John Eaton, (II)

The History of Haverhill (Chase, 1861) says

"In 1774 John Eaton after faithfully Serving as Town Clerk and Treasurer for the long period of 57 yrs, retired from office...That he was well fitted for the responsible post and commanded the respect and confidence of his fellow townsmen, is abundantly demonstrated by his 56 annual re-elections to the office."

A plaque commemorating this marathon performance was affixed to the onetime residence of John at the time of Haverhill's 250th birthday celebration in 1890. We can see however that there is a problem with this account, since it implies that John was first elected Clerk at age 12.

The oddity is quickly dispelled: A John Eaton was indeed Town Clerk for 57 consecutive years, but it was a father-son sequence. At some time between 1717 and 1736, when John died, his son took over the role. Perhaps in the father's waning years they prepared reports jointly. Probably it was in connection with this role that John was listed in 1757 as one of 40 local leaders of Haverhill on the Alarm List exempt from more broad ranging military duty but available to serve locally.

John presumably grew up at his father's homestead on the Great Plain well east of the village. His residence for most of his adult life was a structure built in 1721 and still intact in 1890, located under the buttonwoods at the junction of Groveland and Water streets a mile east of the village center. At this point a small bluff dominated by sycamores looks out splendidly on the merricamc River. This site has more general Eaton importance because the previous owner was Ebenezer Eaton the well to do batchelor uncle of John who died early in 1737, distributing his estate in seven shares across his siblings and their heirs. The site had once contained the main homestead of patriarch Thomas, who unlike his own father and much of the rest of the family, had chosen not to reside out in the West Parish. John spent the period from 1737 to 1741 collecting quitclaims from uncles and cousins to put this main estate back together again under his control.

In hsi own will, sighed Jan 23 1788 and proved in Aug 1788, John makes liberal bequests to his two daughters, and gives his son Moses all the Balance, both real and personal, of the remaining estate. Moses was appointed executor, but was finally dismissed form this office,with the estate settled instead by Samuel Walker. the fact that a few yrs later (1795) nephews Moses and Ebenezer are joining to sell parts of John's Estate, lends weight to the impression that John's paternal line did not continue to the sixth generation.