Longley James b. 04 NOV 1753 Shirley, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA d. 14 JAN 1837 Boylston, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA

1753 - 1837

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Birth 04 Nov 1753 Shirley, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA [1]

Gender Male

_UPD 23 AUG 2009 09:03:12 GMT-5

Died 14 Jan 1837 Boylston, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA [1]

Person ID I1701 Alan Donald Vibber

Last Modified 08 Dec 2009

Father Longley William, b. 13 Feb 1707, Groton, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA , d. 15 May 1788, Shirley, Worcester, Massachusetts

Mother Parker Mary, b. 12 Oct 1716, Groton, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA , d. 07 Aug 1758, Shirley, Worcester, Massachusetts

Married 04 Jan 1734 Groton, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA

Family ID F770 Group Sheet

Family Bartlett Molly, b. 09 May 1762, of Northborough, Worcester, Massachusetts , d. 27 Aug 1831

Married 15 Jan 1784

Children

1. Longley Betsey, b. 22 May 1799, d. 13 Sep 1881

Family ID F769 Group Sheet

Notes	James Longley, the first of the name in Boylston, was a son of William and Mary (Parker) Longley, and was born in Shirley, November 4, 1753. His family was of English origin and of respectable, and even higli standing in church and state ; several were ministers of the established church, and one Thomas Longley, supposed to be of the same family, rose to be Bishop of Durham, Cardinal and Lord Chancellor of England. William (or as some claim Richard) Longley came to New England soon after the settlement of the Massachusetts Bay Colony ; married Joanna Goffe, a sister of Thomas Goffe, Deputy Governor of the Colony ; settled at Lynn where he was admitted as a freeman March 14, 1638. His son William Longley, settled in Groton, at or very soon after the first settlement of the place, and was one of the most extensive landed proprietors there ; upon his death, his estates came into the possession of his son, William Longley, who resided there until his death in 1694, when he and his family became the victims of Indian depredations, and all were slain but three children, who were carried into captivity. Of these children one died of starvation ; another was sold to the French in Canada, where she finally embraced the Catholic religion, and entered a convent at Montreal ; the third, a son named John remained with the Indians, gradually adopting their manners and customs, until ransomed by Government when he very reluctantly returned to civilized life, and became an honored and useful citizen. Three of his sons, William, John and Jonas removed from Groton to what is now Shirley, about two years before the incorporation of that place ; the distance from their former homewas only about eight miles in a direct course, and yet, since they had to turn aside for impassable streams and slowly wend their way through the then wilderness, three days were necessary to complete the journey. The life of this William Longley seems to have been that of a quiet New England farmer, uneventful and even in its tenor, varied only by those hardships and privations which were the common lot of every New England pioneer. He lived to witness the struggle of the Colonies against British aggression, and the final consummation of their independence, in which struggle several of his descendants bore an honorable part. James Longley the son, and principal subject of this sketch, on account of the large family of his father, was forced in early boyhood to seek a home elsewhere, and finally went to North- borough where after the custom of the time, he was apprenticed to Samuel Gamble, a carpenter, to remain in his service until he should have arrived at the full age of twenty-one years. Under this master he received harsh and severe treatment. He was inefficiently and coarsely clad, and was kept at his work during the whole period of hisindenture, without obtaining a single day's schooling. His treatment was such as would not be tolerated at the present time. He, however, patiently endured his ever- accumulating burdens until the term of his apprenticeship was completed. On obtaining his freedom he entered the employ of a hotel proprietor in Northborough; at this time he began to realize the importance of acquiring an education sufficient to enable him to transact ordinary business ; he obtained a teacher and began to study ; commencing with the alphabet he continued by patient effort until he had learned to read, write and solve the problems of common arithmetic. With this beginning he sought to qualify himself for the duties of life, and thus became a lifelong student after knowledge. During the Revolution he became imbued with love for the independence of his country, and entered the service of the Colonies, both in the land and sea forces raised for their protection. He was at first in the marine or privateering service, under Commodore Moody, and was in several successful cruises. He then joined the land forces and served in that dangerous affair on Long Island under General Sullivan, when Mie British troops under General Howe, undertook successfully to force the Americans from the Island, and later was at the battle of Saratoga which witnessed the capture of General Burgoyne. Soon after the close of the Revolution he married Molly Bartlett, of Northborough, and settled upon a large farm near Rocky Pond, in the easterly part of Boylston. His farm was large in extent, containing nearly three hundred acres, naturally rough and broken, and hard of cultivation. On it he erected large and commodious buildings, and by hard and patient labor brought it to a good state of cultivation. He was one of the first of the farmers in Boylston to plant orchards, and to introduce improved fall and winter fruit. On this farm he spent the remainder of his days, and here he reared a large family of children, nearly all of whom reached years of maturity. The quiet of his life as a New England farmer was broken from time to time by calls from his fellow-citizens, to assume important and responsible positions. He was in Shays's Kebellion in 1787, and participated in the night march from Hadley to Petersham, through a blinding snow storm, as the following quaint receipt shows : Boylston, May 10, 1787. Then Received of Ezra Beaman all the wages that is due to us the subscribers for services while we ware in Capt. Jonah Howe's Company in Sirpressing the late Rebellion in the westward Countyis, JAMES LONGLEY JOHN HASTINGS Jr. ROBERT HUDSON JOHN ANDERSON SAMUEL HARTHAN AMARIAH SAWYER JONAS GOODNUFF SAMUEL WHITCOMB WILLIAM SAWYER JOTHAN GOODNUFF STEPHEN BIGLO JOSEPH BIGLOW Jn LEVI MOORES JASON GLAZIER ALMA GOODNUFF DAVID RICE He afterwards served for many years in the State Militia, and for some time held the office of captain. He was frequently elected to town office. He served upon the Board of Selectmen for eighteen years, and was chairman of the board thirteen years ; was one of the Assessors for seventeen years and chairman of the boardtwelve years ; town Treasurer in 1821 ; member of the School Committee in 1803 ; he also served as Moderator of town meetings for many years. He was elected as representative to the General Court forthirteen consecutive years, from 1798 to 1811, and was also the first Justice of the Peace commissioned within the present limits of the town, and was frequently called to preside over petty trials, solemnize marriage, and transact other legal business incident to that office. He was chosen by the town of Boylston to oppose the incorporation of the Second Precinct of Boylston, Holden and Sterling, and again in 1807 to oppose the incorporation of that Precinct as a separate town, and was one of the committee to divide the town property between the towns of Boylston and West Boylston; and was always deeply indentified with whatever tended to increase and develop the best interests of the community. He was of a strong and vigorous constitution, with an active and capacious mind combined withwonderful energy and great firmness, decisive in his judgment which was unerring in whatever projects of a public nature he entered upon. He died January 15, 1837, aged 83 years. He had eleven children. VI) James Longley, son of William Longley (5), was born at Shirley, Massachusetts, November 4. J753- He married Molly Bartlett, of Northborough, who died August 27, 1831. He resided in Boylston during his active life, and died there January 14, 1837. He had to begin early in life to earn his own living. He was bound out to Samuel Gamble, of Northborough, a carpenter by trade, and received rather shabby treatment that would not be allowed under modern conditions. The boy was not properly fed nor clothed, and received 'no schooling. He completed his apprenticeship according to the terms of his father's agreement. As soon as he became of age he obtained work in a hotelat Northboro and arranged with a private teacher to assist him in acquiring a knowledge of the alphabet and the first principles of education. He learned rapidly and soon mastered all that was taughtin his < lay in the public schools. He was a student all his life. He became captain of the military company. He was for nearly half a century a justice of the peace, an office that formerly possessed the importance of local magistrate. For many years he was assessor and selectman and deputy to the general court. He was a soldier in the revoluion. First he served as mariner under Commodore Moody, and made several successful cruises. He afterward joined the land forces, and was with the army under GeneralSullivan in the famous retreat after the Battle of Long Island. He was in the campaign that ended with the surrender of General Burgoyne. He settled in Boylston, Massachusetts, shortly before the endof the war. During his declining years he. enjoyed a pension. He was loyal to the new government at the time of Shay's Rebellion, and held a commission for its suppression. He was in that night marchfrom Hadley to Petersham through a blinding storm of snow. The children of James and Molly Longley were : 1. Otis, born December 8, 1784, married Lydia Patch, of Worcester; had six children, all born in Boylston. 2. Mary, born in Boylston, February 18, 1786;married, February 18, 1808, Deacon Abijah Flagg, who died December 22, 1850; they had seven children. 3. Jonas, born November 11, 1787; married, December 22, 1812, Susan Smith, of Northboro; he died at Westborough, January 31, 1866; they had four children. 4. Jonathan, born June 21, 1789; graduate of Harvard, a preacher of distinction ; never married; died January 26, 1850. 5. James, born June 22, 1791, died June 10, 1793. 6. Israel, born November 21, 1792, died June 6, 1793. 7. James, born September 3, 1794; married Sally Eustice, of Boston, July 3, 1838; he was an alderman of Boston. 8. Israel, born November 8, 1795, died November 30, 1812. 9. Betsey, born May 28, 1799; married Daniel Barnes, of Berlin ; they had ten children, all born in Boylston. 10. Parker, mentioned below, 11. Lois,born May 26, 1805; married, April 29, 1829, Joseph Dudley.

Sources
[S59] Historic Homes and Institutions and Genealogical and Personal Memoirs of, Ellery Bicknell Crane, (Name: 1907;), 537 (Reliability: 3).