USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Newbury > History of Newbury, Mass., 1635-1902 > Part 35
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At a meeting of the inhabitants of Newbury held March 12, 1750-1, a petition relating to the alteration and relocation of several highways and landing-places was opposed by a committee of the proprietors, who claimed that the said ways and landing-places were the property of the proprietors, and had never been conveyed to the town .*
Boardman street, now within the limits of the city of New- buryport, was laid out "from ye Country Road [now High street] Down to the two rod way by Merrimack river " as stated in the following letter from Mr. Offin Boardman : -
* Town of Newbury Records.
430
HISTORY OF NEWBURY
To the inhabitants of the town of Newbury, Gentlemen : ---
As I have laid open a high way through my land from ye Country Road Down to the two rod way by Merrimack river I hereby Give that way to the Town for their use as a town way & Desire they would ac- cept it. The way is one Rod & three Quarters in Breadth
Newbury March 12, 1754. OFFIN BOARDMAN .*
The above way was accepted at our annual meeting held March ye 12, 1754 & ordered to be recorded & called by the name of Boardman's lane.ț
March 9, 1774-5, a way was laid out through the land of Joseph Pilsbury and George Burroughs to the land of John . Poore, " which way opens into a highway leading to Newbury- port."
April 7, 1783 voted to accept the road or highway leading from Joseph Pilsburys to a Barn that belongs to the heirs of John Poor as exhibited on the plan upon the following page.t
From the plan made and recorded at that date, it appears that this way extended from the foot of Pilsbury's lane, now Ashland street, Newburyport, to the barn, owned by the heirs of John Poor, then standing between the foot of Poor's lane, now Woodland street, Newburyport, and the way lead- ing to Merrimack river, now known as Merrimack court, Newburyport. It was laid out four rods wide in answer to the petition of Josiah Little, John Atkinson, Jacob Merrill, Joshua Little, Joshua Ordway, Samuel Moody, George Burroughs, and others, and now forms a part of Merrimack street which extends from Market square to the Essex Mer- rimack bridge, Newburyport. The last and longest section of this street or way, extending from the foot of Ashland street to the bridge, was laid out and graded in compliance with an order adopted by the inhabitants of Newbury at a meeting held December 13, 1802.
*Town of Newbury (Highway) Records. t Town of Newbury Records.
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1
CHAPTER IX.
FERRIES.
As early as 1643, John Russe had charge of the ferry, established and maintained for more than a century at or near the place where the Parker River bridge now stands. He was living in Newbury in 1637,* and his name appears in the list of freeholders who were entitled to share in the common and undivided lands belonging to the town on the seventh day of December, 1642.f Two years later he presented the following petition : --
To the honored Courte now assembled at Boston.
The humble peticon of John Russe ferryman of Newbury, Humbly Sheweth :
That for upwards of two years in obedience to an order of ye generall Courte he has transported several members of ye generall Courte with their horses, as some of ye honored magistrats going to the Courte at Dover & severall Deputies of Hampton, Strawberry bank, Dover & Salisbury, whch comes to fourteen shillings whch yr poor peticoner humbly desires, by some order from this Courte to ye treas- urer, he may be satisfied and whch will encourage yr peticoner to all farther readines to serve you & pray for yr prosperity & remain at yr service.
JOHN RUSSE.#
May 14, 1645, the General Court passed the following order : -
In answr to John Russe his peticon for 14s for fferrage for ys magistrs & deputs to Dover & Boston itts granted yt ye Treasurer shall pay it to ye said John Russe & call for ye one halfe thereof againe from ye inhabitants of Dover.§
The next year, however, the law regulating the transporta- tion of passengers was modified ; and all ferrymen within the
* Proprietors' Records, vol. i., p. 35. Edward Woodman and John Russe testified in regard to the sale of a house lot March 12, 1637.
t Ante, p. 84. # Massachusetts Archives, vol. xlviii., leaf 6.
§ Massachusetts Colony Records, vol. iii., p. 15.
431
432
HISTORY OF NEWBURY
limits of the colony were required to take deputies on their way to and from the General Court, with all necessary attendants, including horses, etc., free of charge .*
-John Russe, soon after the enactment of this law, removed to Andover, where he died in 1692. Samuel Plummer probably succeeded him in the management of the ferry. October 17, 1649, the General Court granted "the petition of Samu : Plum', ferryman of Newbury, for to ha' 2ª p passing', for their transportation." } May 18, 1664, Samuel Plummer was granted liberty " to take one penny more than formerly for the passage of each person & each beast that he shall trans- port over that ferry," in order to compensate him for the loss of travel occasioned by the building of Thorlay's bridge over Parker river.#
When soldiers were needed, during King Philip's war, for the expedition against the Indian fort at Narragansett, many Newbury men were pressed into the service; but the General Court, October 17, 1676, " In ans' to the peticon of Samuel Plumer ferryman at Newbury ... ordered that himself & his son Ephraim be freed from the press" ; § and in compliance with this order he was allowed to pursue his vocation un- disturbed.
March 13, 1693-4, the town of Newbury "voted yt ye selectmen shall demand ye fferry of Samuel Plumer yt he now keeps for ye use of ye Towne & bring report of what they do in this matter to ye Towne."||
Notwithstanding this peremptory vote, no change was made in the management of the ferry ; but Mr. Plummer was in- structed by the selectmen to provide larger and more sub- stantial boats for the better accommodation of passengers.
The river over which this ferry was maintained for more than fifty years was called by various names until August, 1697, when the selectmen voted
. . . that the river called by the Indians Quasacuncon, and since called by divers names, as Newbury River, Oldtown River, etc. Be from
* Massachusetts Colony Records, vol. ii., p. 154. t Ibid., vol. ii., p. 283. # Ibid., vol. iv., part ii., p. 103. § 1b.d., vol. v., p. 127. Il Town of Newbury Records.
433
FERRIES
this time called by the name of the River Parker in remembrance of the worhty, learned & Reverend minister, Mr Thomas Parker, who was a first planter & Pastor of ye church of Newbury & learned School- master .*
August 21, 1700, Samuel Plummer was granted the use and profit of the ferry during his natural life, upon condition that he carry free of ferriage all persons having occasion to use the ferry on public business, including jurymen coming from or going to the court at Ipswich or Salem, and that he provide good boats with good attendants for the accommodation of the public .¡
Mr. Plummer died in 1702; and on the sixteenth day of September of that year "corp" Richard Jackman proposed to keep ye ferry over Old-Towne River alias ye River Parker." t
-
March 9, 1703 voted to let the ferry over the river Parker for four years at four pounds a year to corporal Richard Jackman who is to carry all the court officers, going and returning from court, all town officers when employed by the town, and all rams belonging to the town, ferry free.t
November 28, 1707, the General Court passed a resolve, "allowing and paying three pounds out of the Province Treasury to Richard Jackman in full for ferrying done for the Province to date." #
March 9, 1707-8, the selectmen were authorized to lease the old town ferry to some suitable person ; and March II, 1711-2, they were ordered to make up the account with Richard Jackman about the ferry over the river Parker and " lease the ferry for the year ensuing on such terms as they think best." t
March 9, 1713-14 It was voated that Capt Thomas Hale & Daniel Thirston, Jonathan poore & Jonathan Plummer & their families shall be carried over ye river parker ferriedge free on Sabath days, lecter days & training days.t
May 1I, 1714, the town voted to lease the ferry over Parker river for three years to William Dole, on condition that he carry the inhabitants of the town of Newbury and
* Records of the Selectmen of Newbury.
# Province Laws, vol. viii., p. 252.
t Town of Newbury Records.
434
HISTORY OF NEWBURY
their horses free, and give a bond to keep and tend the ferry as the law directs, "the said Dole or his heirs to have the refusal of the ferry after the expiration of his lease provided he pay as much as any one else." *
March 12, 1716-7, William Dole was granted liberty to keep the ferry over the river Parker, "provided he pay five pounds per year for the same and carry ferry free the inhabi- tants of Newbury residing on the neck."
September 18, 1722, the inhabitants of Newbury voted to grant Richard Dole the ferry for three years at six pounds per year, " he to carry the neck men ferry free"; and Septem- ber 21, 1725, he was granted liberty to keep the ferry three years longer on substantially the same terms .*
May 19, 1729, Benjamin Plummer agreed to pay the select- men of Newbury forty shillings for the use of the Parker river ferry for one year from that date .*
In 1734, the town of Newbury gave its consent to the erection of a bridge over the river, at or near the place where this ferry was kept, upon certain specified conditions; but it was found impossible to raise the money necessary to defray the cost of the proposed structure, and the plan was tempo- rarily abandoned. The ferry was not discontinued until 1758, when the bridge was built, under the supervision of Mr. Ralph Cross, with funds raised by a lottery authorized by the General Court.t
FERRY AT CARR'S ISLAND.
Communication with Colchester (Salisbury), Winnacunnett (Hampton), Piscataqua (Portsmouth), and other settlements farther to the eastward was maintained by means of a ferry from Newbury over the Merrimack river, through the narrow passage between Carr's island and Ram island, to the Salis- bury shore. This ferry was probably conducted as a private enterprise for several years before it was legally established by the General Court. The following order was adopted May 13, 1640 :-
* Town of Newbury Records.
t " Ould Newbury," pp. 530-532.
435
FERRIES
Mr. Edward Woodman, Mr Christo : Batt, & John Crosse are ap- pointed (when the way is settled) to settle the fferry where they thinke meete .*
July 3, 1640, the freemen of Salisbury granted George Carr " the Island where he now dwells ... it being the greatest Island wthin the Towne bounds in the river Merrimack." In the note-book of Thomas Lechford, a prominent lawyer in Boston at that date, is the following memorandum : -
George Carre of Salisbury in N. E. Shipwright, releaseth Thomas [coccrey] his apprentice of the remaining time of his service &c.
Thomas [coccrey] is to be bound unto G. C. in 40{ condiconed that T. C. shall not intermedle in the ferry on Merrimacke river wthout the consent of G. C. &c.t
This memorandum indicates that George Carr had charge of the ferry over Merrimack river at that time, and had taken legal advice in regard to the best method of restraining an active competitor in the business. The date is uncertain ; but it must have been previous to August 3, 1641, when Lech- ford, having become dissatisfied with the condition of affairs in Boston, sold his books and household effects, and sailed for England.
George Carr was evidently appointed ferryman early in the year 1641.
At a court holden at Ipswich the 28th of [the first? ] month [March ? ] 1641.
Geo. Carr is appointed to keep the Ferry at Salisbury at the Island where he now dwelleth for the space of three years, p'vided that he finde a sufficient horse boat and gives diligent attendance. The ferries are as followeth.
viz: For a man present pay 2d Calves & yearlings each 2d
For a horse 6d Goats each Id
For great cattle each 6d hogs each 2d
If present pay be not made that he must book any ferries then a penny apiece more. If any be found to swim over their Horses for want of a great boat they shall pay nothing.#
*Massachusetts Colony Records, vol. i. p. 292. The first person named on this committee was from Newbury, the second from Salisbury, and the third from Hampton.
t Lechford's Note Book, p. 393. # Ipswich Town Records, vol. i.
436
HISTORY OF NEWBURY
Among the presentments made to the grand jury at the court held in Ipswich, 1641, is the following
Item, We present George Carr for not keeping the ferry but suffer. ing people to stand wayting at the water side three houres to the prejudice of their health and for taking 4d a head for cattell swyming over the ferry, he not affording them his help. Jo: Sanders, Grand jury man, witness .*
At the Court holden at Ipswich 29th day of the first month 1642.
George Carr, presented last Court for defect in keeping the ferry at Salisbury is fined Vs .*
On the nineteenth day of April, 1641, the town of Hampton, then under the jurisdiction of the Colony of Massachusetts Bay, appointed Christopher Hussey and John Moulton " to goe wth Mr. Dalton & John Crosse on this day fortnight to confer of ye fferie place."¡
At the Quarterly Court held at Salem, January 11, 1641-2, "George Carr of Salisbury " brought a suit against William Harper for interfering with the ferry. The suit was decided in favor of the plaintiff : -
His servant to pay according to agreement ros for defalt of his ser- vice & Losse of his tyme & Ios costs & to be restrained from ffollowing ye fferry as his calling & that the Indentures be made according to ye custom of ould England.#
September 24, 1644, George Carr was “ appointed to keepe ye ferrie att Salisbury att the Iland where hee now dwelleth for ye space of three years" § This appointment probably gave him control of the ferry on both sides of the Merrimack river. May 26, 1647, the General Court authorized Tristram Coffin to keep the ferry on the Newbury side, and George Carr was granted " liberty to keepe his boate going on Sals- bury side."
This arrangement was not satisfactory to Mr. Carr ; and two years later, in order to secure exclusive control of the ferry, he offered to build a floating bridge to connect the island where he resided with the Salisbury shore. April 9, 1650, the " Courte at Salisbury " settled and disposed of "ye whole
* Ipswich Town Records, vol. i. t History of Hampton (Dow), vol. i., p. 26.
# Court Files (Salem), vol. ii., p. 100. § Massachusetts Archives, vol. cxxi., p. I.
437
FERRIES
ferry on both sides ye River to ye sd George Carr, his heirs & assigns from such time as ye said Bridge shall be Built & Finished & so long as it is sufficiently maintained & repaired & no longer."
The bridge was not completed until June, 1655. Mean- while the inhabitants of Newbury, at a meeting held March 21, 1652-3, ordered
. . . that the ferry over Merrimack should be kept in the old place thru the Gutt and that the way for driving Cattell should suddenly be layd out and that Mr Coffin should still continue fferry man conditionally he keep sufficient men & Boates and to carry the passengers of our Towne for two pence a person out and two pence Back and four pence a beast, and he shall have it so long as the Towne shall see cause .*
At a meeting of the Townsmen (December 27, 1653) It was agreed & ordered that Samuel Poor should keep the fferry over Merrimack dur- ing the time he doth carefully & faithfully attend it and Keep sufficient Boates provided that the Inhabitants of the Towne shall pass over for half ferriage & that he keep the fferry thru' the Gutt when it may be, if not, yet to use all means possible to convey passengers over .*
In 1641, when George Carr was first appointed ferryman, travellers on their way to Salisbury, Hampton, Portsmouth, and Dover followed the country road, from Parker river to Poore's, afterward Moody's, lane, now Woodland street, New- buryport, and thence through what is now Merrimack court, to a point of rocks, subsequently known as Moggaridge's point, where they found boatmen to convey them through the narrow channel, between Carr's island and' Ram island, to the Salisbury shore.
When the floating bridge was completed, connecting Carr's island with Salisbury, Hon. Samuel Symonds, one of the judges of the county court, announced that "the ferry on either side doth of right henceforth belong unto him [George Carr], and, therefore, the other ferryman is hereby required to cease his ferriage usually unless he be employed by the said George Carr and for his use." t
A new way, now known as Jefferson street, leading from the country road, now High street, Newburyport, to the ferry landing opposite Carr's island, was laid out soon after the
* Proprietors' Book, vol. i., p. 5. t "Ould Newbury," p. 61.
SALISBURY.
RAM ISLAND.
ISLAND.
CARR'S
of
Rout
Route of Ferry, UUuu
RIVER.
MERRIMACK
Richard Kent. to the River.
( Now Merrimack Ct. )
(75 norwayer MON)
Way to the Ferry.
Richard Kent.
Street, 1652. Poor's Lane, 1707.
( Now Woodland St. )
John Cutting.
Country
Road.
To Parker River. 2
( New High St.)
FERRY ROUTES, CARR'S ISLAND, 1641. 1655.
NEWBURY.
*
439
FERRIES
bridge was built in 1655. This highway was taken in part from the farm owned by Lionel Worth, " formerly granted by the town of Newbury unto M' Edward Rawson."
February 10, 1654-5, there was granted lyonel Worth, in considera- tion of his resigning to the Towne five acres of land for a High way to Salisbury ferry by his house where he now dwelleth wch land he formerly purchased of Mr Coffin, next to Mr Rawson's land ... eight acres of upland beyond the new Towne .*
AMESBURY FERRY.
The plantation on the northerly side of the Merrimack river, first called Colchester and afterwards Salisbury, was settled in 1639. It covered a large extent of territory, and included land on both sides of the Powow river. The first settlers located on the easterly side of that river ; but, previous to 1654, a few families had removed to the westerly side, and made preparations to organize a new town there. Early in the year 1668 an effort was made to establish a ferry over the Merrimack river, to connect the new settlement with the town of Newbury.
May 27, 1668. In ansr to the petition of the inhabitants of Salis- bury, new towne, humbly desiring the favor of this Court that their towne may be named Emesbury, the Court grants their request.
In a further answer to their request to have liberty granted them to keepe a ferry ouer Merremack Riuer, about Mr Goodwin's house, the Court judgeth it meet to grant that there shall be a ferry kept as is desired & leaue it to the next Court of that county to appoint both the person that is to keepe it & also to appoint the price.t
The County Court held at Hampton ye 13th of ye 8th mo 1668, Mr Edward Goodwin being presented by ye Selectmen of ye town of Ames- bury to ye Court to keep ye ferry over Merrimack river above ye mouth of ye Powous river where ye sd Goodwin now dwelleth this Court do allow & approve of ye sd person for one year next following and until ye Court shall take further orders there in and for ye prices to be as followeth so for every single passenger two pence, for a horse and man six pence, and for all great cattle four pence per head & for sheep and other small cattle under two years old two pence pr head.#
* Town of Newbury (Proprietors' Records), vol. i., p. 60. For a more extended account of the ferry at Carr's island see " Ould Newbury," pp. 55-80.
t Massachusetts Colony Records, vol. iv., part ii., p. 376.
# History of Amesbury (Merrill), p. 92.
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440
HISTORY OF NEWBURY
A few days later, George Carr appealed to the General Court to abolish, or place under his care and control, the new ferry that had been established without his knowledge or consent.
November 7, 1668 In ansr to the peticon of George Carr the Court on pervsell of the same together wth severall court orders referring
4
AMESBURY FERRY LANDING PLACE, NEWBURY SIDE. OPPOSITE POWOW RIVER.
thereunto & also such allegations as the peticoner presents of what charges he hath been at in erecting of a bridge : Vnderstanding, also, that the sajd peticoner hath convenient accommodation of land at or neere the place where the new ferry is to be kept, the Court judgeth it meete to advise the Court of that County, to whom it was referred, that, in regard it is not disposed of for longer than one yeare, that the sajd fferry may be vpon the sajd Carr, he keeping of it vpon as equal termes as any other will doe .*
* Massachusetts Colony Records, vol. iv., part ii., p. 413.
441
FERRIES
December 21, 1668, the selectmen of Newbury laid out a way to this ferry, beginning at the landing-place on the Mer- rimack river, and running southeasterly through land of Christopher Bartlett and others to the Bradford road .*
In the month of May, 1669, George Carr again petitioned the General Court to grant him exclusive control of the ferries over the Merrimack river. The deputies and magis- trates, after careful investigation, adopted the following order : --- .
In ansr to the petition of George Carr, the Court, having heard his allegations & pervsed seuerall Court orders referring to the case, doe declare that the peticoner ought to haue his couenant made good accord- ing to the order of Salisbury Court, 9mo, 1650, to haue the whole dis- pose of the said ferry on both sides of the river there being no Com- plaint of deficiency of the bridge or of Carrs attendance by boat or otherwise but, contrary wise, desires from from seuerall selectmen of the Continuance thereof in his hands & therefore can see no ground to allow of the setting vp of another fferry there, but judge liberty may be granted to sett a ferry or ferryes in other places on that riuer vsefull for the country, the said George Carr having the refusall of keeping the fferry at or about Powwaws Riuer, he keeping & attending on it for the ease of the country & on the same termes that it was granted to him that now keeps it, by order of the County Court at Hampton or Salis- bury, liberty of magistrates & deputies to passe free, as it was by law settled before the agreement the sajd carr made about the sajd fferry, which he excepted not then against.t
In compliance with this order of the General Court, the ferry was placed under the care of George Carr. He re- tained possession of it until his death, April 4, 1682. It was afterwards kept and maintained by his heirs until Feb- ruary 8, 1695-6. At that date, Richard Carr sold to Capt. John March, of Newbury, "The Ferry commonly known by ye name of Almesbury ferry together with all ye privileges to ye same belonging which sd Ferry was by ye Town of Almes- bury Granted to my Honoured Father, Mr. George Carr, late of Salisbury, deceased, and confirmed by ye General Court, allsoe ye ferry boates, allsoe a freehold commonage or common right in ye Township of Almesbury, as my said Father, Mr
* "Ould Newbury," p. 394.
t Massachusetts Colony Records, vol. iv., part ii., p. 429.
442
HISTORY OF NEWBURY
George Carr, was a free Commoner in sd Towne as ye Towne Booke will make appeer." *
At the Court of General Sessions held at Newbury Septem- ber 25, 1711, " Richard Goodwin of Almsbury was licensed to keep a ferry over Merrimack river nigh ye mouth of Powow river to continue two years." +
At the court held September 27, 1715, Capt. Humphrey Hook was licensed to keep the ferry for five years .; He was a son-in-law of Capt. John March, and served as ferryman until his death in 1754. During his life, and for many years after his death, the ferry was called " Hook's ferry."
May 19, 1766, the town of Amesbury objected to the granting of certain privileges to the ferryman, and appointed a committee to inquire into the town's right to the ferry.# On the thirtieth day of September following, at the Court of General Sessions held at Newburyport, Humphrey Currier, grandson of Humphrey Hook, was licensed to keep the ferry.§ Two months later, a committee was chosen in the town of Amesbury "to recover the town's right in the Ferry and prosecute the same in law." || After a prolonged legal con- troversy the suit was withdrawn ; and Mr. Currier and other members of his family remained in charge of the ferry until 1792, when the Essex Merrimack bridge was built, and the ferry was discontinued.
MARCH'S FERRY.
January 21, 1679-80, Hugh March, for many years an inn- keeper in Newbury, conveyed all his real estate and personal property to his son, John March, who was subsequently li- censed to keep an ordinary at the place known as the Blue Anchor Tavern. [ Two or three years later, owing to some disagreement with his father, John March removed to a house then standing near the lower end of Greenleaf's lane, now
* Essex Deeds, Ipswich Series, book ii., leaf 160. + Court Records (Salem), 1696-1718.
# Town of Amesbury Records, vol. i., p. 341.
§ Court of General Sessions Records, 1764-1777, P. 107.
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