History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts - citizen hylbom blog

40.2 HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY.
of twenty wlio fought under Captain ]\Iason :
" Julin
Parklmrst, Michael Flegg [Flagg] , Joini AThettny,
Jr., George Herriiigtoti, Jacob Bullard, Xatlianell
Hely, Jolin Bigulali [Bigelow] ."
A.t the attack upon Sudbury, April IS, 1G7G,
Captain Hugh Mason and his band from Water-
town, in which were doubtless included the farmers
just named, " aided by citizens of Sudbury, were
the first who engaged the assailants, on the east
side of the river ; but after a severe contest they
were obliged to retreat." Tradition relates that,
at the time of this attack, in order to carry out
their threat to burn Watertown as well as the other
settlements, the Indians "penetrated the western
j)art of the town and burned a barn, standing on
the farm now owned and occupied by Mr. Naluun
Smitli, on the back road, leading to Wayland, but
it is not knowu that any one was killed."
At the famous Lovewell's Fight with tlie Pig-
wacket tribe of Indians, which took place at
Pigwacket (Fryeburg), May 8, 17^5, Jacob Fulliam,
who was a sergeant in Captain LovewelPs
company, was killed.
" A sergeant named Fulham,
and an Indian, distinguished by his dress and
activity, singled out each the other, and both fell,
mutually slain by their antagonist's weapon." This
Jacob Fulham was tlie eldest son of Major Francis
Fulham, who was justice of the peace of Watertown
Farms; one of tlie selectmen of Watertown from
1710 to 1711 ; and one of the committee chosen
to secure the incorporation of the town of Weston,
in which town he afterwards held numerous respon-
sible ollices, and was for a long time the most
iiilliiential man, owning numerous parcels of laud
in tile soutliwest part of the town. Me lived to
an advanced age, and as "Colonel Francis Fulham"
was moderator of a town-meeting, March 2.5, 1751.
Ill 1 7 1 it the records of Natick were in his keeping,
and March 30, \l'yl, he resigned his agency for
cnllcetint; rents for th(- ])rnprietors of tliat town,
lie was' f,,r f„urleeii years, betu.'en 17I;i and
17.17, the representative of Weston in the ( nneral
Court, .lune 111, 17:11, he, with Jonas l!„nd of
Waterlown, and Franeis n,,wm;,n of Lexingt.m,
"'" -to '" he ConnnisMoners .,f •MM"""""
S.wers,"
and Ih.' mnnediale ., oftheirappo
"the elean^n- and un- all sneh d.s
oth.T nb-trn.'tions"
rivei-, " whieh do oei
an.! .,r drnwnim; tin
adjoinn,- or Ivni- .
the work wa^'•llon:
!.• Sudbury and Coneo
I the overllowing llierei
(lows and other'low Ian
id river." The exieni
(1 of C
Osgood, in Belerica bounds, to the cart-bridge in
Sudbury." He was a chief justice of the Court
of Common Pleas of Middlesex County fromJ.719
to 1755, when he resigned his place upon the
bench.
Piev. William Williams ordained, as already
stated, November :2, 1709, remained pastor of the
church nearly forty-one years, until October 2-1,
1750, when he was dismissed by a mutual council,
but the cause of his dismissal does not appear.
He is briefly described by Dr. Kendal as a " scholar
and a good preacher." A printed sermon of his,
preached after the death of his wife, is deeply imbued
with the spirit of piety and resignation. He
was a graduate of Harvard in the class of 1705,
being a classmate of President Edward Holyoke.
He was twice married, and was the father of eight
children. William Williams, his eldest son, born
May U, 1711, graduated at Harvard College, 1720,
was one of the first settlers of Pittsfield, a judge
in Berkshire County, and a colonel distinguished
in the French and Indian wars. After his dismissal,
^Ir. AVdliams continued to reside in the town
until his death, March C, 17G0, at the age of
seventy-two years. He was buried in tlie old
burying-ground.
There is a vote of the town, recorded March .'5,
1755, excusing " Mr. William Williams from pay-
ing rates to be made so long as he remains in the
town of Weston, provided he discharge said town
in full of all demands n|ion sml town of any arrears
upon the account of delieieney of their grants to
him, or getting his fire wood, etc., while said Wil-
liams was in the work of the ministry in said
town"; and Mr. Williams accepted this settlement
of the arrears of his salary overdue nearly five
years, and entered his receipt in full upon the town
record.
The first congregation assembled in their little
thirty-feet-square church, wliich stood within a few
rods of the geographical centre of the town, I'or
about thirteen years, gathering not at the soiuid of
the bell, — "no such music in that earlier time
broke the stillness of Sabbath morning," — but
"at the beat of drum," as was becoming the sol-
diers of Christ. inside llu'chureh tluMV were no
one side, 'the women on lli.' other, and the boys
bv themselves, with a lilhini,'-nian, or constable, in
their midst to keep th