Archive:History of Westminster, Heywood, R

Archives > Archive:Extracts > Archive:History of Westminster, Massachusetts > History of Westminster, Heywood, R

Heywood, William Sweetzer, History of Westminster, Massashusetts (First named Narragansett No. 2), From the date of the original grant of the township to the present time, 1728-1893, with a Biographic-Genealogical Register of its Principal Families, (Vox Populi Press: S.W. Huse & Co., Lowell, Mass.: 1893); New England Historic Genealogical Society Call No. F/74/W72/H6.

RAND - RAYMOND - REED - RICE - RUSSELL

History of Westminster Index - Previous Page - Next Page

---

[p. 833-835] RAND

The lineage of this family has not been fully verified in the earlier generations, but it is deemed substantially correct as herein represented. A Mr. Rand¹ - Christian name not ascertained - was in Charlestown, 1635. He was prob. the f. of Robert² of Lynn, whose s. Robert³ had Zachariah⁴, all res. of L. Thomas⁵, son of the last named, m. Elizabeth, dau. of Ebenezer Parker of Reading, and 2d cousin of Nathan Parker, sometime res. of this town. He set. first in the place of his nativity, but soon moved to Salem, thence to Woburn, and finally to Shrewsbury, where he spent the last years of his earthly pilgrimage. Two of his sons located in W., where one of them attained distinction in certain directions, as noted below and elsewhere.

1. Rand, John⁶, was the son of Thomas⁵ and Elizabeth (Parker) Rand, b. Lynn, Oct. 14, 1722. Upon becoming of age he lived at Bolton for a time, whence he rem. to this town. On the 4th of April, 1747, he purchased lot No. 50, represented by the dwelling formerly occupied by Levi Graves on No. Common, of Benj. Wilson, who prob. made the first improvements on the premises. He was established on the place in 1751, in which year, presumably, he m. Elizabeth, dau. of Dea. Joseph and Abigail (Shattuck) Holden. He was a man of unusual natural ability, with great power of administration, active in public affairs and much honored at home and abroad. He held numerous places of public trust, having been a member of the Standing Com. of the Propriety, Selectman repeatedly, and 3 years Treasurer, besides acting frequently as Moderator of town meetings. He was also much interested and very active in the church, as the records of ecclesiastical matters plainly attest. He took a leading part also in military concerns. He received a commission as Capt. of a local military company in 1771. Upon the breaking out of the Rev. he entered zealously into the service of the Colonies, and was promoted to the Colonelship of a Worc. Co. Regiment, June 24, 1779, and assigned a position at Claverack, in the valley of the Hudson. His w., Elizabeth (Holden) Rand, having borne him three chn., d. Dec. 14, 1756, at the age of 26, and he m. (2), in 1766, Tabitha (Hart), wid. of Jonathan Stedman, who bore him 6 more, as shown below. He d. Dec. 11, 1789, a. 67, and his wid. m. (3), sometime in 1800, ---- Gould, who d. very soon. She was taxed for the last time as a non-resident in 1808. Chn. of Col. John Rand:

2.	Zachariah7, b. Aug. 18, 1752; m. Jerusha Sawyer; res. W., etc.
3.	Abigail7, b. date not found; d. Oct. 8, 1756.
4.	Elizabeth7, b. date not found; d. Dec. 14, 1756.
5.	Elizabeth7, b. Feb. 1, 1707; m. Phineas (11) Whitney, res. W.
6.	Mary7, b. Dec. 20, 1769; m. John Cowee; res.Chittendon, Vt.
7.	John7, b. Dec. 3, 1772; m. Dorcas Hartwell; res. Worcester, N. Y.
8.	Thomas7, b. Sept. 29, 1774; m. Polly Foster, 1802; nothing more.
9.	William7, b. July 13, 1776; m. Lucy Jackson; res. W., etc.; d. 1809.
10.	Samuel S.7, b. March 16, 1778; d. April 23, 1781.

[2.] Rand, Zachariah⁷, s. of the last, m Jerusha, dau. of Nathaniel and Jerusha (Flint) Sawyer, June 22, 1778, and set. on lot No. 7, 2d Div., recently owned by Richard McTaggart, which he bought of John Edgell, the first occupant, April 15, 1776. He was a prominent man in town for some years, serving repeatedly as Constable and Collector, but for some alleged malfeasance in office he left the place in 1807, and located at Pittsfield, Vt., where it is sup. he d., but at a date unkn. His w. d. in 1844. Chn.:

11.	Asa W.8, b. March 7, 1779; m. Mehitable Spaulding; res.W.
12.	Phebe8, b. Nov. 24, 1781; m. Jonas W. (22) Whitney; res. W.; d. Dec. 4, 1835.
13.	Nathaniel8, b. July 24, 1785; m. three times; res. W. and Lanc.; 5 chn.; d. July, 1856.
14.	Jerusha Flint8, b. May 14, 1787; m. Asahel (11) Puffer; res. W.; 3 chn.; d. Nov. 19, 1866.
15.	Tamer S.8, b. Sept. 7, 1789.
16.	Lucinda8, b.Sept. 24, 1791; d. July, 1870.
17.	Susannah8, b. Oct 18, 1793.
18.	Betsey H.8, b. Oct. 16, 1795.
19.	John S.8, b. July 20, 1799; d. Nov. 19, 1864.
20.	Ebenezer B.8, b. Dec. 4, 1802; d. Jan. 3, 1856.
21.	Rachel D.8, b. June 3, 1805.

---

[p. 837-841] RAYMOND

Three brothers, Richard¹, William¹, and John Raymond¹, came to this country, prob. from Eng., ab. 1630, and located in Salem, where they were living in 1634. Of the next generation, the history of the family published a few years since gives no information, and nothing has been learned from other sources. Early in the 18th century Jonathan Raymond³, presumably grandson of one of the above named, rem. from Beverly to Lexington with his w. Charity, and several chn. Among these was Jonathan⁴, b. Feb. 27, 1702, from whom and his w. Hepzibah the older branch of the family in W. sprang.

1. Raymond, Jonathan⁵, s. of the last mentioned, was b. in Lex., Sept. 17, 1734, as stated in Hudson's history of that town, though the work alluded to make the date Nov. 13, 1735. He m. Oct. 4, 1756, Susannah, dau. of Joseph and Hannah White of the same place. Her bro. Ebenezer was f. of Jonas, more recently a citizen of W. After res. in Lex a few years they rem. to W., and located upon lot No. 56, where he built a house and res. during the remainder of his life. The place was in the east part of the town, on a back road leading to the R. R. Station, and is now owned by Albert Howard. The original house stood some distance S. E. of the present dwelling, as the cellar, still to be seen, clearly shows. Many were the privations and trials endured by this family in the wilderness home. When the husband enlisted in the army of the Rev. and left for the field of active service, his w. undertook the management of the farm, herself and her oldest chn., who were daus., working in the fields to obtain the necessaries of life. More than this she could not do. The taxes on the farm went unpaid, and her cows were taken to liquidate the claim. At another time, for a similar neglect, she was sent to jail, where she remained until the authorities, influenced either by feelings of humanity or by economical considerations, caused her to be set at liberty. Mr. Raymond d. bef. 1784. His w., Susannah, lived to be 90 years of age, going to her grave in Feb., 1825. Their chn. were:

2.	Susannah6, b. March 28, 1757; d. unm. in Sudbury, 1795.
3.	Mary6, b. Nov. 17, 1759; m. Abijah Harrington, Lex.; no chn.; d. Feb. 27, 1822.
4.	Hepzibah6, b. Dec. 2, 1761; m. Salmon (or Solomon) Whitney, Harvard.
5.	Rebecca6, b. Jan. 31, 1764; m. Joseph Foster, Lex.
6.	Betsey6, b. Feb. 14, 1766; m. Jonas (147) Whitney; res. W.
7.	Jonathan6, b. May 21, 1768; m. Patty Downs; res.W.
8.	John6, b. May 12. 1770; m. Elizabeth Walton; res.W., etc.
9.	Joseph6, b.Aug. 12, 1772; m. Sarah Howe; res. Warren, Vt., etc.; 9 chn.; d. Aug. 8, 1852.
10.	Nathan6, b. Dec. 3, 1774; m. Mary Clark; res. W.
11.	Isaac6, b. Dec. 24, 1776; m. Charity Sawyer; res. So. Boston; 5 chn.; d. Sept. 29, 1884.
12.	Ebenezer6, b. March 29, 1782; m. Rebecca Graves; set. Warren, Vt.

[7.] Raymond, Jonathan⁶, s. of the last, m. Patty Downs of Fg., 1795 (pub. Jan. 26), and succeeded to the ownership and occupancy of lot No. 56. He d. Jan. 31, 1823, a. 54. His w. d. at date unkn. Chn.:

13.	Joseph7, b. March 15, 1796; m. Melinda (114a) Whitney; res. W., etc.
14.	Polly7, b. July 21, 1798; m. Aaron (105) Whitney; res. W.; 6 chn.; d. Sept. 1850.
15.	Patty7, b. Jan. 24, 1801; m. Ira Chase; res. Newton; d. Oct. 25, 1846.
16.	Reuben7, b. May 21, 1803; m. Melinda Rand; res. W.; 1 chd.; d. Feb. 19, 1830.
17.	Jonathan7, b. May 29, 1806; m. Catharine Holt; res. Ill.; 5 chn.; d. July 10, 1884.
18.	Susan7, b. Jan. 17, 1809; m. Reed (20) Merriam; res. W.; 1 chd.; d. Oct. 25, 1833.
19.	Sarah7, b. Sept. 10, 1812; d. Aug. 2, 1813.
20.	George7, b. April 7, 1816; m. Mary Parker; res.W.

[13.] Raymond, Joseph⁷, s. of Jonthan⁶ and Patty (Downs) Raymond, m. Nov. 20, 1823, Melinda (114a), dau. of John and Elizabeth (Stearns) Whitney. They res. many years on the old homestead, but, selling, rem. to Hub. He d. Sept. 25, 1857, a. 61. He was an intelligent, worthy citizen, much interested in popular education, and serving on the Sch. Com. several yrs. bef. leaving town. His first w., Melinda, d. in Hub., March 23, 1847, a. 45, and he m. (2) Wid. Betsey (Wheeler) Murdock, who d. Sept. 17, 1872. Chn. b. W. were:

36. Alfred W.8, b. Sept. 22, 1824.	37. Melinda E.8, b. Nov. 12, 1826.
38. Joseph D.8, b. Feb. 17, 1828.	39. Reuben S.8, b. May 18, 1830.
40. Susan W.8, b. Oct. 28, 1831.	40. Henry C. H.8, b. July 12, 1840.

69. Raymond, Aretas, prob. a descendant of one of the three bros. named on a foregoing page, but the intervening links have not been found. He was s. of James and Polly (Batcheller) Raymond of Brookfield, b. March 2, 1804, and gd.s. of John who rem. from Beverly to B., presumably ab. 1765, and d. there at an advanced age, March 30, 1822. He came to W. in his early manhood and m. Nancy (159), dau. of Jonas and Betsey (Raymond) Whitney, June 14, 1830. He built a house on the west side of Bacon St., which he permanently occupied. He was of quiet, undemonstrative manners, good judgment, and irreproachable character. He was Assessor 2 yrs., and served the public conscientiously and faithfully in other important ways. He d. Feb. 5, 1872, a. 67. His wid. d. Aug. 7, 1875, a. 72. Chn.:

70.	Harriet, b. Sept. 25, 1832; d. Dec. 1, 1845.
71.	Mary E., b. March 17, 1837; m. Joseph H. Greenwood; res. Gr.
72.	Martha C., b. Oct. 3, 1846; m. L. H. Browning; res. Worc.

---

[p. 842-843] REED

Several persons of this name came early to N. E., locating at different points and becoming the heads of as many lines of descendants. One of these seems to have been William¹, s. of Thomas and Mary of Brocket Hall in the mother country, b. ab. 1587, who with his w. Mabel and three chn. took passage in the Defence in 1635, and who, upon arriving here, set. in Dorchester. He soon rem. to Scituate, going thence to Brookline, and subsequently to Woburn. After a few years, himself and w. returned to Eng., where he d. in 1656.

George Reed², s. of Wm.¹ and Mabel, b. 1629, was f. of William³, who set. in Lexington, and by his w., Abigail Kendall, had Benjamin⁴, b. 1696. His s. Jonas⁵ located in Rutland, where he was an active citizen and deacon of the church. He had Nathan⁶ who m. Lydia Poor, and took up his abode in Royalston ab. the beginning of the present century.

1. REED, PHINEAS⁷, s. of Nathan⁶ and Lydia, was b. R., April 22, 1807. Not long after arriving at mature age he came to W. and served as clerk in the store of Oliver Estey. He went thence to Joseph Whitman's, where he was first employed in a similar capacity, but subsequently entered into partnership with Mr. Whitman, under the firm name of "Whitman and Reed." After some years he withdrew, and during the latter part of his life devoted his time mostly to farming. He m. 1843 (pub. Sept. 16), Sally P., wid. of Simeon Sanderson, Esq., and dau. Col. Asa and Sally (Puffer) Bigelow, and set. in the Capt. Nathan Whitney house, cor. Main and Bacon sts., where his wid. still resides at the advanced age of 90 years. He d. Dec. 12, 1861, a. 54. Chn.:

2.	Sally S.8, b. July 31, 1844; twins; res. W., unm., with her mother.
3.	Phineas8, b. July 31, 1844; twins; d. Aug. i, 1844.
4.	Abbie L.8, b. March 5, 1847; m. Marcus M. Nichols; res. W.; 7 chn.; living.

5. REED, ABRAM, s. of David and Naomi of Gr., lineage untraced, is sup. to have been b. in Stow, 1787. He m. Oct. 17, 1830, Wid. Polly Taylor, whose antecedents, etc., are unkn. He bought, March 27, 1826, a part of lot 25, 3d Div., in W. part of town, of Elisha Pierce, and built a house upon it, res. there some time. In 1835 he sold to Jeremiah K. Gates, and he in turn a few years later to Thomas Drury. No chn. reported and no records of d. found.

6. REED, ASA, bro. of the last, was b. Gr. June 18, 1789, and m. Rhoda Brooks of unknown lineage, etc. He was a blacksmith by trade, and after living awhile in his native town rem. to the Narrows, where he worked at the anvil. He owned for a time a part of the John Hoar (now J. Frank Howard) place, and is thought to have res. there. No record of his later years has been found. Chn.:

7.	Mary Ann, b. June 4, 1821.	8.	Rhoda E., b. March 31, 1824.
9.	David W., b. Nov. 6, 1S26.

10. REED, David, bro. of the last, b. Gr. Feb. 13, 1793, m. (1) Polly Smith in 1818, and (2) Fannie, dau. Michael Gill, Esq., in 1834. He res. on the John Hoar place, which he bought in 1825 of John Minott, and also in the Jones house on the Common, now gone. He was a shoemaker, as the writer well remembers. He d. Feb. 22, 1855, a. 62. Polly, his 1st w., d. March 3, 1831, a. 34. Fannie Gill, his 2d w., d. Sept. ii, 1865, a. 73,. Chn.:

11.	David A., b. Oct. 25, 1819; d. Nov. 4, 1819.
12.	David J., b. Aug. 26, 1821; m.
13.	Mary N., b. Sept. 16, 1824; m. Simeon L. Bolton; res. W.; 2 chn.
14.	Abram A., b. Jan. 12, 1829.
15.	Frances A., b. Dec. 12, 1835; m. Henry C. Bolton; res. W.; 1 chd.; d. July 16, 1857.

---

[p. 843-845] RICE

There have been several families of this name in W. at different periods of its history, all of whom, so far as traced, have one common immigrant ancestor, Edmund Rice¹, who was b. in Eng. abt. 1594, and appeared in this country as early as 1639, when he was a resident of Sudbury. He soon rem. to Marlboro', where he d. May 3, 1663. His descendants have been very numerous, and are scattered far and wide throughout the land. His s. Thomas² m. Mary ----, who bore him Thomas³, the f. of Beriah⁴, of Westboro', whose w. was Mary Gardner.

39. Rice, Joel R.⁸, s. of Aaron⁷ and Susan (Davis) Rice of Pn., was b. Dec. 20, 1823. He descended from the before-named immigrant, Edmund¹, by the following line: Edward², Daniel³, Daniel⁴, David⁵, David⁶, Aaron⁷. He m. Mary H. (61), dau. George W. and Dolly (Jackson) Whitney, Nov. 24. 1857, and located at Wachusettville. Chn.:

40. Ellen9, b. Dec. 28, 1859; m. George H. Clegg.	41. Frank J.9, b. May 26, 1862; m. Della A. Eaton.
42. Mary A.9, b. March 25, 1865.	43. Freddie9, b. Feb 20, 1870.
44. George C.9, b. Oct. 12, 1872.	45. ----9, b. Oct. 2, 1875.
46. Louis B.9, b. Sept. 13, 1878.	47. Sherman9, b. May 15, 1881.

[41.] Rice, Frank M.⁹, so of the last, m. Della A., daug. Stillman and May A. (Wheeler) Eaton, Jan 15, 1888, and has had 1 child:

48. Bertha A.¹⁰, b. May 9, 1889.

---

[p. 849] RUSSELL

1. RUSSELL, SHUBAEL⁶, s. of Thomas⁵ and Abigail (Perry) Russell, was b. Sherborn and bap. there Nov. 20, 1785. His father was son of Thomas⁴, who removed from Woburn to Sherborn, and who was son of John³, son of John², son of John¹, a settler in Woburn as early as 1640. A prominent man and Dea. of the first church, but turned Baptist and became an Elder in that communion. Shubael⁶ m. Sally, dau. David and Martha (Conant) Merriam of Hub., but res. in W. some years, being taxed here 1809-1816. He lived part or all of the time on the John Whitney place, but finally located with his wife's father in H., where he d. Chn.:

2.	Silas7, b. Jan. 20, 1806; m. Susan M. Allen; res. Hub.; 2 chn.; dec'd.
3.	Lucinda7, b. Jan. 28, 1808; m.; 5 chn.
4.	Sally M.7, b. Dec. 3, 1811; m. Geo. W. Phillips; res. Dublin, N. H.; sev. chn.; d. June 3, 18--.
5.	Joseph7, b. Dec. 13, 1813; m. Amanda Bartlett; res. Hub.; 5 chn.; dec'd.
6.	Martha7, b. May 13, 1816; m. Alfred Russell, etc.

---

Copyright © 2000, 2006, 2011, 2017, Robert L. Ward and the Whitney Research Group.