Biographies

Capt. John Williams, Patriot, Mason, and charter member of the Order of the Cincinnati.

Errol was born in Ware, MA to Dwight Foster and Clara Norma (Ayers) Marsh on July 19, 1889. He had an older brother named Ernest who had been born eleven years earlier in 1878. His father was a lumber merchant and manufacturer. Between the 1900 and 1910 US Census the family moved to Westborough, MA where Dwight had found work as a book keeper at a box shop. Coming from a more affluent family, Errol was educated at Worcester Academy. After graduation he went into business wit

Josef was born in Russian-occupied Tajno, Poland in 1873 to Jacob and Catherine Misczkowski. He immigrated to the United States in August of 1913 aboard the Friedrich Der Grosse. He was married at the time of his immigration, and married again soon after in September 1913–his marriage record in Northampton, MA lists it as his second marriage, but the woman might be the same. Her name is Josephine Szener. A description of Josef is also in his immigration paperwork: 5 feet 4 in

Lewis was born in Walpole, MA on June 10, 1824 to Silas and Maria (Fisher) Fales. He moved to Milford, MA in his late teens, and became an architect. In 1862 Lewis married Sarah A. Wheelock of Mendon, MA. The couple never had children, but they did adopt and raise two of his nephews who had been orphaned. Sarah Adelaide Wheelock was born on March 29, 1829 in Mendon, MA to Andrew and Louise (Hill) Wheelock. Her passport application in 1892 gives the following description: 5’3”

Martha was born in around 1746 into a family with the surname of Clark. She married Dr. Peter Green in Hopkinton, MA on July 27, 1769. They had filed their intentions on May 28. Martha died during childbirth on June 8, 1770. Her husband remarried in 1773 and moved to Concord, NH. He named his eldest daughter Martha in his first wife's honor, and she lived to be 68. She rests with her stillborn babe at her side in Harvard Center Cemetery in Harvard, MA. Her gravestone was ca

Joseph was a farmer, stable master, and horse trader. His oldest son George worked with him. Joseph also owned shares in two merchant ships.

Jonathan was born in Waltham, MA to Jonathan and Mary (Harrington) Bond on April 22, 1736. His family moved to Westborough, MA around 1740. In 1759 he married Ruth Tyler, and the family moved to the Brookfield/Sturbridge area. The couple had seven children including twin girls Sarah and Ruth. Jonathan served as a Lieutenant during the Revolutionary War in one of the Worcester County regiments. After the War he was a town Selectman, and a Deacon in the Second Parish Church of

Edwin was born in Dedham, MA on March 24, 1833 to Ezra W. and Linda D. (Guild) Taft. He was the second of their six children. Edwin attended Leicester Academy and graduated in the early 1850s. He married Sarah Frances Southwick on June 6, 1863 in Groton, MA where they were both living. They had at least two children: a daughter Fanny born around 1868 and a son Frank born in 1869. By trade Edwin was a watch maker and jeweler. He worked for the American Watch Company for most o

Cuff Trot was born into slavery around 1746, probably in/around Dorchester, MA. He was brought to Burlington, MA in 1751 when his enslaver, Abigail Wiswell, married Rev. Thomas Jones and moved there. Cuff was a veteran of the American Revolution, and likely the Seven Years War as well. It is recorded that he helped John Hancock and Samuel Adams evade the King’s soldiers on April 19, 1775. He was freed in the early 1780s, but chose to stay with Mrs. Jones for the rest of his l

"Hoc monumentum inter multos gemitus, multasque lachrymas, instauratur, in memoria Johannis Flagg..."

Francis was born on December 16, 1891 to Charles and Betty Johnson in Waterbury, CT. He was the oldest son of their seven children. Before the War Francis was employed as a wire worker at Wright Wire Company in Worcester, MA. He lived on Greenwood Street in the Quinsigamond Village neighborhood of Worcester not far from his work. Francis was drafted during World War I as a Bugler with the 17th Field Artillery in the 2nd Division. In his draft paperwork he is described as bein

Henry was born on November 6, 1846 to Harvey N. And Harriet E. (Nye) Parsons. His birthplace is listed in both Bangor, ME and Woodstock, NB, Canada. He worked in a lumber mill in Boscawen, NH where he met and married Jennie P. Thurston on January 11, 1870. They had five children together. In the 1880s they moved to Hopedale, MA where Henry worked as a woodworker for the Draper Machine Company and later the Hopedale Machine Company. Jennie died in the early 1900s, and by 1910

Elias was born in Millbury, MA to Elias Whitney and Sylvia F. (Adams) Boyden on May 7, 1832. He was the fourth of their eleven children, which included two sets of twins. Elias senior was a blacksmith. In the early 1850s Elias junior moved to the Rockdale District of Northbridge, MA and worked as a machinist in one of the local mills. He married Fidelia Smith in 1854. In 1855 Elias senior died, and Sylvia moved in with her son and daughter-in-law. Elias and Fidelia had th

Lt. Allen was born on May 20, 1838 in Salem, MA to John Fiske Allen, a horticulturalist known for his work with grapes, and Lucy Pickering Dodge. His mother died of consumption (tuberculosis) in Richmond, VA in 1840. In 1842 his father married Mary Hodges Cleveland. Lt. Allen had three sisters and one brother: Lucy, George Cleveland, Marion Cleveland, and Elizabeth Cleveland. The oldest two died in infancy. From 1859-1861 Pickering Dodge Allen went on a world tour as many you

Augustine Forester was born in Salem, MA on August 16, 1841 to Joseph and Mercy (Ropes) Webb. Joseph and Mercy were both born in Salem on March 30, 1802. Augustine was the youngest of their six children. His father died in Penang, Malaysia during a voyage in 1846 when Augustine was only five. His unmarried aunt Eliza moved in with them and helped his mother raise the children. Augustine helped support his family as an express messenger for the Salem banks. He enlisted as a Se

"Farewell! my fond and loving wife, Farewell! my children near and dear: My Savior call's me from this life, To join in Heaven the angels there: And Oh! on Canaan's happy shore, May we all meet to part no more."

Micah was born in Marlborough, MA on March 31, 1735 to Ebenezer and Elizabeth (Goodale) Harthan. He was the third of their four children born in Marlborough. He was a veteran of both the Seven Years War and the American Revolution. Like many others in central Massachusetts he marched to the relief of Fort William Henry in 1757. He served again twenty years later, marching on the alarm at Bennington in August of 1777. On November 26, 1761 Micah married Sarah Jones. Both of the

Simeon was born in Mansfield, MA on August 27, 1775 to Ephraim Jr. and Mercy (Tiffany) Grover. He was the fifth of their eight children. On October 11, 1798 he married Sally Paine of Foxborough, MA in nearby Sharon, MA. Their intentions were published on September 5, 1798 in Mansfield, and they were granted a certificate on September 28. Simeon was a farmer and coffin maker. He and Sally had six children. I wasn’t able to find any military service for Captain Grover, though h

Mary was born in Mendon, MA on June 22, 1699. She was one of the ten children of Rev. Grindall Rawson and his wife, Susanna (Wilson) Rawson. Rev. Rawson came to Mendon from Boston to be the second town minister in 1680. In 1724 she married Rev. Joseph Dorr who had taken over the ministry of Mendon in 1716, a year after the death of Rev. Rawson. They had five children together, four daughters and one son, and all but one daughter would outlive their parents. Her husband passed

Moses was born to Moses and Mary (Pierce) Harrington on November 8, 1759. Though his birth was recorded in Grafton, MA the church record states he was born in Watertown, MA. He was their second child and second son. In 1776 aged only 17 Moses served during the Revolutionary War as a Private in Capt. Manasseh Sawyer’s Company in Col. Nicholas Dike’s Regiment. They were stationed at Dorchester Heights, and he was given an allowance for the two days it would take him to walk hom