Structure · Built 1824
Deacon Edward Spaulding House
Deacon Edward Spaulding House
| Address | 9 Nashua Rd |
| MACRIS ID | BIL.204 |
| Built | 1824 |
The Deacon Edward Spaulding House stands on the old Spaulding farm at 9 Nashua Road in West Billerica, near the Chelmsford line. This part of town, along the road once called the Rangeway, was "Spaulding territory" early on. The farm began as two long range lots of 44 and 46 1/2 acres running from the Chelmsford line down to "the range way", which William Patten, a cooper, sold in May 1760 for 60 pounds to William Bonner, a husbandman. The Pattens had held the land as woodland; the lots next to them are described as "laid out to" Thomas Baldwin, Ephraim Kidder, John Sheldon and Nathaniel Bacon, so these were proprietors' division lots. One of the witnesses to the 1760 deed was Asa Spaulding, and in December 1783 Bonner sold him the whole tract, "Ninety two Acres with a Dwelling House standing thereon", for 130 pounds.
Asa Spaulding, gentleman, died in 1815. His will left his son Benoni the farm south of the Rangeway and his son Thomas "all my land lying on the northerly side of the Rangeway", which took in the Bonner farm. Capt. Thomas Spaulding farmed here until his death in 1849, when his inventory listed a "Homestead containing 55a 2r 19p" with the Great pasture, the Meadow lot, the Dowse and Miller lots and others, about 150 acres in all. In 1828 he had given his son Edward Spaulding a two-acre house lot "with all the buildings thereon" on the other side of the Rangeway and 29 acres near the Chelmsford line, and the same day Edward bought 21 acres across the line in Chelmsford. In 1849 Edward, then "of Nashua" in New Hampshire, bought out his brother Thomas's share of their father's estate for $842.60 and the rest of the heirs' shares for $689, and the homestead became his.
Family tradition, recorded by MACRIS in 1974, holds that the house was built for Edward at his marriage to his cousin Olive Spaulding in 1824. The deeds do not confirm that: in 1828 Edward's home was the separate two-acre lot, and he came into the homestead only in 1849, so the present house may be the Spaulding homestead itself, standing on the site of the house Bonner sold in 1783, rebuilt or enlarged. The assessor dates it to about 1825. The Deacon was prominent in the early history of the Baptist Church in Billerica. He was one of a group in West Billerica who attended church in Chelmsford, and before a Baptist Society was organized in Billerica meetings were said to have been held in his barn. He was a deacon of the Society from its organization.
After Edward's death his children, Olive Nickles, Sybel Wilson, Mary Spaulding, Martha Simonds and Thomas Spaulding, sold the farm in October 1888 for $2,700 to Daniel Lane: 123 acres "with the buildings thereon", running from the Billerica-Chelmsford town bound to the Bedford and Chelmsford road, "Intending to convey all the land owned by the late Edward Spaulding", with 17 more acres across the road. Daniel Lane passed it in 1914 to John H. Lane of Lowell, who put it in joint names with his wife in 1955 and died in 1958. The Lane family has kept it ever since; in 1974 it was still a working farm of 88 acres with its barn, and the assessor now lists 78 acres of farm and residential land with the house.
References
- MACRIS BIL.204
- Billerica assessor, parcel 37-1-0 (9 Nashua Rd): 78.12 acres, farm, colonial house built "about 1825"
Title References
| Date | Type | Grantor | Grantee | Summary | Recorded |
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| April 11, 1761 | Deed | William Patten of Billerica, cooper | William Bonner of Billerica, husbandman | 1760 William Patten sells two range lots on the Chelmsford line to William Bonner | 58/336 (South) |
For 60 pounds lawful money, "Two certain Parcels of Land situate lying and being in Billerica ... on the West side of Concord River": the first of 44 acres 64 poles, bounded northwest by Chelmsford line about 49 poles, northeast by "the Land that was laid out to Thomas Baldwin", southwest by land laid out to Ephraim Kidder and southeast "by the range way" about 49 poles; the second of 46 1/2 acres "in the first Range of Lots", northwest by Chelmsford line about 51 poles, northeast by land laid out to John Sheldon, southwest by land laid out to Nathaniel Bacon and southeast by the Range Way about 52 poles, the corners marked by black oaks lettered SK and KS. Signed May 13, 1760, witnessed by Thomas Kidder and Asa Spaulding (the later buyer); recorded April 11, 1761. Billerica town book 5, pages 518-520.
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| January 15, 1793 | Deed | William Bonner of Billerica, husbandman (Margaret Bonner releasing dower) | Asa Spaulding of Billerica, gentleman | 1783 Bonner sells 92 acres with a dwelling house to Asa Spaulding | 110/109 (South) |
For 130 pounds lawful money, "A certain tract of land lying in said Billerica containing by Estimation Ninety two Acres with a Dwelling House standing thereon", bounded northwest on Chelmsford line about one hundred rods, northeast by land of said Asa Spaulding and John Parker about 146 rods, southeast "by the range way about one hundred rods", and southwest by land of Ebenezer Dowse and said Spaulding about 146 poles. Signed Dec. 27, 1783, "in the eighth Year of American Independence", witnessed by Oliver Stearns and Joseph Nickless; acknowledged March 14, 1786; recorded Jan. 15, 1793. The two Patten lots of 1760, now with a house. Billerica town book 8, pages 377-378.
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| 1815 | Will | Estate of Asa Spaulding of Billerica, gentleman (will dated Sept. 26, 1808) | His son Thomas Spaulding (the land north of the Rangeway) | 1815 will of Asa Spaulding: land north of the Rangeway to son Thomas | Probate #20920 |
Asa Spaulding's will, proved in 1815 (executor Ephraim Robbins declined April 4, 1815), gives his wife Anna the westerly bedroom of his dwelling house and yearly provisions; his son Asa the 48-acre Miller place and other land in Carlisle; his son Benoni about 100 acres "with the buildings" south of the rangeway toward the Chelmsford line; and "to my son Thomas Spaulding and to his heirs and assigns forever all my land lying on the northerly side of the Rangeway not herein before disposed of except the Keyes place so called", Thomas to supply his mother. Daughters Anna Barron, Sibbel Robbins and Rachel Warren received $200 each. Witnessed by Asa Parker, Malachi Allen and Benjamin Russell.
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| April 23, 1828 | Deed | Thomas Spaulding of Billerica, gentleman (Prudence Spaulding releasing dower) | His son Edward Spaulding of Billerica, yeoman | 1828 Thomas Spaulding deeds a house lot and 29 acres to his son Edward | 281/314 (South) |
For $393.40, "a certain tract of land situate in said Billerica on the easterly side of the Rangeway containing two acres be it more or less with all the buildings thereon", bounded by the Rangeway, walls and a ditch and "bounded on all sides by land of Josiah Crosby Esqr. except the rangeway"; and "one other tract of land situate near Chelmsford line containing twenty nine acres", by land of Jonathan Parker about 128 rods, Ephraim Warren, Thomas Spaulding, Joseph Cowdry and Benoni Spaulding, "crossing the new road". Signed April 15, 1828, witnessed by Samuel Whiting and Thomas Spaulding Jr.; recorded April 23, 1828. The two-acre house lot was Edward's home four years after his marriage; it is not the Spaulding homestead. Billerica town book 14, pages 94-95.
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| April 23, 1828 | Deed | Jonas Spaulding of Chelmsford, yeoman | Edward Spaulding of Billerica, yeoman | 1828 Jonas Spaulding sells Edward 21 acres over the Chelmsford line | 281/317 (South) |
For $128, "a certain tract of land situate in the southeasterly part of said Chelmsford containing twenty one acres & fifty five poles", from a heap of stones at the cow yard by land set to the widow R. Davis as dower, by Benjamin Adams to Mill Brook, by Joseph Adams and James and Abel Spaulding, then "through the middle of the dwelling house", "through the middle of the well & through the middle of the barn" and the cow yard, "with the west part of the house & barn". Signed April 15, 1828, the same day as his father's deed, witnessed by Samuel Whiting and Thomas Spaulding; recorded April 23, 1828. Land just over the Chelmsford line by Mill Brook, which bounds the later Spaulding farm. Chelmsford town book 12, pages 152-153.
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| 1849 | Administration | Estate of Capt. Thomas Spaulding of Billerica (died 1849), William Chandler of Lexington administrator | His children Thomas Spaulding, Edward Spaulding, Rebecca Simonds and Sibel Duren | 1849 estate of Capt. Thomas Spaulding: 55-acre homestead | Probate #42081 |
The heirs Thomas Spaulding, Edward Spaulding, Rebecca Simonds and Samuel R. Duren asked on Aug. 4, 1849 that William Chandler of Lexington administer the estate, and he was appointed Aug. 21, 1849. The inventory of Aug. 17, 1849 (John Baldwin, David P. Winning and Jacob Spaulding) lists the "Homestead containing 55a 2r 19p" ($1,999), the Turnpike lot, Meadow lot (19 acres), Great pasture (25 acres), Miller lot, Dowse lot (17 acres), Claypit lot and the Parker field, $3,463 in real estate, with livestock, half the hay in the barn and furniture in the east lower room, west room, north room and two chambers; $7,711.50 in all. A plan of the estate was drawn by Cyrus Thompson in August 1849.
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| 1849 | Quitclaim | Thomas Spaulding of Billerica, yeoman (Harriett Spaulding releasing dower) | His brother Edward Spaulding of Nashua, N.H., yeoman | 1849 Thomas Spaulding Jr. releases his father's 150 acres to Edward | 569/59 (South) |
For $842.60, "all my right title and interest in and to all the real estate of which my father Thomas Spaulding late of Billerica died seized & possessed of wherever the same may be containing one hundred and fifty acres more or less, reference being had to a plan of the same ... drawn by Cyrus Thompson August 25th 1849". Signed Aug. 31, 1849, witnessed by William Chandler (the administrator) and Stephen Nickles. Edward was then living in Nashua; this deed and the other heirs' release of October brought the homestead to him. The grantor died within months (will Dec. 18, 1849, probate 42082). Billerica town book 19, page 9.
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| November 21, 1849 | Quitclaim | Samuel R. Duren and Sybel Duren of Woburn, Rebecca Simonds of Billerica, and the Dudley and Hartshorn heirs | Edward Spaulding of Nashua, N.H., yeoman | 1849 the other heirs release lots of the estate to Edward | 574/73 (South) |
For $689, the heirs released the Miller lot (4 a 2 r 2 p, on the road from Carlisle to the Canal Mills), the Dowse lot (17 a 3 r 32 p, bounded on land of E. Spaulding and Mrs. Warren), the Turnpike lot (6 a 1 r 5 p) and, in Carlisle, the Clay pit lot and the Parker field: "The above described lots are a part of the estate of Thomas Spaulding late of Billerica, decd.", with reference to Cyrus Thompson's plan of Aug. 15, 1849. Signed Oct. 22, 1849 before William Chandler; recorded Nov. 21, 1849. Billerica town book 21, pages 166-168.
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| November 14, 1888 | Deed | Olive Nickles, widow; Sybel Wilson and Horace N. Wilson of Carlisle; Mary Spaulding; Martha and Thomas Simonds; Thomas Spaulding | Daniel Lane of Billerica | 1888 Edward Spaulding's heirs sell the 123-acre farm to Daniel Lane | 201/289 |
For $2,700, "a certain tract of land with the buildings thereon situate in the west part of said Billerica containing one hundred twenty three acres more or less", from the town bound between Billerica and Chelmsford by land of Thomas Spaulding, A. Bartlett, S. Stevens, Mill Brook, the Benjamin Adams land, Spaulding Brothers, T. B. Cowdrey's heirs, the Carlisle road and D. Duren to the Bedford and Chelmsford road, and by that road 78 rods 17 links to the first bound, "Intending to convey all the land owned by the late Edward Spaulding"; the 15-acre Warren land inside the bounds was excepted. Also 17 acres on the east side of the Chelmsford and Bedford road, with a right of way to the Bartlett meadow reserved. Signed Oct. 30, 1888 before Dudley Foster; recorded Nov. 14, 1888.
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| 1914 | Quitclaim | Daniel Lane of Billerica | John H. Lane of Lowell | 1914 Daniel Lane to John H. Lane | 518/388 |
For $1, "a certain tract of land with the buildings thereon situate in the west part of said Billerica, containing one hundred twenty-three acres more or less", same bounds (Thomas Spaulding, A. Bartlett, Mill Brook, Spaulding Brothers, the Carlisle road, the Bedford and Chelmsford road), and the 17 acres east of the Chelmsford and Bedford road, "Both being the same premises conveyed to me by Olive Nickles et als by their deed dated October 30, 1888 ... Book 201, Page 289". Dated March 24, 1914.
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| November 22, 1955 | Quitclaim | John H. Lane of Billerica | John H. Lane and his wife, as joint tenants | 1955 John H. Lane to himself and his wife; held by the Lane family since | 1317/233 |
For consideration paid, "A certain tract of land, with the buildings thereon, situate in the west part of said Billerica and containing 123 acres of land, more or less. Portions of said tract are also situate in said Chelmsford and Carlisle", and 17 acres on the easterly side of the Chelmsford and Bedford Road, "Hereby conveying all and the same premises to me conveyed by deed of Daniel Lane dated March 24, 1914 ... Book 518, Page 388. For another instrument in the chain of title, see deed of Olive Nickles et als to Daniel Lane ... Book 201, Page 289", excepting a piece of the 17 acres deeded the same day to another member of the family. John H. Lane died April 13, 1958; his widow then put the farm in joint names with a son (Book 1413, Page 94, recorded Sept. 5, 1958, the assessor's current deed), and it passed within the family through a 1984 estate. The family still owned it as a farm (88 acres) in 1974.
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Recorded is Book/Page at the Middlesex North Registry of Deeds unless noted; Probate # is a Middlesex probate case, Ctf a Land Court certificate of title.