Levi 8 BIGELOW


15182.426    Levi  8 BIGELOW, son of Levi 7 ( Gershom 6 , Ivory 5, Gershom 4, John 3, Samuel 2, John 1) , and Nancy (AMES) BIGELOW, was born at Marlborough, Middlesex, MA on 12 March 1821. He married Abbie Hastings on 08 February 1846. She was "of Berlin", the daughter of Ephraim and Achsah (Sawyer) Hastings and born 11 June 1816 at Berlin. They lived some years in Berlin, MA where he was engaged in farming and was one of the Selectman. About 1856 he moved his family to Marlborough where he became a prominent man and was for many years a Selectman, Assessor and on the School committee. Abbie died at Marlborough on 0l May 1873 and he there on 05 May 1879. (see below)

Children of Levi and Abbie (Hastings) Bigelow, all born at Berlin, MA:

15182.4261     Martha Abby, b 18 Nov 1846; d 06 Jan 1871 Marlborough; unm.; a teacher.
 
15182.4262     Hannah Elizabeth, b 17 Sept 1848; d 27 May 1898; unmarried.(see below)
 
15182.4263     Frances Ann, b 30 Sept 1850; d 25 Sept 1869 Marlborough.
 
15182.4264     Levi, b 30 Nov 1852; d 04 Dec 1852 Berlin.

Sources:
Bigelow Family Genealogy Vol II page 326;
Howe, Bigelow Family of America;
records of Bigelow Society.
Note:
Subject:  Bigelow, Levi
Date: Tue, 21 Sep 1999 10:21:48 EDT
From: Janice Farnsworth     Farns10th@aol.com
Source:  Biographical Review  p.294-296
Life Sketches of Leading Citizens of Middlesex County, Massachusetts 1898 Biographical Review Pub. Co. - Boston

"Who among men art thou, and thy years how many, good friend? - Xenophanes.

     Levi Bigelow, for many years an influential citizen of Marlboro, MA, where he was born March 12, 1821, and where he died May 5, 1879, was a son of Levi and Nancy (Ames) Bigelow, and a worthy representative of one of  the old and substantial Middlesex County families.
     He was of the eighth generation in descent from John Biglo (or Bigelow, the name being variously spelled), an early inhabitant of Watertown, a notice of whose marriage thus appears in the ancient records, it being the first recorded in that town: "1642-30-8, John Bigulah and Mary Warin joyned in marriag before Mr. Nowell."
     Mary was the daughter of John and Margaret Warren, and is said to have been born in England.  She bore her husband thirteen children.  John Biglo was a soldier in the the service from November 25 to December 3, 1675; he was Surveyor of Highways, 1652-1660; he was Constable in 1663 and was one of the "seven men" (i.e. Selectmen) in 1665, 1670 and 1671.  In 1690 he was made a freeman. His wife, Mary, died on October 19, 1691 and he married on October 2, 1694, Sarah Bemis, daughter of Joseph Bemis, of Watertown.  He died July 14, 1703.
     Samuel Bigelow, son of John, born in Watertown on Oct. 28, 1653, was married June 3, 1674 to Mary, daughter of
Thomas Flagg.  She was born Nov. 4, 1658, and died Sept. 7, 1720.  Samuel Bigelow was an innkeeper, and was one of the leading men in Watertown.  In 1708-1710 he represented the town in the General Court.  His will was proved on February 21, 1731.
     Samuel Bigelow's son, John who was born at Watertown, May 9, 1675, died Sept. 8, 1769, married on June 12, 1696, Jerusha, daughter of Joseph and Sarah (Gale) Garfield, of Watertown.  She was born June 6, 1677 and died Jan. 16, 1750.  This John Bigelow was the first of the family to settle in Marlboro, coming to that part of the town known as the "Farm."  On the fifth day of September, 1705, he, with two other men, was at work in that part of Lancaster, MA now Boylston, when they were surprised by the Indians and made prisoners.  They were taken to Canada, and were detained by the French governor.  Mr. Bigelow and his companion, Sawyer, being good mechanics, they constructed for the governor a very satisfactory saw-mill on the River Chambly, and for this service, after some delays, were given their freedom and allowed to return in safety to their homes.
     The next in this line was Gershom Bigelow, son of John and wife, Jerusha.  He was born in Marlboro on November 13, 1714, and died January 3, 1812.  His wife, Mary, daughter of Thomas and Rebecca Howe, was born June 30, 1718, and died June 9, 1802.  They lived on the old homestead and Gershom Bigelow was a highly respected and influential citizen.  He was Selectman in 1763-1764 and was a member of Capt. Abraham Williams's company  in 1757.
    Gershom Bigelow's second son was Lieutenant Ivory Bigelow who was born in Marlboro on October 7, 1741, died Feb.
14, 1804.  He married August 13, 1763, Sophia, daughter of Lieut. John Bannister and his wife, Martha (Hayward) Bannister.  She was born February 7, 1747 and died Aug. 13, 1830.  The Bannister estate, which on the death of his father-in-law passed into Lieutenant Ivory Bigelow's hands and has been in the Bigelow family to the present time (1898). Ivory Bigelow's title was received for meritorious service  in the Revolution.
     His son Gershom Bigelow 2nd, who was born in Marlboro March 22, 1768, and died in that place on October 27, 1847, was a farmer and a citizen held in high esteem. He was married first on Jan. 22, 1787 to Mary, daughter of Abraham and Lydia (Howe) Howe.  She was born Feb. 22, 1769 and died April 20, 1820.  His second marriage took place on April 26, 1822, the wife being Eunice Wilder who was born in Sterling, MA Jan. 13, 1790 and died June 17, 1873, in Ohio.  Gershom Bigelow, 2nd, had a large family of children.
     Levi Bigelow, Sr., his eldest son, known as Esquire Bigelow, was born October 28, 1790.  At the age of nineteen he began teaching school, at first in the town of Holden, MA., and he followed that profession during the winter for about thirty years, being a greater part of the time in Marlboro.  The remaining months of the year he devoted to farming.  For a number of years he was in company with his brother Lambert Bigelow in conducting a general merchandise store in the western part of Marlboro, but eventually withdrew from the firm.  In addition to his farming, he did a large amount of surveying, making out deeds, and settling estates.  He was a Justice of the Peace for thirty years, known as Esquire Bigelow.  Always interested in the subject of public education, he served for several years on the School Board, was also Overseer of the Poor, an Assessor for seventeen years and Representative to the legislature in 1831, 1832, 1834 and 1839.  In all these positions he displayed absolute integrity, entire devotion to the public weal, and unflinching determination to accomplish his end when once assured that any proposed measure was for the general good.  These same qualities of firmness and clearly distinguished honor had made him as a teacher command the respect and admiration of his pupils and secure the most perfect obedience.  Many of his
former pupils, who are today leading business men, have been known to say that much of the success they have achieved in life has been due to the impulse received from him while teaching.  The nobility of his character gave weight to his friendly words of counsel.  His wife was Nancy, daughter of Moses and Lydia (Brigham) Ames. She was born March 1, 1792 and died quite suddenly, Jan. 22, 1850.  He died July 23, 1849.
     Levi Bigelow, the younger, the subject of this sketch, inherited many of the more prominent traits of character of his father, Esquire Bigelow.  He taught school in Marlboro for a number of years, remaining  on the home farm until his marriage.  After that event he moved to Berlin, MA, where he carried on a farm and identifying himself with the interest of that town, served  as
Selectman.  About 1856 he returned to Marlboro.  He at once took a leading place in public affairs there, serving as Selectman, Assessor and member of the School Committee.  He did a large business in land surveying, also in conveyancing, being  Justice of the Peace for many years.
     In February 1846 Mr. Levi Bigelow Jr. was united in marriage with Abigail, daughter of Ephraim Hastings, of Berlin.  Four children blessed this union.  They were as follows:  Martha Abigail Bigelow b. Nov. 18, 1846 and died Jan. 6, 1871, having been a very successful teacher; Hannah Elizabeth Bigelow b. Sept. 17, 1848;  Frances Ann Bigelow, b. Sept. 30, 1850 and died Sept. 25, 1869; and a son who died in infancy.  Mrs. Bigelow died May l, 1873.
 Miss Hannah Bigelow was a woman of education and of philanthropic spirit, and contributed much to the welfare of her native town.  She was graduated in 1876 from the Women's Medical College of Philadelphia and shortly after went to Europe where she spent three years studying in the hospitals and other medical institutions. She returned to America with the intention of practising her profession, but the death of her father a week after her return left her with a large estate to manage; and she found it necessary to devote a large amount of to looking after her financial interest.  She was active in social and educational circles.  She was a member of the D.A.R., and of the Marlboro Public Library Committee and of the Unitarian Parish.  She was instrumental in organizing the Marlboro Hospital.  All worthy charities and benevolences found in her a generous and in-
fluential friend, and she was a warm champion of every movement looking toward the improvement of the town or the welfare of its citizens.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Transcribed by Janice Farnsworth


More on Hannah:
From History of Marlborough:
In an era when American women were just beginning to demand equal rights, it is somewhat surprising to realize that here in Marlborough it was a woman - and an M.D. at that - who had the vision and drive to bring about the actual founding of Marlborough Hospital. Strangely enough, Dr. Hannah Elizabeth Bigelow never practiced her profession, but her education at Women's Medical College of Philadelphia, led her to appreciate the place a hospital should hold in every community. As to why she never practiced medicine, research had dug up only theories, that perhaps she was too busy traveling and looking after the many real estate holdings that her father, Levi Bigelow, had left her. Among her travels, she ventured to Europe once or twice, an accomplishment in itself in the 1800's. Miss Bigelow was born September 18, 1848 in nearby Berlin on the family homestead. Her parents moved to Marlborough soon afterward, and here she remained for the rest of her life.

During her lifetime, which was abruptly ended by a stroke at the age of 49, she became one of the city's leading ladies for her philanthropic and charitable deeds, many of which were known only to herself. An acquaintance noted that she was "very generous to the needy throughout her life, and seldom indeed were those who sought her assistance sent away empty handed."


Modified - 12/26/2005
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