5 Feb 1712/3 Elizabeth married
Ebenezer Holden (10840) , son of
Justinian Holden (3618) (ca 1644-ca 1697/1700) &
Mary (-15 May 1691), in Cambridge, MA.
155 Born on 11 May 1690 in Woburn, MA.124 Ebenezer died in 1756.155
Ebenezer died in the army, probably at Fort Edward.155
From The Holden Genealogy, page 100–101:155
Ebenezer Holden was described as “of Charlestown” at the time of his marriage. He was one of the Massachusetts men attracted to the new townships opened to settlement in eastern Connecticut, and lived in both Lebanon and Windham, but returned to Massachusetts, and in 1740 was described as “of Kingsfield, in the county of Hampshire.” On the 7 March, 1740-1, he was living on “Mr. Read’s farm, Hampshire county,” and on the 16 Jan., following, describing himself as of Hardwick, blacksmith, sold as “heir,” one third of the grant by Watertown to Samuel Freeman in 1640, being 35 acres of upland, a great divident in the second division and 27th lot.
On the 5 Oct., 1744, an execution was issued in favor of Joseph Brooks of Ware River, against Ebenezer Holden “of a place called Bedford.”
Soon after 1713 the Province of Connecticut transferred to John Read, at less than a farthing an acre ten thousand acres in the western portion of what is now Ware. These were part of the Equiva- lent lands granted Connecticut in return for abandoning claims to certain towns on the Connecticut, including Enfield and Suffield, now, however, part of that state. About 1725 a settlement was made at what was afterward designated as Lambstown (1732), and incorporated in 1738 as Hardwick. Read’s farm was in part the northern boundary of the territory set off as Palmer. Prior to 1740 the number of settlers in this territory was few, their means of communication slight, nor were they capable of supporting independent church and town government. Records are therefore scanty. Ebenezer Holden probably settled upon the ten thousand acre tract of Read, and for purpose of identification was styled of Hardwick, though he seems to have had no connection with that town. Probably in 1742 or 1743 he settled in the District of Bedford, seventeen miles southwest of Springfield, incorporated as Granville in 1754, where the first settlement seems to have been made about 1735.
There is a return dated 20 Dec., 1750, by a committee representing the proprietors, in compliance with the act passed 20 June, 1750, of persons admitted inhabitants in the District of Bedford. The return lists seventy-six, of whom the first was Rev. Moses Tuttle, the second Mr. Daniel Brown, the seventh Ebenezer Holden, the nineteenth Ebenezer Holden, Jr.
The name of Ebenezer Holden, appears on the pay roll of a company commanded by Captain Thomas Cheney, in the regiment commanded by General Dwight, raised in Massachusetts in 1746, for the expedition against Canada, which was dismissed 31 Oct., 1747.
Ebenezer Holden of Westfield enlisted as private 22 April, 1756, and served until 1 Oct., 1756, in company commanded by Captain John Mosely in the Crown Point expedition. Entered as “aged 56, born in Oborn (i.e. Woburn), residence Granvale,” joined from Captain Ashley’s company, Colonel John Worthanton’s regiment, from town of Granvale. In camp at Fort Edward 26 July, 1756, “took Handel’s place,” allowed 10 days travel and fifteen days subsistence while making up roll, and is charged 12 shillings for his gun. Also allowed 9 shillings, 6 pence for subsistence from Westfield, 95 miles. His name appears on a roll of Captain Mosely’s company, Colonel Joseph Dwight’s regiment, dated 11 Oct., 1756, at Fort William Henry with the word “dead” against it.
The age of Ebenezer Holden in the above enlistment roll is given as 56 years (he was actually 66 years of age), but as there is no other Ebenezer contemporary with the son of Justinian; and as Ebenezer son of Justinian is the only one of that name known to have been born in Woburn, there is no doubt as to the identity of the soldier.