WRIGHT

      Two of the first Pownal settlers were Charles and Samuel WRIGHT who took up two 180-acre lots of the first division just north of South Pownal; lots running from the river eastward for a mile.

      The Wrights removed to Pownal after having managed a tavern near Fort Massachusetts. The family is from Amherst, Mass. Charles married Ruth BOLTWOOD and she died in 1806, aged 85, Charles died in 1793, aged 77, and his gravestone records he was one of the first English settlers of this town. Their son, Solomon was born in Fort Massachusetts in 1763. He married Eunice JEWETT and had 11 children, their birth dates ranging from 1783 to 1808. Josiah, his brother, had a wife, Susanna, and their nine children are on the town record from 1788 to 1805.

Samuel, who appears to be another of the children of Charles had five children recorded after 1766. Boultwood WRIGHT, son of Josiah, married Anna BATES. Certainly this family has always been at the front in every sphere of action. Some of this family removed to North Adams. Through the numerous grandchildren of Charles WRIGHT, a great many Pownal families must be related. A complete account of all the activities of this notable family is too lengthy to trace further. The early members of this family appear to have first been buried in the cemetery near Pownal depot and afterward removed to Oak Hill.

      This name is often spelled ELDREDGE. Job, Nathan and Daniel appear in the 1790 census of Pownal. Nathan died in 1830 in his 89th year. John ELDRED, the oldest of the name in town, died May 10, 1784, aged 72. Daniel died in 1820, aged 71. This family is not very well recorded in the town records. John ELDRED mentioned, was the father of three brothers of the census. He was of the fifth generation from Samuel, the founder of the family. He was born in North Kingston, R. I., and was for a time in Scituate. He had ten children. His son, Thomas, is founder of the numerous family of Hancock, Mass. Daniel of the census married Amy VAUGHN, who died in 1812. His brother, Job, died in New Lisbon, N.Y. His wife was Mercy HARRINGTON. Nathan, his brother, first married Ruth SPENSER, and afterward her sister, Audrey SPENSER. Ruth, a daughter of Nathan, married Jeremiah BROWNELL, and her sister, Abigail, married Thomas BROWNELL. This ELDRED family is one of those early Pownal families whose intermarriages with the other early families make all these people almost one clan. Out of a great mass of ELDRED material, only these few items can be quoted,. The record of their descendents is indeed notable.

      In the little cemetery in North Pownal are buried generations of the BROWNELLs who lived in that region. The fine old house near the river and state line is the home of one branch of the family.

      Thomas BROWNELL and his brother, Blackman, appear in the census. Their father must be the Thomas BROWNELL of Little Compton, R.I., born 1713, who married Mary BLACKMAN. There is no complete list of their children. Blackman BROWNELL came to Pownal before 1783, from White Creek. His wife was Eunice GREEN. Of their six children Thomas married Abigail ELDRED, and her sister married Caleb ELDRED.

      Neither BLACKMAN of the census nor brother Thomas were long lived. Blackman died in 1801 at the age of 49, and his brother in 1820, aged 67. On the BROWNELL monument is the record of "M.B. Died 1783, aged 60." This is supposed to be Mary BLACKMAN, wife of Thomas BROWNELL, but if so the age is not correct.

      A very elaborate genealogy of this family is being compiled by the Philadelphia branch of the clan.

      This family is one of a group of Pownal families who originated in Connecticut. THE BUSHNELL, MORGAN, and TOWSLEE families were others of this group. Thomas BARBER, the first of this line, was of Windsor, Conn. Joseph BARBER, of Pownal, was a son of Samuel and Tryphena (HUMPHREY) BARBER. He was born in 1744 and died in 1806. He owned considerable property in the region east of Pownal Center, and doubtless lived in that neighborhood. Barber Pond is probably named for this family. Joseph BARBER married Leah GROVER and had 17 children. As one examines this list and notes the families who descend from him, it would seem to show that a very large number of the old Pownal families trace to him. To mention a few of those who married into this family we name the THOMPSONS, MASONS, KIMBALLS, MORGANS, OVAITTS, BUSHNELLS, TOWSLEES, DEANS, PARKERS, GARDNERS, MERCHANTS and many more. Elijah the ninth child, married Electa BUSHNELL and their son, Daniel, removed to North Adams.

      Here again is a family too numerous to describe in much detail, much as it deserves such an account. The descendants of Joseph BARBER have certainly added many a page to the history of Pownal when such a book is compiled and their record would be uniformly splendid.

      The NILES family, so long prominent in Pownal trace to John NILES, who came to town in 1778. He was the son of Nathaniel and Tabitha (GARDNER) NILES of West Greenwich, R.I. John NILES is usually termed "Captain." He married, in 1732, Mary BRIGGS, and in 1748, Elizabeth SPENCER. Among his children was a daughter, Elizabeth, and sons, John, Nathaniel, Samuel and Spencer. Samuel is supposed to have settled in Shaftsbury. John and Nathaniel settled in Hancock. Spencer married Amy ELDREDGE, a distant cousin, daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth (NILES) ELDREDGE of Hancock. Spencer was killed by a falling tree about 1787. Most of Pownal family descend from his son, Russell.

      Among the curious items to be found in Pownal records is the confession of an early NILES, dated July 3,1780. He seems to have been determined that his rather small demeanor should be put on record for for all time, together with his confession and repentance. As we read it at this time, we can but wonder why he had it put in the public records.

      It reads: "Whereas of mere malice, ill will and grudge I have toward my neighbor Capt. Benjamin NICHOLS, did on 27th of June last, report concerning the said Benjamin NICHOLS that he was guilty of theft and had stolen from me a certain scythe which I myself had previously hid or caused to be hid in said NICHOLS barn, and did in continuance of my malice design, complaining of him the said Benjamin to authority, and in consequence thereof a precept was made to search for said scythe and the same did find where I had previously deposited said sythe, all of which doings of mine I do now most solemnly in the presence of God and man repent of and ask forgiveness of him the said Benjamin and all other Christian people and most solemnly promise not to offend in like manner any more. Witness my hand in the presence of John LARABEE and Gideon MYERS."

      Abiathar ANGEL is listed in the census of 1790 and his 10 children are recorded in the town records. Five of these children died unmarried.

      He was the son of Joshua and Elizabeth ANGELLO of Scituate, R.I., and was a descendant of Roger WILLIAMS. He settled in Cheshire about 1770 where he married Lucy BENNETT, daughter of Joseph, the founder of that town. When the large family of Joseph joined the Shakers, she and her sister, Eunice BRADFORD, were the only two who refused to go.

      During the Revolutionary War Abiathar had a notable record, serving as a captain. Although all of his children are recorded in Pownal, it is quite certain that some of them were born in Cheshire. He died June 17, 1830, at the age of 82. Lucy died October 9, 1846, at the age of 89. She was affectionately remembered as “Aunt Angel” by her many relatives.

      Of her children, Lucy married a DUNNING, Sally, a WRIGHT and Mary a BLACKINGTON.

      There exists a pocket diary kept by Capt. Abiathar during the war, relating his experiences. One corner is torn away by the passage of a bullet.

      James ANGEL of this family lived in North Adams and for a time published the Hoosac Valley News, and his descendants are the present owners and publishers of the Transcript.

      Thomas JEWETT of Norwich, Conn., settled in Pownal in 1769. He was born in 1736 and married Eunice SLAFTER in 1758. Their 10 children are recorded, the dates ranging from 1759 to 1778, and the list included six who were born before the family came to Pownal.

      Thomas was in the fifth generation from Joseph JEWETT of Rowley, Mass. He was active in Vermont state affairs. He was a member of the first legislature at Windsor in 1778 and also served in 1783 and 1791. He was also a member of the Vermont Convention of 1791, and was a lieutenant of militia in the Battle of Bennington.

      This family was prominent in Pownal for many years and has much on record in both the vital records of the town and in the land records. The numerous members of the early generations intermarried the other old Pownal families.

      James BUSHNELL, son of Thomas and Dorothy BUSHNELL of Saybrook, Conn., settled in Pownal about 1785. He was born in 1762 and married Electa MUNSON, daughter of Timothy and Sarah (BISHOP) MUNSON, the tavernkeeper in Pownal. The nine children of James BUSHNELL range from 1787 to 1810. There are 27 grandchildren entered on the town records. David, the eldest son, married Betsy ANDREWS, and had nine children. The eldest, Electa, married Elijah BARBER, and this large family is closely allied to others who settled in East Pownal.

      One branch settled in North Adams and many others removed to the new settlements in the midwest.

      Another family from North Kingston, R.I., is the CARD Family. The first of the Family in Pownal was William CARD, Who died in 1784. He was of the fourth generation from Richard CARD, an early settler in Portsmouth. William was born in 1711 and married Mercy BRIGGS at East Greenwich, R.I., June 13, 1733. He appeared in Pownal very early. At the time of his death he left six sons namely Jonathan, Job, Elisha, Daniel, Stephen and Benjamin. Also a daughter, Anne GOFF. Two sons, Peleg and Abel, died before their father.

      This family is well represented in the town records and is very numerous. The original William CARD farm was Lot 53 of the second division, and this lot was bought by the elder George GARDNER, whose family burying ground is situated in the southeast corner of this lot.

      Although the MASON family does not appear in the 1790 census, it came to Pownal about that time and has been prominent in town ever since. Their home spot appears to have been on the hill which bears their name.

      The family of Allen MASON and his wife Bethiah (MASON) is on record. Allen was born in 1764 and died in 1847. He is in the fifth generation from Samson MASON of Rehoboth, Mass., the head of the MASONS in America. The children of Allen MASON range from 1793 to 1819. His son, Christopher, born 1797, married Leah BARBER, and their 10 children range from 1820 to 1839.

      From such a numerous foundation the family became intermarried with many others of the old settlers. The family was nearly related to the numerous MASON families of Cheshire, Mass. It is also descended from Joseph JENKS, a famous colonial governor of Rhode Island, as well as from Rev. Chad BROWNE of Providence, the first Baptist minister in America.

      The census of 1790 lists Gideon TOWSLEE, from whom all the Pownal family descend. He is buried in the TOWSLEE family lot and died in 1815 at the age of 61. He was the son of Gideon and Lucy (OLDS) TOWSLEE of Suffield, Conn., and grandson of John TOWSLEE. The first of the family in Connecticut appears to be Michael TOWSLEY of Salisbury, Conn., a soldier in King Phillip's War. In 1678 he married Mary HUSSEY and settled in Suffield.

      Gideon of Pownal had a son, Solomon, born in 1783, who married Melissa BARBER, daughter of Joseph BARBER. Their 11 children are recorded in Pownal records.

      In the last 150 years this family has remained in Pownal. A descendant of this family, Mrs. Mary LAMPMAN, was the efficient town clerk for years and books written by her are perfection. The present town clerk, Mrs. TOWSLEE, a granddaughter of Mrs. LAMPMAN, has succeeded her grandmother.

      In the southwest corner of the Pownal Center Cemetery near the street is the grave of Mary MYERS who died in November 1800 in her 86 year. All the MYERS families of Pownal trace her.

      She was born Oct. 23, 1715 in Bristol, R. I., the daughter of Joseph and Mary (BOWERMAN) MUNRO, Her grandfather, Tristram BOWERMAN, was a ship builder in Bristol and among other vessels he constructed "the good sloop William" as well as the sloop "Dolphin."

      When Mary MUNRO played along the waterside in Bristol and doubtless in her grandfather's ship yard, Pownal and the State of Vermont were regions unheard of. She married Oliver MYERS of Little Compton, a son of Nicholas "MIAS" as he spelled his name. He was doubtless of Dutch descent. Oliver MYERS settled in West Greenwich, R I., and was for a time in Richmond, R. I. He married Mary MUNRO May 13, 1736. They had eight children. One was Anna who married George GARDNER, Jr. The sons were Oliver, Hezekiah, Nicholas and Gideon, and grandsons Joseph and Benjamin, all of Pownal. Oliver MYERS, Sr., died Aug. 29, 1769 and his widow, Mary came to Pownal and lived with her children. The early MYERS families seem to have always lived near Pownal Center. One family owned the west part of the school lot where the late George MYERS farm is located. Seth MYERS had his family of ten children recorded in the town records, and the name of each child begins with the letter H.

      Certainly one of the "foundation" families of Pownal has been the BATES family, which furnished prominent men in all walks of life. The head of the family in Pownal was Francis BATES from Coventry, R. I., who died in Pownal April 4, 1804. He married Elizabeth BISSELL and had six children. The daughters were Lydia who married Ephram FISK of Stafford Hill in Cheshire, Susanna married Joshua MATTISON and the sons were Joseph, Francis, Stephen and Daniel. The last named, who died in 1842, married Margaret BAKER and was father of Orren BATES and grandfather of Daniel F. BATES of South Pownal. Francis BATES served in the Revolutionary War. It is difficult to determine just where Francis BATES first settled in town, but early deeds show that he owned lands a bit north of Pownal Center. However people do not always live in the lands they happen to own, but when his sister-in law, Susanna SHERMAN came to Pownal she evidently went directly to Pownal Center to "brother", Francis BATES

      In the 1790 census there are listed eight families of this name and in Shaftsbury are listed eleven more and all were more or less related. It is a very numerous family in Rhode Island and also in southern Vermont. It has been said that sometimes nearly every town office in Shaftsbury would be held by someone of this name. Those named in Pownal were James, Richard, Joshua, Abel, Thomas, James (two of this last name) and Francis.

      It would take some exceedingly difficult research to identify these nineteen families of Pownal and Shaftsbury. All descend from Henry MATTESON and wife, Hannah (PARSONS), of East Greenwich, R. I., who had six children and forty-four grandchildren The records of Warwick, East and West Greenich and Coventry record a multitude of people of this name.

      Probably those in Pownal were closely related to other early settlers. Of the Pownal MATTISONs we know that Joshua married Susanna BATES and has six children recorded. Richard had a wife, Mary and four children.

      Francis married Abagail SHERMAN, a daughter of Jacob, and had six children. Duplication of names certain identity difficult to establish.

      Descendants of this family settled in New York state and the midwest.

      In 1790 there were six POTTER families in Pownal. The POTTERs have always been prominent citizens of Pownal and Bennington and some of them settled in North Adams. This is another very numerous family and it is connected with a great many other Pownal families in numerous marriages.

      Those who were in Pownal in 1790 were John, Zerobabel, James, Amos and two Abels. Four of these were the sons of Shadrach POTTER of Cranston, R. I., eldest son of Benjamin and Jemima (WILLIAMS) POTTER, Benjamin and Jemima gave some astonishing names to their children, among them being Shadrach, Mesheck and Abednego, as well as Zurial and a Holliman. Little is known of the eldest son, Shadrach whose children settled in Pownal and Bennington. His son Shadrach Jr., seems to have lived in Bennington but he is buried on the old Wm. B. ARNOLD farm in a small family plot, where the gravestones have been badly broken by vandals. This Shadrach and his brother, Zerobabel each had ten children.

      Shadrach POTTER, Jr., married Hannah POTTER. She was a daughter of William and Aline (WAIT) POTTER who are buried in a small burial lot near the top of a hill, on a road leading north from North Pownal. These families descend from George POTTER of Portsmouth, R. I., through his son, Abel. The descendants of Benjamin POTTER of Cranston, also trace to Roger WILLIAMS, John POTTER married Jemima CARPENTER and had a very large family. His brother, Philip POTTER married Phebe BRIGGS and had among others Arnold and Gilbert POTTER, names which persisted in this family. A complete record of the Pownal POTTERS would make a very large account.

      Near the entrance to the cemetery at Pownal Center may be seen the gravestone of Jacob SHERMAN and his wife, Susanna. He died August 17, 1811, at the age of 78, and she died January 1, 1813, aged 76. They are the ancestors of very many people in Williamstown and adjoining towns, as well as Bennington and vicinity, to say nothing of many who settled in Cazanovia, N. Y., Farmville, Va., and New York city.

      The SHERMAN family of Williamstown own an ancient manuscript book bound in canvas, with its pages full of the cobbler accounts of Jacob SHERMAN and various school exercises. Scattered through it, in the mathematical tables, are records of some of Susanna's family, the ages in some cases being carried down to minutes, to provide arithmetic problems.

      The book is also a great source of genealogical information relating to Pownal families. In the old days, the cobbler or "cordwainer" used to visit a home and stay while he made shoes for the whole family. In keeping account of this work, we find the children who had new shoes or shoe repairs carefully listed. The book also contains records for several generations. The genealogical record begins: "Then was married Jacob SHEARMAN and Susanna BISSELL both of North Kingston., December the 30 Day A. D. 1753." Then follows the record of birth of their 11 children, closing with the quaint statement "all this I have done for you to look upon when I am dead and gone. Susanna SHEARMAN her heart and pen."

      Susanna also added a bit of family history on another page, which reads:

"In the year of our Lord 1766 April the first day I moved from North Kingston to Scituate and lived there till the year 1779 and thence I moved the 26th day of February for Varmount which is called Poundwell to brother Francis Bateses. I arrived the 10 day of March. I moved the 16 day of March to the meeting house in Poundwell and from thence I moved the 19th day to John Hinnery oseen (?) house to live for one year."

      The reference to the meeting house is not clear, because there was very certainly no meeting house in Pownal until 1790, but perhaps she refers to the private home where meetings were usually held. "Brother" Francis BATES had married her sister Elizabeth BISSELL. They were daughters of John and Ann BISSELL of North Kingston, R. I. Jacob was the son of William and Abigail SHERMAN, William being a grandson of Philip SHERMAN, a prominent citizen of Portsmouth, R I., and in the state generally.

      John SHERMAN, son of Jacob, married Amy GARDNER, who is considered the first native child born in the town. William Bissell SHERMAN, brother of John, married Sarah GARDNER, sister of Amy. The exceedingly numerous Williamstown SHERMANs are descendants of William. He and his brother John both served for along period in the Revolutionary War. It is impossible to sketch this family any further in this article, but mention must be made of their brother, Benjamin SHERMAN. He and his brother John and others rest in the old cemetery near the depot in South Pownal. Isaac SHERMAN, son of Benjamin, went to New York and amassed a huge fortune which was inherited by his daughter Cornelia, Mrs. Bradley MARTIN, the noted society leader, whose famous ball in 1897 was a landmark in New York for a great display and magnificence. She afterward settled on a 65,000 acre estate on Lake Neff in Great Britain and her daughter Cornelia, married the Earl of Craven. So it happens that a descendant of Jacob SHERMAN, cobbler, of Pownal, is enrolled in the British Peerage. Many another SHERMAN descendant held high office, not because of inherited wealth but through their own talents. The old home of John SHERMAN still stands on South Pownal Main street, not far from the bridge, a small shingled cottage on the south side of the street. John bought about 34 acres here before 1788 and the cemetery where the family is buried is part of his little farm. For a time he lived on part of the old original GARDNER farm and the elder George GARDNER lived with him under a life lease of one cent a year.

      In the old Lovett cemetery near the Dugway is the grave of William PRATT whose grave records his death January 16, 1846, aged 86. Also that he was a Revolutionary patriot and served three years. He was also styled the first male child born in the town of Williamstown.

      The PRATT family has always been numerous in Pownal. Before 1800 about 40 births are recorded under this name. They have always been leading citizens and are still represented by many descendants in town.

      Their home region was the northern slope of Northwest Hill of Williamstown. Silas PRATT, father of William, was born in Shrewsbury, Mass., December 28, 1726, the son of Ephraim and Martha (WHEELOCK) PRATT. He was an early settler in Williamstown and was a member of the garrison of the West Hoosuck fort where his son William was born. He was a blacksmith and owned several properties in Williamstown. About 1762 he moved to Pownal, settling on the Pownal side of Northwest Hill on the state line. The property of Mrs. Jessica KROM is within his farm. His homestead seems to have gone years ago. William PRATT married Rosanna WILLIAMS, whose father, Nehemiah, was a settler on Northwest Hill. Silas PRATT and his son William fought together at Bennington. Rosanna PRATT told of looking across the valley and seeing the captured British marching down from Pownal Center after the Battle of Bennington. The records of the PRATTs fill many a page in Pownal records. They deserve more extended account than is possible in this sketch. The Lovett cemetery is probably named for John LOVETT who is buried there, who died in 1828, aged 87, and wife Mercy, who died in 1817, aged 79. They were from Cumberland, R. I., where is recorded the marriage of John LOVETT and Mercy DILLINGHAM, December 9, 1762.

      Several of the pioneer families of Pownal have been briefly sketched. Many other worthy families named in the 1790 census have not been traced because of lack of information on the part of the writer.

      The 1790 census is the great source of information about the place of residence of the families named.

      Many census reports are arranged alphabetically. But in others, including Pownal, the lists are given in the order in which the families lived along the highways. Therefore if a known place appears, the neighbors along the same road can be located accurately. The different roads are not separated in the lists, so one is unable to tell just where a road ended or joined another. But with the help of the land records, and the expenditure of a bit of time and patience, practically all the places of residence may be identified.

      Usually visitors from the far west wish to know exactly where was the old homestead of their family. If the lot number is given in the deed the plan of the town would show its location and with the help of the census, its exact location could be original house could be found there. The first houses of the pioneers were usually built of logs, and such houses were only temporary residences while the permanent structure was being built. There do not appear as many houses of the Revolutionary period in Pownal, as one would expect to find. There would not appear in an agricultural town, the splendid mansions which are seen in seaport towns.

      Traditions exist in every town. There are two kinds. One in which there is some basis of truth, and the other which can be shown to be entirely untrue. Immediately after the occurrence of any event there begins to surround it mists and fogs which tend to obscure the true facts in the matter. And as the years go on and the story is repeated endless times, there is finally emerges a story entirely different from the real facts. Stories are rarely repeated exactly. They are added to, and given different interpretations, until the real story is almost obliterated.

      One of the traditions or ideas prevalent in most pioneer tows is that the first settlers found the town an unbroken forest. There is plenty of record to prove that this was not true. The fact that in Pownal it was possible to designate rather closely what lands were fit for farming and pasturage, shows that there was much cleared land. The Indians used to start huge fires to drive game out of the woods and these fires always resulted in clearings. Also, some soils have not been conducive to forest growth. It is doubtful if the Pownal intevale or the area west of Pownal Center was ever much more wooded than it is today. Some clearing had to be done, in places, but in the town as a whole it was not unbroken forest by any means.

      The stories of Indian conflicts in the town seem to have little recorded evidence to show that they ever occurred. The Dugway is a favorite place for traditions to start. In the very early days it was a place of very great disrepute and dangerous.

      The story that Washington once passed through Pownal on his way to Bennington is easily proven false by the simple fact that on the day he was said to do this, he was really on a boat, bound for Newport to New York. One story, often repeated, tells of the girl who fell off the cliffs in North Pownal and escaped injury. There is doubtless some truth to the story, repeated so often by Pownal people. There are several different versions of this happening. The one which was told in the writers family is this. That the girl lived on the flat east of the Kieger Rocks somewhere near the PETTIBONE farm. She was sent by her parents to the store in North Pownal to buy some bread. She attempted to go across lots, instead of going around by the road. Coming to the top of the cliffs, and attempting to find a way down, she fell and fortunately landed in the branches of a great pine tree. Sliding from bough to bough she reached the ground practically unhurt, and went on her way to the store, meeting astonished villagers on the way up to pick up her remains. Her only remark was, “Well, mother might have sent brother and not me." Other versions of this story are numerous.

      The Pownal Sketches are brought to an end by this number. They have touched only upon the more important episodes in the settlement of the town from 1760 to 1800. Deeper research would reveal much more. The succeeding 144 years of the town history could hardly record such a hectic period as the one in which the town was settled when it was at times "a town without a country. " Nothing has been said about the many interesting natural features of the town, or of its great field in the study of Botany. Some day perhaps a comprehensive history of the town, dealing with all its features may appear. It would be a town history more interesting the majority of such books.

      Through the courtesy of the Massachusetts Historical society, the writer was enabled to secure a copy of its splendid portrait of Governor Pownal and this copy, suitably framed, will be hung in the town office in Pownal Center.

The above Sketches of Pownal. “is the first of a series of sketches of the history, legends and folklore of Pownal, prepared by William B. Browne, Register of Deeds and particularly interested in northern Berkshire and southwestern Vermont. The articles are written at the request of Pownal people and will be printed in the Banner and the North Adams Transcript.”