USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Templeton > Historical discourse in commemoration of the one hundredth anniversary of the formation of the First Congregational Church in Templeton, Massachusetts : with an appendix, embracing a survey of the municipal affairs of the town > Part 11
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PRICES IN THE CONTINENTAL PAPER-MONEY.
During a portion of the Revolutionary War, the conti- nental paper-money being a lawful tender, but at the same time enormously depreciated, of course the prices of labor and of all merchandise were greatly enhanced. All trade was brought thereby into a confused state. The method was adopted of fixing a schedule of prices, sometimes by the several towns, and sometimes by conventions in the counties or for the State, with a general understanding that the people should conform to those prices.
In October, 1779, a Convention was held at Concord for the purpose of "stating prices." This town chose Mr. Thomas White as its delegate to that Convention, and gave him the instructions which follow, as containing their views in regard to some particular articles which were deemed out of proportion in the then existing scale of prices. The in- structions were reported, at a town-meeting held Sept. 30, 1779, by a Committee chosen by the town for that purpose, and were adopted by vote : -
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To Mr. THOMAS WHITE.
SIR, - Whereas this town have made choice of you to represent this town in the State Convention to be holden at Concord on the first Wednesday of October next, nowise doubting but that you will use your utmost endeavors that all the affairs that shall come before you as a member of that Convention may be done with due regard to the interest of the community of which this town is a part, yet, sir, suffer us to mention some things to you that may help you easily to recollect what the sentiments of your constituents are on the affairs you are agoing upon.
As first, it is the mind of this town that there are too great dis- proportions in the price of things as now stated by the last Conven- tion ; namely, salt and rum, we conceive, are too high in proportion to mutton, veal, and lamb, which this town are of opinion are too low : for, although four shillings a pound seems to make a sound, what is it? Why, it is cheaper than it was even when our cur- rency was looked upon equal to silver. Therefore, sir, 'tis the mind of this town that the price of mutton and veal ought to be raised, or the price of salt and rum brought lower: not that this town are desirous to rule the price of things, but that there might be an equality in the price of all. You will therefore use your influ- ence that there may be an equality in the price of every article that shall come under the consideration of the Convention, and that a price be set so as to abide without any sudden alteration, and by no means to give your consent to a monthly alteration ; for, if that should be effected, it will have a tendency to overthrow the whole.
You will keep your eye upon those who are enemies to the cause you are engaged in or agoing upon, - of which sort those herds of forestallers and monopolizers are who infest the land, - and repre- sent them to the Convention in the light they properly deserve, and endeavor that some measure may be come into to put a stop to their infection, that it spread no farther ; and that you will endeavor that some salutary measures may be come into to create a better understanding between the mercantile and the landed interests, which seem at present too wide apart: for they are both embarked in one cause ; and whilst one is pulling one way, and the other the contrary, the public cause might suffer.
The Convention, it seems, left it optional with the several towns themselves to " state the prices" of various articles and of labor. This was immediately done by this town. The doings, with the list of prices, are copied below. It will serve not only to show the great depreciation of the paper-money, but to indicate the comparative estimate of articles and of labor in Templeton in 1779.
At a town-meeting, Oct. 19, 1779, it was -
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Voted to choose a Committee of seven men to state the prices of such articles as they think necessary, and make report to the town at the adjournment of this meeting. Chose Capt. Richardson, Dea- con Phinelias Byam, Jonathan Stratton, Capt. Jonathan Holman, Lieut. Leonard Stone, Thaddeus Brown, and Mr. Joseph White, for that purpose. Voted to adjourn the meeting to Friday, the fifth day of November next, at one o'clock in the afternoon, then to meet again at this place.
Friday, the fifth day of November, they met according to adjournment, and the Committee chosen to state the prices of such articles as should appear to them necessary made a report of prices which they had stated, as follows : -
Laborers in husbandry, £2. 14s. per day in the best of the season ; and, at all other times in the year, in the usual proportion.
Blacksmith's shoeing a horse all round, steeling toe and heel, £4. Plain shoeing, &c., in the usual proportion.
A narrow-axe, of the best quality, £6; and all other edge-tools and smithing in the usual proportion.
Men's best shoes, £6 per pair.
Weaving yard-wide tow-cloth, 5s. per yard.
Women's labor, £2 per week.
Spinning fourteen knots of linen yarn, 5s.
Women's tailoring, 12s. per day. Tailoring taken in, in the usual proportion.
Horse-keeping, 16s. per night by hay, and 8s. by grass.
Keeping a yoke of oxen, £1. 1s. per night by hay, and 10s. by grass.
A good, common dinner, 14s. ; and all other victualling in the usual proportion.
Lodging, 4s. per night.
New-England flip or toddy, 15s. per mug or bowl.
Cider, 4s. per mug.
Oats, per mess, 6s.
Shirts, £4. 16s. apiece, made of good tow-cloth seven-eighths of a yard wide, three yards and a half in each shirt.
Good yarn-stockings, £3. 12s. per pair.
Pasturing a yoke of oxen, £2. 2s. per week ; a cow, 14s.,
Keeping a yoke of oxen by hay, £3 per week ; a cow, £1.
Sawing pine-boards, £10 per thousand feet; and all other sawing in the usual proportion.
Carpenter's work, in the best of the season, £3 per day.
Mason's work, £3. 6s. per day.
Bricks, £15 per thousand.
Rys £4. 16s. per bushel ; Indian corn, £3. 12s. per bushel ; wheat, £8 per bushel ; Oats, £2 per bushel.
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This report of prices the town voted to adopt as the standard by which they would buy and sell. Women's work was valued much less, in proportion to that of men, than it is now.
All the prices stated probably were just twenty times as much as those previously current when payable in silver. About a year afterwards, the depreciation of the paper- money had increased so much, that the town paid Joseph White, Nov. 16, 1780, six hundred pounds in continental bills for twenty Spanish milled-dollars, being at the rate of a hundred dollars in paper for one in silver.
SECOND PRECINCT IN TEMPLETON, AND INCORPORATION OF GERRY, NOW PHILLIPSTON.
In the original township of Templeton, the meeting- house was considerably cast of the centre of the territory. It was, consequently, quite inconvenient for those on the westerly side. In the winter season, especially, they felt very sensibly their distance from the house of worship. The town sometimes voted that Rev. Mr. Sparhawk might preach a few Sundays, in the course of the winter season, at the west part of the town, closing the meeting-house for the purpose. But they were not always willing to grant this favor. Much discussion and controversy ensued. The people of the westerly part of the town, weary of the in- convenience, petitioned the General Court, in 1773, to be separated from the rest of the town as to parochial affairs, and be made a distinct precinct or parish. The General Court, in 1774, granted the petition. As to most of the ordi- nary town-business, they were still to act together. It was a long time before the new parish felt able to sustain religious institutions. A church was first formed in that territory in 1785 ; and the first minister, Rev. Ebenezer Tucker, was ordained there Nov. 5, 1788. In 1786, Oct. 20, the Second Precinct, with a territory taken from the south-casterly part
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of Athol, was incorporated as a town, by the name of Gerry. The inhabitants, afterwards finding themselves decidedly op- posed in political sentiment to Gov. Gerry, obtained an act to change the name to Phillipston.
In 1785, the town of Gardner was incorporated, and a tract included in it of some twelve or fifteen hundred acres set off from Templeton.
The following is the petition presented to the General Court, in 1773, in favor of setting off the Second Pre- cinct : -
To his Excellency Thomas Hutchinson, Esq., Captain-General and Commander-in-chief in and over the Province of the Massachu- setts Bay, to the Honorable his Majesty's Council and House of Representatives in General Court assembled at Boston, January, 1773 :-
The petition of sundry inhabitants, living in the westerly part of the town of Templeton and the south-easterly part of the town of Athol, humbly shows : That the town of Templeton is so situated, that one house for public worship will in no wise serve the whole ; that the proprietors of said Templeton have built one meeting-house, and placed it at a very considerable distance from the Centre, and where it well accommodates the easterly part of said Templeton, but will in no wise accommodate the inhabitants in the west part; that the west part of said Templeton is now considerably filled with inhabitants, and consists of the first settlers in said Tem- pleton, who do and have labored under great difficulties and incon- veniences for many years past by reason of living at such a great distance from public worship, a great part of whom live five miles and upwards, and being well situated with a part of the south- easterly part of the town of Athol to make a precinct. We there- fore earnestly pray your excellency and honors would take our distressed and difficult circumstances into your wise consideration, and grant us relief (according to your usual practices in such cases) by dividing the town of Templeton into two precincts by the fol- lowing line; viz. : Beginning in the northerly line of Hubbardston, on Burnshirt River; thence running up the river till it comes to a maple-tree, the corner of Second-division Lot No. 47 ; thence running north thirty degrees west till it comes to New Brook, so called ; thence down said brook to Royalston Line. And also that the south-east part of the town of Athol be annexed to Templeton, to accommodate said west part of Templeton, by the following line ; viz .: To run north-easterly from the most westerly corner of Tem- pleton to the west corner of Isaac Ball's land that he now dwells on ; from thence north-easterly to Miller's River, where Thousand- acre Brook empties into said river ; thence up said river to Royals-
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ton Line. Or grant relief to your petitioners in such other way and manner as your excellency and honors shall think most proper.
SAMUEL TAYLOR. REUBEN CUMMINGS. JOSEPH WHITE. CHARLES BAKER. [And forty-nine others.]
JANUARY the 7th, 1773.
The following action on the petition was taken by the General Court in 1774 :-
In Council, Feb. 15, 1774 : Read, and ordered that the tract of land hereafter described, lying partly in Templeton and partly in Athol, together with the inhabitants thereon dwelling, be, and hereby are, erected into a precinct ; and the said inhabitants are hereby invested with all the powers and privileges by law belonging to inhabitants of precincts in this province : viz., beginning at Hubbardston Line where Burnshirt Stream runs out of Templeton ; thence running up said stream to a maple-tree, being the southerly corner of the Second-division Lot No. 47; thence running north thirty degrees west to New Brook, so called ; thence down the brook to Royalston Line; thence west to Athol Line, being the north-west corner of Templeton, then on Athol Line to Miller's River ; thenee down said river to a brook called Thousand-acre Meadow Brook ; thence south-easterly to the westerly corner of the Hundred-aere Lot No. 22, then straight to the most westerly corner of Templeton ; thence by Templeton Line to where it began. And further ordered, that Abner Sawyer, Abraham Sawyer, Joel Grout, Samuel Lamb, Joshua Whitcomb, John Brigham, - Alexander, jun.,
Davis, Thomas - -, Jonathan Willington, Elias Sawyer, Calvin Reed, Ebenezer Knight, Isaac Ball, jun., Israel Sprague, Joseph Morse, Benjamin Parsons, John Colman, Robert Young, jun., and Zaccheus Rich, with their estates, together with the farm of Capt. Aaron Jones of a hundred and twenty-four acres adjoining the easterly line, although included within the precinct hereby erected, be, and hereby are, exempted from doing duty there, but shall be subject to do duty in the precinct in which they were respectively included before the passing of their order, unless they, or either of them, within nine months from the date hereof, return their names into the secretary's office, signifying their desire to belong to the said precinct; in which case they shall be considered as belonging to the said precinct, and shall do' duty and receive privileges accordingly.
Sent down for concurrence. JONA. COTTON, Dep. Sec.
In the House of Representatives, Feb. 16, 1774: Read and con- J. CUSHING, Speaker.
curred.
Consented to.
THOMAS HUTCHINSON [Governor].
مبصرة بيات فى
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No effectual movements were made for several years by the Westerly or Phillipston Precinct for sustaining religious institutions. In 1784, fourteen of the inhabitants, becom- ing tired of their situation, petitioned to be united again to the First Precinct. The following is a copy of the petition, and of the doings of the town thereon : -
To the Inhabitants of the First Precinct in Templeton : -
The petition of us, the subscribers, inhabitants of the West Parish in said Templeton, humbly showeth : That your petitioners having been for a number of years set off with said West Parish, but having had many unforeseen difficulties to encounter with, so that it has never been in our power to build a meeting-house, nor to furnish ourselves with but very little preaching ; nor can we, by looking forward, see any better prospect, - your petitioners there- fore pray that we may be re-united to your precinct again, upon these express conditions : viz., that we never move to have your meeting-house moved or rebuilt on any other spot than where it now stands ; but in case our whole parish, or so many of them as live in Templeton, should be re-united to your precinct, then, in that case, we pray the town to grant them four days' preaching in each year, either by money for that purpose, or any other way that the precinct think best.
As your petitioners, in duty bound, shall ever pray, &c.
THOS. JOHNSON.
THOS. WHITE.
DAVID KNIGHT.
JONA. STRATTON.
JOHN HAGER, jun.
SIMEON HAYWARD.
HANNAH SAWYER.
WILLIAM DIKE.
ELISHA PARKER.
BENJAMIN GALLOP.
SAMUEL LAMB.
RUTH WHITE.
JOSHUA WILDER.
EDMUND BRIGHAM.
TEMPLETON, Jan. 6, 1784.
The First Precinct voted to receive the petitioners agree- ably to their petition. The record also says, -
Voted to receive the whole of said parish that belong to Tem- pleton, if they are disposed to be re-united to us again, upon the conditions of the petition of Thomas White and others. Voted that the Committee serve the whole of said parish with a copy of these votes, intimating our desire that they may be re-united to us again.
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PAUPERS.
This town has never been subjected to so great expense for the support of paupers as many other towns. In carly times, a " settlement " - rendering the town liable for the individual's support in case he became a pauper - was ac- quired, in one mode, by a person's being received as an " inhabitant " of a town, in a technical sense. Hence arose the usage, in those days, of the Selectmen issuing a precept to the constable to " warn out" all new-comers. Not that they were actually expected or desired to leave the town ; but the process prevented the town where the persons had their previous " settlement " from escaping its liability for their future support. At first, it was the practice here for the Selectmen thus to " warn out " all, without exception, who came to reside in the town ; and whoever admitted any from another town into his family or into his tenement was required to give the Seleetmen written notice, stating their names, former place of abode, and their circumstances in respect to property. In May, 1763, there was an article in the warrant " to see whether the town will still insist on the Selectmen's warning out all the persons that come into town." It " passed in the negative." Many persons were warned out during the next few years. The " warning-out laws " were repealed April 10, 1767. It is said, that, from that date till June 23, 1789, no pauper- settlement could be gained in a town merely by residence therein. The following specimens of the notices concern- ing new-comers arriving, and of notices to warn them out, are copied from the early records. Initials are substituted, in most cases, for the full names which appear on the records : -
To the Selectmen of Templeton.
GENTLEMEN, - I have taken in to live with me Jacob Puffer, who came from Sudbury, and, by what I can learn, a man of good estate ; and he came to this town April the 11th; and I have taken him into my house to reside. Yours, &c., ABEL HUNT. MAY 11, 1764.
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To the Selectmen of Templeton.
GENTLEMEN, - I have taken into my house, the twenty-second or the twenty-third day of November, James B-, and Mary or Molly his wife, and Betty their child, who came from Marlborough ; and, whether rich or not, I can't tell.
From your humble servant, JOHN RICHARDSON. Nov. 28, 1764.
To the Selectmen of Templeton.
GENTLEMEN, -This may inform you that I have taken in, to dwell in my house, William B-, and Sarah his wife. The said William was born in Littleton, but came last from Stow. Said Sarah was born in Acton, and came directly from that place, and is daughter of Capt. Daniel F -- , of said Acton ; their circum- stances being small, they just beginning to set up house-keeping. And also I have taken into my house, as an hired maid, one Abigail F -- , daughter of Benjamin F ___ , of Concord : she came directly from her father's house. I received all the above-named persons into my house this day, being June the 7th, 1769.
Yours, &c., CHARLES BAKER.
The following is a copy of one of the warrants used, in 1765, for " warning out " residents. The original spelling and grammar are preserved : -
WORCESTER, SS. Templeton Aprel ye 25 - 1765. - To Abra- ham Sawyer one of the Constables of Templeton ; Greeting - you are Required in his majisties Name forthwith to Warn out the Per- sons here after mentioned, James B -- and his Wife Mary and Molley their Daughter Last from Marlborough - the Selectmen of the town Refuse to accept you for Inhabitants in Sd Town, and you are not to abide any longer -and you are forthwith to make Return of this Warrent With your Doings unto Sum one of the Selectmen.
JASON WHITNEY,
JOSHUA CHURCH, Selectmen SAMUEL SAWYER,
JONATHAN HOLMAN,
of Templeton.
WORCESTER, SS. May 9. - By Virtue of this Warrent I have Done as Within ordered. ABRAHAM SAWYER, Constable.
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For the first forty or fifty years after the incorporation of the town, the expenses for the support of the poor were very moderate. The records indicate that they were kindly treated, and that cases demanding relief were met in a good spirit. In 1764, the town voted to hire for a year, of Mr. Joshua Church, " his old house for a work-house " (probably built of logs), and to pay him thirteen shillings and fourpence rent. In 1777, the town voted to build a house on the Common for the paupers, one story high, eighteen feet by thirty-six; but I find no traces, in the Treasurer's books or elsewhere, of this house having ever been actually built.
At that period, the paupers were usually supplied at their own abodes with so much as was necessary, or were boarded out by the Selectmen, often among their friends. In 1796, it was voted that the support of the poor should be let out at auction, with the express provision " that they be civilly and kindly treated." In 1815, the Selectmen were directed to let out the supporting of the poor that year by private contract. In 1817, the town voted not to build a poor- house ; and they were let out,. " in lots," "to the lowest bidder : " the overseers, however, to bind out such minors as were of suitable age. In 1818, they were let out at auction, apparently all together. During many years, the method of their support was left to the discretion of the Selectmen. Thirty years ago, the subject of providing an alms-house for their permanent abode was discussed. A Committee of the town reported then, that a poor-house for this town would increase the expense ; and recommend- ed the town to unite, if practicable, with Phillipston, Athol, Royalston, and Winchendon, to purchase one large farm, and erect buildings for all the poor of those towns. But, in 1827, the town agreed to purchase the farm that was owned by Moses Wright, Esq., then lately deceased, and to occupy it for the abode and support of the poor. The plan worked favorably. The establishment was superintended, for the first nine years, by Mr. Roper ; and the Selectmen
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reported that it had given great satisfaction, and been well managed. In 1837, the Selectmen were authorized to build an addition to the house. In 1844, the pine-timber on the farm was sold for about three thousand dollars. During the last twenty years, it has been superintended by several persons in succession ; and the inmates are, and have con- stantly been, made thoroughly comfortable, and amply pro- vided for, at a very moderate expense to the town. The number of paupers is now smaller than for many years previous. According to the last report of the Selectmen, the whole number whose support is at the cost of the town, both in and out of the poor-house, is only five.
PETITION TO THE SELECTMEN.
The following petition serves to illustrate the feeling of the first generation of settlers here respecting habits of in- temperance and dissipation, and the methods to which they resorted to check it. It is copied verbatim from the original : -
To the Selectmen of the Town of Templeton.
GENTLEMEN, - We the subscribers Humbly Show that Mr. was out from home about three weeks in the fore part of the Last winter, a spending his time and money by Drinking and Tippling, from house to house and Town to Town -and now he has took another voyage on the same arrand and has bin gone from home a month or More, and his family a suffering at home - We pray you forthwith, to take speedy Care of him by Posting him as the Law directs, or by Taking some good Custom to prevent him from spend- ing his Estate so that his Family may have a comfortable support and not to become a Town Charge - And in so doing you will Much oblig,
Yours &c. &c. [Signed by thirty persons. ]
TEMPLETON, March 23, 1778.
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" WOLF ACT." - BOUNTIES FOR CROWS AND HAWKS.
April 7, 1783, the town voted to give a bounty of forty shillings for each grown wolf's head, and chose a Committee, who reported the following rules, which were adopted : -
Enacted that any person, who is an inhabitant of the town of Templeton, shall receive forty shillings out of the treasury of said Templeton for each wolf he or they shall kill within fifty miles of this place; and, in order to entitle any persons to the aforesaid bounty, he or they shall produce the skin into the presence of the Selectmen of the town, whose duty it shall be to cut the ears off of said skin, and give the said person that killed the wolf an order on the Town Treasurer for the aforesaid forty shillings: provided always, that the person so presenting a skin as aforesaid shall take his oath (if required) that he killed the wolf within the limits aforesaid, and that he was killed after the 7th of this instant (April, 1783). Be it further enacted, that every person shall receive twenty shillings, in the manner aforesaid, for each wolf's pup; the Selectmen to be judges which are pups, and which not. And, if any person is sworn, it shall be in the presence of the Selectmen. This Act to be in force one year, and no more.
This offer of bounty, or " Wolf Act," as the town called it, was renewed on the same conditions, for one year longer, in 1784, and so also in 1785 and 1786. Capt. Gardner Maynard was paid forty shillings for a wolf killed by him in 1783. Bears were occasionally killed in the township in early times.
In 1797, the town offered a bounty of thirty-four cents for cach old crow's head, and seventeen cents for young ones, if killed from April 1 to July 1. A bounty on crows was offered several other years: the last was in 1834. In 1801 and 1802, a bounty of twenty-five cents and twelve and a half cents was offered for the heads of old and young hen-hawks. The heads of the crows and hawks were to be carried to the Selectmen, and they were to order the pay.
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WARNING TOWN-MEETINGS.
Town-meetings seem to have been, at first, warned by personal notice to each voter. For instance, the constable's return upon the warrant for the third town-meeting held here says, " In obedience to the above warrant, I have warned all that I suppose to be the votable inhabitants of said town to meet at the time and place above mentioned."
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