History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. II, Part 193

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed. cn
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1226

USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. II > Part 193

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" SYMON WILLAEn.

" EDwd CONVERS."

The signers of the report were not the ones ap- pointed for this exploration by the Courtin 1637, but the former, Willard was a prominent inhabitant of Concord and Convers was of Woburn, and as such may have had an eye to this territory for their own advantage and hence were uneonsciously influeneed in making their report, which is not an accurate de- scription of the land. After receiving the report of the exploring committee the General Court renewed the grant to Cambridge and specified the bounds: " All the land lying upon Shaweshin Ryver & between that and Concord Ryver, and between that & Merri- mack Ryver, not formerly granted by this Cort." May 9, 1644, the Court "ordered that the ryver at Shawslıin shall be called by the name of Shawshin." 1

By a vote of January 2, 1654, a second division of land was made in Coneord. "It was voted to divide the town into three parts or quarters;" as the east quarter, in part, fell to Bedford, it is to that division that we eonfine our investigation. The report of the committee to make the division is as follows: "The east quarter by their familyes are from Henry Far- weles all eastwards with Thomas Brookes, Ensign Wheeler, Robert Meriam, George Meriam, John Adames, Richard Rice."

In 1663 the town voted "that every man that hath not his proportion of lands laid out too him, that is due to him, shall gitt it laid out by an artis " before

I Tho spelling of this as of many proper names of early colonial days is variablo. Shattuck, in his history of 1833, seems to prefer " Shaw- sheen." Walcott. in his recent work, " Concord in the Colonial Period," accepts Shawshino as the moro approved. In following his good judg. ment wo use tho lattor form.

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BEDFORD.

1665; "and that each one should give to the town clerk a description of their lands." Mr. Shattuck's table, made from the records, is helpful in showing some of the divisions that fall to Bedford: William Hartwell had 241 acres; John Hartwell, 17; Wm. Taylor, 117; Joseph Wheeler, 357; Caleb Brooks, 150; Thos. Pellet and Joseph Dean, 280; Eliphalet Fox, 106; others are indicated as being in the east quarter, but are omitted, as there is no reasonable cer- tainty of their exact location. Each quarter had the care of its own highways and had a board of overseer. to look after its interests. Mr. Shattuck says: " Regu- lations were established in each quarter, similar to those in wards of a city. Each chose its own officers. kept its own records, made its own taxes," etc. The first overseers for the east quarter were Ensign Wheeler and William Hartwell (without doubt Wil- liam I.).

The Governor Winthrop grant remained intact, and probably unoccupied until 1664, when it was sold by Fitz John Winthrop to Job Lane for £230. Mr. Lane was distinguished as an "artificer " and a " house wright." He paid for the Winthrop farm by erecting a mansion for Fitz John Winthrop at Nor- wich, Connecticut, and he built one of the college buildings at Cambridge. His skill and reputation are acknowledged in being selected as an "able and honest artificer for erecting a bridge over Billerica River." The contract made January 11, 1667, shows that he was to receive for the work " seven score and five pounds starling ;" "ten in cash, ten in wheat, ten in malt, and the remainder in corn and cattle."

The discharge of obligations, of importance like the two cited above, by the use of barter, suggests the state of the currency at that time. The conveyance of the Winthrop farm is made on vellum, now in the possession of the heirs of Mary Lane Cutler; the deed is in an excellent state of preservation, and after hav- ing lain in folds 225 years and changed custodians many times, can be read with comparative ease. It begins as follows :

"This indenture, made the second day of August, in the year of our Lord, one thousand six hundred and sixty & four, in the sixteenth year of the reign of ye Sovereign Lord Charles the Second, by the grace of God, of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, King and defender of the faith. To wit: Between Fitz John Winthrop, of New London, in the Colony of Connecticut, in New England, Esq., on the one part, and Job Lane, of Malden, in the County of Mid- dlesex, in New England, carpenter, on the other part."

The purchaser of the Winthrop farm was from Rickmansworth, in Hertfordshire, England, where he Inherited property from which he received an annual income that he bequeathed to his son John.

Job Lane built a house very soon after he came in possession of the farm, 1664. The Hiram Dutton house is supposed to mark the spot, if it is not in part the original house. It was the only house in Biller-

ica south of Ralph Hill's at the time of King Philip's War. Job Lane went to Malden some years before his death, which occurred in 1697, and established a home. He gave by will, the Winthrop farm to three of his heirs. They agreed to a division of the farm, which was found, by survey, in 1706, to contain 1500 acres. Each had a portion of upland, meadow and woodland, and many of the odd-shaped lots of land of to-day are the result of that division. Capt. John Lane had 750 acres, Samuel Fitch had 375 and Mat- thew Whipple had 375. The former, Capt. John Lane, was son of Job; Fitch and Whipple were grandsons; who represented deceased daughters of Job Lane.1

There is no evidence that Whipple settled on his portion, but the others did, and some of the lots are held, in 1890, by their descendants, (the sixth genera- tion).

The Shawshine grant included all of the remaining land that was set off to Bedford at the incorporation. Two small accessions were made later. It does not appear that Cambridge took action towards the settle- ment of Shawshine until April 9, 1648. Only those grants kuown to be in Bedford are mentioned here. Gookin (Gooking), had 500 acres; it comprised the northeast section of the present town of Bedford. The grantee was Capt. Daniel Gookin, and was thus pub- licly recognized as a valuable servant of the Colony. He was a faithful friend of the natives and a co- worker with the Apostle Eliot, and had a great influ- ence with the Wamesit Indians. His name appears as Magistrate in 1684, before whom depositions were taken in regard to the Musketaquid purchase of 1636. Rev. Joseph Mitchell had 500 acres. This was all purchased by Michael Bacon, in July, 1682, for £200. Nathaniel Page bought a grant of Grimes, in 1687. It contained 500 acres. Edward Oakes had a grant of 300 acres, extending from the Page land southward to "Concord Old Line." Thomas Oakes had 150 acres, extending from the Bacon purchase to Winthrop farm on the west. The Bedford Springs covers this grant.

"The great meadows," east of the Poor Farm, in- cluding sixty acres, constituted the last grant to Gover- nor Winthrop. With the exception of the Winthrop meadows, all of the land remaining between Thomas Oakes, (Bedford Spring-) and "Concord Old Line," bounded on the east by Page and Edward Oakes, and on the west by the Winthrop Farm, was known until 1708 as Billerica Commons, (the squadron south of Oakes farm) Bedford Village is included in this.

Dr. Page, in his "History of Cambridge," has the following: "Michael Bacon, of Woburn, bought of Rodger Shaw a farm in the northwesterly part of Cambridge (now Bedford), including all the meadows adjoining to the great swamp near the east corner of

1 The law of Massachusetts gave to the oldest son a double portion of a parent's estate, which may account for the unequal division.

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HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

Concord bounds that falls to Cambridge. The Shaw- shine River runs from this swamp."

This must have been a second purchase of land in this town by Mr. Bacon. There still remains about 700 acres of the Shawshine grant within the limits of Bedford, the section east of the Page purchase and the Rev. Joseph Mitchell grant. This must include some minor grants, among which, doubtless, is that of thirty acres to John Wilson, in 1685, " for encour- agement towards his corn-mill." The Billerica Com- mon lands or " Squadron South of Oakes farme," be- fore mentioned as including the village of Bedford, containing 600 acres, was divided in 1708. The al- lotment, according to Hazen's Billerica, was as follows : " It is agreed that Lt. John Stearns should attend the laying out of the lots as fast as might be, and to carry the hind end of the chain, (only as to his own) and Daniel Hill or Henry Jefts to carry the chain for said Stearns's lot."

" The first lot was granted to Lieutenant Samuel Hill including seventy-six acres bounded two hun- dred and forty rods on Concord, and sixty-four rods on Winthrop Farm. The main street in Bedford was afterwards located on the north line of this lot, and the 'old line' of Concord is now to be traced sixty- four rods south of that street and parallel with it." 1 The second lot of twenty-three acres was Fassett's, " Patrick Fassett's," and became the prop- erty of Israel Putnam, as did the third, granted to Joseph Hill. The two included fifty acres. The fourth lot was ninety-one acres, laid out to Jonathan Hill, next to Oakes Farm; and others following. southerly were Nathaniel Hill, Joseph Farley, Daniel Hill, John Stearns, Henry Jefts, John Parker and Job Lane, the last reaching Mr. Page's farm.

INDIAN CLAIMS-Having obtained the English right to the territory the pioneers had an obligation to their predecessors, the Indians, to discharge; this may be regarded by some as only the demands of the moral law, yet it has been gratifying to all subse- quent generations that it was faithfully discharged and of benefit to those who participated as it doubt- less prevented much anxiety and bloodshed.

.The disease that had visited the Indians previous to the coming of the Pilgrims, had reduced them in New England from more than 18,000 warriors to about as many hundred. Of the five tribes that were locat- ed south of New Hampshire, the Massachusetts oc- cupied the territory north of Charles River and west of Massachusetts Bay, and was supposed to number about 300. They were divided into villages of which Musketaquid was one. Its limits were designated by the act of the General Court passed September 2, 1635 : " It is ordered that there shall be a plantacon att Musketequid, & that there shall be 6 myles of

land square to belong to it." It embraced about two- fifths of the present town of Bedford, besides Concord and other lands. Of this tract of wilderness they ob- tained a quit claim from the natives in the following year. According to depositions taken in 1684 it appears that the deed from the natives was executed by Squaw Sachem a widow, who represented her late husband, Nanepasheniet, Wappacowet, next in power to the King, who had elaimed the widowed Sachem in marriage, and by others of the tribe. The Indian title according to deponents was given in considera- tion of " Wompompeag, Hatchetts, Hows, Knives, Cotton Cloath & shirts with a new suit of cotton cloath, a linnin band, a hat, shoes, stockins and a great Coat " for the new husband of squaw Sachem, he was " the pow wow, priest, witch, sorcerer or chir- urgeon " of the tribe. When considered in the light of the present, the compensation was trifling, but it satisfied the natives and the treaty of purchase secur- ed friendly relations.

The Indian settlement of the Shawshine Grant was known as Wamesit or Weymesit, situated between the Concord and Merrimack Rivers, being a favorable location for securing sufficient food. There is but slight evidence that the Bedford portion was fre- quented by the Indians of any village, although it is probable that the broad open plains were annually burnt over and rudely cultivated, while the birchen canoe of the red man plied up and down the Shaw- shine and Concord. The long mound or breastwork now seen on the east shore of the Concord River, in Greenwood's Grove near Bedford line, is suggestive of Indian origin and may have been built to aid in hunt- ing.

All of the aboriginal claims to the Shawshine grant were extinguished by the " Wamesick Purchase of 1685." Thus the entire territory of Bedford was honorably obtained from the natives.

Billerica had thousands of acres of common grounds that were apportioned at different times among the early settlers. Those who had come later bought of the grantees and settled in the outlying district (now Bedford). They had not shared in the allotments, while they had paid their proportion of the charges. They petitioned the General Court, and on Friday, November 16, 1705, it was ordered "That Capt. John Lane, Jonathan Bacon, John Wilson and other, the Petitioncrs that are Freeholders & Inhabitants of the sd. Town of Billerica, be Intitled to & have a proportionable share with other the Commoners Proprietors, & Inhabitants of the sd. Town in all fu- ture Divisions of all undivided and waste Lands be- longing to the sd. Town, according to their Propor- tion to the Town charges for the space of seven years past." The town in 1707-8, January 29, granted to the purchasers of Cambridge Church Farm a ten- acre right " to promote and maintain peas and quiet- ness among us." Captain Lane and others who thus secured a right, received their portion in the subse-

1 This is practically correct, yet a divergence southwestorly beginning a little west of the Trinitarian meeting-house, is thought by C. W. Jenks, a careful student of early bounds, to establish tho "old line " somewhat different, in that vicinity of the town.

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BEDFORD.

quent divisions of the common grounds. Their por- tions seem to have heen west of Concord River.

An accession was made to the town on the extreme northwest by which a small tract of the Dudley Grant was obtained. This was the Edward Stearns farm, set off from Billerica in 1766. By this addition the historic and enduring landmarks, "Two Broth- ers," or "Brother Rocks " were secured to Bedford.

Evidence does not favor the supposition that the original grantees of Shawshine territory established homes or hegan the settlements included in this town and perhaps never viewed their landed possessions. " Extensive meadows bordering on rivers and lying adjacent to upland plains have ever been favorite spots to new settlers." A topographical survey shows that this territory offered attractions to settlers, and there is unmistakable local evidence that early settlers pushed out from the villages as soon as it was pru- dent and established homes near the winding Shaw- shine which in itself furnished power for industry. There are traces of roads long since discontinued. Depressions on the surface of neglected fields near which may still be seen the purple lilac and the thorny pear.

The General Court ordered in 1635 that no new buildings should be erected more than half a mile from the meeting-house "except mill-house and farm-house of such as had their dwelling-house in some town." This was a precaution against the Indians and lasted about eight years. This leads to the conclusion that the settlements in Bedford terri- tory, previous to 1643 were confined to the Shawshine house. The "Corne mille " with its adjacent build- ings, antedates King Philip's war (1676), and accord- ing to Billerica records the Bacon, afterwards Fitch mill was located before 1663. It is mentioned thus : "16 : 1 : 63. Will' Tay & George farley are Apoynted to Lay out a highway from the Towne, leading to Mr'. Mitchell's farme, and to y land yt was Layd out for Mr'. Edward Oaks' farme, on ye south East end of Mr. Winthrop's great meadow, to be layd out four polls wide."

The Shawshine House was one of the Indian truck- ing houses which preceded the first settlements of New England, where the natives bartered furs, etc., for English merchandise. And as appears by the report of the exploring committee was witbin the present limits of Bedford and possibly the Kenrick dwelling marks the site. The records of Billerica furnish evidence that it was occupied by a family, as Hannah, infant daughter of Henry Jefts died " ye first weeke of May, 1653." This is the earliest event noted in Billerica Records. The first birth recorded was that of Samuel, son of George Farley, (March, 1654). The former, Henry Jefts, may be the same person who has been shown as having a portion of the common lands in 1708, and the surname of the latter, Farley, we have seen in connection with a por- tion of the same land.

Michael Bacon, who purchased the Mitchell grant must have been located on the estate before he be- came the possessor, as births of his children are re- corded as early as 1671, and if the first mill was built by him he must have been there before 1663, and then or very soon had neighbors as appears from the following record in Billerica, showing the assignment of families to garrison ("No. 10").

"13 6m. '75 (1675).

" At a publick Towne Meeting-

"The Towne, considering the providence of God at the prsent calling us to lay aside our ordinary occations in providing for our creatures and to take special care for the prserving of our lives and the lives of our wives and children, the enemy being near and the warnings by gods providence upon our neighbors being very solemne and awfull, do there- fore order & agree joyntly to prpare a place of safety for women and children, and that all persons and teams shall attend ye said worke uutill it be finished ; and account of ye wholl charge being kept it shall be equally divided upon the inhabitants with other Towne charges."

At a meeting of the selectmen and a committee of the militia, held " 14. 8m. 1675," a list of garrison- houses is reported, in which is the following :

" Also, Timothy Brookes house is allowed for garri- son & to entertain Michael Bacon's family, & to have two garrison soldiers to defend ye mill & himself, ye master of the garrison. (Timothy Brooks bought of George Farley a part of the Oakes Grant in 1673)."

In the assignment of families to garrisons the records show that "Also, Job Laine was allowed to for- tify his own owne house, and to have two soldiers for garrison-men to defend his house, in case ye country could spare them."

The settlements increased so that in 1728 an effort was made to secure the formation of a new town. Following the custom in forming a new township, pe- titions were made to the inhabitants of Billerica, by the settlers on that side of the proposed township, and to Concord by the settlers on the Concord side. The petitions were substantially as follows :

" To the gentlemen, tbe Selectmen and other inhabitants of Concord, in Lawful meeting assembled : the petition of sundry of the inhab- itants of the northeasterly part of the town of Concord humbly sboweth : That we, your humble petitioners, having, in conjunction with the southerly part of Billerica, not without good advice, and, we hope, upon religious principles, assembled in the winter past, and supported the preaching of the gospel among us, cheerfully paying in the meantime our proportion to the ministry in our towns, have very unanimously agreed to address our respective towns, to dismiss us and set ns off to be a distinct township or district, if the Great and Gen - eral Court or assembly shall favor such our constitution.

"We, therefore, the subsbcribers herennto, and your humble peti- tioners, do first apply to you to lead us and set us forward in so good a work, which, we trust, may be much for the glory of Christ and the spiritual benefit of ourselves and our posterity. Our distance from your place of worship is so great that we labor under insupportable difficulties in attending constantly there, as we desire to do. In the extreine difficult seasons of heat and cold we were ready to say of the Sabbath : ' Behold wbat a weariness is it.' The extraordinary ex- penses we are at in transporting and refresbing ourselves and families on the Sabbath has added to our burdens. This we have endured from year to year with as much patience as the nature of the case would bear, but our increasing numbers now seem to plead an exemption ; and as it is in your power, so we hope it will be in your grace to relieve us. Gentlemen, if our seeking to draw off proceeded from any disaffec- tion to our present Rev. Pastor, or the Christian Society with whom we have taken such sweet counsel together and walked unto the house of God in company, then hear us not to-day. But we greatly desire, if God

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HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

ploase, to be eased of our burdens on the Sabbath, the travol and fatigue thereof, that the word of God may be nigh to us, near to our houses and in our hearts, that we and our little ones may sorve the Lord. We hope that God, who stirred up the spirit of Cyrns to set forward temple work, has stirred na up to ask, and will stirr you np to grant the prayer of our potition, so shall your linmblo petitioners ever pray, as in duty hound, etc."

The petition had seventeen signatures, all from the Concord side. As many more petitioned from the Billerica side to their town. Concord granted her consent without objection, but Billerica clung to her outlying acres with more tenacity. This may be ac- counted for by the fact that she was being shorn of lands in other directions, and this new proposition, if successful, was to take some of her most valuable citi- zens. Their remonstrance did not avail at the Court, and the Act of Incorporation was passed September 23, 1729.

CHAPTER LXVI.

BEDFORD .- (Continued).

Name-Boundaries-Benevolence-Records-First Meeting-house and Min ister-Churches Formed-Taxes-Some Old Families and Sites.

WHY the petitioners prayed to have the new town called Bedford, is chiefly a conjecture ; but we seem to see in it an act of reverence for the memory of the first minister of Concord, who was from Bedfordshire, England. The part which he had taken in moulding the character of the early settlers, must have had an in- fluence on the succeeding generations, as the language of the petitioners for the new town seems to imply. The session of the General Court, which granted the act of incorporation, was held at Cambridge, and be- gan August 28, 1729. The new town was vested with all the " powers, privileges and immunities that the inhabitants of any of the towns of this province are or ought by law to be vested with : provided that the said town of Bedford do, within the space of three years from the publication of this act, erect, build and finish, a suitable house for the public worship of God, and procure and settle a learned orthodox minis- ter of good conversation ; and make provision for his comfortable and honorable support, and likewise pro- vide a school to instruct their youth in writing and reading.'

By subsequent divisions Lincoln and Carlisle were taken from Concord, and Burlington from Woburn. so that Bedford is bounded at present on the north and northeast by Billerica, east by Burlington, south. east by Lexington, south by Lincoln, southwest and west by Concord, and northwest by Carlisle with Con- cord River as a division between Bedford and westerly towns. "The newe towne " known as " Newtowne," 1631 ; "Cambridge," 1638, and " Lexington," 1713, cornered upon Bedford, and later gave up a small por- tion to hier. In the records of March, 1758, we see that Benjamin Farley and Joseph Fassett were

granted the right to straighten the line between Lex- ington and Bedford, and the latter town then acquir- ed the dismal tract known as "Farley Hole." In 1766 Ebenezer Page's land was joined to Bedford ; this was done to straighten the line. When one, Grimes, petitioned to have his land set off to Lexington the town voted in the negative, and also placed upon re- cord their willingness "to refer it to the wise and ju- dicious determination of His Excellency, the Gover- nor, and the Honorable Court."

The forming of a new town occasioned expenses for which money was needed, and land was called for on which to erect the meeting-house and for other pur- poses. These needs had been anticipated as appears by the records :

" Bedford, January the 20th, 1730.

"'This is the account of the money and land that was givon to incouragemont for the Town in the year 1729.' 'Mr. Joseph Dean, Dea. Israel Putnam, Mr. Josiah Fassett, Mr. John Whipple, Mr. Benjamin Colbarn, Mr. Samuel Merriam each gave land, and the following men are credited with gifts of money : Mr. James Lane, Cornet Nathaniel Page, Lieut. Job Lane, Mr. John Laue, Dea, Nathaniel Merriam, Mr. Job Lane, Mr. Joseph Bacon, Mr. John Hartwell, Mr. Jonathan Bacon, Mr. John Fitch and Mr. John Whitmore, of Medford.' 'The wife of Nathaniel Whittecor, of Coucord, gave five pounds, old tenor.'"'

With the records of the town-meeting of January the 7th, 1729-30, appears the following :

" Mr. William Hartwell gave five pouuds and it was delivered to the selectmen, and 20 shillings of it went to pay Mr. Oliver Whitmore for Right in deeds and acknoligin of them hefor him. for the law Boak, two pound ; for towu hoak, ten shilings, and the money Remaining is oue pound, eight shiling aud two pence in the hand of Mr. Nathaniel Meriam. The law book was ordered to be passed ahout according to the judgment of the selectmen. With a sufficient tract of land and £61 in the treasury these determined people hegan the work of building up their newly incorporated town."

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History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. II, Part 193

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed. cn Publication date: 1890 Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis & Co. Number of Pages: 1226

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed. cn
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1226