Clan Forbes
Index to Forbush Pages
Deacon Jonathan Forbush
Deacon Jonathan Forbush
by Michael Forbush dr_forbush@mad.scientist.com
From: "Forbes and Forbush Genealogy The Descendants of Daniel Forbush" by Frederick Clifton Pierce
Deacon Jonathan Forbush (Daniel)
Born in Marlboro, Mass. March 12 1684; married Jan. 2, 1706, Mrs. Hannah (Hayward) (Farrar) Holloway.
Jacob Farrar was born in England, probably about 1642, and went to Lancaster, Mass. where he resided with his mother and younger brothers and sisters. In about 1668 he married Hannah, daughter of George Hayward of Concord, and on Aug. 22, 1668 he was killed by the Indians in King Phillip's War. Hannah Farrar, his widow, took administration of his estate October 3, 1676 and at the same time returned an inventory dated 1675-7-27. Their children were Jacob, born April 29, 1669 and married Susanna Rediate; George, born August 16, 1670 and married Mary Howe; John, born 1672 and married Elizabeth Herrion; Henry, born 1674, was still living October 6, 1697. He is credited on the Colony Book under the date September 23, 1676, for military service under Captain Hunting. Soon after his death, certainly as early as the abandonment of the town in February following, the widow, with her children went to Concord, where her relatives lived, and where the children were brought up and settled. March 5, 1681 she married Adam Holloway of Marlboro and subsequently, January 2, 1705-8 married Jonathan Forbush. October 6, 1697, after the four sons had all come of age they united in the deed of all the real estate in Lancaster, inherited from their Grandfather Jacob, to their Uncle, John Houghington.
Deacon Jonathan Forbush was born March 12, 1684; married Hannah Holloway in 1706. He lived in Marlborough near Stirrip Brook, and in 1711 was apportioned to the garrison house owned by Samuel Goodenow, where Mary Goodenow was massacured by the Indians. There is a deed dated October 13, 1703 in which Nathaniel Oaks "especially for the love and respect I bear to my kinsman, Jonathan Farabush, also taking notice of the faithfulness the time he hath lived with me." conveyed to said Jonathan twelve acres near Strawberry Meadow and forty acres of the Crane farm in the northerly part of Northborough.
In 1728 he was living on a farm five or six miles from this old location, in the part of Westborough now containing the town reservoir. He had a sawmill where is the present reservoir dam, which in 1741 he gave together with twenty acres of land, to his son Jonathan Jr. To Daniel he gave that part that part of his farm now known as Jackstraw pasture.
He owned large tracts of land in different locations, among other for two years Thomas Pratt's, fourth of the Elijah Corlett grant of 320 acres in the Farms District in Grafton. He paid for this 500 pounds.
In 1728, he, with other families his farm then being within the bounds of Sutton, was annexed to Westborough. Either he or his sixteen year old son Jonathan was one of the "young men" who in 1731, "requested the room in the long gallery behind the seats to build them a pew." The request was granted.
He soon became prominent in the church, being chosen tything man in 1731, and seven years later, one of the deacons. He was one of the two who paid for the "necessaries for ye first Sacrement," double the amount assessed, making his contribution 12 shillings.
He was brought before the church in 1735 for having written some poetry. The account of the matter is thus given in the church records: "Novenber 23, 1735. Mary Bradish offered a confession for having composed a paper of verses of a scandalous and calumiating nature respecting the committee appointed by ye town (some time since) to search out who it was cut the pulpit cushion, and tending to defame others also. She was very penitent, but there was some objection made by several against reading said confession to-day, but the church more generally insisting for it, and the chief objectors yielding, it was read and she was restored.
---27 being lecture day, Brother Jonathan Forbush offered an acknowledgement to ye church for having used some unjustifiable expression in the resentment he composed in answer to the injurious and defaming verses before mentioned (he being one of the committee aforesaid) and although he knew not the author of said verses at the time of his answer to her, yet afterwards, when he came to the knowledge thereof and percieved his own miscarriage, he made her satisfaction, and being it was known to divers there who were offended therewith, he freely and humbly offered public satisfaction also, and was accepted.
He was also active in town affairs, being constable for six years, moderator of the annual town meetings, selectman, as well as holding other town offices.
He died in 1768, and his death is thus mentioned by a Boston newspaper: Deacon Jonathan Forbes, of Westborough, died March 24, 1768, aged 84, father of Rev. Eli Forbes, of Brookfield. His sister (the deacon's sister) Mrs. Rebecca Byles, died at Westborough, January 28, 1768 aged 94, lacking one month. A short time before, his brother Samuel died in his 92nd year. A sister is living in her 82nd year, and a sister, the half-blood, in her 80th year.
Deacon Jonathan Forbush resided near Stirrip Brook, in Marlboro, and was either set off to Westboro in the division of the town, or else moved to Westboro, where he was a deacon and took on the name of Forbes.
He had the following children:
i. Mary, born December 31, 1706; married Dec. 10, 1729, Josiah Walker in Hopkinton, Mass.
ii. Dinah, born July 29, 1708
iii. Daniel, born October 23, 1710; married Abigail Severns and Mary Parker
iv. Thankful, born December 31, 1712; married March 16, 1730, Joseph Bowman
v. Jonathan, born February 3, 1715, married Joanna Tainter
vi. Abigail, born February 17, 1718, married January 27, 1737 Zebulion Rice
vii. Patience, born February 26, 1720
viii. Phinehas, born March 4, 1721, married Sarah Bellows
ix. Eli, born October 21 1726, married Mary Parkman, Mrs. Lucy (Smith) Sanders, Mrs. Sarah Parsons and Mrs. Lucy (Parkman) Baldwin
