USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Saugus > History of Lynn, Essex county, Massachusetts: including Lynnfield, Saugus, Swampscot, and Nahant > Part 23
USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Nahant > History of Lynn, Essex county, Massachusetts: including Lynnfield, Saugus, Swampscot, and Nahant > Part 23
USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Lynnfield > History of Lynn, Essex county, Massachusetts: including Lynnfield, Saugus, Swampscot, and Nahant > Part 23
USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Swampscott > History of Lynn, Essex county, Massachusetts: including Lynnfield, Saugus, Swampscot, and Nahant > Part 23
USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Lynn > History of Lynn, Essex county, Massachusetts: including Lynnfield, Saugus, Swampscot, and Nahant > Part 23
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64
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ANNALS OF LYNN-1645.
such due and full recompense for the same to the owners thereof, for the time being, as three indifferent men shall adjudge, whereof one to be appointed by the said Court at the next general meeting after the undertakers, their agents, or assigns, shall make or use any of the said ways, or watercourses, or other particulars therein mentioned for the services aforesaid, and one other by the owner of the land, and the third by the undertakers or adventurers.
4. The Court hereby do further grant unto the said adventurers and to their heirs and assigns forever, so much land now or hereafter to be in this jurisdiction, as aforesaid, as shall contain in six places three miles square in each place, or so much in quantity as containeth three miles square not exceed- ing four miles in length to be set out in such places and parcels, as the said undertakers or their agents shall make choice of, not being already appropri- ated as aforesaid, upon which said land the said adventurers shall have free liberty and hereby do undertake that within the said term of [twenty-one] years, to search, set out, and find convenient places within the said compass of land, for the building and setting up of six forges, or furnaces, and not bloomeries only, or so many more as they shall have occasion for, for the making of iron as aforesaid, which they shall, (the iron stone and other mate- rials appearing proper and fit for the making of iron as aforesaid,) build and set up within the term aforesaid : Provided that the Court may grant a planta- tion in any place where the Court doth think meet, the undertakers or their agents there residing having first notice thereof, and not making choice of the same for part of the land to be set out and granted to them, for the design of planting the said iron works and making iron as aforesaid.
5. And it is further granted and ordered that what quantity of iron of all sorts and qualities the said adventurers, their agents, or assigns, shall make more than the inhabitants shall have need or use of for their service to be bought and paid for by the said inhabitants as aforesaid, they shall have free liberty to transport the same by shipping to other ports or places of the world, and to make sale thereof, in what way and place the said adventurers shall please, for their best advantage: Provided they sell it not to any person or state in actual hostility with us.
6. It is further granted and ordered, that the said undertakers, and agents, and servants, shall, from the date of their presents, have and enjoy all liber- ties and immunities whatsoever, present or to come, equal with any in this jurisdiction, according to the laws and orders thereof, for the time being, and according to the rights and privileges of the churches.
7. It is also granted, that the undertakers and adventurers, together with their agents, servants, and assigns, shall be and are hereby free from all taxes, assessments, contributions and other public charges whatsoever, for so much of their stock or goods as shall be employed in and about the said iron works, for and during the term of [twenty-one] years yet to come from their presents.
8. It is also hereby further granted and ordered, that all such clerks and , workmen as miners, founders, finers, hammer-men and colliers, necessarily employed, or to be employed, in and about the said works, built or to be built, for any the services thereof, shall from time to time during the term of [twen- ty-one] years, be and hereby are absolutely freed and discharged of and from all ordinary trainings, watchings, etc., but that every person at all times be furnished with arms, powder, shot, etc., according to order of Court.
9. Lastly. It is ordered by the Court, that in all places where any iron work is set up, remote from a church or congregation, unto which they cannot conveniently come, that the undertakers shall provide some good means where- by their families may be instructed in the knowledge of God, by such as the Court or standing council shall approve of."
On the 22d of December, " Thomas Hudson of Linne, granted unto Thos. Hutchinson of Linne, sixty acres of ground, amongst the ffurnaces, adjoyning to Goodman Townsend's ffarme."
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ANNALS OF LYNN-1646.
A book was written this year, by Rev. Nathaniel Ward, of Ipswich, which attracted much attention. It is entitled, "The Simple Cobler of Aggawam, willing to help mend his Native Country, lamentably tattered, both in Upper Leather and Sole, with all the honest Stitches he can take." It abounds in pun- gent wit and satire, interspersed with much good sense. He is particularly severe on those who cause innovations in religion, and deny the rite of infant baptism. He says, "The removing of some one iota in scripture, may draw out all the life, and traverse all the truths of the Bible. To authorize an untruth by a toleration of state, is to build a sconce against the walls of heaven, to batter God out of his chair !" His book concludes with the following stanza :
And farewell, Simple World, If thou 'lt thy cranium mend, There is my Last and Awl, And a Shoemaker's End.
1646 ..
The proprietors of the Iron Works, in the beginning of this year, made an agreement with Thomas Dexter, for opening a new water-course, and enlarging the pond. They purchased " all that parcell of land neere adjacent to the Grantor's house, which shall necessarily be overflowed by reason of a pond of water, there included, to be stopped to the height agreed on betwixt them ; and sufficient for a water-course intended to be erected, together with the land lyinge betweene the ould water- course and the new one, And also five acres and halfe in the cornfield next the Grantor's house," for which they allowed £40. They agreed to make a fence "toward Captain Bridges's house," with "a sufficient cart bridge over the said water-course," and " to allow sufficient water in the ould river for the Alewives to come to the wyres before the Grantor's house." This extension of the pond caused it to overflow three acres of land belonging to Mr. Adam Hawkes. The whole amount purchased was forty- five acres.
Thomas 'Dexter's house stood at some distance above the Iron Works, on the left. The present road to the northward runs through the bed of the old pond. This year the dam was moved farther up the river, and a little canal was dug from the pond, and brought along on the high ground, until it reached the foundry. This canal was the "new water-course " men- tioned in the preceding agreement.
On the 18th of February, Mr. William Witter was presented at the Quarterly Court " ffor saying that they who stayed while a Childe is baptized, doe worshipp the dyvill; also Henry Col- lens and Mathew West, deling with him about the former
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ANNALS OF LYNN - 1646.
speeche, he speaks to them after this manner, That they who stayed at the baptising of a Childe, did take the name of the Father, Sonn, and holly ghost in vaine and broke the Saboth, and confesseth and justifieth his former speech. Sentence of Court is, an Iniunction next Lord's day, being faire, that he make a publique confession to Satisfaction, in the open congre- gation at Lyn, or else to answer it at the next General Court. And concerning his opinion, the court hath yet patience toward him, till they see if he be obstinate, and only admonish him."
By permission of the Court, Mr. Leader purchased some of " the country's Gunnes," to melt over at the iron foundry.
[The General Court, 6 May, passed an order forbidding the smoking of tobacco, out of doors, under a penalty of two shil- lings for every offence, besides recompense for all damage that might be occasioned ; " pvided, nevertheles, yt it shalbe lawfull for any man yt is on his iourny (remote from any house five miles) to take tobacco, so that thereby he sets not ye woods on fire to ye damage of any man." To avoid the inconvenience of this order it is probable that the gracious dames allowed a com- forting whiff now and then to be taken in their capacious chim- ney corners.]
On the 10th of June, Mr. Joseph Jenks presented a petition that the Court would patronise his improvements in mills, and the manufacture of sythes. "In Answer to a petition of Joseph Jencks for liberty to make experience of his abillityes and In- ventions for the making of engines for mills, to goe with water, for the more speedy dispatch of worke than formerly, and mills for the making of sithes and other edge tooles, with a new Invented sawemill, that things may be afforded cheaper than formerly, and that for fourteen yeeres without disturbance by any other's setting up the like Invention, that so his study and costs may not be in vayne or lost, this peticon was graunted, so as power is still left to restrayne the exportation of such manufactures, and to moderate the prizes thereof, if occacon so require."
Mr. Daniel King complained to the Court that his goods had been taken, to the amount of fifty shillings, by " the captain of ye trayned band of Lin, for supposed neglect of trayning, he being lame, and willing to find a sufficient man." The Court ordered him to pay the fifty shillings for the past, and ten shil- lings, annually, for the future. [But by the proceedings of the General Court, in May, it is found that " for time to come, this Courte doth discharge him, in regard of his bodily infirmity, from attendance vpon ordinary traynings, for any service in armes." And nothing is said about fines.]
Much damage was done to the corn, wheat, and barley, this summer, by a species of large black caterpillar.
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ANNALS OF LYNN-1646.
On the 4th of August, Mr, Thomas Dexter was presented at the Quarterly Court " for a common sleeper," in meetings for public worship, and fined.
[Joseph Armitage petitioned the Court to license " to draw wine," whoever the town should choose for that purpose. The Court allowed the choice to be made, and provided that the one chosen might act till the next sitting, at which he might be presented for confirmation. Nicholas Potter was chosen, and at the next Court duly licensed.]
The proprietors of the Iron Works addressed a letter to the Court, in May, which was answered in September. In their reply, the Court say, "We acknowledge with you that such a staple comodity as Iron is a great meanes to enrich the place where it is, both by furnishing this place with that comodity at reasonable rates, and by bringing in other necessary comoditys in exchange of Iron exported, but as we use to say, if a man lives where an axe is worth but 12d., yet it is never the cheaper to him who cannot get 12d. to buy one. So if your Iron may not be had heere without ready mony, what advantage will that be to us if wee have no money to purchase it. Itt is true some men have here Spanish mony sometimes, but little comes to our Smiths hands, especially those of inland tounes. What monyes our Smithes cann gett you may be sure to have it before any other; if we must want iron so often as our mony failes, yo' may easily Judge if it were not better for us to Procure it fre other places by our corne and pipe staves, &c. then to depend on the coming in of mony which is never so plentifull as to supply for the occacon."
In October, Captain Robert Bridges was chosen Speaker of the House of Representatives.
On the night of the 4th of November, " began a most dread- ful tempest at northeast, with wind and rain." The roof of Lady Moody's house, at Salem, was blown off. (Winthrop.)
At the Court, this month, " on the motion of the Deputies of the towne of Linne: It is ordered that there shalbe once a weeke a market kept there on every third day of the weeke, being their lecture day."
[The courts had been for some time vexed by a suit -- Taylor against King- brought to recover damages for the goring to death of the plaintiff's mare, by the defendant's bull, which was decided this year. Considerable evidence as to the vicious character of the bull was introduced. And some of the pecu- liar customs of the time are so graphically exhibited that a few passages of the testimony will be given. Robert Bridges says : " ... myself being on horseback with my wyfe behinde me, ye sª Bull stood in the high way as I was riding a Longe. When I came up to the Bull, not knowing whos beast it was, neither S*
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ANNALS OF LYNN- 1647.
thinking of any opposition, I struck at the bull, wth my stick, to put him out of the way; ymediately ye bull made att my mare, and placed his horne vpon her shoulder, and had well nigh overthrone both the mare and his riders; and although I endevored to shunne ye bull, yet he still so prest vpon mee yt I cannot but conceave had not the neareman bin att hand to beat him off that some hurt had bin done, either to o"selves or my mare, or both; but gods good hand better provided." Ann Knight testified that "shee dwelling with wid. Tayler, did see her mare alive, the evening before, eating chaffe where they had bene winnowing corne ; and the next morning, about breake of day, she saw the bull in the roade where the mare used to ly, and the bull seeing her, went away, she thinking nothing of any harme done by him; then going into the house with a few stickes for the fire, she came presently out againe and saw the mare 'lying in the roade with her body lying on one side," with her entrails out, and " that there was no other cattell in the yard, but only the colt of that mare. Shee also testifieth that shee helped to dresse the same mare of a former wound that was very deepe." The judgment in the case was as follows: " Bost. 7: 3: 1646. It was agreed that in the Judgmt of Lawe, it is to be concluded that ye bull did kill ye mare, and yt ye own- er of ye Bull, upon such notice as he had, ought to have taken order to prevent any future mischief." ... "Salem, 18 5mo. 1646. The magistrates assembled at Salem, doe judge yt mr King shall pay halfe the vallue of the mare unto m' Tayler, wh is Judged to bee 7£, that is, according to the rate of 14£ for the mare, shee being great with foale, with a mare foale."
[The winter of this year was thought. to be the coldest since the settlement commenced.]
1647.
On the 20th of January, Richard Leader sold to Joseph Jenks, the privilege to build a forge at the Iron Works, for the manu- facture of sythes.
On the 26th of May, Capt. Robert Bridges was chosen an Assistant.
In June, an epidemic sickness prevailed through the whole country, supposed to have been the influenza.
In October, the Court ordered, that every town containing fifty families, should have a school for reading and writing; and that all towns containing one hundred families, should maintain a grammar school.
An order was passed, that if any young man should address a young woman, without the consent of her parents, or in their absence, of the county court, he should be fined five pounds.
The Court fixed the prices of grain to be received for taxes ;
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ANNALS OF LYNN-1648.
Indian corn at 3s., rye and peas at 3s. 6d., barley at 4s., and wheat at 4s. 6d. a bushel.
[The Court, 11 Nov., designated the marks by which cattle and horses owned in the different towns should be branded. The brand was to be on one of the near quarters. An L was to be on those belonging to Lynn.
[Sarah Ellis, of Lynn, was presented at the Salem court, for not living with her husband for eight years. But it appear- ing that he abused her, while they lived together, she was acquitted.
[Elizabeth Lambert, wife of Michael Lambert, of Lynn, was presented " for brewinge on the Lord's day. But it appearing to the Court that she breweing on the last day did leave some things to finish on the Lord's day ; sentence of the Court is an admonition, and to pay for witnesses, 3s. 4d., and 2s. 6d. fees of court.]
Among the presentments at the Quarterly Court, was the following. December 14: "The town of Lynn, for want of a staff for the constable."
December 29: "John Turner, living at the Iron Workes, at Lin, being convicted before the Court for stabbing Sara Turner, his daughter-in-law - the sentence of Court is, that he shall be severely whipped."
1648.
Mr. Edmund Ingalls, the first white inhabitant of Lynn, was drowned, in March, in crossing Saugus river. Soon after, "Rob- ert Ingalls, with the rest of his brethren and sisters, being eight in number," petitioned the General Court, "That whereas their father hath been deprived of life by the insufficiency of Lynn Bridge, that according to the law in such cases, there shall be an hundred pounds forfeited to the next heir." This was grant- ed. It was in conformity with an old British law, established by Howell the Good, King of Wales, by which the value of each person's life was nominally fixed, and so much money paid, in case of his being killed.
On the 23d of March, the Court allowed the town twenty pounds toward repairing the " great bridge " over Saugus river. On the 18th of October, thirty shillings were granted annually for the same purpose.
On the 27th of April, Capt. Robert Bridges's house, near the Iron Works, was burned. (Winthrop.)
[The following license was granted on the 10th of May : " Whereas, Mr. Downings farme, in the way between Linn and Ipswich is a convenient place for the releife of travellers, it is ordered that Mr. Downings tenant shall have liberty to keepe an ordinary, his said tenant being such an one as the
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ANNALS OF LYNN -- 1649.
towne of Salem shall approve for that impliment." (Col. Recs.) Mr. Downing's farm was next to Endicott's.]
In June, Margaret Jones, of Charlestown, was executed at Boston, for a witch. This was the first execution for this of- fence, in New England, and should have been the last.
In a letter to his son, dated 4 August, Mr. Winthrop remarks : " The iron work goeth on with more hope. It yields now about 7 tons per week, but it is most out of that brown earth which lies under the bog mine. They tried another mine, and after 24 hours they had a sum of about 500, which, when they brake, they conceived to be a 5th part silver. There is a grave man of good fashion come now over to see how things stand here. He is one who hath been exercised in iron works." In another letter, 30 September, he says, "The furnace runs 8 tons per week, and their bar iron is as good as Spanish. The adventur- ers in England sent over one Mr. Dawes to oversee Mr. Leader, but he is far short of Mr. Leader. They could not agree, so he is returned by Teneriffe."
[The inhabitants of Lynn desired the Court to give them a right understanding of a clause in a grant to the undertakers of the Iron Works, concerning taxes. They wished to know what was intended "by ffreedome from all publicke taxes, as- sessments, and contributions ; whether particular town taxes, &c. both civill and ecclesiasticall." The Court resolved that the meaning was to include "rates, levies, or assessments of the common wealth, and not of the town or church."
[Joseph Armitage was licensed to sell wine for the year; for twenty nobles.]
1649.
[William Hooke, of Salisbury, conveys to Samuel Bennet, of Lynn, 15 March, "all that upland that was given him by arbitration betwixt Thomas Dexter and him or his father Hum- phrey Hooke." Humphrey Hooke was probably the Bristol alderman referred to as mortgagee of some of Mr. Dexter's lands, under date 1640.]
The Rev. Thomas Cobbet preached the Election Sermon before the Court, on the 3d of May. [And it was voted that " Mr Speaker, in the name of the Howse of Deputyes, render Mr Cobbett the thankes of the howse for his worthy paines in his sermon wch, at the desire of this howse, he preached on the - day of eleccon, and declare to him it is their desire he would print it heere or elswhere."]
On the 10th, the Governor and Assistants, among whom was Captain Robert Bridges, signed a protestation against the pre- vailing custom of wearing long hair, "after the manner of ruffians and barbarous Indians."
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ANNALS OF LYNN-1650.
On the 7th of September, Nicholas Pinion was presented at the Quarterly Court, for swearing. "The deposition of Quin- ten Pray. This deponent saith, that meeting with Nicholas Pinion the last Lord's day, cominge out of his corne, hee heard the said Pinion sware all his pumpkins were turned to squashes." The Court, as a comment upon Mr. Johnson's text, (p. 33, old edition,) "let no man make a jest at pumpkins," fined him. [Elizabeth, the wife of Mr. Pinion, was, a year or two before this, indicted for adultery, which was then a capital offence. She was, however, acquitted of the graver charge; but the Court, 13 May, 1648, sentenced her for swearing and lewd beha- vior, to "be sevearly whipt twise, first at Boston and then agayne at Lin, within one month after."]
On the 11th of September, Matthew Stanley was tried for winning the affections of John Tarbox's daughter, without the consent of her parents. He was fined ££5, with 2s. 6d. fees. The parents of the young woman were allowed 6s. for their attendance, three days.
1650.
In the preceding pages, I have given the names of every man whom I found in Lynn before the year 1650, excepting those who staid but a short time, and left to settle in other places. I shall here give a list of a few more names, which I find before the year 1690, and after that time they become too numerous to be continued. [But after all, a great many escaped the notice of Mr. Lewis. And I began to prepare a list of addi- tions, following his plan of giving brief notices. It was soon found, however, that even this would require more space than could be allowed. And hence, it was concluded to say a word or two concerning a few whose lives became of importance in our history, and then prepare as complete a list as possible of the surnames of all settlers down to the year 1700. Such a list will be found at the close of the volume. And it cannot be doubted that it will prove useful as the foundation for future inquiries. It would be altogether too venturesome to claim that the list is perfect, though great labor and care have been bestowed upon it.]
SAMUEL APPLETON, Jr. - was here from 1677 to 1688, in con- nection with the Iron Works, which he owned at that time. He was a descendant of John Appulton, who died at Great Wal- dingfield, in 1414. The following record of the family is from the old volume of Lynn Records which was discovered by me, after it had been lost for many years. "Mr. Samuell Apleton, Junior, and Mis Elizabeth Whittingham, the Daughter of Mr. William Whittingham, Marchant, in Boston, was married the 19th of June, 1682. Mary, the Daughter of Mr. Samuell Ap-
15
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ANNALS OF LYNN-1650.
pleton and of Elizabeth his wiffe, was born into this world the 30 of March, 1683. Hannah, ther Daughter, was born the first of November, 1684. Elizabeth, their daughter, was Born the 10 of July, 1687." He removed to Boston in 1688; and was the ancestor of the very respectable family of Appletons in that city.
WILLIAM BARBER - married Elizabeth Kirk, 4 May, 1673. He had two children; Elizabeth, born 1 Nov. 1673; William, b. 8 Jan. 1674.
THOMAS BEAL - had two sons. William married widow Mary Hart, 5 March, 1684. Samuel married Patience Lovell, March 28, 1682.
THOMAS BERRY - whose wife's name was Elizabeth -had two sons ; Thomas, born 14 March, 1695; and Samuel, born 25 June, 1697. His descendants remain.
JOHN BLANEY - married Elizabeth Purchis, in November, 1678. He had a son Joseph, whose descendants live at Swamp- scot.
SAMUEL BLY-married Lois Ivory, 19 Dec. 1678, and died 31 Dec. 1693. He had two sons, Theophilus and Samuel.
THOMAS BREWER - married Elizabeth Graves, 4 Dec. 1682, and had six children ; Mary, Rebecca, Mary again, Crispus, Tho- mas, and John.
JOHN HENRY BURCHSTED - a native of Silesia - married Mary, widow of Nathaniel Kertland, 24 April, 1690. Henry, his son, was born 3 Oct. 1690. They were both eminent physicians, and lived on the south side of Essex street, between High and Pearl. [There were two sons, both physicians. One was a surgeon in the British Navy ; the other was Dr. Henry, of Lynn, who also had a son Henry, a physician.] Dr. John Henry Burchsted died 20 Sept. 1721, aged 64. The following is his epitaph :
Silesia to New England sent this man, To do their all that any healer can, But he who conquered all diseases must Find one who throws him down into the dust. A chemist near to an adeptist come,
Leaves here, thrown by, his caput mortuum.
Reader, physicians die as others do ;
Prepare, for thou to this art hastening too.
THOMAS BURRAGE- married in 1687, and had six children ; Elizabeth, John, Thomas, Mary, Bethiah, and Ruth.
JOHN COATS - married Mary Witherdin, 14 April, 1681, and had two children, Mary and John.
PHILIP GIFFORD - married Mary Davis, 30 June, 1684. He had two children, Philip and Mary.
ZACCHEUS GOULD -- had a son Daniel, born about 1650, who
N
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ANNALS OF LYNN-1650.
married a lady whose name was Elizabeth, and who died 3 Aug. 1691.
JOHN GOWING - was married in 1682; his wife's name was Joanna, and he had seven children; John, Thomas, Elizabeth, Samuel, Joanna, Lois, and Timothy.
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