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 40
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NOTE 2. Church difficulties at Hartford.
The following account of the difficulties in the church at Hart- ford is taken from Judd's "History of Hadley" :-
"The church at Hartford was one of the largest and most eminent in New England, and the two ministers, Mr. Thomas Hooker and Mr. Samuel Stone, though unlike in some respects, were both great and good men, whose praise was in all the churches. Mr. Hooker was firm and decided, yet prudent and conciliatory, and there was no serious trouble or discord in the church while he lived. In a few years after his death, which happened July 7, 1647, a contention arose, having Mr. Stone and a majority of the church on one side, and a strong minority on the other. Several on each side were men of distinction in the town and colony. The origin of the difficulty has not been clearly stated by any writer. Hubbard alludes to different opinions concerning the extension of the privileges of those not church members, and says, 'The first appearance of disturbance which on that account happened among them was occasioned on a call of a person to supply the place of Mr. Hooker.' He does not tell when this occurred, nor who was the person to whom a call was given. In another place he says the differences at first were 'about the enlarging of baptism and such like accounts.' Mather says the misunderstanding began between Mr. Stone and the ruling elder (William Goodwin), but its origin was obscure. Trumbull
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supposes 'that some member had been admitted, or baptism administered, which Elder Goodwin conceived to be inconsistent with the rights of the brotherhood and the strict principles of the Congregational churches.'
"The minority were attached to the Congregational way of church order as professed and practiced under Mr. Hooker; they seemed to adhere to the Cambridge Platform, and were opposed to all important changes. They were sometimes called 'strict Congregationalists.' On the other hand, Mr. Stone was endeavoring to introduce some new practices into the church; to effect some innovations that were displeasing to the minority; and he seems to have been sustained by a majority of the church. Trumbull is of the opinion that his changes related to three subjects, and that the whole controversy related to them, viz., the qualifications for baptism, church membership, and the rights of the brotherhood. These three points require some explanation.
"1. Baptism. Hitherto only members of churches in full communion had their children baptized. Now many ministers and others desired to enlarge the subjects of baptism, and a council or synod from Massachusetts and Connecticut met at Boston in June, 1657, and decided that baptism might be extended to the children of such parents as were not scandalous, and would own the covenant, though not members of the church in full communion. Mr. Stone was one of this council, and is supposed to have advocated the introduction of this new measure, this 'half-way covenant,' as it was subse- quently called. Another synod met in Boston in 1662 and recommended the same practice. This alteration met with opposition in both colonies, and was but slowly introduced.
"2. Church Membership. From the settlement of New England only those who gave some evidence of their faith and repentance were admitted to communion by the churches. There were individuals, perhaps many, who desired to have all admitted to the Lord's Supper who had competent knowl- edge, and whose conduct was not immoral, though not professing to be regenerate. No evidence has been adduced to show that Mr. Stone, or any other minister, or the majority of any church, at the time of the Hartford contentions, were in favor of such a latitude in admitting members to com- munion. The council at Boston in 1657, which approved of 'owning the covenant,' was decisive against receiving any to full communion, except those who manifested faith and repentance. It may be doubted whether Mr. Stone differed much from Elder Goodwin and the minority on the question of full church membership.
"3. The Rights of the Brotherhood. Trumbull says, 'Mr. Stone's ideas of Congregationalism appear to have bordered more on Presbyterianism, and less on independence, than those of the first ministers in the country in general.' These ideas of Mr. Stone, with actions in some degree correspond- ing, will account for much of the controversy at Hartford. He was probably considered by the minority as claiming too much power, and encroaching upon the rights of the brethren.
"The papers containing the chief points upon which the parties differed, their grievances and complaints, and the decisions of the councils that were called to compose their differences, have not been preserved, except the account of the proceedings of the last council in 1659. Indeed, the progress of the controversy is nearly as obscure as its origin." .
NOTE 3. Draining the home lots on the east side of the street.
The following agreement, copied from the proprietors' records, shows the reason for opening a ditch and how the work was done :-
"Agreement of Samuel Dickinson and nine other persons for the drainage of the Home lots on the East side of Hatfield :-
"May 14, 1706.
"To all Christian people to whom these Presents shall come. Know ye that the inhabitants of the East side of the Town of Hatfield viz: such of them as hold proper Home lots and are the subscribers unto this Indenture
.
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and agreement, Sendeth Greeting: That whereas by the inevitable hand of God's Providence in the late flood, we are under great inconveniences as to our mundane affairs by reason thereof, it letting in the water upon our grain and grass ground in our said Home lots and is there left standing and continueing to the indangering the loss of our crops if not speedily drained, or otherwise emptied. And whereas we the subscribers have had several consultations, and several projections have been proposed for the effecting said design. We the subscribers above said have unanimously agreed as follows.
"That we will forthwith, without any further delay make a drain in Nathaniel Dickinsons Maltsters home lot from the pond or ponds to the great river, each proprietor working out his proportion thereof, either by his own hands labor, or by procuring good hands and sending them daily, until said design be fully effected. Each mans proportion shall be adjusted according to the benefit he recieves, and in case of dissatisfaction, or non agreement in, about their proportion of work above said, it shall be left to the judgement and decision of two or three indifferent men mutually chosen by the parties above said. And whereas it cannot be expected but that said Dickinsons Home lot will be damnified by making said drain therein, We the subscribers do by these Presents jointly and severally bind ourselves, our heirs, executors, and administrators, to the above named Nathl. Dickinson, his heirs and successors, to make him full satisfaction for all damages accru- ing thereby, he bearing his part and proportion thereof. Also we further agree that the whole charge of said drain as getting timber for and making the troughs and procuring all other necessaries for, in, or about said work shall be proportioned by the rule above said, viz: By the benefit received, and also to dig a trench across all such lots as shall be needful to empty said pond, by the same rule. To the true performance of the covenant and agree- ment above written, We the subscribers do by these Presents bind ourselves our heirs, executors and administrators, firmly each to other, to do and perform every clause and article of this our agreement according to the true intent and meaning thereof. In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands and seals this 14th day of May, in the 5th year of her Majesties reign, Anno Domini 1706.
SAML. DICKINSON [Seal]
JOHN WHITE [Seal]
· NATHL. DICKINSON JUN. [Seal]
"Signed sealed and de- livered in presence and Witness of us
EBENR. BILLINGS
JOHN BELDING [Seal]
RICHARD SCOTT
DANL. WARNER
[ Seal]
THOMAS HASTINGS JUN.
SAML. BILLING
[Seal]
THOMAS MEEKINS
NATHL. DICKINSON Malstr
[Seal]
JER. ALVARD
[Seal]
NATHL. COLEMAN [Seal]
"This is a true copy of the original covenant and agreement, here entered this 15th day of May 1706, and attested by "THOMAS HASTINGS JUN, Town Clerk.
NOTE 4. Hatfield, England.
Hatfield, England, is thus described in Murray's "Handbook of Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, and Huntingdonshire" :--
"A quaint, old-fashioned market town lying along a hillside, overshadowed by the trees and oaks of Hatfield House, with narrow streets, old houses, shops curiously low, everywhere clean and cheerful. There is a modern, but not attractive, suburb, known as the 'New Town,' one half mile north of the old town. Away by the Lea are some large mills.
"The church of St. Etheldreda is one of the largest in the country, dating from Norman times. Salisbury chapel on the north of the chancel was erected by Robert Cecil, Earl of Salisbury (died 1616), the builder of Hatfield House.
[Seal]
A HORSE
171
-
Fut
-
The Old Palace. Interior of the Castle.
VIEWS OF HATFIELD, ENGLAND. A Street Scene.
Hatfield House. The Church.
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APPENDIX.
"Hatfield House, the magnificent Jacobean mansion of the Marquis of Salisbury, K. G., stands in a fine park east of the town. The bishops of Ely made Hatfield a residence and built themselves a sumptuous palace there, whence the place came to be designated 'Bishops' Hatfield' to distinguish it from other places of a like name.
"Hatfield Park, the finest in the country, is ten miles in circumference, undulating, with the Lea flowing through it, and abounding in noble trees. Some of the trees are famous. The Lion oak near the house is over 30 feet in girth, of a remarkable antiquity, and though dilapidated from age, still verdant. More famous, however, is Queen Elizabeth's oak by the avenue-Hatfield Park is celebrated for its avenues-leading towards the vineyard and the river Lea. According to tradition Elizabeth was sitting reading under this oak when the news was brought her of the death of Queen Mary. In a cabinet in the library is kept the broad-brimmed hat she wore when she received the message.'
Edward VI. and Elizabeth were both residents of Hatfield when called to the throne. It was visited by James I., Charles I. (as a prisoner), George III., and Victoria.
The population in 1901 was 7,551.
NOTE 5. The adventures of Jonathan Wells.
This account of the remarkable escape of Jonathan Wells, "the boy hero," after the rout of Captain Turner's command, was given by George Sheldon of Deerfield at the 212th anniversary of the attack by the Indians on Hatfield of Sept. 19, 1677, and printed also in his "History of Deerfield."
"Lying before me, as I write, is a manuscript, from which some vandal has cut the signature, but clearly in the handwriting of Stephen, son of Rev. John Williams, dated 'Springfield, L. M. [Longmeadow], Feb. 1, 1731/2.' The substance of this was published by Rev. John Taylor, in an appendix to 'The Redeemed Captive,' in 1793, but it seems fitting to give the entire paper on this occasion. Mr. Taylor prefaces the story, by saying it was 'the substance of an attested copy of the account, taken from his own mouth.' At the date of this manuscript Mr. Wells, the hero in fact and name, was living in Deerfield, where he died Jan. 3, 1738/9. To this paper will be added some statements connected with it, from other MSS. in the same hand- writing, together with a tradition elucidating one point in the narrative.
"ESCAPE OF JONATHAN WELLS.
"I shall give an account of the remarkable providences of God towards Jonathan Wells Esq then aged 16 years and 2 or 3 months who was in this action [at the Falls fight, May 19]. He was wth the 20 men yt were obliged to fight wth the enemy to recover their horses; after he mounted his horse a little while (being then in the rear of ye company), he was fird at by three Indians who were very near him; one bullet passed so near him as to brush his hair another struck his horse behind a third struck his thigh in a place which before had been broken by a cart wheel & never set, but the bones lapd & so grew together so yt altho one end of it had been struck and the bone shatterd by ye bullet, yet the bone was not wholly lossd in ye place where it had knit. Upon receiving his wound he was in danger of falling from his horse, but catching hold of ye horse's maine he recovered himself. The Indians perceving they had wound'd him, ran up very near to him, but he kept ye Inds back by presenting his gun to ym once or twice, & when they stoped to charge he got rid of them & got up to some of ye company. [In this flight for life, as appears by another scrap of our MSS., he stopped and took up behind him Stephen Belding, a boy companion of sixteen years, who thus escaped.] Capt. Turner, to whom he represented ye difficulties of ye men in ye rear & urgd yt he either turn back to yr relief, or tarry a little till they all come up & so go off in a body; but ye Capt. replid he had
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'better save some, than lose all,' and quickly ye army were divided into several parties, one pilot crying out, 'if you love your lives follow me'; another yt was acquanted wth ye woods cryd 'if you love your lives follow me.' Wells fell into the rear again and took wth a small company yt separated from others yt run upon a parcel of Indians near a swamp & was most of ym killed. They then separated again & had about ten men left with him, and his horse failing considerably by reason of his wound, & himself spent wth bleeding, he was left with one John Jones, a wounded man likewise. He had now got about 2 miles from ye place where yy did ye exploit in, & now yy had left ye track of ye company & were left both by ye indians yt persued ym and by their own men that should have tarried with ym. These two men were unacquainted wth ye woods, & without anny track or path. J. W. had a gun & J. J. a sword. J. J. represented ye badness of his wounds, & made his companion think they were certainly mortall, and therefore when yy separated in order to find the path, J. W. was glad to leave him, lest he shd be a clog or hindrance to him. Mr. W. grew faint, & once when ye indians prest him, he was near fainting away, but by cating a nutmeg, (which his grandmother gave him as he was going out,) he was revivd. After traveling awhile, he came upon Green river, and followd it up to ye place calld ye Country farms, and passd over Green river, & attempted to go up ye mountain, but as he assend'd the hill he faint'd & fell from his horse; but after a little he came to himself & found yt his horse's bridle hung upon his hand & his horse was standing by him. He tyed his horse and laid down again. At length he grew so weak yt he cd not get upon his horse, & conclud'd he must dye there himself, & so pitying his horse he dismissd him, never thinking to take any provision from him, altho he had three meals of provision behind him. Abt noon this, & at abt sun an hour high at nt, being disturbed by ye flies, he stopd ye touch hole of his gun & struck fire, & set ye woods on fire; but there being much rubbish, he had like to have been burnt up by it, not being able to get out of ye way ; but by scraping away ye leaves, &c., he was wth much difficulty preserved from burning; his hands and hair were much burnt, not- withstanding all yt he cd do. He then made a fire of some wood yt lay in his reach & lay down by it. Now new fears arose: He concluded yt his fire would direct the indians where to come to find him, & being so weak he cd not stand or go, concluded he must then be killed by ye indians ; he flung away his powder horn one way and his bullet pouch another, yt yy might not have ym; reserving a little horn of powder yt he might have one shot before yy killed him; but wn ye fire spread considerably, he expected yy wd be as like to look in one place as another, and again took courage & took some tow & stopd into his wound, & bound it up wth his hand kerchief & neckcloth, & so securely laid him down to sleep; and when asleep, he dreamt yt his grandfather came to him & told him he was lost, but yt he must go down yt river till he came to ye end of ye mountain & then turn away upon ye plain, (he was now abt 12 miles from Deerfield) & yt was ye way home. When he awoke in ye morning, (having been refresht by his sleep & his bleeding being stopd), he found he had some strength & found yt with. ye help of his gun for a staff he cd go after a poor fashion; when ye sun arose he found himself lost (tho before he thot ye direction in ye dream was quite wrong), but upon considering ye rising of ye sun, &c., he resolved to go according to ye direction of ye dream (he had now got 6 miles further from home than ye place was where they did their exploit upon ye enemy) & picking up his powder horn & bullets he girt up himself & set forward down ye river & found yt at length he came to ye end of ye moun- tain & to a plain (as in his dream, which before he knew nothing of, for he was never above ye place calld Hatfield Clay Gully before this expedition, & when he went up 'twas nt, as before observd, & he was now many miles from any place where ye army came).
"He travelled upon ye plain till he came to a foot path wch led up to ye road he went out in, where he cd see ye tracks of ye horses. He travelled by leaning upon his gun as a staff, & so he came down to D'd river, but did not know how to get over. He met wth much difficulty, for ye stream card
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APPENDIX.
his lame leg acrost ye other leg; but at length by putting the muzzell of his gun into ye water ( for he was loth to wet ye lock), he got over, but filled the muzzell of his gun wth gravel & sand. Being much spent when he got up ye bank, he laid down under a walnut bush & fell asleep, and wn he awoke an indian was coming over ye river in a cano to him coming ashore to him near-his distress was great; he cd not run from his enemy & was quite incapacitated from fighting (his gun being full of sand & gravel), but he presented his gun, & when the indian discovered him, he jumped out of his cano, (leaving his own gun wch was in ye head of ye cano), & made his escape & went and told ye indians yt ye English army was come again for he had seen one of ye scouts. Mr. W., suspecting the indians wd come to search for him, went away into a swamp (yt was hard by) and finding two great trees yt had been left by ye flood lying at a little distance from each other & covered over wth rubbish, he crept in betwixt them & within a little while heard a running to & fro in ye swamp, but saw nothing; within a little while all was still, and he ventured to proceed on his journey.
"(The indians afterwards gave out that a Narragansett indian was going up the river after eals, that he saw ye track of a man in ye path (yt went up ye bank) & was going to see, & saw a man on ye bank & jumped out of ye cano, & went & told ye indians ye English army were coming again; yt he had seen one of ye scouts, upon wh yy went to ye place, but not seeing any- thing, yy concluded he was afrightd groundlessly, for ye Narragansetts, yy sd, were no better than squaws, &c., & so yy made no strict search.)"
"[A digression, but not to be skipped.]-The Indian story alone appears to be an attempt to cover up the humiliating fact of their being outwitted by a crippled boy. It is not improbable that Wells told the story as written, with the double purpose of annoying the Indians on a sensitive point, and of concealing the artifice for future emergencies. No one brought up on Cooper's novels could for a moment believe that Wells escaped in the manner described, and from the writer's boyhood this part of the story has thrown a shadow of doubt over the whole account of this romantic experience. Any one closely observing a pile of driftwood in situ will see how difficult it must be for the most careful hand to remove any part of it without leaving unmistakable evidence of the disturbance. And the trail of the hobbling boy from the track 'in ye path yt went up ye bank' to the great trees and rubbish 'left by ye flood' in the swamp must have been patent to the most casual eye, let alone an Indian on the trail of an enemy. A more interesting and romantic story of border warfare in real life is rarely met with. Carefully trace the events as modestly, naïvely told, with no whining and no complaint. Note the hero's bravery and coolness when attacked; his knightly courtesy in stopping in his flight to rescue Belding ; his thoughtful- ness for those behind, and his judgment in pleading with Captain Turner to keep his command in a body; his humanity in releasing his horse; his resignation when lying down to die; his forethought in putting out of the reach of the foe his powder horn and bullets ; his courage in preparing for 'one more shot'; his expedient for lighting a fire to keep off the insects; his self-possession in building a fire to lie down by, after his narrow escape from being burned to death ; his clear headedness when 'lost' or 'turned round' in the morning; his persistent care for his gun and ammunition; his. ingenuity in saving himself when in the very jaws of the enemy; his fortitude under the discouragements by the way, and his expedi-
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HISTORY OF HATFIELD.
ents for overcoming them; his reverence and care for the dead at Bloody Brook. Here stand, clearly revealed, traits of the noblest character, in a lad ripened to self-reliance by the exigencies of fron- tier life. It is with great satisfaction that the writer is able to dissipate the faint shadow resting upon the narrative.
"The key to this remarkable escape is found in a tradition handed down in the family, and given me by Rodney B. Field, of Guilford, Vt. By this it appears that the 'two great trees yt had been left by ye flood lying a little distance from each other and covered over with brush' were lying, one end on the river bank, with the other pro- jecting into, and supported by, the water. Wading along to the nearest tree, ducking his head under its trunk, and standing erect between the two, with head above water, Wells was securely hidden, and no trace of his footsteps was left. This was a device which might well baffle his pursuers and was worthy of Leatherstocking himself. The real danger-that which could not have been fore- seen-appeared when the Indians in their 'running to & fro' stopped for a moment on this cover; under their weight it sank, forcing the poor boy's head under water, so that several times he was nearly drowned.
[Narrative resumed] : "In Deerfield Meadows he found some horses' bones, from which he got away some small matter; found two rotted beans in ye meadows where ye indians had thrashed yr beans, & two blew birds' eggs, wch was all ye provision he had till he got home. He got up to Dfd town plat before dark, Saturday, but ye town was burned before & no inhab- itants, so he kept along. His method of travelling was to go a little ways & then lye down to rest, & was wont to fall asleep, but in ye nt twice he mistook himself when he awoke, & went back again till coming to some remarkable places, he was convinced of his mistake & so turned abt again, & at length he took this method, to lay ye muzzell of his gun towards his course, but losing so much, he was discouraged & laid himself down once & again, expecting to dye; but after some recruit was encouraged to set forward again, but meeting wth these difficulties he spent ye whole nt in getting to muddy brook (or, as some call it, bloody brook) ; here he buried a man's head in ye path, yt was drawn out of ye grave by some vermin, with clefts of wood, &c., and upon ye road to H'f'd was (like Samson after the slaughter of ye Philistines) distressd for want of drink, & many times ready to faint, yet got no water till he came to Clay Gully, but divers times he was refresht by holding his head over candlewood knots yt were on fire, ye woods being then on fire on ye plains, & got to Hatfield between meetings on Sab- bath day.
"He lay lame under Dr. Locke for some time, and was under Mrs. Allen & Mr. Buckley four years & 2 months (in all) & never had anything allowd him for time or smart, tho yy pd ye surgeon; he lay at one time half a year in one spot on a bed, without being turned once, or once taken out; often dispared of his life; all his skin came off his back by lying in one posture.
"The Indians have given the account following to Jonathan Wells, Esq., viz .: That the Monday after the fight, 8 Englishmen that were lost came to them and offered to submitt themselves to them, if they would not put them to death, but whether they promised them quarter or not, they took them, and burnt them; the method of Burning them was to cover them with thatch and put fire to it, and set them a running; and when one coat of thatch was burnt up, they would put on another, & the Barbarous creatures that have given this account of their inhumanity, have in a scoffing manner added, that the Englishmen would cry out as they were burning, 'Oh dear ! oh dear!' The indians themselves account it very unmanly to moan or make ado under the torments and cruelties of their enemies who put them to Death."
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