Some of the First Settlers of Leominster, MA

Some of the First Settlers of Leominster, Massachusetts

BOUTELLE CARTER HOUGHTON ROGERS WILDER

Carter

Among the first to settle upon the territory known as the Lancaster new or additional Grant, afterwards, (July 1740) incorporated as the Town of Leominster, were four brothers, sons of Samuel Carter of Lancaster. Nathaniel, who settled on Bee Hill in 1735, Jonathan, near Chualoom pond (Whalom), Oliver and Josiah, whose lands extended from the bridge on Granite Street to the top of Monoosnock; Oliver's being on the south side and Josiah's on the north. The tradition is that the father, Samuel, gave to his sons those farms. They choosing the location in the order of their birth.

Of the descendants of Oliver was Wilder Carter who occupied the original farm of his ancestors, represented the town in General Court in 1829, 1830, 1831, was engaged in the quarrying of granite on Monoosnock Hill and in the manufacture of brick. He died in 1848.

Capt. James Carter, son of Josiah inherited the parental estate, the north farm on Carter Hill. The Leominster Historical Society has erected a marker on this site in memory of one of the sons of Capt. James. There were eleven children, one being James Gordon Carter.

Up to the time James Gordon Carter was 17, he was occupied in work upon the home farm on Carter Hill. He then went to Groton Academy, then Harvard University from which he graduated in 1820. He went into teaching directly after graduation and taught in Leominster schools for 10 years. He was able to see the results of poorly staffed ill equipped schools and he observed that many young people were derprived of secondary schooling and college educations because of overcrowding and high tuition rates.

Most teachers were not certified and as he put it, "If a person stayed out of jail he could teach in Massachusetts!" Because he felt teachers should be trained, he developed the idea of a normal school or academy, for the education of teachers. The result was the establishing of 3 normal schools - one in Lexington which is now in Framingham, one at Barre which is now in Westfield, and one at Bridgewater.

In addition, he practically outlined the school policy in Massachusetts and advanced the theory that in each large town, there should be one school higher than the district school. In 1837, he drafted the bill for establishing the board of education.

From the files at Leominster Public Library

Rogers

Rev. John-4 ROGERS was son of Rev. John-3 and Susannah (MARSTON) ROGERS [Jeremiah-2, Jeremiah-1]. He was born in Boxford on 24 September 1712, and died in Leominster on 6 October 1789, aged 77 years. He married in Boxford on 27 Mar 1750, Relief PRENTICE. He graduated from Harvard College in 1732, A.B., A.M. He was minister of the First and Second Churches, Leominster, from 25 September 1743 to 16 November 1787. His parents moved from Boxford to Leominster by 1750, where they died, he on 17 August 1755, in his 71st year, and she on 23 Oct 1757, in her 71st year.

They had the following children born in Leominster:

1. Relief-5, b. 25 Jul. 1753, m. Leominster, 6 May 1777, Henry ERVING.
2. John, b. 27 March 1755, m. Leominster, 11 April 1782, Betsey MILLIKEN.
3. Thomas, b. 3 June 1757.
4. Samuel, b. 30 Sep. 1758.
5. Stephen Sewall, b. 5 Oct. 1760.
6. Sarah Bowers, b. 26 June 1762, m. Leominster, 26 Nov. 1789, Capt. Luke JOHNSON.
7. William Stanton, b. 20 Mar 1765.

References:

1. E. M. R. Sheldon and Esther F. Dodge, _Genealogy of John Rogers of Boxford, Massachusetts_ (1907), pp. 4-5
2. Frederick Lewis Weis, _Colonial Clergy of New England_, p. 176
3. Vital Records of Boxford, Massachusetts
4. Vital Records of Leominster, Massachusetts

This information provided by:

Robert L. Ward - rlward1@erols.com
http://www.erols.com/rlward1/
12236 Shadetree Lane, Laurel, MD 20708-2832
301-776-1659

Back to Leominster Home Page

Sue's Genealogy Garden in New England

Would love to hear from you. Sue

The page maintained by Sue Gardner, Leominster, MA (SueG476@aol.com)