COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE AND THE LAKIN FARM. 1 49 



COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE AND THE 

 LAKIN FARM. 



Many years ago Commodore William Bainbridge, one of 

 the heroes of the American navy during the last war with 

 England, owned an undivided third of a farm of 220 acres in 

 Groton, which was used for sheep raising. It has since been 

 known as the David Lakin place, and is situated on the road 

 leading from the beginning of Farmers' Row to the Great 

 Road, just below the railroad bridge, half a mile north of the 

 Baptist Meeting-House. It extended from the Jenkins road 

 on its southerly border to the Great Road on its northerly ; 

 and on this farm Mr. Lakin took care of the paupers before 

 the town had an alms-house. The Jenkins road was so called 

 from a man who lived in that neighborhood, before the Revo- 

 lution ; but, by a recent vote of the town on April 6, 1885, 

 it has been closed to the public travel on account of its near- 

 ness to the Nashua River, and the consequent danger arising 

 therefrom. 



According to the record in the Middlesex Registry of Deeds 

 (Book CCXXIII. p. 115) at East Cambridge, Commodore 

 Bainbridge sold his interest in the place, on July 2, 18 17, to 

 John Lakin. During four years before this time, in con- 

 nection with Robert C. Ludlow, of Charlestown, and Charles 

 W. Green, of Boston, Bainbridge had owned several parcels 

 of land in the vicinity, which, presumably, were used for 

 sheep-raising purposes, and perhaps made up this farm. 

 John Lakin died on August 6, 181 7, at the age of 34 years; 

 and the place was then carried on by a brother, David Lakin, 

 Jr., who subsequently married John's widow. 



This family of Lakins was descended from William, an 

 original settler of the town, who died here on December 10, 

 1672, aged 91 years. I have seen a deed, formerly in the pos- 

 session of Charles Gerrish, dated 1696 and signed by John 

 Lakin, a grandson of William, giving to his son Benjamin, 

 land lying "nigh the River at Nod." This deed, which is 

 duly recorded at East Cambridge, mentions " Nommucks," 



