USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Essex > History of the town of Essex : from 1634 to 1868 > Part 6
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63
FISHING VOYAGE.
1634-1700.]
ure, and bearing lofty trees, except here and there the clearings made by the natives. We cross the bar, and as we launch out into the bay, the sun is just lifting his broad and ruddy face out of the ocean, shedding his glorious beams over the vast expanse of waters, and tipping the hill-tops, and summits of the woods, with his yellow rays. As we come upon the swelling sea, our little bark feels the heaving influence, and begins to roll and pitch, with some degree of violence ; yet she bears herself nobly, as she rides over the waves. Some little fear might trouble the minds of our skipper and his boy, as they are some- what green in the business, did not the rolling of the boat produce some rolling and heaving of the stomach, which occupies their attention. But they hold on to their post of duty, sensible that life is depending on it. Our spirits, happily, though in sympathy with our sea-sick crew, and partaking of the rolling and pitching of the boat, yet are not affected with the sea malady, and have, therefore, nothing to do, but to look abroad, and enjoy the sublime scene before us ;- the mountain waves of the dark rolling deep, the azure vault of heaven, in which the glorious sun, the king of day, is pursuing his wonted course. We adore the wisdom and power of Him who spreads out the heavens like a curtain, and holds the waters in the hollow of his hand. Here and there a sail is seen in the distance, seeming to rest upon the waters like a swan, laving its wings. The policy of our skipper is to keep near shore, so he puts the helm for New Hampshire's port. As we glide over the waves, we leave Plumb Island on our left, and soon the Isle of Shoals on our right, and at mid-day discover the village of Portsmouth, and see before us blue Agamenticus. Our crew make but a slender repast at noon. The sight of food is almost enough, though their stomachs are becoming much calmer. This may be owing to the comparative calmness of the sea. The wind has died away. Our vessel rock's but little, and has, indeed,
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HISTORY OF ESSEX.
[CHAP. 1.
but little motion of any kind. This, to sailors, is what the giving out of a horse upon the road is to the traveler. We lay becalmed for an hour or two, when suddenly the sky begins to be overcast with dark and threatening clouds, and peals of distant thunder are heard. A fresh breeze springs up from the north : this induces our skipper to run for Portland, to avoid the danger of a squall. The thunder is nearer and nearer, and the lightning more and more vivid. The wind rises; the ocean swells ; our min- iature vessel rocks violently ; alternately she mounts and descends, yet riding securely the foaming waves. Tremu- lous and frail as she appears, she yet proves a safe as well as fast sailer, and might frighten a landsman to death, be- fore she would sink him. We are soon inside of land, safely moored in Portland harbor. The storm is more and more violent. The rains descend in torrents; our crew shelter themselves in the cuddy. But we are not long held in this uncomfortable state. The clouds begin to break and disperse; the sky becomes clear, almost as quickly as it gathered blackness. The sun, descending to the horizon with his broad disc, pours forth his rays with softer beauty, and paints upon the opposite vapor, a bow of variegated, enchanting colors, extending in a splendid arch across the sky, resting with either foot upon the ocean. We leave the harbor, and turn our course east- erly, for our destined cove. Night closes in with its dark blue vault, studded with glistening stars, affording suffi- cient light' for our pilot, especially the north star, ever staid and steady, on which he keeps an inquisitive eye. He is careful to keep far enough from land to avoid all breakers, and have good sea room. Before midnight, we are off the mouth of the Kennebeck, and soon pass the many coves between that and the Damariscotta. Our skipper seems well acquainted with the coast. He has probably been here before, in some vessel from Salem, or Boston, to fight the eastern Indians. He steers straight
65
FISHING VOYAGE.
1634-1700.]
for Damaris Cove Island, and entering its snug little harbor, anchors for the night. . This island is owned by a Knight of the east, who has cleared up a little farm at the head of the harbor, and is prepared with his flakes for drying his neighbors' fish, at the rate of one-sixteenth for curing.
We anticipate the approach of morning, and are on our way out of the harbor, for fishing, by the time the first streaks of light are breaking from the east. We are soon upon the ground, and busy with our lines. The fish are very plenty, and very hungry. We have a good haul, and our little boat is soon loaded, and on her way to the beautiful little harbor. The Knight of the island and our skipper, are soon acquainted. The fish are all dressed and salted, and laid upon the flakes to be dried ; and we are on our way by noon for another load. As we come upon the ground, we find some "down-east " boys, with their lines in the water. They look with an in- quisitive eye upon our Chebacco sailer,-their express- ive countenances seeming to say, "that is a queer sort of water animal." But we stay not for criticisms. Hand- some is, that handsome does. Again our fish are soon dancing upon the deck; and with a second load we make for the island.
After a few such days of toil and success, we are ready for a homeward voyage, with a cargo of excellent cod. Having rested for the night, we set sail in the morning, with a long day before us. Our course is very zigzag, as the wind is against us. With a heavy load, and head wind, and home in our eye, our patience is much tried with our slow progress. But the east winds of Spring are not all expended.
By afternoon we have a fresh breeze, which puts us forward with good speed. As night approaches, we are so well on our way, that we conclude to keep running till we make our own river. The day is wholly gone: but a beautiful night scene 9
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HISTORY OF ESSEX.
[CHAP. 1.
supplies its place. The moon looks down upon the placid waves, and,
" With more pleasing light, shadowy sets off the face of things."
As we look up, and gaze upon the multitude of stars that fill the heavens, we are ready to exclaim with the Psalmist, " When I consider the heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars which thou hast ordained, Lord, what is man, that thou art mindful of him, or the son of man that thou visitest him."
By the guiding hand of Providence, we safely reach our own bay, and entering the river, anchor for the night by Cross's Island. In the morning, by the help of the flowing tide, we reach the horse-bridge, and are soon greeted by friends and neighbors. Some of the same lips, that with lengthened visage, and mournful accents, proph- esied that we should never see home again, now greet us with the joyful words, "Well, there! I thought so! I knew you would make out well."
The news of our arrival and success, spreads from house to house. Fishing boats and fish become the topics of the day. Several are determined to enter into the business ; some talk of building at their doors vessels of six or seven tons, provided there is a prospect of drawing such large craft to the launching-place. Some express a wish that the town would grant them a ship-yard. Others think they shall not be able to do without one much longer, and one or two more saw-mills beside.
DEATH AND BURIAL OF MR. COGSWELL.
John Cogswell, Sen., died November 29, 1669, aged about 72. We will go to the good man's burial. Many neigh- bors and acquaintances are assembled within, and about the house. He lies in his coffin, upon a table in the best room of the house, which he had erected with so much care, and in which he had enjoyed so much comfort and
67
BURIAL OF MR. COGSWELL.
1634-1700.]
peace. There sit his weeping widow, and mourning chil- dren and grandchildren. You raise the lid of the coffin, and gaze upon the ghastly features of him, who, but shortly before, was busy, active and useful, having a lead- ing part in all the affairs of the town. You call to mind the sacrifices he made for his religion and his God, in coming from a home of plenty and elegance in the city of London, to this wilderness of savage beasts, and more savage men; exchanging the counting-room of the mer- chant for a log cabin, and a field of rough unbroken soil, to be subdued only by the labors of many a weary day. You look with admiration on the remains of such a sainted spirit, so justly venerated by his children, and all who knew him, and so heartily mourned for, by her who had shared his sufferings, and enjoyed his comforts. Both of his beloved pastors are present, Rev. Mr. Cobbet, and Rev. Mr. Hubbard, with other principal men of the church. The ministers and assembly sit in silent meditation. You may, perhaps, be expecting a sermon, or a long exhorta- tion, from one or both of the ministers; but our pious fathers having suffered so much from their Episcopal brethren of the Church of England, were desirous of getting as far from them as they could, in all forms and ceremonies, and, therefore, would not preach at a funeral, nor have any services but a prayer. A few words only are now addressed by Mr. Hubbard to the mourning family, and then a solemn, and deeply affect- ing prayer is offered by Mr. Cobbet, the senior pastor. It is early in the day, for the way to the sanctuary of the dead is long and tedious, not less than five miles. The center of Ipswich was the place where our pious fathers went regularly to meeting on the Sabbath, and once a week to the Thursday lecture. In Ipswich, therefore, they must bury their dead, fast by the house of God; the way to which seemed shorter for being so often trodden.
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HISTORY OF ESSEX.
[CHAP. 1.
The dead, too, must be borne all the way upon the shoulders of men; for no carriage was then to be had ; and if one could have been procured, our ancestors would have thought the dead dishonored, by being drawn to the grave by a beast. But the time is come for the proces- sion to set forth. The widow and children take a last lingering look at that dear countenance, which had so often cheered them by its smiles, now ghastly in death ; and then he is borne out of his house to return no more. You look out of the window to see the procession formed. The men and the women do not walk together, according to the custom of the present day ; but the men go first, two and two, after the corpse, because the deceased is a male. If it had been a woman who was to be buried, women would have gone first. The male relatives walk first, and then the female mourners behind them, some of them mounted on horses because of the weary distance. Behind them, the male part of the neighbors, and citizens, and last of all, female acquaintances, more than one often riding upon the same beast. Six neighbors, of a similar age to the deceased, take hold of the pall, while younger men bear the corpse by turns, often relieving each other of the heavy burden; and by the side of the whole, is a file of some half-dozen men, with their pikes and muskets, as a guard against their savage neighbors. In this silent and solitary manner, they bore the deceased to the old burying-ground in Ipswich, where his ashes now slumber, with that of numerous others from this place, comprising all who died here the first half century, after the settle- ment began.
INDIAN WARS.
In 1675, began the war with Philip, an Indian chief, in Plymouth Colony, who, for some time, had used measures to persuade the Indians in all parts of New England, to unite against the English. The eastern Indians, about the
69
INDIAN WARS.
1634-1700.]
same time, commenced hostilities, and butchered many in- dividuals, and some whole families.
The Indians also, bordering upon the Merrimack River, feeling themselves injured, by the increase and spread of the English, once more resumed the bloody tomahawk. Not only were the frontier towns in almost constant alarm, but all others partook in a greater or less degree of the panic. When their war parties came so near as Haverhill and Salisbury, killing the defenceless women and children, and burning their houses, our ancestors in this place could not but partake of the general anxiety. Several, on dif- ferent occasions, were called into the army, and went in pursuit of the savages far from their homes. John Cogs- well, son of John who had taken the lease of the School Farm, was taken prisoner by the. Indians, some time in October, 1676, during an expedition to the eastward. Some years after, a man by the name of Dicks, of this place, was killed near Casco.
MODE OF LIVING.
We will spend a day at Wiliam Goodhue's, whose house stood near the present dwelling of William Marshall, in the north district. Without ceremony, we will call at an early hour. As welcome guests, we are invited to sit down with the family to a breakfast consisting of a dish of bean- porridge. Each has a pewter basin and spoon before him, which is filled to the brim, from the large iron kettle stand- ing upon the hearth. Some Indian hoe-cake is added to the repast. Having breakfasted, thanks are given, and mercies supplicated, in prayer to Him, who is the source of all good. While the hired men repair to the field for making hay, the father tarries awhile, and gathers the children around him for reading and spelling. A portion of an hour, spent in this way, after each repast, is all the schooling the times will allow. The women, having set the house in order, proceed to their daily employment.
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HISTORY OF ESSEX.
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One repairs to the loom in the chamber, and begins the wholesome task of throwing the shuttle, which vies with time in its swiftness. Another arranges the spinning- wheel, and commences that music, which, if it does not de- light the ear, will clothe and warm the body. The younger ones are busily employed in knitting. By and by, the men and boys come in from the field for their luncheon of bread and cheese. The large pewter mug is set on, full of malt beer, out of which, they all drink in turn. "I wish," says one of the hired men, " we could have a little strong water. I was up at Goodman White's the other day, and he gave all hands a little, which put us in fine spirits, and spurred us on mightily in our work, while it lasted : and if we could have had a little now and then, it seems to me, we should have done double the work." "But an order," says Mr. Goodhue, " has come from our Great, and General Court, forbidding us to give wine or liquors to our work- men, because it gets them into an evil practice, and trains up the young, by degrees, to habits of excess. You feel better on strong water for awhile, and so much worse after that to make up for it. And then you want more and more, the longer you take it, till you get to be a drunkard ; or, at least, you are always in danger of this. The only safe way, is never to drink any." "But the law," replies the workman, “ forbids it, except when it is neces- sary. Now, I think, if it is ever necessary, it is in the Winter, on very cold days, and in the Summer, when mow- ing, on very hot mornings." " But the law," replies Mr. G., "means that it is necessary when people are not very well." "Then I ought to have some," says another, " for my stomach is mighty weak." "And I, too," says another, " for at times I feel weak all over." "At this rate," says Mr. G., " you will make it out that it is necessary all the time, and then what is the law good for ?" But they must hasten to the field, and make hay while the sun shines.
71
MODE OF LIVING.
1634-1700.]
At length, the hour for dinner has come; for the sun lies in square at the window. Anna has been watching the mark for noon, and hastened her dinner, so as to be in season. She blows the horn at the door, and all in the field, and in the house, hear the welcome sound, and hasten to the social board. The dinner is of soup, or the liquor in which salt meat or pork has been boiled, thickened with meal, together with some vegetables. The dish and the plates are of pewter. The drink, of malt beer. This is their daily fare. After dining, the children again read and spell. The labors of the day are then resumed. " Come, girls," says the mother, "you know the law re- quires that we spin three pounds of flax, three of wool, and three of cotton every month, or pay our fine. But the worst fine would be, the shame of not doing so well as our neighbors. Our class-leader, Goodwife Bradstreet, will be here this afternoon, to do her duty, and see how we get along. Let us make the wheels go with a good loud hum, and reel off all we can."
The day now begins to decline, and as night draws on, the cows are brought up for milking. A good supper of hasty pudding and milk follows. In the evening, as the workmen rest themselves a little before bed-time, the con- versation turns on the use of tobacco. "It seems to me," says a young man, who was getting on the wrong side of thirty, without any signs of establishing himself in a family state, " that a few whiffs from a good pipe, do much to rest one after a hard day's work. I learned to smoke in England, and could never see any harm in it. I don't un- derstand why your law is so severe against it, that I must wholly leave smoking, or be liable to a fine of 10s. every time I buy any tobacco. Some, I find, do get round the law by raising it in their gardens. But this does not help a stranger. It seems to me that some of you are as much afraid of tobacco as of rum." "We are so, indeed," says Mr. G., "for we have marked, that, too commonly, those
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HISTORY OF ESSEX.
[CHAP. 1.
who like the one, like the other. And here let me remind you of the law among us, that requires every single man to put himself under the supervision and control of some head of a family, as it seems to me you are in great dan- ger of its pains and penalties."
But it is time for us, reader, to retire. And in leaving this worthy family, we must not think that we have been treated impolitely, because they kept the wheels, and the loom, the scythe and the rake, going so fast, that we had but little time to talk with them; or because they did not give us coffee or tea, or nice cake, for these things were never heard of till more than a hundred years after.
FORMATION OF THE SECOND PARISH IN IPSWICH.
In the year 1676, the people of this place began to talk in earnest of ·seceding from the parish in the center of the town, and of becoming a parish by themselves. They had now, for more than forty years, traveled over difficult roads, four or five, and some of them six or seven miles, to their place of worship. The fathers and mothers who had fled from persecution in England, and knew by con- trast the value of freedom of conscience, thought but little of the tediousness of the way to the house of God; espe- cially as they were sensible that they could not sustain the institutions of the gospel any nearer to their homes. But their children, less sensible of the value of religious privileges, were less inclined to make so great a sacrifice to enjoy them. The consequence was, a growing disposi- tion to tarry at home on the Sabbath. It was this, per- haps, chiefly, which stirred up the more considerate and religious among them, to take measures for the establish- ment of the gospel ministry in this place; which they were now sufficiently numerous and able to sustain. Ac- cordingly, in February, 1677, they held a meeting for consultation on this subject, at the house of William Cogswell, which stood a little north of the dwelling now
73
PETITION FOR PREACHING.
1634-1700.]
occupied by Albert and Jonathan Cogswell, on the same side of the way. The record of this meeting, is the be- ginning of our first parish record, which contains several interesting documents and entries, of the proceedings of our fathers, in relation to their separation from the first church and parish in town. Their mode of writing and spelling, and their use of capitals, differed from ours. For our own convenience, the extracts we may make from this record, will be chiefly in the modern style. One or two of the shorter ones, will be given in the ancient style as a specimen.
The date of the first meeting is in the record, February, 1676. But the year at that time, did not begin till the 25th of March, and so continued, till altered by an act of Parliament, in 1752, when the year was ordered to begin January Ist, and eleven days were added to it, so as to make February 3d, (for example,) February 14th. The date, then, of February, 1676, was, in our style, February, 1677. To prevent confusion in regard to the years, we shall place the new style under the old, where a difference occurs ; thus, February 1675.
PETITION FOR LEAVE TO HAVE PREACHING.
" At this meeting," says the record, " the inhabitants of Chebacco, considering the great straits they were in, for want of the means of grace among themselves, unane- mously agreeing, and drawing up a petetion and presented it to the towne of Ipswich, at a publick towne meeting, which was to desire of the towne that they might have liberty to call a minester to preach among themselves : but the towne would not grant it, neither did they seeme to refuse it, but would not vote concerning it."
In conversation with some of the leading men of the town, the people here were given to understand, that the former had no objection to their having preaching among them, especially if they continued to support the ministry 10
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HISTORY OF ESSEX.
[CHAP. 1.
in Ipswich. But still as a town, they would not vote for, or against the prayer of the petitioners. This made it necessary for them to carry their petition to the General Court. The Court refused to grant the petition, but rec- ommended them to make further application to the town, and the town to give their answer at the next.session of the Court. This the town did, and the result was that the Court judged it not meet to grant the petition then, but recommended to the town " as soon as may be, to contrive the accommodation of the petitioners in the matter peti- tioned for." This was October, 1677.
The next town meeting was held, as the Record says, February 19, 1677, (new style, March 2, 1678,) at which the town voted that the Selectmen confer with the Che- bacco neighbors, about what they petitioned, and report at the next town meeting. The inhabitants here chose William Cogswell, John Andrews, Thomas Low, and Wil- liam Goodhue, a committee to confer with the Selectmen. Several conferences were held, but without any decisive result.
FIRST PREACHER IN CHEBACCO.
At length, when they requested of the Selectmen leave to call Mr. Jeremiah Shepard to preach among them, a part of the Selectmen assented, and the rest made no ob- jection. The call was extended to Mr. Shepard, January 19, 1673, who came, and preached in a private house. Finding that no private house was sufficiently large to accommodate the people, "They agreed to build a plain house, and, if they could obtain leave of the town or Court, to put it to the use of a meeting-house : if not, to some other use." But before this was done, Mr. Shepard gave notice after the religious services of the Sabbath, that he had received a letter from an honorable brother in Ipswich, saying that the church there was dissatisfied with the proceedings of the brethren here, and therefore he should desist from preaching.
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75
VINDICATION OF PROCEEDINGS.
1634-1700.]
SECOND PETITION AND ACTION OF THE TOWN.
Upon this the people here again petitioned the town, but without effect. This petition is dated February 4, 1673.
On the 15th of the next March, the Selectmen, in be- half of the town, sent to the General Court a petition and address, in which they made many heavy charges against the people of Chebacco. The charges are contained in the following reply, which, as it was addressed to the Honored Court, who had the Ipswich document before them, and in the issue were favorably inclined toward the people here, we may believe contained a true statement of the charges, and a proper and sufficient reply to them.
"A declaration and vindication of the transactions of the inhabitants of Chebacco, in the precincts of Ipswich, in reference to their late proceedings in obtaining the ministry of the gospel among them : May 28, 1679.
"This Honored Court may please to remind that the inhabitants of Chebacco have once and again applied ourselves to your Honors, that we might be eased of our long and tiresome Sabbath days' journeys to the place of public worship in our town, humbly hoping that your Honors would so far sym- pathize with us, and favor our shattered condition as to grant us relief, and we cannot but gratefully acknowledge your fatherly care, especially in our last application of ourselves to this Honored Court, in seriously recommend- ing our case to the town of Ipswich : that our friends and neighbors there might relieve your humble supplicants in the matter petitioned for, that so we might obtain the ministry of the word amongst ourselves, which is our hearts desire ; but contrary to the direction of this Honored Court, and cross to our expectations, our friends and neighbors in the town were regardless of our suffering condition : whereupon, after due waiting, and due deliberation, we did apply ourselves to the town, February 19, 1677, to be informed whether or no, they would accommodate us according to the direction of this Honored Court ; our necessity, also, calling for relief, the town did take so far cogni- zance of our demand, as to refer our case to the Selectmen, to consider with us what might be best for our accommodation ; whereupon, we had a treaty with the Selectmen : but the Selectmen turned us going, with dilatory an- swers, which were :
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