History of Essex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 159

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton), ed. n 85042884-1
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1538

USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > History of Essex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I > Part 159

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3. His Conversion .- After Governor Winthrop had arrived in Salem harbor, 1629, Masconnomet and one of his men went on board the Governor's ship, Sun- day morning, June 13th, and remained all day. The governor's object in coming to New England was to Christianize the Indians. He so far succeeded here that March 8, 1644, Masconnomet put himself, his subjects, and his possessions under the government protection of the Massachusetts Bay, and agreed to be instructed in the Christian religion. The purpose of this chief and a few of his friends is shown in the following examination :

1. Will you worship the only true God and not blaspheme ? Ans. We do desire to reverence the God of the English, and to speak well of him, because we see He doth better to the English than other gods do to oth- ers. 2. Will you cease from swearing falsely ? Ans. We know not what swearing is. 3. Will you refrain from working on the Sabbath, especially in Christian towns ? Ans. It is easy for us-we have little to do any day, and can well rest on that day. 4. Will you honor your parents and all your superiors? Ans. It is our custom to do so. 5. Will you refrain from killing any man without cause and authority ? Ans. It is good, and we desire it. 6. Will you put away fornication, adultery, incest, rape, sodomy and beastiality ? Ans. Though some of our people do some of these things, we count them naught, and do not allow them. 7. Will you put away stealing ? Ans. We answer this as the sixth question. 8. Will you allow your children to read the word of God, so that they may know him aright, and worship him in his own way ? Ans. We will allow this as opportunity will permit, and as the English live among us, we desire to do so.

4. Friendly Tokens .- The examination was satisfac- tory; they were "solemnly received," and were then presented to the court. They gave the court twenty- six fathoms of wampum, and the court gave to each of them two yards of cloth, a dinner, and at their de- partnre a " cup of sac."

5. Depopulation .- At the date of Champlain's and Hardie and Hobson's visits the tribe seemed numer- ous and valiant, but the pestilence that prevailed among the tribes generally, about 1617, reduced their number and greatly enfeebled the strength of this tribe.

6. Suspicion .- In 1642 several tribes were suspected

568

HISTORY OF ESSEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

of an intention of rising against the English, and were, therefore, deprived of their arms for several months. But generally the English experienced no trouble from the Agawams.

7. Tarratines .- At the north of Agawam lay the imperial realm of the Pennacooks, and next to them, as allies, were the Pawtuckets on the north side of the Merrimack River, and the Penobscotts in the vicinity of the Penobscott, or, as they called it, Pentegoet River. Somewhere in that territory wig- wamed the Tarratines, agile, warlike, blood-thirsty and, as some say, cannibal. It is said that Mascon- nomet had slain some of the tribe, and so had in- curred the price of blood, and endangered the safety of the English. Accordingly, July 5, 1631, he was hanished from the house of every Englishman for one year, under penalty of ten beaver-skins for every offence. Of the Tarratines the Agawams had a mor- tal dread. In 1629, and several times after, they ap- plied to Governor Endicott for aid, and received it. Sagamores James and John, of Saugust and Charles- town, often assisted them. One instance of such al- liance was August 8, 1631, when the Tarratines, to the number of a hundred, in three canoes, surprised the Agawams, slew seven men, wounded Sagamores John and James and some others, and took, among other captives, the wife of James, who, however, was returned the following September with a demand of wampum and ten beaver-skins for her ransom.

8. Indian Arts .- Their arts were simple and their wants were few. Their wild dance and song were the life of the wigwam; tobacco was their solace ; they delighted in smoking, or "drinking the pipe;" fish- ing and hunting were their sustenance, and they ex- ulted in the capture of a salmon, a shad, or a stur- geon, of a fox, a bear, or a deer. In spring their food was largely fish, in summer berries, in autumn har- vest products, and in winter clams. They cultivated only the Indian bean and corn, which was always their staple food. Rude granite mortars and pestles served to powder the corn ; their tomahawks were stones about the length of a man's hand, with one end fashioned for a handle and with the other end beveled to an edge. Their arrow-heads were of slate, and a lapidary for their manufacture has been discov- ered near Prospect Hill. Abundance of clam-shells have been found on high ground, which, doubtless, mark the sites of their wigwams. These implements, even now after the flight of two hundred and fifty years, the plow-share sometimes discovers. Their highest art was expended upon the bow and arrow; their proudest skill was in throwing the tomahawk, shooting the arrow and spearing the fish.

9. Masconnomet's Death. - Masconnomet saw his trihe fade away, as a summer cloud ; his rich domain become the abode of the pale-face; his scepter broken fall from his nerveless grasp. In 1655, 21st Febru- ary, the selectmen granted him a life-interest in six acres of planting ground. He died 6th March, 1658.

The 18th of the following June, his widow was granted the same ground during her widowhood. Both were buried on Sagamore Hill in Hamilton. With him were interred his gun, his tomahawk and other implements of the chase. The tribe lived in scattered wigwams, much at the town charge, till it was practically extinct, about 1730.

PLANTERS.

I. Definition .- These were such as obtained tracts or parcels of land, and occupied them as fishing sta- tions or for the purpose of traffic with the natives. Two parties principally are concerned in this history, John Mason and William Jeffrey.

2. John Mason was a member of the Plymouth Company, whose corporation was incident upon the published maps and description of this section, by Capt. John Smith, ahout 1615. Sir Ferdinand Gorges was president of the company. They held the land between the Charles and Merrimac Rivers, and had trading posts and fishing stations along the coast as early as 1619. About 1621, Mason obtained from the company the land between the Naumkeag and Merri- mac Rivers. Perchance he never occupied the grant, or if he did, he had abandoned it and removed all trace of his occupancy, before the settlement hy Winthrop in 1633; for to his claim made, in 1680, the settlers replied : "We have subdued the wilderness with great pains and cost; our lands have passed through several hands; we were confirmed in our rights by the law of 1657 for settling inheritances, which was not designed against Robert Mason, of whom and of whose claim we were then wholly ignor- ant. So we continued till surprised by order of the General Court, according to your letter of September 30th, requiring us to furnish agents and evidences, as to our lands." Thus it was; Ipswich had been set- tled ; the lands bought, sold and improved; houses erected ; and the bustle of business felt for nearly half a century, when suddenly before the king ap- peared Mason with his claim. He went before the local court for justice. Litigation continued two years and a half. At last Mason won his case. "The General Court allow John Wallace and Content Mason, relict of John Tufton Mason, to give deeds as her husband had done. Some paid a quit-rent of two shillings a year for every house built on the land of his grant, which was in their possession." Mason's heirs hoped to establish their inheritance, name it Mariana, and hold it "in fee and common socage." Thus the decision, which was against the settlers, was favorable.

3. William Jeffrey obtained his title to Jeffrey's Neck of the Indians and presumably of Masconnomet. His alleged right to the territory of our Ipswich may have been derived from Mason. He was here very early. Winthrop called him "an old planter." He was probably associated with John Burslin, Edward Hilton and David Thomson, fishmonger of London, in

569

IPSWICH.

the employ of the Plymouth Company, and belonged to Robert Gorges' party, who settled at Wessagusset, in September, 1623. Mr. Fewkes' old cellars and wells, evincing to him traces of the Norsemen, re- ferred to above, may have been Jeffrey's trading and fishing station; and so to Jeffrey's diminutive city- by-the-sea the Court of Assistants may have referred, when, in 1630, by warrant, they "ordered those planted at Agawam forthwith to come away." How- ever this may be, William Jeffrey, in 1660, to satisfy his claim to Jeffrey's Neck within the bounds of Ips- wich, is granted five hundred acres of land on the south side "of our patent, to be a final issue of all claims by virtue of any grant heretofore made by any Indians whatsoever."

4. Notice .- Mr. Jeffrey is referred to in one of the company's letters of instruction as " William Jeffries, Gentleman." He was an Episcopalian; was made freeman May 18, 1637 ; was one of the proprietors of Weymouth, in 1641-42, where he was commissioned to solemnize marriages. Very early he had property rights at the Isles of Shoals. He and his business associates,-Hilton, Blackstone, Burslin and Thom- son's widow contributed to meet the expense of the expedition, that dislodged that "merry, rollicking, scholar, adventurer and scape-grace, Thomas Morton, Gentleman," from Merry-Monut, abont 1628. In 1634 Morton called him "My very good gossip." He witnessed the will of William Waltham, of Wey- mouth, in 1642; and his daughter Mary was born there "20 : 1 :" of the same year.

CHAPTER XLII. IPSWICH-(Continued).

MUNICIPAL.

SETTLEMENT.

1. Pioneers .- Abont twelve years after the Pilgrims landed at Plymonth, four and a half years after Cap- tain John Endicott colonized Salem, and three years after Governor John Winthrop established the colony of Massachusetts Bay, a rumor spread in Boston that the Jesuits were about to establish a mission. This it was a part of the Governor's duty to prevent, and he immediately organized a company of thirteen men with his son John as leader, to forestall the move- ment. Accordingly Mr. John Winthrop, Jr., Mr. John Thorndyke, Mr. William Clark, John Biggs, Robert Cole, John Gage, Thomas Hardy, Thomas Howlett, William Perkins, William Sergeant and three others, in March, 1633, wooed and wed the virgin soil of Agawam.

2. Incorporation .- " A Court holden att Newe Towne,-Cambridge-August 5th, 1634, ordered that 36₺

Aggawam shallbe called Ipswitch," wherefore Au- gust 16th, new style, 1634, dates the beginning of our corporate capacity. The name is derived from Ips- wich, England, "in acknowledgment of the great honor and kindness done to our people who took shipping there." The House of Commons, in the memorable resolve of the 10th of March, 1642, gave New England the title of Kingdom, and Wonder-work- ing Providence, in consonance, calls Ipswich an Earl- dome.

3. Deed .- The colonial records read that Masconno- met sold his fee in Ipswich to John Winthrop, Jr., March 13, 1638, and that he expressed himself satis- fied with the consideration, March 5, 1639. The fol- lowing is the deed :

" I Masconnomet Sagamore of Agawam do by these presents acknowl- edge to have received of Mr. John Winthrop the sum of £20, in full satisfaction of all the right, property, and claim I have or ought to have, unto all the land, lying and being in the Bay of Agawam, alias Ipswich, being so called now by the English, as well as such land, as I formerly reserved unto my own use at Chebacco, as also all other land, belonging to me in these parts, Mr. Dummer's farm excepted only ; and I hereby relinquish all the right and interest I have nnto all the havens, rivers, creeks, islands, huntings, and fishings, with all the woods, swamps, tim- ber, and whatever else is, or may be, in or upon the said ground to me belonging ; and I do hereby acknowledge to have received full satisfac- tiou from the said John Winthrop for all former agreements, touching the premises and parts of them ; and I do hereby bind myself to make good the aforesaid bargain and sale unto the said John Winthrop, his beirs and assigns forever, and to secure him against the title and claim of all other Indians and natives whatsoever.

Witness my hand, 28th of June, 1638.

Witnesss hereunto : John Joyliffe, James Downiog, Thomas Coytimore, Robert Harding.

Masconnomet ..

his C mark.

Ipswich is ordered November, 5, 1639, by the Court, to refund to John Winthrop, Jr., the twenty pounds named in the above deed. The town voted February 22, 1705, " That Samuel Appleton, Esq., and our two representatives, Nehemiah Jewett and Nathaniel Knowlton, treat with Hon. Wait Win- throp about Masconnomet's deed of Agawam, made to his father, deceased.

4. Extent. When the town was settled in 1633, the bonndary on the north and west was the boundary of ancient Agawam ; on the east the ocean ; on the southeast Cape Ann, (Gloucester) ; and on the south Jeffrey's Creek, (Manchester) ; Enon, (Wenham) ; and Salem Village, (Danvers), four hamlets then belong- ing to Salem. Newbury, 12,300 acres, was set off in 1635, and contributed to the sisterhood Newbury- port, 4575 acres, in 1764, and Parsons, 8072 acres, in 1819, which became West Newbury, June 14, 1820. The court, in 1636, established our western limit six miles in the country, the sonthern and eastern bonn- daries remaining the same. In 1639, Ipswich with Newbury contributed Rowley, 10,310 acres, for which the two towns received £800, and ont of which were ent the towns of Bradford, 4564 acres, in 1675, of Boxford, 14,200 acres, in 1685, of Middleton, in part, abont 2500 acres, in 1728, of Georgetown, 7548

570

HISTORY OF ESSEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

acres, in 1838, and of Groveland, 5230 acres, in 1850. In 1650 Ipswich contributed the part of Topsfield, north of the river, part of 7375 acres. The Hamlet of Ipswich, 9440 acres, was incorporated Hamilton in 1793, and the Chebacco of Ipswich, 7839 acres, be- came Essex in 1819. In 1774, certain families of Ipswich were set off to Topsfield ; in 1784 certain others to Rowley ; and in 1846 still others to Boxford, and there now remains 25,478 acres, the heart of the grand old town, pulsating strong in her original integrity and enterprise, and in her wealth and pleas- ant memories.

5. First Settlers. These men were largely citizens of wealth and learning, and some were merchants. They were thoughtful, conscientious, heroic, righte- ous, God-fearing ; thoughtful, for they had clear views of the tenets of their religion and of civil life; conscientious, for they could not brook known errors : heroic, for they suffered for principle; righteous, for they made a righteous civil code ; God-fearing, for it was their purpose in all things to serve Him. The Wonder- Working Providence reads :

"The peopling of this towne ie by men of good ranke and quality, many of them having the yearly revenue of large estates in England before they came to thie wildernesse." In Rev. Joseph Felt'e history of the town, we read : "A large proportion of the inhabitants possessed intelligent minds, virtnone hearts, useful influence and remarkable char- acter. They well understood how the elements of society should be for the promotion of ite welfare, and how such elements should be formed and kept pure from ignorance and it religion. They were careful of their owo example, and thereby gave force to their precepts. They attended to the concerns of society as persona, who felt bound to consult the benefit of posterity as well as their own immediate good."

6. Citizenship. The next month after the settle- ment by Winthrop and his associates, April 1, 1633, it was ordered by the Court of Assistants, that "noe pson wtsoeuer shall goe to plant or inhabitt att Agga- wam, without leave from the Court." This order obtained for some time; there for a considerable period the rule and practice obtained that no one should be admitted as townsman without the consent of the town's freemen. This practice served to preserve the unity of their religious belief and the high stand- ard of their civil and social life, by excluding the immoral and the idle, the ignorant and the conten- tious.

7. Names. The following catalogue has been gleaned from the town records, and, probably, con- tains nearly all the names of settlers in the town during the first twenty years, arranged in the years when they were first observed :

Winthrop, John, Jr. Thorndyke, John.

Hardy, Thomas.

Howlett, Thomas.

('lurk, William, Bigg-, John.

Sellman, Thomas.

Carr, George.

Sergeant, William.

Cole, Robert. Gage, JolD.

1631.

" Probably somo from New Town, now Cambridge, since 'they seut men to Agawam and Merrimack, and gave out that they would move'

to Connecticutt ; Rev. Thomas Parker and his company of about one hundred, from Wiltshire, England, sojourned here about a year before settling Newbury ; there were also,-

Currin, Matthias. Newman, John.

Dillingham, Jolın.

Parker, Thomas.

Eastou, Nicholas.

Perkins, John.

Elliot. Fawne, John.

Sewell, Heury.

Franklin, William.

Spencer, John.

Fuller, John. Manning, Joho.

Symonds, Mark. Ward, Nathaniel.

Andrews, Robert.

Lancton, Roger.

Bartholomew, William.

Metcalf, Joseph.

Bracey, Thomas. Moody, William.

Bradstreet, Simon.

Mussey, John ..

Bradstreet, Humphrey.

Bradstreet, Dudley.

Osgood, Christopher.

Cogswell, John.

Perley, Allan.

Covington, John. Cross, John.

Denison, Daniel.

Dudley, Thomas.

Dudley, Samuel.

Firman, Thomas.

Foster, Reginald.

Fowler, Philip.

French, Thomas.

Symonds, William.

Fuller, William.

Trendwell, Edward. Tuttle, John.

Gidding, George.

Varoum, George.

Goodhue, William.

Haffield, Richard.

Hassell, John.

Ilubbard, William.

Jackson, John.

Jacob, Richard.

Johnson, Jobu.

Jordan, Francis.

Woodmouse, Mr.

Kent, Richard.

Wyatte, John.

Kinsman, Robert.

Wythe, Ilumphrey.

Kuight, Alexander.

Younglove, Samuel.

1636.

Bishop, Thomas.

Norton, John.

Clark, Daniel.

Norton, William.

Dorman, Thomas.

Penbody, Francis.

Hall, Samnel. Harris, Thomas.

Sawyer, Edmond. Seuverns, Joho.

Hart, Nathaniel.

Jennings, Richard. Lord, Robert. Merriall, Jobu.

Sherman, Samnel. 1 Wilson, Theophile.

1637.

Appleton, Samuel. Archer, Henry.

Lord, Widow Katherine.

Morse, Joseph.

Averill, William.

Northe, John. Perkins, Isaac.

Bishop, Nathaniel. Bixby, Nathaniel.

Pike, -

Boardman, Thomas. Browning, Thomas,

Purrier, William. Quilter, Mark.

Challis, Philip. Rawlinsone, Thomas.

Clark, Thomas.

Reading, Joseph.

Colby, Arthur. Comesone, Symond.

Symonds, Joseph. Thornton, John.

Cross, Robert. French, Edward.

Turner, Capt. Vincent, Humphrey.

Hayes, Robert.

Wurren, William.

Ifeldred, William. Ilovey, Daniel. Jordan Stephon.

Wattles, Richard. Wedgewood, John.

Whitred, William.

Kimball, Richard.

Whittingham, John. Williamson, Michael.

Ladd, Daniel. Lawson, William.

1635.

Museey, Robert. '

Procter, Jobn.

Saltonstall, Richard.

Saunders, John. Sayward, Edmund. Scott, Thomas. Sherrat, Hugh. Short, Anthony. Short, Henry.

Gardner, Edmund.

Wade, Jonathan. Wainwright, Francie. Webster, JobD. Welle, Thomas.

White, William. Whityear, John. Williamson, Paul.

Rogers, Nathaniel.

1633.

Perkins, William.

Shatewell, John.

Robinson, Jobn.

571

IPSWICH.

163S.

Baker, Joha.

Browa, Edward. Burnham, Johu.

Knight, William. Lumkia, Richard. Mitcalfe, Thomas.

Betts, Richard.

Pierpont, Robert. Pendleton, Bryan.

Cochame, Heury. Cartwright, Michael.

Miller, William.

Bishop, Job.

Morse, John.

Bosworth, Haniel.

Pengry, Aaroo.

Bragg, Edward.

Podd, Samnel.

Crame, Robert.

Paine, William.

Dane, John ..

Scott, Robert.

Chute, James.

Dix, Widow.

Sherman, Thomas.

Emerson, Jolio.

Silver, Thomas.

Emersoa, Joseph.

Stacy, Simon.

Emerson, Thomas.

Swinder, William.

English, William.

Taylor, Samnel.

Dutch, Robert.

Stacy, Richard.

Eppes, Daniel. Aast. .

Tredwell, Johu.

French, John.

Stone, Nathaniel.

Gibson, Thomas

Tredwell, Thomas.

Gilbert, Humphrey.

Story, William.

Graves, Robert.

Whipple, Matthew.

Gillman, Edward.

Walderne, Abrahamı.

Greenfield, Samuel.

Whipple, John.

Hanchet, John.

Whitman, Robert.

Wilkinson, Heary.

1639.

Andrews, Joha.

Gilvia, Thomas.

Belcher, Jeremiah. Bellingham, Richard.

Hadley, George.

Hodges, Andrew.

Bird, Jathaell.

Humphrey, - -

Bird, Thomas.

Hattley, Richard.

Boardman, Samuel.

Knowlton, John.

Bosworth, Nathaniel. Button, Matthias.

Newman, Thomas.

Cochame, Edward.

Pitney, James.

Castell, Robert.

Preston, Roger.

Chute, Lionell.

Smith, Thomas.

Davis, John.

Storey, Andrew.

Farnum, Ralph. Filbrich, Robert. Firman, Dr. Giles.

Tingby, Palmer.

Wallie, Robert.

1640.

Bachelor, Henry. Lee, John.

Paine, Robert. Urano, -.

1641.

Safford, Thomas.

Hart, Thomas. Hoyt, John.

1642.

Knowlton, William.

Knowlton, Thomas.

Lee, Thomas.

Lamson, Edward.

Lammas, Richard.

Perry, Thomas. Pettis, John. Pinder, Heary. Pengry, Moses. Podd, Daniel.

Redding, John.

Scofield, Richard. Setchell, Theophilus. Smith, Richard. Warner, Daniel.

1643.

Andrews, Richard. Buckley, William.

Low, Thomas. Windall, Thomas.

1644.

Roberts, Robert. Wood, Daniel. Whittingham, Thomas.

1647.

Hunter, Robert. Lovell, Thomas. Silsbee, Henry.

164S.

Appletoo, Joha.

Long, Samuel.

Ayers, Jolın.

Birdley, Gylee.

Perkins, Jacob. Piadar, Johu.

Commings, Isaac. Cooley, Joha.

Newmarch, John. Nichols, Richard.

Catchame, John.

Riage, Daniel.

Choate, John.

Roffe, Daniel.

Clark, Malachi.

Cogswell, Williaat.

Satchell, Richard.

Colbura, Robert.

Smith, George.

Dix, Ralph.

Smith, Robert.

Granger, Lancelot.

Walderne, Edward,

Green, Thomas.

Ward, Dr. John.

Gutterson, William.

Warner, John.

Harris, Anthony.

Warren, Abrahaaı.

IIarris, Thomas.

West, Jahn.

Heiphar, William.

Whitred, Thomas.

Lancton, Josephi.

Wooddam, Joha.

Leighton, John.

Woodman, John.

Long, Philip.

1649.

Bixby, Joseph.

Prichard, William. Wood, Obediah.

Potter, Anthony.

1651.

Griffin, Humphrey.

Harinden, Edward.

Leigh, Joseph. Walker, Henry.

GOVERNMENT AND OFFICERS.

1. Object and Origin .- The object of onr early an- cestors was religious freedom, and when they had obtained the right and privilege to exercise it, they established governments to protect, sustain and foster it. The Bible was to them the Book of books: it contained the principles of all municipal, moral and religious governments, and was absolute authority in all such matters. Here is the origin of our unique town-government-a pure democracy-a government of the people, by the people, and for the people, which was confirmed and established by law, in 1636, when the General Court conferred upon the towns the power to grant lots of land, to make by-laws for their own common weal, under colonial approval, to impose and collect fines not above twenty shillings, and to elect such officers as necessity required. But March 3, 1635-36, it was ordered that at the next term of the General Court, Ipswich, with other towns, "shall have libertie to stay soe many of their ffreemen att home for the safety of their towne as they judge need- ful, and that the saide ffreemen that are appointed by the town to stay att home shall have libertie for this Court to send their voices by proxy." Thus, necessity foreshadowed our present representative form, which was afterwards inaugurated in place of the unwieldy assemblies of the congregated towns. In 1631, it was enacted that only church members could vote, a law which was practically repealed in 1644. In 1692, a voter for representative must be worth a realty of forty shillings a year, or other estate of forty pounds, yet it was practically a government of equal rights.

Adams, William. Anzahle, John. Beacham, Robert. Bitgood, Richard. Brown, Thomas. Brown, John.

Cowley, John. Dane, Francis. Davis, Richard. Day, Robert. Douglass, William. Fellews, William. Greea, Henry. Howe, James. Knight, Oleph.

Bridges, Edmnad. Chapman, Edward. Chilson, Robert.

Burnham, Thomas. Denison, John. Heard, Luke.

Thompson, Simon.

Palmer, George.

Mohey, Robert.

Kimball, Heary. Kingsbury, Henry.

Roffe, Ezra. Salter, Theophilus

572

HISTORY OF ESSEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

2. Sevenmen .- The highest office in the municipal gift was the committee called The Sevenmen, a title suggested, doubtless, by such scriptures as these : " Wisdom has hewn out her seven pillars," "Seven men that can render a reason," "Look out seven men of honest report to appoint over this business." The Sevenmen are now called the Selectmen. They were entrusted with the concerns of church and town, and managed them ; cardinal questions and general prin- ciples being settled in town-meeting. The duty of exercising this duplex order, civil and religious, was a most important and responsible one; but notwith- standing the weight of responsibility, the breadth of trust, and the possibility of satisfaction, they, from year to year, acquitted themselves so justly, that they long since received, as a badge of honor, the title: " The Town Fathers." They began their work when the town began. In 1638 they were expanded to eleven men. For 1723 the number was five. After 1740 the seven seems to have lost its power. In 1794 one man was selected from the north side of the river, one from the south side, and one from Chebacco. In 1798 it was voted to have five selectmen, at a salary of nineteen dollars. Fifteen men were chosen, and all declined to serve. Afterwards the salary was made thirty-eight dollars, and the five were thereupon elected. In 1791 their office was in the school-house chamber. The present chairman of the Board, Nathaniel Rogers Farley, Esq., was first elected in 1844, and this is his nineteenth year of service.

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History of Essex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 159

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton), ed. n 85042884-1 Publication date: 1888 Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis & Co. Number of Pages: 1538

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton), ed. n 85042884-1
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1538