USA > Massachusetts > Hampden County > Wilbraham > Historical address, delivered at the centennial celebration of the incorporation of the town of Wilbraham, June 15, 1863 > Part 15
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Tuesday 26. * * this Day order Came out in general that No solder should Drink any warter without it Being Boild Except he had ginger in it.
Wensday 27 Benoney atchinson and Isaac Whittemore Come here to Dav.
Thosday 28 this Day I Entered into Bisnes of a Mason two Regements fiered plattwoons.
Saterday 30th Coll. Whitens [Whiting's] Regiment marcht from here to Day tis said they are gon to Mohawke River in for german flats the wagins and teems Came in every Day about 300 a day
Sabday July Ist * * orders Came out that every one of us shoold fix a wooden flint in his gun two Capt Came in this Day from the french
Munday 2d * * about ten oclock in the morning a partey of about 60 of the inemy fell on a party of the gersey Blew and Kild 8 and scalpt them upon the Spot
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and wounded 3 more this was in full view of our armey a more protickular a compt there was 18 of the garsey blew went to git Bare one the North of our Camps and thare was it was soposed about three or five score of the inemy got Between our men and the gard and which Kild and wounded and tuck all But one they were followed By Rogers about ten miles and then they tuck to there Batoos the acount was there was 11 batoos and 20 od in each as they thought by the No
Teusday 3d * * There was four Brase 18 pounders or 22 Brought in to Day Sum small pesses the 2d Recruts from Boston and harford Came in to Day - Capt Jacob with 30 men went out to day to find the inemy if could find any 24 more was dug up out of one hole whare we did Build the fort four Iron guns 22 pound- ers Came in and afterwards two more Brase guns in the Hole making 10 22 or 24 pounders and 12 twelve pounders
Wensday 4th * * 24 more Dug up in one hole two french Desarters came in to Day
Thusday 5th. * * * alarum att Night By ye Reson of an indians fiering on one of the senterey and he Riturned a Shoot again and woonded him By the Sine of Blood thare is a fort a Reacted the North end of Element Hill
Saturday 7th I went about the Element Hill on the North End of it there is a fort of 14 squares or turns in it made with wood and stoane and a Horspottal of Stoane the Length about 8 Roods the wedth about Eighteen feet from out side to out side the thickness of the Wale two feet and } the hith about five feet.
Sabday 8th * * three men Belonging to Coll Whiteens Rimt Dyed in one Hors- piteetel this Day was a Varey grate Day of Blooing of Rocks.
Munday 9th. * * We have the News of gen1 Woolfs takeing of some strong place up Canaday River this Day there came in a party of the Indions under the command of Capt Jacob that went Down the Lake sum Days ago tis said the Indias fel on him & wounded ye Capt and another of his men. I tuck more oh- servation of Buldings an in sted of one Hospotitel there is three more all in a few Roods of one a nither one stoon two wood Housen
Tuesday 10th * * one man Capt of the waginers was convicted of Steeling the Kings tools was Judged by a Cort Marshil to be whipt 36 Lashis att the hed of Every Regiment which he had *
Thursday 12. this Day By Brake of Day there was about 600 men set out to goo Down the Lake about 8 o clock in the morning they came to a party of french and Indins Jes upon the first Narrows and a small ingagement it seemed to bee by what we coold see the grate guns played they drove the Indions of - this day their was five Barrils of Rum and two of goine stove in a few Rods where I was at work for selling contrary to order
Fryday 13. this day we was Draughted out which is the 3d time I have Ben pitcht upon for this work of mason - at noon a man shot to Death for Deser- tion
Saterday 14 at Night our first Batallun and Lymans Regt and some others came to Jine the armey.
Wensday 18th Wim Hancock and Abner parsons Came up to day
Thusday 19th one man whipt for strikeing an officer at the head of every Rige- ment a post came in to day Being an account of a small fort was beset by the Inemy our men took and kild a great Number of ym
Freyday 20th one man shot to Death for steeling
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Saterday 21st this day the armey marcht for ticonderoga they struck there tents about three o'clok in the morning and about sun rise the Bigest part of the armey got to the warter side they Borded three Batoos about Sun an ouer and half high and set of about twelve o clock they ware out of sight and they Cep a going of all the Day afterwards 10-20-30 Batoos to a time till sun one ouer and } high att night then the Sloop set sail and att Sun Down she was about 15 miles of tis soposed to be 12000 men 15 morters 12. 12 pounders 6. 24 pounders of Brase 3 18 pounders of Iron & a grate number of swivels this Day there is a grate morning among the Wiming as if they had Lost there Husborns * *
Sabday 224 there is 400 Men Came in to Day 100 of them gone Down the Lake or 200 there is 62 masons left behind there is 150 or 200 in the hospititel
Wensday 25th this morning about Day the grate Boot came in * * and Brought the News that we onr armey ware well intrencht where the french had theres Last year and played there cannon upon them and also we had taken 2 Indins and Kild 2 and taken 4 french and Kild two with the Lose of one man
Hampshire Regiment is come to the Lake in order to goo to Oswago News came in that Magr Rogers had a grate fite Between tyconderoga and Crown point. a Large guneylow or two mast Boot went of with about 90 or a 100 horsis to tycon- deroga
Freyday 27th I heard a man say that was there that a minester Kep Count of the French Cannon that was fired Wensday night the No is 150 and onr men had not fiered any then worth menehurning
Saturday 28th in the morning Coll fitel Came in with his Rigement * * our interpreter said that * * * * there was but 200 men in the fort and 300 in crown point fort and said onr men might take it withont fiering a gun and said that Rogers had Kild and sunk 500 of there men in Shamplain Lake. * * * ye french fiered sum hundreds of Cannon and Burns the Day and Night Before they left the fort they fiered the magaseen & and blew up what they coold the Night before Last * * * this day two Bond fiers made one the a connt of tyconderogas Being taken.
Thusday [August] 2d this day 12 o cloock news came that crown point was Blown np By the french the truth I will waight for Esq Woodbridge says it is trew without fail and the french are a fortifying abont ten or 15 miles Beyond
Saterday 4th I had the news that our Battallun mareht to crown point this day
Sabday 5th a tumult among the setlers ye officer tuck thore Rum and Brandey from them
Tensday 7th By the Reson of the Heat the Injineare and two or three more ware Carid from thare work to thare tents and I ware varey much put to it to keep upon my Leegs
Saterday 11th There was an Express come here & went over the Lake and he said he had the news of an officer he saw a Leater opened & which gave an a count that gen' Woulf had got well intrincht clost By Queback without the Loss of any men as to the truth I will Leave att present
Tusday 16th No news onley the a count of a former storey of a man shot down a Reaven and she spake.
Saterday 18th heard of Janer" Jonsons sending in 627 Captives to albana and he Distroayed 500 more
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Sabday 19th Let Iloward told me that he had Bin to crown point and he was informed there that there ware orders for 115000 sticks of timber 30 feet long and 15 inches thick sd timber to Be Brought as fast as Can Be got hewed one three Sides and that they ware Blooing up Rocks 7 feet deep
Munday 3d [September] Rain the bigest part of the day and ye coll said Dam it you shall work so we Did
Freyday 7th an express came in to Day abont Jan" Woolfs being Defeated and Drove back one leter I sent to Daniel Warner and one to Sister Lois moved into my new tent.
Saterday 15th about one o clock had orders to march to crown point and about dark I sot of for the same with 30 men
Sabday 16th morning we landed att tyconde Roga Before Sun Rise and then marcht Right of to erown point and got there Sun two ours high
Tuesday 18th began to work att crown point.
Freyday 21st begun the stone Barrack
Wensday 26 I was sick and could not work
[October] Wensday 10th Lt Hutchins Came here Last Night and gave an ac- count of genirel Woolfs destroying of Quebeck
Thusday 11th one Coullee a captive gave an a Count of Mr. Williams sister in Canada and one Sargent Conen was taken when Hitchcock was killed. 5500 men set off from here for St. Johns.
Saterday 13th one Drove of fat oxen Came in from No fore - this night news came in from the armey that in a fogg a good part of our armey got By two french Sloops Before proseved them amediately our armey Landed one Boath sids Before an reft of the french But 19th of ye Lite Enfanty went to the french Soposein they ware our own sloops and ware taken Sd french are Blockt up Near Orter Crick.
Tensday 16 I have a Renmer of an express that is gone to our genirel yt moon calm and gell woolf is Kild and there armies most all Destroyed one Boath sides By a fare field fight But we got the victory But as to the truth I leave at present 32000 french 16000 of ours
Wensday 17th News came By an express from our gen" woolfs armey that they Drove into the french trench at by that means got the victory with the loss of ye gener !! and 400 men & Kild mont Calm & 1600 men
Thosday 18. News that the Armey two french Sloop and sunk the other and the Brigg got Cleere this day
Freyday 19th I heard of the Death of William Harris he Dyed Last Tuesday 16th of this month - Last night there came in an Indin Captive and gave a Connt of Capt Canada Being Kild and his men after taken and Capt Jacob & others Capt Jacobs is in gail
Sabday 21st there came in 2000 Regulars, which is part of the armey.
Freyday 26th there went about two hundred men to make the Rode goo to No four
Munday 29th Aaron prest Dyed
Wensday 31. Varey cold the ground frose and Ise half an Inch thick in the morning to day our Drum (?) bill Brocks Dyed
Thosday Ist [November. ] Last Night a Number of men under gard for tempt-
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ing to goo hum and to Day a Member of the garsey Blews under gard but Dis- mist to Day
Tensday 6th the Solders Came from fort Edward here to Day
Wensday 17 News Came in to Day that Rogers had Distroyed St. francy way without the Loss of any man But 12 wounded
Sabday 25th [17 Days lost of the Journal] ground frose hard We marched to Davises fort and campt there.
Munday 26th cold and Snow and hold to while Noon then Rain We marched to Northfield and Lay there Capt putman of Rode Island Dyed att
Teusday 27th Cold Rainy Day I marcht from Northfield to Sunderland I logged at Carsons Warner's
Wensday 28th This Day fare and plesant morning - and south winds varey raw after wards I went from Sunderland to my one hous this day.
I. p. 69.
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VOTE OF THE TOWN OF SPRINGFIELD FORBIDDING TRESPASS ON THE OUTWARD COMMONS.
April 4. Voted that Mr. Thos. Colton, William Pynchon Jr. Esq. and Doctr John Leonard be a Committee Agents or Attorneys for and in Behalf of this town. To Prosecute Sue for and Recover of all or any Person or persons that heretofore have or that Shall Cut Kill Destroy or Cary away of from the Lands Called the outward Commons for said Springfield, not having Right so to do, any grass or any wood Timber or trees Brush or underwood and pine or Candlewood Standing, Lying being or growing on the same, as also to Prosecute all such who have or shall Digg up or Carry away any Stone Lying or being or Growing on the Said Commons without License so to do and to Take all Lawfull measures in the affair as they Shall find Convenient for obtaining the Damage Happening by any such Trespassers To sd Town.
.J. p. 77.
MEASURES TAKEN TO OBTAIN INCORPORATION AS A TOWN.
PETITION TO TIIE TOWN OF SPRINGFIELD, 1762, FOR INCORPORATION AS A TOWN OR DISTRICT, page 73.
" To the Select men of the Town of Springfield Gent these Pray you to Insert in your warrant for the Annual Town Meeting in March Next Ensning the follow- ing Article viz. to see if the Town will vote off the East or the fourth precinct in sd Town as a Destinet Town or Destrict with those additions and alterations they shall think fit and pass all proper votes Relating thereunto -and you will oblige your humble petitioners.
SPRINGFIELD Jan. 29: 1762.
STEPII STEBBINS WM KING JOHN BLISS DANIEL CADWELL JAMES WARRINER JUNER
Comtt for Sd precinct
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The article was inserted. At meeting, March 23, 1762, " the question was put whether the prayer thereof should be granted and it pass'd in ye Negative ; " and the meeting adjourned to March 30th, when the question came up again, and it was, -
" Voted that the Vote passd at the Meeting the 23d Instant on ye Petition of the Inhabitants of ye 4th Parish Praying to be Voted a separate Town or District be Reconsidered."
The Clerk continues his record as follows : -
"Att this this Meeting the Petition of Daniel Cadwell & others Comee of ye 4th Parish in Sd Town Dated March 23d 1762 was Read & Considered the Second time and the Questin was put whether the prayer thereof Shd be Granted and it Passd in the Negative, But on further Consideration thereof had Voted to Recon- sider Sd vote, and voted that Lt Robert Harris Capt Simon Cotton & Lt Thomas "Mirick be a Committee to Consider of Sd Petition and Report to the Town an soon as may be what they think proper to be done in ye affair."
Meantime the mountaineers are awake, and another Petition is sent to . Springfield as follows : -
"To the Select men of the Town of Springfield Gentmen these Pray you to Insert in your warrant for the Town meeting in May Next the following article viz. to see if the Town will vote off the fourth precinct in Sd Town as a Sepa- rate town or Destrict with those alterations and additions they think fit and pass all proper votes thereon and you will oblige yours.
SPRINGFIELD, April 29: 1762
WM KING DANIEL CADWELL STEPH STEBBINS JAMES WARRINER JUNER
Comttee for Sd precinct
The Town of Springfield met May 25, 1762, " and the Question was put whether the Town wd Consent that the East or 4th Parish in sª Town Shd be a separate District and it passd in the Negative." The " Ques- tion " came up again, Nov. 15, 1762, " whether the east or fourth Parish in Said town Should be a separate District and it passes in the Negative" when put.
The men of the " 4th Precinct " understand the power of persistent prayer, and they again appeal to the town, May 17th, 1763, -
"Att this Meeting the Petition of Nath" Warriner & others Committee of the 4th Parish in Sd Town Presented their Petition Desiring to be a Separate Town or District which was Read & Considered & voted that the Prayer thereof be Granted." [Records of Springfield.]
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I have not been able, after the most diligent search, and the generous assistance of the clerks in the State Department, to find the petition of the citizens of the fourth precinct, to the General Court for an act of in. corporation, as a town.
ACT OF INCORPORATION.
ANNO REGNI
REGIS
GEORGII TERTII
HERE IS THE COLONY SEAL.
TERTIO.
[In the third year of the reign of George the Third.]
An Act for incorporating the South Parish of Springfield, in the County of Hampshire into a separate Town by the name of Wilbraham.
WHEREAS the Inabitants of the Fourth Parish in said Springfield have represented to this Court that they labour under great Inconveniences and Difficulties in attend- ing on the Publick Affairs of the said Town, by reason of their great distance from the usual Place where they are transacted ctc : and that they are increased to snch numbers that it may be fitting that they should be incorporated into a separate Town, and have accordingly petitioned this Court therefor -
Be it therefore enacted by the Governor, Council and House of Representatives, That the said fourth Parish in said Springfield with the addition of half a milel West from the West line of Said Parish from Chicobee River on the North, to the northerly Line of the Township of Somers on the South be erected into a separate Town by the name of Wilbraham? and that the inhabitants of said Town be invest-
1 Dr. Merrick says, " When this parish was incorporated the lands lying west were unlo- cated. In locating these, Springfield agreed that we should have our share adjoining to ns, and accordingly set the half mile to the inhabitants of this then parish, so that when the town was incorporated all this half mile belonged to ns. Beyond this half mile the lands were principally owned by Springfield." - MS. Address.
2 The town appears to have received its name either from an English Baronet of the name of Wilbraham or from the Parish called Wilbraham, situated near Cambridge in England.
The ancestor of the Baronet Wilbraham was Sir Richard De Wilburgham of Woodbey, Southampton County. His descendant in the sixth generation was Sir Richard Wilbra- ham, born 1579, and knighted by James I. He was created Baronet March 5, 1621. Sir Richard's son, Thomas, succeeded him, and distinguished himself in the royal cause during the great rebellion in opposition to Cromwell and the Puritans. Sir Thomas Wilbraham died October 31, 1660. His son, Sir Thomas, succeeded him in the Baronetey and died Au- gust. 1692. As he had no sons the Baronetcy expired at his death. A descendant of his, the Hon. O. B. Morris tells me, is the present Lord Skelmersdale.
If the people of Wilbraham supposed their town was named for this bitter royalist and anti-Puritan it will account for the dissatisfaction which Dr. Merrick says was felt respecting the name. But there is another way of accounting for the name.
Wilburgham, or Wilbraham, as the modern spelling is, is a parish or town in the hun- dred of Staine, county of Cambridge, seven miles from Cambridge, northeasterly. There are two villages, " Wilbraham Great," and " Wilbraham Little." " Great " had a popula-
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ed with all the Powers and Priviledges that Towns in this Province enjoy by Law, that of sending a Representative to this Court only excepted. And that the said Town shall have full Right and Liberty from Time to Time to join with said Town of Springfield in the choice of Representatives, to represent them at the General Assembly, And that the said Town of Wilbraham shall from Time to Time be at their Proportionable Part of the Expense of sneh Representatives, and the Free- holders and other Inhabitants of Wilbraham shall be notified of the Time and Place of Election, in like manner as the Inhabitants of said Springfield, by a war- rant from the Selectmen of said Springfield, directed to the Constable of said Wilbraham, directing him to warn the Inhabitants of said Wilbraham to attend the said meeting at the Time and Place therein assigned and that the Pay of said Representatives be borne by said Towns of Springfield and Wilbraham in the same Proportion from Time to Time as they pay to the Province Tax.1
And in order effectually to Prevent all future Dispnte that might otherwise arise between the said Towns of Springfield and Wilbraham respecting their joint In- terests or joint Duties ;
Be it Enacted, That the said Town of Wilbraham shall enjoy the two Ministry and School Lots in said Town, in full Satisfaction of their Share in the Ministry and School Lands in said Town of Springfield, and of the Money and Debts dne to said Town : That they pay their dne Proportion of the Town Debts already contracted, and have their due Proportion of the Town Stock of Ammunition : That they pay to the Support of the present Poor of said Town of Springfield (now supported at the Town Charge) Eleven Pounds in One Hundred so long as they shall Continue a Charge to said Town ; and that this Act shall not be con- strued to hinder or prevent any Persons, Inhabitants of said Springfield from Cutting Timber or Taking Herbage or Stone on any of the Lands in said Wilbra- ham so long as they remain unfenced, any more than if this Act had not been made.
And be it further Enacted, That John Worthington, Esq. be and hereby is em- powered and directed to issue his Warrant directed to some principal Inhabitant of said Wilbraham requiring him to warn the Inhabitants of said Town qualified to
tion of 354 in 1801, and " Little," of 183. The tax of "Great " was £223 16s. 8d .; that of " Little," £140 2s. 3d. Rowland Stebbins, the ancestor of the Stebbinses, and William Pynchon, the ancestor of the Pynchons, and the original proprietor of Springfield, originated in the near neighborhood of these Wilbrahams, and came from near them to this country. It is very probable that through their influence, or rather that of their descendants, the name Wilbraham may have been selected for this town. Pynchon and Stebbins were friends in England and continued so here. This is to mne the most plausible account of the origin of the name.
1 " At a date prior to 1753 the Governor of Massachusetts was instructed by the home government to consent to no act for establishing a new town in the province, unless by a special clause it should place a restraint upon the power of sending representatives. New towns were therefore incorporated as " distriets," possessing all the powers of towns, ex- cept that of sending representatives to the General Court. They voted for these with other towns named in their aet of incorporation. The jealousy of the Crown of the increasing power and influence of the towns is clearly evinced by this measure. Several towns in Western Massachusetts were incorporated in this manner. In 1786, after the Revolution, it was enacted that all towns which had been incorporated as districts, or not having the privilege of sending representatives, should have it thereafter." - Holland's History of Weston, Mass., vol. i. p. 202.
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vote in Town affairs to assemble at some suitable Time and Place in said Town, to choose such Officers as may be necessary to manage the affairs of said Town, which at such meeting they are hereby empowered to choose.
Provided, nevertheless, the Inhabitants of said Wilbraham shall pay their propor- tional Part of all such Province and County Taxes as are already set upon thein by the said Town of Springfield in like manner as tho' this Aet had not been made.
And be it further Enacted, That of the sum set on the Town of Springfield as their Proportion with other Towns in a Tax of one Thousand Pounds, for the future of the said Town of Springfield, shall retain the sum of Eleven Pounds two Shillings and ten Pence two Farthings; and that there be set on the said Town of Wilbraham the sum of one Pound thirteen Shillings and six Pence as their Rate or Proportion for their Payment of publick Taxes.
June 14th 1763 - This Bill having been read three several Times in the House of
Representatives - Passed to be enacted.
TIMO RUGGLES Spkr
June 14th 1763 - This Bill having been read three several Times in Council - Passd to be Enacted.
A. OLIVER Seey
June 15th 1763 - By the Governor
I consent to the enacting of this Bill.
FRA BERNARD
BIRTHS AND DEATHS WHICH TOOK PLACE BEFORE THE INCORPORA- TION OF THE TOWN, AS RECORDED BY SAMUEL WARNER.
I omit the name of the mother, the surname of the child, and some other words which he uses, in order to abbreviate the record. It seems important that the names should be saved from perishing with the leaves of this frail manuscript of Warner's. A few births are supposed to have taken place in Longmeadow and Springfield which Warner has not en- tered. In case of sickness, persons sometimes went to their friends in those towns.
Comfer, dr. of
Aaron, son of
Eunis, dr. of Marcy, dr. of 1735.
Saml. Warner, July 8, 1735. Saml. Stebbins, Ang. 23, “ David Mirick, Oet. 8, Danl. Warner, Dec. 26, “
David Jones, d. - , 19, 1236. Abel Bliss, b. Nov. 20, " Nath']. Hitchcock, b. Nov.
Ester, dr. of 1737.
Hannah, dr. of Marcy, dr. of Eleah, dr of 1738.
David Jones, July 14, 1737. Saml. Warner, Aug. 16, “ Cornelius Webb, Mar. 8,
Elisabethi, dr. of Noah Alvord, July 22, 1739.
Abel, son of Abel Bliss, Oct. 5,
Jesse, son of Danl. Warner, Oct. 15, "'
Setlı, son of Samuel Stebbins, Jan. 8,
1739. Giddion, son of 1739.
Daniel Parsons, Feb. 24,
Gad, son of Danl. Lamb, Apr. 3, 1739.
Eunis, dr. of Benj. Warriner, Apr. 3,
David, son of David Miriek, May 22,
Timothy, son of Thos. Mirick, May 24,
Rubin, son of Aron Parsons, May 30, "
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Danl. Parsons, b. Feb. 27,
Hannah, dr. of Mary, dr. of
Marcy, dr. of Daniel, son of David, son of Oliver, son of Gideon, son of 25, 1736.
Sarah, dr. of 1736.
Daniel Lamb, b. Dec. 4, (?)
Jose. Knowlton, d. Feb. 11, 1737.
Aaron Parsons, b. Feb. 14,
Aaron, son of 1737.
Danl. Warner, Mar. 15, 1734. Noah Alvord, July 20, 1734. Moses Burt, March 29, 1735. Natlil. Hitclicoek, June 30,
.
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Rhoda, dr. of Saml. Warner, Sept. 7, 1739.
Silas, son of Nathl. llitchcock, Oct. 6, "
Abel & Seth, s. of Benj. Wright, Feb. 8, 1740. Mary, dr. of David Warriner, Mar. 23, "
- Ithiel, son of Eunis, dr. of Isaac Brewer, Apr. 20,
David Chapin, Mar. 26, 66
Merreham, dr. of Moses Bartlit, July 15, 66
Charles, son of Cornelius Webb, Sep. - , ' Moses Burt, Oct. 27, Moses, son of
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