his life in the cause of science, and never acquired a fortune. The frontispiece, showing the portrait of Mr. Perkins is a slightly reduced reproduction of an engraving in the American Magazine (1839), volume 2, page 137.* The Amesbury nail factory conducted a large business, the new nail machines enabling the owners to export great quantities of nails to foreign countries, and the American government having early protected the industry by an impost duty of one cent a pound on spikes and nails. Guppy and Armstrong conveyed to Clifford Crowninshield, John Osgood and Samuel Gray, all of Salem, merchants, in 1801, the factory, land, and the patent granted to Mr. Perkins for nail machines for fourteen years from Dec. 20, 1794, and also a patent for improvements thereon granted to Mr. Perkins for fourteen years from Feb. 14, 1799. The importance of the invention of these nail machines is shown by the fact that between 1790 and 1825 one hundred and twenty patents were granted on them. Messrs. Crowninshield, Osgood and Gray, conveyed the factory buildings, the corn mill, land under and adjoining the same, dam, water course, tools, machinery, pat ents, etc., to Abel Lawrence, gentleman, and William Ward, merchant, both of Salem, in trust for the partners in the Amesbury Nail Factory Company, for thirty-five hundred dollars, July 21, 1803.† These new owners had already taken possession of the factory, and were carrying Jacob Perkins married Hannah Greenleaf of Newbury Nov. 11, 1790, and they both died in England. Their nine children were as follows: I. Hannah Greenleaf, born Feb. 17, 1792; 2. Sarah Ann, born Dec. 16, 1793; married Bacon in London; 3. Jane, born Jan. 5, 1796; died July 14, 1808; 4. Ebenezer Greenleaf, born Dec. 29, 1797; died Jan. 20, 1842; 5. Angier March, born in 1799; died Jan. 20, 1872; 6. Louisa Jane, born Sept. 11, 1801; 7. Elizabeth, born May 7, 1804; married Roy; 8. Henrietta, born July 1,1806; married Hersey Chubb of London; 9. Mary, born June 29, 1809, died Oct. 24, 1810. + Essex Registry of Deeds, book 178, leaf 106. See also, book 170, leaves 76 and 77. on the business under the old name of Amesbury Nail Factory Company. Jacob Rowell, jr., of Salisbury, Philip Jones of Amesbury, and Stephen Green of Kensington, N. H., yeomen, by authority of the Society of Friends, conveyed to Messrs. Lawrence and Ward in trust for the nail company, for four hundred dollars, the Quaker meeting-house and the quarteracre lot of land on which it stood, adjoining the nail factory, bounded on the south "by the road leading from the Amesbury mills to the Lyon's mouth," on the northeast by a way belonging to the nail company, and on the northwest by land of David Morrill, Jan. 19, 1804*. This was the lot that was given by Thomas Barnard to the Friends to erect their meetinghouse upon 1: 2 mo: 1707.† On the same day, Jan. 19, 1804, Messrs. Lawrence and Ward declared that they held the mills, the Quaker meeting-house, dwelling house, land, etc., in trust for the Amesbury Nail Factory Company, which had erected a rolling and splitting mill there.§ The company was incorporated March 16, 1805, for twenty-five years, the original corporators being William Gray, jr., esq., Samuel Gray, Clifford Crowninshield, John Jenks, William Ward, Abel Lawrence, Edward Southwick, William S. Gray, John Appleton, and George Dodge, merchants, and Samuel Putnam, esquire, most of them being residents of Salem. The company were carrying on a flourishing business, when, at four o'clock in the morning of Dec. 24, 1805, by an accident, the factory was totally destroyed by fire, together with the grist-mill, two blacksmiths' shops, and three hundred cords of wood, the estimated loss being $80,000. The factory was rebuilt, and the business was increased. The owners of eighty-two of the hundred shares of stock of the in company were, 1810, as follows: Samuel Gray and William Gray, sixteen each; John Jenks, eight; Samuel Putnam, six; John Appleton and W. Shepard Gray, *Essex Registry of Deeds, book 174, leaf 168. + Essex Registry of Deeds, book 28, leaf 263. § Essex Registry of Deeds, book 178, leaf 106. four each; Thomas Perkins, three; George Dodge, Larkin Dodge, Jonathan Hodges, E. A. Holyoke, Theresa Orne, jr., John Cabot, Joshua Dodge, Lydia Cabot and Ebenezer Felton, two each; and John Prince, jr., Benjamin Dodge, Mehitable Dodge, John Ropes, Benjamin Pickman, L. Rawlins Pickman and Jonathan Allen, one each. John Prince, jr., was then clerk of the company. In 1806, Samuel Putnam was clerk. In 1807, Ebenezer Felton of Salisbury was agent of the company, and the next year the agent was John Rollins of Newbury, merchant; Col. John Russell was agent at the factory when it was sold in 1825. In 1807, the company bought some land at the mouth of Kimball's pond in Amesbury, where they had built sluice gates. In 1810, they bought half an acre of land more there. This was and has since been the reservoir of the mills. In 1823, the company sold the property and water rights at the pond to the Amesbury Cotton Manufacturing Company, Amesbury Flannel Manufacturing Company, Amesbury Wool and Cotton Manufacturing Company, Salisbury Woolen Manufacturing Company, and several individuals.§ The business of the nail company was probably near its end at this time, and the buildings, land, machinery, water privileges, etc., were sold at auction, for twentyone thousand dollars, to Pickering Dodge, esq., of Salem, July 13, 1825.|| This property was situated on both sides of Powow river, and included twenty-eight of Perkins' nail machines, the rolling-mill that had lately been rebuilt, an island in the river, etc. The directors at this time were Pickering Dodge, Benjamin Dodge and Joshua Ward, jr. The old nail factory was sold by Mr. Dodge to the Salisbury Woolen Manufacturing Company Oct. 18, 1825,¶ who converted it into a weaving room. *Essex Registry of Deeds, book 190, leaf 44. + Essex Registry of Deeds, book 183, leaf 149. § Essex Registry of Deeds, book 233, leaf 46. Essex Registry of Deeds, book 238, leaf 243. Essex Registry of Deeds, book 239, leaf 298. WILL OF JOHN THORNE. The following nuncupative will of John Thorne was sworn to 4: 6 mo: 1646. The original deposition, of which the following is a copy, is filed in the office of the clerk of courts at Salem, book I, leaf 53. Salem the 27 of July: 1646: wee whoues names are heare vnderwritten beinge prefent with John Thorne in the time of his Sicknes and at that time when the fayd John waf in his perfect memory doe teftifie that wee heard him fay theafe woards vinfit that hee did giue unto Ann: Pallgraue all his Eftate of mony. goods. aparell. & debtts out of which fayd aparell it was the will of the fayd John that John Jackson Junio: should haue his beft Hatt and further moure it was his will that James Thomas fhould haue fomthinge out of his Estate if the faid Ann: Paulgraue fo pleaseth. The first comet to appear in the heavens of New England, of which there is any account, blazed forth from Orion from the ninth to the twenty-second of December, 1652. It was large, and people shuddered when they looked at its beautiful tail of fire. Another appeared from February 3 to March 28, 1661. The people connected their appearance with some famine, plague or disaster, either as its direct cause or precursor; and the learned men of the times taught the people to fear their approach. When it is considered that some persons are still disturbed at their coming in this very end of the nineteenth century, it is readily understood why the people of the days when superstition was fostered trembled at their appearance. They seemed to be the perfection of instruments to accomplish the burning of the world. The clergy of New England sought to make the most of this belief and fear, either hypocritically, to simply increase the membership of their churches, or because they shared the common belief and honestly endeavored to have souls prepared for the great change that might come immediately, and without further warning. At these periods many were brought into the fold, and the ordinances and services of the church were more carefully observed. In the mild winter of 1664-5, another comet appeared. "The great and dreadful comet," as Josselyn called it, was first Night seen on the eighth of November. after night, the whole winter through, "the great blazing starre" took its position in the southern sky as soon as the stars began to glint in the evening constellations. Its size and extreme brilliancy greatly alarmed the people. Morton said that it was "no fiery meteor caused by exhalation, but it appeared to be sent immediately by God to awake the secure world." Among the events which were believed to have been portended by this comet, according to a writer of the time, were "The great and dreadful plague in England the next summer, the dreadful war by sea with the Dutch, and the burning of London the second year following." Probably the largest comet ever seen in New England by the English speaking race was the Newtonian comet of 1680. It was first seen at Boston at five o'clock on the morning of Nov. 14, 1680, appearing in the southeastern sky near fourteen degrees in libra and one degree and three minutes southward of the ecliptic. The sky being clear, it appeared at first plainly but in a few moments vanished as day was beginning to dawn. It appeared earlier and earlier in the morning until about December 8, when it could be seen in the evening. It continued to be visible till February 10, when it was beyond the reach of the naked eye. Five hundred and forty years being required to complete its circuit it will not be seen again here until the year 2225. Increase Mather gave a lecture on this comet, saying in his introduction, that "As for this blazing star, which hath occasioned this discourse, it was a terrible sight indeed, especially about the middle of December last, the stream of such a stupendous magnitude as that few men now living ever beheld the like." The governor and council of the Massachusetts Bay colony appointed a general fast, one reason assigned for it in the proclamation being "that awful, portentous, blazing star, usually foreboding some calamity to the beholder thereof," and the greatest strictness was observed by the people in keeping it. CAPT. JOHN ADAMS5, born in Andover July 3, 1735. He was a cordwainer by trade, and lived in Andover, where he was a deacon of the North church and a man of influence. He served in the French war, and was an able officer in the Revolution. He married, first, Hannah Osgood Nov. 23, 1758. She died Oct. 22, 1771, aged fifty-six; and he married, second, Hannah Thurston of Rowley, June 24, 1773. She died Jan. 22, 1774, aged thirty-two; and he married, third, Mary Holt May 21, 1776. He died June 27, 1813, aged seventy-seven; and she died Nov. 9, 1829, at the age of eighty-nine. : Children, born in Andover:342-I. HANNAH, b. July 26, 1760; d. Aug. 30, 1763. 343-II. SARAH, b. July (or August) 1762; d. Sept. 2, 1763. 344-III. JOHN", b. about 1766. See below (344). 345-IV. ISAAC, b. April 25, 1767; studied at Harvard college with class of 1789, but did not graduate. He became a physician, and practiced medicine in Newburyport. He subsequently also entered into trade, and made several voyages as master of a vessel, finally removing his home to Michigan. 185 DAVID ADAMS5, born in Andover May 2, 1742. Lived in Dracut, cordwainer, in 1778, and probably removed to Methuen soon after. He married, first, 349—iv. 350-v. Abiah Brown, b. Sept. 8, 1773; d. DANIEL, b. Oct. 17, 1775; lived in 351-VI. JOHN M., b. Jan. 18, 1779; d. April 210 ABRAHAM ADAMS5, born in Newbury May 13, 1748. He was a yeoman and blacksmith; and lived in Newbury until about 1793, when he removed to Boscawen, N. H., where he was a husbandman in 1799. He married Mary Brickett Nov. 18, 1768. Children, born in Newbury :372-I. SUSANNAH, b. Dec. 24, 1768. 373-11. JOSEPH (twin), b. May 1, 1779. 374-III. HANNAH (twin), b. May 1, 1779. 375-IV. TOPPAN, b. Oct. 13, 1786. SENECA, Ilving in 1833. 387-XI. THOMAS H., living in 1833. 388-XII. PAUL, living in 1833. 221 DANIEL ADAMS5, born in Newbury Nov. 15, 1760. He was at first a yeoman and cordwainer, but after 1789 a miller. He lived in Newbury; and married, first, Ednah Noyes of Newbury Nov. 26, 1788. She died in Newbury Feb. 14, 1799, at the age of forty; and he married, second, Sarah Peirce of Newburyport (pub. May I, 1800). Children, born in Newbury:389-1. 390-11. SYLVIA®, b. Nov. 12, 1789. MOODY", b. June 17, 1791. 391-III. SARaho, b. Ñov. 25, 1794. |