Pepperell High School

My mum is the twelfth one on the fourth row, Catherine Straitiff.

Arthur Straitiff, Mum's oldest brother, is the fifth one in from the right on the top row. The one with his hair parted in the middle.

Tidbits of Information about Pepperell and some of the
people who lived there.

I left the writing as it was on the original page and there are a few more stories on the "Family Stories' page under Bancroft pictures and documents.

Aunt Hannah was born where William Perry now lives.  Grandpa Bancroft lived on this place for 20 years with his first wife.  He then sold this place and bought the Capten Nutting place recently owned by Eliza Miller where Uncle Sam was born.  Oh, there sold this place and bought the Sam (1842) Miller place a part of the Peter Laurnce farm and when Uncle Sam now lives on this place (Aunt Eliza.  Papa was born Aug……Grandpa Bancroft was born in Groton.  He had no own brothers and sisters.  His fathers name was Samuel.

Emma Hobart Parker died in Feb. Father was  ?

Jonathan Parker was born in Lexington.  He came to Hollis and stopped with Uncle. Now the Ben Parker place.  He was mending a fence when the alarm was given.  He joined the Pepperell company they started for Boston.  J. Parker and Emma Hobart lived in Hollis when there were married.  Place not known.  They are buried in Hollis, back of the church.

Prudence was a cousin of Jonathan Parker.  Visited Copps Hill burial ground.  This was John Hulls cow pasture and on the ground were planted British Batteries.  June 17, 1775 which destroyed the village of Charlestown.  Oldest stone in cemetery is that of Moses Grant 1661.  A member of the Boston Tea Party.

Robert Newman who hung the lanterns for Paul Revere is also buried here…April 18, 1775

Himself for use in conversion of Indians 1665.  Saw Book of Poems by Phillis Wheatly, negro servant, to Mr. John Wheatly, Sep 1, 1773.

“Inter Colonial War” Just before the end of 1697 the war a band of Indians attacked the town of Haverill, Mass and made terrible havoc there. On leaving, they took Mrs. Hannah Dustin prisoner with her nurse and her baby  one week old.  The baby cried as they marched out of town and one of the Indians took it and killed it before the mother.  They marched through the woods for days and days until they came to an island in the Merrimack River near Concord, New Hampshire.  Here Mrs. Dustin was placed in a wigwam with 2 Indian men, 3 squaws and 7 children.  The Indians had a white boy in their service who had been taken prisoner in Mass the year before.  This boy had learned to  talk with the Indians and Mrs. Dustin formed a plan of escape in which she was aided by his knowledge of their tongue.  She secretly instructed the boy to ask his savage master how to strike a blow which would kill instantly.  One night when all the savages were asleep, Mrs. Dustin aroused her two white companions and one after the other, they killed 10 of their captors.  A baby and one of the women she left unharmed.  Then following the Merrimack River on which her home was nearby.