The Hildreth Family Association (
https://hildrethfamilyassociation.com/) has compiled five books over about 100 years of existence documenting the history, genealogy and life stories of Hildreth family members. The life story, based on town records, of Ephraim Hildreth (1655-1731) is in the Second Publication published in 1922
[1].
Ephraim Hildreth was born in about 1655 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the 4th child and first son of Richard and Elizabeth (--?--) Hildreth of Cambridge[1-4,13]. The Hildreth family settled in Chelmsford before 1658 when their children appear in the town birth records.
Ephraim Hildreth married, first, to Dorothy Barnes on 11 June 1685 in Stow, Massachusetts[1-6]. Dorothy was the daughter of Thomas and Abigail (Goodenow) Barnes of Marlborough, Massachusetts. They had one child in Stow:
* Ephraim Hildreth (1686-1686).
Dorothy died soon after childbirth of 17 June 1686, and the son Ephraim, born 11 June 1686, died 22 November 1686.
Ephraim married, second, to Anna Moore on 8 October 1686 in Stow[1-4,8-9]. She was the daughter of John and Anne (Smith) Moore of Lancaster and Sudbury, Massachusetts. Ephraim and Anna had eleven children, all recorded in the Chelmsford town records:
* Ephraim Hildreth (1687-????)
* Joseph Hildreth (1689-1764), married 1708 Deliverance Barrett (1690-1776).
* Richard Hildreth (1691-????).
* James Hildreth (1692-????).
* Ebenezer Hildreth (1696-1762), married 1719 Sarah Swallow (1698-1762).
* James Hildreth (1698-1761), married 1721 Dorothy Prescott (1702-1774).
* Jonathan Hildreth (1701-1752), married 1738 Hannah Spaulding (1709-1758).
* Anna Hildreth (1705-1784), married 1721 John Butterfield (1698-1766).
* Thomas Hildreth (1707-1707).
* Jacob Hildreth (1709-1754), married 1730 Abigail Harwood (1710-1761).
* David Hildreth (1711-????).
Ephraim's father, Richard Hildreth (1605-1693) wrote his will on 11 February 1686/7, and it was proved on 26 May 1693 in the Middlesex County Probate Court (transcribed from Middlesex County Probate Packet No 11376)[5]. In his will, Richard named his son Ephraim as his executor, and gave to his son Ephraim the following an equal share of the personal property remaining after his mother dies, and requests Ephraim to take care of his mother as long as she lives.
The first mention of Ephraim Hildreth is his appointment as Viewer of Fences in Chelmsford in 1673[1].
Ephraim Hildreth probably went to Stow, Massachusetts in about 1675, when he is on record as a private under Major Willard in a troop of horse rushing from Lancaster 30 miles through woods and swamps to Brookfield, Massachusetts, rescuing there the inhabitants found huddled in the one surviving house - a fortified one - all the other houses having been burned by the Indians. For this service, he was paid 2 pounds, 7 shillings[1].
In a sketch of Stow, there were 12 allotments of land made in the Stow plantation. Lot No. 1 was set apart for the first minister, and the other 11 were taken in 1678 or 1679 and were assigned to Ephraim Hildreth, Thomas Stevens and others. In 1680, he made an agreement with John Haywood of Boston to have a lot of land secured for him in the Stow plantation, and in 1681 he is the recorded owner of Lot No. 5. When the Stow lots were drawn, it was assumed he came from Concord. Why he first settled in Stow is not known, possibly his interest there may have come through his father, for whom 150 acres of land there had been allowed by the General Court in 1669. On the town records of Stow in 1685, he is named one of the "ancient planters" and is granted a license to keep a house of entertainment, or "ordinary" (ie, to be an innkeeper), and in 1686 this license was renewed[1].
On 9 February 1686/7, Richard and Elizabeth Hildreth of Chelmsford deeded to their son Ephraim Hildreth of Stow nine pieces of real property, including their homestead of 20 acres, the house, barn, orchard, etc. This gift, acknowledged 6 April 1687, was in return for life support[1].
In 1687 Ephraim moved his family back to Chelmsford to help his parents.
He served as Surveyor of Highways in Chelmsford in 1688 and 1690; other public service included the charge of "Benj. Haywood's garrison" in the West Regiment of Middlesex in 1691/2; as Tythingman in 1693; and as Selectman in 1694 - 99, 1701, 1703, 1706, 1709 -11, 1719, 1721 - 22[1].
He served on various juries during his life and on 17 July 1695 was named guardian of the 14 year old son of his brother Lieutenant James Hildreth. In 1705-7, he served as Chairman of Town Committee for laying out roads and is listed on several tax lists and petitions. Ephraim was on a committee in 1710 to finish the new meetinghouse, and in 1712 was on a committee to seat the meetinghouse. Six years later he was voted room for a new pew in the meetinghouse. Highways were laid out to his properties, buildings were erected on them, and he prospered[1].
He resided in that part of Chelmsford which in 1729 was set off and became the town of Westford.
Ephraim and Anna began to convey land to their "dutiful" children, starting in 1724 (to sons James, Joseph, Ebenezer on 11 August 1724; and to "well beloved sons" Jonathan and Jacob, both of Chelmsford on 23 May 1729)[1].
Ephraim Hildreth died on 5 April 1731 in Chelmsford, Massachusetts[11-12]. He is probably buried in the oldest cemetery in Chelmsford, but there is no gravestone extant[13].
Ephraim Hildreth died testate, having written a will on 5 March 1730/1[10]. His probate records are in Middlesex County Probate Records, Packet #11,316. The will reads:
"In the Name of god, Amen. The Fifth Day of March, in the year of our Lord 1730/31. I Ephraim Hildreth of Westford, in County of Middl-x in New England, Youman, being very Sick & weak in Body, but of perfect mind & memory, thanks be given unto God; therefore calling to mind the Mortality of my Body and knowing that it is expected for men once to dye, Do make and ordain this my last Will & Testament that is to ???? & principally and first of all, I give and recommend my Soul into the Hands of God that gave it, trusting through the Merits, Death and Passion of my Saviour Jesus Christ to have full and free pardon and forgiveness of all my Sins and to inherit Everlasting Life, and my Body I commit to the Earth to be decently Buried at the discretion of my Executors hereafter named nothing doubting but at the General Resurrection I shall receive the Same again by the mighty Power of God. And as touching such Worldly Estate wherewith it has pleased God to bless me in this life, I give demise and dispose of the same in the following manner and form: That is to say,
"First I will that those Debts and deuties as I do owe in Right or conscience to any maner of parson or parsons What so ever Shall be well and truly contented and paid or ordained to be paid in convenient time after my decease by my Executor here after named.
"Item I give and bequeath to Anne my dearly beloved Wife all my houshold moveables and stuff and one cow during her natural life and after her decease to Return and Remain to my daughter Anna Butterfield as by a deed I signed to her.
"Item I give and bequeath to my Wife all my money and Bonds which is due or owing or will becom due: and also all my Estate that I have not deeded away all Ready and two cows and four swine to her and her dispose for ever and all so one heffer two years olde to be at her dispose for ever and allso one calf to her and her dispose for ever.
"Item My Will is that my oxen and all my husbandtre tools and instruments and my Waring appariel be Equibly devided amongst all my sons but only Joseph Heldreath my Eldest son to have a duble share of ye same.
"Item I give to my well beloved son Joseph Heldreath all the lands that I gave to him by a deed of gift and allso a duble share of my oxen and husbandtre tools and a duble share of my waring apparriel for his full portion of my Estate.
"Item I give to my well beloved son Ebenezer Heldreath all the lands that I gave to him by a deed of gift and all so a seventh part of my oxen and husbandtre tools and a seventh part of my waring apparrel for his full portion of my estate.
"Item I give to my well beloved son James Heldreath all the lands that I gave to him by a deed of gift and allso a seventh part of my waring apparriel and a seventh part of my oxen and husbandtre tools for his full portion of my estate.
"Item I give to my well beloved son David Heldreath all the lands that I gave him by a deed of gift and all so a seventh part of my waring appariel and a seventh part of my oxen and husbandtree tools for his full portion of my estate.
"Item I give to my well beloved daughter Anna Butterfield forty and six pounds at marradg and a deed I signed to her of several things more which is her full portion of my Estate.
"Item I give to my well beloved son Jonathan Heldreath and to my well beloved son Jacob Heldreath all the land that that I let them have by a deed of sail and Eatch one of them a seventh part of my warring apparriel and all so Each one of them a seventh part of my oxen and husbandtre tools for there full portions of my estate.
"And the sd Jonathan Heldreath and Jacob Heldreath I do likewise constitute make and ordain my ondly and sol Executors of this my last will and testement and I do utterly disalow revoake and disanull all and Every other former Testements Wills Legacies Bequests and Executors by me in any ways before this time named willed and bequeathed Ratifying and confirming this and no other to be my Last will and testement in Witness where of I have here unto set my hand and seal the day and year above Written.
Signed sealed published and declared by the said Ephraim Hildreth as his last Will and testement in the presence of us the Subscribers
Nathaniel Boynton
Samuel Chamberlin Ephraim Hildreth
Joseph Underwood."
Jonathan Hildreth and Jacob Hildreth presented the will of Ephraim Hildreth of Westford, deceased, to the Judge of Probate of Middlesex County on 12 April 1731. Nathaniel Boynton and Joseph Underwood took an oath that they witnessed the signing and sealing of the will and that Ephraim Hildreth was of sound and disposing mind. The widow, Anna Hildreth, requested in writing that the will be proved.
Jonathan Hildreth, Jacob Hildreth and Joshua Fletcher, yeomen all of Westford, posted bond of 1,000 pounds on 12 April 1731.The Court approved the will and directed the executors to well and faithfully execute the will and administer the estate of the deceased.
On 5 February 1735, Jonathan Hildreth of Chelmsford and Nathaniel Russell of Littleton posted bond of 250 pounds to support Anna Hildreth, widow of Ephraim. In 1752, Anna Hildreth conveyed land to Ephraim Hildreth which formerly belonged to Ephraim Hildreth Sr.