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From: Matika <>
Subject: History of Sudbury (Expanding to Rutland) part 1 0f 3
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1998 10:05:45 -0500


Transcribed from: "The History of Sudbury"
1638 - 1889
by: Alfred Serno Hudson
published: 1889
republished: 1968

Another town, in the settlement of which Sudbury was early and
creditably represented, is Rutland, Mass. This town was incorporated by
the General Court at a session of 1722. The territory, however, which
included the portion incorporated at this time, and which was six miles
square, was some years before this explored by daring pioneers and
embraced, in its full extent, a tract twelve miles square, and took in
part or the whole territory of what is now Hubbardston, Princeton,
Holden, Oakham, Paxton, and Barre. the original territory in these
latter named limits was purchased for twenty three pounds of Puagastion
of Pennicook, Pampananay of Natick, Wananapan of Wamassick, Sassawannow
of Natick and other natives on Dec. 22, 1686. The name of the whole
place was Naquag, and the deed of it, signed and acknowledged by the
above named Indians, was received April 14, 1714, and is on record at
the Middlesex Registry of Deeds, pages 511 of Books XVI,
The ownership of this twelve mile land tract was confirmed by the
General Court in 1713, on petition of the heirs of Maj. Simmon Willard,
of Indian war fame, and others whose names were in the associate deed.
One condition imposed by the Court in the confirmation of ownership was,
that, within seven years, there be sixty families settled there, and a
reservation of land for church and school purposes. On Dec. 14, 1715,
the proprietors, at a meeting in Boston, decided that a tract of six
miles square of the original twelve miles should be surveyed and set
apart of the settlement of sixty two families, in order to keep
conditions by which the grant was to be allowed. It decided to grant
Capt. Benjamine Williard, for certain considerations, one of which was
that he build a mill, "one third part of a thirty third part of said
township, or nine hundred and thirty acres". A portion of this large
grant to Captain Willard passed into the hands of several prominent
Sudbury citizens, who were assignees to Captain Willard. Three of them
were Rev. Israel Loring, Capt. Samuel Stone, and Capt. Samuel Wright.
The land thus assigned went to the parties as follows; To Mr. Loring,
three hundred acres; to Captain Stone, two hundred and forty acres;
and to Captain Wright, one hundred and twenty acres.
So much of the land of the twelve miles square as amounted to six
miles square having now been confirmed to the claimants, and surveyed,
and positions assigned for settlement, on petition to the General Court,
at a session beginning May 30, 1722, an act of incorporation was passed,
making this territory the town of Rutland. The place thus being in
readiness for settlement, and quite a portion of it being in the hands
of Sudbury citizens, and a leader in the enterprise, Captain Wright,
being a Sudbury man who, was for years before, Rutland was incorporated,
was a manger in its affairs, it is no wonder that emigration flowed from
the town into this new country. It was as the great West to a place as
near the seaboard settlements as Sudbury; and the romance and adventure
of pioneer life very likely took hold of the inhabitants, as the same
spirit led their ancestors to seek homes about the borders of Sudbury
River about a century before. Accordingly, ad might be expected, we
find an early exodus from the town to the place; and among the names of
parties who found homes in Rutland, or in the towns original twelve
miles square, we find the following, which now are or have been,
familiar in Sudbury: Newton, Moore, Howe, Knight, Ward, Brown,
Hunt, Rice, Brintnal, Haynes, Stone, Parmenter, Estabrook, Clapp,
Walker, and Maynard.
Other towns about Sudbury that were represented in the settlement of
this place were, Marlboro, Concord, And Framingham, besides some from
Boston, Lexington, Lancaster, and Brookfield, and some emigrants from
Ireland.
But it is not simply the matter of names and numbers of parties from
the town that makes it important and interesting to mention the part
taken by Sudbury in the settlement of Rutland, but the prominence of
several of them. More or less were leaders in the enterprise, and
active and influential in shaping the young towns life. As showing
their character, we will give you a short sketch of some of them.
Among the most valuable men of the place was Capt. Samuel
Wright, who came from the West parish in Sudbury, and was proprietor of
lot No. 1 in the first apportionment of Rutland territory. Captain
Wright was the first deacon of the church there, justice of the peace,
captain of the militia, and for years held various other town offices.
He was clerk and one of the proprietors of the twelve mile square land
tract. It was at a meeting at his house that land divisions of the town
were confirmed, June 23, 1721. He was the first moderator, town clerk,
and selectman chosen after Rutland became incorporated. Captain Wright
kept a tavern for some time opposite the first meeting house, at which
place much of the business of the town was transacted. He was prominent
in defending the town against the incursions of the Indians, who
assailed it savagely in its early history; and in this defense he was
reinforced by Soldiers from Sudbury. Captain Wright was the sixth son
of Edward Wright, who is supposed to have been a son of one of the
Sudbury's early inhabitants or grantees. He was born 9 April 1670. He
married Mary Stevens, a daughter of Cyprian Stevens, whose wife was Mary
Willard, daughter of Major. Simmon Willard of Lancaster, and of of his
third wife, Mary Dunster, who was a relative of Mr. Dunster, president
of Harvard College. Captain Wright was by this marriage one of the
heirs to the large tract originally assigned as the Rutland territory,
which as we have mentioned, was, in 1713, confirmed as to ownership, on
petition of the sons and grandsons of Major Simon Willard; and his
daughter Mary's name was among the other heirs in the associated deed.
He was also by this marriage with Mary made brother in law of Deacon
Joseph Stevens, another early and prominent citizen of Rutland, who was
father of Capt. Phineas Stevens, the settler of whom we shall next speak
in this sketch. Mr. Wright had several children, one of whom married
Rev. Thomas Frink, the first settled minister of the place, and of whom
mention will be made further on. The Wright family years ago almost or
wholly ceased to be inhabitants of Rutland.

(pages 168, 169, 170, & 171)

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