History of Norfolk County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 157

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 157

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Nov. 20, 1772, the committee, at a legal meeting in Faneuil Hall, presented their report. " The state- ment of rights, and of grievances, and the letter to the towns, were masterly presentations of the cause."

Committees of Correspondence were everywhere es- tablished. How the town of Milton upheld Samuel Adams and his noble confreries of the town of Boston the following records amply testify :

" At a meeting of the freeholders and other inhabit- ants of the town of Milton, on Monday, the 4th day of January, 1773: 1st, the town made choice of Capt. Lemuel Bent for their moderator ; 2dly, voted, to adjourn the meeting to Friday, the 8th instant.

" At a town-meeting in Milton, upon adjournment on Friday, the 8th day of January, 1773, voted, to choose a committee of five men to draw up instructions to give their representative; accordingly, Mr. John Adams, Col. William Taylor, Dr. Samuel Gardner, Capt. David Rawson, and Mr. Daniel Vose were chosen for said purpose.

" Voted, to adjourn said meeting to Thursday, the 14th in- stant, to hear the report of said committee.

" At a town-meeting in Milton, upon adjournment from Friday, the 8th day of January, 1773, to Thurs- day, the 14th instant, the committee chosen on the Sth instant to draw up instructions to their representa- tive report as follows, viz. :

" To MR. JOSIAH HOW, REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE TOWN OF MILTON.

" Sir : We have heard read the Letter of Correspondence from the Town of Boston, with their proceedings, and find many Grievances there justly complained of; too many to be enu- merated here; but recommend that Pamphlet to your perusal.

" Whoever seriously considers the conduct of Administration, both at home and here, can hardly Entertain a Doubt, that a plan is formed to subvert this Constitution : First, the British Parliament making an act to raise a Revenue without the con- sent of the people by themselves or their Representatives, is a Grievance of the first magnitude.

" Again : the great difference made between the trial of Sub- jects here and at home, in the ' Act for securing his Majesties dock yards, and other Naval stores,' is a very great Grievance.

" Again : the Crowns making the Governor, Independent of the people, has a natural tendency to Destroy that Harmony, which should always subsist between the three branches of the Legislature in a free state.

" Again : the making the Judges of the Superior Court, De- pendent on the Crown, and independent of the people whose lives and fortunes are so much in their power, is a great griev- ance, naturally tending to subvert justice between the King and Subject.

"Sir : We Recommend to you that the Judges of the Superior Court have Salaries adequate to their merit and station, and that they be made as Independent as possible of the Crown and the people ; and furthermore we recommend and Enjoin you, to use your Interest and Influence in the House of Representatives as far as is consistent with the Rights of this people, to Petition his Majesty, &c. to remove all Grievances we labor under, and in the mean time in all our Difficulties and distresses, we depend upon your steadiness, prudence and Firmness : and that you give not up one jot or tittle of our Rights, but dispute every Inch of ground with the Enemies of our Liberties and Free- dom.

" MILTON Jan 14th 1773. " By order of the Committee, JOHN ADAMS, Chairman."

" The question was put whether the town will accept this report as instructions to their representative, and it passed in the affirmative.

"Voted : That the Selectmen be a Committee to answer the letter of Correspondence from the Committee of the Town of Boston.

"Voted : That the proceedings of the foregoing meetings be recorded in the Town Book.

" Recorded Pr AMARIAH BLAKE, Town Clerk."

We now come to the year 1774; every peaceable method known or thought of had been tried to induce Great Britain to give the colonies their just rights ; their love for the mother-country was still warm in their breasts ; they hated the thought of separation ; the glory of Britain was their glory, but they could not, would not, be her abject slaves. Still in their hearts lingered a remembrance of the Britain of the olden time, and a hope that justice might yet be done. And so the people of Milton once more met, resolved once again to try and obtain relief for the wrongs under which they suffered ; once more in a lawful way to state their grievances and to seek redress ; peacea-

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bly if possible, but with a determination redress to | for this town to come into respecting the situation of have, cost what it might.

And here is the record of their doings; a record which needs not the encomium of any man, for it is a record the masterly drawing of which it may truth- fully be said that it may have been equaled, but never was excelled.

The reader will bear in mind that this Declaration of Independence promulgated by the men of Milton was drawn up in July, 1774, two years before that celebrated Declaration of the American Congress at Philadelphia, and two months previous to the passage of the famous " Suffolk Resolves," clearly showing, as was before stated, that in freedom's cause the men of Milton were pioneers.

" At a town-meeting legally warned and held in Milton on the 27th day of June, 1774.

" Mr. Ebenezer Tucker was chosen moderator.

" Voted : To choose a Committee of five persons to consider and determine upon some proper measures for this Town to come into respecting the situation of public affairs, and that said Com- mittee be enjoined to set forthwith, and report as soon as may be.

" Voted : That said Committee be chosen by a written Vote : accordingly Capt David Rawson, Mr Ralph Houghton, Ama- riah Blake, Mr Oliver Vose, and Dea Joseph Clap were chosen as said Committee.

" Voted : That Mr Samuel Henshaw Jr. and Dr Gardner, be added to the above Committee."

" A paper was read wherein the late General Court recommend to this town to raise, collect, and pay to the Hon. Thomas Cushing, of Boston, the sum of £1 18s. 10d. as their proportion of the sum of five hun- dred pounds, according to the last province tax, to enable the committee for this province-who are to meet the committees from the other colonies to delib- erate and determine upon proper measures to be by them recommended to the colonies for the recovery and establishment of their just rights and liberties, and the restoration of union and harmony between Great Britain and the colonies-to discharge the im- portant trust to which they are appointed.

" Voted : To raise the sum of £.3-0-0 by Contribution on the expected approaching Fast day for the above purpose."

After transacting various other business relating solely to town affairs, it was

" Voted : That this meeting be adjourned to the 25th day of July next."

" At a town-meeting held by adjournment from the 27th day of June, 1774, to the 25th of the next July.

" The committee appointed at the last town-meeting to consider and determine upon some proper measures

public affairs, reported as follows, viz. :

"We the Inhabitants of Milton, acknowledge George the Third to be our rightful Monarch; we feelingly Declare our- selves to be his true and loyal Subjects, and next to the Horrors of Slavery, we detest the thought of being separated from our Parent State : we have been wont to glory in our connexions with our Mother Country; our Hearts have been ever warm with filial affection, and we are ready and willing on all proper occasions to spend our Blood and Treasure in defence of his Majesties Crown and Dignity :- and we are Equally ready and willing to spend our ALL, in Defending our own religious and civil Liberties when invaded by any human Power ;

" We have been taught from our Mothers breasts, that our Freedom is a Jewell of Inestimable Value; that 'one day, one hour, of Virtuous Liberty, is worth a whole Eternity of Bond- age ;' that Free Government supposes that the conduct of affairs may be enquired into, and spoken of with Freedom; that op- position in a loyal Regular way to measures which a person thinks wrong, cannot but be allowed in a free Government, for it is in itself Just, and also keeps up the spirit of Liberty,-

" Accordingly we claim a right, especially in times of Public Trial, freely to speak against and Zealously to oppose any Measures, by whomsoever adopted, which are aimed at the De- struction of our Constitutional Liberties ; which alter our good and ancient Usages, and which are designed to make us Slaves, for such measures are base and wicked, and ought to be re- sisted.

" The Destruction of a free Constitution of Government though men see or fancy many defects in it, (whatever they design or pretend,) ought not to be thought of without horror, for the de- sign is in itself unjust, since it is romantic to suppose it legal : it cannot be prosecuted without the most wicked means, nor ac- complished but with the present ruin of Liberty, religious as well as civil, and whoever will thoroughly consider in what de- gree mankind are really influenced by reason, and in what de- gree by custom, may be convinced that the state of human affairs does not even admit an equivalent for the mischief of setting things afloat, and the dangers of parting with those Se- curities of Liberty which arise from regulation of long prescrip- tion and ancient usage.

" But in defiance of the Laws of God and society : in direct Violation of Sacred Compact, the British Parliament have as- sumed a power to alter and destroy our free Constitution of Civil Government, and to introduce any species of oppression whatever.

" Now that such pretended Omnipotency ought to be opposed, when assumed by any set of men, unless they have infinite Wis- dom to direct, and infinite Goodness to stimulate them to a righteous conduct is a dictate of common-sense, and whether these are predicable of the present British Parliament let God's intelligent creation judge !- And being clearly of opinion that to withstand such Assumed Power, and to oppose in a regular way the Oppressive measures which are carrying into execution by such Power, is a Duty we owe to God, to ourselves, and to unborn millions ;-

" We therefore RESOLVE, that we will unite with our Brethren, 'The Sons of Freedom in America,' in any proper measures that may be adopted to defeat the late cruel and op- pressive Acts of the British Parliament respecting America, and this Distressed Province in particular : to extirpate the idea of Tyranizing which is so fondly fostered in the bosoms of those in power, and to secure to ourselves and to Posterity our inval- uable Rights and Priviledges.

" A Non-Consumption Agreement, we think the most rational,

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as it is the most Peaceful, but as Committees from the several Colonies on this Continent are soon to meet and ' to deliberate and determine upon some wise and proper measures for the re- covery and Establishment' of American Liberties; and as we doubt not but the Wisdom of America will fix upon such right- eous measures as will Eventually prove not only the Salvation of this Extensive Continent, but also the Permanent Dignity of Great Britain,

"We therefore RESOLVE, to commit our cause under God, to them, and to adopt such Righteous measures as shall be by them recommended to the Colonies as necessary to regain and secure our free Constitution of Government.

"We wish them a seasonable and joyful meeting, and an happy union of sentiment : and may God Almighty direct and protect them.

"We return our sincere thanks to the Town of Boston for their indefatigable and noble Exertions in the cause of Free- dom : and beg them still to watch upon the walls of our Jeru- salem, and not to be weary in well doing.

" MILTON 25. July, 1774.

" DAVID RAWSON, RALPH HOUGHTON, AMARIAH BLAKE, OLIVER VOSE, JOSEPH CLAP, SAMUEL HENSHAW JR, SAML. GARDNER, Committee.

"Voted : That said Report be read paragraph by paragraph, and the accepting or not accepting each paragraph to be put to vote separate; accordingly said report was read, and each and every paragraph was accepted.

" Voted : That Capt David Rawson, Col William Taylor, Dr Samuel Gardner, Amariah Blake, and Mr Ralph Houghton, be a Committee to correspond with the Committees of Correspond- ence in the Towns through this Province and through America, as occasion may require.

" Voted, That the Committee send a letter to the Committee of Correspondence for Boston, thanking them for their Public spirit, and noble Zeal for the weal of America.

"Voted, That the Town Clerk send an attested copy of the transactions of this Town respecting Public affairs to the Com- mittee of Correspondence for Boston."

With this record the space in this work allotted to Milton is full, which we regret, as the next record in chronological order would be an account of the pas- sage of the famous "Suffolk Resolves."

These resolves, drawn up and presented by Gen. Joseph Warren, were read several times, and unani- mously adopted, paragraph by paragraph, at a con- vention of delegates of every town and district in the county of Suffolk (embracing at that time the terri- tory now known as the county of Norfolk), held at the house of Mr. Daniel Vose, in Milton, on Sept. 9, 1774. They were forwarded to the Continental Con- gress then in session at Philadelphia, upon receipt of which, Sept. 18, 1774, they were then read, creating the wildest enthusiasm. (For copy of these resolves, see Frothingham's " Life of Warren.") Many other items of interest relating to Milton in the Revolu- tionary era could be adduced did space allow.

CHAPTER LXIV.

MILTON-( Continued).

Ecclesiastical History-The First Congregational Society-The First Evangelical Society-The Second Evangelical Society -Lower Mills Baptist Church.

The First Congregational Society.1-Two hun- dred years ago, on April 24, 1678, this church was formed. The town had been incorporated sixteen years before, in 1662. Two years after (1664), Robert Vose had deeded " eight acres of land for a meeting-house and other ministerial purposes, to eighteen trustees, probably every church member or freeman in the town," and eight years later (1672) a meeting-house had been built, during the incumbency of Rev. Thomas Mighill, of Rowley, whose eight years of service closed here in 1677, and he settled permanently at Scituate. That early church build- ing,2 of which no known trace remains, stood not far from here, near where Mr. William P. Blanchard now resides, corner of Centre Street and Vose's Lane. Previously to its erection, religious services had been held in the eastern part of the town, under the con- duct of Rev. Joseph Emerson. The times were hard, the currency worse than it is to-day, and poor Mr. Emerson, not " passing rich" on fifty-three pounds- or one hundred and seventy-five dollars-a year,

1 Condensed from an able address delivered by Rev. Frederick Frothingham, Sunday, April 28, 1878.

2 That this was not the first meeting-house erected in Milton appears from the following extract from the old town records :

" At a town meeting the last day of September 1670 it was agreed by the towne vote that ther should be a convenient meeting-house for the townes use built neare about Goodman Vose his loked barre, & also that the old meeting house should be repaired to meet in this Winter and Seargeant Wm. Blake, Seargeant Robt. Badcock, Seargeant Sam. Wadsworth, Thom Swift, Antony Golliford and Robert Tucker was chosen by the towne to see the old house repaired as soon as they can and iv geat the new one built in one yeers time if they can."

The following votes show how the cost of the new meeting- house was provided for : " Upon a training-day the 22 of Oct. 1670 it was agreed by a vote of the Train Band and several other that were present that 6 acres of the Town Land should be Cleared of the Time and wood to By nails & Glass for the new meeting-house."

The meeting-house was to be paid for by the proceeds of the wood from the above six acres. The town levied a rate of (fifty pounds) £50 towards the erection of the building. Each man could pay his share of that rate by cutting and hauling a portion of the wood to the town landing. Laid on the town landing it was reckoned at one shilling and three pence a cord ! On Jan. 10, 1670/1, the town voted that if the 6 acres wood do not suffice to pay for the meeting-house, so much more shall be allowed out of the land "as will pay all the Rats for that building."

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which his people were too poor to raise, " made shift | help us) to keep it forever, & where wee shall faile, yer to waite to live without embarrassment" by being " passed upon our Lord Jesus, for healing & pardon for his Names sake." about from one parishioner to another," until, after his marriage, difficulties arose, and, called to Mendon, The names to this covenant are Anthony Newton, member of Dorchester Church; Robert Tucker, member of Weymouth Church; William Blacke, member of Dorchester Church ; Thomas Swift, mem- ber of Dorchester Church ; George Sumner, member of Dorchester Church ; Thomas Holman, admitted by covenant ; Ebenezer Clap, member of Dorchester Church ; Edward Blacke, member of Second Church, Boston ; George Lion, admitted by covenant ; James Tucker, admitted by covenant; Ephraim Tucker, admitted by covenant; Manassah Tucker, admitted by covenant. he left the town in 1669. Not until the 24th of April, 1678, was a church organized. The " princi- pal inhabitants were members of the Dorchester or Braintree Churches." But on that day, solemn ser- vices being held in the meeting-house at Dorchester, Governor Leverett being present, but the rain and snow keeping away many of the magistrates, " by the assistance of the elders and delegates from the churches of Boston, Weymouth, Braintree, and Dedham," this church was formed. Twelve men " of ye Brethren of Milton w" yer chh was Gathered," of whom five were members of the Dorchester Church, one of the Second Church, Boston, one of the Weymouth Church, and | five "admitted to covenant" at that time, joined themselves together there and united in the following covenant :

" We whose names are subscribed, being called of God to Joine ourselves together in Chh communion, from our hearts acknowl- edging our owne unworthynesse, of such a priviledge, or of ye Least of god's mercys, & likewise acknowledging our owne dis- ability, to keep Covenant, with God, or to performe any spirit- uall duty, wc hec calleth us unto, unlesse, ye Lord Jesus doe in- able, thereunto, by his spirit dwelling in us. Doe, In ye name of Christ Jesus our Lord, & in trust & confidence of his free grace assisting us : Freely Covenant & bind our selues, solemnly, in ye presence of God hims. his holy Angells, & all his servants here present, yt wee will by his Grace assisting, Indeavour con- stantly to, walk together as a right ordered, Congregation of Christ, according to all ye holy rules of a Church body : rightly Established, so farre as wee doe already know it to be our duty ; Or shall further understand it out of gods holy word : Promising first & aboue all, to give up ourselues & our ofspring unto ye Lord. God father son, & Holy-Ghost, ye only true and liueing God. & to Cleave unto him as our cheife & only Good, and unto our Lord Jesus Christ as our only Saviour, our Prophit, Preist & King, our spirituall head & Husband ; & for ye furthering of us to Keep ys blessed Communion with God & his son Jesus Christ, & to grow up more fully herein, wee doe likewise prom- ise, by his Grace Assisting us to Endeavour ye Establishing, amongst ourselues of all his holy Ordinances, we hee hath ap- pointed for his Chh here on Earth, & to Observe all & Every of ym, in such sort, as shall bee most agreeable unto his will; Op- poseing. unto ye utmost of our chh power ye Contrary. And lastly wee doe hereby Covenant & promise, to further unto ye utmost of our power, ye best spirituall good, of such other, & of all & Every One, yt may become members of ys Congrega- tion, by mutuall Instruction, reprehension, Exhortation, Con- solation, & spirituall watchfulnesse, over one another, for good; & to be subject in & for ye Lord, to all ye Administrations & Cen- sures, of ye Chh, soe far as ye same shall be guides according to y" Rules of gods most holy word in a way of order peace & vnion ; with all promising to walk orderly in a way of fellow- shipe, & Communion with all ye Chhs of Christ among us ac- cording to Rule. yt ye Lord may be one & his name one in all y" Chhs.

For about two years they gathered around Rev. Samuel Mann, of Wrentham, driven thence by the Indian war, and afterwards returning to his people. Then came their own first minister, " the never-to-be- forgotten" Peter Thacher, of whom, fifty years later, Cotton Mather says, "The precious flock at Milton obtained this gift of our ascended Saviour." Six- and-forty years, from 1681 to 1727, he labored here, and "made his flight" hence to "the comfortable chambers" of God's "house of many mansions" in his seventy-seventh year. A man he was of uncommon gifts and acquirements, descendant and progenitor of a race of ministers, -" his grandfather was an eminent preacher at Old Sarum," -- and well fitted for the central position of influence assigned.at that time in Massachusetts to the minister. He seems to have been physician to his people's bodies as well as to their souls, spending, says Cotton Mather, " in medi- cines, it may be some scores of pounds, and a great part of his yearly salary, which he freely bestowed upon the invalids among his people ;" ay, it may be, on those of all the country around. He for years preached to the Indians at Punkapaug, " a monthly lecture, & furnished himself with skill in their Ses- quipedalian language," says Cotton Mather, " that he might be able to do it." "On ye Lord's days," says the same authority, " he fed his flock with two ser- mons. The manna was rained no less than twice in every Sabbath. Hle many years kept up a monthly lecture. He catechised as an Angel of the little ones. He neglected not the pastoral visits." " He often gave his presence at the private meetings of his neighbors, who met in course at one another's houses for agree- able devotions. Among these he took a special cog- nizance of, and had a special affection to, the societies of his dear YOUNG MEN, and always manifested a very great joy to see his children walking in the truth ;

" This Covenant wee doc by solemne act of Chh Confedera- tion Enter into, with full purpose of heart (as ye Lord shall . and as great a cure that they might none of them

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decline from good beginnings. He would sometimes the time of his death, twelve years later (1727), he had admitted two hundred and fifty-three. The Lord's Supper was administered by him for the first time here3 in 1681, June 19th, to "about fourscore com- municants." This would imply a pretty large con- gregation. In the same period, on the other hand, he had " attended the departure of all the founders of the town," most of them long-lived men and be- queathing longevity to their children, and, better than that, a character and quality simple, strong, and serviceable. The new church was not built till the year after his death. It stood near the road, in front of the spot now occupied by this Mil- go to them, and preach to them, as well as pray with them ; and one of the sermons which he bestow'd upon them, they were at the expence of publishing, that they might enjoy it as their perpetual monitor. It is entitled ' THE PERPETUAL COVENANT.'" What an interesting glimpse is here of the life of that young time ! And it gives us no hint of the fireless churches, in which the long services of worship and fast, ordi- nation and council, were held, sometimes lasting, especially those of ordination and installation, through a large part of the day,-no hint of the solitariness, rudeness, and danger of the ways through which the brave worshipers thronged to the house of public | ton Church. Its size was fifty feet by forty, and worship, on foot, on horseback; in wet weather, in | twenty-eight high, with a belfry, in which the town-

ox-carts; on snow-shoes or sledges in winter; and whose very difficulty enhanced the sweetness and preciousness of the service and society of the house of God. Besides all which, he trained young men for college, not a few of whom made a mark in the history of New England. How he could stand it Mather answers by referring to his " travels" and " the exercise, than which the medicina gymnastica never prescribed a better. Thus, our ancient Peter held out so well, that even when he was old, he could gird himself, and go almost whither he would." So Peter Thacher lived and labored, in surroundings which perhaps the poorest of Milton's present dwellers would call hard, but so richly and faithfully that, as Cotton Mather says, he and his people "were so far from being weary of one another, that their mutual en- dearments were never stronger and more lively, than at the time when his death translated him to the upper chambers."

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History of Norfolk County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 157

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