History of Norfolk County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 134

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1534

USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > History of Norfolk County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 134

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I did see King Philip seal the deed in ye presents of divers Endens (Indians), who, he said, ware of his council."

2. " An Indian, called Joseph, aged 46 years or more (Wrentham, March, 1687), who testifie that when I was a young man I did live at Wollomonopogue, and was one of Philip's men. And I know that Philip, our Sachem, his hunt- ing land was from Mashapogue pond, & so along to a hill, called by ye English Noon hill, & so to ye grat River, called by ye English Charles River, & so up yt River to a River att Sichso- pogue, and up to Sanetcheconet and ye land belonging to Wol- lomonopog, all ys lands I know was Philip's, and that he sold it to Dedham men. I was at Wollomonopoag when Dedham men bargained for it, and farther, when I was a boy, my grand- father lived at Pabeluttock, and payed tribute to Philip."

3. "Sampson, an Indian, aged 55 years, and Deask, aged 40 years (Bristol, March, 1687), testifie and saith that we, having had some knowledge of the bounds of the lands which some- time did belong to Philip Sagamore, and it was always accounted that in the north or norwest part, his bounds went from Masha- pogue pond, and so to Wawwatabscutt, and yn (then) Pabanut- tuck, and to Bappatocket, & yn to Nihoquicag, and from thens straight away to Pontucket River, and that these places was Philip's propriate, being his outmost bounds that way, and further saith, that ye Indians yt dwelt ther did pay tribute to Philip. When they killed a bare they brought it to Philip.

"Roben, a Tanton Endian, & his squay testifie the same. John Doggett testifie that Nihaquiag was in Philip's bounds."

4. "The testimony of an Indian called Labcock, aged 86 years (Decem. 24, 1686), who saith he knew all the lands here described to be aforetime Wassomeakin's (Massasoit), and after Philip, his son's. The bounds Eastward was at Mashapogue pond, and so from ye middle of that pond Northward over a high hill, and straight along to another great hill into Medfield ward, a hill called by the English Noon hill, and from that hill straight along to ye great River, called by ye English Charles River, and up yt River, to a pond and a little hill, which was by the Indians called Pabaluttock, wher was of old a hill field ; and further, his land was to Seanchapogue River, & so bake again southward to Senecheconet, and all yt land called Wollo- monopogue. I say I know all this land was, after Wassamakin's death, Philip's land, and that all Indians that lived ther when Philip was alive called him Sachem and payd tribut to him ; and further, I hard Philip say that he had sold thos lands to Massa- chusetts men, and had no more to doe ther, and I did see Philip's men when they brought the pay to Philip.

5. "John Daggett, of Rehoboth, aged 64 years (Wrentham, March, 1687), testifie, that in former times, as I had frequent convers with the Indians upon Ocasion I was att a great meet- ing of ye Indians, or an Indian dance, where yr (there) was present Ansemakin, Sagamore of Mount hope, and Philip, his son, who was afterwards Sagamore, and a great number of In- dians, and I did then understand that there was a bussell or controversie amongst ym, and many large words about ye Right of land, and after long debate the conclusion was, that from Pontuequet River and so northward by a small river near Sanchapogue, at least eight or ten miles, and yn (then) about Eastward, and so to Mashapogue pond, was and should be An- semakin's land. Ys (this) meeting was, as nere as I can re- member, upwards of 30 or nere 40 years since, and was on the land in controversie."

Land Titles .- In 1688 all grants of land were to be in fee simple. This year the salary of Mr. Man was to be forty pounds, one-fourth in money, one- fourth in English grain, and the other half in coun-

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try payment. Ten persons agreed to pay certain sums towards the salary, twenty-six requested to be taxed their proportional parts. It would seem, there- fore, that there were thirty-six taxpayers living here at this time. Of these, Ensign Blake was the wealthiest.

Public officers made moderate charges for their ser- vices in 1688. Lieut. Fisher, for going to Mendon two days and to Dedham and Boston five days, charged twelve shillings. John Ware, for going to Swanze, Brestol, and Tanton five days, to Dedham and Boston four days, eighteen shillings.

In the assessment in December, 1688, for paying the expenses of clearing the Indian title, which was to be borne by proprietors as well as inhabitants, but few names except those of inhabitants appear. Mr. Man's policy that non-resident proprietors should sell out their interest in the lands here had prevailed. The tax also was for a black staff, for wine and ale measures, scales and beam, and for some finishing of the meeting-house, and other things for which the town is indebted. The black staff was for the consta- ble, whose duty, it was " to carry his black staff in the execution of his office that none may plead igno- rance."

Burial-Ground .- When the proprietors in 1689 laid out to Samuel Dearing the blacksmith the ten acres promised him, "sufficient land for to bury in, | one acre and a half at least, and a leading way to it," was reserved. This was pursuant to the reservation made at the original planting of Wollomonopoag. No more specific statement of the quantity of land re- served for this use has been found. The southeast corner of Dearing's house-lot " touched on the bury- ing-ground." It was no doubt near the site occupied by Mr. Harlow. Although the proprietors appointed a committee to lay out the burying-ground, yet in 1795 no report of such committee could be found, but the yard was found to be included in the lands of Cyrus Guild, and an agreement was then made with Guild as to boundaries, leaving three acres and four rods for burial purposes. The old cemetery has re- cently been enlarged by the annexation of more of the land originally owned by Cyrus Guild. The ancient yard is filled with the dust of generations that have lived and died since Samuel Sheeres first came to Wol- lomonopoag. But

" The rude forefathers of the hamlet sleep"

not altogether in quiet ; modern improvement is re- ported to have driven its plowshare over their ashes.

In the westerly part of the town (now Franklin) one acre was laid out for a burying-place, " bounded

on the way leading from Capt. Robert Pond's along by Eleazer Metcalf's, north on the land of Baruch Pond, eastward by common land on all other parts." Laid out March 28, 1735.

In 1689 the town made provision for the first per- son requiring help as a pauper. The constable was ordered to " convey out of town a woman of late come from Boston to Mr. Blake's, unless she forthwith give bond with sufficient sureties for the securitie of the town."

Richard Puffer agreed to take the above-mentioned pauper for one year, and was to have " three pounds & ten shillings in Country pay, and in case she should larn to spin and card yn (then) yr (there) shall be consideration on yt account of ten or twenty shillings as may be meet."

The meeting-house was still unfinished in 1690. It was then voted that "it should be shingled on or before the 20th of June, 1690, the walls lathed, plastered, and white-limed, two galeries finished, and the windows gleased (glazed)." Watchmen were to walk two together " of a night" from the meeting- house eastward and westward "not exceeding half a mile." The law of 1636 required them to examine all night-walkers after ten o'clock at night, unless they be known peaceable inhabitants; to inquire whither they are going and what their business is, and, if their answers are unsatisfactory, they were to be held securely until the next morning and carried before a magistrate to answer, etc .; and to secure any one after ten o'clock at night behaving " debauched by" or being " in drink." In short, like Dogberry's posse, these worthy officers were

" To comprehend all vagrom men."

And, further, they were " to see all noises stilled and lights put out (except upon necessary occasions) for the prevention of fire as much as may be."

A circumstance illustrative of the spirit of the time happened in the case of Benjamin Force in 1691; Cornelius Fisher, having informed the selectmen that he intended to let Force into his house as a tenant, was ordered to make no contract with him until the selectmen should be satisfied, or that his stay in town should be limited, at least. This order was, however, in strict conformity to the rule adopted by the town, as set forth upon a previous page.

A tax was assessed of thirty-six pounds for Mr. Man's salary, he being entitled to forty pounds, " having reseved order from ye Revt. Mr. Man to make it no more respecting the waight of publique charges."

The next year we find the inhabitants engaged in

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HISTORY OF NORFOLK COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

their ordinary affairs, including the perambulation of the town lines between Wrentham and Dorchester, and Medfield and Wrentham, Dedham and Wren- tham. The young settlement bad now become able to contribute to public charges, and was assessed £135 16s. 4d. as its part of a county tax. This tax- list contained forty-two names, John Blake's having the largest sum set against it, viz., £9 11s. Lieut. Fisher's tax was £6 2s. 9d.

In some discussion concerning a way to Mischo meadow, it was said it would be of great use to other meadows that way, one of which was the meadow at the mine. We get from this statement an idea as to the location of the mine, and infer that it was in the westerly part of the town ; but as to its character, whether it was a gold-, silver-, copper-, lead-, or coal- mine, we are not informed.1

One Dr. James Stuerd (Stewart), with his family, having taken up his residence at the house of Eleazer Gay, an admonition went swiftly from the selectmen to Eleazer that he must be responsible for this bold physician and his family according to the town's orders. It is probable that the forty-two householders, --- an obstinately healthy people-gave poor encour- agement to a medical man, so that the worthy select- men of that day most prudently prevented Dr. Stuerd from becoming an inhabitant unless the required se- curity should be given.

In 1692 some new regulations were made concern- ning the admission of inhabitants. New-comers were required to present themselves to the selectmen and bring with them certificates of their good behavior and honest vocation, and especially of their ability to get a " livelihood." And if strangers failed thus to satisfy the selectmen, or to give sureties, they were to be warned out of town, and in case of their neglect or delay, they were to be " sent out of said town bounds by ye constable."

Thomas Young, having desired to be admitted an inhabitant, the selectmen answer him that as they do not desire to be rash in any proceeding, they will postpone the consideration of his case three weeks, and, if he shall then satisfy them by certificate or otherwise, then to be admitted.

At the annual town-meetings the list of voters was to be read by ten o'clock A.M., and the absentees to be fined.

A town-meeting was called on the 28th of April, 1692, " by sun half an hour high in the morning to

1 The Dedham Records, vol. iii. p. 206, speak of hopes of discovering a copper-mine within the bounds of Wollomono- poag at Harry's ground, on the west side of a brook that runs out of Mischo.

consider the subject of seating the people in the meeting-hous."

The town compensated Deacon Samuel Fisher and Cornelius Fisher, for their services as representatives to the General Court, by the payment of seven pounds and fifteen shillings ; and allowed Samuel Fisher, for his disbursements for " Diat," etc., fifteen shillings for something more than two weeks, his horsekeeping included ; and Cornelius Fisher, for " Diat," drink, and other necessaries, one pound, fifteen shillings, and four pence for about four weeks, including his horse- keeping.

In 1693 the towns of Rehoboth (Attleborough) and Wrentham renewed their bound marks, being oc- cupied three days in the matter, and beginning at Pawtucket River. Afterwards the selectmen were directed " to let out the common meadow on the south side of Dimon Hill nere Rehoboth line till the town otherwais dispose of it." Showing that a part of what is now Cumberland, R. I., was within the limits of Wrentham.

It was now, 1693, voted that the annual town- meetings should hereafter be holden on the first Mon- day of March, and this continued to be the day of those meetings for about one hundred and eighty-five years.

A new corn-mill was established at Jack's Pasture, now the site of the City Mills.

A similar grant of stream, land, and privileges was made to any one who would erect " a good and suf- fitiant corn-mill at Stony Brook."

It was not until the year 1695 that any steps were taken towards the building of a school-house. At this time the voters determined to build a watch- house, which should serve the purpose of a school- house also. It was "to be so bigg as yt yr (that there) may be a room of sixteen foot squar besides convenient room for a chimney." Galleries were to be finished in the meeting-house and the people to be placed therein, and Eleazer Fisher was to sweep it, take care of the cushion, and provide a lock for the door.

People were occasionally warned to leave town, six having been so warned from 1696 to 1699.

Two dividends of land made in 1698 are instruc- tive. The first was of timber land, consisting of only one and one-half acre to each cow-common. Seem- ing to prove a scarcity of timber land. And we also may add that the proprietors at different times made regulations concerning the use of timber, and for pre- venting trespasses and waste thereof. The second dividend was called the great dividend, being seven acres to each cow-common right. A corrected list of

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the commons was prepared in order to this dividend in October, 1697, and it was found that the whole number of cow-commons was five hundred and two (502), and of sheep-commons thirty-one and one-half (31}), and that the number of proprietors was sixty- three (63). In this " divident" fifty-eight lots were drawn-one being the church lot. All but fifteen of the remainder were drawn by inhabitants and by John Thurston, who drew twenty. The non-resident proprietors had at this date become reduced to a small number, and the little community was really becoming independent.

Upon consultation with Mr. Man, the selectmen de. cided that there should be " a contribution on the Lord's day, after the evening exercise, toward defray- ing his salary." The people had been very negligent about paying him. The constables were often behind in their collections, and many " reckonings" were had with them on this account. The towns in New Eng- land were often delinquent in this respect. An an- ecdote of the Rev. Jonathan French is told by Presi- dent Quincy substantially as follows: "The parish were bound to find him in wood ; the winter was coming on, and they had neglected to furnish it. Experience had taught him that a direct complaint would be use- less. He waited therefore until the proclamation for Thanksgiving came, and after reading it to the con- gregation he said, with great apparent simplicity, " My brethren, you perceive that his Excellency has appointed next Thursday as a day of Thanksgiving, and according to custom it is my purpose to prepare two discourses for the occasion, provided I can write them without a fire." The hint took effect, and be- fore twelve o'clock on the succeeding Monday his whole winter's stock of wood was in his door-yard.

A committee was appointed " to take care of the common meadow about Diamon Hill for the town's use." Jurisdiction was taken by Wrentham over this part of Rehoboth (now Cumberland, R. I.). The | January the 3d next insuing, until the next March

names of people born on territory now included within the limits of Cumberland were entered upon the books of the record of births, etc., in Wrentham ; especially was this the case with the name of Ballou.

In the same year (1698) the selectmen, acting for the first time in the name of the overseers of the poor, contracted with Ben Rocket to keep Hannah Kings- bury, a distracted or idiotic person, for one year for £3 10s. in money. In 1701 the number of tax- payers was fifty-four.

A town-meeting was called Dec. 19, 1701, to act upon the subject of establishing a school " as the law direct." The requisite number of householders- fifty-now being settled here, the town was compelled

to have a school kept within its limits. For about forty years the place had been known, and more or ' less inhabited, but nothing had been done in the way of a public school in all that time. But now the obli- gation could no longer be shunned, and the town voted to procure a schoolmaster. But it seems that the good fathers were not successful, for we find the record made that they had approached Mr. Cobbitt with an invitation, but found him engaged for the winter ; and although they had heard of other masters, yet " considering the scarceness of money, etc., it is pro- posed for this winter time that ye Selectmen, and :such others as will join in yt worke with them, doe by themselves or som others in their behalf, take their turns by ye week to keep a school to teach children and youth to read English and wright and cypher (Grates), and in hope that som of " (our) neighbors will joyn with us in yt worke we Intend (God willing) to begin the next Monday."

In 1702 so much progress was made that it was resolved to build a school-house "twenty foot long and sixteen foot broad, to be built and finished by next Michelmas or thereabouts."

In the rate made for paying the cost of this school- house, the selectmen included the names of fifty-eight persons who were assessed. Of these, Daniel Hawes was taxed thirteen shillings and Robert Ware twelve shillings and ten pence, Lieut. Ware eleven shillings twopence, Michael Wilson ten shillings and eight pence, and Eben Gay ten shillings, who are named as showing who paid the largest taxes, and what amounts they were assessed. The assessment for the school- house probably amounted to about fourteen pounds. This first school-house was located near the present site of the bank building ; at least, one stood there in 1738. On the 24th day of December, 1703, the selectmen " did bargain and agree with Theodo" Man in behalf of the town to keep schoole, beginning for the sum of three pounds eight shillings in silver." He was a son of Rev. Samuel Man. In 1704, John Swineborn was employed for thirty shillings and his diet. In 1705, Theodore Man was offered forty shil- | lings per month, and in 1707 the treasurer was directed to pay him four pounds for keeping school two months. John Fale, Jonathan Ware, and Wil- liam Man were also employed to teach, and they, with others, kept the one school in town for some years. The town voted from time to time small sums for repairing this solitary school-house.

In 1717 a three months' school was established, to be kept alternately at the east end of the town one month, the next month at the school-house, the third

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HISTORY OF NORFOLK COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

month at Ebenezer Ware's; and in 1719 four schools grammar school was continued, and the school money were voted at four different quarters of the town. Jabez Wight, of Dedham, was employed to teach a grammar school for one-quarter of a year for ten pounds.

In 1723 a school was provided at Poppoluttuck, and the next year it was voted that the school be kept one-half the time in some convenient place near the meeting-house, and in that part of the town formerly belonging to Dorchester, and the other half in those places that that will accommodate those inhabitants who live at a distance from town. In 1734, Mr. Joseph Bacon was employed to preach four months in the west part of the town (now Franklin), and also to keep school three months, for the sum of forty-two pounds. The schools were not permanently located in those days, it seems, as the matter of placing or stating them was frequently considered in town-meet- ings. To show what wages were then paid we append a few examples. In 1730, Nathaniel Newell was allowed twenty-seven pounds for keeping school three- quarters of a year, and he procured his board for five shillings per week. "The Selectmen agreed with Mr. David Cowell, to keep a grammar school in this town for one month for the sum of five pounds, and with Hezekiah Man for two months after the expira- tion of that time, and they were to provide for them- selves." In 1739 the grammar-school teacher was paid " fourteen pounds and his diet and lodging." Notwithstanding the division of the town into pre- cincts in 1737, precinct schools were not established, although the law of the province allowed it. The selectmen continued as formerly to contract with teachers, the town continuing to discuss and settle the questions of number and location of schools and amount of money to be expended.

In 1762, Eliphalet Whiting was directed " to make answer to a complaint laid before the grand jury, for not keeping a grammar school." All towns of one hundred families were under obligations by statute to maintain a grammar school. Whatever might be the notions of the selectmen of those days about a gram- mar school (and it seems that to instruct their chil- dren to read, write, and cipher was all they required of their teachers), the law-givers of 1647 defined it by requiring that the master thereof should be able to fit youth for the university. And it is probable that our predecessors made attempts to provide such teach- ers, agents being sent to Cambridge, Dedham, Rox- bury, etc., to procure them ; and Jacob Bacon, Heze- kiah Man, David Cowell, Amariah Frost, James Messinger, and Benjamin Guild, who were employed as teachers, were university graduates. In 1764 the

remaining after paying for that was divided according to the number of children between four and sixteen years of age. This was the practice for many years. In 1767 the town voted to expend eighty pounds for the support of schools, and that the school should be kept in the circular form,-that is, moving about into different parts of the town according to their respec- tive turns, until the eighty pounds be expended. The divisions of the town for school purposes were desig- nated variously, as the Long Walk division, Capt. Day's division, the South End division, the school near Esquire Whitney's, Deacon Man's division, etc. In 1780 three thousand pounds were voted for the use of the school in this town, so depreciated had the cur- rency become ; and in 1786 it was voted to keep a grammar school at the cheapest rate in order to clear the town of a fine; also, that young men intending to go to college should be exempt from poll-tax so long as the town is exempted from keeping a gram- mar-school master. The Legislature, in 1789, author- ized a division of towns into districts, with bounds defined for school purposes. And in 1790, Deacon Man's division, so called, was changed into a school dis- trict, and the bounds thereof established. In 1802, dis- tricts one, two, and three were in like manner defined, and eventually, viz., in 1846, there were nineteen. A

hundred years ago the school money was expended as follows, viz .: for the Benjamin Shepard division, three pounds, thirteen shillings, for the year 1777 ; the River End division, three pounds, eighteen shil- lings ; the Samuel Lethbridge division, three pounds, eightpence ; Long Walk division, four pounds, one shilling, two pence; Capt. Fairbanks' division, five pounds, eight shillings, four pence ; North End divi- sion, three pounds, nine shillings, fourpence; the Reuben Pond division, three pounds, nine shillings, fourpence ; Joshua Grant division, four pounds, eighteen shillings, eightpence ; the South End divi- sion, six pounds, ten shillings ; Capt. Day's division, five pounds, twelve shillings, eightpence ; the Samuel Hawes division, four pounds, eight shillings, tenpence ; Col. Metcalf's division, four pounds, eleven shillings ; Ellis' division, two pounds, three shillings, four- . pence ; Plain division, three pounds, eightpence ; East division, six pounds, seven shillings, tenpence. In the year 1800 five hundred dollars was granted for the support of schools; from 1802 to 1806, six hundred dollars ; from 1806 to 1810, eight hundred dollars; from 1810 to 1827, one thousand dollars ; from 1827 to 1842, fifteen hundred dollars ; in 1846 it was two thousand dollars. From that time it has not been below two thousand dollars, and has been five

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thousand. After the loss of that part of our town which went into the new town of Norfolk the sum was reduced to four thousand dollars.

School Fund .- It will be remembered that in 1662-63, as previously related, the proprietors of the lands here held a meeting at Dedham, and among other things voted to reserve land " for highways, of- ficers' lots, burial-place, trayning-ground, and all other lands necessary to be reserved for all public uses." As early as 1685 they voted to " set out four or six acres of their now common land in the most conven- ient place near the meeting-house for ye accomodating and incouragement of a school, with twenty or twenty- five acres of other land, upland and swamp or swampy land." This was " to be for the use and benefit of the school, and not to be alienated to any other use or purpose whatsoever." The boundaries of the six acres first above-named were not established until 1741. In 1734 the proprietors passed a vote "that there be and hereby is given, granted, and confirmed to the inhabitants of this town forever, for the use and benefit of a school in this town, the income or use thereof to be employed for the maintaining and keep- ing a school in this town, and to no other end or use whatsoever, a piece or parcel of land commonly called the school land, being upland and meadow land, con- taining by estimation twenty-five acres, more or less, butted and bounded, etc." These two tracts of land went by the name of the school land, and the meadow, at least, was leased to individuals for many years, un- til the people thought that their value in money would produce more income for the school, and there- fore, in 1753, procured leave of the General Court to sell them, it being ordered that the principal sum should always be kept good and the interest only ap- plied towards the support of the school in said town, and that neither the principal or interest be applied to any other use."

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History of Norfolk County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 134

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & Co. Number of Pages: 1534

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1534