Middlesex County, Massachusetts was created on May 10, 1643. The county originally included Charlestown, Cambridge, Watertown, Sudbury, Concord, Woburn, Medford, Wayland, and Reading.
Rebecca Barrett (1673, married Walter Powers, Jr.),
Martha Barrett (1674, married Josiah Whitney),
Sarah Barrett (1677, married George Glazier),
Hannah Barrett (1679, married James Bennet),
Margaret Barrett (1683, married Ebenezer Robbins son of Robert Robbins),
Miriam Barrett (1686),
Josiah Barrett (1688, married Mary Dill),
Joseph Barrett (1689/90, married Mary Taylor), and
Abigail Barrett (1697).
They made their home in Chelmsford, Middlesex County, Massachusetts.
Joseph's second wife was Mary Proctor. Mary was born in 1654.
Joseph died on December 17, 1711.
Chelmsford, Middlesex County, Massachusetts was incorporated in May, 1655
from Records of Littleton
Barrett The tradition that "8 Brothers came early to America from England" is supposed to be a verity in the Barrett family. They were:
John of Taunton who is supposed to have left no issue.
Thomas who settled first at Braintree and removed to Chelmsford.
Humphrey who settled in Concord.
Thomas Barrett and wife Margaret removed from Braintree to Chelmsford where he d. Oct. 6, 1668. She d. July 6 1681.
Had the following children and probably others:
Thomas m. Sept 14 1655 Frances Woolderson, removed from Braintree to Chelmsford about 1660, where he d. Dec 8 1702. She d. 1694.
John m. Sarah, he d. Sept 5 1694.
Joseph m. Sept. 17 1672 Martha, dau. Francis and Rose Gould of Chelmsford. She d. May 15 1698, he m. 2d Abigail who d. Dec. 30 1729. He d. Dec. 17 1711.
Children of Joseph and (1) Martha (Gould) and (2) Abigail Barrett:
Rebecca b. July 4 1673, m. Dec. 16 1696 Walter Powers Jr.
Martha d. 1678.
Margaret b. Apr. 28 1683, m. 1703 Ebenezer Robbins.
Mirriam b. Apr. 29 1686, m. probably Josiah Whitney and removed to Hardwick.
Abigail b. Oct. 11 1697.
Esther b. Apr. 17 1699.
Ephraim b. Sept. 15 1700, m. Oct. 8 1735 Rachel Shed of Billerica.
Eleazer d. 1708.
Ebenezer b. 1706 d. Dec. 22 1729.
Children of John and Sarah Barrett:
John b. in Braintree, m. 1679 Dorothy Proctor or Parker of Chelmsford.
Lydia b. 1659, m. Apr 11 1678 James Harwood, removed to Littleton.
Samuel b. June 16 1661, m. 1683 Sarah, dau. William Buttrick. Children: Samuel, Sarah and perhaps others. He may have resided in Nashoba and had children before the incorporation of Littleton.
Mary b. 1662-3, Mar. 16.
Margaret b. 1667 d. 1681.
One John Barrett and wife Margaret were in Littleton and probably had these children before the incorporation of the town (she d. 1760, he d. 1766 or 7):
John m. May 24 1738 Martha Heald of Acton. 8 children, of whom Jonathan, the 5th, b. in Chelmsford Oct 27 1746, m. Mar. 28 1771 Abigail Raymond, removed to Ashby.
Hannah. Sarah m. 1735 John Bridges, who was b. in Rowley June 10 1715. Both d. 1790. , for which see pp. 6, 8, 11, 13, 19.
One Benj" Barrett m. Sept 23 1746 Thankful Proctor of Chelmsford.
One Ben Barrett m. June 18 1705 Hannah Foster of Chelmsfordor Elizebeth Gould (same day).
One Sam1 Barrett m. pub. in Acton to Sarah Holden about 1750.
Moses Barrett m. Nov 11 1742 Hannah Proctor of Chelmsford.
Sarah Barrett m. Dec 17 1700 Geo Glazer of Lancaster.
One W'" Barrett and Sarah (probably Buttrick) had children b. in Littleton: Nathaniel m. Abigail, resided in Groton, had Reuben b. 1750, Isaac b. 1752.
One Josiah Barrett d. Jan. 27 1712.
One Josiah Barrett m. Dill, and 1737 went to Lambstown.
Littleton, Middlesex County, Massachusetts was first settled in 1686 by English settlers and was the the location of the Native American village called Nashoba Plantation
A blockhouse or garrison house is a small, isolated fort. The typical blockhouse was two stories with the second story overhanging the first. It had small openings to allow residents to shoot attackers without being exposed.
from New England Families, Genealogical and Memorial edited by William Richard Cutter
Thomas Barrett, the immigrant ancestor, was made a freeman in 1645. He was one of the thirty-two inhabitants of Braintree, Massachusetts, who received from the general court in 1645 the grant of ten thousand acres of land in Warwick, Rhode Island, which had been confiscated by reason of Gorton's "heresy." This action of the general court was overruled in England, however, before the settlement could be begun, and the original settlers in Warwick retained their land. Thomas Barrett lived in Braintree several years, and purchased land there in 1651 of Michael Saunders and Francis Elliot. Later he settled in Chelmsford, Massachusetts, where he made his will in 1662, naming his wife, his sons John, Thomas and Joseph. He died October 6, 1668, and his widow Margaret died July 8, 1681.
Children:
John,
Thomas, married, in 1665, in Braintree,
Frances Woolderson;
Mary, married, 1654,
Shadrach Thayer; Joseph [Barrett], married Martha Gould, 1672.
Any man entering a colony or becoming a a member the church, was not free. He was not forced to work, but his movements were carefully observed to see if they followed the Puritanical ideal. After this probationary period, he became a "freeman." Men then took the Oath of a Freeman where they vowed to defend the Commonwealth and not to overthrow the government.
Indian Corn (or flint corn) is the type of maize that Native Americans taught colonists to cultivate. The kernels come in a range of colors and are less prone to spoiling.
Chelmsford, Middlesex County, Massachusetts was incorporated in May, 1655
History of Chelmsford, Massachusetts by Wilson Waters, Henry Spaulding Perham
Town's House On Robins Hill... the Town built a house upon Robins hill, the purpose of which is not clear. It was neither sufficiently large nor substantial for a garrison house, being of one room, 16 x 18, covered with but a single thickness of boards, and with but one window. The fact that Indian troubles were brewing, and that the committee appointed to select its location, Lieut. Samuel Foster and Ensign William Fletcher, were both officers in the "foot company [infantry]," would indicate that it was intended to serve some military purpose. The place was admirably adapted for a lookout from which to discover and warn people of approaching danger...
Joseph Barrett had a double motive for doing faithful work when he built the house for the town, for, when completed, it was promptly occupied by Francis Gould, whose daughter, Martha, the builder had married the year before. Goold, or Gould, signed an agreement with the selectmen.." to pay yearly the sum of one peck of endian Corn"...Gould and his wife, Rose, had a family of five small children, and others older, to occupy this one room cottage, which had but a single thickness of boarding to protect its inmates from the blasts of winter.
