History of Topsfield Massachusetts, Part 10

Author: Dow, George Francis, 1868-1936
Publication date: 1940
Publisher: The Topsfield Historical Society
Number of Pages: 556


USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Topsfield > History of Topsfield Massachusetts > Part 10


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48


In 1663, when the meeting house was built in Topsfield, Rev. Thomas Gilbert, a Scotchman, supplanted Mr. Perkins. The new minister also had a love for good wine and after a time Mr. Perkins entered a complaint and it appears from the records that one sacrament day Mr. Gilbert entertained at dinner a number of the older men and women whose homes were distant from the meeting house. He possessed a golden cup and what was left of the sacramental wine was drunk at dinner, the cup being passed around the table at least twice, the minister drinking deeply with the not unusual result, for he forgot to give thanks and sang a psalm with lisping utter- ance. Mr. Gilbert was followed in his pastorate by the Rev. Jeremiah Hobart, a Harvard graduate, who, during his eight years stay in Topsfield, became a familiar figure in the courts because of suits for non-payment of salary, for cursing and swearing, and for a damaging complaint for slander exhibiting much discreditable testimony. Then came the Rev. Joseph Capen and during his pastorate of over forty years the town and church enjoyed a peaceful growth interrupted only by the witchcraft delusion of 1692 in which an attempt to appropri- ate land of Topsfield men played an important part.


But manners and crimes vary with the centuries as do dress and speech. In the year 1655, the following crimes were penalized in the courts of the Massachusetts Bay Colony : eavesdropping, meddling, neglecting work, naughty speech, profane dancing, kissing, making love without consent of friends, uncharitableness to a poor man in distress, careless- ness about fire, wearing great boots, etc., and a few years later we find other strange misdemeaners, such as abusing a mother- in-law, wicked speeches against a son-in-law, kicking another in the street, leaving children alone in the house, pulling hair, riding behind two fellows at night (this was a girl, Lydia by name), sleeping in meeting and dissenting from the rest of the jury.


A few peculiar crimes and punishments have been selected as examples of cases recorded from Topsfield in the 17th cen- tury. Francis Uselton and his wife, who were often in court


97


EARLY HOUSES AND HOME LIFE


for various reasons, were admonished for leaving their children alone in the night in a lonely house, far from neighbors, after having been warned. He was to be punished if any danger came from it. For domestic troubles, Daniel Black and his wife were ordered to sit one hour in the stocks. Black, in the future, was not to threaten his wife but was to live peaceably with her, and she was to be orderly, not gad abroad or be in company with other men. If either offended again they were to be whipped. A constable was in court for not properly warning the freemen to meet to nominate magistrates in 1656.


That the dignity and morality of the town was sometimes considered at stake, is witnessed by a vote recorded in the year 1693, when the selectmen were instructed to complain at court of Goodwife Neland, for slandering the wholl Towne of Tops- field. Goodwife Neland was the eloquent partner in the joys and sorrows of an obstinate Irishman who had built a house directly over the boundary line that separated Topsfield from Ipswich. Whenever the constable from Topsfield called on him for the minister's rate, he was sure to be found in the Ipswich side of his house. Finally after many fruitless attempts to collect the tax, forbearance ceased to be a virtue, and taking with him several sturdy fellows, Constable Wildes presented himself at the pig pen of the wily Irishman, with black staff of office in hand, and distrained and carried away a fat porker, which cashed in full the unsettled balance in Parson Capen's salary rate.


One man was in court for not supporting a division fence, another for trespass, felling trees and breaking up land, and Francis Uselton, for debt. The latter's house and land were attached and he was to pay £5 in beef, pork or wheat. Again when Uselton had several fines imposed in court which he was unable to pay he leased his lands and house to the county treasurer for one year in payment of same.


With such minute supervision of the daily life of the early settlers it can readily be appreciated that it was an age for gossiping, meddlesome interference with individual life and liberty and that in the course of time nearly every one came before the courts as complainant, defendant or witness. There were few amusements or intellectual diversions and they could only dwell on the gossip and small doings of their immediate surroundings. But all the while there was underlying respect for law, religion and the rights of others. The fundamental principles of human life were much the same as at the present day, and most men and women lived together then as now and as they always will,-with respect and love.


CHAPTER VI HIGHWAYS AND BRIDGES


When the first settlers came they probably passed and re- passed over each others' lands, following the Indian trails and old paths, on foot or horseback, and thought little of having roads. But when more settlers came and the land be- came divided among people who were perhaps not always con- genial, then they asked the town to lay out roads. The first set- tlers merely cut down the bushes, or any tree that might ob- struct the way, though if a very large tree were encountered more than likely they went around it. After vehicles came into use there was a demand for better roads and as the times changed and conditions became better and different modes of travelling were introduced, the roads began to improve.


The first road into the settlement followed somewhat closely an old Indian trail which "seldome is broader than a Cart's rutte," wrote William Wood in 1633, and later was marked by "stickes against the trees and marked the rest (of the way) with hatchets in the English fashion."1 This trail became a cartway that is now the road from Ipswich to Gravelly brook, the boundary between the towns, and so on to the ford at Howlett's brook. From there it followed present-day Perkins


1 Edward Johnson, the town clerk of Woburn, writing in his Wonderworking Providence (London, 1654), describes "the Indian paths being not above one foot broad, so that a man may travell many days and never find one . . . . In travelling through un- knowne woods, and through watery swamps, they (the settlers) discover the fittness of the place, sometimes passing through the thicketts, where their hands are forced to make way for their bodies passage, and their feete clampering over the crossed Trees, which when they missed they sunke into an uncertaine bottome in water, and wade up to the knees, tumbling sometimes higher and sometimes lower, wearied with this toile, they at end of this meete with a scorching plaine, yet not so plaine but that the ragged bushes scratch their legs fouly, even to wearing their stockings to their bare skin in two or three houres."


This chapter is reprinted in part from a paper by Henry F. Long in Topsfield Hist. Coll., vols. XII and XVI.


(98)


99


HIGHWAYS AND BRIDGES


Street and turned to pass along the old road now called How- lett Street, after the blacksmith who had his shop beside it in 1668. This old trail turned to the west at the base of Great hill and skirting the hill passed down over Ipswich Street and Main Street to where the Williams-Hodges house now stands. Entering the yard it passed westward by the present cartpath around the knoll, where the parsonage was built in 1663 (be- hind the Conant-Guay house), thence across the plain, by the slope where Robert Andrews built his house in 1656/7, to the corner of Washington Street and Boxford road, and so along Washington Street, passing at the corner of Mill Street where Zaccheus Gould built his house in the spring of 1644, and so on across Fish brook to the Endecott grant.


Another trail turned south and followed the course of Per- kins Street to the Bradstreet grant; also serving the easterly Paine grant. Skirting the river meadows, it passed near the house of William Howard, the first town clerk, built on the present Agricultural Fair grounds, near the brookside, and went through what is now Maple Street to a trail that led across the river, by an old ford two hundred feet below Balch's bridge. This trail just described served as an approach to the Whittingham land and the land owned by William Paine lying along the northerly bank of the river, now largely owned by John L. Saltonstall and the Essex County Agricul- tural Society. As Paine was able to sell his land, an exten- sion of this trail led up into the present village and eventually joined the other trail that skirted Great hill.


As this trail became more travelled, trees were cut down and it was widened so that two-wheeled carts might pass. Logs were laid, corduroy fashion, in swampy places and muddy fords at brooks eventually were bridged with fallen trees. Nevertheless, a journey from Ipswich to the New Meadows was a laborious undertaking and here is an item from which we may draw conclusions. In the spring of 1647, William Bartholomew, one of the Ipswich selectmen, made a journey to Salem, concerning the colony tax laid against the town. He also returned the town's vote for Magistrates. For this service and charges, he was allowed six shillings. About the same time he made a journey to the New Meadows on town business, and also had staves made for the constables to carry when on official business. His journey into the back country and the staves cost the town twelve shillings and eight pence, or more than twice the amount paid him for the longer journey to Salem on a frequently travelled way.


100


THE HISTORY OF TOPSFIELD


The first road surveyors of record were chosen at a meeting held March 2, 1676, "John French and John Robeson are Chosen serwares for hiwas to see that they be made pasabel as the law requires." At this same meeting the surveyors were given the following power, "the serwares hau power and here by are impowered to tak or destrane there fines for not attending the mending hiwaes after legall warn- ing two shillings six penc for eueri dayes neglact thay hauing two dayes warning." As surveyors were not chosen until 1676, there is reason to believe, from the following record, that some of the other town officers acted as surveyors, or that the earlier elections were not recorded. At a meeting held 2 March 1668 or 69, it is recorded, "The Towne hath a greed that it shall be Leagall waring for Euery Teme or parson that is warned to hie way work by the seruaiers or there order, the seruaiers or ther order shall giue two dayes or two nights at Least warning to euerey teme and person they shall warne into hie way worke, and farder the Towne hath ordered yt any teme warned as aboue said by ye seruaiers or there order, shall refuse or niglect to atend the Townes seruies which they are thus Caled Vnto Shall pay seuene shiling for each dayes niglect as afine for ye Townes Vse, and also the parsons so warned as aboue said, and shall refuse or niglect ye seruices they are Caled to doe shall pay as afine for ye Towne Vse two shillings six pence a man for euery day niglect the which fines the seruayers shall gather Vp with out parshaliety and give in thre a Counte to ye Towne at a Towne meeting."


At a meeting held March 7, 1681, "The Towne has Agreed that euerey man that is Legaly warned to Come to ye hie wayes with a teme and dos niglect to Come shall bee fined six shiling a day for euerey nicelect and euerey man that is warned to Come to worke at the hie wayes and niclect shall pay by way of a fine two shilings and six pence pr. day so niclecting it shall bee Countied Legall waring and if there is two dayes betwene ye day of waring and ye day of working and the Seruayeres are to goe & destraine for ve fines and giue to ye men that dos ye worke or hiere other men to worke in there rome."


In reading over the early deeds, constant mention is made of a way or a highway or county road, as bounds for land deeded to certain parties. From these facts it may be con- cluded that many early lay outs were made that were not recorded or were destroyed after having been recorded. Many roads which fifty or one hundred years ago were considerable


101


HIGHWAYS AND BRIDGES


thoroughfares are today in many places almost, if not quite obliterated. Traces of old roads also appear of which no record is found of ever having been laid out.


That a way left Washington Street a short distance below its junction with Boxford Street, and passed through the pastures to Stanley cellars, at the southern base of Price's hill, is shown from the following deed. Under date of Dec. 17, 1680, John Gould transfers to Joseph Esty, "30 ac. Upland & Swamp, . also grants a way from the sd land by Saml Stanlees fence & so to the highway runn or over ye foard by ye sd Gold's land towards Topsfield so as he may com to mill & meeting sd Esty to sett up fences he may come through, or doe pull downe to goe in or out at also sd Esty can drive his cattle to the common over sd Gould's lands."


When the Bradstreet house was built in 1771, the bricks were carted over Grass hill, down the hill, and across the river at the Hartlands. There is no record of this road that may be positively determined, but the stepping stones at the fordway may be seen today. A way of which no record appears passed from Boston Street to Rowley Bridge Street, back of the house of the late William C. Sills. Another way passed from North Street by the house of Francis C. Frame to Rowley Street.


At a town meeting held March 26, 1753, the Town voted "that the heighways and Rodes should be mended by Laying a Tax upon the Inhabitants of the Town to parfit the said work." Under date of May 23, 1753, the Town voted that one pair of oxen and a cart should be 2 shillings pr. day for work on highways. The Town agreed that a man should have 2 shillings per day for work on highways.


The streets were first named by a Committee appointed for that purpose Dec. 21, 1874.


ASBURY STREET extends from Ipswich Street to the Hamilton town line. It was formerly known as Asbury Grove Street, taking its name from that grove at the Hamilton end of the street. This part of the town was annexed Feb- ruary 16, 1774, being a part of Ipswich prior to that date. An old road is with some difficulty traced from the old main road from Topsfield to Ipswich across the old ford way a short distance below the present bridge, to the Lamson house, which was located here very early. However, the Topsfield records do not give a lay out previous to 1814 when under date of February 28, the selectmen's return shows the laying out of a road from the Guide Post on the County Road near Lam- son's bridge, so called, to said Lamson's house . . . to the foot


102


THE HISTORY OF TOPSFIELD


of the hill. The road was to be two rods in width except in front of said Lamson's two dwelling houses where the said way is to remain as it now is. The earlier lay-out would un- doubtly be found in the Ipswich town records. January 18, 1872, the County Commissioners straightened and widened the street from Ipswich Street to Hamilton. In 1925, Bradley Palmer built a new stretch of road and bridge on the other side of the Lamson house which were accepted by the town and the old way and bridge discontinued.


BOSTON STREET, more commonly called the Turnpike runs in a straight line through Topsfield from Ipswich town line to Danvers town line. (See Chapter 26)


BOXFORD STREET runs from Washington Street to Boxford town line. January 2, 1813, a petition was presented to the Court, that the road from Topsfield meeting house to Boxford south parish meeting house is very narrow and in some parts circuitous. The proposed change was to leave the present road near Deacon John Gould's bridge and pass- ing over land of Nathaniel Gould and Elijah Gould to the present road near Simon Gould's orchard. This change was allowed by the Court, April 13, 1813. Under Washington Street will be found a lay out, which was used as the old way to Boxford. That a way existed very early is shown by a deed of June 8, 1663, when Zacheus Gould, yoeman, conveyed to Zacheus Curtice, husbandman, "a parcell of land . . . also a highway for sd Curtis to pass from sd land to Topsfield towne to the E side of the house of Robt. Andrews."


CENTRAL STREET extends from Main Street to High Street. The part which runs from Main to Summer Street, has been known, at different times, as Mechanic's Court, Mechanic's Lane, Mechanic's Avenue, and Mutton Lane. The lower part of the street which extends from Maple to High Streets was laid out October 26, 1699, when a road was laid from "Thomas Pirkinses into ye way below Ens. Towne." This lay out included Perkins, Central and Maple Streets. This must have been an old travelled way, for in the lay out we find that after leaving the house of Thomas Perkins, they followed, "ye old beaten path all ye way with trees marked on both sides till we come ouer fosters bridg."


That part of the road from Main Street to what is now Summer Street was laid out by the selectmen, Oct. 29, 1846. The remainder of the road was laid out August 26, 1872, by the county commissioners. It was voted also to finish what is now Park and Summer Streets before Jan. 1, 1873, and to extend Mechanic's Avenue to the new street.


103


HIGHWAYS AND BRIDGES


COPPER MINE ROAD, sometimes called Middleton Road, runs from Rowley Bridge Street to the Middleton town line. It derives its name from the Copper Mine located a short distance from the junction of the two streets. This street is mentioned in the records as early as March 2, 1668/9 when the following is recorded : "The Towne hath exceppected William Nicklas and John Nicklas and William Hobes from hie Way worke in ye towne apon considration they Liue re- mote: and apon Condition they mak there one hie wayes to Topsfield Bridge nere to Joseph Towns his house." This road was the southern end of the old way from the present Balch's bridge on Salem Street to what is now Middleton. It was laid out so the residents of this section could go to meeting. The next mention of the street was on Nov. 15, 1669 when Jacob Towne and Joseph Towne were chosen to lay out this way from the bridge near William Town's house "to William Nicklas ffarme Which he Liue upon and also to Wil- liam Hobes Land," the latter part being what is now Copper Mine Road. Under date of March 4, 1689/90, we find that "Corpll John Curtious and Joseph Towne junr are chosen to lay out a way ... to the farmes at blind hole namely the Nickallsis and thare neighbors." On March 5, 1705/6 "The Towne agreed to free all ye Inhabitants on ye Southwest Side of Nicholls Brook from highway work on ye North East Side of said Brook for this year provided they Maintain the Bridge over sd Nichollses Brook; and the rest of the highwayes and Bridges on that side of ye sd Nichollses Brook."


CROSS STREET extends from Hill Street to Rowley Bridge Street. This street was formerly known as Morgan Road or the Donation Road. The records show a lay out of the street March 2, 1730/1, when the "town accepted of the Return of the Selectmen's Laying out a way for George Bixby from said Bixbies own Land over Israel Townes Land to the Road that Leads from Mr. Jacob Townes (Hill Street) to the Town Bridge (so called) Provided that ye said Bixby shall Pay the cost that shall arise thereby." This road runs about on the divisional line between the first and second ranges of common land laid out to the commoners in 1722. George Bixby bought several of the lots and built a house on what is now known as the Donation farm just before the road was laid out. After Rowley Bridge Street was laid out this road was extended from Mr. Bixby's to the former not far from the bridge. A petition was filed March 28, 1785 to approve a way through Simon Gould's pasture from the highway laid out over Rowley bridge across by Daniel Bixby's to the county


104


THE HISTORY OF TOPSFIELD


road. On Oct. 20, 1877 it was voted to widen and straighten the southern part of the Highway called the Morgan road.


EAST STREET runs from Boston Street to the Ipswich line. This street may have been the way mentioned in a deed under date of April 22, 1673, transferring a piece of property from Isaak Comings to Tobijah Perkins. It states that, "be- fore signing it was agreed that sd Perkins should have liberty to pass with cart through Comings farm from above land towards Winthrops Hill, he not doing damage to plow ground or mowing or leaving open bars." At a town meeting held March 5, 1765 "The town heard the Petition of Mr. Nathaniel Low respecting a way, and voted that the way he uses to come to meeting & go to Market through Mr. Benj. Woodbury's Land & through Mr. Stephen Fosters land Shall be Mended by the Surveyors of highways as they mend there other ways in Town for the futer, and also all the reasonable Incum- brances Removed from sd way."


GARDEN STREET runs from Hill Street to Boston Street, so called from the fact, that when the southerly portion was laid out in 1842, it intersected a garden owned by B. W. Crowninshield. It was first mentioned in 1728/9 when a committee was chosen to "view ye way that Leads through Jacob Reddingtons Land in order to turn it." The way was to extend as far as sd Redingtons Land goes. This was to give the proprietors or neighbors liberty of a convenient way to the lots laid out from common land. A lay out over land of Dominick Moore, Asa Pingree and B. W. Crowninshield to the Turnpike was approved at a town meeting March 4, 1842, by a vote of 99 for and 62 against.


GROVE STREET extends from Main to Washington Street. So called from a grove of trees which at one time covered a slight eminence on the left hand side of the street about two- thirds of the way to Washington Street. This street was laid out and accepted by the town, December 13, 1856.


HAVERHILL STREET extends from Main Street, at the junction of Ipswich Street, to the Boxford town line. So called from the fact of its being the travelled way to Haverhill. The street was first laid out March 16, 1668-9, from "Tops- field meeting house, along vnder North East Syde of the Hill called bare Hill, along as the trees are marked, over the brooke by Ephraim Dormans House, and so along the plane called the Pine plaine; trees being marked, to the end of Bakers Pond and over the brooke at the pond end, by William Pritchetts house, as the trees are marked, Into the highway yt comes be- twene Andover & Ipswich." In 1717, it was laid out as a


105


HIGHWAYS AND BRIDGES


County Road from Ipswich line "near ye uper End of Mr. Bakers Pond so called along as ye way now goes to Leuit Ephraim Dormans; and So on as the Road now goes to Capt. John Hows." Under date of December 1, 1835, is recorded an acceptance by the County Commissioners of a lay out.


A way across Gallop's Brook was laid out as follows: "The 7: day march 1692-3 Sargt Houey and Corpll Daniel Rid- ington are Chosen to lay out a highway for John Androus from his upland on the north of Ephraim Dormans land ouer the Brook to the upland on the west."


WAY OFF HAVERHILL STREET. At a meeting held Nov. 4, 1813, it was voted "That the way leading from the County road by the house occupied by Ivory Hovey to the dwelling house of Steehen Perley be mended and kept in re- pair in future in the same manner that Town way's are mend- ed in the Town."


HIGH STREET runs from Main Street to the Wenham line. The part from Boston Street to Main Street was for- merly known as Hotel Road, from the fact that the Topsfield Hotel was situated at the junction of High and Boston Streets. It derives its present name from the fact that it runs along a hill for some distance. March 19, 1754, "The Town ad- vised the selectmen not to lay out a highway from the County Road to Wenham line until Wenham Selectmen had lay'd out a highway to Topsfield Line so as they may know where to lay said road." The selectmen evidently followed the instruc- tions, but notwithstanding, the road was not laid out to the satisfaction of the town. The matter was taken to court but they were finally obliged to accept it as a town highway.


It may be this street was part of the way laid out over Great Hill in 1783. It extended from the training field through land of Lieut. Thomas Emerson near Capen's land, through land of Elisha Wildes, Capt. John Baker, Moses Wildes, Joseph Andrews, then "as the old road now goes" through land of Elisha and Moses Wildes to Reddington's corner.


That portion of High Street which extends from the Com- mon to the entrance to the former school grounds was built in 1795 and laid out nearly its entire length on Oct. 26, 1805. In that year the Newburyport Turnpike corporation con- structed a road from the hotel in Topsfield to the meeting house, expending the sum of $1878. An old map yet exists showing that a road originally left Main Street near the Long- Jordan house and passed through the fields to the house for- merly occupied by Mrs. Mary R. Hodges. The eastern end was laid out in 1808 upon the petition of Joshua Towne and




Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.