George Richard Jaquith Obituary
Born in New Ipswich
January 30, 1941
Correspondent: Mrs. Bessie Cushing
Tel. Greenville 58-12
George Richard Jaquith died Thursday at his home in West Townsend after a prolonged illness. He was a son of George D. and Mary Sivona (Davis) Jaquith, born in New Ipswich on the farm a few rods from the Ashby line, July 25, 1857, where he lived until 11 years ago when he moved to West Towns- end, after selling the farm. He held membership in Watatic Grange of this town and Hillsboro County Pomona Grange, of which he was a past master. He held various town officers here; was a member of the school board many years. He served West Townsend on the board of assessors from 1933 to 1938. He succeeded to his father's farm here, upon which he was an exceptionally progressive farmer.
He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Maria Pillsbury Jaquith, and two sons, Milo of Northampton, Mass., and Hollis of North Brookfield. A daughter, Dolly Sivona, died a few years ago. There are also grandchildren.
Mr. Jaquith was a very fine penman even though his eyesight was impaired, and during his last years was much interested in genealogy. Just lately he had written the following item to one in town: "In 1845 my mother, then 18 years old and living in Enosburg, Vt., was permitted to journey to Ashby to the wedding of her cousin, Almira Fletcher, to Charles B. Jaquith of Ashby, my father's youngest brother. Almira Fletcher was the daughter of Joseph Fletcher, who was at that time living on Watatic Mountain in the Gus Woodward house. Tradition has it that when my father saw my mother first at that wedding, he said "There goes my wife. Anyway, two years later, 1847, they were married and lived nine years in Ashburnham, moving to New Ipswich in 1856."
Services for Mr. Jaquith were conducted Sunday afternoon at the home. Rev. Sherman Goodwin of Townsend Congregational church officiated and Haverhill Pomona Grange conducted their ritualistic services. Burial was in West cemetery in Ashby, Mass.
Gould House (Main Street) - Formal living room
James Roger diary entry
12th July 1913
Warm and windy with heavy shower at night. David cutting hay in forenoon and at Fitchburg with Walter Hardy in afternoon. Home at 11 P.m drenched. I picked three broilers for Miss Barr and went to Union Hall at 7:30 for sidewalk meeting but found it was postponed till Monday night. Got letter from May and postcard from Hamish..
“Born on a farm a few rods from the Ashby line…”
Haven’t heard that term of measurement in a dog’s age.
Our local TV news reporter is a Jaquith. I initially considered it of French origin but the surname of Abraham Jaquith and his descendants may have an English origin, rather than a French Huguenot one. American Jaquiths can trace their origins to Abraham Jaquith, who died in Suffolk County, MA in 1675 or 1676.