Biography of Deacon Zebedee Simonds
by A.E. Brown, self-published, Bedford, Mass., 1891
Zebedee Simonds, with his brother, Benjamin, came, with their parents, to Befrod, and located in the south part of the town, about 1805, and started shoe manufacturing. They bought real estate of different parties. Thaddeus Fitch sold his farm to them in 1813, and there Zebedee Simonds built his residence, which was sold after his decease, in 1826, to Obed Stearns, and passed from that family, through temporary possession, to the present.
ZEBEDEE, son of Benjamin, m. June 25, 1807, Amittai Webber of Bedford. He d. Sept. 20, 1826; she d. Feb. 20, 1853. Ch. John Webber, b. Jan. 14, 1808, d. Aug. 28, 1870. George, b. Jan. 15, 1810. Amittai, b. April 7, 1812, m. Nov. 1, 1832, Daniel Flagg, d. Mar. 1887. William, b. April 2, 1814, d. June 8, 1838. Henry, b. Jan. 19, 1817. Harriet, b. Nov. 6, 1818, d. Feb. 28, 1843. Edward, b. Jan. 28, 1820. Bethiah, b. July 28, 1821, m. Mar. 31, 1842, Hiram Whitford of New Hampshire. Zebedee, d. an infant.
Zebedee Simonds came to Bedford with his father in 1805, was a shoe manufacturer, and a man who enjoyed the confidence and respect of his townsmen. He was chosen deacon in the church, Jan. 17, 1826, but eight months before his death. A memorial window to his memory was placed in the meeting-house of the Trinitarian Congregational society, by his descendants, in 1886. He was possessed of a good musical talent, which he used in the service of song in the choir of the church.
John Webber Simonds, son of Zebedee, enjoyed but limited advantages for education, but was a man of much ability. He was representative from his native town to the General Court in 1844 and 1852, and a member of the convention for revising the constitution in 1853, during the delibertions of which he was often called to the chair. He filled many positions of trust in the town. He gave some attention to civil engineering, and was prominent in laying out the new cemetery. His good taste and skill are seen in the excellent arrangement of those grounds. He devoted much time to the study of the early history of his native town, and left manuscripts of value pertaining to the early families which have been of benefit to the writer of this volume.