USA > Massachusetts > Dukes County > Early History of Naushon Island > Part 32
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BURYING GROUNDS
There are four distinct burying grounds and several isolated graves upon Naushon. At Tarpaulin Cove there is a cemetery to the northwest of the Light House. Here are about a dozen graves, most of them marked only by uncut field stones, but several by stones of slate with engraved epitaphs. Near the junction of the Main Road and Cary Path is a burial ground said to have been that used by the Robinson family. On the south side of the Trot- ting Course there is a group of graves marked by rough field stones, and on the southwest end of Nonamesset there is another glade in the forest where are buried eight or ten persons. It seems likely that this was the burial place of some of the occupants of the Nonamesset farm, but at what period is not known. In memory
* Called the "Trotting Course."
445
MISCELLANEOUS FACTS
of the Robinsons, Nyes and Weekses, so many of whom lived and died here, just one stone remains which has an inscription, that of a child of Elisha and Mrs. Lucy Nye, found in the foundation of the Mansion House.
INSCRIPTION FOUND ON STONE IN FOUNDATION OF MANSION HOUSE
iah Nye
) Mr Elisha Nye and Mrs Lucy his wife who died April 7th. 1773 aged one year nine months and 12 days
STONE NEAR LIGHT HOUSE In Memory of Judith wife of Joseph Gane who died Sept. 10 1841 Ae 94 ys. 4 ms.
CEMETERY NORTHWEST OF LIGHT HOUSE
In memory of Capt. Eli Parmele of Guilford who died Jun. 27 1825 in 33rd. year of his life
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EARLY HISTORY OF NAUSHON ISLAND
In memory of Capt. William Lorry of Norwich in Conn. He was born in Boston & died at sea Feb. 2nd. 1788 Lorry in all the prime of life Has quit this little day & calmly steered his single bark to yonder world of Day
This small tribute of respect is in memory of Ithuel Hill who having been on voyage to Machias for the ben- efit of his health died on his passage to Sag Harbor July 29 1821 ae. 58 respected & lamented
Dust returneth dust from of the Earth Rest happy Spirit in the bosom of thy Godd I. C. Hill Sag Harbor
It may be fitting to close the account of island graves with the epitaph of a child probably born on Naushon and buried in the Old Burying Ground, Falmouth.
447
MISCELLANEOUS FACTS
Hannah dau. of Mr Zephaniah Robinson d. Feb. 13, 1810 aged 8
Now she is dead and cannot stir Her cheeks are like the fading rose Which of us next must follow her The Lord Almighty only knows.
The Honorable James Bowdoin left as executors of his will his two nephews, Thomas L. Winthrop and Richard Sullivan, and also left them as trustees of the island property, to administer in behalf of his heir James Temple Bowdoin who lived abroad. Before the probating of the will, and during certain legal en- tanglements, the property was under the jurisdiction of the Su- preme Court of Massachusetts, which also appointed Messrs. Winthrop and Sullivan as especial Commissioners to carry out its mandates, and to administer the estate.
In 1819 the heir, James Temple Bowdoin, being in need of money, sent a request to the Court that a large quantity of timber be cut and sold. A commission was appointed by the Court to go to Naushon, look over the forested area and report the existing state of the forest, and recommend the best action to be taken in the interests of the property and for the benefit of the heir. In the files of the Supreme Court are the various reports and recom- mendations. Briefly, their conclusions were that the forest at the West End would be much improved by cutting the fallen timber, and that a large amount of cord wood and a small amount of ship timber might be obtained without injury to the property. The Court ordered the Commissioners to take action and they accordingly selected General Salem Towne of Charlton, Mas- sachusetts, to be their agent. Two letter books give the corre- spondence of General Towne on the subject, and some extracts are here quoted.
448
EARLY HISTORY OF NAUSHON ISLAND
SALEM TOWNE TO MESSRS. WINTHROP AND SULLIVAN
Charlton Jan. 15th 1824
Dear Sir
After bestowing as much reflection upon the subject as I have been able to, I will, agreable to your request and my promise, give you my opinion of the course proper to be pursued the pres- ent season in cutting the wood and timber (if any is to be cut) on Naushon Island and I confess I do it with extreme deference because there are many important considerations that cannot be ascertained only by experiment such as, what quantity of wood will a man cut per month, what can he be hired for, what will be the price of board, and what distance is the wood to be drawn, can a vessel lay so near the shore in any place either on the Bay or Sound side that the wood may be drawn to the nearest waters edge etc. etc. . .
I would, in the first place, without the expense of accuracy have a plan taken of the wood lot, then divided by marked trees into lots of about fifty acres each, making two tiers of lots so that each lot would bound on the water at one end. And when that was taken make arrangements for board, and as the Cove house is the only one at which the men could conveniently board, if the occupant would not board reasonable, I would have erected a temporary building for their accomodation in the woods, which I have no doubt would be the best course if all the wood and timber was to be cut.
I would then hire twenty men for three months, and ten for eight months, let them chop three months then the feed would be such that oxen would cut their own fodder (with a little grain if worked hard). I would commence drawing with five carts, one waggon and ten yoke of oxen. My reasons for the four yoke of oxen more than carts are that the land being uneven would many times require four yoke on one cart & as it would be expensive
BEECH WOODS
449
MISCELLANEOUS FACTS
wintering them here and they be subject to be Island sick the second year I would keep in such flesh that they would answer to kill in the fall, and in that way the expense for them would be lessened very much though they might not sell in the fall for so much as they cost in the summer. The four surplus men would be profitably employed in loading wood and piling it up at the shore, and occasionally perhaps in getting it on board vessels.
And as there are many places where the trees are all old and going to decay and no young wood to sprout and therefore no matter what season cut, it might be well to continue the ten best men through the season chopping - the foregoing calculation upon the supposition that about three thousand cords are to be cut the next spring.
As it respects getting the wood to market it probably would be done cheapest by some of the wood coasters from Maine, but very little calculation can be made about that until you ascertain to who it is to be carried and that cannot be determined until you get some of the wood into the different markets and the quality of the wood generally known. I therefore ought ... to have said that some faithful active man . . . be selected to superintend the whole who would be able . . . to pursue that course that would be most for the interest for all concerned ... and who would make himself familiar with the timber proper to be saved and finally,
I would mark those trees that would afford valuable ship timber and let them remain standing until the other trees were cut, unless they should be wanted before.
I say nothing of the season best for cutting as there is so much dead and decaying wood that the number of men here named may be employed one year without cutting one tree that would ever sprout and the Agent must be able to determine when and where to cut. In fine the cutting will be an experiment and the result depend very much on the capacity and judgement of the Agent.
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EARLY HISTORY OF NAUSHON ISLAND
You request me to give in writing the terms on which I would superintend the cutting and sale of the wood and timber. In answering that question . .. so strongly am I impressed with the responsibility that I have been almost prepared to shrink from ingaging in it. ... If my views of the importance and expense of the undertaking and of the responsibility attached to it be cor- rect, my terms for the days actually employed for one year . . . including my expenses would be (blank) dollars per day.
1824
MESSRS. WINTHROP AND SULLIVAN TO SALEM TOWNE
Boston Jan 23 1824
Salem Towne Esq. Sir
The great responsibility resting on us as well from our situa- tion as Trustees under the will of the late Mr Bowdoin as from our special appointment by the Supreme Court as commissioners to carry into effect the Decree of the Court for the cutting and vending the wood and timber on that entire tract on Naushon designated in the report of the Commissioners of survey, makes us particularly anxious that every step taken in the execution of our duty and by those employed by us should be found to stand the test of the severest scrutiny.
. . . We desire therefore that you should proceed without de- lay to lay out in 50 acre lots such a portion of that part of the wood which in your judgement should be first cut, as will yield that num- ber of cords. And that after due inquiry in the back country to find the best hands, you should engage a sufficient number on the most favorable terms to accomplish the work.
It is of the first importance that a Foreman be selected to direct and control the laborers every way competent to the busi- ness.
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MISCELLANEOUS FACTS
You will accordingly employ such an one to be constantly with them.
We think it would be best to take the lots in succession be- ginning with No 1 and to employ your whole strength in that way. You are authorized to engage an experienced shipbuilder from one of the neighboring towns, to select every stick suitable for shipbuilding, which you will cause to be carefully marked and allowed to stand until it can [be] conveniently felled.
As to the mode of feeding the men, whether it can be done cheapest and with least loss of time by boarding them in one or more of the families on the island or by the erection of temporary huts and furnishing them with provisions or allowing them to furnish themselves, you will in your direction make such an ar- rangement as, after inquiry, shall appear to you most for the interest of the Estate.
. . . It is desireable that the income from the wood should be looked to for funds to defray the expenses, as far as arrangements can be made to wait for money from this source contracts may therefore be made with the laborers for deferring the payment of all or a principal part of their wage till the next autumn.
. It will be your particular care [to] provide against inju- ries by the workmen to any part of the property on the island and to establish all necessary regulations for that purpose and for the purpose of preventing all disorderly conduct and collision between your laborers and the inhabitants of the island. Finally whether this great work shall be protracted through great number of years and be attended with great anxiety and trouble to us, or on the contrary, be accomplished in a reasonable time and be conducted with system, energy and a result safe and creditable to us the Commissioners and advantagous to the Estate must depend upon the intellegence, spirit and unswerving exertions of a faithful agent. Such an one, we are free to express, we think we have
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EARLY HISTORY OF NAUSHON ISLAND
found and therefore look forward to the business in all its stages with the most favorable anticipations
We ever respectfully Your humble Servt. Thos. L. Winthrop Rd. [Richard] Sullivan
SALEM TOWNE TO GILBERT LINDLEY
Charlton Feby. 16th 1824
Dear Sir
The very liberal wages I have engaged to pay you as Fore- man will, as I told you at the time, warrant me in giving you some trouble before your term of service commences, and that without offering you any compensation. You observed there might be some wood men might be hired near you. If so you will be authorized to hire 3 or 4 at 10 dollars per month for from 6 to 12 months; the latter term would be preferred. Their term to com- mence when they start at the Island. A reasonable time only will be allowed to get there and they must be prudent in their expenses down, which I expect to pay. They must start [in order ] to be at New Bedford the 27th inst. or the 17th of March with you Gilbert Lindley Yours in haste
Salem Towne
Oxford Feb. 20th 1824
Gen. Towne
Sir; I have sent you a man by the name of [Berrier] Austin who is wishing for work. If you and he can agree on the hire I think he will suit well as he is a steady likely man and a good workman with an ax
from Yours Gilbert Lindley
It is not recorded that Lindley came to the island as foreman.
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MISCELLANEOUS FACTS
Boston March 31st 1824
Hon. Salem Towne Jr.
Dear Sir
I received by mail your letter of the 23d inst. agreable to your request have made several enquiries respecting the price of ship timber. For the small timber delivered here the price is from six to ten dollars if large from twelve to twenty four dollars per ton. The Navy agent for this district is purchasing timber of all dimensions and I am of the opinion that it is adviseable to delay making any contracts until you can have an interview with him. I hope this may reach you before you leave Naushon Island.
In some haste I remain Dear Sir Your Obt Servt. Thomas L. Winthrop
Falmouth
April 20 1824
Gen. Towne
Sir :
Agreable to your request I have taken a partial view of the timber on Naushon Island. I find there is a large tract of the best timber land I have seen in this part of the country say timber suitable for ships from three to four hundred tons and a good chance to get a quantity of knees and long straight timber that will cut from twenty five to thirty five feet in length & from eight to twelve inches thick. The timber is white oak and yellow bark oak. Respectfully Yours
E. Swift
Gen. Salem Towne Jr.
Sir:
Boston
April 13th 1824
We have concluded it would be best to erect a house suitable for lodging and boarding the wood cutters at work under your
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EARLY HISTORY OF NAUSHON ISLAND
direction on Naushon Island. The average travel of the men is near three miles per day it is important to save as far as prac- ticable by the erection of a cheap tenement as near as possible to the center of the business. As the building is designed for temporary use its cost should not exceed what is necessary to fit it for its particular purposes winter and summer. Three hundred dollars would probably cover the whole expense. You will there- fore plan to cause such a house to be erected with all expedition either on contract or otherwise as you shall think proper and have it suitably furnished - a man and his wife to be employed to keep the house under your direction or take the men to board as you may find to be most economical.
With much esteem Thos. L. Winthrop R. Sullivan
Boston May 20th 1824
Dear Sir
I enclose an engagement on the part of Mr Winthrop and myself to pay you the compensation for your services agreably to your proposals.
I am dear Sir very Respectfully Your Obt. Servt. R. Sullivan
At this point the Letter Book ends and nothing more is known of the plans for wood cutting. For the results we turn to the Account Book .*
When the wood choppers had come and gone, leaving behind them a great denuded area, the island returned to its peaceful routine. Many vessels still stopped at the Cove and vegetables, meat and cheese were still in demand, but the farms were on the wane. Those at the French Watering Place and the Hollow Farm were abandoned.
* See Appendix.
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MISCELLANEOUS FACTS
Some time between 1830 and 1836 William W. Swain of New Bedford was appointed agent in charge of the property. In 1836 he made a report to the proprietor which will give a picture of Naushon as it was when this history closes.
1836 EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM MR. W. W. SWAIN WHO HAD THE ISLAND IN CHARGE, TO THE PROPRIETOR
Nashaun, Oct. 21, 1836
"My Dear Sir,
"I have read the notices of the Island and parts adjacent from the Massachusetts Historical Society [above quoted], with a good deal of interest, and subjoin a list of stock on Nashaun in June of this year, with such remarks as occur to me likely to be useful on your estate. 22 horses, mares and colts - 52 head of beef cattle - 6 working oxen - 17 cows, 11 calves - 1101 sheep, 154 lambs. This part of the Island is capable of supporting, in ordinary seasons and in its present condition, somewhere about 2500 sheep, 80 to a hundred head of cattle and cows, and 20 or 30 horses. The summer pasturage is ordinarily abundant for a much larger number of both cattle and sheep, and in good grass seasons, sufficient winter fodder may be procured for more stock than is now kept. The soil of the island being a light loam, in dry season the crop of grass is materially diminished, but with fre- quent rains the growth is very luxuriant, and may be cut in the glades and open places of the forest and out on the pastures.
"The average weight of wool to a sheep is more than what is stated in the vol. sent; they yield 3 lbs. There are nine houses on the property, viz. one with a barn and salt store on Nanamesset, one on Onkatomka, and a barn and salt store with 1500 feet of salt works in operation, producing 1200 bushels of salt annually. On the main island are, first, the Mansion House, built in 1810, a spacious and well arranged house, 50 feet square, with good
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EARLY HISTORY OF NAUSHON ISLAND
water and every other convenience around it, and affording one of the most delightful and healthy summer residences in New England; the view from the elevated and airy location of this house is not surpassed by any on our sea coast. The dairy or farm house is about forty rods distant from the Mansion House, and has around it large barns and outbuildings sufficient to accoma- date the stock. Two at Tarpawling Cove, one of them, the tavern, stands on the west side - a house about the middle of the west end of the island, called the cottage; one near the south side called the Hollow Farm, not now occupied, and one at the west side near Robinsons' Hole; all these houses have barns and other con- venient out-buildings around them. Nanamesset is fed by your stock, a small part of Onkatomka is united, and the tenant keeps two cows and a few sheep. Tarpawling Cove farm is about 150 acres, keeps about 120 sheep, two pair of oxen, four horses and as many cows ; - the west end tenant has 250 sheep, one horse, three cows, and a pair or two of oxen. There are about 300 acres rented on this farm - the bridges were built about 1828, and are in good repair. From the Mansion House, New Bedford is about 15 miles distant, in a N.W. direction; Newport west 45 or 50 miles; Ed- gartown S.E. 15 miles; Falmouth town E.N.E. 6 miles; Wood- ville 2 miles; and from New York 230 miles W. by S .; Nashaun is 70 miles south of Boston, and by the Taunton Railroad, via New Bedford, and the Nantucket steamboat, which passes by the east end of the island, passengers can be landed in eight hours. A survey for a continuation of the Boston and Taunton Railroad to New Bedford is already made, and when completed will abridge the time an half hour.
"This is but a hasty and imperfect sketch, made in an interval of the hunt, lest you might want some data before I can command leisure to make it more full, and put it into some form.
"The late Mr Bowdoin, who had resided many years in France and Italy, was of the opinion that the island was well-calculated
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MISCELLANEOUS FACTS
for the growth of the Mulberry tree; and there can be no doubt that the locust might be raised in any quantity on these islands, as several groups of those trees are now flourishing there."
Although the Bowdoin estate owned the island until 1843, the coming of "Governor" Swain brought in a new era and the de- velopment of the island as a summer home began and has con- tinued to this day. Therefore with his coming the first volume of Naushon history must close.
The reader who has hoped to have his memory refreshed by island scenes and his heart warmed by a living picture of Naushon in the old days will feel that he has been shown but the bare bones of facts and figures, dates and names. I have followed where my material has led, and this has not been through beechwood paths and sunny hollows and desert hills, but through dusty papers and blackened records.
APPENDIX
B
-
MISCELLANEOUS DATA
CHART OF OWNERSHIP OF NAUSHON
Thomas Mayhew and Matthew Mayhew his son 1654-1682 (25 years)
Wait Winthrop 1682-1717 (35 years)
1
John Winthrop, F.R.S. and Ann Winthrop m. Thomas Lechmere 1717-1730 (13 years)
James Bowdoin (I) 1730-1747 (17 years) 1
William Bowdoin and James Bowdoin (II) Governor 1747-1773 1747-1790 (43 years)
I Sarah married Hon. James Bowdoin (III) Elizabeth m. 1773 1790-1811 (21 years) Sir John Temple
Had no children T Elizabeth Bowdoin m. Sir John Temple
James Temple Bowdoin * Elizabeth B. Temple 1811-1842 m. Thomas L. Winthrop
James T. Bowdoin
James Winthrop Bowdoin * (died in 1833)
* Adopted name of Bowdoin.
462
EARLY HISTORY OF NAUSHON ISLAND
OCCUPANCY OF FARMS
Date
Dairy
Tarpaulin
Nonamesset
Other Farms
1684
Anthony Blaney
1684-1702
1699 John Weeks 1699-1719
Joseph Fuller
1699-1729
1702 Farm House built
Caleb Ray
1699-1704
William Weeks Shubael Weeks Ebenezer Weeks
1729 Isaac Robinson
Joseph Fuller Thomas Fuller
Zaccheus Lumbert (E. side of Cove)
William Robinson West End
1750(?) Farm House built Robert Hatch (m. Joanna Weeks) Zephaniah Robinson 1750-1800
1760 Isaac Robinson 1767-1774
1775
Elisha Nye
Paul Robinson 1760-1817 (m. Mehit. Rob'n) (m. Nabby Weeks) 1776 Tavern built John Nye (m. Tamar Weeks) Nathan Weeks (Hermitage)
Shadrach Rob'n West End
1794 William Putnam 1794-1806
Shadrach Rob'n
John Robinson
Samuel Robinson Thomas Robinson West End
Zephaniah Rob'n
Seth Robinson Uncatena House Erving and Corn. West End
1784
1790
1800 Samuel Robinson 1801-1806 1802 Baalis Bullard 1802-1810
1805
Nonamesset House William Butler built Hollow Farm
APPENDIX
463
Date Dairy
Tarpaulin
Nonamesset Other Farms
1809 Barnabas Chadwick 1809-1815
John Nye 1784-1809
David Tilton
Shadrach Rob'n
(m. Jedidah Rob'n) Hollow Farm ? Elnathan Rowley Fr. Watering Pl.
1810
Shadrach Rob'n John Robinson
William Bradley
Louis Calot 1810-1815 Woodward Pardon Gifford Leonard Gifford Otis Lake 1815 Louis Calot 1824
Oliver Grinnell Gen. Salem Towne in charge of Wood Choppers at West End
1831
Asa Johnson
1831-1836
1830-1840 Pardon Gifford Leonard Gifford Woodward Otis Lake
Elisha Robinson
Wm. R. Slocum
William Bradley
Elri. Brownell Uncatena
Oing Eldredge (?)
Simeon Hamblin
1840 Richard Luce
Oliver Grinnell
DATES OF BUILDINGS
Farm House (I) earliest, near Upper Wharf, if such a house existed. It was probably built about 1680. Facts unknown.
Tarpaulin Cove Inn in existence 1696
Farm House (II)
built 1702
Hollow Farm House
Farm House (III)
1751 66
66
66
66 66
Light House at Tarpaulin Cove 66 1759
Nonamesset House
66 1760 or 1769
House on east side Cove
(Zaccheus Lumbert)
1740 ? exact date not known 66
West End House
66
built between 1760 and 1775
Berrier Austin West End
Erving Robinson Cornelius Robins'n West End
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EARLY HISTORY OF NAUSHON ISLAND
Revolutionary Barracks 1776
Tarpaulin Cove House built 1784
The Hermitage, Log Cabin east side Cove
1790 exact date not known
Upper Wharf built 1803
Salt Works (Nonamesset) 1805
Uncatena House built between 1805-1810
Salt Works (Uncatena)
66
1805-1810
House west of French Watering Place 66
Mansion House built 1809
Cottages at Cottage Lot built by Salem Towne 66 1824
Wharf at Kettle Cove
66 1824
U. S. Government Light House
66 1818 new Tower built 1891
Uncatena Bridge 66
1828
Indians whose names have been mentioned in connection with the Elizabeth Islands:
1654 Seayk Sachem of Monument 1678 William Numacke
Cachakanossett
Nomyuan Numacke
Jonas
Webacowet
Quaquaquinegat Quaquaquigett
Washamwatt
1666 Quaquajacset Sachem
1668 Jos. Nopisqan Wanookkasunnet
1682 Sampson Nequassumman
Daniel Shohkaw
Sampson
Comucke
Abigail Sekitchahkomun
Thomas Antiko (sometimes spelled Nantiko)
Undequit
Job Antiko
1704 Joshua Chamuck Alw (Indian woman)
James Antiko
RECORDED NUMBER OF COASTWISE VESSELS
Passed through Vineyard Sound in the year ending June, 1829, total, 11,653.
1
James Nashcompait
Pehtauattook Jannohquissoo
1678 Old Hope of Manomet 1698 Asa
465
APPENDIX
Passed through Vineyard Sound in the year ending 1830, 12,603.
Passed Cuttyhunk in three months in 1851, 182 ships, 544 brigs, 4,991 schooners, 954 sloops, 5 steamers. Total, 6,676 in three months, which, if this rate continued, would be 26,704 for the year, or an average of about 73 per day.
GENEALOGIES
MAYHEW FAMILY
Thomas Mayhew* 1592-1682 Thomas Mayhew Martha m. Thomas Tupper
Hannah m. Thomas Daggett
1620-1657 1642-1719
1635
Matthew Mayhere 1648-1710
WINTHROP FAMILY
Governor John Winthrop 1588-1649 John Winthrop, Jr. 1606-1676
Fitz-John Winthrop 1638-1707
Wait Still Winthrop 1642-1717
Ann
m. Thomas Lechmere
John Winthrop (F.R.S.) 1681-1747 John Still Winthrop Thomas Lindall Winthrop m. Elizabeth B. Temple James Bowdoin Winthrop changed his name to James Bowdoin
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