USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Northborough > History of Northborough, Mass., in various publications and discourses > Part 4
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It is said that the meadows, at the first settlement of our country, produced much larger crops of grass, of a much better quality, than at the present day. This circumstance, together with the difficul- ty of subduing the uplands, will account for the eagerness manifest- ed by the first settlers to possess a good supply of meadow grounds .*
The first meeting of the proprietors of the English plantation, was holden 25th of the VIIth month (September) 1656.f
In 1657, the following eight names are found among the propri- etors, in addition to the thirteen original petitioners above men- tioned, making up the number of twenty one.
* It appears from the early records of Marlborough, that for many years after its incorporation, the town was greatly infested by wolves and rattle- snakes.
In a single year, (1683) the town paid a bounty for no fewer than twenty three wolves. In 1680, the following record was made. "Voted, to raise thirteen men to go out to cil rattelsnakes, eight to Cold Harbour-ward, and so to the other place they cal boston, (now the northwestern corner of West- borough) and five to Stoney Brook-ward, to the places thereabout. John Brigham to cal out seven with him to the first, and Joseph Newton four with him, to the latter, and they were to have two shillings apiece per day, paid out of a town rates."
t " Sept. 25th. 1656. Upon amitinge of the petitioners apoynted to take sum course to lay out the plantation granted to several inhabitants of Sudbu- ry, it was ordered that all that doe take up lottes in that plantation shall pay all publique charges that shall arise upon that plantation, according to their house lottes and to be resident there in two years or set in a man that the town shall aprove one, or else too loose their lotts ; but if God shall take away any man by death, he have liberty to give his lott to whom he will."
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HISTORY OF NORTHBOROUGH.
William Kerly,
Samuel Rice, -. Peter King,
John Rediat, John Johnson, Christopher Banister.
Solomon Johnson,
Thomas Rice, .....
" At a meeting of the proprietors of this plantation the 26th of Xber, (December) 1659.
" It is ordered that all such as lay clayme to any interest in this new plantation at Whipsufferadge, (by the Indians called Whipsup- penicke) are to perfect their house lots by the 25th of March next insueing, or else to loose all their interest in the aforesaid planta- tion."
Agreeably to this order, thirty eight house lots, including one for a minister, and one for a smith, were set off, and granted to the proprietors, the 26th of Nov. 1660.
Besides the persons already mentioned, the following had house lots assigned to them, at this date.
Joseph Rice, Richard Ward,
John Barrett,
John Ilow, Jr.
Benjamin Rice,
Jos. Holmes,
Henry Kerley, John Bellows, Samuel How,
Richard Barns, Abraham How,
Henry Axtell,
Andrew Belcher, 'T'ho. Goodenow, Jr.
John Newton.
Obediah Ward, John Rutter,
These thirty eight house lots, amounting in all to 9923 acres consisted of some of the best and most commodious tracts of land in Marlborough. They contained from fifty to fifteen acres each, ac- cording to the interest of the several proprietors in the plantation. The principal part of the land, which was not taken up for house lots, with the exception of Chauncey, (now Westborough and North- borough,) was left common (called Cow Commons) to be disposed of by subsequent grants.
The following boundaries were assigned to the Cow Commons in 1662.
" From John Alcocks line (now known by the name of the Farm) to Stoney Brook ; thence up the brook to Crane Meadow, and so along to Stirrup Meadow Brook, and to be extended as the Brooke runs to Assibathe River, and down the said river till it comes to the Indian line. This is, and shall remain a perpetual Cow Common for the use of this town, never to bee altered with- out the consent of all the inhabitants and proprietors thereof at a full meeting ; excepting four score acres of upland this town hath reserved within the aforesaid tract of land to accommodate some such desirable persons withall as need may require, opportunity present, and the town accept."
1
9
JHSTORY OF NORTHIBOROUGHI.
A vote was passed at a meeting of the proprietors in 1705, to divide the Cow Commons among the original proprietors and such as had acquired rights in the plantation, in proportion to the first grants.
So early as 1660, it appears that measures had been adopted by the proprietors of Marlborough, for the maintenance of public wor- ship ; and that Mr. William Brimsmead, afterwards ordained as their pastor, was employed as a preacher.
In the following year, they voted to build a house for their minister ; and, in 1662, the frame of a house, with the house lot on which it stood, were granted to Wm. Brimsmead, Minister .*
In 1662, a rate was made of 12 pence per acre upon all house lots for building a Meeting House ; and again, in 1664, of 3} pence per acre for finishing the house. This house, which was after- wards burnt by the Indians, stood on the old common, within the limits of the Indian planting field, which, Hutchinson says, "caused great disputes and discouragements."
It appears from the following record, that the land on which the Meeting House was erected was afterwards purchased of an Indian, whose title to the land was probably disputed by his breth- ren of the Indian Plantation.
" 1663, April 4. Anamaks, an Indian of Whipsuppenicke, for divers reasons and considerations, sold to John Ruddock and John How, for the use of the town of Marlborough, the land that the Meeting House now stands on-also the land for the highway on the fore side of said Meeting House, and so upon a square of ten feet, round about the said Meeting House." This land, with the addition of half an acre purchased in 1688, of Daniel, Samuel, and Nathaniel Gookin, sons of Maj. Gen. Daniel Gookin, of Cambridge, constitutes what is now the old common, the whole of which did
* The house built for Mr. Brimsmead stood on the lot of land west of Ock- oocangansett, not far from the spot on which the old Meeting House was af- terwards erected. There is a tradition that Mr. Brimsmead's house was set on fire by the Indians in King Philip's war, and that the flames communicated with the Meeting House, which was the occasion of its being burnt.
It may be interesting to the antiquary to learn the form and dimensions of a dwelling house erected more than 160 years since. It was 36 ft. by 18 ft. and 1º3 ft. high between the joints. It had four windows in front, and two at the west end. It had besides two gables in front, 10 ft. wide and 3 ft. square, (projecting 8 ft.) with two small windows on the front side of the ga- bles. It was built by contract for £15, to be paid in corn ; one third wheat, one third rye, and one third Indian corn. Wheat at 4s. 6d. rye at 4s. and Indian corn at 3s. per bushel. For the payment of this sum, a rate was made of 73 pence per acre upon all house lots in the Plantation.
t Hist. Col. I. p. 167.
,
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HISTORY OF NORTHBOROUGH.
not come into the possession of the town till 1706, when the half acre above mentioned was purchased by Abraham Williams and Joseph Rice, "for the use of the town, to set a Meeting House on."
Till 1675, nothing serious appears to have occurred to inter- rupt the prosperity of the inhabitants of this flourishing settlement. But their prosperity received a severe check in the war which now ensued. After the destruction of Lancaster, (Feb. 10, 1676, O. S.) a party of the enemy directed their conrse through Marlbo- rough, where they committed some depredations, on their way to Sudbury and Medfield, in the latter of which places nearly 50 dwel- ling houses were burnt, and 15 persons lost their lives.
A second attack was made upon the English settlement at Marl- borough, on the 20th of the following month, which, though no lives were lost, was attended with more disastrous consequences. It was Lord's day ; and the inhabitants were assembled for public worship, when the preacher, the Rev. Mr. Brimsmead, was inter- rupted in the midst of his discourse by the appalling cry, that the Indians were advancing upon them. The Assembly instantly dis- persed ; and, with a single exception,* succeeded in reaching the neighboring garrison house in safety before the enemy came up. But though they defended themselves, they could afford no protection to their property, much of which was wasted or destroyed. Their Meeting House and many of their dwelling houses were burned to the ground ; their fruit trees hacked and pilled ; their cattle killed or maimed, so that marks of their ravages were visible for many years.
The alarm occasioned by this attack, and the defenceless state to which the inhabitants were reduced, led them to retire from the place, and to seek shelter in a more populous neighborhood. Short- ly after the close of the war, which lasted little more than a year, they returned to their farms, and were permitted for many years to cultivate them in peace.t
* The person to whom allusion is here made was Moses Newton, grand- father of the late Deac. Paul Newton, of this town. Being detained behind the rest in the benevolent attempt to rescue an aged and infirm female, who . would otherwise have been exposed to certain destruction, he received a ball in his elbow, which deprived him in a measure of the use of his arm ever af- ter. Solomon Newton, a grandson of the above, is now living, (1826) aged 92 years, with his son, Willard Newton, Esq. in Southborough, on the farm taken up by his great-grand-father, Richard Newton, nearly 170 years ago. Richard came from England, and was one of the 13 original proprietors of Marlborough. Richard had three sons, Moses, Ezekiel and John. Moses was the father of eight sons and two daughters, viz. Moses, Jonathan, James, Josiah, David, Edward, Hannah, Mercy, Jacob, and Ebenezer.
t There are no records in the Proprietors' Books of what took place be-
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HISTORY OF NORTHBOROUGH.
Soon after their return, they proceeded to the erection of a new Meeting Ilouse, which, like the former, was thatched with straw, , or rather a species of tall grass, taken from the meadow since cal- led, from that circumstance, Thatch Meadow. This building, which was left in an unfinished state, lasted but a few years. In 1680, an unsuccessful attempt was made to enlarge and repair it; and at length, in 1688, a larger and more commodious house was erected, near the site of the former, which lasted more than one hundred and twenty years, having stood till the new Meeting House in the east Parish was erected, in 1809 .*
Prior to the year 1684, it appears that nothing effectual had been done towards purchasing a title to the land " cleare of the In- dians, who were continually making demands upon the towne." The Plantation was commenced under the auspices of the Gen. Court ; and, as 6000 acres, bordering upon this Plantation, had been re- served by order of the Court, for the use of the Indians, nothing further seems to have been thought necessary for many years, either by the English or the Indians, to give the former a perfect title to their lands. It was not indeed till the Indian Plantation was broken up, and most of the inhabitants dispersed, that the Indians of Natick 'and Wamesit, (now a part of Tewksbury,) who belong- ed to the same tribe with the Marlborough Indians, put in their claims to a right in the soil which bad been cultivated by the En- glish now for nearly 30 years.
At length, in the winter of 1684, a Committee of three persons tween May, 1675, and July, 1677. It appears that the inhabitants had re- turned some time before the latter date. It appears from the Records of the General Court, that preparations for defence against the Indians had been made as early as 1670. " Ordered, that the Surveyor General shall forth- with deliver unto Maj. Hathorn, or to Lieut. Samuel Ward, 60 great shot, fit for the guns in the Fort at Marlborough. A Fort was maintained there through the war.
* The old Meeting Ilouse was valued, in 1689, at £10 ; the pulpit at £4, "which were improved in the new Meeting House for carrying on the finishing of that."-It would appear, from the following vote, which passed with great unanimity at a meeting of the proprietors, May 21, 1688, that there had been some controversy respecting the location of the new Meeting House, and that it was even then in contemplation to divide the town into two parishes.
" Voted, That if the westerly part of the town shall see cause afterwards to build another Meeting House, and find themselves able so to do, and main- tain a minister; then the division to be made by a line at the cart-way at Stirrup Brook, where Conecticot way now goeth over, (now within the limits of Northborough, ) and so to run a parallel line with the west line of the bounds of the town." It would seem highly probable, from this vote, that there were inhabitants then living west of the line thus defined, and which was afterwards (1717) made the boundary line between Marlborough and Westborough.
Gt
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HISTORY OF NORTHBOROUGHI.
was appointed by the town to treat with the Indians ; who, April 17th and 18th, with the help of Maj. Peter Bulkley and Capt. Thomas Hincksman, made a bargain that the town should pay them £31 for a deed in full. The town accepted the conditions, and agreed to bring in the money, (assessed upon the proprietors, now 50 in number,) to the Meeting House, on the 20th of May next, which was accordingly done, and the deed signed by the Indians presented to the town, who directed that it should be kept by Abra- ham Williams, as also the plat of the plantation made by Samuel Andrews, of which an account has already been given.
A Copy of the Indian Deed of the Plantation of Marlborough.
"To all Christian people to whom these presents shall come, Greet- ing,
KNOW YEE, That we, the Indian inhabitants of the Planta- tions called Natick and Wamesit," (now part of Tewksbury,) "in the Massachusetts Colonie, in New England, namely," (the names of the grantees are written below, with the omission of Andrew Pilim or Pitimee, and John Wamesqut, and the addition of Edmund Aso- wonit, making the whole number 25,) "for and in consideration of the sum of thirty one pounds of lawful money of New England, which said sum, wee the said" (here the names are repeated,) "do acknowledge ourselves to have received of Abraham Williams and Joseph Rice, both of the town of Marlborough, in the County of Middlesex, in New England, who, in the said payment, not only for themselves, but also as agents in behalf of all the rest of their fel- low purchasers, belonging to the said town of Marlborough, and of the said sum of thirty one pounds, and of every part and parcel thereof, wee the said" (names repeated) "for ourselves, and for our heirs, executors, administrators, and assigns, do freely, clearly, and wholly, exonerate, acquit, and discharge the said Abraham Wil- liams and Joseph Rice and all their said fellow purchasers belong- ing to the said town of Marlborough, and every of them, and their heirs, executors, administrators, and every of them forever ; have given, granted, bargained, sold, and by these presents, do give, grant, bargain, sell, and confirm, unto the said Abraham Williams and Joseph Rice, and unto all their fellow purchasers, belonging to the said Town of Marlborough, and unto all and every of their sev- eral heirs and assigns forever, all that tract of land, which is con- tained within the bounds of the Town, Township, or Plantation, called Marlborough aforesaid, as the said bounds were laid out, plotted and represented by Mr. Samuel Andrews, of Cambridge, un-
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HISTORY OF NORTHBOROUGH.
to the Court of the Massachusetts Colonie aforesaid, and by the said Court accepted and recorded, that is to say all Uplands, Meadows, Swamps, Woods, Timber, Fountains, Brooks, Rivers, Ponds, and Herbage, within the said bounds of the said Town, Township, or Plantation of Marlborough, together with all and sin- gular the appurtenances thereof, and all manner of profits, gains, and advantages, arising upon, or from, the said tract of land, which the said Abraham Williams, or Joseph Rice, or all, or any of their fellow purchasers, belonging to the town of Marlborough afore- said, at any time formerly had, or now have, or hereafter at any time may, or shall have ; (except a certain farm, some years ago laid out unto Mr. John Alcock, deceased, which lyeth within the bounds of said town or township of Marlburrough, and is by us, the said" [names repeated] "utterly and totally exempted and excluded from this present bargain.) To have and to hold all the foremeu- tioned tract of land" (here the description is repeated) "to their own proper use and improvement, as is above declared, (except the farm before excepted,) to themselves, the said Abraham Williams and Joseph Rice, and to all their said fellow purchasers, belonging to the said Marlburrough, and unto all and several their heirs and as- signs forever, in a good and sure estate of inheritance, in fee sim- ple, without any claims or demands, any obstruction, eviction, ex- pulsion, or molestation whatsoever, from us the said" (names re- peated,) "or from the heirs, executors, administrators, or assigns of us the said Indians, or either of us, or from any other person or persons whatsoever, acting by, from, or under us or them, or any of them, our said heirs, executors, administrators, or assigns. Fur- thermore, wee, the said" (names repeated) "do covenant and grant, with, and too, the said Abraham Williams and Joseph Rice, and all their said fellow purchasers, belonging to said Marlburrough, that wee, the above named Indians, have been, until the conveyance and assurance made by these presents, the true and proper owners of all the said tract of land, lying within the bounds of the planta- tion or township of Marlburrough, together with all and singular the appurtenances thereof, in our own right, and to our own use, in a good absolute and firm estate of inheritance, in fee simple, and have full power, good right, and lawful authority to grant, bar- gain, sell, conveigh, and assure, the said tract of land, and every part and parcel thereof, with all and singular the appurtenances of the same, as is before, in these presents, mentioned; and wee, the said" (names repeated) "do warrant and assure that all the tract of
٠
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HISTORY OF NORTHBOROUGH.
land, and all and every the appurtenances thereof, by these pres- ents, alienated and sold, have been and are at the time of signing and sealing of this Deed of sale, utterly and totally free, and clear from any former bargains, sales, gifts, grants, leases, mortgages, judgments, executions, extents, and incumbrances whatsoever ; and wee, the said" (names repeated) "for ourselves, and our heirs, exec- utors, administrators, and assigns, do, and shall, from time to time, and at all times hereafter, (as occasion shall be offered) confirm, defend, and make good, unto all intents and purposes, this whole bargain and sale aforesaid, and unto all and several their heirs and assigns forever. In witness of all which premises, wee, the said" (names repeated) "have hereunto set our hands and seals, this twelfth day of June, in the year of our Lord Christ, one thousand six hundred, eighty and four, Annoq. Regni Regis Caroli Secundi XXXVI.
Andrew Pilim (Pitimee) Attorney to old F. Waban. signum
John > Nasquanet signum William Wononatomog signum John Speen signum
Lawrence > Nowsawane signum
Jacob Ponopohquin his mark
signum Peter × Ephraim
Attorney for Jno. Awoosamug. signum John > Awoosamug
signum
Thom. > Dublet
signum Benjamin B Boho.
Job × Pohpono his mark
Simon Crosby
Benjamin > Tray his mark
John Curtis his mark
Sosowun noo
signum James Wiser Simon Betogkom
his mark Great × John
Thomas Waban his mark
Abraham Speen his mark
Great James
signum Jacob × Petowat signum Jehoja K kin
Jeremy M Sosoohquoh his mark Samuel William signum Nathaniel ; Quonkatohn James Speen signum John Wamesqut signum
Signed, sealed, and delivered, in pre- seuce of us witnesses,
Henry × Rice
John Magus Daniel Takawompait Indians.
"June 11th and 12th, 1684. At a Court held at Natick among the Indians, there appeared in Court, and before me, all the seal- ers and subscribers to this decd, being twenty five (there are twen-
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HISTORY OF NORTHBOROUGH.
ty six signatures) persons in muumber, and freely acknowledged this writing to be their act and deed."
"As Atteste, DANIEL COOKIE, Senter Assistant."
"This Deed entered in the Register at Cambridge. Lib. 9. page 293-909. 7. 2. 85. By Tuo : DANFORTH, R."
It will be seen from the above signatures, that, besides the two Indian witnesses, John Magos and Daniel Takawompait, four oth- ers, viz. Andrew Pitimee, James Speen, Simon Betogkom, and Thomas Waban, wrote their own names. Daniel Takawompait, or Tokkohwompait, was a pastor of the church in Natick, in 1698, ordained by the Rev. and holy man of God, Jous Error. He is said to have been a person of great knowledge.+ Thomas Waban was probably a son of old Waban, the first Indian convert in Ma- eachusetts, and one who supported a consistent christian character till his death, which happened in 1674, at the age of 70.1 Maj. Gen. Daniel Gookin, before whom the deed was acknowledged, was the friend and fellow laborer of Chiot, an enlightened, virtu- ons, and benevolent magistrate. He belonged to Cambridge, where he died in 1687, aged 75.
Two others, whose names are affixed to this instrument, viz. John Speen, and John Awoosaming, are mentioned in the account. of Dochester.] 'The former of whom, it appears, was for some time a teacher, till he became addicted to intemperance, when he was laid aside. The latter, though he had been propounded to join the church, had been excluded on account of his quick and pas- sionate temper, but discovered marks of penitence during his last sickness, which satisfied the scruples of his brethren.
The Indian Plantation of Ockoocangansett, § or Marlborough.
Some time previous to the commencement of the English Plan- tation, as appears from the following order of the General Court, the Indians had a grant of a township it that place.
" In reference to the case between"Mr. Eliot, in behalf of the Indians of Oguonikongquamesit, and Sudbury men : the Courte find- ing that the Indians had a graunt of a township in the place before
* Sce I list. Col. X. 13.4. t 1 Hist. Col. V. 263. $ 1 Hist. Col. IX. 193.
! I have given the name as it is uniformly written in the earliest records of Marlborough. Hutchinson, quoting from Eliot, who visited the place in ¿ 1070, writes it Ogguontkongquamesut ; Gookin, who wrote in 167!, Okomma- kamesit. The word bas since been coupled into Agoganggomisset. This name, it should be considered, was at first appropriated to the Indian Planta- tion, while the English Plantation, before its incorporation in 1660, was called Whipsuppenicke. Both plantations were, however, in 1674, called by the same name by Daniel Cookin.
1C
HISTORY OF NORTHBOROUGH.
the English, the Courte determines and orders, that Mr. Edward Jackson, Mr. Tho. Danforth, Mr. Ephraim Child and Capt. Lusher,* or any three of them, as a committee, shall with the first conven- ient opportunity, if it may be before winter, lay out a township in the said place, of 6000 acres, to the Indians in which, at least, shall bee three or four hundred acres of meadow ; and in case there be enough left for a convenient township for the Sudbury men, to lay it out to thein; the grant of Mr. Alcock's (842 acres granted in 1655) confirmed by the last Court out of both excepted and reserved, and the Indians to have the Hill on which they are, and the rest of the land to be laid out adjoining to it as may be convenient to both plantations."t
The Hill mentioned in this order, had been improved for many years by the Indians, probably long before the arrival of the Eng- lish, as a planting field. It was afterwards, in 1677, as appears from the following instrument, conveyed to Daniel Gookin, Esq.
" Know all men by these presents that we old Nequain, Robin called old Robin, Benjamin Wuttanamit, James called Great James, John Nasquamit, Sarah the widow of Peter Nasquament, in behalf of her child Moses David, next heir to my father and to my uncle Josiah Harding, deceased, without issue, Assoask the widow of Jo- siah Nowell, in behalf of my children, Sarah Conomog, sole exex- utrix to my late husband, Conomog, Elizabeth, the only daughter and heir of Solomon, deceased," [Solomon had been the teacher of the Indians of Marlborough,] "James Spene, in behalf of my wife, being all of us, true proprietors, possessors and improvers of the Indian lands called Whipsufferage, alias Okonkonomesit, adjoining to Marlborough in the colony of Massachusetts in New England for divers considerations us thereunto moving, especially the love and duty we owe to our honored magistrate, Daniel Gookin, of Cambridge, Esq. who hath been a ruler to us above 20 years, do hereby freely and absolutely give, grant and confirin, unto him the said Daniel Gookin, Esq. and his heirs forever, one parcel of land heretofore broken up, and being planted by us and our predeces- sors, called by the name of Okonkonomesit Hill, situate, lying and being on the south side of ou. township and plantation, near Marl- borough, containing about one hundred acres, more or less, (also ten acres in Fort Meadow, and ten in Long Meadow,) with free
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