USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > East Boston > History of East Boston; with biographical sketches of its early proprietors, and an appendix > Part 23
USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > East Boston > History of East Boston : with biographical sketches of its early proprietors, and an appendix. > Part 23
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253
SHUTE SHRIMPTON YEAMANS' DEVISE.
1774.]
that this use is not executed by the statute, but that the land must remain in the trustees, to enable them to perform the trust, i. e. to receive the rents, issues, and profits, and pay, apply, and dispose of them according to the will." 1
Shute Shrimpton Yeamans' devise in favor of his three aunts, Mary Chauncy, Sarah Greenough, and Mehetable Hyslop, the daughters of Mr. David Stoddard, having thus taken effect by reason of the death of his sons without issue, they suffered a common recovery of the Noddle's Island and other estates in United States of America, and thereby became tenants in com- mon in fee-simple. Each of the " three aunts" thus had one third, or, for greater convenience in subsequent calculations, two sixths, of that estate. Mrs. Greenough's two sixths de- scended to her two children, David S. and William, one sixth to each, in fee. Mrs. Hyslop's two sixths to her two children, David and Elizabeth, one sixth to each, in fee. Mrs. Chauncy's two sixths were divided between the Rev. William Greenough and Elizabeth (Hyslop) Sumner, the wife of Governor Sumner, one sixth to each, in fee. As it was thought at this time that David Hyslop would never marry, on account of his infirmities, Mrs. Chauncy did not give the fee of any part of her two sixths to him, as otherwise probably would have been done, but divi- ded the fee of the whole of her share between William Green- ough and Elizabeth Sumner, who were children of her two sisters, they paying in equal portions to David Hyslop, during his life, one third of the income of her share.2 David S. Green- ough bought the two sixths which his brother William thus ac- quired (one sixth from his mother, and one sixth from Mrs. Chauncy), and consequently assumed his brother's life obliga- tion to David Hyslop.
Thus David S. Greenough became possessed of the fee of
1 The original document of John Adams, drawn up at full length by his own hand, and signed by him, is in the writer's possession, and, besides being valua- ble as an autograph, is inserted in Appendix E. as an opinion of so distinguished a man upon a question of law.
2 A bond to this effect from William Greenough, Increase Sumner, and Elizabeth Sumner, his wife, to David Hyslop, dated on the 27th of February, 1782, is on record in the Suffolk Registry, lib. 134, fol. 4.
22
254
HISTORY.
three sixths, Elizabeth (Hyslop) Sumner of two sixths, and David Hyslop of one sixth, of the whole Island (in the right of his mother). Or,
David S. Greenough, three sixths, Elizabeth (H.) Sumner, two sixths, David Hyslop, one sixth.
From the heirs of these three proprietors, the East Boston Company derived their whole title, as will be fully set forth as we advance in the history.1
1 SHRIMPTON PEDIGREE.
HENRY SHRIMPTON ==
Col. Samuel Shrimpton=Elizabeth Breeden=Simeon Stoddard=Mary Downing. He d. 9 Feb. 1697-8. 3d husband. Ist wife.
She d. 13 Apr. 1713. See Roberts Pedigree.
Samuel, Jr .= Elizabeth Richardson=David Stoddard. Ist husband, See Roberts Pedigree. 2d husband, m. 23 Dec. 1713. m. 7 May, 1696.
Elizabeth=John Yeamans,
Sarah,
Mehetable,
m. 6 May,
son of Henry. See Yeamans Pedigree.
Mary, b. 11 Nov. 1715. b. 10 Aug. 1718. b. 5 July, 1719. m. Rev. Charles m. Dea. Thos. Greenough, d. Mar. 1778. Chauncy, D. D., d. 1783. s. p.
m. William - Hyslop, d. 19 Nov. 1792.
Shute Shrimpton Yeamans=Matilda Gunthorp, b. 20 Aug. 1721, in Antigua. d. 10 Sept. 1769.
Two daus. d. in infancy.
John, d. young.
Shute, d. aged ab. 20.
David S.,
William,
b. 31 July, 1752, b. 29 June, 1756, left children.
minister at Newton. left children.
James,
b. 17 Sept. 1751, d. 9 May, 1752.
William, b. 6 Nov. 1753, m. Betsey
David, b. 28 Dec. 1755, m. 1, Eliza Stone, Williams, who d. s. p. d. 9 July, m. 2, Jane 1792, s. p. Woodward. He d. 16 Aug. 1822. Ch., David, and others, all dying under age ; Jane m. again.
Elizabeth=Increase Sumner,
b. 5 Aug. 1757, d. 28 Dec. 1810.
Gov. etc., m. 30 Sept. 1779, d. 7 June, 1799.
Mehetable, b. and d. 15 Sept. 1763.
Wm. Hyslop, Adj .- Gen. etc. See Sumner Pedigree.
Mehetable S., m. Benj. Welles.
Eliza, m. James W. Gerard.
255
1818.]
SALE OF THE ESTATE IN ANTIGUA.
No common recovery having been suffered in Antigua by Mrs. Chauncy, her third part of the Yeamans estate in that Island descended, at her death, to the heirs-at-law of Shute Shrimpton Yeamans. The other sisters, Sarah and Mehetable, having each suffered a common recovery in that island, their two thirds of the estate descended to their heirs in fee, and were sold for their benefit, in 1818, by General Sumner (who went to Antigua for that purpose) at the rate of £16,000 ster- ling for the whole, payable by bills on London, which were five per cent. above the par value of gold and silver. Mr. Robert- son, who was the purchaser of the estate, then offered to ex- change the bills on London at that advance for Spanish milled dollars at par, if General Sumner would receive them at his residence in the neighboring island of Montserrat. This pro- posal was accepted under the advice of Mr. Perit, of the house of Goodhue & Perit (who was his intelligent travelling com- panion on the homeward passage), who anticipated a high pre- mium in New York for the Spanish milled dollars for the India market. A contract was made with the captain of the brig Edward Byam, in which the writer had taken passage, to stop at Montserrat on his way to New York and take the specie on board. The boxes of coin, having the seal of the Bank of Eng- land upon them, were not all opened, the labor of counting being too great. In eleven days from the time the dollars were loaded, they were landed in New York, and, being in great demand for exportation, were immediately sold to Pick- man and Lander, India merchants, at four and a half per cent. advance. Thus the whole expenses of the voyage and of the sale of the estate were more than covered by the premiums on the exchange of the bills in London for specie in Antigua and the sale of the specie in New York, and the account was so settled with D. S. Greenough, Esq. for the proprietors.
The custom of the island, in regard to conveyances, differed from that prevalent in this country. There the purchaser is at the expense of the conveyances, and the grantor signs the deed made out by the purchaser's attorney, which is a matter of some importance, as the expenses in this instance of drawing the deeds (which was done by Mr. Musgrave, the solicitor-
256
HISTORY.
[1633-70.
general, who was employed by the purchaser) amounted to over ££100.
In the previous pages the descent of the right and possession of the Island from 1633 to the formation of the East Boston Company has been detailed; but, in order to present the succes- sive ownership in a clear light, unincumbered by other subjects, the title may be concisely stated as follows : -
In 1633, the general court granted the Island to Samuel Maverick " to enjoy to him and his heirs forever," under certain conditions.
In 1650, Samuel Maverick and his wife, conjointly with their son Nathaniel, sold it to Capt. George Briggs of Barbadoes, who, the same year, conveyed it to the above-mentioned Na- thaniel, by whom it was, on the same day (28th Oct. 1650), conveyed to Col. John Burch of Barbadoes and his heirs for- ever.
In 1656-7, Thomas Broughton purchased the Island, through Richard Leader, his attorney, who took the deed in his own name and in the name of Richard Newbold. On account of embarrassments, Broughton conveyed it, with other property (19th April, 1659), to Henry Shrimpton and Richard Cooke of Boston, and Walter Price of Salem, in trust for his creditors. Shrimpton declined this trust, as full possession of Noddle's Island had previously been given to Walter Price.
In 1662, Richard Cooke and Walter Price, as assignees of Broughton, commenced a suit against Richard Newbold (before mentioned) for withholding about £850 (part of the purchase- money) and interest for several years, and a verdict was given for the plaintiffs. The execution issued on the 31st of March, 1663, was extended upon the whole of Noddle's Island as the possession of Newbold, excepting one hundred and seventy acres, which the execution did not cover. The Island was then delivered to Richard Cooke, excepting the one hundred and seventy acres which remained to Newbold.
In 1664, Sir Thomas Temple bought all Richard Cooke's right and title in the Island ; and,
In 1667, bought all of Newbold's remaining right and title, and thus became possessed of the whole Island.
257
1670-1768.] GENERAL DESCENT OF TITLE.
In 1670, Samuel Shrimpton purchased it of Sir Thomas Temple ; and,
In 1682, by the payment of thirty pounds to the State, cleared it of the conditions in the grant to Maverick, and thus became the first person who held it in his own right in fee-simple.
By the provisions of an indenture dated 20th August, 1680, and by Samuel Shrimpton's will, dated 5th June, 1697, Mrs. Elizabeth Shrimpton, his widow, became possessed of the whole Island. She married, for a second husband, Simeon Stoddard. In her will (11th April, 1713) she devised the Island to her granddaughter Elizabeth Shrimpton, the daughter of Samuel Shrimpton, Jr., who became subsequently the wife of John Yeamans, to hold " during her natural life, and after her decease to the heirs of her body to be lawfully begotten," and for want of such issue, " to the right heirs of my said late husband, the said Shrimpton forever." The widow of Samuel Shrimpton, Jr. (whose maiden name was Elizabeth Richardson) married David Stoddard, and by this marriage she had three daughters, Mary (third wife of Dr. Charles Chauncy, of Boston), Sarah (wife of Deacon Thomas Greenough), and Mehetable (wife of William Hyslop). In order to dock the entail created by the will of Mrs. Simeon Stoddard (former wife of Samuel Shrimpton), a common recovery was suffered by John Yea- mans and his son Shute Shrimpton Yeamans, for the use of the father (John Yeamans) and his heirs in fee-simple. (C. C. P. January Term, 1743-4.)
John Yeamans, in his will (23d Feb., 1747), gave all his estate, real and personal (a part of which came to him by inheritance from his own ancestors), to his only son and heir, Shute Shrimpton Yeamans, subject to various legacies to friends and relations ; and upon the death of his father, Shute Shrimpton Yeamans, became sole heir and residuary lega- tee. S. S. Yeamans, in his will (Aug. 4, 1768), gave Noddle's Island in trust for his two sons, John and Shute, " until one of my said sons, or their issue, shall attain the age of twenty- one years, or until both of them shall depart this life without issue," to wit, "to the use of my son John Yeamans, and the heirs of his body lawfully issuing; and for default of such issue, to the use of my son Shute Yeamans, and the heirs of
22 *
258
HISTORY.
[1768-1833.
his body lawfully issuing ; and for default of such issue, then to the use and behoof of my aunts, Mary Chauncy, Sarah Greenough, and Mehetable Hyslop, of Boston," "and the heirs of their respective bodies lawfully begotten or to be begotten, as tenants in common, and not as joint-tenants ; and for default of such issue, to the use and behoof of my own right heirs for- ever."
Both of these sons, John and Shute, died before the age of 21 years, and without issue ; consequently S. S. Yeamans' devise took effect in favor of his three aunts, children of David Stoddard, Mary Chauncy, Sarah Greenough, and Mehetable Hyslop. They suffered a common recovery of the Noddle's Island estate, and became tenants in common in fee-simple. Each of the " three aunts " thus had the fee of one third of the Island. Mrs. Greenough's one third descended to her two chil- dren, David S. and William, one sixth to each, in fee. The fee of Mrs. Chauncy's one third came by the deed to lead the uses of the common recovery to William Greenough and Elizabeth (Hyslop) Sumner, one sixth to each, they paying in equal portions to David Hyslop, during his life, one third of the income arising therefrom. David L. Greenough bought out his brother William, and thus assumed his brother's obligation to David Hyslop.
By all this -
David S. Greenough owned in fee three sixths of the whole Island.
David Hyslop 66 one sixth
Elizabeth (Hyslop) Sumner " two sixths 66 66 66
David S. Greenough's son David was the inheritor of all his father's portion, and died intestate, leaving it to his widow and children. Their estate was sold by the order of court confirmed by the legislature to William H. Sumner, who sold it to the East Boston Company. David Hyslop's one sixth was sold by his widow, then the wife of John Hayden, to the East Boston Company. Elizabeth (Hyslop) Sumner's one third was set off in the division of her estate to her daughter, Eliza Gerard, by whom it was conveyed to the East Boston Company.
Such, in few words, is the title of the Island property from Samuel Maverick, the first grantee, to its purchase by the East Boston Company. The minute details of the different trans- fers have been set forth in the preceding chapters.
1
Æt 47
Increase Jumnem
Port of Clans taken on the costuma of a dus S.T.C. in 1792
CHAPTER XI.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
To give completeness to the record of those who, at different times, were interested in the island, it is necessary to speak more particularly of the husbands of the "three aunts" to whom Shute Shrimpton Yeamans devised his property, as has been minutely set forth in the previous chapter, and also to notice some of the children of these devisees. Consequently, the biographies of Dr. Chauncy, Thomas Greenough, and. William Hyslop, with brief notices of their respective families and direct descendants, will now be given, so far as is considered neces- sary, and as fully as a limited space will allow.
REV. CHARLES CHAUNCY, D. D., was a direct descendant of Charles Chauncy, who was elected, in 1654, the second presi- dent of Harvard University. The family, in all its branches, was eminent for high religious character, literary attainments, and official position. President Chauncy was a man of distin- guished ability and of excellent scholarship; and such was the extent of his literary acquisitions, that Mather styled him the " Cadmus" who brought letters to this country. He was a prominent man in his profession in England, and his free ex- pression of opinion brought him under the displeasure of the notorious Archbishop Laud, and his troubles were neither few nor small. On account of his attainments in oriental literature, he was appointed professor of Hebrew in Trinity College, Cam- bridge, England, but declined the office, and was then appointed professor of Greek in the same institution. He emigrated to this country in the latter part of the year 1637, and, after preach- ing a few years in Scituate, was, in 1654, elected president of Harvard University, which office he held until the commence-
260
HISTORY.
ment of 1771, immediately previous to his death, which oc- curred on the 19th of February of the same year.
Dr. Charles Chauncy, the subject of this notice, was born on the 1st of January, 1705, and was a great-grandson of the president, being the son of Charles Chauncy, merchant in Bos- ton, who was the son of Isaac Chauncy, the eldest son of the president. He inherited the superior abilities of his distin- guished ancestor, and some of his peculiarities, at least his love for religious controversy. He was not alone in this mode of warfare, for all the divines of that day were ardent in their prejudices for or against any doctrine, and zealous in public discussion. He entered Harvard University at the early age of twelve years, and received his first degree in 1721. President Wadsworth, one of the pastors of the first church in Boston, having removed to Cambridge, a fast was immediately kept by the congregation, and measures were taken to obtain another pastor, as an associate with the Rev. Thomas Foxcroft. Mr. Chauncy was chosen on the 12th of June, 1727, and ordained on the 25th of October following. Mr. Chauncy preached the sermon from Matthew, 28th chapter, 20th verse, and Cotton Mather gave the fellowship of the churches. Emerson, who was a subsequent pastor of this church, in his history of the first church in Boston, says : " During forty-two years the pas- tors, Foxcroft and Chauncy, lived together in the greatest har- mony with each other and their flock. The affairs of the church were in a flourishing condition. She saw her elder pastor un- rivalled in popularity as a preacher, and already marked in his young colleague the dawn of those brilliant powers which were destined to enlighten and improve the age." The house of worship of the first church in Boston was erected upon the site where Brazer's building now stands, and was subsequently removed to Washington street, upon the ground now covered by Joy's building. In this church Dr. Chauncy preached, and some time after his death, and during the ministrations of his successor, Dr. Clark, Mr. Joy proposed to the society then owning the church to convey it to him, and he would build them one on their land in Summer street; his proposal was agreed to and carried into effect. In the new house built by Mr. Joy upon the society's land in Summer street, the Thursday morning lec-
261
CHARLES CHAUNCY, D. D.
ture, at 11 o'clock, of the First Association of Congregational Ministers, has been held weekly from that time to the present, as it ever had been in the old church on Washington street. The land on Summer street, on which the church was built, was the parsonage occupied by Dr. Chauncy, his two story wooden dwelling-house occupying the ground nearly opposite the Mercantile Library building.
As a literary man Dr. Chauncy was very industrious, and published a great many sermons and lectures, as well as a num- ber of larger works, which excited much attention. " As a stu- dent, his conceptions were quick; as a theologian, he was learned and liberal ; as a writer, plain, argumentative, and vigorous ; as a preacher, sincere, unaffected, and at times deeply impres- sive ; as a politician, open, inflexible, and patriotic ; as a man, sudden and vehement in his temper, eminently upright, with a seriousness suited to his profession, and an earnestness appro- priate to a period when the most essential rights of .freemen were brought into jeopardy, and were to be secured for his country at last only by the hazardous claim and triumphant assumption of national independence. In politics he was an honest patriot, and as such, never wavered in asserting Amer- ican rights."
On all occasions and under all circumstances, he ever ap- peared on the side of liberty and justice. An instance of this occurred at the first barbecue in Boston of which there is any account, which took place on election day in 1770. The general court was ordered to meet at the College buildings in Cam- bridge the last Wednesday of May, 1770. This was just after the Boston massacre, on the 5th of March, and the governor could not be persuaded to have the legislature meet in Boston. A number of the patriots in that town, or, as they were termed in the language of the time, " friends to the rights of North America," anticipating the state of things between the legis- lature and the royal officers, made preparations for a public popular festival in Boston on election day. An ox was roasted on the Common, the animal having been carried through the town the day before, dressed with garlands and ribbons. Relig- ious services were held at noon. Rev. Samuel Mather, "a worthy descendant of those Christian patriots, Increase and
262
HISTORY.
Cotton," made the prayer, and the Rev. Dr. Chauncy, " that inflexible assertor of our civil and religious rights," preached the sermon. A dinner at Faneuil Hall, and the distribution of the ox among the poor, concluded the day. Thus the people of Boston celebrated "election," without any great and general court, governor, or military display. They had a barbecue on the Common, and a sermon from the beloved Dr. Chauncy, and punch, according to the custom of those days, in Faneuil Hall, and could well afford to dispense with the usual routine of the May election of those times.1
1 Boston Transcript, Aug. 21, 1856. The Williams Journal of Daily Occur- rences on Noddle's Island mentions another barbecue, which took place in 1793, and, in referring to it, speaks of the "great preparations for the civic feast," and of "the ox to be roasted for the poor of the town, and a number of public dinners." A fuller description of this is given in the paper we have cited, and will doubtless interest the reader. We quote nearly verbatim : -
" An ox was roasted in Boston at a great public festival in 1793, under cir- cumstances of a novel and unique character. In 1792, the citizens of the United States took deep interest in the early movements of the French Revo- lution, and it was thought proper that a great civic feast should be given in this city in honor of the patriots of France. Accordingly, after due preparation, a public festival was arranged, and Thursday, Jan. 24th, 1793, was assigned as the day for the celebration.
"So general were the rejoicings at the victories of the friends of ' Liberty and Equality' in France, who followed the example of the American revolution- ists, that several celebrations took place in Boston. There was a dinner at Faneuil Hall, at which ' Citizen ' Samuel Adams presided, a collation near the stump of the 'Liberty Tree,' at the South end, a great public feast in State street, and numerous military and civic dinners in other parts of the town. The main interest of the celebration, however, was centred in the barbecue in State street. An ox was purchased by subscription and roasted whole, leaving the head and horns entire. The cooking operation was performed near Copp's Hill, the night previous to the festival. A procession formed in Ferry street, at the North end, afterwards Lynn street, now part of Commercial street, on the morning of the 24th, and marched through Middle (Hanover), and Union streets, up Cornhill (now Washington street), on to the Liberty Stump, thence to the right on Common street to the dwelling of ' Citizen ' John Hancock, on Beacon street; thence to the house of ' Citizen' Samuel Adams, in Winter street ; thence through Summer to Federal street, and through Kilby to State street. In passing the meeting-house in Federal street the procession halted, and the chairman of the proprietors of the church gave a congratulatory address in behalf of the society, in whose place of worship the Constitution of
263
CHARLES CHAUNCY, D. D.
Many incidents occur to the writer's mind illustrative of Dr. Chauncy's character. The following is one which shows the
the United States was ratified by the delegates of Massachusetts, and in com- memoration of which event the street received its name of 'Federal.' When the procession reached ' Oliver's Dock,' a salute of fifteen guns was fired, and the space christened ' Liberty Square,' which it retains to this day.
" The roasted ox, weighing 1,000 lbs., was in this procession, elevated twenty feet upon a great wooden spit. It was drawn by fifteen horses, and was gaily dressed with ribbons ; the horns were gilded, and ornamented with the flags of the United States and France. At the end of the spit was the motto, 'Peace- offering to Liberty and Equality.' The ox was followed by a large cart con- taining eight hundred loaves of bread, drawn by six horses; next came a hogshead of punch, drawn by six horses ; then followed a second load of eight hundred loaves of bread and a second hogshead of punch. Tables were laid in State street, the whole length east of the old State house. There was some difficulty in the equal distribution of the roast beef, and it has always been said that the punch was mighty strong; but all accounts say that the highest degree of cheerfulness and good-will prevailed.
" All the youths of the town were paraded in State street, in ranks, between which a cart was driven, from whence each one was presented with a civic cake impressed with the words 'Liberty and Equality.' A liberty pole was erected in Liberty square in the evening, and the horns of the roasted ox were placed on the top, where they remained several years. Two balloons, orna- mented with mottos, were sent up during the afternoon, under the direction of some French visitors. The remnants of the bread were sent to the jail and almshouse, but the punch was all consumed by the patriotic assembly.
" A purse was raised to pay the debts and fines of such persons as were con- fined in jail, and they were released 'to breathe the air of Liberty.' It was arranged that the people of Charlestown and Boston should drink to the health of each other at 4 o'clock in the afternoon, and the measure was carried into effect with ' all the honors.' We have before us the diary of the pastor of one of the Boston churches at this time, and we find a memorandum therein ac- knowledging the reception of nine dollars from the civic feast, and a list of nine persons to whom it was distributed. There were celebrations on the same day in Charlestown, Roxbury, Medford, and Watertown. In Roxbury a purse was raised to furnish a free festival for the poor, that all classes might celebrate the day devoted to ' Liberty and Equality.'
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