Shirley, Middlesex, MA    History 
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Transcribed by Janice Farnsworth



History of the Town of Shirley, Mass. from its Early Settlement to A.D. 1882 by Seth Chandler.  (a google book online)
p.519
Among the early settlers of Shirley, Mass., the Longley families held a conspicuous position.
  The descendants of these families of the fifth and sixth generations in large numbers, still 
retain residences within the town and vicinity. At the commencement of the present century they 
were so numerous that a large portion of the population could claim affinity with them. They have 
not only filled a large place
 
p.520                           HISTORY OF SHIRLEY
 
numerically, in our community but they have also, as a general fact, maintained a useful and 
honored citizenship. There have been many titled personages since the Norman conquest of the 
names of Longley and Langley, that have figured in the annals of Brittany; but whether the humble 
settler in Lynn, of that name, was a descendant of any of these personages, time has not fully 
revealed, though some efforts have been made to show this, to which we may refer in another place.
 
Richard Longley, the supposed original of all of that name in New England, was settled at Lynn, 
as early as 1635. He had children, among whom were William and Jonathan and perhaps others.  
His future history is rather blind, but he is presumed to have lived and died at Lynn. His 
posterity have sometimes called themselves Langley, though this orthographical distinction 
is no proof of distinction of families.
 
William Longley, supposed to be a son of Richard, removed with his family from Lynn to Groton 
and was a resident proprietor of the extensive territory that bore that name.  When the land 
was equitably divided among the shareholders, he became the owner of a large amount of native 
forest, which was eventually divided into farms, and occupied by his descendants. According to 
a manuscript record left by the late Rev. James D. Farnsworth, William Longley settled in 
Groton as early as 1659. His name is found in the records of the town in 1663 and in 1665 he 
was chosen Selectman. He died at Groton, Nov 29, 1680. How many children he had does not fully 
appear, but he had one son:
 
William Longley, Jr. who was probably born at Lynn and married at Groton and had five children; 
or, as one tradition has it, eight children. He held a reputable position among his fellow-townsmen, 
and was appointed town clerk in 1666, and was continued in that office until his death in 1694. 
At this period he and his family became the victims of Indian depredation and all were slain but 
three of the children, who were carried into captivity.
 
The home  was was rifled and burned and near where it stood the mutilated remains of the murdered 
family were buried and a small stone, even with the surface of the ground, was the only monument 
to mark the place of their interment for almost two centuries. Recently however, a more imposing 
structure has been erected to hallow the spot of such sad historical interest.  Mr. Butler gathered 
the traditions of this tragedy from the older inhabitants of his time and condensed them into the 
following account etc (full report with google books online.) Transcribed by Janice Farnsworth