Deacon David Bigelow

DAR Ancestor #: A010017

http://bigelowsociety.com/rod/dav41692.htm

1692 David 4 BIGELOW, son of Daniel 3( Joshua2, John1), and Elizabeth (WHITNEY) BIGELOW was born in Worcester, Worcester co, MA 19 September 1730. He married (1) 21 May 1752 Sarah EATON, born ? She died 22 October 1761. He married (2) 08 March 1764 Deborah HEYWOOD , born 11 April 1736 daughter of Phineas Heywood (18 July 1707-30 Mar 1776) and Elizabeth (Moore) Heywood (23 June 1711- 02 June 1797), at Worcester, MA.

  She outlived him and died 23 May 1823, age 86. David lived in the northeast part of Worcester on the old road to Boylston. He was a carpenter by trade, and when a young man fell from the roof of a barn on which he was working, and broke his leg--the bone protruding from the flesh into the ground. A Dr. Marsh, surgeon from CT, was summoned and performed a surgical operation; with good care David survived and though always crippled, he was able to earn his own living.

    David was a staunch Whig throughout the Revolution. He performed laborious and important work on the colonial cause in a civil capacity. He was a member of the Committee of Safety of Worcester (a loyalist stronghold); the Committee of Safety were vested with and exercised many of the powers of government during the Revolution. David was a selectman in 1776, 1777, 1779, 1780, 1783, and 1784. He was representative to the General Court in 1777. He was a member of the Convention to ratify the Constitution of the United States, and voted with the minority--against acceptance. His reason was that he disapproved the provision giving slave owners three votes for every five slaves they owned.

    He was a Deacon of the Unitarian church until his death, which occurred 10 May 1810. Despite his always living in straitened circumstances, due to his handicap, he brought up his large family "under the influences of his example of purity of speech, manners, and life." All his children were born in Worcester.

1790 census: MA-Worcester-Worcester-David Bigelow: 3-0-5-0-0.

By his first wife, Sarah EATON:
16921 David, b 4 Apr 1753; d 20 Dec 1831 Worcester; m 10 Apr 1775 Hannah WILLINGTON; res Worcester. 9 known children.

16922 Sarah, b 15 Aug 1755; d 19 Mar 1838 at _____ ; m 22 Jun 1775 Joshua HARRINGTON; res Pelham, MA.

16923 Azubah, b 6 May 1757; d _____ ; m 30 Aug 1781 at Templeton, Barzillai LAMB.

16924 Elizabeth, b 7 Mar 1759; d _____ ; m 20 Nov 1777 John HAIR. (see below)

16925 Lydia, b 15 Oct 1761; d young.

Children of David BIGELOW by second wife, Deborah HEYWOOD:

16926 Lydia, b 28 Oct 1764 Worcester; d 29 Dec 1849 West Boylston, MA; m 07 Oct 1784 Zachariah Child; res Boylston. 10 children

16927 Lucretia, b 26 Mar 1767; d _____ ; m 18 Nov 1790 William GOULDING.(see below) (see below)

16928 Dorothy, b 13 Sep 1769; d _____ ; m 22 Mar 1792 Joseph CHADWICK . (see below)

16929 Silas, b 5 Dec 1770; d 25 Apr 1837 Templeton, MA; m (1) Arathusa MOORE; (2) 9 Dec 1817 Mrs. Susanna CURTIS; res Worcester. 6 children.

1692A Levi, b 30 May 1773; d 28 Oct 1843 Burlington, VT; m 24 Apr 1803 Chester VT, Nancy GOODHUE; res VT & Que. 6 children..

1692B Walter, b 18 Nov 1775; d 17 May 1857 Worcester; m 18 Nov 1799 Judith TROWBRIDGE; res Worcester. 5 children.

1692C Ty1er, b 13 Aug 1778; d 23 May 1865 Watertown, MA; m 26 Nov 1806 Clarissa BIGELOW; res Leominster & Watertown. 8 children.

  51-158.   DAVID BIGELOW of Worcester, Mass., the second son of Daniel and Elizabeth (Whitney) Bigelow, was born in Worcester, Sept. 19, 1730, and married, May 21 1752, Sarah Eaton, who died Oct. 22, 1761. He married second, March 8, 1764, Deborah Heywood, who died his widow, May 23, 1822. They lived in the northeast part of the town on the old road to Boylston. He was a carpenter by trade, and when a young man he fell from the roof of a barn on which he was at work and broke his ankle in a shocking manner, the bone protruding through the flesh into the ground, and so serious was the injury, a Dr. Marsh (who was an eminent surgeon living in Connecticut) was hastily summoned, and performed a skilful surgical operation, and with good care he recovered, though a cripple the remainder of his life. He was a very decided and influential whig through­out the Revolution, and though disabled for military service, he performed much laborious and important work in a civil capacity. During that eventful period he was a very prominent member of the Committee of Safety of the town of Worcester, which was a centre of the royal influences of the county in the persons of the office holders, and, as is well known, the Committee of Safety were vested with and exercised many of the powers of govern­ment respecting personal liberty and conduct, and at times their labors and duties became highly critical, laborious and responsi­ble. He was elected one of the Selectmen in 1776, 1777, 1779, 1780, 1788, 1784, and representative to the General Court in 1777, and also a member of the Convention to ratify the Constitution of the United States, and while there he voted with the large minority on the final question of acceptance. Although his vote did not satisfy all his friends at that time, they in after life (when they learned that his main reason for so doing was because of the provision giving the owner of slaves three votes for every five slaves owned by him), came to honor him for so doing. He was deacon of the First Unitarian Church from the settlement of Dr. Bancroft, until his death, May 10, 1810. Though always in straitened circumstances he brought up a large family of children under the influences of his own example of great purity of speech, manners and life, and it can be truly said that he lived the life of a patriot and a Christian.

Their children were:
506 tDavid, b. April 4, 1753; m. Hannah Wellington.

507. Sarah, b. Aug. 16, 1766; m. June 23, 1776, Joshua Harrington; res. Worcester.

508. Elizabeth, b. March 7, 1769; m. Nov. 20, 1777, John Hair.

509. Lydia, b. Oct. 16, 1781; d. young.

More Notes:
Age: 79 His grave, along with many others, was relocated to Hope Cemetery in the late

19th Century from the Mechanic St. Burial Ground in downtown Worcester, MA.

A brother of Col. Timothy Bigelow, he was chosen as a member of a committee to inspect the tories passing
between Lancaster & Worcester, or any other way. Was Deacon of the First Unitarian Church from its
organization in 1785.