USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Chelmsford > History of Chelmsford, Massachusetts > Part 3
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& a Lr. was sutably sent by Br. Read to acquainte the Chelmesf. Comittee how things stood, & advised to stead them- selves elswhere.
Betwene this time & the 6t. of 4t. mo 55. things hung vncer- tayne & vncleered, notwithstanding some Lrs. passed & some agitatio at Wenha betwene Isa: Lernet agent fr Chelmsfd & Wenha Brethren. But as upo 6t of 4th aforesd was dated a Lr. & sent by the hands of Isa: Lernet Sim: Thompso & Tho: Adams, with full power to them to treate & finally to determine ths busines depending betwene both pties.
Vpon there coming ouer to Wenham. The Matter was determined betwene them & the sd pastor touching the Building of the house Terms of Accommodation & of yeerly mayntenance., as under there hands affixed to the Lrs was sent before dated in first month tenth day.
likewise it was concluded betwene them & the Brethren at Wenham to refer the matter to Counsell; & the pties agreed upon were. Mr Endicot Govrnor Mr Mather, Mr Allen of Dedham Mr Corbett. Mr Sherman Capt Johnson of Woobuerne who determined the case for Chelmsford.
This case thus determined: on either side prpation was made for the Removal of the Church.
Accordingly about the 13th of 9 mo. 55, there were met at Chelmsfd. the pasto with the engaged Brethren of Wenham church viz. Ezdras Read, Edw. Kemp. Austin Killam. Sa: Fostor. Geo: Byam & Rich. Goldsmith. seuen in all To whom such of the Brethren of Wooburne & Concord ch: who had before ppounded themselues to joyne with the ch: late at Wenham, Now in Removeing to Chelmsford. & prsented themselues, with there Lrs. of Dismission: upon satisfaction & Testimony Giuen were by an vnanimous vote Received into fellowship They being the greater numb. in way of mutual complyance, a Relatio passd on either side, as each one voluntarily would:
Membs sigd
Viz. Isaack Lernett (he dyed 8. of 10.57. 1
Simon Thompson (he dyed about 3 qrs of a y. after at Ooburne 2
Wm. Vnderwood
3
Abram Parker
4
Benja: Butterfeild
5
Tho: Chamberlin 6 Next received
Dan Blogged who brought Irs. of dismission from the Ch: at Cambridge 7
12
HISTORY OF CHELMSFORD
So after this the seales of the supp administred & there were admitted by vote these Members of other churches, to coion with us in these seales.
Mr Griffin
Wm. fletcher & his wife
Tho: Adams, & his wife
Br. Vndrwoods wife
(Edw. Spalding)
Bro: Butterfeilds wife
Bro: Chamberlins wife
Edm: Chamberlins wife
Abram Parkers wife
Jos. Parkers wife
Isa: Lernets wife
Sim: Thompsons wife
since Rec'ed into fellowship was Jacob Parker
8
It [em]. Tho: Adams. & Edw. Spalding. on 27 of 2d 56 10
9
FIRST TOWN MEETING.
The following is the record of the first Town Meeting: The : 22d : the: 9th: month: 1654
At a Meeting then at William Fletchers Hous there was Chosen to officiate in Ordering the Public affairs of the Place by the Consent of the Major part of the Town for this present year ensuing are as followeth.
Esdras Read: Edward Spaulding: William Fletcher: Isaac Lerned: Simon Thompson: William Underwood: Thomas Adams.
We give to Mr Fisk Thirty acres of Meadow and Thirty Acres of Plowable Land for the acomidation of him for his most Conveniancy: And we do Agree and Order that he shall have a Hous built for him Thirty eight foot in Length & Twenty foot in breadth with three fire Rooms the Chimneys built with Brick or stone: And we promise to pay to Mr. Fisk Fifty Pounds for the first year: And we promise to pay his Maintinence as the Lord shall enable us for the future.
The house where this meeting was held is said to have been the first frame house in town. It stood a few rods northeast of what is now known as the Crosby house. The land upon which it stood continued to be occupied by the descendents of William Fletcher until about the year 1900. Some part of the original holdings still remain in the possession of the family. The road, one of the oldest in town, originally ran from the meeting house by Westford road, Worthen street, and Crosby place, and continued to Golden Cove road near the house of Jas. F. Stearns. The part beyond the Crosby place has been long discontinued.
13
THE BEGINNING
SECOND TOWN MEETING.
The second Town Meeting fixed the date of the annual meeting and the officers to be chosen and also fixed a penalty for such as might be inclined to neglect their political duties.
At a Publick meeting of the Town month fist Day 24th 1655. William Fletcher is Chosen Constable: Isaac Lerned is Chosen Sergeant of the band: Simon Tomson is Chosen Clerk of the Band:
It is ordered that the first second Day of the first month Shall be observed by all the householders of the town from year to year for the Chusing of all annual officers belonging to the Town as the select-men or Committee: Deputy for the Court: Constable: The three men to end all small causes under Forty shillings Surveyors for the high-way overseers of the fences and swine and to meet at the meeting-hous by nine a Clock in the morning and for the first hours nonappearance twelve pence and for a Whole Days Absence two shillngs.
INCORPORATION.
The little settlement now felt themselves sufficiently well established to be incorporated and at the May session of the General Court of 1655 and in the week ending May 29th, the following act of incorporation was passed.
Vppon informacon from Major Willard, by a letter from Esdras Read, Edward Spalden, Wm. Fletcher, etc., inhabitants of a new plantacon, that the noumber of inhabitants, according to the time pfixt in the Courts graunt, were there settled at theire request, the Court doth graunt the name thereof to be called Chelmsford.
The two adjoining towns, Groton and Billerica, were in- corporated at the same time.
The town of Chelmsford was now organized with its church and town government, and it must now depend for its success and progress upon the industry, wisdom and fortitude of its inhabitants. The twenty or more families that now constituted the town were made up of the very best material with which to build a stable and well-ordered community. The heads of the families were for the greater part born in England and left their homes there previous to 1640, because of religious per- secution, to take up their abode in the wilderness of America. As is always the case with people, who are willing to suffer hardship and privation for conscience's sake, they were men of strong char- acter and deep religious convictions. They were liberal in their support of their church as will be seen as this story progresses.
14
HISTORY OF CHELMSFORD
It would seem that the entire energies of these few pioneers in the wilderness must have been required to obtain simply food and shelter for themselves and families, and it is difficult to under- stand how they were able in so short a time to build their meeting- house, and such a commodious parsonage for their minister and incur other heavy expenses.
NAMED FOR CHELMSFORD, ENGLAND.
The town was named for Chelmsford, England, a substantial and interesting old town, twenty-nine miles from London, in the County of Essex, and containing a population of 13,000. It was named from the river Chelmer which flows through it.
President John Adams, while visiting Chelmsford, England, in 1786 wrote in his diary:
Chelmsford was probably named in compliment to Mr. Hooker, who was once minister of that town in Essex, but after- wards in Holland, and after that at "Newtown" (Cambridge) and after that at Hartford, in New England .*
The Mr. Hooker referred to was Rev. Thomas Hooker, the founder of Connecticut and the author of "the first written con- stitution known to history that created a government, and it marked the beginning of American democracy, of which Thomas Hooker deserves more than any other man to be called the father." While it would be pleasant to feel that the fathers of Chelmsford were prompted in giving it a name, by their admiration for this enlightened statesman and preacher, it is to be remembered that Hooker left Cambridge for Connecticut nearly twenty years before Chelmsford was settled, and there is no evidence that he ever had any connection with the town.
It was undoubtedly named, in accordance with the custom of the time, for the town in England which had been the former home of some of the prominent settlers. An examination of a transcript of St. Mary's parish register, Chelmsford, England, in the possession of Mayor F. Chancellor, made by Walter Perham in 1902, shows that there were in the old mother town, between 1538 and the time of the settlement of this town, families or individuals bearing the names Adams, Butterfield, Spaldyng, Chamberlyne, Fletcher, Parker, Warren and Purkis, perhaps our Parkhurst-names that have been prominent in the affairs of the Town, and its offshoots, from its earliest days to the present. *Life and Works of John Adams, Vol. 3, p. 404.
tJohn Fiske.
15
THE BEGINNING
Chelmsford is the only town of that name in the United States. There is, however, a Chelmsford in Ontario, Canada, and another in Northumberland County, New Brunswick.
The Wenham company was a great accession to the little settlement, particularly their minister, Rev. John Fiske.
The influence of the clergy was so great, in those times, that the welfare of the community depended very much upon the good sense, energy, and character of their spiritual advisors. This town was especially fortunate in that respect. The first four pastorates, those of Fiske, Clarke, Stoddard and Bridge, embraced a period of 137 years. No stronger evidence could be given of the good sense of these men and their strong hold upon the affections of their people than to say that during all this period, when religious controversies were so common, many churches being split in twain over what seem to us trivial doctrinal questions, no church council was ever called to settle any differences, in this town, between pastor and people. Differences, to be sure, they had, but they were all settled amicably between themselves, and each of the four first ministers remained and served the church and community until death severed the connection.
The Rev. John Fiske came to this country from England in 1637 bringing a letter of introduction from Robt. Ryece to Gov. John Winthrop, which read as follows:
To the woorshipfull his moste respected good ffrinde Mr John Wrinthrope esqr. at his house at Boston in New England give these.
Sir,-This bearer, Mr. Fyske, being one every waye so pious & religeous, needes not my comendations of hym, but the malignitie of the tymes, removinge hym with sondry others of his profession into your partes, hathe required this shorte wrytinge of mee, in his behalfe, that what employment you can procure hym I may be thankefull vnto you for it. Hee is a graduate, & havinge preached mooche, seinge the danger of the tymes, he changed his profession of divinitie into phisicke. wherein he hath now laste warde employed hym selfe. He is a good schollar & an honeste man. I pray pardon my abrupte & sooddeyne writinge. I can stay no longer. but after the true remembrance of my best respecte vnto you. I take my leave this 19 of Apryll. 1637, and do remayne
Yours euery wayes mooche bownde
Robte. Ryece .*
This letter was endorsed on the back by Gov. Winthrop: "Mr. Ryece per Mr. Fiske."
*Coll. Mass. Historical Society. First Series, Vol. VI.
16
HISTORY OF CHELMSFORD
Mr. Fiske was not only beloved by the people among whom he labored but he was held in high esteem by his contemporaries as appears from a biographical account of him by Cotton Mather from which the following is taken. [Magnalia, Vol. 1, p. 430.]
"Among the first preachers and writers, which rendered the primitive times of New England happy, there was one who might likewise be called a beloved physician; one of whom there might also be given the eulogy, which the ancients think was given to Luke, a brother whose praise was in the gospel throughout all churches.
This was Mr. John Fisk.
Mr. John Fisk was born in the parish of St. James
in the county of Suffolk, about the year 1601, of pious and worthy parents, yea, of grand-parents, and great grand-parents, eminent for zeal in the true religion. There were six brothers in the infamous reign of Queen Mary, whereof three were Papists, and three were Protestants, I may say, Puritans; and of the latter (whereof none were owned by the former) two were sorely perse- cuted. For one of these brethren, the pursevant, having a kind- ness, gave him a private and previous notice of his coming with an order to seize him: whereupon the good man, first called his family to prayer, hastned away to hide himself in a ditch, with his godly wife, which had a sucking child at her breast. The pursevant being near at hand, a thorn in the hedge gave such a mark to the child's face, as never went out; whereat the child beginning to roar, the mother presently clapt it to the breast, whereby it was quieted at once, and there was no discovery then, or after, made of these confessors. Another of these brethren, from whom our Fisk was descended, was then (to avoid burning) hid many months in a wood-pile; and afterwards, for half a year in a cellar, where he diligently employed himself in profitable manufactures, by candle light, after such a manner as to remain likewise undiscovered; but his many hardships brought that excessive bleeding upon him, that shortened his days, and added unto the cry of the souls under the altar.
Our John was the eldest of four children, all of whom after- wards came to New-England with him, and left a posterity, with whom God established his holy covenant. His parents having devoted him unto the service of the Lord Jesus Christ, they sent him first unto a grammar school, two miles from the place of their abode, whither his diligent soul was instead of wings, every day to carry him.
His education at the school, having fitted him for the university, he went unto Cambridge, where he was admitted, into (as I think) Immanuel College, in which he resided, until he became a graduate. Some time after this, being both by art and by heart, well prepared for it, he applied himself unto the work to which he had been devoted; namely, the preaching of
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17
THE BEGINNING
the gospel; but the silencers grew so hard upon him for his non- conformity, that upon the advice of his friends, he set himself to study physick, and upon a thorough examination, he obtained a licence for public practice. When he was about eight and twenty years of age, he married a vertuous young gentlewoman [Anne Gipps]; several hundreds of pounds of whose patrimony were denied her upon the displeasure of her father, at her coming to New-England.
But upon the death of his father, who had committed unto him the care of his mother and two sisters, and his youngest brother, he thought it his duty to remove into New England, where he saw an opportunity of returning unto the quiet exercise of his ministry. He, and that excellent man Mr. John Allin, came aboard in disguise, to avoid the fury of their persecutors; but after they were past the Lands-End, they entertained the passengers with two sermons every day, besides other agreeable devotions, which filled the voyage with so much of religion, that one of the passengers being examined about his going to divert himself with a hook and line, on the Lords-day, he protested, that he did not know when the Lord's day was; he thought every day was a sabbath day; for, he said, they did nothing but pray and preach all the week long.
Mr. Fisk arrived at New England in the year 1637. * * * His aged mother died quickly after he came aboard, and his only infant quickly after he came ashore. * * * He came well stocked with servants, and all sorts of tools for husbandry and carpentry, and with provisions to support his family in a wilderness for three years together; out of which, he charitably lent a considerable quantity to the country, which he then found in the distresses of a war with the Pequot-Indians. He now sojourned about three years at Salem where he was both a preacher to the church and a tutor unto divers young scholars (whereof the well-known Sir George Downing was one) as he was afterwards unto his own children, when the want of grammar-schools at hand made it necessary. From thence he removed unto a place adjoining thereunto, which is now called Wenham; where on Oct. 8, 1644, a church was gathered, of which he continued the pastor, in that place, for more than twice seven years; contented with a very mean salary, and consuming his own fair estate for the welfare of the new plantation.
About the year 1656, he removed with the major part of his church to another new town, called Chelmsford; and there he spent the remainder of his days.
Twenty years did he shine in the golden candlestick of Chelmsford: a plain but an able painful, and useful preacher of the gospel; rarely if ever, by sickness hindered from the exercise of his ministry. * * * Thus our Mr. Fisk, now superseded his care and skill of dispensing medicines for the body, by doing it for the soul.
18
HISTORY OF CHELMSFORD
But although he did in his ministry, go through an exposition of almost all the scriptures in both Testaments, and unto his Lord's day sermons, added a monthly lecture on the week day, besides his discourses at the private meetings of the faithful, and his exact and faithful cares to keep up church discipline yet none of his labours were more considerable than his catechetical. * *
* Our Fisk therefore did by most laborious catechising, endeavor to know the state of his flock, and make it good: and hence, although he did himself compose and publish a most useful catechism which he entitled, The Olive Plant Watered; yet he chose the assembly's catechism for his public expositions where- with he twice went over it, in discourses before his afternoon sermons on the sabbath."
Mr. Fiske had six children. The first was born in England and, as Mather mentioned, died soon after reaching this country. The births of the others, as recorded by himself in his note book or church record, were as follows:
The Children of John & Anna Fiske Born in N. E.
1638 John. borne the 29th. of 6t
bapt. the 2d. of 7. } Salem Mr Petrs [Peters] Escaped a grte danger at wenha, in passing with the streame vndr the mill wheele, when the mill was a goeing. An. 1647. 6t. of 3d, at what time he receid. (as twere) a new life. not a bone broke &c. borne 24. of 5t. bapt. 26t. of 5. Salem. Mr pet
1640 Sarah.
1642. Moses. borne 12 of 2d. at Wenha
bapt. 0- of 4t. at Salem* by mr Norice
1644 Anna. borne 15t. of 11th
1645 baptised 2. of 1st. (the 1st. child bapt at | Wenham
1646. Eli-ezer. borne 8t. of 12th. bapt. 15. of 12. Wenham. he Deceased 16. of 10. 49.)
1671. the sd. Anne Fiske wife to the sd. Jno. ffiske haueing liued with him about 37. yeers. deceased 14. of 12th. mo. at Chelmsford.
1672. Elizabeth Hinksman [widow of Edmund] marryed to the sd. Jno. ffiske 1. of 6. mo. at Chelmsford. * * *
Mr. Fiske kept a record from the year 1637 to 1675, about eighteen months before his death. It relates almost wholly to church matters. Mr. Allen, in writing his history of Chelmsford, evidently did not have access to this valuable record, as he does not mention it or make use of the information it contained. It evidently strayed away from Chelmsford early, perhaps through Mr. Fiske's youngest son, Rev. Moses Fiske of Braintree, who *The date of this baptism is not clear. The record was made, probably, at a later time, and perhaps Mr. Fiske had forgotten the exact date. [Note by S. A. Green.]
19
THE BEGINNING
was executor of his father's will, and inherited the property after the death of his elder brother, John, without issue. Moses Fiske had a son, Samuel, living in Salem, and it was there that the late David Pulsifer of Boston unearthed this old record book. He made a copy for the late Rev. Dr. Dexter of the Congre- gationalist, which is in the Yale University Library. After the sale of Mr. Pulsifer's effects this record book came into the posses- sion of Dr. Samuel A. Green of the Massachusetts Historical Society. Dr. Green has copied such part of this record as is deemed to be of historical interest, and published it in 1898, under the title, "Extracts from the note book of The Rev. John Fiske, 1637-1675, with an Introduction by Samuel A. Green."
The quotations, with one or two exceptions that I have used are from the published extracts. There are but few who would be able to read the original: as Dr. Green says in his Introduction, "The handwriting is very hard to read, and contains many abbre- viations and nondescript characters which it is impossible to represent in type."
The town made generous gifts of land to Mr. Fiske and his son, John, who reached his majority soon after coming to Chelms- ford, granting much more than that promised in 1654.
The town also set apart a tract of land called the ministry land, for the benefit of the church and minister. This was the land now known as the Bussell place upon which Rev. Hezekiah Packard built, during his ministry, the fine old colonial house now standing.
The following is the record of this grant as it appears in the second book of records, page 25 and page 34 of the copy made in 1892.
The 31 of May 1679 by the Townes Gifte and order was laid out to the Ministry and for that only vse for euer in Chelmsford to say thirtey Acers of vpland and swampe bee it more or les and is bownded East by the high way to the training Feild south vp on a great Rock North by the land of mr Conelias Walldow With a straite line to a stake with a heape of stones aboute it which is a westerly Corner of John bates his land and so of a Straite line to a pine neare stoney brooke path-North west bownded vpon the towne Common vpland to a black oake and From thence [ ] straite line to a Red oake Neare the land that was giuen by the towne to mr Fiske and his sonne John Fiske and From thence to a great Rock southerly all waies prouided ther bee a sofitient Carte way left beetwine the land of the Aboue sayd Fiske and the fore mentioned land; which way is to bee
20
HISTORY OF CHELMSFORD
Foure polles in bredth in wittnes heare vnto wee the Commity Aponted to Actte hear in haue seett to our hands the day and yeare aboue sayd
William vnderwood John Fiske Commity
This aboue is a trew Record and Approued by the selectt men as wittnes my hand 23 June 1679
Samell Adams Clerke
The cart way mentioned in this description was what was known as "The Lane" until, by vote of the town it was named Bridge street in memory of Rev. Ebenezer Bridge, pastor of the church (1741-1792).
In the description of Mr. Fiske's land, opposite the ministry, the "Pound" is mentioned. This was a small enclosure sur- rounded by a high stone wall. The wall was removed and the land taken into the highway some ten years ago* when Bridge street was widened and improved. Mr. Fiske's land extended down to the cemetery.
Formerly there were several families of colored people living on the lane. Peter Fields and his little one story cottage, where Mr. Daniel Haley's house stands, are still remembered by the older people.
MEETING HOUSE.
The town records contain no vote relative to the building of the first Meeting House, so that no description of the building has come down to us or any statement of the time when it was built. Mr Allent says "The third public meeting was dated month 11, day 16. 1655 and, agreeable to a former vote, holden at the meeting house."
"How and by whom the first meeting house was built" he says "are facts yet to be ascertained. There appears to be a tradition į that Samuel and Thomas Adams were at the principal expense of erecting this house. But the town records contain no information relative to it. It stood at the south west corner of *About 1895. It stood just west of the N. W. Corner of the Cemetery.
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