Biography of John Hatch, Esq.

John Hatch, born June 9, 1727, in Preston, Connecticut, was an early settler of Norwich, Vermont. A prominent figure in the town’s development, he was elected selectman and town clerk in the 1760s, holding the latter position until 1780. Hatch, a skilled surveyor, mapped Norwich into lots and laid out roads, later serving as county surveyor for Cumberland County. He married Sarah Richards in 1748, and they had nine children. Hatch passed away on April 24, 1806, shortly after his wife. He was the son of John and Jerusha (Herrick) Hatch.

Knowles Family of New Bedford, MA

thomas knowles

The family bearing this name in New Bedford, where it is one of nearly one hundred years’ standing one, too, of prominence and wealth, is a branch of the ancient Knowles family of the town of Eastham, Barnstable county, this Commonwealth. Reference is made to some of the descendants of the brothers Thomas and James H. Knowles of Eastham, several of whose sons – at least two of the former and one of the latter – in their earlier manhood cast their lot with the people of New Bedford. The firm of Thomas Knowles & Co. for many years was one of the greatest engaged in the whale fishery business in New Bedford; and its members in turn have been succeeded in business by younger generations who have most worthily worn the family name and sustained its reputation; and today the name continues of record in and about the city of their birth connected prominently with many of the most extensive commercial establishments and banking institutions of the locality.

Descendants of William Swift of New Bedford, MA

For an hundred years and more the Swift family in and about New Bedford has been one of prominence, wealthy and influential not only in their several local communities but out through the Commonwealth and into the nation, where their extensive enterprises have extended. These Acushnet-New Bedford Swifts, a branch of the Cape Cod family, brought to their new field of effort that activity, industry, ability and honesty that had for generations characterized their forefathers and also the line of business that had enriched earlier generations in the old home section – the dealing in live oak timber and its manufacture into water craft, in shipbuilding for not only the United States government, but for those across the water. Reference is here made especially to some of the sons, grandsons and great-grandsons of William Swift, of the town of Falmouth, this Commonwealth, among whose sons were Hon. Elijah, Thomas, William, John and Reuben E.; and among the sons of the latter Rodolphus Nye and William Cole Nye Swift, who with their sons together and in turn figured most prominently in and about New Bedford and abroad, as intimated; and some of their sons are yet active here and in the Massachusetts metropolis.

Wood Genealogy of Bluehill, Maine

Historical Sketches of Bluehill Maine

Capt. Joseph Wood was an early settler in Blue Hill arriving in 1763 with some of his sons: Israel, Joseph and Robert. Across the road from the schoolhouse is the cellar over which it is said the house of which he built stood, when he removed from the island at the Fore Falls.

Leach Genealogy of Bridgewater, Massachusetts

James Cushing Leach

This page treats the Leach Genealogy of Bridgewater, Massachusetts, starting with Lawrence Leach, the immigrant ancestor, and descending to the James Cushing Leach family of Bridgewater, Mass.

Descendants of Matthew Watson of Leicester, Massachusetts

Watson Coat of arms

Matthew Watson (d. 1720), of English lineage, married Mary Orr in 1695, and in 1718 the family immigrated from Ireland to Boston, Massachusetts and settled in Leicester, Massachusetts. Descendants and relatives lived in New England, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Nebraska, Rhode Island, California, Nevada, Michigan and elsewhere. Includes Watson, Armington, Bemis, Denny, Draper, Kent, Washburn, Bailey, Barnard, Belcher, Bent, Biscoe, Bolles, Breckenridge, Bright, Browning, Bryant, Bullock, Burrage, Dennis, Fisher, Foster, Green, Hayward, Hobbs, Hodgkins, Holman, Howard, Jenks, Jones, Kellogg, Kitchell, Knight, Lazelle, Livermore, Loring, Mason, Maynard, Munger, Patrick, Prouty, Remington, Reed, Rice, Richardson, Rogers, Sadler, Sibley, Snow, Sprague, Stone, Studley, Symonds, Taitt, Thomas, Thompson, Trask, Tucker, Waite, Webster, Westcott, Wheeler, Whittermore, Wilson, Woods and related families.

Biographical Sketch of Jonathan Hatch

Samuel Hatch, the grandfather of the subject of this biography, married Naomi Phelps. Their son Jonathan, a resident of Lebanon, Connecticut, was married to Betsey Payne of the same town. The children of this union were Samuel 0., Eliza, Chester P., Jonathan, and James C., of whom Chester P. and Jonathan are the only survivors. The latter was born in Lebanon, October 21st, 1817, and until’ the age of sixteen resided on the homestead farm. He received a rudimentary education, and on deciding to encourage his taste for mechanics, entered the shops of Phelps & Spafford at South Windham as … Read more

Vital records of Southborough, Massachusetts

Vital records of Southborough, Massachusetts, to the end of the year 1849 title page

The list of vital records of Southborough, Massachusetts, comprised in this volume includes all which were entered in the Town Books during the period from the earliest date there found to the end of the year 1849. Some additions and corrections of names and dates have been made from the records of the First Church, these being indicated in each instance by proper reference. There are a total of 6,297 births, marriages, and deaths recorded. This book is free to read or download.

History of the Industries of Norwich VT

Knapp’s Mill, Norwich, Vermont

Although the products of the industries in Norwich have not been of great magnitude they have been quite varied in character. Such information in regard to these callings as we have been able to obtain we will present to our readers, though not in strict chronological order. Among the earliest establishments coming under this head was a grist mill established as early as 1770, by Hatch and Babcock on Blood Brook, on or near the site of the grist mill now operated by J. E. Willard, a short distance up the stream from where it empties into the Connecticut River. … Read more

Kansas Registrations of Enemy Aliens, 1917 – 1921

Enemy Alien Registration Affidavit for Bernhardt Vick - Cropped Photo

The series contains original affidavits of registration that record personal information about each registrant, their photograph affixed to the majority of documents, and the registrants fingerprints. All of these are specific to Kansas, and most have the actual documents attached.

Biographical Sketch of Rufus H. Hatch

When the discovery of gold made in California the Mecca of the hopes of so many thousand people flocking from all parts of the world, to share in the treasures proclaimed, there were some who saw at once what had escaped the eyes of those looking below the surface of the land, the rich valleys and verdant hills and sunlight as bright as the glitter of gold. With almost every day of his life, spent in tilling the soil, it was little wonder that Rufus H. Hatch felt his eyes gladdened by the sight of such productive farming land, and … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Henry Reynolds Hatch

Hatch, Henry Reynolds; retired; born, Grand Isle, Vt., Oct. 3, 1831; son of Abijah and Abigail Lyon Hatch; early education in mercantile lines; married, October, 1857, Miss Lyda Baldwin, deceased in 1886; issue, six children, two living; second marriage, November, 1888, to Mary Cummings Brown of Newark, N. J.; issue, two children, Esther and Henry Reynolds, Jr.; early life spent in mercantile positions in New England; came to Cleveland in 1853, and went to work for E. I. Baldwin & Co., dry goods; later became a member of the firm of E. I. Baldwin, Hatch & Co.; upon the death … Read more

Brown Genealogy

Brown Genealogy

In 1895, Cyrus Henry Brown began collecting family records of the Brown family, initially with the intention of only going back to his great-grandfathers. As others became interested in the project, they decided to trace the family lineage back to Thomas Brown and his wife Mary Newhall, both born in the early 1600s in Lynn, Massachusetts. Thomas, John, and Eleazer, three of their sons, later moved to Stonington, Connecticut around 1688. When North Stonington was established in 1807, the three brothers were living in the southern part of the town. Wheeler’s “History of Stonington” contains 400 records of early descendants of the Brown family, taken from the town records of Stonington. However, many others remain unidentified, as they are not recorded in the Stonington town records. For around a century, the descendants of the three brothers lived in Stonington before eventually migrating to other towns in Connecticut and New York State, which was then mostly undeveloped. He would eventually write this second volume of his Brown Genealogy adding to and correcting the previous edition. This book is free to search, read, and/or download.

Biographical Sketch of Stephen B. Hatch

Stephen B. Hatch, from Hartland, Vt., came to Elmore in 1826, and located in the western part of the town, where he has since resided. He married Anna Cobb, and has reared a family of thirteen children, six of whom are living.

Lowell Massachusetts Genealogy

1894 Map of Lowell

Tracing ancestors in Lowell, Massachusetts online and for free has been greatly enhanced by the University of Massachusetts in Lowell which provided digitized version of a large quantity of the Lowell public records. Combined with the cemetery and census records available freely online, you should be able to easily trace your ancestors from the founding of Lowell in 1826 through 1940, the last year of available census records. To add color to the otherwise basic facts of your ancestors existence we provide free access to a wide range of manuscripts on the history of Lowell, it’s manufactures and residents.

History of Norwich Vermont Education

High School Building, Norwich Village, Erected in 1898

From the town records it appears that the first attempt to divide the town into school districts, was at a town meeting held November 19, 1782, when John Slafter, Elijah Brownson, Ithamar Bartlett, Joseph Loveland, Paul Bingham, Joseph Hatch, Daniel Baldwin, Abel Wilder and Samuel Brown, Jr., were made a committee for that purpose. Soon thereafter the committee reported that they “could effect nothing on the business of their appointment,” and were discharged. No further move in town meeting towards districting the town for school purposes appears to have been made until March 30, 1785, when, on petition of persons … Read more

Biography of Lorenzo L. Hatch

A prominent representative of the Church of Latter Day Saints is Lorenzo Lafayette Hatch, who is now bishop of the Franklin ward in the Oneida stake of Zion of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and who makes his home in the pretty little town of Franklin. He was born in Lehi, Utah, December 25, 185 1, and is of English lineage, his ancestors having been among the early settlers of Vermont. They were participants in the events which form the early history of this country, and representatives of the name loyally served in the Revolutionary war. … Read more

Biography of Honorable Reuben Hatch

Reuben Hatch was born at Preston, Connecticut, July 7, 1763, and came to Norwich at an early age with his father, Joseph Hatch. He entered Dartmouth College in 1782, but was unable to complete his course of studies there by reason of ill health. Afterwards he turned his attention to agricultural pursuits and became a successful farmer; residing at different times at Tunbridge, Chelsea and Weathersfield. From “Life and Times of William Jarvis” we make the following extracts: “Mr. Reuben Hatch came from Norwich to Weathersfield Bow and bought the large brick house built by a Mr. Jennison, and considerable … Read more

Norwich Vermont in the Revolutionary War

The sources of information in regard to the part taken by the town in the Revolutionary struggle are few and scanty. The earliest allusion in the town records to this important epoch of the country’s history is found in the election of a Committee of Safety at the annual town meeting, March 11, 1777. This committee was five in number: Deacon Joseph Smalley, Samuel Hutchinson, John Hatch, Captain Hezekiah Johnson and John Hopson. There is much reason to believe, however, that this was not the first Committee of Safety that acted for the town; but was a new committee selected … Read more