USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Newton > Brief notice of the settlement of the town of Newton > Part 1
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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
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BRIEF NOTICE
OF THE
Settlement of the Colon of Newton,
PREPARED BY
A COMMITTEE WHO WERE CHARGED WITH THE DUTY OF
ERECTING A MONUMENT
TO THE
Memory of its first Settlers,
SEPTEMBER, 1852.
1887 Cit f Washington
BOSTON:
PRINTED BY C. C. P. MOODY, 52 WASHINGTON STREET.
1852.
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Fy 4 N56 N5
1
HISTORICAL NOTICE.
THE Committee who have been entrusted with the duty of preparing and erecting this monument, deem it proper to deposite, at the foundation, some historical facts relative to the first settlement of this town, together with a brief notice of each one of the men who were engaged in this enterprise, and their families.
NEWTON originally formed a part of Cambridge. That territory which now forms the towns of Newton and Brighton, was called in the ancient records, " the South side of Charles River," " Cambridge Village," " New Cambridge," and " Non- antum, (the Indian name.) That part of Cambridge, now Newton, was set off from Cambridge, and made a township, in 1679. The original name for Cambridge, from its first set- tlement, in 1631, until the establishment of Harvard College, in 1638, was New Town.
The first settlers, (all who settled in Cambridge Village from 1639 to 1664,) of this town did not come into the place in a body, as was the case in the settlement of many of our New England towns, but they came in one after another, from Eng- land and from the neighboring towns, as follows :
NAMES OF FIRST SETTLERS.
Date of Scttlem't.
Age at Settlem't.
Where from. London,
Time of Death.
Age,
Am't of Inventory.
1639
39 Dea. John Jackson,
1674-5 75 £1230 0 0
1640
30 Dea. Samuel Hyde,
1689
79
1643
42 Edward Jackson,
1681
793 2477 19 0
1644
33
John Fuller,
England,
1698
87 534 5 0
1647
1647
21 Jonathan Hyde, Richard Park,
Cambridge, Ms.
1665
972 0 0
1649
29
Capt. Thomas Prentice, England,
1710
89
164850 35 John Parker,
Hingham, Ms.
1686
412 2 0
1650
Thomas Hammond,
1675
1139 16 2
.
1
London,
1711
S5
4
Age at Settlemt. Settlen't.
Where from.
Time of Death.
Age.
Am't of Inventory.
1650 Vincent Drnce,
Ilingham, Ms.
1678
271 19 0
*1650
27
John Ward,
Sudbury,
1708
82 88 16 10
1650
21 James Prentice,
England,
1710
81 286 14 0
1650
Thomas Prentice, 2d,
1654
Thomas Wiswall,
Dorchester, Ms.
1683
340
John Kenrick,
Boston,
66
1686
82
1661
23
Isaac Williams,
Roxbury,
1708 69
85
6 9
1662
34 Abraham Williams,
Watertown,
1712 84
1664
28 James Trowbridge,
Dorchester, 66
1717
81
240 C
In addition to these twenty, there were, at the time of Eliot's ordination, twelve young men of the second generation, nearly all unmarried, viz :
John Jackson, Jr.
Sebas Jackson,
Sons of Edward.
Jonathan Jackson, S
Noah Wiswall, Son of Thomas.
John Kenrick,
Sons of John Kenrick.
Elijah Kenrick, S
Vincent Druce, Jr., & Sons of Vincent.
John Druce,
Samuel Hyde, Sons of Samuel.
Job Hyde,
Thomas Park, Son of Richard. Thomas Hammond, Jr.
Watertown,
1717
87
1664
34 John Spring,
1664
28 John Eliot, Jr.,
Roxbury,
1668 33 457 2 5
Date of
1658 40
In 1656, the inhabitants of Cambridge Village formed a dis- tinct congregation for public worship. (See Holmes' History of Cambridge.) The same year, John Jackson and Thomas Wiswall, in behalf of the inhabitants, petitioned the General Court, to be released from paying rates for the support of the ministry at Cambridge church. The Town of Cambridge remonstrated against this petition, and stated "that many per- sons in whose names the petition is signed, although inhabi- tants, yet not by the approbation of the Town, having no right to town privileges, save only the land whereon they dwell, and others of them do live on the farms of those who as yet never
¥ John Ward had conveyed most of his property by deed of gift to his children before his decease, which was the fact with regard to several of the first settlers, which of course was not included in their inventories.
5
manifested their desire of any such change ; the most of them do live within four miles of our meeting-house, except two or three farms that lie above the Falls on Charles River, near Dedham, and hardly ever go to meeting, and some of them are uot much above two miles off.
" If they attain their desire, and set their meetinghouse at their pleasure, sundry of them will be farther from it than many of them now are from Cambridge church ; and upon the same ground, when they plead for a division, we have need to have at least four meeting-houses in our town, which now find it difficult to maintain one, as it should."
The Court's Committee, Richard Russell, of Charlestown Eleazur Lusher, of Dedham, and Ephraim Child, of Water- town, reported against this petition,-the principal reason, in their report, was, that " if the petitioners should withdraw their help from Cambridge church and ministry, it would be over- burdensome to Cambridge to provide for the support of their minister." The petitioners had leave to withdraw.
In 1660, John Jackson, Senior, gave one acre of land for a meeting-house and for a burial-place, upon which the first inceting-house was erected, in 1660, where the monument (under which this statement is deposited) now stands; this house was standing in 1717. (See Middlesex Deeds, Abraham Jackson to his son John, 24, 580.)
In 1661, the inhabitants of Cambridge Village petitioned the General Court again, to be released from paying church rates to Cambridge. The crection of a new meeting-house had greatly strengthened their petition, and the Court accordingly granted them " freedom from all church rates for the support of the ministry in Cambridge, and for all lands and estates which were more than four miles from Cambridge meeting-house, the measure to be in the usual paths that may be ordinarily passed."
The petitioners were not satisfied with the dividing line, and in 1662, they petitioned the Court for a new line. The action of the Court upon this petition was as follows: " Oct. 1662. In answer to the petition of John Jackson and Thomas Wis- wall, in behalf of the inhabitants of Cambridge Village, as a
6
full and final issue of all things in controversy between the Town of Cambridge and the petitioners, the Court judge it meet to order and appoint, and fully empower Maj. William Hawthorne of Salem, Capt. Francis Norton of Charlestown, and Capt. Hugh Mason of Watertown, as a committee to give the petitioners, or some in their behalf, with some invited in behalf of the Town of Cambridge, opportunity to make their desires known, and Maj. Hawthorne to appoint the time and place for the hearing of what all parties can say, so it be fome- time before the next Court of elections; and on the hearing thereof, to issue fully, and absolutely conclude and determine, what they shall judge necessary and just to be done, as to the determining the four mile bounds, that so this Court may no more be troubled thereabouts."
This Committee ran the line and settled the bounds between the Village of Cambridge, in 1662, so far as ministerial taxes were concerned ; this, no doubt, is substantially the same line that now divides Newton from Brighton.
On the 20th of July, the Rev. John Eliot, Jr., A. M., son of the Apostolic Eliot, of Roxbury, was ordained the first pastor of the first church in Cambridge Village, which was gathered on the same day; the Elders and messengers of the churches of Roxbury and Dorchester, and of other neighboring towns, were present; at the same time, and agreeably to the custom of that day, Thomas Wiswall, late a member of the Dorches- ter church, was ordained ruling Elder, or assistant to the Pas- tor, in inspecting and disciplining the flock.
Eliot, Jr., graduated at Harvard College, 1656, became Mas- ter of Arts in 1659. He began to preach about the twenty- second year of his age. He is said to have been " an accom- plished person, comely proportion, ruddy complexion, cheerful countenance, and quick apprehension ; a good classical schol- ar, and possessed considerable scientific knowledge, for one of his age and period." A tender and inviolable affection subsisted between him and his people. Under the direction of his father, he obtained considerable proficiency in the Indian language, and was an assistant to him in missionary employment, until his settlement. After his ordination, he preached once in
7
two weeks to the Indians, at Stoughton, and sometimes at Na- tiek. He was twice married ; by his first wife, Sarah, he had a daughter, Sarah, born in 1662, who married John Bowles, Esq., of Roxbury, 1687. By his second wife, Elizabeth, daugh- ter of Daniel Gookin, Esq., he had one son, John, born 1667, who was brought up and educated at Harvard College, by his grandfather Gookin, and married Mary, daughter of John Wolcott, and settled in Windsor, Connecticut. He died Oct. 13, 1668, aged 33, and was interred very near this monument. The following extract is taken from his will, dated 6th August, 166S.
" I desire to commit my precious soul to God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, three glorious persons, but one only infinite, eternal being, in whom I have believed, and whom I have, (through his grace,) chosen to be my only and everlasting por- tion ; relying and trusting only in the merits and satisfaction of the Lord Jesus Christ; the eternal son of God and yet very man, who was made sin and death for me, that I might be made the righteousness of God in him; and who was dead, but is now alive, sitting at the right hand of God, whom I trust to see with these eyes, and to be ever with him through eternity."
His widow, Elizabeth, married Col. Edmund Quincy, Esq. of Braintree, 8th December, 1680, by whom she had two children, Edmund and Mary, and died 30th November, 1700.
Eliot's homestead of twenty acres, was situated on the west- erly side of the Dedham road, about sixty rods north of the burial-place. The well where he drew up his cold water, and doubtless very near the spot where his dwelling-house stood, is still in use, and is now the property of Mrs. Edmands.
The Eliot homestead continued to be the property of his heirs for sixty-five years, after his death, and was then sold to Henry Gibbs, Esq., to raise money to carry his grandson, John Eliot, of Windsor, Connecticut, (then seventeen years old,) through College.
On the 23d December, 1674, the Rev. Nehemiah Hobart, of Hingham, was ordained as the successor of Eliot, and second Pastor of the Church, where he preached forty years.
8
In 1672, Edward Jackson and John Jackson, in behalf of the inhabitants of Cambridge Village, petitioned the General Court, to be set off from Cambridge, and made an indepen- dent town by themselves. In answer to this petition, " The Court, in 1673, doth judge meet to grant to the inhabitants of said Village, annually to elect one Constable and three Select- men, dwelling among themselves, to order the prudential affairs of the inhabitants there, according to law, only continuing a part of Cambridge in paying County and Country rates, as also Town rates so far as refers to the Grammer School and Bridge over Charles River, and also their proportion of the charges of the Deputies."
This action of the Court was not satisfactory to the Village, and they did not accept or act under it.
In 1677, further action was had relative to the dividing line between Cambridge and the Village. The Village chose Capt. Thomas Prentice, James Trowbridge, Noah Wiswall, and Jon- athan Hyde, a Committee to settle the line by reference ; two referees to be chosen by the Village, and two from Cambridge, and they four to choose the fifth. The referees thus cho- sen were Richard Calicott, William Symes, William Johnson, William Bond, and Richard Louden.
The result of this reference was a line described as follows : " Corner near the Widow John Jackson's orchard and a chest- nut tree in Mr. Edward Jackson's pasture, and to continue until it comes to the River ; then southerly by a heap of stones four miles from Cambridge meeting-house ; thence to continue until it comes to Boston, (now Brookline,) bounds; dated July 27, 1677,-probably the line which now divides Newton from Brighton.
In 1678, most of the Freemen from the Village, signed a petition to the General Court, praying to be set off from Cam- bridge, and be made a town by itself. The following is a copy of the petition :
" To the Honoured Governor, Deputy Governor, together with the Hon. Magistrates now sitting in Boston :
" The humble petition of us, the inhabitants of Cambridge
9
Village, on the south side of Charles River, showeth, that the late war, as it hath been a great charge to the whole Colony, and to us in particular, both in our estates and persons, by loss of life to some, and others wounded, and disabled for their livelihood, besides all our other great charges in building our meeting-house and of late enlargement to it, and also our charge to the minister's house, and as you know the Lord took the worthy person from us in a little time, and now in great mercy, hath raised up another in the place, who hath a house in building for him which requires assistance, as also, we are now by the great merey of God, so many families, that a school is required for the education of our children according to law, besides our public charge of the place; yet notwithstanding this, last year the townsmen of Cambridge have imposed a tax upon us, amounting to the sum of three country rates, without our knowledge or consent, which we humbly conceive is very harsh proceeding, for any townsmen of their own will and power, to impose upon the inhabitants what taxes they please, and to what end, without even calling the inhabitants to con- sider about such charge : yet nevertheless, for peace sake, the inhabitants of our place did meet together, and jointly consent to give the town of Cambridge the sum of &100, and to pay it in three years, without desiring any profit or benefit from them, of wood, timber, or common lands but only for our free- dom, being content with our own proprietary, which some of us had, before Cambridge had any site there, which tender of ours they having rejected, as also to grant to us our freedom from them.
" We do most humbly commend our distressed condition to the justice and mercy of this Hon'd Court, that you will please to grant to us our freedom from Cambridge, and that we may be a township of ourselves, without any more dependance upon Cambridge, which hath been a great charge and burden to us, and also, that you would please to give the place a name, and if there should be any objection against us, that the honored Court will admit our reply and defence, so hoping the Almighty will assist you in all your concerns, we rest your humble peti- tioners."
2
10
Mr. Edward Jackson,
Capt. Thomas Prentice,
John Fuller, Sen'r,
John Kenrick, Sen'r, Isaac Williams,
John Ward,
Joseph Miller,
Thomas Prentice, Jr.,
John Kenrick, Jr.,
John Mason,
John Hyde,
William Robinson,
Ebenezer Wiswall,
Thomas Greenwood,
Elijah Kenriek,
John Parker, (South,)
Sebas Jackson,
Humphrey Osland,
Samuel Hyde, Jr.
Joseph Bartlett,
Neal McDaniel,
Isaac Bacon, Jacob Bacon,
John Fuller, Jr. Joshua Fuller,
Samuel Trusdale,
John Alexander,
Simon Onge,
John Prentice,
Jonathan Fuller,
Nathaniel Hammond,
John Parker, (East,)
Abraham Jackson,
Job Hyde,
Stephen Cooke, Richard Park,
Edward Jackson, Jr.
Joseph Fuller,
Daniel Ray,
Isaac Beach,
Thomas Prentice, Jr.,
Peter Stanchet,
(52 in all.)
Freemen in the Village who did not sign this petition.
Rev. Nehemiah Hobart, Elder Thomas Wiswall, Deacon Samuel Hyde, Daniel Bacon,
John Spring,
Daniel Mackay,
James Prentice, Jr.,
John Woodward, Henry Seger, Thomas Park, Jr.
John Park, John Clark, Samuel Hyde, Jr.
Widow Jackson,
Jonathan Hyde, Sen'r. Thomas Park, Sen'r, James Trowbridge, Noah Wiswall,
Thomas Hammond, Jonathan Hyde, Jr., James Prentice, Sen'r,
David Meade, Vineent Druce,
11
Six of the first settlers had deceased, viz. :
John Jackson, Sen'r,
Richard Park, Sen'r.
Thomas Hammond, Sen'r,
Rev. John Eliot, John Jackson, Jr.
Vincent Druce, Sen'r.
The petition was presented to the Court at the first session, 1678, and committed, and a hearing of the parties was ordered on the first Tuesday of October, 1678, (2d session,) and all parties to have timely notice. Cambridge presented a remon- strance to the petition, dated 23d October, 1678, signed by their selectmen, containing upwards of fifteen pages. Portions of it are severe and eccentric, as may be seen by the following ex- tracts.
" The petitioners say, ' they plead only for their freedom, being content with their own proprieties ;' We answer, that the inhabitants of Cambridge, now dwelling on the north side of Charles river, have well-nigh 3000 acres of land, that is laid out into lots, some 10, 20, or 40 acres, more or less, that they are at this time seized of, and by them kept for herbage, tim- ber, wood and planting lands, so they shall have occasion to use the same, which is by the petitioners, included within that line of division between the town and them, and therefore they do not say words of truth when they say they are content with their own proprieties." * * *
" Those of the petitioners who proceeded from Cambridge, who knowing the straightness and want of accommodations to be had among their brethren there, and the lands on that side of the water, being then of small value, proved to themselves large and comfortable accommodations for a small matter.
" They must and will own, that God hath greatly blessed them ; that whereas we on the Town side, that of £1000 that we or our parents brought to this place, and laid out in the Town for the purchasing, at dear rates, which we now enjoy, cannot divest us ; they may speak just contrary, or in propor- tion. We would, if need, now instance some whose parents lived and died here, who when they came to this town had no estate, and some were helped by the charity of the church, and
12
others yet living there, well know they may say with good Ja- cob, 'over this Jordan came I with this staff;' and so may they say, over this river went I with this spade, plough, or other tool, and now through God's blessing, am greatly increased ; yet here we would not be understood to include every particu- lar person, for we acknowledge that Mr. [Edward] Jackson brought a good cstate to the Town, as some others did, and hath not been wanting to the ministry or any good work among us, and therefore we would not reflect upon him in the least.
" There are another sort of persons, that did not proceed from the Town, but came from other towns, who, though they knew the distance of the place from the public meeting-house, the dependency thereof on Cambridge which they now call a great charge and burden, yet they then did choose, and we are as- sured will own, generally at least, that they have increased their estates, far beyond which those of the town have, or are capa- ble to do. We might instance also, in the inventories of some of them, whose purchase at the first, cost them a very small matter, and their stock and household stuff we judge to be proportionable, and yet when they deceased, an inventory amounting to more than £1100 is given in to the Court, (Wit- ness John Jackson's Inventory, £1230, Richard Parks's £972, and Old Thomas Hammond's &1139,) and others that are yet living, we suppose, have advanced in some measure suitable ; they knew beforehand, the distance of their new dwellings from Cambridge, yet this did not obstruct them, in their settlements there, but before they were well warm in their nests, they must divide the Town. * * * *
" When the Court being tired out with their eager pursuits, and more private fawnings, and insinuations, granted them committee upon committee to hear and examine the ground of their so great complaints, at last, all issued in a declaration of the unreasonableness of their desire, with reference to the Town, as may appear by the return of the committee, made to the General Court, Oct. 14, 1657 : yet have they rested not. In the year 1661, they petitioned the Court, and then obtained freedom from the rates to the Ministry, for all lands and estates
13
more than 4 miles from Cambridge meeting-house, this being * * all they then desired." * *
" But all this did not satisfy them ; the very next year they petitioned the Court again, and another committee was appoint- ed to come upon the place, and determine the dividing line between the town and them ; the result thereof was such, that whereas their grant was for all the lands that were above 4 miles from the Town, they now obtain the stakeing of a line, that generally is (by exact measure) tried and proved to be very
* little above three miles from Cambridge meeting-house.
" All this notwithstanding, those long breathed petitioners finding that they had such good success, that they could never cast their lines into the sea, but something was catched, they resolved to bait their hook again. * *
" In 1672, they petitioned the Court for the same thing, and in the same words, that now they do, viz., that they may be a township of themselves, distinct from Cambridge; and then the Court grant them farther liberty than before, viz., to choose their own Constable and three Selectmen, among themselves, to order the prudential affairs of the inhabitants there, only continuing a part of Cambridge, in paying Country and County rates, as also Town rates, so far as refers to the Gram- mar school, Bridge, and popular charges, they to pay still their proportion with the Town; and this Court declares once more to be an issue to the controversy between Cambridge and them.
*
" And did not this honored Court, as well as we, conclude that the petitioners, having exercised the patience of the Court by their so petitioning, as well as giving trouble to the town, by causing them to dance after their pipes, from time to time, for 24 years, as will appear by the Court's records, in which time they have petitioned the Court near, if not altogether ten times, putting the Town to great charges ; yet notwithstanding all this, we are summoned now again, to appear before this honored Court to answer their petition, exhibited for the very same thing." * * *
" The General Court having 45 years since (or more,) made a grant of the lands (petitioned for) to Cambridge Town the Court's grant being made to case the Town and
14
persons, as his Majesty's royal charter is to this honored assem- bly, and the whole Colony, we have confidence that such is their wisdom and integrity, that they will not deem it to be in their power to take away from us, or any other Town, or per- son, any part of what they have had so orderly granted and confirmed to them. Had we no grant upon record, (which is indubitably clear that we have,) yet by the law of possession, it is ours, and may not, without violation of the law, and faith of the Honored Court, be taken from us." *
" Cambridge is the womb, out of which the petitioners have sprung, and therefore, ought in the first place to be provided for, and the question in equity ought to be, not what do the petitioners crave, and might be convenient for them ? but what may Cambridge spare? Now, that Cambridge cannot spare what they desire, we shall prove :
" From the situation of our town, being planted on a neck of land, hem'd about by neighboring towns; Water Town coming on the one side, within half a mile of our meeting-house, and Charlestown as near on the other side, so that our bounds is not much above a mile in breadth for near three miles together ; and on the south side of the river, the petitioners have gained their line, to come very near within three miles of our meeting- house.
" The most considerable part of the best and most accommo- dable of those near lands to our Town, are belonging to Mr. Pelham and others that live not in the town, so that the far greater number of those that live in the town, are put to hire grass for their cattle to feed upon, in the summer time, which costs them at least 12s., some 15s. a head in money, for one cow the summer feed ; and corn land, they have not sufficient to find the Town with bread.
" Cambridge is not a Town of trade or merchandize, as the sea port towns be, but what they do, must be in a way of hus- bandry, altho' never so hard terms, they having no other way of supply. * * * * *
" Finally, we humbly entreat, that this, our defence, may be entered in the Court's Register, there to remain for the vindica- tion of our just rights, in perpetuum and memoriam, praying that the God of wisdom and truth may direct and guide this
15
Hon'd Court in their issuing of this, and all other, their morc weighty concerns, we subscribe ourselves your humble and du- tiful servants and supplicants,
JOHN COOPER, WILLIAM MANNING, JOHN STONE, WALTER HASTINGS, FRANCIS MOORE, NATHANIEL SPARHAWK,
Selectmen.
Cambridge, 23, 8, 1678.
The result was, that the court granted the prayer of the pe- tition, and Cambridge Village was set off from Cambridge, and made an independent town. The Court ordered that the freeholders of the Village should be duly notified to meet on the 27th day of August, 1679, and choose Selectmen and other town officers to manage the municipal affairs of the Village as other towns, according to law.
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