GenMassachusetts-L Archives

From:
Subject: [GM-L] Lawrence WATERS & Richard LINTON of Nashaway (Lancaster, MA) 1643
Date: Sun, 12 Nov 2000 16:13:23 EST

Subject: Lawrence WATERS
Source: Early Records of Lancaster, Massachusetts 1643-1725 by Henry
S. Nourse, A.M. Lancaster: 1884

p.260
Lawrence Waters, a carpenter of Watertown, was one of three sent up, in
1645, by the grantees of the Nashaway Plantation* [see Nashaway, below], to
make suitable preparation for their own coming.

By his wife Ann Linton* (see Linton, below) he had six children born in
Watertown:

1. Lawrence Waters b. Feb 14, 1635.
2. Sarah Waters b. Dec 7, 1636.
3. Mary Waters b. Jan 27, 1638.
4. Rebecca Waters b. Feb, 1640.
5. Daniel Waters b. Feb 6, 1642.
6. Stephen Waters b. Jan 24, 1643

They also had the following children born at Lancaster:

7. Adam Waters b. 1645?
8. Joseph Waters b. April 29, 1647.
9 & 10. Jacob & Rachel Waters b. Mar 1, 1649
ll. Samuel Waters b. Feb 14, 1651.
12. Joanna Waters b. Mar 26, 1653.
13. Ephraim Waters b. Jan 27, 1655.

The proprietors assigned him a lot upon which he built a house, prob-
ably the second building erected by white men in Lancaster; (the truck-
ing house on George Hill being the first). This house was situated in
the grounds now (1884) owned by Caleb 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, the chief portion of which is now the home-
stead of S. J. S. Vose, Esq (1884).

Waters 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 Dec.
9, 1687 in Charlestown, aged about eighty five years, outliving his wife by
seven years.

Joseph Waters came back to Lancaster 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 Intervale 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
(Waters) Skeath.

In 1714, Simon Stevens, whose wife was Mary, dau of Lieut. 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 at Lancaster in
1663 bought John Smith's lot upon George Hill. He died 1670 at
Charlestown.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subject: Richard LINTON
Source: Early Records of Lancaster, Massachusetts 1643-1725 by Henry
S. Nourse, A.M. Lancaster: 1884
p.252
In September 1645, Richard Linton deeded his house and lot in Watertown
to Robert Sanderson. About that date, or perhaps earlier, he and his
son-in-law, Lawrence Waters, began life with their families upon the
Nashaway, having been induced by the first proprietors to undertake the
task of preparing the way for further settlement. He died March 30,
1665 and by his will it would seem that his wife Elizabeth outlived him. His
house stood upon the west side of the present street, some-
where between the residences of (in 1884) Miss Levantia Bradley and
Henry M. Latham, but he owned the land along the opposite side of the
way for sixty rods, including the ground upon which the public buildings
stand. His daughter, Anne Waters, received ten acres of this
in trust for his grandson, Joseph Waters. The other lands he left to
another grandson, George Bennett, who, being slain in the massacre
August 22, 1675, Samuel Bennett, his son, succeeded to possession.


NASHAWAY
Source: The Prescott Memorial by Dr. William Prescott
published 1867

-EXCERPTS-
p.35
A brief history of the negotiation and purchase from
Sholan, Chief of the Nashaway Tribe of Indians of the
territory of which the Town of Lancaster, MA was after-
ward composed; together with its subsequent settlement
and its suffering and final destruction by fire by the
Indians.

"Early in the seventeenth century some eight years before
the settlement of Plymouth, many of the tribes of Massa-
chusetts Indians had been swept over by a dreadful pesti-
lence reducing their numbers from many thousands to a
few hundreds. In this severe affliction the Nashaway
tribe suffered, though not equally with the others.
The Nashaways had also been greatly reduced by the wars
and the incursion of the Maquas or Mohawks, a powerful
and warlike tribe on the Mohawk River, NY. This tribe
had become the scourge and terror of all the New England
Indians. These circumstances induced the peaceful Sholan
the sachem of the Nashaways to seek the friendship and
the protection of the English. Sholan occasionally
visited Watertown for the purpose of trading with Mr.
Thomas King who resided there. He recommended Nashawogg
as a place well suited for a plantation. He told King
of the choice intervales, the woods and waters abounding
in supplies, - that the Great Spirit had been very
bountiful to the place, and that his people would re-
joice in the prescence of that great people who had come
from a distant world.

Finally King decided to visit the place, perilous though
the undertaking might seem. He accordingly took the
journey through the wilderness and became enamoured with
the place and returned to Watertown. He made such favor
able reports of the adaptation of the territory to agri-
culture and mechanical purposes, etc, that in l643 he
entered into an association and agreement with John
Prescott of Watertown, Harmon Garrett of Charlestown,
Thomas Skidmore of Cambridge, Stephen Day of Cambridge,
(the earliest printer in any of the colonies) a Mr.
Simonds and sundry others whose names have not been trans-
mitted, for the purpose of purchasing the tract (ten
miles by eight, as above stated) According to Mr. Willard
in his elaborate address at the two hundredth anniversary
of the incorporation of Lancaster, the above purchase
was made and the territory of Nashaway first "opened
upon the view of the white man while the good Sholan
or Shaumaun exercised a peaceful rule in this, his little
empire, over the tribe of the Nashaways. His principal
place of residence was on a gentle eminence between the
two lakes of the Washacuum in Chocksett, (a corruption
or contraction of Woonksechaucksett or Woonksechauxett)
now Sterling (MA)" The purchasers entered into an
agreement to appear and begin the plantation at a speci-
fied time. The deed of Sholan was sanctioned by the
General Court but there were many circumstances which
combined to retard the growth of the plantation, all
the associates except Mr. Prescott refusing or neglect-
ing to fulfil their contracts, though choosing to retain
their interest in the property purchased. Willard said
only John Prescott was faithful among the faithless.

Mr. Prescott having chosen this for his future home,
he with others petitioned for a bridge over Sudbury
River. But the subject being delayed by the General
Court, Mr. Prescott, nothing daunted, attempted the
perilous adventure of swimming his horse across Sudbury
River in the autumn of l646 but unfortunately he lost
his horse and lading in the river, escaping with his
life, only. About one week later, his wife and
children being on other horses attempted to pass the
river and came near drowning.

The settlement at Nashaway was treated by the General
Court with indifference and culpable neglect. They had
repeatedly been denied those little helps and aids which
are so essential to all new settlements. The inhabitants
petitioned for an act of incorporation and asked that it
be known by the name of Prescott. The General Court
objects, quibbles about a name, pretending that "it
smacked too much of manworship or man-service".

The question was finally settled by a compromise and
it was on the l8th day of May, old style (28th of May
new style) l653 incorporated into a township by the name
of Lancaster. This was in honor of Mr. Prescott, it
being the name of his native county in England.

Mr. Prescott has the reputation of being the first
settler in Nashaway, now Lancaster, although Mr. Willard
remarks that Richard Linton, Lawrence Waters*, his son-
in-law and John Ball were the first inhabitants and that
they had tilled the soil and were ready to recieve Mr.
Prescott on his arrival. I do not see this stated by
any other writer and if correct they might be hired and
sent there by Mr. Prescott and others to prepare for
their own accommodation when they should remove there.
The phrase that "they had tilled the soil and were
ready to receive Mr. Prescott on his arrival" is
significant of this fact.

At the time of the incorporation there were but nine
families in the town. In one year, that is, by the
spring of l654 there were twenty families there.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Subject: The Nashaway Plantation 1643 to 1653
Source: Early Records of Lancaster, Massachusetts 1643-1725 by Henry
S. Nourse, A.M. Lancaster: 1884
p.9
Nashaway, or Nashawog, in the Indian tongue, means 'the place between,
or land in the angle made by two rivers,' and is descriptive of the
locality. The pioneers soon attached the name exclusively to the south
branch of the river, the other branch being known as the North River,
and the main stream being called the Penecook.

The Symonds and King Trucking House

Like many another American town, Lancaster finds its origin in an
Indian trading post. Although no contemporary mention appears of this,
the first mercantile enterprise on Lancaster soil, it must have been
founded before the autumn of 1643. Whether it preceded or was sub-
sequent to the purchase of eighty square miles of land from Sholan,
cannot be told. Both Symonds and King so soon disappear from the scene
that they have been commonly treated in our history as mere real estate
dealers, who sold their bargain at the first advantageous offer.

Henry Symonds, the senior partner and capitalist of the Nashaway
trading house, planted on the southeast slope of George Hill, was an
energetic citizen of Boston and a freeman. His name heads the list
of the associates who in 1643 contracted to convert the useless marshes
of the cove into a valuable tidal mill power. Before any of his well
laid plans bore fruit, Symonds died in Sept. 1643. His widow, Susannah
in 1644 married Isaac Walker, which perhaps explains the presence of
Walker's name among the Nashaway proprietors for a few years thereafter.

Thomas King, the junior partner outlived Symonds little more than a
year, dying Dec. 3, 1644. He was a young man probably under 30 years
with a wife, Mary and two young children, Mary & Thomas King and lived
at Watertown. Rev. Timothy Harrington asserts that King sold all his
interest in Lancaster to the company. John Cowdall was soon after in
possession of the trucking house lot, which he sold to John Prescott
on Oct 5, 1647. King's widow, if we may trust the record, on Mar 9,
1645 married James Cutler whose name the same year appeared among the
Nashaway proprietors.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Transcribed by Janice Farnsworth

This thread:

• [GM-L] Lawrence WATERS & Richard LINTON of Nashaway (Lancaster, MA) 1643 by