many years a stage line between Concord &
Boston and between Xashua and Lowell.
W"hen the railroad was built he was offered a
])osition as conductor of the first train, but he
refused. He sold his business to the railroad
company, but afterward bought it back, but
soon sold it again, and then operated a line
from Nashua to Lowell, which he sold. Then
he conducted a hack stable in Lowell, Massa-
chusetts. When he finallj' retired from busi-
ness he made his home in Charlestown, re-
moved thence to Somcrville, later to Dor-
chester, and finally in Chicopee Falls. Massa-
ciiusetts, where he died at the advanced age
of eighty-seven years. He was a shrewd and.
successful business man, industrious, enter-
prising and capable. He was highly esteemed
for his hearty and genial disposition, his good
nature and integrity. When a young man he
served in the state militia in Concord. New
Hampshire. In politics he was a Republican
and in religion a Congregationalist. He mar-
ried Charlotte Clark, born about 1812, died at
seventy-nine years of age in Somerville, Mass-
achusetts. Children: i. Adelaide, deceased;
married Clark Smith, of P.oston : she was
buried in Walthani. Massachusetts. 2. Charles
Frederick, born February 11, 1846, menticjned
below.
(Xni) Charles Frederick, son of William
C2) Farwell, was born in Lowell, February 11,
1846, and educated there in the public and
high schools and the McKoy jjrivate school.
In 1861 he removed with his father to Charles-
town, Boston. In \W^â– ^, he enlisted in the civil
war in the Second Massachusetts Heavy .Artil-
lery at the age of sixteen and served until the
end of the war. He engaged in the leather
business on Atlantic avenue, Boston, for a
number of years, then established himself in
his present business at Chicopee Falls, with the
firm of D. B. Griggs & Sons, dealers in all
kinds of lumber and box shooks. They make
a specialty of cloth boards and bicycle crates.
Mr. Farwell has been with this firm since 1893.
In politics he is a Republican. He belongs to
no clubs and is undenominational in religion.
He is unmarried.
The surname Crosby is of very
CROSBY ancient English origin. It is
derived from two English words
Cross and By (bury, burghor borough), mean-
ing the town of the cross. There are eight
old towns in England named Crosby. \\'e
find the name used as a surname from the
very beginning of the use of surnames in Eng-
land. In 1204 Ode de Crosseby was constable
of Tikehall, in Yorkshire, near the Notting-
ham line, and as early as 1220 we find Simon
de Crtjsscby in Lancashire. The name Simon
has continued in frec|uent use among his cle-
>cen<lants to the present day, and he is un-
doubtedly the progenitor of the American
family. The Crosby coat-of-arms of ancient
but unknown history is : Per chevron a sable
and argent three goats pana, countercharged.
(I ) Simon Crosby, immigrant ancestor, was
born in England in 1608. He was a husband-
man. He sailed from England in April, 1635,
in the ship "'Susan & Ellen" with his wife
.•\inie, then aged twenty-five years, and young
son Thomas. He settled in Cambridge and
was a proprietor there as early as February 8,
1735-36. He was admitted a freeman in 1636
and was selectman of the town. He had sev-
eral grants of land. His estate is what was
known later as the Brattle place, having passed
into the hands of Rev. William Brattle, and
on one of the lots was erected the famous old
Brattle House. He died September, 1639, aged
thirty-one years. The inventory of his estate
was taken November 15, 1645, by John Bridge
and Richard Jackson. W'idow Anne yielded to
the three sons, Thomas, Simon and Jose])h,
certain portions .September 22, 1745, and she
married (second) Rev. William Thompson, of
Braintree. Children: i. Thomas, born 1635.
2. .Simon. .August, 1637, mentioned below. 3.
Joseph, February, 1639-40.
(II) Simon (2), son of Simon (i) Crosby,
was born in .August, 1637, in Cambridge, died
there January 22, 1725-26. He was admitted
a freeman in 1668; was deputy to the general
court in 1692-97-98. He settled in Billerica
near Bare Hill to the north and became a large
land owner and prosperous inn-keejjer of that
town. He was for many years one of the
foremost citizens. His will was proved in
1725-26; sons Thomas and Josiah executors.
He married. July 15, 1659, Rachel Brackett,
daughter of Deacon Richard Brackett, of
Braintree. Children, born in Billerica: i.
Rachel. Augu.st 20, 1660, married, January 6,
1685, Stephen Kidder, z. Sinmn, 1663, mar-
I St
MASSACHUSETTS.
•; (second) March i6,
ried Hannah —
1702-03, Abigail Parker. 3. Thomas, March
10, 1665-66. 4. Joseph, July 5, 1669. 5. Han-
nali, March 30, 1672, married Samuel Dan-
forth. 6. Nathan, February 9, 1674-75, men-
tioned below. 7. Josiah, November 11, 1677.
8. Mary, November 23, 1680, married John
Blanchard. 9. Sarah, July 27, 1684, married,
October 26, 1706, Rawson.
(HI) Nathan, son of Simon (2) Crosby,
was born in Billerica, February 9, 1674-75,
died April 11, 1749. He married, September
28, 1706, Sarah Shed, who died March 8,
1746-47, daughter of John Shed, of Billerica.
Children, born at Billerica: i. Nathan, April
5, 1708. 2. Rachel, March 30, 1710, married
Peter Hill. 3. Dorothy, April 9, 1712, mar-
ried Benjamin Whiting. 4. Catherine, Febru-
ary 18, 1713-14. 5. Oliver, January 21, 1716-
17, mentioned below. 6. Mary, May 17, 1722,
married John Parker.
(I\ ) Oliver, son of Nathan Crosby, was
born in Billerica, January 21, 1716-17, died
February 27, 1746-47. He married Rebecca
. Children, born at Billerica: i. Re-
becca. April 23, 1743, married, April 13, 1786,
Malachi .Mien, of Carlisle. 2. Oliver, Sep-
tember 17, 1744, mentioned below. 3. Josiah,
April 20, 1746.
(V) Lieutenant Oliver (2), son of Oliver
(i) Crosby, was born in Billerica, September
17, 1744, died there September 17, 1825. He
was a farmer and lived on the homestead on
the Boston road. In .March, 1777, he was
one of a committee to recruit soldiers for the
continental army. He was town clerk four-
teen years, from 1785 to 1796, and in 1803-04.
He was selectman fifteen years, 1786 to 1796,
1800-01-03-04; deputy to the general court
in 1799, 1801-04. He was a soldier in the
revolution, lieutenant of the third Billerica
company. Colonel Green's regiment, and
marched to Lexington on the alarm, April 19,
1775- lis ^^'''*' St the fight in Concord and
afterwards was on duty at Cambridge. He
owned pew 41 in the church, for which he
paid $120.50, in December, 1797. He served
as deacon of the church. He married, March
17, 1768, Rachel Stickney, of T'illerica, born
April I. 1746, daughter of Daniel and Mary
(Hill) Stickney. Her father was captain dur-
ing the Indians wars. Children: i. Oliver,
born March 17, 1769, died July 29, 1851 ;
graduate of Harvard College, 1795; settled
in Dover, New Hampshire; married Harriet
Chase. 2. Michael, May 3, 1771, mentioned
below. 3. Josiah, February 8, 1777, died July
27, 1829: married, October 16, 1803, Betsey
Hartwell. 4. Rachel, December 25, 1779, died
November 12, 1795. 5. Elizabeth, July 30,
1782. married, June 5, 1810, John Wheeler.
(\'I) Michael, son of Oliver (2) Crosby,
was born in Billerica, May 3. 1771, died at
Bedford, February 13, 1836. He received a
common school education and remained at
home until he was of age. He removed to
Andover soon after his marriage, and con-
ducted a farm about six years. He then re-
moved to Littleton and jnirchased a farm in
the south part of the town, remaining about
five years, and thence going to Bedford in
1806. He bought a four hundred acre farm
in what was known as the Gookin grant in
the east part of the town, the Shawsheen river
dividing it. It was formerly an Indian camp,
and relics were often found there. He became
prominent in town and church. He was elected
deacon of the orthodox church of Bedford,
July 15, 1817, serving up to the time of his
death. \Mien the church controversy occurred
he was among those who adhered to the Trini-
tarian faith, and did all he could to aid the
new church. He purchased pews, three on
the main floor and one in Hie gallery, paying
nearly four hundred dollars. It is said that
when the controversy was at its height, one
faction confiscated the communion service one
Saturday night. Deacon Crosby went to the
village store and bought a pitcher and mugs,
from which communion was served the follow-
ing morning. I le was progressive and public-
spirited and held in high esteem by his towns-
men. He married, March 27, 1792, Asenath
Blanchard. of P.illerica. born March 17, 1768.
died April 23, 1812, daughter of Simon and
Rebecca (Sheldon) Blanchard, of Billerica.
He married (second) May 19, 1816, Lucy
Swain. Children, all by first wife: i. Michael,
born April 29, 1793, married, April 29. 1816.
Margaret (Tufts) Farmer. 2. Asenath. An-
dover, June 6. 1794, died June 24, 1811. 3.
l^'rederick, Andover, September 2, 1795. 4-
Rachel, July 15. 1797, married. May 21. 1818,
Nathan Simonds. 5. Mary, July 19, 1799,
married, November 11, 1823, Luther Eaton.
6. Loammi, Littleton, October 2, 1801, mar-
ried Rebecca Jackson, and had two daughters:
Rebecca, born 1833. married S. S. Stevens and
had a son. Holly Stevens, of Boston; Eliza,
married John White. 7. Louisa, June 18,
1803, married, September 29, 1822, John
Powers. 8. George, ^L-lrch 6. 1805, mentioned
below. 9. Artemas, Bedford. November 27,
1806, died May 27. 1814. 10. Franklin, Sep-
fl
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^'^/^em'/'fCK (i>/<oJr/j
7
Zi<fOf/ff lOroJ/'u
II fV/fn/// KOf^OM'tj
7
MASSACHL'SKTTS.
159
tember 22, 1808, died December 12, 1819. 11.
Asenath, April 23, 181 2.
(VII) George, son of Michael Crosby, was
bom at Littleton, March 6, 1805, died at Bos-
ton, April 16, 1870, at the age of sixty-five
years, ten days. He removed with his parents
to Bedforil. He had a common school educa-
tion, and on the death of his father purchased
the homestead of the other heirs. He con-
ducted the farm and the raising of milk was
the chief industry. In 1837 he sold his farm
to his brother (Michael) and bought an ad-
joining farm in Bedford; he later bought the
old Blodgett mill property on Shawsheen river ;
he sold the latter in 1845 and in 1846 bought
the Johnson farm in Burlington ; he soon sold
this property to Rev. Frothingham, of Boston,
and the same year he bought the Crosby home-
stead farm residing on the same for five years ;
when he removed to Charlestown and thence
to Boston, where he spent the latter years of
his life. In 1857 he purchased stall 60 in
Faneuil Hall Market, and sold beef and pork
with David Simonds as partner, under the
firm name of Crosby & Simonds. In i860 Mr.
Simonds retired from the firm, and Mr.
Crosby bought his interests and admitted his
two .sons, Frank M. and William Crosby, to
partnership. Two years later Frank M. was
succeeded by his brother William, and Fred-
erick Crosby bought his father's interests. Two
years later Mr. Crosby retired from the busi-
ness. He resided on xAllen street, Boston,
until he died. He was a member of the Bed-
ford Congregational Orthodox church, an
active worker and liberal supporter of its
benevolences. He was generous to those in
need and he had many grateful friends among
the poor and unfortunate. He was upright
and honorable in all his dealings and never
allowed his personal gain or advantage to
deter him from the course he believed to be
right. He married, April 22, 1829, Abigail
Harriet Gleason, born January 22, 1808, died
October 3, 1884, daughter of William and
Sarah C Bacon) Gleason, of Billerica. Chil-
dren: I. Frank Michael, born January 9,
1833, mentioned below. 2. George, March 5,
1838, mentioned below. 3. William, July 6,
1840, died February u, 1880; married, Feb-
ruary 22. 1866. Florence Wyman, of Arling-
ton : harl William A\'yman, born March 3,
187 1, graduate of Massachusetts Institute of
Technolog)-. 4. Frederick, December 11, 1842,
mentioned below. 5. Mary Louise, August 5,
1848, married, January i, 1880, Frank Sid-
ney Adams, of Derry, New Hampshire. 6.
Laonii. March i, 1851, died September 10,
1875-
(VIII) Frank Michael, son of George
Crosby, was born at Bedford, January 9, 1833.
His education began in the little red school-
house some three miles from the homestead.
His home training was of the best. He began
early in life to work on the farm and acquired
habits of economy and industry that were
great factors in his later career. When he
came of age he engaged in the milk business
for a year at Charlestown, Massachusetts, then
traveled in the west for a season. On his
return he entered the employ of H. L. Law-
rence & Company, 48 Faneuil Hall Market,
dealers in game and poultry. In i860 he
entered partnership with his father and brother
William in the beef business at stall No. 60,
Faneuil Hall Market, Boston, retiring after
two years, selling his interests to his brother
Frederick. He then embarked in the butter
and cheese business at stalls 57 and 59 in the
same historic building in partnership with
George C. Nichols and Charles H. Gass under
the firm name of Nichols, Gass & Crosby. The
business was formerly owned by Howard
Emerson. After two years ]\Ir. Nichols with-
drew from the firm, selling out to his partners
and the firm name became Gass & Crosby.
The name was again changed to Gass, Crosby
& Chapin when Edward D. Chapin was ad-
mitted to partnership. In 1868 Messrs. Gass
and Chapin retired and the business was con-
tinued by Mr. Crosby and his brother Fred-
erick under the firm name of Crosby Brothers,
basement No. 1 1 being taken in addition to
the two stalls, and then enjoyed a long period
of great prosperity and success. When the
junior partner died in 1899 the business was
continued by Mr. Crosby alone. The business
was incorporated January 8. 1900, under the
laws of Massachusetts, with Frank AI. Crosby
as president and Charles H. Farnsworth as
treasurer. The company is one of the most
extensive and flourishing concerns in this line
of trade in Faneuil Hall and has an enviable
reputation for fair dealing and wise manage-
ment. Mr. Crosby is a member of Park Street
Congregational Church, Boston. In politics
he is a staunch Rejiublican. He is a member
of the Massachusetts Lodge of Free Masons ;
of St. .Andrews Cha])ter Royal Arch Masons ;
of De Molay Commandery, Knights Templar,
of Boston. He belongs to the Boston Athletic
Association, the Boston Art Club, the Metro-
politan Driving Club of Boston, the Gentle-
men's Driving Club of Readville, the Boston
i6o
MASSACHUSETTS.
Fruit and Produce Exchange and the Chamber
of Commerce. He is popular socially, and in
business of sterling character and attractive
personality. He married, October 17, 1866,
Celia B. Burnham, of Hudson, Massachusetts,
born July 29, 1842, died November 25, 1867.
They had one child, Harry Wallace, born
October 28, 1867, died February 7, 1877.
(Vni) George (2), son of George (i)
Crosby, was born at Bedford, March 5, 1838.
He was educated in the public schools of his
native town, and at Phillips Academy, .A.n-
dover, Massachusetts, and at Rev. William
Cushing's private school at Bedford. During
his boyhood he worked on his father's farm
and later entered the employ of Merriam Pear,
a grocer of Boston, as clerk. He returned to
his farm for a year and a half and then was
for two years clerk in the grocery store of
Seavey Brothers, Boston. Then for four years
he was receiver for the Suffolk Street railroad,
after which he spent a year in travel and six
months as clerk in a general store at DeWitt,
Iowa. On his return he was .appointed re-
ceiver of the Metropolitan Street Railroad
Com])any. .A year later he went west again,
buying a farm at Oconee, Illinois, and con-
ducting it for six years. He returned to Bo.s-
ton in the s])ring of 1872 and was appointed
clerk in the P>oston postoffice. .\ year later
he was appointed letter carrier in the Charles-
town district, a position he still holds. He is
one of the oldest and most capable men in the
service. For the past eighteen years he has
resided in a house that he bought at 17 Madi-
son street, Somerville. He and his family
attend the liroadway Congregational Church
of Somerville, of which he is an active mem-
ber. His wife is a member of the Winter Hill
Baptist Church of Somerville. He has been
secretary of the Sunday school at Green Val-
ley, Oconee, Illinois, and for several years a
teacher. In politics he is a Re])ublican. He
is a member of Mount Tabor Lodge of Free
Masons, East Boston: of Warren Council,
Royal .\rcanum; of the Knights of Honor;
the National Letter Carriers' .Association and
the Boston Letter Carriers' Association. He
married (first) December 25, 1866, Mary
Susan Haynes. of Charlestown. born January
12, 1841, died May 2, 1876, daughter of Will-
iam and Susan B. (Nelson) llaynes. Her
father was a carpenter. He married (second)
May 19, 1879, Clara Rosette Hall, born at
Rockland. ^Iaine, July 21. 1854, daughter of
John and Cyrcna (Piersons) iiall. Her father
was a lime burner by trade. Children of first
wife I. Harriet Louise, born March 2, 1869,
died January 15, 1909. 2. Florence, February
12, 1871, died September 19, 1884. 3. Georgina,
April 26, 1876. Children of second wife: 4.
Howard Hall, March 2, 1887, graduate of the
United States Naval Academy at .\nnapolis,
class of 1908. 5. Marion Wayland. January
28, 1889.
(VIII) Frederick, son of George (i)
Crosby, was born in Bedford, December 11.
1842, died November 15, 1899. He attended
tiic district schools of his native town, the
public schools of Charlestown after 1857 and
Comer's Commercial College, Boston. He was
clerk for a time in a provision store on Bow-
doin street, Boston. \\'hen his brother Frank
M. went west, he succeeded to his position in
the milk business and continued there until
1862, when he bought the interests of his
brother Frank M. in stall No. 60 and became
a member of the firm, engaged in the beef
trade. In 1868 he entered partnership with
his brother, Frank M. Crosby, in the produce
trade in stalls 57-59. The basement No. 11
was added to their store and the firm of Crosby
Brothers became one of the most successful
in the market. He was a member of King
Solomon Lodge of Free Masons, Charlestown ;
of St. .Andrews Chapter, Royal .Arch Masons ;
of De Molay Commandery, Knights Templar,
Boston : of the Boston Chamber of Commerce,
the Boston Fruit and Produce E.xchange, the
Boston Athletic Club, the Boston Art Club,
and was well known and highly esteemed in
all these organizations. He was absolutely
ui)right and square in all his dealings. He
was kindly, courteous and agreeable in his
manner. He possessed business ability and
good judgment. He married. May, 1868,
Georgina M. Chase, of Boston, stepdaughter
of G. H. Roberts, and daughter of his wife,
Georgina Chase, by her first husband. Their
only child was Bertha Eugenie, born March 2,
1872, married, June 5, 1895, Frank E. Derby-
shire, of Concord. .Vew Hampshire, born
.March 5, 1850.
"This surname," says Mark
MORRIS .Anthony Lower, "which is, and
has been variously written
Morriss. Morres, Morice, Morrice, Maurice,
Morys, Aloris, Morrish, Morse, * * and
which is found associated with various pre-
fixe.s, such as Fitz. Clan, Mount, De, &c.. may
be traced to various sources." "Of the Eng-
lish families of that name," observes Burke,
"there are two classes, those of native and
MASSACHUSETTS.
i6i
those of foreign extraction. The latter came
over with the Con(|ueror. Of the former the
mo.'^t ancient are derived from Wales. One
section of the foreign class had a Moorish
origin, as indeed the name expresses, and
crossed over from Africa to Europe by way
of Spain. * * With respect to the second
class of foreign origin, their name is stated
to be a corruption from Mars or Moors, the
god of war." ^Jorris is also the use of the
personal name for a surname, as is found in
various other names. It is also possible that
in some cases the English Morris may be a
corruption of the French Dumarais, Dumaresq,
latinized De Marisco. Jonathan Flynt Morris,
who compiled the Morris genealogy, docs not
attempt to trace the name of the family of
which he writes to its origin ; neither does he
trace the origin of the American family far
back into l-".ngland.
( 1 ) Lieutenant Edward Morris, the settler,
is believed to have been the son of Thomas
and Grissie (Hewsone) Morris, of Waltham
Holy Cross Abbey, in the county of Sussex,
England, and was born in August, 1630, and
baptized on the eighth day of the same month,
in the .\hbcy church, by Rev. Joseph Hall,
rector, afterwards bishop of Norwich. Xo
account of his emigration to America or that
of his parents is to be found. It is probable
that he was brought over by them in his early
childhood, and that they settled in Roxbury,
Massachusetts, where they had relationshiii
with other families. The earliest account we
have of Edward Morris in .Xmerica is foimd
in the records of Roxbury, February 23, 1652,
and is a record of the allotment to him by the
town of four acres of common land, which
grant he subsequently forfeited, not making
the improvements required. .After his mar-
riage Edward ^lorris had land in "the high-
way from Elder Heath's pasture lot by Stony
river and Gamblin"s end," now Armory and
.School streets. This locality was on the south-
eastern border of Jamaica Plain, and there he
was living in 1663, when he was ordered to
remove his fence to widen the highway. Jan-
uary 27, 1661, he was made chairman of a
committee to act with selectmen of the town
in surveying "the common land belonging to
the town." January 19, 1662, the town voted
that "no more land should be given away, but
be kept for the town's use, and Edward Morris
to have an eye that the common be not dammi-
field, and for his services in informing the
town of the bounds of their common they give
him fifteen shillings, and that he should have
half the ])ines for the year for his care of the
preservation of the common," — that is, Jamaica
Plain, i le was chosen one of the constables of
the town, January 2, 1(164. .\fterward he
]jerformed various duties, viewing fences, run-
ning lines, &c, October 13, 1666, William
Hubbard, of Ipswich, sold to Isaac Johnson
Senior, William Davis, and Edward Morris,
one hundred and eighteen acres of land in the
western |)art of Roxbury, described in the
deed as "the 13th lot of the .second allotment
of lots in the last or second division of land."
This purchase was equally divided among the
purchasers. Edward Morris's part lay on
what is now "South Street," about four miles
from Roxbury meeting house. To that land
he removed, and upon it he lived until he went
to Woodstock in 1686. He was chosen select-
man of the town at "a full town meeting," held
January 11, 1674, and was afterwards cho.sen
to that office as long as he lived in Roxbury — a
period of twelve years, with perhaps the ex-
ception of the year 1680. He had for his
associates four other leading men of the town;
but no one of them during this period was so
long continued in office. In 1674 he also served
as juror to the court of assistants. In 1676
he was appointed one of three trustees for the
high school at Jamaica Plain, and in 1678 he
was chosen deputy from Roxbury to the gen-
eral court, and was thereafter annually chosen
imtil the vacation of the colonial charter in
1686, a period of nine years. In 1686 Edward
Morris was one of the comjiany which went
out from Roxbury into the "Wappaquassett
Country, westward of the Myankesit River,"
and formed the new settlement of New Rox-
bury. now Woodstock. There Edward Morris
drew lot No. 37, containing thirty acres. The
same day there was granted Mr. Edward
Morris a twenty-acre lot. November 3 he
was one of three ciders api)ointed "to treat
young Mr. John Wilson of Medfield to come
and preach to them with a view to settlement."
and April 29, 1687, he was one of three
appointed "to treat and agree for the building
of a corn-mill." In 1688 he was a])[)ointed
chairman of a committee of seven to lay out
such highways as might be considered then
necessary or needful in the future for the
good of the town. The committee reported
seventeen highways : their report was accepted
and the highways laid out and constructed.
In 1689 Edward Morris was chosen select-
man. L'p to that time he had been mentioned