USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Quincy > History of old Braintree and Quincy : with a sketch of Randolph and Holbrook > Part 2
USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Braintree > History of old Braintree and Quincy : with a sketch of Randolph and Holbrook > Part 2
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"THE SONGE."
" Drinke and be merry, merry merry boyes- Let all your delight be in Hymen's Joyes- Joy to Hymen now the day is come, About the merry May-pole take a roome, Make greene garlons, bring bottles out, And fill sweet nectar freely about. Uncover thy head, and feare no harme,
For here's good liquor to keep it warme.
Then drinke and be merry, &c. Joy to Hymen, &c.
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EARLY SETTLEMENT AND INCORPORATION.
" Nectar is a thing assigned By the Deities owne mind-
To cure the heart oppress't with greifo,
And of good liquors is the cheife- Then drinke, &c. Joy to Hymen, &c.
"Give to the melancolly man A cup or two of't now and then ; This physick will soone revive his blood, And make him be of a merrier moode- Then drinke, &c. Joy to Hymen, &c.
" Give to the Nymphe that's free from scorn,
No Irisch stuff, nor Schotch over-worno;
Lasses in beaver-coats come away,
Yee shall be welcome to us all the day- To drinke, &c. Joy to Hymen, &c.
" This harmless mirth made by younge men (that lived in hope to have wifes brought over to them that would save them a labore to make a voyage to fetch any over,) was much dis- tasted of the precise Seperatists, that keepe much ado about the tyth of mint and cummin, troubling their braines more than reason would require about things that are indifferent ; and from that time sought occasion against my honest Host of Ma-re- Mount to overthrow his undertakings and to destroy his Plan- tation quite and cleane.
" It cannot but be remarked how very plausible Morton makes his conduct appear ; - but not so, precisely, did it appear to our scrupulous but worthy forefathers. No excuse, perhaps, will be necessary for further extracts from his singular book.
" The Seperatists, envying the prosperity and hope of the Plantation at Ma-re-Mount, (which they perceaved beganne to come forward, and to be in a good way for gaine in the Bea- ver trade), conspired together against mine host, especially, (who was the owner of that Plantation), and made up a party against him ; and mustered up what aide they could ; account- ing of him as a great monster.
" Many threatening speeches were given out, both against his
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person and his habitation, which they divulged should be con- sumed with fire ;- and taking advantage of the time when his company, (which seemed little to regard theire threats), were gone up into the inlands to trade with the Salvages for Beavers. They set upon my honest Host at a place called Wessaguscus, where, (by accident,) they found him. The Inhabitants there were in good hope of the subversion of the Plantation at Ma- re-Mount, which they principally aymed at, and the rather, be- cause mine host was a man that endeavoured to advance the dignity of the Church of England, which they, (on the contrary part,) would labour to vilifie with uncivile termes; enveying against the sacred book of Common Prayer, and mine host, that used it in a laudible manner amongst his family as a practice of piety.
" In breife, mine host must indure to be their prisoner untill they could contrive it so that they might send him for England, (as they said), there to suffer according to the merit of the fact which they intended to father upon him ; supposing (belike), it would prove a hainous crime.
" Much rejoicing was made that they had gotten their cappi- tall enemy, (as they concluded him,) whome they purposed to hamper in such sort, that hee should not be able to uphold his Plantation at Ma-re-Mount.
" The conspirators sported themselves at my honest host that meant them no hurt, and were so joccund that they feasted their bodies and fell to tippeling, as if they had obtained a great prize ; like the Trojans, when they had the custody of Hippeus' pine-tree horse.
" Mine host fained greefe ; and could not be persuaded either to eate or drinke ; because he knew emptiness would be a meanes to make him as watchfull as the Geese kept in the Roman Cap- itall ; whereon the contrary part, the conspirators would be so drowsy that hee might have an opportunity to give them a slip insteade of a tester. Six persons of the conspiracy were set to watch him at Wessaguseus. But hee kept waking, and in the dead of night, (one lying on the bed for further suerty,) up gets mine host, and got to the second dore that hee was to passe, which, (notwithstanding the lock,) hee got open, and shut it
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after him with such violence, that it affrighted some of the conspirators.
" The word which was given with an alarme was, O he's gon, he's gon, what shall we doe, he's gon. The rest half asleep start up in a maze, and like rames ran their heads one at another full butt in the darke.
" Their grand leader, Capt. Shrimp, tooke on most furiously, and tore his clothes for anger, to see the empty nest and their bird gone.
" In the mean time, mine host was got home to Ma-re-Mount through the woods, eight miles round about the head of the river Monatoquit, that parted the two Plantations - finding his way by the helpe of the lightening, (for it thundered as he went, terribly), and there he prepared powther, three pounds dried for his present imployment, and four good gunnes for him, and the two assistants left at his howse with bullets of several sizes, three hundred or thereabouts, to be used if the conspirators should pursue him thether ; and these two persons promised their aides in the quarrell, and confirmed that promise with a health in good rosa solis.
" After holding a Councell," continues Morton, " Capt. Shrimp1 takes eight persons more to him ;- and like the nine worthies of New Canaan, they imbarque with preparation against Ma-re- Mount, where this monster of a man, (as their phrase was,) had his denne -the whole number, (had the rest not bin from home,) being but seaven, would have given Capt. Shrimp, (a quondam Drummer,) such a wellcome as would have made him wish for a Drume as bigg as Diogenes' tubb, that hee might have crept into it ought of sight.
" Now the nine worthies are approached and mine host pre- pared ; having intelligence by a Salvage that hastened in love from Wessaguseus to give him notice of their intent.
" The nine worthies coming before the Denne of this supposed monster (this seaven-headed hydra as they termed him,) began like Don Quixote against the wind-mill, to beate a parly and to offer quarter, (if mine host would yeald,) for they resolved to send him for England and bad him lay by his armes.
1. Captain Miles Standish.
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" But mine host had no sooner set open the dore, and issued ont but instantly Capt. Shrimpe and the rest of the worthies stepped to him, lay'd hold of his armes ; and had him downe, and so eagerly was every man bent against him, (not regarding any agreement made with such a carnall man,) that they fell upon him as if they would have caten him.
" Captain Shrimpe and the rest of the nine worthies made themselves (by this outragious riot,) masters of mine host, of Ma-re-Mount, and disposed of what he had at his Plantation."1
They sent him to England ; this was in 1628.2 " He returned again into the Country in some short time, with less punishment than his demerits deserved, as was apprehended."3 It was in August, 1629, that he returned. In September, 1631, he was again sent to England, his house being burnt, and liquors con- fiscated, by order of the General Court.4
In 1634 he published a book, called, "New England Canaan." This book is a queer specimen of literature. In turning over its pages, you will see that it abounds in nick-names; such as Capt. Shrimp, for Capt. Standish; Capt. Littleworth, for Endicott; Dr. Nobby, for Fuller, &c. Hutchinson says,5 " he came to New England again in 1643; a letter6 and a book, full of invectives,
1. New England Canaan, pp. 139 to 142.
2. 1828. The following assessments were made upon the scattered inhabi- tants of New England to pay the expense of the capture of Morton. The whole amount assessed for this purpose was twelve pounds and seven shillings. "Of this amount Plymouth has set against it, two pounds ten shillings; Naumkeak [Salem], one pound ten shillings ; Pascataquack [Portsmouth], two pounds ten shillings; Mr. Jeffrey and Mr. Burslem [Isle of Shoals], two pounds; Natas- cot, one pound ten shillings; Mrs. Thompson [Squantum], fifteen shillings; Mr. Blackstone [Shawmut], twelve shillings; and Edward Hilton [Dover], one pound"-Belknap, Am. Biography, II., 334.
3. New England Memorial, p. 140.
4. " The smoke that did ascend appeared to be the very sacrifice of Kain. Mine host, (that a farre of abourd a shipp did then behold this wofull spec- tacle, ) knew not what he should doe in this extremity; but bear and forbeare, as Epictetus sayes ;- it was booteless to exclaime."-New Eng. Canaan, p. 164.
5. Hutchinson's Hist., Vol. I., p. 32, note.
6. " My very good gossip, If I should commend myself to you, you would reply with this proverb, propria laus fordet in ore; but to leave impertinent sa- lutes and really proceed, you shall hereby understand that altho' when I was first
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which he had written, was produced against him ; he was truly called the accuser of the brethren ; the Court fined him 100£. He was poor and unable to pay it, nothing but his age saved him from the whipping post." He went to Acamenticus, now the town of York, in the State of Maine, and there died about 1645.
From 1634, can clearly and distinctly be traced the first per- manent settlement of the town of Braintree. Previous to this time, those who came here were mere adventurers, as we have before stated ; who had no sympathy or interest with the civil or ecclesiastical sentiment of the permanent settlers of the Colony.
The people that came to Braintree to settle were generally from the old Counties of Devonshire, Lincolnshire, and Essex
sent to England to make complaint against Ananias and the brethren, I effected the business but superficially (through the brevity of time) I have at this time taken deliberation and brought the matter to a better pass, and it is brought about that the King hath taken the matter into his own hands. The Massachu- setts patent by an order of council was brought in view, the privileges therein granted well scanned, and at the council board, in presence of Sir R. Salton- stall and the rest, it was declared, for manifold abuses therein discovered, to be void. The King hath re-assumed the whole business into his own hands, and given order for a general governor for the whole territory to be sent over. The commission is passed the privy seal, I saw it, and the same was sent to my Lord Keeper to have it pass the great seal, and I now stay to return with the governor, by whom all complainants shall have relief. So that now Jonas being set ashore may safely cry, repent ye cruel sehismatics repent, there are yet but forty days. If Jove vouchsafe to thunder, the charter and the kingdom of the Separatists will fall asunder. My Lord of Canterbury with my Lord Privy Seal, having caused all Mr. Cradock's letters to be viewed, and his apology for the brethren particularly heard, protested against him and Mr. Hunfries that they were a couple of imposturous knaves, so that for all their great friends they departed the couneil chamber in our view with a pair of cold shoulders .- I have staid long, yet have not lost my labour. The brethren have found themselves frustrated and I shall see my desire upon mine enemies. Of these things I thought good by so convenient a messenger to give you notice lest you should think I died in obsenrity, as the brethren vainly intended I shoukl .- As for Ratcliffe he was comforted by their lordships, with the cropping of Mr. Winthrop's ears, which shews what opinion is held amongst them of King Winthrop with all his inventions and his Amsterdam and fantastical ordinances, his preachings, marriages and other abusive ceremonies which exemplify his detestation of the Church of England and contempt of his Majesty's authority and wholsome laws. I rest your loving friend,"
" THOMAS MORTON."
"May 1, 1634."-Hutch. His., Vol. I., p. 31.
3
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in England. It appears by the laws of the Massachusetts Colony that Irish emigration was forbidden.1
The tide of emigration to New England had now commenced. They soon found Boston was the most convenient for shipping and for trade, consequently the land upon that peninsular was quickly taken up. In the year 1634, what was then called Mount Wollaston, comprising fifty square miles of territory, was annexed to Boston, as will be seen by the following order of the General Court :- "The Court hath ordered that Boston shall have convenient enlargement at Mount Wollaston, to be set out by four indifferent men, who shall draw a plot thereof and pre- sent it to the next General Court, when it shall be confirmed."2
On the twenty-fifth day of September it was "Ordered, that Boston have enlargement at Mount Wollaston and Rumney Marsh." It will also be seen that by order of the Court that large tracts of land were given to certain inhabitants of Boston to come to the Mount and settle ; quite a number of those who re- ceived grants of land here did not come to Braintree3 to reside, but continued to be domiciled in Boston, and held the land here as a matter of speculation.
The first step was to give their pastor, the first minister of
1. Which was owing, probably, more to their religious views than their na- tionality. "Oct. 19, 1652. Mr. Daniel Sellake, craving pardon for his offence in bringing some of the Irishmen on shore, hath his fine remitted, so as the first opportunity be taken to send them out of this jurisdiction. The said Mr. Sellake, on his request, hath liberty for the bringing another Irishman on shorre, to endeavour his recovery, provided he give bond to send him out of this ju- risdiction when he is well."-Record of Mass., Vol. III., p. 291.
"Oct. 23, 1652. Martha Brenton desireinge an Irish boy and girle about the age of 12 years, for servants, hath her request grannted, so as the parties are proved before two magistrates to be born of English parents."-Records of Mass., Vol. III., p. 294. Sed quere, How Irish if born of English parents'?
2. Rec. City of Boston, Vol. I., pp. 4 and 5.
3. Mr. Adams in his admirable address on the opening of the Town Hall in Braintree, July 29th, 1858, gives the following derivation of the name of Brain- tree :- " This name is variously written in ancient records. In the Domesday Survey, it appears as Branchetren, which is said to be Saxon, and to mean a town near a river. In this particular the New England namesake is placed appropriately enough. Much more so, indeed, than the County in which it is situated. For here Norfolk is south of Suffolk. Other ancient designations of the town are Branketre, Branchetrefen, Branctoe, Brantree, Bromptre."
r
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Boston, a plantation, and, " It was ordered that Mr. Wilson the Pastor (in lieu of his land granted him at the North River by Mystic, which he shall pass over to the town of Boston) shall have as much land at the Mount Wollaston as he elects; and after, so much as shall be his portion of other lands be- longing to this town ; to be laid him out so near his other land at Mount Wollaston, as may be for his most convenieney."
On the fourteenth of December, 1635, we find the following : " It is agreed by general consent that Mr. W. Colburne, Mr. W. Aspinwall, Mr. J. Sampford, W. Balstone and Richard Wright shall in behalf of the town, go and take view at Mount Wollas- ton, and bound out there what may be sufficient for Mr. William Coddington and Edmund Quincy to have for their particular farms there ; and accordingly as they five or four of them shall agree upon to stand, and the same to be entered in this book."
Immediately after this comes the following :- " Item, it is agreed that all the allotments at Mount Wollaston shall be set out by Mr. Coddington, William Colburne, William Aspinwall, Edmund Quiney and Richard Wright, or some four of them ; and that every allotment shall have a convenient proportion of meadow thereunto, according to their number of cattle that have the same."1
Many grants contained from two to five hundred acres such as those given to Coddington, Wilson, Quincy, Hutchinson and Wheelwright. John Winthrop, Jr., and others, in 1644, re- ceived a grant of three thousand acres for the encouragement of iron works.
The town of Braintree was incorporated? on the thirteenth
1. Rcc. City of Boston, Vol. 1., p. 59.
2. "The petition of the inhabitants of Mount Wollaston was voted and granted them to bee a town according to the agreement with Boston; pro- vided, that if they fulfill not the Covenant made with Boston, & hearto affixed, it shabee in the power of Boston to recover their due by action against the said inhabitants, or any of them, and the town is to be called Braintree. May 13, 1640."-Mass. Rec., Vol. I., p. 291.
The following is the Covenant, as agreed upon between Boston and the in- habitants of Braintree :
"It was agreed with our neighbors of Mount Wollaston, vid:, William Cheesbrooke. Alexander Winchester, Rich: Wright, James Penniman, i. c. in
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of May, 1640 (old style).1 It comprised the tract of land now ineluded within the bounds of the towns of Quincy, Braintree, Randolph and Holbrook. The principal settlement and busi- ness centre, of the town for the first half century from its incorportion, was in the North Precinct, i. e., what is now the town of Quincy ; the present town of Braintree constituted the middle and Randolph and Holbrook the South Precinct.
the name of the rest, (for whom they undertooke, ) that they should give to Bos- ton 4 shs. the acre for 2 acr of the 7 ac formerly granted to divers m of Boston upon expectation that they should have continued still with us, and 3s the ac for every acre which hath bene or shallbee granted to any other who are not inhab- itants of Boston, & that, in consideration hereof, & after the said potions of money shallbee paid to the towne treasurer, all the said lands shallbee free from any town rates or charges to Boston; & upon the tearms, & also from all County rates assessed with Boston, but to be rated by the Court by its selfe; provided, that this order shall not extend to any more or other lands than such as shall make payment of the said rates so agreed upon of 4s & 3s the ac; and upon the former consideration there is granted to the Mount all that Rockye ground lying between the Fresh Brook & Mr. Coddington brooke, adjoyning to Mr. Houghs farme, & from the West Corner of that farme to the southmost corner of Mr. Hutchinson's farme, to be reserved & used in common for- ever by the inhabitants & landholers there, together, with an other parcell of rockie ground near to the Knights Neek, which was left out of the third Company of lots, excepting all such ground lying among or near these said Rockye grounds, formerly granted in lots to particular persons .- Mass. Rec., Vol. I., p. 291.
1. "Before 1752 the year was, by the legal method of computation, held to begin on the 25th of March, Lady-day or Anunciation, so called, from the notion entertained by the Church that the event recorded in the Gospel of Luke 1: 26 -- 38, occurred on that day. The general practice of England had, indeed, several years earlier conformed to that of the rest of Christendom, in making the first of January new-year's day; and the law at last followed the popular wisdom, as usual in the correction. It is of more importance, however, to re- mark, that, in reckoning the months, March was called the first, February the twelfth, September, October, November and December then having, consistent with their Latin entymology, the numerical rank which is now lost. Yet it is still more important to be noticed, that a very dangerous diversity existed, in styling the year by its old numerical until the 25th March, or giving it the new designation from the beginning of that month." Another fact, that should be borne in mind, is the difference of the two styles, by which dates are reckoned, which may cause a discrepancy of ten or eleven days. Up to 1582, the old style prevailed, but in that year, Pope Gregory XIII introdneed the new system, by striking ten days out of the almanac of that year, calling the fifth the fifteenth of October, 1582, thus connecting the long accumulated errors of the old method. The new style was not adopted in Great Britain and its Colonies until 1752.
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Although incorporated in 1640, the town did not then get con- trol of all the land within its bounds, as appears by the following votes : - 1 " March 4th, 1642. At a generale Towne's meeting upon lawfull warning, it is ordered, that the residue of the Towne's lands, not yet disposed of, excepting those that are lay'd out for Commons, at Boston, Braintry and Muddy River shall be divided amongst the present inhabitants." It also appears by the records that some of the Common was sold for the benefit of Rev. Henry Flint, the clergyman :- " July 29th, 1644. The land within the common fence at Braintry, neere Knight's Necke, belonging to Boston, is hereby sold unto - Matson, James Penniman, Moses Payne, Francis Elliot, for 5s. per acre, be it more or lesse, to be paid in corne or cattle within one month, unto the hands of Henry Flint, of Braintry, for his own use, on consideration of his late great losse, through the hand of God's Providence, by fire."
The South Precinct of the old town of Braintree was ineor- porated into a town on the ninth of March, 1793, and called Randolph.
The people of Braintree seem to have had a desire for all the land that they could get hold of, for in 1666, they sent a peti- tion to the General Court, asking for a new plantation of six thousand acres.2 The General Court saw fit to grant their
1. Ree. City of Boston, Vol. I., pp. 59 and 71.
2. At this early period (1666) the people came short of land, for the reason that much of the best and most available arable surface was held by non-resi- dents and citizens of Boston as a matter of speculation, and by others in large farms, that it was a rouree of great inconvenience to the permanent inhabitants of the town, as they, in their poverty, were not able to pay the high rents asked of them by the non-residents ; which deprived them of having sufficient land for carrying on their agricultural pursuits to any advantage, therefore they were obliged to petition the General Court for more land.
"To the Honorable General Court now Assembled. The Humble Petitioners of the inhabitants of the town of Braintree Humbly Sheweth.
"That your Petitioners account it our duty, being therennto moved from the necessity that lyeth upon the inhabitants of the Town already, although it is our grief that we are constrained to be troublesome, to make our application to this Honorable Court for some help and relief for our comfortable accommodation in point of Lands, in this respect the Township is very poor; and never having any land granted them free, exeept some five or six of the ancient inhabitants now dwelling there, nor Commonage but what they have purchased, which is not
=
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EARLY SETTLEMENT AND INCORPORATION.
1
petition, for on the tenth of October, they passed the fol- lowing vote : "In answer of the inhabitants of Braintry, the Court on consideration of the reason therein expressed judge meet to grant unto them six thousand acres of land, in some place, limited to one place, not prejudicing any plantation or particular grant." They selected a tract of land laying between Braintree and Plymouth but the General Court would not let them have this :
" 31 May, 1670. In answer to the petition of Braintry, sub- scribed by their Selectmen, humbly desiring this Court's favor to confirm unto them their six thousand acres, granted to them for their engagement, in a place they have found lying between
two thousand acres, and that is very poor and barren land, the rest of that little portion of land which the inhabitants have obtained by purchase, and the town consisting of a considerable number of inhabitants and still multiplying, are already much straightened, as a great part of the Town being in farms, which consist of the best Lands, with many small lotts also which belong to Gentlemen and friends of other Towns, which several of our inhabitants are inforced by their wants to hire of them at dear rates, they having not any lands to give out, neither for theit enlargement of Tillage, although that little land which they have is much worn out, nor yet to pasture upon for the Summer time those cattle which they must be necessitated to raise and keep. The consideration of these things, herein presented, in respect of their present necessity, as also the Court's readiness to afford their help and grant relief to others, whomsoever which we are apt to conceive their streights could be greater than ours be, doth embolden us Humbly to request and entreat the Honorable Court to take our case into their serions consideration, and if it may stand with your pleasure to grant unto ns a quantity of six thousand acres of land in some place so as may be a relief to the inhabitants of the Town, which we hope will be according to God and no detriment to any other Township, and your Petitioners, as in duty bound, shall always pray."
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