History of Plymouth county, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 57

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 57

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" To His Execlleney, Samuel Shute, Esq., Capt. General and Governor in Chief in and orer his Majesty's Province of the Massachusetts Bay, de. The Council and Representatives in General Court assembled :

" The petition of the North Inhabitants of the town of Plym- cuth, near Jones' River, and of the Northeast part of Plymp- ton, near the aforosaid "river, & of some of the Inhabitants ef

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HISTORY OF KINGSTON.

the Southeast end of Pembrook Humbly Sheweth : That it is a great Burthen your poor petitioners labor under by reason of the great distance we live from the center of the towns to which we respectively belong, the great difficulty of attending all public worship, and especially the public worship of God, which difficulty we have for a long time cheerfully labored under till we should increase to such numbers and capacities as to be able to support the public worship of God amongst us, in some place where it shall be most for our general accommodation which we having considered, & upon computation find that ahout forty and eight families will he nearer meeting than now we are. For now many of us live six or seven miles from meeting and the most of us above four miles, and then there will be very few above two miles from the meeting-house. We have likewise suitable accommodations for many more inhabitants, which we believe would he soon improved if we had the public worship established amongst us, and we made into a township or pre- cinet. Our petition, therefore, to the Great and General Assem- bly is that all within the hounds hereafter mentioned may be made into a township, viz. : [The hounds will not be given here, as they will appear substantially the same in another place.] Which this onr reasonable petition tendeth so much to promote the public worship and the good of this place, we doubt not but you will see cause to allow and grant.

Israel Bradford. Samuel Fuller.

Hezekiah Bradford. John Bryant.

Elisha West.

Judah Hall.

Francis Cook.

Jaeoh Cook, Jr.

Ebenezer Eaton.

Caleb Stetson.

John Washburn.

Eleazer Cushman.

John Everson.

Robert Cushman.

David Bradford. Benjamin Bryant.

Jacob Mitchell. Peter Hunt. William Cook.

Robert Cook.

Jonathan Bryant.

John Gray.

Wrestling Brewster.

John Cushman.

Perez Bradford.

Joseph Holmes.

Ephraim Bradford.

Benjamin Eaton.

Isaac Holmes. Richard Everson.

William Bradford.

John Bradford.

Elisha Stetson.

Jacob Cook.

Peter West.

John Bradford, Jr. Joseph Sturtevant. Elnathan Fish.

Elisha Bradford.

Gershom Bradford."

Charles Little.

The first petition for a separation was to the town itself, March 15, 1717, but it was not granted, and November 4th, Nathaniel Thomas, Esq., and Maj. Isaac Lothrop were selected as agents to make answer to the petition that had been sent to the General Court.

In the General Court, May 29, 1717, it was or- dered that " Capt. Henry Hodges, Col. William Bassett, and Capt. William Southworth be a commit- tee to go upon the place, view and consider the situ- ation and circumstances of the petitioners and the tract of land which they desire should be made a township or precinct, and report their opinion to this Court whether it be reasonable the prayers of the petitioners should be granted, the charges of the committee to be borne by the petitioners." This

committee performed the duty assigned them, and September 7th reported that they were " of opinion, for divers weighty reasons given to us, that it may be best for the petitioners that the said tract of land be made a township, if the Great and General Court shall see cause to grant the same."

The General Court, after a full hearing upon the question, passed an act, November, 1717, setting off the north part of Plymouth, with portions of the other towns before mentioned, as a precinct or parish.

" In Council, upon a full hearing before the whole Court upon the petition of several of the inhabitants of Plymouth, Plympton, and Pembroke, Ordered, that the petitioners be set off a precinct according to the bounds mentioned in the committee's report, and upon their providing and maintaining an Orthodox minister, a public reading- and a writing-school within their precinct, that they may be free from any charge to the ministry and schools in their respective towns.

"Sent down for concurrence.

" In the House of Representatives. " Read and Concurred.

" Consented to. SAML. SHUTE.

" A true copy Examined.

"J. WILLARD, Sec'y."

As the act provided that they should maintain a minister, the people of the new parish soon began to make the necessary arrangements for the building of a meeting-house and the settling of a minister. The first business meeting on record was on Dec. 5, 1717, when it was voted " yt our Meeting-House should stand on the left hand of the way that leads to ye landing-place near the corner of Jacob Mitchell's field." Voted " that it be forty-three feet in length, thirty-six in width, and twenty feet between joints." Maj. John Bradford, Peter West, and Charles Little were chosen agents to build the meeting-house. March 14, 1718. The same gentlemen last named were chosen agents to provide a minister as soon as the meeting-house was ready. Nov. 21, 1718. Voted to give Mr. Paine three pounds money for two days' preaching. The same agents, chosen March 14th, were requested to agree with Mr. Paine to preach some longer time. Jan. 12, 1719. Voted to raise eighty pounds to pay a minister. Charles Little and Peter West were chosen a committee to order who shall have pews in the precinct meeting- house, and where they shall be. Isaac Holmes was to have "twenty shillings for sweeping, opening and shutting of the doors and casements of the meeting- house for one year. Feb. 17, 1719. Voted "to give Mr. Thomas Paine a call to the work of the ministry in said Precinct, having had experience of his qualities for said work." Why Mr. Paine was not settled does not appear upon the records, but he afterwards went to Weymouth, where he died in 1737.

256

HISTORY OF PLYMOUTH COUNTY.

Nothing more concerning the ministry appears until the following year, when it is recorded that " Mr. Jo- seph Stacie began to preach July 26, 1720." August 15th it was voted to give Mr. Stacy eighty pounds a ycar, and also one hundred pounds settlement. The committee on the pews in the mecting-house decided that there shall be thirteen pews below the gallerics besides the pew already built for the minister's wife. The location of all these pews is given in the records, and a few will be described here: Maj. John Brad- ford's was next to the pulpit stairs ; Charles Little's was next to street door on the right, and Elisha Brad- ford's on the left " as you go in." Benjamin Eaton's was " between minister's stairs and west door," and Peter West's was in the gallery, "in the front, next to the stairs, behind the women." Rev. Mr. Stacy was ordained Nov. 2, 1720. Liberty was given Wil- liam Cooke " to build a casement or window in his pew in ye meeting-house, so as not to incommode the meeting-house." Josiah Cooke, Robert Cushman, Jr., and Cornelius Drew were allowed to have a pew in the side gallery March 22, 1725. Only a little more than seven years passed after the formation of the parish when the residents there began to agitate the question of an entire separation from the old town, and at a precinct meeting held at the time last named, it was voted "to draw off and become a pre- cinct school, and that a suitable mistress be engaged to learn the children to read and write," and also to draw off and become a township, and to effect the same, chose Joseph Holmes, Eleazer Ring, and Ben- jamin Eaton to act in behalf of said precinct in that affair." There were probably several reasons why the people desired an entire separation, yet it has been the testimony of aged people that the chief cause of dissatisfaction was the action of the town in regard to the schools. If there were other serious reasons of complaint the records are silent upon the subject, and show no other cause of trouble than that to which reference has been made. We will now go back thirty years previous to the time of which we are writing, and bring to light what little there is recorded concerning schools.

In 1696 the north part of Plymouth had the schoolmaster the fourth quarter, as the record states he shall " remove no farther southward in said townc for settlement to keepe scool than John Gray's." 1714, June 7. " At a Towne Mecting it was voated to allow 20 pounds to the North end of ye town to build a school house somewhare neere Jacob Cook's." Shortly after this Maj. Bradford gave a lot of land for this first school-house, as will be scen by the fol- lowing deed, which is copied in full from the Registry

of Decds, vol. xi. page 30. This lot was situated just westerly from the grounds of the late Capt. James Sever, and a school-house which stood on the same land is now well remembered by many persons, as it was not removed until 1826 :

" To all To whome These Presants shall Come : Major John Bradford, of Plymth, In the County of Plymth, in New England, Sendeth Grecting : Know yee, that Whereas There hath bine something done by the Inhabitants of about Jones River, In Plymth, aforesaid, Towards ye Ereeting or Building a Scool- house for the Ineouragement of Learning & Conveniancy of Endicating Their children. Know yee, that for and ye further promoting & Encourageing ye same, Have Given, Granted, alioned, made over, & Confirmed, & by these presants for my- self, my heirs, Excurs, & Adms, do fully and freely Give, Grant, alienate, make over & Confirm unto ye above sd. Inhabitants or Neighbourhood, their heirs and assigns forever, a Certain peice of Land near Jones' River, aforesd, on ye Northwest side of ye Land and way, which I lately sold to Charles Little by ye Country Road, To erect and sett ye sd. scool-house upon; To Have and To Hold ye sd. peice of Land for the use aforesd To ye sd Inhabitants & Neighbourhood aforesd so long as they, ye sd Inhabitants, shall keep and maintain a scool-house on sd. Land & Peeibly To Enjoy ye same during ye Term Last Mentioned without any Lett, Hinderance, or Molestation from myself or any other, from, by, or under me, or any pson or psons Whatsoever. In witness whereof, I, ye sd John Bradford, have hereunto sett my hand & seal, this 28th day July, one Thousand Seven Hun- dred & fourteen, 1714.

" JOHN BRADFORD [SEAL] " Signed, Sealed, & DDdd

"In Presants of

" Benjamin Southworth,

" Joseph Chandler."

For five years (from 1716 to 1721) the north part of the town had a school for a certain portion of each year, but in the latter year it was voted to have but one school in the town, and that " shold be a gram- mar school." During the years 1722, 1723, 1724, a school was again allowed them. On the 15th of Feb- ruary, 1725, there was a very exciting town-meeting held, and a long debate about schools, "and there being a great assembly, it was something difficult to distinguish the voate by holding up the hand, and it was therefore ordered by the moderator that the as- sembly should withdraw out of ye house, & then to come in & pass by the Clark, & declare whether they were for one or three schools ; and it was voated by a majority of voates that there should be one school ; and therc being a great tumult in the meeting, and the people difficult to be stilled, the moderator there- fore adjourned the present meeting to the first day of March next." March 1, 1725. " And then the Town proceeded to manage the affair about the school." After a plan had been adopted for the school in the centre of the town, it was voted " that each end of the town, who for some years past had a woman's school among them, be allowed to deduct out of the Town's

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HISTORY OF KINGSTON.

Treasury what they are annually rated or taxed for the grammar school, and no more towards the main- taining a school among themselves, provided they see cause to keep one."

The result of this meeting seemed to determine the future action of the parish, for on the 22d of same month, as before stated, they voted to withdraw from the town, and May 31st they voted to petition the General Court to become a township, and for " our part of ye money which the mile and half land was sold for." For more than a year after this the matter was urged and opposed by the different parties inter- ested, and in the mean time, Sept. 6, 1725, it was voted at a precinct meeting " to raise twenty pounds money to defray the charge of the school in said precinct."

Jan. 7, 1726. John Gray, Robert Cushman, and William Cooke were chosen agents " to acquaint the respective towns from whence we derived of our de- sire to run the line betweene y" and us, and to pre- fix ye day and to assist in sd. business till it should be accomplished. In addition to the committee or agents of ye precinct is added Maj. John Bradford, Mr. Jacob Mitchell, and Mr. Thomas Croad to assist in Je business of meeting ye committee which is to come from Boston to view the state of ye precinct in order to become a township." Thirty pounds were appro- priated for defraying the expenses of the committee, and Mr. Samuel Foster was to "provide for them and keep them."

March 25, 1726. At this the last precinct meet- ing it was voted to give Rev. Mr. Stacy ninety pounds salary, also " that there shall be a moving Reading and Writing school in the precinct for ye year ensu- ing, which shall be kept eight months on the North- ward side of the meeting-house, viz. : three months at the school-house on the North side of Jones River, and two months at the house of Israel Bradford, and three months near Smelt Brook, and four months yt part Westerly of the meeting-house, viz. : two months at Joseph Holmes and two months at Robert Cooke's." Mr. Gershom Bradford was chosen to go to Boston at the May Sessions, " to do what may further be done relating to ye precinct's petition to ye Honorable Gen'l Court in order to be a township."

" In Council June 2, 1726 .- Ordered : That the bounds of the North precinct of Plymouth, intended to be erected into a town- ehip by the name of Kingstone, shall be as followeth, that is to ray : Beginning at a heap of stones above the highway, being the bounds between the lands of John Sturtevant, and the land which did belong to Joseph Sturtevant, deceased, and tbence the line between the two precincts in Plymouth to run North forty-five degrees and a half Easterly down to the Salt Bay ; and from tbence on the same course into Duxborough town line ; and thence from the first-mentioned heap of stones South about forty-fire degrees and a half westerly np into the woods nnto a

great remarkable rock, commonly called Nick's Rock, by the southeast side of a cartway ; and from tbence on the same course 144 rods to a stone set in the ground and other stones laid about it by the Northwest side of the said cartway ; and from thence south fifty-seven degrees Westerly unto two red- oak trees, marked with stones about them, in the line of Plimp- ton township, by the Northwest side of the old country road that leads from Plymouth town to Middleborougb, and the line between Plimpton and Plymouth, north precinct, North about seven degrees Westerly unto a great black-oak, formerly marked, by the southeast side of a roadway near the hill called Brewster's hill, the said tree being a former bound of Plimpton township; and from thence North forty-seven and an half degrees Westerly about four hundred and eighty rods to a heap of stones on a cleft rock, and from thence North about five degrees Westerly about two hundred and twenty- eight rods to a long stone set in the ground, and other stones laid about it, about three rods to the Westward of the old cellar which was Thomas Shurtleff's ; and from thence North three de- grees westerly about a mile and forty-two rods to the west corner bounds of the land which did belong to Peter West, deceased, being a pine-tree marked, by Jones River pond; and from tbence over sd. pond North eight degrees Westerly unto the South corner bounds of Jonatban Crooker; and from thence between the sd. North precinct and the town of Pembrook North about forty-three degrees Easterly about one hundred and seven rods by the range of the sd. Crooker's land unto the north corner of the 145th lot, which now belongs to Wil- liam Cooke; and from thence East unto the Northwest Corner of Elnathan Fish; and from tbence by the range of the sd. lot, being in number the 127th lot, East-South-East unto the Northeast corner of sd. lot at the brook called Pine brook ; and from thence the sd. line between the sd. North precinct and the town of Duxborough, to run on a straight line to the ancient corner bounds between the townships of Plymouth and Dux- borough, being a heap of stones by a white-oak tree marked to the Northward of ye brook called Mile brook ; and from thence by the bounds between Duxborough and Plymouth until it come down to the bay ; and from tbence by Duxborough line over the bay until it meet with the line first mentioned.

" Sent down for concurrence.

" J. WILLARD, Sec'y.

"In the House of Representatives,

"June 3, 1726, read and concurred. " WM. DUDLEY, Spr.

" Consented to.

"WM. DUMMER."

On the 16th of June, 1726, O. S., corresponding to the 27th, N. S., the following act passed :

" ANNO REGNI REGIS GEORGII DUODECIMO.

" AN ACT Passed by the Great and Generall Court or Assembly of His Majesty's Province of the Massachusetts Bay for Di- viding the Town of Plymouth, and Erecting a New Town there by the name of Kingston.

"WHEREAS, the Town of Plymouth, within the County of Plymouth, is of great extent for length, and lyes commodiously for Two Townships, and the North Precinct thereof being of late sufficiently filled with Inhabitants wbo labor under great Difficulties on several accounts, and have thereupon addressed this Court that they may be set off a distinct and separate Township. Be it therefore Enacted by the Lieut .- Governour, Council, and Representatives in Generall Court assembled, and by the Authority of the same, That all the Lands lying within the said Nortb Precinct, in Plymouth, aforesaid, particularly

258

HISTORY OF PLYMOUTH COUNTY.

describod and bounded by an Order of this Court passed at their present Session, be and hereby aro set off and constituted a separato Township, by the namo of Kingston, and that tho In- habitants of said Township be vested with the Powers, Privi- logos, and Immunities that the Inhabitants of any Town of this Province by Law are or ought to be vested with. Provided, And be it further Enacted, That nothing in this act contained shall be construed, deomed, judged, or intended to hinder or projudice the right and interest of all or any porsons whatso- ever in any of the Common and Undivided Lands within the Towns of Plymouth and Kingston aforesaid, but the same shall remain as heretofore. Provided, also, and be it further En- acted, That the Inhabitants of the said Town of Kingston shall be liable and subject (notwithstanding there being set off and constituted a Township aforesaid) to pay their proportion of all Province, County, and Town rates for this present year, in the Towns to which they respectively belonged, and shall be accord- ingly assessed in such Towns in the same manner as they would have been if this Act had never been made, Anything herein before contained to the contrary notwithstanding.

" Passed in Council and signed.

"J. WILLARD, Sec'y.

" Passed in the House of Representatives and signed.

"WM. DUDLEY, Speaker.

"Consented to.

" WM. DUMMER."

It is said that Lieutenant-Governor Dummer sug- gested the name of the new town on the 28th of May, that being the birthday of His Majesty King George the First, then the reigning sovereign of England. The name Ashburton had been suggested, but the people did not seem to fancy it. Soon after the incorporation of the town it was ordered in Coun- cil, and passed the House of Representatives June 24, 1726, " That Maj. John Bradford, a principal inhab- itant of the town of Kingston, is empowered and di- rected to notify and summon the inhabitants duly qualified for votes to assemble and meet together to choose town officers to stand unto the next annual election, according to law."

The following is the warrant for the first town- meeting held in Kingston, and the names of the per- sons chosen to fill the different offices will be given :

" Pursuant to an Order of the Great and General Court to me directed, these are to notify and summon the inhabitants of the town of Kingston qualified for votes to assemble and meet to- gether at the meeting-house in Kingston aforesaid on Monday, the twenty-ninth day of August instant, at ten of the clock in tho forenoon, to choose town officers, to stand until the next annual election, according to law. Dated at Kingston afore- said, the thirteenth of August, Anno Domini 1726."

At this meeting Maj. John Bradford was chosen moderator; Joseph Mitchell, clerk ; Benjamin Eaton, Thomas Croad, and Jacob Mitchell, selectmen and assessors ; Ensign Wrestling Brewster, treasurer; Joseph Mitchell, constable; Seth Chipman, tithing- man ; John Gray and Samuel Foster, hog-reeves ; Robert Cook and Jacob Cook, Jr., fence-viewers ;

Samuel Ring, surveyor. At the next town-meeting in December thic debt was about one hundred and fifty-six pounds, of which Rev. Mr. Stacy's salary was sixty pounds, and the school appropriation forty pounds.

Having passed the period of the incorporation of the town, its history for the succeeding century will be given in the form of annals, and that will embrace most, if not all, that is recorded of the church history down to the year 1800; also items from the records relating to the schools during the same period will be put in their proper places.

CHAPTER III.

CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY-ANNALS OF THE TOWN FROM 1727 TO 1884.

Annals .- 1727, March 20. The salary of Rev. Mr. Stacy was to be ninety-five pounds. The school to be kept four months at Robert Cook's and eight months at the school-house near the river. John Cook, Caleb Stetson, and Gershom Bradford were chosen " to clear all ye brooks and rivers of all obstruc- tions to the passage of fish."

1728. Voted to build two seats at each end of the meeting-house above the galleries for negroes and Indians to sit.

1729. John Pratt was "allowed the liberty of dwelling in the school-house near Mr. Sever's for ye space of three months' time that the school shall not be kept."

1730, Jan. 20. Giles Rickard's name as school- master first appears this year, but he probably had been employed previously. At a town-meeting twelve pounds were raised "to supply Francis Wilkes and Jonathan Belcher, Esq., agents of the sd. house at the Court of Great Britain, to enable y" to solicit y" affairs of this country."

March 9th. The minister's salary was raised to one hundred and twenty pounds. The selectmen were ordered to have " suitable windows made at the ends of ye meeting-house against the uppermost galleries where the indians and negroes sit." James Cobb was " to take care of the indians and negroes that on ye Sabbath-day they resort to those seats which are built for them iu said meeting-housc." Seth Chip- man and John Finney were chosen " to take care and to suppress those youths that are vicious or disorderly on Sabbath-days."

December 7th. " Choose Cornelius Drew to take

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HISTORY OF KINGSTON.

care of and to regulate the indian and negro servants on the Sabbath-days."

1732. Forty-five pounds were raised for the school. 1735. For several years past rewards have been offered by the town for the killing of wild-cats.

1736. Jabez Washburn was chosen to repair the meeting-house.

1737. A presentment for not baving a pair of stocks in this town. Voted " to build a pair, and the selectmen are to sce that they are made accord- ing to law."

1738. The minister's salary this year was one hun- dred and forty-five pounds, and Mr. Rickard's sixty pounds.

1739, March 5. Stringent fish laws were passed at this meeting.

May 21st. Voted " to give Mr. Giles Rickard, the present schoolmaster, one week out of his year's ser- vice to improve for his own advantage in hay-making time."

Died this year Samuel Drew, the ancestor of the Duxbury and Kingston families of that name. He was the son of Jobn Drew, who arrived in Plymouth about 1642, and was, like his father, a prominent ship-builder. He was in Duxbury, 1713, but after- wards removed to Kingston.

1740, May 27. By the records it does not appear since the incorporation of the town that any repre- sentative had been sent to the General Court until at this time, after a period of fourteen years, Capt. Ger- shom Bradford was chosen their first representative. For several, if not all the previous, years it is recorded that the people voted not to send a representative, but an excuse for not doing so.

1741, March 26. Voted " to pay Rev. Mr. Stacie's salary the first Sabbath-day of every month through the year." The town and church were soon called to mourn the loss of their minister, for on the 25th of August the Rev. Joseph Stacy died of a fever, aged forty-seven years. He was born in Cambridge, 1694, and served his time at the shoemaking business, but afterwards received an education at Harvard College, and was settled in the ministry here. He married Patience Warren, of Plymouth, who died Jan. 13, 1730, in her thirty-third year. In a note left by Rev. Z. Willis he says Mr. Stacy " was small of stature and of great activity, delighted in gunning and fishing, for which amusements there was a good opening in his day in this place. This passion he did not indulge to the neglect of his studies, in which he was very diligent. He was bappy in the affee- tions and love of his people. His abilities were middling ; his piety was great." On the day follow-

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History of Plymouth county, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 57

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