The Romance of Old New England RooftreesCrawford, Mary Caroline
History
The Romance of Old New England Rooftrees
Crawford, Mary Caroline
Historic buildings -- New England; New England -- Biography
Thus denounced, the baronet retired to Boston, and sailed, shortly
before his father-in-law's departure, for England. His beautiful lady,
one is saddened to learn, died of smallpox ere the vessel had been many
days out, and was buried at Halifax. In England, Sir William was allowed
L500 per annum by the British government, and was treated with much
deference. He was the good friend of all refugees from America, and
entertained hospitably at his pleasant home. His private life was
irreproachable, and he died in Portman Square, London, in December,
1816, at the age of seventy. His vast possessions and landed estate in
Maine were confiscated, except for the widow's dower enjoyed by Lady
Mary, relict of the hero of Louisburg, and her daughter, Mrs. Sparhawk.
Colonel Royall, though he acted not unlike his son-in-law, Sir William,
has, because of his vacillation, far less of our respect than the
younger man in the matter of his refusal to cast in his lot with that of
the Revolution. In 1778 he was publicly proscribed and formally
banished from Massachusetts. He thereupon took up his abode in
Kensington, Middlesex, and from this place, in 1789, he begged earnestly
to be allowed to return "home" to Medford, declaring he was "ever a good
friend of the Province," and expressing the wish to marry again in his
own country, "where, having already had one good wife, he was in hopes
to get another, and in some degree repair his loss." His prayer was,
however, refused, and he died of smallpox in England, October, 1781. By
his will, Harvard College was given a tract of land in Worcester County,
for the foundation of a professorship, which still bears his name.
It is not, however, to be supposed that in war time so fine a place as
the Royall mansion should have been left unoccupied. When the yeomen
began pouring into the environs of Boston, encircling it with a belt of
steel, the New Hampshire levies pitched their tents in Medford. They
found the Royall mansion in the occupancy of Madam Royall and her
accomplished daughters, who willingly received Colonel John Stark into
the house as a safeguard against insult, or any invasion of the estate
the soldiers might attempt. A few rooms were accordingly set apart for
the use of the bluff old ranger, and he, on his part, treated the family
of the deserter with considerable respect and courtesy. It is odd to
think that while the stately Royalls were living in one part of this
house, General Stark and his plucky wife, Molly, occupied quarters under
the same roof.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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