fireward from 1774 to 1789, and served on many important committees, the most important of which, perhaps, was the Committee of Correspondence, Safety, and Inspection of 1776, when he was associated with Samuel Adams, John Hancock, Paul Revere, and other patriots. Two persons were chosen from each ward, in 1773, to petition the General Court for an act empowering the town to erect, support, and defend street lamps. Capt. Edward Proctor (1756) and Paul Revere were chosen from Ward 4. Capt. Proctor (1756) was long connected with the military, becoming captain in 1763. active service during the Revolutionary War, and rose to the rank of colonel of the Boston regiment. He was in Col. Proctor (1756) was one of the stalwart men of Boston. He was full of energy, activity, and work. The colonial cause had in him a devoted servant, who gave to that cause untiring effort. In town meeting, on important committees, or at the head of his command, he was prompt, efficient, and thoroughly loyal. Col. Proctor (1756) became a member of the Masonic Fraternity in 1765, when he joined the Lodge of St. Andrew, of Boston. He was worshipful master of that lodge from 1774 to 1776, and, after holding various offices in the Massachusetts Grand Lodge, A. F. and A. M., he was unanimously chosen junior grand warden, March 1, 1782. In 1791 Col. Edward Proctor (1756) purchased the mansion house on North Bennet Street, which John Steele bought of Thomas Lee, Sr., in 1734. The colonel's heirs sold it in 1815 to Isaac Harris, who resided there until 1869. Col. Proctor (1756) resided there from 1791 until his decease. The Centinel of Nov. 2, 1811, said, after announcing his death: "Funeral from his mansion house in North Bennet Street, Monday P. M., Nov. 4." His tomb was No. 16, Copp's Hill Burial-Ground. Nathaniel Ridgeway (1756), “taylor," of Boston, son of Samuel and Naomi Ridgeway, was born in Boston, May 10, 1729. His brother, Samuel, Jr., joined the Artillery Company in 1756. Nathaniel (1756) was by trade a tailor, and in 1761 lived near Clark's Wharf. His family was afflicted by the epidemic of that year, and his child was removed to the hospital. In 1756 he was elected constable, but was excused from serving. Samuel Ridgeway, Jr. (1756), of Boston, son of Samuel and Naomi Ridgeway, was born in Boston, Jan. 2, 1726. His brother, Nathaniel, joined the Artillery Company in 1756. Capt. Samuel, Jr. (1756), was first sergeant of the Artillery Company in 1761. He served as a constable of Boston in 1753, was drawn as a juror, Aug. 24, 1770, and "Capt." Samuel Ridgeway (1756) was elected a warden from 1775 to 1777 inclusive. John Wood (1756), of Boston, son of Richard and Hannah Wood, was born Oct. 16, 1719. He is not mentioned in the Record Commissioners' Reports.1 The record of the Artillery Company for 1756 is as follows: "April 5th. 1756. The Company being under Arms, it was unanimously Voted, That the Rev. Mr. Ebenezer Pemberton of Boston be desired to preach the next Artillery Nathaniel Ridgeway (1756). AUTHORITY: Boston Records. Samuel Ridgeway, Jr. (1756). AUTHORITY: Boston Records. 1 See Sewall's Woburn, p. 348, for interesting account of John Wood, son of John (1756). same. Election Sermon, and that the present Commission Officers of the Company, Capt John Symmes [1733], Lt Thomas Savage [1739], & En. Newman Greenough [1740], & John Phillips, Esqr. [1725] Treasurer, be a committee to wait on him and desire the Attest: SAMUEL TORREY, Jun. Clerk. "May 3'd. The Company being under Arms, Capt John Symmes [1733], being one of the committee to wait on the Rev. Mr. Ebenezer Pemberton, to desire him to preach the next Artillery Election Sermon, reported to the Company that he had accepted the same. "The Evening being spent at Ensign Greenough's [1740] house, It was there Voted, That thirteen pounds, six shillings & eight pence, lawful money, be paid by the Treasurer of the Company to the Commission Officers towards defraying the charges of the dinner upon the ensuing Election Day, and the Company to dine with them. Voted, that there be a Committee chosen, of two members of the Company, to go as soon as may be to Col. Blanchard [1737] & others at Dunstable, and press them for payment of the money due from them to the Company. Voted, that John Phillips, Esqr [1725], and Capt Joseph Jackson [1738] be the persons to go to Dunstable, and in case the said John Phillips Esqr [1725], cannot attend to go, that Mr. William Taylor [1738] proceed with Capt Jackson [1738], in his room. Voted, That Maj. John Wendell [1735], Capt Thomas Savage [1739], and Mr. John Leverett [1750] be a committee to take the advice of some able lawyer about Col. Blanchard [1737] & others' bond, and get the same calculated by Mr. Samuel Winthrop, Clerk of the Superiour Court, and then draw up such instructions as they may think proper to give the committee that are going to Dunstable. The charges of both Committees to be borne by the Company. "Attest: SAMUEL TORREY, Jun. Clerk. "June 7th. The Evening being spent at Capt. John Welch's [1736], it was Voted, That the old Commission Officers, Capt John Symmes [1733], Lt Thomas Savage [1739], & En. Newman Greenough [1740], with the Treasurer, John Phillips, Esqr. [1725] be a committee to wait on the Rev. Mr. Ebenezer Pemberton and return him the thanks of this Company for his Sermon preached before them this day.' "Attest: SAMUEL TORREY, Jun. Clerk. "September 6th. The Evening being spent at Lt Thomas Drowne's [1737], the following Votes were there passed, viz: Voted, That every member of this Company have a bayonett fitted to their firelocks as soon as may be. Voted, That every person admitted into this Company for the future shall provide for them selves, and appear on each of our training days, with a Blue Coat and a gold-laced hat. "Attest, SAMUEL TORREY, Jun. Clerk." Rev. Ebenezer Pemberton, of Boston, delivered the Artillery election sermon of 1756. He was a son of Rev. Ebenezer Pemberton, pastor of the Old South Church, who delivered the Artillery election sermon in 1701 and 1709. Rev. Ebenezer Pemberton, Jr., was born Feb. 6, 1704-5, and was baptized Feb. 11. He graduated at Harvard College in 1721, and became a member of the Old South Church, April 25, 1725. In Rev. Ebenezer Pemberton. AUTHORITIES: Robbins's Hist. of Second Church; Hill's Hist. of Old South Church. "Monday last being the Anniversary for the Election of the Officers of the ancient and honourable Artillery Company, after a Sermon suitable to the Occasion, preached by the Rev. Mr. Pemberton of this Town, the said Company made choice of Mr. John Welch [1736] for their Captain, Mr. Thomas Drowne [1737] Lieutenant, and Capt. William Taylor [1738] for the present year."—Boston Evening Post, June 14, 1756. the earlier part of his life he was a chaplain at Castle William. In April, 1727, he received an invitation to settle as pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in New York City, which he accepted, and was ordained Aug. 9 of that year. He continued as pastor of this church for twenty-two years. At the end of that term, when Mr. Pemberton requested his dismission, the presbytery testified, by letter, to Mr. Pemberton's "ministerial dignity, abilities, and success, and their cheerful recommendation of him as an eminently endowed and highly esteemed preacher." He soon after (in 1754) settled as the fourth and last pastor of the New Brick Church. He was a sympathizer with Gov. Hutchinson, and was suspected of attachment to the Tory interest. As the war of the Revolution approached, Dr. Pemberton's health declined, and his parish became small. The house was closed in April, 1775, and Mr. Pemberton retired to Andover. He died Tuesday, Sept. 9, 1779, after a long confinement. The officers of the Artillery Company elected in 1757 were: Thomas 1757. Savage (1739), captain; Newman Greenough (1740), lieutenant; William Simpkins (1739), ensign. Joseph Mann (1754) was first sergeant; Thomas Carnes (1754), second sergeant; Henry Perkins (1755), third sergeant; Isaac Decoster (1755), fourth sergeant, and Samuel Torrey, Jr. (1752), clerk. At the town meeting in March, 1757, it was voted that "the Thanks of the Town be & hereby is given to Hon. Jacob Wendell Esq. [1733], for faithful service as an overseer of the poor for twenty years past." The members of the Artillery Company recruited in 1757 were: Samuel Emmes, John Head, John Soley. Samuel Emmes (1757), of Boston, was a constable in 1744, and hog-reeve in 1748. From 1740 to 1744 he was a member of the fire company which had charge of the "copper engine" at the westerly part of the town. The engine-house was on Hancock Street. The engine was called the "West Boston engine," but was later named "Hero, No. 6." He was re-elected to town office in 1763, and was appointed to office in 1768. He was third sergeant of the Artillery Company in 1759. John Head (1757), merchant, of Boston, resided in Cornhill in 1762, and in Roxbury in 1763. Mr. Drake thinks that Mr. Head (1757) succeeded Mr. James Smith, on his decease in 1769, in the business of sugar-refining. June 23, 1742, the "Hon. John Head [1757]," with the governor and others, visited the public schools. He was first sergeant of the Artillery Company in 1763. He attended the festival of St. John the Baptist, at the King's Arms tavern on Boston Neck, June 24, 1769. May 14, 1782, Joseph Head administered on the estate of his father, John Head, Esq. (1757), deceased. John Soley (1757), merchant, of Charlestown, son of John and Dorcas (Coffin) Soley, of Charlestown, was born in that town June 5, 1722. He married, Oct. 11, 1759, Hannah Cary, daughter of Samuel Cary, of Charlestown, by whom he had eight children, Samuel Emmes (1757). AUTHORITY: Boston Records. John Head (1757). AUTHORITIES: Boston Records; John Rowe's Diary; Drake's Hist. of John Soley (1757). AUTHORITY: Wyman's of whom one was Hon. John Soley, who married, in 1804, Rebecca Tyng Hendley, daughter of Col. Samuel Hendley (1746). Jan. 13, 1762, and each year thereafter until Feb. 10, 1768, John Soley (1757) was included in the list, annually reported by the selectmen to the assessors of the town, of persons, "inhabitants of other towns in this province, who ought to be taxed here for the real estate they occupy and the business they do here, it being agreeable to law." John Soley (1757) moved from Charlestown to Boston about 1768, thence to Billerica about 1772; and there he died, Nov. 18, 1801. The record of the Artillery Company for 1757 is as follows: "April 8. 1757. The Company being under Arms, it was Voted, That the Rev. Mr. Samuel Checkley, Jun. of Boston, be desired to preach the next Artillery Election Sermon; and that the present Commission Officers, with the Treasurer John Phillips, Esq. [1725] be a committee to wait on him and desire the same. The evening being spent at Sergeant Bakers [1751], it was there Voted unanimously, That the Company march to Roxbury on their training day in May next & that each person pay their proportion of the extraordinary expenses. same. "May 2'd. The Company being under Arms, Capt John Welch [1736], being one of the Committee to wait on the Rev. Mr. Samuel Checkley, Jun. to desire him to preach the next Artillery Election Sermon, reported to the Company, that he had accepted the The Evening being spent at Sergt Jones' [1754], it was there Voted, That there be a committee chosen to take care to get the money due to the Company from Col. Blanchard [1737] and others at Dunstable as soon as may be. Voted, That this committee consist of three members of this Company, viz. Capt John Welch [1736], Lieut Thomas Drowne [1737], Capt Thomas Savage [1739]. Voted, That the above named Committee be fully empowered to take the most prudent & proper measures they think fit, in order to procure the money of the above-named Col. Blanchard [1737] and others. "Voted, That thirteen pounds, six shillings and eight pence, lawful money, be paid by the Treasurer of the Company to the Commission Officers towards defraying the charges of the dinner upon the ensuing Election Day, and the Company to dine with them. "Attest, SAMUEL TORREY, Jun. Clerk. "June 6th. 1757. The Company being under Arms, it was Voted, That the old Commission Officers, with the Treasurer, be a Committee to wait on the Rev. Mr. Samuel Checkley, Jun. and return him the thanks of this Company, for his Sermon preached before them this day. Attest SAMUEL TORREY, Jun. Clerk." Rev. Samuel Checkley, Jr., of Boston, delivered the Artillery election sermon of 1757. He was a son of Rev. Samuel Checkley, of Boston, who delivered the Artillery election sermon in 1725, and was born Dec. 27, 1723. He graduated at Harvard College in 1743, and settled, Sept. 5, 1747, as the minister of the Old North Church, Boston, being the "successor of three reverend doctors named Mather," and a colleague with Rev. Joshua Gee. The latter died May 22, 1748, when Mr. Checkley became pastor of the church. "He is said to have been distinguished for a peculiar sort of eloquence, and an uncommon felicity in the devotional service of public worship." He died March 19, 1768. Rev. Samuel Checkley, Jr. AUTHORITY: Sprague's Annals of American Pulpit. Rev. Samuel Checkley, Jr., was a grandson of Col. Samuel Checkley (1678), and a relative of Anthony Checkley, Jr. (1695), whose father, Col. Anthony (1662), was a half brother of Col. Samuel (1678). 1758. The officers of the Artillery Company elected in 1758 were: Newman Greenough (1740), captain; John Gore (1743), lieutenant; Joseph Gale (1744), ensign. Benjamin Andrews (1754) was first sergeant; Francis Whitman (1755), second sergeant; William Hyslop (1755), third sergeant; Edward Carnes (1755), fourth sergeant, and John Edwards, Jr. (1747), clerk. May 16, 1758, Hugh McDaniel (1729) petitioned the town of Boston to abate him part of the rent of house and land on the Neck he hired of the town March 25, 1752, for reasons therein mentioned. A committee was appointed to consider the petition, view the premises, and report. The committee reported to the town that the piece of land "falls short in measure about one quarter part" of what was stated in the lease, and that Hugh McDaniel (1729) should be granted sixteen pounds, which was accepted by the town. Sept. 13, 1758, Gen. Amherst, who had been appointed to take command of the British Army in America, landed at Boston. The harbor was full of transports and war ships, and the town was full of soldiers. Sept. 16, Gen. Amherst, by whose vigorous efforts nearly the whole of Canada fell into the hands of the British before a twelvemonth, at the head of nearly five thousand men, started for Albany. The members of the Artillery Company recruited in 1758 were: Nathaniel Barber, Jr., William Bordman, Richard Boylston, James Cunningham, Thomas Deering, John Downe, Edward Jackson, David Jenkins, Nathaniel Loring, Edward Lyde, William Murray, Moses Peck, David Spear, Thomas Symmes. Nathaniel Barber, Jr. (1758), merchant, of Boston, son of Nathaniel and Dorothy Barber, was born in Boston, March 18, 1728. He married, May 3, 1750, Elizabeth Maxwell. He was "a prominent merchant and patriot of Boston, one of the famous 'Whig Club' of ante-revolutionary days, in which were James Otis, Dr. Church, Dr. Warren, and other leaders of the popular party. In it civil rights and the British constitution were standing topics for discussion. He was one of the Committee of Correspondence, Inspection, and Safety, from its creation in 1772 to 1783, and was naval officer of the port of Boston in 1774 and until his decease. Prior to the Revolution he kept an insurance office in Fish (now North) Street." 2 In 1780 and 1782, he was one of a town committee to raise the town's quotas of soldiers for the Continental Army. He is called, in the Boston Records, "Captain" in Nathaniel Barber, Jr. (1758). AUTHORITIES: Boston Records; New Eng. Hist. and Gen. Reg., 1880. The following certificate was given Col. Barber (1758) by the Committee on Correspondence, Inspection, and Safety, Nov. 6, 1776: "This may Certifie that Nathaniel Barber Esq [1758] officer for the Port of Boston, has ever in the most public manner taken the part of his injured Country: that he has suffered greatly in the general Calamity, that he has been a faithful member of this Committee from its first Institution; that in dis charge of the Duties of it a large portion of his time "By Order of the Committee, 2 Crane's Tea Leaves, p. 95. |