Essex, Sept. Term, C. C. P. 1787, William Stedman, to 1810 and from 1821.

Worcester, March Term, 1789, Merrick Rice to 1815.-Removed to Harvard-Died.

Worcester, Dec. Term, 1802, Moses Smith to 1825.-Relinquished the practice.

Worcester, March Term, 1803, Samuel John Sprague to 1805

Died.

In Middlesex, John Stuart, here from 1821 to 1822.-Removed to Boston.

Worcester, Sept. Term, C. C. P. 1811, John Davis, jr. to 1821.Removed to Charlton.

Middlesex, Dec. Term, C. C. P. 1819, Joseph Willard from 1821, July; at Waltham from March 1820, to July 1821.

Middlesex, June Term, C. C. P. 1824, Solon Whiting, Attorney at Law.

Those in Italicks are now in practice in this town. Abel Willard, son of Col. Samuel Willard, who was representative of the town some years, was held in great esteem, and was the instrument of healing many differences without litigation. He went to London in 1775, earlier than was stated in a former note, and died there before the termination of the war. Samuel J. Sprague, Harvard University, 1799, was son of Judge Sprague, Harvard University, 1765, A. A. S. died Sept. 10, 1805, of an injury received by a fall. Levi Willard, Harvard University, 1775, born 1756. After leaving college he resided for some time in England, on his return he studied law with Judge Sprague. He opened an office in Lancaster, and practised there for a short time in 1786, and till his death. William Stedman, Harvard University, 1784. Merrick Rice, Harvard University, 1785. Joseph Willard, Harvard University, 1816, L. L. B. Solon Whiting, son of the late General John Whiting.

PHYSICIANS.

Daniel Greenleaf, died in Bolton.

John Dunsmoor, died Dec. 7, 1747, aged 45.
Staunton Prentice, died Dec. 1, 1769, aged 58.
Phineas Phelps, died Aug. 12, 1770, aged 37.

William Dunsmoor, died May 26, 1784, aged 50.

Israel Atherton, Harvard University, 1662, M. M. S. Soc. died

July, 1822, aged 82.

Josiah Wilder, Y. C. died Dec. 20, 1788, aged 45.

James Carter, died 1817.

Samuel Manning, Harvard University, 1797, M. D. M. M. S. Soc. moved to Cambridge in 1821, died 1822.

Nathaniel Peabody, M. D. Dart. M. M. S. Soc. 1821 to 1822.
Calvin Carter, Licentiate.

George Baker, Harvard University, 1816, M. D. M. M. S. Soc.
Right Cummings, Licentiate,

The three last are now in practice here. Greenleaf from Newbury, I find first mentioned in 1734, and as late as 1760. John Dunsmoor, was probably born in Ireland. "Old father Dunsmoor," probably John's father, a member of the Church in Ireland, was admitted to communion in Rev. Mr. Prentice's Church, Aug. 21, 1740. Saunton Prentice was the eldest son of Rev. Mr. Prentice. William Dunsmoor was son of John. Israel Atherton, was a descendant of James Atherton, who came to Lancaster March 15, 1653. James had a son James born 13 May, 1654, Joshua born 13 May, 1656. Joshua was father of Col. Peter, born 12 April, 1705, died June 13, 1764. Peter was father of Hon. Joshua Atherton, born 20 June, 1737, and Dr. Israel, born Nov. 20, 1741. Josiah Wilder was son of Col. James Wilder. James Carter was son of Capt. James Carter, of this town. Samuel Manning was from Cambridge. Calvin Carter is son of Dr. James. George Baker is a native of Dedham, and Right Cummings, of Lunenburg.

Before the first Dunsmoor, and Greenleaf, the earliest of the Faculty in this town, was a female, "Doctress Whitcomb." The "Doctress" was here, probably, as early as A. D. 1700. She studied the profession with the Indians, with whom she was at one time a captive, and acquired her knowledge of simples from them. She was quite distinguished in this neighborhood as one of the Faculty. Before her time, there was no physician nearer than Concord.

GRADUATES AT DIFFERENT COLLEGES.

Harvard University.

1733* Josiah Swan, born 1701, minister of Dunstable, as before mentioned.

1752* Abel Willard, born Jan., 12, 1732.

1755* Samuel Locke, S. T. D. born Nov. 23, 1732, son of SamLel Locke of this town, minister of Sherburn, and President of Harvard University, 1770 to 1773, died in Sherburne of apoplexy.

1766 Peter Green, M. M. S. Soc. hon. born Oct. 1, 1745, son of the late Peter Green of this town. See ante note.

1770 John Mellen, Tutor, A. A. and S. H. S. born July 8, 1752. 1775* Levi Willard, born Aug. 13, 1756.

1776* Timothy Harrington, born Sept. 17, 1753. A physician in Chelmsford, as before mentioned.

1777* Joseph Kilburn, born Nov. 3, 1755 or 6.
1781* Isaac Bailey, born Feb. 24, 1753.
1798* Artemas Sawyer, born Nov. 2, 1777.
1799* Samuel John Sprague, born 1780.

1817 Sewell Carter, merchant in Lancaster.

1817* Moses K. Emerson, a physician, died in Virginia, 1825. 1817 Paul Willard, Counsellor at Law, Charlestown.

1821 Henry Lane, M. D. a physician in Boston.

1822 Samuel Manning studied law. He now risides in Mexico. Ebenezer Torry, Attorney at law in Fitchburg.

66

1823 Levi Fletcher, Chaplain U. S. Frigate Macedonian.

1824 Christopher T. Thayer, Theological student at Cambridge. 1825 Frederick Wilder, died at Northampton, "Multis ille bonis flebilis occidit," Feb. 1826.

1826 Stephen M. Weld.

Messrs. Mellen, Kilburn and Bailey, are of the "Chocksett literati." See Vol. 1. Worcester Magazine, 379, 380.

Dr. Josiah Wilder and Israel Houghton, Graduated at Yale College about ten years before the revolution. I have not the catalogue by me to fix the year.

Jacob Willard graduated at Brown University, 1826. William White, do. do. do. Theological students at Cambridge.

Abel Willard, son of Joshua W. of Petersham, entered Harvard University, 1772, left in 1775 and went to England with his uncle Abel Willard, Esq. of this town. Died in Canada.

Nathan Osgood entered Harvard University, 1782 and left.

Richard Cleveland and Henry Russel Cleveland are now in the Senior Class at the University.

NOTE ON THE WILDERS.

The tradition of the family is, that Thomas Wilder the first of the name in this country, came from Lancaster in England; that he settled in Hingham, and had four sons, that one son remained in Hingham, from whom are descended all of the name of Wilder, in that town and vicinity. I find that Thomas Wilder was made freeman, 28 June, 1641, and that he was of Charlestown in 1642. One named Edward took the freeman's oath, 29th May, 1644, and was afterwards of Hingham, (2 Mass. Hist. Col. iv. 221) but whether, or how, related to Thomas I do not know.

Thomas moved to Lancaster, July 1, 1659, was one of the selectmen, and died October 23, 1667. He left three sons in Lancaster, viz. Thomas, John and Nathaniel, from whom are derived all of the name of Wilder, in this town. Thomas, the eldest son, died August, 1717, aged 76, had Col James and Joseph. From James who married Rev. Mr. Gardner's sister, came 2d Colonel James of Lancaster, and Gardner, in Leominster. From the last Colonel James, came James, Dr. Josiah, and Asaph, all of whose families are extinct. Gardner has many descendants now in Leominster.

Joseph, the son of Thomas above mentioned, married Rev. Mr. Gardner's sister; he was a distinguished man in town, and posses- sed great influence. He was an active magistrate; for many years be represented the town in the Legislature, and was Judge and Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas, from 1731 to 1757, and Judge of Probate from 1739 to 1757. He died March 29, 1757, aged 74. His sons were Thomas of Leominster, Andrew, Judge Joseph, and Colonel Caleb. Joseph was Judge of the Court of Common Pleas, from 1762, to 1773, representative of the town in the Legislature, and died, April 20, 1773, aged 65. He and Col. Caleb were the first in America, who established pot and pearlash works. Caleb died, June 19, 1776, aged 59. Thomas, last named, had three sons, Hon. Abel Wilder of Winchendon, of the Senate, from 1786 to 1792: Thomas of Leominster, and Joseph of Winchendon. Caleb's sons were Samuel and Caleb of Ashburnham, Nahum and Levi. Samuel had a large family of sons. Caleb had two sons, one was Dr. Wilder of Templeton. Levi, who died Jan. 5, 1793, was father of the present Sampson V. S. Wilder of Bolton.

John, the second son of the first settler, had three sons, viz :-John, Thomas, and Ebenezer. From John came John of Petersham, Jonas of Bolton, Josiah and Jonathan of Sterling, Aholiab and Bezaleel of Shutesbury, William of Bolton; thomas had two sons, John of Ludlow, and Jotham. The latter four sons, Stephen and Titus, Jotham of Saltash, Vt. Reuben, do. From Stephen and Titus are descended the present Wilders in the "six natious."* From Eb enezer, Representative in 1739, who died, Dec. 25, 1745, aged 64, came Benjamin of Sterling, and David. From Benjamin, Col. Wilder, of Sterling. From David, who was a Representative many years, came David of Leominster, Samuel and John, Abel and Jacob of Vermont, Luke of Penobscot, and Jonathan.

*South part of Lancaster.

From David last named, is descended the present David of Leominster, commissioner of Highways, &c. Jonathan had eleven sons; nine lived to man's estate, viz:-Jonathan, David, John, Luke, Cephas, Prescott, Lewis, Henry, and Frederick. The last died at Northampton, in Feb. 1826, universally lamented.

Nathaniel, the third son of the first settler, lived in Lancaster, and was killed by the Indians, July 1704. From him are descended Jonathan, killed by the Indians August, 1707, Nathaniel of Petersham, Ephraim of Lancaster, a Representaive for a number of years, who died Dec. 13, 1769, aged 94, and Col. Oliver. Nathaniel, last named, had a large family. Ephraim, had a son of the same name, who died March 17, 1770, aged 68. This last had three sons, Ephraim, Manassah, and William. Ephraim last named, settled in Sterling, had a large family, of whom Dea. Joel of this town is one. Manassah had two sons, Joseph and Sumner. William had two sons who left children, viz: Ephraim and Elijah.

Col. Oliver had four sons, Oliver, Tilley, Phineas and Moses. Oliver and Moses remained in Lancaster, and from them are descended all of the name of Wilder, in the westerly part of Lancaster, except Joel and Elijah.

NOTE ON SEVERAL OF THE NAME OF HOUGHTON.

Ralph and John Houghton, as has been before mentioned, were cousins, and came to Lancaster in 1653. Ralph wrote a good business hand and was recorder many years. He represented the town as a deputy in the general court in 1673, and 1689. He probably died a few years after. Of his children, were John, born April 28, 1655, and Joseph, born July 1, 1657. John, the cousin of Ralph, whose wife was Beatrix, had a son Benjamin, born May 25, 1668. William and Robert were also sons. There is reason to believe that he died April 29, 1684. John Houghton, Esq. was another son of John. He was born in England, it is said, in 1650, or 1651. He was quite young when his parents moved to Lancaster. From 1693 to 1724, inclusive, he represented the town fourteen years in the General Court. For a long time after the town was rebuilt he appears to have been the only magistrate in the place. He was quite celebrated in this neighborhood, as a man of weight and influence, and was a very skilful conveyancer. In this business he had great employment. He gave the land for the second meeting house. His dwelling house was on the south side of the old com. mon, a little to the south west of Mr. Faulkner's. Three ancient pear trees planted by himself stand in front of the site of his house.