USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Lancaster > History of the town of Lancaster, Massachusetts : from the first settlement to the present time, 1643-1879 > Part 4
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63
It is quite credible that Mr. Norcross was led by more than one motive to leave them. Their "delays " was one. Some of those who refused to come, might have "instigated him," to take the same course. There is evidence that he was willing to come, at one time, for in the Colonial
40
HISTORY OF LANCASTER.
Records, (Vol. II, 57,) a petition of his is preserved, which was granted, "provided there shall not be more land al- lotted to the town, or particular men, (notwithstanding their purchase of the land from the Indians, ) than the gen- eral court shall allow."
At the end of two years, 1643-4, "there were not three houses in the place." That is, we may infer that there were two houses, set up by Linton, Waters and Ball. Besides these, was the trucking house of Symonds and King on George hill. Probably one of the two houses belonged to Linton, and the other to Waters, as they both became resi- dents, while Ball disappears from view. The lot of Waters, as arranged afterwards, was east and south of the Sprague bridge, while that of Linton was on the north side of the road, and east of the house of Charles L. Wilder.
The subject was before the general court, in October, 1645, [Records, 1, 8, 45] when it was voted, that " upon the pe- tition of the undertakers of the plantation at Nashaway, the court is willing that John Gill, Sergeant John Davies, John Chandler, Isaiah Walker and Matthew. Barnes, or any three of them, shall have power to set out lots to all the planters belonging to the said plantation, provided that they set not their houses too far asunder; and the great lots to be proportionable to men's estates and charges ; and that no man shall have his lot confirmed to him before he has taken the oath of fidelity."
The men named above never became inhabitants of Lan- caster, and did nothing to forward the plantation. Like the original proprietors, except Prescott, they abandoned the enterprise so far as becoming actual settlers. is concerned. It is supposed that Mr. Norcross returned to England, as his name disappears from our annals ; and about the time under review, there was a great demand for " learned and godly ministers " in the old country.
The people of Lancaster need not be troubled by what Winthrop says of the original proprietors. That they were
41
THE PIONEERS.
" poor men " can easily be believed, since not many men of large property would care to encounter the privations of the wilderness, while having comfortable homes in the lower towns. Others were "profane; " but they, for some reason, remained below, where, we may hope, they were under good influence. Some again, were "corrupt in judgment." But none of this class came except Prescott. This corrup- tion in judgment was simply a mistaken opinion, (if it was mistaken) in regard to the right of suffrage, and the extent to which the power of the state should reach in matters of religion. He was a follower of Dr. Child, who gave some trouble to the general court, and whose views, if his party had been numerous enough, would have produced a revolu- tion in the colony, and probably led to its destruction.
In regard to the question, who was the first permanent inhabitant of Lancaster, Mr. Willard decides in favor of Prescott. But this is not absolutely certain. Linton, Waters and Ball were here in 1643 and 1644. They built two houses. It is true that Linton and Waters were in Watertown in 1646 ; but they were in Lancaster in 1647. Between these two dates Prescott took up his abode here. But there is no evidence that Linton and Waters had left, except for a tem- porary purpose. However this may be, Prescott deserves the honor, among all the original associates, of adhering to the enterprise, and of coming up to put in his lot with the hardy settlers. The others, while clinging to their interest, de- clined to aid in laying the foundations by personal toils and perils. It was probably fortunate for the town, in all its future history, that these men kept away, since in a " small company " there were seven, (the necessary number to form a church, according to a then prevalent notion,) who, not being members of a church, were willing to be organized into one, for the occasion !
The general court seems to have been interested in the enterprise of planting a new town, on the frontier, and not- withstanding the failure of the associates, took the following
42
HISTORY OF LANCASTER.
action on the twenty-seventh of October, 1647. " Whereas the court hath formerly granted a plantation at Nasha- way unto Jonathan Chandler, [and others, ] and that Gill is dead, Chandler, Walker and Davies have signified unto the court, that since the same grant, they have acted nothing as undertakers there, nor laid out any lands, and further have made request to the court to take in the said grant, mani- festing their utter unwillingness to be engaged therein, the court doth not think fit to destroy the plantation, but rather to encourage it ; only in regard the persons now upon it are so few, and unmeet for such a work, and are to be taken to procure others, and in the meantime to remain in the courts' power to dispose of the plantation and ordering of it."
It was now 1647, and there were, at least, three perma- nent settlers in the plantation, viz. John Prescott, Richard Linton and Lawrence Waters. All these were from Water- town. John Cowdall, of Boston, owned property here, as appears from a deed of a house and twenty acres of land, made to Jonathan Prescott in 1647. Whether he had been here, and built a house, or whether he had purchased of some proprietor is unknown. Willard states that others soon followed, as Atherton, Sawyer, etc. ; but for the next five or six years, the additions came slowly.
By the spring of 1653 there were nine families on the ground, not one of whom was an original proprietor except John Prescott. He had set up his habitation and trading place, and probably his blacksmith shop near the cross roads in South Lancaster. The words of Mr. Harrington are as follows. "On the eighteenth of May, 1653, there being nine families in the place, they petitioned the general court for an incorporation, and obtained it by the name of Lancaster." This petition was probably signed in addition to the five names already given, by Edward Breck, Nathaniel Hadlock, William Kerley and Ralph Houghton.
The action of the legislature is here inserted in full. "At a general court of election held at Boston, the-day of
43
PRUDENTIAL MANAGERS.
May, 1653, In answer to the petition of the inhabitants of Nashaway, the court find, according to a former order of the general court, in 1647, that the ordering of the plantation at Nashaway is wholly in the courts' power. Considering that there is already at Nashaway about nine families, and that several, both freemen and others, intend to go and settle there, some whereof are named in this petition, the court doth grant them the liberty of a township, and order that henceforth it shall be called Lancaster.
" That the bounds thereof shall set out according to a deed of the Indian Sagamore, viz., Nashaway river at the passing- over to be the center, five miles north, five miles south ; five miles east, and three miles west, by such commissioners as the court shall agree to, to see these lands defended, and their bounds limited.
" That Edward Breck, Nathaniel Hadlock, William Ker- ley, Thomas Sawyer, John Prescott, Ralph Houghton, or any four of them, whereof the main part are freemen, to be for the present, Prudential Managers of said town, both to see all allotments to be laid out for the planters in due pro- portion to their estates ; also to order their prudential affairs until it shall appear to this court that the place shall be so far settled with able men as the court shall judge meet to grant them full liberty of a township according to law.
" That all such persons who have possessed and continued inhabitants of Nashaway shall have their lots formerly laid out, confirmed to them, provided they take the oath of fidelity.
" That Sudbury and Lancaster lay out highways betwixt town and town, according to the direction of the court for the countries use, and then make them as need shall be.
" The court order that Lancaster shall be within the county of Middlesex, and the town hath liberty to choose a con- stable.
" That the inhabitants of Lancaster do take care that a godly minister may be maintained amongst them; that no
44
HISTORY OF LANCASTER.
evil persons, enemies to the laws of this Commonwealth, in judgment or practice, be admitted as inhabitants among thein ; and none to have lots confirmed but such as take the oath of fidelity.
" That although the first undertakers and co-partners in the plantation of Nashaway are hereby evacuated of their claims in lots there, by order of this court, yet that such persons of them who have expended either charge or labor for the benefit of the place, and have helped on the public works there, from time to time, either in contributing to the ministry, or in the purchase from the Indians, or any other public work; that such persons are to be considered by the town, either in proportion of land, or some other way of satisfaction, as may be just and meet, provided such persons do make such their expenses clearly appear within twelve months after the end of this session, for such demands ; and that the interest of Herman Garrett and such others as were first undertakers, or have been at great charge there, shall be made good to him, them, his or their heirs, in all allotments, as to other the inhabitants, in proportion to the charges ex- pended by him and such others aforesaid ; provided they make improvement of such allotments, by building and planting within three years after they are or shall be laid out to them. Otherwise their interest hereby provided for to be void ; and all such land so hereby referred to be thenceforth at the town's dispose.
" In further answer to this petition, the court judgeth it meet to consider the above mentioned nine particulars to the inhabitants of Lancaster, and order that the bounds thereof to be laid out in proportion to eight miles square."
This has been, somewhat loosely, styled an act of incor- poration, and the eighteenth of May, old style, has been considered as the anniversary of the legal birth of the town. But, as Willard states, " at this early period there were no for- mal acts of incorporation ; " the usual way was for the general court to grant a plantation the liberty of a township on
45
LIBERTY OF A TOWNSHIP.
certain conditions. If these conditions were fulfilled, then " full liberty of a township" was granted. This usage is recognized in the fourth section of the act just recited, in these words : "until it shall appear to this court that the place shall be so far settled with able men as the court judge meet to grant them full liberty of a township according to law."
Such power was granted, the next year, 1654, as appears by the following petition and answer, which are here inserted at length, for the sake of permanent preservation in print, and also because of their intrinsic interest. The petition and answer at the same time, will give the reader a view of the style in which things of this sort were done in the early days of the colony.
" To the honorable governor, the deputy governor, and the rest of his honorable court, both magistrates and depu- ties :
"The humble petition of the inhabitants of Lancaster humbly sheweth :
" Whereas it pleased the honorable court to give power to six men, formerly, to dispose of lands, and to give out lots unto such men as did desire to sit down at Lancaster; they having hitherto acted accordingly, and we being now about twenty families, and one of the six men [Hadlock] being dead, and one other being removed from us, and some others of them being disposed to leave off that power given to them by the court, considering it to be agreeable to law, and prof- itable to the town, in the further carrying on and ordering the planting and prudential affairs of the town, and also in the further disposing and raising maintenance for the minis- try amongst us, we with commissioners who have set their hands hereunto with ourselves, humbly entreat this hon- ored court that the power which was formerly granted to those six men may be granted to the town and inhabitants in general, that therein they may act together as in other towns, and as we conceived, under favor, the law doth allow. And also that this court would be pleased to appoint
46
HISTORY OF LANCASTER.
such man or men, who in wisdom you think meet, to lay out our town bounds according to this court's grant, which, if it shall please this honored court to grant unto us, we shall remain farther obliged; and as we are in duty bound, con- tinue to pray for you." The names subscribed are William Kerley, William Lewis, William Kerley, Jr., Richard Smith, Henry Kerley, John Johnson, John Lewis, Edmund Parker, Thomas Sawyer, John Whitcomb, 2d, Lawrence Waters, Richard Linton. The petition concludes in these words : " the desire of your petitioners is, that they desired the full power and privileges of the plantation, and for the present they desire, and shall be well satisfied if the court do grant seven men out of the ten here-under written, to order the prudential affairs for this year ensuing ; and that afterwards it shall be lawful for the plantation to make their elections and order their prudential business in full state of a planta- tion according to law." Then follow the ten names, viz., Edward Breck, John Prescott, William Kerley, Ralph Hough- ton, Thomas Sawyer, John Whitcomb, John White, William Lewis, Richard Smith, Edward ;* " of these are freenien Edward Breck, William Kerley, Thomas Sawyer, William Lewis, John Whitcomb."
The petition was referred to a committee, and this is their report. "The committee think meet that the inhabitants of Lancaster have those liberties of a township that the laws allow, until the general court take, further order therein, and that lieutenant Goodnough and Thomas Dan- forth lay out the bounds of the said town according to the court's grant, at the town's charge, and make return thereof unto the next court's election.
" The deputies approve of the return of this committee, and desire our honored magistrates' consent thereunto. Consented to by the magistrates, William Torie, Clerk, 10 May, 54."
The above petition and answer have been cited in this place for the purpose of completing the record of the incor-
* Probably Edmund Parker.
47
PUBLIC COVENANT.
poration of the town. But in the meantime much had been done, during the year 1653 in arranging the settlement. The committee designated in the act of 1653, viz., Breck, Kerley, Sawyer, Prescott and Houghton, had performed the duties assigned to them in dividing the land, in part, and in managing the affairs of the plantation. The location of the proprietors will be given in the following chapter, because the division was not completed at this time, and it will be convenient to have the whole arrangement in one view.
The first division having been made, the inhabitants and others interested entered into a covenant with each other. This document is so important in illustrating the history of Lancaster that it will be given entire. It was adopted on the twenty-eighth of November, 1653, and was in the words following.
" We whose names are subscribed upon the receiving and acceptance of our several lands and allotments, with all ap- purtenances thereof, from those men who were chosen by the general court to lay out and dispose of the lands within the town of Lancaster, heretofore called by the name of Nasha- way, do hereby covenant and bind ourselves, our heirs, executors and assigns, to the observing and keeping of these orders and agreements hereafter mentioned and expressed.
" First, for the maintainance of the ministry of God's holy word, we do allow, covenant and agree that there be laid out, stated and established, and we do hereby state and estab- lish as church lands, with all the privileges and appurte- nances thereunto belonging forever, thirty acres of upland, and forty acres of intervale land, and twelve acres of mead- ow, with free liberty of commons, and for pasture and fire- wood : the said lands to be improved by the plantation, or otherwise, in such order as shall be best advised and conclu- ded by the plantation, without rent-payment for the same, until the labor of the plantation, or those who do improve the same be fully satisfied ; and we do agree that the planta- tion, or selectmen shall determine the time how long any
48
HISTORY OF LANCASTER.
man shall hold and improve the said lands for the profit thereof, and then to be rented, according to the yearly value thereof, and paid in to such persons as the plantation or selectmen shall appoint, to and for the use of and towards the maintainance of the minister, pastor or teacher, for the time being, or whomsoever may be stated to preach the word of God among us. Or it may be in the choice of the minister to improve the lands himself.
" And further, we do covenant and agree to build a con- venient meeting-house for the public assembling of the church and people of God to worship God, according to His holy ordinances, in the most equal and convenient place that may be advised and concluded by the plantation. And to build a house for the minister upon the said church lands.
" And further we do engage and covenant every one for himself, his heirs, executors and assigns, to pay to, and for the use of the ministry aforesaid, the sum of ten shillings a year, as for and in consideration of our home lots yearly forever,-our home lots to stand engaged for the payment thereof; and what all this shall fall short of a competent maintainance, we covenant to make up by equal rate, upon the good and other improved lands, (not home lots, ) in such way and order as the country rate is raised. And in case of a vacancy of a minister, the maintainance arising from the church lands and home lots abovementioned, shall be paid to such as shall be appointed, for the use of a school, to be as a stock; or as stock for the maintainance of the minister, as the plantation or the selectmen shall think meet.
" And for the better promoting and setting forward of the plantation, we covenant and agree that such persons of us who have not inhabited this plantation heretofore, and are yet to come to build, improve and inhabit, that we will by the will of God, come up to build, to plant land, and to inhabit at or before one whole year be passed, next after the acceptance of the allotments, or else to lose all our charges about it, and the lots to return to the plantation, and to pay five pounds for the use of the plantation.
49
PURITY OF RELIGION. - EQUALITY.
" And for the better preserving of the purity of religion and ourselves from infection of error, we covenant not to distribute allotments and to receive into the plantation as inhabitants any excommunicant, or otherwise profane and scandalous, (known so to be,) nor any notoriously erring against the doctrine and discipline of the churches, and the state and government of this Commonwealth.
" And for the better preserving of peace and love, and yet to keep the rules of justice and equity among ourselves, we covenant not to go to law one with another in actions of debt or damages, one towards another, either in name or state, but to end all such controversies among ourselves by arbitration or otherwise, except in cases capital or criminal, that some may not go unpunished, or that the matter be above our ability to judge of, and that it be with the consent of the plantation, or selectmen thereof.
" And for the laying out, measuring and bounding of our allotments of this first division, and for and towards the satisfying of our engagements to the general court, to make payment for purchase of the Indians, we covenant to pay ten shillings, every one of us, for our several betterments to the selectmen, or whom they may appoint to receive it.
" And whereas lots are now laid out, for the most part, equally to rich and poor, partly to keep the town from scat- tering too far, and partly out of charity, and respect to men of meaner estate, yet that equality, (which is the rule of God,) may be observed, we covenant and agree that in a second division, and so through all other divisions of lands, the matter shall be drawn as near to equality according to men's estates, as we are able to do, that he who hath now more than his estate deserveth, in home lots and interval lots, shall have so much less ; and he who hath now less than his estate deserveth, shall have so much more.
" And that we may the better keep due proportion, we covenant and agree thus to account of men's estates, viz., ten pounds a head for every person, and all other goods by
4
50
HISTORY OF LANCASTER.
due value, and to proportion to every ten pounds, three acres of land -two of upland and one of interval - and we give a year's liberty to every man to bring in his estate. Yet nevertheless, it is to be understood that we do not hereby prejudice or bar the plantation from accommodating any man by gift of lands which properly are not allotments ; but we do reserve that in the free power of the plantation as occa- sion may hereafter be offered. And in case the planters estate be low, that he can claim nothing in other divisions, yet it is to be understood that he shall enjoy all the lands of the first division.
" And further we covenant that if any planter do desire to have his proportion in the second division, it shall be granted.
" And further we covenant to lay out meadow lands accord- ing to the present estates of the planters with respect to be had to remoteness or nearness, - of that which is remote, to give the more, and of that which is near, to give the less.
" And concerning the thirty acres of upland, and forty acres of interval above granted as church lands, it is agreed and concluded to lie bounded by John Prescott's ditch upon the south, and the North river, over Lawrence Waters upon the north, and so ranging along westward.
" And for the preventing of inconveniences, and the more peaceable issuing of the business about building of a meeting- house, it is considered and concluded as the most equal place, that the meeting-house be builded as near to the church lands and to the neck of land as it can be without any notable inconvenience.
" And it is also agreed that in all parts and quarters of the town, where sundry lots do lie together, they shall be fenced by a common fence, according to proportion of acres by every planter, and yet not to bar any man from particular and private inclosure at his pleasure."
The above covenant, so wise, far-sighted and fair, was signed by men who were on the ground, and by others who
51
NAMES OF PLANTERS.
purposed to come up within a year. In the spring of 1653 there were nine families in the place ; and in 1654, when the planters applied to the general court for full powers as a town, they stated that there were twenty families in the plantation. The names of these, and of others who signed the covenant, up to the spring of 1660 are here inserted. Brief notices of these men, partly drawn from Willard, and partly from other sources, will be given in the next chapter.
Edward Breck, ¿ Robert Breck, 5 to settle within a year.]
John Prescott., William Kerley,
Thomas Sawyer, Ralph Houghton,
[Subscribed on condition of not coming
Subscribed first,
[probably in 1652.] [The dates will be given in old style.]
John Whitcomb, Jno. Whitcomb, jr.
20, 9 mo. 1652.
Richard Linton,
John Johnson, 4, 9 mo. 1654.
Jeremiah Rogers,
John Moore, 11, 1 mo. 1653.
William Lewis, ? John Lewis, 13, 1 mo. 1653.
Thomas James, [mark] 21, 3 m. 1653.
Edmund Parker,
Benjamin Twitchell, 1, 8 mo. 1652.
Anthony Newton,
Stephen Day,
James Atherton,
Henry Kerley,
15, 1 mo. 1653.
Richard Smith,
William Kerley, jr.
John Smith,
Lawrence Waters.
John White, 1 May, 1653.
John Farrar,
Jacob Farrar, 24 Sept. 1653.
John Houghton,
24, 7 mo. 1653.
Samuel Deane, or Dean,
James Draper,
Stephen Gates, sen. April 3, 1654.
James Whiting, or Witton, April 7, 1654. John Moore, 1 Edward Rigbe, S 13, 2 m. 1654.
52
HISTORY OF LANCASTER.
John Mansfield, 13, 2 mo. 1654.
Jolın Towers,
Richard Dwelley, > 18, 2 mo. 1654. Henry Ward,
John Pierce,
William Billings, 4, 7 mo. 1654.
Richard Sutton, April, 1653.
Thomas Joslin,
12, 9 mo. 1654.
Nathaniel Joslin, S
John Rugg, 12, 12 m. 1654.
Joseph Rowlandson, 12, 12 mo. 1654.
John Rigby, 12, 12 mo. 1654.
John Roper, 22, 1 mo. 1656.
John Tinker, Feb. 1, 1657.
Mordicai MacLoad, [mark] March 1, 1657-8.
Jonas Fairbanks, March 7, 1659.
Roger Sumner, April 11, 1659. Gamaliel Beaman, [mark] May 31, 1659.
Thomas Wilder, [Thomas Wyellder] July 1, 1659. Daniel Gaines, March 10, 1660.
The above list gives to us the names of the fathers of the town. A few of these left the place, and others settled here, from year to year, but these were the pioneers. They laid the foundations, and their children composed the main part of the population till the period of the massacre in the spring of 1676. They and their children set up their household altars, and built anew the town, in 1679-82. This will be' their honor in all coming time. Their descendants have gone out into all the land, but often come hither to view the homesteads and graves of their ancestors.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.