History of Plymouth county, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 44

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 44

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193

HISTORY OF WAREHAM.

Warren, oue-eighth ; John Gibbs, one-twenty-fourth ; Jireh Swift. one-twenty-fourth ; Oliver Norris, one- twenty-fourth ; Joseph Bartlett's heirs, one-twelfth ; Nathaniel Chubbuck, one-twenty-fourth ; and Adam Jones, one-thirty-sixth part. Thus we see in the short space of thirty years the names of Beale, Pope, Morton. aud Lane, who formerly owued eleven- twenty-fourths of the whole purchase, were missing ; probably these were speculators. And now, after a lapse of one hundred and seventy years, the names of Gifford, Tupper, Hersey, Warren, Norris, Bartlett, and Jones are missing. But the Burgesses, Bates', Fearings. Bournes, Gibbs', Swifts, and Chubbucks still live with us, and some are heirs to the possessions of their ancestors.

This little band of first settlers began their small colony as though they were a separate and distinct nation. They laid out a mill-lot to be owned by the public ou the Agawam River, a lot for a pound, and a graveyard, which contains the remains of many of them, and would have built a pillory and whipping- post, no doubt, but Plymouth was careful to reserve the jurisdiction of the territory in their deed of sale. We read of neither church nor school-houses, but it is evident they were not unmindful of these things, as they laid out two lots of land and one of meadow for the use of the ministry as early as 1701.

The principal way in Agawam was opened at an early day, and ran nearly east and west, crossing the Wankinco River, both of the Jumping Brooks, Aga- wam River, Little Herring Brook, and Red Brook, at the head of tide-water on each of these several streams. There were other ways leading from this which led to the houses of every settler, some open, and some through gates and bars.

The land lying southerly of the main road and Agawam River is indented by coves, creeks, and harbors, forming many peninsulas or necks, which they named as follows : That on the east, between Red Brook, Cohasset, Narrows, and Muddy Cove, containing seven hundred and eighty acres, Long Neck ; that between Muddy Cove, Tom's Narrows, and Broad Marsh Creek, containing one hundred and thirty acres, Pine Neck; that between Broad Marsh Creek, Tom's Narrows, Hog Island Narrows, the Bay, and Bourne's Cove, containing twelve hun- dred and fifty acres, Great Neck; that between Bourne's Cove, the Bay, Wankinco River, and Crooked River, three hundred and sixty acres, In- dian Neck; that between Crooked River and Great Crab Cove, containing one hundred acres, Bates Neck ; that between Great Crab Cove, Little Crab Cove, and Agawam River, containing five hundred acres, :

they called Wankinquog Neck (since called Wanker Neck) ; that between Little Crab Cove, the Narrows, and Agawam River, containing one hundred and twenty acres, Little Neck. These necks contain more than three-fourths of the land lying southerly of said road, leaving but a small tract between them, which was called the Neighborhood. The land in general, though rather sandy, is very suitable for till- age. The shores abound with salt meadows, sea- weeds, and rock-wecds, and if the soil was a little better, no part of the Old Colony would be more fav- orably situated for delightful farms. Bourne's Hill, situated a little to the north of Bourne's Cove, is the highest land in Wareham, being one hundred and twenty-eight feet above tidc-water.

Islands,-Wickett's Island derived its name from an Indian who formerly owned it, and out of respect to his rights they suffered him to retain it. It lies between Long and Great Neck, a little south of the celebrated Onset Camp Ground, and contains five acres. Onset Island is situated near the southerly point of Long Neck, and contains eight acres. An old gentleman, now deceased, used to tell an amusing tale concerning this island. He said when he was a boy he had often seen lights thereon in dark and stormy nights, and that he had no doubt that much money had been buried there. He further stated that he, with some others, went one night to dig, and as the money was got in an evil manner and buried by pirates, the devil watched it; yet, if the diggers did not speak they might find the spot by ranging from different points the lights, and digging where these ranges intersected. All these things being attended to, the spot found, they commenced digging, and after proceeding some distance into the earth they struck the chest, when one of the company, in his zeal to assist the person digging, took up his pickaxe, and reaching a little too far forward, struck the other man digging with such force that he ut- tered an emphatic oath, when the money-chest imme- diately sunk, and they could find nothing more of it, to the great grief and severe mortification of all con- cerned. The narrator firmly believed that if he had half the money buried there he would be the richest man in Wareham.

Little Bird Island lies in Buzzard's Bay, about three-quarters of a mile from the shore, and belongs to the Indian Neck farm. It is a finc place for shoot- ing wild fowl, and is overflowed by very high tides.

There is a cluster of small islands in Little Harbor named Great Pine, Little Pine, Bowman's, and Scraggy Islands, surrounded by creeks, and seem only designed to increase the quantity of meadow.

194

HISTORY OF PLYMOUTH COUNTY.

Ponds .- There are three ponds south of the main road,-one is called Pope's Pond, containing three acres ; the second, Beaver Dam Pond, covers five acres, and contains springs, with a fine brook running from it to the Agawam River. It derives its name from the circumstance that beavers formerly built dams across these outlets to raise the water in the pond, the remains of which are still visible. The third is a springy pond situated a little to the west, and has a small creek, which empties into Great Crab Cove.

The tract of land on the north side of the main road contains five thousand five hundred acres, has a very light, sandy soil, and is worthless for all purposes of cultivation. This tract, though divided into lots and owned by different individuals, has been from the first settlement of Agawam (until within a few years) used as a sheep-common during the summer season, the poor and the rich having equal privileges in this particular. The tract is well watered by ponds, spring-brooks, and Agawam River, as follows: Little Long Pond, partly lying in Plymouth, containing ten acres south of the line; White Island Pond, also partly in Plymouth, containing fifty acres south of the line ; Bartlett's Marsh Pond, of forty-five acres ; Pickerel Pond, of sixteen acres ; Muddy Pond, of four acres; Spectacle Pond, of fifty acres, its shape resembling a pair of spectacles; Cedar Pond, of ten acres ; Flax Pond, of eleven acres ; Herring Pond, of forty-four acres; and Jonathan's Pond, of ten acres. The Maple Springs, near Long Pond, and the brooks running therefrom and falling into Agawam River, have long been noted as places of amusement for catching trout. The Red Brook is a living stream, and derives its name from being colored by iron ore, some small beds of which lie in its swamps. The two Jumping Brooks head a little southwest of the Maple Springs, cross the main road, and fall into Agawam River,-one at the westerly line of Agawam, the other about half a mile to the eastward. They were formerly called jumping brooks because travel- ers had to jump them before bridges were made. The Agawam River is a valuable stream for manu- facturing purposes, having twenty-five feet fall in running from the town-line to the sea. This tract of woodland is connected with, and constitutes a part of, what is known as Plymouth woods, so celebrated in years past for deer-hunting.

West End of the Town .- That part of Wareham which formerly belonged to Rochester had no par- ticular name to designate it from the remaining part of the town until its union with Agawam, after which it was called the West End of the Town.

Sippican, or Rochester Title .- "1649. Liberty is granted unto the townsmen of Plymouth to make use of the land at Sipecan for herding and keeping of cattle, and wintering of them there, as they shall see cause."1

" 1651. For the continual support of the Township of Plymouth for the place and seat of government, to prevent the dispersing of the inhabitants thereof. It is ordered that Sipecan be granted to the town of Plymouth to be a general help to the inhabitants thereof for the keeping of their cattle, and to remain for the common use and good of the said township, and never to be alienated by the township from the same to any other use, and no person or persons to enjoy any right or benefit thereby but the inhabitants of the town of Plymouth, only except such as we the com- mon herdsmen for the said township, and the bounds thereof to extend itself eight miles by the seaside, and four miles into the land." 2

In 1666, King Philip, sachem of Pokanoket, youngest son of Massasoit, gave power " to Watuch- poo and Sampson, two Indian chiefs, and their breth- ren, to hold and make sale of these lands to whom they pleased." And on the 24th of December, 1668, Philip informed the honorable court at Plymouth that they were for sale.

In Plymouth Court orders, dated June 3, 1679, may be found the following: "In answer unto the proposition of several that would purchase lands at Sippican, and places adjacent, the Court are glad to take notice of what they propound, and offer them- selves to oblige in order to a comfortable settlement of a Plantation there, and shall be ready to accom- modate them as far as they can on reasonable and easy terms, and give them all due encouragement, if they can procure some more substantial men, that are prudent persons, and of considerable estate, that will make a speedy settlement of themselves and families with them ; and we desire and expect to hear further from them at the next meeting of this Court, by ad- journment in July next, at which time we may, if satisfied in the premises, bargain with them for the lands they desire, or put it in a way to be done." It seems that " some more substantial men, who were prudent persons," were procured, for on the 22d of July, 1679, the purchase was made, and the deed was given. On the same day the purchasers met, organ- ized, and transacted considerable business at the house of Mr. Joseph Bradford, in Plymouth.

Soon after the purehase was made an Indian nanied

1 Old Col. Rec. Book, 2d Court Orders, page 190.

2 Ib., p. 234. -

195

HISTORY OF WAREHAM.

Charles, alias Paumpmutt, of Ashimuitt, claimed a portion of the purchased possessions, but on the pay- ment of six pounds, New England money, renounced all title.

Nov. 19. 1679. Lieut. Joseph Lothrop, agent of the company, paid Peter Suscacow, five shillings to satisfy his claim.

In 1683, William Connett, an Indian, claimed the whole land they had purchased. He proved a bitter and stubborn contestant, but finally entered into an agreement with Thomas Hinckley and Joseph Lothrop that was satisfactory to both parties. After this the whites remained in undisputed possession.

Cromeset Neck lies in the west part of the town, and is bounded on the north by Broad Marsh River, on the east by Quasuet and the Wankinco, and on the west by Weweantit River, having Mark's Cove on the east and Sedge Cove on the west side, both of which, as well as the rivers around this neck, having salt meadows along their margins. On the east side of this neck lies Quasuet, it being an island of upland containing thirty acres, and is separated from the neck by a small creek and a broad piece of meadow.

Incorporation of Wareham .- The following is the act of incorporation :

" Anno Regni Regis Georgii Secundi duodecimo et decimo- tertio.

" AN ACT for dividing the Town of Rochester and Plymouth, in the County of Plymouth, and erecting a new Town there by the name of Wareham.

" Whereas, the Inhabitants of the East End of the Town of Rochester, and the Inhabitants of a Plantation called Agawam, being in the Town of Plymouth, by Reason of great Difficulties they lahor under have addressed this Court, that they may be set off a distinct and separate Township. and vested with all the Powers and Privileges that other Towns in this Province are rested with. For which they have obtained the Consent of the said Towns of Rochester and Plymouth.

" Be it therefore enacted by His Excellency the Governor, Council, and Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the Authority of the same, that the East End of the said Town of Rochester, bounded as followeth, viz. : Beginning at the mouth of Sipecan River, and running up the River to Men- doe's Bridge; thence as the Road now lies to Plymouth till it meets with Middleborough Line, being all the Lands belonging to the Town of Rochester lying to the North of said River, and on the East side of said Road, together with the Plantation or Precinct of Agawam aforesaid as described in their purchase Deed from the said Town of Plymouth, be and hereby are set off, Constituted, and Erected into a distinct and separate Town- ship by the name of Wareham, and that the Inhabitants of the Lands before described and bounded be and hereby are vested with all the Powere, Privileges, and Immunities that the Inhab- itante of other Towns in this Province are or ought by law to be vezted with, Saving that the Privilege of Catching Ellwives be and remain as heretofore.

" 1739, July 6. This Bill having been read three several times in the House of Representatives, passed to be Enacted. " J. QUINCY, Spkr.

"1739, July 6. This Bill having been read three several times in Council, passed to be enacted.

"SIMON FROST, Dep. Secry.

" 1739, July 10. By His Excellency the Governor I Con- sent to the Enacting this Bill.

"J. BELCHER,"

Tihonet is a piece of land formerly belonging to Plymouth and Carver. It obtained its name from an early settler who had a small right in one of the great lots on which he lived, and by virtue of this claim exercised the right of ownership over all the land around him so far as to cut the best timber and mar- ket it. Another gentleman thought he would look at the timber in that region with a view of purchas- ing. He took this settler as his guide to show him the country, and after traveling all day and asking the question often, " Who owns this lot ?" he was always answered by his guide, "I own it." He soon discovered the trick, and gave the old man the name of Ti-own-it, by which he was afterwards called, and that section, with a slight alteration, has borne his name ever since. It is bounded by a continuation of the Agawam line from the corner swamp, N. 86} deg., W. 830 rods, crossing the Wankinco River; thence 450 rods to a pine-tree standing in the old Carver line ; thence by that line southeasterly to the Agawam purchase, and by Agawam northeasterly to the beginning, forming a triangle nearly equilateral, and containing two thou- sand and twenty acres. There was a family of Chub- bucks and Besses who early settled on this tract, but their possessions were small, and the land as well as themselves poor. The Wankinco River running through Tihonet constitutes nearly its whole valuc. The river is valuable, being fed by springs and hav- ing twenty-eight feet fall at Tihenet dam. Robert's Run is a spring-brook, falling into the river on the east side. Frog Foot is a large branch of the river, falling in upon the easterly side about a third of a mile south of the Plymouth line.

While Tihonet belonged to Plymouth and Carver, Daniel Hunt built a forge where the iron-works now stand, and a saw-mill about a mile above. These works passed into the hands of Samuel Leonard, of Taunton, and from him to the Wareham Iron Com- pany. This company, having it in contemplation to put valuable works there, petitioned the Legislature for an act severing Tihonet from Plymouth and Car- ver and uniting it to Wareham, which they obtained in 1827.

There was an effort made as early as 1773 to unite this part of Plymouth to Wareham, as appears by the following vote: "May 10, 1773, Voted not to re- quest Plymouth to set off Tihonet to Wareham," and

196

HISTORY OF PLYMOUTH COUNTY.

when it was set off there was some opposition by the aged men of the town, fearing that the tract would bring more paupers than taxes; however, it passed by a large majority, Benjamin Bourne, Esq., insisting that his vote should be recorded in the negative.

What the population of the town was at the time of its incorporation cannot now be ascertained, but the year succeeding, and for forty years afterwards, during the provincial government of Massachusetts, the town voted that they were not qualified to send a representative ; and by the act of 1692, then in force, every town having forty qualified voters was enjoined to choose one freeholder as their representative ; towns having less than forty and more than thirty voters might send or not, as they saw fit; and in the year 1769, when they wished to be heard before the General Court, as they sent an agent and not a repre- sentative, we must conclude that they had not thirty freeholders and other persons qualified to vote. At the time the act of incorporation was passed the Gen- eral Court ordered Edward Bumpus, one of the prin- cipal inhabitants, to call the first town-meeting, which he did Aug. 6, 1739, at which meeting Edward Bumpus was chosen moderator ; Jonathan Hunter, town clerk ; Jireh Swift, Jeremiah Bumpus, and Jonathan Hunter, selectmen and assessors; Jireh Swift, treasurer ; John Bumpus, Jr., and Joshua Gibbs, constables; Joseph Gifford, Isaac Hamblin, and Jonathan Bumpus, surveyors of highways ; Henry Saunders, tithingman ; Ebenezer Perry and John Ellis, fence-viewers.

Ecclesiastical History .- The Congregational Church .- Previous to the incorporation of the town of Wareham, there was a minister of the gospel, by the name of Thomas Prince, who lived upon Crome- set Neck, and preached occasionally in a mecting- house which stood near the place of the present Con- gregational Church. As there was neither a church nor a parish formed, it is not probable that he or any one else preached long at a time.

Sept. 10, 1739, the town, in their parochial ca- pacity, chose a committee to give the Rev. Rowland Thatcher a call, and directed them to offer him threc hundred pounds settlement and one hundred pounds salary, to which he replied as follows :

" GENTLEMEN,-Seeing my performances ameng you have found such acceptance as that you have given me a call to min- ister to you officially in holy things, and having seriously weighed the matter, and asked tho direction of heaven, I eon- clude your call to be from God. Therofore, being deeply sensi- blo of my own unwerthiness and unfitnoss for the great werk, yet, deponding upon Christ, de accept your call, depending upon you for such support from timo to time as tho Gospel does require; ournostly asking your prayers to God for mo,

that when I have preached to you I myself may not be found cast away ; but when I am called to give an account of my ministry to God, the Shepherd and Bishop of souls, I may do it with joy, having many ef your souls as seals of my ministry and crown of rejoicing.

" ROWLAND THATCHER.

" WAREHAM, Oct. 17, 1739."

Oct. 18, 1739, the town voted to receive and ac- cept the answer, and on the 26th day of December, 1739, he was ordained. On the day previous to the ordination a church was incorporated in presence of a council consisting of fifteen male and twenty-eight female members. March 3, 1740, the town passed the following salutary vote : "That a committee be appointed to take care of young people in time of divine service, on Sabbath days, and on all other times, if they see them to play." The Rev. Rowland Thatcher died Feb. 18, 1775, having preached more than thirty-five years to the satisfaction of his church and congregation, much beloved and respected, and with good success, having added two hundred and four members to his church, besides those who were first incorporated, leaving one hundred and forty-five members living at his death. His salary, after the money matters of the country were settled, was finally fixed at £53 6s. 8d. lawful money.

In April, 1775, a committee was chosen to look for and employ a minister. August 21st this com- mittee gave the Rev. Josiah Cotton a call to become their pastor, which he answered as follows :

" To the Church of Christ and the Inhabitants of the town of Wareham.

"BRETHREN AND GENTLEMEN,-I have received your invita- tion to enter the relation ef Paster and receive the ministerial charge over you, and in censequence thereof had a conference with your committee relative to your offer, which, as repre- sented to me, I think insufficient,-the salary part, I mean, £66 138. 4d., without the parsonage at tho west end of the town, -and therefore propose an alteration, which your committee feel satisfied with, viz., that the improvement of the afore- mentieued parsonage he granted over and above the £66 138. 4d., which parsonage is valued at £4, L. M., per annum, and the real sum to be made goed if the value of money depreciates, which being done, I would, en account of the difficulty of the timos, relinquish the sum of £6 138. 4d. for the year to come, receiving from the time the salary begins, and after that timo expires, if the day should still continue distressing hy a stop- page of trado, make a proportionable relinquishment, if oon- sistent with necessary support. Less than my proposal specifies doos not appear to me te he sufficient encouragement ; therefore, if you shall see fit te comply with the proposals above mentiened, freely, without difficulty, I hereby doclare my acceptance to settle with you in tho gospel ministry.

" JOSIAH COTTON.

"WAREHAM, Oct. 4, 1775."

Oct. 4, 1775, the town voted to accept of Mr. Josiah Cotton's answer. The connection between the town and Mr. Cotton was not happy, and continued

197

HISTORY OF WAREHAM.

but a few years. There was nothing exceptionable in his character, but he yearly called for an increase of salary, which, on account of the depreciation of money, they enlarged, until they voted him, May 3, 1779, the sum of £600 for the year, which he asked to have increased, whereupon, May 31st, they voted to dismiss him, and he was dismissed accordingly.

In January, 1780. the town employed a Mr. Mills to preach to them, to whom they paid forty shillings per Sabbath ; but he was not settled, on account of some disagreement about his salary, which was settled by the vote of Sept. 21, 1780, which gave him forty shillings per Sabbath, hard money. He thinking it was not enough, they dispensed with his further ser- vices.

For two or three years the town was without a settled minister, and for a part of the time the pulpit was vacant. June 3, 1782, the Rev. Noble Everett was called to the pastoral office, and several votes passed at different meetings concerning the manner in which he should receive his support, but finally they entered into the following contract :

" Whereas, several votes have been passed by the town at different meetings concerning Mr. Everett's settlement and salary, voted, that the whole of his settlement and salary be comprehended and established in the manner following: 1st. That we give to Mr. Noble Everett, for settlement, the whole of the land lying south of, and adjoining to John Winslow's land, which was bought of Thomas Sampson for the purpose, and build him a dwelling house on the same, 36 feet in length and 25 feet in width, two stories high, and finished in a decent and handsome manner, with a convenient cellar under the same, and completed by the last day of November, 1783.

" 2d. That we will give said Mr. Everett an annual salary of £56 of lawful silver money during his continuance in this town as our minister, the one-half it to be paid annnally in the month of April, the other half in October, together with the use of the ministry land and meadow lying in this town, including the wood on said land for the maintenance of his fires.

"3d. That Mr. Everett's salary begin at his ordination.

"4th. That the town will fence the salt meadow at the east end of the town with cedar rails before April next.

" Accepted by me,

" NOBLE EVERETT. "WAREHAM, Oct. 28, 1782."

In 1791 the town increased Mr. Everett's salary to sixty pounds, and in the year 1800 to three hundred and fifty dollars. Some time after his church added fifty dollars as a gratuity, which was continued until his death, in 1819.

In July, 1821, the Rev. Daniel Hemmenway was ordained, with a salary of five hundred dollars, with- out the use of the ministry property. There being some difficulty in selecting the ordaining council, which was unhappily extended to the exclusion of some of the members invited by the town, a disaffec-

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History of Plymouth county, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 44

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