In the "History of Concord, Massachusetts," mention is made of Hon. Thomas Flint, who came from Matlock, Derbyshire, England, 1638, and settled in the plantation in that town; and from the same authority we learn that this Thomas Flint was possessed of "wealth, talents and a christian character," that he brought with him from England four thousand pounds sterling, "which was liberally parted with for the benefits of the colony."
His first wife was an English gentlewoman who accompanied her husband and their three sons to America and died here. He afterward married a daughter of President Oakes, of Harvard College, and by her had sons John and Ephraim, both of whom lived in Concord with him. Thomas Flint died Oct. 8, 1653, and his will, made in 1651, just before he sailed to England, is the first will on file in the Middlesex probate records. It is asserted by some early chroniclers of Flint genealogy that the three sons coming from England with Thomas were Edward, Thomas and William, but investigations of more recent genealogists and historians of the family have led them to a different conclusion.
William, Thomas and Edward were brothers. The first mention we have of them appears in the Essex county probate records in 1652, although there is evidence to show that they had a mother living in Salem as early as 1642.

(I) Thomas Flint, progenitor of the branch of the family treated in these annals, settled in that part of the old town of Salem which now is Peabody. He bought two hundred acres of land about six miles from Salem court house, near Phelp's mill and brook. The title deed to a part of this land was witnessed in 1662 by Giles Corey, who in 1692, when eighty-one years of age, was pressed to death at Salem during the witchcraft madness because he would not plead to the charge; his house stood on the land that after his death became a prt of the Flint homestead.
Thomas Flint died in 1663. His wife Ann, after his death, married a Suthrick, and her will is on file in the Essex probate records.

(II) Sergeant George, second son of Thomas and Ann Flint, was born Jan. 6, 1652, and went to Reading before 1682, and settled on land he acquired from his father, and was the first of that name in the town. He was a farmer and resided in the north precinct of that part of Reading which now constitutes the village of North Reading. His house stood on a gentle eminence commanding a fine view of the river and adjacent meadows, which to the early settlers was the chief attraction of the town. Tradition says that his was the first framed house built in the precinct, and that it was used as a garrison house while there were hostile Indians in the vicinity. Another circumstance said to have been connected with this family, and which was frequently related by its older members is, that on one pleasant Sabbath day all the family were absent at church but two of the daughters of Sergeant Flint, who were left at home in charge of the house. One of the daughters took a pistol and, aiming it at the other said, "Suppose you were an Indian, how easil I could shoot you." At that moment the pistol went off and lodged its contents in the shoulder of her sister, crippling her for life. Her father in his will mentions her as "unfortunate daughter Mary," and makes suitable provision for her proper maintenance. Her grandfather, Nathaniel Putnam, gave her a double portion "because she hath a lame arm."
The old garrison house was taken down several years ago and one of modern construction has been erected in its place.
Sergeant George Flint was one of the selectmen of the Salem village church, and quite active in religious matters, as appears by the interest he took in the organizations of the north parish church. He presided as moderator of the first meeting of the parish, and ever after as long as he lied took a leading part in the management of its affairs. He gave the parish one acre of land, on which the first meeting house was built. The first minister of the precinct church, Rev. Daniel Putnam, was his nephew. He died June 23, 1720, aged sixty-eight years.
He married (first) Elizabeth, daughter of Nathaniel and Elizabeth (Hutchinson) Putnam, born Aug. 11, 1662, died March 6, 1697. He married (second) March 2, 1699, Mrs. Susanna Gardner, by whom he had no children. She died in March, 1720.

(III) Ebenezer, second son of Sergeant George and Elizabeth (Putnam) Flint, was born Dec. 16, 1689, in Reading, and died Sept. 18, 1778, in that town. He was a farmer, living on land given him by his father in North Reading, which was taken from the northern end of the parental homestead, near the Andover line. This remains to this day (1910) in the possession of his desecendants, undiminished in quality. It is part of the land which Sergeant George Flint inherited from his father, "the old patriot." called by the latter in his will, "land I bought beyond the Ipswich river."
Ebenezer Flint married, May 18, 1714, Tabitha Burnap, who died July 20, 1734.
Children:
Tabitha (died young), Ebenezer, Eunice, John (mentioned below), Tabitha, Elizabeth, Jacob, Hepzibeth and Ann.

(IV) John, second son of Ebenezer and Tabitha (Burnap) Flint, was born in 1720, in North Reading, and lived on the homestead of his grandfather, where he died Feb. 13, 1802. "He was a man of stern aspect and of temper inflexible to a fault," and this circumstance is related as illustrative of his character: In speaking of public worship in the town hall, he says, "The hymn was read by the deacon, a line at a time, and was sung by the choir. This ceased when a new collection of hymns was introduced, together with a base viol to aid the choir singers." To this innovation Captain John Flint was irreconcilably opposed. A descendant says: "I well remember to have seen this venerable white-haired man, with his long cane, walk dubiously the whole length of the broad aisle of the hosue while the hymn was reading, and taking his stand during the singing at sufficient distance to be out of hearing of the profane voil. Yet I remember this man taking me, out of pure kindness, when a child, to a bee's hive."
He married (first) June 6, 1744, Joanna Farnham, who died Feb. 22, 1753; (second) Tamar Hunt, who died Jan. 29, 1802.
Children of first wife:
John (mentioned below), Joanna, James and Levi.
Children of second wife:
Ebenezer and Hepzibeth.

(V) John (2), eldest son of John (1) and Joanna (Farnham) Flint, was born May 16, 1745, in North Reading, and died July 16, 1830, in Lyme, New Hampshire, where he was a farmer most of his active life. He was a lieutenant in the revolutionary army.
He married, Nov. 19, 1766, Molly, daughter of Moses and Mary (Stickney) Worcester, born Oct. 7, 1744, died Nov. 15, 1830.
Children:
John (died young), Moses, Molly, Samuel, Hannah, Sally, John, George (mentioned below) and Rhoda.

(VI) George, fifth son of John (2) and Molly (Worcester) Flint, was born Jan. 29, 1784, and resided on a farm in Colton, New York. He married Polly Saunders.
Children:
1. Mary, married Alanson Snell, and lived in Colton, where she died in 1852.
2. Louisa, became wife of Washington Young, and resided in the same town.
3. Clarissa, became second wife of Alanson Snell, and also lived in Colton.
4. Charles D., mentioned below.
5. Roxanna, married C.A. Richardson, and also resided in Colton as did George W. The others were Malinda, still living in Potsdam; Rhoda (wife of James White), Charlotte, DeLafayette and Benjamin Franklin (twins). The last two also resided in Colton, where they were well known citizens. Charlotte was wife of Ebenezer Gale, of Clinton county.

(VII) Charles Decatur, eldest son of George and Poll (Saunders) Flint, was born in 1815, in Lyme, New Hampshire, and was a blacksmith by trade. He resided for a time in Vermont, whence he went to Au Sable Forks, N.Y., and soon after 1850 settled in South Colton, St. Lawrence county, where he cleared land and engaged in farming. While at Au Sable Forks he was employed as foreman by the J. Rogers Company, who operated iron works there.
He was possessed of much genius and was a blacksmith, wheelright and builder. He was active in town affairs and in the Baptist church, of which he was a deacon many years.
He married, April 26, 1842, Sarah Elizabeth Fisher, a native of Chazy, who was early left an orphan and was reared by a family named Ferris.
They had two sons, Franklin F., mentioned below
and Hobart C. born April, 1859, who now resides in Southern Pines, North Carolina.

(VIII) Franklin Fayette, elder son of Charles D. and Sarah E. (Fisher) Flint, was born Dec. 16, 1843, at Jay, Essex county, N.Y., and grew up in South Colton, where he received such education as the local schools afforded. At twenty years of age, in 1863, he enlisete in the Eleventh New York Cavalry Regiment, known as "Scott's Nine Hundred," serving as quartermaster-sergeant until the close of the war. During part of this time this regiment was the personal bodyguard of the president at Washington. It was subsequently employed in scouting in Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, and while engaged in numerous skirmishes was not in any heavy battle.
After peace was restored Mr. Flint returned to South Colton and engaged extensively in lumbering. In 1873 he built a saw mill above South Colton and continued its operation until 1880. He then returned to the village and conducted a general store in connection with the lumber business for nine years. Later he conducted a hardware store at Potsdam and was one of the organizers of the Racquette River Paper Company, of Potsdam, of which he was secretary and treasurer. About 1900 he removed to Buffalo, New York, where he now resides. He is a member of the Baptist church, and of the Grand Army of the Republic, and while an earnest Republican, has taken little part in public affairs, though he served as supervisor of Colton for several terms.
He married, April 28, 1866, Emma L. Armstrong, born Aug. 11, 1847, in Lisbon, N.Y., daughter of Rev. Robert Shannon and Harriet E. (Hack) Armstrong, the latter being at the time of her marriage the widow of a Mr. Rowan.
Mr and Mrs. Flint have two sons, both mentioned below.

(IX) Ernest Armstrong, elder son of Franklin F. and Emma L. (Armstrong) Flint, was born May 29, 1868, at South Colton, N.Y., and was educated in the common schools and at the Potsdam State Normal School.
He married, March 16, 1893, Genevieve M. Sharlan, and has one son, Ferrie Fayette, born March 25, 1895. He resides at Potsdam, where he is manager of the Potsdam Red Sandstone Company, and is prominent in the Masonic fraternity.
He is junior warden of Racquette River Lodge, No. 213, F. and A.M., high priest of St. Lawrence Chapter, No. 24, R.A.M.; a member of St. Lawrence Commandery, No. 546, I.O.O.F., and of W. B. Goodrich Camp, No. 109, S.O.V.

(IX) Merrill Stanton, junior son of Franklin F. and Emma L. (Armstrong) Flint, was born July 14, 1870, in South Colton, where he attended the public shools in early youth. He was subsequently a student at the State Normal School at Potsdam, and at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, from which he was graduated in 1889. From 1892 to 1896 he was connected with the Racquette River Paper Company, of Potsdam, N.Y. In Feb., 1896, he went to New York City as salesman for H. C. Hulbert & Company. Since 1899 he has been the New York representative and sales manager of the Berlin Mills Company, of Berlin, New Hampshire, manufacturers of newpaper, pulp and lumber.
He is a member of Aurora Grata Lodge, No. 756, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, of Brooklyn, of Park Slope Council, Royal Arcanum, of the Union League Club, of Brooklyn, the Dyker Meadow Golf Club, and of the Hardware Club of New York.
His house is in Brooklyn, where he is a member of the Greenwood Baptist church, being president of its boared of trustees.
He married, April 24m 1901, Margaret Colvin, of Springfield, Ohio.

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