-?• .0 f-^^ % /}Mk' ^-^ - = » o ■ .0 '^, x..^ ■i o ^°-^^. -**, -^v ,-N '• ,0 o. ■\o^ ■>^ \-- .s • '•'''■*-_ i^' , " = » ■* iV ■-,■> A^' % V^ .^'■" •'^^^■^-/ ^^^£?:>^ ^^-'^^^'^c^ V"'-''> %'--^^--/^ .^^ ■>- .-&• oj.. ^'«? ^^ ^ ^^. .^^'^-. V ,0 <^ • ^0 • 0^ : V ■ o -P a" -'. .• ,0^ 'o ~. .. ,' ^ r ^ •V *> .■ ^ m "^e tiny sparkling lustres of the land Pall one by one from fame's neglecting hand; Letheeun gulfs receive them as they fall And dark oblivion soon absorbs them all," The little town of Hull at the entrance of Boston Harbor, though the smallest In the Commonwealth, is full of interesting history, vrnwrit- ten, save here and there fragments that have been preserved to us by a few antiquarians, Although we may not be peirmitted to go back to the old Norse legends thkt, perhaps rather obscurely, point to this outlying promontojry as the "Krossaness" or burial place of Thorvald in the year 1004; nor to the early voyages of the Biscayan fishermen to these waters in the sixteenth century, which latter records may be still hidden from us, mouldering perhaps in some garret on the coast of Normandy, there can be but little doubt but that those English ships sent out by Gorges from Somerset as early as 1608-9, to fish at Monhegan .-; -■ '. f ■T' r><-4 1'-- atout 1649, where his daughter Martha was "bom in 1655, who afterwards became the wife of Elder John Prince's fourth son Samuel in 1674, Elder Prince married the widow Barstow of Scituate about 1670, His youngest child, Thomas was then but twelve years of age. In the will, which we give, verbatim, below, it will be seen that the names of the sons are the same as those given in the above record of Rev, fhomas Prince, except Benjamin, who died, unmarried, before his father, fhis will, which is on file in the Probate office of Suffolk Coiinty, is in Elder Princes own handwriting. It is written in his usual plain, legible hand, excepting the last clause and si^ature, which must have been added a short time before his death, as his writing had then become tremulous, showing the change that was fast falling upon him. Last fill and Testament of Elder John Prince of Hull, Mass, -who died Aug, 16, 1676, "It being the divine appointment of the most High good and souver- aign 3od that all men must dye, and yet that none shall know the time when, therefore have I, John Prince Senior of Hull in the Massachusetts Colony in New England being now in my perfect sense and having perfect use of my reason though but weak in body made this my last will and tes- tament this nineth day of May in the year of our lord one thousand six htmdred and seventy ai«, and therefore after the solemn conmitt*nce of my soul into the hands of God who gave it and my body to bee decently intered, conseming that small portion of outward estate the lord hath given me thus to dispose off it, "first that all my lawful debts be paid. "Secondly that for this year sixty six and in the year sixty (8) .©Ofli- fWloi: rdftlS lo ;^fl©««da•t hm, £1. ;«I '"• * itbc.v. ' ^-'••" ■*•'■■ ' iHxiii ■ T^r ^ ■ ■■!•<■■ r,i s ->J*i I, r •■ seven (he intented to make these dates »76 and *77) the whole profittr off my whole estate by sea and land "bee to and for the use and "benefitt of my dearly beloved wife for her majmtaynance and my youngest, son Thom- as being yet under age; and because that Isaac Prince will be of age for himself this year seventy six that his mother my dearly beloved wife having as aforesaid the profitts of the whole estate because she may and my will is she should, and that he be clothed out of the profits of my estate as the rest of his brethren have been by me, eind that he then when he goith for himself he shall have a years dyett washing and lodging out of the income of my estate and the profits of his employ to and for his own behoof or profit as his other brethren have had, furthermore my will is concerning my youngest son thomas Prince yet under age that he live with his mother until the end of the year seventy eight and then in that year the other of my sons as John Joseph and Samuel Prince take care to see the estate so managed as their mother my beloved wife be main- tained emd their brother Thomas have his clothing and his years diet washing and lodging and his imploy and the profit of it for himself as all his brethven have had before time, "iPhese premices being performed by my beloved sons, John and Jos- eph Prince whom I constitute as executors of this my last will and tes- tament, that then my whole estate be equaly divided between all alike as namely John Prince Joseph Prince Elizabeth Prince wife to Josiah Loring Martha Prince now wife to Christopher fheaton, Job Prince, flamuel Prince, Isaac Prince and Thomas Prince to all of these alike as they may divide (9) \ I »*>- * 1..- . I ,i ^„ ,. ♦j%^..,„ ..rf4 r.,,, 0^^ r4 f.r/-.. i/Hi. , : .s r •:■, ,/ iW;- «»,x p>, f (f '\r» (- r- ft 5 rf ■ f ■, r< tt '^ .i»i4 rtrrtt F* TA »-v k r^ TA >.«>?': It amongst themselves or call any of their friends whom they may agree on for them to do it for them and if either of them shall strive or endeavor by any kink in law to get more than his equal share my will then is that he shall have no part of my estate but that it be equally divided amongst the rest, only that John Prince and Joseph Prince being executors may have something for payment as may be agreed on amongst them and their friends, "And lastly my will is that my beloved wife Anna Prince have the use of the north west room or end of the house as it now is furnished so long as she lives if she shall think good to live in the town and to have a cow kept in the pasture and my children to alow her two bushels of Indian com a piece a year and one bushel of malt and for my nett I will that it be made fit for service by either John or Samuel Prince and they to have the one half of the profit for the maintainence of it and the other half of the profit to my wifes maintainence while she lives and when she dieth to be equally divided as all the rest of my estate, "I also do will yt my beloved wife have and enjoy the western end of my house as long as she liveth if she continue in the town and yt the proper goods which was my wifes be hers after my death. Attested sufid sealed in the presence of us, Zachariah Whitman, fitness my hd, Nathsmiel Bosworth, John Prince. " Proved Oct, 18, lf576. Recorded vol. 6, p. 128. Inventory vol, 12 p. 94- 315 potmds. (10) rr. ■,,:.. -,rf' '^(^Hi'' f>rfft ^rr- nt hs'ar^r. Upon Elder Prince's arriral at Hlngham in 1635 he was granted a lot of leuid in "Broad-cove-medows,'* as per notes, p. 40 to Solomon Lincoln's address in 1835, Hiere is a deed, dated 1655, giren by Thos. and Nath'l, Josselyn of Hingham, to ieorge and Moses Oollyer, conveying a"lot of land border- ing OH the donmon of Hingham, containing three acres more or less as we bought it of John Prince of Hull." the Josselyms settled in Hingham in 1637, about the time that Blder Prince and other Hingham settlers are sup- posed to have moved from Hingham to Hull, there is abundant evidence in the old mementoes of Hull that John Prince, their ruling elder, was held in great esteem by all his townsmen, fo him were referred the local disputes and differences of his neighbors, to him were confided the marriage settlements of wedded couples, «md the care of widow's and orphan's estates. He was recognized as a sagacious, intelligent and far-sighted man, which, together with his tolerant nature, made it possible for him to mediate between the most opposite elements in this incongruous society of men. In all sorts of local disputes, from a street broil to a church quarrel, his solution of the conflicting differ*- enees were submitted to without a murmur. In addition to his mediatorial acts were his ntimerous parish amenities incidental to his office of Ruling Blder of the church. He was a true gentleman of the old school, and he won this distinction, not merely from the fact that his ancestors were among the educated and influential, or as one who has mingled with men of learning and polished meinners all his life, but rather as one whose (11) r 1** 4^r' :f.a ff? fi t ^ .-^1 II« .1 ^.vl^ ffsr" ?T, * nl ^c offl ;>i; . a -^ P.l .riiifll ^^i z~ - *»T iff ;>^'^* in.-! cn» demeanor was so perfectly and naturally courteous and proper as to give him a meirked and decided preference among all classes. He had left behind him in the old world, family influences, exalted station and repose, and cast his lot among the wayfarers in the savage wilderness of the western world. He had a mine of wealth in rich hopes and confidence, aoid a strong reliance on the supporting arm of his Sod. He continued tor nearly thirty years to act as the ruling elder, teacher and shepherd of his little flock, the temporary ministers came and went,- Roger fionant, Mr, Lyford, Mr, tmlth, tfr. Mathews, and others- their beloved Elder was one of their own number and remained with them until his death. The ^v, tachariah Whitman, who came over with his parents in 1635 when but two and one half years old, afterwards graduated from Harvard and was ordained pastor of the church in 1670, During the remaining six years of Elder Prince's life, those two heavenly messengers dwelt side by side, each devoted to the welfare of the little church by the sea. Although our Oxford student, who later became the first Ruling Elder of the Ohureh at HUH, was a non-conformist with fixed and positive relig- ious convictions, his sectarian views and affiliations were Mot in full accord with a majority of the Puritans of that time. He was not inclined to doctrinal disquisitions or to claim a preference for one particular creed over all othera, consequently he was without that austerity and apparent illilierality that marked the acts of some of the early Puritan settlers. His Quaker neighbors, the Chamberlyns, were cordially treated and equally at home in all the devotional exercises and social meetings at (12) ^nm tLMOIHtlJiOQ ■"'•-•-'••»■•'«■ n^„. >,r'-^. >«.<-..« ^„/'/« '%A ••dftiMVAf^r >■«. AaA«jk«> aff^ .«*# •«A•rM%^JrA^. ' rf > < ''^ to e8*iri9Ml« •a«TJir 9.rfl -III ■trT"*^ « .V '*. ft'iaiffl^ifa ftfw -r^rUfc^ .. ^ id6f« yilles •f^* "" *«* t R'lr '«? 'rf A-»'~ J» "<■>•»* -''/.(f :' ■} ^ nrX' ^'■- ■ ■ r, ■ t ' •.• sriT nft^ ^/~, »j+r.,- ■ i' >'■-■■! lyXfiiQ' o4 '. " ■■;•''■ r^.'j .'.ifV f ■^n :.;^r>« 'if''- 'i ')>J'r afT-> ,;■> * Tfi,!.. '■''JCfOfi # Hull, they, in full accord with their other neighbors, recognized the Ihiling Elder- as an exemplary and godly man, end rererenced him as a reliL able teacher and guide in things temporal and spiritual. This little church at Hull was, like that at Plymouth, blessed with a permanent "Ruling Elder" of remarkable endowments, bo apt to teach that he attended to all the other duties and works of a minister. The want of a pastor to administer the sacraments and baptisms were in a measure pro- Tided for by Mr, Hobart of Hingham, and the occasional visits of other neighboring ministers who alone had power to perform any of the ecclesias- tical or priestly prerogatives. Among the old Plymouth papers is a petition from John Prince and his neighbor, fieacon Nathaniel Bosworth of Hull, dated at Plymouth, J\ane 8, 1671, It is written in Elder Prince's peculiar and forcible style, and re- plete with expressions of his strong trust in fiivine Providence, and his characteristic (Christian zeal. The following extracts will give an idea of the petition: - "fhe wise providence of the great guider of all men amd actions having so ordered, by his providence to bring me here at this time, where- in there hath been brough\under consideration that fishing design, at late years found out at 6ape Cod, for mackerel with nets, I would humbly intreat this honored court that I may without any offence present you so«e particulars.,,, My humble request is that your honorable court may not have or see just cause why our little town of Hull, though out of your jurisdiction, may not still enjoy the priviledges we have hitherto (13) r r»*^ ■■'■ ^\ ► .' .^'■- ■ . *v *T.r:i\ .-r--.w- w+ ' -^ *■ r,*"- .: -'a/O rr- •Hi , .■i« ...-.; ^ i* i «-8 i«r(i "■'■' . ■^'-' ''''"^' ■> -^ ffetirrte &i^.' ' •iW / .*^ ■-.. . »f .' .elfla ittaifnc'^ '">" ■.•-■^trn.- •.-» ..,o„ •..- t»ftxa "* n'^nf- * r • r - o ?Jir'-> -f .•;■">: '-'-i-'.' :,rfTM<:if vW ■ '^ iTf *> held, first because we were some of the first discoverers, and first bringers of it to light- and thirdly let me say with all humble- ness, that had it not been for some of us we believe it would not have been kept afoot to this time, for our friends in your patent after the first or second voyage had given it off again. .,,,,,,., but some of us beating out by evening there, and traveling on the shore at all times and seasons and so discovered the way to take them in the light as well as the dark nights, it had not been so certain a thing as it is now; or had we kept the one thing private it would have been a great obstruction. But we were open hearted to yours and told them what we knew, and we would hope that your honors would be so to us. ,,,.,,* Pray account it not a presumption but a humble request in behalf of that little town of ours which hath a great part of its livelihood by fishing. Signed, John Prince, Nath*l. Bosworth." In the 6th, vol. of the Mass, Oen, Heg. is a copy of another of his petitions presented to the Sen, Court at Boston, Max^h 5, 1675, which is copied almost literally as to spelling etc, , as follows:'- "To The Honored Oounsell Now Assembled at Boston, •The petition off your poore petitioners humbly showeth that whereas the Lord by his providence hath cast us to have our abode as inhabitants in this town of Hull in this Juncture of time wherein both this f^aee as well as the country is exposed to the wastinge ffury of the most barbarous heathen, which wee are sensable off, and therefore freely willingeto spend our care, our strength, yea we hope our very lives in, and for the defense of this place, and the country, yet being persons whose sole (14) V -. ,. 5 *V •--^ xf .-Tkl rc^t ^ 4 ■.,•>'¥ ,-rl-^ ^^ .'•.(«.»■?> -'- •« ■■ r,-. '9 it W i.i* « fl«^«q 1U»Dt ■t'T' . '^* avoiC ftlnov 9m tew ^wa^ri ^v ;fi!r'^-'' Hi ^o rr(?ci i.o^fl riwi-. ,«dali{? iirfel ,*■*'« • r'.wf^IIc^ -^ •*r» -^ ! ■ •iVf.irT rt^ »» 1 1 -* : «« li-ii w ' ■ ' f -v f rf vvf r "^?Tlw Y,j!^'»'^ ^'f-'T'^T f'f ^«fia "T^r^ "IdftS/T ■' employment is fishing, and soe at sea, having noe lands nor cattle to mayn- tayne ourselves or families, but what wee must have hitherto done by the blessing of Ood by our labors i)roduced from the sea, being therefore now commanded by our chief officer not to go forth on our imploy, desire then to know how wee and ours shall be mayntayned, they having a years provis- ion beforehand, wee none; they having cattle to give milk to their familyes in the summer, wee none; they having cattle and swine to kill for meat, wee none; so that we are like to be put to extremity, both we and ours, for they will not supply us. Therefore our humble request to the honored fioun- Sttll is that your honors would please to take our sadd Hondission into your Christian and fehari table consideration, that if we be constrained to leave our imploy and not go to sea, but bee kept to garrison the town, that when your Honors would be pleased to gratifie this our wee hope but reason- able request, that wee and ours may bee reasonably provided for, or liberty to follow our imploy, havinge not here but our persons, and some of us it may bee a house but nothinge to mayntayne Us but what our hands with dod*8 blessing must bringe us in; and thila craving excuse for otir boldnesse, by troublinge your Honors at this juncture of time, wherein wee are sensible that you are pressed with many other more wighty affaires, hopeing and humbly desiringe that off your Clemency, you will attribute this our troul>- linge you to our present Urging necessity. Wee in all humblenesse desiringe the good Lord off Heaven, in this and all of your affayres to guide you. Wee take leave to rest, "Your Honours humble servants in all things to be commajided." (15) ^n4» t,M . .1 i.' **•» T . : * i r\ « • t rjf. , I r mO ©rf«.' juo eAii oi i>eat Soa .' tltAig r ■V t. tl ,♦ tfoi a»i< ,,-rJ M t^H *T .-» IN vy ■« 4 J •If Il|^ ItO - ^^ W A •«> . ■ 4 ■/'»■' *e f^*^ ^ t '■m uc rtM hn 3j be t > This petition was signed "by John Prince, Joseph Prince, Samuel Prince, Isaac Prince and Christopher fheaton, five of Elder John's family and six of his neighbors. In 1660 Elder Prince was selected to "decide the controversy between Richard Stubhs and Sanmel Baker," Oct, 2, 1673, Joseph Howe of Boston, deeded to Elder Prince his estate, in trust, for his wife, widow Elizabeth Bunn of Hull, under the conditions of their marriage contract. Elder Prince's village house and lot of two acres was on the south- west slope of Gushing* s Hill, at the head of the lane now enclosed in the Cushing House and the orchard lot, the old well yet seen is supposed to be the Prince well, this house lot was bounded on the N,W, by Geo. Vlckerow's lot; S.E. by Nath'l. Bosworth and Nicholas Baker; N.E, by the Sound and S.W, "by the town street. He had two acres in the home meadows, bounded N,W, by Edward Btime; S.E, by the minister's meadow; S.W. by the broad bay and N.E, by the march (marsh?) pond and the beach. His one and one half acres on point Allerton was north of John Benson's running to the sea," On the Strawberry Hill he had three quarters of an acre, running to "the steep bank south;" one acre at Whitehead; lot number 10 on Sheep Island, and a lot on the north side Sagamore Hill; also four acres on the south side Peddockts Island, together with the little island adjoining, which still bears the name of "Prince's Head", The sponge of time has wiped out all those eld landmarks and "mere- steads* of the early settlers: their identity is gone, and it is no easy (16) r ■fr ' 4 A («r *» ? #iV f^VW*--^-* -^S »bl90t*' lo oftcrtl ifi*-'- i ferf* a lo '«- >t© *rfi tr'i« i»3rroH jinirf'sirT) •». fii# iplf ^. , • r '< rT ■Art -r i\rf i f '^r.?" -.Ttf fti xirf -r r» , -1 nr :;>-,. ..t-* ffO n mtii : »: % matter now to find the identical spot- to recognize the exact place of their old homes, fheir revered graves are likewise unknown; they occupied the eastern end of the old cemetery ground. It is not improbable that some of the old mutilated tomb-stones with inscriptions obliterated, some few fragments of which, at the present time but Just peep above the Surface of the ground, «ay possibly belong to the last resting place of some of those venerated fathers of Hull, Many of the primitive elders of the early church were remarkable men, A Harvard orator has lately said, "They shared the many toils of their townsmen as bone of their bone, flesh of their flesh, for all were of one blood and one faith. They dwelt on the sajne brotherly level with them as men, yet set apart and above them by their superior education and their sacred office They were living lessons of piety, frugality, industry and tempereuice, " Let us recall to our mind's eye this Oxford student, this religious leader, gentleman and scholar, tolling up from the seashore with the rest of his neighbors bearing the burdens and harvest Just won from the depths of the ocean. All the idiotic pride of birth and station, the craving for adulation and slavish homage, if it ever existed, was washed out of him while crossing the oceem, but still his polished manners, his air of gentlemanly refinement remained. He was blest with an amiable wife of correct and saintly demeanor; they were fellow emigrants among the crowds who were hurrying to the New World, and love amd destiny brought them together. Recently his descendants have erected a raonument to his memory (17) «.«f*^* . i fi ■* .jr^'t-vw*, m ^*f9 /"4 ^ r, rv *y T -a w •i.-,- r f r-^ r •-.-. MVkT T\f 3 1c 'y^t Hi iPf^ ^r\ \^¥\^^J' >->■ liYed in Msndon, and died Axig, 12, 1726; he married Margaret was a cooper; had four children: Benjamin, who married Abigail Green in 1719, Daniel, David and Samuel who married Feb, 1718, and had a dau. , Mary, b. Oct. 1718, We have not been able to trace this family any farther. Job Prince, bapt, Aug. 22, 1647, m, 1678 Rebecca, daughter of Oaraaliel Phippeny, a blockmaker and shipowner of Boston. He bought the homestead property of the Phippeny heirs, The dwelling house was on Front it. bear the draw bridge over Mill Creek, He was Gaptain of the ship "James" of Boston, for many years; was lost in the English Ohamnel in 1693, His estate was valued at 820 pounds; his widow administered. His children were Rebecca, b, 1679; Job, b. ROv. 1680, ( a goldsmith ), n. Deborah . d. at Milford in 1708, probably without issue; Sarah, b. Nov, 1686; Josiah b. ©ec, 5, 1688; Gamaliel, b. Nov, 1691, administered on his mother's estate in 1713; Mahi table, b. Sept. 23, 1693, (posthumous), lived six months. The widow married second husband, Clark; she died 1713, We have not been able to trace this family any farther, iamuel Prince, bapt. Aug. 19, 1649, It is said that he was born in Boston while his mother was there on business. He m. Dec, 9, 1674, Martha Barstow, a dau, of his step mother; he lived at Hull in the easterly end of the homestead; he was a speculative, enterprising maji; he owned land in 1677 at Shawmut Neck, Rehobeth, Taunton River, In 1680 he bought the (21) .t r< f»r?fc .^i «^ .1 ^tmeiTimmi' .vn J •*■ J - ■ -w-.-cx ui.T. no :& ci fi' ftl portions of his father* s estate belonging to his brothers Thomas and sisters Elizabeth and Martha, He was master and owner of seTe>-al Vessels, His children by first wife were Samuel, b, *ept, 20, 1675; this son was master of the ship "Sandwich Flower", at the age of nineteen; he probably never married, Martha, b, March 15, 1678, m, Ezra bourne of Sandwich, John, Ann and Nathan, these last three all died young; their mother died at Hull ©ec, 1684. He married his second wife, Mercy, dau, of Oeo, Hink- ley, in 1686; moved to Sandwich in 1687; d, at Middlebora in 1728; his widow died in 1736, His children by second wife were, Rev, Thomas Prince, the distinguished scholar and pastor of Old South Church, Mary, Enoch, John, Joseph, the last three ship-masters; Moses, a doctor, Nathan, a distinguished clergyman; Mercy and Alice, There have been several accoxints published of this family. See Mass, Hist, Gen, »eg, , vol, 5th, Benj, Prince, bapt, April 25, 1652, died unmarried at Jamaica, W, I, , before his father. Isaac Prince, bapt, 4uly 9, 1654 (16557), m, 1679 Majry, dau, of John turner Sen, of Scituate; lived in Hull, on Marsh Lane, till about 1700, then in Boston, where he died 1718; his wife d. 1738 aged eighty. He was a sea captain and also was in the military service in 1689. His deposition of cruel treatment under Gov, Andros is deposited in the Mass. Public Archives, His children were Aellp (Alice?), b, 1680; Isaac, b, 1682; Blisha, b. 1684; Mary, b, 1685, m, Joseph Uould of Hull; Bavid, b, 1687, m, Eliza Gould; Jacob, b. 1690, James, b, 1692, Joseph, b. 1694, (22) f to 1 .d , ftrf ^pr ^?^ nT>« ^O i. iU txl b m m, Mary Townsend of Boston, 1722; Baleb, b. 1695; ftuth, b. 1698; Onnor (Honor?), b, 1701, m, francis Loud of Wejmiouth, John J. Loud of WeTmouth and the late Hon, Jacob H, Loud are among her descendants. The Boston records contain many particulars relating to Isaax Prince's fsunily, John T, Prince of Joy St, has in manuscript quite a full record of their de- scendants. 2. Thomas Prince, the yotingest of the nine children of Elder John, was bapt. Aug, 8, lj868, (Srake says that he was baptized Aug. 3rd. at Scituate; another writer says, born in Boston.) By his father's will he was given his freedom "at the end of the year seventy eight," Mar. 25, 1679, New Style. In 1680 he sold his interest in his father's estate to his brother Samuel, and removed to Boston, where he was taxed in precinct seven, in 1686 to 1695, for "house and traid." He was a shipmaster, sail- ing from Boston until his death at Barbadoux in 1716 when his widow moved to Buxbury with her children, and married Israel Sylvester, emd by him had Ruth, Israel, Grace, the latter married Partridge in If 30, Oapt. fhomas Prince comiaanded the brig "Dolphin" , and other Boston vessels sail ing to Europe and the West Indies 19 years. He had married in 1685 Ruth / Turner, (adau. of John Turner Sr. of Scituate, a son of Humphrey Turner;. She was a sister to his brother Isaacs wife, Mary; her daughter was Mairy Brewster, dau, of Johnathan and grand dau. of Blder Brewster. Job, the youngest child was bom Aug. 1695, n. 1719, Abigail Kimball of Bridgewater who was bom in Boston, Jan. 2*, 1704; she was the daughter of Capt. Chris- topher and wife, Sarah Jolls, who were married by Cotton Mather, April, (23) y c 3, 1701, Oapt. Kimball d. on the Spanish Main about 1705; he wa.r, from Ipswich, probabljt descended from Richard Kembal and wife Versula who came over in the "Elizabeth in 1633, with sons, Henry, Richard, John, Thomas, eind settled at Ipswich where they had other children and numer- ous descendants. Sarah Jolls was the only dau, of 6apt. Thomas Jolls, a retired ship-master and merchant of Boston; in 1674 he was taxed ten shillings; he had four wives and four children by the first three; by Rebecca he had Thomas, b, April 25, 1672; by Abigaile he had Johnathan, b. March 21, 1674 euid probably a daughter Saraih (whose birth is not re- corded), perhaps b, in 1675; by his third wife Susanna he had Robert, b, June 2, 1677; his fourth wife and widow was Hannah, widow of Bapt, Samuel Winslow, who he married in 1681, by her he had no issue; they resided at her house in Black Horse Lane, now Prince it. Nos, 59-61, where he died in 1686; his widow resided there until 1714, Capt, Thos. Joll*3 estate was apprized at 566 pounds; his dau. Sarah inherited by will (rol. 11, p. 213) all the property of her breother Thomas, a ship- wright of New York who d. in 1696, which included a lot of land on Prince St. , now Nos, 60-62, opposite the widow Jolls, this lot she deeded to her brother Robert of Bridgewater, in 1706 and moved there with her two children, Christopher and Abigail, and in 1713 ra, Thomas Shurtlef, and had other children, 3, Capt. Job Prince and wife, Abigail Kimball lived at Rocky Nook, Kingston, supposed in the house now occupied by Philip Washburn; he d. at Jamaica, W.I., of small pox, in 1734, leaving one daughter and (24) ^1.2 ya ^ •% fS 4, Kimball Prince, the third son of Job and Abigail, b. May 9, 1796 , d. at Kingston, April 10, 1314, m. in 1749 Deborah ^ller, b. Bee. 25, 1729, d. March 4, 1826, aged 97; she was a daughter of Dea. John Fuller and wife Deborah Sing, who lived in the Paunce House at Indian pond, Kingston burnt about five years ago. Dea. John Puller was bom Dec, 19, 1698, d, Sept. 25, 1778, aged 80. He descended fro-n Dea, Br. Samuel Puller and wife Bridget Lee, of the Plymouth Pilgrims. His great gi»and daughter, Mrs. Mercy Cushman, of Indian Pond, who died Sec, 23, 1887 aged 94 years, 9 months, left an old cradle brought from England by some of the "Mayflower" Pilgrims, It is claimed by the family to have been handed down from Dr. Samuel Fuller of the "Mayflower", to his great grandson, Dea, John Puller and his daughter, Deborah (Puller) Prince to her grand daughter, Mrs. Mercy (Prince) Cushman, its late owner, fhis old heirloom was on exhibition at the Centennial in 1876 at Philadelphia, there is still another almost a similar relic, almost a duplicate, also claimed as the "Puller" cradle, views of which have been printed in Old Colony publications. It is in possession of Mrs, Jacob Noyes, also a lin- eal descendant of Dr. Puller of the "Mayflower". It is not probable that both of these cradles are from Br, Puller's family; bat it is very singular that the only two "Mayflower" cradles that liave survived the crumbling touch of time are these treasured heirlooms in the possession of the lineal descendants of Dr. Samuel Puller and wife Bridget Le«. Kimball Prince on the death of his father, was, at nine years of age, put out by his mother to Johnathan Ring of Kingston, At 25 he (25) *s> ^ r-T? f\f)VlT rr' ,»,.»< J ,% !-pr».rr. fT ■ «.r< ' v»-:ff r'.'^trf'.- ^' .f. »f I in a m, a.niecs of his guardian. He was a member of the military company raised at Kingston in 1745, under Capt. Sylvanus Cobb, for the expedition against Louisburg, He was a farmer and perhaps a house-oarpenter, living at Indian Pond, Kingston, near his fatherlnlaw, Dea, John Puller, where all his children were bom. fhe house is gone and the place is now owned by Mr, dhurchill. It is presumed that Kimball Prince may have followed the sea at sometime during his life, from the fact that he is called a "mariner" in the record of his administration on his brother James estate, in 1759, (book 57, p. 110). He had six sons and three daughters, 5, Job, b. 1765, a farmer, lived and died at Buckfield, Me. , 1331; m. in 1791 Hannah Bryant,- had nine children, 6, The children of Job Prince and Hannah Bryant were Lydia, b. JaJi, 21, 1792, d. Jan. 20, 1838, m, Daniel Young; Rebecca, b. May 2, 1793, m, Daniel Pond; Job , b. March 17, 1795, m. Xelpha Spaulding, b. at Buck- field, Me,, July 25, 1799, d. at Turner, Me., Jan. 30, 1344, and Olive Leav4tt; Noah, b. April 13, 1797, m. Sarah Parrer; Hannah, b. Aug. 17, 1799, m. Ezra Morton and Eliphelet dturdevent; Rufus , b. *ept. 24, 1901, m. Sophia Brewster; Olive, b. Jan. 21, 1304, m, Abel Stetson; Louisa, b. Feb, 27, 1306, m, Peter Bailey, and George Bates; Ardelia, b. Aug. 24, 1309, m, William R. Hersey. It is an interesting fact to the descendants of Kimball and Debor- ah Prince, that the blood of more than forty of the original Puritan and Pilgrim fathers is flowing in their veins, fe are not aware that any pre- vious effort has been made to trace back the record to those original (26) <' c. r^oerfoP J.^ ll^tfu^ .-o-^,.., --j'Xo^C bnr . . v^ .j:jr, 4Si first-comers and we shall not be guilty of tresspassing on the field of any other writer in publishing the result of our efforts in tracing back that lineage through all the various male and female branches. We have been greatly assisted by Gapt, Cilley, U.S.N, I give result of our researches in as brief and comprehensive a manner as my space will permit. The foreign born or original emigrants, all of whom were English, are designated by a star:- Blder John Prince* and wife Alice Honor^t, Blder William Brewster* and wife Mairy*, son Johnathan* and wife Lucre tia», and daughter Mary, Humphrey Turner* and wife Lydia Oainer* and their son John ^r,^ of ^cit- uate who married Mary Brewster and their daughter Ruth, who Married Gapt, thomas Prince of Hull: Richard Kembel* and wife Versula*, and, perhaps, son Richard* of Ipswich, who I assume to be the father of Capt, Shristo- phor Kimball who was born in Ipswich; Capt, Thomas Jolls* and wife Abi- gails* of Boston were the parents of Sarah, wife of fihristopher Kimball, whose daughter Abigai m. Capt. Job Prince of Kingston, the fatherof Kim- ball Prince, who married Deborah fuller, the dau, of Deacon John Fuller and wife Deborah Ring. Deborah I^iller's pedigree we trace back to twenty six of the original Plymouth Pilgrims, viz: Dr, Samuel Fuller* of the Mayflower and his wife Bridgett Lee*; the four of the Blder Brewsters**** family whose blood again mingles in the Prince family: Dr. Fuller's son, the Rev, S-muel of Middleboro, b. 1623, d, Aug. 17, 1694, m. in 1656 Elizabeth, a dau. of Johnathan and Lucre tia Brewster, she was a sistor to Mary Brewster, the wife of John Turner Sr. The Rev. Samuel Puller's (27) son Samuel of Plympton, ra, in 1686 Mercy Eaton; Sea, John P'uller of Kingston, b, 1698, who m, Behorah Ring in 17P3, was their son, Beborah Ring, b. 1698, d. 1763, was the daughter of Eloazer Ring and wife Vary Shaw who had twelve children, Bleazer ^ing, b, 1650, m, 1687, vras the son of Andrew Ring> and wife Deborah Hopkins. Andrew, b, 1617, d. 1692, m, 1646, came ove with a brother and a sister and his mother* in 1628, (no mention of his father); he had five children and was one of the first set- tlers of Middleboro; he had a second wife, widow Lettys Mourton. Beborah Hopkins, b, 1622 was the dau, of Stephen Hopkins* and wife Elizabeth*, who came in 1620, Mary Shaw, b. in 1666, d, 1730, wife of Bleazer Ring, was the dau, of Johnathan Shaw*, v/ho married in 1657 Pheba Watson, a dauj- of George Watson* and wife Pheba Hicks* and a grand dau. of Robert Watson* and wife, Elizabeth* who came with their son 3eorge in 1625, Pheba (Hicks) Watson came with her father Robert Hicks* and mother Margaret* in 1621 and *23, Johnathan Shaw was the son of John Shaw* and wife Alice*, who came before 1627, with Jona, and three other children, Mercy (Eaton) Fuller, wife of Samuil Fuller of Plympton descended from Francis Eaton* and wife Sarah* who came in 1620, with son Samue^*, a nursing child, Francis, who died 1633, had three wives; his last wife. Christian Penn*, he married in 1626; she came in 1623; she married second time Francis Bil- lington* in 1634, who came in 1620, with his parents John* and Eleanor* and his brother John, Francis was one of the original purchasers and set- tlers of Middleboro; he had a daughter Martha and eight other children: Martha, b, 1638, d, 1684, m, in 1661 Samuel Baton, her mother»s step-son; (28) t <0 they had a daughter Mercy, who m. Samuel PSiller, son of Rev. Samuel duller of Middlet>oro,- also a son Samuel who m. Elizabeth Puller, a sister to his sister Mercjr's husband, 6, Job Prince, b, Buckfield, Me. March 17, 1795, m, Zilpha Spaulding May 21, 1821, d. April SB, 1875 at Turner Me. She d. Turner, Me. Jan. 30 1846. Children, Leonard, who died without issue; Rufus , b. July 11, 1825, d. ; Ezra Morton, b. May 27, 1831 and, 7, Zilpha Margaret, b, Jan, 20, 1836, m, Robert C, Thayer, May 12, 1871 at Turner, Me. , d, at Benton Harbor, Mich, June 9, 1893, fHE WARRENS. 1. James Warren, a native of Berwick, Scotland, was settled at South Berwick, Me. as early as 1656. His wife was Margaret, a native of Ireland, Their children were Gilbert, who left no issue, Margaret, who married James Stackpole before 1680, Jane, James and Orizzle, who married Richard Otis of Dover, N, H, and was captured by the Indians and carried to Canada. 2. James married Mary — — '- and had children, Mary, Margaret, James, Rachael, Gilbert and John, 3. John, b. Dee. 16, 1705, m. Mary, daughter of Moses and Abigail Godwin in S. Beirwick. His will was probated Jan, 1769, It mentions children John, Tristram, Nathaniel, Ichabod, Pelatiah, Keslah, Margaret and Mary. (29) o 4, John b, in Berwick, Me. March 5, 1731, a "blacksmith by trade, settled in Falmouth, m. Bee, 25, 1755 Jane Johnson, She was b. in Ireland June 15, 1740 and d, Nov, 25, 1809. She belonged to a Scarborough family. Her grand father was James Johnson, who was b, in Scotland and removed to Ireland about 1692 and died at Scarboro, Me, 1746, c very old man, ftapt, John Warren was called the "old lumber king." He d. Jan, 30, 1807. They had twelve children of whom Margaret wa* the eighth, 5, Margaret, b. Jan. 11, 1774, m. Capt. Leonard Spaulding of Buck- field, Me. 6, Zilpha, b. July 25, 1791 at Buckfield, Me, married Job Prince, May 21, 1821 and d, at Turner, Me. Jan. 30, 1856, They had four children, Leonard, Hufus, Ezra Morton, Zilpha asid Margaret, THE THAYERS . 1, Robert Gushing Thayer was b, at Turner, Me, Sept, 25, 1333 and m, Zilpha Prince at Turner, Me, May 12, 1871, Their children were Zilpha, b, at Turner, Me, Aug. 19, 1872, d. at Benton Harbor, Mich. Aug, 31, 1374 and Paul Thayer, b, at Benton Harbor, Mich, Oct. 16, 1875, 2, Paul Thayer, b, ct, 16, 1*^75, m. Bora E, Robinson at Benton Harbor Mich. June 28, 1900, She was b. at Buchanan, Mich. May 10, 1377. (30) n THE PRINCES . Job Prince, the fifth in descent from Blder John Prince, the founder of the family in this country, was bom in Kingston, Mass. in 1765, He was one of the pioneers of Buckfield, Me. to which place he moved in 1788 and improved a farm of about 100 acres. The deed to this farm bears date of 1788. He was a man of substance and character, a deacon in the Baptist IShurch. Two anecdoted related by my father illustrate the religious and drinking habits of the time. *hen my father was about eighteen, he went to work for a time for a neighbor, Mr, Parrar, also a deacon in the Baptist church. Sunday morning he took a dish of salt and started for the pasture but was halted by Deacon Parrar who inquired where he was going. Father replied that he was going to salt the cattle as he did eveiry Suday morn- ing when he was at home but Beacon Parrar told him to put the salt up as he never allowed the cattle to be salted on Sxmday. These were also the days of militia musters and universal drinking habits. No ceremony from the installation of the minister, to the election of the militia officers, was held without plentiful libations of New Sngland rum which was as much a part of a laborer's rations as is coffee now. When my father was nineteen, the militia company to which he belonged, elected a captain, who from penuriousness and not from any conscientious scruples, neglected to furnish the customary treat. But my father said that the company should not lose the customary entertainment, bought a gallon of rum and the company had their usual election frolic and declared (31) t fi?f '^ that at the next vacancy they would elect father captain, A vacancy soon occurred and the election was held at White's -l^avem. These elections were attended by all the men of the community whether they belonged to the company or not. After dinner, as Beacon Parrar was on the way, he saw my grandfather. Beacon Prince, and insisted on his going, saying, "Come D«ac-in, you must go, we are going to elect Job captain," So the two deacons went to the election where father was duly elected and the usual treat followed. In fromt of the tavern was a triangular piece of ground made by three roads called a "heater piece*, and in the center of this was a large elm tree with wide spreading brances, around which the old men, the magnates of the town, gathered and a jug was passed around the circle. In this circle of reverend revellers were Beacon Parrar and Deacon Prince as well as my maternal grandfather, Capt, Leonard Spaulding, At the same time another jug was in use by the rest of the crowd. Father was subsequently elected Major, by which title he was usually called until he was elected judge of probate after which he was usually called Judge Prince, ^ring the War of 1812. he served as Private in ©apt. Blake»s Co, of Mass, Militia from 8ept, 25th, to Nov, 6th, 1814 at Palmouth, now Portland, Me. , for which he received a pension in the later years of his life. On the death of my grandfather Prince in 1831, his son, Noah, suo- eoeded to the home place, my grandmother Prince living with him, I reiiera- ber visiting them when I was about twelve years old, walking from Turner to Buckfield, a distance of about ten miles, with my cousin, Oeorge Bates. I remember the old lady with her neat widow's cap and white kerchief folded over her bosom and the white bread and honey to which she treated (32) &ti? ..tf*r *?.»^*' ^T » «- r.'XrMl «■ •yt '-«' ^r- us. Among the most highly prized wedding gifts of my son Leonard was a linen towel made of flax raised on the old home farm by my uncle Noah and his wife "Aunt Sarah", spun and woven and presented "by their daughter, my cousin Ardelia, My grandmother Prince died at Buckfield, Me. My father, also named Job, was born at Buckfield, Me, March 17, 1795, He received the usual schooling of a frontier farming town and es- pecially a very thorough knowledge of the Bible. He was a stalwart man six feet tall in his stocking feet, weighing two hundred pounds, all bone and muscle, dark grey eyes, brown hair, a man that others instinctively obeyed. I have a sword cane that he took from a desperado who drew the long dagger sword blade and threatened to kill anyone who should dare to arrest him. The town constable being afraid to anrest the man, summoned father as a posse comitatus to arrest him, To father's demand, the nzfflan yielded immediate obedience and gave up his weapon which father kept and on his death-bed it was given to me. My son Leonard had much of that same obedience compelling power. My father taught school several winters and was a very successful teacher, having in a high degree the power of imparting knowledge, stim- ulating his pupils to their best efforts as well as enforcing order so essential tb those early schools. He married Zilpha, the daughter of Capt, Leonard Spaulding of Buckfield, June 28, 1821 and moved to Tuimer, some ten miles distant from his old home. They lived with and took care of his uncle, Stephen Bryant, his mother's brother. Father cleared up and put into cultivation a large farm and erected a large two-otory farm house and large stables, farms and out-bxxildings and became one of the most prosperous (33) •* tw „-.^*- ■x-I. ,.^», Kr.«-.rf. ...-cr^Bt?-^' aft Sin».f Tftr fi:'- farmers in the town. Here five children were "bom to them, Leonard was a successful merchant at finthrop. Me. and died there a young man, Rufus, who succeeded my father on the home place, the writer, Ezra Morton, the sole survivor of the family and 2llpha M. who married Robert C, Thayer and died at Benton Harbor, Mich. June 9, 1893, My father "by his IntelligBnee, integrity and force of character, soon became the leading man of the town. He attended to most of the con- veyancing, making deeds, mortgages, contracts, wills, administered upon estates, made surveys, was the usiial referee to whom the Supreme Court of the State, under the M4ine practice, referred cases eurising in burner and neighboring towns that were arbitrated. In all Turner litigation he was sure to be retained by one side or the other and finally for convenience he was admitted to the bar but never practiced as a lawyer except before the justice courts though he had a more thorough knowledge of the law than many practicing lawyers. He was §ounty eommissioner from Oxford bounty from 1833 to 1838, serving the last three years as Ohairman of the Board. He was also Judge of Probate of Oxford bounty from 1846 to 1852. He was one of the best pre- siding officers in the state, a thorough parliamentarian, clear, quiek and prompt in his rulings, impartial and dignified, his decisions won Immediate respect and obedience. He was nearly always moderator of the turner town meetings. He was senator in the legislatures of 1838, 1839 and 1854. In 1839 he was president of the Senate. He was a member of the Council, an advisory board of the governor, in 1860, He was a democrat (34) until the rise of the great anti-slarery contest. He was a warm personal and polltleal friend of the Hon, Hannibal Hamlin, for seyeral years prior to the repeal of the Missouri Clompromise in 1854, Hamlin and ffillaim Pitt Fessenden were the recognized whig and denocratie leaders Ib Maine, In 1855 the Untied States Senators from Maine were Hamlin and James w. Brad- "biiry, Hamlin opposed and Bradhury supported the pro-slavery course of the administration. In 1855 the legislature chose the successor of Bradbury, who was the candidate of the administration to succeed himself. My father was a member of the state senate, Fessenden was the nominee of the Whigs, The anti-slarery democrats held the balance of power. They came to mj father and said to him, "Judge Prince, you are one of the old aembers of the legislature; we don»t like Bradbury's course in regard to slavery, we nuch prefer that of Mr, fessenden but he is a Whig whom we have "been fighting all our lives. We have full confidence in your Judgment and will YOte as you say," Father replied that he did not want to advise them, that every man ought to follow his conscience and his Judgment, that as for himself, he could not conscientiously support Bradbury but he should vote for Fessenden, The other free-«oil democrats followed him and Fessen- den was elected and fro« that time until his death my father was one of the most trusted republicans in the state. ZILPHA SPAULDINQ PRINCE, I remember very little of my mother. Her education was that of the children of the prosperous pioneers of Maine, She was naturally delicate (35) c • •tc esi ferus j> . »ie ■. :■.; :ei •■ <-.-<•/• 1 -^ .'i'ii'tf « • ^« ■■■0 er^ RjBW c/'r •■ ' '.• ■•'•'■'•• .3 efiw ■ -.-.aw a •&& 9E ,.:^- •xoinq c'ljBs^ j:«^eY«B lot ,; .f J? - ^aiijif jbrgE) nlXiruaH ,1^61 ni •El»o«iq«od iij^-- • ^- '■ ' ' - r, n - * ^imd^berrS •ve d^s.r?i er^ ^f .ton t:'.uoo ttti ,l!l»erlif lo^ :■■■", eir^ If;fm; ©wli v^i3ffi f-^ ' — ^ l© &«w ««X» 8i3 :.&tij ,;>' t w ■ r; l,.irfd- i^««' n< V."^«V "Tl c I ?; r : 'tfx (rr> and died of eonsmaptlon in the 45th, year of her age. She was sick three years and bore her suffering with uncomplaining fortitude. The picture of her that is most virid in ay mind is her last attendance at the Universal- ist Church at turner, shortly "before her death, it was eonununion Sunday and knowing the end was near she desired to attend to partake once more of the mystic elements, the pledge of her love to 9od and faith in immor- tal life. She was then very feeble and father carried her in his arms to the sleigh and from that into the church, I remember that she wore a green silk hood. She was very amiable and even tempered in her disposition. My father's sister, Rebecca, a cripple, lived most of the time with my father, I remember hearing her say after my mother's death, "I should have liked to have lived always with Job if iilpha had lived," My brother Leonard was a druggist at finthrop. Me, , and after he had successfully established himself and was about to be married, died of fever and was buried at fumer. My brother Rufus succeeded to my father's business and home farm and was very successful as a public man and farmer. He married Tabitha Jones and had five children Stella and Iilpha, who are successful merchants at Norway, Me,, Alice M, Haskell, who died without issue, Carl and Job, both married and farmers, Carl on the home place and Job on an adjoining farm, EZRA. MORTON PRINCB. The writer was bom at Turner, Me. , May 27, lfl3l. I was a cripple from ray birth, my right leg beint; shorter and smaller than my left. For (36) c oe' •n Y'iV if! F f f/ 7-v ,^- T- ^ I'tr ^l^ .■' -'n'iis c.ir: fii -i.^:'. btj^'i'isx) -li^i ;i/J bnt: ^118 .0 .1 I" . . - ♦ -, i'er.'Oir ©r 'i: ".fsn"'! f5..-:r: sn '■V' * no T'-caO , ■■^ bBri -.••■■i^' f'-oT. ■% .n8i •^^J -Xtv ,lum-u-i J J* ;■: ■'fw sffT •cM xm iso'fi f*^n that raason, perhaps, I was designed for professional life, I vas educated at our common schools and fitted for college at Hebron, Me. Academy and entered Bowdoin college in 1851 and left at the close of the fall term of 1853, I then studted law a year with Washington Oilbert, a most excellent lawyer of Bath, Me, and in the fall of 1854 entered the law school of Harvard College where I remained a year and was then admitted to the bar and in April 1856 came to Bloomington, Illinois where I have ever since lived. While going to school I taught several terms in the common schools and High School of Turner, the only public offices I have ever held were four years as Master in Chancery of McLeem Oounty and two years as a mem- ber of the Board of Education of Bloomington, Like my father before me I have been a member of the Republicsin party ever since its organization. My father though reared in the Baptist Ghurch, in his early manhood becaiae a Universalist and I was educated in that faith. In 1859 the Free Congrega- tionalist Society ^ now the Unitarian Bhurch of Bloomington was organized. Of that church I have been a member and a constant attendant from its organization to the present time. Its reverent reasonableness commends itself to my Judgment and conscience, I have not aoouTnulated much of this world's goods but find much of my happiness in ray family and in my books, I have been one of the officers of the Bloomington Library Asso- ciation from its incorporation in 18 to the present time and was one (37) c ■ ■ ■ • « wfiX r i ■ ~^S tn ff cijfo« r "■ It© XIa'5: ©ff^T t\i ^mA ,«/V ,rf.' ^I ■ . ■ ' ; AffiAe s^er li- ■;/ -us iX c.;ii - -.^ 'i-c ■ J s i. ^ i;f tc 1 S r-;r^ -.:,,;^'- • ■■.-.■.,..:..: ;•• •■ P ;t T ,'<*n'r-1- ; • '. f^ ci r'c 1 i . :r V' f.c i 8ol iitrti: jToiJj?io of the fcninders of the Law Library of Bloomington and was for several years a teacher in the Illinois fesleyan Law School. I was also one of the organizers of the McLean County Historical Society and have been its sec- retary from its foiindii^ in March 1892 and have edited its two yolumes already issued, I was married at Pittsfield, Illinois, July 2, 1866 to Barbara Maria Miller , I'here have been bom to us at Bloomington, Illinois five children, Leonard Morton, May 4, 1867 who died at the Presbyteriem Hos- pital at Chicago, Nov. 1, 1895; Robert ^hayer, born Dec. 10, 1868; Bmily Grace, bom feb. 7, 1871, died May 31, 1872; Bdward Percy, bom Becember 5, 1874 and Horace Free, bom October 4, 1880. LEONARD MORTON PRINCE. Leonard Morton Prince, the son of Ezra vorton sind Barbara M. Prince, was bom at Bloomington, 111. May 4, 1867. from his birth he was a lusty child, fond of outdoor life, vigorous, self-reliant and masterful, gener- ous to a fault, ewerybody's favorite. He was very fond of books and grad- uated from the ward schools at the age of twelve. He was also a graduate of the Illinois State Normal University High School of which school Prof. James was principal, now president of Northwestern University at Svanston. He also attended the Wharton School of Finance at the University of Penn- sylvania one year and the Illinois fesleyan University one year and taught two years with great success. He was appointed a cadet at the West Point Military Academy in th« (38) r c ''.s---f.Vfi?? "^0^ r#5W hnJS r •i jar' vie:? si •.1-eJ JHH « 08l« ,2 %IxrL ,K *« fci .1 <-,' ;-r.'~?f r'i^stf nvfii* o'lraffT . i?>.'^fV cl-i«},' .0 i-i ,* t;. 3 ,£;. *^'fci ,fl •W •!?* •Oil ■"r-'f-* ,evl&'.vj A -ic eW .u.. J A i y •V ^ winter of 1888 and. on a competitive examination of a class of sixteen lead the class and thus seetired the appointment aund reported there in June 1899. He at once became the leader of his class, especially in all mili- tary and social matters and was successively, lance corporal, sergeant, oaptain and hop manager of his class. He never got into any quarrel on his own account, but an upper classman having imposed upon his tent mate, Anderson, who was of a frail physique, Leonard challenged the upper class- man to meet him the next morning at daybreak behinfl the qtiarterraaster*s barracks and settle the dispute with their bare fists, that being the usual method of settling all quarrels. His opponent was an older sind a larger man than Leonard but he was so badly whipped that he had to go to the hospital and Leonard hardly had a scratch. He introduced foot ball and other athletics at West Point and was on the foot ball team that beat the Middies in the fall of 1892, In that ga^e while making a hard tackle he had two ribs broken suid was obliged to retire from the game but attended the ball that night for fear the lady he had invited would otherwise not have a good time. His class mate, Anderson, says, "I never knew Leonard to be angry but once while I was at West Point. ?hat occurred on one his birthdays when some tWdnty cadets seized him, held him on his head and poured water down his legs. When they released him Leonard knocked them down right and left as if they were children. Whenever he attempted anything with his class he always succeeded. His magnetis-n carried everything before him and he was absolutely without fear. He was a great favorite with Col. Wilson (39) «ifirt. Hi iJrtfi i An* ©if # hmeS -■ ■ rri ■';•; ^ —f "tr ■ e/ii «?!yj8©«ef «orr J.r- -'''' .^'".'"I ,y ,[ai'U'<' ' ; , ^i:#visv trookf. ^Jgtw fcrtis sifsci'i^jsii .'J«•..■■•■^ "ii;- f!0 1 aw«B %9tf bnm o ;■:«•. ..'■li'; ' . ' Ci ftMB ? ■ , • ■ • 'f Jo tun ^Ai ni / ■ .: -i,!!*-. ,.-«.-,r,. ■ ,,.dn6Xli*o WE©*' ^"" * ^ ^ the Superintendent of the Academy, who often consulted him about matters mt the academy more so than he did with many of the professors. He was a generous man caring little for money for its own sake and he was always helping someone out of difficulties and was always a great favorite with the ladies "but if at the hops there was some peculiarly unattractive girl present, a wall flower, homely and a poor dancer he would be sure to take her out and after a ten minutes dance return her to her seat a happy girl thinking she was the queen of the hall," He graduated in June 1893 and was assigned as second lieutenant to Co, H, Second U.S. Infantry at Port Omaha, Neh. His Captain and First Lieu- tenant were both absent from the regiment and he was put in command of his company, some of whom had been in the service for thirty years but he was soon master of the situation and was one of the most popular and efficient officers in the regiment. While at Port Omaha a regimental gymnasium was established and Leonard was put in charge of it, planned it and devised the exercises for the enlisted men which were obligatory upon them. In the winter of 1894—5 he injured his left side in the gjrmnasium. In April he came home sick on a furlough but returned to duty after a two weeks stay. In August he went to his Uncle's Robert C, Thayer at Benton Harbor, but about the first of September returned in very poor health, sviffering great pain on the left side, finding no relief, about the first of October he went to the Presbyterian Hospital and put himself U'^der the care of Sr, Nicholas Senn, one of the most distingutihed sxirgeons in tbe United States, who operated upon him for a cancerous tumor on the left (40) r yf-, ti ■■' ' ''(■^^ 4rrtil .• ' it &f. «-■ ' •: j-> ^'•'Oill. J.tni ^ li .. . ' i fT I « i~> . i -t M ••■- . \ ,+ ' r, ffi "■•:•■ ,^ -t « vr ' , i'^ ■«" ,il -^ rtl i. •r^ .Y,-,n Iff .+ , t^oiiA WT \/j r-^t ni- .tf.'-.'si' - ■-^.•^•- .■M'^ '^ ^^ kidney but the disease proved fatal and he died Nov. 1, 1895, He was very versatile, a quick, ready and eloquent speaker, During his two years of army life he had devoted much of Ikls time to free-band drawing in which he had "become quite proficient. He also wrote stories of army life at which he was very successful, General Brooke, the Commander of the Omaha post said he was the most promising yoimg officer in the arrry, ©apt, Abercrombie of his regiment came to Chicago to see him a few days before his death and told me that from the tlmo Leonard Joined the regiment he was greatly attracted to him, that he never loved any man as he did him, that he felt that in the emergency of a soldier's life he could implicitly rely upon hin and I know of no greater compliment that can be paid to any man than that he has such a steadfast reliability, indomitable courage, mental alertness and immovable self possession in time of danger that he will do the wisest, best and bravest thing. He bore the long sickness and the surgical operation with indomitable courage, never complaining, notwithstanding the long torture of his fierce disorder. Many and many a nigh I talked with him all night long, he say- ing, "Father, you must talk to me or I can not bear the pain." One night after he had taken morphine to ease the pain, the physician told Mrs, Rinehart, who was sitting up with him that he might say something that she might not care to hear but instead he soon broke out in that grand hfnrn of Julia Ward Hove, "Mine Eyes Have Seen The Glory of the Coming of the Lord." After singing it all through he repeated the Lord's Prayer, November 15, 1894 he was married to Katherine, the daughter of Wr, (41) ar c r r I 9 • w ffi • erf bias ir -^o ,c nanr "ijfia ft; it •€( iarii ,«fiff o^ • '•;^-■.1■ '•rr'^'? ^■ri:>1 • -r o-T- Ob XIlw '0 ".a.l'T L-: iO I 10 0111 ^S •x .^^yoe*^*^.-:} ^ "^ ■other she was always delicate and never robust, ^fter she moved to Mich- igan during the fruit season she was much out-doors packing fruit and remained in fair health until near her death. She was greatly beloved not only by her relatives but by all who knew her. Her funeral was conducted by the minister of the Universal ist llhurch Cf Benton Harbor. The services were held under the trees in the yard of her home which she had done so much to beautify and adorn, THE SPALDINGS , My grandfather on my mother's side was Capt, Leonard Spalding who was of English descent. He was the first settler of Buckfield, Maine, a farmer, owning a large farm and mills at Spalding's Mills at Buckfield. He was a large athletic man, delighted in breaking wild horsec, and all work requiring skill and strength. His wife, Peggy or Margaret Warren, was a large, handsome, nob^e looking woman, I remember very well visiting grandfather Spaldings. Their house was a large commodious, story and a half house on a little knoll on the banks of the river with a southern front for parlor and sitting room and back of them an L, a large kitchen, each of them with large fire places, the parlor and sitting room with their brass mounted dogs, tongs and shovel and the kitchen with its big crane and chimney and blac^cened pots, the bright tins and pewter plates with the alphabet in raised letter around its rim. In front of the houre grandmother had her beds of old fashioned flowers, and altogether the strong rugged old gentleman and stately old lady and their warn sunny house and the (43) t^ Oltf r €t ' CSV. •ri^ lo 1 iff rraw ytyv . ; aX A i:-.,- ••'■"^ • .sgniftljBf'^ ^^tfi■■r "io ETOisff :*iij H: a no k> *f^ r- js>r P> ff .t-v-r. .'<'■ rj^ « ^ blazing fires of oak, ash and birch in the parlor sitting room and kitchen made a very pleasant picture in ray mind's eye. Of my grandmother Spalding's family, the Warrens, I know very little except that I always understood that she belonged to a well to do, rather aristocratic family, which her appearance certainly indicated, ROBERT GUSHING THAYER . Mr, Thayer is a native of Turner, Maine, a Puritan in descent, lioth on his paternal and maternal lines. He is a typical Yankee, broad- ened by western life and ideas. He was educated in the public district schools and the High School of furner but the best of the education of his youth was that of his home, the pure, self-restrained, Ood-fearing, Ood-worshipping, Calvanistic, Puritan life, which, though stem externally, was at its center loving and sweet, dominated by a love of right and right- eousness. In such an atmosphere he developed in morals and intelligence. The outdoor life of the farm gave him a stalwart body which has been strengthened by life long temperance and correct living, the great rebellion stirred all the martial spirit inherited from his Puritan roundhead ancestors. He was a Republican in politics and to hate slavery and love freedom was m part of his religion, D-^der the first call for 75,000 men for three months he enlisted in the Lewiston Light Infantry, Co, P, i'irst Maine Infantry, They were mustered into the service May 3, 1861 and proceeded to Washington where they did guard duty, return- ing (44) "c^.'i ■"^.rri J n.^ -'ff»'xM f)r ^f ^j'% ^^ iliS^iOJ ,i5uj--:3 --on ■ -iJ-'ivU wC! f9iff>v -. r .1 •. r.-i ^*> ■■ '.^TS ,?• - . r: eld lo ia♦f;^ r-Mw ^ircx airi •trs m--'-*": '^;^rfO'',? .f*9M* .fi^iX : '^ . fi ' ..•*'"'!) i ni ••« .^r -'ii'*' ''-■ ''W " Uv>.Ut? ''•' S"' f^•^) ^ -, home early in August. They were glYen a gorgeous reception with an elegant dinner at the Bewitt House and a patriotic address "by William P, Frye , new presiding officer of the United States Senate, Decem"ber 12, 1861, he enlisted with Lieut, Venderbilt in Co, A, Sappers and Miners to be attached to the Corps of Topographical Engineers U.S.A. They were soon consolidated with the engineers and were assigned to B. Co, of the U.S. Engineers with which he served until his discharge, Oct. 22, 1862. He was peculiarly fitted for this service , "by his strength, activity, sobriety, courage, and especially by his skill in handling all sorts of tools, A part of his service was at the Military Academy at West Point but his company was sent with McOlellans army to the Peninsula where he had plenty of digging at Yorktown and plenty of bridge building in the fehickahominy sweunps. The exposure and hardships of the campaign broke down even his rugged health and constitution and he was sent to the hospital at Alexandria Sept, 1, 1862 and was honorably discharged Oct, 22, 1862 as no longer fit for the arduous duties of a military life. Ee re- turned home and having regained somewhat of his former health he entered the civil service of the United States as foreman in various government works, remaining in this employment for several years until he moved to Michigan, While in this employment he worked on Port Warren in Boston Harbor, Port Preble in Portland Harbor, in the river imprcverrent at Oherryfield, Maine and other places. In the meantime he had married Miss Beborah Whitman, a daughter of Luther Whitman of Turner, Maine, She died in a few years and May 12, 1871 he married at Turner, Maine, lilpha (45) rsoff' . lo sqio© ©rti oJ fc- ;i3 t.-tf o^ a-.: -;■ b- . . ;.U 'fi ^fl • . ' . ' .i»^ fl nl 111*3 cirf 1* - '^ tX^ :>^- . , ,.-5i30A if'J'Si."'*" "■- ^-»*"''»8 sift )0 JTS' ' • ■■ '^" '■-- *;- affd" o^ %m'xB. ■■' saw ■ ■ ijjo' ■ rd" "t-o --XcY *• ;■ 'o 'io ■ baff i^^ oi ini;*3 f brtjB ft' ::«< ba^siTX alif nerd no^:>^>n fix no 5ii:n'iv* arf J-p fTl ,-i ^ fll ■:m . ■!.■- .SI ■ /::>'..') i) Margaret, daughter of Job and Zllpha Spaulding Prince. There, their first child Zilpha, aptly called "Sunshine", was "bom, foellng the necessity of securing a permanent home for his family ^ nd led ty the enthusiastic de- scriptions of the fruit regions of western Michigan puhlished in the New York Tribune, in 1872 he went to St. Joseph, Michigan and after examining many places bought the homestead where he has ever since resided at the jxmction of §olfax and Nickerson avenues in what is now known as the "Pair Plain" district, as it has proved the best in all that region. They moved there in 187 , The farm was very much run down but both Mr, Thayer and his wife attacked the situation with energy and intellio;ence inquiring and studying and seeking the best methods and soon it became known as one of the best and is now the model fruit farm of that region. Honest fruit and honest measure from top to bottom is the invariable rule and practice. The death of little Sunshine in the summer of 1874 was the great sorrow of their lives. She was a child of much beauty and promise, Mr, fhayer has taken a prominent part in the Grajige and Grand Army circles, in educational matters and social affairs of the Pair Plain neigh- borhood, and has been elected Justice of the Peace, a position for which his sense of justice and intelligence eminently fit him. As son, citizen, soldier of the Union, htksband, father and neighbor, he has lived up to the full measure of his opportunities. If you, my dear Paul, can do as well, your children and children's children shall rise up and bless your name. With advancing years, Mr. Thayer has been obliged to give up much (46) "i)': ;'■ /^ sift fltCTi TfOiflB - . ni ©lerfi bevonr \'orfT d nt ,3. 'V.:;;' tn-? 1 .. :.j.JvJ/ll ftriii ^C-- . na^U iii-"! Wo B'fftifeJ''*' f&rif'r) its^x ■-d, died Ai-.-^il 4, l'^20. !Tiar>-ied Elizaheth Lund. ^ Leonard Born at Chelmsford Dec. 1, 1713; ct-i ed Feh . 17o3. M^.rried Elizaheth -- . She (lied in Bu.ckfield 'le . 1799. Dr. K^ekiel Chase, second huBband. S Benjamin, Born Chelmsford Feb. u, l'^3S>»-9. Made first improvements in tov/n o! Buckfield Me- died there Oct. 14, 1611. }Tar'-ied Patty Barrett of Chelmfiford Ma^s. Nov. 29, l'^o4. She was born Jan. 31, 1740; ,iied Oct. 4, 1819. . Roll of those v/ho marched to Cnabridf-e April I'^Sp Benjamin of Chelmsford in Capt. Oliver Baron's Co. also i.. service' three months from Aug. 16, 1731 ?n Capt. Samuel Fays C(j. to reirifo?-ce Continental army. i' P ran Qlnuntr ' .jtnrtral ;Sanrt» BIO. P. Davis I?niss. KzRA M. Pbincr. Srccr. •Jonif H. Bhrniiam. Ckh. Ex, Oom. Bl.i>OMIN*iT*»N ' W,.. 18 j4. :<*r-->d ra>-.-»r«t "a^'e., ?'■« wRf "crn 'a I'^^.i ^j.a ■ i^-d Ji^y 1 , Id • 7 L«or,aru \d ' e following-; oh-ilti--i , -.ao. . , »'ll''«m, Sill ha, Jv Hfc, , Al^-ica, Ali'.-aaa, Airily Ja.i-i , iir«:..)a. iu fra./:- lln. Dla^.tha. ^^^ s/. 2tij»>ia '.' J- ly ^-, !"'>''■, n;ir»-' "d^Job F^V.c* o. #uckfi.«lo Xe. Hay 1, lo21, anu d ed Jan 3#, 1644, T»««i( Tur-r;sr M«« Was uo'ii June 1'^, mf* . . 't th« tiev«:.th in ih9 lint, her •*»« nintk In d««c«;it,« ^- .«>• ,0^ » 1 ■> ' .>^' .'^'' . ' • ■ ^ fc." ■ 4> . t ' • , r- °o ^^ .■^• '^^o"* ^^°^ A' *b>^ / ^--v^-'V V ^/ ^.^^ A > ^*^ -^^^N^ ,0 C " " " ■» .\^^ ^^