A COLONIAL WEDDING. DESOEND~~NTS OF FRANCIS LEBARON OF PLYivIOUTH; IvL<1_SS. COMPILED BY MARY LEBARON STOCKWELL. BOSTO~: T. R. MARVIN & SOK, PRI:YTERS, 73 FEDERAL STREET. 1904. TO THE PERSEVERING INTEREST OF CATHARINE MUNROE (MARCH) CLARK THE PREPARATION OF THIS BOOK IS DUE; AND TO HER MEMORY IT nr· LOVINGLY DEDICATED. INTRODUCTION. IN offering this volume to the public, the compiler is well aware that in many lines it is incomplete, and that there must be, of ~ecessity, occasional errors in dates and names. As to the former, it is well known to all genealogists that the dates found on town records frequently differ from those contained in family Bibles, or given on gravestones; in some cases, two or even three varying dates for the same event have been furnished by different members of the same family; in such instances the responsibility of deciding which had the greater weight of evidence in its favor has necessarily fallen upon the compiler, and it can hardly be supposed that no errors have been made in reaching . the conclusions given. In the spelling of names some apparent dis- crepancies will doubtless be observed; these are due to the fact that the form used by the family itself has been followed. Even in the same family different members have occasionally, used different spelling of their family name. The material for the foundation of the work was largely gathered by the late John Goodwin Locke; the notes which he left at the time of his death, in 1869, being collated by Capt. Nathaniel Goodwin, who brought down the line of descendants of Dr. Lazarus LeBaron,2 the second son of Francis/ quite fully, to the year 1872. In 1897, at the initiative of Edmund S. and James W. Clark, the compiler of this volume assumed the work of bringing the record down to date, picking up, as far as possible, the many lost threads in 1 2 2 the lines of the other sons of Francis - J ames and Francis. In 6 Introduction. carrying out this labor many members of the LeBaron family have rendered important aid by their kind and ready response to many and repeated inquiries; the compiler would express appreciation of the great help received in the way of suggestions as to arrangement, as well as for information furnished, by the printers of the book ; thanks are due to Mr. Frederick Dielman for his kindness and courtesy in allowing the use, for the frontispiece, of a copy of his etching, "A Colonial Wedding," which represents the marriage of Francis LeBaron and Mary Wilder. The Rev. Calbraith B. Perry, D. D., has kindly permitted the use of plates of pictures of Ann (Bradford) De Wolf, Mary Ann (DeWolf) Perry, and of the Bradford House in Bristol, R. I. Some information which was received too late for insertion in its proper place, would gladly have been included had it been possible without disarranging the plan of the work. Valuable assistance has been rendered by Mr. Harry G. Botsford, Mrs. Frances E. Bovie, Miss Sarah Bradford, Lemuel LeB. Dexter, Esq., Miss Isabella Eldridge, Mrs. Helen L. Goodwin, Mrs. Catherine E. Hedge, Mr. Isaac N. LeBaron, Miss Mary A. Richardson, Mrs. Clara J. Sampson, Mr. Benjamin Shurt­ leff, Jr., Mrs. Jessie F. Stalker, Mrs. Ella G. St. Dizier, and Mr. James LeB. Willard. Mrs. Hepzibah G. Emerson, Miss Frances E. Murray, Mrs. Sarah S. Norton, and many others showed their interest in various ways, in the early years of the work, but have not lived to see its completion. M.A.RY LEE.A.RON STOCKWELL. January 1, 1904. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. A Colonial Wedding Frontispiece. From an etching by Frederick Dielman. The Wilder Homestead, Hingham (Erected before 1690) 9 Dr: LeBaron's Scales . 21 Agreement of Children of Francis1 LeBaron 23 LeBaron Graves, Burial Hill, Plymouth 28 The "Gov. Bradford House," Bristol, R. I. 29 Dr. Francis LeBaron, - "Apothecary General" (1781-1829) 31 From a miniature in possession of Mrs. Catherine E. Hedge. Elizabeth (LeBaron) Robbins (1745-1829) . 31 From a portrait in possession of Miss Isabella Eldridge. Rev. Thomas Robbins, D.D. (1777-1856) . 32 From a portrait in possession of the Conn. Hist. Soc. Martha (LeBamn) Gilbert (1772-1852) 45 From a portrait in possession of Gilbert D. LeB. Dewey. Homestead of Lazarus LeBaron, Sutton, Mass. 47 Sarah (LeBaron) Hazen (1749-1823) . 48 From a miniature in possession of Miss Frances M. Smith. Ann B. (Bradford) DeWolf (1770-1838) 55 From a miniature in possession of Mrs. Ann DeWolf Gibbs. James LeBaron (1780-1856) 59 From a daguerreotype in possession of James LeB. Willard. Dr. LeBaron Russell (1814-89) 61 James LeBaron (1800-67) . 87 Chauncey· LeBaron (1803-79) 87 Elijah ~- LeBaron (1814-97) 89 8 hist of Illustratfons: Japhet B. LeBaron (1817- ) 90 Sarah L. (Hazen) Botsford (1775-1850) 116 From a miniature in possession of Harry G. Botsford. Dr. LeBaron Botsford (1812-88) 116 Mary A. (DeWolf) Perry (1795-1834) 132 Robbins Batten (1819-95) . 152 The "Old Mansion," Mattapoisett (Erected 1777) 157 John B. LeBaron (1817-84) 168 Franklin W. Manning (1874-98) 201 George Botsford (1807-91) . 250 From a miniature in possession of Harry G. Botsford. John G. Locke (1803-69) 254 Grace LeB. (Locke) Upham 254 Mary ,T. (Goodwin) Austin (1831-94) 263 From a photograph furnished by Mrs. Lilian I. de Silva. William LeBaron Putnam 392 Charles Dana Gibson . 429 Gravestone of Dr. Francisl LeBaron, Burial Hill, Plymouth 449 Notes of a Sermon ( exact size), by Rev. Lemuel LeBaron 450 Martha H. (LeBaron) Goddard (1829-88) . 451 THE WILDER HOMESTEAD IN HINGHAM, ERECTED BC:FORE 1690. DESCENDANTS OF FRANCIS LEBARON OF PLYMOUTH, MASS. FRANCIS1 LEBARON was born in 1668, in France; died Aug. 8, 1704, in Plymouth, Mass.; married Sept. 6, 1695, Mary, daugh­ ter of Edward* and Elizabeth (Eames) Wilder, of Hingham, born April 7, 1668; died Sept. 25, 1737. His widow married (2), Dec. 10, 1707, Return Waite, born in 1678, in Boston; died Oct. 3, 17 51, in Plymouth. The birthplace of Francis LeBaron is not known ; the first mention of him occurs in the Town Records of Plymouth, at the * The following notes on Edward Wilder are from the "Book of the Wilders," and the "History of Hingham." Edward, son of Thomas and Mar­ tha Wilder of Shiplake, Oxfordshire, England, b. 1623 (?); d. Oct. 28, 1690; m. April, 1651, Elizabeth, dau. of Anthony Eames [Ames], of Hingham, d. June 9, 1692. He was in Hingham, Massachusetts Bay, in November, 1638, on the arrival of his mother from England, in the ship Confidence, from the port of Southampton. He remained in Hingham, and was made a freeman in 1645. Children [order uncertain]: John, b. 1653, d. April 11, 1724, m. Rebecca -- : Elizabeth, b: 1655, m. July 16, 1673, Israel Fearing: Ephraim, d. Oct. 21, 1690: Isaac, d. Sept. 26, 169-, m. Mary Whiton : Abia, m. William Clark : Mehitable, m. Joseph Warren: Anna: Abigail, d. June 6, 1718: Hannah, b. Mar. 6, 1666, d. 1690: Mary, b. April 7, 1668, m. 1696, Francis LeBaron: Jabez, b. 1671, d. May 21, 1731, m. Mary Ford. The "History of Hingham" says : Widow Mar­ tha Wilder, mother of Edward, probably came from Shiplake, Oxfordshire, England. Edward Wilder was a soldier in the war against King Philip. The author of the " History of Hingham " calls Anthony Eames " of Marshfield." See also Barber's "Hist. Colls.," p. 506, "Hingham." 10 J)escendants of Francis LeBaron. time of his marriage with Mary Wilder, of Hingham. His grave­ stone on the " Ancient Burial Hill " in Plymouth, now in good preservation, marks the date of his death and age, and gives the latter as thirty-six years. Substantially the same tradi­ tion in regard to him has been handed down in the various branches of his family, namely, that a French privateer, fitted out at Bordeaux and cruising on the American coast, was wrecked in Buzzard's Bay. The crew were taken prisoners and carried to Boston. In passing through Plymouth, the surgeon, Francis LeBaron, was detained by sickness, and on his recovery; performed a surgical operation so successfully· that the inhabitants of the town petitioned the executive, Lieutenant Governor Stoughton, for his release, that he might settle among them. The petition was granted, and he practiced his profession in that town and vicinity until his death. In regard to his religious faith there are different opinions: some have claimed that he was a Roman Catholic, while others are just as strenuous in declaring that he was of a Huguenot family. It is possible that both claims are right, as, for a long period preceding 1696, the severest affliction of the Huguenots was due to the ab­ straction of their children and youth from their homes, to be edu­ cated in the Roman Catholic faith. We think best to express no opinion in regard to this matter, but place in the Appendix various statements and notes which have come to our attention, leaving each one interested to draw his own conclusions. Children: 2. i. James,2 b. May 23, 1696. 3. ii. Lazarus, b. Dec. 26, 1698. 4. iii. Francis, b. June 13, 1701. WILL OF FRANCIS LEBARON. The thirtieth Day of September Anno Domine 1703 I Francis Lebaron of Plimouth in the County of Plimouth in New England Chirurgeon being at this present Sick and Weak of body but through mercy of Sound disposing mind and memory. Do hereby First Generation. 11 make and Declare this my Last Will and Testament as followeth That is to Say first and Principally I commit my Eternall Concernments to the Mercy of God in Jesus Christ and my body to Decent burial When it shall please God to take me hence And Touching my Outward Estate Which the Lord hath blessed me with my Will and meaning is that the Same Shall