The Hyphen Family Lineage

[Excerpts from A Cutler Memorial and Genealogical History, pp22-24.]

3. Lieut. Thomas (2) Cutler (James(1)) was born at Watertown, Mass., about 1648. He married Abigail --. They united with the church in Watertown July 31, 1687, and when a church was gathered at Lexington, in 1696, they removed their relation to it. He was taxed for preaching, in 1692, 18s. 9d. He was a subscriber for the erection of the first meeting-house in 1692, and was chosen one of the *assessors in 1694; and, in 1700, when the parish performed what was formerly considered a very important duty, that of "seating the meeting-house,"† he was one of the committee appointed for that purpose. Soon after the incorporation of Lexington, Mass., March 20, 1712, the inhabitants met for the purpose of organizing, when Lieut. Thomas Cutler, Thomas Blodgett, and Samuel Whitmore were chosen Tythingmen.‡ He was also assessor, constable, and selectman. In the "8th campaign, and for his services three months to the Jerseys, he received£7 10s." He was honored in the public records with the title of Lieutenant. He died at Lexington, July 13, 1722. Children born at Lexington, formerly Cambridge Farms:

i. Abigail (3), b. Oct. 31, 1674; d. Dec. 19, 1715, at Lexington.

8. ii. Thomas, b. Jan. 19, 1678; d. in Sudbury, Mass., March 26, 1718.

iii. Mary, b. March 15, 1681; m., abt. 1698, Win. Munroe, Jr., of Lex., born Oct. 10, 1669; she d. June 26, 1713, a. 33; had 7 ch.

iv. Hannah, b. March 7, 1683; m., June 17, 1708, Ephraim Winship; 7ch.

9. v. James, bapt. in Watertown, Jan. 9, 1687; d. Sept. 16, 1756.

10. vi. Jonathan, bapt. at Watertown, June 17, 1688; d. at Killingly, Ct., abt. 1746.

11. vii. Benjamin, b. July 4, 1695; bapt. in Watertown, Oct. 3, 1697; d. Nov. 2, 1776.

*"The inhabitantsof this precinct, feeling that they were in danger from sudden incursion of the Indians, and that their distance from the village of Cambridge, where the arms and ammunition were deposited, rendered them nearly useless to them in case of sudden attack, the inhabitants directed 'Capt. Wm. Reed, Lieut.Thomas Cutler, and Ensign Simonds to petition the town of Cambridge that part of the public stock of ammunition for the town, which is supposed to belong to our share, may be kept in the parish; and it was also voted that these three gentlemen should care for and provide a place to keep it in.'" They also bought a flat near the meeting-house for a public common; among the signers were John Cutler, Sen., 5s., Lieut. Thomas Cutler, 6s.

†The seating of a meeting-house was an event of no little importance and often caused much enmity and great trouble in many towns at that day. Hudson, in his History of Lexington, says: "A large committee of the most judicious men were appointed, that full justice might be done to all, and lest the committee themselves should, from personal interest or vanity, place themselves too high, or, from extreme modesty, too low in the scale of dignity, some towns took the precaution to appoint a second committee to seat the first." The following vote was passed by the parish to guide the committee in their deliberations: 1. It was voted that they should have respect to age. 2. That they should have respect to real and personal estate, so far as reference to the meeting house is concerned. 3. To have respect to but one head in a family. 4. And also they are to place the children where they may be inspected. David Russell, John Mason, and Thomas Cutler "were plast in ye second seat in ye front gallereye."

‡Voted: That ye two hinde seats in ye lower gallery, front and side, are appointed for ye boys to sit in on ye Sabbath days, all under sixteen years old, and a Tythingman to sit near them each Sabbath and to take care of them, the Tythingimen to take their turns; and if any above sixteen years are disorderly, they shall be ordered into said seats. Voted: That a Tythingman should be desired to attend on Sabbath-day noons to keep ye boys in order in ye meeting-house.