Mattie Coolidge Crawford was indeed an interesting and admirable woman. As mentioned in my previous articles about Old Home Crawford, I have been reading the biographical book titled “Your Grandmother, A Memoir of Mattie Coolidge Crawford”, written and privately printed in 1945 by her husband Fred E.Crawford. This book about her life, her work as an artist, and her continued devotion to her family and community is more than inspirational.
In this post, I begin a series of articles to be written about Mattie, her family, and the Crawfords. It is my intention to provide inspiration and facts as I have found them, giving credit to the memoirs as written by Fred Crawford. I welcome additional information, and incite from anyone who can contribute to her story. Please also feel free to offer corrections if warranted. I hope you will enjoy seeing some of her beautiful paintings, and reading about her life’s work and accomplishments.
An Ancestral History
To describe someone in depth, it is important to know their history. Where did they come from? Who were their ancestors? What contributed to their becoming the person they turned out to be? We begin with a look at the history leading up to the birth of Mattie Coolidge Crawford.
Mattie Sturtevant Coolidge was born June 4, 1861, in Watertown, MA. She was the daughter of John Coolidge and Martha Jane Sturtevant.
Nine generations before, in 1630, a young family crossed the Altantic Ocean from Cottenham, England. John and Mary Coolidge came to Watertown with their eldest son John, and the family has since earned a highly regarded reputation for their notable accomplishments.
John and Mary lived in Watertown for 60 years, during which time John became one of the founders of the town, and held town office for several years, serving as selectmen, and on various committees or commissions. He was also a deputy to the Great and General Court, today known as the Legislature. John and Mary passed away in May and August of 1691, and are buried in "the old burial ground", as referenced in Fred Crawford's book.
John and Mary had eight children, many of whom moved to other areas of the country. However, the branch of the family from which Mattie Coolidge was descended, remained in Watertown, living within three-quarters of a mile from the original Coolidge homestead.
Joseph Coolidge was of the fifth generation descended from John and Mary, and was also a public spirited man. In 1775, he held the town office of Collector of Taxes.
On the morning of April 19th, 1775, Joseph was plowing one of his fields, when an unknown man named Paul Revere approached to tell him the British soldiers had crossed the Charles River, from Boston to Cambridge, and headed to Lexington & Concord. Hearing the news, Joseph quickly drove his oxen to stable, grabbed his gun and ammunition, and instructed his wife Eunice to bury the town's money.
He went to the Watertown Village, where other Minute Men had gathered. Ranking Officer, General Heath, directed Joseph to guide the men from Natick on to Lexington, while the Watertown men were sent to the bridge at Boylston Str. in Cambridge.
Joseph and the men from Natick reached Lexington as the Redcoats were returning from Concord. Late that afternoon, Joseph was killed during the battle that ensued near East Lexington. He was the only man from Watertown killed in that famous battle, leaving behind his widow Eunice, and their seven small children.
John Coolidge , aka Deacon John, was born Oct. 5, 1796, and was the grandson of Joseph. He had for many years lived in the same house that Joseph left on that fatal day. In the late 1840's John built and moved into a larger house on the other side of Grove Str.
(It is interesting to note at this point that a young Harry Crawford, worked for Deacon John Coolidge for a time. Harry was Fred E. Crawford's brother, the author of the memoirs that have been an inspiration for this series of articles. Harry later joined the 49er's and went to California. Which I'm sure is a story all unto itself!)
Deacon John married Mary Stone Bond, and it was their son, John Coolidge, Jr., and his wife Martha Jane Sturtevant from Oakland, Maine, who would become the parents of Mattie Coolidge.
It is also of interest to mention that President John Calvin Coolidge was of the ninth generation descended from the original immigrants John and Mary Coolidge. His lineage, however, follows a different line of descendants, beginning with Simon, brother to the little boy John, who accompanied his parents to America.
Please stay tuned for my next article titled "Mattie Coolidge Crawford: The Beginning."
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