USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Waltham > Waltham as a precinct of Watertown and as a town, 1630-1884 > Part 9
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Ebenezer Brown, the oldest son of Dea. William Brown, married Abigail Adams in 1727 and lived in a house on Old Forest Street built by his father in 1725 and that is now standing but much altered from its original form. His estate, or a part of it, remained in the ownership of his descendants until the death of his great granddaughter, Martha Harrington, in 1907.
Isaac Brown, a tailor, was the third son of Dea. William Brown . He married Mary Balch in April 1736. From the position of his name in the assessor's list it would seem that he was living in the vicinity of the house that he purchased from Joshua Gale in 1742. This house was the homestead of the latter's father John Gale. John Gale died early in 1735 and his widow Lydia married again in April 1736 and moved to Upton. It seems quite possible that Brown hired the place until Joshua Gale, the oldest son, became of age and could give him a deed. The house stood near the northwest corner of Harvard and Charles Street. Brown prospered in his business and in 1744 he bought land on the Great Road that connected with the Gale farm and built a new house there. In 1748 the "old house" was still standing but it soon disappeared. The new house was near the corner of Main and Prospect Streets. Bond states that he was an active business man, a trader and innkeeper. He died in 1759 and his widow, then the wife of Nathan Brown, sold the place in 1766 to Abijah Fisk and he in 1778 sold to his son-in-law Zacheriah Weston who kept the "Green Tavern" there.
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Samuel Brown was about twenty-two years old in 1738 and so was probably living with his father Dea. William Brown.
William Brown, early in 1706 bought from his brother Abraham 60 acres, a part of the 80 acre dividend granted to Thomas May- hew and called Mayhew's plain. He presumably built there soon after for when the highway now Trapelo Road was formally accepted by the Town in 1707 mention was made of William Brown's orchard. This house stood near the site of the residence of the late Col. Doty and was succeeded by another built about 1740. In 1722 he was chosen Precinct assessor but in the Precinct records there is no mention of his name in connection with the moving and building of the meeting house 1721 and 1722. About 1725 he was chosen Deacon and after that date his name appears continuously as an officer of both the Town and Precinct, serving as selectman and assessor. He was so active in the events leading up to the incorporation of Waltham that he was appointed by the General Court to issue the call for the first town meeting as "one of the principal Inhabitants." He was a member of the first board of selectmen of Waltham and served three terms later.
He died in 1756 leaving his homestead to his son Josiah who lived on it until his death in 1776. He was succeeded by his son William who did not live on the home place but was a successful merchant of Boston, Deacon of the Hollis Street Church, State representative and senator. He died in 1816 and was followed by his son, another Dea. William who, after he retired from business in 1833 or 1834 lived at the Waltham estate until his death in 1838. After his death the old place passed from the ownership of the Brown family, first to a Mrs. Bent then to Philander Ames. During the latter's ownership, in 1851 the fine old house then over 110 years old was burned. Dr. Ebenezer Hobbs, Agent for the Boston Manufacturing Co. bought the place soon after and built the present house on nearly the same site. This passed to his son-in-law Augustus Flagg and from him to his son-in-law Col. George H. Doty. (See "The Trapelo Browns" by the late Phineas Lawrence.)
JOHN CHADWICK, tanner, whose ancestry has not been satisfactorily established, bought in 1721, a house, barn and
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tannery situated on the south side of the Great Road just west of the "lane to the river" now Moody Street. This tannery was started by Jonathan Livermore about 1700. He transferred the property to his brothers Samuel and Daniel in 1701 and they in 1705 sold to their brother-in-law Joshua Eaton who gave it to his son Joshua, Jr. in 1708. The latter in his deed to Chadwick described the tannery as including a shop, tanyard, tan vats, bark house and the tools and utensils belonging to the trade. In October 1738 Chadwick sold to Ebenezer Wellington, a black- smith, and left town. The tannery business was given up about that time. There was a blacksmith shop there for a number of years but by 1760 all the buildings were gone.
CHILDS FAMILY. In the early records the name is usually spelled Child, the final s coming into general use during the closing years of the eighteenth century.
Dea. Ephraim Child and his wife Elizabeth came to Water- town in 1630. They had no children and their large estate was left to their kinsmen Ephraim, son of Benjamin Child, Richard and John, probably sons of William Child and William Bond. Benjamin and William were without much doubt brothers of Dea. Ephraim and William Bond a nephew of his wife. John Child and his wife Mary Warren had sons John and Daniel who settled in the West Precinct.
Daniel Child was son of Daniel and Beriah (Bemis) Child. Daniel, Sr. and his father-in-law John Bemis in 1702 bought the 100 acre dividend and 40 acres of meadow that were granted to Sir Richard Saltonstall. Daniel took the eastern half of the land. His house probably built in 1702 was on Brook Street now dis- continued and mostly covered by the Cambridge Basin. Daniel, Jr. inherited the house and farm in 1724 and lived there until his death in 1792. In 1769 he sold 48 acres on the western side of his farm to his son Capt. Abijah including a house and half the barn. His own house with nearly all of his remaining land was willed to his son Jonas. These two houses were on the south side of the road.
Jonas Child died in 1795 and his oldest son Josiah took over the home place, buying out his brothers and sisters. He owned it until 1847 when he sold to Noah Giles who died the next year
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and his administrator sold early in 1849 to one of the neighbors. Nathan Smith.
Isaac Child was son of John and Hannah (French) Child. He married Eunice Peirce in 1729 but was probably living with his father whose farm he inherited.
John Child, son of John and Mary (Warren) Child was a weaver. He married Hannah French in 1693 and Mar. 6, 1699-00, he bought from Daniel Mixer a 35 acre dividend and 4 acres of meadow adjoining. This land was on the north side of Winter Street opposite West Street. He built here about the same time, being one of the earliest to settle in that vicinity. Five years later he bought 50 acres on the south side of the road and these two lots with some smaller ones made up his farm, estimated at 100 acres, which he gave by will and deed to his son Isaac. From him it came to Isaac, Jr. then to his son Solomon and from him to his son-in-law Reuben Wyman.
Joshua Child was son of Daniel Child, Sr. and a young man of 22. His father died when he was but seven years old and from the position of his name in the list he was probably employed by and lived with Dea. Thomas Livermore.
Samuel Child, son of Daniel Child, Sr. was twenty years old in 1738. His name appears only in the Town List. About 1745 he moved to Weston.
SAMUEL CLARK was a tailor. He was a grandson of the pioneer Hugh Clark of Watertown, later of Roxbury. He married Mary Corbett in 1736 and seems from his position in the list to have been living on lower Main Street. He died in Waltham in 1766.
CUTTING FAMILY. Richard Cutting, 11 years old, with William Cutting, age 26, came to this country from Ipswich, England in 1634 and settled in Watertown. Two of his descend- ants lived in Waltham, a grandson John, son of his son John and a great grandson Richard through his son James and grandson Jonathan. James Cutting, son of Richard, lived on Old Pleasant Street between the Lyman ponds and the railroad before 1696
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and perhaps as early as 1679. He sold his home previous to June 1714. (See Joseph Stratton.) Jonas Cutting, perhaps a son of James, married Dinah, daughter of Jonathan Smith in 1720 and built north of Winter Street in Lot 19 of the second squadron. He sold to his brother-in-law, Nathaniel, in December 1728 and moved to Shrewsbury.
John Cutting lived on the north side of the Great Road. His house is said to have been the back part of the Central House that was taken down to make room for the present Library building. In 1714 he bought the 80 acre farm of John Flagg from the latter's widow and son John. At that time he owned land bounding it on the west upon which his house was probably built. This land was perhaps the 20 acre homestead of his father John whose property he obtained by inheritance and purchase from his brothers. If so his house or its predecessor may have been built as early as 1672. The Flagg house, which stood near Liberty Street (Wor- cester) was possibly built a year or two earlier. Nothing has been found relating to it after its purchase by Cutting.
When Cutting died in 1760 the whole of his estate came to his only child, Hannah, and her husband Capt. John Clark of New- ton. They moved to Waltham at that time and lived on this farm the rest of their lives. It then came to their son John and from him a large part of it to John, 3rd who in 1801 sold to David Smith.
John Cutting was a locksmith, his father's trade, and was prominent politically being selectman of both Watertown and Waltham and representative from Waltham for five years. He was a member of the Precinct Prudential Committee for ten years. He bore the title of Lieutenant in the tax list but after- wards was referred to as Captain.
Richard Cutting was living near Winter Street on the north side not quite to the top of the hill. The house was that of his father Jonathan and stood on land that was formerly the prop- erty of Allen Flagg the father-in-law of Jonathan. It was prob- ably not built earlier than 1710. Early in 1738 Richard married Thankful Harrington and three years later he sold this place to his brother Moses and bought a house on the north side of the Great Road just west of Beaver Brook that he used as a
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tavern although he also worked at his trade as blacksmith. Moses Cutting in 1744 sold the Winter Street farm to Thomas Fisk who owned a large farm adjoining.
The house near Beaver Brook seems to have been unoccupied in 1738. It was built by Joshua Biglow previous to 1706 and was sold to Daniel Rogers. His widow, Mary, sold it to John Bond in 1713 and from him passed through the ownership of Jonathan Flagg, Thomas Hammond and Jonathan Hammond to Richard Cutting.
Cutting died in 1767 and his widow Thankful and sons carried on until in 1799 a son, Dr. Amos of Marlborough, sold it to John Codman. By that time the family name had been changed to Cotting. The buildings were taken down about this time for there is no mention of them in later transfers. In 1835 the Massa- soit House was built on or near its site. It enjoyed a considerable reputation in its day but was not a financial success. It was burned in 1849.
JOHN DIX. Edward Dix came to Watertown in 1635 when he was nineteen years old and the Proprietors granted him eight lots of land in various parts of the town. One of them was the fourth lot in the third division of Great Dividends, granted in 1636 and containing thirty acres of upland. He died in 1660 leaving an only son John. In 1713 John Dix gave his son John 25 acres, Lot 4 of the Third Squadron, stating in the deed that it was the dividend "where John Dix, Jr. now lives." John, Jr. was married in 1697 so his house, that was on the north side of Trapelo Road, may have been built at that time. He died in 1726 and all his estate was awarded to his son John the third of the name. This was the man whose name appears on the tax list of 1738. He was selectman of Waltham for six years. He added many acres to the homestead and when he died in 1787 about 132 acres came to his son Joel. The latter lived on the homeplace for a considerable number of years but early in the nineteenth century moved to Boston. The homestead then passed through several owners but the larger part was acquired by Robert Bald- win in 1828 and 1834. Three generations of Baldwins owned and lived upon this farm which now forms a large part of the Walter E. Fernald State School grounds.
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FISKE FAMILY. Five of the six Fiskes whose names appear on the tax lists were descendants of John Fiske while the sixth was a great grandson of Nathan Fiske. John and Nathan are supposed to have been brothers and to have come to Watertown when quite young, possibly with David Fiske their probable uncle who came about 1637. William the son of John and his four sons, Thomas, William, John and Samuel, were the five while Josiah was descended from Nathan through the latter's son and grandson both named Nathan.
Besides these John, the elder brother of William, was an early settler. He bought in March 1703-4, 40 acres, the western half of Lot No. 21 in the third squadron and is said to have built there about that time (Worcester), his house being on the south side of the present Lake Street. He died in 1718 and no transfer of his estate has been found. His land was immediately east of that of his brother William and he sold an 11 acre strip on the west side of his lot to his brother. In 1733 his 30 acre homestead was owned by his nephew John. (See John Fiske.)
John Fiske, the son of William was living on the homestead of his uncle John in 1738. This he had acquired by quit-claim deed from his brother Thomas in February 1733-34, sold to William Hager in 1734 and bought back in 1735. He also owned con- siderable other property but sold it all retaining this home- stead until 1753 when he sold it to his brother Samuel. He is probably the John Fiske who died in 1760 leaving no real estate.
Josiah Fiske, a descendant of Nathan Fiske the pioneer, lived on the north side of the Great Road nearly opposite Prospect Street. His house was built by his uncle David Fiske perhaps before 1700. Josiah was a housewright and was selectman of Waltham in 1749 and 1750. In 1753 he sold his home to a distant relative Abijah Fiske and it was sold by the latter to his son-in- law Zechariah Weston in 1793. The house disappeared from the records a short time afterwards.
Samuel Fiske was probably living with his father William, Sr., who in 1742, a short time before his death, deeded the house with 70 acres of land to him. This homestead remained in the family for nearly two hundred and thirty years descending to
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Samuel, Jr. to Elijah, to Luke and to the latter's daughter Agnes Ashley. Her heirs sold to the Bay State Realty Exchange and it now forms a considerable part of the Lakeview settlement.
Thomas Fiske was the oldest living son of William Fiske, Sr. In 1734 he bought of Nathaniel Smith a house and 44 acres of land. The house was on the north side of Winter Street a con- siderable distance from the road. It was built by Jonas Cutting at an unknown date but probably not earlier than his marriage in 1720. Thomas Fiske later purchased two other farms nearby and in 1762, when he sold one-half of his estate to his son Jona- than, it included 160 acres. From Jonathan it came to his son Jonathan and then to his grandsons Jonathan Dexter and Calvin. Elijah Brown, a brother-in-law of the latter, took over a con- siderable part of the farm and passed it on to his sons. The execu- tor of Charles H. Brown, the last of the sons to own the home- stead, sold it to Hurlburt R. Cunningham in 1902 thus ending a family ownership of one hundred and sixty-eight years.
William Fiske, Sr., bought of Benjamin Wellington Lot 22 of the Third Squadron of Great Dividends in 1691. He built here about 1705 (Worcester) his house standing somewhat north of the present Lake Street. He purchased many other lots in the vicinity. His homestead and 70 acres, the larger part of his holdings, he gave by will and deed to his youngest son Samuel. (See Samuel Fiske for later history.)
William Fiske, Jr., son of William, Sr., began buying land in 1729 when he was about twenty-five years old and when he married Mary Sanderson in November 1733 he owned at least 38 acres bordering on the Lexington line and the meadows north and northwest of the Great Pond. His house, probably built about that time was on the north side of Trapelo Road. His wife died in 1734 shortly after the birth of their daughter Mary and he did not re-marry. He died in 1760 and all of his estate, then amounting to 100 acres was settled on his daughter who had married Nathaniel Bridge. The Bridges were large land owners in Lexington and Waltham so in 1762 they sold this farm to Dea. Isaac Stearns. From him it passed to his son Silas, to grand- son Phineas and to his great granddaughter Mary, wife of Ben-
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jamin Wellington, by whose name the farm is now frequently called.
FLAGG FAMILY. Thomas Flagg (or Flegg as written in the early records) was an early settler of Watertown, in 1641 or earlier according to Bond. Three of his eight or nine sons chose the West Precinct for their homes. John built on the north side of the Great Road near Liberty Street possibly as early as 1670- 75. After his death in 1697 it came to his only son John who in 1714 sold it with 80 acres of land to his neighbor on the west, John Cutting.
Michael also built his house on the Great Road but at the head of the plain just beyond Master's Brook, soon after his purchase of land there in 1681. Allen's house was at the present corner of Lexington and Bacon Streets. His father gave him land there in 1691, there being no mention of a house in the deed but it is possible that he lived there a few years earlier.
Allen Flagg was the oldest son of Allen, Sr. and inherited his father's estate when the latter died in 1711 "in his voyage as a soldier at Annapolis Royal." In 1744 Allen, Jr. sold the farm to John Fiske and moved away, living later in Worcester and Framingham.
Asa Flagg was a son of John Flagg, Jr. He was a young man of about twenty-five in 1738 and possessed no real estate. He was in Waltham in 1742 but his name does not appear on the tax list of 1743.
Bezaleel Flagg was son of Michael and inherited his father's homestead. He added considerably to its acreage and passed it on to his son and grandson of the same name. Bezaleel, 3rd sold it in 1806 to his neighbor Alpheus Gale.
David Flagg was a son of John, Jr. and was in his twenty-third year in 1738. He was a blacksmith and owned no land in Waltham. He moved to Weston about 1750 where he in 1749, then of Waltham, bought land.
GALE FAMILY. Richard Gale and his wife Mary were in Watertown by 1640 or earlier. In 1661 he purchased 250 acres,
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the east half of the Oldham Grant, and had a house there pre- vious to 1671. The location of this house cannot be surely de- termined but the most probable place was near the northwest corner of the present junction of Harvard and Charles Streets. Here his grandson John lived and his dwelling, an "old house" in 1748, was demolished a few years later. In 1673 Richard Gale built a house for his son Abraham at the time of the latter's marriage. This may have been the house on the west side of South Street where Abraham, Jr., lived. Richard by his will divided his estate between his sons Abraham and John but John had only a life interest so that eventually all came to Abraham and his heirs. When Abraham died in 1718 he bequeathed to Abraham, Jr. the house above mentioned and about 70 acres of land, in which the house stood and where the younger man was then residing. The balance of the land was left to the other sons, Ebenezer, John and Joshua. Joshua died, unmarried, in a short time and John purchased his share from the other heirs. John's house has already been mentioned. He sold several lots of land outside the family. He died in 1735 leaving four minor children. His widow Lydia was made administrator and seems to have carried on the place until she married John Sadler of Upton in April 1736. The oldest son Joshua came of age in 1742 and the estate was settled upon him. In less than two months after the decree he sold the house with the 55 acres to Isaac Brown and there is reason to believe that Brown was the occupant and virtual owner in 1738. (See Issac Brown.) Ebenezer Gale sold his part of the farm to John Hager in 1726. Only two persons named Gale were taxed in 1738.
Abraham Gale and his wife Rachel (Parkhurst) were living in 1738, retired, in their house on the west side of South Street. They had deeded their homestead to their son Samuel in 1727 upon his agreeing to support them the rest of their lives. They outlived their son who died in 1750 leaving this obligation to be fulfilled by his son Samuel, Jr. Abraham's death is not recorded but it probably was before 1752. Rachel lived to be ninety, dying in 1767.
Samuel Gale lived across the street from his father in a house built for him about 1724 or 1725. It stood a little north of the
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corner of South and Highland Streets and was the one used as a poorhouse after the Town acquired the property. Samuel, Jr. who succeeded his father added largely to the 55 acres left him. At the time of his death in 1793 he had re-acquired a large part of the 250 acres that was purchased by Richard Gale one hundred and thirty-two years before. His sons Jacob and Alpheus divided the estate and in 1828 the Town purchased 100 acres that had been a part of Alpheus' share and which included the present City Home and Mount Feake Cemetery.
GARFIELD FAMILY. Edward Garfield, the founder of the family in America and the ancestor of President Garfield, was selectman in Watertown in 1638 and at the time of the Inven- tories of 1643-4 was the owner of a 6 acre homestall at the north- east corner of Warren Street and Hager Lane in Waltham territory. This land was according to the Inventory granted to him but his name does not appear in the list of those to whom the grant was made April 9, 1638. This might be explained by assuming that the original grantee turned it back to the Town to be re-granted to Garfield. He may have been the first to build on Waltham soil.
He died in 1672 leaving a large estate. This homestall, a 40 acre lot now included in the Governor Gore estate and other land came to his son Capt. Benjamin while a 29 acre lot with a dwelling house just west of Beaver Brook and south of the Great Road along with 100 acres in the Farms (Weston) was willed to Joseph, another son.
Capt. Benjamin Garfield was chosen nine times as represent- ative to the General Court and was otherwise prominent in town and precinct affairs. He sold the homestall to Daniel Har- rington and moved to the 40 acre lot above mentioned. All his real estate was willed to his son Capt. Samuel. Joseph Garfield sold his dwelling and land on the Great Road to Jeremiah Morse in 1685 and about the same time bought from Morse 60 acres adjoining his farm land and presumably made a new home there.
Joseph was the father of Edward Garfield who built, probably about 1694, a house on the west side of South Street near the railroad crossing. He was father of the Joseph Garfield whose name appears on the first tax list.
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Benjamin Garfield was probably the oldest son of Capt. Samuel and if so was about twenty-two years old. He had no real estate and was probably living either with his father or with some other family on the Great Road.
Joseph Garfield was living in 1738 in the house built by his father Edward on the west side of South Street where he had a large farm. He was selectman of Waltham in 1743 and 1745. He died in 1775 and was succeeded by his son Edward to whom in 1768 and 1770 he had sold a part of the house and over 60 acres of land. Previous to this he had sold another son, Joshua, 70 acres. He owned many other lots in Waltham and Weston. In 1786 Edward acquired the other part of the house but soon was obliged to mortgage the estate to several persons. In 1794 Samuel Breck, Esq. recovered judgment against him and acquired it. In later years it has been known as the Shed farm as Zacheriah Shed bought it in 1799 and it was in the possession of his family for a considerable period.
Capt. Samuel Garfield was one of the eight notables to head the tax list. He had been selectman of Watertown for three years besides serving on the Precinct committee and as Precinct Assessor and Treasurer. He did not remain long in Waltham for in 1742 he sold his homestead to Samuel Brown of Leicester and soon after moved thither. His Waltham place which was the 40 acre lot and house that he inherited from his father passed through many hands in the next 44 years, it being used as a tavern for about 40 years. In 1786 it was purchased by Christo- pher Gore, Esq.
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