USA > Massachusetts > Hampshire County > Hatfield > History of Hatfield, Massachusetts, in three parts: I. An account of the development of the social and industrial life of the town from its first settlement. II. The houses and homes of Hatfield, with personal reminiscences of the men and women who have lived there during the last one hundred years; brief historical accounts of the religious societies and of Smith Academy; statistical tables, etc. III. Genealogies of the families of the first settlers > Part 12
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The western highway was along the east side of Mill Swamp at its northern end, continued by the present Clave- rack road. When the road was first laid out it went only as far as "Upper Going Over" the Mill Swamp at West Brook. At the southern end the road is not in use as a traveled way, but the town sandbank near John S. Denlein's house is on the original layout of this old town road. It ran northward from there near the brow of Mill Swamp hill and ditches which showed its location could still be followed through a large part of its extent till the land was brought under cultivation in the latter part of the nineteenth century. At intervals some traces of the ditches can yet be discovered.
These two highways running north and south formed the divisions between the river meadows, the upland commons, and the wooded hills to the west. They were crossed at right angles by the east and west roads through the swamps, also originally ten rods wide, "Upper, Middle and Lower Going Over," the latter starting from the highway to North- ampton at "the going down of the hill," now known as Banks's corner. There was a road west from the mill, nearer the Mill river than the present depot road, but not extending across the swamp. "Middle Going Over" was what is called the old depot road. Farther north, in the present township of Whately, there were proprietors' roads running east and west to give access to the lots, two of which were later taken up as public ways, Christian Lane and the Mt. Esther road.
The bridges on all the highways in town were kept in a good state of repair when freedom from watching and ward- ing was enjoyed. They seemed to require a good deal of attention every spring on account of the floods. There was
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a disastrous flood in the spring of 1699 that caused an ex- penditure to be made "to repair the breaches made by the late flood upon the Bridge and land about it between the Town and Hill as we go to Northampton."
At this period the improvement of the horses began to receive attention. While the colonists all through New Eng- land had kept up the size and vitality of their other live stock, the horses had sadly deteriorated both in size and vigor, probably because they were not so necessary as the other farm animals or as they have since become. In the year 1700 Hatfield appointed a committee to join with a com- mittee from Northampton to "consider a method to regulate the breed of horses and that we send to Deerfield to choose some men for the same to make return and fully settle the matter." It does not appear from the records what the result of the labors of the committee was, but it may be inferred that better stallions were secured either from some of the Bay towns or from England. The breeding of horses in Hatfield received no attention as a special industry till after 1800.
March 17, 1701/2, Thomas Hastings, Jr., was elected town clerk and the records from that time till 1728 are in his handwriting. In 1703 he was authorized to "find a book to record the town votes upon the town's charge." The new book was somewhat larger than the old ones and was well indexed. At first the entries were made in two columns on each page, but after a few pages this style was abandoned for the simpler and more easily followed one of having the lines occupy the full width of the page. The penmanship of the new clerk was superior to that of his predecessors. Many entries were made with a large, bold hand adorned with flourishes. The pages of the book are only slightly yellowed with age, and the quality of the ink was so good that the writing has not perceptibly faded. The ink was made at home by the old formula of soft maple bark boiled in vinegar, to which nails or scrap iron was added. Even as late as fifty years ago ink made after the manner of the early settlers was sold by itinerant peddlers in some of the towns in the Connecticut valley.
March 31, 1699, Richard Billings was contracted with to build a new pound. The specifications were that the posts should be set three feet in the ground and to be at least
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seven feet above, "well and truly mortised for the rails at each end of them," with five rails and "a substantial gate well hanged in irons." The pound was to be built on the site of the old one, but where they stood is not known, probably near the south end of the street. Richard Billings was to receive 47 shillings and the posts and rails of the old pound. Damage done by the horses and cattle belonging to Northampton and other towns was mentioned, and such stock was ordered to be pounded when caught. The old proprietors' records are full of references to lost or strayed animals. The pound was an important public structure in the early days.
A change in the manner of collecting the minister's rate was made in 1698, for on December 19 of that year it was voted that the minister's rate should be collected by the deacons instead of by the constables or the regular collectors of the rates. It was to be paid in rye at 3s. per bushel, "Indian" at 2s., barley at 2s. 9d., and oats at 2s. 6d. The minister's salary was then £50 per year and firewood. In 1702 the town voted to give Mr. Williams £55 yearly for seven years in current money and also furnish firewood.
The old meetinghouse had become too small for the con- gregation and Oct. 23, 1699, a committee was appointed to report at the next town meeting about building a new one. November 13 they reported that the old house was "judged to be inconvenient and insufficient" and recommendation was made for a new one 45 feet square with gable windows upon each side of the roof. A building committee was chosen- Col. Samuel Partridge, Lieut. Daniel White, Dea. John Cole- man, Ens. Eleazer Frary, Sergt. Benjamin Waite, Samuel Marsh, John White, Samuel Belden, Sr., and Samuel Dickin- son, Sr .- to have charge of the work, and it was decided to place the new meetinghouse on the knoll where the former one stood. The old house was not removed till the new one was completed, however.
Nathaniel Dickinson offered to pay £7 in money if he might be "freed from further charges about the affair," and the offer was accepted by full vote of the town. December 19 a rate of £5 was made "upon all the inhabitants for to be in money, which together with the seven pounds to be paid by Nathaniel Dickinson is to be to buy and purchase nails for the meetinghouse now rebuilding."
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Probably all the lumber was cut and prepared by the inhab- itants under the direction of the building committee as it was for the first house, though these particulars are not recorded. The structure was apparently about two years in building. August 25, 1701, Samuel Russell was authorized to make the glass for the windows and "to put it in, 5s. per foot to be paid for every foot in money." December 1, 1701, an account of Samuel Partridge was allowed for 6s. 6d. for five and a quarter feet of glass which he "found." In Oc- tober a rate of one hundred and odd pounds was ordered to pay the charges for finishing, the selectmen to make the rate, every head to pay seven shillings. The sum was not quite sufficient, for at the December meeting an additional rate had to be ordered, no record of the amount of which is pre- served. At the same time the old meetinghouse was sold to Samuel Partridge, Samuel Belden, Sr., Benjamin Waite, Samuel Belden, Jr., and Ichabod Allis for £7 "to be paid from the meetinghouse rate."
August 25, 1701, the workmen, Samuel Belden, Jr., and Ichabod Allis, were again given instructions to enlarge the old pulpit and make it uniform. Seating was ordered October 28 "to be done forthwith by the best five men," who were Samuel Partridge, Deacons Coleman and Church, Samuel Belden, Sr., and Samuel Marsh. They were instructed in seating people "to go by age estate and places of trust" and to put six men and no more in each seat. The voters also gave instructions as to what seats in the galleries were to be considered the equivalent of specified seats in the body of the house. The galleries were on three sides. The house faced east and west, with the pulpit at the west end. No reference is made to a turret, but perhaps there was one similar to that on the first meetinghouse, since an elevated watch tower was still needed from which the approach of enemies could be watched. The old bell was hung in the new structure.
CHAPTER XI.
MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY.
" I love anything that's old :- old friends, old times, old manners, old books, old wine."
The Puritans .- Life of the Hatfield pioneers .- Class distinctions .- Horse racing .- Fines for extravagance in apparel .- The dress of the Puritans .- Love for the beautiful .- Architecture .- Gardens .- Music .- Use of titles .- Books .- The Bible and its influence .- Home industries .- Farm work and crops .- Social gatherings .- Marriage customs .- Funerals .- Drinking habits.
Concerning the Puritan fathers of New England much has been written that glorifies their lives and extols their virtues to an extreme degree and on the other hand unsvm- pathetic accounts convey wrong impressions about their austerity, hatred of pleasure, and joyless mode of life. The truth, as usual in such cases, lies midway between the extremes. When the veil of obscurity that clouds the past is lifted and the men and women of two hundred and two hundred and fifty years ago are revealed by what they said and did, it is seen that the founders of Hatfield were very human and loved the good things of life quite as much as their descendants at any subsequent period. Ideas, points of view, social and business habits have changed greatly with the lapse of time, but human nature is ever the same.
The life of the pioneers was simple in many ways and they were straightforward and direct in speech, but in some respects there was a complexity and a cumbersomeness in their ways that was simplified as time went on. Division of labor and better organization in business have brought increased efficiency. The almost absolute democracy of the government that existed in the conduct of town affairs, when all met together at frequent intervals to order with minute care how all things should be done, soon gave way to representative government and more authority was given officials. Changes in this matter and the methods of taxa- tion have already been spoken of.
Try as they would to make all people conform to pre-
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scribed rules of conduct, the independent and non-con- formist spirit that animated the English colonists of New England broke over the bounds they themselves had reared and rendered null and void arbitrary sumptuary laws, nor could the democratic equality they sought for be wholly maintained against the force of the habits of the past. Class distinctions based on wealth and birth, their heritage from feudal England, showed in many ways, notably in the matter of seating the people in the meetinghouse, a task that always caused jealousy and ill feeling.
The early settlers were somewhat sparing in the use of titles, the full Christian name being applied usually without a prefix. Few were called Mr. except the minister, who was above the level of the rest in education and often also in wealth and social position. Rev. did not come into use for many years after the settlement of the town. It was first applied in the records to William Williams and not always to him. Deacon was from the first an honored title and military rank was acknowledged in speech and writing wherever it existed. The term Worshipful was given to those who were in commanding authority or whose superior ability was recognized. For others Goodman and Good- wife, or Goody, sufficed. The wife and daughter of a Mr. might be called Mistress.
That the love of sport led even the hard working and austere settlers to extremes is indicated by the references in the Hatfield records. In 1672 the selectmen ordered that all racing in the meadows and highways should be stopped because of the damage done the fields and crops and because, in addition to the danger of being hurt, many children and servants spent too much time in watching the sport. Probably the selectmen in their self-imposed task of stopping the practice found it difficult to control the young men, and on the long straight course between the lines of fences leading through the meadows to the landing at Hadley, out of sight of the village street, the youth learned lessons in horsemanship that fitted them to become dragoons in the Indian wars that soon came on.
The natural desire for display in dress early brought to some the penalties of the laws of the land, for the early statutes commended-
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"unto all sortes of persons the sober and moderate use of those blessings which, beyond expectation, the Lord hath bin pleased to affoard unto us in this wilderness, and also to declare our utter detestation and dislike that men or weomen of meane condition should take upon them the garbe of gentle- men, by wearing gold or silver lace or buttons, or points at their knees, or to walk in greate bootes, or weomen of the same rancke to weare silke or tiffany hoodes or scarfes, which though allowable to persons of greater estates, or more liberall education, yett wee cannot but judge it intollerable in persons of such like condition :- itt is therefore ordered by this Courte, and the authority thereof, that no person within this jurisdiction, or any of their relations depending uppon them, whose visible estates, reall and per- sonall, shall not exceede the true and indifferent valew of two hundred pounds, shall wear any gold or silver lace, or gold or silver buttons, or any bone lace above two shillings pr. yard, or silk hoods, or scarfes, uppon the penaltie of tenn shillings for every such offence, and every such delinquent to be presented by the graund jury."
This law "against excesse in apparell" passed Oct. 14, 1651, required the selectmen of towns to "have regard and take notice of apparell in any of the inhabitants of their several towns respectively." In 1676 sixty-eight persons, both men and women, were tried at the County Court in Northampton for "wearing silk and that in a flaunting manner, for long hair and other extravagances," and several Hatfield people were fined. The law, however, soon became a dead letter.
The idea that the dress of the Puritans was somber is erroneous. In the ordinary garments of homespun rich tones of russet and brown were worn by the men, often trimmed with brighter hues, while for shirts striped goods of blue and white were favorites. Dyes of logwood, mad- der, and indigo furnished reds and blues for the women and for additional adornment green ribbons were eagerly sought. Demure faces peeped from beneath many a red ridinghood.
Among the God-fearing iconoclasts, who, denying the divine rights of kings and bishops, left their homes in Eng- land to escape the tyranny of the Stuart kings and the persecution of ecclesiastical authorities and who protested against the unrestrained license of the Restoration, there was a love of the beautiful no less strong than a love of the good. An American art was slow of development, but one does not have to look far to discover an æsthetic sense among the early settlers. It found its chief expression in the colonial architecture. While no houses remain in Hatfield that date back to the seventeenth century, prob- ably there was no great difference between them and those
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erected a little later. Some of the colonial houses have a simple and dignified beauty of line lacking in many more pretentious structures of a later period and not a few were adorned with hand carved portals and interior moldings of great beauty of design and workmanship. The curves of the Hatfield streets, whose original layouts have been preserved, show that those who surveyed them had an
THE CURVE OF THE HATFIELD STREET.
eye to the artistic possibilities. The picturesque Indian names are preserved in the designations of localities, and names chosen by the settlers, like Bashan, indicate an appreciation of the natural beauties of the surroundings. The noble trees which have always been an attraction of the Connecticut valley were allowed to grow unmolested. There is a record that an oak tree standing near the Cow Bridge was to be preserved for shade and a heavy penalty was ordained for any one who should fell it or even lop its branches.
The busy housewives found time amid their household duties to tend and care for some of the flowers they had loved in their English homes and many unfamiliar ones that blossomed in profusion in the new land. Josselyn
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in his account of his travels, published in 1672, mentioned the gardens in the dooryards of the colonists. He says: "Fever-few prospereth exceedingly; white sattin groweth pretty well, and so doth lavender cotton; gilly flowers will continue two years; horse leek prospereth notably; holly- hocks; comferie with white flowers; clary lasts but one summer; sweetbryer or eglantine; celandine but slowly; bloodwort but sorrily, but patience and English roses very pleasantly."
The singing of psalms was much enjoyed by the early settlers all through New England, though very likely their singing was not tuneful. The practice of "lining out" or "deaconing" the hymns originated very early. Few of the old psalm books had music and not all the congregation were supplied with books, so that it was necessary to sing the hymns a line at a time and one of the deacons was usu- ally the one chosen to lead the singing of the few tunes that were then in use. There were probably few musical instru- ments in Hatfield in the early days, though the bass viol was used to accompany singing in church in the eighteenth century and may have been so employed earlier.
There were few books owned by the settlers. The min- isters, of course, had libraries consisting of sermons, tracts, and other theological works. Some books of travel like Josselyn's "New England Rarities" or the historical works of Hubbard and Mather may have been possessed by a few. The public statutes were required by law to be familiar to all and no doubt some legal publications were circulated and read. There is in Memorial Hall in Hatfield a book that was the property of Samuel Partridge, containing the charter granted by William and Mary and some of the statutes.
The English Bible was the one book familiar to all, read and studied by every household till its language became the language of the street, the market, and the place of public assembly, as well as the house of worship. the model of written expression in letters, petitions, and legislative utter- ances as well as the basis of sermons. The following quo- tation from Green's "History of England" shows the influence exerted by it even before the departure of the colonists to America :-
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"The popularity of the Bible was owing to other causes besides that of religion. The whole prose literature of England, save the forgotten tracts of Wyclif, has grown up since the translation of the Scriptures by Tyndall and Coverdale. No history, no romance, no poetry, save the little-known verse of Chaucer, existed for any practical purpose in the English tongue when the Bible was ordered to be set up in churches. Sunday after Sunday, day after day, the crowds that gathered around Bonner's Bibles in the nave of St. Paul's, or the family group that hung on the words of the Geneva Bible in the devotional exercises at home, were leavened with a new literature. Legends and annals, war song and psalm, State-rolls and biographies, the mighty voices of prophets, the parables of evangelists, stories of mission journeys, of perils by the sea and among the heathen, philosophic arguments, apocalyptic visions, all were flung broadcast over minds unoccupied for the most part by any rival learning. The disclosure of the stores of Greek literature had wrought the revolution of the Renaissance. The disclosure of the older mass of Hebrew literature wrought the revolution of the Reforma- tion. But the one revolution was far deeper and wider in its effects than the other. No version could transfer to another tongue the peculiar charm of language which gave their value to the authors of Greece and Rome. Classical letters, therefore, remained in the possession of the learned-that is, of the few; and among these, with the exception of Colet and More, or of the pedants who revived a Pagan worship in the gardens of the Florentine Academy, their direct influence was purely intellectual. But the tongue of the Hebrew, the idiom of the Hellenic Greek, lent themselves with a curious felicity to the purposes of translation. As a mere literary monu- ment, the English version of the Bible remains the noblest example of the English tongue. Its perpetual use made it from the instant of its appearance the standard of our language. But for the moment its literary effect was less than its social. The power of the book over the mass of Englishmen showed itself in a thousand superficial ways, and in none more conspicu- ously than in the influence it exerted on ordinary speech. It formed, we must repeat, the whole literature which was practically accessible to ordinary Englishmen; and when we recall the number of common phrases which we owe to great authors, the bits of Shakespeare, or Milton, or Dickens, or Thackeray, which unconsciously interweave themselves in our ordinary talk, we shall better understand the strange mosaic of Biblical words and phrases which colored English talk two hundred years ago. The mass of picturesque allusion and illustration which we borrow from a thousand books, our fathers were forced to borrow from one; and the borrowing was the easier and the more natural that the range of the Hebrew literature fitted it for the expression of every phase of feeling."
The seventeenth century was the age of home industries. Hatfield had a corn mill, sawmill, and a blacksmith shop. All other work was done at home. The women of the house- hold had constant labor to supply the wants of the family. Food supplies had to be preserved for use for the year. There were no stores or markets in town to supply deficiencies, and sugar and salt were practically the only groceries to be obtained. The Indians taught the settlers to make maple sugar. Herbs for flavoring and for medic- inal purposes were grown and cured. Candles were not used very much in the seventeenth century, candle wood- knots and splinters of resinous wood-taking their place. The wool of the flocks and the flax grown in the fields
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furnished the material for clothing and other household fabrics and the steps in the preparation of the raw material were understood by all. A fulling mill was in operaion at West Brook quite early, though not until after 1700. The
binning wheel, the loom, and the dye pot were in every home and most of the tailoring and dressmaking was per- formed by the members of the household. Linsey-woolsey, a mixture of linen and wool, was the commonest fabric, while tow, the refuse combings of the flax, was made into towels and other coarse goods. Flax was worth about 6d. per
OLD-TIME FURNITURE.
pound and tow 3d. Some things, like mittens and stockings, were of wool, others all linen, like the sheets and handker- chiefs. Cotton from the West Indies came into use quite early. It was spun on a large wheel like wool and some- times mixed with wool. The small wheels were used for flax. Checked and striped goods of blue and white were manufactured, and when in excess of the wants of the household were exchanged for calico and silk. When there was an extra supply of flax flaxen yarn was sometimes sold, and homemade tow cloth, 36 inches wide, found a ready market at 2s. per yard.
Spinning was encouraged by the following colonial law,
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passed by the General Court May 14, 1656, and in force for over a century :-
"This Court, taking into serious consideration the present streights and necesseties that lye uppon the countrie in respect of cloathing, which is not like to be so plentifully supplied from forraigne parts as in times past, and not knowing any better way and meanes conduceable to our subsistence than the improving of as many hands as may be in spinning woole, cotton, flax, &.
"It is therefore ordered by this Court and the authoritie thereof, that all hands not necessarily imploide on other occasions, as weomen, girles and boyes, shall and hereby are enjoyned to spinn according to their skills and abilitie; and that the selectmen in every toune doe consider the condition and capacitie of every family, and accordingly to assesse them at one or more spinners; and because several families are necessarily emploied the greatest part of theire time in other busines, yet, if opportunities were attended, some time might be spared at large by some of them for this worke, the said selectmen shall therefore assesse such families at half or a quarter of a spinner, according to theire capacities.
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