USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > History of shipbuilding on North river, Plymouth county, Massachusetts, with genealogies of the shipbuilders, and accounts of the industries upon its tributaries, 1640 to 1872 > Part 20
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The only occasion of which we know that our little towns were honored by a visit from a man who was ever President of the United States, with the exception of President Arthur's visit to the Webster place, was in 1841, when the Hon. John Quincy Adams, then in Congress, came, by invitation of the ship-builders, to visit Hanover, Scituate, Pembroke, and Marsh- field, and the mouth of North River, to obtain certain facts and data that might be of service to him in his efforts to induce Congress to appropriate a sum of money for the purpose of cutting through the bar, or, better still, to make a new mouth by cutting through the beach, where the high tides now often connect the river with the ocean far above its natural mouth. It is needless to say that all efforts in this direction have failed, and as commerce demanded larger vessels, and lumber became scarce, ship-building here was abandoned. Had the govern- ment carried out the plans of our old ship-builders, and legis- lated in favor of home commerce, North River would to-day have been lined with ship-yards, as it was eighty, yes, fifty years ago. The only written account found of Mr. Adams' visit, and what was done throughout the day, is in the diary of Luther Briggs, the architect, now living and doing business in Boston, son of the ship-builder. The following is a copy of all he has written under the date of-
"Thursday, October 28th, 1841. Fair. To-day was the day ap- pointed for the Hon. John Quincy Adams, and others interested, to go down to the Scituate shore and examine the place where it is pro- posed to open a new channel for the North River, between the third and fourth cliff's (so called). Accordingly, father and Capt. Parris (who used to live where Mr. Nath'] Smith now resides, in Pem- broke), started for Marshfield in our chaise at half-past seven, A.M., and at eight o'clock I got into a carriage with Mr. A. Briggs, Jr., and we proceeded to the house of Mr. Luther Rogers (father of Clift Rogers, in Marshfield), having overtaken father and the cap- tain, and rode in company for the last few hours. We waited at Mr. Rogers' for a few minutes. when Mr. Adams and the commit- tee came along, moving from the house of Daniel Phillips, Esq. After some little delay we proceeded to Little's Bridge, where the company embarked for the beach. I, however, drove father's chaise to the ferry, and put up the horse in Capt. Luke Hall's barn, then went across the river and walked up to the Cliff, arriving at the same
199
VISIT OF HION. JOHN QUINCY ADAMS.
time the company did who sailed from the bridge. Walked about the beach for an hour or two, and then re-crossed to the ferry. Soon after, started for home with Cousin Alden. Got home at two, P.M. Found Sarah Turner at home. Stayed at home in afternoon. In evening, husked ; also called at Mr. Estes'.
P. S .- When I came away from the ferry, Mr. Adams and the others had gone down in a boat to view the present mouth of the river. I understood the arrangement was for them to return to Mr. Rogers' to dinner, and at three to enter the Episcopal Church (Marshfield), where Mr. Adams will be introduced to the citizens generally, and make some remarks."
Luther Briggs adds, that the nearest they ever got to having a channel cut through the bar at the river's mouth, was when Luther Rogers, in explaining the plan (which Luther Briggs had taken great pride in drawing at that early age,) to Mr. Adams and the company at his house in Marshfield, he kept drawing his thumb-nail back and forth where the channel was to be ent, until finally it went through the paper. This was a sad sight for Mr. Briggs. He also adds that Mr. Adams did not speak upon the question of a cutting through the bar, as it was anticipated he would do when he went to the church, but branched right off into politics, much to the disappointment of those present. There was no ship-building carried on at the Brick-kilns after 1850. The "Catharine," in 1848, was proba- bly the last vessel built there.
Plans were made, however, in 1850, for a Horse-boat, as it was called. This was a side-wheeler, to be run by a horse- power tread-mill. A plan of the boat is here given ; also copies of the old papers relative to it :
64.ft.
1
a
JL
b
12 ft.
6ft:8/2
=
-
-
4
-
oft.
26.7
× 3.3 × 6×7
--
01
200
HORSE-BOAT FOR NORTH RIVER.
" DR SIR,-I have been to Hallowell and measured a horse-boat, which is sufficient for all the business done in crossing the river. Heavy teams are ferried across, without the least difficulty, with two horses-one on each side-the boat is 64 feet long & 12 feet wide- it swells above the hull what is called guard, as above in sketch to 21 feet in the centre or amidships-to the centre of the platform a it is 26 ft 7 from end b, this platform is framed by arms as you see all under deck, and the horses stand in stalls on the guards one facing one end of boat and the other the other end ; three feet & three inches from the centre on a circle are cogs which match into a pinion hori- zontally ; the shaft 6 ft. S inches long with a pinion c which match into coupling gear on the main shaft. The wheels are six feet diam- . eter. By means of a lever at d the man readily changes the coupling and backs or goes ahead without stopping the horses- ' coupling gear' is so well understood I do not need to explain it. Perhaps friction rollers are used under the. platform. I should think it best but I did not examine or think to enquire. From deck to floor the hold is three feet 8 inches deep - bottom flat and steered at either end by a long oar easily unshipped. The boat is not turned around but goes as well one way as another. I went across in her to see how she went-one horse the man told me had been in the 'mill' ten years. You see by the construction you get 64x12 clear deck which will hold a great deal-and no danger of a blow up or a mel- ancholy disaster. Many things you of course will readily under- stand such as scuttles over gearing to oil machinery & manner of putting on paddles to finish wheel & size of pinions & shafts. I did not think it worth while to send such things - as you wished the measure of the boat and not a full description of machinery and mode of working. I hope I have given you all the information you want, if not I will do so if you will let me know what you do want further."
" PEMBROKE, May 10th 1850.
The subscribers desireous of building a Tow Boat to be propelled by Horse power for the purpose of collecting & transporting sea manure from the vicinity of the mouth of North River & for bring- ing freight from the Packets from White's Ferry to all the landings as far up River as North River Bridge-agree to take the number of shares placed against our names.
The whole expense is estimated at Two hundred & fifty dollars & it is proposed to divide it into twenty-five shares at Ten dollars pr. share.
NAMES.
Alex' Parris James H. Whitman John Cushing
NO. OF SHARES.
I
I
.
Robert Sylvester I
201
HORSE-BOAT FOR NORTH RIVER.
George H. Wetherbee I Capt. Luther Rodgers Solomon Little I
Thatch. Magoun Esqr.
123
Remember that i have seen Mr. Thacher Magoun in Medford at his Ship yard this day Monday May 20th 1850 he agreed to take five or ten shares in the Scow that i am going to build and to call on him for the Cash at any time.
Remember i saw Mr. Magoun this Day at his (Barker Turner) house June 21, 1850 and he agreed to take ten shares in Boat."
I have been unable to find that the boat ever existed, except on paper. Thus ends the history of the Brick-kiln Yard, and the last ship-building in Pembroke.
CHAPTER XII. ROGERS' YARDS. - 1790-ISI9.
GRAVELLY BEACH - DOGGETT'S FERRY.
ISRAEL ROGERS, AMOS ROGERS, JOSEPH ROGERS, ASA ROGERS, ASA ROGERS, JR., SAMUEL ROGERS, THOMAS ROGERS, THOMAS ROGERS, JR., NATHANIEL ROGERS, JR., PELEG ROGERS, PELEG ROGERS, JR., LUTHIER ROGERS.
TT has been almost impossible to locate the different members of the Rogers family and their yards. None of the family, apparently, have been interested enough heretofore in their genealogy to look it up to any extent, and only by the most diligent examination of family records have the following facts been ascertained, as the names of the early members of the fam- ily scarcely appear on the town records. There were two yards, - one at Gravelly Beach, Marshfield, just below the present residence of Benjamin White, near where the saw-pit is now visible ; the other was located where the present abut- ment of Little's Bridge rests on the Marshfield bank of North River. Peleg, Luther, and possibly Nathaniel, Jr., and Thomas Jr., built at the latter yard, but nearly if not quite all of the other ship-building members of this family built at Gravelly Beach, and all worked, at various periods, in nearly every yard on the river. The Rogers were skilled ship-carpenters, and if any one wanted a ship built on honor, a Rogers was his man. The following is a genealogy of the Rogers family, as complete as it has been possible to make it with the material now in exist- ence. There is a tradition in the family that John Rogers and Rev. Mr. Witherell, who came into Scituate at the same time, were both related to John Rogers, the martyr, John being a
203
ROGERS GENEALOGY.
grandson ; but this tradition needs verification before being accepted as correct.
Timothy Rogers was among the first of that name we find in Marshfield. He was b. 1690, and mar. Lydia, dau. of Israel Hatch, of "Two Mile." She was b. 1699. Their son Israel, b. 1722, was a ship-builder. He mar. Bethiah, dau. of Samuel and Rebecca (Howland) Thomas, Dec. 31, 1747, and they took up their abode near Gravelly Beach, in the third house from the river. Their children were: 1. Israel, b. Feb. 2, 1748-9 ; mar. Hannah Rogers. 2. Nathaniel, b. Sept. 1, 1750 ; mar. Bethiah Clift. 3. Thomas, b. June 8, 1752. 4. Asa, b. May 15, 1754. 5. Abijah, b. June 24, 1756. 6. Araunah, b. Nov. 5, 1758 ; mar. Deborah Davis. 7. Bethiah, b. Feb. 24, 1761 ; mar. Anthony E. Hlatch. 8. Howland, b. Sept. 3, 1763 ; mar. Hannah Davis. 9. Rebekah, b. Dec. 3, 1766; mar. Ichabod Hatch in 1794. 10. Samuel, b. April 27, 1769. 11. Mercy, b. Nov. 11, 1772 ; mar. Ichabod Hatch in 1830.
Thomas Rogers Sr., (3) b. 1752, son of Is- rael ; mar., Aug. 14, 1781, Agatha (or Eggatha), dau. of "Miller Ben" Hatch, whose thirteen sons and daughters were ancestors of many of the present Rogers and Hatch fam- ilies. Thomas Rogers built in Cohasset as late as 1819, in which year he built there the sch. "Young James," 66 tons burthen, for James Collier and Abraham Hall. Eggatha, wife of Thomas, was b. June 14, 1762. Thomas built a house, which he occupied, on Cornhill avenue, near Mrs. Hannah Baker's. It was burned several years ago. He had children :
Pegos ação the ship-build- er, b. July 18, 1. Thomas 1782; mar., Sept. 15, 1803, Lavinia Soule, who was b. Jan. 21, 1784. By her he had one dau., JJane S., b. May 15, 1804, who mar. Dea. Hiram Oakman, and is now living, the venerable mother of Col. Hiram A. Oakman, HI. P. Oakman of Neponset, Otis B. and Nathan S. Oakman of North Hanover (who mar. two Brooks sisters), and Mrs. Henry Abiel Turner of Norwell. Thomas' first wife d. May 19, 1805, and he mar., 2nd, Mary (or Polly) Clift, Nov. 28, 1806. She was b. Nov. 14, 1787. By her he had four daughters : Judith C.,
204
ROGERS GENEALOGY.
b. Feb. 23, 1820, who mar. Adia P. Wilde, and left one or more descendants. Mary A., b. July 17, 1822. Lavinia, h. Aug. 9, 1825 ; mar. John L. Clapp. They have one child, Elton B. Clapp, now living in East Marshfield. Bethiah O., the youngest child of Thomas and Mary Rogers, b. April 29, 1827, is now living in East Marshfield, unmarried. 2. MAR- TIN, b. April 13, 1784; mar. Sarah Grinnell of Belfast, Me. 3. PHILLIPS, b. March 14, 1787, a ship-carpenter ; mar. Judith Smith, of Duxbury, and removed to Medford. 4. AGATHA, b). July 25, 1795 ; mar. Nathan Williamson. 5. HOWLAND, b. Jan. 18, 1797, a ship-carpenter ; mar. Philenda, dau. of Capt. Nathaniel Clift. He succeeded to his father's estate, but after- ward sold it, and lived upon his wife's place on Clift, now Spring street, Marshfield. He had four children : 1. Wales Allen, who mar. Sarah A., dan. of Capt. Wales Tilden. 2. George Howland, who mar. Eunice Ann, dau. of Abijah Rogers ; and they had one son, George Calvin, who mar. Eve- line, dau. of Edwin Curtis, and now lives in East Marshfield. 3. Nathaniel Clift ; and 4, Philenda Adeline. 6. WARREN, b. Oct. 9, 1804 ; mar., and removed to Lynn, Mass., where he has one son, Henry Warren, who is mar., and has two sons and one daughter.
Asa Rogers (4), the ship-builder, b. 1754, the fourth child of Israel, the pioneer ship-builder, mar., Dec. 13, 1781, Abiah, dau. of Edward Oakman, and lived on Cornhill avenue, where some of their grandchildren now reside. They had ten chil- dren : 1. ABIAII, b. Sept. 7, 1783. 2. SARAH, b. Nov. 9, 1785 ; mar. a Mr. Pratt of Boston. 3. ASA, JR., b. June 21, 1787 ; d. 1851. He mar. Ruth, dau. of Zaccheus and Ruth (Oakman) Rogers, and succeeded to the homestead ; and had the following ten children, most of whom settled in Marshfield : Ruth L., b. Aug. 5, 1813 ; d. Jan. 2, 1818. Martha, b. Nov. 22, 1815 ; mar., 1st, a Mr. Studley ; 2nd, a Mr. Day. Be- thiah, b. Aug. 25, 1817 ; mar. N. J. Damon. Ruth L., the second, b. Dec. 6, 1818 ; unmarried. Augusta, b. Sept. 28, 1820 ; mar. Edwin Curtis. Lonisa Forbes, b. May 18, 1823 ; unmarried. William, b. Jan. 21, 1825 ; unmarried. Edwin Thomas, b. Oct. 1, 1826 ; mar. Almaria Covell. Ann Caro- line, b. July 27, 1829 ; mar. James Lambert. Mercy, b. Feb. 3, 1831 ; d. Feb. 20, 1834. 4. TEMPERANCE, the fourth child of Asa, Sr., the ship-builder, b. Oct. 12, 1788 ; d. in Malden, unmarried. 5. AMos, b. Feb. 24, 1791 ; mar. and had sons :
205.
ROGERS GENEALOGY.
John, who went to Warren, Me., and Josephus, a ship-builder of Bath, Me., where his children and grandchildren have suc- ceeded to the business. 6. BETHIAH, b. May 25, 1792; mar. Wm. Smith, who kept the well known "Half-Way House " at West Scituate (now Norwell), on the road from Plymouth to Boston. They removed to Bedford. 7. ALICE, b. Sept. 19, 1793 ; mar. a Mr. Turner, of Boston, and had a son, Henry, with whom she lived in Malden after the death of her husband. 8. EDWARD, and 9. HENRY, twins, b. Aug. 23, 1796. Edward resided at South Boston, where he was at one time in partner- ship with his brother Henry, who was a master ship-builder at South Boston and at Medford. Henry was also for some time Quartermaster in the Charlestown Navy Yard. 10. THOMAS, b. July 21, 1802 ; mar., in 1826, Jane, dan. of Elisha Tilden, and removed to Medford, where they died, leaving three daugh- ters, who have descendants.
Samuel (10), who built at Gravelly Beach, and lived where Benjamin White now resides, was b. 1769, the tenth child of Israel. He mar. Mary Rogers, who was b. May 3, 1772. He d. Aug. 2, 1832 ; she d. Feb. 20, 1812. They had six chil- dren : 1. RACHEL CLIFT, b. Feb. 8, 1784. 2. MARIA, b. Jan. 23, 1800. 3. ALFRED, b. Sept. 1, 1803, who has two sons residing in Boston : 1. Samuel, who mar., and has a son Wil- liam F. 2. William A., who mar., and has two daughters, Hattie B., and Grace. 4. ZADOC, b, March 23, 1810. 5. SAM- TEL, JR., b. Feb. 5, 1814 ; d. Aug. 12, 1817. 6. RACHEL W., 1. June 12, 1818 ; d. Dec. 20, 1853.
Of the Little Bridge family, Peleg Rogers mar. Hannah Stevens in 1754, and had several children. Among them was Peleg Rogers, Jr., the ship-builder, who mar. Jemima Eames in 1784. They had children : 1. Peleg, b. 1785. 2. Jede- diah, b. 1788. (3. Isaac, who mar. Hannah Ford, and resided at the homestead, near Little's Bridge?) 4. Nathan, b. 1793; d. young. 5. Salome, b. 1794; d. 1882, unmarried. 6. Arthur, b. 1798, a ship-carpenter ; mar. Sarah F. Lapham, and d. at East Marshfield, leaving descendants. 7. Isaiah, b. 1800 ; mar. Emily Tobey. He was a somewhat noted architect in New York. He came into possession of the old homestead, and sold it to its present owner, Amos F. Damon. 8. Laura, b. 1802; mar. Thaddeus Wheeler. 9. Jotham ; mar. Louisa Bowker, of Bowker street, South Scituate. 10. Alden, b.
206
VESSELS BUILT BY AMOS ROGERS.
1807 ; mar. Adeline Humphrey, and resided at Seaview, Marsh- field. He had quite a large family. One daughter mar. Amos F. Damon. 11. Susan D., mar. Isaac Ewell, and resides in Medford. 12. Amos ; was killed by an accident in New York City, soon after his marriage, while working with his brother Isaiah.
Peleg and Hannah Stevens Rogers had a son Nathaniel, b. Ang. 6, 1757, (who mar. Hannah Ford, of Duxbury?). He lived " up the hill," in the house next south of Isaac Rogers.
Samuel, Jr., and Experience (Thomas) Rogers had a son, Simeon, b. 1737, who mar. Mary Clift ; by her he had a son, Luther, b. Aug. 21, 1778, who became a master ship-builder. Luther mar., in 1802, Abigail L. Tilden, and lived in a large house, on a corner, at East Marshfield village, which he built for a hotel. It is now owned by his son, Alvin, who resides in Quincy. Of his other sons, Clift mar. a Quincy lady, where he was in the tannery business for many years. He now re- sides in East Marshfield ; no children. Wales was a black- smith in East Marshfield, until succeeded by his son, Mar- cellus W. He has one other son, James L., and four daughters, all married. Avery resides in East Marshfield, and has a son, Alfred, in South Boston. Luther, Jr., was a merchant at East Marshfield for many years. He mar. Lydia Clift, and they have had children : John L., b. 1836. Henry C., b. 1839 (who write their name " Rodgers," and both of whom are mem- bers of the well known leather firm in Boston). Herbert, b. 1845 ; resides in Quincy, and does business in Boston. Mary L., b. 1850 ; is married.
built in Marshfield, as early as 1792, Amos Ropers the sch. "PERSIS," 90 tons, of Marshfield ; Amos Rogers, owner. He built, in 1794, the sch. " NEP- TUNE," 114 tons, of Marshfield ; Amos Rogers, owner. In 1796, he built the sch. "SALLY," 96 tons, for Thomas Lewis, Sr. and Jr., and Joshua Ellis of Boston. The last vessel registered as having been built by him was in 1798, the sch. "CONCLU- SION," 109 tons, of Boston, afterward of Castine, Me. ; Amos Rogers, builder, of Marshfield.
PRINCE HATCH built in Marshfield in 1801, at Capt. Joseph Hunt's ship-yard, which was probably located on the South
SCITUATE
DEMBROKE
RIVER . 5'% RODS
OAKMANNS FERRY
HOUSE
RIVER . 3 . RODS WIDE HERE
SITUATE
· MEETING HOUSE.
A.D. 1794
BAPTIST
HOUSE
DVIJEW
+WILLIAMSONS FOOT
BRIDGE .
ONTH
MARSHFIELD
· EDISCODALI C.
MARSHFIELD
LITTLE.ISLAND
MORTIF. R.
GREENS-1.
800
RIVER
NORTH. RIVER.
BEACH . .
500
RIVER
RUDIWIDE
PHE TREE
SOUTH
NIVER G
SALT MARSH"
BEASIT
RIVER MOUTH
400
SEACITY
200
. 200.RODS.TO. AY. ICH.
0,00500
MORTH
RIVER 18 RODS
WIDE . PELEG
RODGERS
TILDENS ORCHAR!
DUXBURY
GREEN HARBOUR BRIDGE
3%
DUCK ttiLL
MARSHFIELD NEC
DUXBURY SALT MARSH"
N HARE JUR R
BLUE.
IL FISH. COVERD.
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CORNER . HERE
DUXBURY. E . PEMBROKE
GREENS. HANBOUR
HEWIT' ISLAND
SOACHOSETTO
HAVE ONE ENTRANCE MOUTH. THEY BOTH YORTHE SOUTH. RIVERS
MARSHFIELD
MEETING
NORTHR ..
MAP OF MARSHFIELD, A.D. 1794.
SCITUATE
50 RUDS WIDE
207
VESSELS BUILT BY JOSEPH ROGERS.
River, a schooner for Gorham Lovell of Yarmouth, and Zenas Gage and Abner W. Lovell of Barnstable.
Joseph Roger
a Quaker, built in
Marshfield, in 1794, the brig " SISTERS," 83 tons, of Boston. In 1795, the sch. "BETSEY," 121 tons, owned by Samuel Truant, Joseph and James Rogers, at Marshfield ; also in 1795, the sch. "ELIZA," 106 tons, of Boston. Probably foundered at sea in 1807. Sheffield, in his book on "Commerce," pub- lished in 1783, says that " In New England, ship-builders build many vessels for sale; most of them are bought in Great Britain." He says that an English contractor paid in New England " £75 sterling for a mast of 33 in. diameter." In some old newspapers are found the following items of interest to Marshfield people. From the New England Weekly Journal :
" On or about the 23d of February, 1728, Capt. Bass, in a fine large ship belonging to Boston, coming from the Bay of Honduras, run ashore on or near Marshfield Beach, and is not likely to be got off, though most of the cargo will be saved."
From the Massachusetts Gazette and Boston Weekly News- Letter :
" On Wednesday last," (Thursday, April 10, 1766,) " the Rev. Mr. Wil- liam Shaw was ordained to the Pastoral care of the Church at Mansfield (or Marshfield)."
" Last Sunday " (Thursday, Nov. 22, 1770,) " was married, at the church in Marshfield, by the Rev. Mr. Thompson, Pelham Winslow, Esq., of Ply- mouth, Barrister-at-Law, and eldest son of the Hon. Gen. Winslow, of Marshfield, to Miss Joanna White of that town ; a lady possessed of vir- tues and accomplishments which tend to render marriage not only agreea- ble but honorable."
From Boston Evening Post, July 20, 1772 :
" Died, at Marshfield, John Gooch, Esq., late of this town (Boston)."
From Boston Evening Post, Dec. 7, 1772 :
" Died, at Marshfield, Mrs. Mary Winslow, consort of the Hon. Gen. Winslow."
From Boston Gazette & Country Journal.
" April 25, 1774, Died at Scituate, Gen. Winslow."
Martin Rogers, one of the old ship carpenters, boarded at one time with a Mr. Phillips. The sameness of the table made
208
VESSELS BUILT BY ASA ROGERS.
them wish for a change, so one day when Mr. Phillips invited Mr. Rogers to ask the blessing at the table he said, "Dear Lord, by the means of beef and beans are our lives preserved. We thank God we are not starved." Israel Rogers built many vessels at Gravelly Beach prior to 1790.
son of Israel, built at. Gravelly Beach from 1794 until 1803 and possibly later. He built in 1794 the
sch.
" FEDERAL
GEORGE," 103 tons, of Marshfield. Isaac Winslow, owner. During the six months ending July 27, 1796, he built the snow " PACIFIC TRADER," 141 tons, for Martin Bicker & Son of Boston. She had two decks, three masts, was 53 ft. long, 21 ft. broad, and 10 ft. deep. A snow was a vessel equipped with two or three masts resembling a main and foremast of a ship and three small masts ahaft the mainmast carrying a trysail. They were much used in the merchant service during the Revolution. There was built at Gravelly Beach by Asa Rogers in 1796 the sch. "THREE FRIENDS," 32 tons, Joseph Hunt of Marshfield, owner, and in 1798 the sch. "LUCY," 39 tons, Jesse Dunbar and Asa Vinal of Scituate, owners. In 1799 the sch. "CAM- ERON," 98 tons, of Boston, was built at Marshfield by Asa
Rogers, shipbuilder. In 1801 he built the sch. "FOUR FRIENDS," 75 tons of Plymouth. The last vessel we have found recorded as having been built by him was one he built in Seitnate, but at what yard is not known. This was in 1803 the sch. "MORNING STAR," 82 tons. Owners, Jesse Dunbar, Asa Vinal and Eli Curtis of Scituate. Built at Scituate, Asa Rogers M. C. In 1799 he built his second schooner named " Federal George," 86 tons, for George Keith, Jr., of Marshfield. This vessel he built at "Keith's Building Yard," on South River. He used to walk to Boston after setting his men to work in the yard and walk back in time to discharge them at night. He has also been known to walk to Medford Saturday night and leaving there Monday morning arrive in Marshfield in time to go into the yard with the men ; and the ship carpenters began work soon after sun rise, in those days. Asa's son Edwin T. Rogers, ( who has furnished the author much information and is now living at Marshfield Two-Mile,) used to say he wished he could live to see the day that there would be no shipbuilding on
209
ROGERS YARD.
North River. His reasons were because he had to take his father's dinners across the meadow where the water was some- times nearly up to his waist and in the winter the snow was very deep and often slushy. Edwin T. Rogers was a ship carpenter for many years. There is a tradition in the Rogers family that Asa, Jr., with Amos and possibly Samuel, built at Gravelly Beach the "Hornet," the war vessel which became celebrated during our last war with England. Tradition also says that this vessel was lost during the Mexican war, being sunk by the enemy, and that William Henry Rogers, a past mid- shipman, swam five miles to land. Instead of the U. S. man-of- war, "Hornet," the vessel built here was undoubtedly a priva- teer of the same name.
Benj. Rogers, who was either agent or captain of the sloop " Albion," in 1823, was brother of Isaiah and lived in Marsh- field where Clifford Rogers, his grandson now resides. Stephen Rogers, a Quaker, and a prominent man of his day, lived in the Block-house, Marshfield, where H. W. Nelson, Esq., now resides. Marshfield has always been famous for the fires that have occurred within its borders. The following is found in an early number of the New England Weekly Journal.
"On Wednesday last the 24, current " (May 1727) " two houses were burnt at Marshfield standing several rods distant from one another. It seems that in the house where the fire began a young man had in the after noon of the foregoing day been combing wool, and having occasion to put some coals into his comb-pot, a small one happened to fall into a chink of the floor, which he espying, poured into the place almost a pail of water, and concluding that the fire was utterly extinguished took no further notice of it ; but about two hours before day the woman of the house awaking, perceiving the house to be on fire, she immediately called up her chil- dren, who had not time to dress themselves but were glad to escape with- ont their clothes. There was an aged man in the house (the woman's father) whom they had much ado to get out. The substance of what was saved ont of the flames was a few beds and some pewter."
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