USA > Massachusetts > Barnstable County > Eastham > Comprehensive history, ecclesiastical and civil, of Eastham, Wellfleet, and Orleans : County of Barnstable, Mass., from 1644 to 1844 > Part 1
USA > Massachusetts > Barnstable County > Eastham > Comprehensive history, ecclesiastical and civil, of Eastham, Wellfleet, and Orleans : County of Barnstable, Mass., from 1644 to 1844 > Part 1
USA > Massachusetts > Barnstable County > Orleans > Comprehensive history, ecclesiastical and civil, of Eastham, Wellfleet, and Orleans : County of Barnstable, Mass., from 1644 to 1844 > Part 1
USA > Massachusetts > Barnstable County > Orleans > Comprehensive history, ecclesiastical and civil, of Eastham, Wellfleet, and Orleans : County of Barnstable, Mass., from 1644 to 1844 > Part 1
USA > Massachusetts > Barnstable County > Wellfleet > Comprehensive history, ecclesiastical and civil, of Eastham, Wellfleet, and Orleans : County of Barnstable, Mass., from 1644 to 1844 > Part 1
USA > Massachusetts > Barnstable County > Wellfleet > Comprehensive history, ecclesiastical and civil, of Eastham, Wellfleet, and Orleans : County of Barnstable, Mass., from 1644 to 1844 > Part 1
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BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY
.HISTORY DEPARTMENT
NOT TO BE TAKEN FROM ROOM
FORM VO. 991: 3,22,52 IM.
Batns Hall
No FTK. E2P9
(4355.92
ISTEES O
PUBLIC LIBRARY
LVX
OMNIVM
OGCIVIVM
AD33L
OF THE CITY OF BOSTON
1852
A
COMPREHENSIVE HISTORY,
ECCLESIASTICAL AND CIVIL,
0 F
EASTHAM,
WELLFLEET AND ORLEANS,
COUNTY OF BARNSTABLE, MASS.
From 1644 to 1844.
BY
REV. ENOCH PRATT, OF BREWSTER.
QUECLI! OF THE
CITY!
YARMOUTH :
PUBLISHED BY W. S. FISHER AND CO. 1844. C
%
HIST. REF. F74 , E 2 Pq
22 304
INDEX.
Situation and Boundaries of the Town-Description of the Town,
Notice of the place before the settlement of the English-Of the Indians, and the purchase of the territory from them, with the grant of the Colony Court
Notice of the seven first settlers of Eastham, viz., Thomas Prince, John Doane, Nicholas Snow, Josias Cook, Richard Higgins, John Smalley, and Edward Bangs,
Notice of other settlers in the town, from 1646 to 1700,
Votes and proceedings of the Town, with some Acts of the Colony Court, from 1646 to 1690-Settle- ment of the Rev. Samuel Treat, with a sketch of his character, &c .- Men and money to carry on the War with the Narragansett Indians-King Philip's War, &c .- Letters from Bridgewater, Rehoboth, and Taunton, in answer to an invita- tion from the Cape Towns to come and live with them until their troubles with the Indians should be over, &c. .
From the Union of the Old Colony with Massachu- setts, in 1691, to the separation of Wellfleet, in 1763-New Patent granted by the King and Queen of England-Fisheries regulated by law-Money for support of the War-Meetinghouse repaired -Scarcity of Money-The Town School-Line settled between Eastham and Harwich-Death of Rev. Samuel Treat-Two new Meeting houses built-Settlement of the Rev. Mr. Osborn; his life and character; dismission by Council, and their re- sult-Benjamin Webb settled; his character and death-Bills of Credit by General Court-Land
Page. 1 to 5
6 to 12
12 to 22
22 to 31
31 to 47
iv
Page.
Bank-Petition for a new County below Yar- mouth-Settlement of Rev." Joseph Crocker in the South part of the Town; his life and death, &c .- Settlement of Rev. Mr. Cheever in the North part, · 47 to 73
Principal events and doings of the town from 1772 to 1797, when Orleans was separated-Settlement of Rev. Mr. Bascom in the South part of the Town-The part which the Town took in the Revolutionary War-Their Resolutions, Money, and Men, to carry it on-New Constitution-Pa- per money depreciated-Governor and other State Officers chosen by the People-Termination of the War-Settlement of Rev. Mr. Shaw; his char- acter and death, &c .- Shipwrecks, &c.
73 to 85
From 1797 to 1844-Division of the Town-Or- leans incorporated-Death of Gen. Washington -Town Records to belong to Orleans-Meeting house repaired and enlarged-War declared with England, &c .- The part the town took in it --- Shipwrecks-Methodist Episcopal Church, 1820 -Camp Meeting-Revision of the Constitution- Rev. Mr. Babcock settled-Dismissed, 1840-Rev. Mr. Hardy, his death, &c .- Church, third Congre- gation from Plymouth,
Education,
99
Census,
101
Deputies to Colony Court,
102
Representatives to the General Court,
103
Town Treasurers and Clerks, .
105
Selectmen,
107
Description of Wellfleet,
110
Notice of some of the first settlers, .
. 113 to 116
North Precinct organized, &c.
117
Rev. Mr. Oaks first Minister, .
117
Call and Settlement of Rev. Mr. Lewis,
. 119 to 122
Wellfleet set off as a District,
. 123 to 125
The votes and transactions of the District,
125
Oyster Fishery,
126
Resolutions and doings in reference to the Revolu- tionary War,
127
County Congress, &c.
128
Treaty concluded, .
131
Rev. Levi Whitman settled,
133
85 to 99
Page.
Death of Rev. Mr. Lewis,
133
District Schools,
134
Meeting house enlarged, .
135
Episcopal Methodist Society, .
136
Rev. Mr. Whitman's dismission,
138
Ordination of Rev. Timothy Davis,
139
Declaration of war with Great Britain,
140
Rev. Mr. Davis' Dismission, .
142
Congregational Church, South part of the Town, 143
Rev. Stephen Bailey,
143
Call of Rev. Joseph Merrill,
144
Rev. W. H. Adams and Rev. J. Dodd,
144
Education,
145
Census,
147
Town Clerks, Representatives, and Selectmen, Orleans, description of
149
. One hundred and thirty-seven Proprietors,
166
Ordination of Mr. Stillman Pratt,
170
Rev. Jacob White, .
172
Education
172
Census, .
172
Selectmen,
173
Representatives,
174
Ancient manners and customs,
177
A
150
Universalist Society,
169
PREFACE.
AT the solicitation of many intelligent and respectable individuals of this ancient town, the writer undertook this most difficult and important work; and now, after almost two years of careful and diligent research, with much dif- fidence, submits it to the public.
He has not adopted the arrangements of many able writers of town histories, but has been more minute and comprehensive-which has led him to fear that this course may detract from the merits and interest of the history, in the minds of many who are better judges of a work of this kind, than he can pretend to be. That there may be found in it, imperfections and errors, is readily admitted. In the course of two hundred years, many important facts have been lost, which would, no doubt, have added much interest to this history. Such facts and transactions only, as the writer found established by unquestionable authority, have been introduced; and these he has endeav- ored to use with fidelity, without pretending to perfect accuracy in every case. The ancient records of the town, on which he has depended to a considerable extent, are difficult to read, and some parts are torn and lost, making it extremely difficult to make out a regular and continuous history.
The writer has, however, the satisfaction of knowing that he has saved from oblivion many important facts, in which the present and future inhabitants of these towns have a direct and personal interest. It is for them, es- pecially, that this work has been produced, and to them it is now respectfully dedicated, hoping they will overlook its errors and imperfections, and find it to be a useful and interesting family book, as the author has designed it to
viii
be; and his prayer is, that, as the descendants of the Pilgrims, they may ever prize and enjoy the same spirit of civil and religious liberty, which induced their fore- fathers to leave their persecuted homes, cross the trackless ocean two hundred years ago, and settle on these shores, where they might enjoy these heaven born privileges un- molested, and transmit them to their posterity. It is also his prayer, that they may enjoy all that prosperity, reli- gious hope, and happiness, which can result only from a cultivated mind, industrious and frugal habits, plain man- ners, good morals, and religious principles.
ENOCH PRATT.
P. S. The author has obtained materials and facts for this work, from Mather's Magnalia-Winthrop's Journal -Morton's New England Memorial, enlarged by the Hon. John Davis - Hutchinson's History - Belknap-Neal- Dwight's Travels-Collections of the Massachusetts His- torical Society-Thatcher's History of Plymouth-Dr. James Freeman,-the Laws and Records of the Old Col- ony Court-and the Town and Church Records. He has also been assisted by Mr. Barnabas Freeman Mr. William Myrick, Jr., Mr. N. H. Dill, and some others.
SITUATION AND BOUNDARIES.
Eastham is in latitude 41º 51' N., and longitude 69º 56' W. The original township was bounded on the East by the Atlantic Ocean, on the West by Barnstable Bay and Nam- skaket, (now Brewster,) on the North by Herring-brook, at Billingsgate, (now Truro, ) and on the South by Monamoy- ick, (now Chatham.)
This territory was in length fifteen miles, and in breadth about two and a half.
In 1762, the North part was set off into a district, called Wellfleet. In 1797, the South part was set off into a town- ship, by the name of Orleans. Eastham was left with a ter- ritory only six miles long and two and a half broad, bounded on the East by the Atlantic Ocean, on the North by Well- fleet, on the West by Barnstable Bay, and on the South by Orleans.
PUBLIC
LIS
OF THE
OF B
T
DESCRIPTION OF THE TOWN.
The only opening into the beach, from Race Point to Chatham, which forms any harbor for vessels, was formerly found in Eastham. It has been for many years moving south, and is now found in Orleans. This is small, and called Nauset, or Stage harbor. The entrance is narrow, and obstructed by a bar, on which there is not more than eight feet of water at full sea.
2
It is divided into two arms, one of which extends north, and has but little depth of water. A body of salt marsh, containing about two hundred acres in it, is protected from the ocean by a narrow sand beach.
The south-western arm, which is called Town cove, has deeper water, but is sufficient, at high water and common tides, to admit only small vessels.
On the west side of the town is a sandy fiat, a mile wide, which is nearly dry at low water, and may be easily crossed by horses and carriages : of consequence, there is no good harbor on this side of the town. Large stumps of trees are seen nearly a mile from the shore, and peat swamps have been found, from which fuel is now dug. No doubt, there- fore, can be had, that this bar was formerly a part of the up- land, which has been washed away by the action of the wind and water. The shore on the back side of the town has washed away, in many places, more than one hundred yards, since the remembrance of some of the inhabitants ; and a large peat swamp, which had been buried many feet deep by the sand, has been washed out in the bluff, and is dug by the owners of the land for fuel.
Billingsgate point is on the west side of the town, about six miles from the main land, with which it was formerly connected ; but for many years it has been an island-the sea having broken over and washed it away in two places, where is sufficient water for small vessels to pass through. It is a mere sand beach. A light house was built on this Point, in 1822. The plan was originated by Capt. Michael Collins, who prosecuted this object with great zeal, until he obtained the grant from the Government to build it. Much credit is due to his memory for his exertions and success.
Experience has shown it to be exceedingly beneficial to the interests of navigation generally in the bay, and especial- ly to guide vessels into the safe and commodious harbor of Provincetown.
Some years after this Light was erected, the point had so washed away, that it was in danger of falling, when it was taken down and rebuilt higher up on the point, and a break-
3
water was made to secure it from further depredations. - The packets in the bay, fishing and other vessels, frequently run under this point when met by head winds or storms, or when they have to wait for the tide to enter their harbors.
In 1838, three light houses were erected on the Atlantic side of the town, about one mile north of Nauset harbor, which have proved to be a great benefit to vessels coming in- to Boston harbor from foreign countries, or passing round the Cape-as no one has been shipwrecked on this part of the shore since they were built, which was frequently the case before. It is understood by the writer, that they were built in this place, principally by the advice and exertions of Mr. Collins, the present keeper.
There are several creeks, on the west side, which at high water admit small vessels into them.
The first is Great Meadow river, the mouth of which is south-west from the meeting-house. East of it is a body of salt marsh.
About half a mile south of this river, is Boat Meadow riv- er, which runs from the south-east. Its entrance lies about the same direction from the meeting-house, and is eight feet deep at high water. A body of salt marsh extends from the mouth of this river to within four rods of Town cove, leav- ing only a narrow ridge for a road. The marsh is not more than fifteen rods from the swamp, which is the head of Jere- miah's gutter ; and as the land is low between them, in very high tides, the sea flows across from the bay to the Town cove, completely insulating the northern part of the county. At this place a navigable canal was attempted to be made, but the project failed.
Besides these creeks, there are three small brooks, which empty themselves into the bay. The first is Indian brook, which forms the boundary between Eastham and Wellfleet, and runs into the harbor at Silver springs. South of this is Cook's brook, which is dry half of the year. One mile south of this is a small brook, called Snow's. One mile south of this is Grape swamp, which sometimes discharges water into the bay.
1
4
On the eastern side of the township, in the fertile tract, the road passes over a small stream of fresh water. Jere- miah's gutter is a small brook, very narrow, and not more than fourteen rods in length.
There are eight fresh water ponds in Eastham.
The most remarkable are Great pond and Long pond.
Great pond is a quarter of a mile from the western shore. A . communication was opened between it and the bay, for the purpose of suffering alewives to pass into it, but it soon closed.
A narrow neck, about forty feet wide, separates it from Long pond, the distance of which from Mill pond, connect- ed with the northern arm of Nauset harbor, is not more than a furlong.
The soil of the town is various. A large proportion is sandy and barren. 'On the west side, a beach extends from the north line, near a half of a mile wide, till it comes to Great pond, where it stretches across the township almost to. Town cove. This barren tract, containing about seventeen hundred acres, which now has hardly a particle of vegetable mould, formerly produced wheat and other grain. The soil, however, was light.
North of the fertile tract, on the eastern side of Eastham, the land is light and sandy ; but, except for the distance of a half a mile from the bounds of Wellfleet, is good for the lower part of the county. In this part of the town the greatest quantities of corn and rye are grown. As very little of the land is good for English grass, the raising of grain is the principal business to which the farmers attend. More corn is produced than the inhabitants consume. More than a thousand bushels are sent to market, and in years past more than three times that quantity has been exported. Formerly several farms raised Gve hundred bushels of grain annually, and one eight hundred bushels. This is the only town in the county that raises sufficient for its own consumption.
Except a tract of oaks and pines, adjoining the south line of Wellfleet, and which is about a mile and a half wide, no wood is left in the township. The forests were imprudent- ly cut down many years ago, and no obstacle being opposed
5
to the fury of the wind, it has already covered with barren- ness the large tract above described, and is still encroaching upon other parts. It is however protected in some measure by planting beach grass. This township is chiefly a plain.
There were, in 1802, in the town, one hundred and twenty- two families, who inhabited ninety-nine dwelling-houses, sev- en only of which were two stories in height. The other buildings were, besides barns, two windmills, two school- houses and a meeting house.
The different parts of the town are distinguished by ap- propriate appellations. The north-east part retains the an- cient name, Nauset. The north-west part is called Half- ponds, and received its name from two small ponds in the vicinity. The part north of the Great meadow, and adjoin- ing to it, is denominated Great Neck.
In 1800, three fishing vessels only were owned by the in- habitants, and three coasters, which in the summer were em- ployed to bring lumber from the state of Maine, and in the winter made voyages to the West Indies. Not so many of the young men were then engaged in the cod fishery, as in other lower towns in the county, but many of them were employed in the merchant service, and sailed from Boston. The same kinds of fish are taken here as on other parts of the coast.
By the act of incorporation which separated Orleans from Eastham, the benefits of the shell fishery in Town cove were to be mutually enjoyed. At that time about one hundred barrels of clams for bait were annually collected in this town, which were worth five dollars per barrel .*
* Partly from a survey of the town in 1800.
6
SOME NOTICE OF THE PLACE BEFORE THE SETTLE- MENT BY THE ENGLISH; OF THE INDIANS, AND THE PURCHASE OF THIS TERRITORY FROM THEM; WITH THE GRANT OF THE COLONY COURT.
The place was first visited by the English in the month of November, 1620, being a part of the company and crew of the Mayflower, which anchored in the harbor of Cape Cod. On the 6th of December, ten of the principal men, and a number of the seamen, left the ship in the morning, to coast along the shore, to seek a suitable place for their settlement. They passed Pamet river and Billingsgate point, and came to the bottom of the bay towards evening, and landed a little north of Great pond, near to the present camp-meeting ground.
On their approach to the shore, they discovered a number of Indians, engaged in cutting up a grampus, who, on seeing them, immediately fled into the woods.
The English built a barricade, planted sentinels, and laid down beside a fire which they had kindled.
They saw the smoke of the Indians' fire, four or five miles from them. Early the next day, they went a little way into the interior, where they came upon a large burial place, partly encompassed with a palisado, like an English church- yard, and filled with graves of various sizes .*
They returned on board their shallop, and at about mid- night, hideous cries were beard, and the sentinel called, "arms! arms!" but by firing two guns, the noise ceased.
About five o'clock in the morning, the same noises were heard again, and they had only time to cry out, "Indians!" when the arrrows came flying thick about them.
The English seized their guns, and in a moment, bullets were exchanged for arrows, but no exchange could be a match for the dreadful Indian yells.
* The spot where this deposit of Indian remains was, cannot now be pointed to. It was somewhere between the shore and Great pond.
7
They fled, except a lusty Indian, supposed to be their captain or chief, who placed himself behind a tree, discharg- ed three arrows, and stood three shots from a musket, which struck the tree, when he gave a horrid yell and fled. They picked up eighteen of their arrows-some were headed with brass, some with deer's horns, and others with eagle's claws. This contest with the Indians in this place, the Pilgrims call- ed, "The First Encounter."
It is supposed that the Indians were excited to this act of hostility, by the treacherous conduct of Capt. Hunt, who came into the bay a few years before, and under the pre- tence of trading with the Indians, enticed a number of them on board of his ship, and carried them to Spain, where he sold them as slaves.
No harm was done to them or the Indians, but they left the place immediately, to make further discoveries ; and had no further knowledge of the place, or of its inhabitants, until the next spring.
After the company had settled at Plymouth, they were in- formed by Samoset, an Indian, that the place where they had the encounter with the natives, was Nauset, and the tribe there were called the Nauset Indians, who had about one hundred fighting men; and the English boy who had been lost in the woods, was there .*
On receiving this intelligence, in July, 1621, Governor Bradford sent ten men in one of their large boats to recover him. The object of their visit to Nauset being made known to Aspinet, the chief sachem of the tribe, the boy was re- stored, and having concluded a peace with them, the depu- tation returned to Plymouth.
Massasoit, the sachem of the Wampanoag Indians, made a treaty with the English at Plymouth, in which he acknowl- edged the king of England as his sovereign. The sachems of Nauset, Pamet, (Truro,) and Chainmaquid, (Barnstable,) who were under him, submitted to the same authority.
After this, a friendly intercourse existed between the Eng-
*A boy belonging to the Plymouth company, wandered into the woods near that town, and was lost. He was found by the Indians, and carried to Nauset.
8
lish company at Plymouth and the Indians at Nauset, whom they frequently visited to procure corn and beans.
In 1622, the Plymouth company were reduced almost to a state of famine .* Their only recourse was to the Indians, to supply their wants ; their trade with them was conducted with fairness and honesty, and they were treated with respect and kindness by them.
But this kind intercourse was for a time interrupted. Ear- ly in the year 1623, a conspiracy among the Indians was made known to the English by Massasoit, who continued faithful, and in this conspiracy the sachems of Nauset and Pamet were concerned.
Strong and severe measures were immediately taken to quell and put an end to this conspiracy.
Capt. Standish, with a considerable force, was despatch- ed to Massachusetts Bay, where the principal conspirators resided. He put a number of them to death.
This produced such fear in the minds of others, that they concealed themselves in swamps and other secret places, where they perished. Such was the fate of Aspinet, the sa- chem of Nauset, and his subjects were reduced to humility and subjection to the English. After this, Capt. Standish and others came to Nauset, and having occasion to lodge on the shore during the night, left their boat in a creek not far from them. An Indian went on board of it, and stole some beads, scissors, and other trifling things ; when the captain missed them in the morning, he took a part of his company and went to the sachem, telling him what had been done, and requiring a restoration of the articles, or the person who stole them, he being known to the Indians, or else he would take revenge on them before he left ; and refusing whatsoever kindness they offered, he left them for that night .. In the morning, the sachem came to them, with a large number of his people, in a stately manner, and saluted the captain by bowing and thrusting out his tongue, so that one might see the root of it ; then licked his hand from the wrist to the fin- gers' end. Having done this, he delivered the articles to
* Winslow, Hazzard's Coll.
9
the captain, saying he had much beaten the person for doing it, and had caused the women to make bread and bring them, according to their desire, seeming to be sorry, and glad to be reconciled. They now obtained the corn, which was the object of their visit, and returned home .*
An amicable trade was continued between them, and sup- plies of corn were purchased of them, whenever they were needed. The Plymouth colony repeatedly visited this place, for the purposes of trade, and maintained a friendly intercourse with the natives for twenty years, during which time no at- tempts were made to purchase the land or to begin a plantation at Nauset.
1640. This year, 'the purchasers, or old comers,'t of Plymouth colony obtained of the Court the grant of a tract of land, from the bounds of Yarmouth, three miles to the east- ward of Namskeket, and across the neck from sea to sea .- But it remained unimproved ; no township was begun.
1643. Several members of the church of Plymouth be- came dissatisfied with their situation, notwithstanding the fa- vorable opinion which they had first conceived of the place. They had now discovered that they had built their town in
* Winslow's Relation.
+ The purchasers, or old comers, may need explanation. Phineas Pratt and oth- ers were called purchasers, or old comers. The Leyden company of Pilgrims, before they embarked for this country, formed a partnership in trade with London merchan's, commonly called merchant adventurers. The connection was to con- tinne seven years, at the end of which time all the common property was to be di- vided. In 1626, the Colony of Plymouth bought out the interest of the adventur- ers, for £1800. Soon after, the Colony hired to Gov. Bradford and his eight as- scciates, the trade of the Colony for six years, they on their part undertaking to pay therefor the 21800 to the adventurers, and all the other debts of the Company, amounting to :22000 more; and also to bring over yearly £50 in hoes and shoes, and to sell corn for six shillings a bushel. Those who were engaged in this con- tract were called purchasers. The old comers were certain of those who came over in the t':ree first vessels, viz. the Mayflower, the Fortune and the Ann.
When, in 1640, Gov. Bradford, in whose name the Patent from the Plymouth company in England had been taken out, surrendered that instrument to the body of freemen three tracts of land, the first comprehending Eastham, Orleans and Brews- ter, in the county of Barnstable ; the second, a part of New Bedford and Dart- mouth, in the county of Bristol; and the third, Swanzey and Rehoboth, in the same county; and Barrington, Warren, and perhaps Bristol, in Rhode Island, were in the surrender to these purchasers, or old comers. They were in all fifty.
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