Misc. Notes
According to Butler’s
History of Groton166, “The first [Farnsworth] at Groton was Matthias. He was an early settler, an original proprietor, and owned a twenty acre right. His house lot and uplands were situated on both sides of the present travelled road to Harvard, on the south side of James’s brook, where Ephraim Sawtell and Alvah Wright now live. It appears by the county records, that he had three children born at Groton, and upon examining and comparing Groton records, it is evident that he had other children born probably before he came to Groton, viz. Matthias, Jr., John, Benjamin, and Joseph. If reliance can be placed on the correct use of
Jr. and
Sen., Matthias Sen. died between 1681 and 1684. And as the name Matthias is not to be found on the records after 1692, till others of the name came of age, it is presumed that Matthias, Jr., died young, not, however, till he had several children, viz., Joseph, Matthias, Ebenezer, Josiah and perhaps others.”
Green’s
Epitaphs167 transcribes Matthias Farnsworth’s will in its entirety. Green also gives a list of children for Matthias, but he assigns only one wife, Mary, to Matthias and attributes all the children to her. Matthias Farnsworth’s family is a complicated one and requires further study.