History of NORTHBOROUGH

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 History and Engraving by John Warner Barber 1845

NORTHBOROUGH. THIS was the north part of the town of Westborough, the main part whereof was set off from Marlborough in 1717. It was made the second precinct, or parish, of Westborough in 1744, and incor- porated a town in 1766. There were settlers in this part of Marl- borough before there were any in what is now Westborough. As early as 1700, or rather before, a few families had fixed down here. The following is a list of persons who were heads of fami- lies in this place before it became a separate parish : John Brigham, Nathaniel Oakes, Oliver Ward, Joseph Wheeler, Samuel Goodenow, Simeon Howard, Sen., Dea. Isaac Tomblin, Simon Rice, Sam. Goodenow, Jr., Gershom Fay, Sen., Hezekiah Tomblin, Daniel Bartlett. David Goodenow, Thomas Ward, Ephraim Beeman, The Congregational church was gathered in this place on the 21st of May, 1746, and on the same day the Rev. John Martin, a native of Boston and graduate of Harvard College in 1724, was ordained their first pastor. He died April 30, 1767, aged 61, and was succeeded by the Rev. Peter Whitney, a native of Petersham and graduate of Harvard, in 1762, (where he also pursued his theological studies,) who was ordained Nov. 4. 1767. He was the author of the History of Worcester County, a work highly valuable for the facts it records, many of which would probably have been lost, had they not with great pains and fidelity been collected in this work. He died in 1816, aged 72. Rev. Joseph Allen, his successor, was ordained the same year. Rev. Samuel Austin Fay was ordained pastor of the 2d church in 1832 ; he was succeeded by Rev. Daniel H. Emerson, in 1836.

590 NORTHBOROUGH. During the first years of the settlement of the town, a garrison was kept at a house on the lower side of the township, toward Marlborough, near the brook now known by the name of Stirrup brook. On the 18th of August, 1707, as Mary Goodenow and Mrs. Mary Fay, wife of Gershom Fay, were gathering herbs in the adjoining meadow, a party of Indians, 24 in number, all stout warriors, were seen issuing from the woods and making towards them. Mrs. Fay succeeded in making her escape. She was closely pursued by a party of the enemy, but, before they came up, had time to enter the gar- rison and fasten the gate of the enclosure. There fortunately happened to be one man then within, the rest of the men belonging to the fort being in the fields at work. Their savage invaders attempted in vain to break through the enclosure. These heroic de- fenders by great exertions maintained the unequal conflict, till a party of friends, alarm- ed by the report of the muskets, came to their relief, when the enemy betook themselves to flight. Mrs. Fay discovered great presence of mind during the assault, being con- stantly employed in loading and reloading the muskets belonging to the garrison, and handing them to her companion, who by this means was able to keep up a constant fire on the invaders. The unfortunate young woman, Miss Goodenow, being retarded in her flight by lameness, was seized by her merciless pursuers and dragged over the brook into the edge of Marlborough, and there, a little south of the road and nigh to Sandy hill, she was killed and scalped. On the following day the enemy were pursued by a company of about 30 men from Marlborough and Lancaster, and overtaken in what is now Sterling, where a hard conflict ensued, in which 9 of their number and 2 of oui 1 men were slain. In one of their packs was found the scalp of the unfortunate Miss Goodenow, which was the first intimation that was obtained of her melancholy fate. Upon the return of the English they sought for and found her body, and there buried it ; and her grave is yet visible. The town of Northborough lies in a kind of valley between the highlands of Marlborough on the east, and those of Shrewsbury and Boylston on the west. There are 3 churches, 2 Congrega- tional and 1 Baptist. Population, 1,224. Distance, 10 miles from Worcester, and 32 from Boston. In 1837, there were 2 cotton mills; 1,820 spindles; 220,000 yards of cotton goods were manu- factured ; value $30,400. There were 7,255 pairs of boots and 20,800 pairs of shoes manufactured ; value, $30,720 ; males em- ployed, 50 ; females, 25. The following notice of Mr. Monis, who died in Northborough, is taken from Whitney's History of Worces- ter County. "Mr. Monis, as I suppose, the first Hebrew instructor in our university at Cam- bridge, was born in Italy. When he came into America I am not able to say. He married a Miss Marrett, of Cambridge, who died in the year 1761 ; whereupon he resigned his office, and retired to Northborough, and spent the residue of his days in the family of the late Rev. John Martyn. Mrs. Monis and Mrs. Martyn were sisters. He left something very honorable and generous to the church in Northborough. He bequeathed forty-six pounds thirteen shillings and four pence, to be equally divided among seven of the ministers then living in the vicinity. Also, he left about an hun dred and twenty-six pounds as a fund, the interest whereof was to be distributed among widows of ministers who were in indigent circumstances ; and the remainder of his estate, which was considerable, he gave to the Martyn family. The following is the inscription on his grave-stone : " Here lie buried the remains of Rabbi Judah Monis, M. A., Late Hebrew Instructor At Harvard College in Cambridge ; In which office he continued 40 years. He was by birth and religion a Jew, But embraced the Christian faith, And was publickly bap- tized At Cambridge, A. D. 1722, And departed this life April 25 th . 1764, Aged eighty- one years, two months and twenty-one days. " A native branch of Jacob see, Which once from off its olive broke ; Regrafted from the living tree, Rom. 11. 17, 24. Of the reviving sap partook. From teeming Zion's fertile womb, Isai. 66. 8. As dewy drops in early morn, Psalm 110. 3. Or rising bodies from the tomb, John. 5. 28, 29. At once be Israel's nation born." tsal 66. 8.