USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Saugus > History of Lynn, Essex county, Massachusetts: including Lynnfield, Saugus, Swampscot, and Nahant > Part 31
USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Nahant > History of Lynn, Essex county, Massachusetts: including Lynnfield, Saugus, Swampscot, and Nahant > Part 31
USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Lynnfield > History of Lynn, Essex county, Massachusetts: including Lynnfield, Saugus, Swampscot, and Nahant > Part 31
USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Swampscott > History of Lynn, Essex county, Massachusetts: including Lynnfield, Saugus, Swampscot, and Nahant > Part 31
USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Lynn > History of Lynn, Essex county, Massachusetts: including Lynnfield, Saugus, Swampscot, and Nahant > Part 31
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Therefore, we are sensible, that, by the alienation of such a tract of land from us, so circumstanced, many of His Majesty's good subjects - our honest, innocent neighbors - will be exposed to great sufferings and hardships, and we all rendered incapable to contribute such dues and duties to His Majesty's government set over us, as is our bounden duty, and which we shall always readily attend, knowing how consistent it is with His Majesty's pleasure, and how well pleasing to your Excellency, that we live and prosper under your government.
We request your Excellency, therefore, to condescend to cast a favorable aspect upon the premises, and that our mean and shattered condition may not induce your contempt, but rather obtain your pity and succor. And, therefore, we confide in your Excellency's favor for our encouraging answer to this our petition, which is for the further and future enjoying of our Nahants.
By your Excellency's fatherly and compassionate grant of such a patent for further confirmation thereof unto ourselves and heirs forever, upon a moderate acknowledgment to be paid to His Royal Majesty, as may be consistent with your Excellency's prudence, and most conducive to our best behoof and ben- efit, and so that we may live and prosper under your government, that we may have tranquillity under the same from henceforth.
The second day of April, Anno Domini, One Thousand Six Hundred Eighty and Eight. Annoqui Regni Regis Jacobi Secundi Quarto.
The above petition was signed by seventy-four inhabitants, and, with the preceding papers, are preserved in the Massachu- setts archives. Their interesting nature has induced me to give them entire. I have only corrected the spelling.
The revenge which had been burning in the breasts of the eastern Indians for twelve years, for their friends killed and sold into slavery in 1676, this year broke out into open war. Their animosity was increased by the instigation of Baron de St.
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ANNALS OF LYNN - 1689.
Castine, a Frenchman, who married a daughter of Madockawan- do, the Penobscot chief. His house had been plundered by Sir Edmund Andros, the Governor of Massachusetts, and this induced him to join with the Indians. The French of Canada also united with them in their depredations, which were contin- ued, with intervals, till 1698, under the appellation of Castine's war. A company of soldiers from Lynn were impressed, by order of the Governor, and sent out against the Indians in the depth of winter. One of the soldiers from Lynn, Mr. Joseph Ramsdell, was killed by them at Casco Bay, in 1690.
1689.
The assumptions of Andros and his lordly secretary, as may 23 2. well be supposed, gave great offence to the people of Lynn, and there seems to have been no other general topic of conversation for several years. At length the spirit of the people was roused to such a degree, that, on the 19th of April, the inhabitants of Boston rose in arms, wrested the power from Sir Edmund and confined him a prisoner on Fort Hill until he was sent back to England.
The people of Lynn, who had not only been injured, but even insulted by Governor Andros, united with some from other towns, and went up to Boston, under the command of Rev. Jer- emiah Shepard, the minister of Lynn. A writer who was pres- ent says : " April 19th, about 11 o'clock, the country came in, headed by one Shepard, teacher of Lynn, who were like so many wild bears; and the leader, mad with passion, more sav- age than any of his followers. All the cry was for the Governor and Mr. Randolph." The Lynn people were doubtless some- what excited, but it may be noted, that the above account cf their conduct was written by a friend of Governor Andros. [Mr. Lewis states, in a note, that this interesting passage was copied from a manuscript Account of the Insurrection, among the papers of the Archbishop of Canterbury, in the Lambeth Palace, at London, and that it was probably written by Ran- dolph himself.]
In the exigency of public affairs, town meetings were held, and a Committee of Safety for the county of Essex appointed, with directions to make a report of grievances, to be laid before the government. The people of Lynn made the following rep- resentation.
May 20 168 9 de la marine
At Lynn, the 24th of May, 1689, upon a signification from Captain Jonathan. Corwin, of the Committee of the County of Essex, to make inquiry into the grievances suffered under the late government, that it is expressed, that this town, or any inhabitants therein, that have been aggrieved or burthened, do manifest the same under their hand, to the Committee aforesaid, or to Captain Jonathan Corwin to make known the same. We the Committee chosen by Y 19
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ANNALS OF LYNN ---- 1689.
the inhabitants of Lynn, on the 20th of May, 16.39, to consider of the significa- tion abovesaid, and to draw up what grievancey and burdens we have sustained by the late government, &c., do declare, viz. that this poor town of Lynn have sustained great wrong and damage by the said late government; in that our orderly, honest, and just rights, in a tract of land within the bounds of Lynn, called Nahants, that hath been enjoyed, possessed, built upon, and improved, by fencing, planting, and pasturing, &c., by the township of Lynn, well onward to sixty years ; and yet, by the injurious, unjust, and covetous humors of some very ill minded persons, upon petitions preferred -as Mr. Randolph first, and Mary Daffin, of Boston, in the second place, when Mr. Randolph could not make his petition true and valid, then he throweth in Mary Daffin her petition for the same lands, and as unjustly founded as Mr. Randolph's. But on their two petitions and vain pretences, we, the poor people of Lynn, have been, by orders from the Governor and Council, called, summoned, and ordered to appear at Boston, and to show and make good title to said lands before Sir Edmund Andros, and his Council, at one sitting, and a second sitting, and so a third, and a fourth, to our great loss, and expense of time and moneys, and no advantage nor benefit to us, because of delays and procrastinations, to screw our moneys out of our hands, and to make us pay, with a vengeance, for such writings as we must be constrained to take forth. And thus we have been grieved and oppressed, and put to loss, cost and damage, near one hundred pounds, and never the better, no justice done us, and at last put upon a threat- ened necessity of patenting our own old enjoyed properties, and a denial of our rights in any of our commons, always enjoyed, but now called King's lands, and we denied to be any town. Thus we have been perplexed, vexed, and oppressed, and impoverished ; and except the Lord had wrought for us, whose name we bless, and give thanks to the worthy gentlemen, his instruments, we had been the worst of bondmen. Furthermore, we were debarred, by the late government, of our constant liberty of town meetings but once in a year, whereby we could not meet to consult of defending our rights in the premises, because it should be charged with riot ; and also of keeping a watch for our security from any dangers we had too just cause to fear, which was our great grief and burthen; and our abuses by the profane farmers of excise ; and our sons, neighbors, and servants impressed and sent out so remote in the winter season, and constrained hereunto, and all sufferings, and we understand not upon what grounds.
Per order of, or in the name of the Town and Committee.
OLIVER PURCHIS, Cleric.
Jeremiah Shepard, aged forty-two years, and John Burrill, aged fifty-seven years, we, whose names are subscribed, being chosen by the inhabitants of Lynn, in the Massachusetts Colony, in New England, to maintain their right to their properties and lands, invaded by Sir Edmund Andros's government, we do testify, that, (besides Sir Edmund Andros his unreasonable demands of money, by way of taxation, and that without an assembly and deputies, sent from our towns, according to ancient custom, for the raising of money and levying of rates, ) our properties, our honest, and just, and true titles to our land were also invaded; and particularly a great and considerable tract of land, called by the name of the Nahants, the only secure place for the graz- ing of some thousands of our sheep, and without which our inhabitants could neither provide for their families, nor be capacitated to pay dues or duties for the maintenance of the public, but, if dispossessed of, the town inust needs be impoverished, ruined, and rendered miserable. Yet this very tract of land, being petitioned for by Edward Randolph, was threatened to be rent out of our hands, notwithstanding our honest and just pleas for our right to the said land, both by alienation of the said land to us by the original proprietors, the natives, to whom we paid our moneys by way of purchase, and notwithstand- ing near sixty years peaccable and quiet possession, and improvement, and also
291 .
ANNALS OF LYNN-1690.
enclosure of the said land by a stone wall; in which tract of land, also, two of our patentees were interested in common with us, viz. Major Humfrey and Mr. Johnson ; yet Edward Randolph petitioning for the said land, Sir Edmund, the Governor, did so far comply with his unreasonable motion, that we were put to great charges and expense for the vindication of our honest rights thereto. And being often before the Governor, Sir Edmund, and his Council, for relief, yet could find no favor of our innocent cause by Sir Edmund; not- withstanding our pleas of purchase, ancient possession, enclosure, grant of General Court, and our necessitous condition ; yet he told us that all these pleas were insignificant, and we could have no true title, until we could prove a patent from the king ; neither had any person a right to one foot of land in New England, by virtue of purchase, possession, or grant of Court; but if we would have assurance of our lands, we must go to the king for it, and get patents of it. Finding no relief, (and the Governor having prohibited town meetings,) we earnestly desired liberty for our town to meet to consult what to do in so difficult a case and exigency, but could not prevail ; Sir Edmund angrily telling us, that there was no such thing as a town in the country ; neither should we have liberty so to meet; neither were our ancient records, as he said, which we produced for our vindication of our title to the said lands, worth a rush. Thus were we from time to time unreasonably treated, our properties, and civil liberties, and privileges invaded, our misery and ruin threatened and hastened, till such time as our country, groaning under the unreasonable heavy yoke of Sir Edmund's government, were constrained forcibly to recover our rights and privileges.
JEREMIAH SHEPARD, JOHN BURRILL.
[Robert Driver petitions the Court that his son Solomon, who had been impressed, may be released, as some others had been, " as the life of his wife Sarah is bound up in her son Solomon." There is no record of the Court's answer.
[Capt. Ralph King died this year. He was a man of prom- inence and usefulness. He left an estate quite considerable for the time, the appraisal showing in amount £2.365 4s. Rev. Mr. Shepard, William Bassett, senior, and John Ballard were ap- praisers.]
1690.
The third inhabitant of Nahant, and the first permanent one, was James Mills. He had a small cottage, which stood in the field a few rods southeast from Whitney's hotel, wherein he resided twenty-six years. He had three children; Sarah, born 27 February, 1675; James, b. 11 October, 1678; and Dorothy, b. 21 April, 1681. A bay on the south of Nahant having been her favorite bathing place, has received the name of Dorothy's cove.
The first Monthly Meeting of the Society of Friends, in Lynn, was held at the house of Samuel Collins, on the 18th of July. There were but five Lynn men present.
[The first paper money of Massachusetts was issued this year. There was an emission of 40.000 pounds, to defray the charges of the Canada expedition.]
292
ANNALS OF LYNN-1691, 1692.
1691.
Lieutenant John Burrill was chosen Representative "to the great and generall Court." The pay of a Representative was three shillings a day.
Mr. John Burrill, junior, was chosen Town Clerk, in which office he continued thirty years.
April 14. "Clement Coldam and Joseph Hart were chosen cannoners, to order and look after the great guns."
July 13. Lieutenant John Fuller was chosen Clerk of the Writs. It is thus evident, that this office was not the same as that of Town Clerk.
On the northern shore of Nahant is a ledge of rock, which contains a portion of iron. Some of it was smelted in the foun- dry at. Saugus, and more was taken for the forge at Braintree. " It was voted that Mr. Hubbard of Braintree, should give three shillings for every ton of Rock Mine that he has from Nahant, to the town, for the town's use, and he to have so much as the town sees convenient."
Mr. William Bassett was Quarter Master in the militia, and collector of the parish taxes. People who held offices were generally better known by their titles than by their first names. [The titles were used partly to distinguish persons of the same name, middle names not being then in use.]
December 21. At a meeting of the Selectmen, " Mr. Shepard, with his consent, was chosen Schoolmaster for the year ensu- · ing." (Town Records.)
1692.
January 8. "It was voted that Lieutenant Blighe should have liberty to set up a pew in the northeast corner of the meeting house, by Mr. King's pew, and he to maintain the win- dows against it.
" The town did vote, that Lieutenant Fuller, Lieutenant Lewis, Mr. John Hawkes, senior, Francis Burrill, Lieutenant Burrill, John Burrill, junior, Mr. Henry Rhodes, Quarter Master Bassett, Mr. Haberfield, Cornet Johnson, Mr. Bayley, and Lieutenant Blighe, should sit at the table.
" It was voted, that Matthew Farrington, senior, Henry Silsbee, and Joseph Mansfield, senior, should sit in the deacons' seat.
" It was voted, that Thomas Farrar, senior, Crispus Brewer, Allen Breed, senior, Clement Coldam, Robert Rand, senior, Jonathan Hudson, Richard Hood, senior, and Sergeant Haven, should sit in the pulpit.
" The town voted, that them that are surviving, that was chosen by the town a committee to erect the meeting-house,
293
ANNALS OF LYNN-1692.
and Clerk Potter to join along with them, should seat the in- habitants of the town in the meeting-house, both men and wo- men, and appoint what seats they shall sit in; but it is to be understood, that they are not to seat neither the table, nor the deacons' seat, nor the pulpit, but them to sit there as are voted by the town.
"The town voted that Mr. Shepard should have liberty to remove Mr. Shepard's pew, and to set it adjoining at the east- ward end of the pulpit."
Lieutenant John Lewis, Cornet Samuel Johnson, John Witt, Joseph Breed, Thomas Farrar, junior, Joseph Newhall, and John Burrill, junior, were chosen Selectmen, " to order the pru- dential affairs of the town." These were the first Selectmen of Lynn whose names are recorded in the town book.
" The town voted, that the persons undernamed, in answer to their petition, should have liberty of the hindmost seat in the gallery to sit in, and fit it up as well as they please, in the north- east corner, provided they do no damage in hindering the light of the window : Sarah Hutchins, Mary Newhall, Rebecca Bal- lard, Susanna Collins, Rebecca Collins, Ruth Potter, Jane Ballard, Sarah Farrington, Rebecca Newhall, Elizabeth Norwood, Mary Haberfield." (Town Records.)
The year 1692 has been rendered memorable in the annals of our country, by the great excitement and distress occasioned by imputed Witchcraft. It was an awful time for New England - superstition was abroad in her darkest habiliments, scourging the land, and no one but trembled before the breath of the destroyer, for no one was safe. It seemed as if a legion of the spirits of darkness had been set free from their prison house, with power to infect the judgment of the rulers, and to sport, in their wan- ton malice, with the happiness and the lives of the people. The stories of necromancy in the darkest ages of the world -the tales of eastern genii- the imaginary delineations of the poet and the romancer - wild, and vague, and horrible as they may seem - fall far short of the terrible realities, which were per- formed in the open daylight of New England. The mother at midnight pressed her unconscious children to her trembling bosom - and the next day she was standing before a court of awful men, with her life suspended on the breath of imagina- tion -or barred within the walls of a prison, and guarded by Jan armed man, as if she were a thing to be feared - or swinging in the breeze between earth and sky, with thousands of faces gazing up at her, with commingled expressions of pity and im- precation. The father, too, returned from his work at eve, to his peaceful household - and in the morning he was lying ex- tended on a rough plank - with a heavy weight pressing on his breast- till his tongue had started from his mouth - and
Y
294
ANNALS OF LYNN-1692.
his soul had gone up to Him who gave it -and all this, that he might be made to confess an imaginary crime.
The alarm of witchcraft commenced in February, in the house of Rev. Samuel Parris, of Salem, with an Indian girl named Tituba. Thirteen women and five men were hung, and two, Rev. George Burroughs and Giles Corey, pressed to death, be- cause they would not answer or confess. More than one hun- dred others were accused and imprisoned, of whom the following belonged to Lynn :
1. Thomas Farrar was brought before the court, at Salem, 18 May, and sent to prison at Boston, where he was kept until 2 November, more that five months. He was an elderly man, and his son, Thomas Farrar, jun., was one of the selectmen this year. He lived in Nahant street, and died 23 February, 1694.
2. Sarah Bassett was tried at Salem, May 23, and sent to Boston prison, where she was kept until December 3, seven months. She was a daughter of Richard Hood, and wife of William Bassett, jun., in Nahant street. She had a young child, twenty-two months old, which she took with her to prison. The next daughter which she had after her imprisonment, she called " Deliverance."
3. Mary Derick, widow of Michael Derick, was carried to Boston prison, May 23, and kept there seven months. She was a daughter of William Bassett, senior.
4. Elizabeth Hart was arraigned and sent to' Boston, May 18, where she was imprisoned until December 7; nearly seven months. She was an old lady, the wife of Isaac Hart, and died November 28, 1700.
5. Thomas Hart, son of Elizabeth Hart, in a petition to the Court, October 19, says "he has been in prison ever since May, for imputed witchcraft, and prays to be released."
[Mr. Lewis must be in error in this last paragraph. "Thomas Hart, inhabitant at Lynn," presents a petition, on the 19th of Oc- tober, shewing " that whereas Elizabeth Hart, mother of the petitioner, was taken into custody in the latter end of May last, and ever since committed to prison in Boston jail, for witchcraft," &c. The petition among other things says: "The father of your petitioner, being ancient and decrepit, was wholly unable to attend to this matter, and your petitioner, having lived from his childhood under the same roof with his said mother, he dare presume to affirm that he never saw nor knew any ill or sinful practice wherein there was any shew of impiety nor witchcraft by her." And with strong expressions of filial regard, he begs for her " speedy inlargement." The petition refers altogether to his mother, not to himself. Not a hint is dropped of his ever having been imprisoned. The petition indicates a pious turn of
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ANNALS OF LYNN- 1692.
mind, and one not exempt from the common superstitions of the time ; but anxiety about his mother seems to predominate.]
6. Sarah Cole, the wife of John Cole, was tried at Charles- town, 1 February, 1693, and acquitted.
7. Elizabeth Proctor, wife of John Proctor, of Danvers, was a daughter of William Bassett. She was condemned to death, but was released on account of her peculiar circumstances. Her husband was executed.
That aged people, as some of those were, and respectable, as they all were, should have been subjected to long imprisonment and the danger of death, on the accusation of a few hoyden girls, of uncertain reputation, influenced by wild malice, or a distempered imagination, is a matter which now excites our wonder and pity. My readers will doubtless be anxious to know what was said about the accused from Lynn. It is really too trifling for a serious record, and only merits notice for its consequences.
The following is the testimony against Thomas Farrar. "The deposition of Ann Putnam, who testifieth and saith, that on the 8th of May, 1692, there appeared to me the apperishion of an old gray head man, with a great nose, which tortored mé, and almost choaked me, and urged me to writ in his book; and I asked him what was his name, and from whence he came, for I would complain of him ; and people used to call him old father pharaoh; and he said he was my grandfather, for my father used to call him father; but I tould him I would not call him grandfather, for he was a wizard, and I would complain of him ; and ever since he hath afflicted me by times, beating me, and pinching me, and allmost choaking me, and urging me contine- wally to writ in his book."
The testimony against Elizabeth Hart was as follows: "The deposition of Mary Walcott, who testifieth and saith, that on the 13th of May, 1692, I saw the apparition of Goody Hart, who hurt me much by pinching and choaking of me; and urged me grievously to set my hand to her book, and several other times she has tormented me, ready to tare my body in pieces."
There were several other depositions, but these were the most important ; yet on evidence like this, respectable people were taken from their homes, and imprisoned more than half a year. It is some satisfaction to know, that some of the judges and ju- rymen afterward saw their error and regretted it. Some resti- tution was also made, by the Court, to some of the sufferers. Mary Derick was allowed £9, being at the rate of six shillings a week during her imprisonment, and £5, for her goods lost; and Sarah Bassett was also allowed £9.
The first thing that opened the eyes of the prosecutors, and tended to put a stop to accusations, was the "crying out "
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ANNALS OF LYNN - 1694.
against the Rev. Jeremiah Shepard, minister of the church at Lynn, as a wizard ! Every body saw the absurdity of the charge, and the court were convinced that if the matter proceeded much further, themselves might not be safe. [But this unduly mag- nifies Mr. Shepard. A number of eminent persons were "cried out " against ; among them, the wife of Gov. Phipps and the wife of Rev. Mr. Hale. And are those free discussions on the dark subject, entered into by the intelligent young men of Bos- ton, as well as the exertions of such men as Bradstreet, Brattle, Calef, Danforth - who, by the way, had been Deputy Governor, and was father-in-law of Rev. Joseph Whiting - and Saltonstall, to pass for nought ? It should not be overlooked that the leaven of truth and good sense had begun to actively work among all classes.] .
In reflecting on this subject, it should be remembered, that people at that time generally believed in witchcraft. It was part of their religion, and under such a misconception of scrip- ture, the slightest indications were proof. The more absurd, improbable and even impossible a thing was, the more certain it appeared- for many people very wisely conclude, that no one would assert an impossibility, unless it were true ! We wonder at the delusion of those days - but is there no mist before our eyes at present ?
1694.
The society of Friends having increased, Mr. Shepard became alarmed at their progress, and appointed the 19th of July, as a day of fasting and prayer, " that the spirital plague might pro- ceed no further." [And the versatile Mather says, "The spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ gave a remarkable effect unto this holy method of encountering the charms of Quakerism. It proved a better method than any coercion of the civil magis- trate." This is very well. And if he himself had adhered to the principle he would doubtless have been the instrument of more good than is now placed to his credit. But with amusing credulity he adds: "Quakerism in Lynn received, as I am informed, a death wound from that very day; and the number of Quakers in that place has been so far from increasing, that I am told it has rather decreased notably."]
At a town meeting on the 25th of July, "The constables personally appearing, and declaring that they had all warned their several parts of the town, according to their warrants, and so many being absent from said meeting, the town did then vote and give power to Jacob Knight, in behalf of the town, to prosecute against any and every person or persons, that has not attended this meeting, according to the by laws, or town orders."
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