Judge Thomas Durfee was long a member of the General Court of Massachusetts, he served in both the House and Senate, and for six years a member of the Governor's council, and as such was one of the honorable pall bearers at the funeral of Governor John Hancock, in 1793. He had a serious infirmity in one of his limbs, which prevented him from military service in the War of the Revelution, but was commissioned as a captain in one of the militia companies of Freetown, in 1776. He inherited a large estate from his father. He mortgaged his intire farm to raise funds to support the General Congress, and when he was paid by the Government, it was in Continental currency, which had become so depreciated it was of little value in comparison to the amount loaned. Remaining as honorable to the last as he had been patriotic at the first, he refused to pay off his motgage with the currency he had received from the Government. He said: "I received good and substantial money on this loan, and the farm itself shall go to restore it" The farm was therefore turned over to his creditor, and thus Thomas Durfee became comparatively poor."
Judge Thomas Durfee was long a member of the General Court of Massachusetts, he served in both the House and Senate, and for six years a member of the Governor's council, and as such was one of the honorable pall bearers at the funeral of Governor John Hancock, in 1793. He had a serious infirmity in one of his limbs, which prevented him from military service in the War of the Revelution, but was commissioned as a captain in one of the militia companies of Freetown, in 1776. He inherited a large estate from his father. He mortgaged his intire farm to raise funds to support the General Congress, and when he was paid by the Government, it was in Continental currency, which had become so depreciated it was of little value in comparison to the amount loaned. Remaining as honorable to the last as he had been patriotic at the first, he refused to pay off his motgage with the currency he had received from the Government. He said: "I received good and substantial money on this loan, and the farm itself shall go to restore it" The farm was therefore turned over to his creditor, and thus Thomas Durfee became comparatively poor."
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