and second, Ann Bowker. II. Ruth, born January 5, 1780, married October 27, 1816, Stephen Bailey.

(VI) John Hatch, Jr., son of Captain John Hatch (5), was born April 27, 1776; married Nancy Cleaves, of Beverly. He lived at Hanover, Massachusetts, on the homestead. Children: 1. Lucy, married William E. Smith. 2. Sibyl, married Daniel Dill, of Hull. 3. John, lived in Hanover; married Elizabeth E. Stetson, August 25, 1836. 4. Benjamin C., lives in Taunton. 5. Ezekiel T. 6. Ruth.

(VII) Ezekiel Hatch, son or nephew of John Hatch (6), was born about 1800; married Lucy Rich. Their daughter, Lucy Rich Hatch, married James W. Roberts, in Charlestown, Massachusetts. She was born in Jackson, Maine.

(1) James W. Roberts, grandfather of John A. Roberts, of Reading, Massachusetts, was a soldier in the war of 1812.

(II) James W. Roberts, son of James W. Roberts (1), was born in Lyman, Maine, June 12, 1825, and died November 17, 1889. He was a wholesale provision dealer in Boston, Massachusetts, and lived in Charlestown, where he was a member of the board of aldermen before that city was annexed to Boston. Children: 1. Martha H., born May 13, 1850. 2. John A., born May 12, 1855, mentioned below. 3. James W. (twin), born May 31, 1873. 4. Willard S., born May 31, 1873; married Luella Crockett, of Rockland, Maine.

(III) John A. Roberts, son of James A. Roberts (2), was born in Charlestown, Massachusetts, May 12, 1855. He was educated in the public schools and at Chauncy Hall in Boston. He succeeded his father in the wholesale flour and provision business, and enjoyed a large and flourishing trade until 1902, when he retired from active business. Since then he has lived quietly at his handsome home in Reading, Massachusetts. In politics Mr. Roberts is a Republican. He is a member of the Chamber of Commerce, Boston. His family belong to the Reading Baptist church. He married, November 8, 1886, Mary A. Freeman, born August 24, 1864, in Lowell, Massachusetts, daughter of Charles I. and Roxanna W. (Chase) Freeman. They have one daughter, Paulina, born September 6, 1894.

Gustave Wilson, carpenter and WILSON builder, was born in Coulstadt, Sweden, June 15, 1854. He was educated in the schools of his native town and learned the trade of carpenter there. In

1873 he went to sea as ship's carpenter, and after eight years of life on board ship landed in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1881, and worked as a house carpenter in Cambridge, Massachusetts. His first employer was John Quin, carpenter and builder, of Cambridge. In 1884 he began business on his own account and trade came to him rapidly and extended to Somerville, Belmont and other towns adjacent to Cambridge and to Boston, in all of which places he built many residences as well as business buildings and churches. On settling in Cambridge he became a member of the Swedish Congregational church then just organized, and of which he was made a trustee. He became active in church work and was instrumental in helping to raise funds to build not only a church edifice for the Swedish Congregational church, but for others in the vicinity. of Cambridge, where in 1902 the Swedish population had grown to two thousand and that of the vicinity to seven thousand. The church of which he was a member and active worker had a membership of over two hundred, with a Sunday school attendance of over two hundred and fifty scholars, and over one hundred in the Somerville Sunday school. The Swedish Congregational church of Cambridge at that time had church property worth $12,000 on which there was a debt of only $2,000, and this property had been accumulated in less than ten years and without help outside their own denomination. The Swedes had also in Cambridge a Lutheran church building, a Baptist church and headquarters for a Swedish branch of the Salvation Army and all built since 1892.

He was married in Cambridge, September 7, 1884, to Mathilda Crossburg, of Sweden, and their six children were: Esther, Albert, Hilda, Axel, Oscar and Edith, and their home was at 302 Columbia street, Cambridge. Their son Albert attended the public schools of Cambridge and Burdett's Business College in Boston, graduating when fifteen years of age. He then worked for his father and subsequently attended the Manual Training School. He is now a student in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston, where he is studying for the profession of mechanical engineer.

Wolfert Weber, the immigrant WEBER ancestor, was born in Amsterdam, Holland, about 1600, and came to New Amsterdam, now New York City, about 1633, with Dutch Governor Van Twiller. His original grant was that section of the city between Duane and Warren

to a

streets, on Broadway, amounting to sixty-two acres, now worth countless millions of dollars. A generation ago an attempt was made by some of his heirs to claim this property, the original lease having expired. At the same time claims were made that the Weber or Webber heirs of Wolfert Weber were entitled share in the estate of. Wolfert's parents, Wolfert and Sarah Weber, of Amsterdam. It was said that under the will of the elder Wolfert the estate was placed in trust in 1645 for the heirs of the third generation and had never been distributed. Nothing came of the claims, however. It may have been one of the cases made plausible on its face by some ingenious claim attorney. Lamb's history of New York states that Anneke Jans, wife of Roelof Jans or Jansen, was an aunt of Wolfert Weber, Jr.; that she married (second) Everardus Bogardus. Wolfert Weber (page 182) kept a small tavern near the Fresh Water pond on Manhattan Island, then New Amsterdam.

(I) James Webber, the first ancestor in New England, was very likely grandson of Wolfert, the immigrant to New Amsterdam. He was born probably in New Netherlands in 1665, and died in Medford, Massachusetts, March 19, 1729. His name was spelled Weber on the Medford records. The history of Bedford says he was of Scotch descent, but Webber and Weber are not Scotch names. Possibly some maternal lineage of the Bedford family was Scotch. Little can be learned of the history of James Webber. He had four sons: Jonathan, James, Benjamin, mentioned below; Nathan.

(II) Benjamin Webber, son of James Webber or Weber (1), was born in New York City about 1698, and died at Bedford, Massachusetts, July 27, 1732, aged thirty-four years. He spent his early life in Medford, but settled in Bedford about the time of his marriage. He married at Medford, September 6, 1727, Susanna Whitmore, daughter of John and Mary (Lane) Whitmore, of Medford. She married (second) Christopher Page, of Bedford, and she died July 20, 1792. Children of Benjamin and Susanna Webber, born at Bedford: 1. Susanna, born March 21, 1728, died April 2, 1743. 2. Martha, born August 2, 1729, married John Hosmer and both lived and died at Bedford. 3. Benjamin, born February 14, 1731, settled at or near Pomfret, Connecticut. 4. John, born November 25, 1732, mentioned below.

(III) Captain John Webber, son of Benjamin Webber (2), was born November 25, 1732. at Bedford, and died there April 29, 1808.

He married, April, 1760, Sarah Fassett, daughter of Joseph and Amittai Fassett. She died May 9, 1782, having had twelve children, eleven of whom lived to maturity and their ages aggregating seven hundred and eightyone years, an average age of seventy-one; the average of the sons being seventy-six years. Captain John Webber married (second), November 21, 1786, Susanna Simonds, daughter of Benjamin Simonds, of Woburn, and widow of Ebenezer Page, of Bedford. She died February 5, 1825. Captain Webber was a man of strong mind and great energy. In early life he followed the sea and rose to the command of his vessel. He was twenty-eight years old when he married and settled down. He was a farmer in his later years. He lived some years at East Bedford, Massachusetts, before he bought his farm. He bought it April, 1773, of Samuel Danforth (Kenrick's). He held many positions of trust and honor; was on the committee of safety and correspondence in 1774. He kept a hotel and his son John, Jr., succeeded him as tavern keeper in Bedford. He was town clerk, collector of taxes, town treasurer, delegate to Provincial conventions during the Revolution and deputy to the general court. His descendants are entitled to belong to the Sons and Daughters of the American Revolution on account of his patriotic service. Children of Captain John and Sarah Webber: 1. John, Jr., born December 31, 1764. 2. Sarah, born March 18, 1766, died February 8, 1849; married Roger Reed. 3. Job, born May 16, 1769, mentioned below. 4. Benjamin, born December 21, 1770. 5. James, born October 16, 1772. 6. Susanna, born January 28, 1774, died June 8, 1774. 7. Asa, born June 20, 1775. 8. Thomas, born December 27, 1777, married Bacon; died

August 6, 1846. 9. Lydia (twin) born October 27, 1780, died June 27, 1813; married Samuel Fletcher, of Littleton. 10. Lucy (twin), born October 27, 1780, died September 20, 1837; married Elijah Putnam, of Amherst, New Hampshire.

(IV) Job Webber, son of Captain John Webber (3), was born in Bedford, May 16, 1769, and died there October 10, 1838. He married at Bedford, June 21, 1796, Sarah Davis, who died January 31, 1861. At the close of the Revolution he and his brother Asa enlisted for the war with the Indians on the frontier. Children, born at Bedford: 1. John, born April 25, 1797, died September 24, 1879. 2. Sally (twin), born June 9, 1798, died December 27. 1857; married James Park. 3. Nancy (twin), born June 9, 1798, died March

6, 1879. 4. Artemas, born May 31, 1800. 5. Job, Jr., born November 23, 1801, died February 19, 1875. 6. Eliza Farley, born June 12, 1805, died January 21, 1839. 7. Benjamin Newton, born August 24, 1812. Some of the children were born in Littleton whither the parents removed.

(V) Benjamin Newton Webber, son of Job Webber (4), was born at Littleton, Massachusetts, August 24, 1812. He received his education in the district schools of Littleton and East Chelmsford, now Lowell, whither he came to live when he was thirteen years old. He began work when very young in the mill of the Merrimack Manufacturing Company, but left after a short time to attend the Pinkerton Academy at Derry, New Hampshire, from which he graduated, and afterward became a teacher in the public schools of Derry. In 1833 he returned to Lowell and entered the employ of Atherton & Buttrick as clerk in their grocery store, then located in the old city hall building on Merrimack street. In the meantime his family had returned to Bedford to live. Webber became a valuable asset in the business of his employers, and in 1850 was admitted to partnership in the firm and the name changed to Buttrick & Company. The store was located later on Market street. Mr. Webber was eminently successful in his business; he knew the grocery trade thoroughly. At the time of his death he had been in the grocery business longer than any other man in the city and was undoubtedly the best known man in the business in Lowell. In all he was in this business for fifty-eight years. In all lines of business and in all walks of life his name stood for the best qualities of manhood; for justice, honor and integrity in business relations; kindness, benevolence and uprightness in private life. He was especially beloved by the friends who knew him well. He took but little interest in social or public affairs; he was devoted to his domestic and business concerns. He was pronounced and firm in his religious convictions, and for many years was a faithful member of Shattuck Street Universalist Church of Lowell. He was active in the support of its charities and in attendance upon its services. He died at his home in Lowell, January 9, 1892.

He married, September 5, 1837, Ann Urie, of Bedford (see Bedford history.) She was born in Scotland in 1816, of good old ScotchPresbyterian stock, and died at Lowell in 1883. Their only surviving child was Annie Cora, who resides in Lowell in the house built by her father. Three other children died in infancy.

CLAPP

Early ancestors of the Clapps were closely identified with the settlement of Boston, Dorchester, Northampton and other places in Massachusetts. The first of the name to arrive in New England was Captain Roger Clapp, who was chosen military commander at Boston with headquarters at the Castle. A favorable report sent by him to England induced his cousins, Nicholas and John, sons of Richard Clapp, to seek a home in the newly organized colony, the former arriving in 1633, and the latter shortly afterwards.

Nicholas Clapp, born in England in 1612, settled in Dorchester, where he became prominent in public affairs and was deacon of the church. That he was regarded as a man of sound judgment is attested by the fact of his being selected to serve upon a jury at a special court to settle certain disputes relating to the Lynn Iron Works, in 1653. He died November 24, 1679. He resided in the northerly part of Dorchester, on the west side of what is now Columbia road, just south of Edward Everett square, a locality long known as the Five Corners. For his first wife he married his cousin, Sarah Clapp, a sister of Captain Roger Clapp, previously mentioned, and his second wife was Abigail Sharp, widow of Robert Sharp, of Brookline. The children of his first union were: Sarah, Nathaniel, Ebenezer and Hannah. His second wife bore him one son, Noah.

Nathaniel Clapp, second child and eldest son of Nicholas and Sarah (Clapp) Clapp, was born in Dorchester, September 15, 1640. Jointly with his brother Ebenezer he was appointed administrator of his father's estate, and he accumulated considerable property in addition to his inheritance. He was one of the two constables in Dorchester for the year 1671, and fully merited the esteem and confidence accorded him by his fellow-townsmen. His death occurred May 16, 1707. March 31, 1668, he married Elizabeth Smith, daughter of Lawrence Smith, and she died September 19, 1722. Their children were: Nathaniel, an early graduate of Harvard College: John, Jonathan, Elizabeth, Ebenezer and Mehitable.

Ebenezer Clapp, fourth son and fifth child of Nathaniel and Elizabeth (Smith) Clapp, was born in Dorchester, October 25, 1678. He resided at the Five Corners and died May 20, 1750, leaving a large estate. He married Hannah Clapp, who was born in Dorchester in 1681, daughter of Elder Samuel Clapp, and at granddaughter of Captain Roger Clapp. She died August 9, 1647. They were the parents