Oliver FARWELL

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On the 5th Sept. 1724, Lieut. French with ten men under his command, started for the rescue of two of their friends and townsmen, Thomas Blanchard and nathan Cross, who had been "carried off by the Indians the evening previous. Oliver Farwell was one of this company. On arriving at the place where the two men had been laboring, they found evidence that the men had been carried off alive, and concluding the captors and their prisoners could not be far distant, decided on instant pursuit. They therefore bent their way up the Merrimac till they reached what is now Thorntons Ferry. There they were waylaid, fired upon by Indians, and all killed except Josiah Farwell, nephew of Oliver, who was vigorously chased by them for some time without either gaining much advantage, till he darted into a thicket, where they lost sight of him, and fearing he might have reloaded, abandoned the pursuit. thus he alone escaped--to fall by the hand of the me savage enemy the next year. Fox says in Hist. of Dunstable, the captors were a company of French Mohawks, about seventy in number. A company immediately mustered and proceeded to the place to secure the bodies of their friends and townsmen. Eight were found, placed in coffins and buried in one caacious grave in the ancient Cemetery of Old Dunstable, now in the south part of the City of Nashua. Of the slain was Oliver Farwell, and on a small stone about two feet high is the following inscription:

OLIVER FARWELL WHO DIED SEPT. 5, 1724, IN THE 33D YEAR OF HIS AGE.

By reference to the will of his father Joseph, it will be seen that Oliver was chosen to take care of him and his wife during their natural lives; and if "he doth take the whose care of us both and to provide all things comfortable and necessary for us both in sickness and in health, and to bestow upon us, or either of us a decent burial, " he was to receive all his "housings and lands which I have in possession." The father died nearly two years before the untimely death of his son Oliver. Whether the mother was living to mourn the loss of him on whom she had leaned for support and solace in the dec line of life, we are not informed.

Mary Cummings, wife of Oliver Farwell, b. 25 Apr. 1692, was daughter of Thomas and Priscilla (Warner) Cummings of Dunstable, and grand daughter of John, Sen., and Sarah (Howlet) Cummings of Rowley, Mass. John, Sen. was freeman 1673, rem. to Dunstable 1684; 1685, was one of the founders of the Dunstable Church; selectman and town clerk. The parents of Sarah Howlet were Thomas and Alice (French) Howlet of Boston. Said Thomas Howlet is said by Savage to have come in the fleet with Winthrop 1630. He went with John Winthrop, son of Gov. W., early in 1633 to pant Ipswich, was freeman 3 Mar. 1634, and Rep. 1635.

Family/Spouse: Mary CUMMINGS. Mary was born on 25 Apr 1692. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Oliver FARWELL was born on 19 Nov 1717 in Dunstable, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts; died on 12 Feb 1808 in Dunstable, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts.

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His gravestone in the old Dunstable burying-ground bears this inscription: "Ensign Joseph Farwell died Dec. 31, 1722, in the 82d year of his age." 'The NEW ENGLAND HISTORICAL AND GENEALOGICAL REGISTER gives a Joseph Farwell, s. of Henry, b. in Concorc, 26 Dec. 1640. We know not how to reconcile this date with the inscription above. The date is precisely that of his sister Mary's birth. we can see but two possible solutions of the difficulty, one, an inaccurate statement in the inscription, and the other, the possibility that Joseph b. 26 Dec. 1640, was twin of Mary and died in infancy; and the net child born, our Ensign Joseph, was named after the deceased brother. According to Mr. J-B. Hill, he accompanied his parents on their removal from Concord to Chelmsford about 1654 at the incorporation of that town. He inherited by will of his father "The land that he hath in present possession wt 20 acres of upland lying at little tadmuck, 6 acres of upland lying in the new field," and "The remainder of my accommodations at Chelmsford after my wife's decease" only two small parcels of meadow, namely, one acre lying in the river meadow joining the meadow of Wm. Fletcher, "I give and bequeath to Mary Bates my dauter and one acre and half of meadow lying at little tadmuck joining to the meadow of James Hildrike, to Olife Spaulding my daughter.

He seems to have remained with his mother in Chelmsford till her death in 1691, when according to that will he would come into full possession of his father's bequest. We have no positive information concerning his disposal of the Chelmsford estate; he does not mention it in his will, but it will be observed that he states before signing that instrument; "it is to be understood that all my other children, both sons and daughters, have received their full portions of me already." Possibly his son Joseph whose first two children were born, or recorded, in Chelmsford, may have received his portion in Chelmsford property, as might also his two daughters, Elizabeth and Sarah who married gentlemen of Chelmsford, However, that may be, about 1699 he removed from Chelmsford and became an inhabitant of Dunstable, where he was a large land holder and prominent in town affairs. He as selectman 1701, '2, '5, '7, '10; was Surveyor of Highways 1706, and served on important committees during the years 1712, '14, '15, '17.......

Joseph married Hannah LEARNED on 25 Dec 1666 in Chelmsford, Massachusetts. Hannah was born on 24 Aug 1649 in Woburn, Massachussetts; died on 2 Apr 1677. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Fact: Daughter of Isaac Learned and Mary Stearns

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Henry Farwell was born to William Farwell and his first wife. He was one of at least five children they had together.

Henry Farwell married Olive Welby on April 16, 1629 at St. Botolph's Church in Boston, Lincolnshire, England. (My son's wife has ancestor's who were married there as well.) Henry and Olive had six children together, three having been born in England and three in Massachusetts.

Henry emigrated from England with his wife and two children before July 1636.

Sometime after July 5, 1636 The Concord Church, of which Henry was a member, was organized by a council which met at Cambridge, July 5th, 1636. The Rev. Peter Bulkeley was ordained Pastor. Henry remained an active member for in 1660 as a Deacon, he was in "charge of the linen and pewter". (Another source lists him as a tailor. Perhaps this is why he was put in charge of the church linens.)

Henry took the Oath of Allegiance in Concord, Massachusetts on March 14, 1639, but moved from there to Chelmsford about six years later.

"His house in Chelmsford was situated on the Billerica road..." "on the same side..as Abraham Parker and Jacob Parker. His home was nearer the village than theirs."

At some point Henry received land grants from both Concord and Chelmsford, but I don't have the dates for those.

Sometime after 1655 Henry signed a petition "to trade with the Indians".

In 1659 he received £3 5s from the town of Chelmsford "for the paiment for A drum..." My question is, "Was this a drum he'd gotten from the Indians or a drum he built?"

Henry wrote his will twenty days before his death.

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Created by: Harlene Soper-Brown

Henry married Olive WELBY on 16 Apr 1629 in St. Botolph's church, Boston, co. Lincoln. Olive (daughter of Richard WELBY and Frances BULKELEY) was born in 1604 in England; was christened in 1604 in Moulton, co. Lincoln; died on 1 Mar 1691/2 in Chelmsford, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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Olive Welby is one of at least five children born to Richard and Frances Bulkeley in Lincolnshire England. She was born in the town of Moulton.

Henry Farwell married Olive Welby on April 16, 1629 at St. Botolph's Church in Boston, Lincolnshire, England. (My son's wife has ancestor's who were married there as well.) Henry and Olive had six children together, three having been born in England and three in Massachusetts.

Henry and Olive emigrated from England with their two surviving children before July 1636.

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Created by: Harlene Soper-Brown

Other Events and Attributes:

• Fact: Son of Thomas Welby and Elizabeth Thimbleby

Richard married Frances BULKELEY about 1595. Frances (daughter of Rev Edward BULKELEY, D.D. and Olive IRBY) was born about 1568; died in 1610 in Moulton, co. Lincoln. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]