440 GENEALOGICAL NOTES OF BARNSTABLE FAMILIES. who miTried Nov. 30, 1770, Daniel Smith, Jr., of Nantucket; 5, Deborah, who married Jan. 16, 1772, Peleg Bunker of Nantucket, and died 25th Sept.' following ; 6, Susannah, who married James Perry, Jr., and resided many years in the State of Maine. She died in the Alms House, Nantucket. 112. Benjamin Gorham, called "Old Fiddler" to distinguish him from the others of the same name, resided in the Ebeuezer Hinckley house, next east of Gov. Hinckley's new house, which his father probably bought for him. He married Sept. 3, 1741, Mary Sturgis, of Yarmouth, May 8, 1722. His children were: 1, Sturgis, born June 28, 1742; 2, Deborah, July 6, 1744, died in infancy; 8, Benjamin, March 26, 1746; 4, Mary, Oct. 8, 1748, married 1st Capt. John Eussell, lost with Capt. Magee, 2d, Otis Loring, and died March 11, 1811 ; 5, Mehitable, Nov. 28, 1755, married Daniel Hall Oct. 31, 1776, also lost with Capt. Magee. She died Sept. 22, 1784; 6, Olive, March 12, 1759, married Melatiah Bourne, Jr., of Boston, Sept. 24, 1778, (see Bourne) ; 7, Edward, Feb. 15, 1762. Sturgis Gorham, Esq., son of Benjamin, was a successful business man. He was a merchant, engaged in the fisheries, and in the coasting and West India trade. In the Revolution he was a whig, and was on many committees, and did much good service in the cause. He built a large and elegant mansion house opposite his grandfather's, on the west side of Coggins' Pond. This house has been cut up and shorn of its fair proportions, and the builder, if now living, would not recognize it. * He married Sept. 13, 1763, Phebe Taylor, who died Nov. 7, 1775, aged 31, and July 12, 1778, to her sister Desire Taylor, who died Dec. 15, 1786, aged 30. His children were: 1, Nancy, born Sept. 4, 1765, died in infancy ; 2, Nancy, 4th Sept. 1767, died unmarried Dec. 27, 1791 ; 3, Debby, 12th May, 1769, married Oct. 2, 1786, James S. Lovell, of Boston; 4, Mary Sturgis, 26th July 1772, married May 3, 1795, John Palfrey, Jr., Esq., of Boston, father of the Hon. John Gorham Palfrey of Boston ; 5, Edward S., 25th March 1774, died in infancy ; 6, William Taylor, 17th Oct. 1775, died May 5, 1790 ; 7, Edward S., 29th Nov. 1779, died in infancy ; 8, Phebe T., 30th Sept. 1781 ; 9, Edward S., 31st Oct. 1784, died in infancy; 10, Charlotte, 22d June, 1786, married 1813, Thomas L. Harman, of New Orleans. She died in Bath, Eng., in 1821, leaving three children: Thomas L., Francis S., and Charlotte. Sturgis Gorham, Esq., died April 26 1795, aged 52 years. In his will he gives one-half of the profit of his wind mill to his sister Olive till her son Sylvanus is 21. He gives legacies to his grandsons James and Joseph Lovell, and the remainder of Ms es- * The late Mr. Jabez Hinckley said that for building tlie front stairway, Mr. Gorham paid him for seventy-five days work. Every part of the house and its surroundings were finished with the same care.
GKNEALOGIOAL NOTES OF BARNSTABLE FAMILIES. 441 tate equally to gis). May 5, his daughters Charlotte and "Polly," (Mary Stur- 1795, John Palfrey, Esq., of Boston, was appointed guardian of Charlotte. His estate was settled April 13, 1802 ; after paying debts and legacies the balance was £683,13,10. His real estate was sold to Elijah Smith, of Chatham for £900. Sturgis Gorham, Esq., for many years was the business man ofBarnstable. On his shoulders the mantle of his grandfather fell. He did much to develop the business, and advance the pros- perity of his native town. He exerted a wide influence, but it is perhaps doubtful whether that influence was always salutary. He was a slaveholder, as many at that time were ; and if common report is reliable the poor slave rarely had a harder master. Benjamin Gorham, son of Benjamin, (called Young Fiddler) resided in the house that formerly stood where Capt. John T. Hall's now stands. He had not the business capacity of his brothers ; but was a man of wit and a boon companion. The following story is told of him, and illustrates his general character : When a boy he had a dog that was very troublesome, and annoyed his mother very much. One day he went home and with a serious air said, "Mother, I have sold my dog." "I am very glad, Benjamin, she was so troublesome—how much did you get for her?" "$500." "Did you, Benjamin!" "Yes, mother, I did, most certainly." "What did you get your pay in, Benjamin?" "Aye, that's it,—in bitch pups, at $50 apiece." This story is the origin of the common saying, applied to a man who makes a bad batter trade : "He got his pay in bitch pups." He married first, Mehitable, daughter of Capt. Wm. Davis. She died Dec. 1788, and he married 2d, Deborah, widow of Mr. Josiah Crocker, by whom he had, before marriage, one illegitimate daughter Abigail, who married Capt. Henry Bacon Aug. 4, 1803. Capt. Bacon had an only daughter Eloisa, who died single in 1835. Edward Gorham, § son of Benjamin, married Jan. 6, 1785, Abigail, daughter of Capt. William Taylor, and resided in the easterly part of the town, on the estate which was the property of his father-in-law. His wife died Sept. 19, 1820, and he died Sept. 9, 1822, aged 60. His children were: 1, John Taylor, born Jan. 7, 1786; 2, Hitty, Jan. 4, 1788, married April 29, 1804, Dr. Ansel Davis; 3, Lucy, Sept. 27, 1789, married Sept. 29, 1808, R. D. Shepherd, of New Orleans || ; 4, Caroline, Aug. 26, 1791, now living unmarried ; 5, Desire T., Aug. 27, 1793, married Capt. Daniel C. Bacon; 6, William Taylor, Sept. 19, § On one occasion he reproached David Loring for his drunkenness and improvid^nee. Loring replied—I admit sir, I have not Bacon provided for my dinner; neither have I a Shephard to watch over me by night. II He paid Mr. Waterman twenty dollars for performing the marriage services—the largest fee named in the record. Mr. Chas. De Wolfe, of Bristol, E. I., who married, Oct. 24, 1801, Mrs. Nabby Green, paid a doubloon ($16) the next highest fee.
GKNEALOGIOAL NOTES OF BARNSTABLE FAMILIES. 441<br />
tate equally to<br />
gis). May 5,<br />
his daughters Charlotte and "Polly," (Mary Stur-<br />
1795, John Palfrey, Esq., <strong>of</strong> Boston, was appointed<br />
guardian <strong>of</strong> Charlotte. His estate was settled April 13,<br />
1802 ; after paying debts and legacies the balance was £683,13,10.<br />
His real estate was sold to Elijah Smith, <strong>of</strong> Chatham for £900.<br />
Sturgis Gorham, Esq., for many years was the business man<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>Barnstable</strong>. On his shoulders the mantle <strong>of</strong> his grandfather<br />
fell. He did much to develop the business, and advance the pros-<br />
perity <strong>of</strong> his native town. He exerted a wide influence, but it is<br />
perhaps doubtful whether that influence was always salutary.<br />
He was a slaveholder, as many at that time were ; and if common<br />
report is reliable the poor slave rarely had a harder master.<br />
Benjamin Gorham, son <strong>of</strong> Benjamin, (called Young Fiddler)<br />
resided in the house that formerly stood where Capt. John<br />
T. Hall's now stands. He had not the business capacity <strong>of</strong> his<br />
brothers ; but was a man <strong>of</strong> wit and a boon companion. The<br />
following story is told <strong>of</strong> him, and illustrates his general character<br />
: When a boy he had a dog that was very troublesome, and<br />
annoyed his mother very much. One day he went home and with<br />
a serious air said, "Mother, I have sold my dog." "I am very<br />
glad, Benjamin, she was so troublesome—how much did you get<br />
for her?" "$500." "Did you, Benjamin!" "Yes, mother, I<br />
did, most certainly." "What did you get your pay in, Benjamin?"<br />
"Aye, that's it,—in bitch pups, at $50 apiece." This<br />
story is the origin <strong>of</strong> the common saying, applied to a man who<br />
makes a bad batter trade : "He got his pay in bitch pups." He<br />
married first, Mehitable, daughter <strong>of</strong> Capt. Wm. Davis. She<br />
died Dec. 1788, and he married 2d, Deborah, widow <strong>of</strong> Mr. Josiah<br />
Crocker, by whom he had, before marriage, one illegitimate<br />
daughter Abigail, who married Capt. Henry Bacon Aug. 4, 1803.<br />
Capt. Bacon had an only daughter Eloisa, who died single in<br />
1835.<br />
Edward Gorham, § son <strong>of</strong> Benjamin, married Jan. 6, 1785,<br />
Abigail, daughter <strong>of</strong> Capt. William Taylor, and resided in the<br />
easterly part <strong>of</strong> the town, on the estate which was the property <strong>of</strong><br />
his father-in-law. His wife died Sept. 19, 1820, and he died<br />
Sept. 9, 1822, aged 60. His children were: 1, John Taylor,<br />
born Jan. 7, 1786; 2, Hitty, Jan. 4, 1788, married April 29,<br />
1804, Dr. Ansel Davis; 3, Lucy, Sept. 27, 1789, married Sept.<br />
29, 1808, R. D. Shepherd, <strong>of</strong> New Orleans || ; 4, Caroline, Aug.<br />
26, 1791, now living unmarried ; 5, Desire T., Aug. 27, 1793,<br />
married Capt. Daniel C. Bacon; 6, William Taylor, Sept. 19,<br />
§ On one occasion he reproached David Loring for his drunkenness and improvid^nee.<br />
Loring replied—I admit sir, I have not Bacon provided for my dinner; neither have I a<br />
Shephard to watch over me by night.<br />
II He paid Mr. Waterman twenty dollars for performing the marriage services—the<br />
largest fee named in the record. Mr. Chas. De Wolfe, <strong>of</strong> Bristol, E. I., who married, Oct.<br />
24, 1801, Mrs. Nabby Green, paid a doubloon ($16) the next highest fee.
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