Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

Francis Forward, son of Justus, Jr., and
Lydia A. (Merrick) Forward, was born
in Belchertown, September 30, 1807, and
died in Granby, Massachusetts, October
20, 1891. He was a school teacher and
also engaged in agriculture. He married,
November 21, 1844, Maria Smith, born
February 9, 1813, in Hadley, a daughter
of Sereno and Betsey (Stockbridge)
Smith, and a descendant of Joseph Smith,
of Hartford, and Lydia (Huitt) Smith.
They were married in April, 1656, and
their son, Sergeant Joseph Smith, was
born in March, 1657, and removed about
1680 to Hadley, where he was made a freeman
in 1690. He died there October 1,
1733. He married, February 11, 1681, Re-
becca, daughter of John Dickenson, and she
died February 16, 1731. Their son, Joseph
Smith, was born November 8, 1681, and
married, in 1715, Sarah Alexander, who
died January 31, 1768. Their son, Alex-
ander Smith, was born October 11, 1717,
in Amherst, and died September 21, 1787.
He married, in 1743, Rebecca Warner, of
Westfield, who died November 26, 1801.
Their son, Joseph Smith, was born April
11, 1750, and married Eunice, the daughter
of Nathan Goodman, of Hatfield, and
their son, Sereno Smith, born March 27,
1779, married, January 29, 1807, Betsey,
the daughter of David Stockbridge, who
died January. 22, 1852. They were the
parents of Maria Smith, who became the
wife of Francis Forward, and died Feb-
ruary 12, 1905.
George Hinsdale Forward, son of Fran-
cis and Maria (Smith) Forward, received
his education in the public schools of his
native town and at the Wilbraham Acad-
emy. After leaving the latter institution,
he gave up his cherished plan to enter Amherst
College and later engaged in mer-
cantile business, finally locating in Spring-
field, Massachusetts. He was a man of
scholarly tastes, actively interested in
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34
church and philanthropic work and influential
in political affairs. Mr. Forward
was an adherent of the Republican party.
His death occurred in West Springfield,
Massachusetts, November 14, 1877. Mr.
Forward married, November 30, 1870,
Frances Loomis McMaster, born March
17, 1839, daughter of John and Laura
(Bissel) McMaster. The genealogy of
of the McMaster family has been traced
to the Masters of England, some of whom
later settled in Scotland and adopted the
Scotch prefix Mac. John McMaster, the
first to come to this country, was born
in Scotland in 1672. About 17 14 he removed
with his family to the northern
part of Ireland and the twins, Hugh and
John, were born there that same year. He
remained there until coming to America
in 1720 with a colony of Scotch-Irish im-
migrants. First, he located in Leicester,
Massachusetts, intending to make that his
permanent home, but removed to Palmer
in 1733. He died January 25, 1761, and
his wife, Katherine, who was born in 1687,
died November 11, 1763. Their son, John
McMaster, born in 1714, was a delegate
to the Constitutional Convention held in
Cambridge in 1778, and died in Palmer
March 16, 1793. He married
Millicent Ferrel, born in 1728, died
January 2, 181 1, a descendant of
pioneer settlers of the town of Palmer.
Their second child, Joshua McMaster,
was born December 5, 1757, in Palmer,
and was an active citizen of that town
for many years, removing thence to Am-
herst. In 1774, he was elected assessor
in Palmer, and was among the first minutemen
called. He marched April 19,1775,
as a private in the company of Captain
David Speer, of Colonel Pynchon's regiment,
and served twelve days at that
time. From June 25, to December 25,
1779, he was a member of Captain Joshua
L. Woodbridge's company, Colonel Na-