UNCLASSIFIED RECORDS. In the old cemetery at Middletown, Ct., is a field stone upon which is inscribed: N. W. CVTLER YER DIED IVNE THE 5 1706. Tradition says that many years ago a stranger with a carpet bag in hand, appeared in town one morning, procured the stone upon which he chiselled the above inscription, placed it at the head of a grave and quietly took his departure. Bradley Cutler, Sr., born in Rhode Island, about 1705, married Sabra Wade, resided in the north-west part of the State near the Connecticut line. He settled at Sempronius, N. Y., and died in 1878. Had: 1. Phoebe, 2. Otis, 3. Nathan, 4. Bradley, Jr., (who married Thankful and settled at Ilion, N. Y., and had several children, one of whom, George, was postmaster there several years.) 5. Penelope, 6. Charles, 7. Demas, (who resides in Nora Springs, Ia.,) 8. Almond, and 9. Austin. Hannah Cutler, born in 1815, was matron of the Deaf and Dumb Asylum in Ohio in 1843, and President of the Union Aid Commission during the War. She has lectured on Woman's Rights in London and elsewhere. November 24, 1719, Mr. Simon Lothrop gave information that R. Wiber, Benjamin Adams, John Blaze and James Cutler have run away with the sloop Martha of about 30 tons, and that they are now off New London Harbor waiting to carry out their designs of becoming pirates. Dr. Allen Briggs Cutler was born, September 23, 1825, in Sheffield, Mass. He married, February 6, 1853, Catherine, daughter of John Hopkins of Castleton, Vt. Mr. Cutler married (2) in New York state. He died in Mattawan, N. Y., vember 20, 1883. Mrs. Catherine Cutler resides with her son and daughter in Poultney, Vt. Children: 1. Frederick Allen, No born in Hydeville, Vt., April 17, 1854. He married, May, 1876, Mary Armstrong of Danbury, Ct., where he resides, a hatter. Has: Charles, Agnes, Edward, who died in 1882, and Nellie. 2. Mary Franc, born February 28, 1858; resides in Poultney. 3. Charles Hopkins, born December 26, 1861, in Poultney; a tonsorial artist. Timothy Cutler, a baker of Boston, married Mary. He sold land in Ipswich in 1761. Philip Cutler, a potter of Charlestown and Boston, was admitted to church in Charlestown, February 2, 1717. He married (1) Deborah Simpson, who died May 11, 1713. He married (2) Susanna Gray, in Boston, in 1716. He had three daughters. There are several English families of the name of Cutler, in various parts of the United States and Canada, who have come to this country since 1840, not included in this work. A STUDY UPON THE ORIGIN OF THE CUT LER NAME. Among other genealogical researches, one of the most interesting is the study of family names, for many, apparently meaningless, derive interest as they develop peculiar significance. Being often of foreign extraction, they escape notice, and travel incognito until some one removes the mask and reveals the veritable meaning. The name Cutler, obvious as it is in its plain English sense, dates back through the first form of Norman French, to the original Latin tongue. Cutler is undoubtedly derived from the Latin word culter, a knife, from which it passed into French, and by the Norman invasion was grafted into the English language. William the Conqueror imposed the use of his own language upon the vanquished Britons, yet the Anglo-Saxon sentiment was so strong that two hundred years later only a proportion of one-fourth the hated foreign tongue remained. The displacement of letters or syllables is the natural result of rapid pronunciation or contracted transcription, and in the days when paper and printing were scarce, it was common to abbreviate words to save ink and paper. And in the absence of standard dictionaries, spelling was uncertain and obscure, even proper names being subject to manifold variations. Thus, the French word coutelier was shortened to cutler, and, as an apt instance of the dropping of letters, it is sufficient to cite the Latin word cultellus (the diminutive of culter) to coutelas in French, and to cutlass in English. Our word cutlery comes from coutellerie in the French language, which tongue contains several derivatives in excess of our own vocabulary, as follows: Coutelier, a cutler, is the masculine form of the word, and the addition of the feminine form, coutelierie, signifies also, a case forknives. In still older French, when the silent and superfluous letter s obtained, then was the word coustillier, to indicate the attendant who carried the coustilles or weapons of a warrior. And, as the word fusilade is a volley of shots from a fusil or gun, so the word coustillade was also used to indicate the wounds inflicted by a coustille or sword. Coutiller, in ancient military art, also signified to strike with the sword. The only word that we obtain directly from the Latin root is colter or coulter, the cutting iron of a plough. Thus, the word cutler, in all its ramifications, points particularly to the factor of "the trenchant blade," and all honor is due to Tubal Cain, who first excelled in the fine art. According to an ancient historian "The Father of Demosthenes was a citizen of Athens of the best Rank and Quality and surnamed the Swordmaker or Cutler, because he had a large Work-house and kept Servants skilled in that art at Work." He is said to have left a valuable estate, and this is quite credible considering the rare qualties of a well-tempered blade, the manufacture of Damascus and Toledo being of fabulous value. In 1404, the cutlers worked in silver and gold and held themselves so high that they rebelled against the inspection of their work by the goldsmiths. But to this they were eventually obliged to submit as the Mayor of London decided "that the cutlers had a right to work in gold and silver, and that all things made by them were to be assayed by the goldsmiths, according to ancient imuenities." The origin of the Livery Companies or licensed tradesmen is an interesting history. In 1335, the "grossers" or wholesale merchants "engrossed many wares" so that "the trades and commerce were limited," showing that even the men of that day knew how to "make a corner" in a commodity. As the grocers had been organized but ten years they evidenced eminent ability as monopolists. Complaint was made to King Edward the Third, who ordered that "all artificers and people of mysteries shall each choose his own mystery before the next Candlemas, and that having chosen it, he shall henceforth use no other." "People of mysteries" were tradesmen; the word mystery, in that sense being derived from the old French, mestier, a trade, and sometimes spelled mistery. Twelve companies were first formed and chartered by the king; others followed, and the cutlers were the twenty-second company. "They were incorporated ahout 1413 by Henry the Fourth, confirmed by many of our kings since, A STUDY UPON THE ORIGIN OF THE CUTLER NAME. 579 and by James First, Anno 1607." The officers of the guild were "a Master, 2 Wardens, 23 Assistants, and 96 on the Livery. The Livery fine is £10 and the Steward's £5." In English law, a fine is "a sum of money paid for obtaining a benefit, favor or privilege," and in this way corresponds with our word license. King Edward, "to raise the estimate of trades, which were the main spring of the kingdom," himself joined the "Linen Armourers," now called merchant tailors, and the Skinners had many members from the nobility. In courteous return to the founder of the Guilds we find that the Chamberlain received sums "from divers mysteries for an offering to be presented to the lord the king of England as gifts towards carrying on his French wars," the cutlers subscribing four pounds. Monetary value being then incomparably above its present standard, this was a liberal donation from one separate corporation. Each company had a hall in London for its exclusive use, magnificently furnished and fitted for feasts with solid silver service. Cutler's Hall is mentioned as being "on the South side of Cloke Lane." As a coincident, there is a Cutler's Hall now known in Chester, Pa., named for one Frederick Cutler, who settled at that place. In the fourteenth century all the trades, arts and professions, as well as all the public institutions, appear to have been "cum privilegis regis," holding not only the royal charter, but each one posessing its own peculiar coat of arms granted by the king. Thus, those who could not claim the direct nobility of an escutcheon, could at least array themselves under the royal insignia bestowed upon their trade or calling, and the guilds gained more wealth and power through industry and organization than the petty nobles who proudly folded their idle hands and spent their possessions to preserve appearances. In an old English description of London, printed in 1708, the Cutler arms are thus described: "Gules, 6 Daggers in 3 Saltier Crosses Argent, handled and hilted Or, pointing toward the chief. Supporters, 2 elephants Argent; Crest, a 3d with a castle on his back Or." The old French motto "pour parvenir a bonne foy," was ex |