Ancestry of William Hartley Cary of Brockton, Massachusetts

WILLIAM HARTLEY CARY was a prominent and respected citizen and business man of the city of Brockton, where his death occurred Dec. 9, 1899. As a citizen he enjoyed the esteem of the entire community, in which industrial center he had for nearly a quarter of a century been an influential and successful factor in the development of its business interests. Mr. Cary was born Jan. 10, 1852, in Charleston, Maine, son of William Harrison and Abigail (Ingles) Cary. His parents were both natives of Maine, although his earlier paternal ancestors were among the early settlers of North Bridgewater (now Brockton). A record of that branch of the Cary family through which Mr. Cary descended, which has been traced in direct line back in England to the year 1170, follows, in chronological order, the generations being indicated by Roman numerals.

(I) Adam de Kari, who was born in 1170, was Lord of Castle Kari, Somersetshire – the town now called Castle Cary. He married Ann, daughter of Sir William Trevett, Knight.

(II) John de Kary, born in 1200, married Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Richard Stapleton, Knight.

(III) William de Kary, born in 1230, married Alice, daughter of Sir William Beaumont, Knight.

(IV) John de Karry, born in 1270, married Phillippa, daughter of Sir Warren Archdeacon, Knight.

(V) Sir William Cary, born in 1300, married Margaret Bezume, of Clovelly. The name was changed during the reign of Edward II, and has ever since been spelled Cary.

(VI) Sir John Cary, Knight, born in 1325, married Agnes, daughter of Lord Stafford; no issue. After her death he married Jane, daughter of Sir Guy de Brien, Knight.

(VII) Sir John Cary, Knight, born in 1350 at Holway, Devon, was made judge and chief baron of the exchequer by Richard II, on Nov. 5, 1387. He married Margaret Holway, and owned Cockington and Clovelly, which he bought in 1390. He was banished to Waterford, Ireland, after Richard II. was put to death by Henry IV.; he was four years in banishment, and died in 1404.

(VIII) Sir Robert Cary, Knight, was born in 1375. He defeated the Knight of Aragon at Smithfield, London, and was presented a coat of arms by Henry V., who restored to him Clovelly. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Philip Courtenay, Knight. She died leaving no issue, and he afterward married Jane, daughter of Sir William Hanchford, Knight.

(IX) Sir Philip Cary, Knight, born in 1400, died in 1437; he married Christian Orchard, and lived during the reigns of Henry IV., Henry V. and Henry VI.

(X) Sir William Cary, Knight of Cockington, born in 1437, took part in the battle of Tewkesbury (the War of the Roses) and was beheaded in 1471, his property being confiscated. He married Elizabeth Paulett.

(XI) Sir Robert Cary, born in 1460, inherited Clovelly from his father or had it restored to him by King Henry VII. He married three times: First, Jane Carew, daughter of the Baron of Castle Carew; second, Agnes, daughter of Sir William Hody, Knight and chief baron of the exchequer under Henry VII.; and third, Margaret Fulkeram. He died in 1540, his tomb being in Clovelly church, with inscription.

(XII) William Cary, born in 1500, was sheriff of Bristol, Somerset, in 1532, during the reign of Henry VIII., and was also mayor of Bristol. He died in 1572.

(XIII) Robert Cary, born in 1525, in Bristol, died in 1570.

(XIV) William Cary, born in 1560, was sheriff of Bristol in 1599, and mayor of Bristol in 1611. He was buried in St. Nicholas parish March 1, 1632. He married (first) Alice Goodale, by whom he had seven sons and three daughters; and (second) in 1625 Mary Lewelen, by whom he had one son and one daughter. Three of his sons came to America, John (in 1634), who settled in Duxbury, Mass.; James (in 1635), who settled in Charlestown, Bay Colony; and Miles (in 1640), who settled in Virginia.

Family of John Cary of Bridgewater, Massachusetts

(XV) John Cary, the first American ancestor of this branch of the Cary family, was born in Bristol, England, about 1610, and came to this country in 1634, settling in Duxbury, Mass. He was one of the first to emigrate from Duxbury to Bridgewater, where the first interior settlement was made, his house being a quarter of a mile east of the meetinghouse in West Bridgewater, situated on a farm a mile wide and seven miles long. He became one of the original proprietors of Bridgewater, and at the incorporation of the town, in 1656, was elected constable, the first and only office that year; the next year he was elected the first town clerk of the town and filled that office until his death, which occurred Oct. 31, 1681. John Cary was a man of superior education, and had great influence in the Colony and as an officer in the church. Tradition says he was the first Latin teacher in Plymouth Colony. In June, 1644, John Cary and Elizabeth Godfrey, daughter of Francis Godfrey, of Duxbury and Bridgewater, were married. To this union were born twelve children, as follows:

1. John Cary married Abigail Allen
2. Francis Cary married Hannah Brett
3. Elizabeth Cary married Deacon William Brett, Jr.
4. James Cary married Mary Shaw
5. Mary Cary was born in 1654
6. Jonathan Cary married Sarah Allen
7. David Cary removed to Bristol, Conn.
8. Hannah Cary was born in 1661
9. Joseph Cary removed to Windham, Conn.
10. Rebecca Cary married Samuel Allen, Jr.
11. Sarah Cary was born in 1667
12. Mehitable Cary, in 1670

The mother of the above children died Nov. 1, 1680.

Family of Francis Cary of Bridgewater, Massachusetts

(XVI) Francis Cary, second son of John, the American progenitor of this family, was born in Duxbury, Mass., Jan. 19, 1647, and died in Bridgewater in 1718. In 1676 he married Hannah Brett, daughter of William and Margaret Brett, the former of whom came to Duxbury, Mass., in 1645, from Kent, England, and later became one of the original proprietors of Bridgewater, where he was one of the leading men in both church and town affairs. The children born to Francis and Hannah (Brett) Cary were:

1. Samuel Cary, who married Mary Pool
2. Ephraim Cary, who married Hannah Waldo
3. Mary Cary, who married Nicholas Whitman
4. Lydia Cary, who married Joseph Edson
5. Melatiah Cary, who married Joseph Lucas

Family of Ephraim Cary of North Bridgewater, Massachusetts

(XVII) Ephraim Cary, son of Francis and Hannah (Brett) Cary, married in 1709 Hannah Waldo, whose father was one of the settlers of the North parish of Bridgewater. To this union were born children as follows:

1. Mehitable Cary married Benjamin Allen
2. Ezra Cary married Mary Holman
3. Zachariah Cary married Susanna Bass
4. Ephraim Cary married Susanna Alden
5. Daniel Cary married Martha Cary

The father of these children died July 18, 1765.

Family of Zachariah Cary Family of North Bridgewater, Massachusetts

(XVIII) Zachariah Cary, son of Ephraim and Hannah (Waldo) Cary, was born Jan. 4, 1713, and married Nov, 11, 1742, Susanna Bass, daughter of Capt. Jonathan Bass. Soon after his marriage Zachariah Cary removed to the North parish of Bridgewater, and lived on the place later occupied by the late Rufus P. Kingman. His children were:

1. Bethuel Cary died young
2. Jonathan Cary died young
3. Ezra Cary married Cynthia Tolman
4. Mehitable Cary married Zachariah Sylvester, of Duxbury
5. Susanna Cary married Rufus Brett, of North Bridgewater
6. Daniel Cary married Mehitable Brett, of North Bridgewater
7. Luther Cary married Nabby King, of Raynham

Family of Ezra Cary North Bridgewater, Massachusetts

(XIX) Ezra Cary, son of Zachariah and Susanna (Bass) Cary, was born in North Bridgewater (now Brockton) April 7, 1749, and married in 1770 Cynthia Tolman, of Stoughton, Mass. To them were born the following children:

1. Thomas Cary, born Sept. 22, 1771, married Sally Packard, and removed to Enfield, Mass., where he died in 1855
2. Zachariah Cary, born Sept. 13, 1773, married Betsey Newhall, and removed to Turner, Maine, where he died in 1809
3. Luther Cary, born June 21, 1777, is mentioned below
4. Susanna Cary, born May 1, 1779, married John Dresser, of Sterling, Mass., and died in Turner, Maine, in 1843
5. Capt. Ezra Cary, born Aug. 7, 1782, married Louisa Staples, of Turner, Maine, where he died in 1847
6. Daniel Cary, born Oct. 2, 1785, died young
7. Cynthia Cary, born May 27, 1788, married Thomas G. Newhall, of Sterling, Mass.
8. John Shepard Cary, born April 28, 1790, married (first) Phebe Lane, of Leeds, Maine, and (second) Alpha Bolster, and died in Leeds in 1853
9. Bethuel Cary, born May 30, 1793, a physician, married Lucy Robinson, of Sumner, Maine
10. Tolman Cary, born July 11, 1796, who died unmarried June 28, 1830, was also a physician.

Ezra Cary, the father of the above children, was a tanner by trade. He removed to Turner, Maine, in about 1803, and spent the remainder of his life in that State.

Family of Luther Cary of Dover, Maine

(XX) Luther Cary, son of Ezra and Cynthia (Tolman) Cary, was born June 21, 1777, in North Bridgewater (now Brockton), and with his parents removed to Turner, Maine, in about 1803. The remainder of his life was spent in that State, his death occurring Oct. 7, 1860, in Dover, Maine. By occupation he was a farmer and shoemaker. He was an active member of the Baptist Church. He married (first) Deborah Briggs, of Greenwich, Mass., and (second) Mary or Polly Lathrop, of Leeds, Maine, and his children were:

1. Calvin Cary, who was a Baptist minister, died in Bradford, Maine
2. Mary Ann Cary, who married George Sampson, died in Salt Lake City
3. Hannah Cary, who married John Tilton, died in Bradford, Maine
4. William Harrison Cary is mentioned below
5. Alison Cary, who was engaged in the hotel business, died in Bangor, Maine
6. Lydia Cary, who married Charles Randlett, died in Charleston, Maine
7. Warren Cary died in Bradford, Maine, where he was engaged in farming
8. Augusta Cary, who married Hamilton Forbes, now resides in California with her two daughters.

Family of William Harrison Cary of Charleston, Maine

(XXI) William Harrison Cary, son of Luther and Mary (Lathrop) Cary, was born July 28, 1817, at Leeds, Maine. He was engaged in agricultural pursuits, and as well in lumbering, and was a very industrious, hard-working man, and as a result was successful. He was in early life identified with the old-line Whigs, and after the organization of the Republican party became a stanch supporter of its principles. He took an active interest in the affairs of his town, and served several years as justice of the peace. He was an active and consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. His first wife, Abigail Ingles, daughter of Jacob Ingles, was born at Blue Hill, Maine, in Maine, in 1807, and this union was blessed with children as follows:

1. Rosabelle A. Cary married (first) Levi P. Morley, by whom she had one daughter, Edith E. (now the wife of William H. Pittenger, and residing in Caldwell, N. J.), and (second) Charles A. Marston, of Fall River, Mass., where they now reside
2. Tolman E. Cary, who resides in California, where he is engaged in the lumber business, is married and has four children
   1. Ida Cary
   2. Harry Cary
   3. Clara Cary
   4. Helen Cary
3. Orisa L. Cary married Henry H. Holden, and they reside in Dover, Maine
4. Abbie L. Cary is the wife of Charles Strong, and they reside in Derby, Conn.
5. William H. Cary is mentioned below

The mother of the above children passed away May 12, 1869, aged sixty-two years, at Charleston, Maine, after which Mr. Cary married (second) Mrs. Cynthia Robinson, who died in California, without issue. Mr. Cary passed away July 7, 1871, aged fifty-four years, at Dover, Maine.

Family of William Hartley Cary of Brockton, Massachusetts

(XXII) William Hartley Cary, the youngest child of the late William Harrison and Abigail (Ingles) Cary, was born Jan. 10, 1852, in Charleston, Maine, where he attended the district schools during the winter months, in the summer months assisting his father with the work on the farm until August, 1870, when he went to Boston, where he secured employment in a grocery store as a clerk. He held that position until the following December, when he returned home, and again attended school for two terms, one in Charleston and the other as a student at Foxcroft Academy, remaining at home until Jan. 1, 1875. He then began to learn the trade of last turning with Goodwin Brothers, at Lynn, Mass., continuing in their employ until July 18th, following, when he came to Brockton, where he went to work at last turning for Moses Linfield & Son. Shortly afterward he entered into a contract with the firm, which he retained for a period of about four years, the firm in the meantime having become M. Linfield & Co., Augustine A. Delano having purchased an interest in the business. In 1879 Mr. Cary established himself in the business of manufacturing lasts, in a small way, with William Thompson as partner, under the firm name of Cary & Thompson, and they continued in business together until 1885, when they purchased the Linfield interests in M. Linfield & Co., and the two concerns were consolidated as the Brockton Last Company, which was composed of Messrs. Cary, Thompson and Delano. Mr. Cary’s business was first located on Perkins street, and was later moved to High street, whence after about ten years it was again removed, to Crescent street, into the Packard building, where the Brockton Last Company was formed. The concern kept outgrowing its quarters and again removed, to the Douglas block on Pleasant street, where it remained until 1894, when the business was permanently established in the new brick factory building on Court street, which was constructed by this concern for the purpose. In about 1896 the interest held by Mr. Thompson was purchased by Messrs. Cary and Delano, and there-after until Mr. Cary’s death the business was owned by them.

Mr. Cary put his experience, pluck and determination into the business, as well as his capital, and as a result he materially assisted in building up one of the largest and most prosperous plants of its kind in the country. He had charge of the selling end of the business, and in this way became well and favorably known to hundreds of business men in the various branches of the shoe business, his genial, whole-souled manner winning and retaining for him many warm friendships wherever he was known.

Mr. Cary was an active and prominent member of various fraternal and social organizations, holding membership in St. George Lodge, A. F. & A. M., Satucket Chapter, R. A. M., Brockton Council, R. & S. M., and Bay State Commandery, Knights Templar, of Brockton, and was also a thirty-second-degree Mason. He was also a member of the Commercial Club, and of the Elks Club during the latter’s existence, and was also a stockholder in the Brockton Agricultural Society.

Mr. Cary was one of the first members of the Unitarian Church, where he was a pew-holder and of which, he was an interested worker, always contributing liberally to all worthy causes. In political faith he was a stanch supporter of the principles of the Republican party, but never cared for nor aspired to public office.

On Sept. 17, 1884, Mr. Cary was united in marriage with Matilda F. Winslow, daughter of Bradford Delano and Hannah (Tarr) Winslow, of Lincoln county, Maine, and granddaughter of John Winslow. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Cary was blessed with two children, as follows:

1. Blanche Louise Cary, who was married March 20, 1911, to Raymond Edward Drake, assistant to the head of the chemistry department in the research laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston (he is a member of Paul Revere Lodge, A. F. & A. M., Bay State Commandery, K. T., and the Brockton Country Club)
2. William Hartley Cary, Jr., who attended Exeter Preparatory School, and is now a student at Dartmouth College, in the class of 1913.

Mr. Cary was in every sense of the word a self-made man. Coming to Brockton as a poor boy, without money or influential friends, he brought himself forward by marked business ability and force of character to occupy one of the most prominent places in the business life of the city, being a splendid type of the men who have made Brockton the thriving industrial center that it is today. His genial, hearty, whole-souled disposition, his thorough-going generosity, and his desire at all times to be identified with all that was upbuilding, whether in business or social matters, gained for him the respect and admiration of all who knew him. As a citizen he was public-spirited, progressive, patriotic and loyal to the best interests of his State and country, and liberally encouraged every movement which had the welfare and advancement of the community at heart, and in his death the needy and unfortunate lost a true and generous friend. Mr. Cary was fond of outdoor life, and made frequent visits with rod and gun to the woods of Maine, where he enjoyed pleasant vacations.

Mr. Cary passed away at his home on West Elm street, Brockton, Dec. 9, 1899, aged forty-seven years, ten months, twenty-nine days, his death leaving pain and poignant grief in many hearts. The regret of the large assemblage at his funeral was most evident. Though each one present sorrowed for the loss of a friend, the deepest sympathy was felt for the widow and two children, who were bereft of the kind and affectionate husband and father who had passed to the Great Beyond. There was a mass of exquisite floral wreaths and emblems, which testified mutely but undeniably of the place Mr. Cary held in the hearts of many, for a larger or richer offering never surrounded a casket in this city. Mr. Cary left a memory which will ever be cherished and honored by his devoted wife and children.

Mrs. Cary is also descended from historic New England ancestry, numbering among her ancestors Governor Bradford, of the “Mayflower” company. Her line of descent through the Winslow family follows:

1. Kenelm Winslow, son of Edward and Magdalene (Ollyver) Winslow, of Worcestershire, England, and a native of that place, born April 29, 1599, came to Plymouth probably in 1629, with his brother Josiah, and was admitted freeman Jan. 1, 1632. He removed to Marshfield about 1641. He was one of the original proprietors of Assonet (Freetown), purchased from the Indians in 1659. Besides serving in minor offices he was deputy, or representative, in the General Court eight years – 1642-44 and 1649-53. He married in June, 1634, Eleanor, widow of John Adams, of Plymouth. He died Sept. 13, 1672. His wife survived him and died at Marshfield, where she was buried Dec. 5, 1681.
2. Capt. Nathaniel Winslow, of Marshfield, born about 1639 in Marshfield, married Aug. 3, 1664, Faith, daughter of Rev. John Miller, of Yarmouth. He was several times deputy to the General Court.
3. Capt. Nathaniel Winslow (2), of Marshfield, born July 29, 1667, in Marshfield, was in command of the sloop “Sunflower,” engaged in freighting to Boston. He married (first) in 1692 Lydia Snow, daughter of Josiah and Rebecca (Baker) and granddaughter of Anthony and Abigail (Warren), the latter the youngest daughter of Richard Warren, who came in the “Mayflower.”
4. Oliver Winslow, of Scituate, born Nov. 24, 1702, in Marshfield, married (first) Dec. 10, 1733, Agatha Bryant, daughter of John and Deborah (Barstow) Bryant, of Scituate.
5. John Winslow, of Massachusetts and Maine, born Jan. 23, 1743, in Scituate, Mass., married Dorothy Simmons, born in Duxbury, Mass., daughter of Deacon Nathaniel Simmons, of Duxbury, and afterward of Waldoboro, Maine. Mr. Winslow was a ship carpenter and resided at what became Bristol, Maine, then for a time in Waldoboro, building there with another the first vessel constructed in the place. He later resided in what was incorporated as the town of Nobleboro. His five sons all served in the war of 1812, three of them as officers, and all received pensions.
6. Capt. John Winslow, of Nobleboro, Maine, born Nov. 30, 1780, married (third) Nov. 15, 1810, Charlotte Clark. He served in the war of 1812 as captain and for his services received a pension.
7. Bradford D. Winslow, son of Capt. John Winslow, born Oct. 10, 1820, in Nobleboro, married Hannah Tarr. His life was spent in his native town, where he was engaged in the occupation of blacksmithing.