USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Marlborough > History of the town of Marlborough, Middlesex county, Massachusetts, from its first settlement in 1657 to 1861; with a brief sketch of the town of Northborough, a genealogy of the families in Marlborough to 1800 > Part 4
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Edmund Rice,
William Kerly,
Thomas King,
Henry Kerly,
Solomon Johnson,
John Howe,
Richard Newton,
Christopher Banister,
William Ward,
John Johnson.
Thomas Goodnow,
John Ruddocke.
These men were undoubtedly residents in the town at that time, but this could not have been the whole number of the male inhabitants.
It seems that they were, like all the New England settlers, alive to the great subject of religious institutions ; for at the same meeting, "It is ordered that there bee a rate made ffor Mr. William Brimsmead, Minister, to bee collected of the inhab- itants and proprietors of the town (for six months) at the rate of four pence per acre upon House Lotts, and three pence per Pound upon cattle."
Like other communities starting into being, they appear to have had plenty of business on hand. They proceeded on the 26th of November to lay out their house lots. As some portion of them had been in the township two or three years previous to this division, it is probable that in some cases, it was rather a confirmation than an original grant. As the persons to whom
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these lots were assigned were either inhabitants at the time or soon became so, I will give their names, and the quantity of land to each.
Names. Acres.
Names.
Acres.
Edmund Rice, .
50
Andrew Beleher, . 20
William Ward,
50
Obadiah Ward,
21
John Ruddocke,
50
Edward Rice, .
35
Thomas Goodnow,
32
Richard Ward,
18
Joseph Rice,
John Woods, Sen. 30
Samuel Rice,
21
John Maynard,
23
Christopher Banister,
16
Peter King, 22
Thomas King,
39₺
Benjamin Rice,
24
William Kerly,
30
A Minister, . 30
Solomon Johnson,
23
Peter Bent, . 30
John Johnson, 30
John Bellows, . 20
Richard Newton,
30
Abraham Howe, 25
John Howe, Sen.
30
Thomas Goodnow, Jr. 20
John Howe, Jr. .
16
John Rutter,
30
Henry Kerly,
192
Jolın Barrett,
18
Richard Barnes,
16
John Rediat,
22}
Thomas Rice, .
35
A Black-Smith,
30
Joseph Holmes,
18
Henry Axtell, .
15
Samuel Howe, .
16
John Newton, .
16
The number of acres granted to the thirty-eight parties men- tioned, for house lots in the town, amounted to 993}.
This distribution of land for house lots shows who the pro- prietors were at the time the town was incorporated, and the quantity of land granted to each proves their relative interest in the township ; and it exhibits another important fact, that every settlement at that day, was regarded as incomplete until they had a settled minister among them. The setting apart thirty acres for a blacksmith also shows their just appreciation of a mechanic in a new settlement.
Having provided house lots for the proprietors, embracing about a thousand acres of their accessible and valuable up- lands, they proceeded to assign to each proprietor a portion of the meadows, which at that time were held in high esteem, as affording at once grass and hay for their cattle. By the record of this division, we learn the names given to the re- spective meadows, many of which have come down to the present day, and will probably remain household words for centuries to come. We find the names of Angular Meadow,
6
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Hawk Meadow, Handkerchief Meadow, Long Meadow, Rock Island Meadow, Castle Meadow, and the better preserved names of Flag Meadow, Fort Meadow, Stony Brook Meadow, Crane Meadow, Cedar Meadow, Stirrup Meadow, and Cold Harbor Meadow.
Having assigned house lots to the proprietors, and made other grants to individuals, they adopted, at a meeting held on the 10th of February, 1662, the following order, which con- tains more evidence of their zeal than of their foresight :
" It is ordered that all the lands situate and lying within this town, that are not already granted, from Mr. John Alcocke's line down to Stony Brook, and from thence up the Brook to Crane Meadow, and so along Stirrip Meadow Brook, and to be extended as the Brook runs to Assabeth River, and down the said River till it comes to the Indian Line; and all the lands that were taken south of said Indian Line towards Sudbury, are and shall remain a perpetual Cow Common, for the use of the town, never to be allotted without the consent of all the inhabitants and proprietors thereof, at full meeting ; excepting fourscore acres of upland within the aforesaid tract of land, to accommodate some such desirable persons withall, as need may require, opportunity present, and the town accept of."
It is exceedingly difficult for the first settlers in any new country, to ascertain the future wants of the inhabitants ; and hence provisions looking far into the future are generally un- wise. Dispositions of property in perpetuity, generally become sources of embarrassment and contention. So it proved in this case. The increasing wants of the inhabitants and the grow- ing demands for land, showed the propriety, if not the neces- sity, of dividing the Cow Commons. But it was hardly pos- sible to obtain the consent of every inhabitant and proprietor. Yet the wisdom of the measure became so apparent, that, after a considerable effort, a vote was obtained February 18, 1706, " That the proprietors will divide the Cow Commons." This gave rise to many difficulties, as the vote was not unanimous ; and finally a Petition was preferred to the General Court, which, on full consideration of the subject, on the first of No- vember, 1709, " Resolved, That it be recommended to the Inhabitants and Selectmen of Marlborough, to make such im- provements of the reserved and common lands of said town,
39
as will be most encouraging and beneficial to the advancement and increase of the plantation."
We have seen that as early as 1660, a tax was imposed to pay Rev. Mr. Brimsmead, who it appears was then laboring with them as their minister. In May, 1661, a similar vote was passed for the support of the ministry, of three pence half penny per acre upon house lots, and the same per pound upon cattle. In April of the same year, Obadiah Ward, Christopher Banister and Richard Barnes, agreed with the town " to build a frame for a minister's house every way like the frame that Mr. John Ruddocke built for himself, to be a girt house, 26 feet long, 18 feet wide, and 12} feet high between joints ; the studs standing at such a distance that a four foot and a half clap- board may reach three studs, and be of floor-joice, and four windows on the foreside, and two windows at the western, and two gables on the foreside, and eight feet square, with two small windows on the foreside of the gables. And they are to fell all the timber, and bring it in place, and do all that belongs to the frame, only the town is to help raise the aforesaid frame ; and all this work is to be done, and the frame raised, within a fortnight after Michael tyde ; and this being done, the town of Marlborough doth promise and 'engage to pay to them the sum of fifteen pounds in corn, within fourteen days after the house is raised-the one half of it-and the other half sometime in March-the whole pay to be one-third in wheat and one-third in rye, and the other third in Indian corn ; the half in wheat and rye is to be paid fourteen days after the house is up, and the half in rye and Indian corn sometime in March ; wheat at four shillings and sixpence a bushel, rye at four shillings a bushel, and Indian corn at three shillings a bushel ; to be paid at Sudbury, between Peter King's and Sarjent Wood's house in the streete."
This house appears to have been completed in due season, and at a meeting of the inhabitants, held on the 3d day of No- vember, 1662, it was voted, "That Mr. William Brimsmead, Minister, shall have the frame and the lot it stands upon, which was appointed for a Minister in this town, with all the accommodations thereunto belonging, to be his and his heirs and assigns forever." This house stood not far from the first Meeting-House on the south-west side of the Indian Planting
40
Field ; and was probably a good specimen of what was then deemed to be the first style of architecture for a gentleman's mansion. It was built after the fashion of the house of Mr. Ruddocke, who appears to have been one of the wealthiest and most learned men in the place, and who was for several years intrusted with the Records of the Town. The house of Mr. Brimsmead was set on fire by the Indians in King Philip's War, and was consumed at the time the Meeting-House was burnt.
Having provided a house for the minister, their minds would naturally turn upon a House in which he should dis- pense to them the word of life. Accordingly, at the same meeting, a tax of twelve pence per acre on their house lots was imposed, for the purpose of erecting a House of Public Wor- ship. The House thus provided for, and which was burnt by the Indians in 1676, stood on the Old Common, near the newly erected High School House, and within the limits of the Indian Planting Field, which was one source of hostile feeling on the part of the Indians. The site was subsequently purchased of an Indian, whose title to the soil was probably disputed by his brethren of the Ockoocangansett Plantation.
The Deed of Anamaks appears to be full and perfect, and such as would pass the land, if the rightful fee was in him.
" Marlborough, the 4th of April, 1663. Know all men by these presents, That I, Anamaks, Indian of Whipsuppenicke, for divers reasons and considerations, have given, granted, bargain- ed and sold unto John Ruddocke and John Howe, of the town of Marlborough, in the County of Middlesex, New England, to the proper use and behoof of the said town of Marlborough, the land yt the Meeting-House of the said town now stands on, and also the land from the highway on the foreside of the Meeting-House, and so on a square ten feet round about the. said Meeting-House. I say I have sold the same unto the aforesaid John Ruddocke and John Howe, for the proper and only use and behoof of the inhabitants or proprietors of the said town of Marlborough, to have and to hold, to them the aforesaid town and proprietors thereof, and to their heirs, execu- tors, administrators and assigns, to their only use and behoof forever. And I do hereby bind myself, my heirs, executors and
41
administrators, to give them, and that they shall have full and quiet possession of the aforementioned land forever ; and I do hereby free them also, ye aforesaid town of Marlborough and the proprietors and inhabitants thereof, from any claims, de- mand, or molestation of any man, woman or child whatsoever, that shall disturb them in or eject them out of the free, full or peaceable enjoyment and possession thereof, from the day and date hereof, and so forever, as witness my hand."
This land, with the addition of a small tract purchased of Daniel, Samuel, and Nathaniel Gookin, sons of Gen. Daniel Gookin, of Cambridge, in 1688, constitutes what was the old Common-the whole of which did not come into full possession of the town till 1706, when the last parcel was purchased by Abraham Williams and Joseph Rice, "for the use of the town, to set a Meeting-House on."
The town, after its incorporation, was organized by choosing Edmund Rice, William Ward, John Ruddocke, John Howe, Thomas King, Solomon Johnson and Thomas Goodnow, Se- lectmen; and John Ruddocke, Clerk. They then proceeded to attend to the municipal affairs of the town. It was provided that swine should be rung and yoked, and cattle should be pro- vided with a keeper; and to show that they were in earnest in this by-law, they fixed a penalty of three pence on each swine, and six pence on each horned animal which shall be found at large, in violation of said provisions. 'They also provided that every man should have his fences properly made up and finish- ed by the 15th of April, under the penalty of twelve pence a rod for every rod that shall be found unmade or insufficiently made after that day.
They also applied themselves to the subject of public travel, and laid out diverse roads for the convenience of the inhabi- tants, with a width of four rods-an example which might be safely copied by their descendants at the present day. They also provided for a County road to Sudbury, and contracted for the building of a bridge over Sudbury River, for "horse and man and laden carts to pass over at all times." That their fos- tering care extended to the health and comfort of brute animals, may be seen by the following vote passed in 1663. “ It is ordered that no person shall lay or put any fflax or hemp into
42
any pond or brooke within this town, where cattle use to drink, on penalty of paying to the town's use twenty shillings for every offense ; and whosoever hath now any fflax or hemp in any pond or brooke as aforesaid, shall cause the same to be taken out within four and twenty hours after the date hereof, on penalty of paying the said sum."
These votes of the early settlers were a solemn reality, and whoever attempted to disregard or evade them, was made to feel the weight of the penalty and to acknowledge the supre- macy of the law. No one subject of police regulation gave them more perplexity than that of restraining the bristly herd. We have already seen that they early provided that swine should be yoked and rung. But such was the perverseness of the swinish herd, or their owners, that within two years, it was found necessary to legislate further upon the subject. The penalty of three pence per head, on each swine unrung and un- yoked, proving insufficient, "It was ordered that all the swine found going at large within the town shall be sufficiently yoked and rung, at or before the 14th of April, on penalty of six pence per yoke and six pence per ring, that shall be found wanting ; which sum shall be paid by the owner of such swine." And to prevent any evasion of this order, or to pass off any thing as a yoke which was insufficient, they further ordered, " That the part of the yoke yt goes under the throat is to be so long as the swine is high, and those parts of the yoke that goes up by both sides of the necke, is to be so long as will rise two hand fulls above ye uppermost part of ye swine's necke."
After the first division of land, there appears to have been but little addition to the inhabitants for several years. Abraham Williams was admitted as a proprietor in 1663, and John Woods, the same year, and Capt. Wheeler about the same time. There were, however, some families added by the mar- riage or settling in town of some of the sons of the original proprietors.
It would be interesting, were it practicable, to give the loca- tion of the first settlers. But it is hardly possible. Most of the proprietors, by the different divisions, had lots in different parts of the town ; and it is highly probable that the same indi- vidual might reside in different places at different times. There was a general spirit of land speculation among the inhabitants,
43
and a good deal of the real estate changed hands. Moreover, it is certain that several of the early settlers had adult sons, when they came to town, and these took up their abode in the differ- ent parts of the township. As the original house lots were not laid out by metes and bounds, and the only description we have on record is little more than this-that A.'s lot was bound- ed on the west by B.'s, and B.'s was bounded on the east by A.'s, and that C.'s lot was adjoining F.'s, and bounded else- where by undivided land-we have no certain guide in fixing the locality of many of the early inhabitants.
It seems, however, to be conceded, that JOHN HOWE was the first white inhabitant who settled in the town. He probably came to the place as early as 1657 or '58, and built him a cabin a little east of the Indian planting field, about one-third of a mile north-easterly of Spring Hill Meeting-House, where the late Edward Rice resided. Though his habitation was in the immediate vicinity of the native tribe of Indians, he succeeded in securing not only their friendship, but their entire confidence and esteem. This place was in possession of his descendants for several generations.
EDMUND RICE is supposed to have resided near where the present Town Hall stands.
WILLIAM WARD'S homestead was south-westerly of the Meeting-House Common, on what is now known as the Hay- den place.
JOHN WOODS, Sen., resided near the east village, on the road towards Southborough.
JOHN MAYNARD settled south-easterly of the Meeting-House, west of the house lot of John Woods, being near the place where Mr. Israel Howe now resides.
JONATHAN JOHNSON's house lot was directly south of the old Common, and was given to him on condition that he should reside in town a specified time, and do the smith-work for the people.
JOHN RUDDOCKE's place was north-westerly of the Meeting- House, on the spot where widow Joseph Howe now resides.
CHRISTOPHER BANISTER's house lot was on the north of John Ruddocke's, and bounded on the east by the Indian Line, being near the old John Gleason place.
44
JOHN BARRETT resided near Christopher Banister. His lot was bounded east by the Indian Line, and south by the house lot of Banister ; and was near the Barnes place.
ABRAHAM HOWE resided near School-House No. 2, west of Jolın Ruddocke.
EDWARD RICE located himself on the east of the present residence of widow Otis Russell, having Abraham Howe easterly of him.
THOMAS RICE resided north of the Pond, and probably not far from the present residence of Moses Howe.
WILLIAM KERLY probably resided at the lower end of South Street, on the south road to Boston.
RICHARD WARD's house lot was west of the Indian Line, and probably near the old John Gleason place.
SAMUEL BRIGHAM resided three-fourths of a mile east of the East Village, near the old tan-yard of the late Capt. Daniel Brigham.
THOMAS BRIGHAM resided in the westerly part of the town, on the place now known as the Warren Brigham place, on the south road to Northborough.
JOHN BENT took up his abode south of the Pond, on the place where the late Daniel Stevens resided. The farm was in the possession of the Bent family for several generations.
RICHARD BARNES, who came to the country with the Bent family, located himself a little to the south of the Bent place, on the farm now owned by Dr. Barnes. This place has always remained in possession of some one of the family.
ABRAHAM WILLIAMS, who became a proprietor in 1663, located himself near the south-easterly end of the Pond, a site long known as the old Williams Tavern stand.
THOMAS GOODNOW's original house was north of the Meet- ing-House, probably near the Solomon Barnes place, and was bounded on the east by the Indian Line.
With one of the the most delightful and fertile plantations in the Colony, and a good supply of open meadows, yielding abundant crops prepared to their hands; with a good gospel minister, and whatever else is necessary to make any settle- ment prosperous, we might reasonably suppose that they would
45
be contented and happy. But alas for the infirmities of human nature ! Divisions arose and difficulties multiplied among them. Councils were called ; the General Court was involved ; but all these means for a time proved unavailing. In the absence of full Town and Church Records, the latter being irrecoverably lost, we are unable to state fully the causes of this alienation, or to decide who were in fault. Neither are we in possession of facts which will enable us to state all the efforts that were made to bring about an adjustment of these unhappy difficulties. By the Records of the General Court, and by papers preserved in the Archives of the State, we are enabled to glean some information concerning the affairs of that period.
We have seen that in 1660 and 1662, the people of the place were attached to Mr. Brimsmead, and seemed happy under his ministry. They had liberally erected him a dwelling, and reared a house in which to meet him in their weekly worship. But in 1664 there appears to have been a general ferment in the town, by which their ecclesiastical as well as civil relations, were disturbed. The policy of the proprietors, from the first, appears to have been marked by some degree of stringency. Thus in September, 1659, they declare that all persons who do not perfect their house lots, and pay twenty shillings by the 22d of March following, shall forfeit the title to their lands, and all rights in the plantation ; and in their grants for taxes, they annex the same penalty for non-payment, and give but a brief period for the payment of these rates. The natural scar- city of money, in every new settlement, should have induced a lenient policy. But as some, perhaps from necessity, failed to meet these demands within the time specified, the penalty of' forfeiture thus incurred, was attempted to be enforced. But the delinquents petitioned the General Court, which sent out a committee to inquire into the facts of the case. This commit- tee reported in 1663, that in all such cases of forfeiture, the town should pay for all betterments which had been made on the forfeited estates ; and that henceforth " no town act passe, but in some publieke towne Meeting orderly called, and only by such as are by lawe enabled so to doe ;"-which Report was accepted by the Court.
This fair and equitable order, which should have been satis- factory to all parties, proved but the signal for further strife.
7
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Petition after petition was presented to the General Court, and committee after committee was appointed to hear and adjust their difficulties.
In 1664, seventeen * of the inhabitants of the town respect- fully ask the General Court to appoint a committee, with full power to hear and settle all their difficulties. They declare that their differences are such as render them incapable of carrying on their affairs. They allege that these difficulties are of long standing, and admit, probably with some degree of truth, that these troubles have arisen "partly from our own corruption, and the temptations of Satan, hindering their own good feelings in matters both civil and ecclesiastical, which have been and are very uncomfortable to them and their friends."
This application, apparently reasonable in itself, drew forth a remonstrance, signed by about an equal number of inhabitants, t who deny that there is any considerable difficulty, and declare that they "never went about to destroy the Town Book, but only to rectify what was amis in it." They also declare that they never went about to "root out their minister." They allege that, in point of " gravity," they are " able to balance or overbalance " the petitioners; that they pay nearly twice as much as the petitioners towards civil and ecclesiastical institu- tions ; and conclude by saying, " We are willing, with our per- sons and estates, to uphold the Authority of the Country, and do therefore desire the liberty of the law which gives towns power to transact their own affairs."
The General Court, however, more desirous of having these difficulties settled than some of the inhabitants of the town, appointed a committee to adjust them. But after considerable delay, the committee, or at least a part of them, were dis-
* The petitioners in this case were, William Ward, Andrew Belcher, Chris- topher Banister, Abraham Williams, Samuel Ward, John Ruddocke, John Woods, Sen., Solomon Johnson, Thomas Goodnow, Obadiah Ward, William Kerly, John Johnson, Thomas Barnes, Abraham Howe, Nathaniel Johnson, John Woods, Jr., and John Barnes.
t The citizens who opposed the appointment of a Committee were Thomas King, John Howe, Samuel Rice, Joseph Rice, John Barrett, Thomas Brigham, John Brigham, John Newton, Richard Barnes, Thomas Barrett, John Rediat, Richard Newton, Edmund Rice, Peter Bent, John Rutter, Thomas Rice, John Maynard, and John Bellows.
47
charged, and others were appointed in their stead ; and after about ten years, a Report was made and accepted by the Court. Under date of May 27, 1674, we find on the Records the following entry, which appears to have been the final result, after all other expedients had failed.
" The Return of the Committee appointed for Marlborough, humbly showeth :
" That according to our best skill, we have attended the ser- vice of that place, and the promotion of the settlement thereof. In pursuance of the fatherly care of this Court for their welfare, several journies we have made to them, and much time we have spent in hearing and discussing matters of differ- ence and difficulties among them ; and the result of all which is now mostly contained in the New Town Book, which we have caused to be finished, wherein not only their fundamental orders and grants are recorded, but also the particular stating and bounding of all those lands that are already laid out to the several inhabitants there. This New Town Book, as it now stands under the hands of Mr. John Green, we have by our order publicly approved, enstamping upon it what authority is with us to convey, humbly representing to this honored Court, that their acceptance and confirmation thereof, will be in our apprehensions, a competent way, and (as now circumstanced) the likeliest way for the attainment of the peace of that place, and a foundation of future good to them, which we leave to your Wisdom's consideration and determination.
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