History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 198

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton), ed
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & co
Number of Pages: 1034

USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I > Part 198

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"I. We avonch the Lord Jehovah to be our God, & give up ourselves with our Children after us, in their several Generations; to be his Peo- ple, & that in the Sincerity & Truth of our Hearts.

"2. We give up ourselves to the Lord Jesus Christ, to be ruled & guided by Him in the matter of His Worship & in our whole Conversa- tion acknowledging him not only our alone Saviour, but also our King, to rule over us, as well as our Prophet, to teach us by His Word and Spirit ; accordingly we wholly disclaim our own Righteousness io Point of Justification, cleaving to Him for Righteousness, Life, Grace & Glory.

"3. We promise by the Help of Christ to walk with our Brethren & Sisters of the Chh in the Spirit of Love, watching over them & caring for them, avoiding all Jealousies, Suspissions, Backbitinge, Cenenrings. Quarrellings & Secret Risings of Heart against them, forgiving & for- bearing, yet seasonably admonishing & restoring them with a Spirit ot Meekness, who, through infirmities, have been overtaken in a FanIt.

"4. We will not be forward in chh Meetings to show our Gifts & Parts in Speaking, nor endeavor to disgrace our Brethren by discover- ing their Failings, but attend an orderly Call before we Speak, doing nothing to the offence of the chh, but in all thinge endeavouring our own & our Brethren's Edification.

"5. We furtber promise to Study how we may advance the Gospel & Kingdom of Christ, so as that we may gaio them who are without, Setle Peace among ourselves & Seek the Peace of all the chhs not puting & Stumbling Block before any, but Shnouing the Appearance of Evil.

"6. We promise to demean ourselves obediently io all lawful things towards those God has or shall place over us io Chh or Common Wealth.

" 7. We resolve io the same Strength to approve ourselves in our par- ticular Callinge, shunoing idleness, nor will we oppress any we deal with.

" 8. We also promise, as God shall inable us, to teach our Children & Servants the good knowledge of the Lord, and to fulfill all relative Du- ties prescribed in God's Word, that all ours mey learo to fear & Serve the Lord ourselves; to this end we promise to keep up ye Worship of God in our Families, that our Houses shall be Bethele, whereio ye morning & Evening Sacrifice shall assend.

"9. We do profess ourselves to be Congregational io our Judgments, & do hereby promise mutually one unto another that we will practice on Congregational Principles, which, according to our understandinge, are most agreable to the Directions of God's Word ; & will take the Platform of Discipline to be our Rule to go by in all matters of chh Dis- cipline among us, which we look on as gathered out of the Word of God, & agreeing therewithall.

" Josialı Goodhue, pastor, Joseph Pike, John Kendall, Ebenezer Sher- win, Ebenezer Butterfield, Sammel Taylor, Josiah Blodgett, Ebenezer Kendall, Adford Jaquetb, Timothy Reed, Stephen Adams, Joseph Tay- lor, Samuel Cummings, Benjamin Robbins, John Swallow, Susannah Kendall, Alice Butterfield, Susannah Taylor, Jemima Blodgett, Ilannah Kendall, Olive Taylor, Sarah Cummings, Elizabeth Robbins, Elizabeth Goodhne, Joseph Fletcher, Abraham Kendall, Joho Cummings, Robert Blood, Sarah Swallow, Elizabeth Fletcher, Ruth Kendall, Elizabeth Cummings, Sarah Blood, Sarab Parkhurst, Mary Cummings, Hannah Taylor, Susannah Haywood, Abigail Blood."

The ordination of Mr. Goodhue occurred June 8, 1757. The people of the West Parish were doubtless full of life in making preparations for the great occasion. New garments had to be bought, or the old ones repaired ; houses had to be put in good order, stores replenished, the tunes in the Bay Psalm Book had to he rehearsed, and the church to be put in good array for the joyous services.

The first baptism of an infant performed by Mr. Goodhue was that of "Jonathan, ye son of John &

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HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

Sarah Swallow; " the first marriage, that of "Oliver Farnsworth, of Townshend, & Jemima Haywood, of Dunstable," which occurred Nov. 2, 1757. The Half- way Covenant was then in vogue, admitting persons acknowledging the "Confession of Faith " as their belief to some of the privileges of the church, and hence the record of an admission to the church is made in accordance with the views of the member received in respect to this point.

The bounds between Dunstable and Groton were re- viewed in April, 1756, and the line then commencing at Tyng's corner, passed on the easterly side of the old saw-mill, which stood where Cowpen Brook enters Massapoag Pond, "on the southerly side of the road that goes by Ebenezer Proctor's, in Dunstable, and terminates at a heap of stones on Flat Rock Hill." Feb. 15, 1757, a highway was laid out from the Province line by Joseph Danforth's barn, and thence onward to David Taylor's house.

March 5, 1759, the town voted that £16 should be assessed for " ye suport of a school, or schools," and that it should be a "Writing School as well as a Reading School ;" also, that "it should be a Moving School."

The town was well represented in the old French War, which commenced in 1755, and was closed by the Treaty of Paris in 1763.

Ensign John Cheney and William Blodgett were at the surrender of Louisbourg to the English, July 26, 1758. Their powder-horns are still preserved. That of Ensign John Cheney is elaborately ornamented with birds, fishes, deer, and the letters " F. C. W. ; " it has also the inscription, "John Cheney his Horn, Cape Breton. Taken May 26, 1758." The horn of William Blodgett bears this inscription : "William Blodgett his horn, June ye 7, 1760." Both these horns are still preserved.

It was the custom in those days for the men to oc- cupy the seats on one side of the church, and the women those on the other. The elders sat upon an elevated seat in front of the pulpit, and the children and servants occupied the galleries. A tithingman, with a long pole, kept them all in order.

In August, 1760, a part of a family of the Acadians, or French Neutrals, whose sad fate is so touchingly told in the " Evangeline " of H. W. Longfellow, was brought to this town for support.

In Mr. Goodhue's records of the church it is found, under the date of December 11, 1763, that " The Man Servant & Maid Servant of Benjamin Farwell were propounded in order to their owning the Covenant (Nov. ye 27), and admitted to y' Privilege, Decem. ye 11th." Their names were Thomas and Margaret, and they were probably held as slaves.

On the 15th of June of this year a thunder-storm passed over the town, when hail-stones fell nearly as large as a hen's egg, by which the early grain was beaten down and the glass of several windows broken.

Joseph Fletcher was chosen a deacon of the church, February 23, 1764, and at the same meeting it was voted that "Brother Abraham Kendall, Brother Josiah Blodgett and Brother Sam" Cummings be Queresters in ye Congregation." These men were ex- pected " to set the tunes," for assistance in which a sort of a wooden instrument, called a pitch-pipe, was used, and also to lead the voices of the congregation in singing. The "lining out of the psalm" was gen- erally done by the pastor or one of the deacons.

Robert Blood and Josiah Blodgett were chosen by the towu, May 27, 1765, " to inspect the Salmon & Fishery according to law." No dams had then been constructed on the Merrimac or Nashua Rivers, to prevent the ascent of fish. There was a great abund- ance of shad, salmon and other fish in Salmon Brook and Massapoag Pond, and these were of great value.

The first general census of the population of the Province was taken this year, and by it Dunstable appears to have had in all ninety dwelling-houses, ninety-eight families, 138 males above sixteen, 143 females above sixteen, and a total of 559 inhabitants, of whom sixteen were colored people, and probably held as slaves. Of the thirty-six towns in the county, Bedford, Dracut, Natick, Shirley and Stoneham only had a smaller population.

The town voted, on the 25th of May of this year, "to Raise & assest £36 2s. for the use of a school, Repairing the pound, Building one pair of Stocks & other Town Charges." The pound stood and still stands beside the road from Dunstable Centre to Tyngsborough Centre, a short distance from the home- stead of Dexter Butterfield. The stocks, sometimes called the " cage," stood in the vicinity of the respec- tive churches. The whipping-post was near them ; but as there is no record of it on the books of the town or parish, it may be presumed that the mere presence of such an instrument caused a wholesome restraint.

In accordance with the custom of that period, the Second Parish chose, April 21, 1768, Deacon Samuel Taylor, Benjamin Woodward and Robert Blood a committee " to seat this meeting-house, and that the Highest Payers in the Last year's Tax on the Reail and Personal Estate to be the Rule to Seat Sd house By and farther that they have No Regard to the Pro- prietors of the Pews in Sd house in scating the meet- ing-house." It was also voted to have regard to age in scating the meeting-house, also " to Peticion to the Great and General Court to Be Maid a Destreet."

Robert Blood, Benjamin Pike, Josiah Blodgett and Lemuel Perham each presented a protest to the ac- tion of this meeting in respect to one article. Among the reasons assigned by the latter, one is, " Because thay voted that Mr. Joseph Pike should sett in the fore scat when thire was Nothing in the Warrant thire."

The desire of having the chief seats in the syna- gogue seems to have been as strong as that of the Scribes and Pharisees of olden time. That spirit, however, is not wholly unknown in the present day.

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DUNSTABLE.

CHAPTER LVIII.

DUNSTABLE-(Continued).

The Town as Represented in the American Revolution-Educational, Re- ligions aud Other Affairs-1768-1820.

MASSACHUSETTS issued a circular on the 28th of February, 1768, asking the co-operation of the Assem- blies in opposing the restrictive measures of Parlia- ment. The principles of civil liberty had been grow- ing, and naturally these were destined to come in collision with arbitrary measures.

General Thomas Gage, with seven hundred sol- diers, entered Boston on the 28th day of September. Armed oppression was not long after met by armed resistance.

Some of the best blood of Dunstable was freely shed in the cause of liberty. The first recorded act of the town in the impending conflict was to choose the Hon. John Tyng to represent them in a conven- tion held in Boston on the 22d day of September, 1768.

The Boston massacre, March 5, 1770, taxation without representation, pledges against the use of tea and foreign manufactures, formed the leading topics of conversation in the tavern, shops and houses of Dunstable, and the old firelocks used in the French War, a few of which still remain, were promptly put into effective order.

In 1772 the town voted £84 for educational and other purposes. In 1773 £20 were appropriated for a school. A " town-way two rods wide." was laid out from "the Provence line," commencing north of John Kendall's house and running by Temple Kendall's honse "to the road that was laid out by said Ken- dall's, and Samuel Taylor's house."

By a mutual council, consisting of seven churches, convened September 28, 1774, the pastoral relation between Mr. Goodhue and the church was dissolved. The council aver that they " can heartily recommend him as a person of conspicuous seriousness and piety, and as one whom they judge qualified to do service in the ministry."

During his pastorate of seventeen years sixty-five persons were admitted to the church, and he seems to have left for the simple reason that the people were at the time somewhat divided in sentiment. The ar- rearages in Mr. Goodhue's salary were all paid. He was afterwards settled and died in Putney, Vt. Rev. William Wells, in the sermon preached at his funeral, November 16, 1797, said of him :

"I believe you will all join with me in asserting piety to God and benevolence to man were leading features of his character. The great object of his life was to be useful in his station as a minister of the gospel of Christ, and exemplify in his own conduct and temper those virtues and graces which, with the greatest sincerity, he recommended to others. His

end, like that of the godly man's, was peace, being not only resigned at the prospect of his dissolution, but desirous to depart and be with Christ."

Mr. Goodhue was married to Elizabeth, eldest daughter of Deacon Joseph and Elizabeth Fletcher, July 28, 1757. They had five sons and one daughter. Some of the sons became eminent in professional life.

In 1774 there was an article in the warrant for town-meeting to build a school-house, but the town voted not to do it. This is the first reference to such a building on the records. The prospect of a war with the mother country probably prevented the town from undertaking the expense.

The first Provincial Congress in October, 1774, ap- pointed a Committee of Safety, and provided that a fourth part of the enrolled militia should, as minute- men," be held in readiness for immediate service. This gave evidence that a collision between the American and British forces was impending. Dun- stable, with patriotic haste, prepared to assist in the common cause of national liberty. The following pledge evinces that spirit in the very beginning of the great struggle :

" We the enbecribers taking into our consideration the present diffi- culty, do hereby voluntarily engage with each other io defence of our country, Priveledges and Libertys for the space of six months from this date ; that we will submit ourselves to the Laws equally the same as if they were in full force respecting our officers that now are, or hereafter may be chosen in all Military Duty.

" DUNSTABLE, March 1st, 1775. " Edward Butterfield, Nathaniel Holden, Lemuel Perham, George Bishop, Ebenezer French, Jonathan Bancroft, John Chaney, Samuel Roby, Eleazer French, Philip Butterfield, Jeralmeel Colburo, Wm. Freuch, Jonathan Sherwin, Jobu Manning, Renben Lewis, John Cum- ings, John French, Zebedee Kendall, Joseph Farrar, John Marsh, John Cockle, Jacob Davie, Jesse Butterfield, Hezekiah Kendall, Henry Shep- pard, William Glenne, Jonathan Woodward, Thomas Trowbridge. Total, 28."

The above valuable paper is owned by Dexter Butterfield.

The town voted, on the 4th of April, 1775, "to have menite-men agreeable to the desire of the Pro- vincial Congress," and on the 12th of the same month it voted to assess £20 for " ye encouragement & use of ye minute men ;" and they were " required to hold themselves in readiness to march at the first notice." The notice soon came, nor did it find the Dunstable soldiers unprepared, since many of them . had seen hard service in the old French War, and a weekly drill had long been held. Late on the 19th of April the startling news came that blood had been shed at Lexington and Concord; but the engagement was over before the men from Dunstable had time to reach the scene of the battle. It is said that while the battle of Bunker Hill was raging a stranger called at the house of Mrs. Jonathan Woodward, near " The Gulf," and asked for something to eat. While partaking of her hospitality he began to berate Americans, and, boasting of the success of the British, declared that all would be subjects of King George, to whom they owed allegiance. Incensed at his inso-

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HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

lence, she opened the door and commanded him to leave the house, which he refused to do, saying he would go when he was ready. She then seized a chair, knocked him down and dragged him out of the house, giving him undoubted evidence of one woman's courage and devotion to the country. Eight days after the battle the town assembled and " voted to accept of ye powder James Tyng, Esq., bought for this town."

Abel Spaulding, Lemuel Perham, Elijah Fletcher and Asa Kendall were chosen to join the Committee of Correspondence on the 12th of June, and at the same meeting Joel Parkhurst was chosen to repre- sent the town in the Continental Congress at Water- town instead of John Tyng, whose health was poor, and James Tyng, who "had a multiplicity of business." These were trying times. Five days afterwards the Dunstable company, composed of fifty men, forming a part of the Massachusetts regiment, under the com- inand of Col. Ebenezer Bridge, commissioned at Bil- lerica, May 27th, was present and participated in the memorable action of Bunker Hill. During that sanguinary battle the company from Dunstable showed the bravery of veteran soldiers, as many of them indeed were, and it was only after their ammu- nition was gone that they left the field. Capt. Ban- croft fought nobly in the redoubt and was wounded. Eleazer French had an arm shot off during the ac- tion, and picking it up, bore it as a trophy from the bloody field. His brother, Samuel French, had a ball shot through his right ear. Jonathan French, another brother, was in the battle. William French, and Jonas French, two brothers of another family, did good service on that day. The former discharged his gun with deliberate aim sixteen times. He was a shoemaker by trade, served through the war, and died in Dunstable at an advanced age. From his sobriety and uprightness he was called "Deacon William."

At the close of the battle these two brothers left the hill together. When crossing "the Neck " under the fire of the "Glasgow " man-of-war, they saw an officer severely wounded, and offered him their assistance. "I cannot live," he said ; " take care of yourselves." They, however, raised him to their shoulders and bore him through the confusion to a place of safety. The suffering officer proved to be Capt. Henry Farwell, of Groton.

Mr. Ebenezer French was also at the battle of Bunker Hill. He was the grandfather of Benjamin French, Esq., who has now in bis possession the bnllet-moulds (which are of brass and will form twenty-four bullets of different sizes at one casting) the camp-kettle and musket of this brave soldier. He died April 14, 1808, in the seventy-seventh year of his age. A few of the Dunstable men were in Capt. John Ford's company, of Chelmsford. They reached the field a short time before the action began and fought bravely. While Isaac Wright was sitting

exhausted on a bank near a house in Charlestown, a cannon-ball came rolling rapidly, and so near him that he could have touched it with his foot. Being asked why he did not stop it, he said, " I then should have returned home with only one leg." He was one of the first who enlisted.

During the siege of Boston many of its inhabitants went to the other towns in the State in order to avoid the ill treatment of the hostile troops. From the fol- lowing vote it appears that several came to Dunstable, where they were kindly entertained :

Nov. 20, 1775, voted that "ye Poor & Indigent inhabitants of the town of Boston which are now in this town be supported with ye provisions of this town so long as it could be procured in Sª town therefor."

Jan. 4, 1776, the General Court gave order that four thousand blankets should be provided by the respective towns for the soldiers in the army, and paid for out of the public treasury. Dunstable furnished about one dozen of them.

On the 31st of May, 1776, Oliver Cummings was commissioned captain of the Dunstable company in the regiment of militia of which Simeon Spaulding was the colonel.

Each soldier was provided with a fire-arm, bayonet, cutting sword or hatchet, cartridge-box, from fifteen to one hundred pounds of balls, six flints, a knapsack, blanket and canteen. The muskets were long and heavy, and very inferior instruments as compared with the needle-guns of the present day. The ammunition was stored in the loft of the meeting- house, and the place of rendezvous for the minute- men was at the house of Asa Kendall, which was, subsequently owned by Dr. A. W. Howe.

At a meeting of citizens of the town, June 8, 1776. Major Ebenezer Bancroft, Capt. Reuben Butterfield and Mr. Timothy Reed were chosen " a committee to prepare ye Draft of a vote," which contained many patriotic sentiments.

It was the reception of such spirited resolutions from the various towns of the Province that gave the leaders of the Revolution courage to make the celebrated Declaration of Independence, which fol- lowed in a few weeks.

The following letter evinces the feelings of the soldiers at the post of duty, and also reminds the reader that the town, as yet, had enjoyed only the advantages of a "moveing school," and that con- tinuous toil had been the lot of most of the inhabit- ants :

" TICONDEROGA, Oct. 15, 1776.

" Honored father & Mother, after my Dutey To you & Love to my Brothers and Sister, I have Taken this opportunity to Let you now that I am Well at present and Blessed be god for it, & hope these Linds will find you the Sam. I shant Rite much at present only the Raglars have drove Our Get Back here, we have sustained Lors of Men & Vessels, & the Enmies armey is at Crown point or near their, & we expect them hear Quick. Phillip Butterfiekl is got Better. Jeass Butterfield is pooley yet. Rombor me to all Inquirin friends. So 1 Romain your Dutiful Son.

" JAMES CUMINGS."

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DUNSTABLE.

The town was always ready to respond to the re- peated calls for men and money, and meetings were often held either at the "alarm post," or at the tavern, or at the church, to take measures for doing its part in carrying on the war. Several of the Dun- stable soldiers served in companies of other towns, and some from other places joined the Dunstable companies.

In Dunstable, as well as in other towns, there were some persons holding Tory principles. The town promptly brought them to an account for their oppo- sition to the common cause. At a public meeting held Sept. 11, 1777, Lient. Nathaniel Holden was chosen " to procure and lay before ye court ye evidence yt might be had of ye Enimical disposition of any of this town that may be complained of that they may be proceeded with agreeable to an act of this State." . Some of the British soldiers were quartered on Dunstable. Three were drowned while attempting to cross the river at Wicasuck Island, and their re- mains were buried near that spot.

On the 9th of February, 1778, the town approved of the Articles of Confederation between the thirteen States. At another meeting held April 23d, the town chose John Tyng, Esq., Joseph Danforth and Joel Parkhurst to examine the new Constitution of the State, proposed by the General Court. After hearing the report of this committee, June 2d, the town " voted to reject ye Constitution for yº following rea- sons, viz. : Because it invests ye governor with too unlimited a power. 2dly, because there is not an Eqnal Representation. 3dly, Because ye Governor ought not to have ye Title of Excellency. J. Blod- gett, Town clerk."

This Constitution was prepared by a committee of four members of the Council and twice that number of the House of Representatives. It was submitted to the people of the State in March, 1778, and by them rejected. The vote stood 10,000 against 2000, as many as 120 towns not voting. The general ob- jections to it were that it did not contain a declara- tion of rights, that it made representation unequal, and that the duties of State officers were not accu- rately defined.

Paper-money had at this time greatly depreciated in value, taxes were high, many of the able-bodied men were absent in the army, and the American cause seemed, in the minds of many, to be sinking; yet the citizens of Dunstable still went resolutely forward to meet the demands made upon them.

The term of service of many of the Continental soldiers had closed, and two thousand men were now called for to fill up the sixteen depleted regiments of the State. Fifteen hundred more were to be raised as ordered by vote of Congress. Dunstable resolutely bore her share of this draft, and nobly responded to the call. Shirts, shoes and stockings were also required of the town ; and since the women as well as men were patriotic, those articles werc promptly furnished.

On the 15th of February, 1779, the parish voted £100 " for the support of famalies of those Persons this Parish have hired to Engag into Contenental Army."

The town this year appropriated £130 for public schools and other expenses, which included the pro- viding of clothing for the soldiers.

Notwithstanding the expenses of the war, it appears from records of that date that the institutions of the gospel were supported. For about six years the pul- pit had been supplied by such ministers as they were able to find and had the means to pay, and now, in hope of having a pastor of their own, they considered the question of uniting with the other parish in building a church and settling a minister.

On the 23d of March the Second Parish agreed to " Raise five Hundred Pounds for the support of such minister or ministers of the gospel as may be caul'd to Preach to this People." At an adjourned meeting the above-named sum was increased by £500.

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History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 198

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton), ed Publication date: 1890 Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & co Number of Pages: 1034

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton), ed
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & co
Number of Pages: 1034