Peter Bent

     Peter Bent was baptized on 14 April 1629 at England.¹ He was born in April 1629 at Penton Grafton, Southampshire, England.¹ He was the son of John Bent and Martha Blanchard.¹ Peter Bent died at England; He and his father were among the thirteen who petitioned the Colony in 1656 for the laying out of the town of Marlborough. He also built a grist mill on Stony Brook, in what is now Southboro. He had built his house just south of Williams Pond in Marlborough.^1,2
     Sunday, March 26, 1676, the Nipmuck Indian tribe raided Marlborough, the townspeople were at church when the attack began. They were saved only because the pastor, Rev. Mr. Brismead, had had a severe toothache and discovered the attacking Indians when he stepped out of the church for some relief from the pain. The worshipping assembly were alarmed by the appalling cry, "The Indians are upon us". This cry was followed by the firing of muskets from the enemy, wounding Moses Newton in the arm, but doing no further injury to the people who quickly took refuge in the closest Garrison. The meeting house, were the sermon was being preached, sixteen houses and thirteen barns were burned to the ground. The Indians also did great damage to fruit trees, the effects of which were realized for many years. Havoc of this nature occurred time an again and the early settlers soon abandoned their farms and Marlborough was for a time left desolate. On April 18, 1676, the Indians returned and burned the remaining houses at Marlborough.³