History of Plymouth county, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 186

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia, J.W. Lewis & co.
Number of Pages: 1706

USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > History of Plymouth county, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 186

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THE town of West Bridgewater1 is located in the northwestern part of the county, and is bounded as follows : On the north by Brockton, on the east by East Bridgewater, on the south by Bridgewater, and on the west by Bristol County.

The town is generally level and well watered. The north and northwesterly part is higher and somewhat undulated ; and the south and southeasterly part lower and flat. It has a strong soil and the cultivated parts are generally fertile, much of it having a clayey sub- stratum, very good grass lands. Swampy forests are prevalent, and natural meadows abound. The Hock- omock meadows in the southeasterly part skirting the river form a range of over three hundred acres.

Its waters are the Town River, the outlet of Nippe- nicket Pond, and a tributary of Taunton Great River, which enters the town in the southwest and flows through the centre in a crescent course and leaves the town in the southeasterly part.

Several other rivers and rivulets, coming from the north, enter Town River in its course through the town; the most westerly one coming through Easton, called Hoekomock River, in this town, affords a good mill-power in the northwest part, flows south and joins the main stream about half a mile north of the pond in the town of Bridgewater. A smaller stream, called West-Meadow Brook, in the westerly part, having its source in Brockton and flowing southerly, near Cochessett village, also affords a mill-power ; and

the river flowing through Brockton, called Salisbury River in that city, flows through the northeasterly part of this town, called here Matfield River, has an excellent mill privilege in this town.

An excellent water-power near the centre of the town, on Town River, where a grinding-mill, saw- mill, a branch of O. Ames & Sons' shovel-manufacto- ries and other works now stand, is the site where Deacon Samuel Edson built the first mill in the an- cient town of Bridgewater soon after its settlement. And on another dam, called Ames' Dam, just below the main dam, is where shovels were first made by O. Ames' ancestor. Also, as recently as 1820 or 1824, there was a mill at this place where wool was carded and made into rolls for spinning, and a mill where the cloth was fulled, colored, and dressed ; and the farmers of this and adjoining towns brought the shearing of their flocks, first to be carded, and, after the wives and daughters had spun and wove it, again to be colored and dressed.

A broad, low rock, a few rods below the mills, on the north side of the stream, is now to be seen, upon which, tradition says, Old Minister Keith stood to preach his first sermon to this people, from the text, " Behold, I cannot speak ; for I am a child" (Jer. i. 6), in 1663, probably, he being about twenty years old.

The first settlements in ancient Bridgewater, as also the first in the interior of the Old Colony, were made within the territorial limits of the present town of West Bridgewater in 1651. The first settlers had a house-lot of six acres each granted them on the Town River, and the plantation was called Nuckatest, or Nuncketetest. The settlement was compact, the house-lots being contiguous for mutual protection against the Indians, and, as a further protection against the incursions of the natives, the inhabitants erected a stoekade or garrison on the south side of the river, and also fortified many of their dwellings. From this original settlement locations were made in other portions of the, town, and in 1668, seventeen years after their first location, a jury of twelve men

1 For much of the early history of this town, including tho Indian grant, King Philip's war, Revolutionary war, otc., tho reader is referred to tho history of Ancient Bridgewator and Bridgewater olsewhere in this volume.

888

889

HISTORY OF WEST BRIDGEWATER.

were impaueled, and laid out four roads for public convenience, two of them starting from the meeting- house of 1661, one leading toward Boston and one toward Taunton, and two others branching off from these two roads, one at Sandy Hill, leading toward Plymouth, and oue at the head of Edward Fobes' two house-lots toward the Great Meadows.

First Congregational Society .- The first meet- ing-house was erected in West Bridgewater about 1660. It was built of logs near the site of Simeon Dunbar's house.

The second meeting-house was erected in 1674, opposite where Maj. J. D. Barrill lives. Its size was forty by twenty-six feet, fourteen feet studs, at an ex- pense of fourscore pounds, not including " the making of gallaries or seating, ten pounds in money, ten pounds in merchantable boards at four shillings a hundred."

The third meeting-house was built on the site of the second building in 1739. Committee of the old house, Nicholas Byram, John Washburn, Samuel Allen, John Ames. Deacon John Willis, and Good- man (Samuel) Edson. Committee of the new one, Jonathan Hayward, Jr., Israel Packard, Thomas Hay- ward (3d), Ephraim Fobes, and Ephraim Hayward ; size of the house, fifty by thirty-eight feet, twenty- two feet posts, covered with shingles ; eleven places for pews sold for one hundred and forty-three pounds ten shillings sixpence. A pew was built on the left of the pulpit for the minister's family. Long seats in- stead of pews in the body of the house, two galleries, one above the other on three sides.

In 1767 a new spire was erected, balcony repaired, and bell purchased. This was the second bell in town; the North Parish had a bell in 1764. This building continued in use for seventy years, till the erection of the fourth house, on land of Gamalial Howard. near the orchard of Jonathan Copeland, 1802. The old church was sold to the town for a town house, belfry removed. The building was taken down in 1823. The first pastor was the Rev. James Keith, who was ordained Feb. 18, 1664, and con- tinued in the ministry fifty-six years. He died July 23, 1719.

" He lived and died," says Mr. Latham, " in a house in this town now owned and occupied by George M. Pratt. It is situated on River Street, between the residence of Mrs. Sarah H. Howard, widow of Amasa Howard, on the west, and the residence of Miss Louisa Perkins on the east.

" The house was built in 1662. It fronted south, was two stories high in front, one story high back side, posts sixteen feet high, fifteen feet wide in front, thirty-four feet deep, with front entry five feet wide;

chamber-stairs and chimney back of front door in the southeast corner of the house, one front room about ten by twelve, with a bedroom back of that, and a kitchen, with pantry, back of bedroom and chimney. In the second story was an entry, a front room, and a bedroom corresponding to the rooms below. No cellar under this part of the house.

" In 1678 the house was enlarged by an addition of eighteen by thirty-four feet to the east side of the house, two stories high in front, one story high back side, making one large front room, eighteen by eigh- teen feet, with a bedroom, back stairs, and an enlarge- ment of the kitchen in the back part, the rooms in the second story corresponding to the front room and bedroom below, the back part of the second story of the old and new part of the house remaining un- finished ; a cellar under a portion of this new part, with a stone drain across the road to the Town River.

" The house remained in this condition without ma- terial alteration for one hundred and fifty-nine years, - from 1678 down to 1837,-when Thomas Pratt, father of George M. Pratt, cut off about fourteen feet of the north side of the house, so as to leave the north side of the same height as the front side of the house, thereby making the south roof thirteen and one-half feet long, and the north roof only twelve feet long, building a new chimney in the place of the old one, then taken down, but much smaller, and leaving the rooms in the front and middle parts of the house as they were before this amputation. The brick in this old chimney were much larger than modern brick, and were laid in clay. The shingles upon the walls were taken off, and clapboards put on in place thereof, this house now being a two-story house, thirty-two fcet front and twenty feet back, with a porch annexed to the back side, the windows upon the three sides of the house being the same ever since the memory of man, except such as were cut off as aforesaid, and except square glass in place of the old diamond glass and bull's eyes.

" The annex, or addition of eighteen by thirty-four fect, made in 1678, was quite fully developed and apparent on a personal examination of the inside of the house a few years ago by the writer, and the frame-work, timber, doors, natcrials, and inside con- struction of the house exhibit strong marks of an- tiquity.

" In the case of the inhabitants of Bridgewater versus the inhabitants of West Bridgewater, reported in the seventh volume of 'Pickering Reports,' page 191, and in the ninth volume of Pickering, page 55, in the years 1828-29, brought for the support of Danicl Keith, a pauper, then aged eighty-one years,

890

HISTORY OF PLYMOUTH COUNTY.

a great-grandson of the Rev. James Keith. This pauper, with his father, Daniel Keith, and grand- father, John Keith, son of the Rev. James Keith, lived and died in the plaintiff town. It became ne- eessary to prove where, in old Bridgewater, Minister Keith lived and died, and sundry old people were witnesses of, and sundry depositions of ancient people were then (1828-29) taken for that purpose, as well as to prove the genealogy of the pauper; and some of said deponents and witnesses well remembered the house then (1828) owned and oeeupied by Arrabella, daughter of said Amasa Howard, deceased, and widow of Benjamin Eaton, deceased, as far baek as 1750, and said it was then (1750) an ancient-looking house, and had always appeared the same as it then (1828-29) appeared. That case was tried, and before the whole court, twice, and the fact that the Rev. James Keith lived and died in that house was then well and satis- factorily established.

" The homestead of Rev. James Keith consisted of two house-lots of six acres each, with a ten-aere lot at the head of said house-lots, and with a house thereon built by the town. conditionally given by the town to him in consideration of his future serviees as their minister, and remained entire until about 1800; and though this house and a portion of the homestead on which it stands has been owned and occupied by many persons as tenants, in common and otherwise, yet the title to this house and portion of the home- stead has always remained in and been confined to four persons and their families, to wit :

" James Keith and his children, down to 1723 61 years. Ephraim Fobes, brother, and son, down to 1792. 69 "

Amasa Howard and daughters, down to 1834 ..

Thomas Pratt and son, George M., down to 1884. 50

222 years.

" We have never been able to find any record of the date of the birth of Rev. James Keith, nor the date of his marriage to Susanna, daughter of Dea- con Samuel Edson, or of the date of the birth of his children, except Joseph. In the pamphlet re- ferred to on the third page of this book it is stated that they were married May 3, 1668, but that date was acknowledged by the author to be eonjectural and without authority, and we have no confidence in that date. His son, in that pamphlet, is said to have mar- ried Mary Thayer, of Weymouth, May 3, 1695. The records of Bridgewater give the dates of the births of his children, but not of his marriage, James, his oldest ehild, being born Jan. 8, 1696. Susanna, daughter of Rev. James Keith, was married, in Taun- ton, to Jonathan Howard, of Bridgewater, Jan. 8, 1689, and died soon after without issue, and the Rev. | same book, page 43, reads as follows :

James Keith was probably born as early as 1643, and began to preach in Bridgewater soon after his arrival, in 1662. Master James Keith probably continued to preach and perforin the office of minister for that people from that time to the time of his settlement, Feb. 18, 1664, old style, but when he arrived, or in what ship, or who his parents were, or his brothers or sisters, if any, were, or when he first went into possession of this house and land does not appear. The town had employed one Mr. Bunker to serve them as minister for 1660, 1661, and perhaps a part of 1662. He then declined to accept their invitation to settle among them. The town had previously, without reference to any particular minister, agreed to give their minister a purchase right with all privi- leges.

" In support of the above history of this house, we present the following extracts from the first volume of town records, and a copy of the inventory of the Rev. James Keith, recorded in the fourth volume of Probate Court Records at Plymouth, page 185 :

" Volume I. page 30. 'It is agreed upon by the towne, meett together the sixt-and-twentieth of Desember (1661), that there shall be a house huilt for a minister upon the town's lands, where it shall be thought most convenient, and that the said house and grounds is to be freely giuen to that minister yt shall liuc and die amongst us, being called by the towne to the work of the ministry, or by a church gathered according to the order of the gospel, with the consent of the towne; as also a complcat purchase, with uplands and meadow lands, according as other townesmen haue.'

" This record further provides for the contingeney of death, a short time of service, and inability to serve, and occupies the last half of said page. 1

" This house was probably built in 1662, in pur- suance of the town's agreement on the 26th day of December, 1661, but not finished May 13, 1664, when the town employed two persons to finish the chimneys and glass the windows, as follows (44th page) :

"' An agreement made between the towne and John Willis, seynior, and John Ames, for the finishing of the chimies, backs, hearths, and ouen belonging to the minister's hause. And they aro to find all and draw all, both clay, stones,and 200 bricks, for tho aforesaid chimnics, baoks, and ouen and hearths, and to do it sufficiently ; and the towne, for noir paines, aro to pay to them next haruest twonty bushels of food marchandablo corno, and tho work to be finishod by the last of August insuing ; the date hereof being now the 13th (thirteath) of May, 1664, to bo paid when Indyan oorn is marchantale.'

" The roof was probably a thatehed roof at rst, and the house unoccupied and neglected at first ;and on the 11th of October, 1664, the house regired some repairs and improvements, and the record i the

inh the boa dred

tov

16:

Br bu th 011

6 la

891

HISTORY OF WEST BRIDGEWATER.

** It was agreed upon by the twone. mett together the eleuenth of October. 1664, that the twone was freely willing to couer the minister's house the second time, and to glass the windows as soon as they cann, prouided that they cann gett glass for boards.'

.. On the 44th page the town gave him possession of said house and land, as follows :

"' This record made the 1$th of February, 1664. The towne, being meet together, doth declare and hold forth that the towne did then resigne and make ouer to Mr. Keith the house and garden belonging to the minister's lott or purchase, according to the tennor of the agreement made between Mr. Keith and the towne. and gane him free liberty to possess it."

" And on the 34th page of said book is a full record of the terms of his settlement made with the town under date of Feb. 18, 1664, old style; and among other things, the town agreed to ' giue Master James Keith,' conditionally, ' twelue acres of land, already laid out. with a dwelling-house built upon the same by the towne ; the lands well known, and liing upon the Mill Riuer, and joining to the lands of Nath1 Willis on the one side and to George Turner on the other side.'

" Sept. 13, 1670. page 60, 'town choose a com- mittee to let out Mr. Keith's barn, and to set the work forward and do their endeavor to see the work- man paid for his labor ;' and, May 23, 1673, on page 68, the town gave him full title to his house and lands, as follows :

". It was agreed upon by the inhabitants of the towne of Bridgewater, the three-and-twentieth of May, one thousand six hundred and seventy-three, that Master James Keith, in con- Eideration of hauing heen some competent time in the work of the ministry among them, should haue the dwelling-house and out-honses he is possessed of, with the twelve acre lot he liues upon, as also all the lands, whether uplands or meadow lands, belonging to a full purchase.'

" And did then freely give and grant the same to him, his heirs, and assigns ; and on Nov. 20, 1675, page 71, 'uoted there shall be a garrison made about Mr. Keith's house.'

" On the 20th of September, 1677, page 74, the town ' uoted to raise and give Mr. Keith 24 lbs. to- ward the building of him a convenient roome or dwelling-house,' as follows :

"" The town being mett together the twentieth of September, 1677, did arran and agree to give freely to Mr. Keith twenty- and-four pounds, to be paid at his house-the one half to be paid in Indian corne, and the other half in boards and clap- boarda, by the last of April insning the date hereof; and the said twenty-four pounds to be raised by way of rate upon the inhabitants of the town, which was given to Mr. Keith toward the building of him a convenient roome or dwelling-house; the boards at &#. a hundred and clapboards, shaven, at 5s. a hun- dred.'

" This house, in which many of his children were

born, was probably not enlarged with a convenient room until the summer of 1678.

" The inventory of Rev. James Keith, recorded in the fourth volume of the Probate Record, page 185, was taken Aug. 25, 1719, by John Field, Isaac John- son, and John Ames, Jr., and contains ten items of personal property, amounting to 1671bs. and 11s., and shows the internal division and arrangement of the house at that time, corresponding to the rooms and conditiou of the house at the time of the alteration in 1837, to wit :

€

"1. Apparrel. 27

28 16

3. To things in new lower roome, one feather bed with its furniture, 2 tables, table-cloth, nap- kins, chairs, and wheels, 17 5 6

4. To the old west roome, one bed, bedding, with chairs and chest. 13 15

5. To the old chamber, to lumber. 3

7 6

6. To the things in the kitchen, of pewter, iron, and brass vessels, with tables and chairs ..... 12

7. To quick stock 21

S. To hay, 6 load. 10

9. To library of books. 30

10. To money 2

167 11"

Mr. Keith was succeeded in the ministry by Rev. Daniel Perkins, who was ordained Oct. 4, 1721, and was pastor sixty-two years. He died Sept. 29, 1782.

Rev. John Reed was the next pastor, ordained June 7, 1780, and continued his ministry here until his death, Feb. 17, 1831.

Rev. Richard Stone was settled in 1834, and con- tinued about eight years. Darius Forbes appears as pastor in 1845.

Rev. J. G. Forman was settled April 1, 1849.

Rev. Russell A. Ballou was settled April, 1852.

Rev. Ira Bailey supplied the pulpit in the summer of 1857, and was settled April 21, 1858.

Rev. Daniel S. C. M. Potter was the pastor July, 1860, and settled in May, 1861.

Rev. Males B. Thayer supplied the pulpit from April, 1863, to April, 1864.

Rev. Nathaniel O. Chaffee supplied from August, 1864, to April, 1865.

Rev. Theodore L. Dean began his services with the society April, 1865, and was ordained as pastor Feb. 14, 1866. His services with the society terminated April 1, 1867.

In April, 1867, the Rev. J. G. Forman, a former minister, supplied the pulpit a few Sabbaths, and was invited to become the settled minister again after the repairing of the church building, which was completed during the months of June, July, and August, and during said months the church was closed.

This building was erected in the year 1801, it being

S. 13 d. 2. In the new chamber, one feather bed. case of draws, chairs, tables, and looking-glass. ...

892

HISTORY OF PLYMOUTH COUNTY.

the fourth church edifice which this society had built and used for public worship since the settlement of the Rev. James Keith, in 1664. Tradition locates the first building for church use in several different places, but history is silent in relation to it. The second and third meeting-houses stood on what is now the Central Square, and it was the place where the entire population of the original township of Bridgewater assembled for public worship. The last on that loca- tion was a three-story building, having two tiers of galleries. The west end of said building stood about where the soldiers' monument now stands.

About the time that the Rev. Mr. Forman com- menced his second term of service with this society it came into possession of a bequest of twenty thou- sand dollars, made by the late Capt. Benjamin B. Howard, the income of which was to be applied to the support of the ministry in this church.

The society being thus encouraged in its prospective condition, entered into an engagement with Mr. For- man for a term of five years, and a longer time con- ditionally ; but at the end of three years the engage- ment was brought to a close, and the society was again without a pastor March 27, 1870.

Rev. F. P. Hamblett supplied the pulpit after May, 1871, and was installed as pastor April 29, 1872, and continued as pastor about four years.

Rev. James W. Fitch supplied the pulpit from July, 1866, to February, 1867.

Rev. David H. Montgomery was the pastor of the church from September, 1877, to September, 1881.

C. C. Carpenter supplied from September, 1881, about two years.

Rev. William Brown supplied the pulpit a part of the time during the summer of 1883, and was engaged as pastor of the society for a term of five years, com- mencing on the 1st of September, 1883, without a formal installation, and is the present pastor.

Baptist Church.1-Originally there was but one church in Bridgewater, and that was of the Puritan order, or, as we of to-day say, strictly Orthodox Con- gregationalist. We find this church maintained its purity during the pastorate of its first pastor, Rev. James Keith, and, for aught we know, for the first few years of that of its second pastor, Rev. Daniel Perkins ; but in 1748 we find the church began to be troubled with Separatists; probably these were the fruit of the great awakening, or possibly the fruit of the preach- ing of John Porter, whose sermon on the New Way so excited the ire of Mr. Perkins.

We find, by referring to the church records, that at a church mecting held Sept. 12, 1448, " To eon- sider the case of some of our brethren who attended a separate meeting at private houses the last two Sab- baths, the following question was put : Whether those that remain steadfastly adhering to the ministry and discipline of this church are not bound to inquire into the reasons of the conduct of their brethren in sepa- rating from them, and act agreeably to what they shall find ? Voted in the affirmative by a large majority. Also voted that Deacon Edson, Mr. Keith, Esquire Johnson, and Mr. John Willis be a committee to dis- course with the brethren that are for upholding such separate meeting on the Sabbath, and that they give in their reasons, if any they have, for so doing."

At another meeting, held Sept. 21, 1748, only nine days after, the record says, "Stopped the church after lecture, and the votes of the church were read, and then the reasons of the separating brethren were communicated, and the question was put, Whether these reasons are in the judgment of the brethren sufficient to countenance the upholding of a separate meeting on the Lord's day ? Passed in the negative. Voted, that they should be admonished not to go on in such disorder, but to return to the only Communion of the Church, and that we could not on any other terms be free to hold communion with them."

Oct. 10, 1748, the church voted as follows, viz. : " That they continue of the same mind as before, not to justify the conduct of their separating brethren, and that we defer the consideration of their case till Monday, the 31st instant, and that meanwhile their pastor and two brethren be desired to discourse with them."

Oct. 31, 1748, the church met, and a number of the Separatists desired a dismission to form a church by themselves for the reasons already given. The church voted in the negative, and voted to still further wait on their brethren and see if they will returu to an orderly walk with us.

At a church meeting held Dec. 12, 1748, " It was voted that such of the brethren as continue to sepa- rate from us be publickly admonished and suspended from our communion till they return to order; peace, and fellowship with us."

" Jan. 8, 1749, read an admonition and suspensiou for twenty-eight members of this church, viz. : Joshua Willis, Experience Willis, Silas Willis, Thomas Willis, Jr., Susannah Willis, Nathaniel Harvey, John Snow, Hannah Snow, Elezer Snow,2 Mary Snow,2 Samuel

1 Condensed frem an able address delivered by Albert Cepc- land.

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History of Plymouth county, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 186

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Philadelphia, J.W. Lewis & co. Number of Pages: 1706

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia, J.W. Lewis & co.
Number of Pages: 1706