The following brief account of the Houses, the Families, and the Roads, in Brookline, in the years 1800 to 1810, was published in the "Brookline Transcript," in the early part of the present year. It is fondly supposed that the Rev. Dr. Pierce, in searching into the history of the town, would have been delighted to have met with a similar account of it, for the years 1700 to 1710; and the antiquary or historical student of one hundred years hence, who may be a descendant of one of its present families, may possibly feel equal gratification in falling in with this simple, unpretending narrative. In this expectation, and also in the supposition that some of the many worthy people of the good old town at the present time, may feel an interest in the subject, it has been determined to print a limited number of copies in a pamphlet form, to meet such requirement. It is now sixty-two years since the writer first left his native town, but he can truly say of it:
Sir,
There are probably but few persons living who have a distinct recollection of all the houses in Brookline, and of the families occupying them, in the early years of the present century; but whether so or not, an account of them, with some passing remarks, may be sufficiently interesting to justify your placing it before your readers.

I will premise that I write on the spur of the moment, stimulated perhaps by seeing my name brought before my oId townsmen in a recent number of your paper, the only number I have ever seen. I write entirely from memory, not having referred to any books or documents, nor having consulted anyone whatever, and consequently there may be some errors, but I believe the account will be found generally correct.

At the commencement of this period there were but two houses on the borders of Jamaica pond besides the Acqueduct house: viz. a red brick house opposite the centre on the east side, occupied by a French family, and a house at the south-west cornel' of the pond, at the entrance of the road to upper Brookline, occupied by a Mr. Brimmer. At a later date, say about the year 1807, Mr. James Perkins, of Boston, built a house on the east side, towards the north end of the pond.

Mr. Brimmer kept in his fields a number of mules, said to be very vicious. They were the terror of the children who had to pass down that way to Jamaica plain, to do shopping at the well-known "small-wares" shop of Mrs. Brewer, and the equally well-known "crockery" shop kept by Mrs. Star. At a later period, Mr. Brimmer's house was purchased and occupied by a Captain Prince, from Boston. He and Mr. Perkins kept sail boats on the pond. Above Mr. Brimmer's, proceeding toward Brookline, was a house occupied by a butcher; next above that, perhaps six hundred yards, was Mr. Samuel Heath's, and immediately above that, Mr. Stephen Child's; all these were on the north side of the road-, and in Roxbury. Mr. Child was a kind-hearted man and a good neighbour. It was related of him that when a young man, upon the Jamaica Plain meeting house being roofed in, and the scaffolding taken down, he walked entirely around the roof on the row of shingles second from the eaves.

The Brookline line was directly above Mr. Child's, about, as I suppose, three-fourths of a mile from Jamaica pond, and the first house we come to, was Mr. John Harris'. He had several sons; the eldest, Benjamin, went to Vermont and took a farm there; the youngest, Luther, graduated at college. There were two or three other houses in this cluster; one on the south side and the others on the north side of the road. The widow Harris lived in one, and Elijah Child in another. Mr. Elijah Child had been to sea in his early days, and by some chance had been thrown upon the Arabian coast, and had wandered in the wilderness of Sinai. Proceeding onward some three hundred yards, we come to a house on. the right-hand side, at the head of a lane leading to Mr. Goddard's, then newly constructed, by whom I never knew, but it was occupied afterwards by Mr. Samuel H. Walley, of Boston. A small house was built directly opposite, about the year 1808, but I do not recollect who lived in it. Continuing onward half a mile or so, we come to a road on the right, leading towards the centre of the town, upon the upper side of which, on the corner made by the junction of the roads, was a house occupied by a Mr. Woodward. Further on, some hundreds of yards, was the school-house, used in the summer as a woman's school, and four months in the winter, as a man's school. Nearly facing the school-house, on a private road leading towards "Spring Street," was a house owned by Mr. John Harris, and occupied by Ensign Ellis. Beyond the school-house, on the left, was a small house occupied by a family of the name of Hervey, and beyond that was the residence of Mr. Caleb Craft, a very substantial farmer. His son married Miss Brewer, daughter of Mr. Stephen Brewer, of the Punch Bowl village. Beyond Mr. Craft's, was Mr. Thaddeus Jackson's, he was also a very respectable farmer. I believe there was no other house in Brookline beyond; I was never up so high but once. Returning now to Mr. Woodward's corner, and taking the road to the town, we pass on the left, a house situated in the field, built by Dr. William Spooner, about 1802, but he seldom resided there. Continuing a winding course through the woods and by the woods, for three parts of a mile, or more, we come to Mr. John Corey's, close by the entrance of what is now called, I believe, "Goddard Avenue."

Leaving the road which continued down the town, and proceeding by a private road due east, for nearly half a mile, we come to Captain Joseph Goddard's¹. This at the time, and for years after, was the most retired and rural spot in Brookline. Half a mile from the public roads on every side, surrounded by fruit trees, woodlands, rocky pastures, and verdant meadows, it formed a little settlement of itself, and its people no more thought of feeling solitary, than did the residents in the centre of Boston. From the hill in front of the house a magnificent view could be had of Boston, its harbour, Roxbury, Dorchester, Charlestown, Cambridge, and the lower part of Brookline. The house was built by John Goddard, the father of Joseph, in the year 1771; his father and grandfather having occupied a house on the same place before him. Joseph Goddard married a niece of Dr. Wm. Aspinwall. He was a man of remarkably sound judgment, faithful in what he undertook, and of sterling integrity.

Leaving this old homestead and proceeding east for half a mile, we pass Mr. Isaac Cook's on a knoll on the left. This house was built about the year 1809, on land sold to him by Joseph Goddard. Mr. Cook was a Boston man, and did business in Fore Street. Two hundred yards from Mr. Cook's, the public road is reached, and from that point by Jamaica Pond to the Roxbury high road, about one and a half miles, there was no turn-out, nor any house until Mr. James Perkins', before named, was built. About two hundred yards from Mr. Cook's gate, on this road by the Pond, the Brookline and Roxbury line crossed the road, coming from the Punch Bowl tavern, and pursuing its course just above Mr. Child's as aforesaid; then over the Harris Hill to the "Spring Street" border. Turning from Mr. Cook's gate, near the entrance of the Avenue, to the left down the hill, we come to Mr. Nathaniel Winchester's. Mrs. Winchester was a remarkably clever woman; if any of her neighbours were ill, or in trouble, they sent for "Mrs. Winchester." She was a Bowman, and a relative of one of the former Governors of Massachusetts. She had four sons and three daughters.

Proceeding up the hill we come to a small house occupied by a Mr. Meriam. This was purchased wit4 the grounds around, about the year 1803, by Mr. Thomas C. Amory, of Boston, who built upon it and laid out the grounds in an ornamental manner, making of it a very pretty summer residence. Soon after, say 1804 or 1805, Mr. Samuel G. Perkins, also of Boston, purchased land adjoining and built a house, laying out the grounds artistically and some years after he built a tenant house and a coach house in connection, on the opposite side of the road. The house was occupied for a period, by a Dane, supposed by the gossips, to be a refugee and a nobleman; it was about the time that Bernadotte took possession of Sweden. Passing on, we come to a house belonging to Mr. George Cabot; he must have purchased it with large tracts of land adjoining, some hundreds of acres, about the year 1790. Mr. Cabot was a superior man, of remarkably courteous and courtly manner, and was highly respected. He belonged at one time to Washington's Cabinet, as Secretary of the Navy, and perhaps the old Constitution, of glorious memory, was built under his auspices. This house was afterwards taken and occupied by Mr. Adam Babcock, about the year 1803. Opposite Mr. Babcock's, on the road towards Newton, was a coach house and a small tenement in connection, occupied by Mr. Perkins' gardener. Behind Mr., Babcock's, on the hill, was a house built by Captain Ingersoll, a son-in-law of Mr. Babcock's, in the year 1805; he had been in the India trade, and had a penchant for raising pigs, and made rather large preparations for their accommodation, but I believe it came to nothing. Proceeding along this road we come to Mr. John Warren's house, built about the year 1807. He had in his time laid more stone wall perhaps than any other man in New England, and might have been appropriately called "Stonewall" Warren.

Continuing on, about one third of a mile we come to a small house occupied by Mr. Tate, a German, gardener to Mr. Stephen Higginson; this was at the junction of the road coming from Mr. John Corey's, as before mentioned. Afterward a gardener of the name of John Wild occupied the place. Further on, about five hundred yards, on the same side, was the schoolhouse, kept four months in the year by a Collegian, and in the summer months, by a woman teacher. On the opposite side, Mr. Thomas H. Perkins built a house and a gardener’s house, about the year 1807. James and Thomas H. Perkins, were for many years large merchants in the India trade. Continuing on about one hundred yards, we come to the old Newton Road, and turning to the left we shortly come to Mr. Benjamin White's old house on the right, and immediately after to his new house, on the same side. Mr. White was one of the most substantial farmers in Brookline. Further on was- Mr. Caleb Gardner's. He had three fine grown up daughters, two younger ones, and one son. Passing down Fulton Street, New York, in the year 1857, and meeting some five hundred persons coming from the Jersey City Ferry, I saw a man in the crowd whose face appeared familiar to me, and whom I at once confronted, and raising my hat said, "Mr. Gardner, I presume." "Yes." "No considerable demonstration was made then, lest the natives should notice our weakness, but as soon as we were alone, we fraternized."

This was not Dr. Livingstone, but Mr. Samuel J. Gardner, the son mentioned above. I had not seen him for forty years, nor did I know that he was living. Further on, we come to Mr. Ebenezer Richards', who afterwards opened the house to the public, and some hf the Brookline balls were held there. Beyond was Mr. Harbacks, and then Mr. Jonathan Hammond's, who afterwards built a store just above on the other side pf the Worcester turnpike. This turnpike was constructed during the years 1804 and 1805. A daughter of Mr. Hammond married a Mr. Crane, son of Major General Crane, of the Massachusetts Militia. There was a house beyond Mr. Hammonds', occupied by a Mr. Hyde, but whether in Brookline or-Newton I do not know.

Returning down town by the Turnpike, in about three-fourths of a mile, we 'come opposite to Mr. Jonathan Mason's house, on the right, between the turnpike and the old Newton Road; it was probably built between the years 1790 and 1795. Mr. Mason had five daughters, all fine women, and two sons; the fourth daughter Miss Meriam, was the beauty of the period; she married Mr. Sears. Mr. Mason, a celebrated lawyer, was at one time Senator to Congress, from Massachusetts. Next below Mr. Mason's was an old house belonging to a Mr. Baker; It was taken down about the year 1805, and soon after, say 1807, his son, Nathaniel Baker, a carpenter, built a house hard by, on the other side of the turnpike. Now crossing the turnpike and the fields to the right, to the old Newton Road we come to Mr. Jonathan Jackson's on the Newton Road. He had a brother living in Middleton, Connecticut, whom I met in New York in the year 1844; a man much respected. Directly opposite on the other side of the road was Mr. Stephen Higginson's, a house built by him about the year 1792 or 1793. Below this on the left-hand side was Mr. John Heath's, he was brother to Major General Heath, who commanded in the New York Highlands under General Washington, and had West Point entrusted to him after the defection of Arnold. General Heath lived in Roxbury, at the foot of the Parker hill, the south east corner. Mr. J olm Heath's eldest daughter married John Goddard, of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, eldest son of Mr. John Goddard, before spoken of; another daughter married some twenty-five years after, Mr. John Howe, of Boston. A son, Mr. Ebenezer Heath, built a house just below on the other side of the road, about the year 1790, and married Miss Williams, of Roxbury, a most excellent person; they had a very fine family. Proceeding down the road about three hundred yards, we come to Mr. David Ackers' house on the left; at which point a branch road led off to Brighton, and about half a mile up this road lived Brigadier General Gardner. His father was killed at the Battle of Lexington, and was a great loss to the town; a relative also, I believe an uncle, was killed at the battle of Bunker's Hill. General Gardner had two sons and a daughter. The eldest son graduated at Harvard College; the daughter died early. He married a second time the Widow Spooner, of Roxbury, and her daughter afterward married Mr. Craft, of Roxbury, who built a house on the Boston Road, about a mile from the Punch Bowl Village, on the hill side. General Gardner was much esteemed, he. had a very fine tenor voice, and in connection with Mr. Ebenezer Heath, who was very fond of music, led the singers at the meeting house for many years. They were prominent men in in the town for a long period. Beyond General Gardner's were, I believe, two houses, occupied by Joseph and Samuel White, these were the last houses in Brookline on that road.

Returning to Mr. Ackers' and keeping down the road, we come to Mr. Lucas' house; he was a bachelor, living upon his income; he had supplied the army with bread and had accumulated a small fortune. Beyond Mr. Lucas' was Mr. David Hyslop's, and there was a tenant house belonging to Mr. Lucas; they were all near together and on the same side of the road. Mr. Hyslop was also independent; he married for his second wife Miss Woodward, of South Boston; he had a "summer house" on the top of the hill, back of the house, which commanded a very fine prospect. A Mr. Ayres and family lived at one period in the tenant house, and afterwards a Mr. Perry; both had several sons who attended the winter school.

Below Mr. Hyslop's, about a quarter of a mile, on the same side, was a house built by Mr. Sullivan of Boston, about the year 1803, on land bought of Mr. John Goddard, and immediately below was Mr. John Goddard's, a house to which he retired after leaving the old homestead to his son Joseph, about the year 1790. A portion of the house was occupied by his tenant, Mr. Meriam, a short time. Mr. Goddard married twice; by the first wife he had one daughter, by the second² sixteen children. The eldest, John, graduated at Harvard and finally settled at Portsmouth, New Hampshire, where hr. was much esteemed and could have been Governor of the State at any time if he would have consented to be nominated. Five other sons were living in 1804, and some of them from forty to sixty years afterward. John's grandfather Joseph, was the second son of William, the seventh son of Edward Goddard, of Englesham, Wiltshire, England, William was a merchant and a citizen of London, of the Grocer's Company; he left in the year of the great plague, 1666, and came to Boston with a wife and three sons; and not many years after, Joseph settled in Brookline, and his gravestone is still to be seen in the old burying ground. John Goddard was a man of a peculiarly sound and discriminating mind, and was for many years a prominent man in his native town. Dr. Pierce had a high opinion of him; he died at the age of 86. Benjamin Goddard, son of the above, built a house just below on the same side, about the year 1807. He married first, Miss May; and second, Miss Brown, both of Boston; he had no children and died at the age of 96.

There was no house on the Worcester turnpike from this point to the Punch Bowl village, besides a ladies' school house.

Leaving the turnpike and proceeding toward the meeting house, we come to a house owned by Mr. Hyslop, who lived there during the early period; and it was afterwards occupied by a Mr. Carnes, and subsequently by a Mr. Gouge, Clerk of the Market, Boston. Further on, upon the right, at the junction of the road leading to Mr. George Cabot's, aforesaid, was the Brick school-house, the only brick building in the town. Here school was kept from March to December, by a Collegian, and in it the town's meetings were held. Turning up the road leading to Mr. Cabot's, we pass a house on the right, amidst a clump of trees, built by Mr. Richard Sullivan, about the year 1810; he was a brother of William and George Sullivan, of Boston. Beyond this at the bottom of the hill, was a house owned, and occupied in part, by Mr. Joshua Boylston, a nephew I believe of Dr. Zabdiel Boylston. A family of the name of Dascombe occupied a portion of the house, and managed the farm. Mr. Boylston died about the year 1806, leaving a widow and an only daughter. Captain Joshua Clark, afterwards Deacon Clarke, married the daughter; he had the house pulled down and another erected in this same place about the year 1810, which was burnt down just as it was finished, from what cause was not known, but another was immediately erected on the same spot, to which the townspeople generously contributed, the loss having fallen upon the builder. About four hundred yards beyond, on the other side of the road, the left-hand side, was Mr. Nathaniel Murdock's, a carpenter. His eldest daughter married Mr. Caleb Clark. The was no house between this and Mr. Cabot's, or then Mr. Babcock's before named, except a coach house on the right, built by Mr. Babcock.

We must now return to the school-house, opposite to which was the new meeting-house, built in 1805. It was a spacious and commodious building, and highly creditable to the town; the bell was given by Mr. Stephen Higginson, and was imported from England. A Mr. Banner, an Englishman, was the architect; the sides of the building were framed on the ground and raised bodily by windlasses, a novel mode at the time. The choice of pews was put up at auction, and the money thus raised contributed materially towards the cost of the building. Doctor Aspinwall gave five hundred dollars for first choice, evidently as a donation towards the expenditure; the dedication day was a great holiday in the town.

Down the hill on the opposite side of the road, on the spot since occupied as a garden to the parsonage, stood the old meeting house, side to the road, the steeple al; the west end, with entrances at each end and a door in the centre, with an aisle leading from it to the pulpit on the north side. Over the pulpit was a large sounding board; there was a gallery extending round the three sides, the singers sitting in that opposite the pulpit. The house was about ninety years old, having been built about 1715; it had a very fine toned bell which became cracked about the year 1803, much to the grief of the people; the building was quite commodious, had a respectable spire, and was altogether very creditable to the town at the period of its erection. The Rev. John Pierce, a graduate of Harvard College, was ordained in the year 1796. The first two children born in the town after his ordination, are still living. It was many years after, that he took the degree of Doctor of Divinity. Mr. Pierce often exchanged with the neighbouring Congregational Ministers; Parson Gray, of Jamaica Plain, Mr. Bradford, of Spring Street, Dr. Porter, of Roxbury, Mr. Harris, of Dorchester, Mr. Homer, of Newton, Dr. Eckley, of Boston, &c. Mr. Gray came every spring, about May, and always commenced the service with the hymn: " Another six days' work is done, Another Sabbath is begun; Return my soul, enjoy thy rest, Improve the day that God hath blest."

He had a peculiar sing-song voice, which was rather agreeable and attracted the attention of children. In May 1802, he read the parable of the Prodigal Son and took his text from it. Mr. John Goddard always expected that his grandchildren could tell him where the text was, and consequently some of them remembered texts. Parson Bradford also came in the spring; he was always quite poetical in returning thanks for the return of the season, "when all nature was springing into life," and "the voice of the turtle was heard in the land." He was somewhat eccentric, and his views were by no means groveling; he said in one of his sermons, he "did not see why one might not as well go to heaven in a coach, as to go trudging along afoot." Mr. Harris, in praying, had a peculiar way of throwing his head back and holding up his chin which was rather painful to see.

When they were excavating the Whalley hill for the Worcester turnpike, which must have been about the year 1804, a man was killed by a fall of gravel. He was the son of a minister in Vermont, who came down to the funeral, and preached a sermon in the old meeting house, taking for his text, "Be not forgetful to entertain strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares." He was very kindly treated, a subscription was raised for him, and he was very grateful. He had been in the Revolutionary War, and had had a four-pound shot in his leg. He said the Brookline people had no need to pray to go to paradise, for they already lived in Paradise. I am not quite sure whether it was this minister, or another who visited the town, who said this. It was certainly very beautiful in the vicinity of the old church, on a spring or summer's day, when the locust trees were out, lilacs in full bloom, the fruit trees in full blossom, and all the forest trees covered with fresh foliage. Looking from the Goddard Hill, in blossoming time, down upon Brookline, the whole country appeared one mass of blossom. The old meeting house was taken down soon after the other was dedicated; the new one was then the only house of worship in the town.

The parsonage was next below, and hard by the old church. Mr. Pierce, who resided there, married Miss Tappan, of Northampton, sister to Mr. John Tappan, of Boston, and Arthur and Lewis Tappan, of New York, the well-known abolitionists and philanthropists. (Mr. Pierce was a native of Dorchester.) Next below on the same side was Mr. Thomas Whalley's, he was brother to Mr. S. H. Whalley, was independent in circumstances and quite eccentric and domestic. He married a French lady, a very handsome person; she was, I believe, a refugee from St. Domingo, at the time of the massacre and flight.

Directly below on the opposite side, was Deacon Samuel Clark's; he and Mr. John Robinson were Mr. Pierce's first deacons, and they continued deacons, I believe, so long as they lived. On Mr. Clark's death he was succeeded in the office by his son Joshua. He had four sons, Joshua, who married Miss Rebecca Boylston, as already named, Samuel, who graduated at Harvard College, and was eventually settled as a minister in Burlington, Vermont, Stephen, a protege of Esquire Sharp's, siding with him, but died young, and Caleb, who took to the farm, and who married Miss Murdock. Samuel was very fond of Captain Goddard, and would often leave his studies in the morning, and run across the country to Mr. Goddard's, a mile in a few minutes, to breakfast. His visits were a great treat to the children, for he and Mr. Goddard would have much pleasant and amusing conversation. These were, perhaps, for the Brookline people, about as pleasant days as were ever passed there.

Proceeding down the road to the Punch Bowl village, a lane turned to the left crossing the Worcester Turnpike and coming to the Brighton road at the "Tolman" corner, about three fourths of a mile. There was no house on this lane besides a ladies' schoolhouse, at the left-hand corner of its junction with the Worcester Turnpike, built about the year 1808, and presided over by Miss Stebbins. Without turning into this lane, we keep straight forward for a quarter of a mile or more, and come to a house occur pied by Mr. Spur, proprietor of the Brookline and Boston stage coach, which plied back and forth twice a day. His brother, Zephaniah, was perhaps the largest man in Boston.

Keeping forward four hundred yards, we come to Mr. Oliver White's, on the right hand, built about 1806. He was a very estimable man, a great reader, a particular friend of Mr. G. W. Stearns; he gave the writer the large edition of Robinson Crusoe, which was read through with-untiring interest, many times. Mr. White was married late, and I believe that the Mrs. White who died last year, aged 90, was his widow, but have not been able to ascertain.

We now come to the Punch Bowl village, and opposite Mr. Oliver White's, on the other side of the road, was Mr. Thomas White's house, in a front portion of which was "The Store," a grocery store, kept by White and Sumner. Here the boys bought fish hooks and lines, and powder and shot. At its front was a Liberty pole, upon which in holidays, viz: the 4th of July, and election days, the Union flag was hoisted. Upon training days, the captains of the Militia company, after parading and exercising their men upon the meeting house green, would march them down to the store and treat them with flip, and crackers and cheese, of which the boys and sight-seers came in for a plentiful share. Mr. White was a great shot.

The Punch Bowl Tavern, kept by Mr. Laughton, was the only other dwelling house in Brookline at the time, in the village. Since then, I believe the line has been raised and pushed down to the brook about a quarter of a mile. To the right of" the store" just below Mr. Oliver White's, on the Roxbury side, dwelt a Mr. Hancock, a saddler; next to him was a Mr. Davenport, a tailor; then came their respective shops; then a hatter's, occupied at one time, I believe, by a Mr. Wendall; then Mr. James Pierce's, a shoemaker, and last upon that side was Mr. Crehore's; I believe he was a carriage maker. On the opposite side was Mr. Stephen Brewer's, a blacksmith, and Sheriff of the County. Last of all came Dr. Downer's, he died early, he was in the battle of Lexington, and killed a man with the bayonet.

Returning up the village, leaving "the store" and the Worcester Turnpike, which comes in here, to the left, and taking the road to Brighton, we pass on the left, between the roads, a small house, occupied by Mr. Samuel Slack, and further on, upon the same side was a small house in the field occupied by a family of the name of Jordan, and opposite on the other side of the road was Mr. William Marshall's, a gentleman living upon his income. He married late, a second time, I presume, Miss Betsey Dorrell. Maria Curtis, who lived with him, perhaps his niece, was one of the noticeable young women of Brookline, at the time, 1800 to 1805. She, Sarah Davis, Julia Aspinwall, Hannah Clark, Rebecca Boylston, Caleb Gardner's three daughters, Julia Hammond, Nancy Winchester, and Hannah Goddard, were contemporary, and would have done credit to any town, in personal appearance or useful culture.

Above Mr. Marshall's, on the same side, was Mr. Ebenezer Davis'. He married a Miss Aspinwall, I believe a sister of Mr. John Aspinwall, hereafter named, and a niece of Dr. Aspinwall; their eldest son, Robert, married Miss Stearns, (sister to Mr. G. W. Stearns. She and her brother were the two handsomest persons in Brookline. Some years after her husband's death, she married Mr. Elijah Corey. Another of Mr. Davis' sons, Thomas, was many years after, Mayor of Boston.

Opposite to Mr. Davis', was Mr. Benjamin Davis', a brother; he died early, I suppose about 1804. His widow remained in the house, and a portion of it was occupied by Mr. George Washington Stearns, who married Hannah Goddard. No two better persons than these last ever lived in Brookline. Leaving the road to Cambridge to the right, and proceeding up the Brighton road, we pass the Hay scales on the right, at the junction of the three roads, and come to Mr. Jonathan Dana's on the same side. He was independent in means, married late in life, but whether the second time I know not, and lived a very retired life. Next beyond, lived Mr. James Leeds, a shoemaker; he married a daughter of Mr. Timothy Corey, senior. Next beyond was Mr. Holden's, a wheelwright. These three were all on the right-hand side of the road, and I am not sure that there was not another house in the row, but I believe not. A little above, on the opposite side, at the junction of the long lane from Deacon Clark's, previously spoken of, was Mr. Jonas Tolman's, a shoemaker. On the opposite corner, left hand, was a house belonging to Dr. Aspinwall, but who lived in it I do not know. Beyond on the right hand, lived Mr. Samuel Croft, also of independent means, a very quiet man; he often took a ride in his chaise to the Punch Bowl village, to hear the news. His wife was a very friendly woman, Miss Sarah Davis, daughter of Ebenezer, was her protegee, whom the young people were fond of and were very happy when with her. Further on, the same side, Deacon John Robinson resided; he was a tanner, and was, as before stated, one of the deacons from the ordination, 1796, to the day of his death; he was very much respected. A little beyond was Mr. Withington's, I believe his name was Enos; he also was a tanner, but whether in partnership with Deacon Robinson or not, I never knew. Further on upon the other side of the road, on the hillside, was Dr. William Aspinwall's; he was perhaps the most prominent man of the old inhabitants of Brookline; he was alternately Representative and Senator to the General Court and upon the Governor's Council. His son William graduated at Harvard, and for some years practised in connection with his father, as a physician, but died early. Another son, Thomas, also graduated at Harvard College. In the War of 1812, he was appointed Colonel in the regular army, and served under General Scott. He was in the battle of Fort Erie, when the Duke of Wellington's soldiers from the Peninsula were encountered and beaten, and in other battles, serving with distinguished bravery.

In one of these battles he lost an arm. On the return of peace, he was appointed Consul General at London, a place which he held for about forty years, and where he was highly respected by the nobility and all who had, intercourse with him. Dr. Aspinwall's daughter, Tulia, married Mr. Lewis Tappan, before named. Beyond, Dr. Aspinwall's were three houses belonging to Mr. Timothy Corey and his two sons, Elijah and Timothy, all substantial farmers; one was on the left hand and the others, I believe, on the right, and I think there was not another house in Brookline beyond, but I never passed above but once. Returning now to the Tolman corner and crossing the Brighton road toward the Cambridge road, we come to the schoolhouse on the right, which was kept by a collegian from the 1st December to the 31st. March, and during the summer months as a woman teacher's school. Passing on to the Cambridge road, which came up from the Hay Scales, before named, and had no house upon it in the intervening distance, and turning to the left, up that road, we come to Mr. Stephen Sharp's, generally called Squire Sharp, on the left. He was Town Clerk, and Representative to the General Court for many years, and was rather an important man in the town; he died a bachelor. Beyond Mr. Sharp's came Major Jones' house, built about the year 1806; he married Miss Hannah Clark, daughter of Deacon Clark. Further on, right hand Ride, was a house and farm owned by Mr. Walcott, and occupied by Mr. Stearns, who afterwards, I believe, purchased the place with much additional land, to great profit. Beyond this were three houses, occupied by Mr. Moses Griggs, his son Stephen Griggs, and Mr. Joshua Griggs, who I believe was a brother of Moses. Stephen was blown up whilst blasting a rock, and lost an eye. there was no other house on this road in Brookline.

Crossing easterly toward the Marshes, we come to Mr. Walcott's. he had a son named Samuel and several daughters. He was of a very old Brookline family and owned a fine estate. Passing on toward the marshes, was Mr. Easterbrooks, the last house on this side the town. Returning now towards the centre of the town in the direction of the Cambridge road at its junction with the road from Tolman's corner, we soon come to Mr. John Aspinwall's, and passing on we come to Dr. Aspinwall's Smallpox Hospital on the left, among a clump of trees. Whilst this dreaded disease ranged with great virulence, many years before, this was a noted place for patients, and Dr. Aspinwall practised with much success.

Now leaving the carriage road, which came out at Mr. Stearns' corner aforesaid, and pursuing a course to the left by a private road for half a mile, more or less, we come to the old family mansion of the Aspinwalls under the great Elm tree, one of the most noted and ancient trees in this part of the country. Nearby was another house, also belonging to Dr. Aspinwall. Who resided in these houses at the time I do not know, but I believe Miss Elizabeth Aspinwall resided in one, and Mr. Thomas Aspinwall, who was deaf and dumb, in the other. Samuel Aspinwall, the doctor's brother, and father to Mrs. Joseph Goddard lived in the last named, up to the time of his death, I believe, but of this I am not certain.

I have now noticed every family and have named every house and every public road in Brookline, that existed from the year 1800 to 1810, and have finished, perhaps appropriately, but not designedly. with the old Aspinwall houses. The Aspinwall family was one of the oldest Brookline families. 'I' heir progenitor, who was of the Liverpool family, came to Boston in the year 1628, and it is supposed came to Brookline, then called Muddy River, very soon, and if so, the Aspinwalls have lived there during nearly two and a half centuries.

It should be mentioned that the Boston gentlemen, at this time, Messrs. Higginson, Mason, Sullivan, Amory, Perkins, and Babcock, resided in Brookline during the summer months, only.

A fact may be mentioned which may appear extraordinary in these days, that the old and new meeting houses were never warmed during the period under consideration, but it will excite no surprise that the children attending suffered terribly from the cold, during the winter months.

SAMUEL ASPINWALL GODDARD.

Edgbaston, Warwickshire, England:
December 25, 1872.