Transcribed by Janice Farnsworth ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Subject: Brief History of Shirley, Mass. Source: History of Groton, Mass., by Caleb Butler 1848 p.358 Chapter XIX In the foregoing history of Groton, Chapter V., it is shown that the southwest part of that town was incorporated a district by the name of Shirley, January 5, 1753 (no reason, by tradition or otherwise, is given for this name, [but] it was probably in honor of William Shirley, then governor of the province. Its boundaries, as set off, were as follows: Commencing at the place where Squannacook River empties into the Nashua; thence northwesterly by Squannacook River to the westerly side of Groton; thence southerly on said line, bounding on Townsend and Lunenburg, to the southwest corner of Groton; thence easterly on Groton line, by that part of Stow called "Stow Leg," to Nashua River; thence northerly down said river to the mouth of the Squannacook. By accident or otherwise, the westerly line of Stow-Leg is not an exact continuance of the west line of Groton, but inclines a little to the east from Groton old corner to Lunenburg corner. This variation has not been noticed by the selectmen of Lunenburg and Shirley in their perambulations of the line; and they have passed from the bound at the southwest corner of Stow-Leg a straight line to the bound in Groton line to the bound in Groton line at Squannacook River, leaving the bound of old Groton southwest corner about five and a half rods to the west of the straight line. This error having been lately discovered, a petition for its correction is pending in the Legislature. By an act of the General Court in 1765, Stow-Leg being a territory about two hundred rods in breadth and extending in length one mile, from Lunenburg line to Nashua River, was annexed to Shirley. Also by another act, the farms of Moody Chase, Samuel Chase and Simon Daby (or Darby) an irregular shaped territory, on the east side of the Nashua River, were in 1798, set off from Groton and annexed to Shirley. The territory first described, with the two annexations, comprises the present (1848) town of Shirley. A petition was once presented to the General Court to have one mile in width taken from the easterly side of Lunenburg and annexed to Shirley, but it did not prevail. At what time the first settlement upon this territory was made is not known, but from several considerations it is probable a settlement was commenced about the year 1720. There was no bridge talked of, over Nashua River, leading to that place, until 1722 and none built till 1726. The first birth of a white person, on the west side of Nashua River, is said to be that of Samuel Shattuck, September 25, 1726, and that birth was in what is now Pepperell, which is supposed to have been settled as soon as Shirley or a little before. The first indication of the inhabitants' desire to be a separate parish or district, is the petition of John Whitney and thirty-two others, inserted in Capter V of Groton. The names of the petitioners were: John Whitney John Williams David Gould John Kelsey Phinehas Burt Joseph Wilson Thomas Laughton James Peterson Jonathan Gould Robert Henry John Williams, Jr. Jacob Williams William Farwell Jonas Longley Oliver Farwell Isaac Holden Jerahmael Powers Philemon Holden Stephen Holden, Jr. William Simonds William Preston William Williams Henry Farwell Josiah Farwell John Russell James Park Daniel Page Joseph Dodge Moses Bennett, Jr. Caleb Bartlett Francis Harris Caleb Holden Hezekia Sawtell, Jr. This list probably contains nearly or quite all the men of the place in 1747, the date of the petition. The town seems not to have made any objection to their being set off, but the act of the General Court for the purpose was not passed and signed by the Governor till January 5, 1753. The first district meeting was held at the house of Mr. John Whitney March 5, 1753, at which the district officers were chosen. The warrant for this meeting was issued by John Whitney, and served by Nathaniel Harris. Jonathan Bigelow was chosen moderator; Joseph Longley district clerk; Joseph Longley, Samuel Hazen, Nathaniel Harris, John Whitney and William Simons, selectmen and assessors. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ John Whitney & wife Hannah Children: Salmon Whitney b. June 28, 1759 John Whitney b. Feb 23, 1761. Ezra Whitney and wife _____ Children: A son born May 17, 1756. A daughter b. Dec 18, 1757 Author says 'names illegible.' Abner Whitney & wife Sarah Children: Abner Whitney b. Oct 22, 1755 Royal Whitney b. Sept 1, 1757 Rev. Phinehas Whitney who died Dec 3, 1819? & his wife Miriam Willard who died Mar 20, 1769 & his 2nd wife Lydia Bowes who died Oct 11, 1805 and his 3d wife Jane Gaffield, widow, who died Mar 4, 1824. He married Lydia Bowes 1770. Children: Thomas Whitney b. Mar 19, 1771; m. Henrietta Parker; died Jan 14, 1844. Nicholas Bowes Whitney b. Mar 21, 1772; m. Nancy Adams; died Nov 6, 1835. Lydia Whitney b. Sept 8, 1773; m. John Watson Elizabeth Whitney b. Nov 8, 1775; m. Dr. Amos Parker. William Whitney b. Oct 30, 1778; m. Betsey Fisk & (2) Martha Simonds; died Jan 30, 1837 Rebecca Cook Whitney b. Sept 2, 1781; m. William B. Meriam. Phinehas Sullivan Whitney b. July 6, 1785; m. Lucy Cobb & (2) Julia Ann Robinson. Sarah Whitney b. Dec 19, 1787. Clarissa Whitney b. Dec 2, 1790 m. Henry Isaacs. Charles Whitney b. Jan 2, 1794 m. Dolly Davenport; died Oct 6, 1832.