Green, Henry (Rev) 1648 first minister of Reading, He was born in
Great Bromley, Essex County, England, in 1618-19,
and was admitted to Emmanuel College, Cambridge,
in 1634. He entered Harvard College and is listed by
Samuel Eliot Morison among its early graduates. He
was a freeman of Watertown in May, 1640, and was
granted a lot of 72 acres in 1642. When Thomas Mayhew and other Watertown men bought Martha's Vine-
yard, they hoped to secure young Henry Green for their minister, " but he went not."
According to Bond's Watertown, he was ordained as
the minister in Redding, Nov. 5, 1645, and died there
on Oct. 11, 1648. His wife was Frances Stone, daughter
of Dea. Simon Stone of Watertown. She came from
Ipswich, England, in 1635 at the age of 16 years with
her father aged 50 years.
Smith, Francis 1651 was a freeman of Watertown in 1637 ; stopped awhile,
it is said, at Chelsea Ferry, or Rumney Marsh, and came to
Reading about 1647 ; settled at the north end of Smith's Pond
(so named from him) ; he owned a large tract of land in the
vicinity of the pond and extending into Woodville.
Rev. Samuel Francis Smith, the author of our national
hymn, America, was a descendant of Francis Smith. The
mother of the poet was Sarah Bryant, a daughter of
Amos of Redding
Swayne or Swain, Jeremiah 1658 Senr, received 12 acres of the Meadow
Grant. He was in Charlestown in 1638 and in 1642 was
given 2 acres on Mystic Side, Maiden, on condition that
he remain there. He came to Redding, however, very
early and settled on the old road to Salem, in the eastern
part of the Town. He died in 1658. He and his descendants appeared to have owned
a tract of land extending from the present residence of David
Batchelder to the farm of the late Issachar Stowell. His wife's
name was Mary. He d. 1658. Chil.: Jeremiah, b. 1643 - Major Jeremiah Swain - Great Swamp Fight with Philip's Indians in
1675
Fitch, Zachariah 1662, His homestead was on Fitch's Lane, the present
Salem Street in Wakefield. Like other Pond-Side lots,
its eastern boundary was the "Lott End Road," now
Vernon Street. His name with that of Cowdrey, Poole
and Browne, is mentioned in a petition to the Court in
1645, having moved from Lynn, where he had been
a large taxpayer. He was one of the first selectmen of
Redding and a deacon from the organization of the
Church until his death in 1662. His son Benjamin was
a deacon and his grandson Joseph was captain of the
Reading Company. Zachary Fitch was born in St. Aliens,
England, was a freeman in Salem and moved to Lynn in
1638. Deposed in 1661 that his age was about 70. He
was nearly 50 when he came to Lynn Village, and so
was much older than the other planters. His wife's name was Mary
Haugh, Samuel (Rev.) 1662 - second minister of Reading, son of Hon. Ather-
ton Haugh, of Boston, who came from Boston, England, where
he had been Major. Samuel, it is probable, was born in Eng-
land, and came over in 1634 with his father. He was educated
at Har. Coll., but did not graduate. He m. Sarah, dau. of Rev.
Zechariah Symms, of Charlestown ; began to preach at Read-
ing in 1648, and was ordained pastor at Reading, in March,
1650. He d. Mar. 30, 1662 at Boston.
Palfrey, Peter 1663 - "well stricken in years." He came to Cape Ann in 1624 in the company of fourteen men fitted out by Rev. John White of Dorchester,
England, for the purpose of providing a depot of sup-
plies for the fishermen on the coast. They landed at
Gloucester and built a stage for drying fish. "The ill
choice of the place for fishing, the ill carriage of the
men, and the ill sales of the fish led to failure, and the
company with the exception of Peter Palfrey and other honest and prudent men returned to England."
Conant, Palfrey, Balch, Traske and Woodbury removed to
Naumkeag (Salem). Here they settled in 1626. Gov.
Endicott joined them with a small company two years
later, and Gov. Winthrop with a thousand persons and
twelve vessels arrived in June, 1630. He removed to Reading in 1652.
In 1658 the General Court appointed Peter Palfrey,
William Cowdrey and Nicholas Browne, commission-
ers to end small cases. One record speaks of his being
"much betrusted," and he was described as being "venerable."
Pool, John 1667 - came here from Lynn ; was at Cambridge in 1632 ; was
one of the earliest settlers of Reading, and probably the wealthiest. He lived on the present site of Wakefield's rattan factory,
where he built the first grist-mill and fulling mill of the town.
He also owned much land at the north end of the Great Pond,
including the farm lately owned by Dea. Caleb Wakefield, and
extending easterly, included the late Newcomb mill, where said
Poole erected the first saw-mill, and included also the present
farm of heirs of Benjamin Cox, of Lynnfield. Capt. Jonathan Poole was his son.
Dustln, Joslah 1671 - original settler, lived near the southeast corner of the " Great Pond.
had 15 acres in 1647. He was in Lynn
before 1644 and his name is the seventh in the list of
church members of Lynn Village. He died in 1671.
Wiley, John 1672 one of the earliest settlers; lived in "Little World," now
called Woodville.
Brown, Nicholas 1673 Nicholas was born in Inkberrow, Worcester, England, about 1601. His parents were Edward Browne and Jane Leids.
Around 1630, Nicholas married Elizabeth Leids. Possibly, Elizabeth was in some way related to Jane. They were probably married in Worcestershire, England.
Nicholas first appears in New England in March, 1638, when he is one of the 100 planters who received grants of land in the "Six-mile Grant", of Lynn, Massachusetts.
Nicholas received 210 acres, one of the largest grants. Many of the grantees did not occupy the land, but sold it to others.
Nicholas did live on his land however, and he was active in the affairs of Lynn until 1649.
He served as Lynn's representative to the General Court, on various juries, and on the Essex County Grand Jury from 1641 to 1649.
Sometime during those years, he moved his family to Reading, where he had also received several grants of land.
His last two children are recorded in Reading, in 1640 and 1647, although Nicholas and his wife belonged to the church in Lynn until 1663.
From 1651 on, Nicholas also took an active roll in Reading. He was chosen to fill various rolls such as selectman, commisioner "to try small causes", and tax collector.
Nicholas and Elizabeth had six children, the first four probably born in England, or possibly Elizabeth, thought to have been born about 1639, was born in Lynn, but not recorded there.
The last two children are recorded as having been born in Reading.
In 1660, Nicholas granted his son John power of attorney, as John was traveling to England.
John was to attempt to recover whatever he could of the estate that his mother inherited from her father, Thomas Lide.
Nicholas made his will on March 29, 1673 and died on April 5th. His estate was probated on April 17, 1673, it was valued at over 1200 pounds, a large estate in those days.
Elizabeth died in Reading on November 1, 1674. (Bio provided by Ken Smith)
Eaton, William 1673 with his wife, three children and
brother Jonas, came from Staples, England, in 1635 and
settled in Watertown where he was a proprietor in 1642.
He moved to Redding about 1652, became a freeman
and joined the church there. In 1653 he bought lOO
acres south of the Wigwam meadow of Robert Bur-
nap sr. for £30. His homestead was east of the Great
Pond.
Eaton, Jonas 1674, He and his brother William embarked from Sandwich in
1635, and settled in Watertown. Jonas came to Reading
before 1647.
The homestead "Pine Playne" of Jonas was on the northwest slope of Cowdrey's Hill where he made use of Bare
Hill Brook. To the Hon. Lilley Eaton, a descend-
ant of Jonas, we are indebted for the History of Reading.
Nichols, Richard 1674 came from Ipswich ; lived in the westerly part of
the South Parish, on the place subsequently known as the Lam-
bert farm.
Thompson, George 1674 came from Lynn to Reading about 1660
Batchelder, John 1676 - the upper part of his gravestone uncovered in an excavation in 1936 - never seen again. an early settler ; the exact place where he first
located is not known. His descendants early removed to the
northerly part of West Parish (now Reading), where they are
still to be found.
Cutler, Nathaniel 1678
Hooper, William 1678 In 1635, William Hooper, at the age of eighteen years,
came from England in the James with Lieut. Thomas
Marshall. He became an early inhabitant of Redding
and in 1647 was granted 9 acres. He probably built the
Hartshorn House on Church Street, Wakefield, and sold
it with 4 acres of land in 1664 to the wife of Thomas
Hodgman. After that, his homestead was on Prospect
Street, near Bare Hill Brook Road. He died in 1673.
His son William was a selectman of Redding and contributed for the purchase of the Indian Deed and for the
erection of the second Meeting-House.
Pearson, John 1679 He was an inhabitant of Lynn in 1635 and granted land in Redding in 1647. He and his wife,
Maudlin, were among the seven earliest members of the
church in Redding. He was a deacon from 1645 until
his death in 1679.
Hartshorne, Thomas 1681 The Hartshorne homestead (1647) for more
than a century was on the west side of Elm Street opposite Winn Street. After 1800, Col. James purchased the
ancient house on Church Street, now owned by the
Wakefield Historical Society. Thomas Hartshorn was
a freeman in 1648 and a selectman in 1661 and '67. A
son and a grandson were in the early wars, — Joseph, in
Capt. Jonathan Poole's company at Hadley, in Philip's
Indian War, and Jonathan, a lieutenant in the 8th company under Col. Ebenezer Nichols, at the taking of
Louisburg, Cape Breton Island, in 1745.
Kendall, Thomas (Deacon) 1681 - an original settler. had 14 acres of the Meadow Grant
of 1647. He and his brother, Francis, were in Charlestown before 1640. Francis went to Woburn by 1642, and
was a deacon of the church there. Thomas went to Lynn,
and came to Redding at about the time of its incorporation. In the list of early members, after Francis Smith
are the names of Deacons Cowdrey, Kendall, Parker
and Pearson. He was a selectman for many years, and
a very influential citizen.
The homestead of Thomas Kendall and his wife
Rebecca was near Church and Cedar Streets, Wakefield. This couple had no sons, but eight daughters who
married, settled in Redding, and have many descendants
Brock, John (Rev.) 1682 b. in Stradbrook, England, in 1620 ; came over
in 1637; graduated at Har. Coll. in 1646; preached first in
Rowley ; afterwards at the Isle of Shoals, and settled in Reading in 1662, as successor of Rev. Samuel Haugh, whose widow
he married. (She was Sarah, dau. of Rev. Zachariah Symms of
Charlestown.)
Parker, Thomas (Deacon) the father-in-law of my 8th great grandmother 1683 First settled in Saugus He embarked from London, March 11, 1635, in the
Susan and Ellen fitted out by Sir Richard Saltonstall.
Fellow passengers were Richard Saltonstall jr. with wife
and children. Thomas Parker became a freeman May 17, 1637.
He was about twenty-five years of age on his arrival in New England.
Perhaps he had been married in England [they married on December 25, 1635 Lynn, MA - RWT], for there is no record
of his wife Amy (Aylesworth, born in 1615 Redding) here. They had eleven children.
He was a deacon from the organization of the Redding Church until his death, a period of nearly forty
years. He was a selectman for several terms and a Commissioner with Deacons Cowdrey and Kendall to end
small causes. He died on August 12, 1683, and his wife Amy died on January 1, 1690.
His is the oldest gravestone in the cemetery in Wakefield. Lieut. Hananiah Parker (his son) married my 8th great grandmother,
Elizabeth Browne on September 30, 1663 in Redding, MA.
Dunton, Thomas 1683
Dunton, Samuel Jr. 1684
Tower, Thomas 1684
Kendall, Thomas (Deacon) 1684
Fitch, Samuel 1685
Dunton, Samuel 1685
Merrow, Henry, 1685
Tower, Henry 1685
Marshall, Thomas 1689 Sailed from London in 1635 on the James. His Redding homestead was on the knoll north-east of the Wakefield Town Hall. Latter he went to England and became a
captain in the Army of the Commonwealth. On his
return to New England, he was a representative from
Lynn during 1659, '60, '63, '64 and was elected
lieutenant of the Lynn Company in 1657. he bought
the famous Anchor Tavern of Joseph Armitage. He was a member of the Ancient and Honorable
Artillery Company
Walker, Shubal1 1689
Cowdrey, William 1687 - early settlers. He was born in Weymouth, England, in 1602 ; sailed
for New England from Southampton, and arrived in
Lynn about 1630. He was the first town-clerk of Red-
ding, a deacon, chairman of the selectmen, and a com-
missioner to end small causes, from the organization of
the church and town until his death in 1687 at the age of eighty-five years, a period of
forty-five years.
Walker, Richard 1687 in Lynn - According to several depositions, he was born in 1612.
Gov. Winthrop speaks of his being in Salem in 1629.
In the suit of Lynn vs. Dexter (Essex Court), Richard
Walker testified that the Governor gave him and others
leave to go where they would and that he was one of the
first to go to Lynn. He was ensign of the Lynn Company in 1631 when
the Taratine Indians made a night attack on the Town.
Richard Walker served with other Lynn men in the
Pequot War. He became a skilled surveyor and in
1638/9 by order of the Town, he and Daniel Howe
laid out the lots in Lynn Village and the farms in Lynn
Fields.
The land between Elm Street and the Greate Pond
was his homestall. The great width of Elm Street indi-
cates that it was used as a training field for the company
of which he was the first captain.
In 1666, Richard Walker moved to the North End in
Boston. He and Hon. Hezekiah Usher, Chairman of
the Boston Selectmen, were trustees of the Old North
Church to secure and hold a house for the Rev. Increase
Mather. This burned during the Great Fire of 1676
and the house that replaced it became the home of Paul
Revere and has been restored.
Colson, Adam 1687 - early settlers
Gould, John 1687
Brock, John (Rev.) 1688 - 3rd pastor of the church
Burnap, Robert Sr, 1689
Burnap, Thomas Sr. 1691
Walker, Robert Sr, 1689
Smith, Benjamin 1691
Tayler, ThOhomas 1691
Hooper, William Jr. 1692
Clark, Thomas 1693
Hartshorne, Benjamin 1694
Fitch, Joseph 1694
Tayler, Edward 1694
Eaton, John 1695
Burnap, Robert Jr. 1695
Smith, William Jr. 1692
Parker, John (Sergt.)
Parker, John 1699
Feltch, Henry 1699 was given 9 acres of the Meadow
Grant. He was a proprietor in Gloucester, sold his land
there in 1639, settled in Watertown in 1642, and came
to Redding in 1647 where he was a selectman in 1647,
'48 and '51. In 1648 he mortgaged his lot in Redding
for £30 to John Batchelder of Dedham. In 1653 it was
discharged and John Batchelder was then described as
of Redding. Henry Felch died in 1699
Upton, John 1699
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