Genealogical and family history of the state of New Hampshire : a record of the achievements of her people in the making of a commonwealth and the founding of a nation, Vol. IV, Part 74

Author: Stearns, Ezra S; Whitcher, William F. (William Frederick), 1845-1918; Parker, Edward E. (Edward Everett), 1842-1923
Publication date: 1908
Publisher: New York : Lewis Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 878


USA > New Hampshire > Genealogical and family history of the state of New Hampshire : a record of the achievements of her people in the making of a commonwealth and the founding of a nation, Vol. IV > Part 74


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(V) Joseph, third child of Elijah and Mary (Clark) French, was born in Braintree, Massachu- setts. March 10, 1760. He removed as early as 1784 to Washington, New Hampshire, where he died May 2, 1788, aged twenty-eight. He married Abi-


gail Farnsworth, who bore him two children: Charles and Betsey.


(VI) Captain Charles, the elder of the two children of Joseph and Abigail (Nabby) (Farns- worth) French, was born in Washington, New Hampshire, November 16, 1784. His father died when he was less than four years old, and from that time forward, during childhood and youth, he re- sided with his uncle, Deacon David Farnsworth, of Washington. In 1808 he purchased the farm which was ever afterwards his home. He was a man of sterling character and highly esteemed, was a captain in the state militia, and in later times was generally spoken of as "Captain French." He died April 15, 1880, at the great age of ninety-five years. Two months before his death he participated in the public celebration of the one hundredth birthday of his neighbor Deacon Samuel P. Bailey. He mar- ried, November 27, 1806, Hannah Clark, of Sharon, Vermont, who died February 22, 1873. They had thirteen children: Joseph, deceased; William B., died young ; Sabrina, deceased; William B., de- ceased; Mary J., deceased; Emily D., died Sep- tember, 1907; Elizabeth F., deceased; Catherine, deceased ; David F., deceased; Sarah F., living in Dexter, Maine; Abigail W., deceased; Charles A., living at Hillsborough Bridge, New Hampshire, and Clark, deceased.


(VII) William Bigsby, fourth child and third son of Charles and Hannah (Clark) French, was born in Washington, New Hampshire, May 20, 1812. He was engaged in trade in his native town until 1864, when he removed to Boston, Massachusetts, and later to Manchester, New Hampshire, where he died August 16, 1884: He married (first), De- cember 27, 1837, Aura A. Allcock, who died May 23, 1868, leaving one child, Charles H., whose sketch follows. He married (second), September 23, 1869, Jennie E. Forsaith, who died in 1902.


(VIII) Charles H., only child of William B. and Aura A. (Allcock) French, was born in Wash- · ington, New Hampshire, September 1, 1840. He was educated in the common schools and at Tubbs Acad- emy in his native town, and after completing his studies there accompanied his parents to Manches- ter, New Hampshire, where he was engaged with his father in the flour and grain business for some years. He then went to Boston, where for the ensuing six years he was engaged in the same line of business. In 1876 he removed to Nashua, New Hampshire, and became a partner in the manu- facture of furniture in the firm of Howard & Com- pany. At the start they only employed three men, and from this small beginning built up the present enormous business, being now (1907) the largest furniture manufacturing concern in the east. After admitting Mr. David Heald into the firm they re- moved the manufacturing part of the business to Milford, where Mr. French built a new factory, and in addition to this opened a large store and wholesale house in Boston. The firm then con- sisted of J. Woodbury Howard, Charles H. French and David Heald; they conducted business under the firm name of Howard, French & Heald. till 1893, when Mr. Howard went out, and since 1893 the firm name has been French & Heald. Mr. French, who was a thrifty, energetic, hard-working man, looked after the manufacturing, which had been built up almost by his own efforts, and in ad- dition to this acted as the general manager of the entire business, giving a part of his time to the store and sales, and Mr. Heald took charge of the factory. Mr. French was a man of quiet, home-loving pro-


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clivities, and was possessed of keen business acumen and personal probity. He was affiliated with no fraternal or social orders, but was a Universalist in religious belief.


Mr. French married, January 1, 1863,. Mary Helen Howard, who was born in Washington, New Hampshire, daughter of Ezra P. and Mary (Per- kins) Howard. She died August 30, 1869, leaving an only child, Mary Helen, born in Manchester, June 20, 1869, married, 1894, Dr. Claude Freleigh, of Nashua. Mr. French married (second), No- vember 9, 1881, Mrs. Lorenza A. Wright, of Nashua, daughter of Joseph Starret Atherton, of Antrim, New Hampshire. Mr. French died at his home in Malden, Massachusetts, October 31, 1907, aged sixty- seven years and two months.


(III) Moses, second son of Thomas and Eliza- beth French, was born and lived in Braintree.


(IV) Moses (2) French was the son of Moses (I). He married Esther Thayer. All were of Braintree.


(V) Rev. Jonathan, son of Moses (2) and Esther (Thayer) French, was born in Braintree in 1740. He was a man of education, and was a sur- geon in the English army several years before his attention was turned to the ministry, while prac- ticing among the sick soldiers at Castle William in Boston Harbor. While there he commenced his study preparatory for the ministry, and finished his course at Harvard College, and was installed pastor of the South Parish in Andover, Massachusetts, in 1773, which position he held till his death, July 28, 1809, nearly thirty-seven years. He had the reputation as standing high


in the esteem of the clergy, and was a man of great influence for helping all good causes in his community. His wife was


Abigail Richards, daughter of Dr. Benjamin and Sarah Thayer Richards, of Weymouth, a distinguished physi- cian of that town. She was born in 1742, and died August 28, 1821. Her mother and her hus- band's mother were sisters, Sarah and Esther Thayer. . This relationship makes Mrs. Dearborn a descend- ant in the seventh generation in two lines from John Alden and Priscilla Mullen, who came over in the Mayflower and landed on Plymouth Rock, December 21, 1620. This interesting genealogy is shown as follows : John Alden and Priscilla Mullen, his wife, had nine children. Their daughter Esther married John Bass. A daughter, Sarah Bass, married Ephraim Thayer; Ephraim and Sarah (Bass) Thayer had fourteen children. all of whom lived to grow up, marry and have families. One of the fourteen, Esther, married Moses French, and they had several children. one of whom was the Rev. Jonathan French, of Andover, as before stated. Another daughter married Dr. Richards, as above stated, so Mrs. Dearborn is one of the bluest of New England blue blood of the Pilgrim stock. John and Priscilla (Mullen) Alden's granddaugh- ter was grandmother of Rev. Jonathan French (and his wife), of Andover, who were the grandparents of Sperry French, Mrs. Dearborn's father.


(VI) Rev. Jonathan (2) French, D. D., of North Hampton, was a son of Rev. Jonathan (I) and Abigail (Richards) French. He married Re- becca Mercy Farrar, of Lincoln, Massachusetts.


(VII) Professor Sperry French, son of Rev. Jonathan (2) and Rebecca M. (Farrar) French, was born in North Hampton, January 9, 1823. He was principal of the grammar school at Exeter fifty years, beginning when he was twenty years old, and retiring when he was three score and ten. Mr.


French kept up with the advanced ideas and methods of education, down to the very last year of his teaching; he did not retire because he was super- annuated in mental power or antiquated in his methods of instruction; he was equal to the best of them, but decided to retire and take life easy. He was a strict disciplinarian, but always kept on good terms with his pupils. He was a born teacher, and when the boys left his school it was not his fault if they were not capable of pursuing their studies in the schools for higher education.


BUCK Among the earliest names in New Eng- land this has borne an honorable part in the development of the states of Massa- chusetts and New Hampshire, as well as of other states in the Union, and is still borne untarnished by leading citizens of this state. While not so univer- sally represented as some others, it has borne its full share in the spread of civilization.


(I) William Buck (sometimes written Bucke), was born in 1585, in England, and died in Cambridge, Massachusetts, December 24, 1658. He came to New England in the bark "Increase," in 1635, and was then fifty years old. He was accompanied by his son Roger, a young man of eighteen, and resided in the west field, Cambridge, northeasterly from the present Garden street, where was formerly a high- way to the great swamp, now called Raymond street. He was a manufacturer of plows.


(II) Roger, son of William Buck, must have been born about 1617. He inherited the homestead and occupation of his father. Soon after 1685 he removed to Woburn, and there in 1688 acknowledged the sale of a part of his homestead to his son-in- law, Thomas Baverick. A condition of this sale was that if Baverick should sell the property, Roger's son, Ephraim Buck, should have the preference as purchaser. Roger Buck died at Woburn, November 10, 1693, at the age of seventy-six years. His wife's name was Susan, and their children were: Samuel, John, Ephraim, Mary, Ruth, Elizabeth, John and Lydia. Susan, mother of these children, died Septem- ber 10, 1685, and this fact seems to have led to the removal of her husband to Woburn, where some of his children were already settled.


(III) Ephraim, third son and child of Roger and Susan Buck, was born July 26, 1646, in Cambridge, and resided in Woburn. He was taxed there in the meetinghouse rate in 1672. His death occurred be- tween November 23, 1717, and March 20, 1721, the respective dates of signing and proving his will. He was married January 1, 1671, at Woburn, to Sarah, daughter of John Brooks, and their children were: Sarah, Ephraim, John (died young), John, Samuel, Eunice, Ebenezer and Mary. His descenants are numerous in Wilmington, Massachusetts.


(IV) Ebenezer, fifth son and seventh child of Ephraim and Sarah (Brooks) Buck, was born May 20, 1689, in Woburn, and probably resided in Wil- mington, Massachusetts.


(V) Ebenezer (2), son of Ebenezer (1) Buck, is found on record as a resident of Framingham, Massachusetts, in 1768, and of Woburn in 1769. Af- ter 1770 he resided in Upton, Massachusetts, where he died August 7, 1827, then said to be eighty-seven years old. He was a soldier of the Revolution and his descriptive list would make it appear that he was born in 1742. His wife, Mary survived him thirteen years, and died August 18, 1840. Before 1770 he had three children born, namely: Ezra, Elijah and Amos. Ten children were born in Upton from 1772 to 1792, namely: Anna, Henry, Charles Gates, Mary, Ruth,


Www. & Buck


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Susanna, Ebenezer, Moses, Mehitable and George Washington. Of these Ezra, Elijah and Charles Gates died young.


(VI) Amos, son of Ebenezer (2) and Mary Buck, was born November 16, 1769, in Westboro, Massachusetts, and was brought up from infancy in Upton. He resided for a time in Bradford, Massa- chusetts, and died at the home of his son Amos in Hampstead, New Hampshire, July 8, 1859, aged nine- ty years.


(VII) Amos (2), son of Amos (1) Buck, was born March 24, 1808, in Bradford, Massachusetts, and died at the home of his son, William E. Buck, in Manchester, New Hampshire, January 29, 1881. For forty-five years he was a prominent citizen of Hampstead, and was there commonly known as "Captain Buck" because of his official connection with the state militia during his early manhood. He was a man of marked native talent and much pub- lic spirit, whose counsel and leadership his towns- men often sought. He was a justice of the peace for many years; and being uncommonly well versed in a knowledge of law, he did considerable business as an attorney in writing deeds and wills, and in settling the estates of persons deceased. As coun- selor he generally affected settlements by compromise in instances among his townsmen who from time to time threatened one another with lawsuits, in cases of serious disagreement. Captain Buck was a stanch Republican; as a political leader he had a strong and loyal following, who conferred upon him their highest political honors. He was chosen modera- tor of fifteen town-meetings ; a member of the board of selectmen seventeen times, chairman of said board fifteen times; and twice as the town's repre- sentative to the state legislature. Though not a churchman, Amos Buck was chiefly respected for the nobility and sympathetic nature of his character. He was modest, charitable, and trustworthy. Occa- sionally he was heard to repeat Pope's aphorism, "An honest man's the noblest work of God"; and it may be said that Mr. Buck's life was an exem- plification of his belief in the truthfulness of the quotation. Amos Buck was married in Derry, De- cember 1, 1836, to Mary Jane Ela, daughter of Deacon William Ela (see Ela IV). Immediately after their marriage they settled in Hampstead, where the remainder of their lives were spent. Mrs. Buck died in Hampstead, April 22, 1879. She was an intelligent and capable christian woman, loyal to her husband and devoted to her children. She was admitted to membership in the Hampstead Church August 7, 1851. They were the parents of three sons; William Ela, the eldest, receives mention in succeeding paragraphs. George Mitchell, the sec- ond, died in his ninth year. Amos Henry, the third, was near the close of his twenty-second year at the time of his death.


(VIII) William Ela Buck, at this writing, still survives, and resides in Manchester, New Hamp- shire, where he has made his home since April, 1869. He was born April 8, 1838, in Hampstead, New Hampshire. In childhood he there attended the central village school about twenty-five weeks a year, until he was thirteen years of age. After that he attended the same school one or two winter terms. It had a new teacher nearly every term, but no course of study ; hence the work was disconnected, and progress slow. However. the young man had so improved his vacations by working in his father's shop that at the age of seventeen he had accumulated about six hundred dollars; this, together with schol- arships won and what he earned during subsequent vacations, enabled him to pay his expenses one term


at Chester Academy, two terms at Atkinson Acad- emy, and three years at Phillips Exeter Academy, where at the age of twenty-one he found himself well fitted for entrance to Harvard University. Mr. Buck, at this time, also found himself without money and with health somewhat impaired and conse- quently deemed it wise to postpone entrance to Dart- imouth College, where he had proposed to go, until he could refill his purse and improve his health. Accordingly in the fall (1859) he went to Bloom- ingdale, Illinois, and there taught his first school, in a country district, out on a wide prairie twenty-five miles west of Chicago. He returned home the follow- ing spring and temporarily re-entered the shop at Hampstead, where he could for a short time earn more money than elsewhere, intending to enter col- lege in the fall. He was, however, soon asked to teach the village school at home; and he could not refuse, remembering the great satisfaction he derived from his first term's experience at teaching, being also aware that the conditions of his purse and health were not what they should be for entrance upon a four years' course at college. Further experience in teaching was so enjoyable to Mr. Buck, he conclud- ed before the opening of another college year to make teaching his life work, and consequently gave up both the college course and his intention of studying law.


After teaching other schools in New Hampshire, at Danville and Pelham, Mr. Buck established a private high school at Penningtonville, Pennsylvania, in the spring of 1863. This school became highly prosperous, and he there had the satisfaction of fitting several pupils for college who afterwards became prominent in Pennsylvania life. Owing to the decease of his wife and the consequent re- moval of his infant son to Hampstead, New Hamp- shire, Mr. Buck sold his private school. in the fall of 1867, and immediately became principal of the public high school at Cohasset, Massachusetts. He taught there about a year and a half, and the school committee publicly pronounced his service as "very satisfactory"; but in April, 1869, he had a call at a higher salary to the principalship of the "Inter- mediate" school in Manchester, New Hampshire. He at once accepted the call, but chiefly because of the better outlook there. In seven months Mr. Buck was promoted to the principalship of the Spring street grammar school, where he taught till the fall of 1874, when he was promoted to the prin- cipalship of a new school in the then new Ash street schoolhouse. He taught this school till April, 1877, when he was given a superior promotion by being chosen superintendent of public instruction for the city of Manchester, which position he held till July 1. 1900. He tendered his resignation, on account of poor health, May 4, 1900, and it was ac- cepted subject to the retention of his services till the close of the spring term. This record shows that Mr. Buck was teacher eighteen years and su- perintendent twenty-three years, and that his work during all these forty-one years was highly efficient and satisfactory is amply evidenced by his repeated promotions as teacher and his long retention as su- perintendent. His merit was recognized by Dart- mouth College when, in 1886, it conferred upon him the honorary degree of Master of Arts. Upon Mr. Buck's withdrawal from the superintendency, Man- chester's corps of teachers publicly expressed kind personal regards, and high appreciation of his serv- ice, by presenting him with a beautiful and costly hall clock, to the purchase price of which testi- monial every member of the corps made contribution. Mr. Buck made a feeling response, in which he ex-


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pressed much satisfaction that there had ever been between them and himself mutual feelings of con- fidence and respect, and an official loyalty to one another that had largely contributed to the success of the schools.


In his earlier manhood Superintendent Buck be- longed to several fraternal societies ; but after twen- ty years of conscientious devotion to the growing in- terests of the schools under his care, he found his health so impaired that it was necessary for him to forego other responsibilities than those pertaining to his family and the schools under his supervision. The result was that outside associations were re- linguished and thereby opportunity was afforded him successfully to continue his chosen life work for an- other score of years which terminated in 1900 by his resignation on account of physical disability, as be- fore said.


December 29, 1864, William Ela Buck married Helen Meribah Putnam, only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Putnam, of Hampstead, New Hamp- shire. She was born there May 28, 1841; and died in Penningtonville, Pennsylvania, October 30, 1865. They had one child, William Putnam Buck, who was born at Penningtonville, October 2, 1865; and at this writing resides in Denver, Colorado.


July 16, 1872, William Ela Buck married Har- riet Ann Mack, the elder daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Kendrick Mack, of Manchester, New Hamp- shire. She was born there October 27, 1848; and at this writing resides in Manchester. They have had six children, as follows: George Kendrick, born Sep- tember 9, 1874, graduated from Williams College, 1896. Walter French, born January 3, 1876, gradu- ated from New Hampshire State College, 1897. Bur- ton Winthrop, born January 19, 1878, graduated from Dartmouth College. 1900. Arthur Ela, born January 28, 1880, graduated from Dartmouth Col- lege, 1901. Edward Morris, born November 4, 1882, died July 12, 1883. Helen Isabella, born October 29, 1883, graduated from Mount Holyoke College, 1905.


SAWTELLE


Probably few New England names have shown greater variation in the spelling and pronunciation


than has this.


Sartel, Sattell, Sautell, Sautle, Sare- tell, Sartwell, Sortwell, Sawtel are some of the peculiarities found in the ancient records. The most general form of usage in the first five genera- tions was Sawtell, but in more recent times one letter has been added, giving the present form.


(I) Richard Sawtell, the ancestor of many families bearing the name in New England and elsewhere, was a native of England. He was a resident and a proprietor of Watertown, Massachu- setts, previous to 1637. Subsequently he was one of the first settlers and a proprietor of Groton, Massachusetts, and was the clerk of the town dur- ing the first three years after its incorporation in 1662. He was active and prominent in Watertown and in Groton. He died August 2, 1694, and his wife Elizabeth survived him a little more than two months, dyng October 18, of the same year. Their children were: Obadiah, Elizabeth, Jonathan, Mary, Hannah, Zaccharia, Enoch, John, Ruth and Bethia.


(II) Obadiah, eldest child of Richard and Elizabeth Sawtell, resided in the town of Groton and is honorably mentioned in the records of the town. But few items of his family history are recorded. It is shown, however, that his wife's name was Hannah, and that he had children, Oba- dialı and Abigail.


(III)


Obadiah (2), son of Obadiah (I) and


Hannah Sawtelle, was born about 1650, in Gro- ton, and lived in that town where he died March 20, 1740, as shown by his headstone. He married Hannah Lawrence, who was born March 24, 1761, a daughter of George and Elizabeth (Cripe) Law- rence. The births and baptizms of their six children are recorded in Groton, namely: Elnathan, Josiah, Hannah, Abigail, Obadiah and Hezekiah.


(IV) Hezekiah, youngest child of Obadiah (2) and Hannah (Lawrence) Sawtelle, was born March 2, 1703, and probably passed his entire life in Groton. His descendants are very numerous. He married Joanna Wilson and their eleven children were born between 1724 and 1747. He died March II, 1779, and was survived more than several years by his widow, who died September II, 1786.


(V) Ephraim, son of Hezekiah and Joanna (Wilson) Sawtelle, was born January 18, 1734, and was married December 22, 1757, to Abigail Stone, who was born December 2, 1736, daughter of Dea- con James and Abigail (Farwell) Stone, of Groton. His children were: Abigail, Lucy, Josiah (died young) Molly, Eli, Josiah, Ephraim and Sarah.


(VI) Eli, second son and fifth child of Ephraim and Abigail (Stone) Sawtelle, was born Novem- ber 26, 1765, in Groton, and settled in Brookline, New Hampshire, where he cleared up and developed a farm. He married Lydia Hunt, who was born April 20, 1769, in Tewkesbury, Massachusetts, daughter of John and Lydia (Thorndyke) Hunt. She was the youngest of the six children of her parents. Their children were :


Mary, Lydia, Isaac, John, Eli, Eldad, Joseph, Ithamar, Abigail.


(VII) Joseph, fourth son of Eli and Lydia (Hunt) Sawtelle, was born at Brookline, New Hampshire, April 22, 1804. He was a farmer and surveyor. He was active in the affairs of the town, and was a man of substance and standing in the community. He 'held all the town offices, was selectman for many years, and represented Brookline in the legislature. He was a member of the Unitarian Church. He married Catherine, daughter of Eli Parker, of Brookline. They had three children; two died young. Joseph Sawtelle died at his home in Brookline, March 8, 1883.


(VIII) Ellen Catherine, daughter and only child to attain maturity of Joseph and Catherine (Parker) Sawtelle, was born in Brookline, New Hampshire, March 16, 1843. She was educated in the public schools of her native town and at Mc- Collom Institute, Mont Vernon, New Hampshire, and at the normal school at Salem, Massachusetts. Miss Sawtelle has become one of the most dis- tinguished educators who has ever gone forth from New Hampshire. In 1864 she entered the Hancock School of Boston, Massachusetts, with which she has been connected ever since. Few teachers can show a longer term of service. She became prin- cipal in 1904, and now conducts a school of sixty- two teachers and two thousand four hundred pupils.


LORD Many of the Lords of New Hampshire trace their descent to Robert, the immi- grant, who since he settled in New Eng- land before 1650, is entitled to be called a pioneer. Sterling worth and upright character have been at- tributes of the Lords as a family, and many of them have attained positions of prominence in man- ufactures, trade and the professions.


(I) Robert Lord. the immigrant, was born in England in 1603. and appears to have been the son of widow Catherine Lord, who was residing in Ipswich, Massachusetts, in 1637, and was a com-


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moner in 1641. Robert Lord took the freeman's oath at Boston, March 3, 1636. His house lot on High street was granted to him February 19, 1637. In 1639 he had a houselot on High street, which property yet remains a possession of his descend- ants. He was one of Denison's subscribers in 1648; had a share in Plum Island, in 1664; and was a voter in town affairs in 1679. He was on a com- mittee with Richard Saltonstall and others, em- powered to grant houselots to settlers, in 1645. He was representative in 1638; selectman in 1661 and many years after; and was appointed "searcher of coin" for the town of Ipswich in 1654. He was long town clerk, and also clerk of the court till his decease. The latter office included the duties now performed by the clerk of probate and register of deeds. He served more than twenty years in the Indian wars and became so inured to camp life and exposure that he could never afterwards sleep upon a feather bed. He is said to have been below the medium stature, but of powerful mould and one of the most athletic, strong, and fearless men in the Colonial service. There is a tradition that the In- dians themselves at one time, when confronted by Lord's rangers, proposed to decide the battle that was anticipated by an encounter between the cham- pions of the two parties; to this the whites agreed, and Robert Lord walked to the front. The In- dians selected the most powerful of their tribe, a perfect giant, full seven feet in stature. The two men were to meet at full run and take the "Indian hug" as they closed. The savages anticipated an easy victory. They came together like two infur- iated bullocks with a tremendous shock, but in an instant the redskin lay stretched upon the earth, and the shouts of the Colonial scouts rang out in the forest. Not satisfied with a single experiment, they were required to rush and clinch again. In this en- counter Lord took the "hip-lock" on his greasy an- tagonist and threw him with such force that a blood vessel was ruptured in the fall. The Indians took him up and carried him from the arena, fully ac- knowledging themselves defeated; they afterward reported that some whiteman's devil invested Lord with supernatural strength. He died August 12, 1683, in the eightieth year of his age. His will, dated June 28, was proved September 25, 1683. He married Mary Waite in 1630. In his will he men- tions his wife. Mary, "with whom by God's good providence we have lived comfortably together in a married condition almost fifty-three years." He bequeaths her all his estate during her life. Their children were: Robert, Sarah, Nathaniel, Thomas, Samuel, Susannah, Abigail, Hannah, and one who married a Chendler.




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