USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > Freetown > History of the town of Freetown, Massachusetts : with an account of the Old Home Festival, July 30th, 1902 > Part 12
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Gilbert Chace, Master and owner. Sold 1809.
Sloop William. 51 tons. Built 1809. John Read, Master.
Ephraim Merrick, John Read and Isaac Merrick, owners. Foreign trade 1811.
Schooner Mary. 68 tons. Built 1809. George Dean, Master.
Benjamin Dean of Freetown and William Nichols of Troy, owners. Sold Providence, 1823.
Sloop Angenora. 48 tons. Built 1809. Philip Tew, Master.
Ambrose Barnaby, - Hathaway, Silas Hathaway and Isaac N. Hathaway, owners. Last at Newburn, 1811.
Sloop Eagle. 48 tons. Built 1809.
Job Payne, Master and owner.
Sloop Eudora. 49 tons. Built 1810. Benjamin Chace, Master.
Philip Hathaway, owner. Sold 1815.
Sloop Cohannet. 32 tons. Built 1810. Augustus Chace, Master and owner. Broken up 1829.
Schooner Cincinnatus. 82 tons. Built 1810.
James L. Valentine, Master and owner. Sailed from Newport, Decem - ber 25, 1810 and lost at sea.
Sloop Henry. 62 tons. Built 1810.
John Read, Master and owner. Last at Savannah, 1818.
Sloop Polly. 22 tons. Built George Chace, Master.
George Chace, Augustus Chace and Job Peirce, owners. Broken up 1838.
Schooner Merino. 73 tons. Built 1810. Benjamin H. Lawton, Master. Benjamin H. Lawton, John Terry, Silas Terry, Earl Sampson and heirs of John Hinds, owners. Sold Newport, 1818.
Sloop Mercaton. 49 tons. Built 1811. George C. Briggs, Master. Ebenezer Peirce and Joseph Weaver, owners. Sold 1851.
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Schooner Meleta. 148 tons. Built 1811. John Eddy, Master.
Isaac Merrick, David Terry, Samuel Hathaway and Thomas Randall, owners. Last at Philadelphia, 1815.
Schooner Aurora. 129 tons. Built 1811. Anson Bliffins, Master. Anson Bliffins, Robert Strobridge and Stephen B. Pickens, owners. Foreign from New York, 1817.
Sloop Mary Ann. 39 tons. Built 1812. John Briggs, Jr., Master. Allen Chace, part owner. Last at Newport, 1817.
Sloop Lily. 37 tons. Built 1812. Benjamin H. Lawton, Master. Benjamin H. Lawton, Joshua and Seth Howland, owners. Sold 1815. Sloop Swallow. 44 tons. Built 1812. Ebenezer Payne, 2d, Master. John and Silas Terry, owners. Last at Newport, 1815.
Sloop Ann Eliza. 35 tons. Built 1813. William Sekell, Master.
John Cudworth, part owner. Sold 1823.
Sloop Massachusetts. 41 tons. Built 1813. Robert Strobridge, Master. Robert Strobridge and Thomas Burbank, part owners. Sold 1821.
Sloop Liberty. 35 tons. Built 1813. William Sekell, Master.
William Sekell and Ebenezer Payne, owners. Sold at Newport 1817. Schooner Friendship. 27 tons. Built 1814.
Cornelius C. Hamlin, Master and owner. Lost near Martha's Vine- yard, Aug. 18, 1830.
Sloop Victory. 30 tons. Built 1814. Philip Chace, Master. Artemas Willard, owner. Broken up 1838.
Sloop Fame. 47 tons. Built 1815. John Phillips, Master. Edmund Hathaway, Augustus Chase and John Phillips, owners. in 1816.
Lost
Sloop Rosette. 47 tons. Built 1815. Clothier Hathaway, Master.
Samuel Hathaway, John Hathaway and Isaac Merrick, owners. Sold at Bristol, 1815.
Schooner Cerena. Built 1815. Adino Paddock, Master.
Adino Paddock, Earl Sampson, John Nichols and Benjamin Babbitt, owners. Foreign from Wilmington, 1819.
Schooner Atalanta. 184 tons. Built 1815. James Chace, Master. Edmund Hathaway, owner.
Sloop General Jackson. 36 tons. Built 1816. Thomas J. Evans, Master. Guilford H. Hathaway, James W. Hathaway and Guilford Hathaway, owners. Broken up 1841.
Schooner Liberty. 66 tons. Built 1816. William Hall, Master.
William Hall, David Dean, Ezra Dean, Olive Hathaway, Heirs of Joseph Nichols and Charles Strange, owners.
Sloop Roseta. 46 tons. Built 1816. Jason Hathaway, Master.
Jason Hathaway, Peter Nichols and Allen Chace, owners. Sold 1824. Sloop John and Philip. 67 tons. Built 1816. Henry Slade, Master.
John H. Pierce and Philip P. Hathaway, owners. Sold in New York, 1817.
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Sloop Sarah Ann. 40 tons. Built 1816. Daniel Burt, Master.
William Carpenter, owner. Left New York, December, 1818, and lost at sea.
Sloop Planter. 55 tons. Built 1816. Philip Lee, Master.
Stephen Barnaby, Philip, Isaac N. and John Hathaway, 5th, owners. Sold at Savannah, 1823.
Brig Atalanta. 134 tons. Built 1816.
Edmund Hathaway, Master and owner. Foreign from Wilmington, 1819.
Brig Polander. 90 tons. Milton Andros, Master.
Condemned and sold as prize at Savannah, 1818. John Read, owner. Again sold at Brunswick, Ga., 1818.
Sloop Success. 33 tons. Built 1816. George C. Briggs, Master. John and Silas Terry, owners. Foreign from Newburn, 1820. Sloop Eliza. 39 tons. Built 1816. Augustus C. Barrows.
A. C Barrows and Seth P. Williams, owners. Broken up, 1841. Sloop Martha Jane. 30 tons. Ephraim Tisdale, Master.
Sylvanus S. Payne, Allen Chace, Washington Read, Luther Pickens and Job Payne, owners.
Sloop Ruth. 47 tons. Built 1817. Seth Winslow, Master.
George Pickens and -- -- Pierce. owners. Lost on passage Charles- ton to Providence, 1819.
Sloop Union. 49 tons. Built 1817. John Clark, Master.
John Cudworth and Daniel Douglass, owners. Sold New Bedford, 1819.
Schooner Millenium. 108 tons Built 1817. John Clark, Master. John and Richard Clark, owners. Foreign from Newburn, 1820. Sloop Wellington. 37 tons.
John Brown, Master and owner. Broken up at Assonet, 1843.
Schooner Susan. 118 tons. Built 1817. Nathaniel Briggs, Master. Edmund Hathaway and Josephas Briggs, owners. Went foreign from Alexandria, 1823.
Sloop Jane. 33 tons. Benjamin H. Lawton, Jr., Master. John Cudworth and Benjamin H. Lawton, Jr., owners. Sold 1826. Schooner Washington. 63 tons. Built 1817. Adino Paddock, Master. Adino Paddock, William Winslow and Benjamin Burt, owners. For- eign from Newport, 1824. Brig Enterprise. Timothy Lewis, Master.
Guilford H. Hathaway, ex. of estate of Edmund Hathaway, sole owner. Sold at Bristol, R. I , 1835.
Schooner Susan. 118 tons. Built 1817. Anson Bliffins, Master.
Nathaniel Briggs of Freetown and Joseph Badge of Boston, owners. Sold at Newbern, 1827.
Schooner Betsey. 172 tons. Anson Bliffins, Master.
Edmund Hathaway, owner. Lost 1828.
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Schooner Ephraim. 73 tons.
Josephas Briggs, Master and part owner. Foreign from Newport, 1822 Sloop Phebe Ann. 33 tons. Edmund Briggs, Master. Joseph Briggs, owner. Sold 1822.
Sloop Hen. Built 1818. Benjamin Porter, Jr., Master. John Nichols and Earl Sampson, owners. Sold 1833.
Schooner Rose in Bloom. 66 tons. Built 1818. Jacob Brightman, Master. Robert Strobridge and Ephraim Merrick, owners. Sold 1822.
Brig Betsey. 142 tons. Built 1819. Elisha L. Pratt, Master.
Edmund Hathaway, owner. Foreign from Wilmington, 1820.
Schooner John and Mary. 56 tons. Built 1819. Henry Cleveland, Master. Henry Cleveland, of Troy; Abraham Ashley, Jr., Charles Crapo and Job Terry, owners. Sold 1822.
Sloop Sea Flower. 38 tons. Built 1821. Welcome Hathaway, Master. Welcome Hathaway, Jason Hathaway and Thomas J. Lee, owners: Sold 1823.
Sloop Infant. 31 tons. Built 1821. George Chace, Master. Augustus Chace, owner. Broken up, 1842.
Sloop Rising Sun. Built 1821.
Artemas Willard, Master and owner. Sold 1832.
Sloop Elenor. 49 tons. Built 1822. William Sekell, Master.
William Sekell, S. S. Payne, Noah P. Hathaway and Job Pierce, own- ers. Sold at New Bedford, 1835.
Schooner Good Return. 105 tons. Built 1822. Richard Clark, Jr., Master. John, Jesse, Richard and Richard Clark, Jr., owners. Foreign 1823. Also Job Terry, Master.
Sloop Morning Star. 46 tons. Built 1823. Ephraim Tisdale, Master. Ebenezer Payne and Sylvanus S. Payne, owners.
Sloop Trader. 86 tons. George Dean, Master.
George Dean and Gershom Burr, owners. Sold 1835.
Sloop Fair Play. 36 tons. Built 1823. Edmund D. Hathaway, Master. Edmund D., Guilford and James Hathaway, owners. Sold 1833.
Sloop Fairhaven. 44 tons. Built 1824. Guilford H. Evans, Master. Edmund Hathaway, Guilford H. Evans and David Evans, owners. Sold at Providence 1828.
Sloop Providence. 38 tons. Built 1824. James M. Hathaway, Master. James M. Hathaway, Peter Nichols, Dean Durfee, George Dean and Sumner Briggs, owners. Sold at Providence, 1826.
Sloop Three Brothers. 65 tons. Built 1825. George Dean, Master. George Dean, Benjamin Dean, Joseph Durfee, Laban Smith and Job Pierce, owners. Named for the three brothers, John, George and Benjamin Deane. Sold 1831.
Sloop Hannah. 35 tons. Benjamin I. Brown, Master. Broken up, 1829.
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Sloop Boliver. 45 tons. Built 1826. Allen Payne, Master:
Allen Payne, George Dean and William Sekell, owners. Sold at St. Mary's, 1839.
Sloop Argo. 44 tons. Built 1828. Benjamin H. Lawton, Master. Benj. Terry and William Strobridge, owners. Sold 1833.
Sloop Sapello. 71 tons. Built 1828. Welcome Hathaway, Master. Benjamin Dean, Jr., George Dean, Welcome Hathaway and Joseph Durfee, Jr., owners. Sold Aug. 16, 1839.
Sloop Marshall. 70 tons. Allen Chace, Master. Allen Chace and George Dean, owners. Sold 1834.
Sloop Merchant. 62 tons. Built 1829. Franklin Briggs, Master.
Franklin Briggs, Job Pierce, Guilford H. Hathaway, Ambrose W. Hathaway and Samuel R. Bragg, owners.
Sloop Ann Maria. 65 tons. Built 1829. Nathaniel Briggs, Master. Nathaniel Briggs, Benjamin Dean, George Dean, and Adino Pad- dock, owners. Lost at sea. All hands lost. When last seen Captain Briggs was scudding before a gale of wind off Cape Hatteras.
Sloop Macon. 67 tons. Built 1830. William Hall, Master.
William Hall, Job Pierce and Joseph Durfee, Jr., owners. Sold 1835.
Schooner John Henry. 110 tons. Built 1832. George Henry, Master. John G. Burns and New York owners. Sold at New York, 1838.
Sloop Franklin. 32 tons. Built 1832. Allen Payne, Master and owner. Sold 1853.
Schooner Caroline. 60 tons. Joseph F. Bliffins, Master.
Philip H. Evans, owner. Sold at Provincetown, 1847.
Schooner Canton. 110 tons. Built 1832. George W. Gibbs, Master.
Sloop Wave. 40 tons. Built 1833. Stephen B. Barnaby, Master. Stephen B. Barnaby and Stephen Barnaby, owners. Sold 1841. Sloop Science. Built 1833. James Burr, Master.
James Burr, Job Pierce and Joseph Durfee, Jr., owners. Sold Savan- nah, 1836.
Schooner Cashier. 74 tons. Built 1834. Allen Payne, Master.
Allen Payne, Joseph Durfee, Job Pierce, and S. S. Payne, owners.
Went ashore at Kill Devil Hill near Cape Hatteras, 1837. Sold Eliza- beth City, 1837.
Sloop William Wray. 60 tons. Madison Durfee, Master.
Madison Durfee and John Brown, owners. Sold 1841.
Sloop Actor. 25 tons. Franklin Briggs, Master.
Franklin Briggs and Job Pierce, owners. Sold at New York, 1848. Sloop Hamilton. 33 tons. Augustus C. Barrows, Master.
Augustus C. Barrows, George Dean and James W. Hathaway, owners.
Sloop Independence. 35 tons. James Dean, Master.
Benjamin Dean, owner. Bought at Taunton, Mass. Last at New- port, 1851. Sold.
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Schooner President. 82 tons. Built 1834. Simeon Coombs, Jr., Master. Luther Cudworth, John Dean, Benjamin Dean, Welcome Hathaway and Guilford H. Hathaway, owners. Sold.
Built for Captain Luther Cudworth.
Schooner Florida. 82 tons. Built 1834. Samuel Pridham, Master.
Samuel Pridham, George Dean and Franklin Briggs, owners. Sold Brunswick, Ga., 1858. Built for Captain Franklin Briggs.
Sloop Mary Elizabeth. Built 1834. Henry M. Chace, Master.
Tisdale Briggs. sole owner. Sold at Newport, 1864.
Built by David Robinson at Robinson's Shore.
Also, Allen Payne, Master.
Schooner Virginia. 133 tons. Built 1836. Thomas Andros, Master. Job Pierce, George W. Hall, William Hall, Allen Chase, Welcome Hathaway, and Allen Payne, part owners. Last at Bristol in 1848. Sold.
Built for Captain William Hall.
Schooner Alexander M. 142 tons. Built 1837. William Pratt, 2d, Mas- ter.
William Pratt, 2d, George Dean, John Dean. 2d, Benjamin Dean and Franklin Briggs, owners. Last at New Bedford, 1843. Sold.
Sloop Osterville. 31 tons. Augustus C. Barrows, Master.
A. C. Barrows, Joseph Durfee, Jr., Job Payne, Jr. and Job Pierce, owners. Broken up at Assonet.
Sloop Company. 63 tons. Built 1838. James W. Burr, Master.
James W. Burr, Job Pierce and James Burr, part owners. Sloop Com- pany rig changed to schooner 1841. Last at Savannah, 1851. Sold.
1st Paper. Sloop Bristol 31 tons. Built 1838. Edmund D. Hathaway, Master.
Also Henry M. Chace, Master. E. D Hathaway, Guilford H. Hath- away, Thomas Evans, Luther Cudworth and James W. Hathaway, owners. Driven ashore by ice during the winter of 1899 at Gardner's Neck, Swansea, and broken up.
Sloop Pinion. 39 tons. Henry M. Chace, Master.
Philip H. Evans, owner. Lost at Watch Hill, 1857.
Sloop Glide. 34 tons.
Philip H. Evans, Master and owner.
Also Henry M. Chace, Master. Broken up at Assonet.
Barque Harriet. 147 tons. Built 1808. James Madison Durfee, Master. John D. Wilson, Alden Hatheway, Job Terry, James M. Durfee, Job Peirce, George Dean, Charles Hathaway, Ambrose W. Hathaway, Barnaby Hathaway, Welcome Hathaway, Robert Porter, John Mac- omber, John Crane and Benjamin Dean of Freetown, Isaiah Winslow, Robert P. Strobridge, Joseph P. Haskins and Frederick Seekel of Middleboro, Philip Durfee and Benjamin Almy of Providence, owners. The Harriet was fitted out at Winslow's Rocks, near the mouth of the Assonet river for a whaling voyage. The investment proved to be an unlucky one for her owners. She was condemned at Pernambuco, Brazil, in 1848.
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Barque Elizabeth. 349 tons. Built at Waldoboro, Me., 1838. Elisha Gifford, Master.
Elnathan P. Hatheway, Franklin Briggs, Job Peirce, John D. Wilson, Benjamin Dean, John Dean, George Dean, Welcome Hathaway, Gideon P. Hathaway, Davis J. Barrows, James Burr, James W. Hathaway, Edmund D. Hathaway and Guilford Hathaway of Freetown, Alonzo Davenport of New Bedford, Clothier Allen, John Allen Jr., John C. Haskins and Joseph Haskins of Middleboro, owners.
This was one of the two whale ships fitted out at Freetown, the venture in both cases proving disastrous, and very disheartening to their owners. The Elizabeth was twice fitted out at Hathaway's wharf in the Narrows. She first sailed in 1841. On this voyage an entire boat's crew of six, including the captain, were lost. When last seen from the ship they were fast to a whale. A fog came up and shut them out of view; in the morning their boat was found bottom up. The names of the unfortunate sailors were Bradford W. Winslow, captain, son of John Winslow; Benjamin Hall, son of William Hall; George S. Evans, son of Thomas Evans; and William H. Thresher, son of Henry Thresher, all of Assonet, and David Hathaway, boatsteerer, son of Russell Hathaway and Daniel Reed, son of George Reed, both of Steep Brook. The date of this sad event was June 17, 1843.
She sailed on her second and last voyage July 4, 1844. Elisha Gifford, Master. She was burned at the Fiji Islands in 1846. Two of the young men of the village that were numbered with her crew, Charles, son of Hampton Pierce, and Thomas W. Pierce Jr., never returned home. The latter died of sunstroke near Sacramento, Cal.
Sloop Nation. 27 tons. Built 1840. Bayliss Hathaway, Master.
Welcome and Jason Hathaway, owners.
Last at Providence in 1852.
Schooner John P. Collins. 89 tons. James W. Burr, Master.
James W. Burr and James Burr, part owners.
Sloop Alabama. 95 tons. Built 1840. Edwin Harris, Master.
Edwin Harris, Stephen B. Barnaby, James W. Hathaway, Guilford Hathaway, F. S. Hathaway, Thomas T. Hathaway, Thomas Evans, Edward D. Hathaway, John Winslow and Guilford H. Hathaway, owners. Last at New York in 1843.
Sloop Eagle. 22 tons. John Brown, Master and owner.
Broken up at Assonet in 1856.
Sloop America. 56 tons. Daniel C. Brown, Master and owner. Disappeared from the records in 1843
Schooner Imperial. 156 tons. Built 1841. Joseph H. Read, Master. Joseph H. Read, John Dean 2d, Benjamin Dean, Guilford H. Hath- away, Edward O. Hathaway, John D. Wilson and Charles W. Hath- away, owners. Disappeared in 1847. Sold.
Sloop Chief. 28 tons. James L. Robinson, Master.
James L. Robinson and Job Terry, owners. Sold in 1843
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Sloop J. Pierce. 48 tons. Built 1842. George Dean, Master.
George Dean, John D. Wilson and Job Peirce, owners. Sold in Rock- land in 1856.
Abner Winslow was the boss carpenter in building this sloop.
Sloop Narragansett, 35 tons. Peleg Barker, Master.
Thomas L. Robinson of Boston, owner. Broken up in 1864.
Schooner John K. Randall. 144 tons. Built 1847. William Williams, Master.
George Dean, Benjamin Dean, Job Peirce and John D. Wilson, owners. Last at New Bedford in 1851. Sold.
Built for Captain George Dean, at the ship yard on Water Street.
Schooner Carrier. 143 tons. Built 1848. Elisha Gibbs, Master.
Elisha Gibbs, John D. Wilson, Luther Cudworth, Job Peirce, Wel- come Hathaway, Guilford H. Hathaway, Benjamin Dean and John Dean, owners.
Built for Captain Luther Cudworth at the ship yard on Water street. The last vessel built in Freetown. Altered into a Brigantine in 1851. Sunk in a collision off the New Jersey coast in 1852. Loaded with sugar for New York. A total loss. The crew escaped in the yawl boat, which was sent to Assonet. The last vessel hailing from Free- town that engaged in foreign trade.
Schooner Mary A. Rowland. 109 tons. James W. Burr, Master.
James W. Burr, James Burr and William Read, part owners Sold at Providence in 1862.
Captain Burr was engaged in the Southern carrying trade at the break- ing out of the War of the Rebellion.
Schooner Charles W. Bentley. 119 tons. William Read, Master.
William Read, Luther Cudworth, George W. Hall and James Burr, owners. Sold in 1862.
Captain Read was in Charleston, S. C., just before the firing upon Fort Sumter. One evening he overheard a whispered conversation on the dock about the seizing of his vessel the next day. He cut loose that night and escaped.
Schooner Challenge. 104 tons. George N. Bailey, Master.
George N. Bailey, Joshua A. Smith, Jabez Smith, Joseph W. Smith, Benjamin G. Rogers, Reuel Strickland, Joshua Crandell, Edward Ash- ley, Franklin Potter, Josiah Wyman of New London, Luther Pickens, Luther Cudworth, George W. Pickens of Freetown, and Washington Read of Providence, owners. Sold.
This schooner, Benjamin F. Pickens, Master, escaped from Charleston harbor just before the firing upon Fort Sumter, in April, 1861. She was fired upon by the rebel batteries on shore as she passed out of the harbor.
Schooner J. Truman. 117 tons. Samuel Pridham, Master.
Samuel Pridham, George Dean, Franklin Briggs, Thomas Leeburn, Luther Pickens, George W. Pickens, Luther Cudworth and William Read, owners. Sold at New Bedford in 1862.
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Just before the firing upon Fort Sumter Captain Pridham was at Savan- nah Ga., loaded with rough rice for Charleston, S. C. He was quite undecided for a time whether to go to Charleston and deliver the rice or come North with it. He finally went to Charleston, unloaded, and then came home. In passing out of Charleston harbor two shots were fired at him from the rebel batteries on shore. One cannon ball passed between the masts, the wind of it knocking the cook down.
Sloop Rosetree. 26 tons. Augustus C. Barrows, Master and owner.
Broken up at Assonet in 1866.
Sloop A. E. Watkins. 26 tons. Benjamin F. Luther, Master.
Benjamin F. Luther and Welcome H. Richmond, owners. Sold at Newport in 1884.
Sloop Zebra. 37 tons. Robert Porter, Master and owner. Sold.
On the night of July 8, 1870, this vessel was anchored near the mouth of Joshua's Channel. A high wind coming up Captain Porter, Captain William Read and Robert Jenkins (colored), who were on board, started to put out an extra anchor. They lashed it to the stern of a skiff boat. As soon as they pushed off from the vessel the boat was swamped and carried to the bottom by the anchor. Captain Porter, as he drifted by the vessel, caught hold of the bobstay and hauled himself on board. In the darkness he could not see his companions, but he heard Captain Read say, as the current swept him past the vessel, "throw me a line." Captain Read and Robert Jenkins were drowned. Their bodies were recovered.
Schooner Addie Randall. 40 tons. Alfred B. Davis, Master and owner. Broken up at Assonet in 1902.
The last vessel to hail from Freetown.
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Welcome Hathaway Homestead
WELCOME HATHAWAY HOMESTEAD.
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SHIPPING AND COMMERCE.
Before the advent of railroads freighting was largely done by water. The vessels took their cargoes as far inland as possible, after which the merchandise was sent to its destination by teams, mostly ox teams. For this reason the head of navigation on a river easy of approach and ascent was quite likely to become an important and busy trading point. Such was Assonet Village seventy and more years ago when it was no unusual thing to see more than a score of vessels tied to the wharves or anchored in the bay; and long strings of teams coming in from Fall River, Taunton, Middleboro, and other places with manufactured articles, wood and farm produce, for shipment to Providence, Newport, New York, or for- eign ports; and going out with sugar, molasses, salt, flour, rum, and other domestic and foreign goods for inland traders or home consumption. The iron railing used in building the Arcade at Providence, R. I., is said to have been made at the East Freetown furnace, and sent to its destination via Assonet. At times the lower wharves and also Lawton's wharf would be well covered with hogsheads of molasses, and other merchandise await- ing sale and transportation inland. Occasionally the river would be dotted with pine apples, oranges, limes and other decaying tropical fruits that had been thrown over- board from vessels engaged in the West India trade. Heavily laden vessels would have a part of their cargo lightered at Joshua's channel after which they would pro- ceed to the wharves. Captain Edmund Hathaway, an owner in several of the Freetown vessels, was at one time largely engaged in the West India trade. He was assisted by his son, Guilford H. Hathaway, one of whose duties was to ride over to Dighton on horseback and pay the customs or duties on the imported goods. He has often told that he paid more duties at the Dighton Custom House in one year, than was paid by any other three towns in the Dighton Customs District. While many of
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the smaller craft engaged in freighting wood, lumber and other commodities to Providence and Newport, or mer- chandise between New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore and near-by ports, there was quite a fleet of the larger vessels that engaged in winter in the southern carrying trade, that is, the carrying of rough rice, cotton, cotton seed and other goods between Darien, Brunswick, and Savannah, Ga., and Charleston, S. C. This fleet had been reduced to four schooners when the war of the rebellion broke out in 1861, and put an end to it, probably forever.
Darien, Ga., was the rendezvous for the Assonet peo- ple engaged in this freighting, as well as for several trad- ers who with their supplies took passage south on these vessels and opened places of business there; returning on them in the spring. The season lasted from September to May.
The trading at Darien was largely with the Georgia "Crackers," a class of poor whites that in the fall of the year drifted slowly down the long rivers from the interior of the state on home-made rafts of lumber which they managed with long poles and sweeps. This lumber and such farm produce as they could bring with them on their rafts, would be converted into money on their arrival at the seaboard. They would remain in the coast cities until spring, or until the low state of their finances compelled them to depart for home. The journey back often had to be made on foot.
The plank used in making the floor of the large barn on Water street, now owned by Mrs. Ambrose Dean, was taken from one of these rafts, the numerous augur holes in it, showing where the planks were pinned together.
Welcome H. Richmond and Charles H. Read are probably the only persons at present living in Assonet Village, and Nathaniel Braley, George Braley, Jason Pitts- ley and Warren Pittsley at East Freetown, who had any part in this southern business.
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During the war of 1812, our ports being blockaded, Captain James Burr, who was at that time master of one of the vessels engaged in the southern trade, drove a six horse team, loaded with shoes, from Boston to Charles- ton, S. C. On his way he passed through Washington, D. C., leaving that city but a few days before the public buildings were burned by British soldiers. On his return he brought a load of cotton. By trading horses often he kept his team in good condition, and did not have one of his original horses on his arrival home. During the sum- mer months the vessels of this southern fleet were refitted at Assonet, giving employment to many of its citizens. Sometimes they would make one or two coaling trips to Philadelphia or Baltimore before returning south. If no cargo could be obtained to take south, they would go out in ballast. The winter's supply of corn, flour and other goods for the village and its immediate vicinity was stored every fall, before the closing up of the river by ice, in the building now standing on the lower wharf and known as the corn store. The firm of Peirce and Wilson was the last one to use this building for this purpose. There was also a corn store at the Fall River road bridge. About sixty years ago the two lower floors of this building were utilized as a dwelling, and the upper floor as a dance hall. Then and for many years thereafter Mr. Nathaniel Porter of East Bridgewater was the favorite dancing master for the village, and the well remembered phrase "All ready, Mr. Porter," originated in this hall, and was repeated at Deane's hall on Water street for many years by the floor directors of the annual dancing school. These annuals were always terminated with a grand ball and turkey sup- per, in which Mr. Porter was assisted by his nephew, Mr. Fuller, as second violin, and a Mr. Pratt as cornetist. No better, more respected or more beloved musicians ever played in the village than this trio, Porter, Fuller and Pratt. The turkey suppers were sometimes served at Benjamin Deane's, and sometimes at John Deane's. Ben-
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