USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Woburn > Woburn records of births, deaths, and marriages from 1640 to 1873 Part II - Deaths > Part 33
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Of the first group (1699-1799), JAMES CONVERSE, died " in the 95th year of his age." - gravestone,- was the last survivor of the thirty-two sub- scribers to the town orders of Woburn, 1640, or of the original Woburn settlers of that year. IIe came to this country with his father, Edward Converse, when he was about ten years old. JUDITH TYNG was formerly the wife of the Rev. Jabez Fox, of Woburn, and daughter of the elder Rev. John Reyner, minister of Plymouth, and of Dover, N. II., also. She died " in the 99th year of her age," - gravestone, - on which she is said to have been " a woman of most exemplary virtne and piety, rich in grace, ripe for glory." ller epitaph is given by her descendant Alden, Coll., I., 229; also in Sewall's Woburn, 142. The Rev. Timothy Alden, Coll., I., 225, published in 1814, gives also an extended account of the family of Rev.
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Jabez Fox, his ancestor. Savage does not give the date of birth of Judith (Reyner-Fox) Tyng, but credits her as the issue of her father's second marriage, which occurred in 1642. According to her gravestone, her birth would appear to have occurred in 1638; and if she was the issue of a marriage that occurred in 1642, her age is evidently overstated. There is this to say, however; her family connections by blood and marriage were of the highest to be found in the Colonies, both for intelligence and wealth, and weight of character, and Savage may be mistaken in assign- ing her as the child of a later marriage of her father, when she may have been a child of an earlier marriage, or of his first. We cannot believe otherwise than that her family connections were persons of sufficient intelligence to know her precise age, and that they saw to it that her age- was correctly given on her gravestone.
She is also the person referred to in the papers on the Fox-Jackson ministerial controversy in Woburn, where an ex-parte council of Mr. Jackson's own choosing, in December, 1746, passed an unfavorable judg- ment upon his conduct, touching that part of Article 6, of the accusations of the complainants against him, in which, after the Rev. John Fox and his wife had put up a note desiring that the death of their " aged mother" might be sanctified, etc., Mr. Jackson then prayed in a manner highly unbecoming to a Christian minister.
GEORGE REED died " in the 96th year of his age,"- gravestone, - was a deacon, and was born in Woburn, Sept. 14, 1660; his age was therefore correctly given as his 96th year, since he was actually 95 years, 4 months, 6 days old. (Cf. Sewall's Woburn, 631, 632; History Reed Fam., 105.)
ABIGAIL BALDWIN was Abigail Fisk before marriage. Samuel Thomp- son, Esq., the diarist, says her age was "96 or 97" when she died, and her name is the first in his consecutive list of deaths. She was born in Cambridge, " 1. 2. 1674" [April 1, 1674]. (Cambridge Records.) She was therefore about 96 years, 9 months, and her age, as stated above, is quite correctly given. (Cf. Paige's Cambridge, 546; Hudson's Lex ington, 69, 70; Vinton's Richardson Memorial, 44, 45.)
CATHERINE SPEAR and Mr. PERRY. These two were temporary residents it is supposed, in the town, on account of the Revolutionary War. The town contained a number of refugees at that period. Neither are their names those of long-standing Woburn families at that time. " Old Mrs. Spear " died, aged " almost 100," says S. Thompson in his list; but he omits all mention of old Mr. Perry. In the absence of other data of a definite character, the presumption is that the facts of very advanced age, as given in the cases of these two old persons, are evidently correct .*
* The Widow Spear resided in Rev. John Marrett's parish (Woburn Second Precinct, now Burlington), and he attended her funeral, which occurred on Nov. 30, 1775. John Spear, probably her husband, was one of the original members of the Burlington, or Woburn, Pre- cinet Church, 1735. She was, therefore, a more permanent resident than the statement above made would imply.
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JUDITH PROCTOR. The same remarks in the above two cases apply in part to this. She is not mentioned in S. Thompson's list. We have no definite information, other than the record of her death.
SAMUEL CARTER. "Capt. Samuel Carter," says S. Thompson, " died," and was " buried this week " (Jan. 21-27, 1787), " aged 92 years or more." Died Jan. 21, 1787, aged 92, according to gravestone at Arlington. He was born in Woburn, Oct. 31, 1694, and, at his death, was actually 92 years, 2 months, 20 days. His age, as given in the records, is therefore overstated, the record of the diarist and the gravestone being right. (Cf. Sewall's Woburn, 598: Cutter's Cutter Family, 44, 377; Cutter's Arlington, 201, 202.)
REBECCA RUSSELL. " Widow Russell died, aged about 98," says S. Thomp- son in diary. Her maiden name was Kendall. She was born in Woburn, Jan. 26, 1694-5. Iler actual age at death was 96 years, 6 months, or 963. Her age, as given in the records, was therefore overstated. (Cf. Sew- all's Woburn, 621: Locke's Book of the Lockes, 28; N. E. Hist. Gen. Reg., XXXIX., 20).
JOSEPH JOHNSON. "Lieut. Joseph Johnson, 2d Parish, died, aged 97," remarks S. Thompson in his diary. He was born in Woburn, Feb. 9, 1701-2. If this date is correct, his age is but little overstated; and if 1701 is the year, 97 years is right. ( Cf. Poole's W. W. Prov. introd. cli.)
Of the second group (1799-1850), CHLOE, the black, is described by S. Thompson in his diary as an " aged negro woman," dying in Woburn, but " buried at Medford"; she being " said to be 100 years old."
JOSEPH RICHARDSON was born in Woburn, Feb. 9, 1726-7. His age was therefore correctly stated. (Cf. Vinton's R. Mem., 254, 255, and his Vinton Mem., 389.)
PRINCE WALKER, the black man, was an interesting character. He was the servant or slave of the Rev. Timothy Walker, the first minister of Concord, N. H. The master originated in Woburn, and the slave is sup- posed to have originated here also, though his birth is not discoverable on the records. That he died at the Woburn almshouse, after an extended residence there, would show that he was probably a native of the town. The Countess of Rumford, grand-daughter of Rev. Timothy Walker, alludes to him in her memoirs. (Cf. Ellis's Life of Rumford, 228; Diaries of Rev. Timothy Walker, ed. 1889, 25, 30, 31, 32, 35, 37, 38, 44, 45; Bou- ton's Concord, N. H., 252, 253.)
WIDOW HOLDEN. No further definite information. A reference to the church records has led to an examination of the early printed church cata- logues for the full name of this person, and in that of 1827, the name of Abigail IIolden, adm., Nov., 1817, is found; alive in 1827, - called Mrs. William Holden, in that of 1832, in which her name is erased as a person deceased; the copies referred to being marked copies belonging to the church officers.
ABEL RICHARDSON. "Æt. 96," - gravestone. He was born in Woburn,
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Oet. 23, 1736. His age, at death, therefore, would be 94 years, 7 months, 4 days. Etatis signifies "year of age"; the equivalent of the phrase "in the -th year of his (or her) age," so frequently used on the stones in the First (or earliest) Burying-Ground. Abel Richardson was interred in the Second Burying-Ground. He evidently died in his 95th year, and his age in the records and on the gravestone is overstated. (Cf. Vin- ton's R. Mem., 257, and his Vinton Mem., 390; Thompson's Thompson Mem., 33.)
EDWARD RICHARDSON. " Æt. 96," - gravestone. He was born in Read- ing, Ang. 25, 1743, and his age at death was 94 years, 2 months, 22 days. His age in the records and on the gravestone is therefore overstated. The gravestone in the Second Burying-Ground was " erected by Job Richard- son," a son. (Cf. Vinton's R. Mem. 251, 252; Vinton Mem . 388, 389.)
KEZIAH THOMPSON. Unmarried. Born in Woburn, Feb. 15, 1747-8. Age at death, 97 years, 25 days, if the year of birth is correctly placed. She was certainly 96 years old, and her age as given in the records is not overstated. (Cf. Thompson's Thompson Mem., 33.)
ABIGAIL FLAGG. The Guide-post, Woburn, Feb. 4, 1847, under deaths, has this notice, "In this town, Widow Abigail Flagg, 99 years," - one year more than the age credited to her in the records. She was born at Wilmington, March 9, 1747-48, and her age, therefore, would be 98 years, 10 months, 22 days, if the double date is correctly placed. One authority says she was born March 9, 1747 ; while another says the date was March 9, 1748. The earlier date would make her age 99. Her maiden name was Thompson. (Cf. Thompson's Thompson Mem., 37.)
Of the third group (1850 to Aug. 30, 1889), the following particulars may be given : -
SUSANNA ASH. Age given as 95, in deaths, Woburn Journal, March 18, 1854. Widow. Born at Ipswich. Maiden name, Marshall. (Cf. Woburn Records, and gravestone in Woburn cemetery.)
MARY MCLOUGHLIN Or MCLAUGHLIN. Age given as 97, in deaths, Woburn Journal, March 19, 1864. Widow. Native of Ireland. Parents unknown. Brief notice of death in Woburn Townsman, March 18, 1864. Maiden name, MeFall. (Records.)
MARY RICHARDSON. Unmarried. Born in Woburn, Aug. 18, 1764, daughter of Abel Richardson, of the second group. Her age is correctly given in the records. Her birthplace was Reading, according to an extended notice of her death in Woburn Townsman. (Cf. Vinton's R. Mem., 257, and his Vinton Mem., 390; Woburn Journal, deaths, April 2, 1864; Wo- burn Townsman, April 1, 1864. )
JESSE CONVERSE. Born in Woburn, Feb. 9, 1765. ( Cf. Sewall's Woburn, 606; Woburn Journal, deaths, and brief notice, July 23, 1864; also a long notice in Woburn Townsman, July 22, 1864; also N. E. Hist. Gen. Reg., XII., 224; XVIII., 378.)
JOSHUA CONVERSE. Born in Woburn, Jan. 20, 1767. Brother of the
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preceding. (Cf. Sewall's Woburn, 606, 607 ; Woburn Journal, notices, Feb. 23, 1867; Feb. 8, 15, 22, 1868; N. E. Hist. Gen. Reg., XII., 224.)
ELLEN O'NEIL. A native of Ireland, maiden name Murphy. Widow at decease. (Cf. Woburn Advertiser, Sept. 6, 1872, and Woburn Journal, Sept. 7, 1872, deaths.)
RUTH WOOD. Widow. Maiden name Richardson. Born in Stoneham, April 16, 1787. (Cf. Vinton's R. Mem., 328; Woburn Journal, deaths, May 12, 1882; Woburn Advertiser, deaths and brief notice, May 11, 1882.)
DOLLY TAYLOR. Widow. Maiden name Robie. Born in Springfield, N. H., May 13, 1785. (Cf. Woburn Journal, May 19, 1882, for mention ; ibid., Aug. 11, 1882, and Woburn Advertiser, Aug. 10, 1882, deaths and brief notice; also notice from family.)
MARY MCVICKER. Unmarried. Native of Greenock, Scotland. (Cf. notice in Woburn Advertiser, Oct. 22, 1885, where a belief in her still greater age is expressed.)
JANE BURKELAND. Colored. Born a slave in Richmond, Va. (Cf. Woburn Advertiser, May 17, 1888, and Woburn Journal, May 18, 25, 1888, deaths and notices. In the latter it is stated that she had seen Gen. Washington. )
WOBURN, Aug. 30, 1889.
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