Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1873-06-25
lln MAnLnono. Mo-. Jnno ao. III.

I
IRONS record Of the family, edited by the Rev.
Abner Morse, A. NJ, Of tho Genealogical So
cioty Of Massachusetts,.
Brigham il Saxon word, compounded Of
Brqg, bridge, and ham, house. IL was origin
ally the name of manor, now called the par
ish of Brigham, in the county Of Cumberland,
adjoining Scotland, to which kingdom it has at
times belonged. 1t lies on the south Of the
river Derwent, here crossed by magnificent
bridge. and revealing on the opposite bank the
trace Of O Roman fortress. The parish Of Brig
ham embraces four townships, several chapel
res, and the borough Of Cockermouth, which
formerly sent two members to Parliament
The parish is bounded by a chain Of small
lakes and the rivers Mason and Derwent, and
is iutersectcd by the Cocker, requiring so many
bridges, and giving SO many brighams dwell
ings by the bridgcs,) as may have suggested
and rendered appropriate the name. The old
parish church, an ancient structure, dodi-
Gated to st. Bridget, is yet standing on the
banks Of the river half n mile out Of the town.
The living is a discharged vicaragc rated in
the King rs book at go, and IS the gift of the
Earl Lincsdale.
The Barony, including Brigham, is now
called by the English " the honor Of Cocker
mouth" The " Barony at Brigham" Is men
toned in the reign of Edward II, and in the
acts Of Parliament, when under Scotland IL
was styled the lordshipo Of Brigham, and as late
as 1879 included in her Shoridome Of Bor-
wick" Soon after the Norman conquest it
was assigned by VIM De Nlerchyes to Wal
deof, son Of Gospatrick the Earl of Northum-
bcraud Walieof, as is believed, built here a
stupendous castle, which became the baronal
scat Of bis SUCCESSORS the lords of Alerdale.
Here, rs ioudal kings, they must have regucd
for generations. maintaining in splcud0r
school and theatre of chiwlry, dealing contin.
ualy in the trade Of war. humored and courted
as a mnke.weight between rival kingdoms
The castle is 0na Of the strongest on the island
and Is supposed 90 bcluiltof material brought
across the Dcrwent from the old Roman for
trcss In l6is it was garrisoncd for he royal
cause aud stood SIX weeks -ego before it
was reduced and d-maniled The castle de-
scended from Walieof TO Fn Duncan, nephew
of Malcolm, King OF Scotland and bis co-hcir.,
one Of whom married into the family Of AT
hcmarle.
The coat Of arms of Brigham is, A. a ei1.
j'hren thres lions rampant, crest toar's heat.
have just returned from a visit to the
Thomas Brigham farm, now known as the
Warren Brigham place which is situated about
two and one half miles northwest Of the present
village Of Marlboro, The Brighams OF New
England seem TO have all sprung from Thomas
Brigham, who embarked at london lor New
England, April Is, 1885, in the ship Susan &
EllgR, Edward Payne, Master. Thomas Brig
hams name FIRST appears on the records OF the
town Of Waertown. Ia 1887 he IL here a pro-
pretor of fourteen acre lot, " bought OF John
Daggett aud bounded west by the home,tall of
Sir Richard SilDusml. south hy Charles
River, and east by Cambridge former line. %
being on Tint strip which was taken from
Wa,ertown in 1851 and annexed % Cambridge
lie settled hard By and built hs house in
Cambridge, on a Dot of three and one half acres,
which had been assigned him by The towu.mcn
in 1898 This lot was bounded northeast by
the road from Cambridge to Watcrtown. south
east Icy Joseph Isaac southwest by Simon
Crosby, Zone Of the seventeen with whom he
embarked from England,) and northwest by
the highway to Windmill Hill, by which it
was separated from Wa,ertown line and his four
teen acre lot. II was about tw0.thirds Of q
mile ives, of the site or Harvard University.
and in 1919 contained dwelling -houseand out
houses, and was then mentioned as situated at
the west end Of Cambridge
His lot in Watertown abuucl upon Charlie.
River, Mt themost northern curve of the stream,
contained the first high bank above the site Of
Fort Washington, and offered the first facility
on the north side for a wharf. Tradition has
it that he here erected wharf, and tits inferred
that he was commission merchant Wind
mill Hill was upon his lot and near the wharf
II is supposed that his grant Of three and one
half acres rom the town was in consideration
Of the construction Of a mill Thoma, Brig
ham settled on the identical land which Gov.
ernor Winthrop and bis advisors agreed upon,
Dec. 81, 1880, was "a iit place for a fortified
town and the capital Of the Colony" Here
/ Dudloy, Nicholas and Daniorth also built as
neighhors, and the first session Of the General
Court was in fact here held Thomas Brigham
resided here until lGls lle held the Office of
constable and seiociman and several others.
When he had been seventeen years in the
country, he is said to have owned one-third Of
all the swine in town, probably line Of
profit accumulatlng from his mill toll He
Owl land in Brighton, Bilerica, Someryille,
near Tll- College, and other real estate.
The inventory Of his estate was peculiar In
tie settlement Of other estates prior to that
time il was rare to find one of more personal
| property, including articles Of luxury. The
inventory mentions silver spoons and other
utensils Of silver, join chairs, join stools.
cushions, pieces Of damask cloth, livery table.
four feather beds, &c. these, with spacious
house, which had hall, parlor, kitchen and
two chambers, all well furnished, and two
bound servants, five horses, fourteen sheep and
ten cattle, proves him to have been something
Of a New England gentleman of the old school.
Thomas Brigham married Mercy Hurd, who
was some Is years his Junior, Of whom tradi-
ton has brought down a high character.
Thomas Brigham died on the 18th Of Oct,
1868. Thomas and Mercy bad five children.
Mary the eldest, who with Thomas jr., were born
in Watertown John, Hannah and Samuel. who
are recorded among the births of Cambridge
Thomas Jr., was born in 1910, and died Nov
%, III, aged &c years. Thomas Brigham
Jr., purchased Of bis iather-in-aw, Edmund
Rice, for $50, a town right in Marlboro of "a
acres, with the frame Of dwelling house
thereon, with all the privileges OF two town
commons, and further addition Of allotments
TO be made thereto. This constituted him pro.
prietor Of the lands Of what are now four town
ships. In 1856 he was one of a company to
purchase 5000 acres of the Indians near Marl-
boro. lie settled In the southwest part of the
town Of Marlboro, on what is now known
as the Warren Brigham farm. lie built a
house here which was garrsoned in King
Philips war. From his son Gershom, who
was a physician, We are descended by Bepia-
min, Gershom and Elisha. Gershom the physi-
clan settled on the old homestead, held several
prominent town Offices and married Mehetabel
--, by whom he had Martha, Joseph, Abb.
gail, Gcrshom, and Benjamin, the last of whom
married Hannah, whose surname is not known
Benjamin OF the fourth generation inherited