JOHN STONE: Of SUDBURY
Elder John Stone, son of Gregory Stone and wife Lydia, born in England about 1619, settled in that part of Sudbury, afterwards Framingham, Mass.; was a Deacon of the church at Sudbury; returned to Cambridge and was Representative, 1682, 1683. Ruling Elder of the church at Cambridge, ordained Nov. 15, 1682. He died May 5, 1683, aged 64. (Paige's History of Cambridge, p. 664.)
John Stone was an early Prop. of Sudbury, and shared in the first three divisions of land there. In 1643, he had a grant of six acres. "in Natic bounds."
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About 1645, he sold to John Moore, his dwelling house, and houselot (in Sudbury.), with all other lands and meadows belonging to the said J. S., or that shall hereafter be due.
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1647 John Stone sells his Sudbury property and moves his family to the west side of the Sudbury River, at what is now Saxonville. He becomes Framingham's first settler.
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1654 he was appointed "to see to fences on his side of the River."
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1655, he was Town Clerk
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1656, he had confirmed by the General Court, a purchase from the Indians of land "at the falls of Sudbury River," which, the same year, he had "just broken up and fenced in." He had other lands granted, which were laid out, 1658. 1659, the road "from Sud. to John Stone's house," prob. at the Falls, is referred to in a description of the bounds of Natick Plantation.(*)
He was also Elder of the church in Sudbury, and was known as Deacon, and often as Elder John Stone.
In 1665, he was freeman at Cambridge, and he represented that town in 1682 and 3.
In 1679, he was one of a committe to settle the disputed location of the meeting house in Sherbourn., and the same year was with Capt Tho. Prentice and Wm. Bond, commissioned by the Colonial Court, (Rec. iii. 306), "for to order and settle the rebuilding of Lancaster." He d. at Camb. May 5, 1683, and his estate was settled June 9. (Mid. Deeds, B. 16, p. 190.)
His will was dated Ap. 16, 1683, (he then ‘. ab. 64), and recorded June 1st.
Abstract of the will dated 16 Apr. 1683. To wife Ann Stone, for life, the house where I now dwell, all moveables, six cows, a mare, swine, poultry; also rents from my houses and lands at Sudbury, now occupied by my son Daniel Stone; at her death my dwelling house in Cambridge to go to my daughters Hannah Bent, Mary Fox, Elizabeth Stowe, Margaret Brown, Tabitha Rice and Sarah Hill, and the remainder she leaves to be equally divided among all my children. All my outlands in Sudbury to be equally divided among my sons Daniel, David, Nathaniel Stone, they to pay to my above nameddaughters 100 pounds. My dwelling houses and lands thereto belonging in Sudbury, I give to my son John Stone, for life, to be improved for his maintenance by my son Daniel Stone, with remainder to my said son Daniel Stone or his heirs. Wife Ann Stone to be executrix, and brethern John Cooper, Sen. , and Samuel Stone, Sen., to be overseers, and executors after the decease of my wife. Proved 12 June 1683. (Middlesex Co. Probate Records, N. 21596)
John is buried in the Harvard Square Cemetery in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Memento te esse Mortalem
Here lyeth ye body of Elder John Stone
Aged 64 years
Who departed this life ye 5th day of May
1683
W. F. Stone, Esq., of Cambridge, who has made diligent research into the history of his family, obligingly writes, that Elder John first built at Otter Neck, a half mile down the river, a "fordway" being near it. He probably built again on the hill by the Lannum road, near Mr. Fisk's, on the spot from which was removed, to the mill village, the house recently sold by Mr. Abner Stone to the prop. of the Railroad. Two or three rods S. from that spot, he built what was called in ancient deeds, "the old house," whose cellar hole is still remembered. He is supposed also to have built at the Ox-bow, and, soon after, other house nearer the mills. (source: History of Framingham)
In a description of the area for the proposed Saxonville Historic/Nature Walk, Stephen Herring, (Framingham Town Historian), writes;
"...The area from the Concord Street Bridge to Central Street is surrounded on three sides by the Sudbury River, giving it the early name of Otter Neck. Framingham's first settler, John Stone, built his home at Otter Neck in 1647. We do not know the exact site of the homestead. Native Americans of the Nipmuc tribe had a village and fort here before the arrival of European settlers. For almost two hundred years this part of Framingham was known as Stone's End due to the dominance of the Stone family. It became Saxonville when the textile industry was established here, one of the early companies being named the Saxon Factory Company"....
The Saxonville Falls and Dam (1865)
The water power at these falls has been used to drive mill wheels since 1659 when John Stone built his grist mill here.
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