than, Thomas, Ebenezer and Solomon were grandsons of another Thomas, who married Abigail Parker. William Tarbell, now of Groton, a revolutionary pensioner, is son of Benjamin, who was son of the first named William.

The house lot of Thomas Tarbell, Sen., was on the west side of Broadmeadow, not far from the site of schoolhouse No. 2.

WOODS.

This is a very common name throughout New England. It is believed that all or nearly all of the name in Groton, Shirley, Pepperell and Dunstable are descendants of Samuel Woods, who owned an eleven acre right, as an original proprietor. His house lot was where the late Hon. James Prescott lived, a little south of the Lawrence Academy, described as lying on both sides of the country or bay road, between the house lots of William Green on the north, and James Fisk on the south.

Two of the name from Groton, Thomas and Daniel, were in Lovell's fight, and both were killed.

Henry Woods was a major under Col. William Prescott at the battle of Bunker Hill. He served some time in the war, was promoted to the office of colonel, and after the war, was a general of the militia. He lived in that part of Groton, which upon the incorporation of Pepperell was within that town, and he represented it in the General Court two years.

Samson Woods, son of the aforesaid Henry, was waiter to his father at Bunker Hill, and when the Americans were retreating, he loaded himself with the knapsacks of two slain soldiers, and on getting over a rail fence, he being not fifteen years old, and small of his age, the load swung on one side of the rails and his body on the other. In this emergency he called for help; but it was

a busy and hurrying time, each was taking care more for his own safety than for that of his fellows, when presently a cannon ball from a floating battery came to his relief, splitting the post next to him, and letting the rails to the ground.

He was a deputy sheriff and crier of the courts for many years, and held several offices in the militia.

CHAPTER XIV.

HISTORY OF PEPPERELL.

Incorporation and Meeting-Houses-West Parish; Boundaries and first Officers-First Meeting-House-Difficulty about its Location -Petition to Legislature and Committee to fix the Place-Timber moved-Progress of the Work-Incorporated a District-NameBill-A new Meeting-House contemplated-A Fast- Dedication -Remodeling-Dedication-Second Parish-Meeting-House and

Dedication.

THAT part of Groton lying west of Nashua river and north of the country road, as travelled a century ago from Groton to Townsend, was set off as a distinct precinct, or parish, in the year 1742, and called "Groton West Parish."

At a legal meeting of said parish, held January 17, 1742, at the house of Mr. William Spaulding, Benjamin Swallow was chosen moderator; Eleazer Gilson, parish clerk; Benjamin Swallow, Isaac Williams, James Lawrence, Jonathan Woods, and Joseph Whitney, committee; Samuel Wright, treasurer; Jonas Varnum, Moses Woods, and Samuel Shattuck, assessors; and William Spaulding and Jeremiah Lawrence, collectors. This was undoubtedly the first parish meeting and organization of the parish under the act of the General Court by which it was incorporated. At this meeting, the sum of ten pounds, lawful money, was voted to be assessed to defray the necessary charges arisen and arising in said parish.

Whilst this territory remained a parish, nothing of a public nature, unconnected with Groton, except of a parochial character, was transacted therein. Building a meeting-house and settling a minister, were of course the first and only matters which called for action, and were put on record.

The second meeting was held at the house of James Lawrence, February 16, 1742, at which the parish voted to build a meeting-house, and that it should be set at "the most convenient place near Joseph Blood's fordway; a well known place, between the paper-mills at Babbitassett and Jewett's bridge.

About the same time, it was voted "to receive the people on the east side of the river, that have petitioned to be annexed to us, provided they will consent to have the meeting-house set at the most convenient place on the west side the river, near the bridge, next below Jo. Blood's ford-way, so called."

But the momentous affairs of deciding upon a spot on which to set a public building, and choosing and settling a minister, are not usually accomplished without much. strife and contention, and are sometimes attended with long and furious quarrels and expensive lawsuits. The reason of this, the Rev. Mr. Emerson, the first minister of the parish, in his sermon at the dedication of the second meeting-house, explains in this manner: "It hath been observed," says he, "that some of the hottest contentions in this land hath been about settling of ministers and building meeting-houses; and what is the reason? The devil is a great enemy to settling ministers and building meeting-houses; wherefore he sets on his own children to work and make difficulties, and to the utmost of his power stirs up the corruptions of the children of God in some way to oppose or obstruct so good a work."

If the true reason was assigned by the Rev. Mr. Emerson, it would seem that either the west parish of Groton

consisted of a large proportion of the devil's children at this time, or that the corruptions of the saints were too easily wrought upon by Satan. Before the expiration of a year, a parish meeting was called, a vote passed to reconsider the vote fixing the place for the meeting-house, and another passed to place it "three fourths of a mile northeast of the centre of the parish, or at the next convenient place." The size was fixed at forty-two feet in length, thirty feet in breadth, and twenty feet in height. A committee was chosen to ascertain the centre of the parish, and another to state the place for the house. The parish having been surveyed, the centre found, and the northeast line of three fourths of a mile run out, the site for the meeting-house was determined on, which was agreeable to the wishes of a majority of the parish, the north and east parts being more settled upon than the west. Some of the timber for the house was brought to the spot; but the devil, according to the Rev. Mr. Emerson's theory, was busy setting on his own children, and stirring up the corruptions of others; the minority, living in the centre and west part, being not well pleased with the location, with Moses Woods at their head, made such resistance to the proceedings of the majority, that the destruction of the parish was threatened. Whereupon the aid of the Great and General Court was invoked; Peleg Lawrence and Josiah Sartell were appointed a committee to supplicate the legislature to take measures to end the dispute. The Great and General Court, in mercy to the distracted condition of the parish, appointed a committee to survey the place and locate the meeting-house. The parish

chose a committee "to show the Court's committee the inhabitants of the place." It seems that the Court's committee promptly attended to the business assigned them, and they agreed upon the spot where the first parish meeting-house in Pepperell now stands; and the parish voted, February 19, 1745, "to set the meeting-house on the