USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > New Bedford > History of New Bedford and its vicinity, 1620-1892 > Part 4
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" That by other laws made in the year 1722 and 1723, it is ordained that the town of Dartmonth and the town of Tiverton in the said province shall be assessed for the said years the respective sums of £100 and £72 11s. over and besides the common taxes for support of the government, which sums are for maintenance of such ministers.
"That the said Joseph Anthony and John Sisson were appointed Assessors of the taxes for the said town of Tiverton, and the said John Akin and said Philip Tabor for the town of Dartmouth ; but some of the said Assessors being of the people called Quakers, and others of them also dissenting from the Presbyterians and Independents, and greatest part of the inhabitants of the said towns being also Qnakers or Anabaptists or of different sentiment in religion from Independents and Presbyterians, the said Assessors duly assessed the other taxes upon the people there, relating to the support of government to the best of their knowledge, yet they could not in conscience assess any of the inhabitants of the said towns anything for or towards the maintenance of any ministers.
" That the said Joseph Anthony, John Sisson, John Akin and Philip Tabor (on pre tence of their non-compliance with the said law) were on the 25th of the month called May, 1723, committed to the jail aforesaid, where they still continue prisoners under great sufferings and hardships both to themselves and families, and where they must remain and die, if not relieved by the King's royal clemency and favor.
" That the said people called Quakers in the said province are, and generally have been great sufferers by the said law, in their cattle, horses, sheep, corn, and household goods, which from time to time have been taken from them by violence of the said laws for maintenance of the said ministers, who call themselves able, learned and orthodox ; which said laws, and the execution and consequences thereof, are not only (as the petition- ers humbly conceive) contrary to the liberty of conscience and security of religion, civil liberty, property ; and the rights and privileges granted in the said charter to all the King's protestant subjects there, eluded and made null and precarious; but opposite to the King's royal and gracious declaration, as thy happy accession to the throne, promis- ing protection and liberty of conscience to all thy dissenting subjects, without excep- tion to those of the said plantations.
" That after repeated applications made to the government there, for redress in the premises, and no relief hitherto obtained (the Assembly always opposing whatever the Governor and Council were at any time disposed to do on that behalf), the King's loyal suffering and distressed subjects do now throw themselves prostrate at the steps of the throne, humbly imploring thy royal commiseration, that it may please the King to de- nounce his negative npon the said laws, or such part or parts of them, or any of them as directly or consequentially affect the lives, liberties, properties, religion or consciences of
40
HISTORY OF NEW BEDFORD.
the Protestant subjects in said province, and their families and the privileges granted and intended in the said charter, or such other relief as thy royal wisdom and goodness may please to provide ; and in the meantime that directions may be given that the said Joseph Anthony, John Sisson, John Akin, and Philip Tabor be immediately released from their imprisonment, on their giving such security in such sums as shall be thought proper for their being at any time or times hereafter forthcoming when required until their case be brought to an issue.
"And the petitioner shall pray."
The report of the action of the privy council is as follows :
" At a Court at St. James, the 2d day of June, 1724.
" Present .- The King's most excellent majesty. His royal highness the Prince of Wales. Archbishop of Canterbury. Lord Chancellor. Lord President. Lord privy seal. Lord Carteret. Mr. Vice Chamberlain. William Pultney, Esq., Lord Chamberlain. Duke of Roxburgh. Duke of Newcastle. Earl of Westmoreland. Lord Viscount Town- send. Lord Viscount Torrington. Mr. Speaker of the House of Commons.
" Upon reading this day at the Board a report from the Right Honorable the Lords of the Committee of Council, upon the petition of Thomas Richardson and Richard Par- tridge, on behalf of Joseph Anthony, John Sisson, John Akin and Philip Tabor, prison- ers in the common jail at New Bristol, in his Majesty's province of Massachusetts Bay in New England, for not assessing the inhabitants of the towns of Dartmouth and Tiv- erton the additional taxes of £100 and £72, 11s. imposed upon them by an act passed there in the year 1722, by which they appear to be for the maintenance of Presbyter- ian ministers, who are not of their persuasion, and also in hehalf of their friends called Quakers in general, who are frequently under sufferings for conscience sake in that gov- ernment. By which report it appears, their lordships are of opinion that it may be ad- visable for His Majesty to remit the said additional taxes, so imposed on the said two towns, and to discharge the said persons from jail.
" His Majesty in council taking the said report into consideration, is graciously pleased to approve thereof, and hereby to remit the said additional taxes of £100 and £72 11s. which were by the said act to have been assessed on the said towns of Dartmouth and Tiverton. And His Majesty is hereby pleased to order that the said Joseph Anthony, John Sission, John Akin and Philip Tabor be immediately released from their imprison- ment, on account thereof which the Governor, Lieutenant-Governor, or Commander-in- Chief for the time being of His Majesty's said province of Massachusetts Bay, and all others whom it may concern are to take notice of and yield obedience thereunto.
" Vera Copia.
TEMPLE STANYAN." 1
During the period of the American Revolution and other occasions of war, the Quakers were uncompromising in their attitude of non- re- sistance, ever entering their protest against the bearing of arms and the prosecution of war. It was due to their influence that the township
1 Gough's History of the Quakers, Vol. iv., pp 219-226.
41
PERSECUTION OF THE QUAKERS.
was frequently under the rebuke of the Court for negligence in military affairs. In a communication written by the chief military officer of the colony (in 1690) he says of Dartmouth : " They have not a man in the town that seems in the least to be concerned whether we have any mil- itary officers or no."
1 In 1709 John Tucker, sr., William Wood, William Soule, John Lapham, jr., Deliverance Smith and Nathaniel Howland, members of Dartmouth Monthly Meeting, were impressed for military service in Canada. They refused to serve and were taken before Governor Dud- ley at Roxbury, who gave them a hearing and discharge. In 1711 Nicholas Lapham and John Tucker, jr., members of the same society for refusing to render military service, were imprisoned four weeks and two days in the Castle at Boston.
The following, copied from an original pay roll in possession of the State, indicates the condition in 1757:
" A general return of the arms and ammunition belonging to the several companies in the 2d Regiment of Militia in the County of Bristol, commanded by Col. Ezra Richmond, 1757 ; Capt. Tobey's, Willie's, Crane's, Smith's, four Dartmouth companies, -- Deficient."
"P. S .- The four companies in the town of Dartmouth are deficient, and the biggest part of them are Quagers. "
Their loyalty to religious principles caused the Quakers great distress and loss of property in the war of the Revolution. Their singular po- sition was in many instances unjustly construed into disloyalty to the American cause, and much suffering was endured by them because of the seizure of their goods to pay military taxes. The following docu- ment illustrates what frequently occurred during those trying times. It will be noticed that the objection raised was not to the tax itself, but only to the purpose for which the money was to be used :
" BOSTON, September 18th, 1781.
"Then received of Henry Gardner, Esq., Treasurer of this Common Wealth, three warrants for collecting the Quakers Tax in Dartmonth for the purpose of hiring soldiers to Complete the Common Wealth preportion of the Continental Army.
To John Chaffee, .
747
17
4
" Christopher Almy,
1460
16 6
" John Earle,
802
16
S
D
1 Dartmouth Monthly Meeting Records.
6
42
HISTORY OF NEW BEDFORD.
The following petition to the General Court is interesting as bearing upon this subject :
Commonwealth of Mass.
To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives now sitting in Boston.
" The Petition of us, the subscribers, Selectmen for the town of Dartmouth, humbly :
"That by a clause in the late Militia Act the People called Quakers are exempt from Personal Military Service, but subject to pay their proportion of the Expenses of rais- ing the men, with an addition of Ten Per Centum, to be assessed on thiem & collected as other Taxes and paid into the Treasury Office, and the money so raised is solely to be appropriated to the purpose of raising men. By reason of which appropriation that denomination of People utterly refuse paying such assessments from mere principal of Conscience, & their Estate is distrained from them, which greatly distresses them & is a public detriment to sd town. Humbly pray this Honorable Court to take this grievance under consideration, and alter that Clause in the Militia act, as far as it re- spects the appropriation, & order the money so raised to be appropriated to the use of Government, or any other way they in their wisdom shall think proper, and we as in duty bound will ever pray.
DART. MO. Feb. 21. 1782.
WILLIAM DAVIS. PARDON COOK, BENJ. RUSSELL.
Selectmen."
It is well established that notwithstanding the attitude of the Quakers in military affairs, they were as a people loyal in their sympathies to the cause of freedom ; and there are several instances on record where they rendered military service. Whatever may be said of this people in re- gard to their relations to the bearing of arms, it must be admitted that they exercised a healthy and benign influence in times of peace, and that their societies, scattered throughout the land, were well-springs of pure and enlightened thought. They fostered and encouraged educa- tion and lent their potent influence in modifying many of the cruel pun- ishments meted out to the criminal classes. Their societies were un - swerving friends of the slave. The records of the Dartmouth Monthly Meeting mention a number of cases where some of its members were rebuked and others disowned for abusing Indians and for beating their slaves. This Society gave testimony against slavery in the following action at a quarterly meeting in 1716:
" The matter relating to the purchasing of slaves being agitated in the meeting, it is concluded by ye most of ye meeting that it would be most agreeable to our holy pro- fession to forbear for time to come, to be in any way concerned in purchasing any slaves."
43
QUAKER CHARACTERISTICS.
In after years New Bedford established a noble record as a city of refuge for the runaway slave. Many of these unfortunates found safe retreats in the homes of the Quakers, and by their safe guidance were sent by the underground railroad into freedom.
In the very brief space that can here be allotted to this subject, it is impossible to enter further into the deeply interesting details of the long contest between the early religious sects in the colonies ; but they may be found by the interested reader in other volumes. It is per- haps proper to add that while the Quakers were in very many instances persecuted, maltreated and despoiled, there must stand against them a course of action which was intensely provoking to their opponents in the then existing state of religious affairs. Their public demeanor was ofter characterized by ridicule of religious observances, obstruction of the enforcement of ordinances, disturbing of public meetings, and cus- toms that were then, in the eyes of their opponents, almost an evidence of religious and social revolution. While this conduct cannot justify the acts committed upon the Quakers, it must in the light of a broader, freer and more humane civilization than existed at that period, soften criticism and stimulate charity toward the perpetrators of such out- rages as we have chronicled.
CHAPTER III.
AFTER THE KING PHILIP WAR.
Freemen of 1670-Increase of Population-Early Officials-Town Proceedings- Early Roadways-Those who took the Freeman's Oath in 1686-The First Meeting House-Organization of the Monthly Meeting-Early Methods of Punishing Malefac- tors-Bounties for Killing Wild Animals-Early Educational Measures-Building of a Town House-Agitation of Town Division-Records of Soldiers.
A T the June term of the Plymouth Colony Court in the year 1664, it was ordered that, " All the land commonly called and known by the name of Acushena, Ponagansett and Coaksett, is allowed by the courts to be a township, and the inhabitants thereof have liberty to
44
HISTORY OF NEW BEDFORD.
make such orders as may conduce to their common good in town con- cernments, and that the said town be henceforth called and known by the name of Dartmouth."
In 1667 Sergeant James Shaw and Arthur Hathaway were appointed to exercise the men of Dartmouth in the use of arms, and the people were prepared to intelligently defend their homes from their enemies.
In the same year John Cooke, the boy passenger in the Mayflower, was authorized by the Plymouth Court to make contracts of marriages, to administer oaths, issue warrants, and perform other legal duties.
In 1670 there were seven freemen in the township, as follows: John Cooke, John Russell, James Shaw, Arthur Hathaway, William Spooncr, Samuel Hicks, William Palmer. The latter name is preserved in Palm) - er's Island.
In 1671 Arthur Hathaway was appointed to administer oaths to wit- nesses that might appear before the grand inquest. It is evident that the township was growing more populous yearly ; for in 1673 the mi- litia company was more completely organized by the appointment of John Smith as lieutenant, and Jacob Mitchell, ensign bearer. Mr. Mitchell lived in Fairhaven village, and a trustworthy account tells the story of his tragic death. I
It is evident that notwithstanding the township dates its corporate existence from 1664, it began its practical organization in 1674, when the first town meeting finds record as follows :
"At a town meeting the 22d of May, in the year 1674, John Cooke was chosen dep- uty : Arthur Hathaway, grand juryman ; William Earl, constable ; John Russell, James Shaw and William Palmer and Daniel Willcoks, Peleg Sherman and Samuel Cudbard, surveyors. James Shaw, clerk."
At a town meeting held on the 22d of July, of the same year, it was ordered that "All the town meetings do begin at ten of the clock and to continue until the moderator duly relieved the town, not exceeding four of the clock."
' Mr. Mitchell and his wife were on the back of their horse and on their way to the block-house or garrison at Oxford village. Their road led them around the east and north side of the tide mill pond and they had proceeded only a few rods from their house when they were both shot dead. The hodies were subsequently found and buried where they fell, at the root of a pear tree. The spot was the land on which now stands the Unitarian Church. The tradition affirms that this was a hill, and that on the highest elevation stood Mr. Mitchell's house, hurned by the Indians in 1675- -Pope's Manuscript.
a'la ayanvomiting the: 22: of many in this y ror : 16-17 Fui fort woas Chojose Datity arthro hath norway grantsy ona canist with fass reading of how man and funnel ( us food fromunos Shrim (Leverk
If a touna mostra
"it or mit to
1
71 7
OLDEST EXISTING PAGES OF THE DARTMOUTH RECORDS. From Photographs by Bierstadt Brothers. PLATE 1.
OLDEST EXISTING PAGES OF THE DARTMOUTH RECORDS. From Photographs by Bierstadt Brothers. PLATE 2.
45
FIRST TOWN MEETINGS.
" That all such persons as do neglect to appear at the town meeting. shall forfeit to the town I shilling and six pence a piece, and for coming to the meeting too late, three pence an hour.
" That the town clerk shall judge equal for said fines, and shall have the one-half of them for his pains, and in case any do refuse to pay them, to return the names to the town.
" That by vote that there shall be no alteration in the rule of rating for the following year, and that Henry Tucker, Joseph Briggs, and James Shaw are chosen raters for the following year."1
At the town meeting held on the 17th of May, 1675, only a month previous to the destruction of the town by the Indians, "John Cooke was chosen deputy for the following year. John Russell, constable ; Joseph Allinne, grand juryman; John Cooke, Arthur Hathaway, and James Shaw, selectmen ; William Earlle, John Hawerd, jr., and Thomas Briggs, surveyors."
A complaint being presented of the "badness of the fences," "Thomas Teabor and James Shaw, for Acushnet; John Smith and Pelige Sher- man, for Ponagansett; Pelige Briggs and William Wood for Acock- sett," were authorized " to view men's fences and to notify them for a sufficient fence. or condemn them and give men warning when they are bad to mend them."
From these extracts taken from the original records of the township, it is clear that the town had begun an organization full of promise and usefulness. A few days elapsed when the outbreak of the Indians oc- curred that brought destruction and desolation to Dartmouth and the other towns, as before described.
So completely was this work of the savages accomplished that for three years no attempt seems to have been made to reorganize and establish the government; and so helpless were the inhabitants that by order of the Plymouth Court they were exempted from taxation. Slowly but steadily, however, they began to recover, and the meager record indicates that a new and permanent existence was begun. The bitter experience of the King Philip war had taught the inhabitants im- portant lessons, and these were supplemented by wise counsel from the court at Plymouth.
I Dartmouth Records.
46
HISTORY OF NEW BEDFORD.
At a town meeting held June 20, 1678, and the first that finds record after the Indian attack, Seth Pope was chosen constable, and Arthur Hathaway, grand juryman. It would seem that the term of release from taxation was limited to three years, for at this meeting John Smith, John Russell and Peleg Sherman were chosen raters; their spe- cial duty being to raise money to discharge a debt due Simon Cooper.
The functions of the town government were resumed in 1679, when a full list of officials was chosen as follows : John Cooke, deputy to the Court at Plymouth ; John Cooke, Arthur Hathaway and John Russell, selectmen ; John Hathaway, constable ; Richard Sison, Henry Tucker, and Thomas Pope, surveyors ; John Haward, grand juryman ; Thomas Taber, clerk; George Sison, Thomas Briggs, and Seth Pope, raters.
The township seemed to have now settled into a permanent organ- ization, and its steady development is seen from the records. The majesty of the law was tested in the case of one John Harmon, who was probably a troublesome character. At the town meeting in 1682 Seth Pope and James Samson were chosen to convey the said Harmon from Dartmouth to Plymouth, and receive "twenty shilling for their pains with what they have already received, to be paid out of the rate." John Cooke was authorized to go with this John Harmon to the next Court and plead for the clearing of the town of the said Harmon, for which service Mr. Cooke was to receive " two shillings and sixpence per day for the time he shall spend in the matter." It was agreed that Cooke should have Harmon in custody in the mean time, and three shil- lings and sixpence was allowed him for this service.
Roadways received the early attention of the inhabitants, and in 1684 Seth Pope was chosen to acquaint the Court " concerning the manner of laying out of the roadway." He was also authorized to make answer to what may be " proposed by the Court concerning the towns being put under Bristol." At the town meeting of this year (1684) it was ordered that the Indians be allowed to hunt, provided " that they do kill three wolves or three bears or pay ten shillings to each village ; the Indians that belong to Quishnet are to pay ten shillings to John Spooner, and the Indians belonging to Ponagansett are to pay ten shillings to Return Badcok, and the Indians of Cocksett are to pay ten shillings to James Sisson. The aforesaid money is to be recorded for the towns now and delivered to the towns at their demand."
47
TOWN MEETING ORDERS.
It is recorded that the following persons "have taken the oath of fidelity : John Cooke, John Russell, sen., John Smith, Arthur Hatha- way, Samuel Jene, sen., Richard Kirby, sen., Joseph Tripp, Seth Pope, Jonathan Delino, Thomas Taber, Johnathan Russell, James Samson, John Shearman, William Wood, Samuel Cornell."
In 1685 the town was summoned to make answer to Plymouth Court for neglecting to make a rate of twenty pounds, for the encouragement of a minister to preach the word of God amongst them. John Cooke, Seth Pope, and Joseph Tripp were chosen agents to represent the town on this question. The following names are recorded " who have taken the oath of fidelity, or freeman's oath," May 24, 1686: John Cooke, John Russell, sen., John Smith, Samuel Jene, sen , Arthur Hathaway, William Wood, James Sampson, John Shearman, George Cadman, James Tripp, Samuel Jeney, jr., John Hathaway, Josiah Smith, Joseph Russell, Hezikiah Smith, Deliverance Smith, Seth Pope, Joseph Trip, Jonathan Russell, Jonathan Delino, Thomas Taber, Samuel Cornell, James Sison, John Spooner, Nathaniel Soule, George Soule, John Jeney, Eliazer Smith, Return Badcock, William Spooner, Lettice Jeney, - Shearman, -- Howland, Richard Kerby, sen., Joseph Taber, John Earl, Ralph Earle, jr., Stephen Peckum, Ralph Earl son of William Earl, William Macomber, Samuel Willcocks, James Franklin, Samuel Spooner, William Wood, Anthony Savery.
From the phraseology of the record it is probable that this list em- braces the names of all of the inhabitants entitled to vote at the annual meetings of the town.
In 1686 it was ordered by vote of the town that a meeting- house be built that shall be " 24 feet long, 16 feet wide, 9 feet stud, and to be covered with long shingles, and to be enclosed with planks and clab- boards, and to have an under floor laid, and to be benched around, and to have a table to it suitable to the length of said house. Also for two light windows." Seth Pope and Thomas Taber were chosen " to agree with a workman to build said house ; " and it was ordered " that the workmen shall be paid in the same spase of the County Rate to be raised by rating all the ratable inhabitance, and gathered by the con- stable, and paid to the workmen."
At this town meeting it was provided that John Russell, sen., should
48
HISTORY OF NEW BEDFORD.
make a pound and a pair of stocks. It is evident that the town had use for them, for he was ordered to furnish them " forthwith," and it was stipulated that " four and twenty shillings " should be paid him by the constable.
Meetings of the Society of Friends were established in the township about this time, their services being held at a private house. They built their first meeting-house in 1699, on the same spot now occupied by the present one at Apponegansett. The land, comprising six acres, was given them by Peleg Slocum.
The Dartmouth Monthly Meeting was organized during this year (1699), and the records of the denomination are in existence from the above date until the present time (1892).1
At the town meeting held February 16, 1703,2 it was voted "that James Gardner should not be the minister of the town." This item is a significant one and reveals the strained relations of the people with the Established Church.
The cause of education was considered at this early period. In 1704-05, Daniel Shepherd was chosen schoolmaster, and “eighteen pounds and his debt " was voted to him for his service for the year.
It was also ordered " that every householder being a planter shall kill twelve blackbirds between the first day of January and the middle of May yearly, on pain of forfeiting three half pence for every bird they shall neglect killing of said number, said forfeiture to be added to each defective person's town rate yearly to be paid into the town stock. And further, it is ordered that for every blackbird that shall be killed within the time limited over the number of twelve, each planter as above shall be paid one penny out of the town stock, or be abated out of their rate in the next town rate. It is also ordered that Joseph Tripp, Mat- thew Wing, Nathan Howland, John Russell and Isaac Spooner be the persons to take an account of what birds are killed in the town, and give an account yearly to the selectmen, so that the penalty may be laid on such as are negligent and money may be raised to pay them that kill more than their number. It is also ordered that there shall be
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