USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Dedham > History of Dedham, Massachusetts > Part 2
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John: Gaye 1635 or 1644
William: Bullard 1640
Andr: Duein 1646
Joseph Ellice 1663 Danll Ponde 1690
Ferdinandoe Adams 1640
James: Hering 1654
Thomas Fisher 1678 Jonathan Fayerbank Jun:
1690
Abraham Shawe 1636-7
John: Fraerye 1638-9
Joshua : Fisher 1640
¿ John Thurston 1643
11
THE BEGINNING OF THE PLANTATION
ton, Joseph Shawe, Ezechiell Holliman, Lambert Genere, Nicholas Phillips, Raffe Shepeard, John Gaye, Francis Austen, Willm Ber- stowe, John Rogers, Daniell Morse, John Huggens.
Who were the Dedham settlers? They were a company of English Puritans who had come to the New World to work out their ideals in church and government. Among the Dedham set- tlers, there were doubtless some, as David Starr Jordan has said of other settlers, who could trace their lines back to nobility and thence to royalty. They had as much of the blood of William and Alfred as flowed in royal veins in Europe. But their ancestral lines passed through the working and fighting younger sons and not through him who was first born to the purple.
The Dedham settlers were strong believers in a town grouped about a meeting-house and a training field. The parent religious organization, as in England, was the Parish ; and all persons had to attend the Parish Church service whether members of the Church or not. The late Senator George Frisbie Hoar has given a fine picture of the organization of a town in the following words:
"It is one of the simplest, yet one of the most important, and interesting organizations known on earth. In the beginning, the town and the parish were identical. Every freeman must be a Church member. Religion and public life were near akin. ... Our ancestors, when they settled a new town, set apart a tract of land for a training field, close by the meeting house." "The Old Common, as we now call these training fields, is found at the center of every old town," and of course exists in Dedham. "But after all the real training field was the meeting house indoors. The meeting-houses, with their simple architecture (of which few towns have a more beautiful example than Dedham) were the great power houses from which went forth the spiritual and moral influence, which inspired and controlled the whole life of the people."
Of the signers of the Covenant only John Allen, Thomas Carter, Timothy Dalton, Samuel Morse and Ralph Wheelock were college graduates, yet there were other leaders among them in the church, town and Commonwealth, who labored to build up a peaceable civil society. Their worth was recognized by the Commonwealth as illustrated by the fact that in 1666 five hundred acres of land near
12
A HISTORY OF DEDHAM
Sudbury was laid out to Eleazer Lusher of Dedham, by order of the General Court as a reward for his public services.
In the allotment of land each married man had a house lot of twelve acres with four acres of swamp land and each unmarried man eight acres with three acres of swamp land. The first assign- ment of twelve acre lots was made August 18, 1636 to Samuel Morse, Phileman Dalton, Daniel Morse, Joseph Morse, Ralph Shep- ard, Lambert Genere, and Nicholas Phillips. Abraham Shawe and Edward Alleyn, two efficient members of the company, were soon given more liberal grants of land. On these houselots it is pre- sumed the settlers built houses of like dimensions, of boards, with stone fireplaces and chimneys and hip roofs covered with thatch. For the most part the houses consisted of two rooms, a living room and a kitchen with sleeping places in the garret, reached by a ladder. The household utensils were very limited and probably did not exceed the list furnished by Francis Higginson of the "needful things as every planter doth, or ought to provide to go to New England" namely, 1 iron pot, 1 kettle, 1 frying pan, 1 grid iron, 2 skillets, 1 spit, wooden platters dishes spoons and trenchers. So accurately were the lots defined that the accompanying plan, showing the lots first granted in Dedham Village, was made from the description given in the proprietors book of grants. Excepting the home lots, all the cultivated land was in common fields. In 1643 a common tillage field of two hundred acres was laid out as a common tillage field and each proprietor's share was assigned him. This common planting field was surrounded by a fence made at the common charge; each proprietor having had assigned to him the number of rods of fence which he was required to build. On this planting field they raised corn, beans, peas, pump- kins and later on larger areas, wheat, rye, barley, and oats. Com- mon potatoes were not grown for many years and were first in- troduced into Europe and thence to the American Colonies. It is an interesting fact in view of the universal popularity of the potato today that very little attention was paid to this new vege- table for a long time. It was not until the beginning of the 19th century that the potato was generally grown in this vicinity. At first it was regarded as poisonous to cattle and every remnant left over in the spring was carefully buried. The early settlers found the bean growing in great variety under Indian cultivation.
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13
THE BEGINNING OF THE PLANTATION
Its extreme adaptability has endeared it to man in all places and in all ages. The bean will grow under conditions when little else would succeed as it has the ability to fertilize itself by taking nitrogen out of the air.
No reference is made to the clearing of this planting field which probably had been under Indian cultivation. Now we know that the Indians did not roam but had usually two places of residence, one for the winter on the south side of some hill and one for summer where they fished and raised their crops. Further away were the herd walks, as the common feeding lands for cattle, goats and swine were called. One of these herd walks was on Dedham Island and another on East Street. The early settlers also hired of Israel Stoughton, the meadow on the Neponset River for a pasture for their cattle. In 1637 the village lots had been entirely taken up and it became necessary to deny admittance to all new applicants until it could be ascertained what future accommoda- tions could be given them .*
A survey of lands near at hand suitable for tillage 'was made and divided among the proprietors in 1643. The division was made on the following general rules .*
"1. The number of persons one considerable rule in div- ision yet not the only rule; and it was considered.
2. That servants should be referred to men's estates and according to men's estates.
3. According to men's rank, quality, desert and useful- ness, either in church or commonwealth.
4. That men of useful trades may have material to im- prove the same, be encouraged and have land as near home as may be convenient; and that husbandmen that have abilities to improve more than others be considered in this division."
This grant of "upland ground fit for improvement with the plough" was made to the following persons.
John Kingsbury Samuel Cook Thomas Jordan
John Hayward William Bullard James Jordan
John Bachelor John Bullard James Allin
Michael Bacon John Gay John Newton
Thomas Alcocke
Anthony Fisher Edward Alleyn
Robert Ware Twaits Strickland Edward Colver
Thomas Paine
Thomas Wight
Robert Mason
Austin Kalem
Henry Chickering
John Allin, pastor
John Ellis
John Thurston Joseph Kingsbury
John Eaton
Elizabeth Fisher Henry Brocke 1
Thomas Eames
Robert Gowen Nathaniel Colburn
* Colonial laws required that all houses should be located near each other.
** Mann's Annals of Dedham.
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A HISTORY OF DEDHAM
Henry Phillips
Timothy Dwight
Nathan Aldis
John Dwight
Michael Metcalf Henry Wilson
Samuel Morse
Nathaniel Whiting
John Frary
John Morse
Edward Kempe
Eleazer Lusher
Joseph Morse
Thomas Bayes
Peter Woodward
Richard Ellis
Edward Richards
Richard Everett
John Hunting, elder
Francis Chickering
John Guild
John Roper William Bearstow
Henry Smith
George Bearstow
Richard Barber
Jonathan Fairbanks
Samuel Bullen
Lambert Genery
John Fairbanks
Daniel Morse
Thomas Leader
Michael Powell
The Dedham settlers did not look upon their efforts as simply the organization of a town, but rather as a society, as they fondly called their organization and from the start it was clearly under- stood what this social organization stood for. They were as care- ful in the admission of members as the most exclusive fraternal organizations of today. All those who had land assigned to them were required to build on it within a given time, and all were for- bidden to sell their land to another without the permission of the town.
August 11, 1637 it was voted, "wheras Certeyne Lotts haue long lyne wast vpon the names of John Ellis & John Coolidge, (the ancestor of President Calvin Coolidge,) wth out any imploymt. It is ordered yt yf they doe not wth in 6 dayes set on to build & impve the sayd lotts as is Requesite. That then the sayd Lotts shalbe layd out for them whensoeur they will set on to impve ye same as they ought to doe. And the very like for that lott wch John Dwite hath layd out for a friend in grateficacon.
With one accord they agreed "to keep of from us all such as are contraminded". Starting in this way there never was per- secution of resident Quakers or Baptists, neither is there evidence of the existence of witchcraft which so demoralized some com- munities in Massachusetts. The Dedham settlers were required to administer the severe discipline of the age in which they lived by establishing the town stocks and the whipping post. In 1639 "the town of Dedham was fined 2s. 6d. for not having a pair of stocks". The stocks were set up at some convenient place and a whipping post, at one time, was set up in St. Paul's Square. After the location of the jail here this whipping post was sometimes used for the whipping of prisoners, who usually received thirty lashes for larceny. That the discipline was wholesome is estab- lished by the fact as stated by Worthington in 1827, that he had
.
Ferdinando Adams
James Herring
200 John fixington 1673
Forn guild 1682
Jonathan franausbante
fogn thenand 1658 1657 Anthony Fritze 1561
@want: Hours : 1673 Thomas Hering 1075 i
Quanchiusfishing 1662
Juniore
fichas 1648 fisher 1662 fuller 1657
HanpaulL 1653
Samuel
,639-59
1658
John Sano 1660
Samuel two for 1657
FACSIMILES OF SIGNATURES OF EARLY SETTLERS
-
Aufoch Kingflory 1658
R_oft majon about 1655 Micheal motrilfo
about 1618
Janich Jonas 168%
Nathanoll Stoamor 1670
John Thurston fine 1673 John Morfe 1672
1673
John par fridge 1672
Robert RLave 1673
Thomas: payne 1673 about 1655
Falah Nogrelacha:
1644
Honoring wight 1675
John Plympton about 1655
Arter (World war) 1670 .
FACSIMILES OF SIGNATURES OF EARLY SETTLERS
15
THE BEGINNING OF THE PLANTATION
examined the criminal dockets of the County for twenty years past, and failed to find any inhabitant of Dedham who had been convicted of crime.
A watchful care was taken of all residents for many years. January 11, 1680 "upon information that there is some inconven- ancy and disorder in the family of John Macintosh," the selectmen sent for him: and not giving them such satisfaction as they de- sired: "they deputed Ensign Fuller and Sergt Wight to goe to his house and take particular notice of the State of his family, and make return to them that so they might act accordingly."
In the settlement of the town, houses of necessity were built near together. Some were located on the south side of High Street on and near the meadows, others were built near where the Court House now stands, and on the north side of Dwight's brook. In imagination we can see these cabins built of boards with puncheon floors, thatched roofs and wooden pins and auger holes for nails, with batten wooden shutters. Within cranes swinging in big stone fire places and spinning wheels and looms were actually in use. The houses were so inflammable that every householder, by town ordinance was obliged to support a ladder of sufficient length to reach from the ground to the chimney for im- mediate use in case of fire. The meeting-house ladder was so con- venient for the hitching of horses by those who had ridden in, that the privilege was denied them by a vote of the town on Janu- ary 8, 1669 when it was ordered "that no person, after the pub- lication of this order, shall in any way fasten any horse or mare to the meeting-house ladder." In the construction of early homes the use of clapboards was forbidden. In rude structures they housed the domestic animals they had known in the home land and upon which they depended for service or sustenance. Oxen were for sale as early as 1639 at £25 a head and continued to be used in all farm and highway work for many years. Horses were small and there is record of their early use here. They were offered for sale in 1645 at £10 .* Provision was early made for the care of cows in herd walks. Their chief dependence for the winter feeding of stock was found in the low lands called mea- dows, which yielded bluejoint and other grasses. Butter sold in 1637 at seven shillings and cheese brought seven shillings a pound.
· All quoted prices are taken from Weeden's "Economic and Social History of New England." beginning with the year of Dedham's settlement.
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A HISTORY OF DEDHAM
In 1646 a cow was worth £4. Swine were kept from the start and pork formed no small part of the daily diet of the early settlers. The hog furnished ham, bacon, lard, pork for salting, and other parts for roasting and sausage meat. As early as 1638 a com- mittee was "assigned to view scares (damage) done by swyne". Goats were first kept for milk and by 1641 they were so plentiful that they fell in price from £13 to 10 shillings. Thomas Paine requested liberty "to keep his stoke of goats upon the common land" which request was granted. Sheep were raised as early as possible not only for their flesh, but more especially for their wool which was sorely needed In the making of homespun demanded by the rigor of the New England climate. Owing, however, to the absence of sheep houses for protection against wolves and the winter climate, they were not as early raised as other domestic animals. As late as 1669 wool sold for 3s. 6d. per pound.
The early settlers never went hungry when food could be had. To an abundance of fish caught in Charles River and Wigwam Pond they added of wild fowl, the duck, the pigeon, the wild goose, the wild turkey, the quail and the partridge. Of wild animals they killed the deer, the bear, and the rabbit. Of native fruits, straw- berries were found in abundance in the spring, followed in suc- cession by the low blueberry, the half-high blueberry, the high blueberry, the red raspberry, the black raspberry, blackberries of both low and high varieties, gooseberries, cranberries, and wild grapes. The housewives showed wonderful ingenuity in preserv- ing foods, especially in drying them ; a supply of dried raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, and pumpkin was at hand. In house- building, ovens were put beside the chimney and here the house- wife baked her beans, brown bread, pies, and cake. Later a tin oven set before the fire was sometimes used. Frying and broiling was done in a skillet set on coals in front of the fire and boiling was done in a pot suspended over the fire by a crane.
As the plantation was remote from other towns, it was neces- sary for their safety, that there should be a goodly number of set- tlers and that their houses should be near together. This precau- tion probably saved the town from the ravages of the Indians as there are no records of any attempt on the part of the Indians to destroy the town. In 1637 what apparently was a false alarm was given, watches and wards were ordered to be set up, and an in-
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THE BEGINNING OF THE PLANTATION
vitation was sent to Captain Cakebread, a renowned soldier of Watertown, to come and be at the head of military affairs. He soon, however, returned to Watertown and we hear no more about the threatened attack of the Indians.
How did new settlers come in possession of their land? It was not obtained by any arbitrary rule, but in accordance with each man's estate, the size of his family, his means, rank, quality, de- serts and usefulness in both Church and Commonwealth. Men with useful trades were given land as near home as possible. Hus- bandmen who had shown ability to cultivate more than others were given consideration in the division. In 1656 the proprietors resolved that they would make no more free grants of their land to strangers. It became necessary therefore to establish some permanent rule for dividing their common lands among the pres- ent proprietors and their heirs. They agreed upon this principle that each man's share should be proportioned to his assessed prop- erty. It was found that there were 532 acres in the herd walks, or cow commons. They also found that by adding one cow com- mon for each eight pounds of valuation, the whole number of cow common rights or shares would be 477 and this would make the number of cow commons the nearest to their number of cattle. Five goat commons, or five sheep commons were counted as equal to one cow common. In the application of this rule, it was found to bear heavily on those whose estates were low in valuation and so the proprietors gave them twenty-five cow com- mons, making the total number 502 shares. This regulated each man's rights in the cow commons and established a rule for all future dividends of land. In 1659 a difficulty arose and the refer- ers to whom the matter was referred, added twenty more "cow- commons" making the whole number 522. This division was ac- cepted, and the Selectmen immediately assigned to the proprietors their due share. Some of these dividends of land can still be traced. Richard Walden Hale, Jr., in making a recent purchase of land (1933) in the Springfield Parish traced it back to the original dividend grant. In making grants portions of land were set apart for the promotion of education and the support of the church. Land so granted is still held by the First Church in Ded- ham.
In the general division of wood and waste lands, made in 1659,
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18
A HISTORY OF DEDHAM
the proprietors had various lots in different parts of the town as- signed them. At that time, these outlands were of little value. A committee of the town appointed in 1650, to purchase some land adjoining Dedham, and owned by Roxbury people, were restricted from giving more than £60 for a thousand acres.
What was the government of the Dedham proprietors? The town records commence August 18, 1636 and continue an un- broken chain to the present time. It was many years before the Colony could make sufficient laws to fully regulate the plantations and Dedham legislated for herself in a great variety of ways, through her town covenant and by-laws. Laws and regulations were adopted similar to the Common Laws of England under which their ancestors had lived for centuries. Among other things the proprietors agreed, as previously shown, that by all means they would keep from their company all who were con- traminded, and would receive into their society only such as with a meek and quiet spirit would promote its temporal and spiritual good. If differences arose, the parties were required to refer all differences unto one, two or three persons, to be fully considered by them. A condition of society far in advance of today. That every man who has lots in the town, shall pay all such sums for the public charge, as shall be imposed upon him rateably, and shall obey all such bylaws and constitutions as the inhabitants shall judge necessary for the management of their temporal af- fairs, for a religious and loving society. One hundred and twenty six persons signed this covenant, binding themselves and their successors forever to its true observance. These Dedham farmers were faithful to all civic duties, relating to this peaceable society. They had town meetings once a month and when they were pressed for time, they called a meeting for six o'clock in the morning. Fines were imposed on those who were tardy or altogether ab- sented themselves from town meetings. One of the finest things that President Eliot said on the occasion of the celebration of his 90th birthday was said in his simple address to the undergraduates in the college yard: "Look for the means, the chance, the op- portunity to serve democratic government. It is in democracy that the hope of the world lies. Commit to memory this definition of democracy. Democracy is that form of government or state of government, which leaves every citizen to do his best for the
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THE BEGINNING OF THE PLANTATION
public welfare." Let us emulate the example of our fathers and be faithful to the town meeting. Let us tarry long enough to un- derstand this little school of government and politics, which has been held in Dedham for nearly 300 years, in which every one entitled to vote could take part in deciding what the town should do .* In setting up the town meeting the founders of Dedham es- ablished an institution of the greatest importance in a free state, an institution which never failed in efficiency before the intro- duction of representative government in 1927. Boards of officers have been annually elected which at first consisted of constables, selectmen, treasurer, cow herders, pound keepers, fence viewers and hogreeves. Appropriations to meet the necessary expenses of the town have been made rules established, regulating the conduct of citizens; layin out of roads; cutting of timber; main- taining ladders, all things affecting the well-being of the com- munity. Here the men of New England learned to manage local af- fairs and in debate formed the habit of talking about questions of government, such as taxation and the election of officers. In 1639 the town chose seven men to look after the common affairs of the town selectmen as we call them today. At first the power of these seven men was as great as that of the town legally assembled, but later their powers were somewhat restricted.
These seven men met monthly for many years, they made by- laws, relating to highways and fences; the keeping of cattle, swine and horses; recording titles, births, marriages and deaths; the support of schools, religion and bounties for the killing of wolves, wild cats, etc. In accordance with the laws of the Colony, they allowed no one to remain in their community who was not en- gaged in some regular occupation. As soon as a notice was given that a stranger had appeared in town, a committee was chosen to wait on him, not to perform the rights of hospitality, but to bid him depart. The application of the writer's ancestor, Joseph Smith, asking leave to have a journeyman to work with him bears the report "Not allowed". As Worthington has so well said in the History of Dedham. "They formed a civil society out of the
* In 1927 the town adopted the representative form of government. The town is now divided into five precincts with 207 town meeting members including 18 members at large. All voting is now done by the town meeting members.
** Previous to the settlement of the plantation towns had been vested with the con- troi of local affairs. The Selectmen did the things necessary to be done promptly and efficientiy. There were quarteriy Courts to which cases were carried that were be- yond the jurisdiction of the town.
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A HISTORY OF DEDHAM
first simple elements. They actually did what thousands have conjectured might be done in such a case, but of which they could never exhibit a well authenticated instance." The Dedham Society originated in a compact, their laws derived their force from the consent of the people. It was the beginning of the American system of government. "Of the people, by the people, for the people."
In the petition to the General Court, asking for the grant of this plantation, the petitioners asked that it be named "Con- tentment" but some one in the legislature, probably remembering with affection, his old English home, moved that the new town be named Dedham and this name was adopted, although "Con- tentment" was first written in the records of the town. They were content because they were to live together in a peaceable loving society. The late William Jennings Bryan ranked "con- tentment" as the greatest word in the English language. The late Don Gleason Hill, for many years the efficient Town Clerk of Dedham, thus sums up the formation and growth of the early Massachusetts towns. "They very closely resembled the Massa- chusetts Bay Colony. They received a grant from the Colony, as the Colony received its grant from the English Crown. The town enlarged itself by the admission of members by vote (corn and wheat being early used in Dedham) who became proprietors. At first the full body met for the transaction of business, then as the body became too large for convenience, much of its power was delegated, as in the case of the Colony to the General Court, so in case of the town to its seven men who were soon termed select men. The town made its laws, and parcelled out and granted its lands to individual members. It laid out its ways, provided for its burial grounds, its training fields and also for its public landing places."
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