| Note |
- History of Marlborough, NH: Mary Sawyer's grandfather, Thomas Sawyer, was 1 of the 1st settlers of Lancaster, MA. He built a house, surrounded by a fort, & a sawmill, to which the inhabitants of his village resorted in case of Indian hostilities, which were very common from 1670 to 1710. At 1 time, supposed to be between 1675 & 1680, his garrison was attacked by the Indians; & all were killed except Mr Sawyer & 2 women. Night came on, the women loaded the guns, & Mr Sawyer continued to fire from the port-holes till nearly midnight, at which time the Indians wirhdrew from the place. Mr Sawyer then caught his horse, & setting fire to his house, which contained shocks of grain, the women mounted the horse, & he walked by their side untl they reached a place of safety. On the 15th of October, 1705, Mr Sawyer, with his son Elias & John Bigelow, were taken captive by the Indians at his sawmill, a little after daylight, whither he had gone to commence the labors of the day, & the savages immediately set out with their prisoners to Canada. On their journey, they treated Mr Sawyer with great cruelty. On arrival at Montreal, he remarked to the governor, whose residence was at that place, that there was a good site for mills on the River Chamblee, & that he would build him a sawmill, on condition that he would procure his, his son's, & Bigelow's redemption. The governor readily closed in with the proposal, as at that time there was not a sawmill in all Canada, nor an artificer capable of building one. He accordingly applied to the Indians, & very readily procured the ransoms of young Sawyer & Bigelow, but no sum would procure Mr Sawyer's redemption; him - being distinguished for his bravery, which had proved fatal to a number of their brethren - they were determined to immolate. The victim was accordingly led forth, & fastened to the stake, environed with materials so disposed as to produce a lingering death. The savages, surrounding the unfortunate prisoner, began to anticipate the horrid pleasure of beholding their victim writhing in tortures amid the rising flames, & rendering the air with their dismal yells. Suddenly, a friar appeared, & with great solemnity held forth what he claimed to be the key to the gate of Purgatory, & told them that, unless they released their prisoner, he would instantly unlock that gate, & send them headlong thereinto. Superstition prevailed, & wrought the deliverance of Mr Sawyer; for they at once unbound him, & gave him up to the governor. In 1 year from that time, he completed the mill, when he & Bigelow ere dischraged. They retained his son Elias 1 year longer to instruct them in the art of sawing, & keeping the mill in order. He was then amply rewarded, & sent home to his friends; & both he & his father lived to an advanced age, & were gathered to their graves in peace.
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1649 - 1706 (57 years)
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