USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Norfolk > History and directory of Wrentham and Norfolk, Mass. for 1890 : containing a complete resident, street and business directory, town officers, schools, societies, churches, post offices, etc., etc. > Part 2
USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Wrentham > History and directory of Wrentham and Norfolk, Mass. for 1890 : containing a complete resident, street and business directory, town officers, schools, societies, churches, post offices, etc., etc. > Part 2
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13
Five sheep commons were equal to one cow common, and were used as
* These 19, with their associates, formed a body called the Proprietors of Dedham.
16
HISTORY OF WRENTHAM.
fractions of a whole right. This rule bearing hardly on several poor per- sons, the proprietors so far departed from it as to give them twenty-five more cow common rights, which added to the former number made five hundred and two common rights or shares.
This arrangement as thus far made became permanent.
But the proprietors went further, and voted that non-resident owners of land should not have any right to put cattle into the cow commons, although they should have dividends in the lands. Henry Phillips and some other non-resident owners made complaints. The General Court ap- pointed referees to settle this dispute, the contending parties agreeing. These gentlemen made an award which they support by quotations of Scripture, giving to Phillips and other aggrieved persons 12 more cow common rights, and to the church 8 more, making the whole number 522. The parties acquiesced in this decision, and the Selectmen assigned to the 80 proprietors their due shares. The commissioners further decided that the majority in interest should hereafter govern.
.
After this decision there were two distinct bodies-the proprietors and inhabitants, including non-proprietors. But for many years the distinc- tion existed only in theory, for there were not for many years people in town who were inhabitants and at the same time non-proprietors. In process of time the two separate bodies had meetings on the same day, and their doings were recorded in the same book. The number of shares determined the number of cattle each could pasture on the common lands, but this privilege was limited to those who belonged to this body of pro- prietors, which was a sort of a corporation ; other persons might be inhab- itants of Dedham without having any interest in the common lands. They could acquire an interest in those lands by purchasing of some proprietor. The proprietors had the ownership and power to convey and manage the undivided lands, while the inhabitants took the management of their town affairs upon themselves.
These rules regarding the division of lands were of course applied throughout the whole township of Dedham, and of course included the lands at Wollomonuppoag.
It will be remembered that Dedham had through Capt. Willett paid the Sagamore Philip in the year 1662 for his right and title to the lands at Wollomonuppoag {24. Ios. But Philip now, in 1669, set up a claim to a tract said to be within the limits of his former grant. He addressed the following letter to two of the principal men of Dedham :
" Philip Sachem to Major Lusher and Lieutenant Fisher.
" Gentlemen : Sirs, thes are to desire you to send me a holland shirt by this Indian the which at present I much want and in consideration whereof I shall and will assuredly satisfie you to content between this and the next Michelmas for then I intend to meet with you at Wollammanuppogue that we may treat about a tract of land of four or five miles square which I hereby promise and engage that you shall have ye refusall of and I make no doubt but that we shall agree about said tract of land which I shall sell you for ye use of your town of Dedham. I pray fail not to send me a good holland shirt by the bearer hereof for I intend next week to be at plimoth
I 7
HISTORY OF WRENTHAM.
Court and I want a good shirt to goe in. I shall not further trouble you at present but subscribe myself your friend,
" Philip Sachem's P mark."
MOUNT HOP, Ye 25 May, 1669.
We are not informed whether the liberality or the fears of the good men of Dedham provided Philip with the holland shirt in which he wished to appear before the wise men of Plymouth ; but we find that on " the 8th of the 9th mo., 1669, upon notice from Philip Sagamore yt he is now at Wollomonuppoag, and offers a treaty about sale of his rights in ye lands yr within the town bounds not yet purchased, a committee was ap- pointed, viz. : Timothy Dwight, Anthony Fisher, Robert Ware, Richard Ellice, and John Thurston, to repayre to Wollomonuppoag on the morrow and treat with the said Philip, in order to a contract with him to clear all his remaining rights within the town bounds, provided he make his right appear, and to secure our town from all other claims of all other Indians in the land contracted for,"
It seems that a contract was made, for on the 15th of the same month (November, 1669) a rate was made for the payment to Philip "for his right lately purchased." The sum thus assessed was £17. os. 8d., to be paid in money. " Tradition informs us that Philip in the second treaty showed the northern boundaries of his kingdom, being the southern boundary of the Sachemdom of Chickotabot, in Walpole; and that the shape of the land was somewhat like that of a new moon, enclosing a part of the first grant within its horns." (Worthington's History.) Seventy- nine persons were assessed to pay this rate. Ensign Chickering's tax was the largest, being IIS. Iod. Rev. John Allen's was next in amount, being 8s. 9d. This tax was assessed upon the cow commons of the pro- prietors. Adding this, £17. 1IS. 8d., to the sum previously paid through Capt. Willett, we find the whole amount paid to Philip for his title to Wollomonuppoag was £41. Ios. 8d.
SECOND ATTEMPT AT SETTLEMENT.
Although, as we have seen, the first attempt to settle a colony at Wol- lomonuppoag had failed in 1663, yet the idea was not absolutely aban- doned. Proof of this is seen in the transactions had in the interim between that date and that which we have now reached, 1669. We instance the drawing of lots, the laying out of a highway, surveying of the meadows, the grant to Indian Sarah, the settling of lines of lots, the purchasing of proprietors' rights, and the second treaty with King Philip. Although previously to 1669 no white man perhaps, except Sam'l Sheeres, had come here to dwell, nevertheless those who had made improvements by breaking up ground, etc., kept their lots or transferred them to others, who retained the title. And now, in December, 1669, the proprietors of Wollomonup- poag (now independent of the proprietors of Dedham) met at the public house of Joshua Fisher in Dedham. This was their first meeting as a body distinct from the proprietors of Dedham. The purpose of the meet- ing was " to adopt some rules as to the ordering and due management of the said place for the furthering and settling a plantation there." They
18
HISTORY OF WRENTHAM.
voted, Ist, that " all rates, etc., for defraying public charges hereunder written shall be and remain in full force to all ends, intents and purposes to all proprietors there until the intended plantation become a town."
2d. " Every proprietor shall annually pay toward the maintenance of a minister there Is. 6d. for each cow common right, beside what shall be assessed upon improved land."
3d. " That the libertie to call or invite a minister to exercise to the people there is left to the inhabitants there and such of the principal pro- prietors as may be advised without difficultie, provided it be by the allow- ance and consent of the Rev. Mr. Allen, of Dedham, and the ruling elder of the church there, and Elea Lusher."
4th. " That a convenient meeting-house shall be built, to which end 2s. per cow common shall be paid, whereof Mr. Thom. Deane, Capt. Wm. Hudson, and Mr. Job Viale promise to pay accordingly in money, which is accepted. John Thurston, Robt. Ware, and Serg't Fuller are appointed a committee for the ordering the building and finishing that meeting-house in convenient time."
The meeting-house was not finished until about the year 1682. But on the 27th of December, 1669, the Rev. Samuel Man was invited to become the minister at the Wollomonuppoag. The letter of invitation was as follows: " Esteemed Sir-We, the subscribers, being by the providence of God proprietors, and some few of us inhabitants, in that place called Wollomonuppoag, in Dedham, and according to our best observation and understanding concerning that place capable of affording competent sub- sistence according as the employments of husbandry use to produce to so many families as might be a small town if it be duly improved by an industrious people according to the rule of the Word of God and in his name and fear, and that the kingdom of the Lord Jesus may be enlarged and several families at present streightened might be relieved and some benefit might arise to the public which are the ends we propose to our- selves ; these things being considerered by us we thinke it our duty to indeavor the settling a plantation there so far as lyes in our power, and in order thereto we would in the first place with the greatest care provide that the ordenances of the Lord Jesus may be there dispensed and duly attended that his blessing may be upon us and presence with us, remem- bering that he have promised that where his name is recorded there he will come and there he will bless his people. And whereas we have already enjoyed encouraging tast of that measure of fitness that God hath bestowed upon yourself to dispense his mind to us in the public ministry of his word we therefore do jointly declare with one consent we desire you to accept of these few line as a solemn and unanimous desire and invitation to that work of the ministry of the Gospel to us and among us at that place, hoping though our beginning be small yet our latter end shall much increase and that knowing that until the house and ordenances of the Lord Jesus be carefully provided for, few if any serious godly people they that we desire to encourage will be willing to settle themselves there with us, we so much the more earnestly desire that you would not refuse our re- quest and wish and doubt not but that the Lord of his goodness will make
19
HISTORY OF WRENTHAM.
us in some measure able and willing to attend the rule of Christ for your due encouragement in all outward supplies, and if you please to accept of this our invitation and earnest desire we do engage ourselves to be careful not to neglect our duties therein and such of us as are Inhabitants shall also attend the same according to our proportion in our estates there at such time as we shall reside and dwell there; but wheresoever we the late proprietors dwell we shall be ready and willing to bear charge thereunto according to our late (vote?)"
This letter is dated 27th 10 mo , 1669, and was subscribed by thirty- nine names. It was endorsed as follows :
We whose names are hereunto written declare our approbation of the within invitation and desire that a blessing from the Father of Merceys . may be upon it and the work intended.
ELEA. LUSHER. JOHN ALLIN, JOHN HUNTING.
Eleazer Lusher, whose name is frequently mentioned in connection with town and proprietary affairs, was a prominent man in the Colony of Mas- sachusetts Bay. In Dedham he was concerned in all important matters, which, of course, included Wollomonuppoag. Hence the invitation to Mr. Man must have his approval. It is said he came to Dedham with Mr. Allin, and was more learned than any other man in town excepting Mr. Allin. He kept the records, and it is to his care that we are indebted for the facts that have been preserved regarding the settlement here. He was frequently a Deputy to the General Court, of which body he was a useful and influential member. He participated in all the momentous affairs of the Colony whenever there was occasion for the counsel and services of the wisest and most patriotic.
In April, 1670, the proprietors appointed John Thurston and Sam'l Sheers to be fence viewers at Wollomonuppoag ; attended to complaints against some land-takers outside of the 600 acres, and voted a dividend of lowlands fit to be improved for English grass, " half an acre to each cow common, if so much may be found, otherwise less."
At a general meeting of the proprietors held on the first of second month, 1671, " the question being put, who are the persons that will engage (God willing) that themselves and their families shall be settled at the place called Wollomonuppoag before the end of the fourth month, called June, Anno 1671. Persons answering were: John Thurston, Tho. Thurston, Robt. Ware, John Ware, Joseph Cheeney. It was thereupon voted that the proprietors desire that these men and John Alders should settle themselves and their families." They also confirmed the bounds of the plantation as established in 1661, and ordered a book " for the enter- ing such acts as concern Wollomonuppoag, and such transcripts as may be made from Dedham Town Book, and contributed 3s. 6d. for the pur- chase ; and appointed Eleazer Lusher to make the entries and transcripts, and paid him 3s. 8d. in part satisfaction. It will be noticed that June is called the fourth month. At that time the year commenced on the twenty-fifth day of March throughout His Majesty's dominions. In the twenty-fourth year of the reign of George II. (1751) Parliament enacted
20
HISTORY OF WRENTHAM.
that the year should begin (after Dec. 31, 1751) on the first day of Jan- uary next following.
It seems then that six persons with their families were to be settled at Wollomonuppoag before the end of June, 1671. These, with Sam'l Sheers' family, would make seven families that were probably dwelling here in the wilderness before the close of 1671.
In January, 1672, a grant for a corn mill was made. The mill was to be built " upon that stream that comes out of the ponde and runs into Charles River in the neerest convenient place to the lower ende of the ponde in Wollomonuppoag, and made fitte for work and doe grinde corn as such a mill ought to doe before the first day of Maye, which shall be Anno 1671, and be so kept and attended that the Inhabitants there be supplyed with good meale from time to time of the corne they shall bring to mille." To the builder the whole power of the stream was granted, and he was also to have a house lot out of any unappropriated land not exceeding ten or twelve acres. This action was some ten years after the first steps taken by Dedham about the plantation, and tends strongly to show that the first comers were only temporary dwellers looking after their improvements and returning home when their tasks were done.
This time the settlement began in earnest. The Thurston's, Wares, and others agreed to go up and settle at Wollomonuppoag with their families ; the building of a corn-mill was provided for, the establishment also of a blacksmith-hardly less important-and an able and faithful minister was invited.
A committee of which Major Lusher was a member, entered into a con- tract with Robert Crossman to build a mill upon the conditions above stated. Robert engaged for himself and his heirs to build and equip the mill, "God permitting," according to the propositions of the proprietors, whereunto he did subscribe by making his mark. This was the last ser- vice rendered the settlement by Major Lusher. His death occurred this year, and in January following a committee was appointed to " recon with Mrs. Lusher for the writing written in the booke by the Hon'd Major Lusher.
The mill it seems made slow progress, for in 1874 Crossman requesting that the land he was to have might be laid out to him, was answered that when he should finish the mill according to his engagement he should have it laid out by Sergt. Thomas Thurston and others. And in 1680 it was voted that " if Robert Crossman do not speedily put his mill in good repair the inhabitants will see out for the procuring another mill." There is a tradition that a son of Crossman's was killed below the mill by an Indian, by which the father was so alarmed and discouraged that he abandoned the mill and let it go out of repair. " Nathaniel Crossman, the son of Robert Crossman, and Sarah his wife, was killed by the Enymy Indians March ye 8, 1675-6."
Anticipating a few years it appears that in 1685 the grants formerly made to Crossman were conferred upon John Whiting upon similar terms. He was the son of Nathaniel, who had a corn-mill on Mother Brook in Dedham, and who drew lot No. 2 in the six hundred acres dividend not
2 I
HISTORY OF WRENTHAM.
far from the place intended to build a mill at. He did not come to Wil- lomonuppoag,but he must have been the owner of Crossman's rights in the mill as his widow Hannah Whiting conveyed them by her deed to this son John with other property, describing it as coming to her from her deceased husband, Nathaniel. This deed was dated Nov. 9, 1688, in the 4th year of King James the II. John married Dec. 24, 1688, and lived upon the land granted to Crossman near the outlet of the Great or Mill Pond.
In the year 1821 the town of Wrentham investigated the question whether the successors of John Whiting viz. : The Eagle Manufacturing Company, were not bound to grind corn, etc., for the inhabitants accord- ing to the conditions of the ancient grant to Crossman. It appeared in the course of this investigation, from the depositions of Capt. Lewis Whit- ing, Joseph Whiting and Jemma Fisher, grandchildren of John Whiting, " that their grandfather built the mill on the present dam on the grant made to Crossman to grind particularly for the inhabitants of Wrentham." And it further appeared that the dwelling-house built and owned by their grandfather, John Whiting, now [1821] owned by Eliphalet Whiting, stands on the two-acre lot granted by the proprietors to their grandfather, John-two,acres were granted John when he succeeded to Crossman in 1685. It further appeared that the original site of the corn-mill was some eighty rods above the present dam, one of the deponents saying he had dug out mortised timber there, and seen the remains of a dam, and that such re- mains were believed to be visible even then [1821]. The deponents had been told and always understood that their grandfather, John, was the son of Nathaniel, of Dedham, and that before he was married, when about eighteen years old he came up from Dedham and " tended the mill," and that his mother came with him and purchased all the lands, buildings and rights of Crossman. These deponents were more than eighty years of age, and must have known their grandfather, John, who died in 1755. That house, the dwelling-house of that John Whiting, some portions of which were erected nearly two hundred years ago and which was standing in 1821 is still standing, probably the oldest building within the original bounds of the plantation, and until recently was still in the possession of descendants of John Whiting. It is doubted if a parallel case can be found in the ancient Wollomonopoag.
As to the obligation of the factory owners to grind for the inhabitants such eminent counsellors as Wm. Prescott and Solicitor General Davis united in the opinion that the owners were under that obligation, and that suits might be maintained against them. But here the matter was drop- ped. Besides the grain mill there were formerly a fulling mill and a saw mill were the dam now stands.
The precise time when the first minister, the Rev. Samuel Man, came to abide at Wollomonuppoag is not known. The people had as appears from their letter heard him preach, probably at Dedham and probably be- tween the date of that letter, 1669 and 1672, he preached to the little group of settlers in this wilderness occassionally if not regularly. As he
22
HISTORY OF WRENTHAM.
died in 1719, and this was the 49th year of his ministry as Mr. Bean was informed, he must have commenced about the year 1671. However this may have been, in 1672 the proprietors voted that " a rate should be made of Is. 6s. per cow common towards the maintenance of the present minister at Wollomonopoag." And the " inhabitants moved there might be a committee chosen to treat with Mr. Samuel Man in reference to his settling and carrying on the worke of the ministrie ther."
After this preliminary step in the most important matter of settling a minister, they began to care for the highways and to procure a blacksmith next to the miller a man of the greatest importance in the infant settle- ment. They, the proprietors, voted to give two acres of upland for the encouragement " of such a man as may be approved of the calling of a blacksmyth." This was in 1672. But they did not then succeed, for in 1674 they voted " for further incoragement of a blacksmith in case there appere a man that is suffichant workeman and otherwayse Incorageabell and do supply the towne with Good and suffichant ware, too acres of meaddow, and 2 or 3 acres of low swampy land on condition that he in- habitt in the towne 7 years, but if he remove from the town within 10 years the too acres of meadow to returne to the towne again." And in 1675 a small parcel of meadow containing two acres lying below " Slate Rock " was left for a smith. This was granted to James Mosman upon the condition of the vote of 1674. The inference is that Mosman was the first blacksmith in the place. But he did not remain here long; and in 1685 it was voted that "considering the want of a blacksmith Sergt. Fisher is requested to treat with Samuel Dearing respecting the same and make report to the town. Two years later the town invited Samuel Dear- ing " to settle with us to folow the calling of a blacksmith." In 1687 the town for his encouragement to settle granted him "liberty of wood for firing and for coal for his worke and feeding and timber for his use upon the comon land so long as he continue in the calling of a blacksmith in the town ; this and what was proposed to him att our meeting last year." On the 23d of June, 1688, the inhabitants being at work in the highway, Samuel Dearing also being present agreed to accept the land as- signed for a blacksmith upon the terms stated at the meeting in 1672, and the inhabitants agreed " to confirm said land and also ye parcel of meadow and swampy land which was assigned for the encouragement of a smith, to the said Samuel Dearing ; and do all also appoint a committee to lay out the house lot of ten acres near the Meeting House." The com- mittee " did forthwith lay out said ten acres abutting upon the highway in part southwest and near to the land for the burying-place northeast and common land on all other parts." Other grants and promises of land were also made to him. He decided to locate here. In 1808 he was mar- ried to Mary Man, the daughter and oldest child of the Rev. Samuel Man. Mr. Dearing was one of the selectmen in 1706. He died in 1753 at the good old age of ninety-six. The grant of ten acres made to him includes the land where the present congregational and Episcopal houses of wor- ship stand.
23
HISTORY OF WRENTHAM.
REV. SAMUEL MAN.
In 1672 a committee, previously appointed, reported to the proprietors as follows substantially : " Imprimis to grant Mr. Man a convenient house lot out of the public lands so much as shall arise upon ten cow com- mons, and all rights and privileges thereto belonging ; as also libertie to choose half his proportion of the meadow, the rest to take as other men." Further the proprietors tender £50 towards building him a house and the inhabitants engage to pay as they have intimated. This on condition that he settle at Wollomonopoag ; but if he is called to move then he shall choose two or three men who shall judge and determine what shall be pre- sented to them, and if they agree that his call his clear to remove through default of the people, then Mr. Man shall enjoy the house and all the lands formerly mentioned ; but if they do not so judge and yet Mr. Man remove then the former grants to return to the proprietors." To these terms Mr. Man agreed as follows : " I do accept of these propositions in case they be performed within the space of one year and a half." SAMUEL MAN.
A committee was at the same time chosen to collect the money and build the house.
Such was Mr. Man's settlement. The prospect was not cheerful. His call had been pending some three years. He knew, for he had preached among them, that this small company of farmers could barely maintain themselves and their families. He came into almost a wilderness, where there was not only no meeting house to receive him, but even no dwelling- house for a shelter and home ; and, as Mr. Bean says in his century sermon, only sixteen families.
He was the only son of William Man, who came from Kent County, England, where he was born about the year 1607. He married Mary Jarrard and settled in Cambridge, Mass. His son, Samuel, was born there July 6, 1647. He was graduated at Harvard University in 1665 ; married Esther Ware of Dedham, in 1673 ; was employed as a teacher at Dedham, Mass. ; ordained at Wrentham. April 13, 1692, and died there May 22, 1719, in the 72d year of his age, and 49th of his ministry. His children were eleven in number - seven sons and four daughters - and while his descendants must be very numerous, not one is known to bear the name at present in the town.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.