JOSHUA HEALY

JANUARY 20, 1700/01 TO SEPTEMBER 25, 1772

Headstone of Joshua and Sarah Healy in old Quinnebaug

Cemetery, 1 mile west of Dudley, Massachusetts

JOSHUA3 HEALY (NATHANIEL2, WILLIAM1)2 was born January 20, 1700/01, of Newton, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts2, and died September 25, 1772 in Dudley, Worcester Co., Massachusetts - age 712 Burial: Central Burying Ground, Dudley, Worcester Co., Massachusetts3. He married SARAH DAVIS2 June 22, 1722 in Newton, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts3, daughter of JOSEPH DAVIS and SARAH. 1726, to Dudley, Massachusetts3

When the large land holdings of Joseph and William Dudley, 50 miles west of Roxbury and just north of the Conn. State Line, were offered for sale, John Healy of Newton was the first purchaser, but he never occupied the land. In 1726, Joshua Healy, younger brother of John, settled there and became interested in the educational, religious, and political problems of the new town of Dudley. There he raised a large family. He and his wife Sarah were buried in the old Quinebaug Cemetery in Dudley, which was abandoned and grew up to brush; the location unknown to their descendants until 1900 when the headstones, in good condition, were discovered by grandsons Lemuel Healy and Samuel Conant. In 1913 these headstones were moved to Northeastern Cemetery, Dudley, on plots beside their son Joseph. Capt. Joshua Healy served in French and Indian War.

Children of JOSHUA HEALY and SARAH DAVIS are:
i. SARAH4 HEALY, b. February 19, 1724/25, Newton, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts5; m. ELISHA CORBIN, October 06, 1739; b. June 30, 1713; d. August 04, 1797.
ii. REBECCA HEALY, b. February 10, 1725/26, Dudley, Worcester Co., Massachusetts; d. March 18, 1771, Oxford, Worcester Co., Massachusetts; m. DEACON THOMAS DAVIS, November 18, 1742, Dudley, Worcester Co., Massachusetts; b. November 04, 1715, Roxbury, Massachusetts; d. August 01, 1778, of Oxford, Worcester Co., Massaachusetts. He occupied the farm given to him by his father in 1743. From
1755 he was elected to town offices; Selectman, Treasurer, and Moderator; Deacon 1760.
4. iii. JOSHUA HEALY, b. May 06, 1727, Dudley, Worcester Co., Massachusetts.
5. iv. JOSEPH HEALY, b. June 29, 1729, Dudley, Worcester Co., Massachusetts; d. April 30, 1813, Dudley, Worcester Co., Massachusetts - age 83.
v. MARY HEALY, b. July 01, 1730, Dudley, Worcester Co., Massachusetts, and died January 13, 1773. She married JEDEDIAH MARCY December 01, 1748 in Dudley, Worcester Co., Massachusetts. He was born 1725 in Woodstock, Windham Co., Connecticut, and died 1799. Their children were; i. JOSEPH MARCY, b. October 01, 1749; m. BERIAH THAYER, May 27, 1778, of Mendon, Massachusetts. ii. JEDEDIAH MARCY, b. July 23, 1751; d. January 20, 1756. iii. MARY MARCY, b. December 19, 1754; d. January 15, 1756. iv. JEDEDIAH MARCY, born July 26, 1757 in Southbridge, Worcester Co., Massachusetts, and died August 14, 1811. He married RUTH LARNED March 01, 1781. She was of Sturbridge, Worcester Co., Massachusetts, and died April 18, 1848. He was a prominent and respected citizen; well-to-do; a farmer and an able business man. He was a Justice of the Peace. His widow m. Colonel Moses Healy 6/12/1814. Children of Jedediah and Ruth were; 1. RHODA MARCY, b. August 21, 1782; m. OPHIR GOLD; b. of Charlton, Franklin Co., Massachusetts.
2. JOSEPH MARCY, b. January 10, 1784; d. August 05, 1847; m. ABIGAIL SHUMWAY, April 13, 1808. 3. WILLIAM LARNED MARCY, b. December 12, 1786, Southbridge, Worcester Co., Massachusetts; d. July 04, 1857, Ballston Spa, Saratoga Co., New York; m. (1) CORNELIA KNOWER; b. of Albany, Albany Co., New York; m. (2) DOLLY NEWELL, September 27, 1812; d. August 05, 1847. William Larned Marcy was a Lieutenant in the War of 1812. He was born in Southbridge, Mass. in the Marcy House erected by his grandfather Moses Marcy in 1732. The old house still stands. Through its doorway have passed men to fight in the Indian, Colonial, and Revolutionary Wars, War of 1812 and the Civil War. Moses Marcy owned most of the land incorporated into the town of Southbridge in 1816. William Larned Marcy was graduated at Brown Univ. in 1808; was a lawyer, U.S. Senator 1831, Governor of N.Y. State 1834-36, Secretary of War under Polk 1845, Secretary of State under Pierce 1853--a most remarkable statesman and diplomat. President Pierce and Ex-President Martin Van Buren, as well as other prominent statesmen, were pall bearers at his funeral. Mt. Marcy in the Adirondacks of NY was named in his honor.
4. HANNAH MARCY, b. January 14, 1789; m. JACOB EDWARDS, 1806. 5. MARY MARCY, b. March 02, 1791; d. 1815; m. SAMUEL EDWARDS. 6. JEDEDIAH MARCY, b. October 19, 1794, of Southbridge, Worcester Co., Massachusetts; d. May 10, 1877; m. ESTHER HEALY, November 29, 1816, Dudley, Worcester Co., Massachusetts; b. February 07, 1798, Dudley, Worcester Co., Massachusetts; d. May 16, 1877, Southbridge, Worcester Co., Massachusetts. (His children were; ESTHER H. MARCY b. 10/17/1817, m. ISRAEL C. TROW, who had ESTHER C. TROW b. 7/14/1836 and ELLEN J. TROW b. 5/15/1840, d. 11/14/1851. LUCIEN J. MARCY b. 8/31/1819, m. and lived in Southbridge. JOHN MARCY b. 9/12/1822, m. in 1858 and lived in Iowa WILLIAM A. MARCY b. 5/3/1829 lived in Southbridge; was unmarried) 7. CAROLINE MARCY, b. October 11, 1798; d. December 30, 1801.
v. MARY MARCY, b. January 19, 1760; m. BRADFORD BARNES, 1779. vi. RHODA MARCY, b. May 04, 1762; d. March 28, 1834, Dudley, Worcester Co., Massachusetts - age 72. vii. DANIEL MARCY, was born April 27, 1765. He married ELIZABETH LEARNED July 21, 1787. They had; BRADFORD MARCY, b. October 10, 1787, Dudley, Worcester Co., Massachusetts; d. July 22, 1830, Dudley, Worcester Co., Massachusetts - age 43. He married CYNTHIA STEVENS, of Charlton, Massachusetts. Burial: Old Cemetary, Dudley Center, Dudley, Worcester Co., Massachusetts (Children; i. BRADFORD MARCY, b. October 10, 1815, Dudley, Worcester Co., Massachusetts)
viii. HANNAH MARCY, b. September 10, 1772; d. September 16, 1773.
vi. ABIGAIL HEALY, b. December 29, 1733, Dudley, Worcester Co., Massachusetts9; d. August 05, 1741, Dudley, Worcester Co., Massachusetts9.
6. vii. NATHANIEL HEALY, b. September 03, 1736, Dudley, Worcester Co., Massachusetts; d. October 05, 1817, Dudley, Worcester Co., Massachusetts - age 81 y 1 m 2 d.
7. viii. SAMUEL HEALY, b. December 09, 1738, Dudley, Worcester Co., Massachusetts; d. November 24, 1817, Dudley, Worcester Co., Massachusetts - 79 y.
ix. EBENEZER HEALY, b. Abt. 1746, Dudley, Worcester Co., Massachusetts9. Christened: May 25, 1746, Dudley, Worcester Co., Massachusetts9

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Original Meeting House Healy Road, Dudley, MA Photograph of a photograph of Healy Road, Dudley, MA.

of the First Congregational Original in genealogical file cabinet in the Dudley Public

Church in Dudley. Library; date of photo unknown.

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From "Early History of Webster, Dudley, and Oxford, by Paul J. Macek and James R. Morrison we have the following references to Joshua Healy's involvement in the formation of the town and Dudley and the formation of the First Congregational Church of Dudley.

178 "BIRTH OF THE TRI-TOWN AREA

This act for the making of a new town in the county of Worcester by the name of Dudley was read before the General Court on December 30, 1731, and passed on February 2, 1732, and enacted on February 3, 1732. So based on religious motives, that is, because many residents felt that they were quite distant from other townships for a place of public worship, the town of Dudley came into existence.

Early Government

The General Court then gave the inhabitants of the area special authority to organize the town. The order read as follows:

In the Hous of Representatives Jun 1, 1732) Ordred that Joseph Edmunds one of the prinsabel inhabetence of the Town of Dudley in the Countey of Worescter be directed and impoured to notefie and summon the inhabetence of said Town of Dudley qualefied for voters to asembel and meet togather somtim in the month of Jun Curent for the choosing of town Ofesers to stand until the next anuell Eleion according to Law aney Law usage or custom to the contrarey notwithstanding:)

In Counsel June 1: 1732 Read and Consented to

J Willard Secry

June the 1 1732 Consented to J Belcher

True Copey Exemened J Willard Secrye

On June 20, 1732, the inhabitants of the town of Dudley gathered at the house of William Carter and voted for the following officers:

Moderator: Joseph Edmonds Selectmen: Joseph Edmonds

James Corbin

Ebenezer Edmonds

George Robinson

John Lilly

Town Clerk: John Lilly Constable: Joseph Putney

Surveyors of Highways: Samuel Newell

William Carter

Fence Viewers: Joshua Healy

Clement Corbin Tything-Men: Benjamin Conant

Jonathan Newell Hog Reeves: David Southwick

Joseph Wakefield Town Treasurer: Jonathan Newell'

8. Town Records of Dudley, Massachusetts, 1732-1754, p. 6. See also Holmes

Ammidown's Historical Collections, Volume I, pp. 405-410.

9. Town Records of Dudley, Massachusetts, 1732-1754, p. 7.

The Incorporation of Dudley 179

During the same month the town of Dudley acted quickly and voted to hire a minister for a year.'° The townspeople decided to tax improved lands and stock in order to pay the salary of the minister. They also agreed that the selectmen would find the minister and provide a place to board the minister. The inhabitants of Dudley voted that they would use William Carter's house as a meeting place for worship. Moreover, they approved the idea that William Carter would work as the pound keeper. William Carter agreed to use his barn as the pound, but only if the town purchased a lock for this pound.

First Minister

By September the town of Dudley sent two representatives to meet with Paul and William Dudley in Boston to seek their support for the settling of a minister and the building of a meetinghouse in Dudley." Consequently, William Dudley gave 100 acres and 150 pounds to the new minister. As the records show, the town accepted an agreement for the hiring of Isaac Richardson as the first minister of the town of Dudley. The town also voted to fix Richardson's salary at eighty pounds for the first year with increases of five pounds per year until it reached the maximum of 100 pounds.

The town planned an ordination for the minister. The ordination would cost the town twenty-five dollars, and it would take place at Joshua Healy's house. Some of the local ministers were invited to attend the ordination such as Reverend John Campbell of Oxford, Reverend Amos Throup of Woodstock, Reverend Martin Cabot of Thompson, Reverend John Fiske of Killingly, and Reverend Solomon Prentice of Grafton. Despite all the preparation for the ordination, the records show that the ordination did not take place for some unknown reason.

First Tax on Dudley

In order to pay for the town expense of having a minister, Dudley entertained the idea of placing a value on all the land in the town at twenty shillings per acre, and this value would remain the same for seven years. After forming a committee to apply to the legislature for the permission to levy a tax on all lands, the town voted that only the improved lands could be taxed. In December of 1732, Joseph Edmonds, as the representative of the town of Dudley, petitioned the General Court that the town of Dudley be allowed to tax its inhabitants so as to build a meetinghouse (see photo above) and pay for the settling of a minister. On December 14,

10. Town Records of Dudley, Massachusetts, 1732-1754, p. 8. 11. Town Records of Dudley, Massachusetts, 1732-1754, p. 9."

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From the files in the genealogical section of the Dudley Public Library a typewritten list was found of the citizens that had served the town of Dudley as Selectmen since its founding in 1732. Joshua Healy was a Selectman in the years 1733, 1735, 1743, 1748, 1750, 1751, 1755, 1757, 1770, 1771, and 1774. Joshua Healy and his son, Nathaniel Healy served in the same capacity, concurrently in 1777, 1778, and 1779. Nathaniel Healy continued to serve in the years 1785 and 1787. According to the "Book of Dudley", neither Joshua or Nathaniel served as Chairman of Selectmen during their terms of office.