USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > Boston > History of Boston, the metropolis of Massachusetts, from its origin to the present period; with some account of the environs > Part 13
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* 1635. Dec. 4. Ordered, a fence to be made between the two necks.
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shall go a high way of twenty foot.'* Here E. Tyng had a house, yard, warehouse and brew-house.
There was also a passage way of seven foot, up from the creek near Bendall's to the lower part of Mr. Keayne's gar- den at his mud-wall house, in 1639, which probably answers to Wilson's lane or Exchange street. And there was a lane by the old meeting house : Henry Webb, a merchant who lived at the corner had the market place north, and on the east the old meeting house and the lane, which terminated at the Springate or high way by the spring.
CHAPTER XXI.
" Full were our cities with the sons of art, And trade and joy in every busy street Mingling were heard."
'STRAITS and difficulties,' says Hutchinson, 'at the beginning of the colony had produced industry and good husbandry, and then they soon raised provisions enough for their own support, and an overplus for exportation. We hear but little of trade for the first seven years, except a small traffick with the natives, by barter of toys, and the few utensils, tools and clothing they at first thought necessary, in exchange for furs and skins. What the planters brought with them consisted principally of mate- rials for their buildings, necessary tools for their husbandry, stock for their farms, and clothing for themselves and fami- lies ; and those who had more estate than was sufficient for these purposes, were country gentlemen, unacquainted with commerce, and never employed themselves in it. People in general turned their minds to provide comfortable lodgings, and to bring under improvement so much land as would afford them necessary support, and this was enough to employ them. After a few years, by hard labour, and hard fare, the land produced more than was consumed by the inhabitants ; the overplus was sent abroad to the West-Indies, the Winc-Islands, and other places. Returns were made in the produce of the respective countries, and in bullion, the most of which, togeth- er with the furs produced from the natives, went to England,
* Town Records, Feb. 1649. The precise location of Glover, &c. is less certain than that of almost any other persons, whose names occur to us. We conclude they were situated along Union street and Dock square, and accordingly have ventured to express ourselves thus in defining the extent of the dock.
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HISTORY OF BOSTON.
to pay for the manufactures continually necessary from thence. As hands could be spared from husbandry and la- bour in providing their houses, they were taken off, and some employed in sawing boards, splitting staves, shingles and hoops, others in the fishery, and as many as were capable of it, in building small vessels for the fishery, and for coasting and foreign trade. Thus gradually and insensibly they seem to have fallen into that trade most natural to the country, and adapted to their peculiar circumstances, without any premed- itated scheme, or projection for that purpose. Their prima- ry views in their removal, were the enjoyment of civil and religious liberty. Merchants and others, for the sake of gain, when they saw a prospect of it, afterwards came over, and in- corporated with them, and caused a great increase of com- merce, and led the legislators to measures for the further im- provement 'of it. For encouraging the fishery, an act was made in 1639 to free all estates, employed in catching, making or transporting fish, from all duties and public taxes, and all persons were restrained by a penalty from using any cod or bass fish, for manuring the ground ; and all fishermen during the season for business, and all ship-builders, were by the same act excused from trainings.
' In the year 1642 the House of Commons passed a memora- rable resolve in favour of the Massachusetts colony, contain- ing this ordinance : " that all merchandizing goods, that by any person or persons whatsoever, merchant or other, shall be exported out of this kingdom of England into New-England to be spent, used or employed there, or being of the growth of those colonies, shall be from thence imported hither or shall be laden or put on board any ship or vessel for neces- saries in passing to and fro, and all and every the owner or owners thereof shall be freed and discharged of and from paying and yielding any custom, subsidy, taxation or other duty, either inward or outward." It had, however, this proviso, " until the House of Commons shall take further order therein to the contrary." '
Johnson's account of the extent of our commerce and its beneficial effects is too lively to be omitted. 'Those,' says he, ' who were formerly forced to fetch most of the bread they eat and beer they drank a thousand leagues by sea, are through the blessing of the Lord so encreased, that they have not only fed their elder sisters, Virginia, Barbadoes and many of the Summer islands, that were preferred before [them] for fruitful- ness, but also the grand mother of us all, even the fertile isle of Great Britain. Beside, Portugal hath had many a mouth- ful of bread and fish from us, in exchange of their Madeira liquor, and also Spain; nor could it be imagined that this wil- derness should turn a mart for merchants in so short a space.
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. Many a fair ship had her framing and finishing here, be- sides lesser vessels, barques and ketches. Many a master, beside common seamen, had their first learning in this colony. Boston, Charlestown, Salem and Ipswich, our maritan towns, began to increase roundly ; especially Boston, the which of a poor country village, in twice seven years is become like unto a small city and is in election to become a mayor town sud- denly, chiefly increased by trade by sea.
' All other trades have here fallen into their ranks and pla- ces, to their great advantage ; especially Coopers and Shoc- makers, who had either of them a Corporation granted, enriching themselves by their trades very much, Coopers hav- ing their plenty of stuff at a cheap rate and by reason of trade with foreign parts abundance of work. As for Tanners and Shoemakers, it being naturalized into these occupations, to have a higher reach in managing their manufactures, then other men in N. E. having not changed their nature in this, between them both they have kept men to their stander hith- erto, almost doubling the price of their commodities, according to the rate they were sold for in England, and yet the plenty of Leather is beyond what they had there, counting the num- ber of the people, but the transportation of Boots and Shoes into foreign parts hath vented all however: as for Tailors, they have not come behind the former, their advantage being in the nurture of new-fashions, all one with England; Car- penters, Joiners, Glaziers, Painters, follow their trades only ; Gun-smiths, Lock-smiths, Blacksmiths, Nailors, Cutlers, have left the husbandmen to follow the plough and cart, and they their trades ; Weavers, Brewers, Costermongers, Feltmakers, Braziers, Pewterers and Tinkers, Ropemakers, Masons, Lime, Brick, and Tilemakers, Cardmakers, to work and not to play, Turners, Pumpmakers, and Wheelers, Glovers, Feltmongers, and Furriers, are orderly turned to their trades, besides divers sorts of Shopkeepers, and some who have a mystery beyond others, as have the Vintners.'
It would be wrong to pass unnoticed the exertions of Hugh Peters towards exciting a commercial spirit. 'He went from place to place, labouring both publickly and privately to raise up men to a publick frame of spirit,' and induce them to en- gage in the fishing business and foreign commerce .* It was to his influence that Salem owed her first glory, and his counsel ad- vanced her to that rank in commerce which enabled her to dis- pute preeminence with Boston when local advantages gave su- periority to the latter.
The first page of the record September 1, 1634, speaks of 'a common landing place between the creeks' and contains an
* Winthrop, Nov. 1635. May 1636. Mass. I. C. 1. vi. 250.
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order for keeping the same clear of all annoyances .* The nu- merous shipping which visited Boston from Holland, France, Spain and Portugal, according to Johnson, early required the erection of wharves for their accommodation. It appears by the records of Jan. 1639, that some important undertaking of this kind had been commenced prior to that time, in which the town felt considerable interest : for on the 21st of that month 'there is granted to the overseers of the wharfes and crane an hundred acres of land at Mt. Wolaston next to the allottment already granted, towards the repairing and maintaining of the said wharfs and crane.' Other wharves arc mentioned in 1641; particularly, Nov. 29th, Valentine Hill and associates are authorized and agree to build certain wharves, and keep them in repair, on condition that for every hundred pounds thus laid out within five years, they are to have the improve- ment nine years thereafter, and to receive tonnage and wharf- age. There are no traces by which we can ascertain where the two first of these wharves were situated, or whether the last was not a continuation of the same. This cost per ac- count £818. 13s. 4d. and the company was granted four score years to possess and improve.
There is no doubt that this improvement embraced some of the wharves between the Town dock and Long wharf. At the expiration of the term specified in the contract the wharf and buildings thereon were to revert to the town and all be left in good repair. It is apparent from this circumstance that the town claimed the right of ownership in the marsh or dock : the same thing is inferrible from the fact that individu- als desiring to wharf before their lots were obliged to ask lib- erty of the town, and in granting that, the town reserved the right to inhabitants of coming to and going from such wharves free of charge, on their own accounts ; but no man was al- lowed to sail for hire from another man's wharf. Numerous grants of this nature were made almost every year from this time till 1673, when the great work of constructing what has since been called the Old Wharf was accomplished.
The origin of the mill creek is to be traced in the following record. July 31, 1643. There is granted unto Henry Si- mons, G. Burden, John Button, John Hill and their partners all that cove (already bounded) on the N. W. side of the causey leading toward Charleston, with all the salt marish bordering thereupon, round about, not formerly granted to any other, reserving liberty from time to time to make use of any part thereof for repairing the said causey, to have and enjoy the said cove and marsh to them and their heirs and assigns for ever.
* Shaw, 72.
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2. The said grant is for this intent and upon this condition ; that the said grantees shall within the space of three years erect and make upon or near the premises one or more corn mills and maintain the same forever.
. 3. Provides for a flood gate.
4. Appropriates 300 acres of land at Braintree for the use and encouragement of the said mills.
5. That if they shall carry their mill stream through the marsh on the northeast end of Goodman Low's* house, they have 60 feet in breadth throughout the said marsh granted unto them.
6. They shall have liberty to dig one or more trenches in the highways or waste grounds, so as they make and maintain sufficient passable and safe ways over the same for horse and cart.
7. The town will not allow any other common mill to be erected, except the necessary occasion of the town require it.
8. The selectmen shall procure what free help they can, by persuasion, upon any pressing occasion of use of many hands, about making the banks or trenches etc. for the better furtherance of the work to be speedily effected.
The grantees proceeded to carry into execution their part of this project. We sometimes find the trench which was thus formed called the ditch : but it soon acquired in deeds the name of Mill creek which it still retains. The causey mentioned was not what has in late years been known as such, but the one alluded to, page 111, and in the following record.
1640, March 30. C. Stanley shall have all the marsh on the east side of the way toward Charlestown ferry for £1. 10. reserving eight feet in breadth all along the side of the ditch by the said high way : and the swamp compassed by his up- land for 6s. 8d. being about half an acre.t The same is also mentioned in 1655. Oct 29. Respecting the great causeway we are not able as yet to say any thing more than we find in Shaw, ' that the Indians had a foot path over the highest part of the marsh or flats, which was raised and widened by a Mr. Crabtree to retain the water of the pond.' There was such a man and he was by trade a joiner.
In process of time mills for various purposes were erected at three places on the margin of the pond thus formed. One at the west end of the creek, which was called the South inills; others at the north-east end of the causeway called
* Goodman Low's marsh was at the extremity of the triangle.
t The same paragraph provides that there shall be a high way reserved through the mill- field, two rods in breadth, from the W. corner of M. Chaffith's garden unto the little house by the said swamp, and from thence to the wind mill as directly as the land will bear.
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HISTORY OF BOSTON.
the North mills and the Chocolate mills, and another at the south-west end of the causeway. This however did not take place seasonably to prevent the erection of a mill at Fox-hill in 1649, at which time there was also one at Fort hill and anoth- er in the new field. There was a watermill previously at Mt. Wolaston, in 1639 : the " first in the colony " was erected at Dorchester, on Neponset river in the year 1633. The creek very soon became a sort of boundary (which has con- tinued to this day) between the north and south parts of the town, and we find it so recognised in the appointment of two superintendants of streets in 1651, of whom one was 'for the Northend and one for the Southend, the mill creek to be the division.'
The Northend people seem to have undertaken at their own expence the construction of the north battery. The af- fair with Captain Stagg had made the Bostonians a little jeal- ous of the armed vessels which visited their port, and they had been at great cost to put the castle and Fort hill in a state of defence. Another difficulty of a similar nature oc- curred in 1644 with one Capt. Richardson, who undertook to make seizure of a Dartmouth ship that lay in the harbour, but which the authorities here had determined to seize them- selves, by way of reprisal for a Boston ship that had been taken in Wales by the king's party. Officers were put on board the vessel, and Capt. R. was warned to desist; this he either could not or would not do ; his men boarded the vessel and the captain of her was made prisoner. The Governour hereupon ordered Capt. R. to come on shore to account for his conduct. His men were so unruly that he feared to leave them, and he declined obeying the command. Upon this a warning piece was fired at him from the battery, which cut a rope in the head of his ship: one of his men was about to re- turn the fire but was providentially prevented. A stranger who was in the battery fired another gun, without orders, which however did no damage, except a slight injury to the prize ship in question. Forty men were then sent aboard and took possession of her, and Capt. Richardson came ashore and acknowledged his errour and his sorrow for what he had done. 'So we ordered him to pay a barrel of powder, and to satisfy the officers and soldiers we had employed and other expenses, and dismissed him.' The reason of their be- ing so easy with him was that ' there was no hurt done, nor had he made one shot; for if he had, we were resolved to have taken or sunk him, which we might easily have done, lying close under our battery so as we could have played
* Mass. H. C. 1; ix. 164. Town Records, Jan. 1651.
t Winthrop, Sept. 1644.
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HISTORY OF BOSTON.
upon him, with whole culverin or demi-culverin, six hours together.'
It is not improbable that such occurrences as these led the north-end people to think it prudent to have a suitable work of defence, for the protection of their part of the town from insolent aggressions. Accordingly, preparations were made for fortifying somewhere about Walter Merry's point. It was the point now known by the name of Battery or North Bat- tery wharf. The position was well selected, commanding the entrance of the harbour, and the river also, as high up as vessels of large size would have been likely to venture. The work was completed in the course of the year 1646, when we have the following record concerning it :
'Proposicions presented to the townsmen, on the behalfe of the inhabitants of the north end of the towne of Boston, the ratification whereof is desired, and the registeringe of them in the towne records,
' 1. That we of this end of the towne, whose harts the Lord hath made willing to set about erecting and maintenance of a fortification att Walter Merry's point, may for the future bee freed from all rates and assessments to what other forti- fications bee in the towne, until such time as the other part of the towne, not joyning with us herein, shall have disbursed, and layd out in equall proporcion of their estates with ours, as by trew account may appeare.
' 2. That the land gained at the towne's charge, and stack- ed out to the towne's service by those deputed for that end, to the raysinge of a work upon, may not by any to their pri- vate occations, be imployed or made use of ; as that the ground nor flatts, before the sayd worke may not be disposed of by the towne unto any particular man's imployment, to the prejudice of the said worke.'
It is easy to imagine what must have been the spirit of the times, when so great a work was undertaken in such a way : it evinced a growing readiness in the people to maintain their rights with their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honour. Johnson's account of the castle affords us a pleasant view of this subject. "To say right,' (says he, b. ii. ch. xxvi.) ' some particular persons may be penurious in laying out their estates upon ammunition, but the general of Officers and soul- diers are very generous that way : the reverend Doctor Wil- son gave bountifully for the furthering this Wilderness-work, the which was expended upon great Artillery, his gift being a thousand pound ; beside many persons that came over, the Lord was pleased to indow with a large portion of the things of this life, who were not backward liberally to dispose of it, to procure means of defence. And to that end there was a castle built on an Island, upon the passage into the Mattachu-
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HISTORY OF BOSTON.
Bay, wholly built at first by the country in general, but by reason the country affords no Lime, but what is burnt of Oyster-shels, it fell to decay in a few years after, which made many of the Towns that lay out of the defence thereof to de- sert it, although their safety (under God) was much involved in the constant repair and well-mannaging thereof; hereupon the next six Towns take upon them to rebuild it at their pro- per cost and charges, the rest of the country upon the finish- ing thereof gave them a small matter toward it; upon this there was a Captain ordained, and put in possession thereof by the country, having a yearly Stipend allowed him for him- self and his souldiers, which he is to keep in a constant readiness upon the Island, being about eight acres of ground. ' The Castle is built on the North-East of the Island, upon a rising hill, very advantageous to make many shot at such ships as shall offer to enter the Harbor without their good leave and liking ; the Commander of it is one Captain Davenport, a man approved for his faithfulness, courage and skill, the Mas- ter Canoneer is an active Ingineer ; also this Castle hath cost about. four thousand pounds, yet are not this poor pilgrim people weary of maintaining it in good repair ; it is of very good use to awe any insolent persons, that putting confidence in their ship and sails, shall offer any injury to the people, or contemn their Government, and they have certain signals of alarums, which suddenly spread through the whole country.'
CHAPTER XXII.
It being as unnatural for a right N. E. mau
to live without an able Ministery, as for a Smith to worke his iron without a Fire. W. W. P.
IT has been so often repeated that it is now generally be- lieved the north part of the town was at that period the most populous. We are convinced that the idea is erroneous. We have reason to suppose that almost every householder in Boston was a member of the first church, and it appears there had been admitted only 306 men, down to the latter end of 1652. Of these we know some had died and others removed. The book of possessions records the estates of about 250, the number of their houses, barns, gardens, and sometimes the measurement of their lands. It seems to embrace the period from 1640 to 1650, and we conclude, gives us the names of almost, if not quite, all the freemen of Boston. They were settled through the whole length of the main street on both
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HISTORY OF BOSTON.
sides, from Elliot-street to the market, excepting only the small green near the Old South. The cross streets on either side were all occupied : Elm-street, the upper part of Hanover-street, Sudbury-street, and Green-street on the north side, were all appropriated for house lots. It is evident too, that the most wealthy and influential characters lived in what is now the centre of the town. We discover only about thirty names of residents north of the creek. Among them were Copp, Goodwin, Shoare, Sweet, Seaberry, Bourne, Clark, Joy, Rawlins, Cullimer, Merry, Passmer, F. Hudson, Chatfie (a shipwright,) Gallop, Meekins, Millam, John Hill, Bennett, Phillips, Gibson, Jones : some others were owners of field lots : C. Stanley owned fifteen acres .*
It is probable, however, that an increase of business began to be perceived at the north end about this time, and that re- movals began to be made into it, which resulted in its becom- ing ' for many years the most populous and elegant part of the town.' For we find that when another meeting house was judged necessary, to accommodate the population, it was deemed expedient to place it in that quarter. This was done in 1649, when the house was erected at the head of the North Square. A church was gathered there on the fifth day of June the next year, and consisted at first of seven members. Their names were Michael Powell, James Ashwood, Christo- pher Gibson, John Phillips, George Davis, Michael Wills, John Farnam. A sermon was preached on the occasion, by Samuel Mather, a graduate of Harvard College. He was earnestly solicited to remain as pastor of the new church, but declined the invitation.t
* The 306, mentioned in this paragraph, joined after Mr. Cotton's arrival : 130 had joined before that : the removals carried away very many to Charlestown, Rhode Island, Exeter, the Somers Islands, besides those who were settled at Braintree, Romney Marsh and Muddy river, and others who had returned to England.
i Rev. Mr. Ware's Historical Discourses.
Covenant of the Old North Church.
We whose names are hereunto subscribed, being called of God to enter into church fellow: ship, knowing and considering our own great unworthiness and unfitness for so near ap- proaches to so holy a God, and how apt we are to start aside from him and from the rules of his gospel and government over us, we therefore desire to lament as in his sight the inconstancy of our own spirits with him and our former neglects of him, and pollutions of his house and boly things by our personal corruptions and unworthy walkings : and do be- seech him for his name's sake to prevent us with mercy, and accept us under the wings of his own everlasting covenant.
And in dependance upon his free grace therein, in his name and strength we freely this day, in the presence of the everliving God, do avouch the Lord to be our God, and ourselves to be his people, and so yield up ourselves to him by an hols covenant of faith and love and
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HISTORY OF BOSTON.
This event brings us near to the time when Johnson sketch-, ed his description of Boston, which was ready for publica- tion in 1651. We present the twentieth chapter of his first book, without variation, that our readers may have one speci- men of the manner in which the work was executed.
JOHNSON'S DESCRIPTION.
' After some little space of time the Church of Christ at Charles Towne, having their Sabbath assemblies oftenest on the South side of the River, agreed to leave the people on that side to themselves, and to provide another Pastor for Charles Towne, which accordingly they did. So that the fourth Church of Christ issued out of Charles Towne, and was seated at Boston, being the Center Towne and Metropo- lis of this Wildernesse worke (but you must not imagine it to be a Metropolitan Church) invironed it is with Brinish flouds, saving one small Istmos, which gives free accesse to the Neigh- bour Townes ; by Land on the South side, on the North-west, and North East,* two constant Faires are kept for daily traffique thereunto, the forme of this Towne is like a heart, naturally scituated for Fortifications, having two Hills on the frontice part thereof next the Sea, the one well fortified on the superfices thereof, with store of great Artillery well mount- ed, the other hath a very strong battery built of whole Tim- ber, and filled with Earth, at the descent of the Hill in the extreme poynt thereof betwixt these two strong armes lies a large Cove or Bay, on which the chiefest part of this Town is built, over-topped with a third Hill, all three like over-top- ping Towers keepe a constant watch to fore-see the approach of forrein dangers, being furnished with a Beacon and lowd babbling Guns, to give notice by their redoubled eccho to all their Sister-townes, the chief Edifice of this City-like Towne it crowded on the Sea-bankes, and wharfed out with great in- dustry and cost, the buildings beautifull and large, some fairely
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