USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Cambridge > History of Cambridge, Massachusetts. 1630-1877. With a genealogical register > Part 13
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1 Samuel Sewall.
2 Col. Nicholas Paige.
8 Two days, it seems, were devoted to this seletion of judges.
4 Council Records. It is said that Sal-
tonstall left the court, being dissatisfied with its proceedings.
5 Genea. Dict.
6 Hist. Mass., ii. 27-29.
7 Mr. Poole says, - " Mr. Parris ou no
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contrary, perhaps partly in consequence of this examination, he declared his dissatisfaction, and dislike of the judicial proceed- ings. In a letter dated Oct. 8, 1692, Thomas Brattle, one of the most intelligent and persistent opposers of the witchcraft in- fatuation, says: " But although the chief judge, and some of the other judges, be very zealous in these proceedings, yet this you may take for a truth, that there are several about the Bay, men for understanding, judgment, and piety, inferior to few, if any, in N. E., that do utterly condemn the said proceedings, and do freely deliver their judgment in the case to be this, viz., that these methods will utterly ruin and undo poor N. E. I shall nominate some of these to you, viz., the Hon. Simon Bradstreet, Esq. [our late governor] ; the Hon. Thomas Dan- forth, Esq. [our late deputy-governor] ; the Rev. Mr. Increase Mather, and the Rev. Mr. Samuel Willard. Major N. Salton- stall Esq., who was one of the judges, has left the Court, and is very much dissatisfied with the proceedings of it. Excepting Mr. Hale, Mr. Noyes, and Mr. Parris, the Rev. Elders, almost throughout the whole country, are very much dissatisfied. Sev- eral of the late justices, viz., Thomas Graves Esq., N. Byfield Esq., Francis Foxcroft Esq.,1 are much dissatisfied ; also several of the present justices : and in particular, some of the Boston justices were resolved rather to throw up their commissions than be active in disturbing the liberty of their majesties' subjects, merely on the accusations of these afflicted, possessed children." 2 That Danforth, in common with almost all his contemporaries, believed in witchcraft, and considered witches justly obnoxious to
occasion was employed to examine the aeeused. At the request of the magis- trates, he took down the evidence, he being a rapid and accurate pennian. On the occasion mentioned in the next para- graph, Danforth put the questions, and the record is, 'Mr. Parris being desired and appointed to write out the examina- tion, did take the same, and also read it before the council in publie.'" - Gen. Reg., xxiv. 395. Mr. Upham also says, -- " The deputy-governor first ealled to the stand John Indian, and plied him, as was the course pursued on all these occasions, with leading questions." - Salem Witch- craft, ii. 102. But, after quoting from Hutchinson a part of the examination, Mr. Upham adds, -" I would eall atten- tion to the form of the foregoing ques-
tions. Hutchinson says that 'Mr. Parris was over-officious : most of the examina- tions, although in the presence of one or more magistrates, were taken by him.' He put the questions. They show, on this occasion, a minute knowledge before- hand of what the witnesses are to say, which it cannot be supposed Danforth, Russell, Addington, Appleton, and Sew- all, strangers, as they were, to the place and the details of the affair, could have had." - Ibid., p. 104. For this reason, even if there were not many others, it seems most probable that the " leading questions " were put by Parris, and not by Danforth.
1 Son-in-law of Thomas Danforth.
2 Coll. Mass. Hist. Soc., v. 74, 75.
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punishment, is probably true ; but it is not true, that he was a member of that special court which held such bloody assizes, nor, if we may believe Brattle, his personal friend, did he ap- prove its proceedings. The Superior Court, of which he was a member, held a session at Salem in January, 1693, at which twenty persons were tried, and three convicted ; but " spectral evidence " was not admitted ; 1 moreover, there is no proof that he concurred with his associates, all of whom had been members of the Commission of Oyer and Terminer.
The latter years of Danforth's life seem to have been peaceful. Doubtless he lamented the loss of the old Charter, for whose pres- ervation he had struggled so long and so manfully. His strong opposition to some of the provisions of the new Charter is said to have induced Mather to omit his name from the list of Coun- cillors ; yet he finally accepted it as the best which could be ob- tained, and faithfully labored, both as Councillor and Judge, to administer its provisions in such a manner as to secure the bene- fit of the people.2
In the long and perilous conflict on behalf of chartered rights, Gookin and Danforth were supported by their brethren the Deputies from Cambridge, all good men and true. Deacon Ed- ward Collins was Deputy from 1654 to 1670, without inter- mission ; Edward Oakes, 1659, 1660, 1669-1681 ; Richard Jack-
1 Upham's Witchcraft, ii. 349.
2 The closing scene is thus described by Judge Sewall in his Journal : 1699. " Oct. 28. I visit Mr. Danforth who is very sick ; his daughter Foxcroft tells me he is much troubled with the palsy. Was much indisposed the 22d instant, which was the beginning of his sickness; yet would go to meeting, which did him hurt, especially going out in the afternoon. I wished him refreshings from God under his fainting sickness." - "Lord's day, Nov. 5. Tho. Danforth Esq., dies, about 3 past merid., of a fever. Has been a magis- trate forty years. Was a very good hus- bandman, and a very good Christian, and a good councillor ; was about 76 years old." " Third day, Nov. 7. Mr. Stough- ton, in his speech to the grand jury, takes great notice of Judge Danforth's death ; saith he was a lover of religion and relig- ious men; the oldest servant the country liad ; zealous against vicc; and if [he] liad any detractors, yet [there] was so
much on the other as to erect him a mon- ument among this people. Mr. Willard, in his prayer, mentioned God's displeas- ure in his removal, and desired the Judges might act on the Bench as those who must also shortly go to give their account. Indeed it is awful, that while we are sit- ting on the bench, at the same time the ancientest Judge should be lying by the wall, dead, in his housc. I can't tell how it came about, but I told Mr. Danforth at Bristow I thought he would never come thither again ; which made him take a more particular leave than otherwise he would have done." " Sixth day, Nov. 10, 1699. Mr. Danforth is entombed about 4 of an hour before 4 p. M. Very fair and pleasant day ; much company. Bcar- ers : on the right side, Lt-Governor, Mr. Russell, Scwall ; left side, Mr. W. Win- throp, Mr. Cook, Col. Phillips. I helped lift the corpse into thic tomb, carrying the feet."
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son, 1661, 1662; Edward Winship, 1663, 1664, 1681-1686 ; Edward Jackson, 1665-1668, 1675, 1676; Joseph Cooke, 1671, 1676-1680 ; Thomas Prentice, 1672-1674; Samuel Champney, 1686, and again, after the Revolution, from 1689 to 1695, when he died in office. Their names should be in perpetual remem- brance.
CHAPTER X.
CIVIL HISTORY.
IT has already been stated, that the General Court, March 3, 1635-6, " Agreed, that Newe Towne bounds should run eight myles into the country from their meeteing howse," and that large farms, near the eight mile line were soon afterwards granted by the town ; among which grants was one to Richard Harlaken- den of " six hundred acres of upland and meadow, at the place called Vine Brook, in the midway between Newtowne and Con- cord," on certain conditions, Jan. 2, 1636-7. This tract of land was in the central portion of the present town of Lexington. The conditions of the grant not being performed by Richard Harlakenden, the land was subsequently granted to his brother, Roger Harlakenden, who died in 1638. Herbert Pelham married the widow of Harlakenden, and became the owner of his real es- tate ; he bequeathed this property to his son Edward Pelham, who conveyed by deeds, Oct. 28, 1693, to Benjamin Muzzey 206 acres in Cambridge, towards Concord, being a part of " Mr. Pelham's farm," and to John Poulter 212 acres of the same farmn. Precisely when the first houses were erected and actual settlements com- menced at the " Farms," so called, does not appear on record ; but as early as 1682, about thirty families were there, generally styled " Farmers." They had then become so numerous and so strong, that they desired a separation from the parent town ; but they petitioned at first to be made a distinct parish. Although they were unsuccessful for nine years, and did not fully accomplish their purpose for more than thirty years, their petition and the reply to it are inserted, as they indicate the condition of the peo- ple at that period.
" To the honorable the General Court now assembled in Boston, October 11th, 1682.
" The petition of several of the inhabitants within the bounds of the town of Cambridge humbly showeth : That by the provi- dence of God, who hath determined the times before appointed
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and the bounds of the habitations of all men, your petitioners are seated at a great distance, the nearest of them above five miles (some of them six, some seven, some eight, some nine if not ten miles) from the public place of meeting to worship God, in the town that we appertain unto: that your petitioners, by reason thereof, have now (many of us) for a long time conflicted with very great difficulties in respect of themselves, who have been forced to be absent at some seasons of the year, and especially their children, for whose spiritual good and the means leading thereunto they desire to be solicitous as well as for themselves ; that there are now about thirty families, in which are contained at least one hundred and eighty souls, within the circumstances and condition abovementioned : that your petitioners have hum- bly and affectionately represented the premises to the Townsmen at Cambridge, at their meetings, withal signifying their desire of liberty from them to call a minister to preach amongst them and catechise their children, they being willing to build a meeting- house which may be situated so as to be within two miles and an half near thirty families, and to advance for the present forty pounds per annum for his maintenance : that the premises not- withstanding, they have as yet obtained no relief or encourage- ment from the town of Cambridge in this affair. Your petition- ers, therefore, who are the heads of families, fearing the sad effects of this remoteness from the public worship of God and particu- larly in respect of their children and those that shall come after them, lest they should grow weary of attendance upon the public means of grace, and think it too much (as Jeroboam tells Israel it was to go up to Jerusalem) to travel so many miles for such an end, and so should cease to worship the Lord God of their fath- ers, think it their bounden duty humbly to address to this honored Court, praying that you will please to take the case of your peti- tioners into your serious consideration, that by your favor they may be licensed to provide for themselves a person that may be meet and able to dispense unto them the word of God; and that in order thereunto they may be freed from payments to the town of Cambridge, from whom, as their dear and beloved brethren, they no ways desire separation for any other but the forementioned cause alone ; declaring it to have been their stand- ing affliction and cause of grief that, by reason of their remote- ness, they have not been in a capacity, according to their desires, to enjoy more fellowship and communion with them. And your petitioners shall pray, as in duty bound, &c. James Cutler, Matthew Bridge Sen'., David Fiske Sent., Samuel Stone, Sen".,
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Francis Whitmore, John Tedd, Ephraim Winshipe, John Win- ter, in the behalf of the rest of the families." 1
The petitioners presented a strong case. To travel so far, every week, for the purpose of attending public worship would now be regarded as a grievous burden : and the burden was greater two hundred years ago, when travelling was almost ex- clusively accomplished on horseback or on foot. But the peti- tion was presented in a time of general distress and alarm. The Charter, regarded as the palladium of liberty, was in imminent peril, and there were fearful apprehensions of calamities which might result from its loss. Financial embarrassment was already felt, and general bankruptcy was feared. Under such circum- stances, the town opposed the petition of the "Farmers " and action thereupon was "respited " until the next General Court, at which time the town presented an earnest remonstrance against the proposed dismemberment : -
" To the honorable the General Court assembled in Boston, October the 16th, 1683.
" Your humble supplicants, the selectmen of Cambridge, in obedience to a warrant sent to us, and the concerns of our town, do humbly present unto your Honors' consideration, in answer to a petition of the remote farms of our town. Some of your Honors may yet remember the unsettled condition of this church when it was about to remove to Mattabesick,2 for the prevention of which the honored General Court, held at Boston, in March 1643-4, was pleased to grant to this Church a tract of land at Shawshine, and another parcel adjoining to Concord line, for the enlargement of our boundaries, and to enable this church and towne (with the rest of our accommodations) to maintain the ministry in this place, provided the then Church and Elders did continue in this place ; which condition was accordingly per- formed, though this Church and town (as may be demonstrated) was abler to maintain the ministry and defray public charges then than it now is, by reason most of our principal men are now removed from us, some by death and others into England and other countries. We also humbly present unto your Honors' consideration the great disenablement of our church and town by the village on the south side of the River breaking off from us,3 which was so considerable a part of our town, and bare a consid- erable part of our charge in the maintenance of our ministry,
1 Mass. Arch., xi. 24.
2 See chap. vi.
3 See chap. viii.
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and now bears none of that nor several other charges our town is at; whereby we are greatly disenabled so comfortably to maintain our ministry and discharge our public charges as we want and ought to do, by reason one principal arm of our town is cut off, and our accommodations for husbandry so poor and small, and our trade so little and inconsiderable, that it is even a wonder to ourselves how we do subsist and carry on public charge so well as we do, though we do it not so well as we should. We therefore present unto this honorable General Court's most serious consideration the great damage it will be to this poor Church and town, (that have suffered so many diminutions al- ready), if the honored Court should grant our Farmers' petition to let them have a ministry of their own, and so be wholly taken off from contributing to ours ; but much more should we be dam- nified if the honored Court should grant any part of our outlands unto them, we are so exceedingly straitened in the boundaries of our lands, as we shall plainly demonstrate to the honored Court. For the distance of place that our brethren at the Farms are from the public meeting with us, it is but the same it was when they first settled themselves and families there ; and they have there other conveniences with it, and Concord is not far from them, which in bad weather they may go unto. If we should have this arm cut off too, we shall be much disenabled to carry on God's work amongst us, both in Church and Common- wealth ; that as it hath been the care of the honored fathers of our Commonwealth formerly to take care for the subsistence and well being of this senior Church of Christ in Cambridge, so we still crave the continued care of the honored fathers of the Com- monwealth now in being, that they would not destroy the parent for the offspring. We humbly leave our languishing condition to your Honor's' most serious consideration ; and your supplicants sliall pray as in duty bound, etc. William Manning, Sam11. Andrewe, Samuel Chamne, in the name of the town of Cam- bridge." 1
The consideration of this petition was further postponed until the next General Court. Both the Council and the House of Representatives manifested a willingness, at their session in Octo- ber, 1684, to establish a village at the Farms; but they could not agree where the division line should be drawn between the village and the parent town, and nothing was accomplished.2
1 Mass. Arch., xi. 25.
2 Mass. Arch., xi. 27, 28.
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CIVIL HISTORY.
During the troublous times which succeeded, - the disastrous administration of Andros and the perilous Revolution which fol- lowed, - no further effort appears to have been made for a divis- ion of the town. Seven years afterwards, a new petition was presented ; it is not found on the files of the Court, but the re- sult is recorded under date of December 15, 1691: -
" Upon reading the petition of the Farmers and inhabitants of tlie Farms within the precincts and bounds of the town of Cam- bridge towards Concord, therein setting forth their distance (the nearest of them living above five miles) from Cambridge meet- ing house, the place of the public worship, praying that, according to former applications by them several years since made unto this Court for the advantage of themselves, families, and poster- ity, they may have this Court's favor and license in order to the calling of a fit minister for dispensing the gospel among them ; as also that they may be a distinct village for the ends proposed in their said petition : - the selectmen of Cambridge having had a copy of said petition sent them, with a notification of the time for their being heard thereupon this day, and accordingly attend- ing : - After a full hearing and consideration of what was offered by both parties, it is granted and ordered by this Court, that the petitioners be and are hereby permitted and allowed to invite and settle an able and orthodox minister for the dispensing of the gospel among them ; and that all inhabitants being within the line formerly stated by a Committee of this Court, anno 1684, beginning at the first run of water or swampy place over which is a kind of bridge in the way on the southerly side of Francis Whitmore's house, towards the town of Cambridge afore- said, cross the neck of land lying between Woburn line and that of Watertown side, upon a southwest and northeast course, do pay unto the ministers maintained there ; and are hereby em- powered annually to choose three or five meet persons to assess their inhabitants for the support and maintenance of their min- ister, as also a Constable or Collector, to gather the same by warrant from the said Assessors. The said Farmers not being hereby discharged from paying tlieir proportion as formerly unto all public charges in the town, except what refers to the min- istry, so long as they maintain an able minister among them- selves." 1
In the remonstrance against this division, in 1683, it was rep- resented that the town would be grievously " damnified " if the
1 Mass. Prov. Rec., vi. 205.
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HISTORY OF CAMBRIDGE.
" outlands," or common lands not yet divided, should be granted to the petitioners. The Court listened thus far to the remon- strance, and preserved to the town the ownership of this public property, some of which was afterwards sold to the precinct. Two such sales are entered on the Town Records, under date of Jan. 16, 1692-3. It should be added, that these financial trans- actions indicate a friendly spirit in both parties, the separation having apparently been effected without such sharp controversy as occurred in the case of Newton. In the same spirit, March 11, 1699-1700, the town " voted, to give the little meeting-house bell to the Farmers. Voted, that the Selectmen, in the name of the inhabitants, do give their thanks to Capt. Andrew Belcher for the bell for their meeting-house he has given them."
Twenty-one years after their establishment as a precinct, the Farmers, according to their original design, sought to be entirely separated from the town of Cambridge, and to be a " township by themselves." This separation was readily obtained on terms sat- isfactory to both parties. The Cambridge records show that, - " At a meeting of the inhabitants belonging to the meeting house in the Body of the town of Cambridge, orderly convened the 1st December 1712, Capt. Thomas Oliver was chosen Moderator. And whereas the Farmers, at their public meeting on the 28th of October last, appointed a committee to petition the town that they may be dismissed from the town, and be a township by themselves, as appears by their petition bearing date the 6th November, 1712, which has been now read ; voted, That Capt. Thomas Oliver, Mr. Jonathan Remington, and Andrew Bord- inan, be a Committee to treat with the Committee appointed by the Farmers aforesaid ; and that the articles to be proposed to the said Committee, as terms of their dismission, are their pay- ing a part toward the charge of the Great Bridge, and to the Town House, and a consideration for some of our Poor." The meeting was then adjourned until Jan. 12, 1712-3, at which time it was " Voted, That the Farmers, upon their being dismissed from the town, shall annually pay to our Town Treasurer such a proportion of our part of the charge of the Great Bridge over Charles River in Cambridge as shall fall to them according to their annual proportion with us in the Province Tax. (2) Voted, That the said Farmers shall pay their proportion of twenty-five pounds toward the arrears of our Town House. The aforesaid articles being complied with by the Farmers, Voted (3) That the article that has been proposed, referring to their paying their
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CIVIL HISTORY.
proportion toward the relief of some of our Poor, (viz. Robert Webber and Richard a negro, and his wife,) be referred to the Committee formerly appointed, (viz. Capt. Oliver, Mr. Reming- ton, and Andrew Bordman,) to debate further upon, who are fully empowered in behalf of the town, either to insist upon the said article or to consent to their being dismissed from the town upon the articles aforementioned which they have complied with." In accordance with this agreement, the Farmers were incorporated March 20, 1712-13, by an act of the General Court, which pro- vided that the " tract of land known by the name of the north- ern precinct in Cambridge be henceforth made a separate and distinct town, by the name of Lexington, upon the articles and terms already agreed on with the town of Cambridge." 1
During this period and half a century afterwards, very few public events occurred, materially affecting the welfare of Cam- bridge. Some facts, however, though of a more private or per- sonal character, should not be entirely overlooked, as they throw light on the state of society and the condition of the people.
By the Town Records it appears that Cullers of Bricks were first elected, Nov. 10, 1684 : Town Clerk, as an officer distinct from the Selectmen, March 13, 1692-3: Town Treasurer, March 30, 1694: Assessors, July 16, 1694.
The County Records indicate that Thomas Danforth was Treasurer of Middlesex, before 1657, when he was succeeded by Edward Goffe, who died in 1658, and John Stedman was ap- pointed, who held the office until 1683; Samuel Andrew was his successor and remained in office until 1700, except during the administration of Andros. All these were Cambridge men. In the settlement of the Treasurer's accounts, charges were allowed in 1690, to wit : " 52 wolves killed by the English, 208. per wolf, and one killed by an Indian, 108., is £52. 10º . . . . Paid one half the charge of Cambridge Great Bridge, £26. 78. 6d .. " And in 1696, the Treasurer was allowed twelve pence in the pound of all collections and disbursements ; Grand Jurors were paid two shillings per day for attendance ; no allowance was made for travel, but the county paid for their dinners at one shilling each. Seventy-six wolves had been killed, and 138. 4d. per head was allowed in compensation.
May 22, 1691. " Upon the death of John Green, late Mar- shal General, in the beginning of the last Court of Assistants, Mr. Samuel Gookin being appointed by said Court to supply that
1 Mass. Prov. Rec., ix. 258, 259.
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vacancy, and sworn to the faithful discharge of his duty in that place, the said Samuel Gookin is hereby confirmed in the said office of Marshal General of this Colony." 1
June 17, 1700. The General Court granted five pounds, to aid in repairing the road to Connecticut, " especially betwixt Woos- ter and Brookfield," which was described as " much incumbered with trees fallen, and many rocky swamps, and other obstructions to travellers, drovers, and others, to the hazarding life or limb of both men and horses." 2 Six years earlier, Rev. Benjamin Wads- worth, afterwards President of Harvard College, accompanied the commissioners appointed to treat with the Maquas or Mohawks, at Albany, and travelled over this road to Brookfield, then gener- ally called Quaboag : "Capt. Sewal and Major Townsend, being commissioned to treat with the Mockways, set out from Boston about half an hour past twelve, Monday, August 6, 1694. Sev- eral gentlemen did accompany thiem to Watertown, and then returned. At Watertown we met with Lieutenant Hammond and thirty troopers, who were appointed for a guard to Spring- field. We came to our first stage at Malberough, about half an hour past eight in the evening. We lodged at Abraham How's,3 and thence set forward the next morning about half an hour past seven of the clock. There was nothing remarkable this day, but only Mr. Dwite, of Hatford, did accidentally fall into our com- pany, and after the same manner, scil. accidentally, he and his horse both together fell into a brook; but both rose again with- out damage. This day we dined in the woods. Pleasant descants were made upon the dining room : it was said that it was large, high, curiously hung with green ; our dining place was also ac- commodated with the pleasancy of a murmuring rivulet. This day, some of our company saw a bear; but being near a thick swamp, he escaped our pursuit. Towards night we heard (I think) three guns ; but we knew not who shot them. Our whole company come this day to Quaboag, about sundown, not long before nor after." 4 The easterly section of this road is mentioned by Pemberton, under date of Sept. 30, 1783, in his manuscript " Chronology," preserved in the library of the Mass. Hist. Society : " A gentleman of this State remarks, 'that soon after the set- tlement of our Fathers at Boston, the persons appointed to explore the country, and lay out public roads did it as far as the
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