Among the original proprietors and settlers of Hardwick, was Samuel Ruggles, a grandson of Thomas Ruggles, who, with his younger brother, John, founded the family in America. The family is of ancient lineage in England and its principal seat or place of abode was at Sudbury in the county of Suffolk. Information obtained by the writer relative to its early history discloses the fact that the two immigrants just mentioned were the sons of Nicholas, and the grandsons of Thomas Ruggles, whose will was dated June 21, 1747. That they had served the crown and were the recipients of royal favor is attested by their coat of arms, which is still preserved and may be briefly described as follows: An inverted chevron on a light blue shield, three red lozenges, one in each corner, beneath which is the family motto consisting of the single word--Struggle.
John Ruggles, the first of that name in America, immigrated in 1635 and was followed ten years later by his brother Thomas. Frederick Elbridge Ruggles, of this sketch, is a descendant in the ninth generation of Thomas, and the line of descent is through Thomas (2), Samuel (3), Benjamin (4), Benjamin (5), Lemuel (6), Lemuel (7), and Elbridge (8).
Thomas Ruggles (1) married Mary Curtis, of the parish of Nazing in the county of Essex, November 9, 1620, and she accompanied him to America. She was a sister of the first William Curtis, one of the original settlers of Roxbury, and Thomas Ruggles settled in that town, where he died November 16, 1644-45. His widow subsequently married (???) Root. She died February 14, 1674-75, aged eighty-six years. The children of Thomas and Mary Ruggles were: John, Thomas, Sarah and Samuel. Three of these, John, Sarah and Samuel came with their parents to New England.
Samuel Ruggles, son of Thomas and Mary (Curtis) Ruggles, kept a tavern in Roxbury, and was an active participant in the early public affairs of that town, serving as a selectman and as an assessor for a period of fourteen years, and was representative to the general court during the four critical years succeeding the civic disturbance of 1689. For several years he was a captain in the militia, and while General Andros and his associates were held as prisoners he was chosen the custodian of Joseph Dudley (afterward governor), who was allowed his liberty under certain restraints. He married for his first wife Hannah, daughter of George Fowle, of Charlestown, who died October 24, 1669. The children of this union were: Hannah, Mary, Samuel, Joseph, Hannah 2d., Sarah, Mary 2d., Sarah 2d., and another child who died in infancy. On May 26, 1670, he married for his second wife Anna, daughter of Henry Bright, of Watertown. She became the mother of six children, namely: Thomas, Anna, Nathaniel, Elizabeth, Henry and Huldah. The mother of these children died September 5, 1711, aged sixty-seven years. Samuel Ruggles, son of Samuel and Hannah (Fowle) Ruggles, was born in Roxbury, June 1, 1658. He served as selectman and assessor in Roxbury, as representative to the general court, and was captain in the militia. He was one of eight associates who purchased, for twenty pounds, of John Magnus and Lawrence Nassawonno, Sachems of the Nipmuck Indians, the territory which in 1737 became incorporated as the town of Hardwick. Although the original deed was signed December 27, 1686, it was not recorded until March 7, 1723. He was also interested with Captain James Fitch and others, of Norwich, Connecticut, in the purchase of a large tract of land in that state, which is now the town of Pomfret. He died in February, 1715-16. On July 8, 1680, he married Martha, daughter of Rev. John Woodbridge, of Newbury, and granddaughter of Governor Thomas Dudley. She died in 1738. Their children were: Samuel, Lucy, Rev. Timothy, Hannah, Patience, Martha, Sarah, Joseph, Mary and Benjamin. Rev. Timothy Ruggles, who was graduated from Harvard College in 1702, and ordained pastor of the church at Rochester, November 22, 1710, was the father of General Timothy Ruggles (known as the brigadier), a noted military officer in the services of the crown. He was a loyalist and his property in Hardwick having been confiseated during the revolutionary war he went to Wilmot, Nova Scotia. (A more extended account of General Timothy Ruggles will be found in a sketch of J. R. Robinson, which appears elsewhere in this work.)
Rev. Benjamin Ruggles, son of Samuel and Martha (Woodbridge) Ruggles, was born in Roxbury, July 14, 1700. He was graduated from Yale College in 1721 and received the degree of Master of Arts from both Yale and Harvard in 1724. He was ordained pastor of the Second Church in Middleboro in October, 1724, but afterward took charge of the first church organized in New Braintree, and resided in Hardwick. He died suddenly May 12, 1782. On December 30, 1725, he married Dorcas, daughter of Samuel Whiting, and granddaughter of Rev. Samuel Whiting, of Billerica. His children were: Benjamin, Whiting, Mary, Dorcas, Lucy, Betsey and Nancy. The mother died September 5, 1778, aged seventy-five years.
Benjamin Ruggles, son of Rev. Benjamin and Dorcas (Whiting) Ruggles, was born December 18, 1726. Immediately after his first marriage he removed from Middleboro, settling on the farm in Hardwick which is still the homestead of the family, and located in the vicinity of Furnace village. On account of his bushy hair, and to distinguish him from others of the same name, he was known as "Bush Ben." He died October 22, 1795. He married for his first wife, in 1750, Sarah Hunt, of Dartmouth. She died May 20, 1772, and he married for his second wife, in February of the following year, Jerusha, widow of John Aiken. Jerusha died October 28, 1787, and in July, 1789, he married for his third wife Hannah Hamblin, of New Braintree. His children were: Samuel, Benjamin, Lemuel, Ephraim, Sarah, Rebecca, Hannah and Benjamin 2d. His widow became the wife of John Jones, of Barre, May 29, 1796, and resided near Furnace village in a house which she purchased. She survived her husband many years and died April 22, 1816.
Lemuel Ruggles, son of Benjamin and Sarah (Hunt) Ruggles, was born in Hardwick, February 26, 1755. He was a prosperous farmer, and spent his cutire life on the homestead on Moose Brook road, where he died October 22, 1806. He married Lydia (???), who died May 2, 1807, aged fifty years. The children of this union were: Lemuel, Lydia, Brigham and Sally.
Lemuel Ruggles, son of Lemuel and Lydia Ruggles, was born in Hardwick about the year 1780. He succeeded to the possession of the homestead farm and carried it on successfully until his death, which occurred February 14, 1840. He married Hannah Hooker, of Enfield (marriage intentions published March 30, 1718), and was the father of Elbridge, Sally, Emory, Maria and Jonas.
Elbridge Rugles, son of Lemuel and Hannah (Hooker) Ruggles, and father of Frederick E. Ruggles, was born at the homestead in Hardwick, June 3, 1819. The active period of his life was spent in general farming upon the homestead, which he inherited in turn. In December, 1850, he married Mary Aiken, of Prescott, Hampshire county. She became the mother of eight children, namely: Mary Theodoia, August 20, 1852; Abbie, June 21, 1854; Frederick Elbridge, of whom later; Amory A., May 26, 1859; Ella Frances, August 3, 1863; Louis Hooker, November 17, 1866; Gertrude M., February 1, 1869; and Nelson Paul, August 29, 1871.
Frederick Elbridge Ruggles was born near Hardwick, September 23, 1856. His preliminary studies in the Hardwick public schools were supplemented with a course in the higher branches at the Hitchcock Academy, Brimfield, Massachusetts, upon the completion of which he engaged in farming at the homestead and has ever since resided there. He makes a specialty of dairy products, for which purpose the Ruggles farm is admirably adapted and has acquired excellent financial results in that particular branch of agriculture. For a number of years he has served with ability upon the board of assessors, and has several times been chosen a delegate to Republican conventions. He is a member of the local grange, Patrons of Husbandry, of which he has been secretary for many years, and his church affiliations are with the Congregationalists.
On April 27, 1881, Mr. Ruggles was united in marriage with Miss Catherine E. Wesson, daughter of William Cutler Wesson, of Hardwick. Mr. and Mrs. Ruggles have four daughter, namely: Eliza J., a book-keeper; Mary A., a stenographer; Edith Christabel, who is studying at an art school in Boston with a view of becoming an instructor in drawing; and Madalene, who is now a student at Mount Holyoke College, preparatory to engaging in educational pursuits.
