USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Historical collections, Vol. I > Part 16
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English colony, and, in honor of the Duke of York, took the name of New York.
During the period of rule by the Netherlands, who main- tained free toleration of all systems of religious faith, it became the resort of the exiles of the Reformed religion, who had for many years fled to the United Provinces of the Neth- erlands for shelter and protection. Among the exiles a large number were of French origin.
In the early period of the history of the colony of New York, the number of the inhabitants that were French and Dutch was so great, and their language so generally spoken, it was necessary to publish all laws in both the Dutch and French language, as well as the English, at a subsequent period.
The growth and prosperity of the city and State of New York is greatly indebted to the commencement and continu- ance of religious toleration ; like the country from which it originated, it has been the favorite resort of persecuted religionists, and lovers of freedom of all countries.
It is represented that in the year 1689 there were two hun- dred French families in the city of New York and vicinity, who came here about the time of the Revocation of the Ediet of Nantes .*
The government of France contemplated, at one time, seriously, capturing the city of New York, to punish the French citizens who had fled here, that had escaped from France.
Louis XIV attributed much of the encroachments by the English upon his Catholic subjects in the Canadas to the ill-feeling of the French Protestants in New York and New England. t
The acts of liberality of William Penn, in matters of faith
* See documents relating to the colonial history of New York, vol. II, p. 650.
t See same, vol. Ix, pp. 425, 509, 540-549.
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EARLY HISTORY OF OXFORD.
and political policy in his proprietary in Pennsylvania, induced colonists from all Protestant countries in Europe to settle in that province. Many of the Dutch and French, and also Swedes, had commenced settlements upon its borders before Mr. Penn received his title to the country. The early history of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware is largely con- nected with that of New York. The elementary ideas of religions toleration and political freedom emanated from the Dutch Fatherland.
The exiled Huguenots of the Palatinate and Holland, set tling there through a period of more than 100 years, from the commencement of the civil wars in France in 1561, were largely of the number who first settled in the Middle States .*
Virginia received a share of these exiled Huguenots in 1690 ; under the patronage of King William, a colony settled on the banks of James river, about twenty miles above Rich- mond. These were of the number who followed the Prince of Orange into England, and took part with him in the Irish war. They founded the town of Manakin ; this district sub- sequently took the name of " The Parish of King William." Their numbers were greatly increased in 1699 by other escaped refugees. Their minister was Clande Philippe de Richbourg.t
A large colony of these refugees settled in North Carolina, in the territory between the rivers Neuse and Trent. These, with a number of families from the canton of Berne, in Switzerland, aided by Christopher, Baron de Graffenreid, a nobleman from that place, formed a flourishing plantation, which they called New Berne, in honor of Berne in that country.
These foreigners, although coming from different countries,
* See Brodhead's New York, pp. 620; also, 745-750.
I See Beverly's Virginia, chapter XIII; also, Campbell's Virginia, p. 370; also see Proud's History of Pennsylvania, vol. I. D. 219.
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EARLY HISTORY OF OXFORD.
were principally of French origin. Their firmness and per- sisteney in their religious faith, and their tolerant considera- tion towards others who differed with them in such matters, gave ample evidence that they were fit inhabitants for laying the foundation of a government controlled by the exercise of individual sovereignty.
They proved themselves worthy citizens, and many distin- guished names in that State trace their origin to these Hugne- not ancestors .*
South Carolina was more largely identified with this class of exiles who fled from France than either of the before- mentioned colonies, Through all its carly history they gave tone and character to the population. Many were direct from France, but more from the countries to which they had pre- viously fled for protection.
There were many of the Palatines that fled into Holland and England, at the time their country was laid waste by fire and the sword of the French army, under Turenne, in the year 1674. Many thousands of this people were made destitute by the burning of whole towns and cities.
The English government gave friendly encouragement to this class of people ; there could not be any better or more suitable people to supply planters to their rising colonies in America, and, by rendering aid in their transportation to Eng- land, opened the way for their removing to America, to which these refugees gladly embarked in large numbers.
While Louis XIV was depopulating his European domains, and forbidding their settlement within the limits of his colo- nies in America, England was adopting a reverse course, which
* See Francois Xavier Martin's History of North Carolina, vol. I, pp. 232-235; also. Hugh Williamson's History of North Carolina, vol. I, p. 184, and note o, pp. 275-281. This note gives the contract of Christopher, Baron de Graffenreid, and Louis Mitchel, for intro- ducing these carly planters, called " Palatines."
It bears date the "10th day of October, Anno Domini, 1709, and in the eighth ycar of our Sovereign Lady Anne, by the grace of God, Queen of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith;" with Graffenreid and others.
180
EARLY HISTORY OF OXFORD.
added large numbers of valable colonists to her several prov- inces, and furnishing great strength and power, whose antag- onistie element to the French ultimately proved the ruin of that interest on this continent.
As early as the year 1679, Charles II, with the intention of introducing the production of wine, oil, and silk in the mild climate of the Carolinas, gave encouragement to the planting of the French agriculturists there. Although they received at this time many families of this class of French Protestants, they were not successful in the object designed ; yet they proved themselves valuable citizens.
Many honorable names have descended from this class of the early planters in South Carolina. The following are among the number : Henry Laurens, one of the Presidents of the Continental Congress, who, on his resignation received the appointment of Minister to Holland ; being captured on his way to Europe by the English, he was confined in London from 1778 till the close of the Revolutionary War, and when released received a commission, and joined Dr. Franklin, John Adams, and John Jay; and with them negotiated the preliminaries, and signed the treaty of peace, November 30, 1782, by which the Independence of the United States was acknowledged.
Gabriel Manigault, another descendant of these refugees, was a successful merchant of that colony, who, at the com- mencement of the Revolutionary War, to relieve that colony from its pecuniary embarrassment, and to enable it to prepare for the impending struggle, granted her a loan of $220,000, and at his death, in 1781, at the age of seventy-seven years, left to the South Carolina Society of Charleston £5,000 ster- ling, to educate destitute children. The name of Francis Marion, a pattern of valor and patriotism, is exhibited in bril- liant colors in the history of the Revolution. He was a de- scendant of a French refugee.
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EARLY HISTORY OF OXFORD.
The late Hugh Swinton Legare was another ; he received the appointment of Attorney-General of the United States from President Tyler, and, as W. C. Preston, an able states- man, remarked, "his practice as attorney-general was at- tended with the most conspicuous success." Among the other names of these French planters in South Carolina are found Benoist, Bosquit, Boiseau, Bonneau, Chevalier, Cordis, Bacot, Dupre, Delisle, Duboise, Deveraux, Dutarque, Deleseline, Dupont, Francherand, Gaillard, Guerard, Godin, Giradeau, Gourdine, Horry, Huger, Mellichamp, Maurau, Priolean, Porcher, Postell, Peyre, Ravenel, Simmons, St. Julian, Trev- enaut, etc .*
Other refugees settled in Georgia. Among these were the colony of Salzburgers. Their ancestors were from the pre- einet of Savoy, t driven from their homes through the perseen- tion of the dukes of that province. They sought a retreat in the valleys of the rivers Salzer and Tyrol, in the mountain re- gion, in the western part of Austria. Their perseentions here were almost unparalleled. After many years of peace and quietness, about thirty thousand were driven, in three years- from 1729 to 1732-from that country through the influence of the Romish priests, simply for their adherence to a differ- ent religious faith. They were reduced to a state of destitution, and compelled to find homes among the benevolent of Protest- ant countries. They were everywhere received with kind- ness and hospitality, for their known peaceful and industrious habits.
About the time of the commencement of the colony of Georgia, the British government, through their aid, enabled
* See Ramsay's History of South Carolina, vol. I, pp. 5-8 ; also, vol. II, pp. 481-501 ; and for the inhuman treatment of the Palatines, see Menzel's History of Germany, vol. II, char- ters 224. 225-227 ; also, Miss Pardoe's Louis XIV and Court of France, chapters 8-9. The terrible sufferings of the people of the border provinces of Germany can scarcely be described. The generals of Louis XIV, under the direction of Louvois, the minister of war, had full lib- erty to pillage, burn, and destroy.
1 These were French Protestants.
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EARLY HISTORY OF OXFORD.
the Society for the Propagation of Christian Knowledge, in the year 1734, to transplant a number of these distressed Salz- burgers into this new colony.
They were first provided with means to reach England, and then embarked for their new destination. After a long sea voyage they reached Charleston, South Carolina, where they met the proprietor of the province of Georgia, General James Oglethorpe, who extended his kindness and aid in forwarding them to Savannah, where they arrived, March 12, 1734.
It was their desire to settle in a hilly country like that from which they came, where there were springs of clear water and flowing streams. A tract of this description was found about thirty miles in the rear of Savannah, between two small rivers, which were branches of the Savannah river.
To this locality they soon removed, and, having all safely arrived, they knelt in prayer, and sung a psalm of thanksgiv- ing for their deliverance from their trials, and for their pleas- ant new home, which they named Ebenezer-a place of rest. They were highly pleased with the delightful climate, and the richness of the soil of their plantation. They applied them- selves with great industry in clearing their lands, and reducing them to the cultivation of various products of the soil. They soon had erected comfortable dwellings, and houses for their religious worship, and schools. Here, under the guidance of the benevolent Oglethorpe, others of this people soon joined them, when their new home in the wilderness became a thriv- ing and prosperous plantation.
The reputation of General Oglethorpe's proprietary soon drew to it many that sought relief from religious oppres- sion.
Among these foreigners were many sent there by the cele- brated Nicolaus Ludovicus, Count of Zinzendorf, the founder of the Society of the United Brethren. His idea was to
183
EARLY HISTORY OF OXFORD.
found a Christian community on the model of the primitive Apostolic congregations.
From this effort originated the sect, called " Moravians.'
* Sec Stevens' History of Georgia, vol. I, chapters I and II; also see Menzel's History of Germany, vol. III. pp. 33-40. For an account of the Salzburgers, see same, pp. 55, 131-132. James Oglethorpe, the founder of Georgia, was born in the county of Surrey, in England, June 1, 1688, and died the 30th of June, 1785, aged ninety-seven, having lived to see the colony he founded become one of the free and independent States of the American Union. Zinzen- dorf was born in Dresden, May 26, 1700. He died at Herrnhut, May 9, 1760. He came to America in 1741, and remained in the country about two years. He preached at German- town, Bethlehem, and Philadelphia, in Pennsylvania.
He traveled extensively into the different colonies and among the Indians. His mission was in the cause of peace and religion. The colony he established in Georgia left that pro- prietary, and removed to Pennsylvania in 1744. The chief colony of the Moravians was at Bethlehem in this province. Like the Quakers, they did not approve of warfare. Some further remarks concerning the United Brethren will be found in another part of these his- torieal collections.
ENGLISH SETTLEMENT,
OXFORD.
CHAPTER III.
THIS movement began by the following proclamation and deed from the proprietors of the grant to certain English settlers :
" To all persons unto whom these presents shall come : Joseph Dudley, of Roxbury, in the county of Suffolk, and province of the Massachusetts Bay, in New England, Esq .; William Taylor, of Dorchester, in the same county, Esq. ; Peter Sargent, of Boston, Esq., and Mehetable, his wife; John Nelson, of Boston, Esq., and Elizabeth, his wife; as they, the said William Taylor, Peter Sargent, and John Danforth, are the heirs and executors of the Hon. William Stoughton, late of Dorchester, deceased, send greeting :
" Whereas, The General Court of the colony of the Massachusetts Bay, in the year one thousand six hundred and eighty-two, granted to said Joseph Dudley, William Stoughton, Major Robert Thompson, and their associates, a certain tract of land in the Nipmuck country, eight miles square, for a township, as may be seen more at large by the records of the General Court, pursuant whereunto, and for the uses aforesaid, the said Joseph Dudley, William Stoughton, and their associates, in the year one thousand six hundred and eighty-six, brought over thirty families of French Protestants into this country, and settled them upon the eastern part of the said tract of land, and reserved, granted, and set apart 11,250 acres for a village, called Oxford, for the said families, and bounded it as by a plat upon record will more fully appear; but forasmuch as the said French families have, many years since, wholly left and deserted their settlements in said village, and the said lands, as well by their deserting the same, and refusing to return, upon public proclamation made for that end, as by the voluntary surrender of most of them, are now reinvested in and restored to and become the estate and at the disposition of the original proprietors, their heirs and suc- cessors, for the ends aforesaid :
" And, whereas, There are sundry good families of her Majesty's sub- jects within this province who offer themselves to go out and resettle the
13
186
ENGLISH SETTLEMENT,
said village, whereby they may be serviceable to the province, and the end and design of the original grant aforesaid be answered and attained :
"Now, know ye, that the said Joseph Dudley, William Taylor, Peter Sargent, and Mehetable, his wife, John Nelson, and Elizabeth, his wife, and John Danforth, and Elizabeth, his wife, for and in consideration and to the nses and intents above mentioned-
" Have fully, freely, and absolutely, and by these presents, do give, grant, and confirm unto Samuel Hageburn, John Town, Daniel Eliot, Abiel Lamb, Joseph Chamberlain, Benjamin Nealand, Benoni Twitchel, Joseph Rocket, Benjamin Chamberlain, Jr., Oliver Collier, Daniel Pier- son, Abram Skinner, Eben. Learned, Thomas Leason, Eben. Humphrey, Jonathan Tillotson, Edmund Taylor, Ephraim Town, Israel Town, William Hudson, Daniel Eliot, Jr., Nathaniel Chamberlain, John Chand- ler, Jr., John Chandler, and others, their associates, so as their num- ber amount to thirty families. at least, all that part of the said tract of land. etc., etc .. herein above mentioned ; Provided, always, that if any of the persons, grantees above named, or any of their associates, shall neglect to settle upon and improve the said land, with themselves and families, by the space of two years next ensuing,-or, being settled thereon, shall leave and desert the same, and not return to their re- spective habitations in the said town, upon due notice given, -that then. in such case, it shall and may be lawful to and for the rest of the gran- tees and their associates, heirs, or assigns, respectively, or the major part of them, to seize upon and take the said estate or estates of such person or persons so deserting. Excepting always, and reserving to Gabriel Bernon, merchant. the whole of his right, grant, or purchase, which made one of the original proprietors, as by deed or record thereof may appear.
"In witness whereof, The parties above named to these presents have hereunto interchangeably set their hands and seals, the 8th day of July. in the 12th year of her Majesty's reign, Anno Domini, 1713.
** (Signed), " J. Dudley, William Taylor, Peter Sargent, Mchetable Sargent.
John Danforth,
Elizabeth Danforth, John Nelson,
Elizabeth Nelson, and cach a seal.
" Boston, July 15, 1713-Received and recorded with the Records of Deeds for the county of Suffolk, Book xxvn, p. 174.
" Per ADDINGTON DAVENPORT. "Attested,
Register.
JOHN TOWN, Clerk of Oxford."
Taken from 1st book of the "Town Records."
187
OXFORD.
The following is the first division of the proprietors' lands. Drawn by lot, January 18, 1714-15. To each man of the thirty families, for his house lot. Each lot to be thirty acres :
1 Daniel Eliot, J ...
16 John Collier,
2 Ephraim Town,
17 .Joshua Whitney,
3 Samuel Hageburn,
18 Joseph Rocket.
4 Benoni Twitchel,
19 Ebenezer Learned,
5 Isaac Learned,
20 Joseph Chamberlain,
6 Joshua Chandler,
21 Thomas Huskins,
22 Edmund Taylor,
23 Ebenezer Lamb,
24 Nathaniel Chamberlain.
25 Jonathan Tillotson,
10 Benjamin Nealand,
11 Joseph Chandler, Jr.,
12 Daniel Eliot,
13 Abiel Lamb,
14 Thomas Gleason,
15 John Town,
30 Israel Town.
The first vote recorded on the proprietors' books is under date, "September 13, 1713:" Voted: "That Peter Shumway* shall come in as an inhabitant of Oxford upon the right of Joshua Chandler."
MUNICIPAL ORGANIZATION.
Upon due warning given, by warrant from John Chandler, Esquire,t one of her majesty's justices of the peace for the county of Suffolk, for the choice of town officers, a town meeting was held, July 22, 1713 :
It was then voted that three persons should be chosen for selectmen for the present year.
Chose, John Town,
Benoni Twitchel,
Selectmen.
Joseph Chamberlain,
John Town, For Town- Clerk,
Thomas Huskins, 6. Constable,
Oliver Collier,
Highway Surveyor,
Abiel Lamb, Tything-Man.
All of whom were sworn before John Chandler, justice of peace.
* Peter Shumway was one of the French settlers in the first plantation, and the only one of the first that at this time united with the second. Andrew Sigourney came later. + This John Chandler was a resident of Woodstock, then in the county of Suffolk.
Ebenezer Humphrey.
8 David Pierson,
9 William Hudson,
26 Oliver Collier,
27 John Chandler, Jr.,
28 Benjamin Chamberlain, Jr.,
29 Abraham Skinner,
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ENGLISH SETTLEMENT,
The first charge in the town books, after the organization, was a law book, and book for town records, bought at the public expense of the town.
TOWN MEETING, NOVEMBER 19, 1713.
Voted: "That John Town, Samuel Hageburn, and Benjamin Cham- berlain, should be a committee to lay out a minister's lot and burying- place."
MARCH MEETING, 1714.
Voted : "That each lot man shall pay his equal proportion of ten shil- lings a Sabbath, for a quarter of a year, to Mr. John James, for his preaching with us."
This Mr. John James was, no doubt, the first minister who preached to the people of Oxford, who composed this second colony for the settlement of this town.
FIRST MEETING-HOUSE. JULY 29, 1714.
Voted : " To build a meeting-house thirty, feet square, and eighteen feet stud, and to set the house on the west side of the highway, near Twitchel's field."
This location is understood to be near the north-east corner of the old burying-ground. A committee being raised for the purpose, it was voted " that every lot man should pay his equal proportion of labor for building the meeting-honse, as the committee shall direct, or pay two shillings and sixpence a day for every day's neglect, in money, to said committee."
The finishing of the house seems not to have been accom- plished for some years. This delay was evidently from the want of ability to do so. In 1716 the town chose a commit- tee to petition the General Court for aid in supporting the Gospel, but with what snecess does not appear.
In 1715 Rev. Benjamin Shattuck was engaged by a com- mittee of the town for two days, and received, for compensa- tion, thirty shillings. The committee were directed to treat with him for further services.
189
OXFORD.
The next year, 1716, the town raised £30 for the support of preaching the Gospel. At this time there was no organized church in this plantation, so that whatever was done to pro- cure a minister devolved on the town anthorities.
October 7, 1718, Mr. John Mckinstry was invited by the committee of the town to preach. It appears that there was a strong desire among the people to secure his settlement as their minister.
As an inducement, it was voted by the proprietors, " that he should be an equal proprietor with the rest of Oxford Village." It was voted by the town, " that he be offered a salary of £60, a hundred acres of land, and £60 to be paid in labor in build- ing, breaking up the ground, and in fencing."
This generous offer was not accepted ; no reasons are recorded. Mr. Mckinstry was afterwards settled as the first minister of Sutton. He was born in Scotland, and educated at the university of Edinburgh.
It is not improbable that he might have been an acquaint- ance, and, perhaps, a fellow-student of Mr. Campbell, who afterwards became the minister of Oxford.
In 1720 the selectmen of the town applied to the associa- tion of neighboring ministers for their advice respecting Mr. John Campbell, a candidate for the ministry, then in their employ as their minister.
The association replied as follows :
WOODSTOCK, September 7, 1720.
"We, the subscribers, having been acquainted with the Rev. Mr. Campbell, now of Oxford, do approve of him as a person endowed with ministerial accomplishments. We hope and believe that, by the bless- ing of Heaven, he will serve to the glory of God and the spiritual edifi- cation of souls, in the place where Divine Providence shall fix him in the Gospel ministry.
" (Signed) Josiah Dwight, John Swift, John Prentice, " To the Selectmen of Oxford."
Joseph Baxter, Robert Buek, Joseph Dorr.
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ENGLISH SETTLEMENT,
It appears, from the records of the town, that Mr. Camp- bell had been employed a few months previous to the date of the letter from the association, before referred to, and that the people had a great desire to settle him.
July 15, 1720, a committee of five, of which John Town was chairman, was chosen and instructed to make definite proposals to Mr. Campbell in reference to his settlement.
This committee presented the following report :
" In the name of the inhabitants of the town: 1st. We called the Rev. John Campbell to be our minister. 2d. We promised to the said Mr. Campbell £60 salary. 3d. That the said Mr. Campbell himself, his heirs, and assigns, have freely given them the lot already laid out for the first minister of Oxford, with the rights thereunto belonging, and one hundred acres joining the above, if it can be had; if not, where it can be conveniently had. 4th. That we will give the said Mr. Camp- bell one hundred pounds settlement, in work, as reasonably as others have work for the money in Oxford; twenty-five pounds of it to be paid quarterly, as shall be directed by Mr. Campbell, provided he shall be will- ing to live and die with us in the work of the ministry."
The following reply was made by Mr. Campbell to the committee who made the call :
"GENTLEMEN: I have your call and proposals before me, and, upon mature deliberation Iaccept your call and proposals to me, and hereby promise to be willing to continue with you in the work of the ministry as the Lord shall enable me, provided you continue a ministerial people. "JOHN CAMPBELL."
Some three months before the ordination of Mr. Campbell a church was formed, by the aid of neighboring ministers, on the basis of the following covenant :
" We do now, under a soul-humbling and abasing sense of our own utter unworthiness of so high a privilege as God is graciously putting into our hands, own and accept of God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. for our God, in covenant with us, and do accordingly give up ourselves and our seed, according to the terms of the everlasting covenant, to Him, to be His, under the most sacred and inviolable bonds; promising, by the strength of His grace (without which we can do nothing), that we will
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