History of New Bedford and its vicinity, 1620-1892, Part 5

Author: Ellis, Leonard Bolles
Publication date: 1892
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y., Mason
Number of Pages: 1170

USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > New Bedford > History of New Bedford and its vicinity, 1620-1892 > Part 5

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1 The records are in possession of the Dartmouth Monthly Meeting; and a copy of the same (from 1699 to 1793) is held by the New Bedford Monthly Meeting, for purpose of reference.

2 From 1686 to 1703 the town records are not in existence so far as known.

TOWN MEETING ORDERS.

a law book bought for the town's use and be paid for out of the town rates."

In 1705 the town was presented to the Court at Boston for want of a minister according to law. The matter came up for discussion at the town meeting and answer was made to the charge, " that we have one qualified as the law deems, an honest man, fearing God and hating cov- etousness, and a learned orthodox minister, able to dispense the Word and Gospel to us."

In 1709 it was agreed with Henry Howland " to make a pair of stocks and whipping-post."

The wild beasts of the forest were a source of trouble to the inhab- itants, as indicated in the action of the town in 1713, when it was voted " that twenty shillings shall be added to each person that shall kill a wolf within the township of Dartmouth."

In 1721 it was voted that " all geese running at large from the 1st day of April to the last day of October without their wings cut and without a yoke upon them shall be placed in the town pound, and the owner of such geese shall pay one penny a piece for pounding the same."

At the town meeting held in October of this year, " John Akin, Philip Taber, and Thomas Taber, jr., were chosen trustees to receive Dart- mouth's proportion of the £50,000-£580." It was voted that " no man shall have more than £50, or less than {25 of said money."

In 1722 the town voted that there shall be "three shillings allowed for any grown wild cat that shall be killed within our township from the last day of September to the first day of March yearly to the per- son or persons that kill them, and six shillings for each wild cat killed the other part of the year, and that the selectmen are ordered to make such orders to prevent any fraud on the account, as they may think proper." The town meetings of this year were frequent, the proceedings relating largely to taxation, and important action was also taken bear- ing upon the case of the Quakers in their appeal to the home govern- ment, related on an earlier page.

The cause of education was advanced in 1728 by vote, "that there shall be two schoolmasters upon the town charge beside the grammar schoolmaster."

HISTORY OF NEW BEDFORD.

The town engaged the services of two ministers in 1730, who found favor with the inhabitants, as shown in a vote that Philip Taber and Nicholas Davis be " chosen and approbated as ministers to dispense the word of God and promote the gospel of Christ." The township placed itself on record against the sale of ardent spirits by a vote taken at the town meeting on November 23, 1730, "That Samuel Cornell shall have the three pounds, six shillings and eight pence which was due by a note under his hand to John Aikin, for a fine for his wive's selling drinks, the note bearing date January, 1722-3."

The following record, passed in 1733-34, shows how the schoolmas- ters of early days were paid and cared for. It was voted that " Will- iam Lake as grammar schoolmaster, paid forty-five per annum " (prob- ably forty- five pounds). Voted, " that all people who receive benefit of the said schoolmasters by sending their children shall frankly give said master their proportionable part of his diet, washing and lodging as he shall be removed by order of selectmen."

In 1736 the bounds between Dartmouth and Tiverton were defined by the selectmen of the two towns. The record quaintly reads : " We began where the bounds between Little Compton and Dartmouth ended, and renewed by a range of marked trees until we come to a tree fallen down near the pond and so to the pond, which pond is the bounds, and so to the stony brook, which brook is the bounds to Watupa pond, the west side of said pond to a white oak tree, and from thence over said pond to a stump of a tree fallen down, and by a range of old marked trees, and marked them anew with a blaze, with three chops of an axe over said blaze, until we come to the peaked rock, which rock is by a path that leads from Dartmouth to Plymouth and ended there. Dated 30th of the tenth month, called December. Joseph Anthony, Philip Taber, jr., Isaac Wood, Restcom Sanford, Selectmen ; and by order of selectmen of Dartmouth and Tiverton."

In 1739 a new town house was ordered to be built, and Capt. Sam- uel Willis, George Lawton and John Howland were chosen a commit- tee to superintend its erection. They were ordered " to have it finished as soon as may be done with conveniency, and with convenient glass windows and shutters." They were also instructed " to make the best of the old town house either in selling it or in pulling it down and use

TOWN AFFAIRS.

what of it may be profitable toward finishing of the said new town- house, and they which buy the said old house shall convey it off the lot where it now stands."

At the town meeting held March 30, 1741, it was put to vote " whether it be the town's mind to come under the government of Rhode Island, and it passed in the affirmative by a clear vote."

A workhouse was established in 1742 for " the setting to work of all idle persons," and William Sanford was placed in charge.

In 1746 the selectmen were instructed to " take charge of the child of Sarah Manchester who had deceased, to care for her and administer and recover the estate for the benefit of the said child." These two in- stances illustrate the humane character of the local government in those early times.

In 1747 the town clerk was empowered " to draw so much money out of the treasury as will purchase a book for the town to record mar- riages and the intention of marriages in."

At a town meeting held June 2d of the same year, Nathaniel Soul [Soule] was chosen agent to represent the town of Dartmouth "in pre - ferring a petition to the Great and General Court now assembled at Boston, with the rest of the neighboring towns, who are for petitioning for the several Courts to be holden for the county of Bristol to be re- moved from Taunton to Dighton or elsewhere nearer the center of the county."

The distance by road from Dartmouth to Taunton at that time was thirty-five miles, and much inconvenience and hardship was experi- enced by the inhabitants of this section in reaching the terms of Court.

The following petition was presented to the General Court at Boston in 1747 ; it reveals continued division of opinion among the inhabitants regarding church matters :

" The petition of us, the subscribers, inhabitants of Accushnet village in Dartmouth, in behalf of ourselves and others humbly showeth that the Presbyterian Church and congregation in said village being now destitute of a settled mimster of the Gospel and finding ourselves unable to proceed in calling and settling one either as a town precinct and methods in which we settled in times past now failing and being desirous of a speedy settlement, having been without a pastor for more than a year therefore hunibly pray your excellency and honors to consider our case and form us into a precinct by the known bounds of Accushnet village and invest us with the privileges of a precinct,

HISTORY OF NEW BEDFORD.

or in any other way cloath us with power regularly to proceed under the protection of the law to call and settle an orthodox minister among us for which as in duty bound your petitioners shall ever pray."

At a meeting held September 22, 1747, Capt. Lem'll Pope and Chris- topher Turner were chosen agents to show to the General Court on be- half of the town that the above petition, signed by a small number of the inhabitants of Acushnet village, should not be granted. It was voted unanimously that the town was unwilling that " Acushnet village" should be set off from Dartmouth. The record says that Samuel Willis, Esq., was present but would not vote, " and declaired himself nuter."

Several ways were laid out in the year 1750 by the selectmen, all of which were ordered recorded at a town meeting held May 15, 1750. They are described as follows :

One " that comes from the way that leads from the northeast corner of Robert Kirby's homestead ; " another, " running from Isaac Spoon . er's homestead ;" and one " that begins at a stake standing in the dividing line between Noah Allen's land and the land of the Giffords."

Another description of a way laid out by the selectmen of Dartmouth on the second day of the third month, 1750, is as follows :

" An open way of forty foot wide beginning at a stake standing in ye dividing line between Noah Allen's land and ye land of ye Giffords and in the line of the way that comes by David Giffords, from thence sonth four degrees and a half west twenty-four rods to a stake and a heap of stones about it, thence south four degrees and a half east eighteen rods to a stake and a heap of stones, thence south thirty degrees east thirty- three rods to a stake and heap of stones which Archepas Hart declared to be ye north- east corner bounds of John Handy's land, thence south twenty-four degrees and a half east twenty-three rods to a stake and heap of stones which ye above said Archepas Hart declared to be ye southeast corner bounds of ye said John Handy's land; all the bounds and ranges are on ye westward side of said way, which way Noah Allen prom- ised to warrant to ye said town in liew of that way that runs through his meadow land that was formerly there laid out, as witness my hand, NOAH ALLEN.

"Finished by us the subscribers the day and date as above said,

" HUMPHREY SMITH, 1 Selectmen of

THOMAS HATHAWAY,

JEDEDIAH WOOD, Dartmouth."

At a meeting held September 26, 1751, Humphrey Smith was chosen agent to prefer a petition to the General Court for the "setting a juris- diction line between Dartmouth and Rochester."

ACTS OF THE TOWN MEETING.

November 9, 1751, voted, " that Henry Howland should have twenty- four pounds allowed him for his extraordinary services and for collect- ing all the taxes in said town for the year 1750-1."

December 25, 1751, William Sanford gave the town one-quarter of an acre of land on which the town-house was to stand forever. (So reads the deed.)

From the following copy of a certificate found in the town records, it appears that the authorities in those days were very careful regarding those who were received as inhabitants of their towns :

" To the honorable the Selectmen of the town of Dartmouth :--

" Gentlemen-These may certify that Thomas Anthony hath moved ont of our town to the town of Dartmouth, he thinking it being for his advantage, and if you will Re- ceive him and his family into your town we will Receive them back again at any time when they shall become Chargeable, Provided you send them back as soon as they shall become Chargeable, they being inhabitants here.

" By order of Council I have given forth this certificate.

" Portsmouth, June ye 8th, 1752.

ROBERT DENNISS, Con'l Clerk."

" The above said certificate was recorded by order of the selectmen of Dartmouth by me, BARTHOLEMUS TABER, Town Clerk."

The non-combative spirit of the majority of the inhabitants is shown in their neglect to obey the law requiring each town to have on hand a stock of powder and bullets. In a warrant issued by the selectmen February 5, 1756, it is stated :

" Whereas by Law the Selectmen are obliged to Procure a Town Stock of Powder and Bullets and we have been sent to by the Commission Officers of the Ridgment and we daily expect to be fined unless we speedily Procure one ; now for the town at said meeting to Pass a vote that the selectmen shall Draw money out of the Town Treasury for to Procure a town stock according to law."

At a town meeting held February 17 the voters heeded the warn- ing and passed the order. In reference to this ammunition the follow- ing receipt is recorded :

" Dartmouth June ye 18, 1756.

" Then received of ye selectmen of ye town of Dartmonth one barrel and three quar- ters of gunpowder and five hundred two quarters and three pounds of lead it being ye stock ye selectmen procurred for ye town above sd and I promise to deliver out ye sd powder and lead again to ye selectmen as they shall order and to their successors in sd office.

" WILLIAM WOOD, Selectmen of BENJAMIN AKIN. Dartmonth."

JIREH SWIFT.

HISTORY OF NEW BEDFORD.

In 1758 the township was compelled to furnish its quota of soldiers as follows :

" Return of the Men inlisted or impressed in Dartmouth for His Majesty's Service, within the Province of the Massachusetts Bay in the Regiment, whereof Ezra Rich- mond by-is Col., to be put under the immediate Command cf His Excellency. Jeffry Amherst, Esq., Commander-in-Chief of His Majesty's Forces, in North America, -for the Invasion of Canada. Samuel Tripp, age 24; James Salter, 17; George Hack, 30; Corn's Spooner, 26; George Jenne, 24; Josiah Warren, 17; Zernal (?) Haskell, 34 ; Nathaniel Haskell, 27; Thomas Wilwoks (?) 17; Gideon Sherman, 16; Joseph Caswell, 19; James Jones (Indian) 23.

"P. S. These men marched to Lake George, 1758.

" A Muster Roll of the Company from Dartmouth in His Majesty's Service, Under the Command of Baeachiah Basset, Capt. 1760 : Samuel Trip, Joseph Caswell, Josiah Drew, George Hack, Jehazael Jenny, James Jones, Gideon Sherman, Thomas Willcoks, (all served seven months).

" A Muster Roll of the Company of Foot in His Majesty's Service Under Command of Capt. James Andross, in a Regiment raised in Dartmouth by the Province of the Mass. Bay, for the Reduction of CANADA; whereof Thomas Dotty, Esq., Colonel. Privates, John Rouse, James Spooner, William Willcocks, Aholiah Washburn, Phillip Washburn, Isaac Wickom, John Peagon.

" 1760-Stephen Bennett Inlisted Mch. 10, Age 22; Benjamin Brownell Inlisted Mch. 20, Age 27; Gideon Bennit, Inlisted Mch. 17, Age 18; John Tucker, Born at Dartmouth. Residence at Boston."

In this connection the following further extracts from the military records bear an especial interest for this locality :

" Pay Roll of the Company in His Majesty's Service, Under the Command of Capt. Josiah Dunbar, Esq., 1763: John Tobey, (Father's nanie Timothy) served from Mch. 20 to Nov. 19, Silvanus Tobey, Bazeliel Washburn, Thomas Washburn, Richard Charles Waist (Probably Waistcoat, as I find that name on the Roll), served from Mch. 24th to Nov. 19th as Privates; George Hack, served from Mch. 22 to Nov. 19.

" List of Officers Commanded for the 2d Regiment of the Militia. First Company in Dartmouth, in the County of Bristol, July, 1771 : Capt. Elnathan Tobey, First Lieut. Samuel Pope, Second Lieut. Elnathan Sampson, Ensign Chillingsworth Foster (since made a Lieutenant).

" List of Officers Commanded for the Second Regiment of Militia in the County of Bristol, Zacclieus Tobey, Ist Major, 1762.

"First Company in Dartmouth, Capt. Ebe'r Aken, Lieut. Jona. Winslow, Ensign, Elnan. Tobey.

"Second Company in Dartmouth-Capt. Job Almy, Lieut. James Wilkey, Ensign, Joshua Richmond, Ensign, Jerh. Gifford.

"Third Company in Dartmouth-Capt. Ezek. Cornell, Lieut. William Hix, Ensign, Samuel Brownell, Lieut. Benj. Davall.

A QUAINT RECORD.

" Fourth Company in Dartmouth -- Capt. Benjamin Sherman, Lieut. Thomas Dennes, Ensign, John Babcock.

" Fifth Company in Dartmouth-Capt. Hezh. Winslow, Lieut. Benj. Terrey, Ensign, James Clark."

In 1760 James Smith was granted the privilege of living in the work- house for two years for $5 per annum. This sum he was to expend in repairs on the house, and he was empowered to " take care of all the poor and idle persons that shall be sent to him to keep them to labor."

A quaint law was in operation that made it necessary that the select- men should be apprised of each new inmate of every man's house or the acquisition of a new member in his family. The following is a copy of a notice in the town records :

"To Humphrey Smith, Walter Spooner, and Ezekell Cornell the present selectmen of ye town of Dartmouth Greeting :

" This is to notify you as the law directs that I have taken in my house a young woman to dwell in said town named Elizabeth Baggs, daughter of John Baggs, of New- port in the Colony of Rhode Island, &c., she came to reside with me this day. Given under my hand this 30th of the six month called June 1762. pr.

". WILLIAM ANTHONY.

" Received the above July ye 14th, 1762. Humprey Smith, one of the selectmen of Dartmouth."

The events chronicled in this chapter span a century of time, and compose quite all of any importance or interest on record that relate to the early history of the township. It should be borne in mind that the inhabitants of Dartmouth were not attracted thither because of its fertile soil, and yet agriculture was their principal employment. Many had located their homes on this, the border line of Plymouth Colony and far away from the then centers of civilization, that they might be free from religious persecution. The growth of the township was necessarily slow ; and it is only during the closing decades of the century that any record is made that refers to industrial or maritime affairs.

HISTORY OF NEW BEDFORD.

CHAPTER IV.

BEDFORD VILLAGE.

Founding of Bedford Village - Joseph Russell's Purchase - John Loudon's Settle- ment - Benjamin Taber - Other Early Residents - Beginning of the Whale Fishery -- The Rotch Family -- Extracts from Early Dartmouth Records.

H AVING in the preceding chapter given the details of early times in the old town of Dartmouth and its vicinity, and of the strange and often trying experiences of the pioneers, let us now follow the founding and settlement of Bedford village. Joseph Rotch, an enter- prising merchant from Nantucket, moved here in 1765 and established himself in the whaling business. His first intention was to settle on the Fairhaven side of the Acushnet River; but not being able to se- cure satisfactory shore privileges, he made land purchases on the west- ern slope. He purchased of Joseph Russell ten acres of land 1 in one lot, besides other smaller tracts in various parts of the town. As the territory had been held in the Russell family, and as this was the family name of the Duke of Bedford, Mr. Rotch made use of the name and Bedford village came into existence. Mr. Rotch found an infant settle- · ment established, composed of a few industrious merchants and artisans.

In 1760 John Loudon had purchased the first land sold from the homestead farm of the Russells, an acre of ground just south of the four corners (the intersection of the present Union and Water streets), on which he built a house in 1761. He was a caulker by trade, and his intention was to carry on ship-building. The shore line of the land was eligible for this purpose, the tide then flowing as far west as the present South Water street. At one time Loudon kept a tavern. His house was burned by the British, September 5, 1778.

In the spring of the same year (1761), Benjamin Taber purchased land to the north of the site of Snell's bakery and erected a structure for boat-building and block-making. He built the first whaleboat in

1 For deed see page 74, " Centennial of New Bedford."

Morgan Botch

STILES'S MAP.

the village. His home was in the house still standing on the north side of Union street, the first one below North Water. This house was built by Gideon Mosher, a mechanic, and was purchased of him by Benjamin Taber in 1765. This, and other adjoining property, is still held by the Taber family, and the buildings are used in the art business of Charles Taber & Co.

John Allen, a house carpenter, was another early resident, and in 1761 built a house on the south side of Union street below South Wa- ter, in those days called Prospect street. This house he afterward sold to Barzillai Myrick, a ship carpenter.

In 1762 Elnathan Sampson, a blacksmith from Wareham, purchased a lot of land south of that owned by John Loudon, and north and east of " land left for ways or streets." These ways or streets are to- day known as Union and Water streets. Along the county road (now County street) were the farm houses of Joseph Russell, Caleb Russell, Ephraim Kempton and Samuel Willis, while on the river front was a single wharf and a try-house.

In 1762 Rev. Ezra Stiles, of Newport, visited this locality. Among his papers and documents, now in possession of Yale University, is a sketch or map made by him of this territory and river. The drawing is crude and incorrect in a few particulars, but it serves to lift the veil from the past, and gives a glimpse of the place as it appeared more than a century ago. From this map it is easy to understand that the western shore of the Acushnet River was a broad domain of forest and meadow, and that the scattered houses of the few inhabitants made no percepti- ble break in the primeval scene. On the eastern shore is a small clus- ter of houses at Oxford village, and another near the corner of Bridge and Main streets. Between this and the " point of rocks," known to the present generation as Fort Phoenix, there is one solitary house marked on the map as that of Mr. Allen. A " fort in ruins" is located about where is now the beacon, but no fort is indicated on the extreme point where now stands Fort Phoenix. It is, therefore, a fair conclusion that this structure was a creation of the American Revolution.

The whale fishery was at this period in its infancy, a few small vessels being employed as early as 1751. Joseph Russell, the founder of Bed- ford village, was the pioneer in this industry, which became an impor-

HISTORY OF NEW BEDFORD.

tant factor in the growth and development of the place. The voyages of these craft of forty or sixty tons were made on the Atlantic coast, and were from six weeks to two months in duration. The operations of this business were necessarily limited by want of capital and experience.

ACUSHNET

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Mattapsife 4m fr 80

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Btoc 2m

B Co 2 3/4 ML

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12 for 20 dias Townthing.

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From a sketch made in June, 1762, by Rev. Ezra Stiles, of Newport, R. 1 .. and preserved among his papers in Yale College Library.

Such was the primitive condition of the settlement when Joseph Rotch made his permanent residence here in 1765. Under the mighty impetus given by this energetic business man, with his abundant means

Tratt

Verdi gol nofurther

ENTERPRISE OF JOSEFH ROTCH.

and skillful methods, the wheels of industry began to move. Houses and shops multiplied, highways were opened, wharves were built, the population increased, and the river front became the center of an active business. Ship-building was vigorously prosecuted, one after another vessel was launched, and soon a goodly fleet was engaged in the fishery on the coast, returning with good cargoes that found a ready market. Other ships were engaged in the merchant service, sailing over every ocean and bringing home the products of other countries in exchange for those of our own.1 Under a grove of button wood trees that stood by the river bank, near the spot where now is Hazard's wharf, the keel of the first ship was laid. This vessel, built and owned by Francis Rotch, the son of Joseph, was named the Dartmouth and placed in the merchant service. It was not only famous as being the first ves- sel built on these shores, but it was distinguished in the American Rev- olution as one of the fleet of tea ships that were boarded by the "Tea Party" in Boston harbor on a certain evening of December, 1773. Other famous ships were the Bedford and the Rebecca, which were among the first built here.

Joseph Rotch was born in Salisbury, England, in 1704, and with his three sons, William,2 Joseph and Francis, removed from Nantucket in 1765. His residence was located on the west side of what is now Water street, just south of William. It was burned by the British during the invasion in 1778. (See sketch of the Rotch family in later pages of this work.)

1 At this time, and even as late as 1815, the tide flowed close up to Water street, at the foot of Elm ; southward the shore took an easterly hend, and then swept southwesterly to the very head of wbat now is Commercial street, on Water.

2 William Rotch, sr., who came to New Bedford in 1795, is thus described by his grand-daughter, Mrs. John Farrar, in her charming book, published in 1866, " Recollections of Seventy Years :"

" William Rotch was a very handsome man, tall and erect, dressed in a whole suit of light drab broadcloth, with knee breeches, shoes and buckles. His head was a little bald, with flowing white locks, while still in the prime of life. His appearance commanded respect, and his manners were as polite as Quaker sincerity would permit. My earliest recollections date back to the time when my parents and grand-parents resided in Dunkirk, France, during the latter part of the reign of

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History of New Bedford and its vicinity, 1620-1892, Part 5

Author: Ellis, Leonard Bolles Publication date: 1892 Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y., Mason Number of Pages: 1170

Author: Ellis, Leonard Bolles
Publication date: 1892
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y., Mason
Number of Pages: 1170