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Subject: [GM-L] GROTON, MA - Original Proprietors
Date: Fri, 17 Dec 1999 12:52:48 EST

Subject: GROTON, MA
Source: Dr. Samuel A. Green

Original proprietors of Groton, MA l655 - l660

RICHARD BLOOD RICHARD HOLDEN
CAPT. JAMES PARKER SIMON STONE
JONAS PRESCOTT Sr JOHN NUTTING
WILLIAM LONGLEY SR. JAMES KNAP
THOMAS TARBALL SR. JOSEPH LAWRENCE
WILLIAM MARTIN JOHN CLARY
SGT. JOHN LAKIN RALPH READ
LIEUT WILLIAM LAKIN ELIAS BARRON
ROBERT BLOOD WILLIAM GREEN
SAMUEL WILLARD JOHN MORSE
JAMES BLOOD SAMUEL WOODS
JOHN LAWRENCE ZACHARIAH SAWTELL
MATTHIAS FARNSWORTH BENJAMIN GARFIELD
TIMOTHY ALLEN CHRISTOPHER HALL
JOHN PAGE NATHANIEL LAWRENCE
SAMUEL DAVIS DANIEL PIERCE
JAMES FISKE JOSEPH GILSON
JOSEPH PARKER JOSHUA WHITNEY
JONATHAN CRISPE JAMES ROBERTSON
JUSTINIAN HOLDEN* JACOB ONG
THOMAS TARBALL JR* THOMAS WILLIAMS
WILLIAM ELLIS JONATHAN SAWTELL
JOHN PARRISH

Source: An Historical Sketch of Groton, MA by Dr. S. A.
Green, Groton, l894

CORONERS OF GROTON, MA
The lst three names mentioned below are taken from the
Council Records; but the others are found in the "Record
of Civil Commissions," in the office of the Secretary of
State. Under the Constitution coroners were apptd for
life, unless sooner removed; but by an act passed on Apr
29, l862 their tenure of office was limited to seven yrs
subject to reappointment. By another act passed on May 9,
l877, the office was abolished and so far as related to
inquests, the medical examiner was substituted in place
of the coroner.
Date of Appointment
March 8, l759 Israel Hubbard
November 20, l76l Israel Hobart (these are the same)
July l2, l769 Isaac Farnsworth
August 28, l775 Isaac Farnsworth
September 24, l778 Ephraim Russell
March 27, l78l Ephraim Russell
March 2, l790 Samuel Lawrence
March 2, l790 Peter Edes
January 7, l80l Samson Woods
February 3, l803 William Farwell Brazer
July 4, l803 James Lewis, Jr.
July 5, l809 William Lawrence
February 20, l8l0 Abel Farnsworth
August 20, l8ll Jacob Lakin Parker
March 2, l8l3 Amos Lawrence
May 26, l8l7 Benjamin Moors
February 9, l820 William Austin Bancroft

(Mr. Bancroft was a resident of Townsend (MA) at the
time of his appointment).

January l6, l822 David Childs
June 29, l852 Jacob Pollard
May l5, l856 John Mason Porter
April 2, l858 Eusebius Silsby Clarke
April l0, l860 Asa Stillman Lawrence
January 24, l866 John Q. A. McCollester
April l6, l867 Asa Stillman Lawrence
April 30, l869 Benjamin Lincoln Howe
April 30, l874 Asa Stillman Lawrence.
_____________________________________________________
Source: An Historical Sketch of Groton, MA by Dr. S. A.
Green, Groton, MA l894
p.157, l58, l59.
A LIST OF THE TOWN CLERKS OF GROTON, MA
from the year 1662 to l894 with the dates of their
election and terms of service. In this list the years
are given according to the new style of reckoning, and
in specifying dates, small franctions of years are over-
looked. The town was attacked by the Indians in the
spring of l676 and abandoned by the inhabitants until
March, l678.

The earliest records of the town were writtenby Richard
Sawtell and begin on June 23, l662 though his election
as town clerk was not recorded until December 24, l662.
During the period since that date there have been thirty
four town clerks, of whom five, namely Jonathan Morse
William Longley, Jr., James Blanchard, Jonathan Sheple
and Samuel Rockwood died while in office - Longley being
killed by the Indians on July 27, l694. During the early
part of l682 Captain James Parker, Richard Blood, and
Jonas Prescott made entries in the records, though no
one of them appears to have been at the time town clerk.
Jonathan Morse was the first who signed the records with
his name, though the practice with him was not constant.
William Longley, William Longley, Jr., and John Longley
were representatives of three successive generations in
the same family, being the father, son and grandson. On
December 9, l687 William Longley, Jr. was chosen clerk,
but he acted as such during only a part of the next town
meeting, May 2l, l688 when he was followed by Josiah
Parker who made the entry for so much of that meeting
as occurred after his election. Mr. Brigham, the
present (l894) occupant has filled the position for more
than thirty five years continuously, by far the longest
term of service of any town clerk. Joseph Lakin with a
record of seventeen years comes next in length of time.
Of all the persons mentioned in the list, only the last
three are now living (l894), namely, Mr. Boutwell, Mr.
Parker and Mr. Brigham; and their combined term of serv-
ice covers just forty four years. Since the death of
Mr. Park, which took place on September 23, l875, these
three have been the only survivors. Mr. Butler died on
October 7, l854 and Mr. Boynton on November 30, l854 -
less than eight weeks apart.

Date of Election - Town Clerk, Groton, MA

Dec. 24, l662 Richard Sawtell, 1662 - 1664
Jan. 27, l665 James Fisk, l665
Dec. 2, l665 William Longley l666 - l667
Dec. ll, l667 John Page l668
Nov. ll, l668 Richard Blood 1669
Nov. l0, l669 John Morse l670 - l676

Town abandoned during two yea
1678 James Parker 1678 - l679
Dec. 23, l679 John Morse l680 - 168l
l682 Jonathan Morse d July 3l,
1686 - 1682 - 1686
Dec. 10, l686 Josiah Parker 1686 - 1687
Dec. 9, l687 William Longley, Jr. 1688
May 2l, l688 Josiah Parker l688 - 169l
Dec. l0, l69l Jonas Prescott 1692
Dec. l2, l692 William Longley, Jr. 1693 - l694
Killed July 27, l694
Mar 4, l695 James Blanchard l695
Mar 3, l696 Jonas Prescott l696
Dec l0, l696 James Blanchard l697 - l704
Died Feb, l704
Mar 8, l704 Thomas Tarbell l704 - l705
Mar 5, l706 Joseph Lakin l706 - 1722
Mar 5, l723 John Longley l723 - l726
Mar 7, 1727 Joseph Lakin l727
Mar 5, l728 John Longley 1728 - l729
Mar 3, l730 John Sheple l730
Mar 2, l73l Thomas Tarbell, Jr. 173l - l733
Mar 5, l734 Jonathan Sheple l734 - l744
Mar 5, l745 Thomas Tarbell, Jr. 1745 - l756
Mar l, 1757 Abel Lawrence l757 - l764
Mar 5, l765 Oliver Prescott l765 - l777
Mar 3, l778 Isaac Farnsworth l778 - l78l
Mar 5, l782 Abel Bancroft l782 - l783
Mar 2, l784 Jonathan Keep l784
Mar l, l785 Abel Bancroft chosen but declined
Mar l, l785 Isaac Farnsworth l785 - l787
Mar 4, l788 Nathaniel Sartel chosen but declined
Mar l0, l788 Joseph Shed l788 - l794
Mar 3, l795 Samuel Lawrence l795 - l798
Mar 5, l799 Samuel Rockwood l799 - l804
Died May 29, l804
June l8, l804 Oliver Prescott, Jr. l804 - l8l0
Mar 5, l8ll Joseph Mansfield l8ll - l8l4
Mar 7, l8l5 Caleb Butler l8l5 - l8l7
Mar 3, l8l8 Joseph Mansfield l8l8
Mar 2, l8l9 Noah Shattuck l8l9 - l822
Mar 3, l823 Caleb Butler l823 - l83l
Mar 6, l832 John Boynton l832 - l833
Mar 4, l834 John Gray Park l834 - l836
Mar 6, l837 John Boynton l837 - l845
Mar 3, l846 George Sewall Boutwell l846 - l850
Mar 5, l855 George Dexter Brigham l855 -

Transcribed by Janice Farnsworth
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