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Subject: Jonathan Farnsworth - a first settler of Harvard, Mass.
Date: Wed, 10 May 2006 16:02:46 EDT

Subject: Farnsworth, Jonathan and wife, Ruth Shattuck
Source: Farnsworth Memorial

p.415
Jonathan Farnsworth, the 6th son and tenth child of Matthias Farnsworth
and his wife, Mary Farr of Lynn & Groton, Mass. was
born June 1, 1675 at Groton, MA, in an exceedingly
troubled time. Within three weeks of his birth, King
Philip's war broke out, in which the first battle was
fought at Swanzey, MA, on June 20, 1675. Within nine
months on Mar 2, 1676, the savages attacked Groton,
and burned nearly every dwelling house in the town, and
all the inhabitants fled for safety to Concord (MA).
There Jonathan spent two years of his infancy, the
children of refugees, among strangers, where the family
lived as best it could.

When those terrible years were passed, the family re-
turned to Groton and rebuilt its homestead, taking the
chance of further attacks by the Indians, who some years
later again fell upon the exposed settlement. Thus
all his early life was passed amid perils and privations.

His father (Matthias Farnsworth) died when he was but
thirteen years old and all his later training was re-
ceived from his mother (Mary Farr), who appears to have
guided him with intelligence and fidelity.

He married in 1698, Ruth Shattuck, dau of John and
Ruth (Whitney) Shattuck of Watertown; she was born
June 24, 1678. Jonathan lived in the southerly part of
Groton (MA) not far from Prescott's "old mill," perhaps
on the land that was assigned to his father.

Helped lay the foundation of the first Church of Harvard, Mass.

He "owned the covenant," with the church of Groton, on
Sept. 21, 1707, and Ruth, his wife, united with the
church on Oct 9, 1715. They, with their son, Jonathan
Farnsworth, Jr. were dismissed from that church and
"recommended to lie the foundation of the church of
Harvard (MA) Sept. 14, 1733. He led the quiet life of
a farmer in that town all his mature yeard and died
there, June 16, 1748. His children, as follows:
The births recorded at Groton, MA:

1. Ruth Farnsworth b. April 2, 1699.
2. Jonathan Farnsworth, Jr. b. Mar 27, 1701 m. (1)
Mary Burt who was the mother of all his children.
She died June 9, 1765 aged 64 years; he m. (2)
May 5, 1767, Hannah Farwell. He lived at Harvard
and died there Aug 1, 1775. see p.417 for children:

1. Mary Farnsworth b. June 18, 1726 died March, 1728.
2. Jonathan Farnsworth b. Nov 22, 1727, m. Mar 24, 1749,
Rachel Nutting; he d. June 26, 1759. He was a volunteer
in the Louisburg Expedition.
3. Betty Farnsworth b.Oct 13, 1729; m. Dec 30, 1751, Jonathan Reed.
4. Joseph Farnsworth b. Jan 31, 1732; m. April 21, 1755 Hannah Flynt
at Harvard. He was a farmer and a prominent citizen. see p. 423
1. Samuel Farnsworth b. Aug 29, 1755.
2. Levi Farnsworth b. Feb 27, 1758; m. Sept 1782 Abigail Harrington
dau of Thaddeus & Thankful (Dodge) Harrington of Shirley b. Sept.
10, 1760.
3. Joseph Farnsworth b. April 27 1760; m. Hannah Danforth of Lunenburg
Mass. He d. 1811.
4. Hannah Farnsworth b. April 5, 1762; d. Dec 12, 1825 at Lunenburg;
m. Dec 17, 1781, Ebenezer Smith b. 1762 d. Mar 4, 1822 at Lunenburg.
1. Esther Strove Smith b. April 15, 1782.
2. Ebenezer Smith b. Sept 26, 1783.
3. Joseph Smith b. Mar 22, 1785.
5. Jesse Farnsworth b. Mar 1, 1765; m. Mar 4, 1789, Sarah Sawtell dau.
of Obadiah and Mary (Gould) Sawtell of Shirley, Mass. she b. April 2,
1764; he d. Feb 21, 1848.
6. Jonathan Farnsworth b. Aug 20, 1767; m. Mar 15, 1796, Hitty Parker dau.
of Elisha Parker of Groton; they res. at Fitchburg, Mass. He d. 1847.
7. Nathaniel Flynt Farnsworth b. Jan 2, 1770 m. July 10, 1799, Abigail
Siwiers (or Swiess); he d. Mar 12, 1816.
8. John Farnsworth b. Feb 4, 1771; m. June 11, 1795 Priscilla Dickinson,
dau of James & Priscilla (Harris) Dickinson of Shirley, she b. Feb 18,
1778 & she d. April 15, 1859; he d. Jan 20, 1826 at Shirley.
9. Eunice Farnsworth b. May 15, 1774; m. (1) May 11, 1794 Elisha Dodge son
of Job & Judith (Frost) Dodge of Littleton, Mass. He was b. July 4,
1769 & d. Jan 19, 1838; He m. (2) Jan 4, 1813 Susanna Dwight of Shirley
b.Dec 2,1771; she d. Dec 22, 1838. Eunice Farnsworth Dodge m. (2)
Jotham Wright of Fitchburg (she divorced her 1st husband)
10. Nancy Farnsworth b. 1775.
11. Betsey Farnsworth b. 1777.
5. Abel Farnsworth b. May 19, 1734, m. Dec 6, 1763, Elizabeth McFarling;
he d. Jan 17, 1801; she d. April 21, 1811 aged 69.
6. a child b. 1736 died in infancy.
7. Elias Farnsworth b. Nov 20, 1737; died young.
8. Lemuel Farnsworth b. Aug 3, 1740 m. Jan 12, 1763 Hannah Daby; he lived
and died in Stoddard, N.H. Listed with D.A.R., a Vermont patriot.
9. Rachel Farnsworth b. 1742; m. April 21, 1762 at Harvard, Ebenezer Burgess.

3. Ephraim Farnsworth b. Jan 2, 1703 m. Deborah Beauman
He was a farmer and lived at Harvard; he died there
Feb 18, 1737. With his brother, Reuben Farnsworth
he was in Capt. Lovewell's famous expedition thru
New Hampshire and Maine against the Indians, and was
in the fight with the Indians Feb 20, 1724. For a
full account of John Lovell and his men, see NEHGS
Register Vol. 7, pages 61-70.

4. Reuben Farnsworth b. April 28, 1705 m. April 7, 1730
Mary Holden b. Apr 28, 1706 at Watertown, Rev. Seth
Storer performing the marriage ceremony. She was the
dau of Samuel Holden and his wife, Susanna. He lived
for awhile in Watertown but was living in Harvard
1732-1734; he died about 1755 and his widow m. (2)
Thomas Barney, as mason by trade.

5. Phineas Farnsworth b. Sept. 15, 1707 bp. 21 Sept. 1707
m. Azubah Burt.(see NEHGS report NEHGS Nexux Sept/Oct 1996
Vol. XIII No 5 issue p. 163 - below) He lived in that
part of Harvard that was set off to Shirley, MA; he
died April 17, 1752; his wife, Azubah died 1812 aged
100 years; his will is dated April 1752 and after his
death his widow m. (2) Matthias Farnsworth b. Sept.
20, 1709 son of Ebenezer Farnsworth and his wife,
Elizabeth Whitney of Groton, MA. whose lst wife was
Abigail Shedd dau of Samuel and Elizabeth (Bowers)
Shedd who died May 11, 1762 and he m. (2) Mrs.
Azubah (Burt) Farnsworth. (see p.43)

6. Priscilla Farnsworth b. Sept. 9, 1709 bp. Oct 9, 1709
m. Nov 30, 1731, Samuel Randall of Stow, MA

7. Nathaniel Farnsworth b. Sept. 1, 1711 m. Eunice Saw-
tell b. Oct 7, 1720 dau of Ephriam Sawtell and
Abigail Farnsworth. (see John Farnsworth) He died Mar
9, 1784; she died Aug 6, 1799.

8. John Farnsworth b. Feb. 8, 1714 died July 25, 17l5.

9. Hannah Farnsworth b. Aug 10, 1716; m. July 22, 1737
Josiah Butterfield son of Joseph; he was born at
Chelmsford, MA and lived on Francis Hill in Westford
MA.

10. Simeon Farnsworth b. July 12, 1718; m. May 28, 1744
Martha Hall; she died May 7, 1754, aged 34; he m. (2)
Lucy Atherton who survived him and died May 13, 1823
aged 88 years. He died Mar 21, 1805 at Washington,
N.H. He lived in that part of Harvard set off to
Shirley, MA then removed to Washington, NH.

11. Susanna Farnsworth b. April 28, 1720 m. Jan 9, 1752
Ebenezer Houghton.

12. Elias Farnsworth b. May 30, 1723.

13. John Farnsworth b. April 25, 1725 m. 1746 Sarah
Davis b. July 14, 1723, dau of Ebenezer Davis.

14. Silas Farnsworth b. Nov. 27 at Groton, MA m. 1754
at Billerica, MA Elizabeth (Shedd) Bowers, b. Nov.
17, 1726 at Billerica and d. 1758 at Harvard, MA
dau of John and Elizabeth (Farley) Shedd and the
widow of Jerethmeel Bowers. He m. (2) Jan l5, 1760
Lydia Potts and removed to N.H. and prob. lived at
Swanzey and Gilsum, NH.

15. Betty Farnsworth b. Oct 13, 1729.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Transcribed by Janice Farnsworth

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