History of Norfolk County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 195

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 195

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On the same day the Continental Congress and their resolves were fully approved and a Committee of Inspection chosen, consisting of nineteen persons, viz. :

John Withington, John Kenney, Adam Black- man, James Endicott, Jeremiah Ingraham, Abner Crane, Peter Talbot, Jonathan Capen, Robert Capen, Jedediah Southworth, Samuel Shepard, David Vin- ton, Theophilus Curtis, Josiah Pratt, Eleazer Robins, Samuel Tucker, Benjamin Gill, Robert Swan, and Peter Gay.

This committee was instructed to use its interest that the resolves and the association of the Conti- nental Congress be closely adhered to.

Matters now looked warlike, for on March 6, 1775, the town " Voted to raise one quarter of the Militia as Minute men agreeable to the advice of ye Pro- vincial Congress," " and to give them one shilling for half a day's training, for two half days every week." The field-officers with the selectmen were directed to raise the men.

March 20th, the town " Voted that Mr. Thomas Crane attend the County Congress at Mr. Daniel Vose's in Milton, ye 26th day of April next."

It will be remembered that it was at the house of Mr. Vose that the Suffolk Resolves were adopted on Sept. 9, 1774.

Whether the meeting at Mr. Vose's was held on the 26th we are not informed, very likely not, for be- fore that time important events were to happen. The 19th of April was fast approaching. Gage had de- termined to cripple the country towns by destroying the colony stores at Concord, and secretly prepared an expedition for that purpose. A force of eight hun- dred grenadiers and infantry crossed in boats from the foot of the Common to East Cambridge. The activity of Warren and Paul Revere discovered the purpose of Gage, and arrangements were made by which Concord and the Middlesex towns should be notified. Paul Revere's famous midnight ride on the 18th of April aroused the people of Medford, Lex- ington, and Concord, and it almost seems as if the clatter of his horse's hoofs was heard here in Stoughton, for, on the 19th, nine companies of

924

HISTORY OF NORFOLK COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

militia marched from Stoughton and the district of Stoughtonham to the assistance of their brethren, viz. :

Capt. James Endicott's company .. 83 men.

William Briggs'

Asahel Smith's 66

Peter Talbot's

Josiah Pratt's 66

33 66

66 Israel Smith's

Samuel Payson's

Edward Bridge Savels' company .. 64

Ebenezer Tisdale's

Making in all four hundred and seventy men who marched from Stoughton and Stoughtonham on that eventful day.

On the 27th of April, Capt. William Bent's com- pany, fifty-nine men, marched to Roxbury for three months and twelve days' service.

In June, Capt. Frederick Pope enlisted a company of fifty-eight men for one month and nine days' service.

Capt. Endicott, on the 4th of March, 1776, marched with his company of forty-one men "to the assistance of the Continental troops, when they for- tified on the heights of Dorchester." A little later in the same year, with eighty-two men, he marched to Ticonderoga, and on the 28th of March, 1778, to Roxbury, " agreeable to an Order of Council," with seventy-eight men.

On the 22d of March, 1776, Capt. Theophilus Lyon's company, forty-seven men, marched to Brain- tree, and on March 1, 1778, Capt. Lyon, with forty- nine men, marched to Castle Island.

Capt. Robert Swan, with sixty-two men, marched to Bristol, R. I., and with thirty men, to the Castle, on Dec. 19, 1777.

Capt. Abner Crane, with fifty-eight men, in 1779, marched with his company "in a campaign to Clav- erack on the Hudson River."

The promptness with which the militia met every call was most creditable. Nor was the town less prompt in furnishing its quota to the Continental army. For this the town furnished nearly or quite two hundred men, for terms of service varying from six months to three years, or during the war, some of our men having served for the full period of four years.

May 25th, Thomas Crane was chosen to represent the town in the Provincial Congress for the six months following, and Peter Talbot, Christopher Wadsworth, and Benjamin Gill were appointed a Committee of Correspondence.

held in Watertown, on Wednesday, the 19th day of July, 1775.

Very little action of importance in town-meeting was transacted during the remainder of the year 1775.

We come now to the year 1776. On March 18th, Messrs. Elijah Dunbar, Peter Talbot, Josiah Pratt, Theophilus Curtis, John Kenney, Christopher Wads- worth, and David Lyon were chosen a Committee of Correspondence and Inspection.

All of these men, except the chairman, had marched to the lines, to the music of fife and drum, on the 19th of April, two of them, Talbot and Pratt, as captains, each in command of a company.

On May 22d another town-meeting was held, at which, we may well suppose, the men who had mus- tered and marched so promptly on the 19th of April were present .. An article in the warrant had informed them that the question of independence was to be acted on by the meeting. The first business was the choice of representatives, and Benjamin Gill and Thomas Crane were chosen.

The date of this meeting was May 22d, six weeks prior to the adoption of the Declaration of Indepen- dence by the Continental Congress, and while the question there was trembling in the balance our fathers passed this resolve :

" Voted, That if the Honourable Continental Congress should, for the safety of this Colony, Declare us Independent of the Kingdom of Great Britain, We, the Inhabitants, will Solemnly engage with our lives and fortunes to support them in the Measure."

All honor to these men of seventeen hundred and seventy-six !

On the 4th of July, 1776, the Declaration of In- dependence was adopted. The following is the action of the Massachusetts Council, showing what measures were taken to give publicity to the document :

" In Council, July 17th, 1776.

"ORDERED, That the Declaration of Independence be printed, and a copy sent to the Minister of each Parish, of every Denom- ination within this State, and that they severally be required to read the same to their respective Congregations as soon as divine service is ended, in the afternoon, on the first Lord's Day after they shall have received it : And after such Publica- tion thereof to deliver the said Declaration to the Clerks of their several Towns or Districts, who are hereby required to record the same in their respective Town or District Books, there to remain as a perpetual Memorial thereof.

" In the Name and by Order of ye Council. "R. DERBY, JR., President. " A true Copy, Attest, JOHN AVERY, Dep. Sec'y."

And our town clerk adds, "'faithfully recorded.' Attest, George Crossman, Town Clerk."

On July 10th Stoughton and Stoughtonham, in town-meeting assembled, elected Thomas Crane to On July 18th the town voted to raise, by taxation, represent them in a great and General Court, to be | a sum of money to give to each man to the number

925

CANTON.

of thirty-eight men, that shall enlist into the service for the Northern Department, against Quebec, the sum of £6 6s. 8d. as an addition to their bounty.

May 21, 1777. John Kenney was chosen as " agent of the town, to procure evidence against the ' toreys,' and a committee, consisting of John Kenney, Christopher Wadsworth, David Vinton, Peter Talbot, Capt. Pratt, Capt. Endicott, and Benjamin Tucker, was chosen to see to the enforcement of the 'Reg- ulating Act.'"

May 28th, a committee chosen to examine the accounts of the town's Committee of Correspondence, etc., made report, which was accepted.

Some of the items of these accounts are given, as showing the character of the work performed by the committee.

The account of Elijah Dunbar, Esq., contained, among others, these items :

"1776.

March 18th. To - day writing circular letters ... £0 4. 5. 66 20th. To { day at Johnson's about getting wood for the army 2. 0.

May 13th. To } day taking cognizance of those

yt have been unfriendly to ye country. I. 101.

June 23rd,

To ¿ day at Capt. Smith's to take some order with those who re- fused to sign the Test Act. .. 2.

July 22 and 26, To 23 days at Johnson's about procuring hard money, etc ....... ...

1777.

Feb. 12 and 13, To 2 days on ye business of Regu-

lating prices. S. 0."

The full amount allowed Mr. Dunbar was £2 17s. 6d.

" Capt. Peter Talbot attended all the above said service, ex- cept the writing of notifications about regulating prices, and over and above ye aforesaid account he attendd ye County Con- vention at Dedham and singley he went about } day to get the Test Act signed."

Capt. Talbot's allowance was £2 4s. 4d.

Capt. Christopher Wadsworth attended substan- tially the same service that Capt. Talbot did, and was | allowed £21 4s. 4d.

" Capt. Theophilus Curtis was allowed. £1. 3. 10}. Capt. David Lyon £2. 8. 0. Capt. Josiah Pratt. €1. 10. 101. And John Kenney's is allowed. £3. 3. 8. the same as Capt. P. Talbot, and over and above, for one jour- ney to Gen1 Washington, sent by the Selectmen."

On May 26th the selectmen exhibited to the town- meeting a list of those persons that, in their opinion, " have endeavored since ye 19th of April, 1775, to counteract ye United Struggles of this and the United States, for the preservation of their Liberties and Privileges, as follows : William Curtis, Noah Kings- bury, Samuel Capen, Edward Taylor, Henry Crane, Edward Shail."

Blackman, Jonathan Capen, and James Endicott, selectmen.

Some, if not all, of these men must have joined the Loyalist party but a short time prior to the pre- sentation of this report, for both Edward Taylor and Edward Shail marched with Endicott's company on the 19th of April, and on two later occasions, in 1776, Shail's name appears upon the muster-rolls.

March 16, 1778, the town voted to accept the re- port of the committee chosen to make an average or equal balance of duty, by fixing the pay for the different kinds of service, as follows :

The eight months at the Lines in 1775 £3. 0. 0.

The two months service at ye Lines in 1775. 1. 4. 0.

The twelve months service in 1776, excepting the )

20.

men that went with Capt. Pope ...

0. 0. The 12 months service with Capt. Pope in 1776 ... 15. The 4 months service at Ticonderoga, in 1776, 2 8. 0. each man giving credit for bounty received. 0. The 4 mos. service at the Lines in 1776 .. 4. 0. 0.

The 2 66 at York in 1776. 6. 0. 0.

The 3 66 66

" 1776 & 1777 7. 0. 0.

The 3

" ye Lines in 1777

2. 10. 0.

The 12 days service at Castle Island in 1777

0. 15. 0.

The 3 weeks service at Bristol, R. I. in 1777 ... 2. 0. 0.

The 2 months 66

" North Kingston, R. I. in }

0). 0.

The 3

1775 66 Stillwater and other {

10. 0. 0.

The 4 66

Rhode Island in 1777 6. 0. 0.

The 1 66

66 ye Secret Expedition ) in 1777.

3. 0. 0.

The 5 66 to Gen. Burgoyne in 1777 } & 1778

7. 0. 0.

To 3 66

at Dorchester & Boston in 1778

2. 10. 0.

in Rhode Island in 1778 ... 6. 0. 0.

46 at Noddle's Island & Hull } in 1776.

2. 0. 0.

In this year the town began to be excited about a new form of government for the State of Massachu- setts, proposed by the General Court.

March 23d it was "Voted That Messrs. Elijah Dunbar, Peter Talbot, Wm. Wheeler, Jedh Southworth, Johin Kenny, Adam Blackman, Hezekiah Gay, Nath' Fisher, Samuel Shepard, Geo. Crossman, Isaiah Johnson, James Hawkes Lewis, and Samuel Talbot, be a committee to take under consideration the new form of government, and make report to the town."

April 7th, "Voted That Elijah Dunbar, Esq. and Capt. Jede- diah Southworth, be a committee to meet in a county convention at Dedham, on the 28th day of this inst, to take into considera- tion ye new form of government."

And on May 18th the committee of thirteen, ap- pointed 23d March, made an elaborate report against the proposed new form of government. And it was voted unanimously to disapprove the same, two hun- dred and thirty-five votes being given.

May 28th, Thomas Crane, Esq., was elected repre- sentative, and the town voted him the following in- structions :

" To THOMAS CRANE, ESQ.

" SIR .- The town of Stoughton having made choice of you to Represent them in a Great and General Court, ye ensuing

The report is signed by Benjamin Gill, Adam year, it must be agreeable to you, (if you consider yourself the

places, in 1777.

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HISTORY OF NORFOLK COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

servant of ye town and accountable to them as you really are,) to know ye minds of your constituents, respecting ye important Duties of your Station, who have chosen you to act for their safety & happiness, as connected with ye whole & not for your own private emolument or separate interest, & therefore, ye Town think fit to give you the following instructions : You are by no means to vote for any person belonging to ye following orders of men to have a seat in ye legislative Council, but use your In- fluence that they may be excluded, (viz, ) the members of the Con- tinental Congress and officers holding Commissions under them, -Judges of ye Superior Courts of Common Pleas, Judges of the maritime Courts,-Judges of Probate, Registers of Probate, Sheriffs, -- Members of the Board of War, & all Executive Of- ficers who have a fixed annual stipend. As soon as ye Two Branches of the Legislature are settled and properly organized, your primary object must be the Prosecution of the War with spirit and vigour, with a view to bring it to a speedy & honour- able issue.

" For this purpose you are directed to exert yourself to have ye Continental Army completed in the most expeditious man- ner, & see that negligent Towns and Delinquent officers are punished according to law in that case made and provided. And also, you are to vote for such large and speedy supplies as may appear to you necessary to enable ye Commander-in-Chief of our armies to answer the expectations of his Country, that ye war, if Possible, may be ended the ensuing campaign with Immortal Honour to himself & Permanent Glory and Security to ye United States of America."

Lengthy additions were made to these instructions by the town, which may be found duly recorded in the records. They were also published in the " Conti- mental Journal" of June 18, 1778 :

June 1, 1779. " Voted, To give our Representative ye same In- structions our Representative had ye last year, Together with ye following Instructions, (viz :)

" To Elijah Dunbar, Esq .- Sir : Whereas ye Town of Stough- ton thought proper to instruct their Representative ye last year in matters that concerned the public weal,-and you being the Present Legislative Servant of this Town, & as such you have solicited instruction from your constituents for the guidance of your General conduct in that Capacity ye ensuing year, There- fore, ye Town think fit to Direct & Instruct you strictly to adhere, and in the most caucious manner observe & obey" . . . " ye instructions given to their Representative ye last year," .. "excepting these two Paragraphs in said Instructions .

which relate to the form of Government that was proposed to the consideration of the inhabitants of this State for approba- tion or Disapprobation, which paragraphs are now redundant, as we find by a resolve of the General Court, pass' Feby 29th, 1779, that sd form hath been Disapproved by a majority of ye

safety or Interest are in Danger, You are, like a faithful Senti- nel, to give the alarm to your Constituents."

August 9. "The Town made choice of ye Revd. Mr. Jedediah Adams for our Delegate to sit in State Convention for ye sole purpose of forming a New Constitution."

Paper money had now become so much reduced in value that the town adopted a report of a committee regulating the prices of certain articles. We give a sample of these prices as established Aug. 9, 1779 :

"Cyder £6 per bbl. and for making, 18s. per bbl. Pertators and Turnips 188. per bushel, & other sauce in proportion. For a common dinner 158. other meals in proportion. For lodging 38. per night. West India Tody at 12s. per Bowl. New Eng- land do. 98. per bowl. Horse keeping one Night on grass 18s. on Hay 158. Beef 5s. per lb., Mutton, Veal & Lamb, 48. per lb., Butter, 118 per lb., New Milk Cheese 68. per lb., New Milk 28. per Quart, English Hay, 36s. per Hundred. For Shoeing a Horse £4 .- a yoke of Oxen £8."

A committee of twenty-one persons was selected to inform the Committee of Correspondence of any breaches of the resolution respecting these prices.

On May 24, 1780, Thomas Crane, Esq., was chosen representative, and on September 4th the first election for Governor took place, agreeably to a resolve of the State Convention passed on the 16th day of June, and John Hancock had fifty-three votes, the whole number thrown.

October 10th, Elijah Dunbar, Esq., and Thomas Crane were chosen representatives. Thomas Crane was excused from serving, and Capt. James Endicott was elected. Capt. Endicott was excused from serv- ing, and Mr. Christopher Wadsworth was chosen.

On April 2, 1781, the vote for Governor was as follows : John Hancock had forty-seven votes; James Bowdoin had two votes.

May 16, 1783, John Kenney was chosen repre- sentative, and sundry instructions were voted him, showing a violent state of public feeling in regard to the Tories, and showing also the first recorded evi- dence that the war was ended :

" 2d. Whereas we have reason to believe that this year every effort will be made for the return to their possessions of that abandoned set of men, very justly described by the Laws of this Commonwealth, Conspirators and absentees, who voluntarily at Inhabitants of said State,-And also, you are further directed | the beginning of the war, not only deserted their country's cause, and impowered by your constituents to vote for ye calling a but have aided and assisted the Enemy with their counsels and money, and many of them with their personal services, most inhumanly murdering innocent women and children, therefore, we instruct you to attend the General Court constantly, and use your utmost exertions that they, and every one of them, be for- ever excluded and Barred from having Lot or portion amongst us. And that the Estates they formerly possessed and have justly forfeited, may be immediately sold, and the money arising therefrom be applied to the Discharge of our public debt; and that such of them as have unwariedly crept in among us, may be immediately and forever removed out of this Commonwealth." State Convention for the sole purpose of forming a New Con- stitution or Form of Government, provided it shall appear, on Examination, that a majority of ye people present & voting at their respective Town meetings choose, at this time, to have a New Constitution or Form of Government made, and if such a Convention should be voted to be called, you are hereby in- structed to exert your utmost endeavors that some mode may be adopted, whereby the inhabitants of the State, (as nearly as possible, ) may be equally Represented in said Convention ; and furthermore, you are enjoined ever to be watchful of the Rights & Liberties of the (people,) and whenever any Infringement shall be attempted on them : or you are apprehensive that their

" 4th. And, whereas the war is at an End, we earnestly rec- ommend it to you to use your interest in the General Court that

927

CANTON.

our army, both officers and privates, may be paid off as soon as possible, either in money or securities, according to the public engagements made to them when they entered the service. But on no account are you ever to give your voice or vote for the establishing of half-pay officers amongst us, or any thing that may be called an equivalent, but to use your utmost exertions against it."

On the 30th of November, 1782, the preliminary treaty of peace was signed by the commissioners of the two countries, by which the independence of the United States was acknowledged.

When the news was promulgated here we may well believe there was great rejoicing. In 1783 a meeting was held in the old meeting-house, at which the ven- erable Dunbar was present. His prayers at the Doty Tavern had been answered, and he was doubtless ready himself to depart hence, to be here no more forever. At that great meeting of gladness and joy, it is humiliating to reflect that religious intolerance should have prevented the attendance of the veteran so valuable to his king, and in the early days of the Revolution so important to the republic.

May 7, 1787, Elijah Dunbar and Col. Frederick Pope were elected representatives.

The bitter feeling which existed in 1783, as shown by the instructions to representative Kenney, before ; the experiment proved not to be remunerative, for at

quoted, appears to have subsided. The following are extracts from the vote of instructions to Messrs. Dunbar and Pope :

" These discriminating and disqualifying acts, which serve to irritate the minds of the people, instead of promoting the desira- ble b'essing of peace, your constituents wish to have repealed, together with all other laws that appear repugnant to the com- mon good."

"You will inquire whether the liberty of the Press, so essen- tial to the security of freedom in a State, has been in any man- ner violated or restrained in this Commonwealth, and if so, you will endeavour to have the violators impeached and future restraints prevented."

"That if the Tender Act should be continued, which, on account of the present scarcity of Cash, may be for the best, for a limited time, you will endeavor to have amended, so that property may be appraised at the same rate for the payment of a Creditor, as it would have been at the time when the partic- ular Debt was contracted."

" In order that all the Inhabitants in the Commonwealth may have full employ, be beneficial to themselves and the Public : You will endeavor by every feasible and rational method, to encourage & promote Ship Building, Whale and Cod Fishery, Agriculture, and every necessary & useful manufacture that may be profitably carried on in the States :- & that large Du- ties be laid on all imported articles that might be thus manu- factured in them; and also upon all articles of Luxury & Extravagance, and that moderate Duties be laid upon many articles of convenience, but none upon the real necessaries of life."

From 1783, for several years, the attention of the town was given to the division of Suffolk County,

which the town heartily favored. Success finally crowned this enterprise, and Norfolk County was incorporated March 20, 1793.

The obstructions to the passage of fish up the Neponset, by the dams at Milton, were fruitful sources of contention and litigation, so that, at one time, serious trouble was imminent. A party from Stoughton went to Milton to remove obstructions, when they were set upon by the employés of the mill-owners and driven away. A special town-meet- ing was called to take action thereon. A committee, of fourteen members, was chosen to join with the fish committee in getting the way through Leeds' Dam, and another committee, of twenty members, as the vote expresses it, was chosen " to stir up the People to go down and assist in opening Leeds' dam, for the fish to go up ;" but cooler counsels prevailed, and the parties contested their rights in the courts.

In 1794 a novel experiment was tried for supply- Gridley, whose services in the French war had been : ing the town treasury, by voting that the person who

should be chosen representative should serve for 6s. 7d. per day, and if the General Court should fix the pay at a higher rate, " ye overplus is to be returned to the town." Col. Frederick Pope was chosen, and accepted the condition prescribed. It is probable that the next election the subject was dismissed.

Incorporation of Town .- In 1795 the inhab- itants of the First Parish met in legal meeting, held at the meeting-house, on the 9th day of March, and voted on the thirteenth article (which was to see if the parish will petition the General Court to be set off as a separate town), that Elijah Dunbar, Esq., Col. Nathan Crane, Mr. Joseph Bemis, Col. Benjamin Gill, and Capt. Elijah Crane be a committee to pre- pare a petition for the inhabitants to sign for a di- vision of the town. And further voted that Col. Gill, Capt. Elijah Crane, and Col. Nathan Crane be a com- mittee to present the petition to the General Court.

A petition was accordingly prepared, signed by one hundred and forty-three inhabitants of the parish, and is here given :

" PETITION.

" To the Honourable Senate and House of Representatives of the Com'th of Masstts, in General Court assembled :

"The Petition of the Subscribers, Inhabitants of the first Parish in the Town of Stoughton, in the County of Norfolk in sd Comth, humbly showeth that the local situation of said Town of Stoughton is very singular, being near Eleven Miles in length & about four Miles in breadth, as may appear by a Plan thereof, and also that there is a large body of land laying upon and contiguous to the line between the North and South Par- ishes, which is and always will be incapable of any valuable improvement, which throws the bulk of the Inhabitants of said Parishes at a great distance from each other, which peculiar

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History of Norfolk County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 195

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