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going north. He was a tanner, and carried on his business upon Hawkes's Pond, not far from his home. He married October 10, 1771, Anna Mansfield, daughter of Robert and Mary (Rann) Mansfield, born July 22, 1748. His children were Thomas, Jerusha, John, Robert, Benjamin, Joseph, and Mary. In 1769 he was constable, but appears to have taken little part in town affairs. His military service was confined to that which he rendered in Captain Parker's company at the time of the Lexington alarm. He died in North Saugus in March, 1825. His estate consisted of three acres of land, a dwelling-house, barn, and other buildings, valued at $800. He is buried in the old cemetery at Saugus Centre together with his children. A marble stone and bronze marker of the S. A. R. were erected at his grave in 1903.

RHODES, JESSE, - son of Ignatius and Sarah (Merriam) Rhodes, was born May 24, 1759; married by Rev. Mr. Roby, November 16, 1783, to Love Newhall, daughter of Allen and sister of Daniel A. B. and Charles; children, Jesse, Loue, Salley, Betsy, Huldah, Allen. He died January 3, 1821. He was a deacon of the old First Church, and lived on Boston Street. The old house, torn down about the year 1884, stood a little back from the corner of Boston Street, on the easterly side of Cedar. The land was formerly the old Witt place, but in the course of years came into the hands of Mr. Rhodes. It was one of the oldest houses in town, and had the long sloping roof. Its timbers were of oak, and it was built in a most substantial manner.

     His military record is given as follows: Private, Captain Addison Richardson's company, Colonel Wade's regiment; entered service July 12, 1780, three months, eleven days; regiment detached from Essex County militia; travel 240 miles home; also private, Captain Simeon Brown's company, Colonel Jacob Gerrish's regiment of guards; service April 2 to July 3, 1778, three months, two days; also July 3 to July 12 same year; rolls dated at Winter Hill. - Mass. Rolls.

RHODES, JOHN, - son of Hezekiah and Abigail, was born January 27, 1733, and died in the army in 1776.

RHODES, JOHN, - son of Ignatius and Sarah (Merriam) Rhodes, was born
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August 6, 1750; married by Rev. Mr. Treadwell, December 11, 1777, to Lydia Farrington; children, Joseph, Sarah, Ezra, Elizabeth. He lived in Breed's End according to Pratt, and died June 10, 1826, aged seyenty-seven. His wife, Lydia, died April 15, 1815.

     He was in Captain Rufus Mansfield's company, and responded to the alarm of April 19, 1775. Buried in the old Western Ground, with marker and stone at his grave.

RHODES, JOSIAH, - son of John and Hannah Rhodes, was born in Lynn, July 25, 1758. A Josiah, Jr., and Rebecca Tarbox were married by Rev. Mr. Roby, April 6, 1781; children, John, Rebecca, Lydia, and Betsey. Josiah was buried in the old Western Burial Ground, Octo­ber 28, 1834. In the list of burials no age is given, it simply being stated that he was "very old." The following is given from a sketch by Mr. B. F. Newhall, of Saugus: "For many years there have stood by the river in East Saugus old mills. In 1796 the manufacture of chocolate was begun in them, and continued very successfully for a long time. In 1805 or 1806 the premises were leased to Amariah Childs, then one of the most prominent men in the town. During the War of 1812 the mill was overwhelmed with orders and the price of chocolate rose to a very high figure. One of the most amusing things connected with this old chocolate manufacture was the pretended art or skill indispensable to a successful issue. This was believed to be a secret possessed by only here and there an individual. Even the persons who carried on the manufacture did not pretend to any knowledge of the art. It seemed to be a general concession by the public that the science of manufacture was known to but few. The grand magician of that early day was Josiah Rhodes, nicknamed 'Slim Caesar.' He exercised the most unlimited control over the whole establishment. So arbitrary was he in the exercise of his pretended skill that scarcely anyone dared to look at the chocolate in process of manufacture. The roaster and stirring kettle were objects forbidden by him to be examined by the ignorant world. I well remember with what veneration I used to look upon this aged, cadaverous veteran. The smoke of the roaster could be seen curling up over the fire, but none had the courage in his presence to smell the forbidden odor. Occasionally a small, mysterious, white

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powder, from a clean piece of white paper, would be cast into the roaster or the kettle, in a mysterious and magical manner, completely blinding the eyes of the uninitiated. Such was the dignity and haughtiness attendant upon the exercise of his skill, that he rarely ever smiled or spoke when thus engaged. Even his employers scarcely dared to ask a question. Men who labored years under him never dared to raise a pretence of knowing anything. Such were the mysteries of the trade in olden times."
     The Pension Office gives the following Revolutionary record: Private, Captain Daniel Galeucia's company, 1775, three months; private, Cap­tain Cox's company, 1778, two months; private, Captain Buffinton's company, Colonel Jacob Gerrish's regiment, 1778, three months; pri­vate, Captain Ebenezer Richardson's company, Colonel Wade's regi­ment, July or August, 1780, three months. Allowed a pension from August 14, 1832.

RHODES, SAMUEL, - probably son of John and Hannah (Rhodes) Rhodes, was born in Saugus, July 13, 1753. He was in the company of Captain David Parker on the 19th of April, 1775. On October 14, 1777, he enlisted in Captain North's company, and entered the northern army. On April 30, 1780, he was in camp near Morristown, in a regiment under Colonel Henry Jackson. He was married by Rev. Mr. Roby, September 12, 1781, to Hannah Shillaber, and had children, - Hannah, Sarah, Lydia, Polly Rebecca, Jane, and Content. He lived on the road then called "Back Lane," now known as Winter Street, between East Saugus and Saugus Centre. The street was appropriately named, for the old people were accustomed to say that the snow did not melt there until July. He lived there until about 1800, when he removed to Danvers, where he died in 1816.

RHODES, THOMAS, - son of Ignatius and Sarah (Merriam) Rhodes, was born in Lynn, February 13, 1747; married by Rev. Mr. Treadwell, April 23, 1778, to Anna Ireson, daughter of John and Azuba Ireson, born May 25, 1754. He was a private in Captain Rufus Mansfield's 4th Lynn company which marched on the alarm of April 19, 1775; two days' service at that time, but may have seen further service. His homestead after the Revolution was on Western Avenue, in the house now just
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across the tracks of the Boston & Maine Railroad, on the left toward Breed's Square. He built the house over a hundred years ago, and died there, February 9, 1838. His wife died September 22, 1815, and both are buried in the old Western Burial Ground, where a marker and stone have been erected to his memory. His children were Thomas, John, Anna, William, Edward, and Sally. His grand-daughter, Miss Hitch­ings, who occupies the house (1904), remembers him well. He was a man of considerable education, and one whose advice was often sought in matters of importance. He was a farmer, and a constant attendant at the Old Tunnel Meeting-house. His farm extended from South Street to Walden and Summer. The old musket which he probably carried on the day of the Lexington alarm is still pre­served in the house in which he lived. In personal appearance he was it man of medium height, of light complexion, was smooth-shaven, and had white hair. In his last days he broke his hip, and from that time his health gradually failed. In his will he mentioned his land and buildings, and his pew in the Orthodox Meeting-house, which he valued at forty dollars.

RHODES, WILLIAM, - son of Ignatius and Sarah (Merriam) Rhodes, was born August 10, 1752, and may have been the William who married Eunice Hutchinson, August 29, 1775, and had the following children: William, Richard, Joel, Jesse, John, and Thomas.
     He was a private in Captain Rufus Mansfield's 4th Lynn company which marched on the alarm of April 19, 1775; service, two days.

RICH, JAMES, - sailor. See Timothy Newhall, who says that he sailed in the Penobscot expedition with Rich. He was living in Lynn ac­cording to the census of 1800.
     Seaman, ship "Protector," entry December 15, 1780, to May 9, 1781, four months, twenty-four days, Captain John F. Williams; also appears December 11, 1782, in a roll made up for service to date of capture of vessel or date of return from captivity; also appears as prize master on "Tyrannicide," May 10, 1779, to June 23, 1779, also June 24 to September 6, 1779. - Mass. Rolls.

RICHARDS, JAMES, - son of William and Tabitha (Williams) Richards, was born August 28, 1754, and marched with Captain Farrington's com­pany on the alarm of April 19, 1775. In the same company with him were his father, William, his brother, William, Jr., and his uncle,
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John Richards. Another uncle was Joseph Richards, who was the companion of Abednego Ramsdell who was killed. Nothing further has been found concerning James Richards.

RICHARDS, JOHN, - second son of John and Lydia (Phillips) Richards, was born January 4, 1736. He with his brother, William, marched with Captain Farrington's company on the alarm of April 19, 1775, and is credited with the same amount of service as his brother; namely, two days. No other record of service has been found, and little further is known of him. His marriage to Elizabeth Alley, by Rev. Mr. Henchman, occurred November 1, 1757, and while the date of his death cannot be verified, it is possible that he was the John whose death is given in the town records as April 16, 1822.

RICHARDS, JOSEPH, - son of John and Lydia (Phillips) Richards, was born in that part of Lynn called Swampscott, September 25, 1753. His father's home was upon what is now known as the "Stetson estate," and upon land where his emigrant ancestor, Edward Richards, who came to America in 1630, settled in 1641. The site was upon the north­erly end of Stetson Avenue, later occupied by the Stetson homestead, which was afterwards removed to make way for the avenue.
     In company with many of the young men of the easterly section of the town he had joined the militia company of Captain William Far­rington, in which were also his brothers, John and William, and his nephews, William and James. His sister, Lydia, was the wife of the lieutenant, Benjamin Johnson. Family tradition has handed down the interesting story of his connection with the events of the famous 19th of April. Early in the morning he had gone to the seashore with one of his neighbors, Abednego Ramsdell, who lived on the northerly side of what is now Cherry Street, but then Marblehead Lane, for the purpose of shooting wild fowl. Returning during the early part of the morning, they were met by the father of Joseph Richards, who hurriedly told them what was taking place and advised them to go and have a part in it. Mr. Richards had nothing but a light fowling-piece which he had becn using, but immediately sct off with his friend Ramsdell. Although their company had gone, they hurried on alone, being soon joined, however, by several others. All agreed to be led by the oldest member of the band. When they reached Malden, they heard a more definite account of the situation; namely, that the British were probably
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on the retreat. They altered their course accordingly, but evidently continued on to Menotomy, where they met the British during the latter part of the afternoon. At the first opportunity Richards rested his gun on a wall and fired, but, being heavily charged, it burst, the barrel flying over his shoulder. So many of the enemy, however, were lying dead on the road that he had no trouble in finding a new set of equipments. These he used during the rest of the day, and brought them home with him. The British musket remained in the family as late as 1865. His companion was killed soon after they met the British, but Private Richards continued the running fight until the king's troops reached Charlestown.
     After his return to Lynn he engaged as a farm hand in the employ of a Boston man who owned land beyond the British lines. Being a friend of the colonies, his employer was of much use to the patriot cause. Many a load of farming tools, driven through the British lines by the innocent farmer-boy of Lynn, arrived in the patriot army with provisions or war material. He was thus engaged at the time of the battle of Bunker Hill. About January 1, 1776, he returned to Lynn, and enlisted in the company of Captain Ezra Newhall for one year. He was with the company at the evacuation of Boston, was on guard duty during the summer, and marched with it to New York. He was in the retreat with Washington across New Jersey, and took part in the battles of Trenton and Princeton. On January 1, 1777, the greater part of the Lynn men were discharged, and set out for home. In com­pany with a comrade from Cape Cod, Joseph Richards purchased a horse, and the two men came home by the "ride and tie" method. By arrangement one would ride a certain distance, tie the horse, and pro­ceed on foot. The other would then take the horse and ride beyond the first, and in turn tie the horse and walk on. In this way each was to ride half the distance home. On reaching Worcester, however, the comrade forgot to tie the horse, and Mr. Richards was obliged to walk the rest of the way to Lynn. He left Worcester early in the morning, and crossed Village Square, Lynn, soon after nine at night, having walked fifty-four miles during the day.
     In 1777 be again enlisted, this tilne in Captain Miles Green­wood's company, Colonel Jacob Gerrish's regiment, and served three months.
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     On February 25, 1779, he was married by Rev. Mr. Treadwell to Martha Burrill, daughter of Theophilus and Mary (Hill) Burrill, born July 23, 1750. She was the daughter of his nearest neighbor, living in the old homestead still standing on Essex Street. She died soon after the birth of a daughter, Martha. He was married, second, by Rev. Mr. Treadwell, December 21, 1780, to Lydia Witt, a young woman who had been living in the family of his first wife. By this marriage he had nine children, Lydia, Sarah, Joseph, Deborah, Elizabeth, John, Richard, Rebecca, and Rebecca. His son Richard was the inventor of the first sole-cutting machine. Joseph Richards is described as a man of noble presence, over six feet in height, large in proportion, and "strong as two common men." For some time he was employed with his brother Richard as a ship carpenter at Salem, - an industry which was then at the full tide of its glory. The brothers walked to and from their work every day. Finally, meeting with a severe accident, Joseph settled down to farming, taking the south­easterly half of his father's farm and building a house for himself and family. About forty years ago this house was removed to Fayette Street, and soon after torn down. In it he reared his large family, and from it he buried his wife, Lydia, who died December 4, 1810. His daugh­ters, Betsey and Rebecca, then successively kept house for him. His life subsequent to the Revolution seems to have been an uneventful one. He was an industrious farmer, a quiet neighbor, and a good citizen. His home was dearly loved by his grandchildren, and a warm welcome always awaited them. His last days were spent with his son, Richard, who built the house on Olive Street afterwards owned and occupied by Dr. Asa T. Newhall. When Lafayette visited Lynn, August 31, 1824, the old soldier was thought to be nearing the close of his life. It was supposed that the procession would pass from Broad Street through Chestnut and Olive, and, in order that his wish to see the distinguished general might be gratified he was brought to his door in a chair. For some reason, however, the line of march was changed, and to his great disappointment his view was only a distant one. His death occurred September 28, 1828, at the age of seventy­-one years. He was buried in the Eastern Burial Ground where a commanding stone bears the inscription: -
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This Monument Sacred
to the memory of
MR. JOSEPH RICHARDS,
Who made his exit from
this scene of mortality
Sept. 28, 1824,
Aged 71 years.

"The hopes of life were his, the joys and fears,
The clouds and sunshine of its smiles and tears.
For him was friendship's generous hand unclosed,
And round his home the joys of love reposed.
Now all are vanished and beneath this sod,
Silent he waits the mandate of his God."

RICHARDS, WILLIAM, - son of John and Lydia (Phillips) Richards, was the oldest of the three brothers who went out from the Richards homestead on the Lexington alarm. He was born November 5, 1733, probably on the old place called in later years the "Stetson Estate," of Swamp­scott. Here he lived up to the time of his marriage, April 24, 1754, by William Collins, Esq., to Tabitha Williams. On the morning of April 19, he marched with his company, that of Captain William Far­rington, toward Concord, and is credited with two days' service. He was also matross in Captain Winthrop Gray's company, Colonel Craft's (artillery) regiment; abstract for advance pay, etc., sworn to at Boston, June 8, 1776.

RICHARDS, WILLIAM, Jr., - was son of William and Tabitha (Williams) Richards, and younger brother of James. He was born December 17, 1756, and married June, 1785, Jerusha Alley, daughter of Jacob and Huldah (Newhall) Alley, born in 1764. This William Richards lived at one time at the foot of Market Street, near the site of the present Boston, Revere Beach & Lynn Railroad station. The house is said to be still standing on Sea Street. He died October 18, 1832, and his wife died February 25, 1841. Her grave is unmarked in the old Western Burial Ground, and he is probably buried beside her. All that is known of his Revolutionary service is identical with that of his brother James, they having marched together in Captain Farrington's company on the alarm of April 19, 1775, and received pay for two days' service.
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RICHARDSON, EBENEZER, - son of Ebenezer and Rebecca, was born in Wo­burn, June 16, 1746-7; married by Rev. Mr. Treadwell, February 5, 1778, to Lois Bacheller; children, Anna, Jonathan, Lois, Ebenezer, and Henry. His home was in Wyoma, in the house still standing near, the beginning of Lynnfield Street, called the old Wyoma house. There were but three houses in Wyoma at that time, and his farm extended back from Broadway toward the Lynn Woods. After the war he was a sailor, and his old chest and sailor's thimble are still preserved in the hands of his descendant, Mr. Frederick A. Gordon. The death of his wife occurred January 29, 1821, and his own death January 9, 1832. The records of the Pension Office show that he was granted a pension, April 30, 1818, at the age of seventy-one years, at $8.00 per month. His record as preserved in the Pension Office in Washington indicates that he was a private in Captain Addison Richardson's company, Colonel John Mansfield's regiment, from April to December, 1775; also in the same company, Colonel Israel Hutchinson's regiment, from Janu­ary, 1776, to May, 1777. In the month of November, 1776, he was taken prisoner at Fort Washington and detained in the city of New York as such until May, 1777, when he was liberated by parole. In his last days he lived in South Danvers. One winter day he started to walk from thence to Woodend, Lynn. Upon his arrival at his son's house on Chestnut Street he was taken sick, and died of pneumonia at the end of four days. The funeral was held at the house, and a long procession of chaises went down the road to the old Western Burial Ground.

     Mr. Richardson often described the Lexington alarm, and claimed that he saw General Warren killed at Bunker Hill, pointing out the spot to his grandson, whom he desired to visit the spot every year. This the grandson did until he was eighty-one years of age. Eben­ezer Richardson has been described as a very pleasant man, tall, quite stout, and bald. He always wore a little cap and earrings.

RICHARDSON, ELEAZER, - son of Eleazer and Susanna (Carter) Richard­son, was born in Woburn, June 29, 1746; married, September 8, 1768, Mrs. Catherine Newhall. She died January 10, 1785, and he married, second, Mary Walker, daughter of Joshua and Mary Walker, born December 9, 1758, died January 1, 1788; married, third, in Boston,
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by Rev. Peter Thatcher, December 4, 1788, to Lydia Upham Grover. He had ten children by his first wife, Stephen Newhall, Eleazer Carter, John, John, Susanna, Catherine, Benjamin, Elizabeth, Rebecca, and Ruth. He died in Woburn, February 1, 1808, aged sixty-two.
     Appears as a private in Captain Ezra Newhall's minute company which marched on the alarm of April 19, 1775.

RICHARDSON, SOLOMON, - perhaps son of Solomon and Abigail (Buxton) Richardson, of Salem, born in Middleton, June 7, 1755. He was taken prisoner at Fort Washington, according to Colonel Israel Hutch­inson's Orderly Book, November 16, 1776, but no other service is noted.

ROBINSON, JAMES, - born February 27, 1757, was a private in Captain Rufus Mansfield's 4th Lynn company, which marched on the alarm of April 19, 1775; service, two days; also fifer in Captain Enoch Putnam's company, Colonel Mansfield's regiment; muster-roll dated August 1, 1775; enlisted May 10, 1775; service, two months, twenty-seven days, also Captain Putnam's company; Colonel John Mansfield's (19th) regiment, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Israel Hutchinson; company re­turn dated October 6, 1775. He became the first postmaster of Lynn. The house in which he lived was the old Burrill house previously occupied by Ebenezer Burrill, one of the "Sam Adams rebels." The house was situated on the northeast corner of Boston and Federal Streets, and in a little shop nearby the post-office was kept. The old house, which was torn down in 1885 by Eaton W. Lothrop, had been remodelled some time beyond the memory of the oldest inhabitant. The original house had been built, it was said, with an overhang upon the front of a foot or more. The north side was filled in with bricks, set up edgewise in clay, and the chimney was also partially laid in clay. The first wife of James Robinson, to whom he was married by Rev. Mr. Treadwell, May 6, 1779, was Lydia, daughter of James Newhall, known as "Squire Jim." She was born August 21, 1759. Children by her were James, Lydia, Abigail, John, Harriet, Lois, Janet, George, Moses, Charles, and Horatio. Lydia, the wife, died in 1800. August 15,1801, he married Mrs. Alice Gay, widow of Timothy Gay, of Boston, and there were three children by this marriage. After his second
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marriage he lived for a number of years in Boston. His wife was pos­sessed of considerable property, which at her death, about 1824, went to her children by her former marriage, and James Robinson passed the remainder of his life in reduced circumstances, with impaired mind and memory. He lived part of the time with his daughter, Mrs. Ward, of Salem. He was finally pensioned from January 8, 1828, at eight dollars per month. The Lynn Record of January 21, 1832, contained the fol­lowing notice: "In this town on Saturday last, Capt. James Robin­son, a Revolutionary pensioner and for many years one of our most re­spected townsmen, aged 75." He was first buried in an old tomb on the Elm Street side of the old Western Burial Ground, but was later removed to a lot on Lotus Path in Pine Grove Cemetery.

ROBY, LIEUTENANT HENRY, - son of Rev. Joseph Roby, was born October 14,1757; married in Boston to Sarah Sloan, November 28,1781. In 1806, when Lemuel Allen's will was probated, Henry Roby, who signed it, is noted as being "a long distance away from Lynn and out of State."

     His name appears on a receipt dated Salem, September 25, 1775, signed by said Roby, third sergeant, and others belonging to Captain Samuel King's company, for advance pay for one month; also ser­geant, Captain Samuel King's company; engaged July 14, 1775; ser­vice, six months, two days; company stationed at Salem and Lynn for defence of seacoast.

ROBY, REV. JOSEPH, - son of Joseph and Priscilla Roby, was born in Boston, May 12, 1724. He graduated at Harvard College in 1742, receiving the degree of A.M.; married February 23, 1752, by Rev. Andros Elliot, Mrs. Rachel Proctor, of Boston. His home was on what is now the main street of Saugus, at that time a mere lane. The old house in which he lived and died was torn down some twenty years ago, but the great elm­tree in front, which he planted, still remains to add beauty to the town street. His children were: Joseph, born February 17, 1753; Rachel, born June 2, 1758; Mary, born December 20, 1755; Henry, born October 14, 1757; Thomas, March 2, 1759; Elizabeth, July 18, 1763; and Sarah, March 27, 1767. During his long pastorate he performed the marriage cere-
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mony for nearly three hundred couples, many of whom came from the First Parish. His wife, Rachel, died March 8, 1792, and on the 7th of August, 1792, he was again married, this time by Rev. Peter Thatcher to Mrs. Zeruiah Marston, widow of Captain Manasseh Marston, of Boston. Four days after the battle of Lexington the people of Lynn chose a committee to consult measures of safety. The committee con­sisted of Rev. John Treadwell, minister of the First Parish, Rev. Joseph Roby of the Third Parish, and Deacon Daniel Mansfield. On the next Sunday, by recommendation of the Provincial Congress, all men who lived within twenty miles of the seacoast went to church armed. Parson Roby religiously followed these instructions, appearing at meet­ing with his musket under one arm and his sermon under the other. Most of the men of his parish had responded to the alarm of April 19, 1775, and many were soon enrolled in the Continental Army. His sons Henry and Thomas enlisted, and did valiant duty. His son Joseph had previously taken part in the Boston Tea Party, and his daughters, Rachel and Mary, were given in marriage to soldiers in the army of Washington. In 1789, when President Washington journeyed through
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Lynn, Parson Roby was one of those presented to him at the Newhall tavern. Hon, Nathan Mortimer Hawkes, whose graceful pen has left a delightful sketch of the old parson, well says: "Mr. Roby was an exemplar in many ways of the compact force of organized Puritanism. He made himself a part of the people to whom he dedicated his life-work. With the early teachers there was no drifting about from parish to parish. When his calling was assured, it was to live and die and be buried with his own. Such men as he identified themselves with the air, the soil, the traditions of the locality, becoming as it were a part of all."

     His last days were unfortunately passed in continued sickness, which gradually brought him to his end. He died on January 31, 1803, in the eightieth year of his age, in the house where he had lived for fifty years. His wife died January 12, 1820, aged eighty, and they are buried in the old churchyard at Saugus Centre, just beside the village green, on which stood the old church to whose wants he had ministered. A tall black stone, bearing the emblems of death, marks his grave and has the following inscription: -

     "Sacred to the memory of Rev. Joseph Roby, who departed this life Jany 31st, 1803, in the eightieth year of his age, and 51st of his ministry in this Parish,          
     "Through life a lover of learning and virtue, a sincere friend, a kind and affec­tionate husband and parent, and a devoted Christian.

     "By a constant practice of the Christian and social virtues, he rendered him­self greatly beloved and respected in the various walks of domestic life. Reader, wouldst thou be honored in life and lamented in death, go and do likewise."
   
     "No pain, no grief, no anxious fear,
     Invade these bounds, No mortal woes
     Can reach the peaceful sleeper here,
     Whilst angels watch his soft repose.
     So Jesus sleeps, God's dying son 
     Past through the grave and blest the bed;
     Then rest dear Saint, till from his throne
     The morning break and pierce the shade."

ROBY, JOSEPH, Jr., - son of Rev. Joseph Roby, was born in Saugus, Feb­ruary 19, 1752; married May 1, 1803, Relief Curtis, of Hanover, N.H. He was in the Boston Tea Party. Removed to New Hampshire.

ROBY, THOMAS, - son of Rev. Joseph Roby, was born in Saugus, March 2, 1759. Appears on a receipt dated Salem, September 25, 1775, signed by said Roby and others belonging to Captain Samuel King's com-
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pany, for advance pay for one month; also private, Captain Samuel King's company, enlisted July 14,1775; service, six months, two days; company stationed at Salem and Lynn for defence of seacoast. - Mass. Rolls.

SHELDON, EPHRAIM, - son of Ephraim and Lydia Sheldon, was born in Read­ing, January 20, 1746, and came to Lynnfield with his parents in 1764. An Ephraim Sheldon was married by Rev. Mr. Roby, January 9, 1768, to Eunice Felt, and may have been this man. He is borne as a private on the roll of minutemen of Captain Bancroft, but it is not known that he saw further service in the war. His father died in Lynnfield, July 7, 1792, aged seventy-five, and he himself left Lynnfield soon after that date, and nothing more has been learned concerning him.

SHELDON, FRANCIS, - was probably born in Reading. He early appears in the records of the Lynnfield precinct, and was married May 26, 1774, to Mrs. Elizabeth Marston.
     He is borne on the muster-roll of Captain Bancroft's company, but is not credited with mileage. This may indicate that he did not go with the other members of the company on April 19. He reported for duty, and was paid for two days' service. He also enlisted May 8, 1775, in Captain Enoch Putnam's company, Colonel John Mansfield's regiment, and served three months, doing guard duty during the siege of Boston.
     After 1790 his name does not appear in Lynnfield records, but is last noted as "of Marblehead." Upon the death of Aaron Aborn, of Lynnfield, his wife Phrebe married Francis Sheldon, of Salem, Septem­ber 30,1788.

SHERMAN, NATHANIEL, - second lieutenant, son of Nathaniel and Dorcas (Sawyer) Sherman, was born in Lynnfield, March 30, 1731. He mar­ried Susanna --, who died October 3, 1768, aged thirty-two. His chil­dren were Susanna, Rebecca, Dorcas, Keziah, Betty, and Lydia. His home was in the north part of Lynnfield, at the corner of the present Chestnut and Lowell Streets, but the small gambrel-roofed house was torn down many years ago. He served as clerk of the parish in 1760, 1761, 1765, and 1786; was selectman in 1782, 1786, 1789, 1793, and 1794, treasurer of the parish in 1788, and besides held other small
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offices. Little further is known of him except that he went with the Lynnfield company on the 19th of April, 1775. He died September 27, 1809, at the age of seventy-eight, and is buried in the old burial­-ground at Lynnfield Centre. A marble stone and bronze marker of the S. A. R. were erected at his grave in 1904.

SMITH, AMOS, - private, son of Amos and Mary (Perkins) Smith, was born in Danvers, October 29, 1748. After the death of his mother, May 1, 1764, his father married, second, August 20, 1764, Abigail, daughter of Jonathan and Mercy (Hawkes) Hart, and removed to Lynnfield, where he took up his residence on the land of his father-in-law. Amos, Jr., was married April 4, 1771, by Rev. Benjamin Prescott, of Danvers, to Mary McNuff, of Marblehead. He was a memher of Captain Nathaniel Bancroft's company, and served with it on April 19, 1775. February 4, 1779, he enlisted from Danvers for three years in the Continental Army, joining Captain Page's company, Colonel Ebenezer Francis's regiment. He was promoted on May 18 to sergeant, and his com­pany was transferred to Colonel Benjamin Tupper's regiment. This regiment marched to New York, where it was quartered in and about West Point., guarding the Hudson and taking part in sundry skirmishes with the British. Sergeant Smith was transferred later to Captain Lithgow's company, but remained with the regiment, which was in camp at West Point, April 5, 1779. He had recently returned from a fur­lough of fifty days, during which time he had walked home to Lynn and Danvers. At the expiration of his enlistment, January 1, 1780, he again entered the service, enlisting for a year. During this time the treason of Arnold took place, and it is quite probable that he was present at the execution of Major Andre. On January 1, 1781, he again enlisted, this time until the close of the war, his company being that of Captain Lunt, in Colonel Tupper's regiment. He is described at this time as being thirty years of age, 5 ft. 6 in. in height, with light eyes and dark com­plexion. He continued to serve as sergeant until the treaty of peace was declared, when he was honorably discharged by Washington. After five years of hard service he made his way back to his Danvers home. It may here be noted that his sister Nabby married Ebenezer Parsons, of Lynnfield, and his sister Polly, Ebenezer Hurt, of Lynnfield, both Revolu-
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tionary soldiers. He became a captain of a vessel after the war, and was lost at sea, leaving a widow and three small children.

SMITH, FRANCIS, - son of John and Elizabeth (Lynde) Smith, was born in 1716, probably in Cambridge, and was descended from Francis Smith, who was a freeman in Watertown in 1637. He evidently came to Sau­gus about 1746, in which year he married Sarah Boardman, daughter of William and Abiah Boardman, born May 11, 1722. She was a sister of Amos, the father of Colonel Amos Boardman. In 1750 Francis Smith was recommended to the Third Parish Church by the church in Cam­bridge, his wife Sarah being a member at the time. He was a mem­ber of Captain David Parker's Saugus company which marched on the alarm of April 19, 1775, and his name is borne on the muster-roll with that of his son Francis. After the war he removed to South Read­ing, where he married, second, 1785, Widow Sarah Bryant. He died in Wakefield, September 19, 1799, aged eighty-three, and is buried in the old cemetery there. His grave is marked by a stone with a suitable in­scription. His wife, Sarah, is buried at his side, having died June 14, 1784. A marker of the S. A. R. was placed at his grave in 1904.

SMITH, FRANCIS, Jr., - son of the above, is borne on the muster-roll of Cap­tain David Parker's Saugus company, but aside from his service of April 19, 1775, nothing is known of him. He was living in Saugus in 1800, being then under forty-five years of age.

STACY, EBENEZER, - was a private in Captain Parker's company, and served in it on the 19th of April, 1775. By the Saugus church records he appears to have been married by Rev. Mr. Roby, July 9, 1772, to Dorcas Waite. He was perhaps the son of Ambrose and Mary Stacy, of Marble­head, baptized October 29, 1752.
     He enlisted February 15, 1777, in Captain Wells's company, Colonel John Crane's regiment, as a gunner, and served one year. He then enlisted in Captain Allen's company, of the same regiment, and saw service in the Rhode Island campaign and in the campaign against Burgoyne. The privations of the Continental soldiers during this time were very great. Food was scarce, wages were paid in a depreci­ated currency which was hardly worth the paper it was printed upon, clothing was insufficient, and nothing but indomitable pluck held the
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regiments together. Desertions were almost as frequent as enlist­ments. We regret to record Private Stacy as a deserter, but such is the fact stated upon a muster-roll dated June 1, 1779. Nothing further is known of him.

STOCKER, EBENEZER, - son of John and Ruth (Breed) Stocker, and brother of Ephraim who was in the same company with him on the morning of the 19th of April, 1775, was born February 9, 1749. His home at the time of the breaking out of the Revolution was on what is now Lincoln Avenue in East Saugus, in what was in later years a public house known as "Sunnyside." He was married Septewber 19, 1771, by Rev. Joseph Roby, to Abigail Newhall, and May 18, 1784, he was married a second time, also by Rev. Mr. Roby, to Mary Potter. His children, all by his second marriage, were Daniel, Polly, Patty, George, and Pamelia. His death occurred January 16,1807, and that of his wife, Mary, Novem­ber 29, 1807. Mr. Benjamin F. Newhall described Ebenezer Stocker as "a man of sterling worth and integrity, and great energy of char­acter." From being a corporal in Captain Ezra Newhall's company of minute-men on April 19, 1775, he rose to the rank of colonel, - a rank, however, which was conferred upon him after the war. Dur­ing his active service he was known for the most part as Lieutenant Stocker. He had the distinction of being one of the original mem­bers of the Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati, having become a member in June, 1783, when the Massachusetts society held its first meeting on the 9th of the month at Newburg. The military record of Lieutenant Stocker given in detail is as follows; -
     Corporal, Captain Ezra Newhall's Lynn company of minute-men which marched on the alarm of April 19, 1775; service, fourteen days; also Captain Newhall's company, Colonel John Mansfield's regiment; order for advance pay signed by said Stocker and others, dated Cam­bridge, June 8, 1775; also corporal, same company and regiment; muster-roll dated August 1, 1775; enlisted May 3, 1775; service, three months, five days; also Captain Newhall's company, Colonel Mansfield's 19th regiment, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Israel Hutchinson; company return dated October 6, 1775; also order for money in lieu of bounty coat dated camp at Winter Hill, November 4, 1775; also
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sergeant, Captain Newhall's (1st) company, 27th regiment; copy of a list of officers (year not given, probably 1776); also lieutenant, Colonel Greaton's regiment; Continental Army pay accounts for service from January 1, 1777, to December 31, 1780; also Lieutenant-Colonel Rufus Putnam's (5th) regiment; return of officers for clothing allowed by order of General Court of March 13, 1778; also second lieutenant, same regiment; return of officers for clothing dated Boston, June 17, 1778; also for clothing, November 24, 1778; also January 9, 1779; also lieu­tenant Captain James Tisdale's company, Colonel Greaton's 2d regi­ment; muster-roll for March, 1779, dated "Cortond Manner"; en­gaged January 1, 1777; also second lieutenant, Captain John Wil­liams's company, Colonel Putnam's (4th) regiment; return for gratuity raised by lottery dated April 22, 1779; also lieutenant, Captain Tis­dale's (8th) company, Colonel Greaton's regiment; muster-roll for April dated "Crompond," also June 29, "Constitution Island"; also July, 1779, Camp Highlands; also September, 1779, Camp Bedford; also lieutenant in Colonel Putnam's regiment; account rendered against the United States by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for amounts paid officers and men on account of depreciation of their wages for the first three years' service in the Continental Army from 1777 to 1780; also same regiment, list of officers promoted in the Continental Army and for whom warrants were made out; also lieutenant, Major Robert Oliver's company, Colonel Greaton's regiment; muster-­rolls for field, staff, and commissioned officers for August, September, and October, 1780; also return of officers belonging to (late) 3d Massa­chusetts regiment, commanded by Colonel Greaton, who were to con­tinue in the service, dated Boston, January 19, 178l. - Mass. Rolls.

STOCKER, EBENEZER, Jr., - may have been son of Ephraim and Lydia, born July 24, 1750. The following Revolutionary record is given: -
     Captain Ezra Newhall's company, Colonel John Mansfield's regi­ment; order for advance pay signed by said Stocker and others, dated Cambridge, June 6, 1775; also private, same company and regiment; muster-roll dated August 1, 1775; enlisted May 4, 1775; service, three months, four days; also Captain Newhall's company, Colonel Mansfield's (19th) regiment, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Israel Hutchinson; company return dated October 6, 1775; also order for money in lieu of bounty coat dated camp at Winter Hill, November 4, 1775. - Mass. Rolls.
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STOCKER, ELIJAH, - son of Thomas and Elizabeth (Mansfield) Stocker, was born in Saugus, October 19, 1752. He served with his brother Thomas on the 19th of April, 1775, in Captain Parker's Saugus com­pany. When news reached Lynn that General Burgoyne was advanc­ing down the lakes from Canada, a considerable number of Lynn men enlisted to enter the campaign against him. Mr. Stocker was one of twenty-five Lynn men who enlisted in the company of Captain Zadock Buffinton, of Salem, and marched northward. He was present during the battles preceding the capture of the British general and his army, and marched back to Cambridge with the prisoners, where he was discharged November 30, 1777.

STOCKER, ENOCH, - is borne on the muster-rolls as seventeen years of age in 1777. Is in a list of men mustered from Plymouth County in Cap­tain Jacob Allen's company, Colonel Bailey's regiment, for the month of February, 1778, dated Valley Forge; also appears as a private in Captain Adam Bailey's company, Colonel John Bailey's 2d Massa­chusetts regiment; reported wounded; transferred to corps of invalids, October 25,1779; service from January 1, 1779, to December 31, 1779.
     He went to Wakefield from Lynn in 1787, and was married November 28, 1787, by Rev. Joseph Roby, to Hannah Berry, of Lynn. His wife was a very religious woman, though somewhat credulous and excitable. They had a daughter, Sally, and possibly other children. He was at the battle of Stony Point under General Wayne; was of a volunteer corps which made an assault upon the enemy's works, and, as he climbed to the top of the parapet, a British soldier ran a sword through his thigh. Stocker forthwith drew trigger, shot his foe, and fell inside the fort upon the dead body of his assailant. He lost part of one hand in battle and was lame from the wound in his thigh. He died June 1, 1821, aged sixty-five, and his wife, Hannah, died November 22, 1817, aged sixty-eight.

STOCKER, EPHRAIM, - son of John and Ruth (Breed) Stocker, was born in Lynn, January 7, 1756; married May 29,1781, by Rev. Mr. Roby, to Rebecca Childs. He was a brother of Ebenezer, Sr., and was living in Saugus in 1790, according to the census of that year. The only Revolutionary service given is that as private in Captain Ezra New­hall's company of minute-men which marched on the alarm of April 19, 1775.
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STOCKER, CAPTAIN JOSEPH, - son of Samuel, Jr., and Elizabeth (Griffin) Stocker, was born November 11, 1745; married December 14, 1780, by Rev. Mr. Treadwell, to Mehitable Norwood; children, Lydia and Zaccheus Norwood. He died March 8, 1795, aged fifty, and his wife, Mehitable, died June 9, 1793, aged thirty-eight. Both are buried in the old Western Burial Ground.

     He was a private in Captain Ezra Newhall's Lynn company on the morning of April 19, 1775, and is credited with fifteen days' service. Through the remainder of the year 1775 he served as private in Colonel Mansfield's regiment, Captain Newhall's company; as sergeant on the main guard at Prospect Hill, under Lieutenant-Colonel L. Bald­win; also in Captain Newhall's company, Colonel Mansfield's regi­ment, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Israel Hutchinson. He was also given an order for money in lieu of a bounty coat for eight months' service of that year. The next year, 1776, he was captain of the 4th company, 1st Essex County regiment of Massachusetts militia, commissioned April 26, and also served during the latter part of the year as first lieutenant in Captain Joseph Rea's company, Colonel Timothy Pickering, Jr.'s, regiment, which marched to Danbury, Conn., January 15, 1777. His name appears as sergeant in Captain Stephen Wilkins's company, Colonel Wigglesworth's regiment, in a pay abstract for travel allowance from Albany home, 210 miles. During the time from No­vember 11, 1777, to July 3, 1778, he was in and about Cambridge, under Captains Greenwood and Brown, guarding the captured army of Burgoyne. In 1779 and 1780 he served for short periods as first lieu­tenant in Captain Addison Richardson's company, in Colonel Jacob Gerrish's and Colonel Wade's regiments, near West Point. Honorably discharged from the service October 10, 1780.

STOCKER, THOMAS, - son of Thomas and Elizabeth (Mansfield) Stocker, was born in Saugus, August 19,1741; married April 14, 1763, by Rev. Mr. Treadwell, to Susanna Newhall, daughter of Moses and Susanna (Bowden) Newhall, born August 8, 1741. His children were Elizabeth, Susanna, Sarah, Mary, Polly, Thomas, Lucy, and Charlotte. He served with the Saugus company on the alarm of April 19, 1775. His home was on the old Boston road, very near the Newhall tavern, in a
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house still standing (1904), nearly opposite the road which leads to the great marshes. Upon the precipitous ledge back of the house his grandson, Elbridge Gerry Hawkes, built a house which has since been lowered to a place more convenient, near the road, and is now oc­cupied by Dudley B. Fisk. His brother Elijah was in the same com­pany, and he himself served later, 1778, on the Committee of Cor­respondence, Inspection, and Safety of the town of Lynn.
     Letters of administration were granted on his estate June 26, 1798, his widow, Susanna, being appointed executrix. He was at that time described as a yeoman, and his estate, amounting to over $3,000, con­sisted in part of the "Dagyr Pasture," the "Rann Pasture," and the "Ballard Field." Susanna, his wife, died March 12, 1822.

SWAIN, JOHN (the John Swone of the muster-roll), - son of John and Sarah Swain, was born in Reading, May 2, 1751. His ancestral line was John⁵, John⁴, Dr Benjamin³, Major Jeremiah², Jeremiah¹, the emi­grant ancestor. Major Jeremiah Swain, his great-great-grandfather, born in Charlestown in 1643, was a distinguished officer in the Indian wars, and was in the Great Swamp Fight in the Narragansett War. John, the subject of this sketch, was married November 24, 1774, by Rev. Caleb Prentice, to Lois Walton, of Reading, daughter of Jacob and Eunice (Hawkes) Walton, born March 15, 1752. His home was in the northerly part of Lynnfield, in an old house which was burned many years ago. He appears many times in the tax levy of the North Precinct, and is noted as "Deacon John Swain," although no record appears of his appointment to that office. He was a member of Captain Bancroft's company of minute-men, and marched with his neighbors to West Cam­bridge, where he joined in the fight of the afternoon of April 19, 1775. On April 20, 1776, he enlisted in Captain Ezra Newhall's company, Colonel Israel Hutchinson's 27th regiment, then doing guard duty in and around Boston. He is described as being at that time twenty-five years of age, 5 ft. 9 in. in height, of dark complexion, with gray eyes and brown hair. Inasmuch as the enlistments in this company were for three years, Swain undoubtedly accompanied his regiment on the march to New York, going by way of Norwich, Conn., and then by water. He was in the battles of Fort Washington and Fort Lee, crossed the Jerseys
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with General Washington, and was probably at the battle of Trenton. The muster-rolls of this period are incomplete, and it is impossible to give all of his military experience. Upon his return to Lynn he con­tinued upon his large farm the occupation of yeoman. His children were Oliver, Thomas, Joseph, Lois, Betsy, Nat, Mary, Sally, and Lucinda. His will on file in the probate records shows that his farm consisted of 128 acres of land, which, with buildings, amounted to $5,125. His daughters, Sally and Lucinda, were given $110 each, "with privilege of baking in kitchen oven, drawing water at well, and to pass and repass to cellar." He died August 24, 1815. His wife died Sep­tember 19, 1842, and both are buried in marked graves in the Riverside Cemetery, North Reading.

SWEETSER, PHINEAS, - birth unknown, married September 10, 1747, Mary Rhodes. He was a private in Captain William Farrington's (2d Lynn) company of militia, which marched on the alarm of April 19, 1775, towards Concord; service, two days. - Mass. Rolls.

SWEETSER, SAMUEL, - was in the company of Captain David Parker, of Saugus, at the time of the alarm of April 19, 1775. A Samuel, son of Phineas and Mary (Rhodes) Sweetser, was born in Saugus, September 24, 1750. A Samuel, son of Samuel, and Lydia (Hawkes) Sweetser, was born in Saugus, March 4, 1758. Either of these young men was of the right age to have been in the service, but no record has been handed down to show which is entitled to the honor. On May 5, 1785, one of them was married by Rev. Mr. Roby to Lydia Smith, and this one died in Saugus August 8, 1815. The wife, Lydia, died July 22, 1843, aged eighty-three. Both are buried in the old burial-ground at Saugus Centre, where their graves are suitably marked.

SYMMES, JOHN, - was a private in Captain Parker's Saugus company which marched on the alarm of April 19, 1775. The only reference made to him in the Lynn records is in 1769, when he was elected hog-reeve. In the account book of Dr. James Gardner, under date of April 7, 1797, the town of Lynn is charged for medical attendance upon John Symmes, which might indicate that he was a charge of the town. Nothing is known of his birth or death. By the records of the Third Parish Church he appears to have been one of the fifteen original members when Rev.
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Joseph Roby was ordained. He was suspended from membership in 1758.

     He saw adive service in the French and Indian War, and was prob­ably too old to take part in the campaigns following the battle of Lex­ington. On April 2, 1748, he was one of eight men to be impressed into the service of King George II., and was sent to the eastern frontier for duty, marching with his company to York, Me. He enlisted March 30, 1758, as a private in Captain Simon Slocomb's company, Colonel Joseph Williams's regiment, raised by the Province of Massachusetts Bay for the total reduction of Canada. He served eight months and fifteen days, being discharged November 23, 1758. He re-enlisted March 19, 1760, in Captain Henry Young Brown's company, and served until November 20, 1760, being allowed pay for 120 miles' travel home. He again enlisted March 19, 1762, in Captain Moses Hart's company, and served until November 20, 1762.

TALBOT, AMBROSE, - was a member of Captain Farrington's company and the last man borne upon the roll. He was married November 24, 1768, by Rev. Mr. Treadwell, to Elizabeth Johnson, daughter of Edward and Bethia (Newhall) Johnson, born in Lynn, August 6, 1745. He had four children, Sarah, Ambrose, Enoch, and Bethia. He was a member of the First Church, owning the covenant November 21, 1773. He enlisted September 23, 1779, and served one month in Cap­tain George Rogers's company, Colonel Nathaniel Jordon's regiment. Beyond this nothing is known of him.

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