Person:Samuel Truesdell (1)

Samuel Truesdell, brought up by his Uncle Richard, is first mentioned in this country in the will of the latter when on 9 September 1669 he implied an early forthcoming marriage by Samuel and bequeathed to him 50 [pounds].  Samuel Truesdell is next noted in 1672 as coming from Boston and being the 26th settler in Newton, age 26.

The year of Samuel Truesdell's marriage to Mary Jackson is unrecorded. Her father, Deacon John Jackson, was a first settler in 1639 in that portion of the village of Cambridge south of the Charles River, called New Town, and later Newton. Here thirteen of Deacon Jackson's children were born, Mary being the ninth, but the date of her birth is not of record.

Samuel Truesdell acquired land on the south side of the Charles River amounting to 120 acres. The site is south of Newton Highlands being bounded on its western and southern sides by Winchester St. and Nahanton St. as indicated in "Plan of Newton" to show holdings prior to 1700. From other sources the farm must have extended eastward, at least in part, to the "famous Dedham highway" (now Dedham St.) being so mentioned in connection with Eliot's indian wigwam on that road in 1713. Visited in 1951, the area was found to be rough, traversed by ravines, wooded and rocky. The north end, only, was practical farming land. A country club and a boys' home occupied much of the land, elsewhere were built, or were being built, countless attractive suburban cottages and homes.

Following the death of Mary Truesdell (1674), wife of Deacon Richard, "Samuel Truesdalle of Cambridge village, also Newton, in New England, husbandman, and Mary, his wife" sold to "Wm Gilbert, cordwinder, all his (their) share of a messuage lying nere the First Meeting House in Boston which was bequeathed unto the sd Samuel Truesdail by the will of Richard Truesdell of Boston, deceased." Samuel signed the agreement 30 April 1675, Mary on 28 May 1675. In June of the same year Samuel and Mary also mortgaged to William Gilbert their home and 60 acres of land in Newton.

Deacon Jackson died in 1674/5 leaving 863 acres and 1230 [pounds]. In the distribution of his estate 20 December 1676, "Samuell Trusedell, in the right of his wife," received additional upland. Elijah Kenrick, another son-in-law, received land on the Dedham Highway, adjacent to Samuel Truesdell's farm. The same year Samuel Truesdell and Elijah Kenrick, with their wives, sold 23 acres of woodland to Thomas Greenwood for 46 [pounds].

Samuel Truesdell's name is included in the petition submitted 8 May 1678 to the General Court asking separation of Cambridge Village (Newton) from Cambridge. The petition was prepared by Deacon Jackson before his death. The year 1679 is given in "Plan of Newton" for the building of Samuel's home. With Capt. Noah Wiswall, another brother-in-law, Samuel was admitted freeman of Massachusetts Bay Colony 21 July 1686.

Samuel Truesdell died on his farm near Kenrick's Bridge. From the diary of Samuel Sewall, "6 Mch 1694/5. On Sabbath . . . On the day before, on Trusedal, of Newton, was pulling Hay from an undermined Mow in the barn which fell upon him and kill'd him." Samuel is buried in Newton Centre St. Cemetery. This cemetery area, gift of Deacon John Jackson, is adjacent to the site of the First Meeting House. Fenced and under maintenance of the town authorities, it has been carefully guarded and preserved. Across Centre Street are the well-kept grounds and buildings of the Newton College.

Samuel Truesdell died interstate. James Trowbridge and John Kenrick, brothers-in-law of the widow and her uncle Edward Jackson inventoried Samuel's property at 262 pounds, 3 shillings, 6 pence. This was approved by J.A. Russell, judge of probate, on 8 April 1695. Russell appointed the widow and her eldest son Richard as administrators. For some reason, settlement of the estate lagged and the court appointed James Trowbridge, James Ward Sr., and John Kenrick as a committee to divide the property. On 17 May 1697, the committee reported to the Court that the estate could not be divided without spoiling the whole living. With Richard's consent and that of the widow, Samuel Jr. was made administrator.

The committee determined that after the deduction of the widow's third, the balance of the estate should be divided into nine equal parts. Three of these parts were to be allotted to Richard and Samuel, to be shared equally between them. It was apparently determined that Richard, the eldest son, and Samuel Jr., with responsibility of administrator, were on equal footing, and should received a little more than the younger children.

In the committee's memorandum of settlement the value of the estate is reduced somewhat, being placed at 240 [pounds]. The deduction of the widow's third, 80 [pounds], left 160 [pounds]. Then the married daughter, Mary Foote, is made to return (on paper) the 18 [pounds] which she had previously received, probably her dowry, leaving a total to be divided amounting to 178 [pounds]. Division was made as noted above. Mary Foote actually received 1 pound, 15 shillings, 6 pence, the difference between her declared share and what she had already received. It is interesting that the odd 4 pence is given to Experience, the youngest, who is noted in the first list of children as "lame". Final settlement was finally made on 21 October 1700.

From the inventory, Samuel Truesdell had a good farm, well equipped. He possessed books, a rarity in those days. His house consisted of parlor, dwelling room, chamber, lean-to and cellar, all stocked, possibly thanks to his wife, with numerous necessities of life suitable for living in a new country. His elder sons could write, their signatures being plain and clear.

{geni:about_me} Samuel Truesdell, brought up by his Uncle Richard, is first mentioned in this country in the will of the latter when on 9 September 1669 he implied an early forthcoming marriage by Samuel and bequeathed to him Ð50. Samuel Truesdell is next noted in 1672 as coming from Boston and being the 26th settler in Newton, age 26. The year of Samuel Truesdell's marriage to Mary Jackson is unrecorded. Her father, Deacon John Jackson, was a first settler in 1639 in that portion of the village of Cambridge south of the Charles River, called New Town, and later Newton. Here thirteen of Deacon Jackson's children were born, Mary being the ninth, but the date of her birth is not of record. Samuel Truesdell acquired land on the south side of the Charles River amounting to 120 acres . The site is south of Newton Highlands being bounded on its western and southern sides by Winchester St. and Nahanton St. as indicated in "Plan of Newton" to show holdings prior to 1700. From other sources the farm must have extended eastward, at least in part, to the "famous Dedham highway" (now Dedham St.) being so mentioned in connection with Eliott's Indian wigwam on that road in 1713. Visited in 1951 and the area was found to be rough, traversed by ravines, wooded and rocky. The north end, only, was practical farming land. A country club and a boys' home occupied much of the land, elsewhere were built, or were being built, countless attractive suburban cottages and homes. Following the death of Mary Truesdell (1674), wife of Deacon Richard, "Samuel Truesdalle of Cambridge village, also Newton, in New England, husbandman, and Mary, his wife" sold to "Wm Gilbert, cord winder, all his (their) share of a messuage lying nere the First Meeting House in Boston which was bequeathed unto the said Samuel Truesdail by the will of Richard Truesdell of Boston, deceased." Samuel signed the agreement 30 April 1675, Mary on 28 May 1675. In June of the same year Samuel and Mary also mortgaged to William Gilbert their home and 60 acres of land in Newton. Deacon Jackson died in 1674/5 leaving 863 acres and Ð1230. In the distribution of his estate 20 December 1676, "Samuell Trusedell, in the right of his wife," received additional upland. Elijah Kenrick, another son-in-law, received land on the Dedham Highway, adjacent to Samuel Truesdell's farm. The same year Samuel Truesdell and Elijah Kenrick, with their wives, sold 23 acres of woodland to Thomas Greenwood for Ð46. Samuel Truesdell's name is included in the petition submitted 8 May 1678 to the General Court asking separation of Cambridge Village (Newton) from Cambridge. The petition was prepared by Deacon Jackson before his death. The year 1679 is given in "Plan of Newton" for the building of Samuel's home. With Capt. Noah Wiswall, another brother-in-law, Samuel was admitted freeman of Massachusetts Bay Colony 21 July 1686. Samuel Truesdell died on his farm near Kenrick's Bridge. From the diary of Samuel Sewall, " 6 Mch 1694/5. On Sabbath . . . On the day before, one Trusedal, of Newton, was pulling Hay from an undermined Mow in the barn which fell upon him and kill'd him." Samuel is buried in Newton Centre St. Cemetery. This cemetery area, gift of Deacon John Jackson, is adjacent to the site of the First Meeting House. Fenced and under maintenance of the town authorities, it has been carefully guarded and preserved. Across Centre Street are the well-kept grounds and buildings of the Newton College. Samuel Truesdell died intestate. James Trowbridge and John Kenrick, brothers-in-law of the widow and her uncle Edward Jackson inventoried Samuel's property at 262 pounds, 3 shillings , 6 pence. This was approved by J.A. Russell, judge of probate, on 8 April 1695. Russell appointed the widow and her eldest son Richard as administrators. For some reason, settlement of the estate lagged and the court appointed James Trowbridge, James Ward Sr., and John Kenrick as a committee to divide the property. On 17 May 1697, the committee reported to the Court that the estate could not be divided without spoiling the whole living. With Richard's consent and that of the widow, Samuel Jr. was made administrator. The committee determined that after the deduction of the widow's third, the balance of the estate should be divided into nine equal parts. Three of these parts were to be allotted to Richard and Samuel, to be shared equally between them. It was apparently determined that Richard , the eldest son, and Samuel Jr., with responsibility of administrator, were on equal footing , and should receive a little more than the younger children. In the committee's memorandum of settlement the value of the estate is reduced somewhat, being placed at Ð240. The deduction of the widow's third, Ð80, left Ð160. Then the married daughter, Mary Foote, is made to return (on paper) the Ð18 which she had previously received, probably her dowry, leaving a total to be divided amounting to Ð178. Division was made as noted above. Mary Foote actually received Ð1, 15 shillings, 6 pence, the difference between her declared share and what she had already received. It is interesting that the odd 4 pence is given to Experience, the youngest, who is noted in the first list of children as "lame". Final settlement was finally made on 21 October 1700. From the inventory, Samuel Truesdell had a good farm, well equipped. He possessed books, a rarity in those days. His house consisted of parlor, dwelling room, chamber, lean-to and cellar, all stocked, possibly thanks to his wife, with numerous necessities of life suitable for living in a new country. His elder sons could write, their signatures being plain and clear. Both Savage and Jackson erroneously ascribe three wives to Samuel. In addition to Mary Jackson they add a second wife Elizabeth Hammond and a third, Mary _______(?). Elizabeth Hammond married Samuel Truesdell, Jr. in 1700. Mary, the third wife, was added, undoubtedly, so as to agree with the name of the widow in the settlement of Samuel's estate.

(Source for following, Clifford Ambrose Truesdell, IV): Samuel Truesdell is buried in the East Parish Burying Ground of Newton, just opposite Boston College Law School. The East Parish BuryingGround is bounded on the west by Centre Street , on the South by Cotton Street. About two thirds into the Burying Ground from Centre Street and about one quarter in from Cotton Street, stands the "First Settlers Monument." (One of the names on the monument is John Jackson, who gave the land for the burying ground and was Samuel Truesdell's father-in-law . John Jackson's gravestone can no longer be found.) The monument, erected in the 19th century, is an obelisk, and cannot be missed. Samuel Truesdell is buried about 50 feet to the northeast of the monument, a few feet to the north of a cluster of Maple saplings that, by 1996, had uprooted the nearby gravestone of his aunt, Mary Hood Truesdell. (In 1996 Clifford Ambrose Truesdell, IV replanted Mary's gravestone.) Samuel Truesdell's stone is modest in size, about 20 inches in height and 12 in width, and, but for a missing corner, in good condition. Samuel Truesdell's gravesite is #190 on the Newton Historical Commission's plan of the Burying Ground. Mary (Hood) Truesdell's is #188.