June, 1748. (61) John, b. 13 Nov., 1749. (62) Jonathan, b. 13 June, 1751. (63) Abraham Lewis, b. 8 June, 1753. (64) David, b. 19 Oct., 1758. (65) Nathan, b. 5 Feb., 1760.

5

31. JOB FOSTER was pub. to Hannah Foard, of Wilmington, 24 Oct., 1759. They had issue: (66) Joseph, b. 17 Jan., 1762. (67) Mary, b. 5 Feb., 1775.

5

34. ANDREW FOSTER was pub. to Hannah Berrey, of Middleton, 7 March, 1753. She died 2 March, 1785. For his second wife, he married widow Anna Gould, of Bradford in Boxford, 6 Nov., 1786. He died 3 April, 1803, aged 73 years. He had issue: (68) Elizabeth, b. 14 Sept., 1754, d. 2 Aug., 1763. (69) Peter, b. 30 Dec., 1757, d. 18 July, 1763. (70) Joseph, b. 11 Feb., 1760. (71) Abraham, b. 30 May, 1762; d. 16 Aug., 1763. (72) Peter,+b. 30 May, 1764; bap. 3 June, 1764. (73) Abraham and Isaac, b. 20 June, 1766. Abraham died 9 June, 1796, aged 28 (?)

42. JOSHUA FOSTER, of Temple, N. H., without much doubt son of Abraham (No. 16), m. in Andover, Lydia Peabody, 3 June, 1756. He died Aug., 1776. He had issue: (75) Joshua, b. 5 July, 1757; m. 1806, Lucy, dau. of Benjamin Tenny, of Temple.

MR. NORTON'S VIEWS OF THE PRESBYTERIAN AND CONGREGATIONAL DIFFERENCES.-Rev. Giles Firmin, in his Treatise on Schism, published at London in 1658, presents the views of Rev. John Norton, as expressed in a letter to him: "Let me leave with our Brethren a few lines which I received, a few weeks since, from that learned and Godly Divine, Mr. Norton (Teacher of the Church in Boston in New England), in a letter to me: 'The Association you mention among the Ministers [in Essex] we much rejoyce in. I never thought it better than human, but often times worse, that the Presbyterian and Congregational men cannot close together in Brotherly Communion. The power of godliness interest us in the affections of the godly above the notions of either of them considered apart therefrom. I believe the Congregational way to be truth; yet I think better of many Presbyterians than of many Congregational men. 'Tis no wonder if Independents are unruly, for I distinguish between Independents and Congregational men; or rather such (call them as you please) that will not acknowledge the rule of the Presbytery and the Order of Councils.""

THE IMPORTANCE OF GENEALOGY.-It is hardly necessary to observe that Genealogy is so intimately connected with Historical knowledge that it is impossible to arrive at any proficiency in the one without being minutely versed in the other.-Richardson on the Languages, &c. of the Eastern Nations.

PRESERVATION OF INDIAN NAMES.

[Communicated by FREDERIC KIDDER.]

Ir is a well known fact that we are yearly losing some of the original names of our localities, and it is the duty of every lover of local history to assist in preserving these monuments of an almost extinct people from oblivion-as some future philologist may be able to give us their signification. The following is the description of a tract of land in Plymouth, made in 1816:-"Beginning by land formerly belonging to a man by the name of Freeman, thence running to a great rock near Red Brook, so called, and in a straight line to said brook, and thence by the land of Agawam till it comes to the Herring River coming out of Halfway Pond, so called, and running through said Agawam-thence by the said brook northerly, up stream, to a pine tree, marked on four sides, standing by a rock, about one mile from the mouth of said pond-thence extending southeast near east, to a pond called Sangutuguapiepanquash-thence running near southerly to a pond called Quanpepeeset, and thence to a pond called Mapashinet, and thence to a place called Pothtopepet or Hedge Pondthence running southerly to a place called Muscapasset, and thence southerly to a place called Sacktawonnet-thence to a place called Unratuet-thence to a place called Mupawomenehanet-thence to a place called Wanphennerket, and thence westerly to said Freeman's land, being the bound first mentioned."

WILL OF WILLIAM CURTIS.

[Communicated by NATHANIEL CURTIS, Esq.]

KNOW all men by these presents, that I, willyam Curtis, in the county of Suffolk in Newengland, for and in considerashion of mine own and my wife's eage and weakness, and our unability by resen thereoff to manage that small estate in our hand, so as to attane a Livellyhood thereby; and our incapability to live without some abill person to bee a staffe and guyde, to ous in our eage, and all my children through the goodness of God, being disposed into families of their one excepting my youngest sson, Isaack; they not being in so good capacity, haveing habytashons and effeacts of their one, to manig; to be help fful unto me; for and in considerashion of fatherly affec tion and other good resens, moveing me hereunto, have and by these presents doo ffully and absolutelly, give, grante, make over, and assine and confurme, unto my beloved sone, Isaac Curtis of the same place, now living with me, my hole esteate, now in my hands, that is to say, my dwelling hous, barn, and outhousings and all my lands, orchards and yards, catill and moveabill goods, of what sort soever, the severall parssells of land, as it now lyeth in Roxbury, tene acars of it lyeth in Roxbury, by Stoony River, as it now lyeth, be the same more or less, with the aforesayd housings, orchards and yards, and these abutting upon Stoony river Easter, and upon the land of Isaac

Curtis, lately of John Curtis, North, and upon the land of John Crafts and Robert Seaver, West, and upon the land of Isaac Curtis, lately the land of Willyam Hopkins, and the hyway leding frome gamblins end south; and two acors of salt marsh, be it more or less in the *eyeland in Roxbury, as it now lyeth and there abutting upon the river. South, upon the land of Robert Seaver. West, upon the heirs of John Ruggles. And five acors of woodland, more or less, nere to the town grate lots in Roxbury, and there abutting upon the town grate lots, and the land of John Mayo and Willyam hopkins west, and upon the land of willyam hopkins, south, and upon Abraham how, east. And mor, eayght acors of land in the woods in the middle divishion in Roxbury, being part of three and twenty lot as it now lyeth, be the same mor or less, and there abutting land of John Baker, east. North, upon the land of willyam lion, west upon the land of, between the middle divishion and the last, South, and together with this my present deed, doe give to my sayd sson Isaack, the present and full posseshion of this estate, to wit, my sayd hous, barn, and out housings, all the above sayd several parcels of lande with all that is upon them, and the appurtenensses and priveleges, belonging to them, together with all my catill and moveable goods, of what sort soever, and I, the sayd Willyam Curtis, will and shall forever, hereafter warant my deed of gift, in all the several parcels of it, unto my sayd soon Isaack Curtis, his hayres, executors, administrators, or assygns, and all persons whatsover claiming any right or title hereunto, by, from, or under me, upon these considirations following:-First, that the sayd Isaack Curtis, shall always, and at all times provide for me, his sayd father, Willyam Curtis, and his sayd mother, Sary Curtis, during the term of our naturall liffe, or the longest liver of ous both; of things necessary for our comfortabill living in this world, of comfortabill housing, lodging, food, clothing and firing, all other things necessary or needful, in health or sickness; and in case he the sayd Isaack, doe at any tiem fail herein, so that there be full cass of complaint, that Williyam Curtis or Sary, his wife, notwithstanding this deed, shall have full power, to will, tak possesshion and sell or otherwise dispose off, any part of this esteat, for their necessary relief, provided before any alienashion or disposal, the sayd Willyam Curtis, or Sary his wife, shall inform the rest of their children, and together with them, by the advice of friends, chosen by the sayd Willyam Curtis, and Sary, his wife. Secondly, that the sayd Isaac Curtis, his hayers, assygns, executors or administrators, shall pay or cass to be payd unto my beloved sonne, John Curtis and to my beloved sonne-in-law Isaac Newall, the full and just sum of forty shillings in some merchantable goods, to each of them, their hayers, assygnes, or executors within three months after the desese of sayd Willyam Curtis and Sary his wife; and this however found above expressed, together with what tha have already reseaved is their porshion; and for the rest of my children, tha have already reseaved their porshions. And I, the above sayd Willyam Curtis, do resarve unto myselfe and to my wife, Sary Curtis, during the tiem of our natural liffe, halfe the fruit the orchard doth produce for our one comfort and use, to dispose off, as the sayd Willyam Curtis

Pine Island, where was a powder magazine formerly, and at the southerly end of the South Bay,

and Sary his wife shall see fit. In witness fixed wheroff, I, the sayd Willyam Curtis, hath sett to my hand and fixed my seall, this leventh day of Februari, 1669. Willyam Curtis. Receaved, sealed and delivered in the presence of us,

Peleg Heath,

Samuel Crafts.

WILL. CURTIS acknowledged this
Instrument as his Will, May
Enos Tyng.

15th, 1672.

Entered, Received and Compared April 5th, 1673, as attests, Isaac Addington, Recorder.

[William Curtis and Sarah his wife were here March 4th, 1632, at which date he was made freeman. He probably came from London, bringing four children, and settled in Roxbury, near the station of the Providence Railroad at Boylston Street. He is supposed to be the first of the name who came to New England, except, it may be, his eldest son, William, who, it is stated, came in 1631, perhaps with John Eliot, in the "Lion," and died young. The fifth Isaac Curtis came into possession of the family estate by will from his father, nearly in the same manner as his ancestor William bequeathed it to his youngest son, Isaac, who gave it to his son Isaac, and so down to the present time; the present possessor being of the sixth generation and the fifth Isaac, and the only male heir in the lineal descent now living.

The late Charles P. Curtis was of the opinion that his ancestor William came from Stratford upon Avon, as tradition says a nephew, who came over with him, settled in Connecticut, with other families from his native place, forming a colony and naming the town Stratford after their native place.]

A BOND FROM PHILIP TO ISAAC CURTIS.

THIS testifies that I, filip Curtis, dou own and acknowledge that when my father, Willyam Curtis, did give unto me an assynment of his meadow, near Stony River, in the meadow lots, near to land of John Curtis, joyning unto myn own land and meadow, baring date, on the 25th day of January, one thousand six hundred sixty and nine; he did reserve unto himself, the sayd willyam Curtis, my Father, and to Sarah Curtis, my Mother, during the tym of their natural life, or the longest liver of them both, the whole use of the sayd meadow for mowing the first crop on it in the year, constantly, in considerashion, wherof I, the above sayd, filip Curtis, doe fully and absolutely covenant and grant to and with my loving brother, Isaac Curtis, that he, the sayd Isaac Curtis, shal constantly yer by yer, have liberty to mow and make and have a suffishent cart way through my land, without molestashion too carry away such hay as the sayd meadow dus yeld, for the use of my father, william Curtis, and my mother Sarah Curtis, during the term of their natural life, or the longest liver of them both; also I dou covenant and engag unto and with my sayd brother, Isaac Curtis, that whatsoever charge I, the said filip Curtis, shall mak to the meadow for the use of feeding the rowen or after pasture, after mowing it, shall be done at myn own expense, and my sayd brother shall bar no mor charg of fencing than belongeth to him, as lying in common, under the above performance of this fathers

researved interest in his premises, I doe, bind myself, my heyres, executors and assigns during the whol tym of my fathers and mothers natural life. In witness wharoff I have hereunto set my hand and seal in the presence of

Peleg Heath,
Samuel Crafts.

Dated this twenty-fifth day of January, one thousand six hundred sixty and filip Curtis.

nine.

[Hubbard, in his History of the Indian Wars, states, that Capt. Henchman's company marched out of Boston Nov. 1, 1675, to rescue some youths who had been captured at Marlborough by the savages and carried off. On the fourth day's march the Indian plantations were reached, an attack was made, and the youths were rescued. The Indians finally retreated, but Lieut. Philip Curtis, the giver of the above bond, and several of the company, were killed. This engagement took place about ten miles beyond where the town of Mendon is situated.

C.

In the Massachusetts Archives, vol. 69, page 106, date 13: 12: '76, may be found a petition of Obedience Curtis, of Roxbury, whose husband was killed by the Indians, when under Capt. Henchman. She was the widow of Philip Curtis.

K.]

SIR,

ORDER RESPECTING THE MILITIA.

[From the WENdell Papers.-Communicated by the Family.]

Boston, October 25th, 1754. You are hereby directed forthwith to get exact and compleat Lists from the several Captains of the Companies of Militia in the Regiment under your Command, of the Number and Names of the Persons by Law obliged to appear upon Alarms, and to transmit the said Lists to me within six Weeks of this day, and as much sooner as may be. I am, Sir, Your Friend and Servant.

Col. Jacob Wendell.

[The preceding document is unsigned. Enclosed in it is a paper containing the following list, in an unknown hand, which is endorsed in the handwriting of Col. Wendell, "This list of the Inhabbitants of Point Sherley was given me by Mr. Thomas Golthwait."]