USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > A History of Bristol County, Massachusetts, vol 2 > Part 41
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St. Patrick's Catholic Church was begun here in the early seventies, and the church was built in 1875, the first pastor being Rev. Father William H. Bric. Rev. Father William F. Sullivan was the pastor in 1923.
The Mission Church of Our Savior (Episcopal) was established here within recent years, Rev. J. Wynne Jones, pastor.
· A Portuguese Baptist church was organized in 1910. The Congrega- tional and the Baptist churches federated in 1912, and the M. E. Church joined that federation in 1922. Their denominational and missionary in- terests are separate, but their general treasury and their clerical activities are one. Rev. E. A. Mason was the pastor in 1923.
Through the influence of Mrs. Abby Morrill, president of the Old Colony Branch of the Woman's Board of Missions, a parish and community house was recently established in the town on School street.
Miscellaneous .- The Library building was built in 1910, the gift of Mrs. Sarah A. Hood, through her son, Alfred H. Hood. The librarians have been Miss F. B. Wood and Miss Ella Roberts. Before the present building was erected, the library was kept in the building now occupied by Sonion's , Market.
The patriotic and fraternal organizations are as follows: Cyrus M. Wheaton Post, G. A. R., organized October 16, 1885; Cyrus M. Wheaton W. R. C., No. 131; and a camp of the Sons of Veterans. Warren S. Hatha- way Post of the American Legion, of which Samuel W. Gibbs was com- mander in 1923, was named in honor of a soldier who was a Quaker, but who gave his life for the service, in France.
The Masons are represented by Pioneer Lodge, A. F. and A. M., and Star of Bethlehem Lodge, Order of the Eastern Star. The cornerstone of the Masonic building was laid in 1923. Elysian Lodge, No. 73, I. O. O. F., was organized in 1886. Herbert E. Goff was noble grand in 1923. Somerset grange was organized in 1888, with forty charter members. There were seventy members in 1923. Daniel P. Shove was the master; Louis A. Davis, secretary.
For a long period of years, Somerset was one of the principal shipping ports on the Taunton river, when many men were employed in the business of loading and unloading cargoes of coal and other commodities, the quantity at one time amounting to hundreds of tons annually. For ten years or so, beginning with the year 1849, ship-building was one of the town's leading industries, the main shipyard of the community being situated on the site of the old iron works, where, among others, several large government vessels were built.
The Somerset Iron Works Company, with William S. Ferguson as agent and treasurer, was organized in 1853, for the manufacture of ship anchors, etc., but after running for two years the enterprise came to an end. Albert Field and J. M. Leonard purchased the property in 1855, and began the business known as the Mount Hope Iron Works Company, with
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its rolling mill and nail factory. This proved a successful venture up to the year 1866, when nearly the entire plant was destroyed by fire. But about a year afterwards, the buildings were rebuilt, and the mill was greatly improved. In 1871 the firm sold out to the Parker Mills of Ware- ham, this State, the business being conducted with much success to the year 1878. Again, in 1881, the Old Colony Iron Company took charge of the plant, and ran the works for a number of years, employing about 500 men. The New England Shellac Works now owns this property.
The Boston Stove Foundry, organized for the manufacture of stoves and hollow-ware, located here in 1854. Financially, this company did not prove a success. In October, 1867, the Somerset Co-operative Stove Foundry was formed, with a capital of $15,000, soon afterwards increased to $30,000. They manufactured ranges, cooking, parlor and office stoves. A few years ago they went out of business. At Pottersville, members of the Chase family many years ago began the business of making earthen and stone- ware pottery. The Somerset Pottery Company was organized there in 1847. The business went into other hands in 1882, and is not now active.
The Montaup Electric Company was organized in 1923, by interests controlling the Edison Electric Illuminating Company of Brockton, the Fall River Electric Company and the Blackstone Valley Gas and Electric Company, to enable these three companies to erect and maintain a large electric plant at Somerset, to supply electricity to them at lower rates and in larger quantities than could be provided in their own plants, the cost of the proposed plant to be in the neighborhood of $7,000,000.
CHAPTER XV. SWANSEA
Every topographical feature of hill, vale, pasture, river and seashore, combines in the unsurpassed rural setting in which the town of Swansea finds itself today, a town of slow growth, but one in which dwells enduring respect for and recognition of the historical beginning and progress of the county. The town is in the southwest part of Bristol county, with Seekonk, Rehoboth and Dighton on the north, Dighton and Somerset on the east, and Somerset and Mount Hope Bay on the south. It forms part of that old tract of country that the natives had called Wannamoisett, and originally, part of Rehoboth, this State, and of Barrington, Rhode Island, were within the Wannamoisett section. There are two prominent names in the older history that have to do with the beginning of the town; and there is one name in particular that is dominant in the present-day foun- dations of the community. The two older names are those of Rev. John Myles and Captain Thomas Willett; and the benefactor of recent times is Hon. Frank S. Stevens.
Because of the fact that Rev. John Myles of Swansea, in Wales, settled here and organized here the second Baptist church in this country, to him the town owes its origin, the Plymouth Court that year granting to this church, with others, the Swansea township. At that time there
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also came to settle here, the diplomat of his day in this section, namely, Captain Thomas Willett, purchaser of the Attleboro country from the Indians, and who later became the first English mayor of New York, when the latter was ceded by the Dutch. These were the founders. In our own day Hon. Frank S. Stevens proved the generous town father in his notable gifts for the housing and enrichment of many of the public institutions.
Rev. John Myles was a pioneer church organizer and town builder. Having begun his ministry in South Wales, on the other side of the Atlantic, in 1645, he gathered a congregation and instituted a church there in 1649, during the first year of the protectorate of Oliver Cromwell. But upon the passing of the "Act of Uniformity" in 1662, with Charles II as King, two thousand clergymen found themselves without a church living.
At Rehoboth, in 1663, Rev. Mr. Myles re-established his Wales Church, that today is known as the First Baptist Church in Swansea. But the intolerance that then prevailed here and there among earliest settlers in this county and elsewhere, drove him and his followers farther south, to a place called New Meadow Neck, and there, as has been stated. the court gave a grant to this church, to be known as Swansea, naming it from the Swansea in Wales, whence the minister had emigrated. At the place of their first plantation here they were treated with bigoted severity, Mr. Myles and James Brown being fined £5 each and Nicholas Tanner twenty shillings, for setting up a public meeting without the court's approbation. The place of their eventual freedom from religious molestation-Swansea, then consisted of Shawomet, now Somerset; Mattapoisett. now Gardner's Neck; Kickemuit, between Cole and Warren rivers; New Meadow Neck, and Wannamoisett Neck. Early Swansea has since received various sub- divisions-that of 1717, when Barrington was separated and incorporated; that of 1747. when Little Compton, Tiverton, Barrington, Cumberland and Warren were separated from the original territory by the sectional line between Massachusetts and Rhode Island: and that of 1790, when Shaw- omet was divided and made Somerset.
Such was the incident of Swansea's first share in the making of the present county of Bristol, and with the grant of the township, there were fifty-five signers admitted. A. condition in the division of public lands existed in Swansea for ten years that had nothing to correspond with it in the new plantations, anywhere. It was that of an unequal division of lands, in which the men of the colony were divided into three ranks, those of the first rank receiving three acres to two granted those of the second, and to one granted those in the third rank. This was a landed aristocracy that was finally brought to a close in 1681, when the committee granted to five men, their heirs and assigns forever, "the full right and interest of the highest rank." Then the town took matters into their own hand and repudiated the act of the committee.
The first record that we have of white men's visitation and white men's settlement here is that contained in the Plymouth Records, which re-state the well known fact that in March, 1623, Governor Winslow and John Hampden visited the sachem Corbitant on Mattapoisett, now Gardner's Neck, South Swansea; but it was in June, 1664, that King Philip conveyed that district to William Brenton of Newport, who devised the whole in
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his will to his son Ebenezer, who conveyed it in 1693 for £1700 to Samuel Gardner and Ralph Chapman. In June, 1675, there were several houses on the Neck, and about seventy persons were stopping at a garrison house, occupied by a Bourne, who were conveyed to Rhode Island after King Philip's War began, all the houses on the Neck being burned by the Indians.
In March, 1677, the General Court ordered that henceforth Wannamoi- sett and parts adjacent should thereafter be known by the name of Swan- sea, and that Captain Thomas Willett, Mr. Paine, Senior, Mr. James Brown, John Allen and John Butterworth have the trust of admittance of the town's inhabitants and disposal of the land therein.
The Churches and Schools .- It has been shown how the First Baptist Church was instituted here by Rev. John Myles. He died February 3, 1683, and he was succeeded in this ministry July 22, 1685, by Captain Samuel Luther, who died December 20, 1716, after thirty-two years as pastor. It is pointed out that in 1700 the meetinghouse was removed to the vicinity of Myles Bridge. Ephraim Wheaton became associated with Captain Luther in 1704; he succeeded to this ministry at his death, and it was during his pastorate that the church records appear to begin, in 1718. Samuel Maxwell succeeded Mr. Wheaton up to April 15, 1739. Elder Ben- jamin Harrington was installed as pastor August 15, 1742, and he was dismissed May 3, 1750. Jabez Wood was ordained pastor September 5, 1751, and the office was again vacated in 1778 or 1779. Mr. Thompson, pastor of the Baptist church at Warren, was made pastor of the Myles church, October 7, 1779, his own church having been burned May 25, 1778. Upon the rebuilding of his Warren church, Mr. Thompson returned to that society, and Rev. William Northrup succeeded him here in the spring of 1804. Rev. William Barton was his successor in 1808, and he was dismissed at his own request in the spring of 1810. The ministers in succession from that time have been: Revs. Abner Lewis, to April, 1819; Benjamin Taylor to 1821; Benjamin Pease, to 1823; Luther Baker, 1824- 32; Jesse Briggs two and one-half years; O. J. Fisk, October 1, 1835, to April 1, 1836; Abiel Fisher, 1836-46; J. J. Thacher, 1846-54; Silas Hall, 1854-57; J. W. Horton, 1857-64; A. W. Ashley, 1864-67; J. A. Baskwell, May, 1868, to September, 1870; C. Bray, January, 1871, to May, 1874; the church being supplied by R. E. Barrows and others until April, 1876, when Rev. J. W. Horton was settled for the second time to January 1, 1882; Rev. G. W. Bixby, February, 1882, to 1891; Rev. Fred E. Bixby, 1892-98; Rev. Lucian Drury, 1898-1904; for the next three years there was no settled minister; Rev. Reuben J. Davis, 1907-08; there was no settled pastor from 1908 to 1913; Rev. Frederick J. Dark, 1913 -. Up to the year 1846, this church, states Rev. Otis Olney Wright, the historian, occupied probably the oldest church building in the county, and probably the oldest Baptist house of worship in America. Tradition says that it was built in 1717.
About the year 1690, services were being held in the east part of the town, that with the church organization in 1693, as the Church of Christ in Swansea, were the origin of the Christian Church. From 1803 to 1819, preachers from the yearly meeting of the Six-Principle Baptists were in charge of the services; but on February 10, 1820, the church regained its
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ecclesiastical freedom. Thomas Barnes had been ordained pastor in 1693. He died June 8, 1706. He was succeeded by Joseph Mason, son of Sam- son Mason, one of the soldiers of Cromwell, and he by John Pierce in 1715. Each of these last two preachers lived to be about ninety years of age. Job Mason, a nephew of the senior pastor, was ordained in May, 1738. He died July 17, 1775.
During the pastorate of Job Mason, thirty-three members of his church were dismissed at their own request to constitute a church to congregate in Rehoboth; and in 1763 several more members, together with others from Rehoboth and from Providence, emigrated to Sackville, now New Brunswick. Russell Mason succeeded his brother Job until his own death in 1799, at the age of eighty-five years. john Mason, another brother, was ordained pastor in 1788, and died in 1801, also at the age of eighty-five years. It was in 1788 that members living in Dartmouth organized for religious worship. Benjamin Mason succeeded John at his death, he dying in 1813, at the age of eighty-three years. Ministers successively then were: Philip Slade, to the close of 1819; Mr. Taylor, who was pastor ten years; Richard Davis, who became pastor in 1830, and so remained two and one-half years; James J. Thatcher, pastor from 1832 to 1841; Isaiah Haley, ordained in October, 1842, was pastor a few months; Jonathan Thompson, 1843-48, during which pastorate the Sunday school was organ- ized. The church had a number of supply pastors. Those who have been pastors since 1889 were the following-named: Lester Howard, 1889-93; B. S. Batchelor, supply ; Thomas S. Weeks, 1894-99; John MacCalman, 1899-1900; W. Parkinson Chase, 1900-01; William J. Reynolds, 1901-06; Carlyle Summerbell, 1906-08; Fred L. Brooks, 1908-09; Ernest R. Caswell, 1910-14; W. E. Baker, 1916 --.
The meetinghouse of this society was "near William Wood's", when in 1719 an addition was built to it; and "soon after" a new house was built, of oak and chestnut, and stood where the present church stands. The latter was dedicated April 10, 1833, and this house was entirely remodeled in 1873. It is believed this is the oldest church in Massachusetts that never had legal connection with a town.
Beginning in 1820 and for a number of years, a Six-Principle Baptist church was maintained, the first pastor being Elder Philip Slade, formerly pastor of the old Baptist church. Deacon Ellery Wood bequeathed his homestead for the maintenance of worship, and meetings were held some years, and discontinued.
The interests of the people of the Catholic faith are increasing year by year. St. Francis Church at Barneyville and St. Dominique's at Swan- sea Centre were both established in 1910-11, under the care of Father Ber- nard Percot, of St. Anne's, Fall River.
A Union meetinghouse was dedicated December 29, 1830, on the site occupied by the Town Hall. Services of dedication were shared by people of many denominations. The meetings at this church were finally brought to a close, and the building was demolished, the site being unoccupied for a number of years.
The First Universalist Society of Swansea was organized in 1838, the pioneer preacher of that belief having been Rev. Aaron L. Balch. The society has not held meetings here for many years.
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The first of the Episcopal services held in this town was that of May, 1845, when Rev. A. D. McCoy, of the Church of the Ascension in Fall River, maintained Sunday evening services until November, 1847. A church had been organized meantime, January 7, 1846, and a Sunday school was established by Dr. George W. Chevers, of Fall River. The church edifice was dedicated December 2, 1847, the first resident rector being Dr. John B. Richmond. Prominent among the first organizers of Christ Church were Hon. John Mason, Captain Preserved S. Gardner, John A. Wood, John E. Gray, Hon. George Austin, William Pearse, Benjamin H. Chase. The last only were communicants. William Pearse, John A. Wood and Cap- tain Gardner each left the parish $500 as a permanent fund for the support of the church. The church services were first held in the Union meeting- house. The building that was dedicated in 1847 had about two hundred sittings, and cost about $2,000. Rev. Mr. Richmond served from January 1, 1848, to January, 1852, and was succeeded for a few months by Rev. Ben- jamin Austin. In 1853, Rev. William Withington of Boston came, and remained until January, 1856. Successively, rectors have been : Rev. William B. Colburn; Rev. N. Watson Munroe, March, 1859, to February, 1864; Rev. A. F. Wylie and Rev. A. E. Tortat to April, 1868; Rev. George Heaton, M. A., to August, 1869; Rev. N. Watson Munroe, June, 1871, to Easter Monday, 1877; Rev. William T. Fitch to July, 1881; Rev. Otis O. Wright to February 15, 1888; Rev. Ernest Marriett, April 2, 1888, to De- cember 12, 1889; Rev. Percy Grant, 1890 to 1893; Rev. Herman Page, to about 1900; Rev. Edward Benedict, December 26, 1900; Rev. J. Wynne- Jones, May 17, 1909. The last service in the old church was held June 18, 1899, and the building was sold at auction June 21. The cornerstone of the present church was laid August 27, 1899, and the consecration of the new church took place June 6, 1900, by Right Rev. William Lawrence, D. D.
Rev. John Myles, the first pastor of the first church here, was also the first schoolmaster. It was ordered, December 19, 1673, that a school should be started in the town for the teaching of grammar, rhetoric, arith- metic; also Latin, Greek and Hebrew; as well as for the reading and writ- ing of English. Mr. Myles held the school in various parts of the town, as was customary throughout the province before the building of school- houses. Jonathan Bosworth is mentioned as the next schoolmaster, in 1698, and he also taught in the various sections of the town. Then came John Devotion, who taught the schools for more than a quarter of a century.
The appropriation for the maintenance of Swansea's schools in 1922 was $41,635, and the total number of pupils then enrolled in the schools was 607. The town has no high school, but attending the high schools elsewhere there were fifty-eight at Fall River, twenty-two at Warren, R. I., and one at Somerset. The local schools at this date were Bank street, Gardner, North street, and Stevens, the latter the gift of Hon. Frank S. Stevens.
Swansea in the Wars .- Tuesday, June 22, 1675, the first blood of the King Philip War was shed at Gardner's Neck in Swansea, six men being killed or mortally wounded. On Thursday, June 24, others were killed there, and most of the houses were burned. The garrison house of pastor
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John Myles, at Barneyville, was the assembly-place for contingents of the Massachusetts troops throughout the course of the conflict.
It has been ascertained that 416 Swansea men bore arms in the Revolu- tionary War, whether for long or short periods. September 26, 1774, Colonel Andrew Cole, Captain Levi Wheaton, Captain Philip Slade, Rich- ard Cornell and Captain Luther Thurber were chosen the first committee from this town to meet with delegates from other towns to deliberate with regard to the exigencies of the times. The town provided guns, powder, lead and flint, and directed that fifty men be enlisted to be ready at a minute's warning. Troops were repeatedly called out from this town to the defence of the shores. Three militia captains of this town were par- ticularly active throughout the struggle: namely, Peleg Sherman, after- wards colonel; Philip Slade, and Peleg Peck. Colonel Peleg Slade was also an ardent friend of the patriotic cause.
Swansea responded well to the call of the War for the Union, and the town was represented in all branches of the service. One hundred and thirty men went from and were hired by and for the town. A tablet in Town Hall contains the names of Swansea soldiers in all wars. The num- ber that served from here in the World War was seventy-three.
Various Institutions .- The Town Hall, one of the most attractive of any in the towns in this county, was dedicated September 9, 1891, the gift of Hon. Frank S. Stevens to the town. The building, which is of rough field stones taken from walls on farms owned by Mr. Stevens, with Long- meadow brownstone used for trimmings, is upon a lot nearby the residence of its donor. The tower is thirteen feet square and fifty-six feet in height, and contains a bell and clock. On the occasion of the dedication, Job Gardner was president of the day; speakers were: Hon. Frank S. Stevens, donor of the building; Hon. John Summerfield Brayton, the orator; Rev. Percy S. Grant, chaplain; Rev. Benjamin H. Chase; Major James Brown, of Taunton, the first Swansea man to graduate from college; Jonathan M. Wood of Fall River; Hon. Edwin L. Barney of Fall River.
The Frank S. Stevens Public Library building was dedicated Sep- tember 19, 1900, the cornerstone having been laid October 31, 1899. Job Gardner was president of the day, Hon. Albert C. Pillsbury and Rev. Herman Page were orators, and Hezekiah Butterworth read verses. In September, 1882, Rev. Otis Olney Wright, rector of Christ Church from 1881 to 1888, instituted the Christ Church Book Circle, composed of twenty- one members; and as a result, the Swansea Public Library Association was formed May 9, 1883, the officers being: President, Rev. Otis Olney Wright; vice-president, James H. Mason; secretary, Miss Julia R. Well- ington ; collector and treasurer, Frank R. Stebbins; librarian, Rev. O. O. Wright; assistant librarian, Mrs. O. O. Wright; trustees : Henry O. Wood, Frank S. Stevens, Job Gardner. On June 14, 1883, the Book Circle donated its books to the library, and on June 23 that year, Narragansett Lodge, No. 58, I. O. G. T., disbanding, donated its library, also. At first the institution was located in the Israel Brayton house; in June, 1884, it was removed to Mrs. Katharine Gardner's vacant store building. October 1, 1885, it was in the old store and postoffice building, then the property of Hon. Frank S. Stevens. In September, 1891, the books were removed to
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the library room in the Town Hall. In March, 1896, the town voted to establish a free public library, and in the following May, the Library. Asso- ciation voted to present its books and property to the town. The gift was accepted, and the Swansea Free Public Library was opened September 26, 1896, and a delivery station was established at North Swansea, in charge of Mrs. Mary .S. Greene; another at Swansea Centre, in charge of John B. Eddy; and a third at Hortonville, in charge of Mrs. Delmar A. Cummings. Rev. O. O. Wright continued as librarian until his removal to another pas- torate in February; 1888; Miss Carrie A. Chase, now Mrs. Elmer D. Young, was librarian from February to May, 1888. Miss Julia R. Wellington, the first and only secretary of the association, was elected librarian, June 2, 1888, and she has continued to serve to date. At the death of Hon. Frank S. Stevens, April 25, 1888, his will declared that the town of Swansea should receive the income of $2,500 for the purchase of books for a free public library; and the executors were directed to expend $10,000 in. erect- ing and furnishing a public library on the lot occupied by the Town Hall, elected by the testator, and to be known as the Stevens Public Library- building.
The dwelling house of Reuben Chace, known as "The Buttonwood," three-quarters of a mile west of Swansea Village, was the first postoffice, Mr. Chace being appointed postmaster July 1, 1800. John Mason succeeded him as postmaster, June 17, 1814, at the present office in the village. John A. Wood succeeded him June 12, 1849, and he so continued until June 6, 1853, when Mr. Mason was returned to the office. Again, on March 23," 1864, Mr. Wood was reinstated. His son, Henry O. Wood, was appointed June 18, 1867. He resigned May 24, 1887, after twenty years of service, when Lewis S. Gray was appointed. Miss Fanny E. Wood succeeded Mr. Gray in the office. The Barneyville postoffice was established at North Swansea in February, 1830, the name afterwards being changed to North Swansea. Mason Barney was appointed postmaster February 20, that year. His successors were: Alvan Cole, June 28, 1836; Captain James Cornell, February 28, 1838; Mason Barney, June 24, 1841; Mason Barney, Jr., in April, 1867 ; William P. Mason, February 12, 1872. Swansea Center postoffice was established December 29, 1888, with Seth W. Eddy as post- master. Hortonville postoffice was started January 19, 1885, with L. L. Cummings as postmaster. South Swansea postoffice was established on Gardner's Neck October 24, 1890, with the appointment of Frank J. Arnold.
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