I was having a hard time finding any information online for both my 9x great grandfather Lawrence
Waters and his father-in-law Richard Linton. Luckily, Henry Steadman Nourse had brief biographies of
both in his book The Early Records of Lancaster, Massachusetts 1643-1725. They follow descriptions
of their land holdings :
THE LANDS OF LAWRENCE WATERS
his housee Lott. The house Lott of Lawrence Waters part whareof Lies in that feild he hath enclosed by his house their being six acors and half and nine acors of enteruail in that feild butting south upon the high way that Lyes between the Carting place in the north Riuer and it bounds north upon the Lott or orchard of Richard Linton and upon the Lott of Robert Brick and bounded east by a highway that Goes to quasaponikin meadows and west and south west by the North Riuer upon which he hath planted his house garden and orchard both which persels of upland and Enteruail being parte of his house Lott and enteruail Lott more he hath apart of his upland Lott Lying on the east side of the Swans Swamp being about thirteen acres and half or thare abouts : bounded South by a brook and north by a hill at the side of the pine plain and west by the Swans Swamp and buting east upon a Littel Corner of a plaine:
his enteruail Lott More he hath eleuen acres of enteruaile Lying on the east side of Penicook Riuer butting east upon the high way that Goes to the Plumtrees and west upon the Riuer it Lyes bounded South by sum common entervail Reserued for a lott and north by sum ent’eruail that was sum time Laid out for a Lott to Goodman Wilder: all which parcels of upland and enteruail Lying for his upland Lott and enteruail Lott and Lying for fourtie acres be thay more or Less.
Lawrence Waters, a carpenter of Watertown, was one of three sent up, in 1645, by the grantees of the Nashaway Plantation, to make suitable preparation for their own coming. By his wife Ann Linton he had six children born in Watertown: Lawrence, Feb. 14, 1635; Sarah, Dec. 7, 1636; Mary, Jan. 27, 1638; Rebecca, February, 1640; Daniel, Feb. 6, 1642; Stephen, Jan. 24, 1643; and the following born in Lancaster: Adam, I645 (?); Joseph, April 29, 1647; Jacob and Rachel, March 1, 1649; Samuel, Feb. 14, 1651 ; Joanna, March 26, 1653; Ephraim, Jan. 27, 1655. The proprietors assigned him a lot upon which he built a house, probably the second building erected by white men in Lancaster, (the trucking house on George Hill being the first). This house was situated in the grounds now owned by Caleb T Symmes, Esq. Waters, before 1650, had sold his home to John Hall, and it became the property successively of Richard Smith, John Tinker, Major Simon Willard, Cyprian Stevens, and Simon Stevens. Waters removed but a few rods, building on the lot above described, the chief portion of which is now the homestead of S. J. S. Vose, Esq. He became a freeman in 1663. After the massacre of 1676, we find him with his wife, and Samuel with his wife and two children, seeking shelter in Charlestown, where Stephen became responsible to the authorities for them. Lawrence Waters was then blind. He died December 9th, 1687, in Charlestown, aged about eighty-five years, outliving his wife seven years. Joseph Waters came back in 1679, and occupied part of his father’s and grandfather’s lands. In the distribution of the estate of Lieutenant Nathaniel Wilder, in 1709, there was given to Oliver, the youngest son, " upland and Interval where Lawrence Waters formerly Dwelt about fifteen acres,” and the inventory shows that it had been bought of John Skeath, the husband of Waters’ oldest daughter, Sarah. In 1714, Simon Stevens, whose wife was Mary, daughter of Lieutenant Nathaniel Wilder, sold to Hooker Osgood " Lawrence Waters’ lot on the Neck bounded southerly and easterly by ye Highway, west and south west by the River.” Adam Waters, perhaps the first born of English parents in Lancaster, in 1663 bought John Smith’s lot upon George Hill. He died 1670, at Charlestown.pp260-1
The Early Records of Lancaster, Massachusetts. 1643-1725 W. J. Coulter, Lancaster, Ma. 1884
Once again I'm reminded of how many of my Lancaster ancestors narrowly escaped death in that 1676
Indian attack.
No comments:
Post a Comment