Newspaper Cutting (Worcester [Massachusetts] Spy) 10/7/1873: 'Reminiscences Of Leicester. The recent death of our venerable and respected townsman, Samuel Watson, on the 3d of July, at the advanced age of 91 years and 6 months, reminds us that very few members of the ancient families of our town are now left among us, most of them having in the prime of life emigrated to our larger towns and cities, or to the great west, to enjoy its richer soil and more encouraging business prospects. The grandfather of Mr Watson, of the same name, was one of its earlier settlers and a prominent man in this town, and his son, Benjamin, continued to occupy the same farm until his death, and some of his descendants still remain in the same neighborhood, while others are among the best citizens of your own and other cities, and are all worthy representatives of their paternal ancestry. We have yet among us some of the descendants of our ancient families, among the oldest of whom is Mr Ebenezer Dunbar, now over 96 years of age, and physically and mentally remarkably active. Another of our aged and worthy citizens by adoption, who has spent many years here with his daughter, Mrs Edward Flint, this month completes his 102d year. There are yet a few farms here in the hands of the descendants of the original settlers, which have never been out of the family for the century and a half since the town was first divided out among its fifty owners. Among these is that now owned and occupied by Sewell Sargent, Esq., in Cherry Valley, formerly the residence of his grandparents, Nathan and Mary Denny Sargent, who were among the leading families in town, and reared a large and respectable family. Many interesting anecdotes are told of this loyal family and their homestead in the revolutionary war, and during Shay's rebellion. While several of their children and grandchildren settled near home, some early emigrated to other and distant places. The following beautiful description of a grandmother is taken from a late western paper, and refers to a granddaughter of this Nathan Sargent, and on the maternal side a granddaughter of Col. Seth Washburn of distinguished revolutionary memory. She is now the only surviving sister of Hon. Nathan Sargent of Washington City, and lives in Grand Rapids, Mich.: "Grandmother sits by the evening fire, And knits in her easy chair; Although she is more than four-score years, She still is brisk and fair." Mrs Clarissa Sargent Gale is perhaps the oldest, or at least the smartest, of any at her age in the county. She was born of puritan and revolutionary ancestry, in Leicester, Mass., June 11, 1788, making her in her 85th year, yet she still writes an excellent hand, cuts and makes her own clothes very nicely, besides doing other sewing and knitting, and most of her friends have a needle-book, pair of mittens, or some memento of her handicraft. She makes visits half a mile on foot, and is the genial companion, intelligent friend and true woman, that all love and esteem. In early days she stored her mind with useful knowledge, that crowns here with a halo in her old age, and in her lingering grace of other days she is a noble monument of the past. She has eight children living, thirty-four grandchildren and twenty-six great-grandchildren, on whom she never tires of bestowing some little kind attention. When young she could bake, brew, spin, or teach, for grandmother was an "old-fashioned girl," and would blush to be called incompetent in any household duties in those good old New England times. She has seen the friends of her youth pass away, and new faces, new customs, new faiths and new fashions, pass like a panorama before her. From the revolution she has seen the rise and struggles of the great republic. What a history in her time! She speaks of important events as if they happened but yesterday. At the death of Washington she tells us of the great and universal mourning, such a grief as the nation never saw until the death of the lamented President Lincoln; of the great eclipse, when a hot summer day became dark and cold as night; of the cold summer of 1816, when men reaped what they had to reap, with coats and mittens on, and families were stinted for want of food. She is now ready, and "only waiting" with the harvest sheaves of her faith, to be gathered in whenever the Great Reaper shall come. To such excellent and accomplished mothers and grandmothers of New England are the new states of the west indebted for their choicest population, and the influence of our godly ancestry, especially of the mothers, may be traced down through our families here, leaving their mark distinctly upon the present generation, and blessing our country with a puritan race, among whom we trust will be found many to guide and direct in safety the affairs of our growing republic. D.' Note: The Author 'D' was Joseph Addison DENNY (1804 - 1875).