USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Bedford > History of the town of Bedford, Middlesex county, Massachusetts, from its earliest settlement to the year of Our Lord 1891 > Part 2
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" The first lot was granted to Lieutenant Samuel Hill including seventy-six acres bounded two hun- dred and forty rods on Concord, and sixty-four rods on Winthrop Farm. The main street in Bedford was afterwards located on the north line of this lot, and the 'old line' of Concord is now to be traced sixty- four rods south of that street and parallel with it."1 The second lot of twenty-three acres was Fassett's, " Patrick Fassett's," and became the prop- erty of Israel Putnam, as did the third, granted to Joseph Hill. The two ineluded fifty acres. The fourth lot was ninety-one acres, laid out to Jonathan Hill, next to Oakes Farm; and others following southerly were Nathaniel Hill, Joseph Farley, Daniel Hill, John Stearns, Henry Jefts, John Parker and Job Lane, the last reaching Mr. Page's farm.
INDIAN CLAIMS-Having obtained the English right to the territory the pioneers had an obligation to their predecessors, the Indians, to discharge; this may be regarded by some as only the demands of the moral law, yet it has been gratifying to all subse- quent generations that it was faithfully discharged and of benefit to those who participated as it doubt- less prevented much anxiety and bloodshed.
The disease that had visited the Indians previous to the coming of the Pilgrims, had reduced them in New England from more than 18,000 warriors to about as many hundred. Of the five tribes that were locat- ed south of New Hampshire, the Massachusetts oc- enpied the territory north of Charles River and west of Massachusetts Bay, and was supposed to number about 300. They were divided into villages of which Musketaquid was one. Its limits were designated by the act of the General Court passed September 2, 1635 : " It is ordered that there shall be a plantacon att Musketequid, & that there shall be 6 myles of land square to belong to it." It embraced about two- fifths of the present town of Bedford, besides Concord and other lands. Of this tract of wilderness they ob- tained a quit claim from the natives in the following year. According to depositions taken in 1684 it appears that the deed from the natives was executed by Squaw Sachem a widow, who represented her late husband, Nanepashemet, Wappacowet, next in power to the King, who had claimed the widowed Sachem
in marriage, and by others of the tribe. The Indian title aeeording to deponents was given in considera- tion of " Wompompeag, Hatchetts, Hows, Knives, Cotton Cloath & shirts with a new suit of cotton cloath, a linnin band, a hat, shoes, stockins and a great ('oat " for the new husband of squaw Sachem, he was " the pow wow, priest, witch, sorcerer or chir- urgeon " of the tribe. When considered in the light of the present, the compensation was trifling, but it satisfied the natives and the treaty of purchase seeur- ed friendly relations.
The Indian settlement of the Shawshine Grant was known as Wamesit or Weymesit, situated between the Concord and Merrimack Rivers, being a favorable location for securing sufficient food. There is but slight evidence that the Bedford portion was fre- quented by the Indians of any village, although it is probable that the broad open plains were annually burnt over and rudely cultivated, while the birchen canoe of the red man plied up and down the Shaw- shine and Concord. The long mound or breastwork now seen on the east shore of the Concord River, in Greenwood's Grove near Bedford line, is suggestive of Indian origin and may have been built to aid in hunt- ing.
All of the aboriginal claims to the Shawshine grant were extinguished by the " Wamesick Purchase of 1685." Thus the entire territory of Bedford was honorably obtained from the natives.
Billerica had thousands of acres of common grounds that were apportioned at different times among the early settlers. Those who had come later bought of the grantees and settled in the outlying district (now Bedford). They had not shared in the allotments, while they had paid their proportion of the charges. They petitioned the General Court, and on Friday, November 16, 1705, it was ordered "That Capt. John Lane, Jonathan Bacon, John Wilson and other, the Petitioners that are Freeholders & Inhabitants of the sd. Town of Billerica, be Intitled to & have a proportionable share with other the Commoners Proprietors, & Inhabitants of the sd. Town in all fu- ture Divisions of all undivided and waste Lands be- longing to the sd. Town, according to their Propor- tion to the Town charges for the space of seven years past." The town in 1707-8, January 29, granted to the purchasers of Cambridge Church Farm a ten- acre right " to promote and maintain peas and quiet- ness among us." Captain Lane and others who thus secured a right, received their portion in the subso- quent divisions of the common grounds. Their por- tions seem to have been west of Concord River.
An accession was made to the town on the extreme northwest by which a small tract of the Dudley Grant was obtained. This was the Edward Stearns farm, set off from Billerica in 1766. By this addition the historic and enduring landmarks, "Two Broth- ers," or " Brother Rocks " were secured to Bedford.
1
1 This is practically correct, yet a divergence southwesterly beginning a little west of the Trinitarian meeting-house, is thought by C. W. Jenks, a careful student of carly bounds, to establish the "old line " somewhat different, in that vicinity of the town.
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BEDFORD.
Evidence does not favor the supposition that the original grantees of Shawshine territory established homes or began the settlemeuts included in this town and perhaps never viewed their landed possessions. " Extensive meadows bordering on rivers and lying adjacent to upland plains have ever been favorite spots to new settlers." A topographical survey shows that this territory offered attractions to settlers, and there is unmistakable local evidence that early settlers pushed out from the villages as soon as it was pru- dent and established homes near the winding Shaw- shine which in itself furnished power for industry. There are traces of roads long since discontinued. Depressions on the surface of neglected fields near which may still be seen the purple lilac and the thorny pear.
The General Court ordered in 1635 that no new buildings should be erected more than half a mile from the meeting-house "except mill-house and farm-house of such as had their dwelling-house in some town." This was a precaution against the Indians and lasted about eight years. This leads to the conclusion that the settlements in Bedford terri- tory, previous to 1643 were confined to the Shawshine house. The "Corne mille " with its adjacent build- ings, antedates King Philip's war (1676), and accord- ing to Billerica records the Bacon, afterwards Fitch mill was located before 1663. It is mentioned thus : " 16 : 1 : 63. Will' Tay & George farley are Apoynted to Lay out a highway from the Towne, leading to Mr'. Mitchell's farme, and to yt land yt was Layd out for Mr'. Edward Oaks' farme, on ye south East end of Mr. Winthrop's great meadow, to be layd out four polls wide."
The Shawshine House was one of the Indian truck- ing houses which preceded the first settlements of New England, where the natives bartered furs, etc., for English merchandise. And as appears by the report of the exploring committee was within the present limits of Bedford and possibly the Kenrick dwelling marks the site. The records of Billerica furnish evidence that it was occupied by a family, as Hannah, infant daughter of Henry Jefts died " ye first weeke of May, 1653." This is the carliest event noted in Billerica Records. The first birth recorded was that of Samuel, son of George Farley, (March, 1654). The former, Henry Jefts, may be the same person who has been shown as having a portion of the common lands in 1708, and the surname of the latter, Farley, we have seen in connection with a por- tion of the same land.
Michael Bacon, who purchased the Mitchell grant must have been located on the estate before he be- came the possessor, as births of his children are re- corded as carly as 1671, and if the first mill was built by him he must have been there before 1663, and then or very soon had neighbors as appears from the following record in Billerica, showing the assignment of families to garrison ("No. 10").
"13 6m. 175 (1675).
" At a publick Towne Meeting-
" The Towne, considering the providence of God at the prsent calling us to lay aside our ordinary occutions in providing for our creatures and to take special care for the prserving of our lives and the lives of our wives and children, the enemy being near and the warnings by gods providence upon our neighbors being very solemne and awfull, do there- fore order & agree joyntly to prpare a place of safety for women and children, aud that all persons and teams shall attend ye said worke untill it be finished ; and account of ye wholl charge being kept it shall be equally divided npon the inhabitants with other Towno charges."
At a meeting of the selectmen and a committee of the militia, held " 14. Sm. 1675," a list of garrison- houses is reported, in which is the following :
" Also, Timothy Brookes honse is allowed for garri- son & to entertain Michael Bacon's family, & to have two garrison soldiers to defend ye mill & himself, ye master of the garrison. (Timothy Brooks bought of George Farley a part of the Oakes Grant in 1673)."
In the assignment of families to garrisons the records show that "Also, Job Laine was allowed to for- tify his own owne house, and to have two soldiers for garrison-men to defend his house, in case ye country could spare them."
The settlements increased so that in 1728 an effort was made to secure the formation of a new town. Following the custom in forming a new township, pe- titions were made to the inhabitants of Billerica, by the settlers on that side of the proposed township, and to Concord by the settlers on the Concord side. The petitions were substantially as follows :
" To the gentlemen, the Selectmen and other inhabitants of Concord, in Lawful meeting assembled : the petition of sundry of the inhab- itants of the northeasterly part of the town of Concord humbly showeth : That we, your humble petitioners, having, in conjunction with the sontherly part of Billerica, not without good advice, and, we hope, npon religions principles, assembled in the winter past, and supported the preaching of the gospel among us, cheerfully paying in the meantime onr proportion to the ministry in our towns, have very unanimously agreed to address our respective towns, to dismiss ns and set us off to be a distinct township or district, if the Great and Gen - eral Court or assembly shall favor anch onr constitution.
" We, therefore, the subscribers herennto, and your hnmnble peti- tioners, do first apply to you to lead us and set us forward in so good a work, which, we trust, may be much for the glory of Christ and the spiritual benefit of ourselves and our posterity. Our distance from your place of worship is so great that we labor under insupportable difficulties in attending constantly there, as we desire to do. In the extreme difficult seasons of heat and cold we were ready to say of the Sabbath : 'Behold what a weariness is it.' The extraordinary ex- penses we are at in transporting and refreshing ourselves and families on the Sabbath has added to our burdens, This we have endured from year to year with as much patience as the nature of the case would bear, but our increasing numbers now seem to plead an exemption ; and as it is in your power, so we hope it will be in your grace to relieve us. Gentlemen, if our seeking to draw off proceeded from any disaffec- tion to our present Rev. Pastor, or the Christian Society with whom we have taken such sweet counsel together and walked unto the house of God in company, then hear ns not to-day. But we greatly desire, if God please, to be eased of our burdens on the Sabbath, the travel and fatigne thereof, that the word of God may be nigh to us, near to our houses and in our hearts, that we and our little ones may serve the Lord. We hope
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BEDFORD.
that God, who stirred up the spirit of Cyrus to set forward temple work, has stirred ns up to ask, and will stirr you up to grant the prayer of our petition, so shall your humble petitioners ever pray, as in duty bound, etc."
The petition had seventeen signatures, all from the Concord side. As many more petitioned from the Billerica side to their town. Concord granted her consent without objection, but Billerica clung to her outlying acres with more tenacity. This may be ac- counted for by the fact that she was being shorn of lands in other directions, and this new proposition, if successful, was to take some of her most valuable citi- zens. Their remonstrance did not avail at the Court, and the Act of Incorporation was passed September 23, 1729.
CHAPTER II.
Name-Boundaries-Benevolence-Records-First Morting-house and Min ister-Churches Formed-Tares-Some Old Families und Sites.
WHY the petitioners prayed to have the new town called Bedford, is chiefly a conjecture ; but we seem to see in it an act of reverence for the memory of the first minister of Concord, who was from Bedfordshire, England. The part which he had taken in moulding the character of the early settlers, must have had an in- fluence on the succeeding generations, as the language of the petitioners for the new town seems to imply. The session of the General Court, which granted the act of incorporation, was held at Cambridge, and be- gan August 28, 1729. The new town was vested with all the "powers, privileges and immunities that the inhabitants of any of the towns of this province are or onght by law to be vested with : provided that the said town of Bedford do, within the space of three years from the publication of this act, erect, build and finish, a suitable house for the public worship of God, and procure and settle a learned orthodox minis- ter of good conversation ; and make provision for his comfortable and honorable support, and likewise pro- vide a school to instruct their youth in writing and reading."
By subsequent divisions Lincoln and Carlisle were taken from Concord, and Burlington from Woburn, so that Bedford is bounded at present on the north and northeast by Billerica, east by Burlington, south- east by Lexington, south by Lincoln, southwest and west by Concord, and northwest by Carlisle with Con- cord River as a division between Bedford and westerly towns. "The newe towne " known as " Newtowne," 1631; "Cambridge," 1638, and " Lexington," 1713, cornered upon Bedford, and later gave up a small por- tion to her. In the records of March, 1758, we see that Benjamin Farley and Joseph Fassett were granted the right to straighten the line between Lex- ington and Bedford, and the latter town then acquir- ed the dismal tract known as "Farley Hole." In
1766 Ebenezer Page's land was joined to Bedford ; this was done to straighten the line. When one, Grimes, petitioned to have his land set off' to Lexington the town voted in the negative, and also placed upon re- cord their willingness "to refer it to the wise and ju- dicious determination of His Excellency, the Gover- nor, and the Honorable Court."
The forming of a new town occasioned expenses for which money was needed, and land was called for on which to erect the meeting-house and for other pur- poses. These needs had been anticipated as appears by the records :
" Bedford, January the 20th, 1730. ""This is the account of the money and land that was given to incouragement for the Town in the year 1729.' ' Mr. Joseph Dean, Dea. Israel Putnam, Mr. Josiah Fassett, Mr. John Whipple, Mr. Benjamin Colbarn, Mr. Samnel Merriam each gave Innd, and the following men are credited with gifts of money : Mr. James Lane, Cornet Nathaniel Page, Lient. Job Lane, Mr. John Lane, Dea. Nathaniel Merriam, Mr. Job Lane, Mr. Joseph Bacon, Mr. John Hartwell, Mr. Jonathan Bacon, Mr. John Fitch and Mr. John Whitmore, of Medford.' 'The wife of Nathaniel Whittecor, of Concord, gave five pounds, old tenor.'"
With the records of the town-meeting of January the 7th, 1729-30, appears the following :
" Mr. William Hartwell gave five pounds and it was delivered to the selectmen, and 20 shillings of it went to pay Mr. Oliver Whitmore for Right in deeds and ackoligin of them befor him, for the law Boak, two pound ; for town boak, ten shilings, and the money Remaining is one pound, eight shiling and two pence in the hand of Mr. Nathaniel Meriam. The law book was ordered to be passed about according to the judgment of the selectinen. With a sufficient tract of land and £61 in the treasury these determined people began the work of building up their newly incorporatedl town."
The records of the town open with the following :
" In Council September 26, 1720, voted that Mr. Jonathan Bacon, a principal Inhabitanc of the Town of Bedford, bee and hereby is fully Impowered and Directed to assemble the Freehol Ders and other Inhabi- tanc of the Town to convene as soon as may be to elect and choose Town officers to stand untill the next anniversary meeting in March.
"Sent Down for Concurence,
" J. WILLARD, Secry.
" In the House of Representatives, September : 26, 1729. "' QUINCY, Spkr.
" Read and concurd,
" Consented to. W. Dommer,
" A true copy-Examined, J. WILLARD, Secry."
The officers elected under the above call were :
" Moderstor, Jonathan Bacon ; selectmen, Samuel Fitch, Nathaniel Merriam, Jonathan Bacon, Nathaniel Page and Daniel Davis; town clerk, Samuel Fitch; constables, Israel Putnam and Stephen Davis ; town treasurer, John Kassett ; surveyors, Job Lane aod Samnel Merri- am; tithingmen, Daniel Cheever and Josiah Fassett , fence-viewers Obed Abbott and Benjamin Colburn ; Hog Ref., James Wheelor and Jon- athan Bacon ; sealer of weights and measures, John Lane ; field driv- ers, Thomas Woolley and John Whipple.""'
1 The simple statement of a name does not identify in sume families, hence we note in this connection that Jonathan Bacon was a son of Michael purchaser of the Mitchell grant. Samnel Fitch was the head of the family in town. Nathaniel Merriam, dlea., 1730, was first of the numerous family in Bedford, was descended from Joseph, of Concord, who died in 1646. Nathaniel died in 1738. Nathaniel Page was the third of the bame in Redford. Daniel Davis was son of Sanmel and Mary (Medows), born, 1673, Israe! Putnam, consin of General Israel Putnam, born, 1699, was deacon, 1730; married daughter of Jonathan Bacon. Stephen Davis was father of Deacon Stephen, died 1738. John Fassett, treasurer, was son of Patrick died 1736. It is a coincidence of interest that his brother Sammel, was first treasurer of Westford (Bed- ford's twin sister).
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BEDFORD.
The meeting-house was so nearly completed before the act of incorporation was passed that the first town- meeting was held in it, and at a second meeting held seven days later "The town excepted of the meting- house, as the former commety had agreed with Joseph Fitch, for four hundred and sixty pounds." Like the houses of worship of the early settlers of New England, this offered but few attractions, save a shel- ter from the storms; but the people made haste to put it in a more attractive condition. At the same meeting they chose a committee "To see the meeting- house parfected and finished," and also "provide a ministor." They voted to raise "Forty pound to mantain preachin among us," and provided "for a Reat of fifteen pound to defray the charges. that shall be or may a Ries in the Town." Another action of the same meeting " was to chous this four men : Mr. John Fassett, Mr. Nathaniel Meriam, Cor. Nathaniel Paige, Mr. Josiah Fassett to tacke dedes of the land that is for the tow that is given or that is sold." In January, 1730, it was voted "to lot out the pue ground and seat the meting hous." The instructions to the committee were, "The man and his wife to set in the pue (excepting deacons), ther shall be but one poall to an esteat in seating the meting hous and pues, and they are to have respect to them that are fifty years of age or upward ; thos that are under fifty years of age are to be seated in the meting hous ac- ording to ther pay. The front foer seat in the gal- eree to be equal with the third seat below in the body of seats."
The progressive spirit of these early citizens of this town is seen in their willingness to allow the sexes equal rights in the pews. "Men's stairs" and " women's stairs " are often referred to in the records, but suggest the division among the singers. In the absence of a floor-plan the descriptive location of the pews is as follows: "Stephen Davis' pue is at the East End of the meeting-house, south of the east door going to the women's stayers." A committee was soon chosen to "treat with Mr. Hancok and with Mr. Ru- gels and Mr. Whiting in order to a fast, and thay appointed a fast on the 22nd day of January, 1729- 30." The ministers of the neighboring towns assem- bled and held a "fast," and a call was soon extended to a young man who had been preaching for the peo- ple. "Mr. Bowes was choas to be our ministor." The town agreed to give him " ninety-five pounds the first year, an hundred pounds the second year, and so on annually : to give him five and twenty cords of wood yearly ; that the money be all wayes in propor- tion to its present valuation and credit which is at eighteen shillings per ounce, that his salary be paid every half year." Mr. Bowes also had £200 as a set- tlement fee, which was partly paid by a deed of six- teen acres of land, at £8 per acre. Rev. Nicholas Bowes was ordained as the first minister of Bedford, July 15, 1730, and the church was organized on the same day. Rev. John Hancock, of Lexington (father-
in-law of Mr. Bowes), was moderator of the council. Rev. Mr. Appleton, of Cambridge had a part in the service.
Some time before the church was organized "the Brethren had met and proposed to form themselves into a state of church relation. They had voted that a person on entering the church should give in writ- ing a confession of his faith which should be read in public. There were twenty-four foundation members. The foundation covenant was purely evangelical in spirit and the government was strictly of the Congre- gational order. The parent towns had equal repre- sentation in the new church.
August 4, 1730, Israel Putnam and Nathaniel Mer- riam were chosen deacous, and on the first Sabbath of September following, the ordinance of the Lord's Supper was first administered. At the first public Thanksgiving service on November 12, 1730, a collec- tion was taken for the use of the church amounting to £6. "The good people of Concord increased the sum and With the Consent of ye Brethren of ye Chh, The Deacons purchased 1 Table Cloth; 1 Napkin; 2 Dishes; 1 Flaggon ; 2 Pewter Tankards; 1 Bason." "Some time after They purchased another Flaggon & 2 more Pewter Tankards."
The town of Bedford was now fully organized and in complete running order, both as a municipality and an ecclesiastical body, and was early recognized as such by the Province and neighboring churches. December 23, 1733, the deacons were chosen to rep- resent the church at the ordination of Rev. Mr. Ebenezer Hancock, of Lexington, and in October, 1735, at the ordination of Rev. Mr. Clapp, of Woburn. The first recognition from the Province in the way of a tax was in 1730, amounting to £20 138. 7d. There was also assessed the town's proportion of the repre- sentative tax in 1729, which was £7 19s. 9d., the minister's salary, the expenses of the ordination of Rev. Mr. Bowes, the allowance to Joseph Fassett "for time spent at General Court in perfecting our township, together with his pocket expenses while there," and the county tax, making a tax of £188 9s. 6d.
The allowance to Jonathan Bacon for his time spent "in perfecting our township," was £8 88. 3d., doubtless paid from funds in the treasury. Such a drain on the limited income of the early settlers of Bedford must have been a severe trial of their cour- age, and especially hard after the town tax of the first year of their existence as a municipality. In 1729 they paid "a Meting-houes Reat of £306 88. 3d.," and a "town and minister Reat of £51 158. 4d." There is no evidence that more than two voters lost courage, and they were refused an abatement of their proportion of the tax.
There are but few of the farms of the town that re- main in the same family possession as at the incorpo- ratiou and only two instances where the descent of possession has not occasioned a change in the surname
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BEDFORD.
of the possessor. The estate owned by Josiah Davis has been in the family and name since 1696, when purchased by Samuel Davis (son of Dolor), one of the pioneers of Concord. It has passed through six gen- erations from Samuel, in each of which there has been an Eleazer. Thirty-eight children in five generations of the name of Davis have been born on this estate.
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