Matthias Farnsworth, Jr.
Matthias Farnsworth's second child was probably Matthias, Jr. Although we do not know the date and place of his birth, he was apparently younger than his sister Elizabeth, and probably was born about 1649. He married Sarah Nutting, daughter of John and Sarah Nutting, who was born March 11, 1663. As the town records show that they had a son Joseph, born Jan. 17, 1682, he may have been married early in the year 1681, but probably not much earlier, as she was then but eighteen years old. John Nutting, her father, was an original proprietor of the town, holding a seventeen-acre right, and lived directly north of the place where James' brook crosses the Groton Main Street. His house was near the brook, and was one of the most ancient of the garrisons of the town, and not very far from the garrisoned house of Captain James Parker on the southerly side of the brook.
It is not certain where Matthias, Jr., lived, but the uniform tradition has been that he built a house and lived in it about a quarter of a mile southerly from his father's on the same side of the way toward “the mill.” A Matthias Farnsworth was living there about 1830, and it used to be said that it had been occupied by one of that name from Matthias Farnsworth, Jr., down. Matthias, Jr., probably continued to reside at the place described until his death, which took place about four years after that of his father, probably in the year 1693, and at about the age of forty-four years. There is much uncertainty as to the exact time. His widow Sarah was appointed administratrix of his estate, Dec. 6, 1698, but the inventory bears date Nov. 8, 1693, before which time he must have died. And he must have been alive March 17, 1692, when it appears by the records that he was assigned to the Farnsworth garrison then organized for defense against the Indians. His death undoubtedly occurred during the disturbances caused by the Indian wars, perhaps in consequence of them; and it is quite probably that the inventory was made soon after his death, which, in that case, occurred not long before Nov. 8, 1693.
Sarah, his widow, caused the inventory of his property to be made, but she did nothing further with it until Dec. 6, 1698, when she applied for appointment as administratrix of his estate. she was thereupon appointed, and Deacon Simon Stone, and his brother John Stone, to whom she was married ten days later, were the sureties upon her bond. The appointment was made, the inventory was filed, and her final account was presented and allowed, all on the same day. The settlement of the estate was doubtless made at that time in anticipation of her marriage with John Stone, which took place at Concord, Dec. 16, 1698. By John Stone she had at least two children, John, Jr., born Sept. 23, 1699 and James, born Jan. 23, 1701. Both of them lived to be married and to have large families. James was a deacon in the church of Groton.
Matthias, Jr., did not live long enough to display his personal qualities so that they can be distinguished very clearly; but he held several town offices, and appears to have been a man of ability. He served under Major Wilard in King Philip's War in 1675 in an expedition to Brookfield. His children, so far as can be learned by the records, which are very obscure and brief, are as follows:
1. Joseph, born Jan. 7, 1682; died Feb. 2, 1682.
2. Ebenezer, date of birth unknown; married Elizabeth, daughter of Joshua and Abigail [Tarbell] Whitney, April 17, 1707. [For more information on Ebenezer, visit his personal page.]
3. Josiah, born Feb. 24, 1687. [For more information on Josiah, visit his personal page.]
4. Matthias. The fourth known child of Matthias, Jr., was Matthias, born Aug. 6, 1690. [For more information on Matthias, visit his personal page.]
