USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Saugus > History of Lynn, Essex county, Massachusetts: including Lynnfield, Saugus, Swampscot, and Nahant > Part 25
USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Nahant > History of Lynn, Essex county, Massachusetts: including Lynnfield, Saugus, Swampscot, and Nahant > Part 25
USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Lynnfield > History of Lynn, Essex county, Massachusetts: including Lynnfield, Saugus, Swampscot, and Nahant > Part 25
USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Swampscott > History of Lynn, Essex county, Massachusetts: including Lynnfield, Saugus, Swampscot, and Nahant > Part 25
USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Lynn > History of Lynn, Essex county, Massachusetts: including Lynnfield, Saugus, Swampscot, and Nahant > Part 25
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
On the 23d of May, the General Court granted to Mr. Joseph Jenks a patent for an improved sythe, "for the more speedy X
X
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cutting of grasse, for seven years." This improvement consisted in lengthening the blade, making it thinner, and welding a square bar on the back, to strengthen it, as in the modern sythe. Be- fore this, the old English blade was short and thick, like a bush sythe.
[The Court, 23 May, " considering the urgent occasions of the country respecting the bridg at Lyn," ordered that Edmund Batter, George Gettings, Joseph Jewett, and Thomas Laighton, be a committee to see that the bridge be completed forthwith. And the next county court was directed to apportion the charge to the towns in the county, according to the law made at that session.]
1656.
Jos. Mmerians (Wa) 6. 50
This year the Rev. Thomas Cobbet relinquished his connec- tion with the church at Lynn, and removed to Ipswich. He was born at Newbury, in England, 1608. Though his father was poor, he found means to gain admission at the University of Oxford, which he left during the great sickness in 1625, and became a pupil of Dr. Twiss, in his native town. He was after- ward a minister of the established Church. He came to Lynn in 1637, and was welcomed by Mr. Whiting, with whom he had commenced a friendship in England. Mr. Mather says, "they were almost every day together, and thought it a long day if they were not so; the one rarely travelling abroad without the other." Mr. Cobbet preached at Lynn nineteen years, and twenty-nine at Ipswich. In 1666, he preached the election sermon, from II. Chronicles, xv. 2. He died on Thursday, 5 November, 1685, and was buried on the next Monday. At his funeral were expended, one barrel of wine, £6 8s .; two barrels of cider, 11s .; 82 pounds of sugar, £2 1s. ; half a cord of wood, 4s. ; four dozen pairs of gloves, " for men and women," £5 4s. ; with " some spice and ginger for the cider." It was the custom at funerals to treat all the company with cider, which in cold weather was heated and spiced. In the year 1711, the town of Lynn paid for " half a barrel of cider for the widow Dis- paw's funeral. Wine was distributed when it could be afforded. Gloves were commonly given to the bearers and the principal mourners, and by the more wealthy, rings were sometimes added. Mr. Cobbet appears to have been much esteemed. The following epitaph to his memory is one of the best of Mr. Mather's productions :
Sta viator ; thesaurus hic jacet ; THOMAS COBBETUS ; Cujus, nosti preces potentissimas, ac mores probatissimos, Si es Nov-Anglus. Mirare, si pietatem colas ; Sequere, si felicitatem optes.
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Stop, traveler, a treasure 's buried here ;
Our Thomas Cobbet claims the tribute tear.
His prayers were powerful, his manners pure, As thou, if of New England's sons, art sure.
If thou reverest piety, admire ; And imitate, if bliss be thy desire.
Mr. Cobbet possessed good learning and abilities, and wrote more books than any one of the early ministers of New England. Among his works, were the following:
1. A Treatise Asserting the Right of the Magistrates to a Negative Vote on the Resolves of the Representatives. 1643.
2. A Defence of Infant Baptism. 1645. This is said to have been an admirable summary of the principal arguments for and against the subject, and an able exposition of the error of those > who deny the validity of this important rite.
3. The Civil Magistrates' Power in Matters of Religion, Mod- estly Debated, with a Brief Answer to a certain slanderous pamphlet, called Ill News from New England; containing six pages of grievous dedication to Oliver Cromwell. 1653.
4. A Practical Discourse on Prayer. 1654. Mr. Mather remarks that, " of all the books written by Mr. Cobbet, none deserves more to be read by the world, or to live till the gen- eral burning of the world, than that of Prayer."
5. A Fruitful and Useful Discourse, touching the Honor due from Children to their Parents, and the Duty of Parents toward their Children. London, 1656.
6. A Treatise on Ecclesiastical Order and Discipline.
7. A Treatise on the First, Second, and Fifth Command- ments.
The following beautiful picture of the enduring affection of a mother is from the discourse on the duties of children : "Des- pise not thy mother when she is old. When she was young, yea, when she was middle aged, thou prisedst, and respectedst, and did reverence and obey her; do it as well when she is old; hold on doing of it to the last. Age may wear and waste a mother's beauty, strength, parts, limbs, senses, and estate; but her relation of a mother is as the sun when he goeth forth in his might, for the ever of this life, that is, always in its meridian, and knoweth no evening. The person may be gray headed, but her motherly relation is ever in its flourish. It may be autumn, yea, winter, with the woman; but with the mother, as a mother, it is always spring."
In descanting on the duties of children, he says : "How tender were your parents of their dealings with men, to discharge a good conscience therein ; of their very outward garb, what they ware, and of what fashion, and the like; but you their children regard not what you do, nor how you deal with others, nor what you wear, nor of what fashion, so the newest. Did ever your
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good father or grandfather wear such ruffianly bair upon their heads ? or did your godly parents frisk from one new fangled fashion to another, as you do ?"
The following anecdote is related by Mr. Mather. "The un- grateful inhabitants of Lynn one year passed a town vote, that they could not allow their ministers above thirty pounds apiece that year, for their salary ; and behold, the God who will not be mocked, immediately caused the town to lose three hundred pounds in that one specie of their cattle, by one disaster." With his characteristic carelessness, Mr. Mather dees not give any date to this fact, [nor any account of the disaster.]
Mr. Cobbet was much respected for his piety and the fervency of his prayers. One of the soldiers in Philip's war, whose name was Luke Perkins, says that when he was detached, in 1675, tof go against the Indians, he went to request the prayers of Mr.j. Cobbet, who prayed that the company might be preserved, and they all returned in safety.
Some women of his neighborhood were one day attempting some trick of witchery, when their minister appeared. "There," said one of them, "we can do no more; there is old crooked back Cobbet a coming."
For a considerable time, he was in the practice of walking from Ipswich to Boston, once in two weeks to attend Mr. Nor- ton's lecture, and to see his old friend, Mr. Whiting. He used to remark that it was worth a journey to Boston, "to hear one of Mr. Norton's good prayers." [Mr. Lewis makes a singular mistake here. It was not Mr. Cobbet who made these pedestri- an excursions, but a pious layman of Ipswich, one of Mr. Nor- ton's old parishioners. Mr. Norton had been minister at Ipswich fourteen years, leaving there in 1652.]
The parents of Mr. Cobbet came over some time after his arrival. The name of his wife was Elizabeth, and he had four sons; Samuel, who graduated in 1663; Thomas, John, and Eliezer.
Thomas Cobbet, Jr., who was a seaman at Portsmouth, was taken prisoner by the Indians, in 1676, and carried to Penobscot. After an absence of several weeks, he was released by Madock- awando, the sachem, who received a red coat as a present. , On this subject, Mr. Cobbet thus writes, in his letter to Increase Mather: " As to what you quere, whether there were not an- swers to prayer respecting my captured son, Surely I may truly say his wonderfull preservations in all that 9 weeks time after he was taken, and deliverance at the last, they will be put on that account as answers to prayer ; for he was constantly plead- ed for by Mr. Moody in his congregation for that end, from his being first taken (of which they first heard) till his redemption. So was he in like sort pleaded for by Mr. Shepard in his congre-
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gation at Charlestowne, and by my desire signified that way, by Mr. Phillips, Mr. Higginson, Mr. Buckley, in theyr congregations, and I doubt not by yourself, Mr. Thatcher, Mr. Allin, in the 3 Boston churches, besides the prayers going constantly that way for him in the families and closets of godly ones, which heard of his captivity and hazard. He was constantly, as there was cause, remembered in our congregation for that end, and which I may not omit to mention: When Mr Moody, by post sent hither, sent me the first news of his taking by the Indians, and their further rage in those parts, calling out for further prayers- I presently caused one of our Deacons to call to my house that very day, as many godly men and theyr wives as were near us, to spend some hours in prayer about the same; about 30 met ; several of them prayed; Capt. Lord was with them in it, and with me also, who began and ended that service; and having beg'd some amends of our wasted son Eliezer at home as a pledge of the desired mercies to our captived son abroad as granted, my heart I must acknowledge to the Lord's praise, was sweetly guided in the course of that service, and I was even persuaded that the Lord had heard our prayers in that respect, and could not but express as much to some of our godly friends ; so was one of our sisters (as since she informed my wife,) as confidently persuaded that she should ere long see him returned, and that in comfortable plight, as if he were already come." He says that his son Eliezer began to amend, "insomuch that he who before could not walk up and down the town without stag- ering, could yet walk up that high hill (which you know of,) that is by Mr. Norton's, now our house."
The great age to which many of the early settlers lived, is a subject worthy of notice. Boniface Burton died in 1669, at the great age of 113 years; an age to which no person in Lynn, since his time, has attained. Joseph Rednap lived till he was 110 years of age, in the full possession of his faculties. In the year 1635, when he was in his 80th year, we find a vote of the town granting him lands at Nahant, for the purpose of pursuing the trade of fishing; and he seems as enterprising at that age as if he were just beginning active life. [I am afraid that much exaggeration was formerly dealt in with respect to the ages. of old people. It is quite certain that Mr. Rednap, for instance, died at about the age of 90; see notice of him on page 127.] Henry Styche was an efficient workman at the Iron Foundry in the year 1653, and was then 103 years of age. How many years longer he lived, history has not informed us. Christopher Hussey was pursuing his active and useful life, in 1685, when he was shipwrecked on the coast of Florida, at the age of 87 years. This great longevity and good health of the early set- tlers, may probably be referred to the regularity of their habits,
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and the simplicity of their diet. They seldom ate meat, and they generally retired to rest soon after sunset. A pitch pine torch in the chimney corner, served to illuminate the common room, until the family prayer was said; and then the boys and girls retired to their respective chambers, to undress in the dark. Nor did they steam themselves to death over hot iron. Cook stoves were unknown, and no fire was put into a meeting-house, except the Quaker, until 1820.
[Robert Keayne, the wealthy merchant of Boston, before alluded to, died this year. He appears to have had a high re- gard for many of the Lynn people, arising, perhaps, from asso- ciations pertaining to his only son, Benjamin, who resided here for a time. In his will appear the following bequests : "To m' Whiting, one of the Teaching Eld's at Lyn, fforty shillings." " To m' Cobit, the other Teaching Elder at Lyn, forty shillings." In a codicil, dated 28 Dec. 1653, he adds : " I have forgott one Loveing Couple more that came not to my minde till I was shutting vp; that is Capt Bridges & wife, [of Lynn,] to whom I give forty shillings." Also, "To Robert Rand, of Lyn, Some- time my Servant, forty shillings."]
1657.
Having purchased Nahant of the Indian Sagamore, for a suit of clothes, Thomas Dexter was not disposed to sit down in unconcern, when the town made known their intention of divid- ing it into lots for the benefit of all the people. At a town meeting, held 24 February, 1657, the following order was taken : " It was voted that Nahant should be laid out in planting lotts, and every householder should have equal in the dividing of it, noe man more than another; and every person to clear his lot of wood in six years, and he or they that do not clear their lotts of the wood, shall pay fifty shillings for the towne's use. Alsoe every householder is to have his and their lotts for seaven years, and it is to be laid down for a pasture for the towne ; and in the seventh, every one that hath improved his lott by planting, shall then, that is, in the seventh year, sow their lott with English corne ; and in every acre of land as they improve, they shall, with their English corne, sow one bushel of English hay seed, and soe proportionable to all the land that is improved, a bushel of hay seed to one acre of land, and it is to be remem- · bered, that no person is to raise any kind of building at all; and for laying out this land there is chosen Francis Ingals, Henry Collins, James Axee, Adam Hawckes, Lieut. Thomas Marshall, John Hathorne, Andrew Mansfield." (Mass. Archives.)
This record is valuable, as it exhibits several interesting par- ticulars. It shows that the purchase of Nahant, by Mr. Dexter, was not considered valid -it exhibits the most impartial speci-
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men of practical democracy in this country, the lots being ap- portioned to each householder equally, "noe man more than another "- it furnishes an explanation of the cause and manner of Nahant being so entirely cleared of the beautiful wood which once grew upon it - and it shows that Nahant was early planted with English corn, that is, with wheat. On the passing of this order, Mr. Dexter commenced a suit against the town for occu- pying it. The people held a town meeting, in which they ap- pointed Thomas Laighton, George Keysar, Robert Coats, and Joseph Armitage, a committee to defend their right. At the Salem Court, which began on the third of June, the following depositions were given :
/
1. "Edward Ireson, aged 57 yeares or there abouts, sworne, saith, that liveing with Mr. Thomas Dexter, I carried the fencing stuffe which master Dexter sett up to fence in Nahant, his part with the rest of the Inhabitants, and being and living with mr. Dexter, I never heard him say a word of his buying of Nahant, but only his interest in Nahant for his fencing with the rest of the inhabitants ; this was about 25 years since; and after this fence was sett up at nahant, all the new comers were to give two shillings sixpence a head or a piece vnto the setters up of the fence or inhabitants, and some of Salem brought Cattell alsoe to nahant, which were to give soe."
2. "The Testimony of Samuel Whiting. senior, of the Towne of Linne, Saith, that Mr. Humphries did desire that mr. Eaton and his company might not only buy Nahant, but the whole Towne of Linne, and that mr. Cobbet and he and others of the Towne went to mr. Eaton to offer both to him, and to commit themselves to the providence of God; and at that time there was none that laid claim to or pleaded any interest in nahant, Save the town, and at that time farmer Dexter lived in the Towne of Linne."
The person to whom Lynn was thus offered for sale, was The- ophilus Eaton, afterward governor of Connecticut. He came to Boston, 26 June, 1637, and went to New Haven, in August, of the same year.
3. "The Deposition of Daniel Salmon, aged about 45 yeares, saith, that he being master Humphreyes servant, and about 23 yeares agon, there being wolves in nahant, commanded that the whole traine band goe to drive them out, because it did belong to the whole towne, and farmer Dexter's men being then at training, went with the rest."
4. "This I, Joseph Armitage, aged 57 or there abouts, doe testifie, that about fifteen or sixteen yeares agoe, wee had a generall towne meeting in Lin ; at that meeting there was much discourse about nahant; the men that did first fence at nahant and by an act of generall court did apprehend by fencing that nahant was theires, myself by purchase haveing a part therein, after much agitation in the meeting, and by persuasion of mr. Cobbit, they that then did plead a right by fencing, did yield up all their right freely to the Inhabitants of the Towne, of which Thomas Dexter, senior, was one."
5. "We, George Sagomore and the Sagomore of Agawam, doe testify that Duke William, so called, did sell all Nahant unto ffarmer Dexter for a suite of Cloathes, which cloathes ffarmer Dexter had again, and gave vnto Duke William, so called, 2 or 3 coates for it again." [Signed by the marks of the two sagamores.]
6. " This I, Christopher Linsie, doe testifie, that Thomas Dexter bought Nahant of Blacke Will, or Duke William, and employed me to fence part of it when I lived with Thomas Dexter." U
D
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7. "I, John Legg, aged 47 years or thereabouts, doe testifie, that when I was Mr. Humphreys servant, there came unto my master's house one Blacke Will, as wee call him, an Indian, with a compleate Suit on his backe; I asked him where he had that suit; he said he had it of ffarmer Dexter, and he had sould him Nahant for it."
Depositions were also given by Richard Walker, Edward Hol- yoke, George Farr, William Dixey, William Witter, John Rams- dell, John Hedge, William Harcher, and others. [And it is fair to give Mr. Dexter's own statement of his case, on the appeal. It was evidently drawn up by one skilled in legal proceedings :
1. The Plaintiff pleadeth his right therein and thereto by purchase of the Indians, above 26 years now past, who were then the lawful owners thereof, as by the testimony off Jno. Legg, Wm. Witter, George Sagamore, Sagamore of Aguwame. 2. The Plt. pleadeth his possession yroff by fencing and other improvement, as by the testimony of Wm. Witter and John Legg, Capt. Traske and Mrs. Whiteing. 3. The Plaintiff humbly comendeth to the consideration of the Honoured Court, (1.) That the purchase was by no law then prohibited or made voyd, but hath since, by act of the General Court, Octo. 19, 1652, written lawes, ben confirmed as being according to God's word; also divers examples that might be instanced of sundry · persons yt do injoy those lands, which, in the infancy of these plantacons, they came by their possessions in like manner. (2.) That as yet no act or instru- ment made or signed by the Plaintiff hath appeared to manifest any alienacon thereof to the defendants. (3.) That they are parties which testify against the Plaintiff, and that for and in their owne behalfe, and many of them such as have in a disorderly, manner ingaged themselves in a special manner against the Plaintiff and his right ; as may appear by the testimony of Ri. Woodey ; their combinacon of assaulting his person, &c. (4.) That if there be no reme- dy but what they will swea" must passe as truth, (although the Plaintiff con- ceives it to be very false,) yet nevertheless the Plaintiff conceiveth himself to be wronged in that he had no part found for him, whenas, by yr owne oath and confession, as he was an Inhabitant of Lin, so he had a share with them, the which as yet they have not sworne, as he conceiveth, that he either gave it them or any other, and therefore seeing he sued but for his interest therein, whether more or less, he marvelleth yt such a verdict should be brought against him, and humbly entreateth releif therefrom by this Honored Court.
24 (6) 57. [24 Aug. 1657.] THOMAS DEXTER.]
Mr. Dexter was afterward granted liberty to tap the pitch pine trees on Nahant, as he had done before, for the purpose of making tar.
A vessel owned by Captain Thomas Wiggin, of Portsmouth, was wrecked on the Long Beach, and the sails, masts, anchor, &c. purchased by Thomas Wheeler, on the third of June.
Sagamore Wenepoykin petitioned the General Court, on the twenty-first of May, that he might possess some land, formerly owned by his brother, called Powder Horn Hill, in Chelsea. He was referred to the county court.
[John Aldeman, of Salem, by will dated 3 July, bequeaths one cow to Mr. Whiting, of Lynn, and one to Mr. Cobbet. He also gives "one cow and one cave to ye Indians yt Mr. Eliot doth preach vnto."]
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1658.
At the Court of Assistants, on the 13th of May, the towns of Lynn, Reading, and Chelsea, received permission to raise a troop of horse, [and choose their own officers " provided they be not fferry free, nor have five shillings yeerly allowed them from the country, as other troopers have."]
At the Quarterly Court, on the 29th of June, Lieutenant Thomas Marshall was authorized to perform the ceremony of marriage, and to take testimony in civil cases. [Mr. Lewis seems to have taken this Lieut. Marshall to have been Capt. Marshall, of Lynn; but I think he was another person and resid- ed elsewhere. There were several of the name of Thomas Marshall, in the colony. Capt. Marshall, of Lynn, the jolly land- lord of the " Blew Anchor" tavern, was, indeed empowered to perform the nuptial ceremony, but not till the next year. See second paragraph under date 1659. And it appears pretty cer- tain that at the time of his appointment there could have been no other in Lynn authorized to join in marriage, for the appoint- ment is prefaced by the declaration that there are " seuerall tounes wthin this jurisdiction who are not only remote from any magistrate, but also destitute of any person impowered to so- lemnize marriage, the want whereof is an occasion of sometimes disappointment." And herein we have certain evidence that the early ministers had no power to marry; perhaps because the authorities chose to look upon marriage as a mere civil contract ; swerving to the opposite of those high churchmen who were charged with regarding it in the light of a sacrament.]
This year there was a great earthquake in New England, connected with which is the following story :
Some time previous, on a pleasant evening, a little after sunset, a small vessel was seen to anchor near the mouth of Saugus river. x A boat was presently lowered from her side, into which four men descended, and moved up the river a considera- ble distance, when they landed, and proceeded directly into the woods. They had been noticed by only a few individuals ; but in those early times, when the people were surrounded by dan- ger, and easily susceptible of alarm, such an incident was well calculated to awaken suspicion, and in the course of the evening the intelligence was conveyed to many houses. In the morning, the people naturally directed their eyes towards the shore, in search of the strange vessel - but she was gone, and no trace could be found either of her or her singular crew. It was after- ward ascertained that, on that morning, one of the men at the Iron Works, on going into the foundry, discovered a paper, on which was written, that if a quantity of shackles, handcuffs, hatchets, and other articles of iron manufacture, were made and
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deposited, with secresy, in a certain place in the woods, which was particularly designated, an amount of silver, to their full value, would be found in their place. The articles were made in a few days, and placed in conformity with the directions. On the next morning they were gone, and the money was found according to the promise; but though a watch had' been kept, no vessel was seen. Some months afterward, the four men returned, and selected one of the most secluded and romantic spots in the woods of Saugus, for their abode. The place of their retreat was a deep, narrow valley, shut in on two sides by high hills and craggy, precipitous rocks, and shrouded on the others by thick pines, hemlocks, and cedars, between which there was only one small spot to which the rays of the sun, at noon, could penetrate. On climbing up the rude and almost perpendicular steps of the rock on the eastern side, the eye could command a full view of the bay on the south, and a pros- pect of a considerable portion of the surrounding country. The place of their retreat has ever since been called the Pirates' Glen, and they could not have selected a spot on the coast, for many miles, more favorable for the purposes both of conceal- ment and observation. Even at this day, when the neighbor- hood has become thickly peopled, it is still a lonely and desolate place, and probably not one in a hundred of the inhabitants has ever descended into its silent and gloomy recess. There the pirates built a small hut, made a garden, and dug a well, the appearance of which is still visible. It has been supposed that they buried money ; but though people have dug there, and in several other places, none has ever been found. After residing there some time, their retreat became known, and one of the king's cruisers appeared on the coast. They were traced to the glen, and three of them were taken and carried to England, where it is probable they were executed. The other, whose name was THOMAS VEAL, escaped to a rock in the woods, about two miles to the north, in which was a spacious cavern, where the pirates had previously deposited some of their plunder. There the fugitive fixed his residence, and practised the trade of a shoemaker, occasionally coming down to the village to obtain articles of sustenance. He continued his 'residence till the great earthquake this year, when the top of the rock was loosened, and crushed down into the mouth of the cavern, enclosing the unfortunate inmate, in its unyielding prison. It has ever since been called the Pirate's Dungeon.
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