Deacon Nicholas Baylies

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/37860247/nicholas-baylies

Notes for Nicholas Baylies: Crane has the following entry on p. 148-149 regarding NicholasBaylies, Jr.:

"Nicholas, Jr., son of Nicholas and Elizabeth (Park) Baylies, was born in 1739, and lived in Baylies Hill, Uxbridge, where he had a large farm, and where he died in 1831, aged ninety-two years. Knowledge as to the time of the erection of his house is not exact. Tradition has it that he built the main part when he was nineteen, that is, before his marriage. Mr. Wilmarth, his great-grandson, who occupied the premises until recently, remembers the cellar of a former house, in the vicinity of the present one, which was probably the original house of Nicholas Baylies."

"Nicholas Baylies closed up his father's business, and seems to have taken two at least of the company's old books of account from 1739 to 1744 for his own use in his transactions from 1760 to 1796. He credits and charges the Williams, the Adams, Dr. Joshua Wood, the Prentices, the Reads, Rawsons, Rev. Dr. Webb, the Southwicks, Nathan Tyler, the revolutionary colonel; the Caprons, Haywards, Drapers, Thwings and others. He was a much trusted man, and settled the estate (large for that time) of his neighbor, David Draper, and settled a controversy as an arbiter between Joseph Adams and David Draper. His accounts show that he was an intelligent, careful manager, recording carefully his dealings and settling most scrupulously with his white and negro servants, his neighbors, father, brothers, and even with his children."

"Nicholas Baylies joined the church in Uxbridge in 1769, when he was thirty years old, was elected deacon in 1783, and served as such forty-eight years, until his death. He was spoken of by those who best knew him, as one of the best of men and a most earnest Christian, greatly devoted to the work and service of the church. A granddaughter (Mrs. Betsey W. Aldrich) remembered him after he was ninety, tottering to his deacon's seat in the old Uxbridge meeting house, three miles from his home, even in inclement weather, thus showing his zeal to be in his place of worship."

"Nicholas Baylies married Abigail Wood, of Uxbridge, in 1760, and they had twelve children, all (it is believed) born on Baylies Hill: Gustavus, Timothy, Elizabeth, Nicholas, Adolphus (died young), Abigail, Mary, Susannah, Alpheus, Nancy, Eleanor and Submit. The family Bible containing the family record (in great part made by Nicholas Baylies) is now in the possession of Mrs. Cornelia A. (Brigham) Taft, widow of Calvin Taft, of Worcester, youngest daughter of Susannah (Baylies) Brigham, late of Grafton, and who is the last survivor save one of the Nicholas Baylies' grandchildren. The record is quaintly phrased, and contains the following: 'The same Nicholas Baylies aforesaid married to his second wife, Hannah Elliott, December 8, 1789.' She was born in Sutton, and a son George was born to them in 1800, and died in 1804. The third wife, Abigail Adams, is recorded as born in Mendon, and she died in Uxbridge, May 24, 1822, in her sixty-third year. The page ends with the direction: 'Turn over and see on the next page the record of Births and deaths of the said Nicholas Baylies' children' and must have been written after his death, as only three children died before him. His fourth wife was Olive (Thayer) Taft, widow of Ezekiel Taft; she survived him many years, occupying the homestead.

"Of the large family of Nicholas Baylies, but one (Alpheus) remained on the farm. Several of the sons were college graduates, became lawyers or physicians, locating in various states. The daughters married men of good standing for the most part, and some removed to other states. Susannah became the wife of Captain Charles Brigham, of Brigham Hill, Grafton, and died in 1837, having borne eleven children. Her fifth son, Nicholas, died recently in Grafton at the age of ninety-five years. Several of her descendants came to distinction. Another daughter of Nicholas Baylies, Abigail, married Henry Chapin, of Uxbridge, who settled in White Pigeon, Michigan; their daughter, Mrs. Eliza (Chapin) Wheaton, was the founder of the Wheaton Female Seminary at Groton, where she died in 1905 at the venerable age of ninety-six years. Another daughter, Nancy (grandmother of Gustavus B. Williams) married Stephen Williams, of Williams Hill, Uxbridge. She died in 1843, having had a family of ten children. Except Mrs. Taft, no grandchildren of Nicholas Baylies yet survive, but his remote descendants are scattered from Maine to California, and are very numerous."

http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/m/i/n/Christine-L-Minima...

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