History of Plymouth county, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 241

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 241

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Two musketa, two sword- and belte, and two ebot-bag

For the meeting-house.

To The raters.

Transportation

0 4

In 1662 it was voted that "meetings be warned by the Constables setting up a writing on the meeting- house door or in the house at least a week before the meeting." Until 1838 town-meetings were always held

in one or another of the meeting-houses of the town. In that year the present town-house came into use and the meeting-houses were abandoned. During King Philip's war iu 1675 and 1676, Marshfield performed its full share of service. The commander of the united forces of the confederacy was one of its citizens, and, though the conflict was short, seven Marshfield men-Thomas Little, Joseph Eames, Joseph White, John Burrows, Joseph Phillips, Samuel Bumpus, and John Low-were killed. In common with other towns, besides the loss of the lives of some of its citizens, the war involved Marshfield in the loss of the labor of its people, and imposed on it a pecuniary burden which, in those times, was heavy indeed. In the midst of the distress which prevailed throughout the colony let it be forever remembered that contributions were . received from " divers Chris- tians" in Ireland, and divided among the towns to be distributed by the following committees :

s. d.

To be distributed by Ephraim Morton, Joseph Warren, William Crow,

in Plym- ontlı,

S 0 0

.. " Josiah Standish, { William Paybody, S in Duxbury, 2 0 0

" Cornett Studson, Edward Jenkins,

in Seituate, 12 0 0

" Wm. Harvey, James Walker, John Richmond,

in Taunton, 10 0 0

" William Browne, Į J. Butterworth,

in Swansea, 21 0 0

Į in Middle- { 4 10 0

" Capt. Freeman, in Eastham, 0 10 0

" John Thaeher, in Yarmouth, 0 10 0

" Win. Huekins, 1 in Barn- stable,

0 0

Barnab. Lathrop, }

" John Cooke, John Smith, John Russell,

in Dart- mouth, 12 0 0

16 " Nathaniel Paine, Lieut. Hunt, Daniel Smith,

in Rehoboth, 32 0 0)

" Ensign Eames, Anthony Snow,

in Marsh- { field,

2 0 0

" Elder Brett,

Deaeon Willis,

water,

In 1670 the following inhabitants of Marshfield were enrolled as frecmen :

Maj. Josiah Winslow.

Resolved White.

Samuel Arnold.

Timothy Williamson. John Rouse.

Kenelm Winslow.

Josiah Winslow, Sr.

Moses Trouant.

Thomas Beesbech.

William Holmes.

Capt. Nathaniel Thomas.

William Foard, Jr.

Lieut. Peregrine White.

John White.

John Dingley.

Nathaniel Thomas. Joseph Rogers.

Anthony Snow.

Nathaniel Winslow. . John Foster.

John Bourne. Anthony Eames.

Jacob Dingley.

Ensign Mark Eames.

Michael Foard.

William Foard, Sr.

Bridge- 7 0 0

Samuel Edson,

Robert Carver.

66 " Francis Combe, Isaae Howard, boro',

1152

HISTORY OF PLYMOUTH COUNTY.

lu 1682 it was voted that. Nathaniel Thomas and Samuel Sprague, on the part of Marshfield, with others on the part of Scituate, establish the dividing line between the two towns, and it was fixed at the main channel of North River, as it then ran from the upper part of the town of Marshfield to the sea. And, again, in 1692, Jeremiah Hatch, Samuel Clapp, and Thomas Jenkins, selectmen of Scituate, and John Rogers and Michacl Ford, selectmen of Marshfield, acting in obedience to an order of the Colony Court, reported to the two towns a further dividing line be- tween Marshfield and the Two Miles in Scituate, as follows : " We began on the cast side of the North River, in the southerly line of the range of John Ford's lot, and from thence to a white-ash, acknowl- edged by the proprietors of the said Ford's 'lot, and by ancient inhabitants of the former grants of the five hundred acres and upwards granted by the Court of Plymouth, and from the said ash-tree somewhat northerly to a heap of stones and a stake at the head of said Ford's lot, and from thence near east to a stake and heap of stones, being one mile from the river, and from thence near south with a range of marked trees, until it cometh to the reputed lot of Edward Warton, and from thence it narroweth with a range of marked trees near south-southwest, half a point west, to a stake and heap of stones standing in the bounds between the town of Marshfield and the town of Duxbury."

In that year also it was ordered that "Scituate pay ten pounds, Marshfield five pounds, and Duxbury five pounds in silver money towards the building of Bar- stowe's bridge, only that twenty shillings is to be taken out of Duxbury's five pounds and placed to Manna- moiett, to pay it in silver money ; but in case that Scituate, Marshfield, and Duxbury shall see cause to build and maintain a cart-bridge over the North River near Barstowe's bridge, then they shall be free from any other bridge out of their township."

In the same year a jury, consisting of John Rogers, Thomas Macomber, John Foster, John Hewett, John Rose, John Barker, John Doggett, Joseph Water- man, Isaac Holmes, Anthony Eames, Ephraim Little, Michael Ford, Joseph Crocker, John Thomas, and Nathaniel Thomas, Jr., laid out the highways of the town as follows :

"We, whese names are subscribed, being chosen and swern as a jury at Marshfield on the first day ef June, 1692, to lay eut and remeve such highways in the said town as are needful accerding as the law directed, in order thoreunte having met together en the sixteenth day ef June aferesaid, de declare as felleweth : Begin on the north sido ef Green's Harbor River, near the river's meuth, and so upward to Jehn Branch's Island, and aleng through said island as the way now lieth by tho west-

ward end of Branch's house, and so along as the way now is unto Winter's Island, and along through said Island noar to tho cliff' on the east side thereof, until it comes to the beach at tho north cerner thereof, and so along the beach till it cometh to the mouth of South River.

" And also a way up frem the said beach leading through tho land of Lieut. Little by the south side of a reed pond and turn- ing by the cerner of the stone wall, and so upward by a stono ditch, leaving his house on the southerly side of said way, and so on by the corner of his erchard land, and so straight down the hill leading through the land ef Nathaniel Winslow, leaving his barn about three rods toward the eastward, and so as the way new lieth through the land ef Joseph Waterman and Themas Beurne, on straight te the eastward end of a puddle at a head of a ceve of meadow, and from thence through said Beurne's pasture by the southeast side of a reck, leaving a small brushy swamp en the southeast side of said way, and so te the easterly corner ef Joseph Waterman's land, and so from said Waterman's land, leading by the land of Antheny Snow, to tho southeast corner of said Waterman's land, and from thence straight en to the seuth cerner of Josiah Snow's field, and so along as the way lieth ever Josiah Snow's dam, over the creek, aleng into the way near the stony swamp, and so along near to said swamup as the way now lieth to the meeting-heuse, and from thence as the way new lieth to the mill, and over the river below the mill.

" And also from said way which leadeth from the meeting- heuse into the neck over the said stony swamp, as the eld way was, te Mr. Arnelds, and so along over the river as the way now lieth to Mr. Isaac Winslow's gate.

" And alse frem the aforesaid way, near to Mr. Arnold's, as the way now lieth, to the land of John Dingley and William Carver and the land that was late William Holmes', and so, as the eld way lieth by the field of Abraham Holmes', over the breek, and se turning upward through the eld field that was formerly John Lewis', and as the new way lieth over Partridge's breek, and so along te the way leading over Green's Harbor brook.

" Also on the thirtieth of June aforesaid, the said jury met together and laid out the highways on the north side of the Seuth River frem the inill as the way now lieth between the lands ef William and Michacl Ford and John Walker, and so aleng ever Puddle Wharf, and so as the way now lieth teward Robert Barker's until it meet with Duxbury road.

" And also from the said way as the way leadeth toward Wal- ter Joyce's, and in the new way which said Rogers lately made, and so over the Cove Creek by his house, and so along between French's tenement and Henry Perry's house to the upper end of the field before said Perry's door, and then turning seuth- ward along by the land of Thomas King and John Sylvester's lot, and se till it moet with Scituate way.

"And also frem said way at the upper end of the aforesaid field above Perry's northward by the land of Bisbeo's lot till it meet with Samuel Tilden's land, and so turning seuthward upon the land of Themas King till it comes to the southeast corner of Samuel Tilden's land, and then turning northward upon tho land ef said Tilden by tho sido of said King's land till it come near the muoadew, and then turning upen the said King's land till it come to the gravelly beach.

" And also from the said Ceve Creek downward as tho old way leadeth by tho houso of Timothy Rogers and up the hill by his barn, and so as the way now lieth near to Jeseph Roger's fence, and so on through the land of Elisha Bisbee, and Mr. Cushing, leaving tho old way northward and tho swamp on the south side, to a black-eak tree standing in the range botween the land of Mr. Cushing and Justus Eames, and so turning

1153

HISTORY OF MARSHFIELD.

northward straight down to the river upon the land of said Cushing and Eames. And from the aforesaid hlack oak tree through the Eames land, as the old way leadeth, near to a rock on the north side of said way, near the outside of Justus Eames, his land, and so straight on hy Stephen Tilden's fence through his land, and so on as the old way lieth through the land of Thomas Macomber. John Trouant, and Mary Childs, and along in the old way through the land of Thomas Tilden, widening the way on the north side hetween his field and his pasture, and so on through the land of Francis Crocker and Ephraim Little, as the way now lieth, over the brook between the houses and harns of Lieut. Isaac Little and John Sowyer, and so turn- ing eastward hy said Little's land along hy his fence. as the way lieth, through the land of William Norcutt and Jeremiah Burrows, leaving said Burrows' land ahout three rods north- ward, and so through Samuel Little's land from the laud of said Burrows, hy the edge of the hill, on the west side of a white-oak and a hlack-oak tree and some small rocks, and so hetween his house and barn, as the way now goeth, to the land of John Barker, and so turning northward and eastward on the land of said Barker, near the range of said Little's, until it come to the beach, and then turning southward along the beach till it comes to a small cliff, and so over the cliff, and so along the heach to a place called Bank. at South River.

" And also turning northward hy the southeast corner of Samuel Little's meadow fence upon the heach by the river side along hy the ferry stakes until it comes to the meadow of William Norcutt.

" And also from the aforesaid way that leadeth from Samuel Little's on to said Barker's land southward to the eastward of a white-oak tree, and so along to the eastward of the swamp by the ditch, and so along between the house and barn of said Barker on through the land of Benjamin Phillips between his honse and barn. and so hetween his fields till it comes to the foot of the hill, and then leading up the hill as the old way now lieth by the sonth end of John Strowbridge's field into the open way.

" And also from the aforesaid way that lieth hetween the barns of Lieut. Little and John Sawyer, southward as the old way now leadeth through to the lands of said Sawyer and Sam- uel Little, Joseph Rose, and John Strowhridge on through the rugged plain nntil it come near to the foot of the great hill near John Sherman, and then turning westward from the old path down the hill in a valley, and so turning into the way again through a corner of said Sherman's field and so as the way now leadeth to the mill.

" And also from the aforesaid way which leadeth from Ben- jamin Phillips, beginning at the northwest corner of said Phillips' field and so turning sonthward up the hill by his field and so on as the way now lieth through the land of the Sher- man's and the Doggetts', and Mr. White's down the hill as the way hath been lately dng. and so on the old way through the land of Ensign Ford, Anthony Eames, and Samuel Sprague, and so over the brook as the way now leadeth between the house and shop of John Foster, and so through the land of Arthur Howland as the way now lieth until it come to John Walker's land, and then upon the range between said Howland's and Walker's land northwestward into the other way.

" And also a way from the way by Arthur Howland's house over the South River into the other way by Nathan William- son's barn as the old way now lieth from road to road.

" There are all the ways that are established in this town at prezent."

This laying out was duly signed and reported to the town, and is not only important as removing any

uncertainty that may exist as to what are old-estab- lished highways, but exceedingly interesting and val- uable as locating the estates of a large number of the inhabitants of the town. Few towns, if any, pos- sess so authentic a record in a concise and intelligible form of their early landmarks. Its extreme impor- tance must justify the writer in its introduction into this sketch.

CHAPTER II.

DURING the remainder of the first century after its incorporation, indeed up to 1765, the history of Marshfield was uneventful and monotonous, few acts occurring in its municipal life, except a fruitless at- tempt, in 1730, to set off the north part of the town, together with the Two Miles, into a separate town- ship, worthy of record in this narrative. During that time the town was chiefly distinguished for the men of character and influence within its borders, whose services were valuable at first to the colony, afterwards to the county of Plymouth, and still later, to the province of Massachusetts Bay. The first of these in both time and distinction was Josiah Wins- low, the son of Governor Edward Winslow, and born in Plymouth in 1628. Hc went with his father to Marshfield and there, either in schools or under the care of his father, received that instruction which made him à man of superior attainments and culture. At the age of twenty-nine he was chosen assistant to the Governor, in 1659 the major or chief military commander of the colony, and he was for many years one of the commissioners of the confederated colo- nies. During King Philip's war he commanded the united forces of Plymouth, Mass., Connecticut, and New Haven Colonies, and commanded the entire re- spect and confidence of those in whose service he was engaged. In 1673 he was chosen Governor of the colony, and continued in that office until his death, in 1680. As chief executive he was as broad and liberal as his predecessor, Thomas Pronce, had been narrow and bigoted, and one of the first acts of his administration was to rescue James Cudworth and Isaac Robinson, of Scituate, from the disgrace to which Governor Prence had subjected them on account of expressed sympathy with the persecuted Quakers of the period. He married, in 1651, Penelope, daughter of Herbert Pelham, of England. Mr. Pel- ham, born in 1601, graduated at Oxford in 1619, and came to Massachusetts in 1638, having been pre-

1154

HISTORY OF PLYMOUTH COUNTY.

ceded by his daughter, Penelope, and a son. The records of the rolls court, in Westminster, concern- ing passengers to New England, contain the entry under date of May 15, 1635,-" In the 'Susan & Ellen', Edward Payn, master, Penelope Pelham, six- teen years of age, to pass to her brother's plantation." Mr. Pelham was the first treasurer of Harvard Col- lege, and returned to England in 1649, carrying with him probably his daughter, with whom Mr. Winslow very likely became acquainted during her residence in this country. The writer has seen a letter from John Eliot to Governor Edward Winslow dated in 1651, the year of Josiah Winslow's mar- riage, in which he mentions having seen his son, Josiah, in London not long before. It is probable that the marriage took place in England. A portrait of Edward Winslow, painted in London, bearing the date of 1651, is in the possession of the Pilgrim Society, and as the society owns also original portraits of Josiah Winslow and his wife, Penelope, it is prob- able that all these were painted at the same time. Josiah Winslow died at Marshfield Dee. 18, 1680, and was buried on the 23d, "at the expense of the colony, in testimony of its endeared love and affee- tion for him." He was buried in the old burial- ground at Marshfield, and the stone over his tomb bears the following inscription :

" THE HONBLE. JOSIAH WINSLOW, GOVR. OF NEW PLYMOUTH. DYED DECEMBER YE 18TH, 1680, ATATIS 52.

PENELOPE YE WIDOW OF GOVR. WINSLOW, DYED DECEMBER YE 9, 1703, ATATIS 73."

Samuel Sprague was another prominent man. From 1682 to 1685, and in 1700, 1701, 1703, and 1704 he was deputy to the General Court; in 1677, 1681, 1686, 1687, 1688, 1694, 1695, from 1697 to 1706, and from 1709 to 1710 he was a selectman of Marshfield, and was the last secretary of Plymouth Colony before the union, in 1692. Mr. Sprague was a son of William Sprague, who came to Salem in 1629, and became a citizen of Marshfield about 1650. He married, in 1665 or 1666, Sarah, daughter of Thomas Chillingsworth, and died in 1710.

Nathaniel Thomas was another citizen of Marsh- field who rose to eminenee and extended usefulness. He was a grandson of William Thomas, the emigrant ancestor, and was called into public service at an early age. In 1672, 1677, 1682, 1683, 1684, and 1690 he was chosen a deputy to the General Court of the colony, and in 1692 was one of the first representatives to the General Court of Massachusetts. He held the office of town clerk from 1684 to 1700, and was a selectman in 1674, 1675, 1677, 1682, 1683, and 1686. He was for many years judge of probate for

Plymouth County, and judge of the Supreme Court of Massachusetts Bay. He died in Marshfield, and, with his first and second wives, was buried in the old burial-ground. Their grave-stones bear the following inscriptions :

" HERE LIES INTERRED YE BODY OF YE HONORABLE NATHANIEL THOMAS ESQT WHO

DECd OCT. YE 22, 1718, IN YE 75th YEAR OF HIS AGE."

" DEBORAH YE WIFE OF NATHANIEL THOMAS EsQ DECd JUNE YE 17th 1696 IN YE 53ª YEAR OF HER AGE."

"HERE LYES YE BODY

OF MRS ELIZA THOMAS WIFE OF NATHANIEL THOMAS FORMERLY WIFE TO CAPt Wm CONDY DECd 1713 IN YE 61st YEAR OF HER AGE."

Isaae Winslow was still another gentleman who distinguished this period. Grandson of Governor Ed- ward Winslow, and son of Governor Josiah, he was born in Marshfield in 1670 and educated in that town. In 1695 and 1702 he was representative to the Gen- eral Court ; was town clerk from 1700 to his death (1738), and seleetman in 1691, 1693, 1694, from 1696 to 1709, from 1712 to 1718, in 1720, 1721, from 1723 to 1726, and from 1728 to 1731,-twenty-four years in all. He was also judge of probate and judge of the Court of Common Pleas, and died in 1738. He married, in 1700, Sarah, daughter of John Wensley, of Boston. He was buried in the old burial-ground, where may be seen the following inscription on his tombstone :

"THE HONble ISAAC WINSLOW ESQ' DECd DECEMBER YE 14, 1738, ÆETATIS 67."

In the list of distinguished men of this period, Gen. John Winslow must not be overlooked. He was the son of Isaac Winslow, above mentioned, and was born in Marshfield in 1702. In 1739, '52, '53, '54, '57, '61, '62, '63, '64, '65, he was a deputy to the General Court, acted as moderator at ten annual meetings, was town clerk in 1738 and 1739. He was a selectman in 1739, '53, '54, and for a number of years clerk of the Court of Common Pleas. Among his other manifold duties he devoted himself with zeal to military pursuits, and has been declared by competent authority to have been the most distin-

1155

HISTORY OF MARSHFIELD.

guished military leader of his time in New England, with perhaps the exception of Sir William Pepperell. In 1740 he commauded a company in an expedition against Cuba, and in 1755 was second in command. under Gen. Monckton, in the expedition against Nova Scotia. In 1756 he commanded at Fort William Henry on Lake George, and was at various times a counselor of the Massachusetts Province. He mar- ried in 1726. Mary. daughter of Isaac Little, of Pem- broke, and had Josiah (1730), who died young; Pel- ham Winslow, a graduate of Harvard, who married Joanna, daughter of Gideou White; and Isaac (1739), who became a distinguished physician in his native place, and married first. in 1768, Elizabeth, daughter of Benjamin Stockbridge. of Scituate, and second. Frances, daughter of Ebenczer Gay, of Hing- ham. Both John Winslow and his son. Isaac, were buried in the old burial-ground. and the Winslow tombstone bears the following inscription to their memory :

" HOS. JOHN WINSLOW. EsQr. DIED APRIL 17, 1774, ET. 72.

"ISAAC WINSLOW. M.D. DIED OCT 24, 1819, AGED SO."

In 1765 the citizens of Marshfield shared the ex- citement, which prevailed in the colonies on account of the passage of the Stamp Act. At a town meet- ing, held on the 14th of October in that year, the act was read. together with the Governor's speech to the General Court, and a committee was chosen, consist- ing of Abijah White, Nathaniel Ray Thomas, John Little, Daniel White, and Nehemiah Thomas, to re- port instructions to Gen. John Winslow, then the representative to the General Court. The following report of the committee was made and accepted :

"The committee of the town of Marshfield, appointed to gire instructions to their representative, John Winslow, Esq., what method he should take in order to have so grievous a calamity removed as threaten- this and the neighboring gov- ernmente by the stamp aet, and other things and matters now pending before the General Court; having taken upon thein that trust in behalf of the town, are of opinion that should that act take effect it would prove the great distress, if not the utter ruin of this province, and do therefore advise and direct our representative to use all proper methods, in every legal manner, to get the stamp act repealed, and look upon them- selver as bolden and bound to abide by such determination as the Grand Committee now sitting at New York should con- clude, or unlese something extraordinary should be in that re- port which they cannot foresee, in such case our Representa- tive to use bis own discretion. And further, the Committee are of opinion that as the circumstances of the province are at this janetare in a difficult situation, and the people distressed in the payment of their present taxes that our said Represen- tative be desired and directed to be very careful in making any new or anusual grante of money, and to be as Having of the publie revenues, and of taxing the inhabitants of the province,

as things will admit of. And also we desire the said Jobn Winslow, Esq., to show his disapproval of the late riotous pro- ceedings in the Town of Boston, in the month of September last."

While this report was sufficiently emphatic against the Stamp Act, it suggests a suspicion of that spirit, which afterwards prevailed, in opposition to what was called the patriot cause. No further action was had in town-meeting on colonial affairs until July 5, 1773, when it was " voted that letters and pamphlets received from Boston be read, and a committee was choseu, consisting of Samuel Oakman, Anthony Thomas, Thomas Waterman, Nehemiah Thomas, Elisha Kent, William Thomas, Ephraim Little, Amos Rogers, and John Tilden, to consider what should be done in the alarming crisis of public affairs which then existed." At this meeting the patriots evi- dently carried the day, but at a new meeting the loyalists, who were perhaps at that time the most numerous, rallied, and the vote of July 5th was re- considered, and the committee consequently dis- charged. One of these pamphlets, which the writer has examined, bears the following on its title-page : " The American Alarm; or the Bostonian Plea for the Rights and Liberties of the People, humbly addressed to the King and Council, and to the consecrated Sons of Liberty in America by the British Bostonian. Boston. Printed and sold by D. Kneeland & N. Davis, in Queen Street, MDCCLXXIII." The vote relating to the appointment of a committee having been reconsidered, no report was made. A report, however, was prepared, and has been pre- served in private hands. The writer has it in his care, and thinks it proper to make it a part of this sketch :

" It is the opinion of this Committee that the late unhappy changes in this government with the utmost urgeney claim our attention and the attention of every well-wisher to bis country's prosperity. Silence we humbly conceive, when inroads are made on our rights and privileges, is a tacit resignation of the same, and thus our eriminal negligence at the first lopping off our privileges may render every future attempt to obtain restitu - tion futile and ineffectual, for that people are rationally thought to be an casy prey that does not manfully resent the first in- fringement on their rights and privileges, wbile a zealous people are rarely slaves. It would give us pain to see the people easy at this alarming time, when the enemies to our natural and consti- tutional liberties are so successfully busy to bring this land into slavery, a land that was settled at the expense of mueh treasure and blood by a poor and well-disposed people, our worthy anees- tors, more sensible of the sweets of liberty under the hand of op- pression. They, not like rebels to eseape banging, but by royal permission, sought out a foreign retreat in the face of imminent danger in order to enjoy the blessings of sacred and civil free- dom. In this land they pitched their tents, then inhabited by merciless Indians, of whom they bought it ; hut, notwithstand- ing, to have their little safe, it was stipulated unto them and

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History of Plymouth county, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 241

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