USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Westminster > History of Westminster, Massachusetts (first named Narragansett no. 2) from the date of the original grant of the township to the present time, 1728-1893, with a biographic-genealogical register of its principal families > Part 12
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All was not peace and harmony among the early settlers and fathers of the town. They were human like other people, and had their alienations and embitterments. Troubles with Rev. Mr. Marsh, resulting in several suits at law, will be spoken of in their proper connection. Both Dea. Thomas Stearns and Andrew Darby had grievances with the proprietors, for the redress of which they appealed to the courts. That of Mr. Stearns, however, was settled in his favor by a board of arbitra- tion mutually chosen. The nature of the difficulty is not known. Mr. Darby's case grew out of the laying of a piece of road across his land. It continued for several years. How it was finally adjusted has not been ascertained.
On the 23d of April, 1755, the treasurer made his first annual statement, which is of interest inasmuch as it shows the extent of the financial transactions of the township at that period. There had been received by him during the year pre- vious £134 16s. Id. (about $450), and he had paid out £133 IS. 5d. 3.f., leaving a balance to begin a new year with of £1 14s. 7d. If. (a little less than $2.50).
For several years things went on prosperously in the new settlement. After the meetings of the propriety were held in the township, the resident owners had everything their own way. Improvements were made and advantages secured at considerable expense, which was a cause of dissatisfaction among the non-resident proprietors. Taxes being levied, as previously stated, upon both residents and non-residents alike, the latter came to feel after a time that this was unjust - that as the former enjoyed most of the benefits accruing from the
87
NON-RESIDENTS' PETITION TO THE GENERAL COURT.
enlarged expenditures, they should be required to pay propor- tionally for them. But they were powerless to obtain redress of themselves, being now in a minority. It was now, therefore, their turn to appeal to the general court, which they did in a petition setting forth that the new plantation called Narragan- sett No. 2 "is completely filled with Inhabitants and in a flour- ishing condition"; that as the taxes there are laid on all the lands, "those who have got good Improvements pay nothing for them as such"; that they think it "hard for those who do not live in the place and have made no improvements on their lots to pay as much as others whose lots have greatly increased in value "; and praying that the "said Plantation may be incorpo- rated into a town and that for the future the Charges arising in said place may be paid as in other Towns or Districts &c." This petition, signed by Joseph Lynde and ten others, though designed for the May session of the court in 1755, did not obtain recognition and action till Feb. 12, 1756, when the peti- tioners were ordered to notify the inhabitants of Narragansett No. 2 of the existence of such a petition, and require them to appear before the court on the first Friday of its next sitting, "to show cause, if any they have, why it should not be granted."
In response to this order, the resident proprietors sent in a remonstrance declaring that the inhabitants of Narragansett No. 2 were in no such flourishing condition as was represented by the petitioners, that the non-residents had not borne equal taxes with the residents, and claiming that the former should not be relieved of the obligation to pay their full share of the expenses of the plantation, inasmuch as two new county roads had recently been laid across the territory, and because of the poverty of the inhabitants and of the still existing liability to incursions from the Indians, which would cause many fami- lies to leave the place and so render it more difficult for those that remained to carry on the undertaking. They begged the court to take these things into consideration and refuse to incorporate the plantation at present into a town. This remon- strance was signed by Joseph Holden and thirty-nine others.
On the 2d of April the whole subject came before the legis- lature for further action, when Benjamin Lincoln and two others were made a committee "to take the Petition and Answer under consideration, hear the parties, and Report what they judge proper for this Court to do thereon." On the 20th of the same month this committee reported in favor of incorporating the town under certain specified conditions relating to "the support of the Gospel for ten years." The council adopted the recommendation of the committee, but the house referred the whole subject to the next session of the court. The resident proprietors, however, not satisfied with the outlook in the case, immediately prepared and forwarded to the legislature a second remonstrance, re-affirming what they
88
HISTORY OF WESTMINSTER, MASS.
had said before and praying that if the court see fit to incorpo- rate them notwithstanding their reasons against it, "we may not be sett off as a District annext to any other town but that we may be sett off as a Town acording to the oregonall Grant of said township and that ye non-resident proprietors may be obliged to bear equall Taxes with us for the space of ten years to the Support of ye Gospel and Likewise obliged to pay [their full share] for mending the Highways for the Space of three years, and Likewise praying that Mr. Benjamin Houghton's farm [formerly the governor's] of five hundred acres which has Never as yet paid any taxes may be taxed a peny an acer for the Space of ten years, &c." This was signed by Joseph Holden and thirty-four others.
When the petition was again before the legislature, accom- panied by their second protest, it was voted "to refer the mat- ter to the next General Court." It did not come up again, however, till Aug. 19, 1757, at which time a bill of incorpora- tion was introduced. It passed in the house, but the council refused to concur. A year and a half later, April 17, 1759, a similar bill went through both branches of the general court but failed to receive the signature of the executive. The action at these several dates was presumably upon the petition of Joseph Lynde and others, first presented in February, 1756.
While matters were going on at Boston, as detailed above, the usual routine of business affairs was kept up in the new settlement. A meeting of the proprietors was held Oct. 29, 1755, mainly for the purpose of drawing the third division lots. Before proceeding with that duty, however, it was agreed that "any of the Proprietors who shall not be satisfied with their drawing may have the privilege of giving up said lots in cx- change for others of the standard size selected where they may choose from the undivided lands, to be surveyed and laid out at their own cost." The result of this drawing was given in full in the clerk's books, to which plans of the lots were partially transferred, though they do not appear on the original plan of the township. They were very much scattered, but lay mostly in the westerly part of the territory within the limits of the town of Gardner. Attempts have been made in recent years to locate them, but only in a few instances with success.
At a proprietors' meeting on the 29th of September, 1756, it was voted that the meadow lots, which had hitherto been exempt from taxation, should thereafter be subject thereto according to the number of acres in the same, respectively.
At the time of the final action of the general court upon the question of the incorporation of Narragansett No. 2, in re- sponse to the petition of Joseph Lynde and others, which took place in April, 1759, the inhabitants of the township had become well convinced of the importance of the step to them- selves, and soon after sought for the accomplishment of that
89
RESIDENTS' PETITION FOR INCORPORATION.
result in their own behalf. During the following summer or early autumn they prepared a petition to the general court, and as it is the one upon which the final act of incorporation, as it passed both houses of the legislature, was based, a copy of it in full is herewith presented :
"To His Excelency Thos Pownall Esqr. Capt. General and Governor in Chief in and over His Majesty's province of the Massachusetts Bay in New- england and Vice admiral of the same, and To the Honble His Majesty's Councile & the Honble House of Representatives in General Court assembled att Boston August The fifteenth 1759 :- The Humble Petition of the Inhab- itance of a New Plantation Called and Known by The Name of Narraganset Township Number Two :
" Humbly Sheweth : -
"That Whereas The Greate and General Court was pleased to Grant This Township in the year of our Lord 1732, To Number of Soldiers and their Legall Descendants as a Reward for Their Public Service in the Nar- raganset War under these Considerations Viz. That the Grantees Settle Sixty families with a Learned Orthodox Minister in Said plantation within Seven years from the Grant of said Township; in Compliance with the Con- ditions Enjoyned on the Grantees your Exelency's and Honours' petitioners (Together with other inhabitance) have appeared and Settled said plantation Near to the Number Required and have also Had a minister Settled in said plantation (Tho now Destatute of one) your petitioners Show that we Labour under many Difficulties and Disadvantages by reason of our Lying under a propriety without Haveing the power and privaleges of a Town (Tho the occupants are many of them unable to bare the Charge of a Town) There- fore your Exy and Honours' petitioners Humbly pray That Said Township may be Incorporated into a Town with all the privaleges and power of the Same; but if anything Lyes as an irremovable Bar in the way whereby we can by no means be a Town att present, Then we pray that we may be a Separate District annext to no town till a Dore may be opened for our being a Town-your Exys & Honrs petrs Likewise Show That we are now Desta- tute of a Gosspell minester and Have one to Settle Directly and many of the Inhabitance but new Settlers and very unable to bare the charges arise- ing in said plantation without a tax on the non-residents, therefore your petits Humbally pray that the non-residents' Lands may be obliged to pay Equal Taxes with us for Seven years to the Support of the Gosepell and that the non-resident proprietors may be obliged to bare Equal Taxes with the inhabitants in Laying out and Clearing any New Roads that they shall Require to their Lands, and as The Charges arising this year on the Inhabi- tants will be Greate if Incorporated therefore your petits Humbally pray that The plantation may be freed from the province Tax for this year.
" And your petitioners (as in duty bound) shall ever pray.
" JOSEPH HOLDEN. THOMAS STEARNS.
JOSEPH MILLER.
RICHARD GRAVES. JOHN WHEELER.
JOHN BROOKS.
JOHN WOODWARD. JOHN RAND.
JOSIAH CUTTING.
EBENEZER TAYLOR. JAMES COHEE. NATHAN WHITNEY.
ABNER HOLDEN.
JOSIAH JACKSON.
ANDREW DARBY. DANIEL WALKER.
JOSEPH HOLDEN, JR.
SAMUEL WHITNEY
WILLIAM EDGELL.
TOIIN STEARNS.
DAVID BEMIS.
ELIJAH GIBBS.
NATHAN WOOD. BENJN HORSLEY.
RICHARD BAKER.
NATIIAN PIERCE.
SETH HERRINGTON.
NATHANIEL WHEELER. JOSHUA BIGELOW.
JONAS WINSINIP."
JONAS WHITNEY. JAMES TAYLOR.
It seems that this petition came before the house of repre- sentatives on the 19th of August, receiving favorable consid- eration. A bill for the incorporation asked for was at once
90
HISTORY OF WESTMINSTER, MASS.
submitted and went through the several stages of enactment on that and immediately subsequent days. It was also read in the council but did not reach the chair of the governor.
On the 5th of October following, the subject again came before the court, when the petitioners were ordered to notify the non-resident proprietors of what was going on, that they might show cause, if they had any, why the prayer of the peti- tion should not be granted. It is evident that this order had reference to that part of the petition which related to the tax- ing of the lands of the non-residents, inasmuch as a final bill of incorporation went through its several stages in the lower branch of the legislature on the same day, and in the upper branch on that and the following days, though it did not receive the signature of the governor until the 20th of the month, when the desired consummation took place. The exact form which the matter assumed is shown in the appended copy of the
"ACT OF INCORPORATION. "AN ACT
" For erecting the New Plantation called Narraganset No. 2 in the County of Worcester into a District by the name of
"WESTMINSTER.
" WHEREAS, the inhabitants of a township formerly granted by the great and general Court commonly called Narraganset No. 2, have addressed this Court setting forth the many difficulties they now labor under which would be effectually remedied if they were constituted a District: - Be it there- fore enacted by the Governor, Council, and House of Representatives
"That the lands formerly granted by the great and general court of this Province to the descendants of those who were in the Narraganset fight with the Indians of that country now called the proprietors of Narraganset township No. 2, lying in the County of Worcester, be and hereby are erected into a distinct and separate District by the name of Westminster, the bounds of Said District to be according to their original grant and as the said lands were laid out and the plan thereof accepted by the great and general court in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and twenty eight, and that the inhabitants of said District be and hereby are invested with all the powers, privileges, and immunities, which the inhabitants of towns within this province do or by law ought to enjoy, that of sending a representative to the general assembly only excepted.
" And be it further enacted That William Richardson Esq., be and hereby is empowered to issue his warrant directed to some principal inhabitant of said District, requiring him to notify and warn the inhabitants thereof quali- fied by law to vote in town affairs, to meet at such time and place as shall be therein set forth, to choose all such officers as shall be necessary to manage the affairs of said District.
"AND WHEREAS, the great and general court of this Province at their session in May, 1757, laid a tax of fifty pounds on the inhabitants of said Narraganset No. 2, and at their session in May, 1758, one other tax of fifty pounds, and at their session in May last, one other tax of fifty-eight pounds, ten shillings and two pence, towards defraying the public charges of this Province, which sums have not yet been assessed or paid into the province treasury -
" Be it further enacted That the Assessors that may be chosen at the meeting of said inhabitants to be called as aforesaid be, and they hereby are impowered and directed to assess the aforesaid sums upon the inhabitants of
.
91
ACT OF INCORPORATION PASSED.
said District according to the rules of assessment in the respective tax acts mentioned, and commit said assessment to the collector or collectors that may then also be chosen, and return a certificate of the name or names of such collector or collectors with the sum total to each of them committed, to the Treasurer of this Province on or before the first day of December next, and the treasurer for the time being upon receipt of such certificate is hereby impowered and ordered to issue his warrants to such collector or collectors requiring them respectively to collect the whole of the respective sum assessed on each particular person, and to pay in their collection and issue their accounts of the whole at or before the thirty-first day of March one thousand seven hundred and Sixty.
"Oct. 10, 1759. This Bill having been read three several times in the House of Representatives - passed to be enacted.
S. WHITE, Speaker.
"Oct. 10, 1759. This Bill having been read three several times in Council - passed to be enacted. A. OLIVER, Secretary.
"Oct. 20, 1759. By the Governor. I consent to the enacting of this Bill.
T. POWNALL."
It will be seen by the provisions of the above instrument, that Westminster, having been erected into a district only, had at the outset no right of representation in the government of the growing province. For ten years subsequent to the date of incorporation its inhabitants were without a voice in public leg- islation. At the expiration of that period, however, they were clothed with all the powers and privileges of the people of other towns, as will be noted in due time and place.
Fathers and Founders. In closing what may be termed the first or rudimentary period of the history of Westminster, it is deemed advisable to present a complete list of the early settlers, - of those who located here previous to the date of incorporation, and contributed, by their presence and labors, to that consummation and to whatever of prosperity and success resulted therefrom. In that list, found below, the names are given in chronological order, each one accompanied by the name of the town whence the person represented came, the date of his coming, the number of the lot where he located, and its present occupant. When the lot has been given up as a place of residence, the fact is indicated in this form (A. H. No. - ), whereby the reader is referred to the chapter of this work en- titled "Abandoned Homesteads," in which he will find under a corresponding number the exact site described, with collateral information. The dates are, for the most part, correct, though in a few instances there may be an error of a year or two. Very doubtful ones are marked thus (?). A star (*) before a name shows that it appeared on the first tax list of the incorpo- rated district, bearing date Dec. 17, 1759. A dagger (+) follow- ing a name implies that the person referred to was a transient resident. Children of early settlers coming to the township with their parents during their minority and locating here in mature life, have the year when they became "of age" noted in
92
HISTORY OF WESTMINSTER, MASS.
the column of dates. Generally speaking, each person mentioned had a family, at least a wife, who joined him at an early day after his settlement. Biographical notices, personal incidents, family antecedents, pedigrees, etc., will appear in due place in Part II of this work.
EARLY SETTLERS.
I. Fairbanks Moor (t),
Lancaster,
1737
19
Hobart Raymond.
2. * Joseph Holden,
Watertown,
1737
I
F. E. Green.
3. * Joseph Holden, Jr.,
Watertown,
1737
Hobart Raymond.
4. * Philip Bemis,
Cambridge,
1738
66
(A. H. No. 60.)
*Thomas Bemis,
Cambridge,
1738
104
John Curry.
*Stephen Holden,
Watertown,
1738
40
WVid. Jonas Cutler.
7.
*Thomas Stearns,
Watertown,
1740
42
. Warren La Geyet.
S. Seth Walker (1),
Groton,
1740
22
(A. H. No SI.)
9. Justinian Holden (+),
Harvard,
1740
32
Otis W. Sawin.
*Daniel Hoar,
Concord,
1740
II
(A. H. No. 67.)
II. * Joseph Miller,
Newton,
1740
32
Otis WV. Sawin.
12. * John Stearns,
Watertown,
1741
41
Wid. Nathan Howard.
13.
Joseph Lynde (+),
Malden,
1741
9
(A. H. No. 65.)
14. Jonathan White (+),
Lancaster,
1741
28
Theodore S. Wood.
15. * Joseph Hosley,
Billerica,
1741
38
Betsey Bacon place.
17. Nathan'l Norcross(t),
Watertown,
1742
37
Samuel Bridge.
18. * Samuel Whitney,
Weston,
1742
51
Leander Hartwell.
19. Benjamin Garfield(t),
Waltham,
1742
58
George M. Davis.
20. William Baldwin (+),
Newton,
1742
1.4
(A. H. No. 66.)
21. Joshua Bigelow,
Watertown,
1742
12
(A. H. No. 68.)
22. * Eliezer Bigelow,
Watertown,
1742
12
(A. H. No. 68.)
23.
Daniel Walker,
Sudbury,
1742
82
Isaac Seaver.
24.
Isaac Stedman,
Newton,
1742(?)
35
Edwin L. Burnham.
26. John Hadley (+),
Weston,
1742
5
Estey estate.
27. Joseph Gibbs (t),
Framingham,
1742
102
(A. H. No. S7.)
28. * James Taylor,
Sudbury,
1742(?)
98
(A. H. No. 43.)
29.
Joseph Bowman (+),
Lexington,
1742
16
Wm. H. Carter.
30. William Bowman(1),
Lexington,
1742
16
WVm. H. Carter.
31. Isaac Clark (+),
32. Rev. E. Marsh,
Cambridge,
1742
S
Edward P. Miller.
34. Joshua Child (+),
Watertown,
1743(?)
23
Ephraim Lufkin.
35- Joshua Church (+),
Lancaster,
1743
74
G. Smith heirs.
36.
*Richard Graves,
Sudbury,
1744
58
Geo. M. Davis.
37- Benjamin Wilson(+),
Westboro',
1744
50
C. B. Morse.
38. Asa Flagg (+),
Lunenburg,
1745
78
(A. H. No. 78.)
40. * John Rand,
Bolton,
1747
50
C. B. Morse.
41. John Hoar (+),
Concord,
1748
13
Joseph F. Howard.
44.
Samuel Gibbs.
Framingham,
1748
20
(A. H. No. 62.)
45. * William Bemis,
Cambridge,
1748
65
Willard F. Battles.
Concord,
1749
14
(A. H. No. 66.)
47. * Noah Miles,
Concord,
1749
36
Wid. Josiah Foster.
48. * John Miles,
Concord,
1749
57
(A. H. No. So.)
49. * Elisha Bigelow,
Watertown,
1749
IS
Rufus J. Lavers.
50. * Moses Stearns,
51. * Jacob Warren,
Littleton,
1749
59
(A. H. No. 96.)
52. Obadiah Kendall (+),
Woburn,
1749
39
Wid. Calvin Baker.
53. * Seth Herrington,
Watertown,
17.50
23
Ephraim Lufkin.
54. Jonath'n Lawrence(t)
Littleton,
1750
27
W. H. Parks.
55. * David Bemis,
Cambridge,
1750
21
(A. H. No. 61.)
56 *John Brooks,
Acton,
1750
43
(A. H. No. 38.)
57. Timothy Mosman(t),
Sudbury,
1750
16
Wm. H. Carter.
39.
Benjamin Bellows,
Acton,
1748
22
(A. H. No. SI.)
43. Henry Stevens,
1748
112
Geo. W. Merrianı.
46. * Reuben Miles,
1742
33. *Abner Holden,
Watertown,
1743
I
(A. H. No. 64.)
1744
25
Wm. C. Foskett.
42. * Andrew Darby,
Cambridge,
1742
IO
Mrs. W. H. Larrabee.
25. David Dunster,
Billerica,
1741
16. * Benjamin Hosley,
Watertown,
1749
68
W. H. Evans.
93
LIST OF EARLY SETTLERS.
5S. * Elijah Gibbs,
Framingham,
1751
2
(A. H. No. 39.)
59. * Benjamin Gould,
Topsfield,
1751
106
(A. H. No. 57.)
60. * Ebenezer Taylor.
Shrewsbury,
175I
49
F. & S. Morsc.
61. * Asa Taylor,
Shrewsbury,
175
49
F. & S. Morse.
62. * Thomas Conant,
Concord,
1751
4
Wid. Phineas Reed.
63. Ebenezer Conant (+),
Concord,
Lunenburg,
1751
3
Ist Parish Church.
Sudbury,
175I
24
Aspasio H. King.
66. Ephraim Stevens (+),
1751
IOI
Wm. H. Benjamin.
67. * Nathaniel Sever,
Framingham,
175J
30
Frank A. Taylor.
68. Robert Sever,
Framingham,
1751
70
(A. H. No. SS.)
69. Nathan Whitney,
Waltham,
1751
90
E. & Geo. C. Whitney.
70. Nathan Merriam,
Lexington,
1751
SI
D. & J. Harrington.
71. * Thomas Merriam,
Lexington,
175
84
Otis Flagg.
72. * James Cohee,
Lancaster,
1751
96
Isaac N. Smith.
73. John Sangar,
Watertown,
1751
48
E. L. Martin.
74. * Josiah Cutting,
Watertown,
1751
45
Geo. W. Whitney.
75. * John Woodward,
Nottingham,
1751
7
Susan H. Underwood.
76. * William Edgell,
Lexington,
1751
28
Theo. S. Wood.
77. John Gill,
1751 (?)
S7
(A. H. No. 100.)
78. * Jonas Winship,
W.Cambr'ge,
1751
46
Wid. W. W. Comee.
79. * Nicholas Dike,
Lunenburg,
1751
74
So. Noah Ashley (+),
Western,
1752
S5
Wm. J. Black.
SI. Isaac Jackson,
Newton,
175
92
F. M. Poore.
82. * Josiah Jackson,
Newton,
17.52
92
F. M. Poore.
83. * Edmund Bemis,
Cambridge,
1753
66
(A. H. No. 60.)
84. * Benjn Butterfield,
Chelmsford,
1753
16
W'm. H. Carter.
85. Michael Brigden (+),
Charlestown,
1753(?)
70 I.H.
Joshua Liverpool.
SỐ. Samuel Hager (+),
Watertown,
1754(?)
25
Wm. C. Foskett.
Sz. * Joshua Bigelow,
Watertown,
1754
12
(A. H. No. 6S.)
SS. Josiah Goodnow (+),
Sudbury,
1754
28
Theo. S. Wood.
89. Nathan Maynard (1),
Sudbury,
1754
27
W. H. Parks.
90. * John Estabrook,
Lexington,
17.54
103
Edward C. Estabrook.
91. * Timo Fessenden,
Lexington,
1754
100
Geo. W. Peeler.
92. * John Wheeler,
Acton,
1755
3
93. * Richard Baker,
Concord, Bolton,
1755
39
Ambrose E. Weston.
95. Daniel Munjoy,
Cambridge,
175.5
56
(A. H. No. 42.)
96. * Nathan Wood,
Sudbury,
1756
28
Theo. S. Wood.
97. * Stephen Calef,
Waltham,
17.56
73
(A. H. No. 98.)
98. * Nathan Pierce,
Lexington,
1756
55
D. G. Newcomb.
99. * Josiah Stearns,
Watertown,
1756(?)
91
(A. H. No. 36.)
100. * Edward Joyner,
Lancaster,
1756
76
(A. H. No. 84.)
102. Ebenezer Darby (i),
103. * Jabez Bigelow,
Watertown,
17 57
3
Ist Parish Church.
104. * Isaac Dupee,
Reading,
17.57
109
Wid. J. J. Dupee.
105. * Paul Gibbs,
Framingham,
17 57
20
(A. H. No. 62.)
107. * Jonas Whitney,
Waltham,
17.57
14 2 D. SI
D. & J. Harrington.
IOS. Asahel Smith,
Sudbury,
1757 (?)
56 2 D.
Edmond T. Smith.
109. * Zacheus Bemis,
Cambridge,
1758
48 2 D.
Alonzo Curtis.
IIO. Nathan Darby,
Acton,
1758
100 2 D.
M. Miller.
III. * Joseph Spalding,
S. D. Hobbs.
I12. Nathaniel Wheeler,
Acton,
1758
25 2 D. 48 116
114. * John Edgell,
Lexington,
1759
24 2 D.
115. * Thomas Dunster,
Cambridge,
1759
117
Elmer Baker.
116. * Josiah Puffer,
Sudbury,
1759
62
R. P. Merriam.
117. * Jonathan Stedman,
Newton,
17.59
35
Mrs. W. H. Larrabee.
118. * Gideon Smith (+),
Unknown,
1759(?)
119. Samuel Harris (+),
120. Gideon Fletcher,
Ashburnham Unknown,
1759
1759
Wid. Calvin Baker.
94. * John Foskett,
1755
120
IO1. * Hubbard Dunster,
Cambridge, Acton,
1757
(A. H. No. 69.)
106. * Richard Newton,
1757
1758
113. * Nathaniel Merrill,
Pelham, N.II.
1759
E. L. Martin.
Melville H. Warner.
Leonard M. Gates.
Chelmsford,
175I
113
(A. H. No. 86.)
64. Ephraim Dutton (+), 65. * James Walker,
Geo. Smith heirs.
Ist Parish Church.
1756
CHAPTER VII.
EARLY MILITARY OPERATIONS.
KING GEORGE'S WAR -FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR - NAMES OF SOLDIERS.
FOR more than half a century previous to the settlement of Narrgansett No. 2, there had been no aboriginal sons of the forest either upon its territory or in all the neighboring region. The war with King Philip in 1675-6 had resulted in the practi- cal extinction of all the tribes of central and southern New England. A few remnants of those tribes still remained with- in the boundaries of the Province of Massachusetts Bay, the successors of Eliot's and Mayhew's praying Indians, like the Hassanimiscos at Grafton and the Nonantums at Natick, who had abandoned for the most part their savage ways and settled down into compact, orderly, civilized communities, furnishing no occasion for anxiety or alarm to the white population.
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