Azor Phelps

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Azor Phelps was born in Sutton, MA to Henry and Sarah (Rounday) Phelps on October 13, 1761.  He was the third of their five children.

At the age of 18 Azor served as a Private in Captain Alton’s Company in Colonel John Rand’s Regiment. This Regiment was raised out of Worcester County to support the Continental Line in 1780.  After the Revolutionary War Azor was a Captain in the local Sutton militia.

He married Mary Tenny Holman in 1784, and they had seven children: Mary/Polly, Salley, Azor (died young), Susan/Sukey, Azor Rounday, Charles, and Nancy Dickinson.  After Mary’s death in 1814 Azor married Dolly Makepeace, widow of Moses Dresser and they had three children: George Makepeace, Dolly Makepeace, and Henry. 

Azor lived in Sutton for much of his life. His house and farm were in the northern part in an area that became Millbury in 1813. He briefly resided in Worcester before moving to Shrewsbury around 1816 when he purchased land from Seth Wyman. Azor was locally successful as a farm equipment manufacturer, and was especially known for his scythes.

He died from a hernia in Shrewsbury on April 2, 1837 and is buried in Rural Cemetery in Worcester. After his death his minor children were put under the guardianship of Pliny Merrick, but likely still lived with their mother. Mr. Merrick was the Worcester Country District Attorney, and many children were put under his legal guardianship until they married or came of age. Azor left the majority of his estate to his wife, but gave equal shares to each of his surviving eight children. He left money as well for his grandsons, the sons of his eldest daughter, Polly, who had predecesed him.