Samuel Deane, History of Scituate, Massachusetts (Boston, 1831)

A compiled town history with family sketches. Used for the Holbrook, Pierce, Chittenden, Buck and Vinall families of Scituate:

• Rev. Noah Newman’s letter from Rehoboth, 27 Mar 1676, on Pierce’s Fight, printed from the original (pp. 122-123): fifteen of the dead were Scituate men, among them “Capt. Pierce” and Benjamin Chittenden.
• The raid on Scituate of 20 May 1676 (p. 127): the attackers “were not repulsed until night close”; “Lieut. Buck had mustered all the men below”; afterward “Lieut. Buck was in constant service, and his brother John the Cornet.” Deane (p. 128) says Isaac Chittenden “was slain at Scituate on the memorable 20th May, 1676,” citing unnamed “authentic records”; the Colony Records seem to contradict it (see Isaac Chittenden).
• Isaac Chittenden “often a deputy to Court” (p. 232). Isaac Buck (pp. 229-230): a blacksmith and town clerk, who “repulsed the Indians with great bravery from Scituate,” with the division of his estate naming “Mehitabel, wife of Stephen Chittenden”; the town records of 1665-1692 in his hand (p. 101n); the Andros order of 20 Jan 1686/7, “per me Isaac Buck, Town Clerk” (p. 105); lieutenant in 1669 under Capt. Michael Pierce (p. 119).
• The widow Anna Vinall and her children, with her son Stephen’s note on their coming over in 1636 (pp. 364-365).
• Michael Pierce’s family (p. 325), where “Abigail married Samuel Holbrook 1682” is wrong: his will of January 1675/6 already calls her Abigail Holbrook.
• An abstract of Thomas Holbrook’s will (1668), and his land at Scituate by 1649 (p. 287). Deane makes John Holbrook of Scituate a son of Capt. William Holbrook; Capt. John’s will of 1699 shows that is wrong.

Used for the Woodworth and Stockbridge families (October 2026, research/mcmillan/Fairchild_Raymond_Woodworth.md):

• Walter Woodworth (pp. 391-392): “was freeman in Scituate 1640, and settled amongst the men of Kent, 3d. lot on Kent street, south side of Meeting-house lane in 1635. He had other lands in 1635, viz. on the first Herring brook 30 rods below Stockbridge’s mill: and on the north-west side of Walnut tree hill. He left no record of the births of his children; from incidental records we find Benjamin, Walter, Thomas, Joseph, Mary, wife of Aaron Simons 1677, Martha, the wife of Lieut. Zachary Daman 1679, Mehetabel, who was unfortunate in regard to her health, (see witchcraft.) Benjamin was a soldier in Philip’s war, and lost his life. Lands were assigned for his services, to Charles Stockbridge, for the use of Benjamin Woodworth’s family 1676.” “Joseph (son of Walter, sen.) married Sarah, daughter of Charles Stockbridge 1669. Children, Joseph 1670, Mary 1673, Benjamin 1676, Sarah 1678, Elizabeth 1680, Eunice 1682, Abigail 1685, (wife of Thomas Merritt 1711) Ruth 1688 … This family had lands also in Little Compton, and some of them may have removed thither.” “Samuel Woodworth the well known Editor and Poet at New York, was son of Benjamin,” son of James and Mary Vinal.
• John Stockbridge, wheelwright (pp. 342-343): “took the oath of fidelity in Scituate 1638. He was one of the Conihasset partners 1646.” “In 1656, he purchased half the mill privilege of George Russell … and built a grist mill, in partnership with Russell. Nearly at the same time, (before 1660) he built the Stockbridge Mansion-house, a part of which is now standing, and is probably the oldest house in New-England, save one … It was a garrison in Philip’s war, and the port-holes may be traced in the back part of the house, even now.” His children: Hannah (wife of Sergeant Ticknor 1656); “Charles born before 1638. His 2d. wife was widow Elizabeth Soan, (mother of William) 1643, by whom he had Elizabeth 1644, (wife of Thomas Hiland, jr. 1661,) Sarah 1645, (wife of Joseph Woodworth 1669, — ‘a shop-keeper.’) Hester 1647. His 3d. wife was Mary, by whom he had Abigail 1655, and John 1657, (the last born in Boston).” His will, dated at Boston 1657, gives “To eldest son Charles, my water-mill at Scituate, house, ground and orchard belonging to it,” and “To daughter Sarah 10£ at marriage, or at 21 years of age.” Charles’s own children, born from 1660, include “Sarah 1665, (wife of Israel Turner).” Elsewhere (p. 16): “In 1650, John Stockbridge erected a water grist mill on the first Herring brook. It became the property of his son Charles at his decease in 1657.”
• The attack of 20 May 1676 (pp. 124-127): “The garrison house of Stockbridge was pallisadoed on three sides, the fourth being defended by the mill pond. Beside this there was a small out work near the mill … It was thought to be a point of importance to the settlement, to defend these mills. Here the Indians fought several hours, made many efforts to fire the buildings, and sustained heavy losses, from the well directed shot from the garrison.” The list of those to have land for the war, “Plymouth, July 22d, 1676” (pp. 128-129), includes “Lieut. Isaac Buck, 10..00..00” and “Charles Stockbridge for Benj. Woodworth, 07..09..07.”
• Witchcraft (pp. 151-153): “The only indictments in Plymouth Colony for witchcraft were against two persons of Scituate”: the wife of William Holmes, accused in 1660 and discharged (her accuser was made to acknowledge “maliciously accusing the woman”), and Mary Ingham, March 1676/7, for bewitching “Mehitabel Woodworth, daughter of Walter Woodworth of Scituate.”