USA > Massachusetts > Berkshire County > History of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of its prominent men, Volume II pt 1 > Part 9
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Dr. Collins was married in 1844 to Lydia C .. daughter of Charles G. . Coffin, of Nantucket. In 1864 his two children, Glenville, aged sixteen, and Annie, aged six, died quite suddenly. This sad blow was followed in a few months by the death of his wife, who was born in 1824. married in 1844, and died in 1864.
Dr. Collins was a man of commanding presence and vigorous per- sonality which never failed to impress those with whom he was brought in contact, while his kind heart and genial disposition greatly endeared him to those who knew him best. He combined with a practical judg- ment and broad and progressive ideas, an indomitable energy and untir- ing perseverance that won for him an enviable place in the ranks of his profession, and enabled him to exert an influence that will long be felt in the community in which he lived.
CHAPTER IV.
TOWN OF HANCOCK.
BY REV. A. B. WHIPPLE.
Settlement and Early History .- Revolution .- Samuel Hand .- Asa Douglass .- The Town- sends .- The Gardner Family .- The Eldridge Family .-- Goodrich Hollow .- Richard Jackson .- Abel Corey .- Harmon Whitman .-- The Hazard Family .- The Baptist Church .- Friends' Meeting House .- The Hancock Shakers,
H ANCOCK, an agricultural town, is the longest and narrowest in Berkshire county. It has one third of the State's boundary on New York, and in its early history it was more slowly settled because of the uncertainty of the State line and the possible claims of the old Van Rensselaer estate. Till 1787 the town was nearly three fourths of a mile wider than now, and in that portion were the first settlements made. Near the central and western part of the town, then called Jericho, be- tween April 13th and August 5th, 1767. Asa Douglass. Esq., made a set- tlement on the farm and on the spot where,now is the house and home of Charles Shumway. Others, many of whose names will appear in this history, gradually located eastward and northward along the valley through which flows a stream then, in old deeds. called Canterhook (Kinderhook now . As the people came into the plantation the collector of taxes followed, and some disagreements occurred, as appears by the following record :
" Whereas it has been represented to this Honorable Court that the inhabitants of a place called Jericho, in the county of Berkshire, have been taxed for several years past, and have met with difficulties in assessing and collecting the same and likewise are liable to many other inconveniences for want of being incorporated into a township. Be it therefore enacted by the Council and House of Representatives in General Court assembled and by the authority of the same, that the said Planta- tion * * containing about 20,000 acres of land, be and hereby is erected into a town by the name of Hancock *
* and be it farther enacted that Asa * * Douglass, Esq., be and hereby is directed and empowered to issue his warrant, di- rected to some principal inhabitant within this town, requiring him to warn the inhabitants of said town, having a free hold therein to the value of forty shillings per
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HISTORY OF BERKSHIRE COUNTY.
annum, or other estate to the value of forty pounds, to meet at such time and place in said town, as shall be therein described, to choose all such officers as are or shall be required by law to manage the affairs of said town, &c., * July 2d, 1776."' *
The first town meeting was held August 21st, 1776, at the house of Asa Douglass, Esq. He was chosen to represent this town to the General Court of Massachusetts.
"Voted, That he should procure the incorporation of this town.
* That he should have a certificate of good character and stand- ing:" and 13thly voted, "That the title of . Honorable' pertaining to this gentleman be annexed to their names who have wrote to the General Court of Massachusetts, a recommendation of Esq. Douglass." Their names are here embalmed and so preserved in this attributed honor: Captain Daniel Goodrich, Mr. Benjamin Baker. Elaezer Deming. Benijah McCaul, and Ensign Martin Townsen. Captain Daniel Goodrich was at the extreme south, and Mr. Townsen from the north end of the town, the others between, and so the town was honored through its whole length. It is learned that at an earlier date than this, at the Congress of deputies of the several towns of the county, held in Stockbridge, July 6th, 1774, Captain Asa Douglass was present from Hancock, and shared in the deliberations.
The first town meeting adjourned to October, 1776, and when met they "voted that the particulars drawn up by the committee chosen ** * relative to a form of government for Massachusetts be delivered to Esq. Douglass to be by him transmitted to the Secretary's office." In Sep- tember, 1777, it was
" Voted that this town will receive as town stock 88 pounds of gun powder, pur- chased by Esq. Douglass * * * voted that Mr. Benjamin Baker be, and hereby is appointed to procure such evidence as may be had against all persons charged by the inhabitants of this town of being ' enimically' disposed towards this or any of the United States, and lay such ewidence before the court. * That Timothy Walker is not a suitable person to serve this town in the capacity of a select man, and that he shall not serve in this capacity hereafter. * *
* *
That Christopher Kinyon shall not serve this town in the capacity of committee man hereafter. * That Robert Carr, Caleb B. Gardner and George Gardner are considered as unsuit- able persons to serve this town in any town office, and they are not to serve in any office to which they have heretofore been appointed by this town. * * * That six persons, Ezekiel Whitford, Edward Carr, Richard Broadway, Abel Broadway, Thomas Draper and Jeremiah Green are by this vote ordered to be kept confined in Hampton jail. *
* * That Esq. Gardner be taken out of jail upon his giving bonds for his good behavior and paying costs and that Major Lush is hereby appointed to take said bonds. *
* * That John Nichols be by Major Lush taken out of jail. *
* * That Robert Carr and Caleb B. Gardner be continued in jail. * * That Major Lush keep the tory horse which he has now in keeping until further orders. * * * That Wheeler Douglass release Russel Green from North Hamp. ton jail and that Francis Sweet be continued in confinement. *
* * And 23dly, that Benjamin Baker, William Bowman and Nathaniel Douglass be and are hereby
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appointed a committe to apportion to each inhabitant of the north part of Hancock the salt allowed them by the General Court."
This one September town meeting may give some insight to the political condition of the town more than a hundred years ago. But as it is not the business of the historian to make inferences for his readers but rather to record facts, we pass on to the October meeting, whereat it was voted.
" ist; That the authority of this town both civil and military be made use of to suppress all threatening language of one person against another.
" 2nd, that Caleb B. Gardner be released from his confinement in jail upon con- dition that he give a bond to the amount of his whole real estate, for his good behavior.
"3d, that said Gardner pay all cost of his confinement and liberation and that Mr. Wheeler Douglass be and is hereby appointed to repair to Great Barrington and release said Gardner. * * *
" 4th, that when said Caleb B. Gardner return home he shall be confined to the limits of his own farm.
" Be it remembered that at- the time of passing the vote respecting Caleb B. Gardner this meeting received orders of Council respecting the confinement of persons.
" 5th, that said Gardner be liberated as aforesaid, if agreeable to the Council.
"6th, that Abraham Havens be kept under the particular care of Mr. Wheeler Douglass,
" 7th, that Gidcon Clark be kept under the particular care of Nathaniel Douglass."
In December of the same year voted " that two men be appointed to go to Great Barrington to examine the persons belonging to this town, and that Benjamin Baker and Major Lush be hereby appointed to go and take said examination, who are also hereby empowered with leave of Council, to liberate said prisoners if they will." They did not will.
In May, 1778, it was "voted that the selectmen proceed to pro- cure clothing for the soldiers according to the act of the General Court."
" Voted that $300 be assessed and collected for hiring soldiers ; that $200 be used for the upper and $100 for the lower company." The lower company was at New Lebanon, then a part of Hancock, the upper where Hancock village now is. In August, 1778, "voted that it is not best in this town that the civil law should have its force and full operation.
* * * That it is the mind of this meeting that the civil law should operate so far as to try criminals and to support the army."
"Voted that there shall be no horse racing in this town."
" Voted that Esq. Douglass take care of the town's stock of powder."
The magazine in which the powder was kept, an underground stone structure, was in the present cemetery, a half mile north of the village.
Three per cent. was voted for collecting taxes, and " that the select- men settle the acts of this town without giving or taking any allowance for the depreciation of money."
At that time, August. 1778, one pound in silver would purchase as
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HISTORY OF BERKSHIRE COUNTY.
much as four and one half pounds currency. Rum was 17 shillings per quart, and tea $12 per pound.
Patriotism and toryism reappear in the 19thly. " Voted that John Hammond be not committed to jail at this time, but have liberty to con- tinue at home till he may present a petition to the General Court, and that the prisoners at Barrington belonging to this town have the appro- bation of this meeting to petition also." More evidence of the tory ele- ment in town is preserved in the October meeting where "voted that it is the opinion of this meeting that Martin Townsen, jun., Elijah Brown, Thomas Rogers, Simeon Franklin, John Cunningham, Elijah Cunning- ham, Job Franklin, Caleb Clark. John Gardner. Benjamin Gardner, and Richard Carr have all of them returned from the enemy with whom they have been in battle against us." That " opinion " had this much of fact. that they went up to Bennington and saw the battle as citizens and not as soldiers. Possibly some ambitions office holder or office seeker made the motion and talked it through.
"Voted the eleven persons above named shall not be suffered to dwell nor remain in town." There remains no evidence that they were "not suffered to dwell nor remain in town."
"Voted that if any person or inhabitant of this town shall at any time from and after this date harbor or keep any tory or person unfriendly to the inhabitants of the United States of America, knowing them to be such, he shall be taken into custody and held in confinement till trial."
"Voted that Dr. Hecock be appointed to take sufficient aid and take into cus- tody the eleven persons above mentioned * * * * that David Vaughn, Robert Carr, and Clark Rogers be taken into custody immediately * * *
that Amos Hammond send a letter to Captain Salsbury of Spencertown and inform him how William Irish has behaved and how we have dealt with him. * * * and that a copy of these resolutions of this meeting, so far as respects the tories, be taken from the records and conveyed to the printer."
About thirty names have so far been recorded of those called tories. and yet in the later history it will be seen that many of them became in- fluential citizens of the town, having their full share of public honors. For the present the record of the times that tried men is followed.
A month later in November, "voted that all persons who within one year next preceding the date hereof, have removed into this town, must procure a certificate, from some authority of the town such person last removed from, that since the year 1775 such person's conduct has been friendly to the American States."
" Voted that from and after this date no person shall be suffered to settle in this town without a certificate from good authority that such person so removing or desiring to settle here, is a friend to the United States of America."
"That the above vote be printed."
Not much of interest is found in the records of 1779, but in March
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TOWN OF HANCOCK.
of 1780 "voted that Esq. Gardner be released from the bonds taken of him by this town for his good behavior."
At the May meeting of that year " Voted that Samuel Hand repre- sent this town in the General Court held in Boston for forming a Consti- tution for this State. * * That an amendment should be made to the 9th section of the second chapter.
*: That the town should have the privilege of appointing their own justices annually. * * *
That an amendment should be made to the 10th section. Chapter second. * That an amendment should be made in the 3d article of the Bill of Rights. * * * That the Governor should be a professor of the Protestant Christian religion."
These votes show that Hancock people read carefully every section of the new constitution, and were not afraid to give their opinion through Samuel Hand, their representative.
In July they voted to procure horses for the army, and for settling with Hezekiah Osborn, who would not collect the taxes because of Sha- ker principles introduced and adopted by himself and a few others in the south part of the town in June. 1780. Thirty two votes were cast for John Hancock for governor, and two for Jam 's Bow.loin. In October it was voted to procure 3,280 pounds of beef by order of General Court, and that $5.200 be raised to purchase the beef : 85.50 per pound nearly, but coin then was to paper as one to forty ; this would make the beef cost abont sixteen cents per pound.
January, 1781, " Voted to deliver 7,336 pounds of beef and to pro- cure the three years' men. and to give as a bounty to each man enlisting 150 Spanish milled silver dollars, or value, and that any inhabitant pro- enring any of said soldiers should have reasonable reward for time and service."
April, 1781, thirty-nine votes were given for John Hancock and one for James Bowdoin. " Voted 9186 Continental currency be paid by the treasurer of the town to Samuel Hand as a compensation for extra ex- pense of horse keeping in Boston to save an arrearage due to said town. found out after said Hand was ready to come away." Not a large extra: in coin less than $5. In July " Voted to divide the town into as many classes as were required by the General Court to raise soldiers for three months." Seven classes were made and each class was to procure an able bodied soldier, and be assessed for supporting the same. If any class refused to procure such soldier, the commanding officer was to draft one from that class. These seven men were Hancock's portion of the 222 ordered from Berkshire by General Court December 2d, 1780.
In April, 1782, John Hancock received nine votes and James Bow- doin eight, showing lack of interest in voting, and a changing political sentiment. Another topic for town talk came into town meeting. as follows :
"Hancock, August ye 19th Day A D 1782. Voted that whereas a complaint is preferred or exhibited to this meeting under the signature of a number of Respect il:
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HISTORY OF BERKSHIRE COUNTY.
Gentlemen, whose Infirmities have made their attendence at that place neccessary, who by said complaint inform this meeting of some Lacivious and dishonorable con- duct of a number of animals said to be in Human Shape, who being so lost to every principle of Modesty and every Sentiment of Humanity, Good order and decency as to tair off the Raillings which Surround the Bath to peak in and climb up Look over &c., at a time when the Female Sex are Bathing therein, it is Resolved that Lieuten- ant Ephraim Bowman be and he is hereby requested to Erect and Set up at the most Suitable place near Said Pool, at the Expence of this town, a Sufficient Whipping Post for the Immediate punishment of all such Sordid Miscreents who dare in future be found Guilty of Such Shameful Misconduct, that they may be punished to such a degree as the town shall hereafter order; and that a copy of this Resolve be placed upon Said post."
This article concerning " the Bath," with all its capital letters, will be understood only as we learn that Lebanon Springs was then a part of Hancock. There are no records of the whipping of any " Sordid Mis- creents."
In March, 1783, was a long town meeting. Seventeen articles were recorded, one, " that if Martin Townsen, jun .. will now accept the office and do the duty of constable and collector he shall be accepted, his formal refusal notwithstanding." Only five years before he was adjudged a tory and unfit to hold any office in the town. This meeting was ad- journed to March ioth, when forty-two articles were voted upon, and then adjourned to the 31st, when nine more articles were acted upon, making fifty-eight in all. The thirty-sixth vote of the second day ap- pointed Samuel Hand to procure a suitable book into which all former records should be transcribed. To this date the records appear as from an old book, now lost, but in an attested copy. Also a book for record- ing marriages, births, and deaths, with orders that the town clerk record such items. Jannary 12th, 1784. " voted that the selectmen petition the General Court that measures be taken to effect a speedy settlement of the line between this Commonwealth and New York State, and that the general treasurer be directed to stay his executions against said town on that account." This was signed by the selectmen and sent by represent- ative Samuel Hand.
This Samuel, having so large a hand in Hancock's history. was de- scended from one Joseph Hand. of England, who came to Long Island in 1640 with his father, who, returning to England, was murdered. Joseph's son, Stephen, was the father of another Joseph, who called Samuel his son, born in Guilford, Conn., 1736. At seventeen he was pressed into the English service, and was a soldier in the French war ; served through four campaigns, and was with General Wolfe at the taking of Quebec. He saved, while in service, money enough to buy land in New Canaan, then supposed to be in Massachusetts, but which finally was claimed by New York, in consequence of which he lost his title to his land and what he had paid. Then, moneyless, he turned carpenter : prospered for a season, built a coasting vessel, became a sailor, then captain for four
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years. With money saved he came from Rhode Island, and, obtaining an Indian guide at Pittsfield, sought out Jericho, purchasing, at first, : 155 acres, April 30th, 1767, building a house of logs on or near the spot now owned and occupied by Mr. William Henry Hadsell. There he lived twenty years, buying more land, clearing and cultivating 250 acres. He had three sons, one daughter, and two slaves. For thirteen years he was representative, and was a man of influence in Massachusetts and New York.
In 1787 he bought the homestead of one Gideon King, in New Leba- non, at auction, and moved there from Hancock ; the present residence of Mr. Franklin Hand. the great-grandson of the Hon. S. Hand, who died there in 1798, aged ninety-seven, leaving much wealth to his sons, still in Hancock. His son Darwin helped Mr. Hull build the stone factory in Hancock, where had been the first grist mill in town. With his father, Holliburt. he also built a saw mill, now a grist mill and owned by Mr. George Gavitt. They freely spent their silver money, a wagon load of which was brought from Lebanon after their father's death. By will he had directed where in his cellar, buried in old iron pots, the money could be found. He had also an old sea chest with double bottom for his money. While the chest was full of old iron, articles deemed unworthy of saving, besides being thus weighed down with iron it was found bolted to the floor. Some of the old Spanish milled dollars are yet kept as keepsakes by his descendants in Hancock. They were shown to the writer of this article.
When the first bank was started in Pittsfield Mr. Russell came to Hancock and persuaded Mr. Hand to deposit 2,000 of his hard dollars to help start the institution.
Peter and Edward were his two slaves. Peter was not overfond of bread and milk, and sometimes resented his daily bill of a fare, till a good whipping made him love it, or say he did. They were hard worked summer and winter. Desiring to have his threshing done by Christmas. prospective presents were offered. On one such occasion Peter promised to oversee Edward and have the work done in time if he might wish Massa Hand a " happy New Year" just as he wanted to. Permission was granted, the work was completed, and New Year came. Peter, be- fore daylight, had a rousing fire, and when Mr. Hand appeared he said. "Good morning, Massa Hand ; wish you a happy New Year; wish you a long life and short breath, a good stomach and no victuals to eat."
Of Mr. Hand's work in the Legislature there is abundant evidence ; of his speeches there was only one, and that in tradition. During one session the representative of each town was called to report the agricul- tural and manufacturing interests of the town he came from. Most of the men gave glowing accounts of the increasing prosperity of their towns. Mr. Hand in his turn spoke of Hancock as a long ungainly town. so badly located that the inhabitants of one end could not reach the other end without going out of the town, and mostly out of the county and
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HISTORY OF BERKSHIRE COUNTY.
State; that it was hemmed in by steep mountains on both sides, so steep indeed that one could not climb ont without spoiling the knees of his pantaloons, or go back without spoiling their seat. When the valuation and taxes of all the towns except Hancock were increased, the drift of his description was fully appreciated.
Asa Douglass, a descendant of the noted Douglass family of Scot- land, was the grandson of William, who landed in Boston in 1640. only twenty years behind the Pilgrim Fathers, and moved thence to New Lon- don. Con .. where he died on his birthday, July 26th. 1682. Asa was born in 1715. He took up or bought 1,000 acres and settled thereon, as stated early in this history. He had seven sons and five daughters. His young- est son, Benijah, in 1762, settled at Ballston Spa, Saratoga county, N. Y., built the first log tavern at a point since noted as a watering place, and moved thence, in 1792, to Brandon, Vt. He had several children, one, Stephen A .. who became a doctor and died quite young of heart disease. holding in his arms an infant. afterward known as the Hon. Stephen .1. Douglass of Illinois. Asa died at the age of 77, November 12th. 1792. and his wife, Rebecca, January 12th, 1809. aged 91. Some time during the war Mr. Douglass went as a spy into Ticonderoga, under the guise of an old farmer seeking his lost cows, leaving his horse without the lines. When He had femmounted his horse it occurred to some within the fort that he might be a spy, and they sent men and bullets to arrest him; but his good horse bore him safely away, nor did he dismount or stop till he reached home. Grateful to his gallant steed, he turned him into good pasture and never saddled him again. His life was long thereafter. and his name thenceforth was "Old Ti."
Ensign Martin Townsend, whose name appears in the records as " Honorable," because he signed the recommendation of Esq. Douglass. August 21st. 1776, merits a place in Hancock history. His ancestry can be traced back to 1066, or more than 800 years. William the Conqueror gave to his ancestors, as military leaders, a section of land in the north - west part of Norfolk, a large estate called Raynham (River-home), at that time called De Haville. In the year 1100 a gentleman named Ludo- vicus (Lewis) came from Normandy and married the only daughter of De Haville, settled on his wife's paternal acres and took the name of Townsend possibly from the farm's location). His family was classed with the gentry till, in 1483, one was made baron or judge under Richard III, and in 1485 was reappointed by Henry VII, and the office was held in succession till 1798. Some of the family were in Bos- ton as early as 1630. Theodore Martin, a third son, was born in Hebron. Conn .. in 1756. He came to Hancock in 1765, and was married eight years later. when only 17. to Susannah Allen, who had reached the ripe age of 14. Both moved into town at the same time and the boy saw the girl walking barefoot, carrying her shoes to save their wear. Perceiving her economy. and having respect for the future. he decided then to have her for his wife. She was of Danish descent, with reddish hair and fair
.
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TOWN OF HANCOCK.
complexion. both hair and complexion reappearing in her posterity. Their first mcal in their own home was spread on the head of a barrel. She bore him sixteen children, dying, with the birth of the last one. at the age of 40. She came to Hancock from Rhode Island, having for a friend the governor, James Wanton, after whom she named one son, whose grandson, James Wanton Townsend, is now living in Texas. Her husband's strong will was well matehed by her own, as tradition still re- ports. Whenever he would find fault and scold hard, she would reach for one corner of her long checkered apron and begin to roll it up to her waist, then, shaking it out, begin at the other corner and do likewise, all the time looking him steadily in the eye and saying not a word. By the time she had made the second roll he would leave the field. defeated in his one sided debate. She looked him down or rolled him up. He was wont to take his wheat to Hudson for market. Once she wished to go. He told her she could not. She wanted a string of gold beads. He said she could not have them. She went and he bought her two strings of gold beads, because, as he said, she was the handsomest woman in town : one string for each corner of the apron, no doubt. After her he had four other wives and two children. In politics he was a royalist, though after the Revolution he was a good citizen, yet always afraid the new govern- ment would be a failure. In old age he was afraid war would come from the Nullification Act of South Carolina. He said he would go to Canada for safety, but made no provision for his wife. When asked why, said. "O, they'll never trouble you : they don't fight women." His home was midway between Hancock village and South Williamstown. He died in May, 1848, aged 92. On his monument is this inscription : " Incompre- hensible Infinity : In Him all is right."
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