Samuel Morse (1585-1654) was an original proprietor of Dedham, Massachusetts [1] who served on the board of selectmen for two years. [2] He was also a founder of Medfield, Massachusetts when it broke away from Dedham. [3] [4] He was elected a selectman before joining the First Church and Parish in Dedham. [5] He was a signer of the Dedham Covenant. [6]
Morse was born in England in 1585 [3] and came to Dedham from London. [7] With his wife, Elizabeth, he was the father of Joseph, Abigail, John, Daniel, Samuel, Jeremiah, and Mary. [7] [3] [4] He died in 1654. [3] It was said in 1907 that "no family has ranked higher in eastern Massachusetts for the past two hundred and fifty years than the descendants" of Morse. [8] He was the grandfather of Ezra Morse. [9]
Edward Dowse was a U.S. Representative from Massachusetts. Born in Charlestown in the Province of Massachusetts Bay, Dowse moved to Dedham in March 1798 to escape the yellow fever epidemic in Boston. He purchased five acres of land on both sides of the Middle Post Road, today known as High Street. He lived in an already existing house at first, and then built a home on the land in 1804. His brother-in-law was Samuel Nicholson, the first captain of USS Constitution.
Ensign Daniel Fisher (1618-1683) was a politician from Dedham, Massachusetts and Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Deputies.
Lieutenant Joshua Fisher was a politician from Dedham, Massachusetts and a member of the Massachusetts House of Deputies. He was a blacksmith, saw mill owner, and tavern keeper.
Henry Phillips was a wealthy businessman and politician from Boston and Dedham, Massachusetts. Phillips was described as "tender and brokenhearted."
Samuel Dexter (1726—1810) was an early American politician from Dedham, Massachusetts.
Daniel Fisher represented Dedham, Massachusetts in the Great and General Court. He served from 1700 to 1704 and then again in 1712 and 1713. He also served nine terms as selectman beginning in 1690.
Eliphalet Pond (1704-1795) represented Dedham, Massachusetts in the Great and General Court.
Isaac Bullard represented Dedham, Massachusetts in the Great and General Court. He was also town clerk for a total of three years, having first been elected in 1784. He was also elected five times as selectman, beginning in 1773. Bullard was the first treasurer of Norfolk County, serving from 1793 to 1808.
Captain Timothy Dwight (1629–1718) represented Dedham in the Great and General Court of Massachusetts and was the progenitor of the Dwight family.
John Hunting was Ruling Elder of the First Church and Parish in Dedham.
John Dwight was one of the first settlers of Dedham, Massachusetts and progenitor of the Dwight family.
Robert Hinsdale was a colonial American Puritan cleric and a founder of Dedham, Medfield, and Deerfield, Massachusetts who died in the Battle of Bloody Brook.
Francis Chickering was an early settler of Dedham, Massachusetts who served in the Great and General Court of Massachusetts and on that town's Board of Selectmen for 15 years. He was also a teacher in the first public school in America, today well known as the Dedham Public Schools.
Peter Woodward represented Dedham, Massachusetts in the Great and General Court in 1665, 1669, and 1670. He also served on the board of selectmen for 16 years, with his first term beginning in 1643 and his last ending in 1670.
Broad Oak also known as Broad Oaks, was an estate in Dedham, Massachusetts owned by Edward Richards and his family, and then later Ebenezer Burgess and his descendants. Today the name lives on as part of the Broad Oak Farm which is located on part of the original estate.
Lt. Daniel Pond was a prominent early settler of Dedham, Massachusetts.
John Farrington was an early American colonist. He settled in Dedham, Massachusetts and served as a selectman there. When the town of Wrentham separated, he became one of the first settlers there. Later, he would become one of the founders of Deerfield, Massachusetts. His wife, Mary Bullard, was the cousin of Quentin Stockwell's wife Abigail. The Stockwells were also original settlers of Deerfield. He was the ancestor of Representative John Farrington.
Nathaniel Whiting was an early settler of Dedham, Massachusetts. He owned several mills on Mother Brook and is said to have dug the canal, the first man-made water way in America.
Ezra Morse (1643-1697) was an early resident of Dedham, Massachusetts and owned the second mill on Mother Brook.
William Montague was an Anglican cleric at Old North Church in Boston and St. Paul's in Dedham, Massachusetts.