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 26
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Luther Tilden, son of Samuel and brother of Jotham, was b. Jan. 2, 1777, and d. March 6, 1857, aged 80. On his grave- stone in the First Parish Cemetery at Norwell is represented a vessel, with the blocks under her, ready to be launched. He mar., 1st, Philenda Brooks, who d. March, 1837; and 2nd, Sarah S. Benson, July 4, 1841 ; she d. Jan. 13, 1862. By his first wife he had seven children, viz. : 1. PHILENDA, b. March 2, 1802. She mar. a Mr. Bond of Waltham, and had two or three children, of whom, Josephine, mar. a Mr. Bramen of Brooklyn, N. Y. One other, Sarah, mar. a Mr. Foster of Waltham. 2. LUTHER ALBERT, b. June 2, 1804; mar., and had two children : Julia and Charles Albert. (Julia mar. John Turner, and has three children ; Emma, who mar. Charles Til- den of So. Scituate ; Nellie, and John. ) Charles Albert mar. a Miss Glover of W. Scituate. 3. JULIA, b Dec. 30, 1806 ; mar. Capt. James Southworth of Scituate ; she d. 1880. They had five children : Florence (died when two days old ), Edward, Sarah (d. aged two years), Catharine (d. aged two years ), and Caroline. Edward mar., 1st, Eliza Talbot of So. Scituate, and by her had one child, Fannie. His second wife was Hattie E. Hill of Sherborn, and they have had three children : Frank, Stacy, and Alice. Both boys are living. This family now re- side in Quincy, Mass. Caroline mar. Oliver Prouty of So. Scit- uate, and had seven children : Elmer, Edward, JJames, Alvord, Ella, Lottie, and Olive. She moved to New Jersey, and d. about 1884. 4. SARAH, b. April 24, 1809 ; mar. William Turner of
* See Brooks & Tilden Yard.
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TILDEN GENEALOGY.
Scituate, and had four children, viz. : Humphrey, William Franeis, Arabella, and Eudora. Humphrey died lately in the West, where he was the editor of a paper and a prominent man. William Francis mar. a Miss Stoddard of So. Scituate. They had no children. Arabella, mar. Coleman Ford of So. Scituate, and has several children. Eudora, mar. Charles T. Bailey of Scituate, and has several children. 5. WILLIAM PHILLIPS, b. May 9, 1811. He mar. Mary Foster of Seituate, and had sev- eral children, three of whom are now living, viz : Laura, William, and George. Laura mar. Dr. James S. Greene of Fitchburg, and now lives in Milton. They have one son, Jo- seph. William mar. Anna Haynes of Milton, and has two chil- dren, Mary and Cora. George mar. Alice Butler, from the West. Their oldest child, Laura, died when about four years of age. They are now living in Milton, and have three chil- dren : Charlie, Alice, and Edith. William Phillips Tilden is the only surviving child of Luther. He is now living in Milton with a second wife. 6. LUCY BROOKS, b. Aug. 19, 1818 ; mar. Dr. Jarvis Lewis of Waltham, and had one dau., Helen, now living in Waltham. 7. CAROLINE, b. Sept. 4, 1820. She was never mar., and d. at 30 years of age, or less. The author is indebted to the Rev. Wm. P. Tilden for the following enter- taining sketch concerning his early life, and his recollections of the Block-House Yard :
" The neat little one-story house in South Scituate where I was born, seventy-eight years ago, holds its age finely. It is located four or five miles from the sea, but near enough to hear the distant roar of the surf after a storm. The first I remember is being out in the end yard of the house, after a rain which had made lakes and seas of the hollow places, trying to sail the top of a small trunk, torn off and turned over, to look like a vessel in one of these inland seas. It was a perfectly natural thing for me. I was born to it, as a duck to the water. Wasn't my father a ship-carpenter, and hadn't I heard the sea roar, and wasn't I going to build ships and go to sea? It was the prophecy of coming events, though there was no pulpit in the vision, that I remember. My childhood was a happy one. Its memories are very sweet. We were not poor and not rich. Father had a good trade, and plenty of work ; and mother, besides being so precious, was so bright, so good, so buoyant, such an adept at her needle, keeping all the children neat, and trim, and clean. What would the world be without the tender and watchfal care of loving mothers ! When I was seven or eight, my father sold the little place where I was born, and built a larger house on the bank of North River, where for some years he and his brother carried on ship- building together. Sixty years ago, Scituate, Hingham, and Co-
SKETCH OF THE BLOCK-HOUSE YARD BY W. P. TILDEN. 267
hasset carried on the mackerel fishery to a very large extent, giving employment. during the summer season, to a large number of people in Plymouth County. A boy in our region who had never been mackerel fishing was lightly esteemed by his comrades. He was of little account. The summer I was thirteen, I got leave of father and mother to ship with a skipper they well knew. This was the begin- ning of my academical education. Many a boy goes to Exeter to prepare for Cambridge, with less pride and joy, I have no doubt, than I started off on my grand expedition, dressed in my fisherman's suit, every article of which, from my red flannel shirt to my pea- jacket and tarpaulin, was made by my precious mother's hands. For six or seven consecutive summers I continued in this academy, learn- ing some things, as is the case, I suppose, in other seminaries, which had better be forgotten. The summer I was sixteen I was high line, as it was called, beating even the skipper ; packing one hun- dred and thirty-four barrels, I think it was, caught with my own hands. About this time I began to work with my father in the ship- yard, still fishing during the summer months while I was learning my trade. The daily recitations in this, my university course, needed no offset or balance of foot-ball, base ball, boat race, or other gym- nastics, we took all that the natural way. Our broad-axes and mauls were our dumb-bells ; our whip-saws and cross-cuts our vault- ing bars ; and deck beams, drawn up by the creaking stage on our shoulders, were our patent lifts. We worked from sun to sun in those days, often having a steaming forehood to bend after sunset, to use up the summer twilight. But you 'literary fellers,' whose education has been so sadly neglected in these directions, probably don't know what a forehood means ; and even if I should tell you it is a plank to be bent round the bows, set home, buckled to, reined in, wedged hard down, clamped to the timbers, butted and spiked ready for boring and tree-nailing, I doubt even then if I should give you a perfectly clear idea, so difficult it is for scholars trained in different schools to understand each other's terms. The Block-house Yard was not well adapted to building. The ground was mostly springy and wet ; the way to it was through a rocky pasture, with only a cart path, where deep ruts and frequent stones tried the heavy wheels, loaded with timber, and the necks of the patient oxen, which bore the swinging white oak trunks, planks, and knees. Then, when the timber was in the yard, there was not sufficient room for it. Beside this, when the vessel was launched, she had to run directly across the river into the mud on the other side. Souther & Cud- worth's Yard, a half mile up the river, and Foster's, above that, were far better yards ; more spacious, and with a finer chance for a glorious launch up or down a long reach. Still, there were many vessels built at this yard. But the Block-house, though not a No. I ship-yard, was a glorious place for us boy's. Here came noisy and jubilant throngs from Front street, Back street, and all the lanes round about, in the dusk of a summer evening, for a glorious swim
268
BLOCK-HOUSE SHIP-YARD.
and a good time generally ; especially Saturday evenings, when the week's work was over. What schools of human porpoises would roll and tumble in the star-lit stream, preparatory for the clean Sun- day shirt. We used to run a long spring plank out over the end of the wharf, hold down the shore end with a boulder, and running out, give a leap and a dive, and the next you saw was a yellow spot under water, away out, nearly half across the river, with a motion like a frog ; then, breaking the water, he would shake. the beady drops from his head, clear his nose for breathing freely. and continue across, resting on the opposite bank, or making a graceful curve and coming back for another dive. When the frogs began to peep, in the spring of the year, there was fine eeling near the banks up and down the river. We used a pole and line, and a sinker with a worm strung on a thread, called a 'fishworm bob.' What fun it was to pull them out upon the meadow grass, and bag them for breakfast ! We had superb skating in winter, and good fishing through the ice for eels, perch, and the beautiful striped bass. When about twenty- three, I married a noble woman whom I had known and loved from childhood, and we moved to Medford, whose 'Ship street,' now desolate, was alive with ship-building. It was not long after this when, working with my dear ship-carpenter, classmate, and ortho- dox friend, Rev. W. T. Briggs, we discussed, almost fiercely, the high themes of fore-knowledge, free-will, and fate, and I hammered away on the hard side of 'Calvinism.' One day, when I was about twenty-five, while at work in the ship-yard at Medford, I saw my portly pastor coming, looking through his glasses, first one side and then the other, as was his wont going up the broad aisle. I dropped my axe to welcome him, and soon found he had a gospel of hope for me. He had taken counsel, and came to tell me he thought I might -yes, I might - enter the ministry. That spot of ground is still sacred. I have been to it as to the Mecca of my first hope. All signs of the old ship-yard, to a stranger's eye, were gone ; but I knew the old land-marks, and found the spot where I dropped the broad axe to hear the glad tidings that opened to me a new life. I was glad to stand there and feel something of that hour come back to me through the vista of nearly half a century."
Jotham Tilden built here, in 1815, the sch. "NEW SO- PHRONIA," 69 tons, of Scituate ; owned by Cushing and En- sign Otis, Jr., Coleman Jenkins, Elisha Foster, Jr., and Luther Tilden of Scituate. William James, George and David Torrey, and Jotham and Luther Tilden were in company from about this time until later than 1821. The largest vessel recorded as having been built at the Block-house Yard was, in 1815, the ship "MALABAR," 355 tons. She had two deeks, three masts ; length, 102 feet ; depth, 14 feet; breadth, 28 feet ; owned in Boston.
THE BLOCKHOUSE SHIP-YARD. North River.
269
VESSELS BUILT AT THE BLOCK-HOUSE YARD.
George Jarry and David Torrey were the master carpenters. The next year two vessels were built here, viz. : 1816, the sch. " MARY & POLLY," 77 tons, of Chatham ; and the same year, 1816, sch. " ANN ROSINA," 123 tons, of Peters- burg, Va. ; owners, Ebenezer Pope, of Boston, and others. Jotham Tilden was the master carpenter of both these vessels. The " Ann Rosina," it is said, was named after either the cap- tain's or mate's daughter. The captain was Thomas Manches- ter, and the mate Mr. Cudworth. She was used as a Boston and Richmond packet. An old ship-carpenter now living, and in his ninety-first year, remembers having worked on the " Ann Rosina." Is it not wonderful that there is a man now living who can tell you that he worked on this vessel built in 1816? This remarkable man is HARVEY HALL, and the following ac- count of an interview with him may be of interest. He was born June 30, 1799, in East Marshfield, where he has lived the greater part of his life. He married Charlotte Tilden, in 1824, and has quite a progeny. I found him in the orchard of his farm, near East Marshfield village, then in his ninetieth year, in the top of a Baldwin apple-tree, on a ladder, gathering ap- ples. I asked him what he was doing, and he replied, "Gath- ering Baldwins," as he did every year between the 10th and 20th of October, for the old people used to say, in his day, that Baldwins should be gathered at that time of the year. Coming down, he invited me into his home, where he enter- tained me very pleasantly. He entered the ship-yard at the age. of eighteen, under the instruction of Jotham Tilden, at the Block house Yard. The first vessel he worked on was the " Ann Rosina." From here he went to the Navy Yard at Charlestown, where he worked six months. He then went to work tree-nailing or " trunnelling " for Noah Brooks, at South Boston, working on the last ship he built there. Edwin and Harrison O. Briggs succeeded Mr. Brooks in ship-building at this yard, and Mr. Hall tree-nailed nearly all the vessels built by them. He worked in the Magoun & Turner Yard, Charles- town Neck ; also in the following ship-yards in Medford : Fos- ter's, Taylor's, Waterman & Ewell's, Hayden & Cudworth's, and James O. Curtis'. Later, he worked in Samuel Lapham's, Ja- rius Pratt's, and Hugh & Donald McKay's, East Boston ; at John Souther's, at Quincy ; and Nathan Josselyn's, at Quincy Point,
270
VESSEL BUILT AT THE BLOCK-HOUSE YARD.
where he worked on the " Mount Wallaston." He also worked on many vessels built by Cushing Otis Briggs and his brother Henry, in Scituate. He remembers Isaiah Wing's ship, as she lay at Doggett's Bank, during Embargo times, until nearly un- fit for service. He was also an eye-witness of the battle be- tween the "Chesapeake," Capt. Lawrence, and the English frigate "Shannon," off' Cohasset. Here, he says, the action began in earnest, and, after a hard, short fight, the " Chesa- peake " was captured June 1, 1813. When ship-building be- came dull, he retired to his present home in his native town, and is now enjoying the competence acquired by the labors of his youthful days, and living with his widowed daughter.
In 1817 there was built, at the Block-house Yard, the sch. " WILLIAM," 49 tons ; sold afterward to Freeport. Also in 1817, the sch. "PHILENDA," 72 tons, of Boston, named after Luther Tilden's daughter, "one of the prettiest girls in the neighborhood." It was also the name of Mr. Tilden's wife. The "Philenda " was owned by Elijah Turner, John Beal, Sam- uel Jenkins, Jr., Jesse Dunbar, Snell Wade, Gideon Vinal, Doane Damon, and Nathaniel Clapp, Scituate, Nathaniel Clift of Marshfield, and Smith T. Reed of Abington. In 1819, the sch. "BETSEY," 91 tons, of Provincetown, was built here, of which David Torrey was the master carpenter. There was also built here, in 1821, the sch. "VESTA," 91 tons, of Boston ; afterward of Provincetown, and used whaling ; David Torrey, master carpenter. This schooner was named after Vesta, the wife, or Vesta, the daughter, of David Torrey. The same year, 1821, the sch. " PRIMROSE," 71 tons, of Chatham, was built at this yard, of which Jotham and Luther Tilden were the master carpenters. In 1823 there was built here the brig "WILLIAM & HENRY," 185 tons, of Duxbury ; afterward sold to Philadelphia, and in 1855 she was whaling from Warren, R. I. James N. Sparrell, who worked on Foster's Yard, also worked on this vessel on the way down river and at the Ferry. In 1824 there was built at this yard the sch. "EMILY COOK," 116 tons, of Boston. She was altered into a brig Sept. 13, 1827. David Torrey was master carpenter of her. Daniel Hall worked joinering on the "Emily Cook " in 1824. At this yard were built the following vessels, viz. : In 1825, the brig "LE VANTE,"
Javid Torrey
and William James, Jr., builders, 219 tons, of Bos- ton ; afterward of Lynn ; also owned at one time in Ware-
271
VESSELS BUILT AT THE BLOCK-HOUSE YARD.
ham, and, while in the whale fisheries, was condemned at Hon- olulu in 1847; and in 1826, the sch. "BALTIMORE," 130 tons, of Boston ; William James, Jr., and David Torrey, build- ers and part owners. In 1827, the brig " MARIA THERESA," 229 tons, of Boston ; William James, Jr., master carpenter ; and in 1828, the sch. "COLUMBIA," 59 tons, of Boston ; Wil- liam James, Jr., master carpenter. In 1829, the sch. "RIVAL," 66 tons, built for mackerel fishing, commanded by Capt. Henry Clapp, and owned by John Beal, Jesse Dunbar, Sr. and Jr., Peleg and Elijah Jenkins, Jr., Henry and Capt. Alfred Clapp of Scituate. Rev. William P. Tilden, when quite young, went fishing in this craft. She was lost while in the Southern coast- ing trade in winter. In 1831 was built here the sch. "RUBI- CON," 67 tons. David Torrey was the master carpenter. She was built of oak, iron and copper fastened, one break deck ; owned in 1859 by Capt. Thomas of Rockland, Me., and in 1861 by A. Foss, Swan Island. In 1832, the sch. " AURELIA," of 69 tons, was built here by David Torrey, and owned by John Beal, Peleg, John, and Elijah Jenkins, Jr., Anthony Water- man, Harvey Curtis, and William Vinal, Scituate. Here was also built, in 1833, the brig " CASKET," 155 tons, of Boston, of which James & Torrey were the master carpenters ; and in 1834, the brig "AMULET," 153 tons, of Boston ; James & Torrey, master carpenters. Abiel Turner, who worked in Mel- zar Turner's Yard in 1837, in William James' and David Tor- rey's in 1834, and for Elijah Cudworth in 1833, was son of Roland, and had sons, Henry A., George R., John D., and a daughter, Sarah W., (who mar. Charles Merritt. ) Henry A. Turner * has had children : Flora J., Susie O., John H., Na- than S., George C., and Mary R. It has been said that the sch. "ROWENA," 69 tons, built in Scituate, Mass., in 1834, was built at this yard. She was re-built in 1869, at Calais, Me. She was built of cak, iron and copper fastened, single bottom ; owned in 1872 by Cook & Co., Calais, Capt. A. Cook, com- manding ; and in 1884 by Damon & Waite, at Calais, Me. David Torrey is said to have built the brig " ABRAHAM" in 1847-48 ; but whether at this yard we do not know. The ship " ENTERPRISE," owned in New Bedford at one time, was also built by the Torreys. Thus ended the good old ship-building days at this yard, which is one of the most beautiful and roman- tic parts of the tortuous North River.
* See Rogers' Yards for H. A. Turner's wife's family.
CHAPTER XVI.
BROOKS & TILDEN AND WILLIAM TAYLOR YARDS. 1784-1860.
SCOLLAY BAKER, PRINCE HATCH, ELISHA FORD, JR., AARON SHERMAN, ELIJAH BROOKS, WILLIAM II. TILDEN, GEORGE TIL- DEN, WILLIAM TAYLOR, ISRAEL CARVER.
THE Brooks & Tilden Yard was located about forty rods above Union Bridge on the Marshfield bank of North River, and on land formerly owned by Hatch Tilden, adjoining the highway which runs over the bridge. The William Taylor Yard was also located on the Marshfield side of North River a few rods below Little's Bridge on land then owned by Edwin P. Little and now by Enos M. Stodder, or Stoddard. There are no records to prove that ships were built at these yards before they were occupied by the above firms, but vessels were probably built at both yards in early times. The following are records of some of the vessels built in Marshfield between 1784 and 1809, and as the other yards were occupied by other build- ers during these years, it is fair to presume that the following vessels were built at these yards, which probably remained unoccupied from about 1810 until the above firms built on them. In 1784 the sloop "ABIGAIL," 50 tons, of Marshfield, was built at Marshfield, and Jacob Bearstow, of Marshfield, owned her. Also in 1784 the Brig't'n " WILLIAM," 135 tons, of Boston, was built at Marshfield. Afterward foundered at sea ; and the same year, 1784, the sch. "POLLY," 52 tons, of Marshfield. Joseph, Mary, and Mercy Phillips, owners. Afterward sold to Barnstable. There was built in Marshfield, in 1786, the sloop " SALLY," 44 tons, of Marshfield. Benja- min Hatch, of Marshfield, and Charles Hatch of Pembroke, owners. Afterward sold to Boston; and the same year the
273
BAKER - HATCH -FORD -SHERMAN.
sloop "JUNO," 90 tons, of Marshfield. Elisha Ford and Jona- than Ford, of Marshfield, owners. In 1792 there was built in Marshfield the brig "DEBBY," 107 tons, of Boston, and the next year two vessels, 1793, the sch., afterward brig't'n, "HELEN," 100 tons, of Boston, and 1793, sloop " NORTH RIVER," 27 tons, of which Snow Stetson was deputy surveyor. Owned by Charles and Benjamin Hatch, Jr., Marshfield, and Seth Hatch, Pembroke.
Scollay Baker commenced the building of a square sterned schooner at Marshfield, in April, 1800, launched her in October, and Dec. 27, of the same year, she was lying at Lyman's wharf, so called, in Boston. This was the schooner " POLLY," 114 tons, of Duxbury.
Prince Hatch
built here in 1801, the sch. " THREE FRIENDS," 74 tons, of Barnstable.
Elisha Ford, Jr., built in Marshfield, the next year, 1802, the brig " ELIZA," 165 tons, of Marshfield. Elisha Ford, Sr., and Jr., of Marshfield, owners.
Aaron Sherman built in Marshfield, in 1809, the sloop "POLLY," 35 tons, owned by Benjamin Rogers and Ebenezer Sherman, Marshfield. She was afterward sold to Boston. Aaron Sherman lived near "Old Skunk Meeting House," Marshfield. While vessels were building on the beautiful river shore of Marshfield, other vessels were being destroyed on her rocky coast, driven before the easterly gales, and many are the sailors who have found their graves in the sands of this town. The Boston News Letter records the following, dated Marsh- field, Nov. 28, 1712 :
"On Tuesday the 25th current, 1712, six men going off the Gurnet Beach in a whale boat at Duxbury by reason of boisterousness of the sea oversetting the boat they were all drowned, viz. : William Sprague, Eben- ezer Bonny, Thomas Baker, of Duxbury, Thomas Wright, Job Cole and Andrew Seaward, of Marshfield."
The Boston Evening Post speaks of two great storms. The first under date of June 11, 1759, viz. :
" We hear from Marshfield that Capt. Inglish in a schooner from No. Carolina was drove on shore there, the men's lives and some part of the
274
EARLY SHIPWRECKS ON THE MARSHFIELD COAST.
cargo saved but the vessel lost and that another schooner was east away, not far from the above, which was stove to pieces and the people all drowned, but who she was, or where from, is not yet known."
The second under date of Sept. 11, 1769, reads as follows :
" Last Friday noon came on a very violent N. E. storm, attended with rain which lasted till next morning and it is said several vessels are drove ashore at different parts in our Bay, but as yet we have no particulars, only a slp. Capt. Atwood from the Eastward on Nahant Beach, a vessel on Baker's Island; Capt. Stutson* in a slp. from the West Indies, at Cohasset
and a sch. at Marshfield."
From The Boston News Letter, dated Dec. 25, 1760, is taken the following :
" Last week some men landed in a boat at Marshfield, they belonged to a sloop laden with lumber from the Eastward, which in a hard gale of wind lost every sail and the men not being able to manage her, they took to their boat and left her."
The Massachusetts Spy of Feb. 1, 1771, contains an account of a wreck here as follows :
"Capt. Cooper bound to Bermuda was cast away in the night of the 22nd. ult. at Marshfield and the vessel entirely lost, but the men saved. He sailed from hence the morning before."
We will leave the account of shipwrecks to record the follow- ing remarkable paragraph, which appeared in The Boston Gazette and Country Journal of Feb. 5, 1774 :
" We hear from Marshfield that the puissant A- W- Esq. lately went into a neighbor's house and being seated, though very uneasy, he was inquired of what made him so, when he instantly arose and drew forth a sword (being formerly a valiant soldier) declaring he would make day- light shine through 'em but what he would carry his point, giving as a reason that he was afraid of his life without being arm'd, tho' never assaulted. Being thus accout'red one day on going to his barn, his cattle being affrighted and taking him to be a stranger, surrounded him and we hear 'twas with difficulty that he escaped with his life and the loss of his sword."
This was during the Revolutionary period and in no town in Massachusetts was there probably more excitement over the stirring events of these times than in Marshfield. Undoubtedly the feeling would not have been so strong if there had not been in their midst three noted Tories or Loyalists, led by Nathaniel Ray Thomas. The first mention we find of him in the papers was in the Boston News Letter, of Dec. 4, 1761, ( ?) the following :
See account of the Stutsons, Wanton Yard.
275
NATHANIEL RAY THOMAS.
" Wednesday, the 13th day of January, 1762, the Gov. signed the fol- lowing act. An act for exchanging meadow and meadowish ground belonging to the First Precinet in Marshfield in the County of Plymouth with Nathaniel Ray Thomas of said Marshfield, gentleman, for salt- meadow."
Nathaniel Ray Thomas was the sole surviving child of John and Mary Thomas. John Thomas mar. Mary, dau. of Simon and Judith (Manwaring) Ray, of New London, Conn., 1724. They had eight children b. between 1724 and 1737. John Thomas and his wife both died in 1737, leaving but one child, the noted Loyalist of Marshfield. They were not related to the Thomas family of Marshfield, descendants of John and Sarah Pitney Thomas. William, the common ancestor of the Loyalist's family, came over in the "Mary and Anne" in 1636. Nathaniel Ray Thomas was b. in Marsh- field in 1731, and d. in Windsor, Nova Scotia, Sept. 19, 1787, he having gone there at the time of the evacuation of Boston in 1776. His wife and all his children, except John, followed- after the war. She died there in 1810, aged 78. The home of Nathaniel Ray Thomas, of over 1500 acres, became the home of Daniel Webster in Marshfield, he buying it in 1832 of John, son of Nathaniel Ray Thomas. Walton Hall now owns and occupies the farm. Near his house, which is on the site of the Daniel Webster house, is a large tree to which many of Capt. Balfour's soldiers were tied and flogged for misdemeanor. In the following extracts taken from the papers of the times there will be seen many references to the Loyalist, and what a deal of trouble he occasioned in Marshfield. He evidently caused the town to pass some Resolves which it did not voice and which it afterward virtually rescinded, as will be seen by the following paragraphs under different dates. Bos- ton Gazette and Country Journal. Extract from a letter from Duxbury, Feb. 5, 1774 :
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