USA > Massachusetts > Barnstable County > Chatham > History of Chatham, Massachusetts : formerly the Constablewick or Village of Monomoit ; with maps and illustrations and numerous genealogical notes > Part 13
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115. "Forty acres of Upland and Ten acres of Meadow Lands out of the Lands that I purchased of the Sagamors Mataquason and John Quason at Monamoy and Places ad- jacent Bounded as followeth: The Bounds Easterly as we go to Monemese Is the Crick and Salt Pond where there Stands a Pine Tree Marked on the four Sides near to the Harbour and upon a Straight Line Northerly to the high Clift and Trees Marked upon the Range and Range upon the CllIt Westerly to an old fence where there is a Tree marked on the four Sides, and from thence as the old fence Range Southerly to a Swamp where there is a Tree marked on the fonr Sides and from thence Easterly to a Clift near to the llarbour where there are Trees marked upon the Range" [said Joseph to have no share on the Great Neck, his 40 acres being all in one piece] "And also a parcel of meadow that Is near to Seaquanset Bounded with the Upland Round abont and butteth Southerly upon Trnstrum Hedges Meadow near to the Bridge where they bring out their Hay." "Also all the Meadow upon Monamesset Neck." From a certified copy made Dec. 10, 1757, by Solomon Otis Regr (Osborn Nickerson papers).
116. Mr. Josiah Paine in Deyo, Hist. of Barnstable Co. 837; note 58, page 76, and note 54, page 100.
117. 8 Mayflower Descendant, 156.
118. "A Proprietors' Book for Chatham." Town Clerk's office.
131
EARLY SETTLERS.
His wife and son William were charged, in the winter of 1709-10, with aiding and abetting an Indian in burning the barn of Mr. Edward Bangs at Satucket. The Indian was not convicted and the whole charge failed, but as his wife through illness had failed to appear at Court and her bond was forfeited, Mr. Nickerson had trouble in getting relief from its payment, finally petitioning the General Court therefor.119 He died after 1726, when his son is mentioned as Joseph, Jr., and before 1731, at which date his widow is mentioned.120 She lived to be very old and in her last days lived at Chatham at the house of John Eldredge, where she fell siek. On October 21, 1735, the Court at Barnstable ordered the town of Harwich to repay to Chatham the sum it had spent for her in her, presumably last, sickness there.121
Nathaniel Tomlon or Tumblen was of Yarmouth as early as 1686, when he witnessed the will of Thomas Folland. He set- tled at Monomoit between this date and 1695. He was grandjuryman in 1698, was hired by the village in 1702 to build a "sufficient pound," was tithingman in 1706 and constable in 1709. It is supposed that the family removed from the village about 1710 or 1711, with the first emigra- tion. The location of his farm at Monomoit is not known, but it is supposed to have been east of Taylor's pond, South Chatham. The inlet into this. pond was known for years 119. Records Superior Court of Judicature III, 247, 248, 257; State Archives XL, 954. 120. Freeman, Hist. of Cape Cod I1, 506; Deyo, Hist. of Barnstable Co., 837.
121. M. L. Luce papers.
Children of Joseph and Ruhamah Nickerson (order uncertain): 1. Jeremiah, b -. Heremoved to Duck Creek, Del., In 1711, where he died in 1724. Hlis will dated Oct. 9, 1724, proved Oct. 31, 1724, mentions the following children : Joshna, Joseph, Lydia, Ruhamah, Priscilla, Mary, and grandsons Nehemiah and Jere- mlah. 2. William. b. - , m. Lydia Maker, dan. of James, Nov. 4. 1703, (Har. Rec. ) His will dated Sept. 15, 1760. proved Mar. 17, 1765, mentions the following chil- dren: John, Isaac, Joseph, Silas, William, Rachel, Lydla, Mary, Priscilla. 3. Joseph, b. - , m. - , and lived in Harwich. 4. Josiah, b. - , m. Rachel Maker, dan. of James, Jan. 20, 1714-5. (Har. Rec.) He died before June 16, 1737, (when his widow's intention to marry John King was recorded), leaving probably the fol- lowing children: Shubael, Joslab, Bethlah, m. Samnel Merchant of Yarmouth Feb. 26, 1736. (Yar. Rec.) Deborah, m. Hezekiah Baxter of Yarmouth (int. Mar. 19, 1743). 5. Perhaps John, b. m. Sarah -. 6. Daughters not known.
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HISTORY OF CHATHAM.
as Tumblen's Cove. Matthew Tomlon, supposed to be a son of Nathaniel, owned ten acres of upland on the west side of Taylor's pond, purchased of the proprietors of Monomoit. This he had sold before 1712.122
These early settlers led lives of hard work and few pleas- ures. They lived in small houses of one story, usually located in a valley near the shore or near some inlet, bay or cove. There was no glass for the windows. Oiled paper was used instead. There were no carriages. Oxen were used for farm work and for riding men and women used the saddle exclusively. They had few chairs, no forks or saucers and ate out of wooden plates, called trenchers. They suffered much from cold in winter, hay- ing only fire places, and tallow candles afforded their ordinary light. The duties of the women were manifold, including spinning, weaving, making soap, candles, butter, cheese, &c. They were not only their own dressmakers but tailors for the men as well. Their work was, indeed, never done. There was no lack, however, of good food. The new country afforded an abundance of fish and game, which to-day are delicacies on many tables.
122. "A Proprietors' Book for Chatham," Town Clerk's office.
Children of Nathaniel and .- Tomlon (order and relationship both con. jectural): 1. Matthew, b. -. 2. Robert, b. --. 3. --. m. Ebenezer Sev- erance of Harwich Feb. 14, 1709-10 (East. Rec. ) It appears from Eastham records that Richard Walker m. Joanna Tomlon "of Needham" (Int. Feb. 13, 1719 20) and that his brother Jeremiah Walker m. Esther Tomlon Sept. 12, 1724. The only Tomlons to be found on the records of Dedham and Needham (Needham was incorporated from Ded- ham in 1711) are the following: Matthew Tomlon m. Sarah Bullard May 7. 1701: ch. Elisha, b. Mar. 10, 1701 2; Lydia, b. Mar. 12. 1703-4, Rebecca. b. Sept. 3, 1705; Abigail. b. July 13, 1707; Seth, b. May 10, 1709; Elizabeth, b. In summer 1711. May 2, 1714, "voted that Mathew Tambling and John Fisher should teach children to read and wright " Apr. 22, 1700. Abigail Tomblin in. William Wait. I cannot establish the con- nection between these Needham and Monomoit families, but I very much doubt if Richard Walker would have gone to Needham for a wife, if he had not already made her acquaintance at home on Cape Cod. There was an Ellsha Tomlins residing in Eastham about 1730, probably the Elisha born at Dedham Mar. 10, 1701-2. Files Superior Court of Judicature No. 26,390.
CHAPTER VIII.
MONOMOIT UNDER MASSACHUSETTS BAY COLONY.
A N attempt was made in the latter part of Chapter VIL to give a list of settlers probably resident at Monomoit at the time it became a part of the Bay Colony. It did not purport to be an accurate list and, in fact, new evidence has come to light since it was compiled, which shows that the number of settlers was even less than there stated. { John Taylor, it seems, was a resident of Yarmouth as late as 1698,2 if not later, and Edward Small did not leave Dover, N. H., till after 1694.3 It is doubtful, too, whether William Cahoon or Nathaniel Tomlon were here before 1692. Indeed, it is not likely that there were at Mono- moit proper, nearly thirty years after its settlement, more than half a dozen families outside of the original Nickerson family settlement ! On the other hand, in that part of Monomoit, now a part of Harwich, there were, besides the Halls, the families of Joseph Severance (who bought of Caleb Lumbert in 1687)+ and Manoah Ellis who became co-owner with Severance.
The first General Court after the consolidation of the colonies met at Boston in June 1692. Each town and " place " was entitled to send two deputies or representa- tives to this Court, and Monomoit was, accordingly, repre- sented by two of its citizens, Lieut. Nicholas Eldredge and
I. Page 104 supra.
2. Files Superior Court of Judicature No. 4600.
3. Stackpole, Old Kittery and her Families.
4. Flles Superior Court of Judicature No. 144,324.
134
HISTORY OF CHATHAM.
Lieut. William Mitchell. This body passed an act making it optional with places having less than forty qualified voters,5 whether they would send a deputy or not, and thereafter for many years Monomoit exercised the choice thereby offered by voting not to be represented.6 As each place was obliged to pay its own representative, the in- habitants thereby saved expense.
Mention has already been made of the fact that a large tract, comprising the easterly part of the place and a por- tion of the westerly part of the place, was not included in William Nickerson's original purchase from the Indians, but that the Plymouth Court made provision that he should have liberty to purchase this adjacent land to the extent of 1,000 acres, the limits of the same to be laid out by Mr. John Freeman and Mr. Jonathan Sparrow, both of East- ham." This order of the Court was passed in October 1674, but for some reason no action was then taken under it, Mr. Nickerson proceeding, however, to make purchases as if it had been done. In December 1692, after the death of Mr. Nickerson, Messrs. Freeman and Sparrow finally executed the order of the Court and defined the limits of the tract to be purchased, thereby confirming to William Nickerson, the son, and Sarah Covell, the suc- cessors of their father, their title to the tracts he had already purchased, as well as to those not yet purchased.
The action of Messrs. Freeman and Sparrow appears in the following record :
These presents witnesseth that wheras the Generall Court held at Plimonth the first Tuesday of June in ye year of our Lord one thousand six hundred and sixty-five the aforesaid Court was pleased to Grant to severall of yo freemen of ye Ancient Colony of New Plimouth a Certaine
5. A qualified voter must at that time possess real estate of an annual value of 40 shillings or other property worth 50 lbs.
6. The first representative chosen after 1692 was in 1768.
7. See page 75 supra ; also Plym. Col. Rec. V, 154.
135
UNDER THE BAY COLONY.
tract of land at Monamoy which was said to be purchased of ye Indians by William Nickerson, Senr, of late deceased. there being nine of the aforesaid freemen and the aforesaid Nickerson was to have an equall proportion of land with the said nine men whose names are specified in sd act of Court, the Court was pleased to Grant unto said nine men & William Nickerson an hundred acres a peece of ye lands adjacent at Monamoy that were not yet purchased, the said nine men seeing cause to sell their Grant and title to sd Nickerson as will appear by an Instrument under hand and seal of said nine men, And sometime since ye afore- said William Nickerson petitioned the Generall Court for to appoint meet persons for to lay out sd Lands adjacent at Monamoy purchased by him of the sd freemen or nine men, sd Court considering of sd Petition Ordered John Freeman and Jonathan Sparrow both of Eastham to lay and bound out sd lands. Accordingly we have measured and set out sd lands to William Nickerson and Sara Covell as successors and assigns to ye above sd William Nickerson deceased on ye fifth of December in ye year of our Lord one thousand six hundred and ninety-two all those lands betwixt the sd Nickerson's bounds at Monamoy and the Bay on ye Easterly side of Monamoy contayning eight hundred aeres, with an addition on ve Westerly side of ye lands formerly purchased by William Nickerson deceased Con- tayning two hundred aeres Bounded by ye mouth of ve creeke that goeth out of ye Oyster pond at Machpoxet and so ranging Westerly to ye head of ve meadow or marsh that lyeth on ye easterly side of a River called by ye name of ye Red River and so as ye sd River runs into ye Sea till it comes to the creek that runs out of ye aforesaid Oyster Pond or Machpoxet. As witness our hands ye day and year above written.
John Freeman Jonathan Sparrow. s
8. Plym. Col. Deeds VI. 109. "Ye Oyster Pond at Machpoxet" was commonly called In old documents the Little Oyster pond.
136
HISTORY OF CHATHAM.
The territory thereby laid out to Mr. Nickerson and Mrs. Covell, comprised all the land in the easterly part of Mon- omoit, lying cast of a line from Frostfish Creek to the head of the Oyster Pond and thence to the Mill pond and secondly, a traet of 200 acres in the southwest part of the place, being part or all of the tract purchased by William Nickerson, Sen, of John Quason in March 1678-9.9
The tract of 800 acres in the easterly part of the place was never purchased by Mr. Nickerson, but remained in the occupation of the Indians for many years. It was called the unpurchased land or Indian land. Mattaquason, the old sachem of the tribe, early followed the English custom and parcelled out these lands to members of his family and tribe in severalty. About 1670 he conveyed to his daughter Sarah, the wife of Stephen, alias Maskuck, alias Stephen Mashuasuke,10 that part of the tract called Cotchpinicut Neck (Old Harbor)." To another daugh-
9. I think that the description of this second tract was Intended to cover all the land bought by Nickerson in March 1678-9, but the language used is scarcely adequate for that purpose. See page 76, note 58, for a description of this purchase of March 1678-9.
10. This is probably the same Indian who, under the name of Wasnecksuk, signed for the Monomoyicks in October, 1675, the pledge of fidelity to the Pilgrims, (page 83, note 18). Wasnechsuk and Mashuasnke look much alike In early writings.
11. "The Testimony of Jeremiah Menekosh aged 7* years Dotb Testlfie and say That about fifty years ago The ould sachem of Monemoy called Mategnason gave nnto bis Danghter Sarah Quason a piece of land called Cochpincah neck, so far np as a great Rock and some short Trees near sd Rock; so over sd neck to a place Called Wampag. so all Round sd Neck untill It Com to a place Called pasher where they marked some pine Trees. This I Heard the above sd sachem say That he Gave all The above sd Land unto his sd Daughter Sarah and To her Children not To sell or Dispose of, and The sd sachem Mentioned all The above sd Bounds and also Gave ber all sd Land Runing from the above sd Bonnds and also gave her all sd land Runing from The above Sd Pine Trees by an Indian path Through The middle of a valey nnto The Round field and so Round To The Rock above mentioned. And ould Mr. Bourne The minister Then made a Writing which writing I have since seen In Mercy Nickersons hands, And The Deponant further saith That The same time The above sd Sarah and her Husband Lived on sd Land and Improved Thereon and Sarah bad Three Sons named bogoms Richard Steven, and Mataquitt Who Lived and had famerlys settled on sd Land Long after The Death of Their sd mother and father Stephen and when Dogomus Stephen and Mataquitt Dyed They Left each of them a son namely Peter Dogomns Simon Stephen and Stephen Matagitt who are now Platts, which Stephen Matagnit hath a honse on sd Land and some of Sarahs family have Lived In the possession of sd Land
137
UNDER THE BAY COLONY.
ter, the wife of Cousins, Indian, he gave the tract east and south of the Mill pond, called then Tom's Neck.12 His son, John Quason, obtained a tract at Cotchpinient near his sister Sarah, 18 a part of which he seems to have sold later to JJeremiah Nickerson. South of him at Hammond's Hill (now so called) was Menekish or Menekosh, who had twenty acres, bounded east on the bay, north on John
Ever since. And further saith That Thomas Nickerson Jur Last year sett a house and lence on sd Land and hath Improved part of sd Land.
Janur 20th 1719 Taken upon Oath In Court
A true copy Compared with Ft on file
Attest Wm Bassett Cler.
p. Wm. Bassett, Cler.
(Files Superior Court of Judicature No. 13,717.)
John Cousins, minister abont 70 years of age testifies & saith that I formerly very well knew old Mataquason an Indian sachem of Manamoy formerly so Called. Ialso knew an Indian woman named Sarah & she was ye reputed Daughter of sd Sachem & she married with one Stephen abont fifty years ago. Some time after I was present when sd Mataquason (ve sachem) bounded ont a neck of land called Cotchpinlca neck & gave it his sd Daughter Sarah & old Mr. Bourne being then present writ ye deed of gift which Contained ye whole of sd neck & the sd Sarah with her husband settled on sd neck & lived thereon all yr Days & had three sons Doggomus, Stephen & Richard who all three of them married & lived on sd neck of land all their days (some of them at least) and had each of them a son, namely Simon Stephen, Peter Doggoms & Stephen Maataquit and these three sons are ye now appellants who have lived on sd land ever since (some of them at least) one of them is yet living on sd land: And I re- member sd Doggomus ye eldest of ye three sons sold ye eastermost part of sd neck to William Nickerson & bounded it out which bounds wear expressed in sd deed which deed did not comprehend any land now In Controversy that being on ye east side of the neck & this in Controversy lyeth on ye Westermost side thereof.
April ye 21 1720 then ye abovesd John Cousins made oath to ye truth of ye above written evidence, Lient Thomas Nickerson being notified & present
before Peter Thacher
Jus. peace.
Flles Superior Court of Judicature No. 15,919.
12. See page 76. note 59 supra; also page 98 and notes 51 and 52.
13. See the following deed dated March 25. 1697[-8], from John Quason to William Nlek- erson son of William Nickerson of Monomoit: "All yt my land at or near a place com- monly called & known by ye name Kotchpinient lying on ye north side of a parcel of Lands of Meneklshes & adjoyning to said lands, a stone marked with M. on the top of a CHITt & so down to ye water & along sald waterside till it come to Jeremlah Nicker- son's Land to a stone marked N & so along by ye side of said Jeremiah Nickerson's Land Westerly as far as I ye said John Quason have any land In yt place & so to ye land of John Acheheu & from ye Land of John Acheheu unto ye Lands of Wm. Nicker- son and Mr. Samuel Smith deceased & so along sd Nickerson & Smith's Land until It meets with ye Westerly part of ye Lands of Menekish & so Ranges by ye side of Mene- kishes land Easterly till It Comes to ye first specified stone marked M." Deed also grants right to Nickerson and his heirs "to cut wood & fencing stuff & timber of any of my other lands for his use from the to time & at all times as he has occasion." Flles Superior Court of Judicature No. 36-11.
138
HISTORY OF CHATHAM.
Qnason's land and west on land of John Quason, Jr., 14 (later sold to Samuel Smith and William Nickerson). Joseph Quason obtained a tract running from the head of the Oyster pond east to the bay and adjoining Cousins' land at Tom's Neck.15 North of him was Nick or Nicholas, Indian, and probably east of and near the Stepstone meadow (now so called) was the land of John Acheheu. 16
As we have already seen, William Nickerson, son of the first settler, in 1689, purchased a part of Cotchpinicut neck from the sons of Sarah, then deceased, and settled there soon after, and in 1691 Mr. Samuel Smith of Eastham acquired by purchase the whole of Tom's Neck.17 With these exceptions, the whole of this tract in the easterly part of the place was in possession of the Indians, when Mr. Freeman and Mr. Sparrow laid it out in 1692, as part of the 1,000 aeres which the Court had authorized the first settler to purchase.
In the year 1693 the first recorded meeting of the in- habitants was held.18 William Nickerson, Sen, son of the first settler, was then the clerk of the village, chosen at some former meeting, for there must have been meetings of the village ten or twelve years before this date in order to choose the constable, grandjuryman and other village officers. At this meeting held on June 12,19 George Godfrey and Joseph Nickerson were chosen fence viewers ("survaiors to veneue men's fences") and William Mitchell and Joseph Harding as " towns men," to make up or repair
14. See deed from William Ned, alias Calley, to William Nickerson, Jr., dated Nov. 28. 1733, Files Superior Court of Judleature No. 36,172 and deed from William Cawley, allas Ned, to Richard Knowles dated Dec. 3, 1733, In said Files No. 36,204.
15. Deed from Samuel Sprague to Richard Sears dated March 3, 1707-8; also deed Joseph Quason to Samuel Spragne dated Oct. 12, 1702, (Josiah Paine papers) .
16. See above mentioned deed to Richard Sears; also note 13 supra.
17. Pages 98 and 99 supra.
18. The reader will note that the whole history of the place to this point has been gathered from sources outside of the town records.
19. The exact date of this meeting does not now appear on the town records, the edges of the old book of records having worn off, and it is supplied from a copy made in 1857 by Mr. Dean Dudley of Boston and published In the Yarmouth Register of Apr. 30, 1858. Rev. Mr. Freeman (History of Cape Cod 11, 587) In 1863 gives the date as May 12, but a comparison of Mr. Dudley's copies with those made by Mr. Freeman shows the former to be a better reader of the old handwriting.
139
UNDER THE BAY COLONY.
men's bounds.20 Lieut. Nicholas Eldredge engaged at the same meeting to procure for the village, a half bushel, a peek and a half peek, that they might have correct meas- ures by which to buy and sell their products. Joseph Harding above mentioned, son of Joseph Harding of East- ham, was a recent settler. Thomas Atkins, son of Henry Atkins of Eastham, and Benjamin Phillips, perhaps son of Thomas of Yarmouth, also settled at Monomoit about this time.
In October of this year William Nickerson Sen. and Mrs. Sarah Covell, the proprietors of a large part of Monomoit after the death of their father, sold and conveyed to Samuel Sprague of Marshfield a third part of their entire holdings. making him an equal partner with themselves. How Mr. Sprague came to interest himself in this property so far distant from the scene of his other activities I have not been able to discover. It was probably a matter of specu- lation with him. He was the last Secretary of Plymouth Colony and a man of influence and standing in his day.21 He acquired from them " All that the one-third part of all our undivided and unpurchased lands at Monamoyet afore- said and places adjacent, which in ye right of our father William Nickerson deceased we now have, Hold and enjoy by virtue of Deeds of feoffment Given us under ye hand and seal of our said father, That is to say more particularly, we do hereby Give, Grant & sell unto the said Sprague the one third part of all our right of Lands contained in ye Deed of Mattaquason & John Quason, Indian Sachems of
20. Rev. Mr. Freeman (History of Cape Cod II, 587) states that at this meeting Willlam Nickerson and Joseph Harding were appointed "agents for the repairs of Monomoy meeting house." This is another error due to the difficulty of reading the band- writing In the early records. It was William Mitchell who was appointed with Joseph Harding and they were to "mak up or repare men's bonnes [bounds]." There is no evidence that there was a meeting house at Monomoit at this date. The words "men's bonnes" In the records were thought to be "Mono'house" and this was supposed to refer to a Monomoy meeting house.
21. He was son of William Sprague of Charlestown and a resident first at Duxbury and later at Marshfield. He died in 1710, leaving a Family.
-(11)-
140
HISTORY OF CHATHAM.
Monamoiet, Given unto our said father under the hands and seals of ye said Sachems Bearing date June ye 19th 1672, Together with all our one third of purchasing lands in said Monamoyet and places adjacent Granted by ye Generall Court of ye late Colony of New Plimouth unto our said father, William Nickerson deceased, in ye month of JJune 1665, onely excepting out of this Grant & Sale all our own and other persons particular alotments, possessions and rights of lands Before this Date confirmed unto them by our said father or ourselves or either of us."22
The Hall neighborhood, which became a part of Mono - moit in 1691, as we have seen, and which then consisted of "several families."" viz, the Halls, Severance and Ellis, was soon increased by the addition of the families of Benja- min Hall, brother of Gershom, and of Elisha Eldredge, son of William, of Yarmouth. 44 Early in 1694 these settlers were induced to join with others living at Satucket (now Brews- ter) in petitioning the General Court for incorporation as a town." The petition was dated May 30, 1694, and on June 5th an order was passed referring it to the next Gen- eral Court, to be then passed "provided there be no just reason given to the contrary by any person to this Court" before that time.26 There is nothing on record to show that any notice was ordered to be given to the Monomoit authorities, as was customary, and nothing to show that they knew of the proceedings, although they were, of course, interested parties. At the next session of the General Court, without further proceedings, an act was passed on September 4, 1694, incorporating the town of Harwich and apparently, but not certainly, including in it
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