USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Chelmsford > History of Chelmsford, Massachusetts > Part 57
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Benjamin Parker was commissioned by Governor Shirley, July 29, 1754, to be "Second Lieut. of the First Foot Company in Chelmsford, under the Command of Capt. Ebenezer Parker."
This interesting document is still preserved by the family of one of his descendants, Mr. Henry E. Parker, at the old home- stead on Pine street where Lieut. Parker lived. Mr. Parker has many other manuscripts and relics of former days, some of which are of great historic value.
The year following the date of Lieutenant Parker's commission was one of active military operations in the Colonies. A supreme effort was made in an attempt to accomplish the reduction of Canada. A day of fasting and prayer was observed July 3, 1755. The people gathered at the meeting house and Parson Bridge preached to them from Psalm 102: 13-17,f "Thou shalt arise & have mercy upon Zion for ye Time to favour Her, yea ye set time is come &c.'
This discourse is interesting as it gives expression to the political sentiments which prevailed at the time, and which prompted them to make the great sacrifices necessary in support of those perilous campaigns. He tells his people :-
"Had it not bin for ye French who have settled Northward of us, and Extended Their settlements all along Westward & Even to ye Southward of us-These-Dupes To Arbitrary powr & Tyranny-blind adherers to the Docts of passive obedience & non resistance-base born miscreants. Nour- ished and brot up, upon ye breasts Of ye great Whore, ye Mothr of Harlots- Mortal Enemies To our liberties as English men & as christians-have all along envied our happiness & Taken advantage Of ye darkness & Ignorance of ye poor heathen, the Indians-and set em upon ye most barbarous murders & devastations wch were in their powr To perpetrate-And have not ye whole land Groaned often, on accot of ye Wars wch have prevailed wth em- have not Multitudes of particulr persons & families, mourned and Groaned on accot of ye bereavemts some times Of ye heads, sometimes of ye branches of ye families &c. wch These poor barbarous pple have bin ye Instruments of wch in all likely hood had bin in a great measr prevented if -
*Benj. Parker papers.
¡Bridge's mss. sermons, Vol. 23.
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PAPERS BY MR. H. S. PERHAM
it had not bin for French religion, French Malice & French policy-perhaps we had by this time bin more successful in our Missions among em To bring em To ye Faith of Christ & his gospel, wch wod have softened their minds, and disposed em To live in love & peace-if it had not bin yt ye notions Of ye papists, inculcated upon em, by French Jesuits are Vastly more agreeable to ye Dark understandings of those unhappy Pagans, than ye sublime Docts & maxims of xtianity, (christianity) uncorrupted are-And To this source may be attributed ye great advantage ye French have over ye Indians.
"Be it so, or frm wt quarter it will, The Indians are in ye Interest of & in subjection to ye French-and These i. e ye French have demonstrated it. That yy have laid schemes for To Overcome us & if possible to root us out- Our knowledge hereof occasions our Vigorous Efforts, In our warlike Enter- prises in this day To resist em & if we Can to bring ye mischief yy design'd us to fall down upon their own heads. Still Thoo. we are alarmed & our Nation Alarmed upon our Accot &c-yet That War shod Arise to us, and That we have reason To go forth in Great Armies one way & anothr to defend ourselves in our just rights, & to remove Encroachments wch are already made upon us, this is Grievous-& it must be look'd upon as a Day of affliction- A day of fear and Calamity-A day & Time calling aloud upon Every one to considr of their ways & their doings-To repent & return unto ye lord frm whom we have departed - - ought we not firmly to believe & To depend upon it that L (God) will arise & have mercy upon Zion & favr her in ye set time - - when there are such Vast preparations & armaments upon this Continent & yese (these) nothern seas as nevr have bin known before We have heretofore called, & L (God) hath answd-Witness ye remarkable & almost maraculous success in our Expedition agt Cape Breton-Wittness ye remarkable Interposition of ye Divine prov. in ye scattering ye French squadron undr ye Comd of ye Duke D'Anvil, upon our own Coasts, who were Design'd upon our ruin, but Tho nevr followed or resisted by an English squadron, yet baffled, dispersed, ruin'd & turned back ashamed-And shall we not be Encouraged In Faith & prayr frm ye already favourable success granted us-
"Our forces frm England arrived safe to ye southward, our own men remarkably spirited To Inlist & to offer emselves to go in & upon ye several Expeditions on foot one way & anothr-A fine squadron of our own upon ye heels of a french one upon our Coasts & already masters of their ships, success of our army at Nova Scotia, plenty at home, & scarcity of provisions among ye french-are not these all Encouraging symptoms, Of good success attending our Enterprises - - - - we must not Trust to our own men, our numbrs our Strength or our skill-but in God & to him Shod we cry - - We may observe that ye Spirit of ye English Nation in ye pastt day seems to be the ancient spirit-& both ministry & pple seem to be united & not divided as hath bin too Common a Circumstance very favourable an omen (we hope) for Good" .
"Preached 3 July 1755 Fast day on accot of several Expeditions To drive ye French frm their Encroachments."
In the Nova Scotia expedition of that year which resulted in the removal of the Acadians, were twenty-two Chelmsford men, fourteen of whom were with Col. Winslow at Grand Pré .* [See pages 164, 165, 167.]
In the Massachusetts archives are preserved the rolls of some of the soldiers who took part in the expedition against Crown Point, and Bridge's diary furnishes some interesting details in regard to their fate. He writes: "Jona Barron going off on an expedition to Crown Point is made a Lieut prayed with the soldiers at Lieut. Barron's." With Lieut. Barron were twelve *Winslow's Journal, Massachusetts Hist. Collection.
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HISTORY OF CHELMSFORD
Chelmsford men .* They took part in the battle of Lake George and from the losses sustained it is probable that they were in the fray long known as the "bloody morning scout." The news of the battle was received in Chelmsford seven days after and at the same time the call for re-enforcements.
"Sept 15 A general muster of companies through the Provinces to raise men to reinforce army at Crown Point. Spent morning at Parkers with officers & this day the news came of the engagement between Gen Johnsons army & the French & Indians, in which Johnsons army came off conquerors having taken the French General & killed 700 officers & men & taken and wounded many. The battle was on the 8 Sept instant. A signal mercy, though at the same time we are called to mourn the loss of divers brave officers & Soldiers to the number of about 120 or 130."
Soon rumors began to be received of casualties among the Chelmsford men, which were verified by more definite news, and the dutiful parson was constant in his ministrations to the afflicted families. The account can best be given in his own words.
"Sept. 25. Visited the wife of Jona Barron as I did yesterday towards night upon a flying report of her husband being killed in the battle ag't the enemy on the way to Crown Point." 26 "Visited Mrs Barron this morning upon the acct of her hearing more news of her husband being killed & discoursed with her" "Prayed at Parkers with a company soldiers going off to Crown Point, Capt. Butterfield, of Dunstable." "27 Visited Widow Parker upon a flying report of her son being killed in the fight under Gen. Johnson, so upon the same acct visited wife of Jacob Parker." "30 Visited Mrs. Barron who this day is certified of the death of her husband in the late battle with our enemies in the way toward Crown Point, by an extract of a letter of Maj Nichols (to his wife) who also was wounded in the same engagement, I dis- coursed with her again & endeavored to comfort her" "Visited the wife of Jacob Parker upon [ ] that her husband was certainly [ ] in battle." "Oct 6 P. M. I visited widow Parker she has received a letter from her son Moses in the army whereby is certified to us the death of Lieut Barron, Jacob Parker & James Emery of this town, also visited the widow of Jacob Parker."
Lieut. Jonathan Barron was a son of Lieut. Jona. and Rebecca Barron. Jacob Parker was a son of John and Rebecca. Emery was son of Zachariah Emery. The town record of deaths states: "Died in the Grate Battle at Lake George September 8th 1755."
Lieut. Benj. Parker died in 1771, and was buried from his home upon what is now Pine Street.
One of the customs, of long standing at that time, was the giving of gloves at funerals. In the case of persons prominent in Church, state, or society, this custom was often carried to great excess. Alice Morse Earle sayst "one great expense of a funeral was the gloves. In some communities these were sent as an approved form of invitation to relatives and friends and dignitaries whose presence was desired."
The Parkers followed the prevailing practice.
*Massachusetts Archives, Vol. 94, p. 105.
tCustoms of New England, p. 116.
BAPTIST CHURCH, CHELMSFORD CENTRE
0
No. 32 CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, CHELMSFORD CENTRE
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PAPERS BY MR. H. S. PERHAM
The bill for the gloves and other mourning articles, reads as follows :*
"MR BENJ PARKER TO SAMSON STODDARD DR 1771
May 23-To 15 pr mens Gloves
To 2 pr mens Black Ditto
To 19 pr woms Ditto
To 3 pr woms Black Ditto
To 3 Black handkerchief
To 3 Vails
To 1 yd Black Ribbond
To 1 Black Fan
To 3 yrds hat band Crape
dd Mr William Peirce for the
Funl of Lieut Benja Parker Late
of Chelmsford Deceased."
Mr. Stoddard was the merchant at the centre of the town. The bill is written in an excellent hand-although by a graduate of Harvard College.
The manner in which a house was prepared for a funeral is thus described by Mrs. Stowe in her charming story "Oldtown Folks." "It was a doctrine of those good old times, no less than of many in our present days, that a house invaded by death should be made as forlorn as hands could make it. It should be rendered as cold and stiff, as unnatural, as dead and corpse-like as possible, by closed shutters, looking-glasses pinned up in white sheets, and the locking up and hiding out of sight of any pleasant little familiar object which would be thought out of place in a sepulchre."
The hour having arrived let us enter the dwelling thus pre- pared for the occasion and pay our tribute of respect to the memory of the departed.
In the best room are seated the family and near relatives, the Parkers and Blodgetts. In the other rooms wearing the funeral gloves provided for the occasion are "Mr. Robert Peirce, Mr. Stephen Peirce, Mr. Jacob Howard and Wife, Mr Benja Butterfield and Wife, Mr Joseph Peirce and Wife, Mr. William Peirce and Wife, Silas Peirce and Wife, Joseph Warren, William Bowers, Daniel Keyes, Mis Elizabeth Clark, Wid Abagil Bates, Wid Martha Howard, Wid Susana Fletcher, Wid Sarah Fletcher, Mis Lydda Bates, Mary Bowers, Lusy Fletcher, Sarah Fletcher, Rachel Howard, Thankful Peirce. For the Bairs (bearers) Capt Ebenezer Parker, Capt Epa Spaulding Esq, Capt Zacriah Richard- son Left Jona Spaulding Left Joseph Moor, Mr. Robert Peirce."t The minister, Rev. Ebenezer Bridge, alights from his chaise and with staid and dignified bearing, enters the house of mourning. He offers prayer and the services are concluded. The coffin is placed upon the bier and, followed by the procession, is borne *Benj. Parker papers.
+"The persons that are to Receive the Gloves." The spelling is as it appears in the original paper.
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HISTORY OF CHELMSFORD
over the long winding road to the burial ground at the centre of the town, four miles away .* The bell slowly tolling from the church tower from the time the procession comes in view.
The inscription upon the grave stone is:
Here lies the Body of Lieut BENJAMIN PARKER who departed this Life May 23d 1771 Aged 72 years 8 months & 11 days
The funeral sermon was preached at the meeting house, the Sabbath following the burial. This was preceded by a request from the family of the deceased, for the prayers of the congregation that their loss may be sanctified to them for their spiritual good.
A favorite discourse of Parson Bridge for such occasions was from the text in Gen. v. 24: "And Enoch walked wth God and he was not: for God took him." This was "Preached Sab. after ye D & funll of Henry Spaulding-octo. 6-1754"-and with some changes several times after, the last being Jan. 1, 1792, the Sabbath after the death and funeral of Deacon Ephraim Spauld- ing. Æt 83.
Three physicians were paid for attendance upon Lieut. Parker.t
"Dr Kittredge 39- Dr oliver Prescot 5-14-0 Nehemiah Abbot 46/8"
The first named was a Tewksbury physician. (Dr. Benj. or Dr. Francis.) The last was of Chelmsford. He lived at the Centre, in the house which stands at the corner of Acton street. Dr. Prescott was a more noted physician from Groton, perhaps called in consultation. "The limits of his practice were extended to a great distance on every side."# He was a brother of Col. Wm. Prescott of Bunker Hill fame, and himself an active patriot in the revolution, receiving the appointment of the second Major General of Militia in 1781. His long rides on horseback, to answer his many calls led him, it is said, to acquire the habit of sleeping in that position.
If some of the mourning customs of those days occasioned heavy expense the undertaker's bills were certainly not excessive. The cost of the coffin was 5 shillings and 4 pence, (0-5-4) paid to Moses Davis, who kept a tavern at what is now known as Davis' corner.
*Where the bearers were old and the distance long, young men were selected to act as under- bearers.
+Probate Records.
#"Physicians of Groton." Dr. S. A. Green.
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PAPERS BY MR. H. S. PERHAM
The list of the personal effects left by Lieut. Parker remind . us of the great changes that have taken place in dress and domestic economy. Many of the articles are now found only in garrets or antiquarian collections. Among them were a "blew coat & Tucket, leather breeches, shoe buckles, knee buckles, warming pan, brass skillets, trammels, pillion, Riddle, sword & belt, Camblet coat & Green jacket, silver buttons" and two wheels. The last named articles, to be sure, seem somewhat familiar to moderns. With those "wheels" the women of the household took their daily "spin" undisturbed by any fears of also taking a "header." One was a wool and one a flax wheel.
In the estate of the daughter Sarah, we find such articles as a "Ridingwood [sic] caps, ruffles, ribbons, necklace, gloves, fans, stays, side saddle & bridle and pillion."
From which it seems that the young ladies of those days found modern means to gratify their feminine fancies as well as their modern sisters.
Of the people whose names have been mentioned as the recipients of the funeral gloves, Mr. Robert Pierce was a young man of 17, born April 13, 1754, son of Stephen and Betsey (Bowers) Peirce. Mr. Stephen Pierce lived at East Chelmsford. His house, since remodeled, is now the residence of our respected citizen, Mr. William Manning. He (born 1754) was a son of Oliver and grandson of Stephen and Esther. He married Hanna Marshall, July 30, 1778, was a soldier in the revolution, died April 16, 1826. Mr. Jacob Howard and wife were a middle- aged couple from Middlesex. He died March 26, 1796, aged 78. The name is in the rolls of soldiers in the revolution. The Butter- field home where Benjamin and his wife probably lived was upon Hale street, a few rods from Lincoln Square. William Pierce was a son of Robert and Mary, grandson of Stephen and Esther, born Oct. 29, 1735. His intention of marriage to Elizabeth Pierce was published Dec. 4, 1760. His father deeded to him in 1758, shortly before William's marriage, "12 of all my real estate in Chelmsford" for £100 .*
Silas Pierce is accompanied by his young bride Lucy Spaulding, (m. March 26, 1771.) He will be referred to again. Joseph Warren was from the centre of the town. He died March 18, 1792, aged 67. William Bowers was from Middlesex. He was a descendant of Jerathmel, who first settled upon the ancestral homestead on Wood street, now occupied by Joseph Bowers, a brother of City Engineer Bowers. The line is from 1 Jerathmel son of George (of Scituate, 1637) m. Elizabeth-died in Groton April 23, 1724. 2Jonathan, b. April 13, 1674, m. Hannah Barrett May 17, 1699, d. Feb. 12, 1744 or 5. 3Jonathan, b. July 5, 1701, m. Mary Grimes, June 7, 1726, d. Nov. 1756. 4William m. Hannah Kidder of Billerica, Jan. 1, 1761. 5Joseph, b. Dec. 31, 1780, m. Rhoda *Benj. Parker papers.
548
HISTORY OF CHELMSFORD
Butterfield April 1, 1803, d. Jan. 15, 1859. 6Sewall, b. July 10, 1810, m. Sylvia Fisher, Nov. 24, 1847, d. Dec. 23, 1893. 7Joseph and George.
The location of the Keyes house has been mentioned. Miss Elizabeth Clark, b. Feb. 28, 1725, was a maiden lady with some- what aristocratic connections. Her father Col. Jonas Clark kept the public house at the ferry, since known as the Middlesex tavern. She was connected with the Hancocks who often visited here. Her aunt Elizabeth (daughter of Rev. Thos.) married Rev. John Hancock of Lexington, and was the grandmother of the patriot Governor John Hancock. Abigal Bates was probably the widow of Robert, whom Parson Bridge mentions among his parishioners whom he visited at the Neck. Widow Martha Howard was Martha Poor of Andover, before marriage to Benjamin Howard, Jan. 12, 1748. She died April 27, 1793, age 791} .*
Sarah Fletcher was the widow of Henry who died June 1, 1764, and the mother of Henry (b. Jan. 17, 1754,) who was killed at White Plains, New York, Feb. 3, 1780, while serving as a soldier in the revolution. He left two small children, Henry and Betsey. The latter, (b. April 19, 1777,) married Johnson Davis, the father of Mr. Sidney Davis, a member of this association.
The six bearers were all military men of mature years, and doubtless all had seen service in the wars. Capt. Ebenezer Parker commanded the company of which the deceased was an officer. Capt. Ephraim Spaulding was a justice of the peace and deacon of the church. At the funeral of the wife of Lieut. Parker, (Eliza- beth, d. Dec. 19, 1765,) Deacon Spaulding officiated in place of the minister. t
Captain Zachariah Richardson is a veteran of the wars, now past the age for military service. He died March 22, 1776, aged 81.
Lieut. Jona. Spauldingį was a tavern keeper at the south part of the town, within the present limits of the town of Carlisle. He was an active business man. His old account books which have been preserved afford a curious study of the times. His military commission bearing the autograph of Governor Pownal, 1757, is in the Adams Library, Chelmsford. He lived to the great age of 95, (b. 1705.) Lieut. Joseph Moor lived upon what is now Moor street, where some of his descendants still reside. The present occupant being the sixth generation of the family upon the old homestead. Joseph Moor died July 5, 1775. Mr. Robert Pierce was a quarter-master in the military. He was a widower of 63, his wife Mary (Landlee) having deceased ten years before, (d. June 5, 1761.) He was a son of Stephen and Esther, (b. Jan. 19, 1708, m. published June 17, 1731; died April 2, 1789). Joseph Pierce lived upon what is now the city farm. His house stood a few rods south of the Coburn houses on Chelmsford street. The
*Grave stone.
+Bridge's Diary.
#Or John. I think Jona. the name intended.
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PAPERS BY MR. H. S. PERHAM
old road passed between the Coburn and Pierce houses. He married Mary Pierce, March 20, 1744. She was a daughter of Stephen and Esther, born Dec. 14, 1722. Pierce was a tailor and his services in that capacity were sought by people of quality. Among his customers was Oliver Fletcher, Esq., who lived at the centre of the town. Squire Fletcher was a graduate of Harvard College and a man highly esteemed for "piety and integrity." He attended to the legal affairs of the town, and for individuals. When he attended court at Cambridge, or Concord, he went faultlessly attired. His account book mentions a number of garments made for him by Joseph Peirce. Here is a description of the materials for one of them:
1756 "October 18 aforesd I paid for cloth for a coat &c. To paid Mr Cushin for 3 yds & } of Drab broad cloth for a 26 0 0
Great Coat @ £ 8 p yd is
To pd Marshall for Cutting out the said Coat 1 0
To paid for sowing silk for said Coat 0 6
To paid for half an ounce of thread for thesd Coat 0 2 0 To paid for 2 Dozen of Buttons covered with hair for said
Coat to Lawton
1 40
To 2 Skains of silk Twist at 5 each at same place for sd .
Coat
To } yard Shalloon for sd Coat at Lawtons at 28+ p is 0 14 0 February 25, 1757 To making the sd Great Coat pd ) Peirce
1 15 0"*
Squire Fletcher must have presented a striking appearance arrayed in his beaver hat, brown wig, and drab great coat with its two dozen of buttons covered with hair. And he apparently enjoyed pleasant relations with those before whom he appeared at Cambridge, for we find under date
"1753 May 17. Expenses to Court 2 dollars £4-10-3 out of which I paid £1-12-0 for Puch [punch] which I gave the Court after Dinner.".
The Pierces were a long-lived race. Of the children of Joseph, the eldest Silas outlived five wives, leaving the sixth a widow at the age of 84. Joanna was cut off by an accident at 90. Sarah died at 98, and Thankful lived to reach her 100th year.
For the benefit of such as are interested in a study of the effects of the use of alcohol upon longevity, it should be stated that the head of this remarkable family was addicted to intemperate indulgence in drink-we are not informed as to the brand he used. Silas continued to live at the old homestead. Mr. Franklin Coburn describes it as a long rambling cottage, made so by extensions added from time to time to accommodate the increasing tenants. He has pleasant recollections of the kindly old couple, Silas and his wife, and of visits to the cottage where from the chimney corner he could look up to the stars. The farm *Oliver Fletcher's Account Book.
550
HISTORY OF CHELMSFORD
was purchased by the city for its present use of Joseph, a son of Silas. Sarah Pierce, (b. Dec. 30, 1759, daughter of Joseph and Mary), has many descendants living in Chelmsford and Lowell by her marriage to Amos Byam. She married second Oliver Park- hurst.
Joanna Pierce, (b. March 24, 1769,) married James Marshall, a Revolutionary soldier. She has a son, Rufus Marshall, now living in this city, at the age of 87, one of the very few living sons of revolutionary soldiers.
Thankful, (b. Jan. 9, 1752, daughter of Joseph and Mary Pierce), was the last name in the list of those who received the funeral gloves. She then was a sunny blue-eyed miss of nineteen summers. She married, about 1773, Samson Walker. They removed to Temple, N. H., and later to Andover, Vt., where they passed the remainder of their days. He was a soldier in the Revolution .* [Brother of Captain Benjamin Walker.]
The history of Andover, Vermont, states that Samson Walker was at the battle of Bunker Hill, one of five brothers, all holding commissions and all over six feet tall. They reared a family of nine children, the daughters being noted for their beauty, two of whom lived to a great age. The following is a copy of the inscrip- tion upon her grave stone, in the old cemetery in a neglected but picturesque spot high up among the hills beside the old stage road in Andover.
THANKFUL wife of Samson Walker DIED March 28, 1851 Æ 99 y's 2 m's & 8 d's Great peace to those that loves God's laws and nothing shall offend them.
I was introduced to a descendant of Thankful at a very early age. She was placed in the cradle with me when we were infants. I do not remember the impression she made upon me at that time but I have a distinct recollection that at a later date I thought her beautiful-and to me she is so now. We still keep the old family cradle, and its latest occupant was our grandson of the sixth generation from pretty Thankful Pierce of 1771.
FROM A PAPER ON THE EARLY SCHOOLS OF CHELMSFORD, BY H. S. PERHAM, READ FEBRUARY 6, 1890, BEFORE THE OLD RESIDENTS' HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION, LOWELL.
In 1642, the General Court passed an act requiring the selectmen to "have a vigilant eye over their brethren and neighbors to see, first, that none of them shall suffer so much barbarism in *Certificate from War Department, Washington, D. C.
551
PAPERS BY MR. H. S. PERHAM
any of their families as not to endeavor to teach, by themselves or others, their children and apprentices so much learning as may enable them perfectly to read the English tongue." The same act also required parents to "give religious instruction to their children and apprentices."
In 1647, a free school was made compulsory. If there were fifty householders, the town must appoint a teacher; and towns of one hundred householders must have a grammar school of such grade that youth "may be fitted for the University."
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