USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts : containing carefully prepared histories of every city and town in the county, Vol. I > Part 39
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The water of these brooks is purer than that of the Cochituate, but wells are in universal use. On
the plains these have to be sunk thirty to thirty-five feet to secure water for domestic purposes.
From statistics covering a period of twelve years, from 1860 to 1871 inclusive, and only the territory now embraced in the town of Ayer, it appears that the number of persons living in this district to one death from all causes was 72. In that period one person died of phthisis, or consumption, to 464 living; of typhoid, one .to 4,980 living; and of pneumonia, one to 1,660 living. The estimated population in 1865 was 1,660. From 1865 to 1869 the deaths in Middlesex County from all causes were one to 49; in Ayer, one to 89. From phthisis, the deaths in the state were one to 279 living ; in Ayer, one to 361. From typhoid, the deathis in the state were one to 1,082; in Ayer, one to 8,300. . From pneumonia, the deaths in tlie state were one to 802; in Ayer, one to 1,383. From 1860 to 1871 the per cent of deaths in Ayer was 1.31, from 1865 to 1869 but 1.12. In the state the per cent of deaths for the last-named period was 1.96. So that Ayer is twenty-nine per cent healthier than the state as to consumption, and seven hundred per cent healthier than the state as to typhoid fever.
BEDFORD.
BY JOSIAH A. STEARNS.
HE section of country marked by the present limits of Bedford was very early settled. Some of its ancient estates are still occupied by descendants of their original owners.
More than one family have dwelt upon the same house-lot for two centuries, and the old mill, the original timbers of which remain, still grinds corn and prepares lum- ber, as it did before the war with King Philip.
A portion of this territory was known as Win- throp's Farms, and the remainder as Shawshine. The famous Shawshine trading-house was within its limits. If not when granted a part of Con- cord, Winthrop's Farms soon after became so;
and the Shawshine country had its name changed to Billerica.
An incident in locating the "Farms" has given to Bedford a monument of the past which it is hoped may be reverentially preserved through all coming time. The story is told by Governor Win- throp himself in a paragraph of his journal. The event occurred in 1638.
" The governor and deputy went to Concord to view some land for farms, and, going down the river about four miles, they made choice of a place for one thousand acres for each of them. They offered each other the first choice, but because the deputy's was first granted, and himself had store of land already, the governor yielded him the choice. So, at the place where the deputy's land was to begin, there were two great stones, which
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they called the Two Brothers, in remembrance that they were brothers by their children's marriage, and did so brotherly agree, and for that a little creek near those stones was to part their lands. At the court in the fourth month after, two hundred acres were added to the governor's part."
Previous to the year 1729 the southern half of Bedford belonged to Concord, and the northern half belonged to Billerica.
The line between these two towns ran a little south of the present Main Street of Bedford vil- lage. No discontent of the people with their neigh- bors occasioned the separation. It was sought for simply to enlarge their religious privileges.
Roads were poor, conveniences for travel few, and from many of these settlers the meeting-houses were five or six miles away. Yet the Sabbath ser- vice was so sacred and essential to a New-Eng- lander of that day, that even mothers would travel all the long distance on foot, with their babes in their arms, to hear the word of truth. For one or two winters they tried the experiment of hiring a preacher to officiate in their own . neighborhood ; but at length they sought to be incorporated as a separate town.
A petition dated May 1, 1728, was signed by the following persons, all from Concord : Joseph French, Joseph Dean, Jolin Fassett, Samnel Mer- riam, Stephen Davis, Daniel Cheever, Thomas Woolley, Joseph Bacon, Benjamin Colburn, Na- thaniel Merriam, Zacharialı Stearns, Andrew Wad- kins, Jonathan French, David Taylor, Daniel Davis, Richard Wheeler, and James Wheeler. To this petition Concord granted her consent at once; but Billerica released her townsmen with much reluc- tance.
The General Court now took the matter in hand. On the 29th of July, 1728, the subject was referred to an existing committee for investigation. Bil- lerica had, through the agency of Jonathan Dan- forth, June 5, 1685, extinguished by purchase of the Wameseck Indians " all manner of Indian rights and claims to that parcel of land granted by the General Court to the town of Billerica." This was called the " Wameseck Purchase," and the com- mittee referred to had been raised to view it.
The committee reported as follows : " After a full hearing of the pleas and allegations of all par- ties concerned therein, and mature consideration thereon, the committee are humbly of the opinion that the lands petitioned for, as well by the Billerica petitioners as those of Concord, and by a vote of
the town of Concord, set off to and joined with the petitioners of Billerica in making a distinct township, are well accommodated for that purpose. That therefore the said lands with the inhabitants thereof be set off and erected into a separate and distinct township."
By the act of incorporation of the Town of Bed- ford, passed on the 23d of September, 1729, the inhabitants were directed within three years to erect and finish a suitable honse for public worship, and to procure and settle a minister, making due provision for his comfortable and honorable sup- port; they were also directed to provide a school in which to instruct their youth in writing and reading. In conformity with a vote of the General Court, approved September 26, 1729, Jonathan Bacon was directed to assemble the inhabitants, to give effect to the act of incorporation ; and in pursuance thereof the town met October 6, 1729, when the following officers were chosen: Samuel Fitch, Nathaniel Merriam, Jonathan Bacon, Na- thaniel Page, Daniel Davis, selectmen ; Samuel Fitch, town clerk ; John Fassett, town treasurer.
On the 13th of October a second town-meeting was held, and the "Town exepted of the Meeting house as the former commety had a greed with Joseph Fitch for four hundred and sixty pounds." Probably the house, when thus accepted, contained no pews and was quite unfinished ; but a commit- tee was chosen, consisting of Mr. Nathaniel Mer- riam, Lieutenant Job Lane, Mr. John Fassett, and Cornet Nathaniel Page, " to see the meeting-house parfected and finished." Forty pounds were raised to " maintain preaching amongst us," and fifty pounds were raised to " defray the charges that shall be or may arise in the town."
One more institution was essential to a well- organized town, and on the 23d of October, 1729, " the selectmen met and laid out a burying-place; and it was on the land that Mr. Israel Putnam gave to the town ; and it is bounded by the high- way that goes from the meeting-house to Wo- burn." The ground thus laid out proved unsatis- factory, and Jannary 12, 1729-30, the selectmen thought it convenient to alter the burying-place, and laid it a little further northward.
At a town-meeting February 11, 1729-30, Mr. Nicholas Bowes was chosen to be the minister. The town agreed to give him £200 for a settle- ment, and to let him have sixteen acres of land at £S per acre.
At the March meeting it was " Voted, That the
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selectmen join with the committee to stake out so much of the town's land as is convenient for the use of the town about the meeting-house, and for a training place."
Mr. Bowes was ordained July 15, 1730, when the church was organized. Rev. John Hancock, of Lexington, was moderator. Rev. Mr. Appleton, of Cambridge, made the introductory prayer.
Another prime object of attention during the first twenty-four years of Bedford's history was the roads. Hearing the reports of committees, laying out new highways, widening paths into comfortable roads, changing the position of roads, receiving petitions in regard to them, greatly engrossed the attention of every town-meeting.
One condition of the incorporating act was that the town should establish a school. In 1732 the matter was agitated, and sums of money annually voted to maintain a school until 1742, when the town purchased the house of Mr. Benjamin Kid- der, near the meeting-house, for the use of the school.
In 1752 the town decided to purchase its first bell, and voted to build a house for it.
September 25, 1754, the town concurred with the church in the dismission of Rev. Mr. Bowes. Ile seems to have remained in town during the coming winter, and I find him credited £9 6s. 8d. for keeping school five months.
On the 17th of November, 1755, the town con- curred with the church in the choice of the Rev. Nathaniel Sherman for their minister. His ordi- nation was appointed on the 21st day of January, 1756. The church records say February 18, 1756; but these are not reliable, as they are only copies of Mr. Sherman's minutes after his dismission. It
is not known who officiated on the occasion.
On the 1st of March, 1759, Mr. Sherman was married to Miss Lydia Merriam, a daughter of one of his deacons.
Mr. Sherman's ministry of twelve years consti- tuted a period principally of routine and quietness in town affairs. The making, changing, and re- pairing of roads had principally subsided. The schools continued to be objects of care, but the middle of the town was now possessed of a school- house.
Though the spirit of liberty had been steadily growing among the New England people, it had manifested itself, as yet, principally in resistance to governmental oppression. Slavery still existed in all parts of Massachusetts, and there were a
goodly number of slaves even in Bedford. Equal personal liberty for all men was an idea only by a very few even contemplated. Even if a man was willing to free his slave he could only do so by giving bonds that his freedman should not become a public charge. One case of this sort I quote from the Bedford town records : -
" Marchi ye 23d, 1761. - Col. John Lane gave a bond to Deacon Stephen Davis, town treasurer, to save and indemnify the town of Bedford from any charge that may arise by reason of his negro man being set free."
That the town took a lively interest in the mili- tary enterprises of this and previous periods of her history is evident, but it is much to be regretted that no authentic list of her soldiers, previous to the Revolution, can now be obtained.
Shattuck relates a very romantic story of Eleazer Davis, who probably went from this place a little before the town was set off, and was wounded in the famous "Lovewell's fight." This is his ac- count : "Their wounds had become putrid and offensive, and they themselves nearly exhausted by hunger. Eleazer Davis, after being out fourteen days, came into Berwick. He was wounded in the abdomen, and the ball lodged in his body. He also had his right hand shot off. A tradition says that, arriving at a pond with Lieutenant Farwell, Davis pulled off one of his moccasins, cut it in strings, on which he fastened a hook, caught some fish, fried, and ate them. They refreshed him, but were injurious to Farwell, who died soon after. Josiah Jones, another of the four, was wounded with a ball which lodged in his body. After being out fourteen days, in hourly expectation of perish- ing, he arrived at Saco, emaciated and almost dead from the loss of blood, the putrefaction of his wounds, and the want of food. He subsisted on the spontaneous vegetables of the forest ; and cran- berries, which he had eaten, came out of the wounds he had received in his body. This is said to have been the case with Davis. He recovered, but became a cripple."
In 1755 the Rev. Mr. Bowes, Bedford's first minister, became chaplain of a regiment in the expedition to Fort Edward, and, without doubt, some of his parishioncrs joined him. In 1761 the town voted to abate the whole of the rates of those that went from this town in the country's service the summer past. In 1763 it voted to abate the rate of Josiah Davis, his son Paul lately deceased, and Joseph Wilson, their town
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and highway rates, and all the other soldiers their highway rates.
The daughter of Hugh Maxwell says of her father, in a little work commemorative of his life : " Colonel Maxwell served five campaigns in the old French wars, was among those captured by the Indians under Montcalm at Fort Edward, and barely escaped with his life. Before the close of the war he had attained the rank of ensign."
In the mean time Mr. Sherman had received a call to another place. He asked a dismission of the church, and it was granted.
On the 4th of February, 1771, the town con- curred with the church in the choice of Mr. Joseph Penniman of Braintree as minister, and agreed to give him £133 68. 8d. as a settlement, and £66 138. 4d. annually as a salary.
The town voted that the ordination of the Rev. Mr. Penniman be on the 22d of May, and that it should be religiously observed agreeable to the solemnity of the occasion, and that they were " de- termined, as much as in them lay, to prevent all Levity, Prophainness, Music, Dancing, and frolick- ing, and other disorders on sª Day."
No sooner was Mr. Penniman fairly settled, than the war of the American Revolution began to absorb all thoughts. Town-meetings could scarcely trans- act any other than war business. On the first day of March, 1773, after solemn prayer, the town pro- ceeded and made choice of Deacon Stephen Davis, John Reed, Esq., Mr. John Webber, Dr. Joseph Ballard, Mr. John Moore, Mr. Joseph Hartwell, and Mr. Hugh Maxwell, to be a committee to take our grievances under consideration, and to report at the next town-meeting. An adjournment was made to the 31st of May, when the committee re- ported a series of resolutions which, while profess- ing the utmost loyalty to the crown, made known in language unmistakable the deep grievances of the distressed people.
Not long after occurred the destruction of tea in Boston harbor. In this transaction Bedford was represented. Major Thompson Maxwell gives the following account of his participation in the affair : " In 1773, I went with my team to Boston. I had loaded at John Hancock's warehouse and was about to leave town, when Mr. Hancock requested me to drive my team up into his yard, and ordered his servants to take care of it, and requested me to be on Long Wharf at two o'clock P. M., and informed me what was to be done. I went accordingly, joined the band under Captain Hewes ; we mounted
[ the ships and made tea in a trice. This done, I took my team and went home as an honest man should."
Messrs. Moses Abbott, Thomas Page, Ebenezer Page, John Reed, Joseph Converse, and Edward Stearns were chosen as a committee of inspection. In March, 1775, it was voted to allow Dr. Joseph Ballard four shillings per day for twelve days at Cambridge, and four shillings for expenses at Con- cord. It was also voted to pay twenty-five minute- men one shilling per week, they to exercise four hours in a week; and two shillings were to be allowed to two officers, they to equip themselves according to the advice of congress.
The skill thus acquired was soon called into requisition at the memorable Concord Fight on the 19th of April. Thompson Maxwell thus speaks of it: " April, 1775, I again happened in Boston with my team ; I left Boston the 18th, and got to my native town that night, and put up with my brother Wilson, who married my sister and who was captain of minute-men. Next morning early he had orders to march with his company to Concord ; he requested me to go with him. I went well armed and joined in the fight; my brother Wilson was killed; next day I hired a man to drive my team home, and I never went home till after the Battle of Bunker Hill."
Tradition says that Maxwell, having some famil- iarity with camps, assured his brother that he had witnessed movements in Boston that indicated some speedy action on the part of the British army, and that he and Wilson sat talking excitedly upon the subject till one o'clock, when the messenger sum- moned them to the fight. Wilson rallied his men at the tavern, then kept by Jeremiah Fitch, Jr., in the house now owned by his granddaughter, Miss Fitch of Boston. The men partook of some sliglit refreshment. "It is a cold breakfast, boys," said Wilson, " but we'll give the British a hot one, - we'll have every dog of them before night." Be- fore night Wilson was killed and Job Lane badly wounded.
On their arrival at Concord the first service of onr men was in removing stores to places of greater safety. Even the standard-bearer laid down his flag, threw off his coat, and went to work. When the British soldiers first came in view, our men looked upon them from Concord Hill, and were per- fectly dazzled by the sight, -their brilliant uni- forms, their perfect discipline, and their burnished guns flashing in the sunlight charmed and awed
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them into dumb astonishment, till some one broke the spell by a reminder that "we must spoil their fine uniforms before night." It was not long be- fore every one was excitedly engaged in the fray. The homes, too, which the soldiers had left in haste, were full of excitement and activity. There women were busily engaged in providing food and despatch- ing it to Concord. Their anxiety was raised to the highest pitch. One good lady said, " All day long the bells were ringing, the guns were firing, people were dashing back and forth on horseback, and all I could learn was that there had been an awful figlit, ever so many killed, and I thought certain husband must be one of them."
One of our townsmen, while driving his load of wood with oxen and horse, met the soldiers at Lex- ington, and having quietly passed them, deliberately unyoked his team as though he were a farmer in the neighborhood, mounted his horse, and slowly repassed the troops till he was far enough to avoid suspicion, then struck into a run, and was at Con- cord in season to give them a welcome.
Immediately after the Battle of Lexington mul- titudes of soldiers went into eamp at Cambridge. Tradition says the next day after the fight Thomp- son Maxwell sent his team home with a note to his wife asking for a few necessary articles, and inform- ing her that he should be at home when the war was over. Here he remained till after the battle of Bun- ker Hill, of which he has given us a general account. He says : "When I left home I was a lieutenant of minute-men, under Captain Crosby. Next day after Coneord Fight my company started to join us at Cambridge. I then took command agreea- ble to rank in my company under Captain Wilkin- son. We were formed into regiments, my company in Colonel James Reed's regiment, and engaged for eight months. The next fight was that of Bunker Hill. On the 16th of June Colonel Reed was ordered to Charlestown Neck. About twelve o'eloek the same day a number of our officers passed us and went on to Bunker Hill. General Ward, with the rest, returned and went to Cam- bridge.
" In the evening Colonel Prescott passed with his regiment. My brother, Hugh Maxwell, was the senior eaptain in this regiment; he stepped out and asked Colonel Reed and myself if we would come on to the hill that night. We did so; we went to Breed's Hill. We found Colonel Putnam there, with Colonel Prescott's command. Colonel Prescott requested my brother Hugh to lay out
the ground for the intrenchment. He did so. I set up the stakes after him. Colonel Prescott seemed to have the sole command. Colonel Reed and I returned to our command on the neek about eleven o'clock P. M. At day, in the morning, we again went to the hill, found Putnam and Prescott there. Prescott still appeared to have command ; no other regiment was there but Prescott's through the night. Captain Maxwell, after day, suggested in my hearing to Colonel Prescott the propriety of running an intrenchment from the northeast angle of the night's work to a rail-fence, leading to Mys- tic River. Colonel Prescott approved, and it was done. I set up the stakes after my brother. About seven o'clock I saw Colonels Preseott and Putnam in conversation ; immediately after, Put- nam mounted his horse and went full speed towards Cambridge. Colonel Reed ordered his men to their commands; we returned and prepared for action. At eleven o'clock we received orders from Colonel Preseott to move on. We did so.
" We formed by order of Prescott down to the rail-fence, and part on the intrencliment. We got hay and wadded between the rails after doubling the fence by post and rails from another place. We remained there during the battle.
" After we had been there awhile I saw Captain Knowlton of Putnam's regiment come on with per- haps a hundred men, and form on a stone-wall that led from the rail-fence to the river. The men were formed from the river extending towards the rail-fence, and left a space, I should say, of sixty rods between us, which was manned by parts of regiments until Colonel Stark eame and formed on the rail-fence. We were all drove from the hill. On our retreat we went in disorder, mixed up. As we passed the top of Bunker Hill, I there saw Putnam for the first time after he rode away in the morning.1 (Putnam on horseback with his tent behind.) He had with him a very large body of men who were a little over the turn of the hill out of the rake of the enemy's shot. When we approached near, Putnam eried out, 'Halt, you damned cowards ! halt, you damned eowards! Turn about and give them another shot.' I told Put- nam it was in vain, for our ammunition was gone and men exhausted. He said, ' I don't mean you, it is them damned raseals I can't get up.'"
On the 17th of June a town-meeting was held to advise the person who should represent them in the
1 It is, however, well established that Putnam was at the lines during the engagement. - ED.
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next General Court whether the honorable congress should declare them independent of Great Britain, and it was voted that, " We, the said inhabitants [of Bedford], will solemnly engage, with our lives and fortunes, to support them in the measure."
On the 4th of July, 1776, the town agreed to add to the bounty given to such as should enlist, £6 6s. Sd .; it also directed the treasurer to pay the money or give his notes, and if "a commissioner" enlisted to have the above said bounty.
On the 24th of November the compensation of soldiers was again under consideration, and the town voted £377 38. 3d., with the interest that is due on said money, for the use of hiring the Con- tinental soldiers.
At a meeting on the 11th of May, 1778, John Reed, Esq., Moses Abbott, Stephen Hartwell, Jr., Samuel Davis, and Jeremiah Fitch, Jr., were chosen a committee to hire men to join the Continental army to the southward at the North River for eight months, and then to join General Washington's army for nine months towards Philadelphia.
On the 14th of July, 1779, a state convention met at Concord, for the purpose of establishing a state price current and adopting other means for preventing monopoly, extortion, and unfair dealing. Hon. Azor Orne was chairman, and Samuel Ruggles secretary. This meeting passed some spirited resolutions, fixed the prices of several articles, and prepared an address to the people. On the 4th of August the town of Bedford accepted these resolves, and chose a committee to see that the said resolves were not violated. At the same meeting the town elected John Reed a delegate to a convention to meet at Cambridge on the 1st of September, for the purpose of framing a new con- stitution.
When the question finally came up of accepting or rejecting the new form of government, the town held three meetings upon the subject, and finally accepted it by a vote of twenty-five in favor and one against it, leaving it with the convention when the form should take place.
The town now began to find rest from soldiers' bills, and, after providing for a few back dues for public service, attention was turned to local con- cerns. The schools needed attention, the meeting- house required additional sittings, and to be put into better repair.
About this time a custom prevailed of reporting all persons who came to reside in town, or even
temporary visitors, to the town clerk, by whom their names were carefully recorded in the town's book.
September 9, 1786, the town "constituted and approved Lieut. John Merriam and Lieut. Timothy Jones to meet the committees from such towns as shall assemble for to consult with the delegates that assembled at Concord on the twenty-third day of August last, at any town or towns they shall think proper to meet at in order to devise some salutary measures to quiet the minds of any body or bodies of people that shall attempt to oppose government in any unconstitutional man- ner whatever."
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