USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Lancaster > History of the town of Lancaster, Massachusetts : from the first settlement to the present time, 1643-1879 > Part 21
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Lieut. Jacob Stiles,
Abner Osgood,
Sg't Jonathan Hutchins,
Robert Phelps,
Peter Willard,
Jonathan Phillips,
Benjamin Atherton,
William Perham,
John Bailey,
Joshua Proutee,
Thomas Barney,
Moses Rodman,
John McCarthy, Silvanus Johnson,
James Squierean, Joseph Turner.
Besides these, Capt. Caleb Willard, Lt. Aaron Willard, and Ensign Nathaniel Willard, are mentioned as in the ser- vice in 1759. Lieut. Jacob Stiles, Sgt. Josiah Prentice, and Richard Holland, a soldier, were under Capt. Aaron Willard in 1760, about nine months. In April, 1761, Capt. Willard went to Crown Point, by way of No. 4.
In the words of Mr. Willard, who probably knew some of the veterans of this contest : "During this war a large proportion of the able-bodied men, both cavalry and infantry, in town, were actively engaged in the service. The whole company of cavalry, excepting five privates, was out during the war." Capt. Aaron Willard afterwards became colonel
263
CHOCKSET HEROES.
of one of the Worcester county regiments, and died in 1784, in the eighty-fourth year of his age.
The joy of the people in view of the conquest of Canada and the other French possessions, was commensurate with the greatness of their sufferings in the war, and the impor- tance of the result. The government of the province appoint- ed a day of thanksgiving, October 9, and "recommended it to all ministers of the gospel, with their several congrega- tions, to meet on that day to return thanks to Almighty God for his having so visibly supported us in this just and neces- sary war; and that all the people of the province might at one time, and with one voice, express their thankfulness on this glorious occasion." It was a memorable thanksgiving. No record remains of the service in the first parish ; but the sermon preached by the Rev. John Mellen, in the meeting- house of the west parish, (now Sterling, ) was printed. It was an able discourse, and may be read with interest after more than a hundred years. At the close, Mr. Mellen gives the names of the "men lost by the war out of this parish." They are inserted here.
Samuel Fairbanks, William Fairbanks,
William Brabrook,
Ebenezer Bigelow,
Isaac Kendall,
Jacob Smith,
Ithamar Bennet,
Jonathan Geary,
Hezekiah Whitcomb,
Philip Geno,
John Whitcomb,
Reuben Walker,
Jacob Glazier,
Stephen Kendall,
Simon Kendall,
George Bush,
John Farrar,
Joseph Stewart.
Jeremiah Dickenson,
The first four were killed in 1755; the last was drowned in 1760 in Lake Champlain, and the fate of Brabrook was unknown. How many from Lancaster, first parish, were cut off in battle, or by disease, cannot be told, but probably double the number from Chockset. Of the survivors not a few lived to engage in the revolution.
CHAPTER XIII.
ANNALS,-1743-1776.
THE period between the close of the last French and Ind- ian war, and the opening of the Revolution was marked by no events of special interest. A chapter may here be inter- posed which will bring up the annals of the town, from the year 1743, in respect to schools, roads, bridges, and other matters that exhibit the social and domestic life of the peo- ple. The progress in population and wealth will also find a place. Parish matters pass from view, after the year 1744, when the salary voted for the minister, was £211 old tenor. At that time, the town was divided into two precincts or parishes. All the affairs of the first church in Lancaster, were henceforth connected with the first parish, and are, so far as recorded, in the Records of that parish. The history of the pastorate of Mr. Harrington will be given as a whole, at its close.
As we proceed, the chronological order will be followed. In 1743, £15, new tenor, were appropriated for schools. Peter Frye was a teacher; also Benjamin Atherton. The town spent £17 for ammunition. In this and the following years, many private ways were opened, but chiefly in remote parts of the town. Many of them were in Chockset, which seemed to be inspired with a passion for road-making. For high- ways £50 were voted. A bounty of five shillings was paid for a wild cat.
Joseph Wilder, jr., Esq. was a teacher in 1745-9. The school money was £30. The next four years, £40 were raised for schooling. In 1744, Josiah Brown and Stephen
264
265
BRIDGE BY DEACON OSGOOD'S.
Frost kept school. Both were graduates of Harvard, as was Josiah Swan, all of whom taught, at different times, several years. In 1748, the town voted to discontinue "Swans' Swamp way," and also the "road west of the bridge by Dea. Osgood's." Not long after this date a new bridge was built across the main river, thirty rods farther up stream, and the old road which ran east from the river, by the row of great button-ball trees that extend from the river, eastward far in- to the intervale, was discontinued ; but Joseph Wilder, Esq., and David Wilder had liberty to use it for carting, and for driving cattle.
A grant of land had been made by the proprietors to Rev. Andrew Gardner, but never fulfilled. The grant had " slept unobserved by his heirs till about the present year, as also a grant made to Mrs. Mary Gardner, of ten acres of up- land." The grant depended on his being ordained, but he was killed, while defending the garrrison, before the act of ordination. It was thought the claim was founded in equity, as it would have been if he had lived to receive ordination. The town negatived the claim.
The town, in 1748, voted to sell the church lands and meadow, in Lancaster, and also the church meadows, so called, in Harvard and Bolton. Also the Common on the west side of the river, in South Lancaster, six acres, left for a " training field, except six rods wide for a private way across the same."
The " bridge by Dea. Osgoods " requires a note, in passing. The deacon's house was near the bank of the river, where now is a cellar hole, a few rods above the present Sprague bridge. At first the bridge was some fifteen or twenty rods up stream, and therefore the road was west of the deacon's house. It went southerly, on the east side of Mr. Rowland- son's garrison, crossed the road and ran into the west border of the Center cemetery, and so on towards South Lancaster. Next, the bridge was six or eight rods west of its present site, and the house of Dea. Osgood was just west of the road as it then lay.
266
HISTORY OF LANCASTER.
From 1750 for several years the school rate was probably about £40. The vote reads for " schools and necessary town charges, £53, 6sh., 8d. silver money." Mr. Brown, and Hezekiah Gates, afterwards captain, and employed in many town offices, kept school. About that time, Edward Bass, afterwards Episcopal bishop, and Joseph Palmer, both grad- uates, were here teaching.
In 1753 a road was opened from some point on the Lunen- burg road, in the north part of the town, to White's (or Still river) bridge ; but whether it was the present road, by the brick tavern, or one through the woods, farther north, is doubtful. A committee was chosen to examine and report in relation to the location and bounds of the roads through- out the town; but they could find nothing definite, and so reported. Similar efforts since have always proved useless.
Forty shillings were voted to Henry Willard, in 1754, for " keeping widow Rebecca Willard in her distractions."
The town gave consent that the river might be straight- ened in "Dr. Prentice's interval." This was probably be- tween the Atherton and Center bridges. The work seems not to have been done till several years later, when labor then was allowed instead of work on the highways. A road also was granted from Mr. Joslin's to the North bridge. Mr. Joslin lived near the residence of Mr. John Cunningham. The old road was on the hillside.
In town meeting the clerk read an extract from a " bill," passed by the general court, granting " his majesty, [king George II.,] an excise on wines, and spirits distilled, sold by retail, or consumed within this province ; and upon limes, lemons and oranges, together with the governor's speech thereon ; and after a long debate, the question was put, whether the substants and the essential parts of the said bill, was agreeable to their minds, and it passed in the affirmative by a grate majority." This was not a question whether parliament could tax the people of the colonies, or raise a revenue by duties and customs ; but whether the col-
267
SCHOOLS.
onies would tax themselves for the benefit of his majesty. After a "long debate" the town said yes, by a " grate majority."
In February of the next year, a question of the deepest concern came before all the towns. The record reads : " Respecting the general plan of union proposed to be come into by the eleven governments in this North America, now upon the carpet ; and after taking the said affair into con- sideration, have voted as our advice, that our representative [in the general court] oppose all plans of a general or par- tial union that shall any ways encroach upon the rites and priviledges of the people." It was feared by the colonies that this was a plan to govern them, by a combination of British governors, and leading Americans, in a general congress.
In 1757 the town voted £60 for schools, and that there should be a grammar school in each precinct. Probably this school was under the care of Mr. Swan, as he was here till 1767. The school was to be in each precinct in proportion to their part of the tax. Schools for reading and writing were to be kept five months, during the colder part of the year, in the extreme parts of the town. The schools were in winter to accommodate the elder scholars, whose work was needed in the farming season.
Forty pounds were devoted to the support and comfort of the poor.
A road was opened from the Old Common to the county road which runs east from Carter's mills towards the south part of Bolton. The opening of the road was from the school-house near the house of Joseph B. Moore.
In 1760, the town raised £50 for schools, and the next year £40 for the grammar school, and an equal sum for reading and writing schools in parts of the town remote from the centers of each precinct.
A year later the town granted "Abijah Willard, (the colonel, who lived on the old major Simon Willard place, ).
268
HISTORY OF LANCASTER.
and others, leave to build a school-house on town land be- low the meeting in the first parish." This school stood, many years, near the house of Mr. Stowell. For schools this year, £100 were raised. The next year the grammar school was to be where the selectmen should choose.
On petition in 1762, it was voted that the Pine hill road might be turned into a " bridle way." This road extended from the old White place, over Wheeler hill, now owned by S. R. Damon, by the middle brick yard to the south end of Pine hill, and thence the whole length of the hill to the John White place, this side of Still river bridge. It was now closed from public travel by gates.
A project for dividing the county came before the town, in 1763, but met with firm opposition. William Richardson, Joseph Wilder and David Wilder were chosen a committee to help defeat the measure.
The selectmen were authorized to hire a " work-house for idle persons, if need be." And the next year, they were to use the " school-house as a work-house, if need be."
The plan of making the second precinct a separate town was voted down. Before the year closed it was voted to build a work-house, and the work was committed to David Osgood, Hezekiah Gates and Nathaniel Wyman.
It was moved to build a bridge across the river by Abel Willard's, that is, the "Neck bridge," and £30 were raised for the purpose. Probably the bridge of 1748 had been carried off by a flood. Josiah White, Abijah Willard and Nathaniel Wyman, all living near, and interested in the work, were chosen a committee; but from some cause nothing was done.
In 1764, the town, for the first time, was divided into school districts, and £100 were raised for education.
The sum raised for schools in 1766 was £100. The town voted to have the road run north instead of south of the house of the widow Atherton. This road is between the house of Mrs. Jane Humphrey and that of the late Col. Fay.
269
" SHREWSBURY LEG" ANNEXED.
The question came before the town in relation to the in- corporation of the second precinct as a township, and it was voted in the affirmative. For some reason the measure was not effected, and for nearly twenty years longer the old town had to bear with the wayward humors of her stalwart child.
A special meeting was called, on the eleventh of August, to consider this article in the warrant. "To give the repre- sentative some instruction concerning the requisition sent from home, [England,] to make up the loss sustained in Boston." This referred to the anti-stamp act riot and mob in Boston, in the month of August preceding, when the house of Gov. Hutchinson was ravaged, and his furniture, books and papers destroyed. The town voted "unanimously that requisition [reparation ] should be made to all those persons that suffered by the mob or mobs in the town of Boston in August last, by the reason of the stamp act."
It was in this year that Henry Haskell and others request- ed the town to set off the north part as a separate parish. The plan was quashed, but possibly if a parish had been formed, the population of the northern section of Lancaster, now far less than in former times, might have been increased, . and the taxable property augmented. Mr. Haskell became a colonel in the revolution, and was an efficient officer. He kept tavern some rods north of the "old brick tavern," on the road from Leominster to Harvard. The turnpike ran by his house, east and west. A meeting-house in that vicinity would have been convenient to many families.
£220 were raised for highways and bridges in 1767, and the town responded yea to the request of the people living on " Shrewsbury Leg," to be received as a part of Lancaster. The territory occupied by these people included the site of the villages of West Boylston and Oakdale. This section went with Sterling in 1781; with Boylston in 1786, and West Boylston when it became a town.
It was voted that the grammar school should be kept seven months in the first precinct, and five months in the second
270
HISTORY OF LANCASTER.
precinct. £100 were granted for education. After paying for the grammar schools, the remainder was to be laid out in parts not benefited by them.
The town was called upon to pay for removing and " ship- ping off the French people," [Acadians]. The matter was left with the selectmen.
In view of the state of public affairs and the disturbed relations between the province and the mother country, it was voted, in concurrence with a general movement, to " take all legal measures to encourage the produce and manufac- tures of this province."
For several years in succession the sum raised for schools was £104. In 1770 it was voted that the grammar school be kept six months in each precinct, and that each district in the town should school out its own money. The same sum was raised in the two succeeding years, and 1772 the select- men were directed to provide houses for the grammar schools. In 1775 the appropriation for education was omitted. The vote was "to dismiss the article for schooling for the present year." A similar vote passed in relation to roads and bridges. All spare money was invested in warlike material, as " ammunition " and great guns.
The Neck bridge was not yet built. In 1770 the select- men were directed to "view and agree upon the most con- venient place where to build a bridge across the river near Abel Willard's, Esq., and to agree with the said Abel Willard and Col. Caleb Wilder for the land, as they shall judge neces- sary for a highway." Voted to raise £300. The reference to land for a highway shows that the intention was to build in a new place, up the stream. For that purpose some land would be needed. Later it was voted to build " where the bridge used to stand." Still later the town voted to place the bridge " thirty rods above where it used to stand." In the spring of 1771, the town voted "not to build a Neck bridge." In the autumn, September 24, the town meeting
271
THE NECK BRIDGE.
was held in the meeting-house in the second precinct, when a vote was passed to build the bridge, and £5 were raised " to buy land each side " of the river. This indicates that the bridge was to be above the former position. This is sup- posed to be the third place of crossing. The position is still marked by the remains of an abutment on the north side, and a raised bank on the south side of the river. The bridge has been taken up the river a little farther on one or two occa- sions. The committee to do the work were Josiah Ballard, Joseph White and Jonathan Whitney. Raised £400.
This meeting was held in the first precinct, and was ad- journed to the second precinct. The town meetings were held alternately, in each district, for some years. That is, the town often met in Chockset as well as in the old parish meeting-house.
The names of Dr. Dunsmoor and Dr. Cleverly occur in connection with doctoring the poor. Dr. Cleverly had been attending on the " widow Farrar," and wanted his pay, which the town allowed.
In 1772, there was a project for building two bridges ; one by Col. Oliver Wilder's mill, in South Lancaster; the other by the mill of Col. Joseph Wilder, at Ponakin. It was voted that taxes "raised for highways in each precinct, should be spent in said precinct." At a meeting in March, a vote was passed in favor of building the bridge over Col. Wilder's mill pond. This was what is now called Carter's mill. The Neck bridge had already been set up, and the bills presented to the town. Both the other bridges came into being in due time. In 1774 the sum raised for roads and bridges was £400.
The names of the men who held the principal town offices during the time under review are given below. They are arranged in this order : moderator, town clerk, treasurer, selectmen, delegate to the general court. No reference will be made to the year in which each man was in official life.
272
HISTORY OF LANCASTER.
The moderators during this period of thirty-three years, were as follows.
Josialı White,
Oliver Moor,
Samuel Willard,
David Wilder,
John Bennet,
Hezekiah Gates,
Oliver Wilder,
Peter Green,
Joseph Wilder, jr.,
Jonathan Fairbank,
William Richardson,
William Dunsmoor,
John Carter,
Ephraim Sawyer.
David Osgood,
The clerks were
Joseph Wilder, jr.,
Abel Willard,
Abijah Willard,
Daniel Robbins,
Samuel Willard,
Samuel Ward.
Levi Willard,
The following are the names of the town treasurers.
Hooker Osgood,
Joshua Fairbank,
Peter Joslin,
Samuel Willard,
Ephraim Carter,
Peter Green,
Ephraim Wilder,
Hezekiah Gates,
David Wilder,
Joshua Houghton,
Caleb Wilder,
Cyrus Fairbank.
Here follows a list of the names of the selectmen.
Oliver Wilder,
John Carter,
William Richardson,
Asa Whitcomb,
Jonathan Osgood,
Joshua Fairbank,
Joseph Wilder, jr.,
Josiah Kendall,
Abel Willard,
Oliver Moor, John Snow,
John White,
Josiah White,
Isaiah Kendall,
David Osgood,
Jonathan Fairbank,
Ezra Sawyer,
John Prescott,
Ephraim Wilder,
Dr. Greenleaf,
Hooker Osgood,
Jonathan Wilder,
Thomas Fairbank,
Levi Willard,
Samuel Willard, Hezekiah Gates,
Ezra Houghton, Peter Green,
Ephraim Carter, Thomas Burpee, Abijah Willard, Jolıņ Fairbank,
Nathaniel Wyman,
Jeremiah Burpee, Caleb Wilder,
Thomas Sawyer,
SONS OF LIBERTY. 273
Aaron Sawyer,
Dr. William Dunsmoor,
Joseph Kilburn,
Josiah Pollard,
Josiah Ballard,
Samuel Thurston,
Ephraim Sawyer,
Ebenezer Allen,
Joel Houghton, Daniel Robbins.
A remark or two may be inserted here in regard to this list of selectmen. The last mentioned was chosen in 1776, at the last town meeting called in his majesty's name. The daring step of casting off the king's allegiance was taken. Some of the men whose names are in the list, were chosen many times, and some not more than once, and then the. last of the five. Willards, Wilders, Osgoods or Carters were generally chairmen. Some of them held several offices, and were sent as representatives to the general court, as will be seen in the next list; and quite a number of them have already appeared in this history, as officers in the field, in the first and last French and Indian wars. In 1755 Abijah Willard went to the war as colonel, and Asa Whitcomb as captain.
There was quite a revolution in the choice of town officers, as the troubles with the mother country increased. Certain familiar names disappear after the year 1771. Some of these, with others in leading families, were not ready to break away from England, though most of them became thorough patriots as the time of conflict drew nigh. The more earnest " Sons of liberty " took the offices into their own hands. In 1773 three Sawyers with Dr. Dunsmoor, and Ebenezer Allen, were the selectmen. It is believed that most of them lived outside of the present limits of the town. Men of the same stamp were elected in the following years. It was a time of change and trial.
The following were delegates to the general court during the generation from 1743 to 1776. Ephraim Wilder, two years ; Joseph Wilder, jr., five years ; William Richardson, seven years ; Samuel Willard, one year. He had held many offices, but died, either in 1752 or 1755. The Records dif- fer. David Wilder, six years ; Asa Whitcomb, eight years,
18
274
HISTORY OF LANCASTER.
and seven of them in succession. In 1775 he went into the military service as colonel.
The population of the town, which began to increase rapidly about 1748-9, continued in equal ratio till 1764, when a cen- sus was taken, with the following results.
Houses,
301
Families,
328
Whites, males under 16,
514
females
421
66 males above 16,
505
females 66
532
Negroes and Mulattos, males,
12
66
females,
14
Indians, male,
1
Total,
1999
In an old manuscript statement, the same items are given, but the aggregate is made to be 2228, an evident mistake. Willard in Mass. Magazine gives the same number of fami- lies, but makes the total population only 1862. In his his- torical address 1853, he puts the number as above, 1999, which is probably correct. Supposing, according to a former estimate, the population in 1751 was six hundred and sixty, we have an increase in thirteen years of thirteen hundred and thirty-nine, or an annual increase of one hundred and three, on an average. The tax list of 1770, (Mass. Arch., vol. 130, pp. 820-48,) contains about five hundred names, omitting widows and administrators, and the ratable polls in 1776 were six hundred and seventy-two. These show that the increase had been quite uniform from 1764 to 1776, and that the population in the latter year was about three thou- sand and twenty-four, or four and a half to each ratable poll. The addition, above deaths and removals, was not far from one thousand and twenty-five, or an average of eighty-five annually. The town had been a safe place of settlement
275
FEARFUL WASTE OF MALE LIFE.
ever after 1748, and therefore the growth had been rapid. The ratio of increase after 1764 became less ; and this is ac- counted for by the fact that after the capture of Quebec in 1759, and the peace of 1763, the towns on the west began to fill up, and drew largely from the older towns, including Lancaster.
Referring to the census of 1764, it will be noted that there were males under sixteen years of age to the number of five hundred and fourteen, and females, four hundred and twenty- one. There was an excess of ninety-three males. Male births in all countries exceed those of females ; but the dif- ference here was extraordinary. It can only be accounted for by the fact that there was an uncommon drain on the lives of males. Nature makes her own compensations. The num- ber of males over sixteen, was five hundred and five ; and of females, five hundred and thirty-two. Here is another re- markable result. The males were enrolled at the age of six- teen, and became liable to military duty. The excess of fe- males was twenty-seven, showing the fearful waste of male life in the war, by killing, mortal wounds, camp distempers and lingering disease. Under sixteen, there were ninety- three more males than females ; over sixteen, twenty-seven more females than males, making one-hundred and twenty males' lives the forfeit of war, and of casualties in life at home and at sea, in the course of a generation.
The state of morals during the early years of this period has been noticed in a former chapter. From the time of Mr. Prentice's death in 1748, there had probably been no improve- ment. The records of the county court concur with those of the church, in showing a looseness of moral sentiment. The years of war, in which a large number of young men were away from home, and exposed to the temptations of camp life, and intercourse with English officers and soldiers, had a corrupting influence. Intoxicating drinks, from cider to Jamaica and St. Croix rum, were freely used. Besides, there were causes at work, unsettling the faith of many in
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