History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts : containing carefully prepared histories of every city and town in the county, Vol. II, Part 81

Author: Drake, Samuel Adams, 1833-1905
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Boston : Estes and Lauriat
Number of Pages: 650

USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts : containing carefully prepared histories of every city and town in the county, Vol. II > Part 81

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Dunster's farm - granted in 1640 to Henry Dunster, president of Harvard College- lay to the south and east of Mrs. Glover's, and was wholly within the present bounds of Wayland. June 24, 1659, Edmund Rice and his son Benjamin bought this farm of the executors of Mr. Dunster's will.

Jennison's farm, of two hundred aeres, lay on the south bounds of the town, extending from the Dunster farm to Weston line. This was granted in 1638 (laid out in 1646) to Captain William Jennison of Watertown, for service in the Pequot War. It was sold, April 8, 1657, to Edmund Rice.

Second Meeting-House. - In the summer of 1653 a new meeting-house was built on the old spot. In size it was 40×25 feet, and 12 feet high. It had gable-ends, two pinnacles, two doors, four transom windows 6 x 5 feet, and a clear- story window in each gable-end 4 × 3 feet. The outside was covered with clapboards four feet long. The roof was covered with thatel. Inside it had dorments across the house sufficient for galleries if needed, " the two middle beams to be smoothed on three sides, and the lower corners to be run with a bowkell." The walls were cased with smooth cedar boards up to the bottom of the win- dows, and from here to the beams were plastered with tempered elay. The seats were of white oak, " both posts and rails and benches."

Military. - May 13, 1640, " Mr. Brian Pendle- ton is desired to train the company at Sudbury, and Mr. Peter Noyes is appointed surveyor of arms there." The town's proportion of powder, " which they are to buy and pay for, is one barrel." Sep- tember 27, 1642, Ancient (Ensign) Cakebread is appointed to lead the company. In 1648, and again in 1652, it is ordered that the meeting-house be used as a wateh-house. In 1668 the town sold a piece of meadow near the briek-kiln, and six acres of upland to Kathorn Read for £6 in money, " to buy silk for a suitable flight of colours for the use of the military company."

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A Brave Woman.

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On the breaking out of Philip's War, in 1675, the only preparations for defence were the three west-side garrison-houses, and the meeting-house on the east side. The latter was not fortified, but its position was strong. Early in the summer Parson Browne, who lived on the southerly side of Mill Brook, began to build a stockade around his premises. In a letter dated September 26, 1675, addressed to the governor, he says : " I have been at a round charge to fortify my house, and except- ing finishing the two flankers and my gate, have finished : Now without four hands I cannot well secure it, and if for want of hands I be beaten out, it will be very advantageous to the enemy, and a thorn to the town." The governor and council granted him the four men as guards, and he main- tained them at his own expense. By order of the selectmen, all the families living in the south part of the town, and above Mill Brook, fled to this stockade in case of imminent danger.

Alarms were frequent. The woods were pes- tered with Indians. Smokes were seen on the hills, indicating the camps of the savages. Men were fired upon when passing from one place to another. The able-bodied men were pressed into the country's service, or were required for watch- ing, warding, and scouting near home. " At the request of Ensign Grout, Left. Eph™ Curtis was ordered, with such volunteers as would join him, to march into the woods, and endeavour to surprise, kill, and destroy any of our Indian enemy." No- vember 22, 1675, Sudbury was ordered " to impress nine able-bodied men for the service of the country." The next February an order was issued dismissing all the garrison soldiers at Sudbury. March 22, this town was ordered to furnish six men and three horses "to garrison Brookfield." April 8, the selectmen petitioned the governor, " by reason of the approach of the Indian enemy near our town, that 20 men may be sent to be under the conduct of Lieut. Ephraim Curtis, to be improved as a scout, to range the woods, and be in readiness upon any occasion, if the enemy should set upon us. And we shall add unto the said scout so many men more out of our town, altho' we can hardly spare them and secure our garrisons."

But the Indian assault of April 21 came nnex- pectedly. The pastor's stockade and the west-side garrisons were well manned, and afforded protection to the inhabitants. The high water alone saved the village, as the savages could cross only at the town bridge. As soon, however, as Captain Wads-

worth's force was defeated, a large body of Indians rushed across the river, and began the work of destruction near the bridge. At this juncture Cap- tain Mason's Watertown company arrived ; and being joined by our townsmen made an attack and " drove near 200 Indians over the river and followed them, and went to see if we could relieve Capt. Wadsworth upon the Hill"; but they were driven back. When it was dark this company crossed the river again, and went to Mr. Noyes' mill, where they " found 13 or 14 of Capt. W.'s men who had escaped, some of them wounded, and brought them to the village .. . On the next day in the morn- ing, so soon as it was light, we went to look for Concord men who were slain in the river meadow, and there we went in the cold water np to our knees, where we found 5, and brought them in canoes to the bridge-foot, and buried them there." These Concord men were buried on the east side of the river. A considerable number of the houses situated in the westerly part of the village were burnt.

Immediately after this affair the town bestirred itself and built a heavy stockade, with flankers, around the meeting-house. This fort stood till 1681, when it was taken down and the logs used to repair the old pound.

Schools. - The first mention of schools in the town records is under date of February 20, 1664 - 65, when Mr. Thomas Walker petitioned for a grant of land " for his encouragement to keep a free school in Town."

In an official return made March 30, 1680, the selectmen say : " As for schools, though there be no stated school in this town, for that the inhabi- tants are so scattered in their dwellings that it cannot well be, yet snch is the case by having two school dames on each side of the river that teacheth small children to spell and read, which is so man- aged by their parents and governonrs at home and prosecuted after such a sort as that the selectmen who distributed themselves did within three months last past so examine families children and youth, both as to good manners, orderly living, catechising and reading as that they returned from all parts a comfortable and good account of all those matters, and render them growing in several families beyond expectation, rarely reprovable anywhere, encourag- ing in most places and in others very commendable, so as that the end is accomplished hitherto. And for teaching to write and cypher, here is Mr. Thomas Walker and two or three others about this town

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that do teach therein, and are ready to teach all others that need, if people will come or send them. And touching persons who live from under family government, or after a dissolute or disorderly manner to the dishonour of God and corrupting of youth, the selectmen do return their answer that they find none such amongst us."

In 1690 the town was presented for want of a school. October 2, 1692, John Long was chosen by the town as " a wrighteing schoolmaster to teach children to wright and cast acounte." Mr. Long continued in the service of the town till 1700, when Mr. Joseph Noyes was chosen grammar school master.

Up to 1714 no school-house had been built in town. Schools were kept in private houses ; and the records intimate that the meeting-house was sometimes used for school purposes. Near this date the west-side inhabitants, having been granted the privilege of forming a new precinct, built a school-house at the Gravel Pits at their own charge. This was used by the people living on both sides of the river, for abont ten years.

November 24, 1725, the town voted " that each Precinct be empowered to build each of them a school-house, out of the interest of the Bank money that is or should be in the Trustees' hands."

In 1729 the East Precinct voted "to build a school-house 18 ft. wide by 22 ft. long and 8ft. between joints, with a good brick chimney and fire-place at one end, and. a place to hang a bell at the other end." For several years but one school- master was employed, teaching six months in one honse and six in the other.

In 1734 the town instructed their representative to move the General Court in behalf of the town, for a school farm in some of the unappropriated lands.

In 1735 two schoolmasters were employed, one in each precinct, at an annual salary of £60 each.

In May, 1740, the town granted £ 72, Old Tenor, for the support of grammar schools ; and voted that the schools should be kept in the four different quarters of the town. This was the origin of the district system, the districts being known as the Northwest, Lanham, the Centre, and the Farm School. Within a few years school-houses were erected in the four quarters.

Mr. Edmund Brown, the first minister, died June 22, 1678. He married, about 1645, Anne, widow of John Loveran of Watertown. They left no children. According to Mather, " he was of

those who were in the actual exercise of the ministry when he left England." Johnson speaks of him as " a godly and able minister of the word." He was much honored in social life, being on terms of in- timacy with the family of Governor Leverett. He was a member of the Synod that established the Cambridge Platform, 1646- 1648 ; and was on the council that met, October, 1657, to settle the diffi- culties in Rev. Mr. Stone's church at Hartford.

Besides large grants as an original proprietor of Sudbury, he received from the General Court sev- eral valuable meadows in Framingham. His landed estates, acquired by gift and purchase, could not have been less than three hundred acres. His house, called in his will Brunswick, that is, " man- sion by the stream," was of ample dimensions, two stories high, and well furnished. His library com- prised one hundred and eighty volumes. He left the sum of £ 50 for establishing a grammar school in Sudbury, but by vote of the town in 1724 it was diverted to another purpose.

Rev. James Sherman succeeded Mr. Browne as pastor. He was settled in the winter of 1678-79; was dismissed May 22, 1705 ; died March 3, 1718. He was son of Rev. John Sherman of Watertown ; married Mary, daughter of Thomas Walker of Sudbury, and had two sons, John and Thomas. After leaving the ministry he practised medicine at Elizabethtown, New Jersey, and Salem, Massachu- setts.

Third Meeting-house. - In 1686 the town " voted, ordered and agreed to erect a meeting- house, just like the new one in Dedham," at a cost of £200.

July 1, 1695, Edward Wright and John Good- now were appointed a committee, and bought a bell of Mr. Caleb Hubbard, of Braintree, for £27 in silver money; and the selectmen were ordered to procure half a hundred of good Spanish iron for bolts and keys necessary for hanging the bell, and a wheel-rope.

The Rev. Israel Loring, born at Hingham (H. U. 1701), was ordained November 20, 1706. At this date the number of church-members was: males forty-one, females seventy-nine ; total one hundred and twenty.

Immediately after the settlement of Mr. Loring a movement began, to divide the town into two precincts, for the purpose of supporting two churches. October 21, 1707, the inhabitants on the west side of the river sent a petition to the General Court, to be set off into a separate pre-

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cinct ; not granted. In 1713 the east-side inhabi- tants proposed to move the meeting-house " as near as possible to the centre of the town"; not ac- cepted by the west-siders. In 1714 the west-side people petitioned the legislature "to be erected into a new township." This was not granted; but October 28, it was ordered "that there be a dis- tinet Precinct and a meeting-house erected for the public worship of God, on the west side of Sud- bury River." The formal organization of the West Precinct took place December 18, 1721, when it was voted " to have the preaching of the word of God amongst us"; and Mr. Minott was chosen to preach for six weeks. The East Pre- cinet was organized June 25, 1722, and at once proceeded to make the necessary provision for " their now settled minister Mr. Israel Loring." But they had been anticipated by the West Pre- cinct, which on the 6th of June had voted " to give the Rev. Mr. Loring an invitation to come over and settle and be their minister," offering him £100 for his " settlement," etc. July 10, Mr. Loring writes : "To the inhabitants of the West Precinct in Sudbury : I accept of the kind invita- tion you have given me to come over and settle with you and be the minister of the Westerly Pre- cinet." The next day, July 11, Mr. Loring an- nounces by letter to the East Precinct his decision to leave them and settle on the west side. "Feb. 11, 1723. The church met at my house, where, after the brethren on the east side had manifested their desire that the church might be divided into two churches, it was so voted by a majority." (Church Records, by J. Loring.)

Rev. William Cook was ordained as the suc- cessor of Mr. Loring, March 20, 1723. He was a native of Hadley ; a graduate of Harvard in 1716, and librarian of that institution for a time. He was a fine scholar, and a man of ardent piety. He died November 12, 1760, aged sixty-six.

In 1725-26 a new meeting-house - the fourth -- was built. It was located at what is now the Centre. The committee was instructed " to make it as near as they can like the new house in the West Precinct," - only the " steps " were to be " hand- somer," - with the same number of pews.

Rev. Josiah Bridge, born at Lexington (H. U. 1758), was ordained November 4, 1761; died June 19, 1801, in the sixty-second year of his age and fortieth of his ministry. " He was a great and good minister."

Indian Wars. - This town had sent its sons and

their families as pioneers into most of the fron- tier settlements in Worcester and old Hampshire counties, and consequently felt a personal interest in the welfare and perils of these exposed towns. Many of our men did service in the so-called Father Ralle's War, 1723-26. Sergeant Daniel How and ten men joined Captain Samuel Wright's Rutland scout, and were out from November 10, 1723, to April 10, 1724. Sergeant William Brint- nall, with seven men, was in service from August 17 to October 27, 1725. Four of our men joined the expedition to the West Indies in 1640.

On the breaking out of the French and Indian War of 1744 the Sudbury Troop, - forty-four men, - commanded by Captain Josiah Brown, con- tained representatives of most of our families, and was ordered in 1746 to the defence of Number Four. Our men were drafted for garrison duty at the forts in Hampshire County, and volunteered for service in the numerous expeditions of this war.

A similar record can be made of service in the last French and Indian war, 1754 - 1763. Twen- ty-five men were out in the Crown Point expeditions of 1755. A larger number served in the cam- paigns of 1756. By a return dated April, 1757, it appears that there were on the Alarm List forty- seven men, and on the Active List seventy-four men, living on the east side of the river. To this is to be added the Troopers. Most of these men turned out on the " Alarm about Fort William Henry " in August. Lieutenant Samuel Curtis and eighteen men joined Captain Samuel Dakin's company, which marched on the Canada expedi- tion May 24, 1758. Both these officers were killed at Half-way Brook, July 20; William Grout, Jonathan Patterson, and Nathaniel Moulton were reported missing ; Samuel Abbot died October 2. Nine of our men were with Captain John Nixon in the invasion of Canada, under General Amherst, in 1759.

The Revolution. - In March, 1775, the active militia of Sudbury was organized into the North Company, Captain Aaron Haynes, sixty men (west side); the East Company, Captain Joseph Smith, seventy-five nien (east side); the Lanham Com- pany, Captain Moses Stone, ninety-two men (both sides of the river); the Troop, Captain Isaac Loker, twenty-one men (both sides); the East Company of minute-men, Captain Nathaniel Cudworth, forty men ; the West Company of Minute-men, Captain John Nixon, fifty-four men. All these companies marched to Concord on the memorable 19th of

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April, and all took part in the stirring events of that day. The Troop and Captain Smith's com- pany were out three days; Captain Stone's and Captain Haynes' companies were out four days ; the two minute companies were out five days. .

Many of the officers and men immediately enlisted into the Continental service. Captain Nixon at once took out beating papers, and raised a regi- ment. Captain Nathaniel Cudworth was promoted to be major in Colonel Jonathan Brewer's regiment, his commission bearing date April 24. Lieutenant Thaddeus Russell, of Cudworth's company, secured the re-enlistment of almost the entire East Sudbury company, was chosen captain, and reported for duty April 24, with forty-nine men ; his lieutenant was Nathaniel Maynard, his ensign was Nathaniel Reeves. Captain Aaron Haynes raised a company of forty-four men, and went into service May 3. Lieutenant David Moore, of Nixon's company, enlisted a company of fifty-two men, and was chosen captain. He was attached to Colonel Nixon's regiment. All of these companies enlisted for the eight months' service of 1775 ; all of them took part in the battle of Bunker Hill, June 17; most of them remained in service, either continu- ously or with brief respites, through the various campaigns of the war.

July 15, 1776, a bounty of £7 sterling was voted to each man who should enlist as a soldier for active service.

March 3, 1777, the town voted " to give to each man that will enlist into the Continental army for three years, or during the war a bounty of £20."

In 1778 four companies were in the service : Captain Jonathan Rice's and Captain Asahel Wheeler's west-side men, and Captain Nathaniel Maynard's and Captain Isaac Cutting's east-side men, aggregating in all three hundred and twenty- seven men.

Under the first call of December, 1776, for troops to serve for three years, or during the war, fifteen men enlisted during the war, and fifty-seven for three years. Thirty of these were from the east side of the river. Under the second call for three years' men, in 1780, thirty men enlisted, of whom eleven hailed from the east side.

The difficulty of raising men at this late date in the war is seen from the following paper : " In obedienee to the resolve of the General Court of Dec. 2 last, for supplying the deficiency of the state's quota for the Continental army, we the subscribers do certify that the following persons

| have been enlisted and marched, and they have been paid as follows : To . John Dalrymple, Wm. Dunn, John Ruck, Nahum Haynes, Zachariah Robinson, and Oliver Robinson, each 900 pounds in money ; also a note signed by the Treasurer for 18 head of horned cattle which are to be calves this spring, and to be kept for and delivered to each of the above-named at the time of their being regularly discharged, or a sum of money equal to said cattle : Also there has been paid to Isaac Underwood and Jonas Underwood each the sum of 30 pounds hard money, and an obligation signed by the Treasurer for 60 pounds in hard money, one- half to be paid in one year, the other half in two years from datc." June 18, 1781. Signed by the selectmeu.

The total population of the town was 2,160, which would give about five hundred ratable polls. The number of different men in actual service at some time during the war was not less than four hundred.

At the first town-meeting held in East Sudbury, April 24, 1780, the following officers were elected : Joseph Curtis, town clerk and treasurer; Captain Richard Heard, Joseph Curtis, Pliinehas Glezen, Jacob Reeves, Captain Isaac Loker, selectmen ; Joseplı Curtis, William Baldwin, Lieutenant Thomas Brintnall, assessors; Captain John Noyes, Mr. Isaac Damon, collectors ; William Baldwin, Lieutenant John Whitney, Captain Isaac Loker, Lieutenant Jonathan Hoar, highway surveyors ; Phinehas Glezen, Lieutenant Joseph Dudley, tithing-men ; William Barker, William Dudley, fence-viewers ; Ezekiel Rice, fish-reeve ; Samuel Griffin, Nathaniel Reeves, field-drivers ; William Revis, hog-reeve; Lieutenant Samuel Russell, sealer of leather. Cap- tain Richard Hcard was chosen representative. " Voted, To pay Rev. Mr. Bridge for six months' salary 37 pounds in silver money, or in common necessaries, 1,774 pounds. Granted 1,500 pounds for support of the poor ; 1,500 pounds for the sup- port of the Grammar school for the year ensuing ; 1,000 pounds for the support of a reading and writ- ing school the present year."

In 1785, the town ordered a new pair of stocks to be built for the punishment of criminals. These were placed near the meeting-house. (The last stocks, on the west side of the river, stood in the meeting-house porch.)

In 1797, on petition of William Bracket and others, leave was given by the town to have "a bass- violin played in the meeting-house to assist in

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church music." The town appropriations are for | the first time recorded in dollars and cents instead of pounds, shillings, and pence.

In 1799 the town was fined $55 for neglecting to send a representative to the General Court.

In 1800 the old burying-ground was enlarged by the purchase of land of Nathan and Luther Glezen ; and in 1835 land was bought of William Noyes' heirs, "to unite the cemetery with the old Indian Burying-Ground." Also, on the same date, land was purchased of Joseph Bullard for a cemetery, south of the meeting-house. In 1871 the cemetery at Cochituate Village was laid out.

In 1800 a school committee was chosen, con- sisting of Nathaniel Reeves, Othniel Tyler, William Bracket, Simeon Pratt, Israel Stone.

The road from the centre to the Zachariah Heard house was laid out. It was built by the residents on the farm, and was to be kept in good repair by them for ten years, they being exempted from high- way taxes levied by the town during that time.

A " bridle-way " from Nathaniel Reeves' barn to Bridle Point was this year established. This had heretofore been the travelled way from the Centre to the farm, diverging to the left nearly opposite the Russell house, and passing thence to the Old Farm Bridge.

Rev. Joel Foster, the sixth pastor, was installed September 7, 1803. He was born at Stafford, Con- necticut, April 8, 1755; graduated at Dartmouth College, 1777 ; ordained at New Salem, Massachu- setts, June 9, 1779; dismissed January 21, 1802; dicd September 24, 1812.

In 1804 the old training-field, established in 1640, was sold to Nathan Glezen. It comprised about nine acres, now in the central part of Abel Glezen's farm.

The fifth meeting-house, now standing, was raised June 1, 1814, completed January 19, and dedicated January 24, 1815. And on the same day the Rev. Jolin B. Wight, seventh pastor, was ordained. He was born at Bristol, Rhode Island, May 7, 1790; graduated at Brown University, 1808, at the age of eighteen, with the highest honors of his class ; studied theology with Dr. Emmons of Franklin, and after a successful ministry of twenty- three years, resigned in 1835. He now resides in town, honored and beloved by all, blessing by his cheerful presence and words of pious hope the present, as he has the two preceding generations.

Mr. Wight's successors have been : Rev. Rich- ard T. Austin, Bowdoin College, 1831; ordained

September 28, 1836 ; dismissed September, 1838 ; died 1847. Rev. Edmund HI. Sears, born at San- disfield, 1810; graduated at Union College, 1834, Harvard Divinity School, 1837 ; ordained Febru- ary 20, 1839 ; installed at Lancaster, December 23, 1840; returned to Wayland in 1847, preaching until 1865 ; died at Weston, January 16, 1876.

Rev. George A. Williams, May, 1844, to May, 1847.

Rev. Samuel D. Robbins, Harvard Divinity School, 1833; ordained at Lynn, November 13, 1833 ; dismissed, May, 1839 ; installed at Chelsea, 1839; dismissed, 1848; installed at Framingham, 1854, dismissed February, 1867; at Wayland from May, 1867, to May, 1873.

Rev. James II. Collins, supplied from June, 1873, to June, 1874.

Rev. William M. Salter, graduated at Knox College, Illinois, 1871, supplied from August, 1874, to July, 1875.

Rev. Edward J. Young, Harvard, 1848; Pro- fessor of Hebrew and Oriental Languages, 1869; began to preach at Wayland in August, 1875.

The Evangelical Congregational Church was organized May 21, 1828, and the chapel dedicated at the same time. The number of members at the start was eighteen ; two hundred and ninety-seven have since been added ; present number, ninety- nine. The meeting-house was dedicated July 22, 1835. The pastors have been Rev. Levi Smith, Yale, 1818; ordained, January 21, 1829; dis- missed, November 26, 1832 ; died at East Wind- sor, Connecticut, Jannary 15, 1854, aged sixty- four. Rev. Lavius Hyde, Williams College, 1813; installed, July 22, 1835 ; dismissed, April 15, 1841; died at Vernon, Connecticut, April 2, 1865. Rev. John W. Allen, Bowdoin, 1834; installed, December 29, 1841; dismissed, April 16, 1849. Rev. Henry Allen, Dartmouth, 1849; ordained, September 30, 1852 ; dismissed, September 14, 1857. Rev. Adin H. Fletcher, installed, Febru- ary 2, 1860 ; dismissed, January 21, 1862. Rev. Henry Bullard, Amherst, 1860; ordained, Octo- ber 1, 1863; dismissed, September 1, 1868. Rev. Ellis R. Drake, Bowdoin, 1862 ; ordained, Novem- ber 10, 1868 ; dismissed, July, 1871. Rev. Tru- man A. Merrill, Bangor Theological Seminary, 1855; installed, July 30, 1873.

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History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts : containing carefully prepared histories of every city and town in the county, Vol. II, Part 81

Author: Drake, Samuel Adams, 1833-1905 Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Boston : Estes and Lauriat Number of Pages: 650

Author: Drake, Samuel Adams, 1833-1905
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Boston : Estes and Lauriat
Number of Pages: 650