History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. III, Part 81

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 81

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The Indians earnestly joined the American cause, and how useful their accession, under Orano, was to the cause of freedom we may judge from facts recorded in Williamson's " History of Maine."

So few were the Catholics in this section of Massa- chusetts one hundred years ago, that the Rev. John Thayer, the pastor of the Catholic Church in Boston, in 1790, declared that their number did not exceed 100 souls. In the early years of the present century multitudes of the oppressed people of Europe flocked to these shores to enjoy the peace and freedom prof- fered by the Constitution of the new Republic. By this influx the number of Catholics was increased to such an extent that it became necessary to establish independent parishes in the district attended by the priests from Boston.

In the year 1830, Watertown, Waltham, the New- tons, Weston, Concord and other neighboring towns were formed into a distinct, "mission," and a frame building, 50x35 feet, was erected on the land now known as the " Old Catholic Cemetery," in Waltham. The pastor of this new congregation continued to re- side in Boston until 1839, when the Rev. F. Fitzsim- mons took charge of the parish. At that time the

congregation numbered 300 members. The successors of the Rev. F. Fitzsimmons were : Revs. M. Lynch, Jas. Strain and P. Flood.

Shortly after Rev. P. Flood assumed the care of the parish the little church at Waltham was burned ; and as the majority of the worshippers were in Watertown, it was deemed expedient to erect a church in that town. In 1846 Fr. Flood endeavored to secure a temporary place for holding services, and, after many vain efforts, succeeded in obtaining the use of what was known as the "Whig Reading-room," located on Watertown Square. Here the little congregation con- tinued to assemble until it purchased the old Method- ist meeting-house, which, being remodeled, was the first Catholic Church in Watertown. The rapid in- crease in membership soon made it necessary to se- cure better accommodations, and on the 27th of Sep- tember, 1847, Bishop Fitzpatrick, of Boston, assisted by Rev. Fr. Flood and Rev. P. O'Beirne, laid the corner-stone of the present. St. Patrick's Church, which is a brick structure, having sittings for more than 800 people.

In 1851 Rev. Bernard Flood, a young priest from the Grand Seminary of Montreal, was sent to assist the Rev. Patrick Flood. During the years of their administration the parish increased rapidly. New churches were built at Waltham, West Newton and Concord. After the death of Rev. P. Flood, in 1863, the sole charge of the parish devolved upon Rev. Ber- nard Flood, who, in 1864, removed to Waltham and left the remaining portion of the Watertown parish to the care of Rev. John W. McCarthy. This clergy- men resided in Watertown until September, 1871. He was assisted by Rev. Edward S. Galligan. During their administration Newton Upper Falls was sepa- rated from the parisli and became a distinct congrega- tion. In September, 1871, Rev. M. M. Green was ap- pointed pastor, and in the following June Rev. R. P. Stark was commissioned to assist him. Fr. Green's greatest work was the building of the large Catholic Church at Newtonville. After the completion of this church, in 1879, Newton became a separate parish, of which Rev. Fr. Green assumed the charge.

The present pastor, Rev. R. P. Stack, then began to direct the Watertown parish. Under his energetic administration, great improvements have been made. The church has been enlarged and decorated, the beautiful parochial residence on Chestnut Street erected, a cemetery purchased, and an elegant. brick school-house, costing about $35,000, built upon Church Hill. Fr. Stack has been assisted bye Rev. T. A. Metcalf, John Gibbons and T. W. Coughlan.

In the towns comprised within the limits of the orig- iginal St. Patrick's Parish of Watertown there are to- day about 20,000 Catholics, possessing church prop- erty valued at half a million of dollars. The ok church is fast becoming too small for the number of worshippers, and a splendid new edifice is among the probabilities of the near future.

3.1.4

HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

CHURCH OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD .- In the sum- mer of 1883, Rev. Edward A. Rand, who had recently become a resident of Watertown, conducted services of the Episcopal Church at several private houses in the town. So much interest was developed that a committee, consisting of Messrs. Thomas G. Banks, George II. Gregg and William J. Bryant, was ap- pointed in the fall of 1883 to consider and report as to the advisability of holding services each Sunday. As the result of this committee's report, Grand Army llall was secured and regular services were held in that hall from October 21, 1883, to Christmas, 1888.

With the hope that, in the course of a few years, funds could be obtained for building a church, a bond of a desirable lot of land on the corner of Mt. Auburn Street and Russell Avenne was secured in the spring of 1885. March 12, 1856, the Parish of the Church of the Good Shepherd was only organized, and in May of that year purchase was completed of the lot of land previously bonded, containing 16,000 square feet. In 1887 vigorous measures were adopted to secure funds for building a church. The enterprise was cor- dially approved by Bishop Paddock. Residents of Watertown belonging to other religious denomina- tions, and friends living elsewhere, generously aided the parish ; and on t'hristmas Day, 1888, the first service of the Episcopal Church was held in the new structure. The building is an ornament to

the town. It is a tasteful specimen of English rural church architecture. The walls are of field- stone, with brown-stone trimmings. The pews, roof and wood-finish are of cypress. The walls are plastered inside and are tinted a warm brown. The cost of the building was about $12,500. It will seat 232, exclusive of the Sunday-school room, which is separated from the church proper by sliding sashes, and can be utilized to seat 100 more persons. The structure is so planned that it can be enlarged, at mod- crate expense, to a seating capacity of over 500. The sents are free, the expense of maintaining public wor- ship being met by voluntary contributions. Women, as well as men, are eligible to membership in the parish, and about one-half of the members are ladies. The treasury of the parish has often been replenished by their carnest and judicious efforts.

The parish now owns over 20,000 feet of land. It 14 gradually gaining in numbers and in strength. From its first organization Mr. Thomas G. Banks has been the Parish Clerk, and Miss Ethel Cushing the organist. To them and to Mr. William J. Quincy, the treasurer, the parish is under much obligation. The rector is the Rev. E. A. Rand, to whose earnest labors the parish is chiefly indebted for its beautiful church. There are now (1890) upwards of seventy- five communicants. Among the donors to the build- ing fund was the Bishop of Montreal. The officers of the parish for 1890 are as follows :

Senior Warden, John E. Abbott ; Junior Warden, HI A. Scranton ; Parish Clerk, Thomas G. Banks;

Treasurer, William J. Quincy. Other Vestrymen- John Baker, J. A. French, George F. Robinson.

CHAPTER XXXI.

WATERTOWN-(Continued).

Early People-Land Grants-The Proprietors' Book-Town Government -Schools -- The Weurs-The South Side.

EARLY PEOPLE OF WATERTOWN .- The people who first settled the town of Watertown came in June, 1630, with Sir Richard Saltonstall and the Rev. George Phillips. The mere names of these hardy, hopeful adventurers form no unmeaning list. Most of them became proprietors of the soil. They came with this expectation. The names are found among the honored and active men of the present day in every part of the United States, and may be traced on every page of the nation's history. Not necessar- ily always famous for great deeds, for there are those who look back to Watertown for their lineage, who now people towns scattered through every State from Maine to Florida, and across the continent to the far-away shores of the Pacific. No book of gene- alogies is more studied than Dr. Bond's genealogies of the families of Watertown.

A martyred President found a progenitor in a Gar- field whose early home was in Watertown. The present head of our armies, likewise a celebrated Senator who engineered successfully the finances of the nation through a great crisis, find in a Sherman the first of their line in the list of our early settlers. The Lawrences had their first home on the banks of Fresh Pond, although they early pushed farther into the country, and found the beautiful slopes at Groton, in the valley of the Nashua. Here the Bigelows started. The cause of freedom could not have spared a Phillips; or the South, or the North, for that matter, in manufactures, the cotton gin of a Whitney. America's latest great attempt in philology and dictionaries is under the charge of a Whitney, as was the great geological survey of California under another. The race of Saltonstall is not extinct, nor is the high, noble and independent character of the great leader abated.

Upham and Warren and Stowe and Stearns and Coolidge and Mason and Hoar and Curtis are famil- iar names. But it is better to give the simple lists of names as they are found in the early records. There is no complete list of those who came the first year, in 1680, with Winthrop, or those who had arrived before 1636, although, as Bond says, " It is most prob- able that their number was greater than that of the settlers of any other town planted in 1630; and there is reason to suppose that, with the exception of Bos- ton, Watertown continued to be more populous than either of them for twenty years. The population

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WATERTOWN.

became so crowded, that the people began very early to disperse and form new plantations." We have shown why they felt crowded. This term is correct when we think of farms joining each other, and com- pare them with the boundless expanse of delightful country beyond. Some towns were settled from Water- town before the earliest list of proprietors was pre- pared, which is still preserved to ns. Some of those who pushed on to found other towns still retained their ownership of lands here ; the names of these are pre- served. Many left no trace behind them in the town's records. Some settled Wethersfield, Connecti- cut. Some settled Stamford, Milford and Branford. Dedham, of this State, was founded by Watertown people, as was Concord, and Sudbury, and Lancaster, and Groton largely, so Worcester, Framingham, Rutland and Spencer, largely Westminster on the slopes of Wachusett, Harvard, the most northeasterly town of Worcester County, and most of the towns of Middlesex County, contained among their settlers many from the old hive at Watertown.

In Dr. Bond may be found " an alphabetical list of persons known to have been proprietors or residents of Watertown prior to the end of the year 1643; compiled chiefly from the lists of grantees and pro- prietors, embracing also some names derived from wills, deeds, settlement of estates, and descriptions of possessions." This list ocenpies a dozen pages closely printed in fine type, and gives, with each name, some description, evidence of residence or change of resi- dence or other valuable notes.

This may be a good place to say that the New England Historic Genealogical Society received as a bequest the several hundred remaining copies of Bond's Genealogies and still holds them, most of which are in an imperfect condition. The whole number might be made perfect by reprinting twelve or sixteen signatures at an expense of from five hun- dred to a thousand dollars, which, in time, purchasers of the volumes would gladly repay to the society. If the society does not feel called to make this expendi- ture from funds already in its possession, it is to be hoped some one may be moved to make a gift to the society for this purpose, which in time should return to the society to assist it in doing other similar work.

A careful comparison of this work of Doctor Bond with the original authorities increases the wonder that one man could have collected such a vast amount of varied information so accurately as this has been done. I have found a few glaring mistakes, as the members of almost any family may have found in the minute arrangement of family names. Many of these could be corrected, after invited correspond- ence with the society, in an appendix. But let not a book dealer do the work for money ; let the society, or some society, finish the work in the interests of truth and history. The commercial value even of a copy in a good condition is now nearly five times

the price at which it in former years was offered withont purchasers.

A few names will be given for the benefit of the many who do not possess a copy of Bond.

Daniel Abbott, applied to be admitted freeman in Oct., 1630, before New Town (Cambridge) was settled, and he was admitted the next May. In April, 1631, the Court ordered a military watch of four to be kept every night at Dorchester and Watertown. About five weeks afterwards, (May 18th), Daniel Abbott was " fined 5s. for refusing to watch, and for other ill behavior showed towards Captain Patrick." As Captain Patrick belonged to Watertown, and as no watch was ordered to be kept at New Town, there can be little doubt but that Daniel Abbott was one of the first settlers of Watertown. He may have settled within the limits afterwards assigned to New Town [see Lockwood, page 854]. His fine was re- mitted Sept. 8, 1638; and the Colonial Records (June 4, 1639) say, " Daniel Abbott is departed to New Providence."

Edmund Angier, a freeman 1640, proprietor of three acres, east of Mount Auburn, in 1644, but probably never a resident of Watertown.

Thomas Arnold, embarked from England in 1635; a freeman in 1640; grantee of eight lots and purchaser of one lot; moved to Providence about 1665; two homestalls Orchard Street, near Lexington Street.

Johh Bachelor grantee of six lots, some, if not all, of which were purchased of Norcross. lle probably moved to Dedham in 1637; a freeman in 1640.

John Bull (?)-On the list of Winthrop [ II page 340], supposed to be the names of those intending to come over in 1630, is the name of "Mr. Ball." If this was the John Ball, of Concord, he may have arrived before Concord was granted : settled first in Water- town, and moved to Concord, in 1635, prior to the date of the earliest list of proprietors of Watertown.

William Barsham, embarked from England, 1630; freeman, 1637; grantee of five lots, and purchaser of one lot; died 1684. His homestall was west of Mount Auburn, between Cambridge Road and Bank Lane.

Michael Bairstow, of Charlestown, 1635; a seleet- man ; probably moved to Watertown 1637 or 1638; freeman, 1636; not a grantee, but a proprietor of eight lots; died 1674. Ilis homestall of fourteen acres, probably on the southwest corner of Belmont and School Streets.

Joseph Bemis, selectman of Watertown, 1640; died 1684; grantee of a farm and of a meadow at None- such ; purchaser of seven other lots. Ilis homestall of twelve acres, on the south side of Warren Street, was made up of two lots in the town plot, granted to Simon Stone and J. Firmin.

John. Benjamin, embarked from England, 1632; a freeman, 1632 ; first of Cambridge, afterwards Water- town, where he died 1645. The circumstance that his name is not in any list of grantees renders it

3.16

HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

probable that he did not move to Watertown before 1637 or 1638. His homestall of sixty acres was situated east of Dorchester Field, and bounded south by Charles River. He had three other large lots, grants to Robert Feake.

Robert Betts \" Best," " Beast "), a grantee in the Great Dividends and in the Beaver Brook plow- lands; an original grantee of Sudbury, where he died 1655, s. p., bequeathing his estate to his brother-in- law, William Ilunt, and other relatives of this name.

John Biscoe, selectman ; freeman, 1650; died 1690 ; grantee of twenty-seven acres in lieu of township ; proprietor of at least fourteen other lots, amounting to 509 aeres. From the number and value of his possessions, in 16-12-44, he then being only twenty- one or twenty-two years of age, it seems probable that the lands were held in his name for his father, Nathaniel, the " rich tanner." His homestall was at the northwest corner of Belmont and Common Streets, bounded north by the homestall and meadow granted to John Lawrence.

Elder Richard Browne, left England, 1630; free- man, 1631 ; a selectman in 1635, '38, '39, '11 and 42; a grantee of thirteen lots in the town, besides 200 acres granted by the Court out of town. In 1642 he had disposed of not less than seven of these grants. His homestall was on the south side of Mt. Auburn Street, probably a short distance west of the Old Graveyard, with the three-acre lot of J. Prescott between his and the street. It is probable that this was his second residence. He had a seven-acre lot on the east of Mount Auburn, bounded south by Bank Lane. Between this and the river he had two and one-half acres of marsh. He sold these to R. Wellington. It is probable that he first settled there, and that it was while he lived there that he was licensed to keep a ferry.

So far as these names go, taken in order, but with the omission of many others, we have a specimen of Bond's manner of treating the whole list of settlers. Many significant facts are mentioned which suggest much to the student of early Watertown history. To the casual reader it must seem little more than a cat- alogue, as it professes only to be.

Following are a few interesting names and events called from the remainder of the list :

Enxign Thomas Cakebread : freeman 1635, grantee of seven lots, which he sokl to John tirant; an early grantee of Dedham ; went thence to Sudbury, where he died in 1643.

Eliter Thomas Carter, left England 1635 ; a freeman in 1657; died in Woburn in 1684 ; grantee of a home- stal of ten aeres, also had a farm of ninety-two aeres and a lot in the town plot.

Lennard Chester, left England 1633 ; grantee of sixty arres in the Great Dividends ; also thirteen acres homestall soll to W. Paine. The above grant im- plies that he did not move to Connecticut until after July, 1636.

Wm. Clarke, left England 1630; a freeman 1631 ; constable of Watertown, 1632; went to Ipswich in 1633.

John Coolidge, freeman 1636; a selectman thirteen different times between 1638 and 1682; died 1691, aged eighty-six ; grantee of nine lots ; purchased two other lots before 1644.

Henry Cuttris (Curtis), grantee of five lots and por- chaser of two lots. His homestall of sixteen acres was east of Dorchester Field. He moved to Sudbury.

Gov. Thomas Dudley purchased the mill in Water- town in April, 1640, and his lands are mentioned as boundaries ; but his name is not on the list of pro- prietors.

Simon Eire, chirurgeon (surgeon), embarked at London, 1635; a freeman, 1637 ; a selectman, 1636-43 ; town clerk and clerk of writs for several years ; moved to Boston in 1645; died 1658 ; was a grantee of twelve lots amounting to 350 acres; had purchased four other lots, one of which was his homestall of sixteen acres west of the pond and next the Cambridge line.

Robert Feake, came in 1630; freeman 1631 ; a son-in- law of Gov. Winthrop; a selectman in 1636, '38-39 ; homestall on Bank Lane.

Samuel Freeman, applied to be admitted freeman in 1630; admitted in 1639.

Edward Garfield, freeman 1635; died 1672; a grantee of eight lots before 1644; selectman in 1637, '55, '62.

Elder Edward How, freeman 1634; died 1644; was a selectman 1636, '38, '40-42; grantor of fifteen lots, and purchaser of seven lots before '44. [Probably with Governor Cradock through his agents and under the direction of the engineer, Thomas Graves, who came over at the expense one-half of the Massachu- setts Bay Company, and one-half at the expense of Governor Cradock, built the mill, the " water-mill," and probably the dam.]

Thomas King, came 1634 ; pioneer of the first plant- ing of Nashaway (Lancaster).

John Knight, freeman 1636 ; grantee and purchaser of 392 aeres.

John Lawrener, freeman 1637 ; of Groton 1662; died 1666; grantee of ten lots ; who sold, when he moved to Groton, his homestall to Bisco.

Cupt. Hugh Mason, embarked at Ipswich 1634 ; free- man 1635; died 1678; grantee of six lots, purchaser of two lots ; a selectman twenty-eight times in forty, and town clerk many years.

Thomas Mayhew, freeman 1634; went to Martha's Vineyard about 1644 ; six large grants by the town ; a selectman 1636-42; [purchaser of the " mill " from How & Cradock, whose sons served as missionary teachers to the Indians of Martha's Vineyard.]

John Oldham, arrived in Plymouth in 1623 ; free- man 1631; went to Wethersfield; killed by the In- dians at Block Island July, 1636, which murder led to the Pequot War.

WATERTOWN.

Cupt. Daniel Patrick, freeman 1631 ; killed at Stam- ford 1643 ; selectman and captain of train band.

Rev. George Phillips, 1630 ; freeman 1631 ; died July, 1644 ; grantee of eight lots, purchaser of one. Proba- bly resided always on his lot next homestall of Sir Richard Saltonstall, at the east of Mount Auburn.

John Prescott, 1641 ; freeman 1660 ; a first settler of Lancaster ; a grantee of a farm of ninety acres ; pur- chased five other lots.

Sir Richard Saltonstall, founder of the town 1630; returned to England 1631 ; grantee of about 558 acres, which passed to his sons Samuel and Henry. Robert probably settled in Boston 1642, where he died 1650.

William Shattuck, of Watertown, 1642; died 1672, aged fifty. In 1644 he was the proprietor of two small lots on the east border of Piquusset Common, (Waverly).

Capt. John Sherman, 1634, came from England; a freeman in 1637 ; died 1691 ; selectman and town clerk many years, 1636 to 1682; had three grants of over 190 acres, purchased ten lots, had homestall on both sides of Bowman's Lane (Common Street), immedi- ately south of Strawberry (School-house or Meeting- house) Hill.

Rev. John Sherman, 1634; dismissed to Wethersfield, 1635; went to Milford 1641 ; dismissed then to Water- town 1647 ; freeman 1669 ; died 1685. Supposed to have lived on the east side of Grove Street, on the forty acre meeting-house lot between Mount Auburu and Belmont Streets.

Isaac Sterne (Stearns), came 1630; freeman 1630; died 1671 ; was a selectman 1659, '70, '71.

Having given so many names from this catalogue, which abundantly illustrate the character of the cata- logue, the variety of lots owned by most in different parts of the town,-illustratious of the fact that Water- town furnished settlers for many other towns,-we have done as much as we have space for in this place and have shown how indispensable the list, and especially the full genealogies of Dr. Bond, are to any student of the history of Watertown, 1 might say of almost any local history.

FREEMEN .- I cannot do better, perhaps, than give Dr. Bond's list of the freemen of Watertown, ad- mitted previous to the union of the Colonies of Plym- outh and Massachusetts Bay, with the date of their admission. To become a freeman it was necessary to be a church-member, and so it happened that men in respectable social positions were not admitted till ad- vanced age, or never admitted. It was not necessary, however, to be a freeman, or even a church-member, in order to hold office in the town, or appoint- ments from the Court, although the rule allowed none but freemen to hold office or vote for rulers. This rule was so far modified, in 1664, that individuals might be made freemen who could produce certifi- cates from some clergyman that they were correct in doctrine and conduct.

Bond gives some exceptions to the rule. Thomas

Mayhew held a responsible appointment from the Governor and Assistants two years before he was ad- mitted freeman. Joseph Bemis and Thomas Flagg were never admitted, although they were both select- men and held other offices. John Bigelow, Sr., took the oath of fidelity in 1652, but he was not admitted freeman until April, 1690, at the age of seventy-thrce. William Bond was admitted freeman in 1682, more than twenty years after he had been selectman, juror, constable, and likewise town clerk, and only a short time before he was elected magistrate.

Some of the settlers and proprietors, or natives of Watertown, were admitted freemen after they had removed to other towns. This mark (?) is pre- fixed to the names of freemen who were early pro- prietors, where there is an uncertainty or improb- ability as to their having ever been residents.

Every freeman was obliged to take the freeman's oath : " I, A. B., being by God's providence an in- habitant and freemen within the jurisdiction of this Commonwealth, do freely acknowledge myself to be subject to the government thereof, and, therefore, do hereby swear, by the great and dreadful name of the everlasting God, that I will be true and faithful," etc. etc.

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History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. III, Part 81

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