Richard Sanger, III

Was a remarkable man.

He inherited the combative, mirthful, acquisitive, and persevering characteristics of his mother's race, and excelled them in enterprize.

He was brought up to the business of his father, and continued to be styled blacksmith until thirty years of age. At about age 21, he purchased from Rev. Daniel Baker, 2 acres on the west side of the road, opposite his father's land, bounded s and w by Baker, and n by James Coolidge; and the next year commenced building the north half of the Old Sanger house, later occupied by Joseph Sanger. About 1729 came into possession of a 5 acre building lot of Rev. Daniel Gookin, and lived in the Gookin house for awhile. On the death of his father, 2/3 of his real estate went to he and brother Daniel who he bought out in 1735. Soon after he took down the Gookin house, reerected it and connected it to to the south end of the house he had commenced in 1729. This part of the house was built about 1679. The old Gookin barn remained on the property.

In 1733 he purchased for 63lbs, of Edmund Quincy and William Bratell, commissioners for the sale of lands formerly given by the town to Rev. D. Baker, seven acres south of his own land, east of the road from the meeting house to the south end, north of the farm road, and Nathaniel Holbrook's land, and west of N. Holbrook's.

In 1734-35, he bought of Rev. Wm. Cooper and Judith his wife, (the daughter of Chief Justice Sewall), 200 acres, or one half of the Hull farm; Capt. Joseph Ware purchasing at the same time the other half.

In 1737 he opened a store, which he seems to have left in the hands of another in 1747, when he removed to Boston, and for a short time did a large and lucrative business. The climate disagreeing with the health of his lady, he returned the next year to S., purchased the Phipps' farm and mansion, and there traded extensively in merchandize, lumber, and real estate. He was at that day concerned in land speculations in Maine. He accumulated a large fortune, which he divided among seven children, without reserving enough for protracted old age.

Between 1740 and '67, he served the town ten years as selectman, and often acted as moderator at town meetings. He was a good whig, served on committees to provide for the poor of Boston, in the time of the war, and to report on the services of soldiers employed by S. In 1776, he was the first man placed on the committee of safety with President Locke.

His wife, the daughter of the accomplished surveyor and clerk, William Rider, and the neice of Rev. Joseph Morse of Stoughton, was a lady of uncommon dignity and excellence. Her library consisted of such works as Willard's Divinity, Flavel's and Tillotson's works, ?c. From the markings in these volumes, I infer that she kept a theological school in the nursery, doubtless from the conviction that doctrine is the only foundation of correct practice. She died Aug. 15, 1789, aged 79, but her influence survives to this day.

January 23, 1785, received to church

Military Service: reported on services of Sherborn soldiers - 1776 1st on Committee of Safety

Town Offices: 1729, hogreeve, selectman 10 years, often town meeting moderator - Whig

• Reference: MyHeritage Family Trees - SmartCopy: May 2 2016, 19:49:49 UTC