USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Northborough > History of Northborough, Mass., in various publications and discourses > Part 3
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10
Money voted. to build schoolhouse. i. 45. to pay war expenses, i. 42 Monis, Rabbi Judah, i. 54. 55; iii. 24 25; iv. 7. Grave Stone Inserip- tion. i. 55.
Monumental Inscription. to Rev. Mr. Breck. i. 62, 63. to Rev. Mr. Martyn, iii. 26. to Rabbi Judah Monis, i. 55. to Isaac Davis, ii. 28.
Moore, L. L., v. 47. Warren E. v. 48 Morrill. Samuel, i. 28.
Morse. Jonathan, i. 28. Joseph. i. 29 Samuel, i. 29, 39. Rev. Mr. (of Boylston) i. 22. 28. 29; iii. 54. Mortal Sickness. i. 37, 38; ii. 34.
Munroe, Abraham, i. 40. 46; ii. 29; V. 11. Isreal. i. 46. John F .. iii. 13. Myrick, Rev. IIenry L ... v. 30, 36; vi. 32.
N
Natick. i. 11, 12. 14.
New Braintree. i. 20.
Newhall, Cephas, ii. 27; vi. 27.
Newton, Abraham and Benjamin. i.
29. David and Edward, i. 10. Ephraim, i. 29. Ebenezer, Eze- kiel and Hannah, i. 10. James, i. 10, 29. Jacob, i. 10. John. i. 8, 10. 28. John. Jun .. i. 29. John F., v. 28. Jonathan, i. 10. 29. Joseph, i. 7. 29. Josiah, i. 10. Martyn, iii. 14. Moses, i. 10, 28. Moses, Jun., i. 28. Mer- cy. i. 10. Paul, i. 10, 44, 53; iii. 14, 37, 49. Richard, i. 5, 10.
xiv.
GENERAL INDEX.
Newton, Richard W., v. 28. Solo- mon, i. 10. Thomas, i. 28. Wil- lard, i. 10.
Ordaining Council, i. 49, 50. 51; ii. Newtown. v. 3. Nipmuck Road, iii. 41; v. 3. 4, 20; iii. 4; vi. 27. Ordination, of Rev. John Martyn, i. Norcross, Edward, v. 48. E. W. v. 48. of Rev. Peter Whitney, iii. 28. S. W., v. 26. 46. 31, 54. of Rev. Joseph Allen, Normal Schools, v. 11. i. 51; ii. 4; iii. 32; vi. 12. 27; effort to prevent, ii. 4. of Rev. Northampton, i. 27.
Northborough, i. 1, 4, 7, 11, 24, 20, 32; ii. 1, 4, 6, 16, 28; iii. 17, 18 42; v. 5, 7. 10, 11, 26; vi. I, S, 12, 26, 32, 37.
Antiquity of, iii. 41. Boundaries of, i. 33; iv. 1. Civil History. i. 39. Description of, i. 35, 30. 37; iii. 2. 3. Incorporation, i. 49; iii. 30; iv. 5. Historical Sketch iv. 1. Irregular in form, i. 35; iv. 1. Patriotic action, iii. 42; iv. 6. Population of, i. 37; iv. 10. Separate Precinet, i. 32; iii. 6. 10, 27; iv. 1.
Northborough Bank, iv. 10. Lyceum, vi. 21.
North Precinct, v. S. Northrup, Rev. B. G .. v. 39. Norton, Andrew, vi. 25.
Notes, i. 59-66; ii. 25. 26, 27, 28. 29 31, 32, 33, 34; iii. 43. 47. 51, 53 54; vi. 25, 26, 27, 28. 29, 30, 31 33.
O
Oakes, (or Oaks) George and John. iii. 13, 52. Nathaniel. i. 26, 28, 38. 56; iii. 9, 11, 28. 41; v. 6. Children of, i. 26.
Ockoocangansett, i. 6. 9, 15. 16, 20; iii. 43; v. 5. Old Father Greenleaf. anecdote of. V. 31.
Old Tener Money, value of, iii. 30. Old World visited, vi. 30.
J. T. Forbush, vi. 32.
Ordination a rare occurrence, vi. 12. Origin of Meadow Names, i. 24. Osgood, Rev. Mr. (of Sterling) vi. 18
P
l'alfrey. John G., v. 3. Parish Records destroyed, v. 9. Parker, John B., v. 48. Parkman, Breck, i. 46. Rev. Mr. i.
24, 32, 49. 53; iii. 4, 22, 28, 29. 42, 43, 44. 48. 54. Biographical Sketch of, i. 32.
Parmenter, Asa and Joel, iii. 42. l'arting Word of Rev. Dr. Allen, iii. 39. Pastors, Convention of. iii. 43. Patterson, Arte and Brigham, ii. 28. l'eace Society formed, vi. 30. Peace Congress, vi. 30. Pease. Rev. Bartlett. iv. 8. Pensions to Revolutionary soldiers, i. 43. Perry, John, v. 48.
Personal Narrative of Dr. Allen, vi. 9, 10.
Persons assigned to the Garrisons, i. 28. 29. Peters. Lovett, i. 25. Jethro, i. 41. Petersham, iii. 31, 54. Petition to General Court, i. 4. Peverly. Horace L., v. 28. Phenonomen, Strange, v. 3.
'xv.
GENERAL INDEX.
Philadelphia, v. II. Pierce, Cyrus, vi. 25. Jacob, i. 26. Dr., (of Brookline) ii. 32. Pilim. (or Pitmee ) Andrew, i. 12. Piper, Rev. Artemas M .. iv. 8. Plantation incorporated, v. 5. Plimpton, Peter, i. 28. Poem by T. W. Valentine, v. 15. Pond, Sylvanus B., v. 42. Pond, Great Chauncy, v. 4, 6. Population of Northborough in 1816, ii. 8; vi. 20.
Pound, voted to build, iii. 53.
Pratt, John, i. 29. Precinct Clerk, iii. 15. Prentice, Rev. Mr., (of Lancaster) i. 49; iii. 4, 5, 22, 28, 29, 35, 61. Rev. Mr., (of Grafton) iii. 43. Prentiss, Dr., (of Medfield) ii. 26. Thomas, vi. 25. Prince, Rev. Thomas, (of Boston) iii. 51. Princeton, vi. 18.
Procession, Centennial, number in, v. 34. Proprietors' Meeting, i. 7. 8. Protest of Dr. Allen, ii. 32. Public Worship, maintenance of, i. 9 Public House, ii. 29.
Puffer, Dr., (of Berlin) ii. 26, 32; vi. 27, 36. Pulpit Exchanges, ii. 26; vi. 18. Pulpit and Parish, care of, relinquish- ed. vi. 22. Putnam, Simeon, vi. 25. Q
Quarter Centennial Sermon, ii. 3-23. Question Books, series of, for Sunday Schools, vi. 19. Questions in the Old and New Tes- tament, vi. 31.
Quincy, ii. 25; iii. 54; v. 11, 32; vi. 27, 28.
R
Rand, Rev. Mr., i. 48; iii. 29. Randlett, Nathaniel, v. 28, 48. Rawson, Edward, i. 5, 6, 39. Rediat, John, i. 8, 26; iii. 41; iv. 4; v. 6. Reed, David and William. vi. 25. Regulations concerning settlers of new plantations. i. 7.
Reminiscences of early ministry. ii. 7. Resolutions upon the death of Mrs. Allen, vi. 33.
Revolutionary War. action 'of Town concerning. i. 40, 41.
Rice, Adonijah. i. 30. Albert. iii. 12. Amos, i. 39. 41. 42, 47. Anson, iii. 61; v. 27. 28. 33, 37. 47. Asaph, i. 27. 37. 52; ii. 27. 33; iii. 9. Ashur. i. 30. Benjamin. i. 8. 28, 39; ii. 28, 31; iii. 11. Ca- leb. i. 29. 35. Charles, i. 29; v. 41. Curtis. v. 47. 48. C. A .. v. 47. Daniel, i. 29. Denna, v. 48. Ebenezer, i. 46. 48. Edmond. i. 4, 5, 29. 30, 55. Ensign, iii. 52 Ezra, iii. 12. Ilenry. i. 5. Jacob, i. 23, 39, 46; iii. 9. 28, 52. Joel. i. 39. 41. Joseph, i. 8, 10, 12, 13, 28. Josiah. i. 30. 35; iii. 12 Joshua, i. 28. Luther, i. 47. Matthias, i. 39,. 48. 49, 53, 54, 55; iii. 6, 11, IS, 36. 37, 52. Nahor, killed by Indians, i. 30. Nathan, i. 42. Pelatiah, i. 54; iii. 11, 12. 52. Peter, i. 29. Samuel, i. 8. Samuel I., v. 48. Samuel J., v. 28. Seth, i. 30, 44 54; iii. 14, 37, 52. Seth, Jr. i. 41. Simon, i. 46. 48.
xvi.
GENERAL INDEX.
Rice, Simeon, i. 39, 56. Silas, i. 30. iii. 14, 53. Thomas,'i. 8, 30; sons cap- tured by Indians, i. 30. Timothy,
i. 30; iii. 14. Zerubabel, i. 39. Rider, John, ii. 28.
Ripley, Rev. Silas, iv. S.
Roads, &c. i. 36.
Robinson of Leyden, vi. 17.
Rock Hill, v. 3, 4.
Rockwood, Rev. E., ii. 26, 27, 31.
Roxbury, i. 27; iii. 15. 58; v. 8.
Ruddocke, John, i. 5, 9.
Rugg, Benjamin, i. 38.
Rutland, il. 28.
Rutter, John, i. 8.
S
Salary of Minister, i. 48, 50, 51; iii. 30 Salem, i. 48. 50. 51; ii. 25, 26; iii. 30; vi. 26. 27.
Sanborn. Rev. George E .. v. 27, 30, 36. Sanders, Dr. (of Medfield) ii. 26; vi. 27. Savage. -. vi. 25.
Saw Mill, i. 17, 25. 26; iii. 11. 41; iv. 2. 4; V. 7.
Sawyer. Thomas. (of Lancaster) i. 30 School returns. i. 45; iv. 9. School House, first, i. 19, 45. School Master, first. i. 45; iii. 53. " 1, " of Marlborough, i. 18.
School Teachers of Northboro' v. 10. School Houses built, ii. 10; v. 10. Schools, annual appropriation for, ii. 10. Direction of, ii. 9. Visited, ii. 9. Support of, v. 10. Seagrave, Rev. Edward, iv. S. Season, unpropitious, vi. 26. Seaver. Abraham W., iv. 10; v. 26. 27, 29. 46, 47. Edwin S., (of
Boston) v. 38. Samuel, Sen. ii. 29; iii. 37. Samuel, v. 3. Wil- liam v. 11, 28, 29, 32. 38; vi. 33. Seccon:b, Rev. Mr. (of Harvard) iii. 43. Second Precinct of Westboro' v. 8. Semi-Centennial Celebration, acet. of vi. 35. Seminary, the, v. 11.
Sermons on the use of intoxicating drinks, vi. 30. Services, order of, at Semi-Centen- nial, vi. 3.
Settlement and population, iv. 4. Sever, Joseph and Thomas, i. 42. Shaw, J. A. vi., 25. Sheperd, Jacob. i. 49; iii. 6. Sherman, George and Henry, v. It. John, i. 29. 34.
Shippen. Rev. Rush R., vi. 37.
Shrewsbury, i. 26. 35. 47, 51, 63; ii. 25. 26; iii. 4. 5. 22, 54; iv. 1, 2, 5; vi. 18.
Shrewsbury Band, v. 29, 33. "Signed off" from First Parish, ii. 27. Signers to the Church Covenant, i. 49 Singletary. Richard. i. 39.
Slavery, relating to, v. 39. Preach- ing on by Dr. Allen. vi. 17.
Smith, George. i. 31. George L., v. 48. Rev. Mr .. (of Marlboro') iii. 54.
Southborough. i. 4, 10; iii. 42; v. 5. Southworth, Charles, iii. 13. Speculative Belief, difference in lost sight of, ii. 31. Spencer, i. 30. "Spirit's invitation." ii. 35. Sprague, Rev. William B., i. 63. Statistical facts. ii. 19. Sterling, i. 32, 39; ii. 27; iii. 43; vi. 18.
GENERAL INDEX.
xvii.
Stevens, Samuel, i. 28. - , (of E. Cambridge) vi. 27. Steward, Elecksander, iii. 29. Stewardship. account of, ii. I. Stirrup Meadow, iii. 41.
Stirrup Meadow Brook, i. S. 11, 31. 36; iii. 2.
Stone. Eliphalet. i. 39. James, i. 27. John. v. 27, 47. Lyman, v. 47. Samuel, i. 39. Stoney Brouk. i. S.
Stoughton, i. 21.
Stow, Samuel. Sen. and Thomas, i. 28 Stow, town of. iii. 4. 16.
Stratton. Joseph. i. 29. Levi. v. 2S. William, iii. 12.
Sudbury, i. 3. 5. 7. 10. 25, 47; iii. 15; iv. 4; v. 4, 5.
Sudbury River, i. 6, 21; iii. 4. Sumner, Rev. Joseph, D. D. i. 51; ii. 26; iii. 5; vi. 18. Mrs. Lucy, i. 51; iii. 54. Sunday Evening Services, vi. 21. Sunday School. organization of. ii. 10 30; vi. 19. 32. Celebration, ii. 30. Public Examination, vi. 32. Surface. Soil, &c. i. 35. Surry, N. H., i. 5. Sutton, iii. 4.
T
Tavern. first, i. 26. Tax Payers, in 1747 and 1752, i. 56. 57; iii. 52. Heaviest 1866, v. 46. Tax, U. S., 1866. v. 47.
Taylor. John. i. 27. 43. 48. Widow Sarah, i. 29. Thomas, iii. 25. Tea, destruction of. iv. 6. Tennent. Buel. iii. 24. Tenny. Gifleon. i. 54. Tempels. Is. i. 28. Text, of Quarter Centennial, ii. 3.
Of Half-Century Discourse. vi. S First preached upon, ii. 4. Of Dr. Allen's first Sunday after or- dination. vi. 13.
Tewksbury. i. 11, 12, 36. Thatch Meadow, i. I't. Thayer, Rev. Dr., (of Lancaster) vi. 11. IS, 36. "The Day of Small Things," iii. I. Thorndike. lIon. Israel, (of Boston) vi. 26.
Three Corner Meadow, iii. 41. Thurston. Levi S., v. 28. Ticonderoga, battle of, i. 39. Toasts, regular, at centennial of the town, V. 31. 32, 37. Tokkohwompait, Daniel. i. 15.
Tomblin. Ilezekiah, i. 27, 56; iii. 11; V. 7. Isaac. i. 27. 29, 56; iii. II : v. 7. Tomblin Hill, iii. I1; iv. 2; v. 7. Topsfield. vi. 26. Torrey. William, i. 6.
Town Clock, iv. 10. Town House built, i. 53; iv. 10. Town, Minister of, vi. IS. Town Officers of Northboro' IS66. v. 48.
Town and Parish, one, vi. 13. Town Vote on Province Tax, i. 41. Townsend, Joshua, iii. 25. Townsend, town of, i. 42.
Trees, when, planted. v. 14. Trials of the Minister, vi. 29. Tuckerman, instituted the ministry to . the poor, vi. 16.
1
U
Unitarian Epithet, ii. 31. Unitarian Ministers, vi. IS. Uxbridge, iii. 43.
·
xviii.
GENERAL INDEX.
V
Valentine, Elijah F. and Elmer, ii. 28. Geo. G., v. 26, 27, 29, 48; vi. 33. T. W., v. 15, 28, 31, 33. 34, 36, 37. Brothers, v. 11. Value of Old Tenor Money, iii. 30. Vestry built, ii. 20, 34.
Votes passed relating to the Meeting House, iii. 51, 52.
Votes against settlement of Rev. Jo- seph Allen, ii. 26.
W
Wait. Joseph, i. 28.
Wakefield, Rev. Tubal, iii. 62; iv. 8. Wales, England. iii. 12.
Walker, President, (of Cambridge)
vi. 12. 27. J. B., v. 47.
Waltham, ii. 25; vi. 26.
Wamesit, i. 11, 12.
Wamesquit, John. i. 12.
Ward, Gen. Artemas, i. 59. Widow Hannah. i. 29. Increase, i. 23. Joseph, i. 28. Obediah. i. 8. 28. Oliver, i. 28. 56. Richard, i. S. Samuel. i. 11. 29. Thomas. i. 27 29. 56. William, i. 4, 29. 34. Ware, Henry. Sen. ii. 26; vi. 25, 27. 34. Henry. Jr., vi. 18. 19. 25. William, vi. 26.
Warren, Benjamin, ii. 28. Cliphalet. i. 39.
Warwickshire, i. 4.
Water Power of Nort'iborough. v. 4. Watertown. i. 3. 5. 16. 35; iii. 13, 36: v. 3, 4, 8.
Watts' Psalms and Ilymns used, ii. 2; Webb. Rev. Mr. (of Uxbridge) iii. 4. Weddings attended by Dr. . In.en, vi. 20. Welcome, address of, vi. 35. Wesson, Silas. i. 32.
Wessonville. iii. 11.
Westborough. i. 3, 4, 7, 11. 24, 26, 30, 32; ii. 25. 26, 27, 31; iii. 4, 6. 11, 13. 14, 22, 27. 31. 35. 41, 53. 54; v. 4. 5, 7. 8. Incorporation of, i. 32; v. 8. First Minister of. i. 32.
Westborough Band, v. 33. West Boylston, vi. 11. 26. Western. town of. i. 27. Westfield. i. 21. Wethersfield, v. 3.
Wheeler, Daniel, (of Hardwick ) i. 27 John. i. 29. Joseph. i. 26, 27. 34. 56; iii. 10; v. 8. Wheelock, Samuel. i. 28.
Whipsuppenicke, or Whipsufferadge, i. 6. 8, 9. 16; iii. 43; v. 5. White, Rev. John. (of West Ded- ham) vi. 26.
Whitefield. Rev. George. iii. 15, 23, 43. Whitman. Nathaniel, vi. 25.
Whitney, Rev. Aaron (of Petersham) i. 50; iii. 31, 54; iv. 7. Benja- min, i. 29. Rev. Peter, i. 26. 37 41. 43, 46. 50, 53; ii. 4, 27, 49. 55. 58; iii. 9, 31. 32, 35. 48; iv. 7; v. 6; vi. 11, 12, 33. Ordina- tion of, i. 50, 54. Published writings of, i. 51; iii. 54. Madam. v. 7; death of. vi. 28. Rev. Peter, (of Quincy) i. 46; ii. 20: iii. 54; vi. 27, 28. William :. vi. 28.
Whitney's History of Worcester Co .. i. 6, 24. .
Wilder & Warren, iv. 4. Willard, Joseph. vi. 26. Sidney, vi 25. Williams, Abraham, i. 10, 12, 13. Get II., iii. 61; v. 7, 27, 29, 48.
A
.
GENERAL INDEX.
xix.
Williams, Stephen, i. 25, 27, 44, 52; ii. 33, 36; iii. 10. Wilson, Rev. E. B., vi. 36.
Wilton, N. H., i. 46.
Windsor, Conn., v. 3.
Winslow, Governor, iii. 50. John, i. i. 47. Winsor, F. G. & R. H., v. 46. Witherby, Thomas, i. 29.
Wood, Abraham, iii. 15. David F.,
v. 46, 47, 48. Isaac, i. 18, 29.
Samuel, i. 42; ii. 23, 35; iii. 15; iv. 5; v. 11, 26, 28, 29. Samuel, Jr. v. 23. 47. 43.
Woods, John. i. 5, 28. 29.
Woodstock. i. 21.
Woodward, T. C., v. 27, 48.
Wolves and Rattlesnakes, infested the Town, i. 7.
Women of the generation, iii. 16.
Worcester, i. 26. 36, 47; ii. 17, 25, 33 v. 8; vi. 11, 18, 26, 28, 37. Worcester Association, ii. 30; vi. 18. 31. Worcester Catechism, ii. 10; vi. 31. Worcester County, History of, iii. 54 Historical Magazine, i. 1; iii. 5. 42; vi. 32.
Worcester Gazette, account of the Centennial, v. 34. Worcester, Noah. vi. 16.
Word of Encouragement, vi. 9.
Worthington, i. 27.
Wyman, John C., (of Troy, N. Y.) v. 32, 34, 38. Y
Young Women, in uniform of white. vi. 12. Youth, first instructed, iii. 13.
,
TOPOGRAPHICAL AND HISTORICAL
SKETCHES
-
OF THE
TOWN OF NORTHBOROUGH,
WITH THE
EARLY HISTORY OF
MARLBOROUGH,
IN TIJE
Commonwealth of Massachusetts,
FURNISHED FOR THE
WORCESTER MAGAZINE.
.1; BY REV. JOSEPH ALLEN, PASTOR OF THE CHURCH IN NORTHBOROUGH, AND MEMBER OF THE WORCESTER COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
WORCESTER: PUBLISHED BY W. LINCOLN & C. C. BALDWIN. CHARLES GRIFFIN ...... PRINTER. 1826.
-
HISTORY OF NORTHBOROUGH.
. :
NORTHBOROUGH, though one of the youngest and smallest incor- porated towns in the County of Worcester, was, for nearly 50 years, prior to the date of its incorporation, a part of Westborough ; first as part of an undivided whole, and then as a separate precinct or parish. This carries us back to the year 1717, before which time, Westborough itself, including Northborough, belonged to the large and ancient town of Marlborough. Northborough then, as being included in Marlborough, may lay claim to considerable antiquity. Marlborough was incorporated in 1660, only about 30 years after the commencement of the Massachusetts Colony. The stream of emigration may easily be traced back from this, which was for ma- ny years a frontier settlement, bordering upon the unexplored wil- derness, to the fountain head. The settlement in Marlborough was commenced four years before the date of its incorporation, by emi- grants from Sudbury, which was older by about 20 years than Marlborough, having been incorporated in 1638. The next step carries us back to Concord, which was purchased of the natives and incorporated in 1635 .*
The next step brings us to Watertown, where a settlement was made in 1630, the same year that Boston began to be built. It was in this year that a large number of emigrants arrived from England, which served greatly to enlarge and strengthen the Colony, then in its infancy. The oldest town in the Massachusetts Colony is Sa- lem, where a settlement was commenced in 1628, eight years after the landing of our fathers at Plymouth.
1. Mass. Hist. Col. Vol. I.
1
4
HISTORY OF NORTHBOROUGH.
Thus we see that within the short space of 30 years from the first planting of this Colony, the wilderness had been explored, and a permanent settlement effected, by our enterprising forefathers, in the ancient town of Marlborough, which then included Westbo- rough, Southborough, and Northborough, now within the limits of Worcester County.
It will not therefore be improper to prefix to the history of this town some account of the first settlement and early history of the Plantation at Marlborough.
The following petition was presented to the General Court in May, 1656.
"To the Hon. Governor, Dep. Governor, Magistrates and Depu- ties of the General Court now assembled in Boston."
" The humble petition of several of the Inhabitants of Sudbu- ry, whose names are hereunder written, humbly sheweth ; that whereas your petitioners have lived divers years in Sudbury, and God hath beene pleased to increase our children, which are now divers of them grown to man's estate, and wee, many of us, grown into years, so as that wee should bee glad to see them settled be- fore the Lord take us away from hence, as also God having given us some considerable quantity of cattle, so that wee are so streigh- tened that wee cannot so comfortably subsist as could bee desired ; and some of us having taken some pains to view the country ; wee have found a place which lyeth westward, about eight miles from Sudbury, which wee conceive might bee comfortable for our sub- sistence :
"It is therefore the humble request of your Petitioners to this Hon'd Court, that you would bee pleased to grant unto us ( ) eight miles square, or so much land as may containe to eight miles square, for to make a plantation.
"If it shall please this Hon'd Court to grant our petition, it is farther than the request of your petitioners to this Hon'd Court, that you will bee pleased to appoint Mr. Thomas Danforth or Lies- tennl Fisher to lay out the bounds of the Plantation; and wee shall satisfy those whom this Hon'd Court shall please to employ in it. So apprehending this weighty occasion, wee shall no farther trouble this Hon'd Court, but shall ever pray for your happinesse."
Edmond Rice, John How,*
.- Thomas King, John Bent, Sen'r. John Maynard,
William Ward,
* According to a tradition handed down in the family, the first English person that came to reside in Marlborough, was John How, son of a How, of iv: tertown, supposed to be John How, Esq. who came from Warwickshire, in
5
· HISTORY OF NORTHBOROUGH. 1
John Woods, Edward Rice, John Ruddocke,
Richard Newton, Peter Bent, Henry Rice,
Thomas Goodenow.
"That this is a true copy of the original petition presented to the General Court, May, 1656, left on file and thereto compared, is Attested, per EDWARD RAWSON, Sec'ry." To this petition the following answer was made.
At a General Court held in Boston, May 14, 1756.
"In answer to the petition of the aforesaid inhabitants of Sudbury, the Court judgeth it meete to grant them a proportion of land of six miles, or otherwise, in some convenient form equivalent there- unto, at the discretion of the committee in the place desired, pro- vided it hinder no former grant, that there bee a Towne settled with twenty or more families within three years, so as an able min- istry may bee there maintained. And it is ordered that Mr. Ed- ward Jackson, Capt. Eleazer Lusher, Ephraim Child, with Mr. Thomas Danforth, or Liestenn' Fisher, shall bee, and hereby are ap- pointed as a committee to lay out the bounds thereof, and make return to the next Court of Election, or else the grant to bee void.
"This is a true copy taken out of the Court's Books of Records, as Attests EDWARD RAWSON, Secr'y."
England, and who, as appears from a record in the possession of Mr. Adam How, of Sudbury, also a descendant of John, was himself the son o! John How, of Hodinhull, and connected with the family of Lord Charles How, Earl of Lancaster, in the reign of Charles 1.
Mr. How came from Watertown to Marlborough, built a cabin a little to the east of the Indian Planting field, where his descendants lived for many generations. By his prudence and kindness, he gained the good will and confidence of his savage neighbors, who accordingly made him the um- pire in all their differences.
The following is related as one of the verdicts of this second Solomon. 'Two Indians, whose corn fields were contiguous, disputed about the posses- sion of a pumpkin, which grew on a vine, that had transgressed the limits of the field in which it was planted. The vine was planted in one field ; the pumpkin grew in the other. The dispute grew warm, and might have led to serious consequences, had it not occurred to them to refer the matter in de- bate to the arbitration of the white man, their neighbor. Mr. How is accord- ingly sent for, who after having given a patient hearing to both parties, directs them to bring him a knife, with which he divides the pumpkin into two equal parts, giving half to each. Both parties extol the equity of the judge, and readily acquiesce in the decision, pleased, no doubt, quite as much with the manner in which the thing was done, as in admiration of the justice of the deed.
The descendants of John How are very numerous in Marlborough, and in the towns in the vicinity. There are 28 of the name of How on the list of voters, in Marlborough, for the present year.
Col. Thomas How was a son of the above, who, for many years, was one of the leading men in the town. John How died sometime before 1686, as appears by a deed of his son Josiah to Thomas, of that date. Rev. Perley Ilow, of Surry, N. HI. was a descendant of John, and of Col. Thomas How.
G
HISTORY OF NORTHBOROUGH.
The Plantation was accordingly soon commenced in the neigh- borhood of Ockoocangansett, (the Indian name of the hill back of the old Meeting House in Marlborough,) and thence extending to Whipsuppenicke, (a hill about a mile southeasterly of the former,) and the neighboring parts. By this name, Whipsuppenicke, or Whipsufferadge, as it was sometimes written, the English Planta- tion of Marlborough was known, till its incorporation, in 1660.
Of the Indian Plantation at Marlborough, called, from the hill abovenamed, Ockoocangansett, some account will be given here- after.
A plan of the English plantation was made in May, 1667, by Samuel Andrews, surveyor, which was approved by the Deputies, 17th 3mo. 1667.
WM. TORREY, Clerk.
Consented to by the Magistrates. EDWARD RAWSON, Sec'y.
This plan was made on parchment on a scale of two inches to a mile, and is now in the hands of Mr. Silas Gates of Marlborough.
The plantation contained by admeasurement 29,419 acres, which, with the 6000 acres reserved for the Indians, of which we shall presently speak, amounted to 35,419 acres. The Indian planting field, on Ockoocangansett, the hill back of where the old meet- ing house stood, was included within the bounds of the English plantation, and formed a square containing about two hundred acres. From the northwestern angle of this field the boundary line between the Indian plantation on the east, and the English plan- tation on the west, extends three miles north, seven degrees west, to a point a little beyond the river Assabett *. From this point the boundary line runs seven miles west, twenty five de- grees south, (cutting off what is now the northwest angle of Northborough, and which forms what are called the New Grants.) Thence five miles south-southeast, to the south west extremity of the plantation; thence two miles and three-fourths of a mile east, nine degrees north, leading into Cedar swamp; thence southeast, two hundred and fifty six rods on Sudbury River ; thence two miles and three quarters, due east; thence two miles and one hundred and twenty rods northeast, thirteen degrees north ; thence three
* This name is written and spoken variously by different persons. In the report of the Canal Commissioners presented at the recent session of the Le- gislature of this State, it is written Elsebeth, and is supposed to be a corrup- tion of Elizabeth. By some aged persons, it is called Elsebeth ; in Whitney's Hist. Assabet. In the earliest records of Marlborough, however, it is almost uniformly written with a final h, Asabeth or Assabeth. If either of the two last letters are omitted, it should probably be the t. In which case the name would be Assabeh.
7
HISTORY OF NORTHBOROUGHI.
hundred and forty eight rods north, seventeen degrees east ; thence one mile and three fourths of a mile due north, which reaches to the Indian line ; then three miles, due west, on this line, which completes the boundaries of the English plantation.
It would seem, from the above account, that the proprietors ex- ceeded the limits of their grant by more than 6000 acres. We are not to conclude, however, that they acted fraudulently in this bu- siness ; since it appears that the draft of the plantation was present- ed to the General Court for their acceptance, and approved by the Deputies and Magistrates.
The form of the plantation was evidently regulated by a regard to the surface and soil. Thus the boundary lines. on the north and west included all the meadows on the Assabeth, west of the Indian plantation, and the extensive intervale, including several large meadows and cedar swamps, which runs through nearly the whole extent of Northborough and Westborough. The boundaries on the south and east were also fixed with the same sagacity and foresight.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.