USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Billerica > History of Billerica, Massachusetts, with a Genealogical register > Part 4
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25
FIRST SETTLERS-LOCATIONS AND RELATIONSHIPS.
granted within this Township to most of the first settlers, and "they upon the township" held, by agreement, a prior claim over "those on Mr. Dudley's farm," in the future distribution of common land. Here Jonathan Danforth built his house on the north side of West Street in 1654, unless his house-building followed his marriage. It was perhaps the first house in the village, and unless it was replaced by a second house before 1675, which is not probable, it stands there today, and after two hundred and twenty-three years we may still gaze upon its venerable and (alas ! that we must add) vanishing form.2 William Patten, or Thomas, his son, perhaps both, came the same year, and his house stood near Mr. Frank Richardson's. Ralph Hill, Jun., had a house-lot on what is now Mr. Kimball's farm, which he sold soon after to John Poulter, the brother of Danforth's wife. And in May, 1656, Mr. Hill bought of William Baker the farm south of his father's. His house, a garrison of 1675, stood where Mrs. Boyden lives. It had been built and occupied by Edward Chamberline, and Baker's occupancy was brief.
By 1660, the number of families had increased to forty. Without attempting to give the exact order of their coming, or location, the following may be taken as an approximate statement : William Hamlet was on the north-east of Bare Hill, (the hill south of the village,) near the Crosby place ; James Kidder was opposite Danforth, where Mr. Gardner Parker lives ; John Rogers was near Mr. Charles Parker's ; William Tay, near Dr. Noyes's place, just south of the village ; John Baldwin, near Mrs. Bennett's, and Jacob Brown, near Mr. Whitman's, (he sold out to John Stearns about 1663). Samuel Champney, son of the notable Elder Richard, of Cambridge, early had purchased, and in 1669 sold again to Richard Daniel, the five hundred acres granted by Cambridge to Edward Collins, and his house was south of the Woburn Road, near the ' Shawshin River. Simon Crosby was on the north side of Bare Hill ; Samuel Kemp, on the East Road, near Miss Sophia Allen's; and Samuel Kinsley, south of Fox Hill and near Mr. Harding's place. John Marshall was "partly on and partly off the towneship," on the east side, beyond Ash Swamp, and south-east of Mr. Kimball's. Golden Moore bought James Parker's place, before mentioned ; James Paterson, "on the north side of the township," between the late Dr. Pillsbury's place and Mr. Sanborn's ; John Poulter, on
2 See picture of it elsewhere.
26
HISTORY OF BILLERICA.
Andover Street, near Mr. Kimball's ; and John Sheldon beyond him, near Mr. Johnson's place ; John Trull had lived, before 1659, on Captain Gookin's farm, and perhaps in the "Shawshin House" ; he then received a grant at the Bridge place, east of Long Street ; George Willice sold in 1659 his place south of the Baptist Church to Daniel Shed. Web has left his name on "Web's Brook," and lived beside it, near Mr. Maynard's; Simon Bird was west of Long Street and south of the corner, (his grant included most of the Spalding Farm and Mr. Stackpole's) ; and beyond were John Bracket, between the two brooks; John Durrant, whose grant extended to Mr. Jones's north line ; and William Haile, whose grant was farther on towards the "Great Bridge," or Fordway. Thomas Foster was east of Bare Hill, near Mr. MeKay's ; Joseph Tompson, at the Tuft's place, south of the north-east corner of the Dudley Farm; Peter Bracket, east of Tompson and south of Marshall ; John Kittredge, near Mr. Knowles's, south of Bare Hill ; Thomas Hubbard, west of Long Street and north of the Township, or between Dr. Pillsbury's place and Mrs. Wild's; Dr. Roger Toothaker, at the old Rogers' place, near North Billerica ; and last, but not least, Rev. Samuel Whiting, whose place was east of Concord Road and north of Charnstaffe Lane. His house stood opposite the old Deacon Whiting place, just where Charnstaffe Lane descends from the west to the brook.
Forty families are here enumerated having homes in Billerica in 1660. It is a matter of interest to note the places from which they came and the various relationships and interests which drew them together and helped to compact the rising community. In examining this subject it will be convenient to anticipate dates a little and group with these names several others who came in the next twenty years.
The larger number came naturally from Cambridge. Fifteen of the fifty-five earliest names belong to the mother town. Champney, Crosby, Danforth, French, Frost, Hamlet, Hide, Hubbard. Kidder, Manning, More. Parker, Patten, Ross, and Willice ; and probably John Parker and Poulter should be added to this group, and by his marriage, at least, John Trull. Samuel Champney was a son of Elder Richard Champney, one of the foremost men of Cambridge, and a large proprietor in Shawshin. He married a sister of Thomas Hubbard, who died here in 1662; and his sister married Jacob French. Jonathan Danforth married a sister of John Poulter, whose
27
FIRST SETTLERS-LOCATIONS AND RELATIONSHIPS.
widowed mother had become the wife of John Parker. James Frost married a daughter of William Hamlet, who had married Mrs. Hubbard, the mother of Samuel Champney's wife. Jonathan Hyde married Dorothy, daughter of James Kidder, but did not long stay in Billerica. Kidder married a niece of Golden More, who had himself married the widow of John Champney. Samuel Manning's wife was Elizabeth, sister of John Stearns, and Isaac Learned, one of three purchasers of the Dudley Farm, married another sister. The connection of the Parkers, Jobn and Robert, can not be affirmed, but is probable. Thomas Willice married Grace, daughter of William Tay, who came from Boston to Billerica, and John Trull married Sarah French, niece of Lieut. William French, of Cambridge, and sister of Joseph French, the son-in-law of Thomas Foster, who lived near him.
The contribution next in number and importance to the Billerica company came as naturally from Woburn. It includes eleven names : Bacon, Baldwin, Brooks, Chamberline, Farley, Hill, Jefts, Richard- son, Walker, Wilson, and Wyman.
Michael Bacon and John Baldwin married daughters of Thomas Richardson, of Woburn, and their brother Thomas became the occupant of the Church Farm after the death of John Parker in 1668, and a leading citizen of Billerica. William Chamberline was probably connected with Thomas, one of the Dudley Farm purchasers, who afterwards married Danforth's mother-in-law, the widow of John Parker. George Farley and Henry Jefts married sisters, we need not doubt, as they bore the unusual name of Births. Ralph Hill, Sen., had taken a second wife, Margaret, the mother of Roger Toothaker ; and in his will he calls William French, "brother." Ralph Hill, Jun., married Martha Toothaker, his step-sister. Joseph Walker was the son-in-law of John Wyman, of the family which held much land in Billerica as well as Woburn.
Braintree gave to Billerica an important circle of eight families. The mother of Simon Crosby had married, some years before, the Rev. Joseph Tompson, of Braintree, his second wife. In his parish, Capt. Richard Bracket lived, an active and exemplary deacon in his church. Naturally enough. the minister's son Joseph, and step-son Simon Crosby, found wives in the deacon's family, and one Samuel Kinsley was equally fortunate. These sisters had twin brothers, John and Peter, and the five brothers and sisters all came to Billerica and formed as many homes here. John Bracket
28
HISTORY OF BILLERICA.
had another attraction here, as his wife was a daughter of William French. Thomas Foster, Daniel Shed, who married Ruth More, daughter of Golden, and Christopher Web, make up the Braintree families, most of whom were located south and east of the village.
John Rogers came with John Stearns from Watertown, and Job Lane from Malden. He was the purchaser of the entire Winthrop Farm, which he divided by his will between his son, Col. John, and two grand-sons, Samuel Fitch and Mathew Whipple. His wife was the daughter of Rev. John Reyner, pastor of Plymouth and Dover, whose son John became his father's colleague and successor.
A few came from England direct to Billerica. Richard Daniel, "Gentlemen," as he is often called in the records, and mentioned with deference, bought the farm of the Cambridge Church of seven hundred acres and Samuel Champney's farm of five hundred acres, in 1669. His wife was daughter of Sir John Pye ; and about 1678 they returned to England. Edward Farmer came from Warwick- shire, ancestor of a notable family ; and John Kittredge, whose descendants have been many and honorable, came in the service of John Parker, who is called his "master." James Paterson was a Scotchman, of whom Savage says : "He is one of only four or five that prospered here among the great crowd of romantic young followers in Scotland of Charles II, who in the bloody days * *
of 1650 and 1651 were captured on the fields of Cromwell's glory at Dunbar and Worcester, and transported to the colonies to be sold." Several hundreds were brought to Boston. Paterson and Richardson married sisters, daughters of Andrew Stevenson, of Cambridge. Some years later another Scotchman, John Levistone, brought also good blood to Billerica. And if we could trace the connections of other names, as Bird, Dunkin, Durrant, Dutton, Fasset, Grimes, Haile, Kemp, Marshall, Sanders, Sheldon, and Trull, they would no doubt furnish points of similar interest.
Facts like these taken separately have little interest ; but group them and they show that the men and women who laid the founda- tions in Billerica were no random collection of adventurers. They formed from the outset a community bound together by a network of ties which assured mutual sympathy and helpfulness. This was an essential condition of their success. Society is not a mere conglom- erate of individuals. Throw men and women together of diverse antecedents and inharmonious quality, and they will not be long in falling out and going asunder. Many an ambitious and promising
29
FIRST SETTLERS-LOCATIONS AND RELATIONSHIPS.
attempt at planting a colony in America, and elsewhere, has made shipwreck for this reason. Plymouth and Massachusetts were more successful, because they sought carefully and held tenaciously such elements as could be moulded together. and repelled those which were foreign and discordant. And what was true of the colony was true of the town. Such a union of harmonious and desirable elements could not be had at short notice ; and the delay of a few years, during which neighbors in Cambridge and Woburn were consulting and corresponding with the design of planting a company of settlers in the Shawshin wilderness, was well used in securing the growth and combination of such germs. It was better to make haste so slowly that the town might prove, as it did, homogeneous and successful.
·
CHAPTER III.
LAND DISTRIBUTION.
THE equitable apportionment of the lands of the town among the settlers was a matter of sufficient importance and difficulty to engage much attention and tax their wisdom. The whole town included, after its enlargement west of the Concord River, about thirty thou- sand acres. The adjustment of what the first settlers should receive, with wise reservations for later grants as others should join them, and for future distributions, must have been very carefully debated. Their territory embraced the three large grants to Mrs. Winthrop, Governor Winthrop, and Governor Dudley, (5,760 acres in all) ; one thousand acres reserved by the Church in Cambridge ; five grants of five hundred acres each to Captain Gookin, Reverend Mr. Weld, Reverend Mr. Mitchel, President Dunster, and Mr. Collins ; and other grants, to more than one hundred citizens of Cambridge, amounting to 10,300 acres. About two-fifths of the whole town only was really free and common land, open to the occupancy and disposition of the settlers, when they first came to Shawshin ; but the subsequent grant from the General Court of eight thousand acres at Naticott enabled them, by purchase and exchange, to secure most of the small Cambridge titles, and hold about eight thousand acres more for their own benefit and that of future proprietors.
The Dudley Farm exerted a vital influence in giving shape to the settlement. Extending two and a half miles down the river from the Two Brothers, its north-east boundary fixed the position of the four hundred acres "granted by the Church in Cambridge for the Towneship," or village part of the town, Charnstaffe' Lane being the line between them. And the first settlement has the practical aspect of an agreement between the Woburn men who had bought the larger part of the "Farm," and the Cambridge men who had received the Township grant.
31
LAND DISTRIBUTION.
The Farm, containing fifteen hundred acres, was divided into twelve lots of one hundred and twenty-five acres each, and this number became the unit of measuring shares throughout the town. Each share was called a 'ten-acre lot,' and consisted of one hundred and thirteen acres of upland and twelve acres of meadow, and carried with it the right to "all town priviledges, after additions and divisions of land and meadow." Only six proprietors held more than a single share. Ralph Hill had a twenty-eight-acre lot ; his father and Elder Champney, twenty-five-acre lots ; and Farley, French, and Stearns, twenty-acre lots. There were thirteen ten-acre lots, and thirty-six smaller : eight, six, five, and two-and- one-half-acre lots, the larger part being five acres. The twelve shares of the Dudley Farm were held : two and one-half, by Elder Champney ; two, by John Stearns ; one and one-half, by Ralph Hill, Sen. ; and one each, by William Chamberlain, George Farley, Lieut. William French, Ralph Hill, Jun., Henry Jefts, and Robert Parker.
It can hardly have been accidental that the rights on the Town- ship were granted by Cambridge in so nearly the same number of shares. Four Farm proprietors, Farley, Stearns, Ralph Hill. Jun., and Robert Parker, had also lots on the Township. Omitting these, the lots on the Township were also twelve in number. Their owners were Jacob Brown, who soon sold to Stearns, John Baldwin, Jonathan Danforth, Captain Gookin, of Cambridge, a non-resident, James Kidder, John Marshall, Golden More, William Patten, JJohn Rogers, John Trull, George Willice, and Reverend Mr. Whiting. Of this number, Baldwin only was a Woburn man; while but a single Cambridge man, French, had his home on the Farm. In the outset, the Township and the Farm thus nearly represented Cambridge and Woburn in the settlement, which proceeded on the basis of the following agreement between them :- 1
"A TRANSCRIPT OF A COVENANT OR AGREEMENT BETWEEN THOS WHICH WERE PROPRIETORS VPON MR. DUDLEY'S FARME AND THEY THAT WERE INHABITANCE ON Ye TOWNSHIP, WHICH IS YET A STANDING ORDER IN THE TOWNE.
"9. 9m. 1658. The proposition is as followeth :-
"THAT such as either have already, or hereafter shall take up any alotment in the towne, (vpon grant.) shalbe equally accommodated with
1 See Grants, p. 169.
32
HISTORY OF BILLERICA.
upland & meadow with thos vpon Mr. Dudley's farme; to have the one-half of their lands about home, either adjoining to their house-lots, and, in case their benot suffetient for them there, then to have it made up vpon the first next convenient place. And as for their second divitions, they shall have it laid out to them remote from the towne, acording as they have their second divitions, which are vpon Mr. Dudley's farme. Provided allways, That all such persons takeing up such alotments shall contribute to them vpon Mr. Dudley's farme (according to the proportion they shall take vp, whither a tenne-acre, eight, six. or five-acre lot, or any other proportion.) vntill they on Mr. Dudley's farme have received half so much as their first purchase cost; and as for any moneys that shall come in to ye towne, vpon this account afterward, it shalbee disposed of to ye publick use of the towne, acording as ye towne shall order; all which payments shalbe made within two yeare after their perticular grants, and the first half within one yeare. Provided allways, That no person shall have any proportion more than a single share of Mr. Dudley's farme.
"This was voted on ye affermitive & subscribed.
" William ffrench. John Parker.
John Rogers, Sen. John Poulter.
Willm Pattin. Jonath. Danforth.
Willm. Hamlett. John Marshall.
Jacob Browne. John Baldwin.
William Tay. Henery Jeiff's.
John Sheldon. George ffarley.
Golden More. - Willm. Chamberline.
James Kidder. John Sternes.
"It was also, at ye same time, agreed vpon by ye towne: That a ten-acre lot on ye towneship, and a single share, or twelfe part of Mr. Dudley's farme, should be equall, both civill and ecclesiasticall; and that all lesser grants (as an eight, six. or five-acre lot, or any other lesser or greater grants,) should all pay in proportion to their grants, to all publick charge as aforesaid."
In fulfillment of the agreement that the other inhabitants should pay to the Farm proprietors one-half of what it had cost them, we find the following : -
"10:9:'59. Ye Rate for ye halfe payment of ye purchase.
£ s. d.
"Jonathan Danforth,
2- 5-10
John ffrench,
2- 5-10
Willi Pattin.
1-16- 8
John Marshall,
1- 7~ 6
John Baldwin,
1-16- 8
Daniel Shead,
1-16- 8
John Sheldon,
2- 5-10
Willi Sheldon,
1-16- 8
33
LAND DISTRIBUTION.
John Rogers,
1-16- 8
Willi Tay,
2- 5-10
Goldinge More,
2- 5-10
Jacob Browne,
1-16- 8
James Kidder.
2- 5-10
John Poulter,
1-16- 8
Willi Hamlett.
2- 5-10
Willi Browne,
1-16- 8
James Paterson.
1- 7- 6
Simon Burd.
2- 5-10
Tho : ffoster,
1-16- 8
Christopher Web,
1- 7- 6
John Gurney,
2- 5-10
Samuell Kinsley,
2- 5-10
Ye 6 acor Lott.
1- 7- 6
44-18- 4"
The price of the Dudley Farm was one hundred and ten pounds. The balance of the fifty-five pounds, which would make up the half, was probably assessed on later purchasers in the town.
The earliest settlers whose house-lots were on the common land of the town, or off the Township and the Farm, were William Hamlet and William Tay, in 1656. The grant to Hamlet exhibits the common form used, with slight variations, in case of all the early settlers ; and I quote : -
"They have granted to him and assignes forever, one tenne-acre lot, or one single share ; that is. one hundred and thirtene acres of upland and twelve acres of meadow land, together with all towne priviledges. after additions and divitions of lands and meadows made or to be made, or granted by the towne, acording to any their towne orders, covenants, or agreements, to any free denison amongst them, acording to ye proportion of a ten-acre lot, and on this account are the following grants."
His first grant is of fifty-six acres, more or less, "on the North-East corner of bare hill, and on ye south of hogrooten meadow." This meadow of unsavory name lies south-east of the Tompson or Tufts place, and the hill is between the Boston and Lexington Roads, south-east of the village, and east of Dr. Noyes's house. Hamlet's house must have stood near the Crosby place. Tay was on the west of the same hill, at Dr. Noyes's place.
The Braintree company came soon after, and, by 1660, had well occupied the line south and east of the village, along Loes? Plain as
2 Framlingham, in England, the native town of Danforth, was in "Loes Hundred." He gave the name to the plain and a meadow south of Fox Hill, and extending as far as the Church Farm.
34
HISTORY OF BILLERICA.
far as Fox Hill. North from the Township ran another line of the earliest farms, Paterson, Hubbard, Bird, Durrant, and Haile, who was near the Great Bridge, or Fordway, with Toothaker at the extreme point, the old Rogers place of a later day, by the canal.
The allotment of the common lands to the settlers began promptly, and it was almost one hundred years before this land fund was exhausted. The earliest assignments were made to several of the Township proprietors in Loes Plain; but the first general distribution was of meadow land, which was specially important and valuable, before clearing and culture had made higher grounds productive of the needed supply of grass for winter use. The Farm settlers did not share in this first meadow distribution, which was intended to equalize the privilege of the Township men with these Farm purchasers.
There were twenty-one shares in the first distribution in 1658, in a total of only thirty-nine acres, and these were located in two places. The first lot began between Chelmsford line and Concord River, on the west side, and, running up the river through Broad meadow, the last of the thirteen lots was just south of the Great Bridge, or Fordway. The other eight lots of this first division of meadow began at the mouth of Long Pond, and, following the Alewife or Content3 Brook, the last lot, John Baldwin's, was near Pattenville, and Danforth's lot at the right hand .of the Andover or Depot Road. The agreement for this division and the following stands thus : - 4
"It is agreed by the joynte consente of the Towne, that for the devition of meddows for the several inhabitants [?] to begin at the Lower end of the medow on the other side Concord [river] Next toward Patuckett at Chelmsford corner, and so upward to the [?] above the Bridge, and so to begin again at the pond below foxes hill, and so down Alewife brooke. and so to take the' spanges of medow to the Colage meddow, and so down to Andover Line, and take all the meddow on both sides Shawshin river, to be devided by lott according as shall be adjudged by A comitee, for what is rubish meddowe to be layed out quantitive, yt every man may be acomidated alike, as nere as the said comittee can judge; the comitee apoynted for the meshuringe and Laying out the said meddow lands and Lots of uplande are
"JONATHAN DANFORTH,
[ Other names torn off.]
"[HENRY JE]FTES."
3 'The earliest name of this brook was "Alewife." The plain beyond soon probably received the name "Content"; then the meadow, and before long brook, meadow, and plain were all "Content." 4 Records. Vol. I, p. 8.
35
LAND DISTRIBUTION.
"For the first devitions : ye devitiones of meddow to begin as afore- said, on the other side Concord river, soe upward; & from ye ponde down the brook to Content bridge; & so Lay out the several lotts, crosse the meddows on both sides the brook.
The second devitione to begin on the South side of foxes Meadows lying in Lotts of upland for prt. of proportions of meadows. hill; soe taking all the spanges before vs untill we come downewarde upon Shawshin river, on both sides the river, to the Lower eande of the collage farme; then to extend downewarde upon Shawshin river, on both sides the river, taking in all that is meadow before vs yt is in or Boundes to Woeburne line, vntill we come to Alewife brooke, and so to run vp that brooke vntill we come to Contente bridge; then to extend from ye mouth of Alewife Brooke upon Shawshin river untill we come to heth Brook; then to take all the medow yt is on that Brooke, so far as there is any toward contente meddow; then to begin again where we left of upon the river, and so to lay out the meddow, till we come at the mouth of Strongwater brooke, and so to Andover Boundes ; then to take all before us whomewards, untill we come at the great meadow; then to begin at the Bound pine upon Hors brook, between Andover and or Towne, takeing all before us toward merimake river; and for such meddows as Lye in any man's Alotment of upland, he shall [have it as part] of his first devition [of meddow], any nere meddow conven[ient to other] men. it is left with the Com[mittee to dis]pose of to acomidate such [persons with] the said meddows, (upon [ ?] as afore- said,) dividing them [with ?] equalitie. acordinge to ther [own] discretione. without respect of [persons].
"It is agreed that the second lot in order shall begin at the stake at ye Lower end of Concord river meddow ; and it is also agreed that the second devition of the several alotments of meddow shall be a third part of there proportione, and what is yet remaining shall be made up in the third devetione.
"The Lotts were drawne by the severall inhabitantes, whose Names are here underwritten, to the Number of Twenty and three Lotts, besides the meddows for the minister; which Lots of meddow for the minister were joyntly agreed upon to be Layed out. in the firste place, acordinge to the best discretione of the Comittee apoynted for the worke.
1th.
2th.
3th.
" William Tay drew
2
13
23
Jacob Browne
3
13
Jonathan Danforth
20
7
3
Willi Patten
9
8
6
Willi ffrench
17
16
22
James Kidder
5
11
4
. Goldinge More
15
9
24
John Sheldon
11
5
10
John Rogers
22
6
8
Willi Hamlitt
23
22
18
John Poulter
21
4
19
36
HISTORY OF BILLERICA.
John Baldwin John Marshall
24
10
2
18
19
5
George Willowes
10
20
20
"9 lots drawn for by the Towne, that were then vndisposed of, and taken up since, as followeth: 3 ten-acre lots, and 3 8-acre lots, and 3 G-acre lots.
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