USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Historical collections, Vol. I > Part 23
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Again, the subject of this payment still delayed, was brought forward at a town meeting, March 4, 1694-'95, when it was declared,
"That all parties against whom assessment had been made for the pay- ment of the balance of the £100, promised the first settlers in the grant of the General Court to Roxbury in the Nipmug country, who shall neglect the payment of such assessment more than fourteen days from this date. and the payment for patent charges therewith, shall forfeit his or their rights in the town's half of the said grant, notwithstanding what they have already paid towards the same."
It was also provided,
"For the laying out of the Nipmug lands in the north half of that grant, the ensuing summer. into such several divisions as shall be judged needful and convenient for the town. In which division, each of the inhabitants will receive their proportional right in the same, as it shall fall to them by lot."
The following is a copy of a letter found recorded upon the town records of Roxbury, received, as it shows, from the people of Woodstock, desiring a settlement of affairs between the parties, and a deed of the land, or half of the town, which, by mutual agreement, belonged now to them.
"WOODSTOCK, September 12, 1695. " To the Town of Roxbury : " GENTLEMEN --
" The time being much about expired. wherein all things between us are to be accomplished according to the articles of agreement between our committee,
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" These are, therefore, to desire that the remaining part of the £100, and surveying part of money, together with a deed of our land, accord- ng to agreement, be delivered to Captain Josiah Chapin, whom this town doth appoint and depute to receive it, and to give a full discharge in our behalf thereof.
"Thus expecting your willingness and readiness to comply with our righteous and reasonable demands and request, we rest your very loving friends and neighbors,
"JOHN CHANDLER, JUNIOR, " In the Name and by Order of the Town."
Then follows the receipt, as above authorized :
" April 5, 1696.
" Received of the selectmen of Roxbury the complete sum of £23 2s .. current money, of the €100 promised by the inhabitants of Roxbury to the first settlers of the land granted by the General Court unto the inhabitants of Roxbury, in the Nipmug country, now called 'Woodstock.' I say received the day and year above written, by order of the select- men of Woodstock, and for their use and account.
" By me,
"JOSIAH CHAPIN.
" Witness :
" JOSEPH LYON,
"JOHN GORE, Clerk." (
By an arrangement of the town of Roxbury, made on the 26th of April, 1696,
" It was agreed that the town's half of the land in Woodstock be laid out to each and every inhabitant of Roxbury, according to the propor- tion of ten acres of land for every shilling by them paid towards the £100, which this town promised and paid to the first settlers of Wood- stock; and that the charges for the survey and laying ont the same shall be borne by the proprietors in proportion to their number of acres.
Also, it was agreed,
" That if the committee engaged by the town to lay out the shares in this land see cause to run the lots north and south, then the numbering of the lots, in order to the drawing for them, shall begin on the east side of the town, at the south-east corner, next to the division line between the first goers and stayers, and so in all the rest of the divisions. But if the said committee shall see canse to lay out the said lots east and west, yet notwithstanding, the said lots shall begin at the south- east corner, and the end of each lot shall abut upon the high-way; the
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said committee to have respect to the quality of the land in laying out the same."
It then reads :
"John Butcher was pitched upon for a surveyor, and Lieut. Samuel Ruggles and John Davis, senior, were appointed and authorized by the town to be a committee for the survey and laying out the allotments, and fulfilling the agreement as is here expressed. But if Lieut. Ruggles' going to Newbury shall hinder his attending to this duty, then Samuel Scarborough shall act in his stead. £27 6s. 9d. was raised for the expense of this survey, June 28th, following."
The bills, as rendered for the expense of the foregoing sur- vey of allotments, were as follows :
1
£ s. d.
Services and expenses of John Butcher, surveyor, 4 00 00
Samuel Scarborough, 7 07 06
Samuel Ruggles, 0 16 04
66 John Davis, senior, 8 05 00
Captain Stevens, 0 12 09
יר
Constable, John Lyon, 0 04 00
The towns of Roxbury and Woodstock
"Agreed, March 1st, 1706, on the request of Woodstock, to survey and run the division line between the south and north halves of that town. It was described as the half belonging to the inhabitants of Woodstock, and the half that belongs to the inhabitants of Roxbury.
" The surveyor and parties who run the division line to be such as the two towns shall employ; and it was proposed that the bounds of the whole town be run by the same parties, and that a surveyor be sent up by Roxbury.
" John Gore was selected for this business as the surveyor, and Samuel Williams, of Roxbury, and Deacon Edward Morris, of Woodstock, were to represent Roxbury, to join with such as Woodstock may appoint, to run said partition line, and also to do what may otherwise be thought needful in running the side lines of that town."
" March 12th, 1706.
"The town of Roxbury appointed Deacon Edward Morris, and Benjamin Griggs, of Woodstock, to act in their behalf for the aforesaid survey of the division line, with instructions for marking the trees nlong the line ; to mark W on the Woodstock side, and R on Roxbury side,"
19
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WOODSTOCK.
Furthermore, the parties in charge of this survey of the line of division were instructed to keep an account of the several trees marked, that each town may enter them in their book of records.
The town of Roxbury appointed Jacob Parker to act with the committee for this survey, to take care to prevent the destruction of timber upon the Roxbury land at Woodstock.
Furthermore,
"March 1st, 1708, the town of Roxbury authorized Deacon Edward Morris and Benjamin Griggs to prosecute any parties who have or shall cut or carry off any timber or wood, or mow any meadow that belongs to any person of Roxbury or that town, unless they can show liberty under the hands of any particular person of this town to do so."
The running of the division line and border lines as afore- said began on the 5th of March, 1707, beginning on the east side, running from Pompwongganug Hill, at the south-east corner, and finished, March 8, following.
" Then the line was begun on the west side of Muddy Brook, and ex- tended west, when were found a number of marked trees, which were renewed, with W on the south side, and R on the north side, and a blaze on the east side (-), and on the west (O)."
Then follows in the records of Roxbury the marked trees throughout the division line, from the east to west side of the town.
(Signed) JOHN CHANDLER, Surreyor, EDWARD MORRIS, BENJAMIN GRIGGS, ) Committee.
On the 11th of May, 1711, the town of Roxbury appointed Captain Samuel Ruggles, Captain John Bowles, and Lienten- ant Samuel Williams, to lay out the remaining lands in the north half of Woodstock.
There are recorded some of the transfers of these lands in the north half of Woodstock on the last leaf of the Roxbury book of records, as late as January 27, 1730.
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WOODSTOCK.
These lands having been divided and become individual property, the town of Roxbury now ceased to have any inter- est in them ; and thus, so far as the action of the town was required, that interest closed with the last division of their share, as located in the north half of Woodstock, then con- tinned to be known for several years as New Roxbury.
Although the town of Roxbury owned the property of one half of the land in Woodstock, she, as a town, never exercised any political rights there ; and those who took up lands in the north half of that town were admitted to participate in all the political affairs of Woodstock, the same as those located in the south half. Their only separate interests were those of property in lands.
Having here closed the transactions which Roxbury had with the grant of land for Woodstock, the affairs of the set- tlers or residents, in relation to their political, religions, edu- cational, and other concerns, will now be given, so far as has been ascertained ; briefly, for the reason that circumstances, distance from the place, and want of time have prevented any extended research for further information.
Having before stated, that on the 5th of April, 1686, thir- teen planters had gone forward to spy out the grant, and to commence the plantation, the records show that on the 21st of July following, a meeting of " goers to settle " was held at Roxbury, preparatory for moving to this new plantation, to reinforce the first thirteen who began their residence here in April preceding.
Soon after the arrival of this company of " goers to settle," the first political meeting of the settlers was held on the plantation, August 25, 1686.
The object of this meeting was, first, to select a place for a meeting-house, a suitable lot for a minister, and then to pro- vide home lots for themselves. Their next movement was the location of high-ways needful for their present settlement.
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WOODSTOCK.
These first planters of Woodstock located on the hill now known as the high grounds of the south parish, being attracted there by the beauty of that elevation of land, which includes the present center village, the academy, and the Congrega- tional church, which is a continuation of the church and so- ciety planted there by these early fathers of the town. This meeting-house, it is believed, is now located near the spot selected by these first planters in Angust, 1686.
And here, it is understood, was located the Wabquassit village of the ancient Nipmneks, where those natives were, by the apostle Eliot, in September, 1674, invited to a participa- tion in the saving grace of the Gospel.
It is worthy of remark, in this connection, that there is ample proof of the judgment exercised by the Indians : that their wisdom in the selection of their town sites was, in most all cases, adopted by the English, their successors. Where once stood the cabins in the native village, now stands the meeting-house, the school-house, and, clustering around, the homes of the white man :
" They, to greet the pale-faced stranger, Stretch'd an unsuspecting hand ; Entrapp'd by treaties, driven forth to range The distant West in misery and revenge."
Such were the settlements before King Philip's war : the trader and trapper first made a lodgment in the native vil- lage ; then the place was selected for a grant for a town-the Indians conveying their right for a mere pittance by a piece of paper, the contents of which to them were more difficult to decipher than were the hieroglyphics to Champolion.
This hill of the south parish is called in the records of the town the Plain Ilill ; and it was decided by them that here should be erected their meeting-house, and that the laying ont of home lots for planters should begin on the north end of this hill.
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WOODSTOCK.
The roads were laid out, running north and south, one on either side, six rods wide, and a broad road through the center, eight rods wide. The cross roads as might best ac- commodate the inhabitants.
The house or home lots, it was agreed, at first, should be thirty acres, but afterward, as they remark, " considering that large lots serve to scatter the settlers, it was decided to re- duce these lots to twenty acres."
It was then decided that the minister's lot should be the third in number, and consist of twenty acres, with rights ; by which rights is understood to be the right to participate with the first settlers in the future divisions of land in the south half of the town, which became the property of those who removed to this country, and became inhabitants, to fulfill the con- ditions made by the General Court for issuing the grant to the people of Roxbury.
To these parties alone, whose names will hereafter appear, belonged the exclusive right to all the land in the south half of this town, as aforesaid.
Thus their minister (as was the custom then to be settled with his people, and be their religious teacher during his natural life) was to be received into the company of the founders of the town; and, as he was to participate in their sorrows and joys, he was also to be as one of them, and par- ticipate in the advantages to be derived from their large domain.
A committee of seven, Joseph Griggs, John Chandler, Senior ; Edward Morris, Senior ; Samuel Craft, Henry Bowen, Samuel Scarborough, and Jonathan Smithers were selected to locate the house lots of these first planters.
These were to be drawn for by lot, there being no prefer- ence to be given, but each to take his chance for success in the drawing for his future homestead. And it was agreed that any changes or dissatisfaction in the locations which fell to
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1
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WOODSTOCK.
the several proprietors, were to be referred to this committee for adjustment.
The lots having been all located and made known to the planters, and the preparations made for drawing and settling this important question,
" Then, after solemn prayer to God, who is the disposer of all things, they draw lots for their homesteads, according to the aforesaid agree- ment ; every one being satisfied and contented."
This arrangement appears to have been managed with much wisdom and propriety for sustaining peace and har- mony in the new and wilderness plantation, then far removed from the abode of civilization.
This meeting of these hardy pioneers in the distant wilder- ness, kneeling and uniting in solemn prayer, supplicating Divine favor upon this important act of theirs, the selection of a future home for themselves and their families, where in health and in sickness, prosperity or adversity, they were to continue the remainder of their lives, was, doubtless, regarded by them, as it well might be, a sacred discharge of duty.
It would be an interesting sight to witness such a homely, but solemn meeting of these men, and an interesting subject for the pencil of the artist. This meeting, however, was but a sample of the strong religious feeling that pervaded all the acts of the early Puritans of New England.
All the first planters who founded the town of Woodstock, except four, Peter Aspinwall, James Corbin, John Butcher, and John Holmes, were from the town of Roxbury, and mem- bers of the parish and church of the Rev. John Eliot, the first minister of Roxbury. They, no doubt, were partakers of his devotion and zeal in the cause of religion ; and from this beginning is derived the religious sentiment which has since strongly characterized the people of this ancient town.
The lots were drawn by each of the proprietors according to the number set against their names, as follows :
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WOODSTOCK.
Lot 1 S Thomas Bacon and
Joseph Bacon
2 James Corbin
66 25 John Levens
3 The Minister's
26 Nathaniel Sawyer
4 Benjamin Sabin
"
27 Samuel Scarborough
6 Thomas Lyon
29 Samuel May
7 Ebenezer Morris
30 Joseph Ruggles
" 8 Mathew Davis
31 John Peacock
9 William Lyon
32 Arthur Humphrey
" 10 John Chandler, Sr. 66
and Ebenezer Cass 66
34 John Ruggles
" 11 Peter Aspinwall
35 Andrew Watkins
" 12 John Frizell
" 13 Joseph Frizell
37 Edward Morris
" 14 Jonathan Smithers
38 Joseph Peake
" 15 John Butcher
66 39 John Holmes
" 16 Jonathan Davis
40 John Chandler, Jr.
" 17 Jonathan Peak
41 William Bartholomew
42 Isaac Bartholomew
" 19 John Bowen
" 20 Nathaniel Johnson
" 21 John Hubbard
" 22 George Griggs
43 Clemont Corbin and
Joseph Deming
66 44 Samuel Rice."
A reservation had been made when laying out these lots, for a common burying-ground, a location for their meeting- house, and of a quarry for hearth and building stones. And as the records state,
" And to them who were in possession in May, 1687, and undertook to fulfill the conditions of the court's grant, belonged the sole propriety of one half of the grant. as per the agreement with the town of Rox- bury."
The lots forty-three and forty-four for Corbin and Deming, and Samuel Rice, granted the 7th of January, 1688, it is not certain that they had rights in the proprietary land; it may have been granted to them, but there is no record of such a transaction, that has been seen. A committee, consisting of
Lot 23 Benjamin Griggs
66 24 William Lyon, Jr.
5 Henry Bowen
28 Samuel Craft
33 John Bugbee
36 John Marcy
" 18 Nathaniel Gary
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WOODSTOCK.
Edward Morris, John Chandler, Senior, Nathaniel Johnson, and Joseph White, were appointed, April 27, 1686,
"For contracting with William Bartholomew, of Bramford, to build a corn-mill. Each planter to bear his proportion of the cost, according to the value of his home lot. By contract, this mill was to be located on the falls of the brook from Muddy Brook Pond, now Harrisville, and ' to supply the town with grinding good meal, free from grit, as is ground by other mills.'
" The committee to furnish the place for the mill, with the benefit of the water, and to give Mr. Bartholomew a fifteen-aere house lot, thirty acres right of meadow, and fifteen acres right of upland, and, in addition, 100 acres of upland."
This last hundred acres, being mentioned additional, and not the words " with rights," it is presumed it did not carry with it a proportional right in the division of the proprietary lands. William Bartholomew, no doubt, was regarded as an enter- prising and useful inhabitant, from the fact that at a planters' meeting, September 29, 1687, it was voted,
" That Wm. Bartholomew shall have twenty acres of land in addition to the foregoing, if he will bring his wife and settle there before the next June."
The increase of the inhabitants made it necessary to lay out further roads, as is seen by the action of the town in March, 1688. The committee appointed for this purpose were Edward Morris, John Chandler, William Bartholomew, Joseph Bug- bee, Benjamin Lubin, John Butcher, and Samuel Rice. This Mr. Rice was admitted to the plantation, and received a lot, January 7, 1688.
It is presumed that Mr. William Bartholomew had com- plied with the desire of the inhabitants, and had secured the twenty acres of land offered him, on condition that he bring his wife, and that this lady was now one of the good dames of Woodstock.
Mr. William Bartholomew soon became a conspicuous man in the plantation.
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WOODSTOCK.
Those Puritan fathers paid a proper regard to their minis- ter. It appears by the records that on the 27th of October, 1690, a committee was appointed to build him a house ; these men were William Bartholomew, Nathaniel Johnson, and Benjamin Sabin, who were instructed to build the house forty feet long by nineteen feet wide, and fourteen feet stud, with a cellar seventeen feet square, and to have four stacks of chimneys and gables. This house was to be erected, covered in, and one end finished by May, 1692. The other end as soon as they could conveniently. They were to let out the work, and superintend its finishing.
For the payment of the cost of this house a tax levy was authorized and levied upon the home lots of all the proprie- tors, and the constable directed to collect the same.
The support of the minister at this period, and the building the ministerial house and the meeting-house, throughout New England, except perhaps, Rhode Island, was legally the busi- ness and duty of all towns. Taxes for these objects were assessed upon the polls and estates of the inhabitants the same as for schools and other town charges.
The tax levies at this time in Woodstock were laid upon the house lots, for the reason that this was the only improved or taxable estate, as wild lands in Massachusetts at this period were by law not taxable.
Moneyed capital or mechanical business did not exist here now, except the common blacksmith, house-carpenter, wheel- wright, and plough-maker-sufficient for conducting the busi- ness of an agricultural community.
The hand cards, the spinning-wheel, and the hand-loom, were the domestic arrangement in the female department.
It is scarcely possible to realize that the vast establishments conducted by steam and water power for the manufacture of wool and cotton are of so recent origin. Not until about the time of the American Revolution was this system first intro-
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WOODSTOCK.
duced into England, and about twenty years later it was first introduced by Samuel Slater into the United States .*
The importance of attending public political meetings, and punctuality in the opinion of the good people of this town, is sufficiently shown by a vote at a meeting held on the 27th of November, 1690 :
" That every person neglecting to attend town meeting shall pay a fine of 1s. 6d., and sixpence for not appearing at the time appointed, and an additional sixpence for every hour of absence from the meeting afterward."
This meeting of November 27, 1690, was their first town meeting after the town received the name of Woodstock ; and, at this meeting, it made its first organization of town officers.
The business of the plantation of a public nature up to this time had been transacted by the selection of special com- mittees for the performance of duties assigned to them.
The town organization was as follows :
" Town Clerk, John Chandler, Junior. John Chandler, Senior. William Bartholomew, " Selectmen, Benjamin Sabin, John Levens, Joseph Bugbee, Jonathan Peak, " Assessors, Matthew Davis, Samuel Rice.
" Also requested and procured John Chandler, Junior, to instruct children and youth to read, write, and cipher.+ It was agreed at this
* The first jenny for spinning cotton was invented by Hargreaves in 1767; the water- frame by Arkwright in 1769; the power-loom by Rev. D. E. Cartwright in 1785; the dress- ing-machine by Johnson and Radcliffe in 1804; another by Horrocks, 1813; mule-spinning by Samuel Crompton in 1779; and the self-acting mule by Roberts in 1825. Steam-power first applied as a motor in manufacturing by Boulton and Watt in 1785; bleaching by means of chloride of lime introduced by Tenant, of Glasgow, in 1798; water-power eotton-spinning first introduced into the United States by Mr. Slater in 1790; and the power-loom first operated in this country at Waltham, Massachusetts, in 1814.
+ This request for schooling is the first movement seen on record at Woodstock, for edu- cating their children, 1690.
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WOODSTOCK.
meeting that in future the time for the election of town officers should be the last Monday in November, annually.
" Each planter was now ordered to bring in for record the ear-mark for distinguishing his cattle. A large part of their lands lying as com- mon lands, the cattle of the plantation herded together; the ear-mark being necessary to show the ownership of the cattle by different planters."
Another vote passed at this meeting shows the care and prudence the first planters manifested for the protection of their dwelling-houses and other buildings.
Every planter was required to procure a ladder for his house by the 1st of February, 1691, or suffer a penalty of five shillings ; and Jonathan Peak was directed to see that this was done.
This custom of procuring ladders for dwelling-houses, to run from the ground to the top of the roof of each house, to be ready for use in case of fire, prevailed in New England generally, until the system of insurance was adopted. For- merly the ladder and a few spare buckets were the chief means relied on for extinguishing fires, and where loss was sustained by fire the only relief was the generosity of neighbors.
It became a pretty general custom for neighbors to join in procuring material and labor to rebuild and provide for such misfortunes.
This custom continned to a quite recent date, to about 1825 to 1830 ; but when insurance companies became general, and there was opportunity for every owner of property perishable by fire to provide against such loss at a moderate cost, it soon was regarded as a duty each party owed to himself; and, as people generally availed themselves of the opportunity, and kept their property insured, the custom of private contribu- tion ceased, and the party who neglected to insure, and lost his property, was soon regarded as justly punished for negli- gence, and not an object for contribution.
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WOODSTOCK.
It can scarcely be realized that the well-regulated system of insurance by joint-stock companies, governed by wise stat- ute enactments for both the insurer and insured, is of so recent origin.
The first system of insurance to provide against fire or ma- rine disaster was by individual agreement. The sum or amount to be protected by insurance was fully stated and explained in writing, setting forth the risk either by fire or water, when persons of known capital would assume a stipu- lated amount of the property at such risk, by undersigning the agreement and stating against their name the sum assured, with the rate that was agreed upon, which rate was paid at the time the risk was taken. From this custom of under w. iting and assuming such risks originated the name " Under- writers," which is now frequently applied to persons engaged in the business of insurance.
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