History of Northampton, Massachusetts, from its settlement in 1654;

1748.1 COL, JOHN STODDARD. 177
His Death. He died in Boston of apoplexy June 15*'',
1748, while in attendance at a session of the
General Court, and was buried in that city. Contact with
the world, and familiarity with the best society of the day,
cultivated a taste for the better things of every-day life,
which wealth enabled him in a great measure to gratify.
It is an historical fact, quoted sometimes in derision, that
he possessed the first, and for a time, the only gold watch
in Northampton. It was valued at £150.
Items from the Inventory
of his
Tlie inventory of his estate reveals the fact
that lie had many articles of comfort and
convenience (in addition to the gold watch),
then not to be found among the majority of his townsmen.
Apparently his family was among the first in town to make
use of tea. The tea-pot, tea-kettle, cups and saucers, inventoried
as belonging to his estate, were the first known
to have been used in Northampton. Tea was introduced
here between 17"'i9 and 17-48, but probably very few persons
used it before the latter date. Among the noticeable arti-
cles enumerated in the inventory, which were not then in
general use, were earthen bowls, plates, mugs, and a sugar
dish. Crockery was quite rare, and was seldom found
among the people till some years later. Col. Stoddard's
real estate was valued at £18,238, and his personal property
at £17,191, the whole aggregating £35,432, which if appraised
in Old Tenor, equal to 45s. to the dollar, would
reduce values to a little more than $15,000. Among the
funeral charges were £40 for f)rinting the funeral sermon,
£49.8 for funeral rings, and £14.10 for gloves.
His Family.
Col. Johu Stoddard married Prudence Ches-
ter of Wethersfield, Ct.. in 1731. Ten chil-
dren were born to them— four daughters and six sons—five
of whom survived their father. His daughters were edu-
cated in Boston, their teacher being a man by the name of
Turner. They would ride to Boston on horseback, sometimes
on a pillion liehind their father or some other person,
and occasionally on a side-saddle. Of three daughters,
who came to the age of maturity, Mary, the elder, married
Col. John Worthington of Springfield ; the second, Pru-