~ AXTELL ~

A GENEALOGICAL DICTIONARY of THE FIRST SETTLERS OF NEW ENGLAND, SHOWING THREE GENERATIONS OF THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE MAY, 1692
ON THE BASIS OF FARMER'S REGISTER.
BY JAMES SAVAGE, published 1860

HENRY, Sudbury, perhaps son of Thomas, removed 1660 to Marlborough, there married 14 June 1665, Hannah, whose family name I do not see; was killed by the Indians April 1676; and the widow married 16 July 1677, William Taylor, perhaps of Concord.

NATHANIEL, New Haven 1639, intended to go home, made his will 27 January 1640, and died in few weeks. before embarking at Boston.

THOMAS, Sudbury, who was buried 8 March 1646, had wife Mary and several children the youngest perhaps, Mary, born June 1644; the inventory sworn to 6 May 1646. The widow married 19 September 1656, John Goodenough.

The following was an article of a family re-union held 1952 in Sudbury, Mass.  This information was gratefully received from Dan Axtell <[email protected]> and printed in the Sudbury Enterprise in 1952

Axtell Gathering

Sudbury -

More than a hundred members of the Axtelll Family Organization,, coming from all parts of the United States, met on Saturday, August 23rd at Longfellows Wayside Inn, South Sudbury, for a week-end convention to commemorate the 310th anniversary of the landing of the Axtells in America and to plan a memorial in Sudbury to perpetuate the fidelity, courage, and valor of Thomas Axtell who settled in Sudbury in 1642 and his 23 descendants who fought in the American Revolution.

 

The Axtells are the direct descendants of two brothers Daniel and Thomas who were prominent in England during Oliver Cromwell's commonwealth. Col. Daniel Axtell, known as the Regicide, commanded the guard at the capitol trial and execution of King Charles I and was himself beheaded by King Charles II.

Thomas Axtell, his brother, came to America in 1642 and settling in Sudbury with his wife, took the oath of fidelity July 8th, 1645. Two children, Henry and Lydia, were born at Sudbury. Scarcely had Thomas Axtell set up his rooftree in the wilderness when the terrible hardships and rigors of that era struck him down. He died in March 1646 and was buried in Sudbury the 8th of that month. It was to honor the memory of their common a Hickler, Stuart Edgerly and Alfred E. Boaazzoli.

Silas Blake Axtell, prominent New York Maritime lawyer, retiring president of the organization presided. Lulu Axtell Nordeen of Norfolk, Nebraska, of national concert reputation for the singing of the Star Spangled Banner, led h the singing of that anthem. On Sunday morning a business meeting presided over by Mrs Frank H. Janke, the former Grace M. Axtell of Elleadale, North Dakota was held in the small ballroom of the Wayside Inn. Silas Blake Axtell was unanimously voted honorary President of the Axtell Family organization.

Dr. Paul H Axtell, superintendent of the Caldwell, New Jersey, school system, was elected president. Five regional vice presidents were elected to serve with him. They are: Richard Axtell, Spokane, Washington, for the North West district; Lulu Axtell Nordeen (Mrs. Axel Nordeen) Norfolk, Nebraska, Central district; Grace M. Axtell Janke (Mrs. Frank Janke) Suffern, N. Y., North East district; Mrs Harold Lee Alden, Charlottsville, Virginia, South East district; and Dr. Myron W. Axtell, Fontana, California, for the South West district. Merritt F. Axtell of Stratford, Conn., was named chairman of the regional planning committee.

Guest of honor Sundav at the luncheon held at the Wayside Inn included John E. Rice, past president of the Edmund Rice, 1638 Association and John A. Bigelow, City Engineer of Marlboro and president of the Rice Association, and a descendant of the original Axtell in America.

It was explained by Mr. Rice that Thomas Axtell and his Wife Mary coming from Berkhamstead, England on arrival in Sudbury had purchased land from Edmund Rice, who had come from Berkhamstead, England, four years before.

A motorcade led by Mr. Rice and Mr. Bigelow, took the Axtells on a trip to the original site of the land purchased from Edmund Rice in 1638, the property located in what is now Wayland near "Five Paths."

Mr. Bigelow  pointed out sites where in early skirmishes with the Indians Rices and Axtells participated in the protection of their homes. He also directed attention to the location of a common grave where 29 settlers including Henry Axtell, son of Thomas. was massacred in the early King Philip War.

In the evening, the Axtells attended services at the First Parish church Sudbury, where the Rev. Alexander Szent Ivanyi, the minister, eulogized the sprit of the Axtells and other early (settlers in their crusade for freedom and their efforts to establish a free world where righteousness, justice and peace, might prevail.

Those attending the dinner included Mr. and Mrs. Silas Blake Axtell, Daniel and Ashley of Rock Tavern, N. Y. also their son and daughter in law, Mr and Mrs Silas Axtell of New York, N. Y.; Dr. Clayton Axtell, Deposit, N. Y.; Mr. and Mrs. Homer C. DeLong, Trumansburg N. Y.; Mr. and Mrs. Charles Brooks and son, Benedict of Wyoming, N. Y.; Mr. and Mrs. John P. Axtell of Scarsdale, N. Y.; Mr and Mrs. Frank H. Janke, Suffern, N. Y.; Mr. and Mrs. James R. McKay and their daughter, Lynn, White Plains ,N. Y.; Dr. and Mrs. Guy Axtell, Saugerties, N. Y.; Mr. and Mrs.. Merritt F. Axtel and their daughter Christine of Stratford, Conn.; Mrs. Parker N, Fairbanks, New Britain, Conn.; Mr. and Mrs. David W. Axtell and Lewis, Deerfield, N. H.; Mr. and Mrs. Donald Axtell and their daughter and Dr. Hazel Axtell MacPherson of Providence, Rhode Island; Mr. and Mrs, E. W. Axtell of Augusta, Maine; Mr. and Mrs. Winthrop O'Hara of Upper Montclair, N. J.; Dr. Paul Axtell of West. Caldwell. N. J.: Mr. and Mrs. Albert Woorhees, Sandy Lake, Pa.; Mr. and Mrs. George Axtell, Baden, Pa.; Dr. and Mrs Manning Bross and son; Daniel, St. Johns, Michigan.

Mr. and Mrs. T. J. Harris of Brooklyn, Michigan; Wlliam W Axtell, Cleveland Heights, Ohio; Lulu Axtell Nordeen, Norfolk, .Nebraska; J. Frank AxteL and Charles E. Axtell, Deep River, Iowa.

Also Emily M. Thompson, of South Sudbury; Mr. and Mrs. Carson A. Axtell and Mr. and Mrs. George M. Axtel. of Fairhaven; Mr. and Mrs. Milton M. Goss, Fall River; Mr. and Mrs. Charles F. Axtell, Bridgewater; Mr. and Mrs. Vincent B. Axtell, New Bedford; Mr, and Mrs. Ellis M. Hayden, Mr. and Mrs. Robert A. Gordon, Mr. and Mrs. Herbert A. Goddard and Mr. and Mrs. Warren Axtell, all of Grafton. And from Sudbury, Mr. and Mrs. Walter R. Hickler, Mr. and Mrs. Stuart Edgerly and Mr. and Mrs. Alfed Bonazzoli.

The following come from various sources

Thomas Axtell,  and Mary ___ , with two children, immigrated from England and settled in Sudbury, Massachusetts. Their only son, Henry, married Hannah Merriam (Henry was one of the early settlers of Marlborough) and their children settled in Grafton MA and elsewhere.  The Axtells have long been extinct in
Marlborough.

He was baptized when he was a few months old at St. Peter's Church. His father died before he was 21. He received a bequest of 10 shillings from his father's will. He married and had his first child before he was 21. He left England as early as 1643, in October of that year, Thomas bought 5 acres of land in Sudbury, Massachusetts from Edmond Rice. Thomas took the oath of Fidelity 8 July 1645. He died in March of 1646. Edmond Rice bought back the land and the dwelling house. (Ref: NEHGR, April 1863, pg 171)
 

Henry Axtell, at age nineteen, became one of the proprietors and received fifteen acres of land in the central part of the town; additionally he had a portion of meadow and other out-lying land.  On April 20, 1676 he was slain by Indians between Sudbury and Marlborough during an attack on the town.

Thomas Axtell,  lived in the east part of Marlboro until 1730 when he moved to Grafton, Massachusetts. He was a Selectman in Grafton and also a member of the School committee.

Visit the Grafton History link to see a document relative to the below

It appears to be an authentic indenture of a Matilda Boone into the Thomas Axtell household in Grafton MA. Thomas (1712-1798, #4-4 in the 1945 Axtell Genealogy) was the only Axtell in the first 4 generations to do better than eke out an existence as a frontier farmer (except for one blacksmith). He wisely married Elizabeth Sherman of Marlboro and got the wealth of land in North Grafton where Joseph Axtell Aldrich still lives, 7 generations later, near the Turnpike.
 
 

Daniel Axtell, rose to Major in Cromwell's army before being executed in 1660.

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