half of the 500 acre Oldham grant then known as the Dummer farm, Richard Gale having bought the first half in 1661. This half lay along the north bank of Charles River fromnear the pumping station to a line in Weston far enough beyond Stony Brook to include 45 acres. He had ten sons, seven of whom lived to maturity. All of the Harringtons men- tioned on the Waltham tax lists of 1738 were his descendants, excepting of course the Widow Elizabeth whose husband George was a grandson.
Robert Harrington died in 1707 leaving the southwestern half of the Dummer purchase to his oldest son John and the south- eastern half to Samuel who was living there Jan. 1, 1704-5, when the will was signed. (See Samuel Harrington.)
John Harrington did not live on his half but owned a 42 acre farm on the south side of the Great Road, extending from Har- vard Street to South Street. This was made up of many plow- land lots one at least being bought as early as 1678. It probably included the 3 acre grant made to his father-in-law John Winter. He married Hannah Winter in 1681 and may have built his house about that time. It seems to have stood somewhat west of Prospect Street but its exact location has not been deter- mined. Early in 1714 he gave the 125 acres he owned in Dum- mer's farm to his son George and in 1732 sold his homestead and several other lots to his sons Jonas and Josiah. A year later Josiah bought his brother's interest. (See George and Josiah Harrington.) John Harrington was living and probably at the homestead in Waltham in 1738 but his name does not appear on the tax lists. He died in 1741 on his ninetieth birthday.
Daniel, another son of Robert, was a blacksmith and lived on Warren Street near Hager's Lane. He was granted land there for a house and shop Mar. 4, 1684-5. He also owned a considerable amount of land in other parts of the precinct. In 1721 he deeded one-half of his homestead and of several other lots to his son
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Jonathan. He had four sons all of whom were blacksmiths. He died in 1729 and by will left a few lots of land to his sons Robert, David and Joseph and all the residue to Jonathan but directing that upon the death of the latter that the whole estate be divided between the other three sons. Jonathan died in 1730. Joseph and his son-in-law Jonathan Bond became possessors of the homestead. Robert lived in Lexington, David in Marlboro and Joseph in Watertown. Joseph was a non-resident tax payer in 1738. (See Jonathan Bond.) Thomas Harrington, son of Robert the founder of the family, owned a 40 acre homestead on the north side of Beaver Street, record of the deed not found. When he died in 1712 he left his real estate amounting in all to about 140 acres to his sons Ebenezer, Thomas and George, but the latter later became possessor of a large part of it. (See George Harrington, Jr.)
Widow Elizabeth Harrington. The homestead of George the son of Thomas Harrington was taxed on the Province list under the name of the Widow Elizabeth. Their house was near the junction of Beaver and Warren Streets and in December 1738 it was awarded to Elisha the oldest son. He in 1744 sold it to John Brown who in turn sold to Capt. William Coolidge. Gen. Jona- than Coolidge, son of Capt. William, built a new house, adjoining that of his father on the east that is now standing.
George Harrington, Sr. was living on the part of the Dummer farm that his grandfather Robert gave to his father John and that John gave to George in February 1713-14. His house was on the west side of South Street about one-half a mile this side of Stony Brook. In Oct. 1744 he sold his whole estate to John Clark, Esq. of Boston who in 1758 sold to Benjamin Harrington of Weston, son of George and Hepzibah (Fisk) Harrington. It passed from him to his son Benjamin and grandson Seth. In 1859, some ten years after the death of Seth, his sole heir, Eunice, sold this homestead to John T. Miller, optician, of Boston.
George Harrington, Jr. married first Hepbizah Fisk, the mother of his thirteen children, who died in 1736. He died previous to Dec. 4, 1738, leaving a widow Elizabeth. He was living in August of that year for he signed an agreement with his daughter Abigail
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at that time. His name appears on the Town list only. (See Widow Elizabeth Harrington.) He was called George Harrington, Jr. to distinguish him from his cousin of the same name.
John Harrington, Jr. was not taxed for real estate. From the position of his name on the list he was living on the Great Road. It comes between those of Josiah Fisk and Richard Beers who lived opposite to the John Harrington, Sr. estate. He was pro- bably the grandson of John, Sr. born in March 1713-14. His father, also named John, was living in Lexington. The John Harrington who married in Waltham in 1740 Sarah Barnard was probably the John, Jr. of the tax list and there is but little doubt that he was the son of John of Lexington. The latter named two of his sons William and Caleb and John and Sarah of Wal- tham also had among their seven children sons William and Caleb, the latter was a far from common name at that time. Bond considered that the John who married Sarah Barnard was the son of George and Hepzibah (Fisk) an evident mistake for that John, who was born in 1719 was not mentioned in the probate list of the heirs. This list states that Elisha (born in 1722) was the oldest son. This family of Harringtons owned land on the south side of the Great Road between Newton Street and the Brook in the 1750's and 60's. Caleb had a chairmaker's shop there in 1760.
Josiah Harrington lived on the homestead of his father, John, one-half of which he purchased from his father in 1732 and the other half from his brother Jonas in 1733. He was a cordwainer by trade and evidently prosperous for he invested largely in the purchase of real estate outside of the farm. In 1744 he bought the Beers homestead on the opposite side of the road and seems to have made his home there and to have demolished the old house for when he sold both places to his cousin's son Daniel Harrington in 1754 the deed makes mention of a barn only on the south side.
Capt. Samuel Harrington headed the tax list of 1738. He was then seventy-two years old and had long been prominent in precinct and town affairs. He was seven times elected selectman of Water- town besides being appointed to many important committees.
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He obtained the rank of captain in 1717. His father, Robert, willed him one-half of his part of the Dummer farm and at the time the will was made, Jan. 1, 1704-5, Samuel was living there. In Dec. 1691 he was given permission by the town to make bricks at the clay pits near Mr. Shattucks and as he was married about two months before that time it is fair to assume that the bricks were for the new home soon to be built, near the site of the present house on South Street. Capt. Harrington died in 1739. He had five daughters but no sons. However his oldest daughter, Anna, had married her cousin Robert Harrington and had a son whom she named Samuel. To this grandson "who upholds my name" the captain willed his farm. This second Samuel and his son Samuel each kept the estate practically intact. Amasa the son of the latter made some sales and his heirs disposed of nearly all the remainder but retained possession of the house and a small amount of land. The latter has now (1935) been in the possession of the family two hundred and fifty-one years.
Samuel Harrington, Jr., grandson of Capt. Samuel was apparently living with him when the Town list was made. His name does not appear on the Province list.
Ensign Thomas Harrington was the second son of Thomas the son of Robert. He was a potter and lived for a time in Cam- bridge. His first wife died in 1717 and about 1719 he married Mary (Earl) widow of Daniel Ball and moved to the old Ball homestead on the north side of the Great Road this side of Masters Brook at the head of the plain. He continued the tavern business established there by Ball. He was precinct clerk for two years and served one term as selectman of Watertown. The selectmen frequently held their meetings at his tavern. He died in 1750 and left his Waltham estate to his younger son Daniel. Daniel made many land purchases and was the owner of more than 200 acres when he died in 1763 leaving his estate to his sons Daniel and Amos. The tavern property came to Daniel, Jr. but he sold it to Isaac Gleason in 1774 and moved to Lincoln.
Thomas Harrington, Jr. was presumably the oldest son of Ensign Thomas by his first wife. He was a young man of twenty-five recently married and seems to have been living in the vicinity
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of the College Farm or Trapelo Road. His name does not appear on the Town list. He moved to Shrewsbury where he died in 1791.
William Harrington was the oldest son of Edward the youngest son of Robert Harrington. Edward inherited his father's home- stead and lived all his life in the eastern part of the town. He owned a considerable land in the West Precinct and when he made his will in 1735 he left to his son William the 60 acres of land "where he now lives." William was married in 1725. His house was on or near the site of the well known Ball-Stratton Tavern. He died in 1752 leaving two daughters, Anna who later married John Ball, his second wife, and Mary wife of Josiah Biglow. Ball retained the house and some of the land but the larger part was sold. In 1779 Anna Ball, called a spinster but really the widow of John, sold the house and four lots of land owned by Ball to David Smith and moved to Templeton.
HASTINGS FAMILY. Dea. Thomas Hastings was represen- tative of Watertown to the General Court for one year, town clerk for two years and was elected selectman many times. He arrived in Watertown in 1634. At the time of his death in 1685 the inventory showed over 300 acres in Watertown besides land in Deerfield. His will describes his holdings with considerable detail. To his second son, John, he left besides other lots the 35 acres that he bought of Thomas Tarboll. This was dividend Lot No. 5 in the third squadron that Tarboll bought of Nathaniel Bowman in 1650 and built upon previous to 1663 when he sold it with a dwelling house to Thomas Hastings.
John was the only one of the six surviving sons who settled in the West Precinct although some of the others inherited land there. His homestead at the time of his death in 1718 was of 45 acres inclosed by a fence, 25 acres with the house being on the north side of the highway (Trapelo Road) and the barn in the 20 acres on the south side. There was also more than 25 acres in other lots. In the distribution the homestead was divided between sons William, Thomas and Samuel, heirs of daughter Abigail Warren and son-in-law Hopestill Mead. Thomas had bought the interests of his brother Joseph and his sister Hepzibah while John, Jr. had received a gift of land during his father's
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lifetime. Only Joseph, Samuel and Hopestill Mead were on the 1738 tax lists.
Joseph Hastings was a housewright and his home was on Trapelo Road about one-quarter of a mile east of the junction of Forest Street. His homestead included dividend Lots Numbers 8 and 9 of the third squadron and about one-third of the land was north of the highway. The part of Lot 9 south of the road was included in his father's estate but did not come direct to Joseph. He bought it of his brother William in 1722, and probably built upon it soon after. The part north of the road he purchased from his cousin-in-law Joseph Harrington in 1725. Lot No. 8 was acquired in three purchases between 1723 and 1750. His house was probably on the south side where his barn certainly was, but a later one was on the north side near the eastern boundary. He was selectman of Waltham in 1748. In 1767 he sold the home- stead to his son Josiah, reserving a life interest. Josiah lived there all his life and at his death his son Elijah succeeded. In 1829 the latter sold his house on the north side and barn on the south to Miss Lucy Whitney and the remainder of the estate to Ebenezer Cheenery of Watertown.
Samuel Hastings was awarded in the distribution of his father's estate 8 acres and 20 rods including the barn situated on the east side of the homestead and south of the highway. He built a house there and purchased additional land adjoining so that when he sold to John Dix early in 1747, there were 20 acres of mowing, orchard and pasture land with the dwelling house and barn. He was a tailor and served as selectman of Waltham in 1742, '43 and '44. After the sale of his homestead he moved to Lexington where his son Samuel lived and died there in 1758. His wife was named Bethia and Bethia Hastings, age 80, died in Lexington in 1774. She was probably his widow.
LAWRENCE FAMILY. The first mention of George Lawrence the founder of the family is the record of his marriage to Eliza- beth Crispe in 1657. An unrecorded deed now in the possession of Charles F. Stone, dated Aug. 29, 1702, transferred from John Kemball to George Lawrence over 20 acres with a town highway passing through that had been "bargained for about
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forty-three years last past." This land was a part of Lot No. 3, 35 acres, in the third squadron of Great Dividends granted to Henry Kemball, father of John.
In 1668 George Lawrence bought from Nicholas Cady six acres in the same lot on the north side of the highway (Trapelo Road) and in 1677 he sold 2 acres to Joseph Wellington who then owned the remaining 4 acres of the original grant. His first house was probably built on the south side of the road soon after the time that he first bargained for the 20 acre purchase, about 1659. The "Red Lawrence House" taken down in the spring of 1931 was very old and the back part is considered by some as the original house. His wife died in 1681 and in 1691 he married Elizabeth Holland. He bought many other lots of land, sold some and gave others to his sons by his first marriage. At the time of his death in 1709 his only real estate was the homestead of 20 acres with 7 acres of meadow adjoining and 10 acres of dividend woodland. By his will made in 1707 the use of his "present dwell- ing house, the new barn and the lands adjoining" with the wood- lot was left to the widow for the education of his two youngest children, Joseph and Rachel, they to inherit the whole at her marriage or death. His son George, however, bought out the interest of the other heirs. The use of the term "present dwelling house" in the will of George, Sr. seems to show quite conclusively that there had been an earlier house. George, Jr. was married about 1695 or 1696. He lived in a house, perhaps built at that time, that stood north of Trapelo Road near the site of the Cornet Nathaniel Bridge house. He sold it in 1715 to Thomas Hastings. Nathaniel Bowman of Cambridge was the owner of this house in 1738.
George Lawrence the second of the name acquired a consider- able land in addition to the homestead. He died intestate in 1736 and two of his sons, George and John were made adminis- trators. No inventory of the estate is recorded but George deeded the homestead and about 65 acres to John and John 22 acres to George. These brothers were the only adult male members of the family living in Waltham at the time of the incorporation.
George Lawrence was a cordwainer and lived on the north side of Trapelo Road west of the Hastings homestead. His house seems to have been in the northern part of Lot No. 6, 25 acres, in the third squadron granted to Edward Lamb and sold by
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him to Charles Stearns. Stearns sold 12 acres south of the high- way to John Hastings in 1703. The record of the sale of the north part has not been found but on Jan. 8, 1718-9, Jonathan Pool of Reading sold it to George Lawrence the second and he in 1723 gave it to George the third. The latter married Mary Stearns the next year and the house was probably completed in time for that event.
He was constable and highway surveyor for Watertown one year each and was probably the Serj. George Lawrence who served as selectman in 1730. He was assessor of Waltham for several years. His second wife, Grace Brown, taught in their house the first school in the Trapelo district and also taught in the schoolhouse built there in 1773 by private subscription. He died in 1774 and his real estate was awarded to his sons Elijah, Jonas and George. Elijah, who did not marry, seems to have acquired most of the land but the house was occupied by George and his large family. Jonas died in the army in 1778 and Elijah took over his share and the widow's dower. He died in 1805 leav- ing George and wife Esther a life interest in all his real estate and after their deaths it was to be divided among their children. Leonard Green, who married in succession two of the daughters of George and Esther, was the last of the family to occupy the house. After his death it was purchased by Jacob Lawrence, a descendant of John Lawrence, who took the house down in 1847.
John Lawrence received the larger part of his father's estate including the homestead. He died in 1770 leaving all his real estate to his youngest son Phinehas. He had added considerably to his holdings but as no inventory of his estate is recorded their extent is not readily determined. The old homestead came from Phinehas to his son Nathan who did not marry. He died in 1860 and in 1861 his estate was purchased by his brother Jacob who deeded it to his oldest son Edward soon after. Edward was suc- ceeded by his son Charles who died in 1912 and this estate passed from the Lawrence family after a possession of about two hundred and fifty years.
John Lawrence in 1749 purchased of Hopestill Mead the old Hastings homestead that was somewhat west of his other land. His son Phinehas in 1807 or 1808 built the house now standing.
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This came to his youngest son Jacob. Jacob Lawrence added many acres to the estate including the farm of his relative George Lawrence, previously described. After him his younger sons carried on the place for many years the last of his family, Phine- has, dying in 1924, aged 98 years. A large part of this farm is included in the grounds of the Metropolitan State Hospital.
LIVERMORE FAMILY. John Livermore came to Watertown in 1634 and was granted land there in July 1636 and had re- ceived two grants previous to that time. The next grant was made the next February and as he was not included it is presumed that he went to Connecticut, probably to Weathersfield, in the latter part of 1636. He was in New Haven in 1639 and probably made a visit to England in 1647. In 1650 he sold his house and land in New Haven and returned to Watertown. In March 1669 he bought from the Town the Cowpen Farm situated in the extreme western part near the Sudbury line. Previous to 1681 he bought the 70 acre dividend, Lot. No. 11 in the first division, from William Paine to whom it was granted. He made several other purchases in Watertown Farms, now Weston. He was selectman of Watertown for three years. In 1681 he gave his house and 34 acres in the eastern part of the town to his son Samuel, "where the said John and Samuel now live." He also gave him 20 acres out of the dividend bought of Mr. Paine. He then moved to the Cowpen Farm where he died in 1684. His will confirmed the gift to Samuel, left the Cowpen Farm, "where I now dwell" to his son John and the remaining 50 acres of the Paine purchase to another son Nathaniel, including also some small lots. The latter was the only son to make his home in Waltham territory. He had a house on the Paine lot before 1682 as a deed of land somewhat west of it describes it as near to Nathaniel Livermore. He probably bought the other 20 acres from Samuel although no record of the deed has been found. He also acquired, by several purchases, about 60 acres adjoining or nearby. In 1731 he gave his grand-nephew Samuel Livermore (grandson of his brother Samuel) and who appears to have been living with him his homestead of 85 acres and several other lots. He died Feb. 12, 1735-6, "an aged man." By will he left 30 acres to Thomas Livermore, son of his brother Samuel, and left all the rest of his real estate to his grand-nephew Samuel. Thomas,
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Samuel and Thomas's son Nathaniel were the male represen- tatives of this family on the first tax lists.
Nathaniel Livermore, son of Dea. Thomas Livermore was twenty- five years old in 1738 and undoubtedly living with his father. In 1742 he bought the Hager place near Worcester Lane and retained it in his possession until 1773. He died in 1783.
Samuel Livermore was thirty-six years old when the town was incorporated. For the past three years he had been town clerk of Watertown and the past two years treasurer also. Previously he had been road surveyor, tything man and constable. Before this he had served an apprenticeship as assessor of the West Precinct for three years and precinct clerk for five years. He was also sexton of the meeting-house. He was elected the first town clerk and treasurer of Waltham and held these offices for twenty-six successive years. He was also selectman for 22 suc- cessive years, representative to the General Court for 18 years and assessor for twelve years. About 1744 he was chosen deacon of the church. During this busy life he found time to marry four times. He added largely to the homestead he inherited from his grand-uncle Nathaniel and purchased many lots in other parts of the town. In 1770 he purchased the Benjamin farm on Grove Street and made his home there. He died in 1773 leaving this place to his daughter Hannah and all the rest of his real estate to his son Elijah, who was promptly chosen deacon in the place of his father.
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