History of Plymouth county, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 58

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 58

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ing his death a special meeting of the inbabitants was held, and Francis Adams was selected as moder- ator. Deacon John Washburn, Deacon Wrestling Brewster, and Mr. John Faunce were appointed agents " in behalf of ye town to treat with the minis- ters of the neighboring towns in order to supplying ye pulpit with a suitable person." Voted, " that the Rev. Mr. Stacie shall be honorably buried at ye charge of the town." The selectmen were added to the committee " in order to provide those things that shall be thought suitable and decent in order to the funeral of Rev. Mr. Stacie, deceased."

A Mr. Clapp was the next candidate for the min- istry, but nothing is recorded concerning him, ex- cepting that a committee, consisting of Nicholas Sever, Esq., Mr. Benjamin Eaton, Mr. John Faunce, and Mr. Judah Hall, was appointed " to go to Taun- ton to inquire after Mr. Clapp's character."

1742, Marcb 1. Voted "to raise £160, old tenor, for supplying the pulpit with a suitable person for the year ensuing." The committee was instructed to engage the Rev. Jedediah Adams to supply the pulpit for a season. On the 12th of April both church and town made choice of Rev. Mr. Adams as their pastor; but at a subsequent meeting of the town, May 17th, " it refused to vote £160, old tenor, to Rev. Jedediah Adams," and thus no settlement was then made. At a church meeting, July 26th, it was voted " that the Rev. Mr. Thaddeus Maccarty be the pastor of the Church of Christ in Kingston," and the town by a unanimous vote, August 16th, concurred in the same. The minister's salary was fixed at £160, old tenor, or "an equivalent in the new emission." Also a settlement of £300, old tenor, or its equivalent, was voted, one-half to be paid the first year, and the remainder the next.

September 20th. One hundred pounds, old tenor, was added to the settlement, to be paid in two years after the other should be paid ; and it was further agreed, "that in consideration of the unanimity of the church and town in the choice of Mr. Maccarty, that after four years the town will add forty pounds, old tenor, to his salary."

October 25th. " The ministers and messengers and their wives were invited to the entertainment at the ordination of the Rev. Mr. Maccarty," which took place Nov. 3, 1742. Rev. Ellis Gray, of Boston, delivered the sermon, Rev. Mr. Ecls, of Scituate, the charge, and Rev. Mr. Lewis, of Pembroke, the right band of fellowship.

December 6th. Voted " to allow Nicholas Sever, Esq., for keeping the ministers, and his charge on the road between Boston and Kingston, twenty-five

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pounds ;" also, "to allow Mr. Benj. Sampson for keeping ministers, and keeping ye ministers at Mr. Maccarty's ordination, ye sum of thirty-two pounds and ten shillings."

1743, March 14. The sum of ten pounds, old tenor, was offered to any person belonging to the town who might kill an " old grown wolf." A bridge was built over Jones' River, between Robert Brad- ford's and Capt. Bradford's ; and it was ordered, Sep- tember 16th, to be built in same manner and method as " Jones' River Great Bridge was built." This was at the place now known as Triphammer.

1744. A wolf was killed in the town this year.

1745. A trouble between minister and people be- gan to be manifested during the early' part of the year. It was occasioned by the opposition of a ma- jority of the parish to the famous preacher, Rev. George Whitefield, then in the midst of his wonder- ful career in New England. January 29th, it was voted " not to allow itinerant preachers to preach in the meeting-house, and that Nicholas Sever, Esq., Mr. Judah Hall, Mr. Robert Bradford, Deae. Brew- ster, Mr. John Faunee, Mr. Francis Adams, Mr. William Ripley, Mr. Ebenezer Fuller, and Joseph Mitchell be a parish committee, and that they take care to see that there be hooks and staples put to the ease- ments in the meeting-house, that nobody may get in at unseasonable times to do damage in ye meeting- house. Also that this committee shall have a pru- dential power relating to the meeting-house and other parish affairs, and particularly to itinerant ministers, who having of late been troublesome in many places, and as Mr. Maeearty may be in danger of being over- borne by their insolence, the said committee are de- sired to use their good office to prevent the same and to guard the meeting-house from them, viz. : itiner- ant ministers." They were also requested to wait upon the Rev. Mr. Maccarty and use their good offiees with him for the healing and accommodating any difficulties which of late may have arisen, and to prevent the like for the future. Later in the year it was rumored that Mr. Macearty had invited Mr. Whitefield, in spite of the wishes of the parish, to deliver a Thursday lecture, and the committee, to prevent his occupying the pulpit, had the church fastened against him. This caused a bitter feeling, and Mr. Maecarty immediately asked for his dismis- sion. The church soon granted it, and the town, November 7th, " coneurred with the vote of the church to dismiss Rev. Mr. Macearty from his pas- toral office." He preached his farewell sermon the 3d of November, on the third anniversary of his or- dination, but it was not printed until 1804, nearly

sixty years afterwards. The date of his ordination does not appear on either the town or church records, but the printed sermon is dated Nov. 3, 1745, and in it Mr. Maeearty refers to the sermon " preached at my ordination, this day 3 years," and a foot-note to which this sentence refers says, "Nov. 3, 1742." If these dates are correct, then the farewell sermon was preached before the town had dismissed their min- ister, for that action is on record November 7th, as before stated. It may be that after the church had granted his dismission, Mr. Maccarty preached his farewell sermon without waiting for the decision of the town. A few extraets from the sermon are here copied :

" However, amid all the imperfections of my ministry, I hope it has not been altogether an unsuccessful one. That I have not labourcd in vain, and spent my strength for naught and in vain ; that some souls have been savingly wrought upon by my ministrations. I hope I cannot say with the dresser of the vineyard of old to his Lord, 'Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig-tree, and find none.' Yet thus much I can say, that these 3 years have I come seeking fruit, and find but very little. . . . In all probability I shall no more preach the gospel to you ; yet I hope you will have it preached to you in a much better manner, in the power and purity of it, and have it become the power of God to your salvation. It may be I shall never see you all again in this world. However, I find in myself a disposition to wish every one's welfare in all re- gards, temporal and spiritual. . . . And as to whatever has occurred of a disagreeable nature to me (and some things have occurred of this sort), I think I can say truly I indulge not a malicious, revengeful spirit towards any, but contrariwise, and wish all the blessings of heaven may plentifully descend upon you, and an increase of all the blessings of God's footstool. . . . I know not how better to conclude than in the words of my text. 'Therefore watch, and remember that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one, night and day, with tears.' And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all them that are sanctified."

The following, relating to Mr. Macearty, is taken from the church records, and was written by Rev. Z. Willis: " He was a man tall of stature, slender of habit, with a blaek, penetrating eye. As a publie preacher he was solemn, loud, searching, and rousing. He and his people separated in a pet, for which they were afterwards ashamed. He and they for many years afterward expressed an high regard for each other. He was afterwards settled in the ministry, and spent his days at Worcester ; but, as he himself informed me, was never so happy as in Kingston." Mr. Maecarty preached in Kingston in 1780, just after the ordination of Mr. Willis, and that was prob- ably the last time. He died in Worcester, July 18, 1785.

1746, Jan. 27. The church decided to give Rev. William Rand a eall to the work of the ministry, and February 13th the town eoneurred with the same,

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and. "in case he accepts, to allow him two hundred pounds, old tenor." At the next town-meeting Mr. Rand made the following answer :

" To the freeholders and other inhabitants of the town of Kings- ton, assembled Mar. 14, 1746.

" GENTLEMEN,-I rec'd a copy of some votes of your meeting of the 13th of Feb. last by your committee, whereby I understand that the town has coucurred with the Church in making choice of me for your minister. I have taken the matter into serious and mature consideratiou, and have at last determined to accept of your invitatiou, judging that there is a direction of Provi- deuce that I should settle iu the ministry amoug you. Geutle- meu. I hope and cau truly say that I seek not yours, but you. As to the offer you make me iu your vote, I accept of it for the present ; but if the value of our paper currency sink as it has done iu years past, I trust you will be willing to make a reason- able allowance; aud as you have iu time past beeu so generous as to provide fire-wood for your minister, it will be acceptable to me if you will do the like for me in such a way as shall be most agreeable to you. Aud I trust you will provide for me a house to dwell iu, till such time as I shall have opportunity to settle myself, at which time, if any persons shall be so good as to afford me some small assistance towards my settling, it shall be thankfully accepted.

"WM. RAND."

September 12th. Esquire Sever was allowed sixty- five pounds seven shillings, old tenor, for the install- ment and boarding of the Rev. Mr. Rand.

1747, Feb. 16. Deacon Brewster was allowed seven pounds eleven shillings, old tenor, for charges in removing the Rev. Mr. Rand's family.

September 14th. Giles Rickard was allowed a salary of one hundred pounds, old tenor.

1751. It was decided to enlarge the meeting-house, and Benjamin Sampson, Robert Bradford, Samuel Foster, Esquire Sever, and Benjamin Lothrop were appointed a committee for that purpose. Jonathan Holmes gave privilege to Deacon Wrestling Brewster, Joseph and Micah Holmes, of Kingston, and Dr. Polycarpus Loring, of Plympton, to erect a grist-mill at the mouth of Jones River Pond. There was a forge or iron-mill then standing near the place.

1752. A second pair of stocks was made, and a whipping-post added. They were located west of the church, near the Adams line.

August 3d. " John Faunce was chosen to take care of and search for iron ore in Jones River Pond."

September 18th. The twenty new pews in the meeting-house were sold at " public vendue." Pre- vious to this time but few pews had been built, a large part of the congregation sitting upon benches, styled men's and women's seats, as appear many times on the records.

1753, May 23. Nathan Bradford granted to Elisha Stetson, Wrestling Brewster, David Sturtevant, and Ichabod Bradford, owners of the grist-mill at Stony

Brook, a cartway from said mill to the county road, for five and a half bushels of Indian corn yearly.

1754, March 18. " Chose Deacon Brewster and Robert Bradford to take care and see that the mcet- ing-house be plastered overhead."

November 29th. John Brewster was chosen one of the selectmen in place of Joseph Mitchell, deceased. Mr. Mitchell was the first clerk of the town, and held that office until his death, with the exception of the years 1745 and 1746.

1756, May 17. Voted, " that the town stores of powder, balls, &c., be lodged in the garret of the meeting-house."

1757, March 14. Dr. John Sever was allowed one pound five shillings and four pence for medicine and attendance on two Indian squaws.

1758, April 19. Died, Benjamin Sampson, the ancestor of the earlier Sampson family of Kingston. He was son of Stephen, of Duxbury, the son of Henry, who arrived 1620. His name appcars on the town records as early as 1729, and in 1753 was one of the selectmen, and representative to the General Court.

1759. Giles Rickard, the schoolmaster, was allowed two shillings for one-quarter cord of wood that the French family burned in the school-housc. They were probably some of the Acadian exiles. One of the northwest roads was laid out this year, " begin- ning at the county road that leads from the meeting- house to Joseph Holmes', where the way turns out that leads to Nathan Wright's," etc. Also the road "from the meeting-house to Duxborough road that goes by Thomas Adams'." This is the road from the present Unitarian Church to the Patuxet Housc.

1760, March 26. Died, Israel Bradford, the grand- son of Governor William Bradford. His name stands first on the petition for the separation of the town.

1761. Forty pounds were appropriated for the schools.

1764. The town gave liberty to build a steeple to the meeting-house, and also the placing of a bell in it, as a considerable sum had been subscribed for that purpose. Gershom Cobb had liberty "to build a porch on the opposite end of the meeting-house from where the steeple may be placed." It was ordered to be built ten feet square, and the posts to be the same length as those of the house.

April 9th. Nicholas Scver, the ancestor of the Sever family in Kingston, died. He was a graduate of Harvard College in the class of 1701, and after- wards pastor of a Congregational Church in Dover, N. H. He came to Kingston soon after its incor- poration as a town, and married Mrs. Sarah Little,

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the widow of Mr. Charles Little, in 1728. He was a judge of the Inferior Court for the county of Plym- outh many years.

1766, June 23. Zephanialı Pickens was employed " to ring the bell on publie days, and at one and nine o'eloek, until Mareh next."

October 6th. A meeting was held "to see if the town would instruet their representative to vote for compensation to the sufferers by the late disturbanees at Boston." The record states that the vote passed in the affirmative, but a note, evidently written at a subsequent time, on the margin says the vote was not to give compensation, which is probably eorreet, for in President John Adams' diary, vol. ii. p. 204, under date Dee. 8, 1766, he says that he found a general opposition in Plymouth County to eompensa- tion, and that Kingston was fixed against it.

1767, Jan. 1. Died, Deaeon Wrestling Brewster. He was the first town treasurer, and continued in that offiee until 1751. He was of the third gen- eration in deseent from Elder Brewster, and was born in Duxbury, 1694, removing to Kingston previous to 1720, as about that time he built the house now be- longing to the estate of the late Elisha Brewster.

1770. Peter West was allowed the sum of £3 4s. for boarding Mr. Wadsworth when he kept school at the Northwest. This was probably Gen. Wads- worth, afterwards of Revolutionary famc.

1771, Oet. 14. Voted " to allow Benj. Cook the sum of eight shillings for a coffin and liquor at the funeral of James Howland." Although he was one of the town's poor, yet it seems that, aeeording to the eustom of those days, all proper respeet was shown him.

1772. A eart-bridge was built over Smelt Brook this year.

1773. On the 12th of January, Ebenezer Wash- burn, Kimball Prinee, Joseph Bartlett, Nathaniel Little, William Sever, William Drew, Benjamin Loth- rop, Josiah Fuller, Ebenezer Cobb, Jr., and Samuel Gray desired the seleetmen to call a meeting and eon- sider a letter or pamphlet published by order of the town of Boston, purporting to be a state of the rights of the inhabitants within this provinee, wherein also many infringements of the rights are pointed out, ete. At the meeting ealled February 4th the letter re- ferred to was considered, and the town addressed the following to the Committee of Correspondenee of the town of Boston :

" GENTLEMEN, . . . The town having duly considorod tho same, are clearly of tho opinion that they aro fully entitled to all those rights as by you stated, and that any attempts to doprive us of thom, or any of thom, is an infringoment of our Just

Rights. It gives us tho greatest concern to see that notwith- standing the immense advantages accruing to Great Britain from her trade with the Colonics, advantages vastly exceeding any expenses incurred for their protection, that tho Parliament of Great Britain should adopt a system with regard to the colo- nies which effectually divests them of their rights as English- men and subjects, and reduces them to a condition little better than that of slaves; a system which, if adhered to, we fear will eventually terminate in their own ruin. But notwithstanding such has been the unremitted, invaried plan of administration towards the Colonies for years past, we cannot but hope a due regard for their own safety and real interest will at length in- duce them to redress the grievances we so justly complain of. We shall always be ready to co-operate with our brethren in any legal and constitutional measures tending thereto. Slavery is ever preceded by sleep. May the Colonists be ever watchful over their just rights, and may their liberties be fixed on such a basis as that they may be transmitted Inviolate to the latest posterity."

1774, Sept. 12. Another meeting of the inhabit- ants was held, " to consider of a letter from the town of Plymouth, proposing a meeting of the County of Plymouth by their several committees or delegates from each town in the County, to consider of an resolve upon some means of eounteraeting the meas- ures now carrying on by the Parliament of Great Britain to annul and vaeate the eharter of this prov- inee, and alter our onee happy constitution and reduce us to the condition of the most abjeet slaves." John Thomas, Esq., Capt. John Gray, and William Drew were chosen to attend the meeting at the house of Widow Loring, inn-holder, at Plympton, September 26th. It was also voted to choose a Committee of Correspondenee, and subsequently John Thomas, Esq., Capt. John Gray, Hon. William Sever, Mr. Benjamin Cook, Deaeon Ebenezer Washburn, Mr. Peleg Wads- worth, William Drew, Jedediah Holmes, and Capt. Joseph Bartlett were chosen that committee.

1775, Jan. 2. Hon. William Sever, Nathaniel Little, Cornelius Sampson, James Drew, and John Gray were appointed "to proceed as soon as possible to purchase thirty-three stand of good fire-arms, to- gether with all aeeoutrements suitable to equip thirty- three soldiers completely, to be kept as town's stoek, under the direction of the seleetmen." This may have reference to the first company of minute-men in Kingston, for sueh companies were at that time being formed in the neighboring towns, and a regiment of them was afterwards formed from Plymouth County, under command of Col. Cotton. A few months pre- vious to the commencement of hostilities, Gen. Gage had stationed a company of British troops, under command of Capt. Balfour, at Marshfield, at the so- lieitation of the Tories, for their protection. The seleetmen of Plymouth, Kingston, Duxbury, Pem- broke, Hanson, and Seituate, in an address dated at

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Pembroke, Feb. 7, 1775, protested against an armed where they were imprisoned ten months. The wife of Charles Foster went to Boston on horseback, and through the influence of Job Prince, Esq., a promi- nent Whig, she obtained her husband's release, and they took turns in riding home. At the time of the arrest they were working in the field where the house of the late Frederick C. Adams now stands. Capt. Robert Foster, another son of Samuel, was a violent Tory, and he was imprisoned awhile in Plymouth. Afterwards he got away to Liverpool, Nova Scotia, and when he returned he was much reduced in prop- erty and in a depressed state of mind. force being placed among them, and the Provincial Congress, on the 15th of the same month, approved of this protest from these six towns, and recommended them to continue "steadily to persevere in the same line of conduct, which has in this instance so justly entitled them to the esteem of their fellow-country- men, and to keep a watchful eye upon the behavior of those who are aiming at the destruction of our liberties." As soon as the news of the bloodshed at Lexington reached the Old Colony, Col. Cotton formed to attack Balfour's company, and, on the morning of the 21st of April, he marched for Marshfield. The 1778. William Drew and Nicholas Davis, Jr., were chosen to purchase articles of clothing, etc., to be sent to the suffering soldiers in the army. Voted, " that there be a hospital set up in town for inocu- lation for the smallpox, and that Dr. Whitman be the physician to attend to it." Kingston company was commanded by Capt. Peleg Wadsworth. They marched to a place about one mile from the British troops, and there some of the officers held a conference as to the best course to be pursued. Capt. Wadsworth, being dissatisfied with the delay, moved his company forward to within a August 2d. Samuel Foster, the ancestor of the Kingston Fosters, and whose trial for being a Tory has just been noticed, died in his seventy-ninth year. He built the house lately occupied by the vencrable Uriah Bartlett, about 1721. He was great-grand- father of the late Deacon James Foster. short distance from the enemy, but his numbers were too small to venture an attack. It was not long be- fore Balfour conveyed his troops through the Cut River in boats to two sloops anchored in the harbor, and when on board the vessels, they sailed for Boston. It is reported that Balfour said he should have made 1779, March 14. The Rev. William Rand died suddenly of apoplexy, aged seventy-nine years, after a ministry of more than thirty-three years. He was no resistance had he been attacked. Thus this King- ston minute company, under command of Wadsworth, has its place in history. Of this company Seth Drew 1 born in Charlestown, March 24, 1700, and graduated Was lieutenant, and Joseph Sampson ensign.

March 13th. The town refused to send a repre- sentative to the General Court, but elected Hon. Wil- liam Sever as delegate to the Provincial Congress at Watertown. John Thomas, Esq., one of the select- men, being appointed one of the generals in the army, and therefore " not likely to be in town much if any of the ensuing year," Benjamin Cook was chosen in his place.

1776. The birtb-year of our nation and the im- mortal Declaration of Independence, which was copied and placed upon the records, according to the sug- gestion of those in authority, forms an attractive page, written as it is in such bold and striking char- acters, impressing the reader with the earnestness of those people " in the days that tried men's souls."

Hon. William Sever was allowed four pounds for sixteen days' attendance at Congress in May, 1775.

1777. Samuel Foster and his son, Charles Foster, were decided Tories in the Revolution, and both had their trial in the meeting-house. The elder Foster tried several times to speak in his own defense, but each time the presiding officer, with sword in hand, would say, " You, Samuel Foster, sit down." They were both sent to a guard-ship in Boston harbor,

at Harvard College, 1721. Afterwards he was set- tled in Sunderland, on the Connecticut River, about twenty years, until his removal to Kingston in 1746. He was a scholar, highly esteemed and respected by the learned and informed in the province, with whom he had an extensive acquaintance, and was considered a valuable man in the church and community. On the 15th the town appointed a committee to make arrangements for the funeral, and afterwards grave- stones were procured to be placed at his grave. Isaiah Mann, a graduate of Harvard College (1775), was invited by the church and town by a great ma- jority, in July, to settle in the ministry, but at the same time he accepted a call from Falmouth, and there died in 1789.

1780, March 13. Joshua Delano, Kimball Prince, and Joseph Sampson were chosen the " Committee of Correspondence, Inspection, and Safety" for the year. The selectmen were directed " to lay out a cartway from Elijah and Francis Ring's, through gate and bars to the Bridgewater road, near widow Hannah Cook's house."

May 19th. This day will ever be memorable as the " Dark Day" over the whole of New England, but the solemnity and gloom was increased in this

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and the neighboring towns of Plympton and Plym- outh, owing to the loss of a ehild from its home in Plympton a day or two previous. Seareh was being made when the darkness of this wonderful day over- spread the land. On the following day the dead body of the ehild was found in the woods within the limits of Plymouth. Soon after this a lady composed forty- two stanzas and addressed them to the afflieted parents, three or four of which that referred to this day will be given here. They were found among the papers of the late Mrs. Deborah Washburn (who died, 1849, aged eighty-nine).

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History of Plymouth county, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 58

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