Who The Frarys Were
Dad's (John Dexter Cortelli) maternal grandmother was Jennie Florence Dexter. She was the granddaughter of Jason Dexter and Elizabeth Root who were married in 1845 in Connecticut. Elizabeth Root, my 3rd Great Grandmother, was born 25 February 1826 in Wales, Massachusetts to Ralph and Elizabeth (Staples) Root. Ralph Root's 2nd Great Grandparents were Jacob Root and Mary Frary. Mary was born 24 July 1662 in Medfield, Massachusetts to Sampson Frary and Mary Daniell of Medfield.
Sampson Frary's father was John Frairy, who according to the book: "Memoranda relating to the ancestry and family of Hon. Levi Parson Morton vice-president of the United States (1889-1893)" by Josiah Granville Leach, along with his wife Prudence and at least one child came from England and settled in Dedham, Massachusetts before 1639. "Frairy" was the original spelling of the family name upon arrival to America, although it subsequently changed to Frary.
The First Connection -- A Personal One
In 1650, leaving Dedham, John Frairy was among those who founded the adjoining town of Medfield. The block of land included by North, Dale and Frairy streets was owned by the Hon. Timothy Dwight and Mr. Frairy; Dwight had the portion situated on North St, Frairy had the remainder.
Where It Gets Interesting: Today, Frairy St in Medfield runs less than a half mile parallel to Route 27. After living in Springfield, Mass for over 40 years, it was on Frary St in Medfield that Grandma and Papa (Mom/Linda Law's parents) lived for a few years before moving finally to Millis.
Where It Gets More Interesting: Mary Frary's mother's family, the Daniells, all settled in Medfield on the west side of the Charles River, an area of town that would 200 years later, in 1885, become part of Millis, Massachusetts, the town I grew up in. (And I went to school with a kid whose last name was Daniel)
The Second Connection -- Historical and Personal
According to the book "Memoranda relating to the ancestry of the Hon. Levi Morton vice president of the United States 1889-1893" by Leach, Sampson and Mary (Daniell) Frary left Medfield in 1668 for Hatfield, Massachusetts, then shortly thereafter settled down in now Historic Deerfield, being one of it's two earliest inhabitants. Leach writes: "When in May 1671, the Dedham committee laid out the town street, they found 'Sampson Frary's cellar on the north.' In 1672 he, with Samuel Hinsdale, petitioned the General Court for a committee to supervise the affairs of the new settlement. The petition was granted the following year, and Deerfield's prosperity seemed assured; but the horrors of Indian warfare two years later nullified the energy and struggles of the early settlers. Sampson Frary escaped the massacres of King Philip's War, saw his home and the once hopeful plantation laid in ashes, and was one of the brave spirits who, through the following calamitous winters, still clung to the hope of re-settlement. Between September, 1675, and 1683-4, he doubtless lived with his brother in Hatfield, where, at least, he took the oath of allegiance in 1679. He however returned with the permanent settlers to Deerfield, where, on the land allotted him in 1671, he rebuilt his homestead before 1698."
Sampson's oldest daughter, Mary Frary married Jacob Root as previously discussed. Sampson's second daughter, Mehitabel, married Jacob Root's uncle, Hezekiah Root. Both Mehitabel and Hezekiah died leaving at least their youngest daughter, Mercy Root, to live with her grandparents, the Frarys in Deerfield.
In his book "The Root Family", published in 1870, James Pierce Root wrote: Mercy Root was killed by the French and Indians, together with her Grandfather Frary, in Queen Anne's War between the French and English colonies, when Deerfiled was destroyed, Feb 29, 1704. They were slain at the taking of the town. The town was surprised at midnight by a company of French and Indians, under the command of Heustel de Rouville. The sentinel of the fort being asleep, and the snow of so great depth as to make an easy passage to and over the palisades, the cruel foe silently entered, and killed or scalped those of the inhabitants who were not able to escape, or whom they did not take as prisoners. But few escaped, while nearly fifty were killed, and over a hundred carried away to Canada, many of them to suffer martyrdom on the route. Mercy Root's grandmother, Mrs. Frary was taken captive and slain by the Indians on the march to Canada.
Sampson and Mary Frary were my 9th Great Grandparents and Mercy Root was the niece of my 8th Great Grandmother, Mary (Frary) Root.
Where It's Of Interest Personally: My parents very close, lifelong friends, John and Mary Lou Brodeur, of Springfield, Massachusetts, owned property in Deerfield. There were two cabins on the property up in the hills where we would go for a week each winter during school break to sled, ice-skate and 'camp' in a cabin. It was a highlight of my childhood. My father took us to Historic Deerfield to tour the homes, and as a young adult I went a few times. I specifically recall the door in the museum that had been chopped with an ax. Historic Deerfield has always been of great interest to me; I took my husband of two years there when we went to Massachusetts for a visit from Florida. Never would I have guessed that I had ancestors who were part of that village and who were killed that night in 1704!
One of the homes in Historic Deerfield, the "Frary House", was thought to have been the original home built by Sampson Frary in 1698. As of this writing (June 2011) I am not quite clear if the house in Historic Deerfield known as the Frary House is the original built in 1698 as some of the sources I've researched say; or if it was actually rebuilt in 1750 on the same foundation and lot as the original home since that one was destroyed in the 1704 attack. I hope one day to have a confirmed and clear answer. The home was owned by a descendant of Frary until the late 1700's. Then, in the 1890's, it was purchased by another descendant of Sampson Frary, C. Alice Baker, of Cambridge, Massachusetts and restored. Below is a photo of Miss Baker and of the Frary House as it appears today.
On my next trip North to Massachusetts, I will be making another visit to Historic Deerfield and to see the Frary House, but with a whole new perspective!
Pictures of Jennie Florence Dexter as a young woman circa 1904 can be viewed on the Family Photo Albums page.