USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Dedham > Dedham tercentenary 1636-1936 > Part 10
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On July 6, 1638, Present site of the Meetinghouse was decided upon.
Aug. 28, 1638. Edward Kempe was brought to Dedham as a blacksmith. And on the same day John Hayward and Nicholas Phillips were chosen to mowe and gather thatch for the Meetinghouse.
November, 1638. Abraham Shawe sold some of his Dedham lands, and died before March 25, 1639, leaving other lands to his sons, John and Joseph.
March 25, 1639. Vote to give land formerly granted to Mr. Shawe for a corn mill to anyone who will erect said mill.
May 17, 1639. First Board of Selectmen chosen. Seven men: Edw. Alleyn, John Kingsbury, John Luson, Eleaser Lusher, John Dwite, Robert Hinsdall and John Bacheler.
Feb. 26, 1639-40. John Kingsbury was appointed collector.
Dec. 2, 1640. John Kingsbury, John Hayward and John Bacheler were deputed to search for brick earth and provide a place to burn brick upon. Thomas Eames named brickmaker.
Jan. 1, 1644-45. Vote of the town at a general meeting to provide maintenance for a Free School to be supported by public taxation.
Jan. 1, 1648-49. The First Free Public School house is ordered to be built.
The first church was gathered Nov. 8, 1638, and Mr. John Allin was ordained as its minister April 24, 1639. Mr. John Hunting was at the time ordained ruling elder.
March 25, 1639. It was ordered that a ditch be dug from Charles River through purchased meadow unto East Brook for a course to the mill site, to furnish water power. This is the origin of Mother Brook, or Mill Creek.
1646. John Eliot of Roxbury began the Indian Village, Nonantum. (East Newton.)
1651. In response to a petition by Eliot, the General Court granted to the Indian plantation at Natick (then a part of Dedham) 2000 acres for a village. Upon motion of Dedham the Court granted Dedham in exchange for the Natick
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land, 8000 acres which they might select for themselves. John Fairbanks and Lieut. Joshua Fisher were sent Sept. 21, 1664 to examine a tract twelve or fourteen miles from Hadley. On their favorable report the land was accepted. The place was called Pocomtuck, now Deerfield.
Capt. John Pynchon of Springfield was employed to purchase the land from the Indians. The three deeds are now carefully preserved at Deerfield. Dedham gave 96 pounds 10 shillings for the deeds.
1653. General Court gave a small field piece called a drake to the town of Dedham.
1670. The Regicides, Goffe and Whalley (escaped from Cambridge in 1661 and by way of New Haven a few years later) reached Hadley where they were sheltered in the house of Parson Russell and were cared for by Lydia Fisher, daughter of Daniel Fisher of Dedham. There is a tradition that the Regicides were sheltered in a hen coop back of her father's house on Louder street in Dedham one night while on their way to New Haven.
1672. Samuel Hinsdall requested Dedham to consider their difficulties and remoteness to Pocumtuck.
1677. The plantation was set off as a separate town called Deerfield.
1679. Philip, sachem of the Wampanoags at Pokanoket claimed land at Wol- lomonopoag. Magus, another sachem, claimed Natick, Needham, and Dedham Island. In 1680, Magus released his title to these for five pounds.
1673. The General Court ordered Dedham to put her soldiers in a posture of war.
1675. Robert Hinsdale and his two sons were killed in the Bloody Brook Massacre at Pocumtuck by Indians.
Dec. 1675. Combined forces of the colonies under General Josiah Winslow were gathered at Dedham low plain (now Readville) and marched against the Nar- ragansetts in Rhode Island.
February, 1676. Medfield was burned and several settlers killed and wounded.
July 25, 1676. Dedham and Medfield men assisted by number of praying Indians defeated and killed Pomham, a Narragansett Sachem, when fifteen Indians were killed and thirty-five of his followers captured.
Philip was killed by Benjamin Churche's men on August 12, following. Indian warfare ceased in this region.
ACT II
THE PIONEERS - 1636-1686
SCENE 1.
Charles River-The keye (first landing place.) Pioneers landing from cauoes, bringing provisions and tools ashore.
Characters in this scene-EDWARD ALLEYN, JOHN, HANNAH and YOUNG TIMOTHY DWIGHT and INFANT; JOHN and PRISCILLA ROGERS, SAMUEL and ELIZA- BETH MORSE; others ad lib.
ALLEYN. This be the place. Can we pull up to a stone for landing?
DWIGHT. There is no stone. Beach the canoe.
ALLEYN. Steady, boys.
TIMOTHY.
See the turtel, -look, look, it's swimming!
HANNAH.
Look out, yourself. You will upset the canoe.
DWIGHT. (Leaping ashore). Home!
ALLEYN. Take this line. (throwing line to Dwight).
ELIZABETH MORSE. Is it all mud there? Can't we find a dry place?
SAMUEL MORSE. "Tis better just beyond.
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HANNAH. John, take this child before he jumps into the river. (John takes, first Timothy and then the infant ashore, then helps Hannah to land. Others have made shore beyond.)
SAMUEL MORSE. Goodman Alleyn, have you the Grant? We should give it a careful look before digging too deeply here.
ALLEYN (Producing grant as others gather around-reads) "1636 The 10th of ye 7th month this Peticion was published in a full General Court and granted as followeth: vizt.
1. That this Plantacion shall have 3 years Immunitie from publike charges. That our Towne shall beare the name of Dedham.
2.
3. All the rest of ye Peticion fully granted by a generall voate, freely and cheerfully without any exception at all where upon this short Order was drawen up and Recorded by ye Secretary, Mr. Bradstreete."
HANNAH. Why call it Dedham? Was not Contentment better for so fair a valley?
ELIZABETH MORSE. O, I am glad it is to be Dedham. That was our home in England.
ALLEYN. Was it then you, Samuel Morse, who moved the court to change the name?
MORSE. I may have had a hand in it. John Sherman, our neighbor in Water- town came from Dedham, also. He has favor at court. I spoke to him. Rogers, here, may have put in a word. His father is vicar of St. Mary's in Old Dedham.
ALLEYN. What say ye, John Rogers?
ROGERS. Aye, -It is as Samuel Morse has said, and I am right glad, for the River Stour and the River Charles are as like as two furrows in the same field, and if there is a Dedham on the banks of one there should be a Dedham on the other also.
ALLEYN. Has the name a significance that ye hold to it so?
MORSE. Some have it as given in the Domesday Book, dell and ham, or the hamlet in the dell. But there be older records, our vicar says, that it is a family name, the hamlet of the Didd family,-Didd's ham, Dedham for short.
PRISCILLA ROGERS. But that isn't why we hold to it so.
MORSE. Then why?
PRISCILLA. It's because the birds sang to us there when we were small, and all the village paths are aching for our feet.
ALLEYN. Enough -- Enough. There is a deal to do before sunset.
Pioneers establish camp near the river, clear space for campfire. Men deploy into the woods, while women prepare a noonday meal. Characters same as Scene 1. HANNAH. There, Timothy, go fetch some more fagots for the fire.
ELIZABETH. It was right plucky of ye to bring the childer up here for this day's work. I would not have done it.
HANNAH. John was that particular about his lot that he would come, and we had agreed to stake it out together the first day. And the childer, too, all of us together in the place where our home is to be.
PRISCILLA ROGERS. Our New Home!
ELIZABETH. Now let's get these beans to cookin'. That's the surest way to make home happy.
SCENE 2.
The wilderness in November. SAMUEL MORSE, DANIEL MORSE, EZEKIEL HOL- LIMAN, JOHN KINGSBURY, RICHARD EVERARD, LAMBERT GENERYE, JOHN DWIGHT. JOHN HAWARD, JOSEPH MORSE.
Pioneers enter the woods.
DANIEL MORSE. Look, -it's a turkey!
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JOSEPH MORSE (firing flintlock) It is an act of Providence if this fowling piece discharges before the bird flies. (The shot is effective, the buge turkey falls from the tree, is brought in and thrown into the bushes while the woodsmen turm to their labors.)
SAMUEL MORSE. This might be for a canoe.
DANIEL. Is it large enough?
JOHN KINGSBURY. It will do for Master Timothy Dwight.
HOLLIMAN. I mark it for clapboards.
RICHARD EVERARD. Is it on your bounds? .
HOLLIMAN. Here is the line which cuts off John Gaye's lot from mine.
DWIGHT. The line runs through the tree. Which side is it on?
HOLLIMAN. John Gaye should be here to look out for his lot. If the tree falls on my side it is mine, and I shall make clapboards of it.
SCENE 3.
DANIEL MORSE, JOHN KINGSBURY and RICHARD EVERARD wander into the wilderness and encounter a bear cub.
SCENE 4.
The Wilderness in winter. SAMUEL MORSE, DANIEL MORSE, NICHOLAS PHIL- LIPS, LAMBERT GENERYE, JOSEPH KINGSBURY and RICHARD EVERARD ascend the Charles River on the ice, enter the woods and proceed to cut timber. The ice is glassy. Joseph Kingsbury falls, but is unhurt.
PHILLIPS. This be my lot, and here is a lusty tree for my house.
DWIGHT. But the underbrush will have to be cut away first.
EVERARD. There's more heat in chopping wood than in burning it. (Capes are thrown to one side and trees are quickly felled, branches trimmed and logs carried away.)
Samuel Morse has been exploring, and soon comes upon the stump of a tree, newly cut. He measures it with his band, motions to the wood-choppers webo answer to bis accusation.
SAMUEL MORSE. Who hath cut this tree? Do you know the law? No tree more than six inches across at the carfe shall be cut except on your own lot. (Pointing to cach in turn.) Did you cut this tree?
PHILLIPS. I cut the tree. I thought it was on my land.
SAMUEL. Ye should have looked more diligently for the boundaries: it is not on your land, and ye must pay six pence to the Town.
Richard Everard cuts fagots for a fire. Daniel Morse strikes the flint while Lambert Generye shelters the spark with his bat. Soon the thin wraith of smoke; curls through the fagots and a warm blaze calls the woodsmen from their labors.
The pioneers discover a buck in the snow, and Samuel Morse takes aim, but the flint lock misses fire and the buck makes off.
At the close of the day the camp fire is extinguished, and the laborers plod home as the sky glows in a brilliant sunset.
SCENE 5.
Dedham village in the early morning of March 23, 1637.
Citizens gather at Ezechiell Holliman's house for the first town meeting on Dedham soil.
SCENE 6.
Interior of Ezechiell Holliman's House, Dedbam.
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The first town meeting on Dedham soil. Present: EDWARD ALLEYN, ABRAHAM SHAWE, SAMUEL MORSE, PHILEMON DALTON, JOSEPH SHAWE, EZECHIELL HOLLI- MAN, LAMBERT GENEYRE, NICHOLAS PHILLIPS, RAFFE SHEPHEARD, JOHN GAYE, FRANCIS AUSTEN, WILLIAM BARSTOWE, JOHN ROGERS, DANIEL MORSE, JOHN HUG- GENS.
ALLEYN. Citizens, will ye hear the reading of that which was agreed upon at ye last assembly? (Reads) Do ye confirm the same?
CITIZENS. Aye.
DWIGHT. Citizens, it is my desire to present Jonathan Fearebanke to become
a member of our society.
AILEYN. What hath he to commend him?
DWIGHT. He cometh from the settlement of Boston with six children. He is a Yorkshireman. SHAWE. Hath he letters?
DWIGHT. He hath a certificate from ye magistrate according to ye order of ye Court.
ALLEYN. What say ye, citizens?
CITIZENS. Aye, let him be welcome among us.
ALLEYN Dwight, ye may bring him in that he sign the covenant. (Fairbanks is brought in and signs.)
SHAWE. Citizens, at ye last meeting ye granted me free liberty to build a corn mill, and assigned five men to help me find a convenient place for it.
CITIZENS. Aye, it is so.
SHAWE. We have explored ye rivers and have paced out a lot of sixty acres, where a mill could be built. I do now make you a proposition, that I will build the mill if ye will grant me the 60 acres of land to build it on, and help me to get a stone for grinding corn.
ALLEYN. Ye have heard the proposition by Abraham Shawe. What will ye do with it?
SAMUEL MORSE. Abraham Shawe has made us a good proposition, and I move that we grant it provided it be a water mill, else not.
GAYE. There is another matter too. What if Abraham Shawe decided to leave our town? I move that in case he should desire to sell or dispose of his mill site, that the Town shall have ye first refusal of it.
SHAWE. That is reasonable. I grant it.
ALLEYN. Citizens ye have heard the conditions. Do ye favor them?
DALTON. Aye, all of them.
ALLEYN. Do ye all agree?
CITIZENS. Aye.
SCENES 7, 8, AND 9
Banks of the Charles, Haynes Farm, Watertown (now Newton). Pioneers float millstone upon a raft and tow it up river.
SCENE 10. Arrival of Jobu Allin.
Banks of the Charles at the Keye in Dedbam. July, 1637. JOHN AND MARGARET ALLIN, ELEAZER LUSHER, TIMOTHY DALTON, THOMAS AND ALICE WIGHT, ROBERT AND ANN HINSDALL AND JOHN LUSON land from canoes. They are greeted by the first settlers and proceed to the village.
SAMUEL MORSE. Goodman Allin, it is a glorious sight ye make, with your goodly company.
ALLIN. Brothers, we have traveled far to find ye. And this is ye fair meadow that ye were minded to name Contentment!
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MORSE. But some of us prevailed upon ye court to call it Dedham.
ROGERS. Does it mind you of old Dedham on the Stour?
ALLIN. When I look only at the river, -- but I miss the tower of St. Mary's.
DALTON. Three years ago, it was, that we met in the Vicarage there, and John Milton read his poem to us.
ROGERS. Aye, -the spirit was strong then.
ALLIN. Rogers, my son, it is sad news I must give ye. Your noble father that gave us such royal hospitality, is gone to his reward. He died as he had lived, with his eyes toward heaven, and his hand pointing the way.
ROGERS. May the spirit of our fathers guide us in the wilderness.
ELIZABETH MORSE. Margaret Allin! And ye have come to live among us!
MARGARET. It is a blessing to see ye, Elizabeth. And here is Lydia,-Daniel's wife. How have ye fared in this wild country?
LYDIA. Was it not your own good husband as told us long ago that hope is the true fountain of joy?
MARGARET. He is fond of saying things of that sort.
PRISCILLA. There is little else than hope here.
ELIZABETH. And Memories.
ALICE WIGHT. But what magnificent hope you must have-you mothers of a new world.
ANN HINSDALL. Is this your town? Where are the Indians?
PRISCILLA. They trouble us little. We hardly see them.
ELIZABETH. But my soul waiteth for word from Old England, and the friends
there. Tell me about them, each one.
MARGARET. Aye, so closely doth our love bind us to those far away.
SCENE 11.
Building of the Meetinghouse. Spring and Summer of 1638.
JOHN MORSE. After all their argument they have settled upon this site, at ye end of Joseph Kingsbury's lot.
MICHAEL METCALF. If this be the corner, John Luson, will ye measure off the north wall. It is to be 36 feet long by 20 wide. (They measure off the area. )
JOHN MORSE. There ye be, men; now these pits must be dug by the week's end, or Michael Metcalf will be piling the timbers on your heads.
Seven days later. The same scene, showing a dry wall of stone for the foundation 36 by 20 ft.
Enter Michael Metcalf, John Luson, Anthony Fisher and Joseph Kingsbury with oxcart laden with timbers for the sills.
METCALF. Here, Fisher, put a hand to this timber. Along the north wall. Kings- bury and Luson, place the west timber. Lad, bring me that auger. We'll have this up before the next town meeting day.
September, 1638 -- Same scene. The walls are up and John Haward and Nicholas Phillips enter with oscart laden with thatching.
HAWARD. Where is the ladder? There, bring it, boy. (Haward climbs to roof.) Now Nicholas Phillips, if you can get that thatching up to me we'll have a roof for the Indians to shoot at with their burning arrows.
PHILLIPS. There be no Indians here.
LAD. But I saw one this morning early. He was hiding behind those big trees. I saw him skoot from one to another down low.
HAWARD. Lord save us!
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PHILLIPS. They say as it is best to make friends with these red skins. Pay them for the land we have taken. Buying a wilderness. (laughs)
LAD. A string of beads for a winding river.
SCENE 12. The Canal, 1639.
Pioneers are seen digging the first canal in America. One of them in a fit of temper rushes upon his neighbor and is deftly tumbled into the water.
SCENE 13. The Fairbanks House.
Jonathan Fairbanks reads from the Bible while his family awaits the arrival of Michael Metcalf and the Rev. John Allin. Michael and Mary are united in marriage according to the custom of the day.
SCENES 14 AND 15. Dedham Village.
Citizens often held meetings in the open, under the trees. They gather on the morning of a summer day, and after the long sermons of morning and afternoon linger until the moon appears over the trees.
SCENE 16. By the Campfire.
It was the custom often to build a campfire on warm days and the entire village gather for a common meal.
SCENE 17. Indians.
While the villagers are at the campfire, Indians prowl around the houses, but are discovered by the watchman and driven off.
SCENE 18. At the Pillaries.
The "village drunk" is brought to justice and pillaried until he can regain his senses. He is so rudely taunted by one of the village maidens that she in turn is dis- ciplined for her unwomanly conduct.
SCENE 19. At the Saw Pit. 1649.
The men of the settlement who have been deputed to cut timber for the first school house are at work from dawn till dusk.
SCENE 20. Building the School House, 1649.
Eleazer Lusher, John Gaye, Michael Metcalf, discovered on the grounds.
LUSHER. This be the most likely place. The watchman in the tower can see all parts of the village from here.
METCALF. And the lads will not have far to walk.
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GAYE. If you build it so close to the meetinghouse you will have to dismiss school while the town meetin' is going on.
LUSHER. You think the arguments of the citizens would disturb the boys?
Enter John Dwight with measuring rod.
LUSHER. Here. Dwight, measure off 18 foot to the east, and 14 foot to the south from this stake.
Enter Jos. Kingsbury.
LUSHER. Kingsbury, when can you get the men onto this work? The women are fussing, that we are so slow with the school.
DWIGHT. According to the vote we should put the chimney at one end, 4 foot deep.
LUSHER. Yes, and then back of the chimney there be a tower, six foot wide, and high enough that a watchman can see over the roof of the house.
KINGSBURY. Here is a drawin' I made of it on this clapboard while we was dis- cussin' it in the meetin'. We was to make the tower come out 2 foot and a half beyond the corner of the house.
BATTEI.L. Why did they put the watch tower on the school house?
DWIGHT. So's the lads would keep the watchman awake with their noise.
LUSHFR. I wish they might wake up the whole Bay Colony to the necessity of providing free schools for all their children.
WHEELOCK. Yes, and in Boston too, but look at all the towns with no chance for schoolin' at all. I tell you the colony will suffer if they neglect these boys.
DWIGHT. How do they support their Dorchester school,-by taxation as we do ours?
LUSHER. No, not that way. When Richard Mather was out here he told me
that they set aside a calf pasture down on the bay and used the rent to pay for a teacher. KINGSBURY. Makin' the calves edjicate the boys!
LUSHER. So far as I know this is the only free school supported by public taxation. DWIGHT. How about the Boston Latin?
LUSHIER. It is supported by private subscription.
LUSHIER. Where be the carpenters?
FAIRBANKS. Coming. We passed 'em down by the bridge. BULLARD. Fishin'?
Enter Francis and Henry Chickering, Thomas Wight, and Lambert Genere.
GAYE. Here you idlers, where are your tools? This frame must be up by sundown. FAIRBANKS. There they are under that tree. Lucky ye didn't lose 'em.
LUSHER. Now at it, men, with a will. I've asked the women to set ye out an extra pot of beans for noontime.
SCENE 21.
Village green, Dedham. John Eliot, with a small group of Indians, talking with Dedbam citizens. ( About 1651)
ELIOT. Is it not written, "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel unto every creature?"
JN. KINGSBURY. But these are only Indians.
ELIOT. They are human, sir, and many are learning already the Christian way. I am even now translating the Holy Bible into their language. We are teaching them to read.
JOHN ALLIN. Thou are in a noble work, Brother Eliot, and what is it that you desire of us?
ELIOT. A bit of meadow ten miles to the west of you. It is called Natick by the Indians,-"The place of hills."
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ALLIN. Where be they now?
ELIOT. At Nonantum,-(Newton) to the north. There I preach to them.
LUSHER. How great a parcel want ye? ELIOT. About 2000 acres we made it out to be. LUSHER. Tell the Great and General Court we will grant ye the parcel if they will allow us an additional 8000 acres which we shall choose from another part of the colony.
ELIOT. It is done.
SCENE 22.
Riverside.
The women do the family washing in the rippling waters of the Charles.
SCENE 23.
Dedham Village (1662) Philip, Sachem of Mt. Hope, approaches while villagers gather. Circle is formed. Pipe is passed.
PHILIP. White man take land.
LUSHER. Indans not here. White man take. Belongs to white man now.
PHILIP. Indian no fight-Indian own land. Indian want wampum, English money.
GAYE. The Indian is right. We took his land.
ALLIN. We should pay.
LUSHFR. We give £20.
PHILIP. Not enough.
LUSHER. £24.
PHILIP. White money!
ALLIN. He wants silver.
LUSHER. This? (10s)
PHILIP.
Good.
SCENE 24.
The Dooryard. Making Butter. SCENE 25. Village Greeu.
Ensign Daniel Fisher enters bearing news that John Wilson, John Genere and Elisha Woodward were slain at Deerfield.
SCENE 26. Interior.
Three Spinners. SCENES 27, 28 AND 29 Medfield. (1676)
Village is burned. Several killed by King Philip. Huts dimly seen in twilight. Smoke ascending from chimneys. Men after late chores enter houses. Suddenly burn- ing arrows are fired from the edge of the forest. Indians descend upon the village and kill and wound whites as they rush out of burning houses. One house remains standing, the so-called Peak House.
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ACT III.
THE HEARTHSIDE, 1686-1736.
Historical data: Comfort Starr probably was a descendant of John Starr who is said to have given a parcel of land to Harvard College when it was established in 1636. Comfort and Mary Starr lived in Dedham where their thirteen children were born. Mary, Nov. 23, 1685; Abiah, Feb. 8, 1687-8; Hannah, Jan. 13, 1690-91; Sarah, Feb. 13, 1691-2; Josiah, Sept. 4, 1693,-lived only 10 weeks; Susanah, Nov. 24, 1694; Com- fort, Aug. 9, 1696; Judith, Sept. 2, 1698; Martha and Ruth, Oct. 5, 1700,-Martha lived only 9 weeks; Elizabeth, Oct. 12, 1702; Jonathan, Dec. 8, 1704; Martha, April 27, 1707; Mary Starr married Wm. Eaton April 27, 1704. William was the son of John and Alice Eaton.
Hannah Starr married John Sabin November 3, 1730. The scene which follows is well within the range of possibility, but is entirely imaginary. The purpose is to present the family life of this period. There are no outstanding events in the history of the town during this half century but the new civilization which is to determine the character of life in America for generations to come is now deeply rooting itself.
SCENE 1.
(Interior ) Kitchen, large fireplace, early morning. Mary Starr, (age 19) is stirring ashes in the fireplace, blowing gently, trying to rekindle from the embers. Her father, Comfort, comes stamping in out of the cold, with pails of water.
MARY. Why didn't you start the fire before you went out, Father?
FATHER. I did, Mary, but it must have died. If Comfort had got up earlier he might have kept it. He will have to go for some. (Calls upstairs) Comfort-lad- up-at once, ye must off to Metcalf's for some fire.
SCENE 2.
Bedroom-Comfort sleepily emerging from the trundle bed. Mother is making up the four poster. Hannah (age 15) is dressing Ruth (age 4) and Abiah (age 17) is taking Elizabeth (age 2) out of the cradle.
HANNAH. There, Comfort, your father is calling. Hear that! No fire! Out with you.
RUTH. Out with you. (Grabs cover from Comfort, but he snatches it back.) HANNAH. (intervening) Quickly, Comfort, into your clothes.
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