Genealogical
And
Personal Memoirs
Relating To The Families Of Boston And Eastern Massachusetts.

Prepared Under The Editorial Supervision Of
William Richard Cutter, A. M.

Historian Of The New England Historic Genealogical Society
Librarian Of Woburn Public Library
Author Of "The Cutter Family," "History Of Arlington," "Bibloigraphy Of Woburn," Etc. Etc.

Volume III.
New York Lewis Historical Publishing Company
1908




[Transcribed by Coralynn Brown]

EATON The earliest Eaton of whom there is any record is William Eaton, of Dover, England, who died before the year 1584, leaving a will. His widow Jane died that year, and left a will dated Aug. 27, 1584, proved Dec. 29 of the same year. She left instructions to be buried in the St. James churchyard at Dover, and named her son-in-law, James Huggenson, as executor and gives directions for the education of her sons John, Peter and Nicholas, and her eldest son William. One of her daughters married ____ Allen, and Barbara Allen administered her father's estate a few months after her mother's death. (I) John Eaton came to New England with his wife Anne and six children and was first at Salisbury, Mass., in the winter of 1639-40, and received several grants of land. His home is believed to have been at what is now known as Brookside Farm, still owned by his descendants. In 1646 he was on the grand jury and was one of the five prudential men to govern the town. At the close of the year 1646 he transferred his homestead to his son John, and removed to Haverhill, where he lived the remainder of his life. He was a farmer and also manufactured staves. His wife Anne died Feb. 5, 1660, and he married second, Nov. 20, 1661, Phebe Dow, widow of Thomas Dow. He died in Haverhill, Oct. 29, 1668, aged about seventy-three years. His widow died 1672. Children: 1. John, born 1619, married Martha Rowlandson, of Ipswich, and resided in Salisbury. 2. Ann, born about 1622, married Lieutenant George Brown, of Salisbury, June 25, 1645; died Dec. 16, 1683. 3. Elizabeth, born about 1625, married, Dec. 1, 1648, James Davis, of Haverhill; died Jan. 21, 1683. 4. Ruth, born about 1628, married Dec. 9, 1656, Samuel Ingalls. 6. Hester, born about 1634, died young, unmarried. (II) Daniel Eaton, nephew or cousin of John Eaton, was born about 1640. He had a brother Abel Eaton mentioned in a deed described below. It is likely that Joseph Eaton, of Beverly, Mass., was another brother. Joseph died in 1699; had children: i. Joseph, b. at Beverly, May 17, 1682; ii. Mercy, bap. at Beverly, April 26, 1685; and others. Daniel lived at Salisbury, as did many of the descendants of John Eaton (1). Children: 1. Moses, resided in Salisbury, taxpayer in Haverhill, 1741. 2. Timothy, paid an extra bounty for killing a she-wolf on the ox-common in 1696; he lived at Haverhill. 3. Ebenezer, mentioned below. Probably also daughters. (III) Ebenezer Eaton, son of Daniel Eaton, was born in Salisbury, Mass., probably about 1670. His brother Moses deeded to him and his brother, Timothy Eaton, of Haverhill, land formerly "of their honored father Daniel Eaton" of Salisbury and their uncle, Abel Eaton. (Essex Deeds, vol. 33, fol. 105). He had permission to build a pew in the Haverhill church in 1710. His heirs deeded their rights after his death and they are given below, viz: 1. Samuel, married in Methuen, _____. 2. Thomas, resided in Methuen; married Mehitable ____; quitclaimed his rights in father's estate Oct. 25, 1765, to brother Moses. 3. Mary, married Isaac Dalton; she quitclaimed her rights in her father's estate to brother Moses, May 19, 1747. 4. Job, had daughter Mary. 5. Moses, mentioned below. (IV) Moses Eaton, son of Ebenezer Eaton, was born about 1725-30. He lived at Haverhill and died in 1774. He married Elizabeth ____. Guardians were appointed for his minor children, June 27, 1774, viz: Moses, Ebenezer and Nathaniel Eaton. His estate was divided June 27, 1774, shares Nos. 1 and 2 going to Moses, shares 4 to Ebenezer and 3 to Nathaniel. Moses and wife Elizabeth, and Ebenezer Eaton, of Haverhill, deeded land to John Cogswell, Jr. (Essex Deeds v. 162, p. 208). Children: 1. Moses. 2. Ebenezer, mentioned below. 3. Nathaniel. And probably some daughters. (V) Ebenezer Eaton, son of Moses Eaton, was born in 1757. He shared in the division of his father's estate. During and before the revolution he lived at Beverly and Hopkinton, Mass. He was a soldier in the revolution and his residence is given in both those towns. He was a soldier credited to Beverly in 1778, enlisting for nine months in the Essex County Regiment. He gave his age at enlistment as twnety; his hair light; complexion light; eyes blue; arrived at Fishkill-on-Hudson, New York, July 10, 1778. The same man enlisted two years later but the records keep his age still at twenty; hight five feet nine inches; eyes gray. He was a private in Captain Peter Clayes's company, Lieutenant-Colonel Calvin Smith's regiment in 1781-82, enlisted for Beverly. He was doubtless living there with relatives, as indicated above. The records of Bradford, New Hampshire, where he settled after the way, state that he was born April 1, 1757, at Bradford. This could not be the New Hampshire town, as no Eatons lived there at the time, but may have been Bradford, adjoining Haverhill, Mass., where the family lived. The Centennal History of Bradford, New Hampshire, has a sketch of Ebenezer Eaton, according to which he was the first town clerk of the town and continued in the office many years afterward. He was the first representative to the general court from the town of Bradford and Fishersfield (now Newbury), N. H., in 1797. He kept a public house on the road to the center from the Plain. His grandson E. H. Eaton, was living on the homestead at last accounts. Ebenezer was a prominent and useful citizen, the local magistrate after 1789, when he was appointed justice of the peace. He married Hannah French, born at Methuen, Mass., 1759. Children: 1. Nabby, born April 1, 1783, at Bradford. 2. Samuel, born June 1, 1785, at Bradford. 3. Elisha, born April 11, 1788, mentioned below. 4. Hannah, born April 1, 1792, at Bradford. (VI) Elisha Eaton, son of Ebenezer Eaton, was born at Bradford, New Hampshire, April 11, 1788, and died there of dropsy, March 24, 1862, aged seventy-three years, eleven months and thirteen days, according to the town records. He was a farmer. At the time of his marriage he lived in the adjacent town of Gilford. He married, Dec. 2, 1819, at Gilford, Betsey Brown, of that town. (Rev. William Blaisdell performed the marriage ceremony). They had ten children, four sons and six daughters, among whom were: John Dolby, born June 28, 1831, mentioned below. Martin V. B. and Joseph W. (A portrait of Mr. and Mrs. Elisha Eaton was loaned by Augusta H. Eaton for the exhibition of antiques at the centennial celebration in Bradford, of the founding of the town, held in 1887. Miss Eaton also exhibited a picture of the Eaton homestead, drawn by her). (VII) John Dolby Eaton, son of Elisha Eaton, was born in Gilford, New Hampshire, June 8, 1831, and was educated at the common schools and at Gilford Academy. At the age of twenty he left home and went to Malden, Mass., where he worked for a year in the factory of James H. Putnam, manufacturer of britannia ware, etc., as traveling salesman. He worked for several years in the same capacity for Timothy Bailey, of Malden, also a manufacturer of britannia ware and tin plate goods, having retail stores in Malden Square. Mr. Bailey was at that time president of the First National Bank and the business was left largely to the management of his sons and Mr. Eaton. The dull season of 1854-55 brought this business to a standstill, and Mr. Eaton left Malden to teach school at Brunswick, and Topsham, Maine. He established himself in business in August, 1855, in partnership with Joshua Winslow under the firm name of Eaton & Winslow, dealing in stoves, furnaces, etc., in a store on North street, Salem, Mass. The firm dissolved and Mr. Eaton continued alone until 1861 when he admitted John T. Mooney as a partner, and two years later retired on account of ill health, selling his interest in the business to Curtis E. Wadleigh. He was able to resume business in 1864 and entered a partnership with his two brothers, Martin V. B. and Joseph W. Eaton with a store at 38 and 40 North street, Salem, under the firm name of J. D. & J. W. Eaton, workers of sheet metals, tin roofers, dealers in furnaces, stoves, refrigerators, oil stoves and kitchen furnishing goods. In 1889 he was again obliged to relinquish business on account of ill health. He sold out and went to California, remaining on the Pacific coast until 1895 when he returned to Salem to live. He visited California again in 1900. He traveled extensively in the west, going as far north as Alaska, and during this trip wrote many interesting articles which were in the Salem Observer and other papers. Mr. Eaton was a Republican in politics. In 1877 he was a member of the board of aldermen of the city of Salem and later was a member of the board of health. In 1883 he was a candidate for mayor, but the local liquor question broke up party lines and he was defeated. He was a member of Puritan Lodge, Ancient Order of United Workmen; a life member of the Essex Institute of Salem. In religion he was a Unitarian. He was essentially, of course, a merchant, but he had invested his property wisely in Salem real estate and was greatly interested in the development and prosperity of the city, as well as its past history and progress. He often took occasion to defend in the newspapers the city of Salem and its people from unfriendly critics. At the time of his death he was perhaps the best-known and most honored citizen of Salem. He married first, Judith Smith, of Gilford, New Hampshire. He married second, Mrs. Andrew Ward, widow. He married third, June 13, 1904, in Salem, Dora Rose (Remick) Ware, born in New York City, widow of Horace C. Ware, of Salem, who died May 17, 1902, leaving a son, Horace Valentine Ware, born Feb. 14, 1886. Mrs. Eaton was the daughter of Enoch M. Remick. Child of John D. and Judith Eaton: Arthur S., born May 22, 1863, unmarried, lives in Salem.