Robert Boltwood (1620 - abt. 1684)

Born 1620 in Essex, England

Ancestors

Husband of Mary (Gernor) Boltwood — married 1653 in Hadley, Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Descendants

Died about 7 May 1684 at about age 64 in Hadley, Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Richard Draper [send private message], Suzane Oliver [send private message], John Putnam [send private message], and Theodore Palmer [send private message]

Biography

The only child of Thomas Boltwood and Phinena Austen, Robert was born in Lancaster, Essex, England in 1620, not long after the death of Thomas. After migrating to the newly established colony of Massachusetts in 1648, he married Mary Gernor by 1650 in Hadley Mass, and they had five children: Mary, Samuel, Sarah, Martha and Lydia.

Robert Boltwood was a sergeant in the militia, wolf hunter, sawyer, carpenter and miller. His first known date of arrival in Connecticut is 1648 when he settled in the eastern part of Wethersfield, CT - now part of Glastonbury. His land included a lake and adjacent land that he acquired from an Indian chief, Peckharen Freeman, 20 May 1658. In 1659, he moved to Hadley and became an original proprietor. He was a Sargent of the militia, held many civil offices, farmed, and ran the corn mill from 1677 until his death in 1684.

In 1662 he was given liberty by the town to build a sawmill on Mill River where North Hadley is today. Before this mill was completed, all boards were sawed by hand and all clapboards were split out with wedges. These men were also given permission to log all pine and oak trees for their timber in the Great Swamp area. The mill itself was completed in 1664. Five years later, Thomas Meekins built a sawmill on the Hatfield side of the river, when Hatfield split from Hadley.

In 1665 he bought from the Pynchon Trading Post 4 yards of lace and 2 silk laces. (Sarah would have been 16. She married Isaac Warner the next year.)

In 1667 Robert Boltwood sued Benjamin Waite, saying he'd sold a servant of Boltwood's without consent, and he wanted 20 pounds damages. However the two men settled their differences before the jury reached a verdict, and were permitted to go their ways.

At the same court, Boltwood was in a case v. Indians. Indians had complained that cattle belonging to Boltwood and Timothy Nash had damaged their corn crop, but no Indians showed up in Court to press their charges, and the case was dropped.

In 1668 Boltwood was appointed Constable for the year. He got paid for one wolf.

In 1677 the Indians raided on both sides of the river. Hatfield had several houses and barns burned and may people taken prisoner and taken off to Canada. The grist mill in North Hadley was burned. Also burned was a house, a farm barn, and fences. These had belonged to Hopkins Academy and had been sold to the town for 10 pounds, and had been rented by Boltwood. Two months later Boltwood was granted the mill-place and the remains of the dam. He said he was not afraid to rebuild.

He must have done many expansions on the mill, but eventually the court demanded that he return all land and the mill to the school. (The Hopkins Academy Quarrel) He was repaid what he had spent on the mill.

Their son Samuel and his son Robert were both killed in the meadow during the Indian attack on Deerfield 29 Feb 1704. Another son, William Boltwood, died in captivity.

Research Notes

A short biography of Robert Boltwood appears in NEHGR 59: 342. His wife was Mary, "of unknown parentage."

Historic Hadley by Alice Morehouse Walker, "Robert Boltwood, an influential Hadley pioneer, cast longing glances at the water power going to waste at the ruined dam of the school mill, and taking advantage of the decline of the grammar school interest among the people boldly declared he was not afraid of Indians, and offered the town 10 pounds for the site and remains of the dam. The bargain was completed, and in 1678 Boltwood built his mill, and equipped it with millstones of red sandstone brought from the brow of Mr. Tom. Parson Russell's plea that the mill ought to belong to the school was presented with so much eloquence that the court decided that it should 'not allow of so great a wrong' and ordered that the town should pay Boltwood what he had spent in rebuilding, and restore the mill to the trustees. In 1682 the exchange had not been made. In 1683 Robert Boltwood agreed to give up the mill for 138 pounds in grain and pork. Then Robert died and Samuel his son would not fulfill his father's bargain."

Sources

• Descendants of Andrew Warner, p. 43-44.
• Will of Robert Boltwood, Hampshire Probate, Northampton 2;18. Will dated 19 Jan 1682; will proved 30 Sep 1684, Springfield, Hampshire Co, MS.
• Lucias Boltwood vital records collection (GS# 25530 pt. 9 p. 661).
• Robert Boltwood came to America from Essex county, England before 1648.
• Fact: Christening (1628) Essex, England
• U.S., New England Marriages Prior to 1700 found the marriage of Robert Boltwood to Mary Gernon in 1650 and his death in 1684
• U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900 records his marriage to Mary Gernon Rice, he was born in 1622, she in 1626
• Fact: Military Service (1659) Sergeant of militia Hadley, Massachusetts Bay, British Colonial America
• Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001 found his death, 13 April 1684 in Hadley, Hampshire County, Massachusetts
• Find a Grave, database and images (accessed 22 December 2020), memorial page for Sgt Robert Boltwood (1620–6 Apr 1684), Find A Grave: Memorial #44996357, citing Lovat Burial Grounds, Hartford County, Connecticut, USA ; Maintained by Liz (contributor 47161149) .
• Secondary Source, Robert Boltwood biography from History of Hadley, Mass
• "Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : modified 12 July 2019, 23:08), entry for Robert Boltwood(PID https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/4:1:LTL2-C8P); contributed by various users.

Acknowledgements

• John Putnam.
• Richard Draper
• Christopher Becker
• Roger Travis
• Boltwood-60 was created by Suzane Oliver through the import of the doctor.ged on Feb 21, 2015.

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