Thank you to our Yankee Xpress readers who have notified me about an historical update to John Spurr of Charlton. In last month’s Yankee Xpress, I wrote about this 1700’s era gentleman using information gleaned from the National Register of Historic Places as written in the Spurr family’s genealogy records of 1974, Charlton’s Town Assessor records of 1798, Benjamin Thatcher’s Tea Party List of 1835, Hamilton Hurd’s History of Worcester County of 1877, and Wesley Griswold’s The Night the Revolution Began, printed in 1972. 

Recently, I received emails from two Charlton residents advising me that, coincidentally, new research had been done by Frank Morrill, past President and current member of the Charlton Historical Society, that retracts John Spurr’s involvement in many of the 1700’s events, Mike Bowie, also a member of the Charlton Historical Society put me in touch with Frank Morrill, who had the following information to offer:

“I am past president for many years of the Society and have been a member for 49 years and somewhat the town historian.  This new information will come out in the newsletter when it comes out probably sometime in October.  All these many years I had been using and going along with the research done by others decades ago regarding John Spurr and his home on Charlton Common and it is incorrect.   (Note here: His house is not the only one standing that was built in the 1700’s.  The first Salem Towne House across from the post office was built in 1775.  It has changed a lot through renovations but it is still under there.)  Getting back to John Spurr... our John Spurr did not attend the Boston Tea Party in 1773.  My research shows that he was only 11 at the time.  I am attaching a photo of his grave stone.  John Spurr was indeed at the Tea Party but it was a different John Spurr from Rhode Island. He was born in Dorchester in 1748 and he is buried at the Central Burying Ground on Boston Common, Tomb 5.  Needless to say, I was very surprised what my research showed but it is correct and verified by the Official Boston Tea Party Committee Website in Boston.  Our John Spurr was still an important figure of the time.  He became a Major General and fought at Bunker Hill.  He owned 3,000 acres in town.”

So, there you have it!  Corrections noted and printed.  For further information, you are invited to read the Charlton Historical Society’s October newsletter which will be available soon.

Thank you to Mike Bowie and Frank Morrill for your eagle-eyed attention to detail. Corrected historical facts are always very much appreciated.  “There is nothing new in the world except the history you do not know.” Harry S. Truman