History of Worcester County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 142

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1889
Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1576

USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > History of Worcester County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I > Part 142

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Before mio, JOHN PYNCHON, Assistant. This Deed was Recorded March ye 1673-4 By mee, ELIZUR HOLYOKE, Recordr.

Thus it will be seen that by the early part of 1673- 74 the town was organized, had acquired full posses- sion of the lands, and was ready under favorable aus- pices to begin a career of municipal prosperity. But unforeseen disasters befell the town. In 1675, within two years of its incorporation, it was entirely destroyed by the Indians in King Philip's War, its meeting- house and all its dwellings were burned, some of its leading men, among whom were John Ayres, Richard Coy, William and Samuel Prichard, and James Hovey, were killed and families were otherwise broken up by the murders of wives and children. The Qnabaug Indians, with whom for ten years the settlers had lived in harmony, were under the sway of Philip, and among the most earnest in the relentless war he waged. It is not necessary in this narrative to recount the de- tails of this war, as they may be found in a score of historical works to which readers have easy access, and may at almost any time and place refer.

With the death of Philip, on the 10th of Angust, 1676, the war ceased, and with the return of peace the Quabangs left their old homes, and the scattered rem- nants of their tribe retreated westward beyond the Hudson River never to return.

So the young frontier town of Brookfield disap- peared. Its twenty families, with all their remaining provisions, migrated to new homes; the meeting- honse, in the erection of which, as the seal of their municipal union, they had taken special pride, and in

515

BROOKFIELD.

which John Younglove and Thomas Millet had preached to them the word of God, was burned, their fields were devastated and their houses in ashes, and for ten years the territory of Quabaug was a deserted waste. The memory of past disasters and the fear of their recurrence prevented during that long period its renewed occupation and settlement. So far as the incorporation of the town was concerned the privi- leges of a town were annulled by the following act of the General Court, passed May 28, 1679, and approved on the 9th of the following month :

At & General Court held st Boston May 28, 1679.

" For the greater comfort and safety of all people who are intended to resettle the villages deserted in the late war or the planting any new Plsutation withiu th is jurisdiction.

It is ordered and enacted by this Court sud the authority thereof That no deserted town or new Plantation shall be inhabited until the people first make application unto the Governour and Council or tu the County Court within whose jurisdiction such Plantation is. And the Council or County Court are hereby ordered and empowered to sppoint an able and discreet committee (at the charge of the people intending to plant) which Committee sre ordered and impowered to view and con- sider the place or places to be settled and give directions and orders in writing under their hands in what form way sud manner such town shall be settled or erected, wherein they are required to have s principal respect to nearness sud conveniency of habitation for security against enemies and more comfort for church communion & enjoyment of God's Worship and education of children in schools and civility with other good ends.

And all such planters are hereby injoined to attend and put in prac- tice such orders and directions as shall be given by such committee upon the penalty of five hundred pounds fins to the country to he inflicted upon them by order of the Council or County Court for their neglect or refusal to attend this order.

Passed and Consented to. June 9, 1679.

J. DUDLEY.

In 1686, as has been already mentioned, the resettle- ment of Brookfield began, but only the family of John Ayres, of all the original settlers, returned. The new occupants of the land were chiefly from Marlborough, Springfield, Suffield and Hadley, while a few were from the more distant settlements of Essex County. The first effort in behalf of a reorganization is to be found in the following petition :

To the Houb Simon Bradstreet Governor &c. The humble Petition sod Request of James Ford of Brookfield.

" Whereas there was a Township formerly granted by the Honbl Gen- eral Court at s place called by the Indians Quaboag & by the English Brookfield which was settled but by the Incursions and outrages of the Indians was depopulated and Isyd waste & and hath been so for many years: the Ancient Inhabitants wholly deserting the same and it being a place very commodious for scittuation in the Road to Springfield &c and may be beneficial and profitable as well to the Country as to partic- ular persons ; and whereas some are already seated and others would he willing to settle the said place sgaine were there some encouragement from the Houl Council and one to guide & order the prudential affaires for such s Plantation.

Yor Petitioner humbly requests your Hon" would be pleased to appoint and impower some prudent and able persons as s Committee to sdmit Inhabitants and order the affaires of the place in forming ye Toune granting Lotts & directing & ordering all matters of & prudential Nature till such time the Place be settled and a competent number of Inhabitants & persons of discretion to order the affaires thereof sud your Petitioners as in duty bound shall even pray &c.

JAMES FORD.

In response to this petition, and doubtless others sent by the inhabitants, action was taken by the Council, which is stated in the records as follows:

November 9, 1686, Maj. John Pinchon, Joseph Hawley, Capt. Sam-

uel Glover, Mr. Samuel Marshfield, Mr. Samuel Ely, & Mr. John Hitch- cock all of Springfield, are appointed a Committee for settling the Town of Quabaag & the Petition of the said Town is granted and the afore- Damed Gentlemen are to receive the claims of the sd Inhabitants, grant Iotts to others & give necessary orders for the more orderly settlement of the said Toune.

Under the operations of this committee lands were allotted as required, and new settlers continued to come in until .1688, when new troubles arose with the Indians and the growth of the settlement was checked. Its inhabitants lived in constant fear of savage raids, and what was called Gilbert's Fort, which contained barracks for soldiers and refugees, served as a garrison to which those in the neighbor- hood might flee in case of an alarm.

In 1691, Mr. Marshall and Mr. Ely having died, Captain Partridge and Mr. Medad Pumroy were placed by the court on the town committee.

In 1693 an Indian raid was made on the houses of Joseph Woolcott, Thomas Lawrence and Joseph Mason, which stood at some distance from the fort, and Mr. Lawrence and Mr. Mason, with his son and the wife and two children of Mr. Woolcott, were killed. But notwithstanding the constant fear of Indian depredations, the town increased in numbers, and a determination was manifested to make the settlement, under any and all circumstances, a per- manent and prosperous one. Indeed, not only was every effort made by the General Court to aid and encourage the outlying settlements, but direct and positive measures were taken to prevent their aban- donment. On the 23d of March, 1699-1700, it was voted by the court

that no town or precinct being a frontier of the province which the towns hereafter named are to be sccounted ; that is to say Wells, York, Kittery, Amesbury, Haverhill, Dunstable, Chelmsford, Groton, Lancas- ter, Marlborough, Brookfield, Deerfield, Mendon sad Woodstock ; nor Ruy of the towns following to wit Salisbury, Andover, Billerica, Hatfield, Hadley, Westfield and Northampton . . shall be broken upor voluntarily deserted without application first made by the inhabitants and allowauce had & obtained from the Governor and Council in Court & Council for their drawing off if it appear to them that it may be of public advantage or that the place is not tenable. Nor shall sny inhabitant of the frontier & other towns or precincts before named, or any of them having an estate of freehold in lands or tenements within the sams st the time of any insurrection or breaking forth of sny war, remove from them with in- tent to sojourne or inhabit elsewhere without special license first had and obtained as aforesaid.

In November, 1698, the inhabitants of Brookfield presented the following petition to the General Court :

The Petition of the Inhabitants of Brookfield to the Hon! General Court sssembled at Boston, Nov., 1698, Humbly Sheweth.

Firstly. That we seeme to be called of God to continue our habitation du this place ; we are low in the world and it would be a breaking thing to our estates to remove to any other plantation, and the Land here is very capable of entertaining & considerable body of people ; the inhabi- tants have been slow to come to us by reason of ye War, yet the land is very Incouraging, capable to afford a comfortable subsistence to many ffamilies.

2. That it is sn Intolerable burden to continue as we have done with - out the preaching of the Word. God doth require his people to attend not only ffamily worship but His public worship ; it is the ordinance of God that on the Sabbath Day there should be an holy convocation, and that his Word be preached by those that are able sud faithful, and our necessitys put us upon it earnestly to desire it. Both we and our Chil- dren need the Instructions, rebukes and encouragements of the Word,

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HISTORY OF WORCESTER COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

the darkness and deadoess of our own hearts, together with the many soares that are in the world, are an experimental conviction to us that we need al those helps and advantages that God hath sanctifyed for our good.

3. That we are not able at present to maintain the Worship of God. We are but twelve ffamilies, and we are not of estate sufficient to give suitable encouragement to a minister. We are willing to do to the out- ende of our ability, but tho' we do as much as can be expected from us, it will not nmount to such a summ es a Minister may reasonably require for his labour.

4. That if this Hond Court would please to pity us end grant ns some help for a few years for the maintenance of a godly, able Minister, he- sides the advantage it may beto these few familys that are here, it would he a means to draw many other Iohabitants to ns, whereby we shall he so far assisted that we may, of ourselves, ha ahle to uphold the Worship of God and not be burdensome to others.

Under these circumstaoces we huoibly beg that this Hond Court would exercise compassion to us & arregne some reliefe to us out of the Publick Treasury, which we shal look upon not onely a testimony of your zeal for the worship of God, hut alsoe of your tender compassion to the souls of those whom God hath made you ffathere of. And your Petitivoera shall ever pray, &c.

SAMUEL, OWEN,

HENRY GILBERT,

THOMAS BARNS, STEPHEN GENNINGS,

JOHN WOOLCOTT, JAMES PETTEE,

SAML. DAVIES, WM. BARNS,

THOMAS PARSONS, THOMAS RICH,

ARIJAH BARTLETT, DANL, PRICE,

JOHN CLARY.

JOSEPH MARKS.

JOUN PETTEE,

In response to the above petition the court ordered that twenty pounds be paid out of the public treas- ury towards the support of an orthodox minister for one year. The payment of this sum was delayed until 1701, when Rev. George Phillips, a graduate at Harvard in the class of 1686, and son of Rev. Samuel Phillips, of Rowley, was engaged to preach one year, and the money was drawn from the Province Treas- ury.

In the same year the following petition was pre- sented to the General Court :

To the Honbl. Wm. Stoughton, etc :

The humble petition of the Committee and Inhabitants of Brookfield sheweth,

WHEREAS, hy the Providence of God by allowance from the General Court and our own necessites and inclinations we have and are now settled at Brookfield and altho' we are now but fewein number, yet here is accommodations for a considerable Township; being new in our he- ginoings, and through the difficulties aod hazzards of the times people tho' otherwise well inclined to come & settle here, yet have been slow in motion this way by reason whereof we labour under many difficulties at present-Therefore move to this Court that they would be pleased to grant us some allowances for oure encouragement & help as followeth :

First, that we may. in aome measure, be in a capacity to obtain the benefit of an orthodox ministry of God's word (which weare in necessity of ). That this Court would grant us such allowances towards the maintenance of such an one a year or two or three, which together with what we might do among ourselves, might incourage a minister to set- tle angst us which would tend much to advantage both as to Ecclesiasti- cal and Civil affairs.

Second, With reference to Publick chargesamongst us, That this Court wonld order that all meo that make good a claim of a proprietie within the bounds of our place might be engaged to bear their part in due pro- portion of all charges arising, aod when notified of their Rate or pro- portion be obliged to pay on the place from time to time or quit their lands, etc.

Third, That this Court do settle and state the hounds of our Town- ship, the centre to ha the place where the first meeting-house stood and to extend six miles East, West, North and South, viz., twelve miles square extending from said centre as aforesaid.

These things we apprehend might be a menos to promote the welfare of our place so as in time we might be beneficial to the publick interest

of the Province and the granting of which will oblige your poor eup- pliants as in duty bound for your Honoursever to pray,

JOHN PYNCHON, SAML. PARTRIGG, JOHN HITCHCOCK, In the name of the Committee.

Henry Gilbert, Thomas Baros, Thomas Rich, Samel Davis, Steven Jenvings, Abijah Bartlet, Saorel Wheeler, Benj. Bartlett, Samuel Owan, Thom 8 Parsons, Thomas Gilbert.

Brookfield, May 26, 1701.

As a result of this petition a plan was made of eight miles square, the quality of land stated and boundary lines described and the whole reported to the court in obedience to its order. In consequence of the loss of this plan another survey was made by Timothy Dwight in 1719 and the boundaries of the town were established by the court.

Shortly after the engagement of Rev. Mr. Phillips the coming on of what was called Queen Anne's War once more subjected Brookfield to the dangers of Indian warfare. In this state of things, upon a re- newed application to the General Court for assistance, the sum of twenty pounds were allowed to be paid to- wards the support of a chaplain to the garrison in the town. No meeting-house had been erected since the first was burned in 1675, and it is probable that until the erection of the second house of worship in 1715 Sabbath services were held in the garrison. Rev. Joseph Smith, a son of Lieut. Philip Smith, of Hadley, and a graduate at Harvard in 1695, was ap- pointed chaplain and was the second minister of the town since its reconstruction. Mr. Smith remained until 1705, and was afterward settled in Cohansey, New Jersey, and Middletown, Connecticut. During the whole of his ministry in Brookfield and for some years after the sum of twenty pounds was annually paid by order of the court for the support of the ministry.

In 1704 the condition of the town had again reached a low ebb. The war continued and though some new settlers came into the town, they for the most part were refugees from more exposed settle- ments, and brought little with them for the pro- motion of their own comfort or of the public good. This unhappy condition is well illustrated in the fol- lowing petition :

To His Ercellcency etc. :

BROOKFIELD, Dec. 14, 1704.

We hues names are underwriten do humbly beage your Excelancy's favor and that you wod consider our weke condishone ; the favor we beg is that we all ov us, not that such of ua as find they are under such dis- advantages that they cant subsist there, might remove into some other towoe where they mny worke fore there liveinge. by the deficulty of the times we are reduste to such pverty that we caut subsist except your onors will plese to grant ua wages as soldiers & pay for our diat, for we raize little or none of our provision hy rezen of our being draun so far frome our improvements of Lands. Our families are ao large and our meana are so small that we cant live without sume other imploye thao any we have at present. And if the honoured Cort ceases to put us in as soldiers we will as we do acconot it our duti conform to the orders of authority-but we rather, if it may be granted, choose to remove into other towns, and we humbly intrete that the onors of the Corte would plese to grant us pay for our diat for the time we have served as soldears. No more at preseot, but we remain youars as followeth :

HENRY GILBERT, BENJAMIN BARTLETT,

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BROOKFIELD.

JOHN WOOLCOTT,

JOHN GILBERT,

SAMLL, OWEN,

SAMLL, OWEN, JR.,

THOS. PABSONS,

HENRY TAYLOR,

SAMUEL DAVIS,

STEPH. JENNINGS,

PHILIP Goss,

BENJ. JENNINOS,

EBENE, HAYWARD,

EDWARD WALKER,

THOMAS GILBERT, JOSEPH BANISTER,

JOSEPH RICE,

JOHN HAYWARD,

JOSEPH MARKS,

JOHN HAMILTON,

JOHN CLARY,

JOSEPH JENNINGS.

THOMAS BARNS.

This petition was probably acted on favorably hy the court, as the records show that the muster-roll for wages and subsistence of soldiers posted at Brookfield and Springfield was increased from £271 98. 1d. for the four months ending October 18, 1704, to £426 158. 10d. for the three months ending January 31, 1705.

On the 24th of October, 1705, Rev. William Grosvenor was engaged to take the place of Mr. Smith and remained until August 25, 1708. Mr. Grosvenor was the son of John Grosvenor, who came from Chester County, in England, to Roxbury, and who was one of the settlers of Pomfret, Connecti- cut, who obtained a grant of land from the General Assembly in 1686 and an act of incorporation as a town in October, 1713. The son William graduated at Harvard in 1693. After the departure of Mr. Grosvenor, as far as can be learned, the people of Brookfield were without a minister until May 1, 1711, when Rev. John James was engaged and re- ceived, as his predecessor had done, a stipend of twenty pounds from the province. Mr. James re- mained at Brookfield until May 1, 1714, when he re- moved to Wethersfield, Conn., where he died August 10, 1729.

The year 1713 brought to a termination the Indian hostilities, which during nearly forty years had intim- idated the inland towns of the province and checked their growth. The people of Brookfield almost for the first time since its original settlement could now without distraction and alarm turn their attention to the pursuits of peace. In that year, in consequence of the death of Joseph Hawley and John Hitchcock and the age and infirmity of Medad Pomroy, Samuel Porter, Ebenezer Pomroy and Luke Hitchcock were appointed on the town committee, which now consisted of these gentlemen and John Pynchon, Medad Pom- roy and Samuel Partridge the surviving members. At a meeting of the committee held on the 4th of Sep- tember, 1713, it was agreed that all grants of land should thereafter be upon the following conditions : 1st, that the grantees should work on the land withiu six months from the grant; 2d, that they should live on it within a year; 3d, that they shall live on it three years from the date of the grant, and 4th, that in case the grantees fail in any of the above conditions the grants should be void.

On the 1st of May, 1714, Rev. Mr. James terminated his ministry, and in the same year Rev. Daniel Elmer was engaged to preach. Mr. Elmer remained only six months and consequently received only ten pounds

from the province treasury. He was a graduate at Yale in 1713, and after leaving Brookfield preached at Westborough, Mass., and at Fairfield, New Jersey,

On the 17th of September, 1714, it is recorded that the committee unanimously agreed

That the inhabitants build a meeting-house wherein to attend the worship of God, which shall be set up and erected in said place where formerly the meeting-house was built near old John Ayers' House Lott, lying near about the center of the Town ; And the Committee here and do by these presents order that the Constable, together with Edward Walker, Sen., and Joseph Banister, take an exact list of the ratalle estates, both real and personal, within the preciocts of Brookfield, and cause a rate to be made for the payment of their minister and other charges.

On the 22d of November, 1715,

The iohabitants of Brookfield agreed by the consent of the committee to huild a meeting-house wherein to carry on the worship of God ; in the form and manner as followeth, viz .: 45 feet in length and 35 feet in width and to put in Galery pieces so that they may build galeries when they shall have occasion ; and to carry on the building the said house as far as they can conveniently with their labour ; and what shall be re- quired in money for the carrying said work to be raised by a Town rate ; and if any person or persons refuse to labour haviog suitable warning by the committee hereafter named shall pay their proportion in money. The inhabitants likewise agree to get the timber this winter. The committee chosen to oversee and take care for the carrying on of said work are Thomas Barns, Henry Gilbert, Lieut. Philip Goss, Ens. Thomas Gilbert Joseph Banister, Edward Walker, Joseph Jennings, John Woolcott, Wm. Old. Then ordered that a rate of 150 pounds be made towards building the meeting-house.

On the same day that the above vote was passed, Rev. Thomas Cheney was engaged to preach. On the 16th of October, 1716, the churchi was organized and he was ordained. On that occasion the new meeting- house was for the first time used. The inhabitants voted to give him fifty-two pounds annually for three years and to raise the salary forty shillings a year un- til it reached seventy pounds. He was to have also all the land which the committee proposed to give him, to have a house and barn built for him suited to his wishes, he finding the glass, nails and iron, to have twenty-five cords of wood annually during his life, and one day's labor annually from each man. He was also to have eight acres of land fenced and made fit for sowing, four of which were to he on the hill. At his ordination Rev. Solomon Stoddard, of North- ampton, preached the sermon, and the following covenant was subscribed :

You do now, in the presence of the great and boly God, the elect An- gejs and this assembly of witnesses, enter into a solemn and perpetual covenant, never to be forgotten, never to be broken.

You sincerely and cordially give up yourself to that God whose name alone is Jehovah; taking God the Father to be your God and Father, God the Son to he your only Saviour and Redeemer, Ged the Holy Ghost to be your sanctifier and comforter.

You submit yourself to Christ and accept him as the Prophet Priestaud King of your soul the Great. Head of the Church, and the only Mediator of the covenant of grace ; promising that by the assistance of the Holy Spirit you will keep the covenant of the Lord inviolably ; that you will cleave to the Lord Jesus Christ by faith and Gospel obedience; and will endeavor to reform your life ne to all knowu sin whether open or secret --- will live in the cooscientious discharge of all duty towards God and man -walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blame- lessly ; that you will endeavor that the inward temper of your mind be conformed to God's will and word ; and that you will follow the excellent example which Christ has set you for the rule of your life.

You also give up yourself to this Church in the Lord ; and freely cove-

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HISTORY OF WORCESTER COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

nant and bind yourself to walk &s & regular member of Christ's Church ; to obey them that have rule over you in the Lord : to read God's word and to live in the practice of social and secret prayer and in diligent at- tendance on the word preached and ordinances administered ;- relying on the grace and all-sufficiency of Christ, which are sufficient for yon- you promise to walk according to what you now know, or shall know, to he your duty.

Do you sincerely and cordially consent to the covenant now proposed ?

We then receive you as a sincere disciple of Christ and a member of the same chinrch with ourselves-promising so long as God shall continue yon among us, to watch over you with meekness and brotherly love ;- and may the Lord add to the numbers and graces of his church, and finally bring us all to join the general assembly and Church of the First- born, whose names are written in heaven. Amen.

So far as the church is concerned this may be con- sidered to have been its birth. Though religious ser- vices had been held for many years and ministers em- ployed, there was no formal church organization until the date above mentioned, October 16, 1717. The meeting-house, though occupied, was not completely finished for several years, but the church was fairly launched, and afterwards, with few interruptions, suc- cessfully maintained. The salary of the minister was paid by a rate or tax, which included also the current expenses connected with the erection of the meeting- house. This rate was made on the 22d of April, 1717, and amounted to £121 3s. 8d. The names of the per- sons taxed with the amounts of their tax are included in the following list of land-owners who had re- ceived grants from the town committee from the date of the earliest grants down to 1768, which was the last year in which the affairs of the town were managed by the committee :

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History of Worcester County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 142

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) Publication date: 1889 Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis & Co. Number of Pages: 1576

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1889
Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1576