Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1910-01-27

turbance; and so attached had the
soldiers become to Mrs. Curtis that
they came to her in solemn procession
to give their money and watches into
her safe keeping. For II we come
back" they said, I'VE shall all know
our own possessions; and II we don't
come back, we shant want them"
Another grandson, Obadiah, is said to
have been a member of the famous
Boston tea party.
Elizabeth, or the widow Curtis" as
she is called in most of the early rec
ords, is the known founder Of another
branch Of this family. Just when she
came over is not known, nor Is 1t
surely known who her husband was,
although II is presumed that he was
John, a brother Of the William who
came over in the Lyon. At all events,
her name first appears on the Boston
town records about 1850. She had
three sons, all born at Nazing, Eng
land-John, William and Thomas The
latter probably did not come to Amer
ica, for there are no records Of him
here. In 1.-THE Last Will and Tesla
ment of Eliz. Curtiss, being weak
yeat perfect in her mind as Is" she
refers to her sons children as follow:
Item. / doe give my Bible to John
Curtiss, also my desire is vt there be
so much Of my corn sould as may by
Bible for Jonathan Curtiss ye. Some
of my Some William and given to
him."
The Widow Ellzabeth's son John
married Elizabeth Welles. probably a
sister of Gov. Thomas Welles OF
Massachusetts,. He took a prominent
part in public life Of his time, and was
soldier in King Philips war. His
children we're John, Israel, Elizabeth.
Thomas, Joseph, Benjamin and Han
ma. The widows son Williams chill
dren were Sarah. Jonathan, Josh
ua, Abigail, Daniel, Elizabeth, Ebe-
nezer, Zachariah and Josiah. This
family has spread and increased, and
has intermarried with the Merrimans,
the Halls, the Booths, the Minors, the
Grains, the Burtons, the Holts, the
Thompsons, the Benhams, the Hurds,
the Stoddards, and the Pattersons.
Henry, who came to Watertown,
Mass, in 1885, and later settled in
Sudbury, and whose descendants now
live chiefly in Topsf1eld and Worces-
ter, Mass, established another promi-
nent branch Of the family here, and
the one from which the late author,
George William Curtis. was descended.
Henry had three sons, Ephraim,
John and Joseph; but the latter was
the only one who married and left
children, His wife was Abigail Grout
of Sudbury, and his children were
Abigail, who married Capt. Thomas
Goulding; Ephraim; Mary, who mar
ried Thomas Stone; Joseph; and
Sarah, who married Jonathan Smith.
Although Ephraim isn't important
(because he left no descendants), he's
interesting, and cannot be passed by
unnoticed. He was notable Indian
scout and hunter, and there is in ex-
istence a report Of a visit he made
to the Indians of Quaboag, now Brook
field. Mass, to remind them that they
owed allegiance to the English and
their king. The Indians were awaiting
Curtis and his soldiers on an island IN
a river, and when the white men
reached the bank Curtis told the In
dian sachem to come to him. But
they refused" said Curtis report,
Saying / must come over to them.
My company was something unwilling,
for they thought themselves in very
great danger wher wee wer; thay said
what shall wee bee when wee are
over the river among all tn vile rout"
But finally Ephraim persuaded his
men to go to the island, and. he says,
''after much threatening and persua-
sion, at last the uprOre ceased. Many
Of the men sayd they wd neyther be-
lieve NEE nor my master without hee
wd send them two or three bushels Of
powder" But Curtis finally gained
the ear Of the sachem of the tribe, and
considered his mission successful.
The arms, which are illustrated.
were granted to John of London, who
had formerly lived at Nazing. shortly
before William came over in the Lyon;
and It's supposed that these arms,
therefore, belong to the branches OF
the family claiming descent either
from William, or from the Widow Cur
It's. They are 'blazoned: Quarterly,
first and fourth azure, a Jesse dan
cette between three ducal crowns: or
second and third on pale sable three
mullets or. Here Is the blazon Of the
crest, as It appears in an old docu-
ment in the possession Of the family
in this country: "A Lyon in his
proper collors Issuing forth OF HIS
CoIlors Or and Azure supporting in his