RICE, Gershom b. 9 May 1667 Marlborough, MA d. 19 Dec 1768 Worcester, MA

Puffer Genealogy

1667 - 1768 (101 years)

Personal Information | Notes | Sources | All

Name	RICE, Gershom
Birth	9 May 1667	Marlborough, MA
Gender	Male
Arrival	1697	Groton, CT [1]
Arrival	1713	Marlborough, MA [1]
	He and his brother, Jonas, commenced the 3rd and permanent settlement of Worcester. Two previous settlements there were broken up by the Indians.
_COLOR	11
Death	19 Dec 1768	Worcester, MA
Burial	Worcester, MA
	Address: Hope Cemetery
Person ID	I5288	Puffers
Last Modified	20 Jun 2021

Father	RICE, Thomas, b. 1622, England d. 16 Nov 1681, Marlborough, MA (Age 59 years)
Family ID	F21569	Group Sheet \| Family Chart

Family BALCOMBE, Elizabeth, b. 16 Aug 1672, Charlestown, MA d. 1752, New London, CT (Age 79 years)

Children

	1. RICE, Lieut. Gershom Jr., b. Abt 1696, MA d. 24 Sep 1781, Worcester, MA (Age 85 years)
	2. RICE, Elizabeth, b. 20 Oct 1698, Groton, CT d. Bef 1744 (Age < 45 years)
	3. RICE, Abishai, b. 16 Oct 1701, Groton, CT d. Abt 1792 (Age 90 years)
	4. RICE, Sarah, b. 9 Feb 1703, Groton, CT d. 10 Dec 1781, Petersham, MA (Age 78 years)
	5. RICE, Matthias Solomon, b. 26 Jan 1707, Groton, CT d. 1758, Groton, CT (Age 50 years)
	6. RICE, Ruth, b. 11 Apr 1710, Groton, CT d. Abt 1730, NH (Age 19 years)

Family ID F7610 Group Sheet | Family Chart

Last Modified 14 Apr 2024

Notes

Residence: bef 13 Oct 1713; Jonas Rice (1673-1753), Marlboro, Middlesex C o, MA; moving from Groton with a petition of that date signed by Gersho m and Jonas of Marlboro. Petition presented to the General Court expres sing desire to enter upon a new settlement of Worchester. The request w as granted and they then commenced the third and permanent settlement o f Worcester. Gershom and Jonas were called the "FATHERS OF THAT TOWN." A t his home, the first meetings for religious worship were held in 1736. T he church later was built to the left of City Hall on Main Street, Worc ester, the First Old South Church. Gershom was chosen as selectman & he ld that office for 9 years. He became a very prominent citizen of Worce ster. He built his home on Pakachoag Hill (now the site of Holy Cross C ollege). He sold his estate in Worcester and purchased a large tract o f land in what is now Auburn- on Bancroft Street where he died December 1 9, 1761, aged 101 years and buried on Worcester Common. His son Gershom , Jr. was the next one to live in the homestead and he assisted in orga nizing the new town and church. He was succeeded by his son, Comfort Ri ce, who is buried in Auburn, beside the Center Church. Then his son, Ed ward Rice and his son, Ezra rice lived there. From 1736 when the house w as built, five generations of Rice family lived there for 152 years. Th irty one children were born here by the name of Rice. Gershom (Sr.) pla nted the first orchards in 1735.