were: vSamuel, born Feb. 24, 1764; Obadiah,
May 28, 1766: Elizabeth, March 3, 1768 (died
in infancy) ; Elizabeth (2), Feb. 7, 1769; and
Nathaniel, May, 1777.
(VI) Samuel Sampson, son of John, born
Feb. 24, 1764, in the town of Middleboro,
married Polly Bryant (intentions published
Jan. 27, 1789). Their children were: John
born Dec. 27, 1789; Samuel, Aug. 14, 1793
Lydia, Dec. 4, 1795; John, April 24, 1798
Marv, Mav 31, 1800; Polly, May 23, 1805
Betsey, April 18, 1806; Jane, Dec. 5, 1808
Richard, Nov. 13, 1811; and Ira, March 23,
1815.
SOUTHEASTEEN MASSACHUSETTS
1035
(VII) Eichard Sampson, son of Samuel,
born Nov. 13, 1811, in the tow-n of Middleboro,
grew to manhood there. He made farming his
life occupation, and owned a large tract of
land north of the center of the town where he
had built a fine house, and made other im-
provements. He was one of the best-known
and most highly respected men of that section.
He was quite active in public life, and held
several town offices, and served as a member
of the State Legislature. During his term in
the Legislature he died from the effects of a
shock, and was taken home and buried in
Nemasket cemetery, Middleboro. He mar-
ried Mary Ann Wood (intentions published
April 30, 1831), daughter of George and
Lvdia (Tucker) Wood. Mrs. Sampson died
at the home of her son, George E., in 1809,
and was buried beside her husband.
(VIII) George E. Sampson, son of Eichard,
was^ educated in the local schools and in Peirce
Academy, graduating from the latter. He
worked at home on the farm, and was still in
his teens when he went West, locating in Illi-
nois, where he worked at different occupations,
including school teaching. After spending
three years there he returned to his native
town and started in the business of manufac-
turing brick. He bought a tract of land not
far from the center, where he erected kilns
and became extensively engaged. He later sold
his interests to the New England Brick Com-
pany, and became that company's superintend-
ent, a position he held for eleven years, when
he resigned. Since then he has been engaged
in selling brick.
Mr. Sampson was appointed by the will of
the late Thomas S. Peirce as one of the
trustees of his estate, which trust he is filling
with credit. Mr. Sampson is a stanch Repub-
lican, and has served two terms as a member
of the General Court of the State, in 1904 and
1905. He served on the committees on Public
Health and State House. He is a trustee and
vice president of the Middleboro Savings
Bank, and a director of the Middleboro Na-
tional Bank.
In 1875 Mr. Sampson was married to Clara
J. LeBaron, daughter of John Burt LeBarop,
and they have two children: (1) Harvey L. B.
was educated in the public and high schools
of Middleboro, graduating from the latter as
valedictorian of his class; Dartmouth College,
where he was valedictorian of his class, and the
law department of Harvard University, also
as valedictorian of his class. He is now prac-
ticing his profession in Boston. He is un-
married. (2) George Arthtir was educated in
the local and high schools and Dartmouth
College, and is a civil engineer, connected
with William Wheeler, of Boston, the well-
known constructing engineer and owner of
water works. Mrs. Sampson is a member of
one of the oldest families of Plymouth county,
that of LeBaron, and a sketch of this family's
history, beginning with the earliest known
American ancestor down to the present, is
given below in detail, the generations appear-
ing in chronological order.
LeBAEON (Middleboro family). For gen-
erations there have resided in the ancient town
of Middleboro the posterity of him of whose
antecedents so little was knovai, yet whose
personality was of such mold as to have
prompted a brilliant writer to make him the
hero of one of her novels, "A Nameless Noble-
man," by Jane Austin. Eeference is made to
some of the descendants of Francis LeBaron
of Plymouth ; among these and to which
branch this article is especially directed is the
family of the late Hon. John Burt LeBaron,
whose life work in the community in which
much of his career was passed was of such a
character as to have left its impress upon
society, forming a most creditable page in the
annals of Middleboro. He, too, founded and
partially developed an extensive and success-
ful business, which has given employment to
hundreds if not thousands of people during the
past fifty and more years, his sons John Bay-
lies and the late Eugene P. LeBaron and since
the latter's death his son and namesake,
Eugene Leonard LeBaron, who from young
manhood have sustained the family reputation
in citizenship, carrying it forward to still
greater proportions.
And it is worthy of note, and a matter in
which the LeBar.ons may take just and par-
donable pride, to here state that through the
LeBarons's allied marriage connections many
of them have descent or connection with the
'"Mayflower" blood and that of some of the
first families of ancient Plymouth, among
them those of Warren, Griswold, Bradford,
Cushman, Bartlett and DeWolf. There fol-
lows in chronological order from the first
American ancestor the LeBaron lineage and
genealogy.
(I) Francis LeBaron, of whom the first rec-
ord evidence in this country is in the records
of Plymouth at the time of his marriage, ac-
cording to family tradition came to New Eng-
land in this wise; A French privateer, fitted
out at Bordeaux and cruising on the Ameri-
can coast, was wrecked in Buzzards Bay ; the
1036
SOUTHEASTEKN MASSACHUSETTS
crew were taken prisoners and carried to Bos-
ton; in passing through Plymouth, the sur-
geon, Francis LeBaron, was detained by sick-
ness, and on his recovery performed a surgical
operation so successfully that the inhabitants
of the town petitioned the executive. Lieuten-
ant Governor Stoughton, for his release, that
he might settle among them. The petition was
granted, and he practiced his profession in that
town and vicinity until the time of his death.
Dr. Francis LeBaron was born in 1668, in
France. He came to New England as above
narrated and married Sept. 6, 1695, Mary,
born April 7, 1668, daughter of Edward and
Elizabeth (Fames) Wilder, of Hingham. He
died Aug. 8, 1704, in Plymouth. After this
event, Dec. 10, 1707, his widow married Re-
turn Waite, born in 1678, in Boston, who
died in Plymouth Oct. 3, 1751. Dr. LeBaron's
children were : James, born May 23, 1696 ;
Lazarus, born Dec. 26, 1698 ; and Francis,
born June 13, 1701.
Edward Wilder, of Hingham, was the son
of Thomas and Martha Wilder, of Shiplake,
Oxfordshire, England. He was in Hingham,
Massachusetts Bay, in November, 1638, on the
arrival of his mother from England in the
ship "Confidence," from the port of Southamp-
ton.
(II) James LeBaron, born May 23, 1696,
in Plymouth, Mass., married Nov. 3, 1720,
Martha Benson, of Middleboro, Mass. Mr.
LeBaron was a farmer, and resided on the
farm in Middleboro which .had been be-
queathed to him by his father, Francis, in his
will. He died May 10, 1744, and his widow
remarried, marrying May 15, 1745, William
Parker. His children were: James, born Dec.
22, 1721, who died Sept. 16, 1725; John, bom
April 2, 1724; James, born Dec. 10, 1726;
Joshua, born Oct. 10, 1729; Martha, born
April 9, 1732, who died when young; Francis,
born Dec. 20, 1734, who died July 8, 1761;
Mary, born Aug. 9, 1737; David, born April
27, 1740; and Lydia, born Jan. 26, 1743, who
died, when young.
(III) John LeBaron, born April 2, 1724,
married Feb. 23, 1748, Mary Raymond, of
Middleboro, Mass. He held a part of his
father's farm in Middleboro, Mass., and re-
sided there. He died Aug. 1, 1801. His wife
Mary died March 25, 1791. Their children
were: Abiezer, born July 4, 1749 (soldier of
the Revolution); John, born April 10, 1750;
Zebulon. horn Dec. 6, 1752; Eunice, born Nov.
4, 1761; Joshua, born Nov. 6, 1763 (died Aug.
4, 1793); Levi, born Oct. 14, 1765; Chloe,
born Aug. 8, 1773; Mary, barn Julv 9, 1775.
(IV) Levi LeBaron, born Oct. 14, 1765,
married Aug. 12, 1787, Temperance Morse,
born Aug. 12, 1767. They resided in Middle-
boro, Mass. Mr. LeBaron died July 20, 1820,
and Mrs. LeBaron Aug. 28, 1829. Their
children were : John, born Oct. 18, 1788 ; Ziba,
born Dec. 27, 1789; Waitstill, born Jan. 30,
1792; Joshua, born March 1, 1794; Tem-
perance, born April 17, 1796 (died June 16,
1801); Elizabeth C, born Sept. 21, 1798;
Temperance (2), born March 21, 1801; Levi,
born June 2, 1803 (died when young) ; Mary,
born April 26, 1806 (died unmarried Nov. 27,
1833) ; and Lucy, born Julv 20, 1807 (died
unmarried July 23, 1832).
(V) John LeBaron (2), born Oct. 18, 1788,
in Middleboro, Mass., married (first) Feb. 17,
1811, Sarah Burt, of Plymouth, Mass., and
after her death, which occurred Dec. 15th of
that same year, he married (second) Dec. 1,
1814, Bethany Rvder, who died Nov. 8, 1863.
Mr. LeBaron died July 10, 1879. His chil-
dren were: Sarah Burt, born July 13, 1815;
John Burt, born Sept. 19, 1817; Bethany, born
July 17, 1819 (died May 17, 1823) ; Ziba, born
Aug. 3, 1824; Bethany Weston, born March
26, 1826; Almeda Allen, born Aug. 26, 1828;
and Hannah W., born Feb. 26, 1833. The
father in his earlier life lived in that part of
Middleboro called Rock. Later in life he lived
in Middleboro Village. He was an iron mold-
er, and fully conversant with all departments
of the iron business. He carried on farming in
connection with this industry.
(VI) John Burt LeBaron, son of John and
Bethany (Ryder) LeBaron, was born Sept. 19,
1817, in Middleboro, Mass., and there passed
his boyhood in attendance at the schools of
his locality and assisting with the home work.
While yet in his teens he began work at the
Norton furnace, in a not far distant town,
serving an apprenticeship at the foundry busi-
ness. After the completion of his apprentice-
ship he continued working at his trade in
Norton for some years. From Norton he went
to Field's furnace at Taunton, Mass., and there
remained for several years working at his
trade. As the years were passing he was gain-
ing in experience and a knowledge of his occu-
pation and there was offered him the foreman-
ship in a foundry at Bourneville, a point now
within the bounds of Fall River, Mass. This
position he occupied for a couple of years,
when he went to Somerset, this State, to super-
intend the building of what became later the
Cooperative Foundry. After two years' em-
ployment in Somerset, in 1855, associated with
Samuel Tinkham, of Taunton, he established
SOUTHEASTEEX MASSACHUSETTS
1037
the foundry and business with which he was so
long afterward connected. He kept his place
of residence at Taunton until the autumn of
1859. He then purchased the Ichabod Thomas
place, in Lakeville, moved thither, and therp
resided for the next five or six years, when
he removed to Middleboro, of which place
he was ever afterward a resident and for which
he always had a warm place in his heart.
The business of Tinkham & LeBaron was
conducted by those who established it until the
year 1864, and after that time for the next
twentv years by Mr. LeBaron alone, he having
purchased his partner's interest in the concern.
On Jan. 1, 1884, Mr. LeBaron was succeeded
in the business by his sons J. Baylies and
Eugene P. LeBaron, who then formed the Le-
Baron Foundry Company, the business of
which has since been continued and been devel-
oped by the infusion of the younger blood with
their enterprise and public spirit to greater
proportions, and the reputation of the family
sustained.
John Burt LeBaron, a man of large, robust
physique, had a corresponding positive nature,
and whatever he undertook he did with a
might, throwing into it his whole soul and
nature.' He was a man of tremendous energy
and of strong will power, a combination that
could hardly fail in making life a success. By
his owTi exertions, from an humble beginning,
by the force of his make-up he steadily forged
his way to the front and became a man of
wealth, position and influence in the com-
munity in which he moved. As a member of
society he was respected and beloved. While of
a very active temperament, earnest and im-
pulsive, at times even impetuous, and stern,
he had a social side, was of a cheerful disposi-
tion, was fond of telling and hearing a good
story and joke. He was a man, too, of marked
generosity and liberality. He was sincere in
whatever he did, frank and candid so that
everyone knew where to find him — how he
stood in this matter or that.
Mr. LeBaron was an incorporator and di-
rector of the Domestic Needle Company, and
its successor, the Union Needle Company, in
which he held a fourth interest. He was one
of the trustees, and on the board of investment
of the Middleboro Savings Bank. He became
the possessor of considerable land in Middle-
boro, laid out many village lots and erected
quite a number of houses upon them. He was
the first to engage in the coal business in Mid-
dleboro.
Mr. LeBaron's political affiliations were with
the Democratic party. He represented Middle-
boro in the lower house of the Massachusetts
General Court in 1875. He was a member of
Assawampsett Division, Sons of Temperance,
at Middleboro, and during the temperance re-
form movement was active in its support. He
was for years a member of the board of
trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church at
Middleboro, served as one of the building com-
mittee of the present ediiice, and as well con-
tributed liberally toward it, and to the support
of the church he was a generous giver. He
became a member of that church in 1877, be-
came a steward and trustee, sustaining such
relations to the church at the time of his
death. He was for many years a prominent
member of Mayflower Lodge, A. F. & A. M.,
of Middleboro, of Adoniram Chapter, at New
Bedford, and of Sutton Commandery.
On Aug. 16, 1841, Mr. LeBaron was mar-
ried to Keziah, born Aug. 9, 1818, daughter of
Charles and Keziah (Rounds) Baylies, of
Taunton, Mass. She died Oct. 10, 1861, and
Mr. LeBaron married (second) July 3, 1865,
Mary J. (Chace) Rose, born Dec. 22, 1823, in
Dighton, Mass. She survived her husband,
dying Feb. 28, 1896. His children were (all
born to the first marriage) : Adelaide, born
May 19, 1842, who died Dec. 8, 1843; John
Baylies, boVn Jan. 4', 1845; Maria C, born
Jan. 18, 1847; Eugene P., born Jan. 16, 1849;
Charles H., born Sept. 14, 1851, who died July
31, 1853; Clara J., born Jan. 7, 1855, who
married George R. Sampson; and Harriet J.,
born Dpc. 2, 1857, who died July 30, 1860.
ANSON CHURCHILL PECKHAM,M.D.,
physician and surgeon, of Fall River, who
has been in practice in that location through-
out his professional life, a period of over thirty
years, was born in Bristol county, at Somer-
set, Sept. 3, 1855, and comes from one of the
old New England families. His first ancestor
in America was John Peckham, f];om whom he
is a descendant in the eighth generation, his
line being through William, William (2),
William (3), Peleg, Henry and Reuben Mor-
ton Peckham.
The Peckhams get their name from the
parish of Peckham in the County of Kent,
England. In Saxon "ham" signified home or
town, so Peckham would be the town of Peck
or the home of Peck. It is supposed that the
family came originally from Scandinavia, and
when the Normans came to England, in the
eleventh century, became established there.
Variations of the name are Peccam, Peckham
and Pecham. John Peckham, who was Arch-
bishop of Canterbury from 1279 to 1292, is
1038
SOUTHEASTERN MASSACHUSETTS
generally considered the founder of the family.
In 1127, however, there was one Robert Peck-
ham chaplain to King Henry I., and he may
have been an ancestor of the Archbishop. Sir
Edmund Peckham, one of the Archbishop's
descendants, was master of the mint to Queen
Elizabeth and was knighted in 1542. He lived
in Buckinghamshire. His son. Sir George
Peckham, was a merchant adventurer and with
Sir Henry Gilbert and Sir Richard Greenville
and Christopher Carlile went on a trip of ex-
ploration in' 1574. The party reached the
Newfounde-landes (now Newfoundland)" and
came down the coast of Nortli America.
Another Peckham, named John like the
Archbishop, came to this country some time
before 1638. He is the ancestor of the family
in America to-day, and is probably descended
from Sir George, the adventurer. Not very
much is known of liis history, but it is said
that he was tlie younger son of a titled family,
and he came here with Anne Hutchinson and
her husband, who lived in England at Alford,
one of the manors granted to Sir Edmund.
For these reasons it is supposed that he be-
longed to the big English family of Peckhams
founded by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
(I) Jolm Peckham, founder of the family in
America, settled in Rhode Island and was
noted as a zealous Baptist. He was at New-
port in 1638. In 1648 he was registered as
one of the ten male members of the First
Baptist Church in Newport in full com-
munion. He was twice married and was the
father of twelve children.
(II) William Peckham, son of John, born
in 1647, married Susannah or Elizabeth
Clarke, daughter of Joseph Clarke, and lived
in Newport, R. I., where he was deputy to
the General Assembly in 1696-98. He was
ordained pastor of the First Baptist Church
of Newport, and is supposed to have been the
first Baptist minister ordained on this conti-
nent. His second wife was Pliebe Weeden,
daughter of William Weeden, and she died in
Middletown in 1745. His children, born to
the first marriage, were: William, Samuel,
Mary, Phebe and Deborah.
(ill) William Peckham (2), son of Wil-
liam, was born Aug. 30, 1675, and engaged
in farming all of his life in Middletown, dy-
ing Jan. 18, 1764, in his eiglity-ninth year.
He was admitted a freeman of Newport, R. I.,
in 1704, and was a member of the First
Baptist Church of New^^ort in 1751. He was
deputy to the General Court that met in May,
1707. He was married Jan. 10, 1703, to
Marv Tew, born Oct. 12, 1680, daughter of
Henry and Dorcas Tew, and she died May
3, 1753, in her seventy-third year. She was
the mother of five children: Mary, born Sept.
7, 1704; William; Dorcas, born July 3, 1709;
Henry, born Feb. 86, 1711; and Elisha, born
May 8, 1716.
(IV) William Peckham (3), born Sept. 3,
1706, married June 22, 1736, Phebe, born
Nov. 14, 1717, daughter of James and Mary
(Cook) Barker. They lived in Middletown,
R. I. He died April 12, 1784, and she passed
away Nov. 10, 1757. Their children were:
William, born Feb. 3, 1737; Elisha, born in
1738; Peleg, born in 1739; Mary, born in
1741;i ar(d Phebe, born in 1743 (married
Nov. 8, 1767, Elisha Barker).
(V) Peleg Peckham, born in 1739, mar-
ried Oct. 25, 1772, Elizabeth Smith, and their
children of Middletown town record, accord-
ing to Arnold, were : Edward Smith, born Aug.
1, 1773; Henry, born Dec. 27, 1780; Mary,
horn April 4, 1783; Peleg, born Oct. 13, 1785;
Elizabeth, born Sept. 10, 1788; Elisha, born
May 5, 1790; and Phebe, born June 21, 1792.
(VI) Henry Peckham, born Dec. 27, 1780,
married April 20, 1803, Esther Gould, of
Middletown, R. I., daughter of Nicholas
Gould, of South Kingstown, and tlieir children
of Middletown (R. I.) town record were:
Lvdia B., born Dec. 1, 1803 ; Henry, June 17,
1805; Edward S., June 11, 1807; Nicholas
Alfred, June 20, 1809; Abbie Ardeline, Aug.
14, 1811; Esther Gould, July 21, 1813; Eliza-
beth Gardiner, June 6, 1815 ; James Monroe,
May 14, 1817; Sophia L. R., April, 1819;
Esther Robbins, May 11, 1821; Reuben Mor-
ton, Sept. 17, 1823; Mary Ann Sophia, Sept.
30, 1825 ; and Sarah, May 6, 1829. The father
was a farmer and during the war of 1812 per-
formed military duty in the service of his
country.
(VII) Reuben Morton Peckham, son of
Henry, was born in the old Dudley house in
Middletown, and was quite young when the
family moved to Newport, living there a short
time. He came to Fall River when about seven
years old and here attended the common
schools. When only eleven he went to work in
the new Pocasset Mill, where he tended cards-
for about a year and a half. He then changed
to the calico works, also in Fall River, and
later to the American Print Works, and when
about eighteen went to Middleboro, where for
two years he was engaged in farming with his
father. Returning to Fall River, in 1842, he
learned the carpenter's trade with Southard H.
Miller, formerly of Middleboro, with whom he
served for two and a half years. After this
SOUTHEASTERN MASSACHUSETTS
1039
lie was employed in Taunton, as carpenter
and pattern-maker, by the William Mason
Machine Company, continuing in their employ
twelve years. For a number of years following
he was engaged at house carpentry in Somer-
set, Taunton, Bridgewater and Fall River, and
was also employed in a stove foundry in Somer-
set as pattern-maker. For several years before
retiring he was machine carpenter in the Nar-
ragansett Mills in Fall River. He withdrew
from active business pursuits in 1903. His
death occurred July 4, 1911.
On Oct. 25, 1846, Mr. Peckham was mar-
ried in Middleboro to Elizabeth Pope Church-
ill, daughter of Anson Sprague and Betsey
(Collins) Churchill, of New Bedford, and
they had a happy married life of almost fifty-
six years, Mrs. Peckham dying in Fall River
June 25, 1902. Seven children were born to
this union, namely: (1) Hannah Esther, born
Oct. 16, 1847, in Middleboro, died in Fall
River Jan. 28, 1889. On Oct. 19, 1874, she mar-
ried Ariel B. Bessey, of Fall River, and they
had one daughter, Ariella, born Oct. 10, 1877,
who lives in Fall River. (2) Adelaide Eudora,
born Jan. 24, 1850, in Taunton, died unmar-
ried Aug. 2, 1884, in Fall River. (3) Char-
lotte Helen, born Feb. 7, 1852, in Taunton,
died in Fall River March 1, 1877, unmarried.
(4) Anson Churchill is mentioned below. (5)
Alton Norton, born May 5, 1860, in Fall
River, was married Sept. 7, 1882, to Mary Ha-
worth Preston, of Fall River. They have no
children. (6) Abbie Adelia, born June 2,
1862, in Fall River, married Herbert L. King-
man, of Brockton, of the firm of Kingman &
Swift. (7) Mabel Louise, born Oct. 7, 1868,
in Fall River, married Feb. 1, 1894, Frederick
L. 'Stiff, of Fall River, and has had two child-
ren: Frederick Kenneth, born Aug. 15, 1896;
and Churchill Keith, born Dec. 14, 1899.
Mr. and Mrs. Peckham were members of the
Second Baptist Clnircli of Fall River. Dur-
ing his young manhood Mr. Peckhaiii was a
good singer and was very much interested in
music; he played several instruments. He in-
clined to the principles of the Republican
party, but was independent in voting, and
never took any active part in politics. In
1844 he raised the flag-pole at the old Bell
schoolhouse in West Middleboro.
(VIII) Anson Churchill Peckharfi received
his primary and academic education in the
public schools of Fall River, and later received
private instruction, studying to prepare him-
self for entrance to medical college. He was
â– under the preceptorship of Dr. Isaac Smith,
Jr., during this preparatory period, at the
same time taking care of the Doctor's horses,
collecting his bills, keeping his books and at-
tending him upon all of his night rides, for
which he received his instruction and five dol-
lars a week. In 1875 he attended his first
course of medical lectures at Dartmouth Col-
lege, and took his second in 1877, being gradu-
ated from that institution Oct. 30, 1877. Dur-
ing all this time he had no outside assistance,
paying his own way and successfully combin-
ing work and study. On Nov. 3, 1877, he
commenced practice in Fall River, which has
ever since been the field of his work. He was
first located in the Troy building with his
former preceptor, and in 1878 they moved
their office to North Main street, in 1880,
however, returning to the Troy building. Dr.
Peckham continued to practice in partnership
with Dr. Smith until the latter's death, in
1882. On May 20th of that year he established
his office in the "Ridings House" on Bedford
street, where he remained for a little over five
years, in August, 1889, buying and removing
to his present place, at the corner of Purchase
and Cherry streets.
Dr. Peckham has attained more than aver-
age success in his profession and has filled a
position of wide usefulness in the community,
not only as a physician but also in his capacity
as a private citizen. However, he is probably
best known as a medical man, having served
for about nineteen years on the medical and