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A Southampton National Register Parcel

The first deed registered at the Hampshire County Registry of Deeds in Northampton, regarding this property, is dated 1787 and is a transfer from Hopestill Welch to David Chapman, “One piece of land with dwelling house and blacksmith shop on the same”.  The land is further described as, “Beginning at an elm tree at a corner of land of King Bascom, adjoining County Road then running by road easterly 9 rods to land of Dr. Woodbridge.  Then north, 24 rods.  Then westerly, 7 rods to said Bascom’s land.  Then southerly, 26 rods to said elm tree”, (2-566).

At the Springfield Registry of Deeds there is a transaction recorded in 1780 (20-347) which is interesting in this connection, “Jonathon Bascom to Sylvester Woodbridge” in part bounded on the west by Captain Jonathon Judd’s shop lot”.

This Captain Judd must have been Jonathon Judd Jr. who graduated from Yale College in 1765.  So it appears that there was at least a shop of some kind on this property in 1780.  In what year Captain Judd sold this property to Hopestill Welch cannot be determined by any deed registered at Northampton.

Apparently Mr. Welch was a blacksmith and also Mr. David Chapman.

Jonathon Judd Jr., again became the owner in 1799, buying it from David Chapman for $740, (16-314).

The description in the deed is the same as in the deed from Hopestill Welch to David Chapman.

According the tradition, Mr. Jonathon Judd, Jr. operated a store here until 1816 or 1818.  He had never married and died in 1819.  Of interest in connection with the store is a receipt found in the attic dated May 13, 1806 and made out to Jonathon Judd, Jr. for 2 faggots of bran and signed Ripley Belding.

His nephew, Asa Judd, who was married to Levia Gridley about 1816 took over the store and resided here until he died in 1848.  Probably the store was not operated on this property after 1848 and possibly before that date.

Rufus S. Clark was the next owner, buying it from James S. Judd, administrator of the Estate of Asa Judd on Jan. 2, 1850 buying at a public sale for $405.  Part of this deed is as follows:  “All right interest and title whereof the said Asa Judd, died, seized and possessed of in and to a certain parcel of land described as follows: “Westerly on land of Jonathon N. Judd with the store standing on the same, being the same store lately owned and occupied by said deceased.  A range of horse-sheds are reserved to the owners of the same as tenents at will”.

Rufus S. Clark was the son of Oliver Clark Jr. and Cynthia Clapp.  He was born in 1805 and died 1859.  He married in 1827 Abigail Searle (daughter of Heman Searle and Abigail Clapp).  She was born in 1805 and died in 1852.

Jonathon Newel Judd was the next owner, buying from the estate of Rufus S. Clark in 1861 (202-331).  Jonathon N. Judd was the son of Asa Judd and born 9-23-1817, died 7-11-1861.  His first wife was Naomi and they had one daughter, born 1846 and died 1862.  Naomi died 1846.

Jonathon N. Judd married second, Lucinda R. Parsons of Westhampton.  the had three children; Frank Parsons, John N., and Jonathon Franklin.  Their first child died in 1860, and of the other two not much is known except that one of them, probably John, must be the ward referred to in the deed to Orrin Moore in 1864.

Orrin Moore was a brother-in-law of Jonathon N. Judd having married Ann Maria Judd, Jonathon’s sister in 1846.

He bought the property from Lucinda R. Judd, widow of Jonathon N. Judd.  What she sold was her right, dower, and homestead for $300, 11-30-1865, (231-296).  Lucinda also sold to Orrin Moore the interest of her ward for $1200, 4-6-1864, (220-24).

The above two deeds read, in part, as follows:  “A certain homestead recently belonging to Jonathon N. Judd, deceased, one acre more or less with buildings; westerly, by the store lot of Jonathon N. Judd”.

Frederick E. Judd became the next owner in 1905, buying from Henry L. Moore, (600-85).  this Mr. Judd never lived here, and during his ownership he rented out the house to several different families.  Stephen Gunn was probably the earliest.  He carried the milk from many of the local farmers to Holyoke and kept his horses in the barn.  He used a double-decker milk wagon which was very heavy when loaded with milk.  Consequently, he kept enough horses or mules so that he could alternate them at least once a day.

Stephen Gunn died March 28, 1916.  His wife had died earlier and their one son, Bradford, was taken care of by Miss Hatti Searle who lived in the east side of the house.

Edward Sheldon and his wife with their two sons, Stuart and Henry, were the next renters.  The house in which they had been living (the William Boyd house ) had burned August 1, 1915.

The Sheldons lived here from late in 1915 to June 1916.  Then they bought a small farm on Park Street in Easthampton and moved there.

Axel Madsen and Winifred Crowley, who were married in 1915, moved in here in June 1916 and stayed until sometime in 1919. Axel had bought out Mr. Gunn’s milk route and later was in the trucking and grain business.  Axel became a very prominent man in Southampton, was a selectman for many years, and, held other important offices.  He died in 1947 and his widow , Winifred Madsen, lives in her own house which is the second house south of the Church.  Their three sons are Robert, Douglas and Donald.

Edward Lamontagne and his wife were the next tenants, moving in 1919.  He was a blacksmith and rented the Ewing blacksmith shop on Maple Street.

They stayed several years and then Miss Dora Quigley moved here.  She was the very popular local postmistress for many years.

Fred Sherman and his family moved here about 1937 and stayed for about 18 years.  The above named families all lived in the west side of the house.  There were several different families living on the other side, some of them being Miss Hattie Searle (previously mentioned), Will Miller and family, George Sherman and family, Emerson Coleman, and in late years, Mr. and Mrs. James Alvey.

The Alveys moved here in 1947.  Mr. Alvey was custodian of the Sheldon Academy for a number of years, Julia Alvey was Town Librarian.  Mr. Alvey died in March 1960.  Mrs. Alvey continues to reside here (1965).

Westfield Savings Bank took over the property in 1937 and they sold to Jessie M. Ward in the same year.

Vernon L. and Violet Bull bought from Jessie Ward in 1945.  They sold to Richard Roulston in 1957.

In 1960 Richard Roulston sold to Charles and Shirley Fisher, and they lived here with their two daughters, Sheila and Sally through February 1966, when they moved into their newly purchased home on Pomeroy Meadow Road.

Edwin and Marion Doty bought the property from Charles and Shirley Fisher January 20, 1966.  The Doty family came to Southampton from West Springfield.  they moved into the house March 1, 1966.  they have a married daughter, Andrea, and a son Edwin A. who attends the University of Massachusetts.  Edwin Doty is the owner of Doty Ford Sales in Easthampton.

–From “History of Old Houses” by Atherton Parsons

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