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thrice over; that a varied and curious correspondence, involving much labor, was to be managed discreetly; that pecuniary responsibility must be assumed in advance of collections; that the grounds of the monument must be chosen and arranged, and its foundations laid; its fence selected, ordered, obtained, and erected; the bulky monument brought here from Boston, and all the necessary apparatus for its elevation procured; that the time for this meeting, the invitations, and the arrangement for it, had all, at no small cost of calculation, providence, and taste, to be harmoniously, efficiently, and punctually contrived and carried into execution; when we considered all this, and then remembered that Mr. Grant had been the Chairman of the Committee, the Secretary, correspondent, travelling agent, (for one journey to Boston he knew him to have made in this business,) fencebuilder, head-mason, land-surveyor, and universal stirrer-up of matters; above all, the financier and caterer, and now finally the presiding officer at the consecration and the festival; he felt that the company would join him in congratulating their President on the universal success of his efforts; and unite in a vote of heartfelt thanks for the time and skill, the good-will and patient continuance, the business-like regularity and gentlemanly feeling, above all, the genuine family spirit he had exhibited throughout the whole affair; and now, more especially, for his kind offices in presiding over the feast, which, with the cordial and skillful aid of their gentle cousins, he had provided for the occasion.

The company heartily responded to these sentiments.

After Mr. Bellows had spoken, all joined in singing the last ode, to the tune of Auld Lang Syne.

ADDEND A.

WILL AND AUTOGRAPH OF JOHN, THE FIRST BELLOWS IN AMERICA.

Ar the last moment, while the press is waiting, I have been able, through the kindness of Frederic Kidder, Esq., a distinguished antiquarian, to obtain from the records of Middlesex, Mass., a copy of several papers, making it clear and without a shadow of doubt, that John Bellows, who came over in the "Hopewell," in 1635, was the identical John, who, on the 9th May, 1655, married Mary Wood, at Concord. By a deposition he made 15th January, 1669, John Bellows, of Marlborough, was then about forty-four years of age, which corresponds as accurately as could be expected from statements necessarily inexact, with the computed age of the John Bellows, who, in 1685, was twelve years old.

Taking this fact, then, as established, it is most interesting to see that this unknown boy, of twelve, landing in the wilderness, had succeeded in making a substantial place for himself in the new world, as a farmer of the better sort. And this fact is evidenced by the precious document below, being the last will of John Bellows, of Marlboro', with the inventory of his property annexed, from which an exact idea can be formed of his station in life, and of the general condition of the better sort of farmers at the early date of 1683, when he died. If we consider the newness of the country, and the great value of money at that time, his estate will appear quite substantial, while his household goods will indicate what was then decided

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comfort—however unsatisfactory it might be now. It is gratifying to be able to trace our Founder back to a young pilgrim of twelve, who possessed the boyish energy to emigrate to the New World, and to make his way to such respectability and comfort as the last will and testament of John Bellows, of Marlboro', indicates. I judge from the inventory, that John Bellows was either brought up a carpenter at home, or acquired and practised that trade in connection with his farming in New-England. Tradition had made him out a physician; but his will, I think, proves him a carpenter-a calling nobody need be ashamed to associate with his own or an ancestor's name. The signature to the will is a copy of a tracing from his autograph appended to a deposition he made in 1668. The signature to his will is written in so weak a hand, as not to be significant of his character.

I am compelled to believe that the reason of Benjamin, our Founder's father, not being mentioned in his father's will, is because from his birth he had been adopted into the Moore family, by whom, according to a tradition, he was brought up. There is another hypothesis, that he was born after his father's death. Daniel, I suppose, died without issue.

To show to what large possessions the grandson of John, namely, our Founder, had attained, I add a copy of his will, which may be advantageously compared with the older docu

ment:

WILL OF JOHN BELLOWS, SEN., OF MARLBOROUGH.

I, JOHN BELLOWS, SENR., of Marlborough, in New-England, being weak in body but of sound understanding, do make & ordain my last Will and Testament in manner & forme following, viz.: Imprs. After my debts are paid, I give and bequeath unto Mary, my loving wife, unto her own use & dispose, & to remain in her hands for as long as she pleaseth, as her own proper goods, one Cow wch came of a cow yt I had of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson; also an Heifer which came of the sd Cow which is now two years old. Also One Calfe of this present year, likewise my bigest brass kettle & my lesser Iron pott & the bigger of my Two brass skelletts. Item. I will yt my lands in Marlborough aforesaid & myne other moveable goods shall be disposed of unto my Children namely Isaac, John, Thomas, Eleazar, Nathaniel, Mary and Abigail, When they shall be of ye age of one & Twenty years or married; My son Isaac shall have a double portion of my estate wch remains beside wt I have given unto his mother (as above sd) and each of the rest of my said Children shall have half as much portion as my son Isaac hath.

Item. I have already bequeathed unto my daughter Abigail Lawrence, as so much of her portion, One Two years old heifer, and one Cow calf of this present year, and a sow of Two years old, and one Iron pot & the worth of Ten shillings in other small things. Furthermore I leave Mary my loving wife whole Executrix of this my Will and Testamt., & she shall have her maintenance from my estate, for so long as she shall remain my widdow.

Finally I desire, & appoint my loving friends Joseph Rice and Joseph Newton to be the Overseers of this my last Will & Testament. In witness whereof I the said John Bellows, senr. do hereunto put my hand & seale, this nineteenth day of June, One thousand, Six hundred, eighty & three.

In presence of

John Woods

Isaac Amsden.

John 230llo wor

Octob: 2. 83 Sworn in Court by the sd witnesses

as attests. Tho. Danforth R.

Middlesex Prob. Recds.

Lib. VI. fol. 93.

AN Inventory of the Goods & Chattells of John Bellows deceased, late of Marlborough in New-England, taken by Deacon Solomon Johnson, Abraham How, John Wood partly on the 6th prtly on the 8th August, 1683.

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Four broad Chissels. 3s. & seven Heading Chissels. 4s. 6d.

07.06

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