COL. CONSIDER SOUTHWORTH

(1775-1863)

The romantic history of Lady Alice Southworth, who married Governor William Bradford for her second husband in the infant Plymouth Colony, has been told over and over again during the last two hundred and fifty years, and of equally proud and noble descent as any of the English peerage is the Southworth family. Its transatlantic genealogy is thus given in Winsor's "History of Duxbury:" "It was procured by Mr. H. B. Somerby, from the Herald's college, London, for Nathan Southworth, Esq., of Boston. It is not known whether the first named are to be understood as in regular lines, of descent, or collateral branches of the family. [It is evidently direct line of descent.] Sir Gilbert Southworth, of Southworth Hall, Lancaster, Knt., married Elizabeth, daughter of Nicholas Dayes, of Salmsbury, in Lancashire. Sir John Southworth, of Southworth Hall, married Jane, daughter of John Booth, of Barton, Esq. Richard Southworth, of Salmsbury, Esq., married Elizabeth, daughter of Edward Molineaux, Esq., of Segtou, in Lancashire. Sir Christopher Southworth, of Southworth Hall, married Isabel, daughter of John Dutton, of County Chester. Sir John Southworth, of Salmsbury, Knt., married Ellen, daughter of Richard Langton, of Newton, Walton Lane: children, - Sir Thomas, Christian, and Richard Southworth."

Richard Southworth, of London, merchant, married Jane, daughter of Edward Lloyd, of Shropshire: children,- Henry, of Somersetshire, married Elizabeth, daughter of John Pillsant, of London, merchant; and Thomas, who married Jane, daughter of Nicholas Mynne, of Norfolk. Constant Southworth (if Louberly's table is understood correctly), who married Alice Carpenter, afterwards Mrs. Governor William Bradford, of Plymouth Colony, New England, was son of Thomas and Jane (Mynne) Southworth. Their children were Thomas M., Elizabeth Rayner, and Constant, who married Elizabeth Collier. According to the "Pilgrim Memorials," Pilgrim Hall, Plymouth, stands on a part of the extensive estate of Mr. Thomas Southworth, in 1668, and is probably comprised within the four acres given him by his mother, Mrs. Alice Bradford, relict of Gov. Bradford." Thomas Southworth, "a magistrate and good benefactor to both church and commonwealth," died in 1669.

According to old colonial records, "on the 26th day of March, 1670, Mistress Alice Bradford, senior, changed this life for a better, having attained to fourscore years of age, or thereabouts. She was a godly matron, and much loved while she lived, and lamented, though aged, when she died, and was honorably interred, on the 29th of the month aforesaid, at New Plimouth." Alice came over in the ship "Anne," her sons Thomas and Constant some time later, in 1628.

Constant Southworth had by his wife, Elizabeth Collier, Edward, Nathaniel, Mercy (married S. Freeman), Alice (married Col. Benjamin Clark). Mary (married David Alden); Elizabeth (married William Fobes, of Little Compton), Priscilla, and William. Nathaniel, born at Plymouth, 1648, married Desire, daughter of Edward Gray, in 1672; had Constant, born 1674 ; Mary, born 1676 ; Ichabod, born 1678 ; Elizabeth, married James Sproat; Nathaniel, born 1684; and Edward, who settled in Middleborough and married Bridget Bosworth, of Hull, in 1711, and died in 1749, leaving four sons, Constant, Edward, Lemuel, and Benjamin, who, as stated by Judge Michell, all settled in North Bridgewater. Constant married Martha, daughter of Joseph Keith, in 1734; to them were born Betsey, in 1735; Nathaniel, in 1737; Ezekiel, 1739; Martha and Mary, 1741; Desire, 1742; Jedediah, 1745; Constant, 1747; Sarah, 1749, and Isabel, 1751. Jedediah, born in North Bridgewater, married Mary, daughter of Capt. Consider Atherton (see biography of James Atherton). She was born in Stoughton, where they settled and had children, - Jedediah, Consider, Polly, Betsey, and Constant.

Consider Southworth was known as colonel, and married Mary Hixon, Jan. 24, 1799, and had nine children, - Lyman, born June 6, 1800; Jarvis, born Aug. 20, 1801; Lemuel D., born Sept. 7, 1802; Consider A., born May 14,1805 ; Amasa ; Mira, born Nov. 3,1810, married Alva Morrison, of Braintree; Jedediah, born April 27, 1812; Asahel, Paul D., born May 27, 1820. Col. Consider Southworth was born April 8, 1775, probably in Stoughton. He was one of the primitive shoe manufacturers of that period, and, it is said, bought the right to peg shoes (then a new invention) in the town of Stoughton. He was prominently connected with the interests of Stoughton. As colonel of the militia, he was called into active service with his regiment in the war of 1812, but was not called into action. He held a high position in the Masonic fraternity; was a member of the First Parish Church ; was well developed physically, of strong positive character, lived in the western part of Stoughton, and was especially fond of good horses, always owning one or two fine specimens. He was a valuable citizen, generous and hospitable in all the relations of life, and made a strong impress on the local history of his day. He was a life-long Democrat, a true patriot, and while he deprecated the agitation that led to the Rebellion, had it not been for his fourscore years he would have been found at the front battling for the Union. He had no sympathy for traitors. Up to the time of the free-soil agitation his sons were in political accord with him, when Asahel became an active worker in that cause. He died June 6, 1863, much lamented. His wife was born July 22, 1777, and died Dec. 6, 1856. Col. Southworth commenced in 1823 a cotton-thread factory, which was finished in 1824, and was a wooden building twenty-four by thirty-eight feet, with eight feet posts and a stone basement story. His son, Consider A., who had learned the business in Pawtucket, R. I., took charge of the manufacturing department for some time, being succeeded by his brother Amasa. Work was begun on this mill July 13, 1824, and forty-five pounds of thread were spun by August 1st. In August ninety-eight and a half pounds were spun ; in September one hundred and ten pounds. The total product to Jan. 1, 1825, was eight hundred and fifty-three pounds. In 1825 two thousand four hundred and fifty-three and a half pounds were produced. About 1826 Consider A. Southworth built a cord-twister, and he began to make cotton cord of various colors, used at that time to finish the tops of boots and shoes. These colored cords were made in the Southworth family until the advent of the sewing-machine changed the style of finishing, and the manufacturing of cording was given up in 1857, as there was no demand for the goods. "The Southworths made the first cotton cord ever manufactured in Massachusetts by water-power."

Source: D. Hamilton Hurd, History of Norfolk County, Massachusetts, with Biographical Sketches of many of its Pioneers and Prominent Men. (Philadelphia, Pa., J. W. Lewis & Co., 1884), pgs. 420-421.

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