Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-04-06

CAPT. ASA LAwToN-A FAMILY SKETCH.
In June, 1880. there were eighteen per
sons in town past eighty years Of age. Since
that time five Of the number have died
Wranslow Holton died Dec. 10, 1852, aged
nearly %, and Asa Lawton, March % 1888
gged 81. The ancestors OF Capt. Lawton
were settled in Dummerston before 1910
Lot No. CD, which is now the farm of Austin
Laughton was decided by the original pro
prietors Of this township to Samuel Laugh
ton, June %, 100 He sold 53 acres of
land Nov. %, l779 to Thomas Laughton
from Rutland, Mass who bought also a part
Of the adjoining lot, No. -, in 1884. His
house must have been located near where
Arms Miller now resides, a. it stood on the
road leading past Joseph Millers to Putney.
Deacon Thomas, as he Is called, was q shoe
maker by trade, or cordwainer, as the record
has it. II l7ss Samuel Laughton decided his
farm in equal shares TO his sons, Samuel ir.
aud Jacob. Samuel jr. was married to An
ma Spaulding in l7sG, and they were the pa
rents Of Margaret ,Laughton) Boydeu, who
died four years ago aged nearly ~. Jacob
married Lydia Crosby in 1877 and lived to
the age Of 81 years Jacob IT,, his son, mar
ried Lydia Amsden, and they were the pa
rents of Austin, who lives on the parental
farm which has been in that family name for
more than 1l3 years. Dea. Thomas and Re
becca, his wife, were the parents Of John
Laughton, who married Sally, daughter Of
Capt Nespasian Miller, Jan. 1898. John
Lavton, who married Sally Black was the
father of Asa and was the son Of. John, the
brother Of Samuel senior. Capt. Lawton in
formed the writer that the change in spelling
the name was because his branch of the fam
lily claimed Laughton did not spell Lawton as
the name Is pronounced. The children of
John Lawton were Solomon, born Sept. 3,
1893, Asa, John, Sally, Franklin and Mary
Jane. Solomon married Sept. p, 1914, Abb
gail, daughter Of Elias Wilder, who settled
on the farm where Stephen L. Dutton now
lives about l770. Solomon, so far as known
by Asa last summer, is still living in New
York state. The other brothers and sisters
are dead. The father Of Asa died April 20,
1917, aged A., leaving the mother and young
or children, the youngest about six months
old, TO the care of Asa. Capt. Lawton mar
ried Dec. p, ISIS, Lucy Dutton. They had
nine children, none of whom are now living
-Four of the children married and left chill
dren, some Of whom were cared for by their
grandfather, who has said that he brought up
three families of children-his fathers
youngest his own and some of his grand.
children. Four Of the eight grandchildren
are living Jan, l, 1862, Capt Lswton mar
ried for his second wife Susan Haven, who
died four years ago.
The pastor, Mr. Merrill, being absent.
Rev, Mr. Harlow of Putney will preach here
next Sunday afternoon, tue services begin
ming at one O'Clock. The Sunday school will
be held at the usual hour.
ID. S. Ormes, the manager Of J. NJ. Ha-
vens farms in this town changed his situa
ton for the sake of increased wages, though
Mr.. Haven desired TO retain his services for
longer time.
The social entertainment last Friday
evening was quite enjoyable. The songs
were well sung and the tableaux very good.
''Ne olden time tableau brought down the
house. The laughter was uproarious and the
scene was eneored When the curtain was
drawn there sat Deacon Pratt hatoheling flax.
Mrs. Pratt was spinning linen on the small
wheel, and Grandmarm Phila Miller. SO wears
old, spun tow on the large wheel Mrs.
Charles Tenney cRrded the tow and Mrs,
Charles Reed worked like beaver making
bread in the old-fashioned big trough. Al
the close of the exercises came the old-time
supper, which consisted of cold boiled
victuals, baked beans, brown bread. bean
porridge, hulled corn and milk, fried pies.
pumpkin pies and ''gridiron" douRhnuts.
The next entertainment will be on Friday
evening, the 18th of this month, at which
the tsbleau of ''ye olden time" will be re-
peated, D.L.M