Major Hezekiah Broad

Major Hezekiah Broad (1746-1823) of English heritage, rose in the ranks from Sergeant to Major in the years from 1775 to 1780. He marched on Lexington and Concord, Bunker Hill, and to Connecticut, New York, and Rhode Island. 

He was a delegate to the Massachusetts Constitutional Convention (1778), the first state body to draft a constitution which was formally submitted for popular action.  Broad was among more than 80% of voters voting to reject it for reasons including the lack of a Bill of Rights.

In 1778, he served on a committee which provided 14 Natick soldiers each with a pair of stockings, a pair of shoes, and a shirt. In later years, he served on Natick’s Select Board.

Newly elected President George Washington passed through South Natick in 1789 and reportedly visited Major Broad, who had served with him during the war. Historians have yet to mention whether Washington slept there. His home, at 95 Eliot Street, is no longer standing but its location is shown on the 1750 Livermore Map.

He is buried in the South Natick Burying Ground, shown on the 1750 Livermore Map.

Hezekiah Broad’s slant-front desk is on display at the Natick History Museum.