GenMassachusetts-L Archives

From:
Subject: [GM-L] Destruction & Rebuilding of Lancaster Part 6 p. 117 + Willard Memoire
Date: Fri, 19 Jul 2002 12:42:47 EDT

Subject: Destruction & Rebuilding of Lancaster after King Philip's War -
Part 6
Source: History of Lancaster, Massachusetts by Rev. Abijah P. Marvin 1879

REBUILDING OF LANCASTER
Part 6
p.117

It is too late to learn what became of the other fugitives during the years
of their absence. And a thousand thrilling incidents and anecdotes which
once were told around
roaring fireplaces till their children's hair stood on end, have passed from
human re-
membrance. The orators of Lancaster, at successive commemorations, from Mr.
Harrington
onward to more recent times, have referred to these events, as well known to
their hearers
but have failed to commit them to paper.

Tradition has been fading out, in each succeeding generation, till now
nothing but the
shadow of a shade remains of all that once was stamped deep on the memory of
the sufferers
and their descendants.

Nor have we any records of the town to instruct us in regard to this portion
of our history.
>From 1670 to 1717, a

p.118

period of 47 years, there is a total hiatus in the town and the Proprietors'
Records. A
volume of records was "mysteriously lost," says Willard [when speaking of
Willard the author
is talking about:
*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~
Subject: Major Simon Willard
Source: Willard Memoire, Or, Life & Times of Major Simon Willard with
Notices
of Three Generations of His Descendants by Joseph Willard,
Boston, 1858

Review of the book "The Willard Memoir"

The publication of family memoirs is now a common occurence. It furnishes an
occasion
for laborious research on the part of the author, and often brings before the
public
new and interesting facts. These facts the future historian can employ to
great
advantage.

The subject of this memoir is Major Simon Willard who emigrated from the
County of Kent,
England, to Massachusetts in 1634 and made his residence successively at
Concord,
Lancaster and Groton. He died in 1676. He filled many important offices.
His biography
connects itself with the civil affairs of Massachusetts Bay in what may be
called the
home department. It exhibits the internal history of the colony and shows
how it grew up
to its present form. There are also some topics here of a more general
interest, as the
confederation of the colonies of New England in 1643, and Philip's war at a
subsequent
period.

The descendants of Simon Willard are very numerous, most of the Willards in
New England
descended from him. The author of the memoir gives his descendants to the
4th generation.
The present generation of Willards, by inquiring the name of their
grandfather and
great-grandfather, can easily connect themselves with the genealogies here
given.

The author, who is a descendant of Major Simon Willard, traces his pedigree
to Richard
Willard of Horsmonden, County of Kent, England, making seven generations.

On pages 71-73 is a list of fifteen generations, commencing with William
Wyllard of
Haylesham, Sussex, in 1341 and ending with John Harry Willard of Eastbourne,
England,
born 1770, died in 1845. But the exact mode of connection of their family
with
that of Simon Willard has not been ascertained. The list just referred to
gives us 33 years as the average interval between two successive generations

The author has a long discusssion about the origin of the name. The name is
undoubtedly
Teutonic but whether it is of Anglo-Saxon or Norman origin is uncertain.

Teutonic proper names of persons are often of difficult interpretation. They
probably originated in a Teutonic dialect now lost.

To those who know Mr. Willard the title of this book is ample guaranty for
the book
to which it belongs. There are antiquaries, who thresh the sheaves of
history,
throw away the grain, and fill weary volumes with the chaff. There are
others who give
us the kernel with the husk; and those who cannot digest the husks find enough
nourishment and delight without them. It cannot be denied, that in this
volume
is much which could feed only an antiquary, or perchance a Willard loyal to
the name.
But there is a great deal more which is illustrative of times, manners,
opinions and
general history.

Simon Willard came to this country in 1634 and died in 1676.
He was a prominent man in the civil and military affairs of the Massachusetts
Bay
Colony and the Province of Massachusetts and his biography is a history of
that
eventful period from his point of view. The thoroughness of the author's
researches has left nothing hidden that could be brought to light; and the
volume is not
only entertaining and instructive to the general reader, but full of the kind
of
materials which the historian needs in order to reproduce the form andd
features of a
long-past and unfamiliar age. It is in every sense a most noteworthy
and valuable work.

Souce: Cornell University, Making of America - Book Reviews
*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
To continue...
p.118

period of 47 years, there is a total hiatus in the town and the Proprietors'
Records. A
volume of records was "mysteriously lost," says Willard, about 90 years ago.
The Book of
Lands" gives the patient searcher a few stray facts; but the main dependence
of the historian for these years, is the history of the Province, and the
records in the State
House in Boston. These last are rich in facts and well reqard the explorer.

To be continued - Part 7 - p. 118
Transcribed by Janice Farnsworth

This thread:

• [GM-L] Destruction & Rebuilding of Lancaster Part 6 p. 117 + Willard Memoire by