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GENEALOGY 974.402 M584WE
GENEALOGY COLLECTION
GEN
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01114 9017
GENEALOGY 974.402 M584WE
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF MIDDLEBORO
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TOWN HALL, HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING, AND SOLDIERS' MONUMENT
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF MIDDLEBORO. MASSACHUSETTS
BY
THOMAS WESTON, A. M. OF THE SUFFOLK BAR
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The Riverside Press
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BOSTON AND NEW YORK HOUGHTON, MIFFLIN AND COMPANY The Riverside Press, Cambridge 1906
Public Library Medford, Mass.
Accession 42919
Book F844)Md Date October 1906 W52
Purchased from City Appropriation.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Published June 1906
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AT a town meeting held in Middleboro March 5, 1894, it was voted that a committee of three be appointed to take charge of the preparation, and eventually the publishing, of a history of the town of Middleboro, and Joseph E. Beals, Rev. Charles W. Wood, and Hon. Matthew H. Cushing were appointed that committee. It was subsequently enlarged by adding the following names : William R. Peirce, Augustus H. Soule, W. Homer Southworth, George W. Stetson, Augustus Pratt, Charles W. Wood, Charles M. Thatcher, Harry L. Samp- son, and Chester E. Weston. This committee afterwards engaged Thomas Weston to prepare and write the accom- panying volume.
2
WOLF- TRAP
HILL
WINTER ST.
SOULE NEIGHBORHOOD
EDDYVILLE
YMOND
ROCKY MEADOW ST.
WALL ST.
Woods Pond
THOMASTOWN
CHASE ST.
ROCKY MEADOW.
paquin Pond
FRANCE
South Purchase FRANCE.
FRANCE ST.
SOUTH MIDDLEBORO
ST.
PINE ST.
WAR
ST!
REHAM ST.
BEACH ST.
STONE ST
RIVER ST.
LOWLANDS
SUMMER ST.
WOLF-
VERNON ST
TITICUT
PLYMOUTH,ST
NORTH
MIDDLEBORO
PURCHADE ST.
NEIGHBORHOOD
PURCHADE
BEDFORD ST.
CENTRE ST
CROSS ST/
PLYMPTON ST.
PLYMOUTH ST.
TAUNTON ST.
0000000
SHORT ST.
RAYMOND
STONE ST
ICH
ROCKY
WALL ST.
GROVE ST.
ACORN S
THOMAS ST.
WOOD ST.
THOMASTOWN
CHERRY ST.
FALL BRDOK
ROCKY MEADOW
VAUGHNIST.
Tispaquin Pond
Assawompsett Pond
WALNUTSA
FRANCE
SMITH ST.
South. Purchase
FRANCE
FRANCE ST.
MILLER ST
HIGHLAND ST.
SOUTH MIDDLEBORO
BENSON 51:
PINE ST.
WAR
SPRUCE STÍ
REHAM ST
Great Quittances Pond
BEACH ST.
MAP OF MIDDLEBORO IN 1853
>Woods
Pony
MEADOW ST.
MAIN ST.
WATER ST.
EM ST
MAIN ST. WOOD ST
MIDDLEBORO
CROSS ST HORTUS
WARRENTOWN
PRECINCT ST.
FULLER ST.
SOULE
CENTRE ST.
MURDOCKS
.
PLANE ST.
THOMPSON ST.
Cedar Swamp
TRAP
HILL
THOMPSON NEIGHBORHOOD
NINTER ST.
EDDYVALLE
CLAY ST.
MAIN ST.
TISPAQUIN ST.
WAPANUCKET
PURCHASE ST.
NECK ST.
Black Brook
PREFACE
THIS volume should have been written fifty years ago, during the lifetime of many men who were familiar with the early history and traditions of the town, which they had learned from older men with whom they had conversed in their younger days, who, in turn, had learned these stories from the early settlers. These men were Wilkes Wood, Zachariah Eddy, his son Samuel Eddy, Colonel Thomas Weston, Alfred Wood, and others. Wilkes Wood delivered an historic address in 1815; Zachariah Eddy wrote the history of the First Church ; Sam- uel Eddy gathered many important facts not before recorded ; Colonel Weston was especially familiar with the genealogy and traditions of the settlers, and John Bennett left a number of valuable papers relating to their conveyances of land; but when these men passed away, much of the early history which might have been preserved was lost forever. General Ebenezer W. Peirce, who was interested in the military affairs of the town and the early history of Lakeville, wrote an account of Middle- boro and Lakeville for the "History of Plymouth County," a genealogy of the Peirce family, and many articles which were published in the Middleboro "Gazette."
We have transcribed what could be obtained relating to the early history from the records of Plymouth Colony and the Massachusetts Archives ; but it is unfortunate that in King Philip's War the records of the town and many ancient docu- ments were burned. There have been kept, however, many of the records of different purchases from the Indians, the original or early copies now being in the possession of the town clerk.
The traditions here given have come down uniformly from father to son through generations, so that they may be regarded as trustworthy and correct statements of facts. Many of the incidents were told to the author in his boyhood by those men
viii
PREFACE
before mentioned. For the account of Judge Oliver and the various stories connected with his life, the author is largely indebted to his father, who learned them from Mrs. Mary Nor- cutt, Judge Oliver's housekeeper. Many years ago, Granville T. Sproat published the same in the Middleboro " Gazette." Family genealogies have given more or less information con- cerning some of the individuals whose lives are recorded in the following pages.
We desire to make special acknowledgment of the assistance rendered by Joseph E. Beals, chairman of the publication com- mittee, for many valuable suggestions and facts. The author also acknowledges the aid he has received from other members of the committee, from many interested in the preparation of this work, and from his daughter Grace, who examined and transcribed many historical documents, and from her researches added many facts not heretofore published. Most of the illus- trations are from photographs taken by Walter L. Beals, and the plates and designs have been made by or under the super- vision of Herbert S. Sylvester.
In this volume we have adopted the shorter spelling of Middleboro instead of Middleborough.
This book is submitted with the many imperfections and mistakes which, with the utmost care, a work of this kind must necessarily contain, but the author has endeavored to set forth the story of this ancient town, and something of the lives and character of the men, that they may not be forgotten amid the stirring scenes of the present age and generation.
Thomas Westin
CONTENTS
CHAPTER
PAGE
INTRODUCTION
. xvii
I. INDIANS I
II. PRAYING INDIANS I5
III.
MIDDLEBORO AS FIRST KNOWN TO THE ENGLISH
2I
IV. EARLY SETTLERS BEFORE KING PHILIP'S WAR 29
V. KING PHILIP'S WAR
68
VI. THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WARS, 1689-1765 88
VII.
SLAVES IN MIDDLEBORO
IOI
VIII. THE REVOLUTION IC6
IX. THE LOYALISTS OF THE REVOLUTION 145
X. MIDDLEBORO IN THE WAR OF 1812 . 157
XI. MIDDLEBORO IN THE WAR OF THE REBELLION I68
XII. LOCAL MILITIA . 193
XIII.
SOCIAL CUSTOMS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY
206
XIV. LAWYERS 225
XV. PHYSICIANS .
. 238
XVI. EDUCATION, LIBRARIES, NEWSPAPERS, POST-OFFICES' 245
XVII. FOUR CORNERS . 272
XVIII.
MAD MARE'S NECK, WAUPAUNUCKET, FALL BROOK
.
.
3º3
XIX.
THE GREEN
309
XX. THOMASTOWN, ROCK, ROCKY MEADOW, RAYMOND NEIGH- BORHOOD, FRANCE, SOUTH MIDDLEBORO · 329
XXI. EDDYVILLE, WATERVILLE, SOULE NEIGHBORHOOD, HALI- FAX 342
XXII. MUTTOCK
355
XXIII. THOMPSON ROAD, THE LOWLANDS, WARRENTOWN, PUR- CHADE 386
XXIV. TITICUT 398
XXV. LAKEVILLE 419
XXVI. ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 439
XXVII. TOWN MEETINGS, HERRING FISHERIES, INDIAN PATHS, ROADS AND HIGHWAYS, FIRE DISTRICT 495
XXVIII. TOWN OFFICERS, PUBLIC OFFICERS
517
XXIX. CIVIL HISTORY 544
XXX.
EARLY PURCHASES FROM THE INDIANS
582
XXXI.
FRATERNAL ORGANIZATIONS
631
634
XXXII.
CEMETERIES
.
DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE OF MEMBERS OF THE FIRST CHURCH FROM 1695 TO 1846 639
INDEX
687
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
TOWN HALL, HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING, SOLDIERS' MONUMENT, Frontispiece MAP OF MIDDLEBORO IN 1853 . vii
MAP OF MIDDLEBORO IN 1831 xvii
PROPOSED DIVISION OF THE TOWN OF MIDDLEBORO TO FORM A NEW TOWN WITH A PORTION OF TAUNTON . xix
VIEW OF THE FOUR CORNERS IN 1832 FROM BARDEN'S HILL XX
MAP OF MIDDLEBORO IN 1855 I
ALEXANDER ABOUT TO EMBARK ON THE RIVER 8
INDIAN MONUMENT . I4
THE BEGINNING OF THE LORD'S PRAYER I6
SAMUEL BARROWS'S AUTOGRAPH 36
JOSEPH BUMPUS'S AUTOGRAPH 37 .
THE MAYFLOWER . 42
ISAAC HOWLAND, SR.'S AUTOGRAPH 46
JOHN MILLER, JR.'S AUTOGRAPH 48
JOHN MORTON'S AUTOGRAPH 48
JOHN MORTON, JR.'S AUTOGRAPH 49
SAMUEL PRATT'S AUTOGRAPH 5I
DAVIS THOMAS'S AUTOGRAPH . 53 JOHN TOMSON'S AUTOGRAPH 55 A HALBERD OF THE TIME 58
JOHN TOMSON, JR.'S AUTOGRAPH 59
GEORGE VAUGHAN'S AUTOGRAPH 59
JOSEPH VAUGHAN'S AUTOGRAPH . 60
SAMUEL WOOD, SR.'S AUTOGRAPH 63
SAMUEL WOOD, JR.'S AUTOGRAPH
63
BILLINGTON SEA 64
JOHN COBB'S AUTOGRAPH .
65
THE STURTEVANT PLOUGH 67
A VIEW OF ASSAWAMPSETT POND, WHERE THE BODY OF SASSAMON WAS CONCEALED
·
72
FACSIMILE OF JOHN SASSAMON'S LETTER TO GOVERNOR PRINCE, WHILE SECRETARY OF PHILIP . 72 .
xii
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
KING PHILIP'S LOOKOUT 73
JOHN TOMSON'S GUN 76
A VIEW OF THE ROCK UPON WHICH ISAAC HOWLAND SHOT THE INDIAN AT THE BEGINNING OF KING PHILIP'S WAR . 77
VIEW OF DANSON BROOK, THOMPSON STREET 79
CAPTAIN BENJAMIN CHURCH'S AUTOGRAPH 8I
SITE OF THE ENCOUNTER AT THE BRIDGE, LAKEVILLE 84
INDIAN HATCHET, PIPE, MORTAR, AND PESTLE 87
A COPY OF ONE OF THE STAMPS UNDER THE STAMP ACT
. 106
ICHABOD TUPPER'S AUTOGRAPH I24
MUSKET AND POWDERHORN I44
DOGGETT HOUSE I53
RANSOME HOUSE I53
SOLDIERS' MONUMENT 19I
KITCHEN FIREPLACE . 206
A FAMILY LOOM OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY . 214
THE ATTIC OF THE BACKUS HOUSE . 22I
SAMUEL PRINCE'S AUTOGRAPH 227
ELKANAH LEONARD'S AUTOGRAPH . 228
WILKES WOOD 230
ZACHARIAH EDDY 232
ELIAB WARD 234
WILLIAM H. WOOD 235
EVERETT ROBINSON 236
JUDGE WOOD'S OFFICE 237
DR. ARAD THOMPSON 240
DR. MORRILL ROBINSON . 24I
DR. EBENEZER W. DRAKE
242
DR. WILLIAM W. COMSTOCK 243
DR. GEORGE W. SNOW . 244
HIGH SCHOOL 252
OLD BAPTIST CHURCH, CHAPEL, AND FIRST ACADEMY . 253
BAPTIST CHURCH AND SECOND ACADEMY . 255
PROFESSOR J. W. P. JENKS 256
ENOCH PRATT 259
PRATT FREE SCHOOL 260
PUBLIC LIBRARY . 264
THOMAS SPROAT PEIRCE . 265
THE SILAS WOOD HOUSE . . 272
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
THE OLD MORTON HOUSE
273
THE DR. CLARK HOUSE 275
THE OLD BARROWS HOUSE 277
JUDGE WOOD'S HOUSE 278
THE OLD BOURNE HOUSE 278 JOSEPH T. WOOD 279
REV. CHARLES W. WOOD 280
REV. HENRY C. COOMBS . 28I
EBENEZER PICKENS 282
MAJOR LEVI PEIRCE 283
PEIRCE ACADEMY 284
COLONEL PETER H. PEIRCE . 285
HOME OF COLONEL PETER H. PEIRCE . 285
COLONEL PETER H. PEIRCE'S STORE . 286
BRANCH HARLOW 286 ELISHA TUCKER . . 290
BANK BLOCK . 292
SITE OF BANK BLOCK IN 1875 . 292
PEIRCE BLOCK
293
SITE OF PEIRCE BLOCK IN 1875
293 294
ALBERT ALDEN
NATHAN KING
295
HORATIO BARROWS . 296
THE FOUR CORNERS . 297
FOUR CORNERS IN 1850 FROM BARDEN HILLS 298
FOUR CORNERS AT THE PRESENT TIME FROM BARDEN HILLS . . 299
FOUR CORNERS 300 THE OLD BARDEN HOUSE . · 302
OLD METHODIST CHURCH OF FALL BROOK
3º3
COLONEL BENJAMIN P. WOOD . · 304
SITE OF THE OLD FALL BROOK FURNACE 305 ABISHAI MILLER . 306 THE OLD MILLER HOUSE 307 REV. SAMUEL FULLER'S AUTOGRAPH . 30 SECOND MEETING-HOUSE 3II
REV. PETER THACHER'S AUTOGRAPH 313
REV. SYLVANUS CONANT'S AUTOGRAPH .
314
STURTEVANT HOUSE
.
315
HOUSE OF REV. SYLVANUS CONANT
·
315
2
3
6
9
4
xiv
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
JOHN BENNETT'S AUTOGRAPH . . 317
NEHEMIAH BENNETT'S AUTOGRAPH 318
OLD SPROAT TAVERN 319
SIGNBOARD OF THE OLD SPROAT TAVERN 32I
COLONEL EBENEZER SPROAT'S AUTOGRAPH 322
COLONEL EBENEZER SPROAT 323
DEBORAH SAMPSON 330
DEBORAH SAMPSON'S HOME 331
VIEW OF THE ROCK 334
STILLMAN BENSON . 340
SAMUEL EDDY'S AUTOGRAPH 343
CAPTAIN JOSHUA EDDY .
344
RESIDENCE OF ZACHARIAH EDDY 346
OFFICE OF ZACHARIAH EDDY 347
RESIDENCE OF SAMUEL EDDY AND DR. POWERS 347
WILLIAM S. EDDY . 349
JOHN SOULE'S AUTOGRAPH 350 .
JACOB TOMSON'S AUTOGRAPH 352
JOHN MORTON'S AUTOGRAPH 354
JOHN TOMSON'S PISTOL 354
OLIVER'S WALK · 360
PETER OLIVER 363
PETER OLIVER'S AUTOGRAPH . 363
PLAN OF JUDGE OLIVER'S ESTATE AND WORKS 365
PETER OLIVER'S BOOK-PLATE . 366
STAIRS IN SPROAT HOUSE 373
RESIDENCE OF PETER OLIVER, JR.
374
JAMES BOWDOIN
375
JAMES BOWDOIN'S AUTOGRAPH . 375
WILLIAM TUPPER'S AUTOGRAPH 376
THOMAS WESTON 380
381
RITCHIE HOUSE 382
BACKPIECE IN FIREPLACE AT OLIVER HALL . 384
CAPTAIN ISAAC THOMSON . 386
GEORGE THOMSON HOUSE
387
SHIPYARD FROM WOODWARD'S BRIDGE . 388
CEPHAS THOMPSON 389
JOHN WESTON HOUSE . 39I
ABIEL WASHBURN'S RESIDENCE
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
XV
COLONEL THOMAS WESTON 392
OLD WESTON TAVERN 393
RESIDENCE OF MRS. TOM THUMB 394
JOHN ALDEN
395
SITE OF THE OLD INDIAN FORT 398
HOUSE OF REV. ISAAC BACKUS
406
HOUSE OF REV. MR. GURNEY
406
ELIJAH E. PERKINS · 4IO
SITE OF SHIPYARD 4II
SOLOMON EATON · 412
OLIVER EATON
413
FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
415
JARED PRATT
.
416
ISAAC PRATT
. 417
MAP OF THE PONDS
419
THOMAS NELSON'S AUTOGRAPH .
420
CAPTAIN JOB PEIRCE HOUSE 423
SAMPSON'S TAVERN 428
MAJOR PETER HOAR'S RESIDENCE 429
THE WASHBURN HOUSE
430
THE WARD HOUSE 43I
GEORGE WARD
432
A BROADSIDE OF THE TIME, BY HANNAH SPROAT
432
SPRAGUE S. STETSON
433
TOWN HOUSE
434
CUDWORTH HOUSE
436
ELKANAH LEONARD HOUSE 438
THOMAS PALMER'S AUTOGRAPH · 443
EBENEZER TINKHAM'S AUTOGRAPH
445
PULPIT OF FIRST CHURCH 456 FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH AT THE GREEN 457
REV. ISRAEL W. PUTNAM, D. D. . 458
REV. DAVID GURNEY'S AUTOGRAPH
465
CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, NORTH MIDDLEBORO
· 466
CENTRAL CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH 468
REV. I. C. THATCHER · 469
OLD BAPTIST CHURCH, NORTH MIDDLEBORO 470
REV. ISAAC BACKUS
470
REV. ISAAC BACKUS'S AUTOGRAPH
.
471
xvi
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
BAPTIST CHURCH, NORTH MIDDLEBORO 473
REV. EBENEZER HINDS 476
BAPTIST CHURCH, ROCK . 478
REV. EBENEZER BRIGGS 48I
CENTRAL BAPTIST CHURCH . 483
REV. HERVEY FITZ 484
REV. EBENEZER NELSON
48.5
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, FOUR CORNERS 488
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, SOUTH MIDDLEBORO 489
UNITARIAN CHURCH 49I
EPISCOPAL CHURCH 492
ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH 493
SQUARE PEWS OF THE OLDEN TIME
494
OLD TOWN HOUSE 497
VIEW OF HERRING-WEIR, MUTTOCK 499
STICK OF HERRING . 500
RAILROAD STATION 512
SEAL OF THE TOWN OF MIDDLEBORO 519
MAP OF EARLY PURCHASES OF LANDS FROM INDIANS . 582
THE OLD OAK TREE, TITICUT 583
JOHN HOWLAND'S AUTOGRAPH 589
GEORGE SOULE, SR.'S AUTOGRAPH
590
CONSTANT SOUTHWORTH'S AUTOGRAPH 59I
THOMAS SOUTHWORTH'S AUTOGRAPH
592
JOHN ALDEN'S AUTOGRAPH
593
THOMAS PRENCE'S AUTOGRAPH
598
THOMAS SAVORY'S AUTOGRAPH .
602
GEORGE BONUM'S AUTOGRAPH
604
JOHN CHIPMAN'S AUTOGRAPH
. 622
ISAAC CUSHMAN'S AUTOGRAPH 623
THOMAS DOGGETT'S AUTOGRAPH
623
ENTRANCE TO HILL CEMETERY 635
GRAVESTONE OF REV. SAMUEL FULLER . 637
lang. W. from Washington 6100
Magneto North
Var 8000 IV. True North
MAP
MIDDLEBOROUGH
Taunt
mid
MASS. Surveyed & Drawn by S. Bourne,
1831
SCALE OF RODS. 500L on Inch
100
20,5
900
300 600
100
SCALE OF MILES .
Annen Smith Y Cos Lith:
I.con
Pond
Turnpike
ASSAWAMA
POND
N M.
landinig Machine
G
Lewa
Tstanie
T
W N
F
BRIDG
E WATER.
Taunton .
Boston
Turnpike -Bridge
River
W VHNAVY
atts Brulg
fient Mecung
ns Hradye
Saw Mill
Saw Min
Durchams
Tan Shop
Mr Chans
Pon
A
Mating House
N.
Nov
Brid
REMARK.S
Town Lines
Roads.
Housas ...
Churches ..
School Houses.
Woodland.
Meadows. Middleborugh contains
.57.937% Acres of land.
5.250 ... ..: ... do. of water
63.187 €
do_ total
Population in 1830. . 5008
PUB
C
A
R
SPAQUIN
E
R
D
Smiths Shop
. "Mr
. M
Wewantit River.
WARE HAM
2203.98
600000
20
E
T
S
708 63
HALI FA
PLYMP
SORIN.
T
0
19.971
Shovel
ins
inäl
Plymouth Ro
Woods
Tond
INTRODUCTION
HE history of Middleboro is that of an inland town of the Old Colony, remote from any business centre, a simple story of events, not so stirring as to seriously affect the history of the commonwealth, a story of men, thrifty, intelligent, and able, who have contributed their share to the advancement of the best interests of the country.
By an act of the Colonial Legislature, June 1, 1663,1 the inhabitants at Nemasket "were accounted to belong to the town of Plymouth," and continued under that jurisdiction until the year 1669, when that portion of Plymouth was incorporated under the name of the Town of Middleberry. This name may have been given on account of its location, midway between Plymouth and the residence of the Pokanoket chief, or it may have come from the town of Middleboro in North Riding of York, England. It included what had been known as Assa- wampsett, Nemasket, the Titicut land of the Indians, the west- ern portion of the town of Halifax, and the whole of Lake- ville. Before the later division, but after that portion of Hali- fax was set off, it was, excepting Plymouth, the largest town in the state, measuring from north to south over eleven miles, from east to west fourteen miles, and containing an area of more than one hundred square miles.
In 1718 the proprietors of the Sixteen Shilling Purchase, with those who were in possession of much of the land in Taun- ton formerly owned by Miss Poole and her associates, desired to be incorporated into a separate township. Jacob Tomson drew a map, the original of which is now in the Massachusetts
1 " 1663 - 1 June -- Prence, Gour.
" It is ordered by the Court that . those that are sett downe att Namassakett to belonge to the towne of Plymouth vntill the Court shall see reason otherwise to order." Plymouth Colony Records, vol. iv, p. 41.
xviii
INTRODUCTION
Archives, and a copy on the following page. This project was principally urged by those living within the bounds of Taunton, but as there were few inhabitants at this time in that portion of Middleboro, it was soon after abandoned.
In 1734 the northeasterly part of the town, included in the territory between its present boundary line on the northeast and that on the Winnetuxet River, was set off to form a por- tion of Halifax.
The setting off of North Middleboro was for a long time the subject of much discussion. At a meeting held December 23, 1741, "The town taking into consideration the petition of Jabez Eddy and others respecting there being set off a sepa- rate township; and after the same was fully debated, upon a question being asked the town whether they would grant their request, the vote passed in the negative." In 1743 a petition was presented to the General Court signed by thirty-six sub- scribers and heads of families, asking that the northern por- tion of the town be set off from Middleboro to become a new town with part of Bridgewater. This, however, was never acted upon. In 1744 a similar petition was presented to the General Court, which resulted in their separation as a parish distinct from that worshipping at the Green. In 1792 a petition was presented to the General Court, but this was also refused. The last petition was presented in 1821 ; since then there has been no further attempt at a division of this part of the town.
In 1853 the legislature incorporated as a separate town that part which was substantially included in the Sixteen Shilling Purchase, under the name of Lakeville.
By the act of incorporation, the boundaries of some portions of the town were indefinite ; this gave rise to not a little con- troversy, which extended over many years, and in the case of the adjoining town of Bridgewater, was attended with consid- erable bitterness. The eastern boundary, which in the early history was the township of Plymouth, as well as the south- ern boundary, which adjoined Rochester, was settled by agents of that town in 1695. The dividing line between Middleboro and Bridgewater was settled by the agents of the two towns
xix
INTRODUCTION
Vol. 4 Pages ,13
...
Dighton
ancient tane brants 2. .
From"Encre
Freetown que noch
middleborough .
2
Tomalon People lang 36 Square makes
V
5
Situation of
1
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( no pun0])
Due west
512 2 anos
middleborough line:
culier Land of institut.
(.46+=20unpp:W)
Assavamet hand
Quatiques
book
23:6 6 granules
That is fix miles Simars
(Drawn by Jacob Thomson in 1718)
TOWN WITH A PORTION OF TAUNTON
Middleboro' and. Tantow. 1718.
The year fever
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...... walletmange.
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Coche los mens hunchase lane
179 35 w +122 Canton 23057- Kolas-
middleboro hier
Gesammelt houd
4
-
PROPOSED DIVISION OF THE TOWN OF MIDDLEBORO TO FORM A NEW
and a four Por is "0º f RMarks & Romarin Deserifs
Jaunton
XX
INTRODUCTION
VIEW OF THE FOUR CORNERS IN 1832 FROM BARDEN'S HILL (From an old picture)
in 1681, and since that time the Taunton River has remained the northern boundary. The line between that portion of Taunton and Middleboro between Baiting Brook and Trout or Poquoy Brook was indefinite, the boundary having been the Indian Reservation, whose western limit was not settled until the year 1686. This has remained as then established, although the older inhabitants of the town claimed that Taun- ton had acquired a much larger amount of territory than the original act of the legislature authorized. That portion of the western side of Lakeville bordering upon Freetown has been changed ; in the year 1718 the boundary was a straight line. It was not until after that time that the indentation as indi- cated upon the present map of Lakeville was made, but when or by whom authorized, we have been unable to ascertain. On the east a small portion of the town was given to Plymp- ton, and in 1842 a narrow strip of land at the southeastern part of the town was annexed to Carver. The Taunton River has always been the boundary line between Middleboro and Raynham.
Most of the early settlers from Plymouth and the neighbor-
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ing towns who came to occupy the lands they had previously purchased were farmers, whose prudence and industry soon enabled them to live in comparative independence, their farms, with the rivers, ponds, and forests, supplying them with the necessaries of life.
The Lakeville lands were very productive, yielding large crops of corn and rye ; those bordering on the ponds were usu- ally exempt from the early frosts which proved so disastrous in other localities. Flax, at one time raised extensively, is not now cultivated. Fruits were abundant, especially apples. The census of 1781 gives the number of " 581 houses, 18 Distill houses, 608 oxen, 1521 cows, 338 horses, 584 coaches, chaises, etc., and 2144 barrels of cider" for that year.
For two generations the only mills were the sawmill, the grist-mill, and the fulling-mill, which have now almost entirely disappeared, and in place of the sawmill there are a few box- board mills. In the early part of the eighteenth century the deposits of iron ore in the larger ponds gave rise to the estab- lishment of six blast furnaces for the making of cast-iron ware. There was a large forge and one slitting-mill, both of which were used for the making of nail-rods, out of which hammered nails were made. In the early part of the last century there were four shovel factories, two cotton mills, and one tack fac- tory, all of which have long since disappeared. In 1837 the two cotton mills had two thousand three hundred and eighty- four spindles, and made about half a million yards of cloth annually. The building of a few ships along the Taunton River entirely ceased after the embargo of Jefferson in 1812. The public houses, or ordinaries, which in early times were scattered throughout the town, are no longer to be seen. Early in the settlement Muttock, Titicut, Eddyville, then connected with Waterville, and Fall Brook were places of business im- portance for more than a century, but of these villages Titicut alone has retained its population and industrial posi- tion, while the Four Corners, which a hundred years ago was sparsely settled, is now one of the largest and most prosperous villages of the country. Social, business, and religious interests
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have been drawn to this centre. The outlying churches, once so flourishing, have decreased in attendance and importance.
The First Church, which was organized in 1694, was for generations one of the largest and most influential in the col- ony ; in 1800 there were more than fourteen hundred people included within its parish. As the town has grown in size, various societies have been formed, and now the churches are numerous.
Next to the Four Corners, a greater change has occurred in Lakeville in one hundred and twenty-five years than in any other section of the town, there probably being not as many houses and inhabitants there by one third.
Between the years 1772 and 1787, more than fifty families moved from Middleboro to Woodstock, Vt., led, probably, by Dr. Stephen Powers. Among these may be named : -
Dr. Stephen Powers, 1774
Eleazer Wood, 1779
Joseph Darling, 1776
Caleb Wood, 1779
Isaac Tribou, 1776
Nathaniel Wood, 1779
Jabez Bennett, 1776 William Raymond, 1780
Jacob Churchill, 1778 George Sampson, I783
Joseph Churchill, 1778 David Thomas, 1787
Others moved to various parts of Vermont, and not a few emigrated into that part of the state then known as the dis- trict of Maine. It was considered noteworthy that these families should go so far into the wilderness. This tide of emigration seems to have continued up to 1800, so that the descendants of Middleboro men in various pursuits and profes- sions are to be found all over the country, and their records indicate that they have not forgotten the ancestry from which they sprang.
In the early part of the last century the town was noted for the general health of its inhabitants and their remarkable lon- gevity. Dr. Dwight, President of Yale College, in his letters containing an account of the towns in Massachusetts which he visited, has the following table, showing the mortality in the first parish between 1802 and 1812 and their ages, namely : 1-
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