History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. III, Part 71

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & co
Number of Pages: 1278

USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. III > Part 71

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Moses Worcester. James Thorndike.

1761. Aaron Beard.

1746, Dea. Nathau Shed. Samuel Hunt. Lt. Wm. Brown.

1748-49. Joseph Bradstreet, evi- dently boards around two

1773. Molly Merril. Hannah Bailey.

Newmau Scarlett.

1774. Ilannah Bailey. Nathl. Heywood. Newman Scerlett. Eldad Worcester, Molley Merrill, Molly Brown.

1775. Molley Merrill, keeping school for teaching in the senter squadron.

Hannah Spaulding. Molley Brown.

1776. Newman Scarlett.

Molley Scarlett. Anna Beard.

Jonathan Frost. John Barron. Mr. White.

1772. Oliver Whiting'e sister. Newman Scarlett.

1764. Lt. Wm. Kittredge. Joseph Kidder. Eldad Worster.

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HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

dition of dissatisfaction often found, for they voted and chose a large committee of seven to examine into the situation of the schools and report. In 1828, and for a few years after, each district received for school money that which it paid. In 1831 it was divided according to the property of each district. This ap- pears to have been the practice till the vote of 1835, which chose a committee to divide the school money to the best of their judgment. The history of this question, even in this town, as well as the varying practice of " hiring" teachers, justifies the action of the Legislature in abolishing school districts through- out the State, an act with which Tewksbury complied in the March meeting, 1869, and the selectmen were instructed to carry out the law in all such cases.

From 1814 the town voted to accept the report of the School Committee, and in 1856 the committee was instructed to print it. The number ordered was 200 copies. In 1857 a committee was chosen to revise the school system, but its report has not been recorded.

In the autumn of 1887 it became necessary to di- vide the school at the Centre on account of its size. It was thought best to make the second school, which resulted from this division, of a higher grade of studies, and throw it open to the entire town, Soon a school of considerable size was found pursuing the last studies of the grammar year and the usual high school studies of our educational institutions. In August, 1888, a course of studies was arranged and adopted by the School Committee. At the November town-meeting it was voted that the advanced school at the Centre be a High School, which it was before, essentially. The first year it was taught by Miss Emma V. Kirkland, of Randolph, N. Y., the second by Mr. G. Homer Galger, of Chelsea, Massachusetts. It is now under the charge of Mr. M. H. Jackson, of East Boston, with an assistant.

Through the death of Mrs. Betsy Lang, the lligh school received a legacy of $3000, whose income is to be used in assisting to pay the teacher, or in books and apparatus for the school, at the discretion of the School Committee.

AI ROHIN LONA YAB SCHOOL> .- 1773, 230; 1775, £200; 1780, £800; 17-1, EN00, 1782, 43 1 ; 175, 630 ; 15×4, 230 ; 1785, £30; 1780, £40 ; 1787, 11), 1789, 110 , 1780. 210, 1790, EJ0 ; 1791, $40 ; 1792, 650 ; 1793, --

1 0, 000 Is) ET00 , 182, Clo0 ; 1503, $350 ; 1×04, $100 ; 1405, $100. 1 0, 8ho 1-, $100, 18 A, $100, 1809, 8100; 1×10, $100; 1811, 8400; [*] , ( *), 1×1.1, 5 K), 1 11, SOMI, ISED, Stamp; 1818, 8500; 2x17, $500, 9 19, 5 0, 18 , 50, 1820 8. 1821, $500 ; 1822, $500 ; 1 8 521, 5 0, 1925, Stk, tudd) $ 333, 1826, 8943.33; 1827, *.**** 1258, 1881 8943; 1831, 8583; 1432, 8583 ; . 51 4: 1X 1, 50 , 1% , 8 20) 1336, $500; 1337, $1000, 1838, 8600 ; - , Số . 1 10, Sep, 1sp. 8. 0, 1×1', 8600, 1813, $ 1) ; 1×11, 8700 ; 1=1 8 0) | 1. 5 . 151. 800. 1518, $500, 1SPL 8700; 1850, S& H; 1 1, $10 0 2, 8000; 1 3, 810 0. 1851, $1.00; 1855, $1200 ; 1806, -

TIM0 15 . $1000, 14, SI200, 186), $1200, 1866, $1200; 1867, : 1%( g) > (81 , SI ); 1870, SINIF; 1571, SI900 ; 1872, 82000; 1-19- 1-1, 8 00 , 1455, 8 00 ; 1876, $_200; 1877, 82000 ; 1578, BP , $2000, 155 ; 1881, $ 200, 1882, 82200; 1983, 82800 ; : 1, 50, 00 for text books; 1457, 53100, in1 : 1-track . 1 , 00, and @ 00 for text books ; 1589, $3000,

CHAPTER XXVII.

TEWKSBURY-(Continued).

THE POOR-SLAVERY-NATURAL HISTORY.

THE POOR .- Tewksbury from the first has found true the words, "The poor ye have with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good." The town supervised the interests of widows and orphans when required, and often adjudicated cases of diffi- culty which now are carried into the courts,-perhaps not a more excellent way. Sometimes the children of the poor were bound out by the selectmen.

It was the custom to warn out of town persons likely to become paupers before they could estab- lish a claim for support. A fee was paid for this, which sometimes such persons would obtain for warn- ing out themselves and families. Thus, to "Daniel Pryor 18s., it being for warning himself and family and Mrs. Mahoney and her child out of town." Then no one could become a regular and recognized inhabit- ant without permission. Towns gave worthless and disorderly persons orders to march, and often assisted them to do so. When, however, a person or family had a right to town aid, they were fortunate poor people, because they would be well cared for. Proba- bly the last warning out of town recorded is July 17, 1796.

There were in the earliest times a Nicholas Striker and family, whose names appear frequently in the town accounts, Orders were paid for beef, milk, wood, sugar, pork, provisions of all kinds; for rum and molasses; for doctoring Striker's wife; for re- pairing his house ; for a cow to lend Striker; and at last for his coffin and funeral expenses. There was a French family, probably one of the Acadian exiles, equally prominent in the same way, of which it seemed the town would never hear the last. With a sigh of relief, even at this distant day, is read an order for payment for carrying them to Canada. Alas! they are soon back from an uncongenial and inhospitable clime to tarry until the inevitable end.

In connection with the support of the poor comes first this direction to selectmen, given March 7, 17.12, that they "bind Elizabeth to some suitable place and draw not over £20 lawful money for her support." Again, March 5, 1744, voted to allow "Jacob Cory, Jr., one pound five shillings old tenor for his trouble in getting the £20 the town promised for bringing up a poor child to the age of eighteen years."

February, 1759, a petition to Portsmouth, N. H., for cost of the care of Charles Row, a soldier who died in town of small-pox, 1757.

In 1761 the town was visited by a severe epidemic of small-pox, as appears from the money paid for nursing, rum, sugar and articles necded in such sickness-a list continued to an astonishing degree, considering the limited ability of the town.

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TEWKSBURY.

But as early as May, 1768, they had the custom of letting out the poor to the highest bidder, as is seen from the extracts which follow : May, 1768, " Voted that . . .'s child be put out to the lowest price where it shall be proper to have it go." November 20, 1776, "Voted to appoint and Impower the Select- men in behalf of the Town or any part of them, to. Endent and agree with Some person or persons, to Support and maintain the Widw . during her life or any part thereof." Still more ancient is the flavor of this advertisement, December, 1784: Whereas, . . . is supported by the town and the selectmen can't git it done without great cost, this is to see who will take and sup port her." August, 1786, the warrant has an article " To see how the town will support the poor," which resulted in the decision, " that the poor be set up to the highest bidder and that the selectmen give publick notice of the time and place where they are to be set up." This was usually done by appending to the warrant a notice that they would be set up in the evening after town-meeting, thus : "N. B. The Poor that are supported by the Town are to be put out to them that will do it cheapest, in the evening of the above said day, and also the Widow Stickney's thirds for the season."

In this connection stand these entries quoted for their quaintness : August 17, 1772, " Au order to David Sanders for boarding Nicholas Stricker 35 weeks and finding him a pair of tow briches." Feb- ruary 13, 1773, " An order to Benj. Burtt it being for four pair of gloves for the funeral of . . .'s wife," dependent upon the town. February 22, 1779, " An order to Saml. Danforth for finding . her house room and fire-wood and Sass and Drink."

Some of the items preserved on the records show vividly the customs and the social life of the former days. Such is the order given February 23, 1780, to David Bailey, "it being for one Loos striped toe lining Ground 23 yards and fore one toe and wol- ling wailed Coat 23 yard and for one Jacot and for one pair of shoes, for one pair of stockings, all which he found for . .. and for Boarding thirty-three weeks and half to the sixth day of March £66: 88." The records are full of similar orders.

As early as October 17, 1780, an article is found in the warrant " to see if the town will erect a work- house for the purpose of such as shall become a town charge." \ good many years passed before anything was done to carry out the suggestion.

In 1787 overseers of the poor were chosen. It was not till 1826 that the present poor-farm, consisting of some 80 acres, was purchased. In May of that year it was voted to use it also as a house of correction. A new poor-farm house, with conveniences suitable for the inmates, is now in process of building.

SLAVERY .- Many fail to remember, perhaps never dreamed, that slavery once existed in Massachusetts, the leading State in the great anti-slavery movement.

Traces of the "peculiar institution" may be found in all the early New England towns. Tewksbury is no exception. The town records contain frequent refer- ences to negroes belonging to one and another of the names familiar in our history. It seems strange to hear of the Kittredge, the Trull, the Hunt, and the Rogers families as among the slaveholders. Stranger still is what Mr. Aaron Frost relates, that when slav- ery was abolished in Massachusetts there were three slaves in this town : a man owned by Dr. Kittredge, from whom the poor-farm was bought ; a girl named Rose, owned by Mrs. Rogers, and one named Phyllis, the property of the Rev. Sampson Spaulding. Her death is thus recorded : " 1820, June, Phyllis, a negro woman in Dea. John Spaulding's family, ninety years, old age." It speaks well for their treatment that when freedom came the two maid-servants preferred to re- main with their former owners.

In those days they not only voted what seats the singers should have, and adjusted all difficulties with them, hut passed the following, September, 1786: " that the negroes have the seat next to the long pew for their seat to set in."

In this connection the following document is inter- esting :-

" Know all men by these presents that I, John Kittredge, of Tewks- bury, in the County of Middlesex, in his Majestie's Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England, Chirurgeon, Know yo that I, said John Kittredgo, for ye love, good will and affection that I have and do bear toward my servant Negroe man Reuben, and also for ye Good Ser- vice that the said Reuben bath done and performed for me, Do by these presentH Declear, Order and Establish that my said Servant Reuben, if he lives and survives me, his said Master John Kittredge, that after muy Decease the said Reuben shall be Intirely free and at his own free Lib- erty for his life time after my Decease, so that my Heirs, Executors, or Administrators, or Either of them, shall not have any Command or Business to order or Dispose of said Reuben. Dated at Tewksbury, the Sixteenth day of Janury, in the Twenty Eight year of his Majestie's Reign, Anquo Domini 175 | 5.

" Signed, Sealed and delivered in presence of us. " JOHN KITTRENOE.

"JONATHAN KITTREDGE,

" JOSEPH KITTREDGE,

"JOHN CHAIMAN.

" The above written instrument of ye Cleronance of Doctr. John Kitt- redge's Negroe man Reuben, was entered November ye 16, 1756.

" Per me, STEPHEN OSGOOD, " Town Clerk."

NATURAL HISTORY .- The early descriptions of New England reveal an unusual beauty. The num- ber and varieties of the trees of the forests primeval impressed the writers. The same impression of ad- miration arose from the multitude and variety of the animals, birds and fish which Tewksbury had in common with other towns. Some of the quadrupeds are now extinct.

The abundance of fish made Wamesit the capital at one time of the tribe after which it was named. The Merrimac is "the Sturgeon River." lu this river, the Concord and the Shawsheen, and in their numerous tributaries, abounded all the kinds of fish known to New England waters. In former days the northwestern part of the town was known as "Shad- town," and apprentices stipulated that they should be

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IHISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

fed only so often upon the royal salmon or upon shad. The southern portion was for years called " Pigeon - town," from the numerous pigeons which frequented those parts. At every town-meeting, from 1743 till 1-30, fish reeves, wardens or " fish cares " were ap- pointed. The following is the first vote: Stephen Osgood and Samuel Hunt were chosen a committee " to see that the fish have free passage up and down those streams where they usually pass to spawn." Soon after the founding of Lowell, the manufactur- ing interests, by polluting the waters, left the com- mittee without occupation, and it ceased to be elected.

As late as August, 1760, about which time the savage beasts disappeared, was killed in Wilmington the last wild bear in that vicinity. "It was shot by Ephraim Buck, from beneath the branches of an an- cient oak, now standing, near the road leading from Wilmington ('entre to the east part of the town." (Drake's Middlesex, Wil. by L. C. Eames.)

Interesting is this vote passed December, 1739: " Voted to chose two men to take care that the deer in this town be not destroyed contrary to the last law made in their behalf." Josiah Baldwin and Samuel Trull have the honor of being elected the first of a long list of deer reeves which ends about 1777.

The following vote shows the abundance of small game compared with its scarceness to-day : 1742, " voted a town rate of £25 old tenor to pay the bounty laid on gray and ground squirrels and black- birds which are caught in the town." Bounties for fiercer animals were not unknown, for in 1757 an order for six shillings was paid John Ball for kill- ing one wildcat ; and in 1758 Jonathan Kittredge was paid ten shillings for one killed-the last of which there is historical record. There was a bounty on crows also, whose rate rose and fell with the times. In 1791, " Voted a bounty for killing crows, 9d. per head for old ones, and four pence ha'penny for young ones killed by the inhabitants of this town in the town : Voted also that the heads be brought to the selectmen or town treasurer to be examined, and if they suspect their being killed in the town, then the person bringing them shall go to a justice of the pease and sware that the crowy were killed in the town and bring a certificate that he thus swore."

In 1814 it was voted to let fishing privileges to the highest bidder: $50 was paid for the privilege formerly owned by Dr. Worcester at the northwest part.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

TEWKSBURY-(Continued).

IRI. CIVIL. WAR-CIVIL AND BIOGRAPHICAL.

THE part played by the town in this tremendous mthet is best seen from the reports and votes spread

upon the town records, supplemented by such remarks as will explain them.

The sound of the coming strife is heard in the vote March 4, 1861, " to instruct the School Committee to cause the Constitution of the U. S. to be read in each of the public schools of Tewksbury once at least each term." They also voted, March 6th, the same notable year, to raise more money and adopted the following report of a committee raised at the previous meeting and consisting of George Lee, Elijah M. Read, Jona- than Brown, D. G. Long, Elbridge Livingstone :

" That the town appropriate the sum of $2000 and that a committee consisting of the Selectmen and four other citizens be appointed to disburse this appropri- ation among the volunteer citizens of Tewksbury in such manner as in their judgment the circumstances may require. It being understood that out of said appropriation an outfit and a reasonable amount of pocket money be provided for all volunteers from Tewksbury, and that the families of the absent volun- teer shall be cared for, and also that this committee shall also look after their future wants and necessities during their enlistment and also that the compensa- tion of the said volunteer be increased to twenty dol- lars per month for the time of their actual service." They also voted and chose the following named gen- tlemen to aet in connection with the selectmen in distributing the above appropriation: N. P. Cole, B. F. Spaulding, William Grey, John P. Taylor.

This committee reported at the next annual town- meeting, Mareh 3, 1862, as follows :

"Your committee entered upon their new and nousual duties with a desire to do justice, as well as exercise benevolence towards our young men, who, at this crisis in our country's march, so nohly stepped forward to protect the homes and the institutions of this great and favored pen- ple. Neither were they unmindful of their duties to those who, though quietly at home, so willingly supplied the means.

" By a vote of the town each man enlisting into the U. S. service was to receive from the town a sum sufficient to make his wages twenty dollars per month.

"On the 23d May last the legislature of Mass. passed an act reodering ungatory all acts of towns for increased pay of wages to volunteers be- youd the term of three months for any individual.

"This deprived a majority of our volunteers of any increased pay.

" At the early stage of our national trouble, our State, as well as our National Government, was not fully prepared to uniform and fit ont troops as fast as the exigencies of the case seemed to require.

" Ilence the importance of towns aud individuals to interest them- selves to provide the comforts and furnish necessities to our volunteers and their families. To this end the attention of your committee was directed more especially to see that each man had the necessary clothing aud a small amount of money when he should march to the seat of war. In the art above referred to, the State made ample provisions for the families of volunteers, which relieve your committee of that service.

" The act of the town mnade it the duty of the committee to distribute uid to the volunteers according to their judgvient of their several neces- sities.

" They furnished six persons with clothing and necessary articles for the camp, to the amount of one hundred and eighteen dollars and eighty cents ($118.80) thirty-three persons with pocket-money at ten dollars each ($lu), three hundred and thirty dollars ($330), and two per- Rous with two dollars each, fom dollars ($4), to defray their expenses to Boston to enlist, making the total amount paid and authorized to be paid, of $452.80.

"It may be proper to state here that quite un erroneous opinion, for a time, seemed to prevail among some of the volunteers and their friends, to wit. : that the town had voted to pay each volunteer ten dollars, irre-

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TEWKSBURY.

spective of the judgment of the committee ; this, as well as other erron- eons views that obtained currency, increased their labor by requiring frequent explanations.

" Ten dollars have been paid, or authorized to be paid, to each volun- teer or bis authorized agent or guardiao, who has applied for it and fur- nished satisfactory evidence that they have been lawfully enlisted in the volunteer service of the U. S., except one who was nided to the amount of eight dollars and ninety three cents ($8.93), for needed arti- cles, but no money. One made no application.

" The base of the action for granting nid was evidence that the vol- unteer bad his residence in Tewksbury at the time of his eolistment.

" The subjoined tabular statement exhibits the name of each volunteer or person aided from Tewksbury, together with the number of the regi- mient and the description of the battery, squadron or company to which they arenttached, so far as could be ascertained, also such other infor- mation relating to their condition as ie in possession of your committee.

" Your committee respectfully requests to be discharged from further service, and recommends the selectinen be authorized to perform the re- maining duties for the committee.

"B. F. SPAULDING, Chairman."

Meanwhile the town was alive with efforts to re- cruit the ranks of the army and sustain that army in the field. As will be seen from the lists of her sol- diers in this contest, Tewksbury had men among the first in the ranks, notably in the renowned Sixth Massachusetts, some of whom still live to tell the tale of the celebrated march through Baltimore.

July, 1862, came another call for troops, on which the town at once acted, as thus recorded :

" July 28, 1862.

" Whereas, by Proclamation of the Pres. of the U. S., an addition to the forces now io the service of the country, of 300,000 men, is required and ordered, and Whereus, of the whole number to be raised, 15,000 is set duwn as the portion of Mass., and Whereas, by Proclamation of the Gov. of the State, eleven men is the number assigned to the town of Tewks- bury as its quota of the above force, therefore, -

" Voted, That a bounty of $125 be appropriated to each of said eleven men, who shall enter said service from this town, to be paid to them when ninstered in.

" Voted, That the Treasurer of this town is hereby authorized to bor- row a sum of money not exceeding, in amount, $1500, on such time as he may deem best, etc.

" Voted, That Clerk and Treas, spread these votes on their respective records, the names of recruits under this call and the amounts paid then each."

This was July 28th. In less than a month another meeting was held to act upon still another call for " three hundred thousand more." Similar reso- lutions and votes were passed, as on the previous occasions; $100 was voted to each man enlisting for nine months, and the treasurer was authorized to borrow $1500 additional.

Next month, November 4th, at another meeting, it was decided to pay all expenses attending enlist- ments.

Coming to the next annual meeting, April, 1863, the celebrated proclamations of Governor Andrew and President Lincoln for a day of humiliation, fasting and prayer are spread upon the records of that solemn time after the usual report.

November 3, 1863, finds the town again convened to respond to the third call of the President for 300,000 troops. It is a pathetic reminder of the spirit which filled the Republic in her adversity to notice that, before even electing the moderator, by solemn vote

they called upon the Rev. Richard Tolman to open the meeting by prayer.

Here are the votes which pertain to the great con- flict, then raging throughout the land: "That a bounty of $200 be paid to each volunteer soldier on being mustered in the United States service, also that the town choose a committee to make an assess- ment on each individual of his proportion necessary to be raised for this purpose ;" " that a meeting or series of meetings be called by the selectmen as they may think best to encourage enlistment ; " "that the same committee that is appointed by the Gov- ernor to enlist volunteers for this town, do assess and apportion to each individual their proportional part necessary to raise the above amount."

The next important action was in the meeting of May 30, 1864, when they voted to pay $125 to each enlisted man that shall be mustered into the military service of the United States from this town the ensuing year. Ten men were required to fill the quota. The treasurer was anthorized to borrow $1250 to meet demands. The town then seems to have made an effort for this final demand upon its re- sources with success.

Immediately after the town-meeting a citizens' meet- ing was organized by choosing Leonard Huntress chairman. These rallies were kept np with great en- thusiasm by men prominent in town affairs and from all parts of it till the quotas were filled. The first meet- ing voted " that the assessors be required to assess the amount of $1250 on the tax-payers of Tewksbury as a voluntary tax for the purpose of securing the requisite number of men that may be called for by the Presi- dent, from this town; " and that Elijah M. Read be treasurer to receive all the money of the several collectors chosen at a previous meeting.

The ladies during these severe and trying experi- ences did their part by gathering necessaries and Inxuries to send to the men defending the flag on distant battle-fields or bearing pain for it in remote hospitals. Here, as elsewhere, all classes were fused into one by ardor for the common cause-union and freedom.

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History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. III, Part 71

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed Publication date: 1890 Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & co Number of Pages: 1278

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & co
Number of Pages: 1278