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Founders of Watertown
Please add Geni profiles of the original settlers of the town of Watertown, as represented on the Founders' Monument, listed below. Link the Geni profile in "bold" if you can.
- Watertown, Massachusetts, City. County: Middlesex. State: Massachusetts Country: United States. Coordinates: 42°22′15″N 71°11′00″W. Settled: 1630. Incorporated: 1630
History
Watertown, first known as Saltonstall Plantation, was one of the earliest of the Massachusetts Bay settlements. It was begun early in 1630 by a group of settlers led by Sir Richard Saltonstall and the Rev. George Phillips and officially incorporated that same year. The alternate spelling "Waterton" is seen in some early documents.
From Historical sketch of Watertown:
THIS is an ancient town, it being settled the same year as Boston, in 1630. The first Englishmen who are known to have visited the place were Mr. Wareham and some of his people, who afterwards settled Dorchester; for an account of which the reader is referred to the history of that town in this work. The place in Watertown where they remained a few days is stated yet to bear the name of Dorchester Fields. Shortly after their removal, a permanent establishment was effected by another company. A party of the adventurous emigrants who came in Winthrop's fleet, with Sir Richard Saltonstall and Rev. George Phillips at their head, selected a place on the banks of Charles river for their plantation. On the 7th of Sept., 1630, (O. S.) the court of assistants, at Charlestown, "ordered that Trimountain be called Boston, Mattapan, Dorchester, and the town on Charles river, Watertown."
There are no means of ascertaining with precision the number of the first inhabitants, but it appears by the town records that in 1636 there were 108 townsmen. Probably the original number in 1630 was considerably less than this.
Taken from: Historical Collections Relating to the History and Antiquities of Every town in Massachusetts with Geographical Descriptions. By John Warner Barber. Worcester Published by Warren Lazell. 1848
Watertown Founders' Monument
From Watertown: Founders’ Monument
"At the end of July in the same year, 1630, Sir Richard Saltonstall led a second and permanent settling party of 115 households to Watertown. Several theories compete as to why he gave it the name. Valerie still thinks he made a mistake. Maybe she’d prefer “Pigs-go-suck.” At least seven of our ancestral families came with Saltonstall.
"Near Watertown Square on the north bank of the Charles stands today a handsome Founders’ Monument, featuring a life-size statue of Saltonstall. Neither the Square nor the Monument apparently marks the location of Sir Richard’s Landing. Which, as it turns out, is credited to two different places, nearby.
On the Founders’ Monument, we find some particularly inspirational words attributed to Sir Richard Saltonstall inscribed on the pedestal at his statue’s feet. They reveal a familiarity with Scripture, both in language and intent, consistent with his social position and educational attainment.
SIR RICHARD SALTONSTALL TO MR. WILSON AND MR. COTTON.
- “I HOPE YOU DO NOT ASSUME TO
- YOURSELVES INFALLIBILITIE OF
- JUDGEMENT WHEN THE MOST LEARNED
- OF THE APOSTLES CONFESSETH
- THAT HE KNEW BUT IN PARTE AND SAW
- BUT DARKELY AS THROUGH A GLASS”
- “THAT THE LORD WOULD GIVE YOU
- MEEKE AND HUMBLE SPIRITS, NOT TO
- STRYVE SO MUCH FOR UNIFORMITY AS
- TO KEEP THE UNITY OF THE SPIRIT IN
- THE BOND OF PEACE”
Founders list on monument
From Life from the Roots: Founder's Monument -- Watertown, Massachusetts
- Thomas Arnold
- John Ball
- John Barnard
- Ellis Barron
- William Barsham
- Michael Barstow
- Thomas Bartlett
- Richard Beach
- Richard Beers
- Joseph Bemis
- John Benjamin
- John Bigelow
- Nathaniel Biscoe
- Edmund Bloys
- William Bond
- Nathaniel Bowman
- Thomas Boylston
- Henry Bright, Jr.
- Thomas Brooks
- Abraham Browne
- Richard Browne
- George Bullard
- Charles Chadwick
- Lambert Chenery
- Garrett Church
- Hugh Clarke
- John Coolidge
- Benjamin Crispe
- Henry Curtis
- James Cutler
- Richard Cutting
- Robert Daniel
- Edward Dix
- John Doggett
- John Eaton
- John Eddy
- Simon Eire
- John Eliot
- Robert Feake
- John Firmin
- David Fiske
- John Fiske
- Nathan Fiske
- Thomas Flagg
- John Flemming
- Samuel Freeman
- Richard Gale
- Edward Garfield
- John Goss
- Christopher Grant
- Nicholas Guy
- William Hagar
- William Hammond
- Robert Harrington
- Thomas Hastings
- Justinian Holden
- Ephraim Child
- Samuel Hosier
- Edward How
- Miles Ives
- William Jennison
- Robert Keyes
- Richard Kimball
- William Knapp
- John Knight
- Edward Lamb
- John Lawrence
- Edmund Lewis
- John Livermore
- John Lovering
- Hugh Mason
- John Masters
- Thomas Mayhew
- Isaac Mixer
- Joseph Morse
- George Munnings
- Jeremiah Norcross
- John Oldham
- John Page
- William Paine
- George Parkhurst
- Daniel Patrick
- Anthony Peirce
- Brian Pendleton
- Thomas Philbrick
- Rev. George Phillips
- John Prescott
- John Reynolds
- John Richardson
- Thomas Rogers
- Sir Richard Saltonstall
- Richard Sawtell
- Robert Sanderson
- Robert Seely
- William Shattuck
- John Sherman
- John Smith
- John Spring
- Isaac Stearns
- John Stimson
- Gregory Stone
- Simon Stone
- Samuel Stratton
- Joseph Tainter
- Gregory Taylor
- Samuel Thatcher
- John Traine
- Martin Underwood
- Richard Waite
- John Warren
- Roger Wellington
- John Wetherell
- Timothy Wheeler
- John White
- John Whitney
- Richard Woodward
resources
- Wikipedia
- Watertown Free Public Library >Watertown Monuments and Historical Markers > Founders' Monument
- Founders Monuments & Bridges in New England - Watertown
- Watertown Founders Monument is rededicated Wicked Local, By Natalia Knochowski, correspondent Posted Jun. 10, 2009 at 12:01 AM
- Genealogies of the families and descendants of the early settlers of Watertown, Massachusetts, including Waltham and Weston : to which is appended the early history of the town. by Bond, Henry, 1790-1859; Jones, Horatio Gates, 1822-1893 Published 1860.
- Ray's Place - Vital Records of Watertown MA to the end of the year 1849
- Watertown
- Founders of Watertown