Several other persons settled in what is now Marlborough, in the early part of the last century.* Soon after the commencement of the eighteenth century, the English settlers of Marlborough were again exposed to the horrors of Indian warfare. It will be difficult for us, who are permitted to dwell in security under the shelter of the domestic roof, to form an adequate idea of the perilous condition of our forefathers, at this gloomy period. "We have, indeed, heard within our ears, and our fathers have told" us the story of their dangers and sufferings in the waste and howling wilderness." But how difficult to enter into the feelings of men, who were in constant peril for their lives; who, like the children of Israel in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, repaired to their work with weapons in their hands, and who were liable to be waked from their midnight slumbers by the savage yells of a pitiless foe? In many instances were they *Simeon Howard was the father of Cornet Simeon Howard, and of Jonathan Howard, whose son, Gideon Howard, removed to Worthington, in this state, where his descendants, it is supposed, still live. Simon Howard, Senior, from Concord, was another of the first settlers. His house stood near the hearse house, on the land of Mr. Asa Fay. It is not known whether the Simeon Howard mentioned above, was related to Simeon Howard, D. D. late pastor of the west church in Boston. Adam Holloway, from Concord, (died in 1733, aged 80,) and his son Lieut. Wm. Holloway, (died Jan. 6, 1760, aged 71,) settled on the farm now owned by Stephen Williams, Esq. Lieut. Wm. Holloway, married Mary, (died March 9, 1788, aged 94,) a daughter of Simeon Howard, Senior, by whom he had two sons and four daughters. The sons died young. Of the daughters, Mary, married Jonathan Bartlett, died Dec. 22, 1821, aged 95.-Hannah, married Capt. James Stone, of Western.-Betty, married Daniel Wheeler, of Hardwick.-Jemima, married John Taylor, who died at St. Albans, Vt. John Taylor, was the father of Col. Holloway Taylor now of St. Albans and of John Taylor, Esq. an Attorney at law, at Northampton. He was Gershom Fay, Senior, was one of the first settlers of this town. the son of John Fay, of Marlborough, married Mary, a daughter of John Brigham, died in 1720. He lived at first in the easterly part of the town, afterwards, built a house on the Coram Farm, near the bend of the road, between the dwelling house of Capt. Hastings, and that of Stephen Williams, Esq. His children were Gershom, Mary, Susanna, Sarah, Silas, Timothy, and Paul. Thomas Ward, from Marlborough, was the first settler on the farm now in the possession of Asaph Rice; and Deac. Isaac Tomblin on the farm of the late Deac. Isaac Davis. Hezekiah Tomblin, lived first on Tomblin Hill, so called; Ephraim Beeman, on the farm of Samuel Dalrymple. Joseph Wheeler, (died in 1747, aged 56,) lived on the southern declivity of Ball's Hill, so called. Ephraim Allen, from Roxbury, purchased of an Eleazer How, a few acres of land, with a grist mill erected thereon, the site of the present mill, and Cotton Factory. This was the first, and for many years the only grist mill, compelled to desert their farms, leaving their lands untilled, while old and young, the strong and the feeble, flocked to the frail fortifications, denominated garrisons, as their only means of safety. These were usually nothing more than common dwelling houses, surrounded by palisades, and furnished with a supply of fire arms and ammunition. In the year 1711, there were no fewer than twenty six garrison houses within the limits of Marlborough, to each of which were assigned, on an average, five or six families, the whole number of families being one hundred and thirty seven.* "MARLBOROUGH, DECEMBER 11, 1711. "These several persons are allowed by the Captain Generall. "The persons assigned to each particular Garrison are as followeth : Ordered, by us the Subscribers, by the direction of an act of the Generall Court, entitled an act for the better security and defence of the fronteers. Capt. How's GARISON. Samuel Stevens Jonathan How Samuel Stow, Senior Mr. BRECK's* GARISON. Capt. KERLY'S GARISON. Nathaniel Johnson Thomas Amsden Simon Gates Joseph Johnson. Capt. BRIGHAM'S GARISON. ISAAC AMSDEN'S GARISON. James Woods Adam Martin Is. How's GARISON. David Fay Lieut. WILLIAMS' GARISON. Thomas Beman Peter Bent Richard Barns Edward Barns ENSIGN HOW's GARISON. Ensign Bouker Joseph Rice. SAMUEL MORRIL'S GARISON. Sergeant Barret John Barns Benjamin Baylis Joshua Rice THOMAS BRIGHAM'S GARISON. Jonathan Brigham Oliver Ward JOHN HOW's GARISON. Samuel Wheelock Obadiah Ward John Newton Thomas Axtel. SAMUEL GOODENOW's GARISON. Nathaniel Oakes This undoubtedly was the Rev. Robert Breck, the second Minister of Marlborough. For several of the preceding years, the inhabitants, especially such as lived in the borders of the town, had been kept in a state of constant anxiety and alarm, in consequence of the hostile attitude of the Indians. August 8th, 1704, a party of Indians, eight or ten in number, rushed suddenly from the woods, and fell upon a number of the inhabitants of what is now Westborough, while at work in the field; killed Nahor, a son of Mr. Edmund Rice, on the spot, seized and carried into captivity two other sons, Silas and Timothy; also Ashur and Adonijah, two sons of Mr. Thomas Rice. Ashur was redeemed by his father, and returned in about four years. He afterwards settled in Spencer. Adonijah remained in Canada, cultivated a farm in the vicinity of Montreal. His Indian name was Asaunaugooton. The other two lived among the Indians, married Indian wives, acquired their habits, and lost all knowledge of the English language. The puritanical names of Silas and Timothy were changed into the heathenish, but not unmusical ones of Tookanowras and Oughtsorongoughton. The latter is said to have been the third of the six chiefs of the Cagnawaga tribe, and the one who made the speech to Gen. Gage, in behalf of his tribe, soon after the reduction of Montreal. This chief, in the year 1740, thirty six years after his captivity, visited his relations in Westborough, and retained, it is said, a distinct recollection of the circumstances of his captivity, and of several aged persons then living. Mr. Seth Rice, father of the late Deac. Seth Rice, and who died in 1796, aged 91, was a brother, and Thankful, wife of the late Mr. Josiah Rice, was a sister, of the above named Silas and Timothy. In the preceding month, (July) two of the inhabitants of Marlborough, viz. Abraham How and Benjamin Hutchins, were slain by the Indians at Lancaster. On the 15th of October, 1705, Mr. John Biglow, of Marlborough, being then at Lancaster, at the garrison house of Mr. Thomas Sawyer, was, with Mr. Sawyer and his son Elias, taken by the Indians, and conveyed to Canada. They obtained their release in the following manner: Both of them were ingenious mechanics, one, (Sawyer) a blacksmith, the other, (Biglow) a carpenter. While they were at Montreal, they proposed to the French Governor, who resided in that city, that, in case he would procure their ransom, they would erect for him a saw mill, there being none at that time in all Canada. The offer was readily accepted; they fulfilled their engagement, and, after some delays, were permitted to return to their friends, with whom they lived to a good old age. Mr. Biglow, in token of his gratitude for his remarkable deliverance from captivity, called his daughter, born soon after his return, "Freedom ;" and a second, born some time afterwards, he called "Comfort," as expressive of the happiness and peace he then enjoyed, contrasted with the hardships and fears of a state of captivity. Comfort was married to Joseph Brigham, the father of Mr. Jonah Brigham, of this town, who, when a child, often listened to the account given by his grandfather Biglow, of the circumstances of his captivity and escape. In 1707, August 18th, the following tragical event occurred in what is now the easterly part of Northborough. There was at this time a garrison house standing on the south side of the road, near the brook, known by the name of Stirrup Brook, which crosses the great road between the farms of Messrs. Jonas and Gill Bartlett, then in the possession of Samuel Goodenow. As Mary Goodenow, daughter of Samuel, and Mrs. Mary Fay, wife of Gershom Fay, were gathering herbs in the adjoining meadow, a party of Indians, twenty four in number, all of whom are said to have been stout warriors, were seen issuing from the woods and making towards them. Mrs. Fay succeeded in effecting her escape. was closely pursued by a party of the enemy; but before they came up, had time to enter the garrison, and to fasten the gate of the enclosure. There fortunately happened to be one man then within, the rest of the men belonging to the garrison being in the fields at work. Their savage invaders attempted in vain to break through the enclosure. These heroic defenders, by dint of great exertion, maintained the unequal conflict, till a party of friends, alarmed by the report of the muskets, came to their relief, when the enemy betook themselves to flight.* She The other unfortunate young woman, Miss Goodenow, being retarded in her flight by lameness, was seized by her merciless pursuers, dragged across the brook to the side of the hill, a little south of the road, where she was killed and scalped, and where her mangled body was afterwards found and buried, and where her grave is shown at this day. On the following day, the enemy were pursued by a company of about thirty men, from Marlborough and Lancaster, and over *Mrs. Fay, it is said, discovered great presence of mind during this assault, being constantly employed in loading and reloading the muskets belonging to the garrison, and handing them to her companion, who by this means was able to keep up a constant fire upon the invaders. No wonder that she was brave, for she had much at stake. She was then the mother of two young children, one four, and the other two years old. Gershom, father of the late Thaddeus Fay, and Mary, afterwards married to George Smith. Her third, called Susanna, who was born on the 18th of the following November, was subject to a constant nervous trembling, caused, it is supposed, by the mother's fright, received at this time. At her father's death, Nov. 24, 1720, she was left to the care of her brother, the late Timothy Fay, with whom she lived till her decease. |
