History of Barnstable County, Massachusetts, 1620-1890, Part 93

Author: Deyo, Simeon L., ed
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: New York : Blake
Number of Pages: 1292

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HISTORY OF BARNSTABLE COUNTY.

wich and Brewster. From time to time they disposed of their rights to friendly Indians, and such of the whites having authority from the proprietors of the reserve to purchase. The right at last to purchase of them their unreserved land in the reservation of the purchasers having passed into the lawful possession of John Cole, Joshua Hop- kins, Daniel Cole, jr., Nicholas Snow and Nathaniel Doane, of East- ham, and Stephen Hopkins, Prence Snow and John King, of Har- wich, on the 18th of May, 1711, purchased of John Quason, Joseph Quason, Samuel Quason, Josephus Quason, Sarah Pompmo, Bettie Nopie and Wawhanama, wife of Little James, all lawful sons and daughters (together with Jeremiah Quason, late deceased), of John Quason, deceased, " living in Eastham, Harwich, Monomoy and Var- mouth," all their unreserved land within the following described ter- ritory: "Beginning at a marked tree marked by the bank of a place called Wequassett, near Short Cove; from thence running northerly by the Sipson's range to the easterly end of Long Pond; thence run- ning westerly by said Long Pond to the Herring Pond; and from the sd. Herring Pond southerly by the brook or river that runs out of the Herring Pond to the main sea; thence running easterly by sd. sea to Monomoy bounds near the Red River; thence northeasterly to the head of Muddy Cove, and so by the river that runs out of sd Muddy Cove, and so to the first specified bounds;" together with (their right to) the " Great Beach lying between Monomoy and the main sea, ex- tending eastward and westward as far as our said deceased father, John Quason, his right did extend, with all meadows and sedge ground adjoining and every wise thereto belonging, from Sandy Point home to Sipson's bounds," with their Island in Pleasant Bay " called Chochpenacot Island," lying between sd. Monomoy and the Great Beach."

The reservations which they made in their deed were: a tract of twenty acres for John Quason; thirty acres for Josephus Quason; thirty acres for Samuel Quason, and twenty acres for Joseph Quason, " over and above what he holds in partnership with Little James," and " to be laid out to them between the Wading Place and Joseph Nickerson's house, to them their heirs and signs forever." Having hitherto conveyed many acres within the boundaries described in their deed, they desired that such tracts that had been "purchased according to the true meaning of the laws of the Province " should be excepted, and the grantees not to be disturbed as to their titles.

The proprietors, upon coming in possession of the valuable tract, for which only the sum of eight pounds was paid to extinguish the title, found, as they probably had expected, hundreds of acres within the limits of the boundaries above given, in possession of purchasers * This island is now known as Strong island, and is within the limits of Chatham.

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who had "purchased according to the laws of the Province," and also many acres in the possession of parties who had no title. Some of these squatters were obstinate, and gave the proprietors some trouble.

The first meeting of the proprietors of the Quason land, who had now somewhat increased in numbers, was held, according to their record, March 24, 1713-14. After choosing Nicholas Snow, clerk, made choice of " Thomas Atkins, Stephen Hopkins, Joshua Hopkins, John Gray, Joseph Doane and Nicholas Snow, a committee to lay out their lands, or so much thereof by them might be found convenient, into lots or shares, in order for to be cast, so that each proprietor may have his just and equal proportion of sd. land "; also "to settle bounds with particular men that butted on sd land according to right and justice." They were authorized " to rectify the mistakes in the bounds of Joseph Quason's lot," laid out to him "towards Muddy Cove," and to aid in bounding the "fifty acres of land and meadow of Joseph Nickerson at the Muddy Cove, to the contents of his deed thereof"; also " to hear the claim and challenges" of those that " claim land within the bound- aries " which, if "in their wisdom shall find to be just," settle the claims by setting out to each claimant a parcel of land "where the com- mittee find reasonable." Thomas Atkins, of Chatham, was chosen an agent "to sue and prosecute " those "who presumed to cut timber, wood or fencing stuff " upon any part of their land.

The committee chosen to lay out the land into lots met at the house of Nicholas Snow, situate in what is now Brewster, April 19, 1714, with the proprietors, and reported " that they had laid out twenty lots of land " on the "southerly of the road which goes from Chatham to Yarmouth, and also twenty lots" on the " northerly side of sd. road, between sd. road and the great Long Pond." After mutually agree- ing "to draw for their lots," they proceeded to the work. The first lot, in the north section, lying in East Harwich, on the westerly side of the road to Brewster, and bounded on the southeast by the lot set out to Menekish, and on the northerly end by the Long pond, was drawn by John Gray. Then proceeding, John Cole drew the second, which laid on the west side of the first, Joseph Doane the third, Cap- tain Joseph Harding the fourth, Stephen Hopkins the fifth, Joseph Nickerson the sixth, John King the seventh, Micaijah Snow the eighth, Stephen Hopkins the ninth, Benjamin Philips the tenth, Captain Ed- mund Freeman the eleventh, Seth Taylor the twelfth, Nathaniel Doane and Israel Doane the thirteenth, Joshua Hopkins the fourteenth, Nich- olas Snow the fifteenth, Lieutenant Jonathan Howes and partners the sixteenth, Elisha Hopkins and Joseph Cole the seventeenth, Thomas Atkins the eighteenth, Prence Snow the nineteenth, and Thomas Clarke the twentieth. The twentieth lot adjoined on the west the old road from Brewster to Coy's brook, on the north the land of John

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HISTORY OF BARNSTABLE COUNTY.

Sequattoms, and ou the south the old Yarmouth and Chatham road, sometimes called Queen Anne's road.

Upon drawing for lots in the south division, which is the tract be- tween the Queen's road and road from Coy's brook to Chatham, the first lot -- stretching between the two roads, adjoining the Chatham line on the east-fell to Joseph Doane, Esq .; the second, lying west- erly, fell to John Cole; the third lot to Jonathan Howes and partners, the fourth to Micaijah Snow, the fifth to Israel and Nathaniel Doane, the sixth to Prence Snow, the seventh to Benjamin Philips, the eighth to John Gray, the ninth to Seth Taylor, the tenth to Stephen Hop- kins, the eleventh to Captain Edmund Freeman, the twelfth to Joseph Cole and Elisha Hopkins, the thirteenth to Stephen Hopkins, the fourteenth to Thomas Atkins, the fifteenth to Captain Joseplı Hard- ing, the sixteenth to Captain Joseph Nickerson, the seventeenth to Nicholas Snow, the eighteenth to John King, the nineteenth to Joshua Hopkins, the twentieth to Thomas Clarke. His lot was the westernmost in the row, and adjoined the road from Coy's brook to the north precinct, now Brewster.

The next division of importance of the common land of the proprietors was of a tract in the eastern part of the town, which was known as the " Little Division." The lots, twenty in number, were drawn December 28, 1730. Joseph Doane, Esq., drew the first lot, John Young the second, Thomas Doane the third, Captain Joseph Harding the fourth, Micaijah Snow the fifth, Nicholas Snow the sixth, Captain John Atkins the seventh, Elisha Hopkins and Samuel King the eighth, Thomas Atkins the ninth, Stephen Hopkins the tenth, Joshua Hopkins the eleventh, Thomas Clarke the twelfth, William Long and partners the thirteenth, Stephen Hopkins the fourteenth, Lieutenant Jonathan Howes the fifteenth, Jonathan Linnell the six- teenth, Nathaniel Doane and partners the seventeenth, Captain Ed- mund Freeman the eighteenth, John King the nineteenth and Prence Snow the twentieth. Many of the lots in the " Little Division " were bounded southwesterly by the road from East Harwich to Brewster, while some were bounded westerly by the road from East Harwich meeting house to Orleans. The last clerk of the proprietors was Solo- mon Crowell; the last meeting of the proprietors held was in 1822.

The proprietors had a narrow tract bordering the south side of the highway from Coy's brook to Chatham, to which adjoined the land of Samuel Nickerson, John Smith, Ephraim Covil, Andrew Clark and Jeremiah Howes. The tract was sold in parcels, after claims of some of the lotholders had been satisfied by gifts of small parcels, to pay the debts of the proprietors.

The Sipsons land, or "Seventeen share purchase," lay in the east- ern part of the old town, but a very small portion of it is within the

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present town limits. It was purchased at different times of Thomas Sipson and his brother. John Sipson, two noted Indian landholders residing at Potanumaquut. Many who held lots in the Quason land were proprietors of the land purchased of the Sipsons. The first meeting of the proprietors was held September 7, 1713, and Joseph Doane, Esq., of Eastham, was chosen clerk. At a meeting held Sep- tember 28, 1713, Joseph Doane, Esq., Jonathan Linnell and Israel Doane were chosen to lay out lots " according to each one's interest in said propriety." The committee made two divisions of the tract into seventeen lots each. The lotholders were: Joshua Hopkins, Thomas Mayo, Nicholas Snow. Daniel Cole, Samuel Mayo, John Cole, Prence Snow, John King. Stephen Hopkins, Micaijah Snow, Joseph Doane, John Sparrow, James Rogers, Nathaniel Doane and Thomas Mayo. The line between the Sipsons' and Quason's was often perambulated. The last perambulation appears to have been in 1822. Of the above proprietors mentioned four only were residents of old Harwich, viz .: John King, Nicholas Snow, Stephen Hopkins and Prence Snow. They all lived in the north precinct.

The Sipsons, during the summer of 1713, sold to Samuel Mayo and Joshua Hopkins their right to the "flats and sedge ground " in and around Pleasant bay within the limits of Harwich. This tract was denominated the Seven Share purchase, and the Seven Share pro- priety. The tract, so far as was found suitable for division, was di- vided into lots. The principal part of the sedge ground was adjacent to Sipsons' or Esnew's island. Much of the sedge ground is now of no value. From what can be gathered from scattering documents at least three divisions were made.

SETTLERS .- Among the settlers of the township before 1700 were: Gershom Hall, Benjamin Hall, Samuel Hall, Abraham Chase, Joseph Severance, Manoah Ellis, Elisha Eldridge, Samuel Nickerson, Joseph Nickerson, Samuel Berry and John Smith.

Gershom Hall came from what is now North Dennis, and was, so far as can now be learned, the first settler. He bought a large tract near the meadows some time before 1688. His house, it is under- stood, stood on the high ground which overlooks the meadows, near or upon the spot where the late Isaiah Kelley's house stood. He was born in Barnstable in the year 1648. He was a man of note. He was a farmer, millwright and lay preacher. All the Halls in town are his descendants. He died October 31, 1732, in his eighty-fourth year, and was buried in the Hall burying ground in North Dennis, to- gether with his two wives.

Benjamin Hall was a younger brother of Gershom, and was bap- tized at Barnstable May 29, 1653. He doubtless was born at Nobs- cusset, whither his father removed after several years residence in

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HISTORY OF BARNSTABLE COUNTY.

Barnstable. He purchased a large tract of the territory laid out to Edward Sturgis and sons, and came thither and settled upon it. Be. coming interested in the purchase of wild lands in Windham, since Mansfield, Conn., in 1708, he removed to that place and died there in 1737.

Samuel Hall, the eldest son of Gershom Hall, came with his father and settled in what is now North Harwich, near Ryder's mill. He married Patience Ryder. He was a farmer and miller, and owned the first water mill erected on Herring river. Very many of the worn out fieldsnow seen on the east side of the river were parts of his farm. He was known as one of the wealthiest men of his day in the old town. He died in the sixtieth year of his age, February 19, 1729, and was buried in the old yard at North Dennis, where a stone with in- scription marks the spot. He left no children. Much of his property he gave his nephew, Dea. Edward Hall, who at the time of his death was a lad.

Abraham Chase was a son of William Chase, 2d, of Yarmouth. He settled in the south part of the town. His farm contained many acres. The west part was bounded by Coy's brook. His house stood not far from the house now occupied by John F. Allen. He sold out to William Cahoon of Monomoy, now Chatham, in 1695, and removed to Tiverton, R. I. He was a Quaker.

Joseph Severance came from the east part of Yarmouth, now East Dennis, and settled in the south part of the town upon the tract which he, with Manoah Ellis and Elisha Eldridge, purchased of Jacob Crook, Indian, in 1693, lying on the sea shore from Saltwater pond to " Yar- mouth Old bounds," which terminated east of Allen's harbor, so called. He subsequently purchased a tract with Manoah Ellis of Caleb Lumbert, extending from the sea shore northerly between Andrew's river and the Saltwater pond. He resided here but a short time when he sold his right to the tracts to Samuel Sturgis, Esq., a trader in Yarmouth, and moved to the southeasterly part of the town. Mr. Severance married Martha Warden, daughter of Peter of Yar- mouth. He had a family. He has no descendant of the name in the town.

Manoah Ellis came from Sandwich, and purchased land in that part of the town, now Harwich Port, with Joseph Severance and Elisha Eldridge in 1693. He sold his right with Severance, to Samuel Sturgis of Yarmouth, and the particular spot upon which he settled cannot now be pointed out. He had a large family, and some of his descendants yet live in the town. But very little is known of his life.

Elisha Eldridge was from Monomoy. He sold his right to land he bought of Crook, with Severance and Ellis, to Isaac Atkins, and

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TOWN OF HARWICH.

removed from town. He resided in the south part of the town in what is sometimes denominated the Doane neighborhood.

Samuel Nickerson, son or grandson of William Nickerson, the early settler of Monomoy, removed to Harwich after 1696. He settled upon the tract he had of William Cahoon, which had been Abraham Chase's farm. He married Mary, daughter of John Bell, and had children. His son Samuel came into possession of most of his estate. His house stood near the house of the late Cyrus Allen.

Joseph Nickerson, son of William Nickerson, removed to Harwich and settled on the west side of Muddy cove, near the house of Hiram Nickerson, one of his descendants, in or about 1697, where he had purchased fifty acres of upland and marsh of Barnabas Lothrop of Barnstable. He died before 1731. His widow, Ruamah, was living at that date very aged. He left children. He has many descendants yet living in town. The site of his house in Nickerson neck, Chatham. before his removal, is yet pointed out.

Samuel Berry came from Yarmouth, and was the son of Richard Berry of that place. He married Elizabeth, daughter of John Bell, and settled on the north side of the Herring river at North Harwich. near or upon the spot where the house of the late Ebenezer Kelly stood. He died in 1704, leaving a family, among whom were sons. John and Samuel. He has descendants in the male line in the state of New York.

John Smith settled upon the tract he had of William Cahoon, adjoining Samuel Nickerson's land, about 1697. His land on the west adjoined Coy's brook. His house stood about southwest from the house formerly occupied by Isaac Smith. He died in 1748. He had six children. He opposed the division of the town into parishes in 1746.

After the above came, others soon followed, and before 1750 the following persons had taken up their residence within the limits of the present town: Benjamin Philips, William Eldridge, Isaac Eld- ridge, Prince Young, Zachariah Smalley, John Streight, Ebenezar Paine, Patrick Butler, Benjamin Small, Eleazar Robbins, Ebenezar Ellis, Thomas Hinckley and William Cahoon in the north part of the town; William Long, Thomas Kendrick, Solomon Kendrick, Thomas Freeman and Benjamin Macor in the eastern part; Andrew Clarke, Ammiel Weekes, Jonathan Smalley, Ephraim Covil, William Covil, Edward Nickerson, Thomas Burgess, Samuel Burgess, Josiah Swift, John Allen, William Gray, Elijah Doane, Daniel Doane, Elisha Doane, Beriah Broadbrooks, Isaac Atkins, William Penny and Moses Davis in the southerly part; and William Chase, Samuel Smith, Matthew Gage, Samuel Downes, Patrick Killey and Ebenezar Chase in the west- ern part.

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HISTORY OF BARNSTABLE COUNTY.

Of the above number, Isaac Eldridge, John Streight, William Long, Solomon Kendrick, William Covil, William Gray and William Penny, after a few years' residence, removed from town. Isaac Eld- ridge returned to Chatham, his native town, after the burning of his house and wife. John Streight returned to Rhode Island, whence he came; William Long went to Yarmouth, having married there Fear Sturgis, and died; Solomon Kendrick went to Barrington, N. S .; Wil- liam Covil went to Billingsgate; while William Gray and William Penny struck out for the west, settling in what is now Putnam county, N. Y.

INDUSTRIES .- The principal business of the town has been the fish- eries. The branch first engaged in was the whale fishery. At first, when whales were plenty in and about Cape Cod bay, boats were em- ployed in pursuing them, manned by crews of experienced men, who were dexterous in the use of the "harping iron." But when whales began to leave the coast for undisturbed feeding ground, sloops of various sizes were employed; and when schooners were built, they also were sent forth in the business. The sloops engaged did not venture at first far from the coast. They cruised off the head of the Cape, off Nantucket, and sometimes ventured south as far as latitude 36, making short trips. In subsequent years, when the business became more remunerative, larger vessels were employed, and the trips were more extended, both as to time and distance. The revolutionary war greatly disturbed this branch of industry; and from the effects of the conflict it never recovered.

The business was the most extensively carried on in the North precinct, now Brewster. The leading man there in the business the middle part of the last century was Benjamin Bangs, an enterprising merchant. Some of the vessels in his employ for several years were very successful. In 1760, more than forty men from Harwich went to Nantucket to engage in the business. At this date vessels were sent to River St. Lawrence, then "Canada river," the banks of New- foundland and to southern waters for whales. The business was attended with danger, and the loss of vessels and lives was not infre- quent.

After the decline of the whale fishery upon the close of the war, attention was turned more particularly to the cod fishery by the peo- ple of the South precinct. In 1802, between fifteen and twenty ves- sels, averaging forty tons each, and about half of them owned here, were employed in shoal fishing, and four, of about one hundred tons each, in fishing on the banks of Newfoundland and in the straits of Belle Isle. It was estimated that over two hundred persons, includ- ing men and boys, were engaged at this time in the cod fishing from this place. After this time vessels began to be built in town, and

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TOWN OF HARWICH.

coasting business, as well as the mackerel fishery, was engaged in, to considerable extent. The last war with England interfered much with the seafaring business of the Cape, especially of this town.

In 1837, the fishing business was no way in a prosperous condition. Only twenty-two sail of vessels were engaged in the fisheries, and about two hundred persons employed. Most of these vessels were engaged in the cod fishery the first part of the season.

After this time the Harwich fleet again increased, and in 1841, the year of the memorable gale, when fourteen persons belonging to this town were lost, twelve vessels sailed from " Marsh Bank " besides the fleet from Deep Hole and Herring river. In 1850 the mackerel fleet was much increased, owing to the good success attending the fishery the preceding years. In 1851 the scarcity of mackerel on this coast induced many of the fleet to visit Bay Chaleur. While there in the autumn, came on the memorable gale in which so many vessels and lives were lost, and from which all of the Harwich vessels escaped destruction, excepting the schooner Commerce, John Allen, master, and the schooner Ogunquit, commanded by Stephen D. Ellis, which were lost. The foriner went ashore and the crew were saved, while the latter was never heard from after the gale. Since the late war, the fleet engaged in the cod and mackerel fishery has gradually decreased, owing to small returns for great outlays. The number of vessels now engaged in the fishery is reduced to two.

The manufacture of marine salt by solar heat, by improved works, commenced here about the first of the present century, and for a time was an important branch of industry. But the decline in the price of salt, and the great increase in the cost of the construction of the works, led to the abandonment of the business. It has been many years since a foot of the works has been seen standing here, or the arms of one of the pump mills seen revolving in the wind.

During the revolutionary war, when salt was scarce and dear, many here produced it for home consumption by boiling sea water. The work of producing salt in this manner was laborious, and, the salt being impure, it was given up when other means of getting pure salt became general.

RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES .- There has never been any lack of interest in religious matters here. No less than fifteen religious societies have been organized within the limits of the present town. Of these socie- ties, the Separatist or New Light, Free Will Baptist, Reformed Metho- dist and Wesleyan Methodist have become extinct.

The oldest organization is the Congregational church. It was con- stituted November 12, 1747. The first minister was Rev. Edward Pell, who was ordained the same day. Mr. Pell was a native of Bos- ton, born in 1711. He was a graduate of Harvard College in 1730.

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HISTORY OF BARNSTABLE COUNTY.

He died in Harwich, after a short sickness, November 24, 1753. He was succeeded, in 1753, by Mr. Benjamin Crocker, who preached until after April, 1755. Mr. Crocker was a native of Barnstable, and was a grandson of Governor Hinckley and nephew of Rev. Mr. Stone's wife. He was a graduate of Harvard College in 1713, and seems to have spent much of his life in school teaching.

Rev. John Dennis succeeded Mr. Crocker in 1756. He was a na- tive of Ipswich, and was born November 3, 1708. He was a graduate of Harvard College in 1730. He preached in Harwich until the spring of 1761. He died in Ipswich in 1773. At the close of Mr. Dennis' min- istry, Mr. Crocker was again invited to supply the pulpit. Accepting the call, he came in the fall of 1761, and remained until about the middle of the year 1765, when his labors terminated. He returned to Ipswich, where he died in 1766.

Mr. Crocker was succeeded by Rev. Jonathan Mills, a native of Braintree, and a graduate of Harvard College in 1723. He was in- stalled pastor in the spring of 1766, and continued in the ministry here till death terminated his labors, May 21, 1773.

The religious dissensions which were commenced in the parish at its incipiency did not cease during the pastorate of Mr. Mills. Re- sistance to the paying of the precinct tax levied for the support of the minister of the standing order, though not so strong as formerly, was yet shown by a considerable number.of the parishioners, who sup- ported ministers of other denominations, and efforts to supply the pulpit with preachers of the denomination was unsuccessful after Rev. Joseph Litchfield's short pastorate in 1777, until 1792, when Mr. Nathan Underwood was called and ordained, a period of about twenty years. Mr. Underwood continued in the ministry here in active ser- vice till 1819, but his connection with the church was not formally dissolved until April 8, 1828. Mr. Underwood was the last settled minister in town. He died May 1, 1841, at the age of eighty-eight. During his pastorate forty-two persons were admitted to the church, and 135 were baptized. Between the time of his ordination and the time of his death, he solemnized 444 marriages. The following min- isters supplied the pulpit since his pastorate to the installation of Rev. William Marchant, in 1839: Rev. John Sanford supplied the pulpit a portion of the time between 1821 and 1825; Rev. Nathaniel Cobb, in 1825-6; Isaac B. Wheelwright, 1826-7; Rev. W. M. Cornell, 1828-9; Rev. Lucius Field, 1829-30; Rev. Mr. Powers in 1830-31; Rev. Caleb Kimball, 1832-34, and the latter part of year 1839; Rev. William Withington, three months latter part of the year 1834; Rev. Charles S. Adams, 1835-38; Rev. J. H. Avory, the latter part of the year 1838 and beginning the year 1839. Rev. William Marchant became pas- tor August 1, 1839, and closed February 14, 1841. Rev. William H.

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History of Barnstable County, Massachusetts, 1620-1890, Part 93

Author: Deyo, Simeon L., ed Publication date: 1890 Publisher: New York : Blake Number of Pages: 1292

Author: Deyo, Simeon L., ed
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: New York : Blake
Number of Pages: 1292