USA > Massachusetts > Barnstable County > Orleans > History of Eastham, Wellfleet and Orleans, Barnstable Co., Mass from 1644-1844 > Part 6
USA > Massachusetts > Barnstable County > Eastham > History of Eastham, Wellfleet and Orleans, Barnstable Co., Mass from 1644-1844 > Part 6
USA > Massachusetts > Barnstable County > Wellfleet > History of Eastham, Wellfleet and Orleans, Barnstable Co., Mass from 1644-1844 > Part 6
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As he spent his days in the uniform and faithful discharge of his ministerial duties, he made no great noise in the world abroad.
It was said by a writer of that day, that his mind was as se- rene as the sky in a mild evening of June, when the full moon
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shines without a cloud. Name any virtue, and that virtue he practised; name any vice, and that vice he shunned. But, if any peculiar qualities marked his character, they were his humility, his gentleness and his love of God. He was not a Boanerges, but a son of consolation. His visits among his people were as beneficial as his sermons from the pulpit. He had the happy talent of giving his conversation a religious turn, and enforcing the precepts which he had taught public- ly on the Sabbath .*
The most remarkable event which took place during Mr. Webb's ministry in Eastham, in which he took part, was the declaration of the ministers in Barnstable county, against itinerant preaching. This was aimed particularly against the Rev. George Whitfield, and was printed in Boston, in 1745. They state that 'itinerant preaching tends to destroy the use- fulness of ministers among their people, in places where the gospel is settled and faithfully preached in its purity; and that it promotes strife and contention, a censorious and un- charitable spirit, and those numerous schisms and separations, which have already destroyed the peace and unity, and at the same time threaten the subversion of many churches.'
To this declaration Mr. Webb subscribed his name, with nine other ministers of the county.
He died August 21st, 1746, aged 51, having labored in the work of the ministry here twenty-six years, and with good success. He was greatly beloved and respected by his people, and his death was deeply and sincerely lamented. The number added to the church cannot be ascertained.
The town was fined by the Court £20 for not having a school, and it was voted that the selectmen humbly petition his majesty's justices of the General Sessions of the peace to be holden in Barnstable, to remit or abate this fine, or order the disposition of it to the benefit of the school in Eastham, and Mr. Samuel Knowles was chosen to present the petition and offer the reasons which existed in the case.
1719. A burying-place was laid out at the west end of the south meeting-house.
* Mass. His. Col. vol. viii.
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09.
The people living at Potanumaquiet were set off from the town of Harwich and annexed to this town; and they were required to pay their regular proportion of the rates of the town.
The inhabitants of the hamlet of. Billingsgate, by their a- gents, John Doane, Esq., and . Mr. Samuel Brown, sent a petition to the town, to be set off from Eastham, to become a separate township, from the bounds of Truro to the Indian brook, from thence easterly to the sea. The town refused to grant their petition.
The old meeting-house was occupied by the north or mid- dle parish till 1720, when they built a new house near the house of the present Deacon Doane. A burying-place was laid out adjoining to it, and a house was built for the use of the minister.
A public county road was laid out through the town, from the bounds of Harwich to Truro, to be forty feet wide.
At a town meeting a resolution was offered, to take in the Billingsgate parish, so as to make three precincts in the town, and maintain the ministers equally by the whole town. It passed in the negative.
1721. The General Court passed an act to issue £50,- 000 in bills of credit, and loan it in just proportions to the several towns in the province, according to their taxes. This was done in consequence of the great scarcity of money mak- ing it difficult for the towns to support the government.
Many meetings were held to devise the ways and means of receiving and keeping the town's proportion of this money. Mr. Isaac. Pepper, one of the representatives of the town, was appointed to receive and receipt for it to the province treasury ; and Joseph Doane, Esq., Capt. Samuel Freeman and Nathaniel Freeman were made the trustees of this mon- ey, to take care of and dispose of it in such manner as they should receive instructions from the town, pursuant to the act of the Court. The trustees were allowed by the town six- pence on every pound of. all the money they should let out agreeably to their instructions, and the same for all they should receive in after it had been let out. This committee
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were instructed to let the money out for five per cent. year- ly, and no more. They were required to take good security in real or personal estate. Mr. Pepper was allowed fifty shillings for bis trouble and care in bringing the money from Boston. The proportion of this town was £468, 108.
1722. The town was served with the copy of a petition to the General Court, by John Doane, Esq., praying that Bil- lingsgate (now Wellfleet) might be set off for a separate pre- cinct as far as Indian brook. John Paine was appointed as their agent to appear for them at the General Court, to show cause why this petition should not be granted.
1723. The General Court sent a committee, chosen out of that body, to visit Eastham, in regard to the above peti- tion; and a committee was raised to wait upon the members of the Court, and lay before them the circumstances in the case. The committee of the Court reported to that body in favor of setting off Billingsgate as a separate precinct, and it was accordingly done.
1727. The General Court passed another act, to issue £60,000 in bills of credit. There was much difference of opinion among the members of the Court, and in the towns generally, respecting this measure, as the former bills of credit were greatly depreciated, the province having no funds to redeem them. This town voted not to receive their pro- portion of it; but at a subsequent meeting, they reconsidered this vote, and chose a committee, Nathaniel Freeman, Esq., Mr. Edward Knowles and Mr. John Paine, to receive the town's proportion, and let it out according as the law provid- ed, and they were sworn to be faithful to this trust.
Joseph Doane took £50,00s.
Capt. John Knowles,
100, 00
Israel Cole,
100, 00
Nathaniel Mayo,
40, 00
Benjamin Higgins,
50, 00
David Doane,
100, 00
Samuel Smith,
100, 00
Thomas Mayo,
17, 15
£557, 15s.
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These men were required to give to the town such secu-' rity as should hold them harmless from all loss and damages; and to pay four per cent. annually to the province treasury, and the principal as the law provided; and the charges of bringing the money from Boston, together with the fees of the trustees for letting and receiving the same.
'Bills of credit had been issued for a number of years and at different times as a substitute for money, in consequence of Sir William Phipps' disastrous expedition against Canada, in 1690, which involved the province in great expense.
'These had been punctually redeemed until 1704, when the General Court were induced to defer the redemption of them for two years, and afterwards for longer periods. Be- sides these bills to defray the expenses of the government, · there were others issued by way of loans to the towns.'
In 1721, £50,000 were issued and loaned to the towns. And in 1727, £60,000. The condition of this loan was, that it should be repaid to the province treasury in five equal payments in five years, of £12,000 each year.
But these various issues, under the different denominations of old tenor, middle tenor and new tenor, 'slid down the same lapse of depreciation.' At first they were worth nearly the whole sum which they represented.
In 1702, an ounce of silver was equal to 68. 10d. in bills of credit.
1705,
1713,
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3
8
¥
1716,
66
9
66
1717,
1722,
=
14
1728,
66
18
1730;
3
20
66
66
1737,
26
1741,
3
66
28
1749,
16 .
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By an act passed by the General Court in 1748, provision was made for drawing into the treasury all the outstanding bills of credit, and ascertaining in future the rates of coined silver. It required that the bills should be paid at the treas- ury in silver, at the rate of forty-five shillings in bills of the old form and tenor, and eleven shillings and three pence in
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12
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bills either of the middle or new form and tenor, for.one piece of eight, which was one Spanish dollar.
The funds to redeem the bills were the money voted by. parliament, to reimburse the expenses of the province in- curred in taking and securing Cape Breton, and a province tax of £75,000. In 1749, the former money arrived in Bos- ton, and was conveyed to the treasury. The sum was £183,- 694, 28. 74d. It consisted of two hundred and fifteen chests, containing $3000 each, and one hundred casks of copper. There were seventeen cart and truck loads of sil- ver, and ten truck loads of copper. This act was designed to put an end to paper money, and establish a silver curren- cy for the future. It provided that after the 31st of March, 1750, all debts should be paid in coined silver. This is said to have been the origin of lawful money.
By this act the most important interests of the public were promoted, and the principles of justice were settled on a firm basis by the establishment of a sound and stable curren- cy, yet it found many opposers, who even attempted to re- sist it by force.
This was followed by the establishment of a Land Bank, with the professed design of providing a remedy for the great inconveniences, that were expected to arise, from withdraw- ing from circulation all the various emissions of paper mon- ey, without substituting any other medium of trade than gold and silver. A company was formed for the purpose of issu- 'ing potes or bills of credit, on land security, to an amount not exceeding £150,000. The extent of the issue, howev- er, in sums from twenty shillings down to three pence, was about £49,000.
The subscribers for stock were to receive the sums sub- scribed in the notes of the Bank, and for security, mortgage to the directors real estate to their satisfaction, with the con- dition to pay annually for twenty years, five per cent. of the principal lent, and three per cent. interest, either in such notes, or any of the following articles: hemp, flax, cordage, bar iron, cast iron, linen, sheep's wool, copper, tanned leath- er, flaxseed, beeswax, sail cloth, nails, tallow or cord wood.
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These articles were to be delivered to the directors.or their agents, to be employed in trade. This company was com- posed of eight hundred and sixty-three persons. About four hundred belonged to Boston, and the others to the different towns in the province. There were three in Eastham, viz. Mr. Samuel Knowles, Mr. William Paine and Deacon John Freeman.
This scheme was obnoxious to Gov. Belcher and many other influential men, who made great exertions to put it down, and successfully effected it. The company was dis- solved by an act of parliament, and in 1743, the General Court took the settlement of their affairs out of the hands of the directors, and vested it in a board of commissioners. .
After the lapse of about thirty years, by means of assess- ments on the partners, and a lottery, the concerns of the bank were brought to a close.
This bank was the occasion of much confusion, and brought ruin on many individuals and families .*
1729. 'The Court was removed from Boston to Salem, by Governor Burnet, in consequence of a difference between them respecting his salary, and the right of nomination. The inhabitants of Boston supported the views of the Court, and the object of the governor in the removal was that they might be out of the reach of this influence.
1734. Agents were appointed by the town to meet the agents of Harwich, Chatham, Truro and Provincetown, at Capt. Samuel Knowles' house in Eastham, on Wednesday, the 20th of November, to prepare a petition or memorial to the governor, council, and representatives in General Court assembled, praying them to set off those towns, into a new county, distinct and separate from the county of Barnstable, for such reasons as may be given; and they appointed Mr. William Paine, John Knowles and John Rich as agents to present their petition or memorial to the Court. This peti- tion not being granted, they again presented their prayer to the Court, that they would order that two of the sessions of
* Hobart's History of Abington. .
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the peace of the inferior Court of Common Pleas and Gen- eral Sessions for the county of Barnstable, be annually held in the town of Eastham.
The reasons offered to the Court, why their prayer should be heard and granted, were, their great distance from Barn- stable, the shire town of the county; the loss of time to the jurors and all others who were obliged to attend the Courts, and the great expense attending it .* This was not granted.
1738. Mr. Osborn was dismissed by the church and so- ciety in the south part of the town. After the dismission of Mr. Osborn, Mr. Roland Thatcher was employed a number of Sabbaths to preach the gospel to the south parish. Joseph Doane and Timothy Cole were appointed to procure a suita- ble person to supply the pulpit.
This year jurymen were chosen for Barnstable and Dukes county, Martha's Vineyard having been annexed to this county.
1739. Mr. Joseph Crocker was unanimously called by the church and parish to settle with and over them in the work of the ministry. Mr. Crocker gave his answer in the affirmative, in the following words:
To the Inhabitants of the South Precinct in Eastham, Greeting:
Whereas you did, on the sixteenth day of April last, give me a call to the honorable work of the gospel ministry among you ; and did then signify the same to me by a committee, Joseph Doane, Esq., Deacon Jonathan Higgins, and others ; these may signify to you that I do ac- cept of your call to that work on the terms and conditions following:
I accept of the salary and settlement, as by your vote for my settle- ment, a suitable dwelling-house built, and a parcel of land procured to set it upon, in some suitable place ; such a parcel of land and such a dwelling-house as was built and procured for a settlement for Mr. Osborn and Mr. Webb; and to be given to me and my heirs and as- signs forever, except Providence should open a door for my own con- venient settling of myself ; and then I expect you will be willing to let me have the value of what you have voted for this, in money.t And lastly, that while I remain your minister, besides the improvement of all the ministerial lands and meadows, or sedge ground, laid out for the
* Eastham records.
t Mr. Crocker was then expecting to marry a lady of the place who owned a bouse, which he did, and he received the value in money.
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use of the ministry in the southerly part of your precinct, I expect that you will yearly and every year, find, cut, and cart to my door, a suffi- cient quantity of wood for my own and for my family's yearly use ; al- so, pay me annually the same salary that is paid to to the Rev. Ben- jamin Webb, viz. £90. · JOSEPH CROCKER.
EASTHAM, August 14th; 1739.
Mr. Osborn refusing to give up the ministerial lands and meadows to Mr. Crocker, money was paid out of the treasu- ry to him to enable him in the law to eject Mr. Osborn from the possession of these lands and meadows; and Capt. Wil- liam Paine was appointed to assist him in this business.
Mr. Crocker was ordained over this church and society September 12th, 1739. He was born in Barnstable, and graduated at Harvard college, in 1734. He was twice mar- ried, and had three children.
Josiah, who was graduated at Harvard college, had a call to settle in Yarmouth, but died before the time appointed for his ordination, aged twenty-five years; Lucia married the Rev. Simeon Williams of Weymouth; Ann married the Rev. William Shaw of Marshfield.
Mr. Crocker was a strict Calvinist, a man of prudence, faithful as a minister, but destitute of popular talents as a speaker; a hard student in theology, but without much infor- mation on other subjects; mild in his temper, and affectionate in his manners, and greatly beloved by his people.
Previous to this time, all monies for the support of the gos- pel in both of the meeting-houses had been raised and paid as their expenses required. It was now unanimously agreed that they should continue for the present to raise the money together, but that the treasurer should keep an exact account of the sums which should be drawn for the use of each pre- cinct, so that, if ever they should be separate parishes, the one which had received the most should refund it to the other.
Several petitions were sent to the General Court, com- plaining of grievances, and praying for favors.
Samuel Freeman and Ralph Smith were a committee to petition the Court for an abatement of the town provincial tax.
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Another petition prayed the Court to pass an act to pre- serve Billingsgate beach and other common meadows from destruction, and John Knowles was chosen as the agent.
1746. A committee was appointed to draw a petition to lay before his excellency the governor, for the protection of the inhabitants of Eastham from impressment in the service. A war commenced in 1744, with the French, and contin- ued nineteen years. The Indians, urged on by French influ- ence, again assaulted the towns of New England. To en- courage them in the work of blood and ruin, they were offered a reward for every scalp they should obtain. Such a war and of so long continuance was a calamity indeed. This town was often called upon for men and money by the government, and as but few men were willing to enlist, impressments were fre- quently made. The men who were taken by the Indians, and whose lives were spared, were sold to the French, which was the fate of some of the inhabitants of this town.
This year, August 21st, the Rev. Benjamin Webb died, aged fifty-one years, having labored in the work of the min- istry twenty-six years. His death was deeply lamented by his people.
'Whereas,' say his people, 'God in his sovereign provi- dence hath taken away by death the Rev. Mr. Webb, our beloved pastor of the north or middle church of this town, we look on ourselves obliged to take suitable care to supply that vacancy as soon as may be;'-it was therefore voted to make choice of some suitable person to obtain a minister to preach the word of God to them on probation, in order to bis settlement in the work of the ministry among them. Dea. Samuel Freeman was chosen for this purpose.
It was then agreed to give the bereaved Mrs. Webb, £30, old tenor, for her support one year, and her fire-wood, provi- ded she would board the minister, who should preach to them, for reasonable pay.
Mr. Josiah Tory was invited to preach as a candidate for settlement, to whom the church and society gave a call, but he returned an answer in the negative.
Mr. Ezra Carpenter was invited, and after preaching a
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number of Sabbaths, the church and society gave him a call; but as he thought the salary which they offered him was not sufficient for his support, and making some propositions to them to increase it, which they did not comply with, he gave his answer in the negative.
The Rev. Edward Cheever was then invited to visit them as a candidate, to whom they gave a call to settle with them in the ministry, which he accepted, and was installed over them in 1751. Mr. Cheever concluded his answer as fol- lows:
'I have now come to the conclusion to give my answer to your call to settle with you, in the affirmative, and do accept of the settlement and salary which you have provided for me, and ask your prayers that I may obtain mercy of the Lord, to be faithful and successful in the work to which I am called, and wishing that every thing which re- spects my settlement in this place, may be conducted by the infinite and wise Counsellor, who hath done all things well, and that grace and peace may be multiplied to you through our Lord Jesus Christ. 'In the fellowship of the gospel, I subscribe myself yours,
'EDWARD CHEEVER.'
Mr. Cheever was born in Ipswich, 1706; graduated at Harvard college, 1737; was ordained over the Congrega- tional church in that town, and married Miss Wigglesworth. broke His second wife was Miss Dorcas Beone of this town. He had several sons, of whom one was a physician, but some- times officiated as a preacher. Mr. Cheever possessed con- siderable talent and learning, was a very plain preacher, and his labors were blessed. He served the church and society in this town nearly forty years, and died August 17, 1794, in the seventy-eighth year of his age. As no records of the church are found which were kept by him, it cannot be stated what number were added during his ministry.
1749. It was agreed to divide the town into three equal parts, for the better accommodation of the school, and to set- tle a schoolmaster in each part. The northern division con- sisted of one hundred and three families, the middle and the southern of the same number, making three hundred and nine families, the population of the whole town being about two thousand. In each of these divisions a committee was
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appointed to settle and have the supervision of the school therein.
Wrecks and parts of wrecks of vessels and other property were often cast ashore on the back side of the town, and picked up by the inhabitants, who gave oath to it before the town clerk; and the property was taken care of, as the law directed, for whom it might concern. The law required that this should be done in all cases, yet it cannot be denied that it was frequently evaded, and the property found appropriat- ed to private use, which has often been the case since.
1751. Samuel Knowles, Esq., died at this period. Mr. Knowles was one of the most distinguished men of the town. He served his townsmen in various and important offices, to which they often elected him. He was chosen a represent- ative to the General Court fifteen times. He held the of- fices of town-clerk, selectman, juryman, assessor and mod- erator of town meetings, repeatedly. He was often appoint- ed on important committees, to set off lands, fix the bounda- ries between Eastham and other towns, and between the lands of individuals. He was long a worthy member of the church, and died much lamented.
1752. New roads and highways were laid out in differ- ent parts of the town, and money was raised to defray the public charges. The bounds and marks were renewed be- tween Eastham and Harwich.
1753. Deacon Samuel Freeman died. The character and life of Deacon Freeman is worth preserving, and is wor- thy of the imitation of his descendants of all succeeding gen- erations. He was elected to the highest and most important offices within the power of his townsmen to bestow; and his moral and religious character is apparent from the confi- dence the church had in him, in giving to him the office of deacon, in which he served his Divine Master for a long course of years. He possessed great influence, and used it to promote the prosperity and happiness of the town, the province and the church .. He died in a good old age, and was gathered to his fathers in peace.
The town took measures to prevent the destruction of the western shore.
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The selectmen were ordered to renew the bounds between. this town and Truro.
1754. Deacon John Freeman was chosen representative. Then it was voted that he should stay at home, to save the expense, and the town would hold him harmless.
It was ordered that the selectmen draw up and send to the General Court a petition, to have the town released from sending a representative to them this year.
Money was raised to pay the schoolmasters, and all other town and precinct charges.
A committee was chosen to settle the school in the middle part of the town.
An agent was chosen to answer to the petition of Samuel Smith, Esq., to the General Court, concerning Billingsgate beach and islands.
1757. It was voted that the selectmen should draw out of the town treasury £420 old tenor, to pay fourteen men who had been enlisted to serve in the army during the pres- ent war with the Indians and French.
A large committee was chosen to regulate and settle the public schools in the different parts of the town.
It was agreed to excuse the men who were enlisted and engaged in carrying on the war against Canada, from pay- ing a poll tax.
The town chose a committee to prosecute the Harwich people for carrying on the whale fishery at Billingsgate.
Mr. Thomas Knowles died this year. For a number of years he had held the office of town-clerk, and was employ- ed in other offices of importance. He was a man of no or- dinary intelligence, and served his generation with faithful- ness.
1760. The town appointed an agent to join with the a- gents of the other towns in the county of Barnstable to send . a petition to the General Court, praying that body to pass an act to lessen the number of the Courts in the county. Col. John Doane was chosen.
In these early days there was but little litigation, and but few cases, especially from the lower part of the county, to
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