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 5
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 5
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
In 1702 so much progress was made that it was resolved to build a school house " twenty foot long and sixteen foot broad," " to be built and finished by next Mickelmus or thereabouts."
In the rate made for paying the cost of this school house the selectmen included the names of fifty-eight persons who were assessed. Of these Daniel Hawes was taxed thirteen shillings, and Robt. Ware twelve shill- ings and tenpence, Lieut. Ware eleven shillings and twopence, Michael Wilson ten shillings, eightpence, and Eben Gay ten shillings, who are named as showing who paid the largest tax and what amounts they were assessed. The assessment for the school house probably amounted to about fourteen pounds. This first school was located near the present site of the Bank Building, at least one stood there in 1738. On the 24th day of December, 1703, the selectmen " did bargain and agree with Theodor
40
HISTORY OF WRENTHAM.
.
Man in behalf of the town to keep scoole, beginning January the 3d next, insuing until the next March for the sum of three pounds, eight shillings in silver." He was a son of Rev. Samuel Man. In 1704 John Swineburn was employed for thirty shillings and his diet. In 1705 Theodore Man was offered forty shillings per month, and in 1707 the treasurer was direct- ed to pay him four pounds for keeping school two months. John Fale, Jonathan Ware and Wm. Man were also employed to teach, and they with others kept the one school in town for some years. " The town voted from time to time small sums for repairing this solitary school house."
In 1717 a three-months school was established to be kept alternately at the east end of the town one month, the next month at the school house, the third month at Ebenezer Wares, and fn 1719 four schools were voted at four different quarters of the town. Jabez Wight of Dedham was em- ployed to teach a grammar school for one quarter of a year for ten pounds. In 1723 a school, was provided at Poppoluttock and the next year it was voted that the school be kept one-half the time in some convenient place near the meeting house and in that part of the town formerly belonging to Dorchester and the other half in those places that will accommodate those inhabitants who live at a distance from town. In 1734 Mr. Joseph Bacon was employed to preach four months in the west part of the town (Now Franklin), and also to keep school three months for the sum of forty- two pounds. The schools were not permanently located in those days, it seems, as the matter of placing or stating them was frequently consider- ance in town meetings. To show what wages were then paid we append a few examples. In 1730 Nathaniel Newell was allowed £27 for keeping school three-quarters of a year, and he procured his board for five shillings per week. "The selectmen agreed with Mr. David Cowell to keep a grammar school in this town for one month for the sum of five pounds, and with Hezekiah Man for two months after the expiration of that time and they were to provide for themselves." In 1739 the grammar school teacher was paid £14 and his diet and lodging. Notwithstanding the division of the town into precincts in 1737, precinct schools were not es- tablished although the law of the province allowed it. The selectmen con- tinued as formerly to contract with teachers. The town continuing to dis- cuss and settle the question of number and location of schools and amount of money to be expended.
In 1762 Eliphalet Whiting was directed " to make answer to a complaint laid before the Grand Jury for not keeping a grammar school." All towns of one hundred families were under obligations by statute to maintain a grammar school. Whatever might be the notions of the selectmen of those days about a grammar school, and it seems that to instruct their children to read, write and cypher was all they required of their teachers, the lawgivers of 1647 defined it by requiring that the master thereof should be able to fit youth for the university, and it is probable that our predeces- sors made attempts to provide such teachers, agents being sent to Cam- bridge, Dedham, Roxbury, etc., to procure them. And Jacob Bacon, Hezekiah Man, David Cowell, Amariah Frost, James Messinger and Benj. Guild who were employed as teachers were university graduates. In 1764
4I
.
HISTORY OF WRENTHAM.
the grammar school was continued and the school money remaining after paying for that was divided according to the number of children between four and sixteen years of age. This was the practice for many years. In 1767 the town voted to expend eighty pounds for the support of schools, and that the school should be kept in the circular form, that is moving about into different parts of the town according to their respective towns until the eighty pounds be expended. The divisions of the town for school purposes were designated variously, as the Long Walk Division, Capt. Day's Division, the South End Division, the school near Esquire Whiting's. Dea. Man's Division, etc., etc. In 1780 three thousands pounds were voted for the use of the school in this town, so depreciated had the currency become ; and in 1786 it was voted to keep a grammar school at the cheapest rate in order to clear the town of a fine ; also that young men intending to go to college should be exempt from poll tax so long as the town is exempted from keeping a grammar school master. The legislature in 1789 authorized a division of towns into districts with bounds defined for school purposes. And in 1790 Dea. Man's division, so-called, was changed into a school district and the bounds thereof established. In 1802 districts one, two and three were in like manner defined and event- ually viz. : in 1846, there were nineteen. A hundred years ago the school money was expended as follows, viz. : For the Benj. Shepard Division £3 13s. for the year 1777 ; the River End Division £3 18s .; the Samuel Leth- bridge Division £3 os. 8d. ; Long Walk Division £4 Is. 2d. ; Capt. Fair- bank's Division £5 8s. 4d. ; North End Division £3 9s. 4d. ; the Reuben Pond Division £3 9s. 4d. ; Joshua Grant Division £4 18s. 8d. ; the South End Division £6 Ios .; Capt. Day's Division £5 12s. 8d. ; the Samuel Hawes Division £4 8s. 18d. ; Col. Metcalf's. Division £4 IIS. od. ; Ellis's Division £2 3s. 4d. ; Plain Division £3 os. 8d. ; East Division £6 7s. Iod. In the year 1880 five hundred dollars was granted for the support of schools. From 1802 to 1806 six hundred dollars, from 1806 to 1810 eight hundred dollars, from 1810 to 1827 one thousand dollars, from 1827 to 1842 fifteen hundred dollars. In 1846 it was two thousand dollars. From that time it has not been below two thousand dollars and has been five thousand. After the loss of that part of our town which went into the new town of Norfolk the sum was reduced to four thousand dollars.
SCHOOL FUND.
It will be remembered that in 1662-3, as previously related the proprie- tors of the lands here held a meeting at Dedham, and among other things voted to reserve land " for highways, officers' lots, burial place, trayning ground and all other lands necessary to be reserved for all public uses." As early as 1685 they voted to " set out four or six acres of their new com- mon land in the most convenient place near the meeting house for " ye accomadating and incouragement of a school with twenty or twenty-five acres of other land, upland and swamp or swampy land." This was to be for the use and benefit of the school and not to be alienated to any other use or purpose whatsoever. The boundaries of these six acres first above
.
42
HISTORY OF WRENTHAM.
named were not established until 1741. In 1734 the proprietors passed a vote " that there be and hereby is given, granted and confirmed to the inhabitants of this town forever for the use and benefit of a school in this town, the income or use thereof to be imployed for the maintaining and keeping a school in this town and to no other end or uses whatsoever, a piece or parcel of land commonly called the School Land being upland and meadow land containing by estimation twenty-five acres, more or less, butted and bounded, etc." These two tracts of land went by the name of the School Land, and the meadow, at least, was leased to individuals for many years; until the people thought that their value in money would produce more income for the school, and therefore in 1753 procured leave of the General Court to sell them, it being ordered that the principal sum should aways be kept good and the interest only applied towards the sup- port of the school in said town, and that neither the principal nor interest be applied to any other use.
Under this authority the lands were sold and the income of the money arising from the sale applied to the use of the schools. Other lands granted to the town at other times were sold and the proceeds in 1759 also applied to the use of the school, and made a part of the school fund.
In 1827 Mr. Benjamin R. Cheever of Philadelphia, by his will gave the sum of one thousand dollars to Wrentham, his native town, in aid of its school fund.
This fund has never been diverted by our people from the purpose to which it was devoted by its founders. In all the years since its creation, through all the exigencies of the inhabitants, even in the straits of the Revolutionary war, to their honor be it said, this fund remained intact.
DAY'S ACADEMY.
Besides the common schools the people here had for many years a suc- cessful private school known as Day's Academy. For the establishment of this institution they were in a great measure indebted to the Rev. Elisha Fisk, who was the minister of the church and society. His efforts and the efforts of some others to raise funds for this purpose having been success- ful, a charter for an academy was obtained from the legislature in 1806. It was named Day's Academy in honor of Benjamin Day who contributed more largely to the funds than any other subscriber. The State granted a half township of land in Maine for the encouragement of the school. The amount subscribed in money was twenty-three hundred dollars. The General Court enacted " that there be and hereby is established in said Wrentham an academy by the name of Day's Academy for the promotion of learning and religion, and that the present pastor and the present dea- con of the First Congregational Church in said Wrentham, and their suc- cessors in office, together with Beriah Brastow, George Hawes, James Ware, John Whiting, Lewis Whiting, Abijah Pond, Timothy Whiting Daniel Ware, Amos Archer, David Fisher, Jr., Jos. Whiting, Jr., Eliphalet White, Luther White, Elijah Craig, Eliphalet Whiting, John Hall, Jr., William Brown, William Messenger and such others as may hereafter associate with them, be and hereby are incorporated into a body politic by the name of the Trustees of Day's Academy, etc." This
43 .
HISTORY OF WRENTHAM.
act is quoted for the purpose of showing who were the men that interested themselves in the establishment of an institution, whose influence was so . important upon the community. The academy building, erected in 1808, was opened for the reception of students by a prayer by Rev. Nathaniel Emmons, and an address by Bradford Sumner, Esq., the first teacher. It became a flourishing institution and so remained until other academies were established in its neighborhood. Mr. Fisk said of it, " Many re- sorted to it for acquiring learning. In it a large number of students have been fitted for higher usefulness in the common business of life and for entrance into the colleges."
THE BAPTIST CHURCH.
A Baptist church was organized in the westerly part of the town in 1769. Its first settled minister was the Rev. Wm. Williams, who graduated at Brown University the same year. In March, 1775, the church invited him to become their pastor. He accepted the invitation, but his ordina- tion did not take place until July, 1776. About the time of his settlement he opened an academy which attained to high distinction among the literary institutions of the day. He is supposed to have had under his care nearly two hundred youths, about eighty of whom he fitted for col- lege, not a few of whom became distinguished in literary and professional life. He also conducted the theological studies of several young men with a view to their entering upon the ministry. He continued to teach and preach till about the close of his life. He was a fellow of Brown Univer- sity from 1789 to 1818. In 1777, when the college building was occupied as a barrack for soldiers, and afterwards as a hospital for French troops the library was removed to the country and placed in the keeping of Mr. Williams. Rev. Dr. Fisher of West Boylston, in 1859, says of Mr. Williams, " He is especially worthy of notice as having been one of the first graduates of Brown University, and as having contributed not a little to the intellectual improvement of the Baptist denomination in New Eng- land. His manners were easy and agreeable, and his powers of conversa- tion such as to render him quite attractive. His talents and acquirements were highly respectable. His services as a teacher commanded great res- pect not only in but out of his denomination. Among his pupils were the late Hon. David R. Williams, Gov. of South Carolina, Hon. Toistam Bur- . gess of R. I., Hon. Horace Mann, President Jonathan Maxcy. Not a man to attract and impress the mulitude, yet by a steady course of en- lightened and Christian activity he accomplished an amount of good for his denomination, which fairly entitles him to a place among its more dis- tinguished benefactors. He diffused a spirit of improvement and a love of intellectual culture throughout the circle in which he moved." (Sprague's Am Pulpit.)*
* Mr. Williams was the son of John and Ann [White] Williams and was born in Hillstown, Buck's Co., Penn., in 1752. His father came from Wales to this country and settled in Buck's Co., where he accumulated a handsome property and spent the remainder of his days. His son, William, was fitted for college at Hopewell, N. J., at a celebrated school taught by Rev. Isaac Eaton. He entered the institution, which is now Brown University, then located in Warren, R. I., one year in advance, and graduated in 1769. In the autumn following he married Patience, the daughter of Col. Nathan Miller of Warren, R. I. Sept. 27, 1771, he was baptised by Rev. Chas. Thompson of the same place, and admitted to the church under his pastoral care. On the 18th of April he was licensed by the Warren Church as a preacher of the gospel .- Sprague's Am. Pulpit.
44
HISTORY OF WRENTHAM.
Samuel Sheers, the first white inhabitant, was by vote of his fellow- townsmen exempted from the payment of all taxes in the future. Robert Ware and Deacon Metcalf both refused to serve as representatives to the General Court ; and Samuel Fisher, Jr., who had been chosen in 1702, was allowed " to make use of nine or ten shillings of the town's money in his hand if he stand in need." The selectmen were directed " to take care that the seats in the meeting house be furnished. Theodor Man was engaged to teach school from January 3d to March I, for £3 8s. in silver."
In January, 1704, the people seemed to feel some compunctions at the condition of their meeting house and resolved " forasmuch as the place of the worship of God want finishing to make it sutable, etc., it is thought galeries may be made over the galeries that be, and the walls fitted and white limed, and then persons placed as ought to be, that there may be decency and order in the House of God." The number of tax-payers sixty- eight.
In 1708-9 the town was threatened with presentment at the next quarter sessions, unless Mr. Man's salary in arrear should be paid.
FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR SOLDIERS.
It seems from some votes passed in this latter year that men were im- pressed in Wrentham to serve against the French and Indians in the Can- adas. We also learn that Ensign Blake was in the Queen's service. An attack of the combined northern colonies against Montreal and Quebec was meditated at this time under the expectation that a British fleet and army would be sent to co-operate with them. But the British ministry did not keep their promise, and after waiting a long time for the appearance of the fleet the forces were disbanded without attempting anything. It does not appear whether any Wrentham men were in the expedition against Canada undertaken by the Tory ministry of Queen Anne in 1711, which terminated so disgracefuily for the assailants. And after the peace which Walpole had maintained so long, was at last broken and the French and English in America were again in hostility, and Louisburg had been taken from the French by an army chiefly from Massachusetts, and again a pro- ject was formed to capture Quebec, and again the English fleet and army failed to appear, and the war was ended and Louisburg ceded back to the French. It is not certain that our town furnished soldiers for this or for subsequent campaigns until 1756.
In that year the names of Benj. Hubbard and Thomas Cook, both of Wrentham, are found upon the muster roll of the company in his majesty's service, under command of Captain John Jones of Bellingham. And in the company of Capt. Eliphalet Fales of Dedham ; in 1756, were enrolled Michael Mulsey, Zachariah Worthee, Jona Forster and Simeon Forster all of Wrentham. Also Stephen Cook of Marlboro, born in Wrentham, and Isaac Fisher and Eben. Streeter of Wrentham, were in Captain Nathan Tyler's company. Captain Nathaniel Blake of Milton, also enrolled in his company Abner Turner, Ephraim Randall, Jeremiah Blake, Michael
.
45
HISTORY OF WRENTHAM.
Ware, Joseph Turner, Thomas Boyden, who were all of Wrentham. And in Maj, Stephen Miller's company in Col. Bagley's regiment, Fort Wm. Henry, aug. 9th, 1756, the following-named Wrentham men were en- rolled, viz. :
From Captain Days' Company, Ebeneezer Cox, John Cox, Edward Boyden, Benjamin Cox, Morris Fling, Joshua Fisher, Benjamin Ware, Michael Ware; from Captain Man's Company, Abijah Hall, Thomas Boyden, John Conole, Pitt Pumham, of Stoughton ; hired at Wrentham ; from Captain Goldsbury's Company, Michael Wilson; Richard Newton, of Wrentham, 1757.
An Alarm Company was enrolled in Colonel Miller's Regiment at Wrentham April 22, 1757, of which Sam'l Day was captain ; Benjamin Shepard, lieutenant ; Ebeneezer Cowell, ensign ; Lemuel Kollock, clerk ; John Hancock, Daniel Man, Pelatiah Metcalf, Gamaliel Gerould were sergeants, and Sam'l Fisher and Elisha Harrington were drummers; and there were sixty-four privates. Besides this there was an alarm list of men between the ages of sixteen and sixty years, fifty-two in number, headed by the Rev. Joseph Bean, in which were also the names of Captain Timo- thy Metcalf, Captain Nathaniel Ware, Captain Jon. Whitney, Lieut. Jos. Fairbanks, Lieut. Ebeneezer Cox, Dr. John Druce, Dr. Obediah Blake, and others, some of whom had probably seen service in former conflicts with the enemies of the English.
In 1759 Captain Jon. Adam's company in Colonel Ridley's Regiment, under Jeffrey Amherst, General and Commander-in-chief of His Majesty's forces in North America for the invasion of Canada, included three men from Wrentham-Benjamin Moore, Josiah Blake and Ebeneezer Blake.
In the same year Wrentham men were " inlisted or impressed for His Majesty's service " in Colonel Miller's Regiment, " to be put under the command of his excellency, Jeffrey Amherst, Esq., General and Com- mander-in-chief of His Majesty's forces in North America for the inva- sion of Canada, 1759." These men had been in an expedition against Lake George in 1758, and one of the number in 1757. Their names were as follows :
Thomas Bristo, Thos. Pitty, Joseph White, Andrew Everet, Dan'l Pond, Melatiah Ware, Levi Morse, Dan'l Guild, David Force, John Conole, Oliver Pond, David Shepard, Hezekiah Ware, Reubin Thorp, Sam'l Metcalf, John Lawrence, Isaiah Bacon, Solomon Blake, Wm. Holden, Thos Fuller, Naphtah Bishop, Samuel Ellis, Moses Wheelock, 1757.
Capt. Abijah Hall, of Wrentham, commanded a company in the service, and the Wrentham men mustered into it were: Daniel Hawes, Thos. Boyden, Nathan Hall, Jacob Bacon, Henry Crossman, Elisha Farrington, Jon. Newton, Amos Man.
In Capt. Sam'l Slocomb's company were: Robert Cooke, John Boyd, Eliazer Blake, John Blake, Stephen Cook, Thomas Cook; they were enlisted April 2, 1759, and mustered out December, 1759.
46
HISTORY OF WRENTHAM.
In September of this year, Quebec having surrendered to the English, the war in North America was virtually at an end. But the English colonies had for many years been exposed to the hostile incursions of war- like French and Indians, and had suffered the loss of many lives and of much treasure. The New England towns contributed soldiers ; and the preceding record shows that Wrentham was not behind in furnishing men for various campaigns.
Resuming our narrative, and returning to the year 1709, we find the people peacefully pursuing their usual avocations and administering their prudential affairs with great economy, " fastening the loose glass in the meeting-house," for example, and "stopping the windows with board where glass was wanting." A few years later John Ware and Ebenezer Fisher reported that they were appointed a committee to run the ancient patent line between the counties of Suffolk, Bristol and Plymouth, and had met Capt. Jacob Thompson, a surveyor, "but being shamed in the thing had done nothing." This line was the boundary of the colonies of Plymouth and Massachusetts, and a prominent bound called Angle tree in Wrentham ·line was established by commissioners of the respective colonies in 1664. But it seems that for a number of years, although sur- veys had been ordered, the line was in doubt. At length the Provincial Legislature enacted " that for the future a line beginning at a certain heap of stones on the west side of Accord pond in Hingham and Abington and running from said Monument West 20 1-2 deg. South leaving the towns of Weymouth, Braintree, Stoughton and Wrentham adjoining on the North Abington, Bridgewater, Mansfield and Attleborough on the South to a certain old white oak tree anciently marked now standing and being a boundary between the towns of Wrentham and Attleborough by some called Station tree and by others Angle tree, shall forever hereafter be the bounds between the county of Suffolk and the connties of Plymouth and Bristol so far as said line extends, etc." Wrentham was at this time within the county of Suffolk.
About this time, 1713, the town was indicted for not maintaining a school.
In 1716 a committee was appointed to seat people in the meeting-house according to their age, usefulness and estate, including those of the inhab- itants of Dorchester who attended church here. A suit was brought against Attleborough for refusing to renew the bound marks. It seems that the indictment of the town for not maintaining a school had its effect, for it was now voted to establish a school in four parts of the town. In 1719 a committee was chosen to procure a minister for one-quarter of a year, and was continued in authority after the death of Mr. Man, which took place on the 22d day of May, A. D., 1719.
REV. SAM'L MAN-HIS LIFE AND SERVICES.
Fifty years had passed away since he was first called to preach to the handful of people who were attempting a settlement in this wilderness. The people, in addition to the hardships incident to their pioneer life, had been liable to conflicts with savages and Frenchmen. He came to them
47
HISTORY OF WRENTHAM.
while in their weakness and poverty, returning with them after Philip's war, although he had opportunity to settle elsewhere, and notwithstanding he had had bitter experience of their inability to provide for him suitably.
Some five hundred and thirty-three persons had been born in that time within the bounds of the township ; seventy-one couples married, and seventy-three persons had died. It has previously been related that the former inhabitants made it a special condition of their return at the termination of Philip's war, that Mr. Man should return with them. He was indispensable to them. In fact, the minister in those days was really . the head of the people. He was their guide not only in spiritual affairs, but in worldly affairs also. He was undoubtedly the only man in the community who had had the opportunity of acquiring learning beyond the elements, and his influence was accordingly felt in all public affairs as well as in his pulpit on the Sabbath. Moreover, the circumstances which forced the early inhabitants of Plymouth and Massachusetts colonies from their transatlantic homes to these shores compelled them to consider them- selves a peculiar people. The chief men in the colony, who had been leaders of the emigration, governed according to their notions of what religion and the word of God required, and were strongly seconded by the ministers of the churches. Hence, in answer to the petition of the inhab- itants of Wrentham for town power, the colonial record is " the Court judgeth it meet to give the petitioners all due encouragement with their present minister according to their desires."
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.