USA > Massachusetts > Dukes County > Early History of Naushon Island > Part 29
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chased ten more Merino sheep and I am not determined on the manner of sending them to the Island. Desire Mr Chadwick to examine the sheep the Merino and the lambs which were driven to Boston to see if any of them have the scab or itch & if so they must be put by themselves and occasionally rubbed with the ointment mentioned in the book I gave him see P. 108. It is said that a strong decoction of tobacco mixed with sea salt is also a certain remedy. If you send me your accounts of labor so arranged that I can understand it by Mr Parker and Mr Bradley his, they shall both be paid. . . .
J. B.
JAMES BOWDOIN TO MR. BENJAMIN TABER, PUMP MAKER NEW BEDFORD
Boston, April 13th.
Sir;
I recd. your letter. . .. I hasten to acquaint you that seeing you have made engagements for ye logs wch. I did not expect till you wrote me, I will return to my original plan, if on the whole it shall be thot best or fairly feasible to determine wch. prior to your going on with the boring, it will be necessary, that you should go to Naushon to see Mr Chadwick measure ye ground & elevation & finally see how near the house & what part of it the water can be carried with certainty and success. . . . I shall want a oak pump for a well that is now digging, to be made & sent to the Is. as soon as you can find the length it shld. have. I sh. depend on its being well made of good timber, & properly bored, of a size according to the depth of the well.
JAMES BOWDOIN TO MR. BENJAMIN TABER, JR.
April 29th. 1811
Mr Benj. Taber Jun.
In duly considering all circumstances in regard to the pipes
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price etc. I think it will be reasonable to allow you 11 cents per ft. for them after they shall be laid, you seeing to their properly be- ing placed, laid from the reservoir to the place of delivery this be- ing as heretofore in lieu of all charges or in other words your de- livering them on the Island free of other expenses. I shall expect that the pump for the well shall not be suffered to be wet with salt water, but that it be landed on the wharf without being thrown into the sea. . . . The pump must be made to go well that it is properly placed. I have directed Mr C. to prepare the trench for receiving the pipes so you may not be delayed unnecessarily on the Island. I wish to have them done as soon as possible. As Shadrach Robinson has moved from the Cove and also left my farm at the west end without a tenant, if you know a good man or men that you can reccomend . . . drop me a few lines. I want reputable industrious men, who are honest and not disposed to be troublesome.
J. B.
JAMES BOWDOIN TO THOMAS WINTHROP
Thos L. Winthrop Esq.
Dear Sir;
Since my return to Naushon my health has been slowly improv- ing and I hope that I may be able to lay up a sufficient store as to enable me to pass a comfortable winter. We shall be glad to expect to see you and Mrs W. to pass a few days with us here, Naushon was never pleasanter, and as I conclude it is your and Mrs W's. intention I shall be obliged to you for some enquiries in regard to the construction and management of ice houses. Ours does not answer; I apprehend there is a defect in its situation being too much exposed to an afternoon sun, as well as to the inlet of the external air ; although it is said a certain communication with it to carry off the vapor is necessary. If any of your acquaintances has got a good ice house, I shall be obliged to you to know of them the
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method ye external air is kept from the ice, whilst it is allowed a certain circulation in the ice houses of either of ye Mr Perkins' or both of them would give the description of their ice houses and the manner of the putting, preserving, & taking out the ice from them. .. . I might draw from them, what might answer to preserve the ice in my ice house. Should Capt. Palmer come to Naushon with Sir Grenville [Temple], I should be obliged to him if he would visit the ice house of Mr Perkins, in order to advise with me.
My health does not permit me to visit these places, and there- fore I am not able to form or make comparisons from the different plans there are of them.
After a great deal of trouble we at length got a well near the house, and I hope the water will prove good and abundant.
J. B.
Thomas Winthrop's son, James B. Winthrop, was at the time of writing, a student at Bowdoin College.
To THOMAS WINTHROP FROM HIS SON JAMES BOWDOIN WINTHROP
Brunswick, Me. July 28 1811
. . . N.B.
I was very sorry to notice in your last letter that on account of illness Uncle B. had been compelled to leave Naushon. I hope he is better & will thank you to mention in your next how he is.
To THOMAS WINTHROP FROM JAMES BOWDOIN WINTHROP August 15th. 1811
I was very glad to see in your last that Uncle Bowdoin's health was so much improved by his return to Boston. I hope he will be able to remain on Naushon till October.
Jas. Bowdoin Winthrop
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LETTERS CONCERNING THE DEATH OF JAMES BOWDOIN
The accompanying letters were written by my grandmother, Elizabeth Bowdoin Temple Winthrop, who afterward married my grandfather, Benjamin Tappan. The letters are addressed to her father, Thomas Lindall Winthrop, in Boston in 1811, and they tell of the death of Mr. Bowdoin [October 11th], 1811, on the Island of Naushon and of the arrangements for his funeral. My grandmother, then 24 years old, was staying with her great-uncle James Bowdoin and his wife. She often made them long visits. Mr. Bowdoin left no children and bequeathed most of his property to three (or four) nephews, all of whom had to take the name of James Bowdoin in addition to their other names.
Augusta T. Tappan
MISS ELIZABETH B. T. WINTHROP TO THOMAS L. WINTHROP Naushon Island
My dear Father
My Aunt has desired me to write to you to inform you of the continued illness of my Uncle. She feels extremely anxious about him and by his not by any means growing better she fears the worst. She feels not only anxious about his health, but also from being situated in such a way as to have no one near her capable of advising her with respect to her conduct in case of his being taken away suddenly. She wishes that you would think of it and make up your mind as to what will be the most proper for her to do in such an event. Her wish is that he be removed to Boston, which (as there will be no time to be lost after his decease) she wishes you would determine upon a proper mode of doing and also engage a proper person if it shd. be necessary to do it, as it will not be in her power to find here any mode of conveyance. His extreme weak state makes her fear that he cannot continue long without ex- periencing some change either for the better or worse, and she has
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but too much reason to fear the latter. She desires me to say that she wishes you wd. not speak to any one of her having written to you upon this subject except Mr Sullivan.
It is indeed a melancholy situation to be in, and one that can hardly be conceived of in its extremity unless it is experienced.
I am sorry to be obliged to communicate intelligence which I am convinced will be so painful both to yourself and my mother. My Aunt had desired me to address this letter to her but I feared that it might overcome her more than hearing it from you. Until within a day or two my Aunt has kept up her spirits and has had strong hopes of returning with my Uncle to Boston, but he has lately declined so rapidly that she seems to have lost them all.
Since writing the above, my Uncle is so much worse that Aunt B. has determined to send an express to town to inform you and his other friends of it, to request that you will make what arrange- ments you may think necessary in town and that Mr Sullivan may come down to her as soon as possible; she thinks him very low in- deed, as much so as he can be and live, she says she does not know what to say in her present agitation of mind, but must only leave it to you to do whatever may seem necessary and proper to be done.
My Aunt wishes that you wd. represent to Dr Jeffries his situation, and if he thinks he can in any way be serviceable that he wd, accompany Mr Sullivan. For herself she fears that nothing that cd. now be done wd. be of any service to him. He is extremely weak, takes little or no nourishment and his breath is very short.
He takes notice of nothing but what immediately relates to himself, holds no conversation even with Aunt B. and can bear to hear none. Mr Buckminster mentioned to Sarah he wd. come here if he cd. be of any service, Aunt is much obliged to him but for the reasons above mentioned wd. not have him come as he cd. do no good.
My Aunt says that it is possible that my Uncle may live a week or ten days, but that she fears he may not be alive many hours. I
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must beg you to excuse the haste in which this is written. I hope you will be able to read it. My kindest love to my Mother also to Augusta, Aunt is well and desires her's.
Your Dutiful and Affectionate Daughter
Eliza
October 11th
Naushon Island Oct. 11th half past 10 o'clock
My dear Father
My poor Uncle has breathed his last but half an hour ago, he had just got off his bed and the exertion I presume was too much for him. His death must have been easy and was almost instan- taneous he died without a groan. The letters which were sent by Louis will inform you of my Aunt's wishes in every respect that she can now think of. She depends on your thinking of everything for her as she cannot at present think much for herself. She wishes you to think of palle holders etc. Govr's Gerry and Gray, Dr Jef- fries, the president of Harvard College, President Adams, Mr Sears as a neighbor she thinks wd. be right to have.
The Mourning she will depend upon my Mother and Sarah to purchase and attend to. Aunt B. intends giving mourning to Sarah and her husband James and myself, bombazeen for herself and Sarah a black silk pelisse covered with crape for herself a mourning bonnet covered with crape gloves stockings etc. there are three women for which there must be Bombazette, black bonnets. My mother will know what other things are necessary stockings, cotton or worsted Clothes for three men Sam, John and Jacob, as David only came for the summer and will go soon after our return when John has done with the garden. She wishes him to have stockings gloves and a black hat, as he has already black clothes, if he has not got trowsers he is to have them, also a suit of mourning
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for Mr Buckminster. I must beg you to excuse the hurry of this as I feel so nervous that I cannot be more correct. Aunt B. is very much afflicted as you may suppose, and hardly knows what direc- tions to give therefore what she has not thought of she wishes you would endeavor to think for her.
. I have written just as Aunt B. has directed the letter . appears almost like distraction & we seem to be at present but little short of it. I hope Mr Sullivan will soon be here.
Adieu my dr. Father I wish you were with us with all my heart, my love to my dear mother, also to Augusta and the children.
Your Dutiful and Affectionate Daughter
Eliza
My Aunt wishes that you wd. send some conveyance for the body of my Uncle as she is uncertain of being able to find one here she wishes also that you wd. see about having something written for the paper perhaps Mr Buckminster might like to do it.
. . . Aunt B. desires her love to you & my mother, she wishes that the mourning may be the same as what was got for my G'mother.
On October 11th, 1811, the Honorable James Bowdoin died at the Mansion House. There is a tradition that his death occurred in the northwest bedroom while sitting in the high armchair. Nothing need be added to these letters to picture the distress of the household. Within a few hours the family and entire staff hurried to Boston.
A state almost of panic seems to have seized his household. Samuel Robinson in his recollections says, "I lived with my Father on Nonamasset when the Mansion House was built; it must have been over thirty years ago. It was not occupied by anybody dur- ing my day except Governor Bowdoin and his family, during their summer visits to the Island. The Governor died in that
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House. I remember it well; everything was left in the House pre- cisely in the situation they were when the old man died, his wife and family immediately leaving it, and not stopping to take care of a single thing, the knives and forks rusting on the shelves, the beds and bedding dirty and in great confusion, family stores and provisions left without care; the house remained in this situation for seven or eight years unmolested, when Joseph Parker of Woods Hole was authorized to go and take out part of the furni- ture, such as beds, bedding, etc. I remember very well going with him to New Bedford, and carrying them in the vessel which they used to call the Old Maria Packet."
In the only letter of Thomas Winthrop referring to the dis- posal of James Bowdoin's property he shows admirable restraint.
He had acted as his uncle's agent and correspondent. He and his wife had been untiring in their devotion to their uncle and aunt and had named for him their son James Bowdoin Winthrop. At his great-uncle's desire James dropped his own surname and signed himself James Bowdoin. It is true that the Honorable James left his personal estate to his great-nephew Winthrop, but to Thomas and his wife, who might reasonably have had "great expectations," he left "scarce what would put my family in mourning."
THOMAS L. WINTHROP TO JOSEPH WINTHROP
Boston, Nov. 11, 1811
Dear Brother;
. . Lady Temple and Mr Bowdoin died at the age of 59 years. The former was born in the year 1750 & the latter in 1752. The tenor of Mr Bowdoin's will is matter of surprise with everyone who has any knowledge of it. He gave Beacon St house and Naushon Island to John [James ] Temple Bowdoin for life & in- taille to his eldest son but in default of male issue to Bowdoin Col-
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lege, his personal estate to be given to his widow and to my son James, some Eastern lands to Sir Grenville Temple, Mrs Palmer and Mr Winthrop $100 in cash. This sum will barely put my fam- ily in mourning. Mrs Bowdoin takes possession of the house I occupy in the Spring.
Mrs W. unites with me in best love to you and my sister.
Your Aff. Brother Thos. L. Winthrop
1815
To THOMAS L. WINTHROP FROM HIS SON, JAMES BOWDOIN
Naushon May 17th. 1815
Dear Father;
William and myself arrived here on Sunday after a pretty pleasant journey. Monday as we are in pursuit of health we took our guns and marched nine or ten miles about the Island. On Tuesday we went out to fish and caught a considerable number of scup; the sequel tho. not quite so amusing was of more benifit to us, we were both quite seasick. Today we do not go out either for ye purpose of fishing or gunning as it storms very violently from ye S. East; we amuse ourselves however by shelling corn with the farmers, and reading, now and then killing a few blackbirds from the window, to save the corn. So much for ourselves.
You seemed desirous that we should look about the Island and see how it had been and is conducted. I will give you ye result of our enquiries tho as yet they have been limited.
From all ye accounts I can get Mr Chadwick has been living here without doing but very little work. He has furnished almost entirely two of his sisters' families on ye main from ye Island stores and kept those who lived here on Pea-Coffee, without sugar very frequently. He has had sometimes fifteen or sixteen persons
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here (including a grand howler) for several days together without charging them anything for their board. These people have been preaching and praying and eating & drinking day and night; "Un- cle Bisha" says that he could not sleep at all, & all that he could hear for four or five days and nights was "Glory to God" echoed from one mouth (when not otherwise occupied) to another. He did but little work alleging for a reason that Mr Bullard did not work and therefore he would not. He was exceedingly fond of spirit as well as his wife. "Uncle Bisha" says it kept one person continually employed to furnish grog from Withingtons *; He says likewise that Mrs C. would drink as much as her husband (two or three gallons a week). He says that when C. was going to his sisters he would take several baskets of things, and that he (Bisha) has opened them to see what was in them & found beef, pork, etc.
Nonemesset is like to remain without a tenant. Louis thinks that Grinnell will hardly think of coming even at sixty-five dollars, the former rent he knows was only sixty-two. Will you be good enough to write me if I understand you to hire a man to come and take care of ye salt works if Grinnell would not come. I fear it will be impossible to do anything with Uncle Paul, he is in his dotage and disagrees with any one who comes near him, he thinks he cannot be removed from the Island. I doubt therefore if he will let any one board with him. Onkey Tonkey salt works look pretty well tho they have not made much salt yet.
This Island looks well with the exception of the carcasses of dead sheep which assail not only your eyes but nose every rod you walk. I fear one half of ye sheep are dead. Louist is very active and intelligent. He seems to exert himself for ye good of ye Island. Both Miss Weeks and Uncle Bisha say that all that made Chad-
* Withington apparently was a tavern keeper on the island at this time - possibly at Uncatena.
t The French boy, Louis Calot.
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wick dislike him was his exerting himself to save everything he could. That he is as much interested in ye good of ye Island as the owner could be. His great fault however is that he thinks too much of wages. Miss Weeks keeps ye house in as nice order as it can possibly be. She has not begun to make any cheese yet. Louis desires me to say that he wrote you about ye price of cattle at Sandwich, so that you ought to have received the letter on Wednesday last. That the cattle were cheaper now and would remain so for a week, that they have been so for a length of time as it is now between hay and grain, and they cannot feed them. He is therefore desirous of purchasing immediately. We live here on salted food, salt pork and beef and such fish as we can catch. Milk we have in abundance which with cheese and brown bread now forms our breakfast and suppers.
Jas. Bowdoin
Dear Father,
I had like to have forgotten a most important fact, Wms. and my own expenses in coming here amounted to more than 17 Shil- lings without one unnecessary charge. Will you be kind enough therefore to send us money sufft. to pay for our return. I appre- hend that I shall find use for ye five dollars of my own, as I thought to give some change to Bisha and others.
Believe me again your dutiful son, Jas. Bowdoin
JAMES TEMPLE BOWDOIN TO THOMAS L. WINTHROP
Rome
May 7 1815
My dear Sir-
The extreme uncertainty of communications has for a great length of time prevented your hearing from me and to this also I attribute my not having been favored with any of your letters. . . . I hope however now that our country has attained an honorable
:
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and I trust permanent peace, our communications will become more frequent. . . . I wrote my Aunt by way of France, about 5 weeks since apprising her that Mary on the 17th. of March pre- sented me with a chubby little son, who was baptized by the name of James on the 24th. . . .
As soon after you receive this as convenient I wish you would favor me with my account for the two last years, that is from July 1813. I wish also for a particular letter concerning my property in general as what changes may have taken place since my depar- ture. Whether and to what extent the Island may have suffered from the enemy, as well as your advice as to its future improve- ment. ... Our resolution is more than ever fixed to return to America, and I hope and trust in two years we shall once more be amongst you. . . .
Truly & Sincerely James Temple Bowdoin
P.S.
While writing this I recd a letter from Mr D. stating his having recd a bill of Ex. for £600 for stock taken from the Island, but without any letter from yourself, in your answer to this you will probably give an account of the transactions, any plunder that may have been committed or any stock etc. not properly paid for I wish you would have drawn up & attested & forwarded to Mr D. signed by yourself as my agent during my absence.
1825 The Columbian Centinel
Aug. 6 1825
(The following article originally appeared in the Barnstable Gazette. We copy it as containing a lively description of one of the fair Isles of Massachusetts, and affording some facts which may make the multitude of our fellow citizens who are continually
THE MANSION HOUSE FROM THE HARBOR
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traveling in search of health, pleasure and new scenery, acquainted with a place where they can find them. Formerly jaunts to the Elizabeth Islands were very common; but of late years they have been discontinued. We have annexed a note which justice requires us to add. )
NAUSHAWN ISLAND
We first visited the farm house, where agriculture is carried on upon a large scale. Horses, cattle, and sheep, butter and cheese shew almost prodigality of produce, and the milk and cheese rooms besides their neatness of arrangement, present the appearance of store houses for their several articles ; milk set for cream in meas- ures containing a half hogshead each, cheeses of the size of a Dear- born waggon wheel, and churnes like a brewers vat, all proclaim an extensive farm under an excellent state of cultivation. Here also are to be seen many improvements in domestic concerns, such as patent churns, cheese presses etc. whereby a saving of labor is obtained, the whole shows neatness order and plenty. The Island is extremely well wooded, a great number of men being now em- ployed cutting timber from it, about thirty horses are annually raised for market from the farm, and a vast number of sheep find rich pasture in its forests and upon its waste land.
But the greatest curiosity is the Mansion House. The polite- ness of the gentleman who superintends the farm gave us an oppor- tunity of going over it.
It is situated on a rising ground commanding a fine water and land prospect, the white sails of shipping, the mainland in the dis- tance, the farm house with its snug appearance of contentment, and the little coves and bays which glimmer through the foliage of the trees, give an air of romance to the whole, which is pleasing to the eye.
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The interior of the building is finished and furnished in an elegant manner, and seems but lately deserted. On our entrance the first things that met our eye were the conveniences of a well fur- nished kitchen, with plates etc. arranged in prim order along the shelves, and everything to the most minute article in readiness for the entrance of a family.
The drawing and sitting rooms appeared as though in a state of preparation for receiving company, and the library was well filled with books. In looking over them it is true that no production of a later date than 20 years was to be found to the utter exclusion of Scott and Byron, a leaf in a work upon chemistry turned down by the deceased owner, and which he laid aside to open the pages of a future world, showed the bent of his genius. The furniture was not altogether in the modern style but was rich and expensive. On the table was a pen and inkstand, and a part of a sheet of paper on which was written some story in the French language, which was torn transversely to the reading, and which with permission we stowed safely into our pockets to spell out with the assistance of a French Grammar and Dictionary at another season.
It was said to have been left there by some young ladies who had spent a few weeks at the romantic retreat. We since have had a great desire to obtain the other half of this paper, as the sentiment contained in it was as far as legible interesting.
The cellar is stocked with the choicest wines and other liquors, which have remained untouched since the owner's decease. The rea- son why this seat has remained unoccupied so long (as we under- stand it) is from some peculiarity in the devise by will, which de- cided that everything should remain in the same state until, or unless some particular contingency should occur; it is also said that the testator entertained a belief that at some future period he should return from the mansions of the dead and be reinstated in his former situation as master of the domain, and therefore wished it to be kept in due order for the event. Be this as it may, it is kept
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furnished and in repair, everything being as neat as possible in the same state as it was at the time of his decease .*
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