Matthew Watson

From History and genealogy of the Watson family, descendants of Matthew Watson, who came to America in 1718.

THE WATSON FAMILY.

• 'The name Watson is derived from Wat, the nickname, or abbreviation from Walter, with the termination 'son,' which together signify the son of Walter, a personal name of Teutonic origin, which was not introduced until the Conquest." The first learned of the family is this : —

It seems that during the persecutions of the Puritans or Non-Conformists in England, during the reign of James I., that many families left England and settled in the north of Ireland, where more toleration then existed. (The Watsons may have gone, at this time, to Scotland, and from there to Ireland. Some records state that the family were of Scotch parentage, others that they were of English, and the coat-of.arms brought with them would substantiate the belief in the latter.) Among these families were the Watsons, where they resided during the reign of James I., Charles I., Cromwell, James II., William and Mary, and Anne. After the expulsion of James II., and in his attempt to reduce Ireland with his French Army and the Catholic population of Ireland, and while marching to besiege Derry (in 1688 or '9) inhuman barbarities were committed on the Protestant inhabitants, either to gratify revenge or amuse his soldiery, such as piercing little children through the body and suspending them on their pikes, in their death screams writhing in their agony and bleeding before their parents.

Among these scenes of horror was a family by the name of Orr, of note and respectability. The head of the father of this family was severed from his body and carried on a pike, and his family, with hundreds of others, were driven before this murderous array up to the walls of Derry, as a terror to the inhabitants within. (He was the father of Mary Orr, who was 12 years old at this time, afterwards wife of Matthew Watson, the first of our branch, with his children, to come to America.) There, suffering cold and hunger by day and night, those having friends within the city were taken over the walls at night. This family lay under the walls three days before they could gain admittance.

Here famine and pestilence did their work in this over-crowded place; starvation continued until the fleet with sup- plies broke through the obstruction of the harbor. This soon put an end to the war and established the new government of William and Mary.

Whether the Orr family consisted of more than the father, mother and daughter, we are uninformed.

Here is the first mention of our progenitor, Matthew Watson, then a young man, and without doubt, was among the brave defenders of this place — as history says that the young men of the city were the first to defend it, and that they first shut the gates against James II. and his army of miscreants, and mounted the walls in its defence.

(In all manuscripts and records the name is given as Matthew, with one exception. The author of that manuscript learned of the error and corrected it in a later manuscript. The author of the book "Historical Sketches of Barrington. R.I." had access to the uncorrected manuscript, and called the name, Robert. In 1729 the Leicester Town Records record 102 acres, belonging to Matthew Watson heirs. In the same records and the same date, 108 acres to Matthew Watson, but this was the oldest son, who removed to Barrington, R. I. There was an Oliver and Jonathan Watson in Leicester, before Matthew and his family went there. They may have been his brothers or near relatives, but we are unable to state. This Oliver died early. James Freeland, of Oxford, Mass., was administrator of his estate, account dated 29th of July, 1746.)

It was here, during the siege, that Matthew Watson met with Mary Orr and her mother. He entered into business as a manufacturer and dealer in linen, yam and cloth. He purchased flax, employed females to spin and weave it, whether within the city or adjacent we do not know, but it was with success.

Again troublesome times came on, owing to the increase of the Catholic population, insomuch that it became dangerous and difficult for a Protestant to be out in the evening without being armed with a club or some other effectual weapon of defence. Therefore these times and troubles were the inducements for this family to emigrate, (as did many others) .

We find them in Boston, Mass., in the year 1718 with their family of seven sons and two daughters. (Nearly all the manuscript records state that the family came to America at this time. That Oliver Watson was born during the sea voyage ; he was born 1718. An article published in a newspaper in 1801, at Warren, R. I., states that they came to America in 1712. [See copy of newspaper article in another part of the book. However that may be, it would simply change the birthplace of the two youngest children.)

They suffered much from loss of property on the voyage, but of what, or in what manner, we cannot say. Now an entire change of employment must take place, from a linen dealer to a tiller of the soil, and for which he came somewhat prepared, bringing all sorts of seeds.

The first season he removed a few miles from Boston to Framingham, where he planted for that season only (1719). But not contented in that place we soon find him, in 1720, true to his Anglo-Saxon propensities, his face turned westward in search of more land. He purchased a right through the town of Leicester, Mass., where he removed his children and soon began clearing his land and planting, and here, sad to relate, during the first year of this settlement, he was instantly killed by the falling of a tree upon him, which he and his eldest son were engaged in cutting down, bereaving his family of their head, stay, guide and support in this the time of their greatest need of his succor, counsel and advice. Yet it seems that this mother was a woman possessed of uncommon fortitude and strong powers of mind, and nerved herself for the double duties that now devolved upon her in the sole care of training and providing for this large family.

Now mark her unmoving faith and trust in the Almighty Ruler of the universe. On the morning after this fatal casualty she called her family as usual around her and thus addressed them: "My children, your father now lies dead in the next room and cannot join us in our morning worship, yet it must never cease so long as I live, for never since your father and I have lived together has this service ceased, and must always continue;" and handing the Bible to her eldest son, a young man, said: "You are the eldest, therefore it devolves upon you to take your father's place." He then read to them portions of Scripture which she had selected, and then they all knelt together while he prayed with them; and which duty it is said he never neglected through life, showing the faithful training of his parents.

This is a brief history of the first parents. The individual history of the head of each family will be found in the regular genealogic records.

They did much during their lives for the advancement of the nation, then in its infancy. And to understand what their lot was it is well to review a little history of the town at this time. The records of the settlers indicate that our fathers found the Indians and the wild beast which he hunted. The arrow-head, the wide stone axe, chisel, etc., have been occasionally dug up in their former haunts. The annoyance from noxious animals and venomous reptiles continued to a late period. The records show, as late as 1740, the employment of pitfalls and other means for destroying wolves, and the payment of bounties for the killing of rattlesnakes.

In 1722 a company of men were stationed in the town of Leicester, Mass., to guard its inhabitants from the miscreant Indians. The roads were mere trails through the woods. The road laid out by the town in November, 1724, known as the "Charlton road," is of interest to us. Begins at a black oak near the house of Thomas Hopkins; thence to three chestnuts; thence to a red oak; thence to a clump of red oaks ; thence to a red oak ; thence to a black oak ; thence to a gray oak; thence to a large black oak; thence to another large black oak, near a slowe westerly of the Widow Watson's house ; thence to a young red oak ; thence to another red oak tree ; thence to a black oak ; thence to another black oak; and so on to a small white oak, a black oak, 'just up the pitch of the Livermore Hill,' a black oak ; ' thence to a pitch pine on the top of the hill,' and continuing from one tree to another until it comes to two pines — and so on the road was laid out three rods wide."

Mr. Matthew Watson built his house in 1720. He was probably the first to introduce the potato into this section, as the following incident would indicate: A neighboring farmer having heard that the new settlers had the potatoes, and never having seen the article, went to them for the purpose of gratifying his curiosity, but as all they had were planted he was told that if he would come in the autumn he would then see them. At the appointed time he came and was shown a heap of potatoes just dug. Having selected one and carefully cleaning it of the soil, cut a mouthful and after masticating it awhile threw it away in disgust, saying : "If that is what you call a potato, I had rather have a turnip."

The first settlers were farmers, and like others of their class generally in New England, the clothing of their families was principally of domestic manufacture. Probably no home was destitute of a spinning-wheel or a loom, and few families who did not understand more or less of the method of dyeing the fabrics which they wove. Cotton was unknown till a comparatively recent date, and few could indulge in the luxury of "India cotton" clothes, for which they must pay some four or five shillings a yard, that would not now sell for as many cents, if it would sell at all. They could clip from their own flocks the wool they consumed, and could raise the flax, which they understood how to work into linen of the the purest white. It was from home-made fabrics wrought from these that the diligent housewife prepared the wardrobe of the family.

GENEALOGY.

First Generation.

1 . Matthew Watson, of English parentage and a Presbyterian in belief, came to Boston, U. S. A., from Coleraine, County Londonderry, Ireland, in the year 1718, with his family, consisting of his wife, Mary Orr, to whom he was married in the year 1695, and their children. He was instantly killed by the falling of a tree upon him in 1720, and was probably buried in the old cemetery where the Leicester Congregational Church now stands. The history of this family is to be found on the preceding pages.

CHILDREN.

• 2. Matthew Watson, born March, 1696; died at Barrington, R. I., Jan. 17, 1803, aged 107 years. Married Bethiah Reed, daughter of John and Bethiah (Cobb) Reed, of Barrington, R. I., , 1733. She was born Feb. 28, 1713; died Feb. 9, 1778. Ch. 11-20. He again married Sarah (Rowland) Lawton, widow of David Brown, Feb., 1787. She died Sept. 3, 1798, aged 88 years.
• 3. Samuel Watson, born 1698; died at Leicester, Mass., March 19, 1776. Married Margarette . She was born, 1703 ; died Aug. 6, 1780. Ch. 21-28.
• 4. Patrick Watson, born 1706; died, March 31, 1754. His wife, Elizabeth, died Feb. 22, 1751, aged 37 years. Both buried in the Old Cemetery, Spencer, Mass.
• 5. Robert Watson. No record.
• 6. William Watson. No record.
• 7. Elizabeth Watson, born 1709; died Dec. 1, 1815. Married Deacon Archibald Thomas, son of William Thomas, Sept. 5, 1733. He was born Jan. 31, 1708; died July 19, 1793, aged 86 years. He was of Scotch descent, came from Belfast, Ireland, and settled in Boston. He was a tailor, having spent seven years in his native city to perfect himself. Ch. 29-34.
• 8. Margarette Watson. Married McNeal.
• 9, John Watson, born Nov. 1716; died Nov, 9, 1795, at Palmer, Mass. Married Mary Blair, of Worcester, Mass., Jan. 12, 1744. She was born April 1, 1725 ; died July 21, 1795. Ch. 35-44.
• 10. Oliver Watson, born , 1718; died at Spencer, Mass., Dec. 20, 1804, aged 86 years. Married Elizabeth Blair, of Worcester, Mass., Dec. 4, 1742. She died at Spencer, Mass., Oct. 31, 1779, aged 55 years. Ch. 45-52. He again married Hannah Peters, of Brookfield, Mass., Nov., 1782. She died March 6, 1808, aged 84 years.