back Judah Wheeler (1727-?) next
The record’s a bit fuzzy, and Judah Wheeler is our first cousin, not a direct ancestor. But he’s an interesting character (son, apparently, of Uncle Samuel the housewright), and his story’s part of our Carlisle picture.
Judah map “Judah, born1 in 1727, son of Samuel and Dorcas, lived on old ‘Judy Farm Road’ which ran from the A.D. Whitcomb home on South Street through the woods to Arthur Taylor’s home on West Street. Our present Heald Road runs by and over part of his cellar hole.”2

Heald Road appears to intersect Judy Farm Road twice. The map says so, and I drove it the other day to check. This triangle occupies the southern intersection of Heald and Judy Farm Roads. Can’t see any cellar hole.
Judah’s father Samuel [brother to our 7GGF Jonathan Wheeler] was a housewright in Acton before coming to this area, as was Samuel’s father [our 8GGF] Abraham. Samuel owned 150 acres in 1714, and in 1755 he deeded 50 acres to Judah. Samuel’s house stood very near his son’s, but Judy Farm Road now passes over the cellar hole.

“According to tradition, Judah raised chickens. It seems that his wife used to transport the eggs to town on horseback. On one occasion, the horse stumbled and fell, and the eggs were smashed. When she reported the accident to her husband he remarked that it was too bad her head was not smashed instead of the eggs…”3
1,3Donald A. Lapham, Carlisle, Composite Community (Undated memoir, privately published; NEHGS copy bears author’s autograph and date of Nov. 14, 1970), pp. 72,74.
2Concord Vital Records confirm Judah’s birth (p. 118). Alas for Lapham’s story, p. 121 reports the death of a Judah Wheeler, son of Samuel and Dorcas, only months later, 7 March 1728. Lots of possible explanations. This guy obviously didn’t die then.
Heald and Judy
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Updated Jul 2020
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