Genealogical notes of Barnstable families - citizen hylbom blog

GENEALOGICAL NOTES OF BARNSTABLE FAMILIES. 235
Freeman, but as mitigating circumstances which should temper
the verdict of public opinion.
Col. James Otis attempted to heal the difficulties in town and
reconcile the parties, and h^ partially succeeded. Deacon Bacon
and Coi. Freeman were his Idnsmen, and his age and the eminent
services which he had rendered to the town and County, entitled
his opinions to high consideration. At a town meeting held May
21, 1776, he made, what the records call, an "apology ! " and the
town voted to hear a part of it, but not "that part relating to
Abigail Freeman and the Crocker's quarrel." The reason for
making this distinction is apparent, Dea. Bacon was the representative
elect of the town. Joseph Otis, and others, had petitioned
the General Court that he be ejected from his seat, and
therefore any matter relative to Deacon Bacon's qualifications or
to the petition, was pertinent ; but neither Abigail nor the
Crockers stood in the same relation to the town, and therefore the
inhabitants, as a town, had nothing to do with their quarrels.
These votes show that the men of those days thought and acted
independently, and that they could not be persuaded to act in
opposition to what they believed to be the right course of action,
even by cne who had been President of the first continental Congress
at Watertown.
Mr. Cornelius Crocker died Dec. 12, 1784, aged 80. His
wife, Mrs. Lydia Crocker, died Aug. 5, 1773, aged 68. His will
is dated April 6, 1782, and the codicil thereto Feb. 10, 1784.
His sons Elijah and Elisha were then dead, and are not named.
To Samuel he gave "all his land lying westward and northward of
the way that leads from the County road, near his son Cornelius's
dwelling house, to Rendevous Creek, with the dwelling house in
which he now lives, and all other buildings standing on the
premises," with one half of the fish house and the land on which
it stood, one half of his wharf, and one half of the way to the
same. His son Joseph was dead. To his widow, Elizabeth, he
gave a right in the house he devised to the sons of his son Josiah,
and to his grand-daughter Mary £30 in silver money. To his
daughter. Widow Lydia Sturgis, he gave the westerly part of the
dwelling house where he then lived, and one half of the
furniture. To Cornelius he gave one half of his fish house,
half of his wharf, £15 in silver money, and all the debts
he then owed him. In consideration of tlie larger proportion of
the estate given to Samuel, the latter was to make no demand on
Cornelius, Jr., for debts due. His son Josiah was then dead.
To his grand-sons, Robert, Uriel, and Josiah, the house in which
their father Josiah had lived, with one and one half acres of
land, being the east part of his homestead next the lane, and
£6 each when 21 ;. to his two grand-daughters, Deborah and
Mehitable, children of his son Josiah. £6 each in silver money.