USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Natick > History of the town of Natick, Mass., from the days of the apostolic Eliot, MDCL, to the present time, MDCCCXXX > Part 3
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1733 .- Ebenezer Felch receipts for four pounds, for keeping school.
1737 .- Septr. 19th, Voted to make sale of one hun- dred and fifty pounds worth of common lands, the income and yearly interest whereof, to be towards the main- tainance of a school in Natick.
1752 .- March 30th. Voted to dismiss Francis Ful- łam, Esqr, (who desired to be dismist) and choose Jon- athan Richardson in his room, to procure their rent money, of their Maguncog lands, and pay it to each proprietor, according to his proportion.
1754 .- March 12th. Voted to sell so much of our common and undivided lands, as will be sufficient to raise money to pay for a lot of land, which we have en- gaged to procure for our Revd Minister, [Mr Badger] and choose Deacon Ephraim, John Ephraim, and Ben- jamin Tray, a committee to execute legal deeds of the same, in behalf of the proprietors. Eighty three acres were sold, agreeably to this vote.
Voted, to dispose of the old meeting house, and what
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HISTORY OF NATICK.
may be serviceable in the new'meeting house, may be used therefor, and the value thereof set to the Indians' account, and the remaining part of the old meeting house be sold by the committee that are chosen to lay out their common land, and to be divided amongst the proprietors ; and that said committee together with the Indian Guardians, be judges of the equivalent.
1787 .- Feb. 5th. The last article in the Proprie- tors' Book is in substance as follows ; whereas there are several small parcels of broken land in the Town and Propriety of Natick, that are unappropriated and not capable of a division among the proprictors, who are poor and unable to pay for the survey of the same ; and the whole being of small value ; therefore voted unani- mously, that the Clerk to the said proprietors be desired and directed to sign the petition to the General Court, praying for power to sell the remaining common lands in said Natick, and after paying charges, subdivide the money arising from said sale among the proprietors. From 1720 to 1769 I find grants of common lands to about 60 English, and to about 100 Indians. I am in- formed, on good authority, that in 1764 there were 65 white families settled in the township, and that at that time they greatly outnumbered the Indians.
HISTORICAL SCRAPS . FROM VARIOUS SOURCES, AR- RANGED IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER .- 1663 .- A dedi- cation of the New Testament, and another of the whole Bible, in the Natick dialect, the former da- ted 1663, 'to the High and Mighty Prince Charles the Second, by the grace of. God, King, &c.' are pre- served in the Collections of the Massachusetts Histori- cal Society, for the year 1800, pp. 222-228. 5
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HISTORY OF NATICK.
1669-The humble petition of John Eliot, in the behalf of the poorIndians of Natik
Sheweth,-That whereas this honored Court did appoint a Com- mittee, to fix a line betwixt Dedham and Natik, bounding on each other, viz. the worshipful mr. Ting, mr. Jackson, Deakon Park & leiftenant Cook of Boston, who took pains in it & the record of their determination is accepted, and put into the Court records. Nevertheless some of Dedham doe invade our line. upon one side they forbid the Indians to plant, take away theire raills, which they have prepared to fence theire corne fields. and on another side, have taken away theire lands, & sold ym to others, to the trouble and wonderment of the Indians. these are humbly to re- quest this honored Court to impower the same worshipfull Com- mittee, & request ym once more to take pains, & goe to the place, wt. ye. have allready done. & request our brethren of Dedham to be quiet, & let us peacably injoy our owne. So committing this honored Court unto the Lord, & to the word of his grace I re- maine
your humble petitioner John Eliot.
This petition was granted 20th. May, 1669, and at- tested by Edw. Rawson, Secretary and William Torrey, Clerk.
This and several other documents, in this work, are from Manuscripts in the hand writing of Eliot and Gookin, in the possession of Lemael Shattuck, Esqr. of Con- cord, Ms. to whom the compiler is under great obliga- tions for his polite and friendly assistance.
To the honored Gen Court
The humble Petition of John Eliot in the behalf of the poor Indians of Natik & Magwonkkommuk this 14th of the 8. 69.
Sheweth,-That whereas, in the Record of the bounds of Na- tik there is a liberty given ym to seek out elsewhere 90 acres of meadow, & the Court will grant the same & seeing there is no such meadow to be found. & of late the Indians have learned to make cedar shingles & clarboards, unto which work in moyling in the swamps ye are fitter yn many English. & many English choose rather to buy ym of the Indians, yn make ym themselves. these are therefore humbly to request that theire grant of meadow may be turned into ungranted cedar swamps. one by the way to- ward Mendon, & others toward Nipmuk. Furthermore whereas
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HISTORY OF NATICK.
a company of new praying Indians are set downe in the western- most corner of Natik bounds called Magwonkkommuk who have called one to rule, & another to teach ym, of wm the latter is of the Church, the former ready to be joyned & there is not fit land for planting, toward Natik, but westward there is though very rocky. these are humbly to request yt fit accommodations may be allowed ym westward. & thus committing this honorable Court unto the holy guidance of the Lord I rest
your humble petitioner
John Eliot.
The petition for cedar swamps was not granted. On the other petition Ens John Grout & Thomas Eames were appointed a com- mittee to view and report. Attested by Edw. Rawson & William Torrey, 21 October, 1669.
Shattuck's Manuscripts.
1.75987
1671 .- August 1st. Two natives, named Anthony and William, were sent by " the poor church of Natick," with written instructions, signed, " John Eliot, with the consent of the church," to the Missogkonnog Indians and to the English of Aquidnick and Plymouth for the purpose of preventing a war between those Indians and the English .- Coll. M. H. S. for 1799, pp. 201-203.
1674 .- Gookin sent Jethro of Natick, in September of this year, to, Nashua (Lancaster) to preach to his countrymen, whom Eliot had never visited. Jethro was one of the most distinguished of the converted In- dians, who in general made but sorry Christians. One of the tribe happened to be present at the Court, and declared " that he was desirously willing, as well as some other of his people, to pray to God ; but that there were sundry of that people very wicked and much addicted to drunkenness, and thereby many disorders were com- mitted amongst them ;" and he intreated Gookin to put forth his power to suppress this vice. He was asked whether he would take upon him the office of constable, and receive power to apprehend drunkards, and bring'
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HISTORY OF NATICK.
the delinquents before the court, to receive punishment. He answered that he would first speak with his friends, and if they chose him and strengthened his hands in . the work, he would come for a black staff and power. It is not known that Jethro's exhortation produced any effect. Willard's History of Lancaster.
There were at this time twenty nine Indian families in Natick, amounting to one hundred and forty five indi- viduals.
Tradition says that three hundred training soldiers of this nation once paraded at Natick. But this was un- doubtedly a general muster from most, if not all the praying towns in Massachusetts.
1675 .- It is said that, about this time, the Marlbo- rough Indians, who remained at home, were suspected of treachery, as were those of Natick and all other pray- ing towns. Representations to that effect were made to the governor, (Leverett) who dispatched a company of soldiers, under the command of Capt. Mosely, to con- vey them to Boston. This company reached Marlbo- rough in the night ; and early in the morning, before the Indians had any suspicion of their design, surround- ed the fort, to which they were accustomed to repair at night, seized on their arms, and obliged them to surren- der. They made no resistance, were taken into the custody of the soldiers, had their hands tied behind them, and being connected by a cart-rope, were driven down to Boston, in company with the Indians of Natick and oth- er places, thence hurried down to Long Island, (Hutch- inson says, Deer Island) in the harbour, where they re- mained all winter and endured inexpressible hardships. The ground of the harsh measures, adopted in reference to the Indians, in the neighborhood of Boston, was the perfidious conduct of the Springfield Indians, in assist-
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HISTORY OF NATICK.
ing in the destruction of Westfield, 'Hadley and other places in October, 1675. Allen's History of Northbo- rough.
1676. In the beginning of this year James Quanna- paug and another Indian by the name of Job, of the Na- tick tribe, were sent out by the English, from Deer Isl- and, as spies to make discovery of the enemy. They found about three hundred warriors, besides women and children, about thirty miles from Lancaster. They also visited the enemy at several other places, were by some suspected as spies and threatened with death ; but managed so artfully as to be protected by the chiefs. Being informed that in about twenty days Philip's army intended to fall upon Lancaster, Groton, Marlborough, Sudbury and Medfield, they made their escape ; and Quan- napaug returned with the intelligence. His letter isdated 24th 11th mo. answering to Jan. 24, 1676. Sixteen days after this Lancaster was attacked by fifteen hundred warriors, and totally destroyed ; and the other towns mentioned above, soon after shared largely in the same calamity., Coll. M. HI. S. for 1799, pp. 205-208.
For the Honorable Governor & counsel of the Colony of Mas- sachusetts.
These are to certify that I John Watson Senior being appointed By the honorable Committee ; to Looke to the indians last summer until after the Indian Harvest. Did goe up to marlborough and Accompanied the Indians that belonged to that place and were abiding at Naticke to gather and put by their corne in Indian barnes : which corne as I was informed the Country after made use of: And I remember sd Indians yt had come there were these that follow. vizt
bls
Josiah Nowett about
14
Benjamin about
10
Peter Nashems widdow 15
Old Nashem about 10
.
..
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HISTORY OF NATICK.
Mary a widdow cozen to James Speen 15
James Wisers wife about 10
Davids widdow about 06
Thomas his widdow about 09
89 bush.
Most of these Indians were confined to Dearre Island last win- ter. Datted January 11th 1676 'The poor Indians above named desire that the honored Counsel would please to order the treas- . urer to repay yin yr corne. John Watson.
The truth of what is above written is knowne unto divers Inhab- itants of Marlborough.
Daniel Gookin Sen
-- Shattuck's Manuscripts.
1676 November 10th .- A account of the disposall of the In- dians our friends [protempore] presented to the Counsil [at their desire] by Daniel Gookin Sen.
The Naticke Indians are disposed in fouer companies, as fol- loweth, vizt. one company with James Rummny Marsh & his kin- dred live in Meadfield with the approbation and consent of the en-
Men. Women & Children.
glish there are in number about 25 25
Another company live near Naticke adjoyning to the garison house of Andrew Dewin & his Sons, [who desire their neighbour- hood] & are under their inspection the number of these may bee about 50 souls
10: 40
A 3 company of them with Waban, live neare the falls of Charles river near to the house of Joseph Miller & not farr from Capt Prentic the number of these may bee about 60 souls whereof are 12 : 50
A fourth company dwell at noantum : hill neare Leift Trow- bridge & John Cooms who permits them to build their wigwams upon his ground the number of this company including some. yt live neare John Whites of mudy river & a family or two neare mr. Sparhake & Daniel Champney & mr. Thomas Olivers, who are employed by the said persons to cut wood & spin & make stone walls beeing but a small distance from ye hill of nonantum where their meeting is to keepe Sabbath there may bee about 75 souls 15 60
Among the Natick Indians are to bee reckoned such as are left which came in with John of Pakchoog : which are not many. for sundry of yt company are dead (since they came in): above thirty are put out to service to the english (& three were executed about The Eames his burning above twenty rann away : and generally such as remaine are of those indians yt formerly (before ye war) lived under our government at Hassanumesit magunkog, marlbo-
-
-
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HISTORY OF NATICK.
rough & wamesitt. The men belonging to these are not above 15 and they are abroad in the army at the eastward. under Capt. Hunting.
Shattuck's Manuscripts.
1677 .- 2 mt. ye 13th day 1677. Assembled to pre- pair for the exchange of Land between Natick and Sher- born as in our judgment have Ben given at the Court by mr. Eliot and Major Gookin.
March ye 9 day It was then voted and concluded that propositions should be made to major Gookin and Mr. Eliot and to the Indians in referring to the ex- change of Land between Natick and Sherborne, as to give Fifty pound in Curant pay and as much Land as a Comity by the general Court shall think meet. Sher- burne Records.
The Indians making daily inroads upon the weak un- fenced places (in Maine) the governor and council re- solved to raise new forces ; and having had good expe- rience of the faithfulness and valour of the Christian In- dians about Natick, armed two hundred of them, and sent them together with forty English, to prosecute the quarrel with the eastward Indians to the full. Hub- bard's History.
The phrase, " about Natick," leads us to suppose that all the praying towns, 'of which Natick was considered a sort of shire town, contributed their quotas to these forces. By Phillip's war many of the Indian praying towns were entirely broken up, and the progress of civ- ilization and Christianity in all the rest was greatly in- terrupted.
1679 -. The inhabitants of Sherborn exchanged with Natick four thousand acres of land, more or less, giving two hundred bushels of Indian graine to boot. There
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1
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HISTORY OF NATICK.
was also to be a lott of fifty acres sett out where the Commissioners of ye Colonies, Major Gookin & Mr. Eliot and Indian Rulers shall choose within that tract of land which Sherboru was to have of Natick, to be ap- propriated forever to the use of a free school, for teach- ing the English and Indian children the English lan- guage and other sciences.
Daniel Gookin, senr.
Waban-mark-
Nath'l Go kin
Pimbow-mark-
Edward West
John Awonsamug
Daniel Morse
Peter Ephraim
Thomas Eames ..
Daniel [probably
Henry Leyland
Tabawombpait.]
Obediah Morse Sherburne Records.
1684 .- The Indians of Natick and Wamesit (now part of Tewksbury) who belonged to the same tribe with the Marlborough Indians, laid claim to a right in the soil of that town, which had been cultivated by the English nearly thirty years. The town paid them thir- ty one pounds for a deed in full, which was signed by twenty six Indians, besides two witnesses of the same nation. Six of these wrote their own names ; the rest made their mark .- Allen's Hist. Northb.
1685 .- John Dunton, a London bookseller, who vi- sited Boston on business this year, gives a pleasant ac- count of a journey which he made to Natick. After visiting Mr Eliot at Roxbury, who presented him with twelve Indian Bibles, he says, 'on my return I found several of my friends making ready for a journey to Na- tick. I was glad of the opportunity to acquaint myself with the manners, religion and government of the In- dians. When we were setting forward, I was forced, out of civility and gratitude, to take madam Brick be-
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HISTORY OF NATICK.
hind me on horseback. It is true she was the flower of Boston, but in this case proved no more than a beauti- ful sort of luggage to me.
1693 .- The Indian church at Natick, (which was the first Indian church in America) is, since blessed El- iot's death much diminished and dwindled away. But Mr Daniel Gookin has bestowed his pious cares upon it .- Magnalia, Vol. 2d, p. 382.
This Daniel Gookin was minister of Sherburne, and son of the superintendent of the Indians.
1698 .- Grindal Rawson and Samuel Danforth spent from May 30th to June 24th, in visiting the several plantations of Indians in Massachusetts. The follow- ing is their report respecting the Indians at Natick.
At Natick we find a small Church consisting of sev- en men and three women. Their pastor (ordained by that reverend and holy man of God, Mr John Eliot, de- ceased) is Daniel Tokkowompait, and is a person of good knowledge. Here are fifty nine men and fifty one women, and seventy children under sixteen years of age. We find no schoolmaster here, and but one child that can read.
Grindal Rawson.
Boston, July 12, 1698. Samuel Danforth.
1745 .- Jan. 3d. Natick was 'erected into a pre- cinct or parish' by an act of the General Court. In this act the English inhabitants only were included, the Indians being under guardianship. From this time the records have been kept with a good degree of correct- ness ; but there are not many articles worth copying. The most worthy of notice are here transcribed.
1746 .- Octr. 1st. Voted not to have a school this year. Granted 85 pounds to buy ammunition for a par- ish stock.
1746-7 .- Granted 40 pounds, old tenor, to be laid out in a reading and writing school. 6
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HISTORY OF NATICK.
1749-50 .- Jan. 5th. Voted to accept Mr Oliver Peabody as the parish minister, and grant him three hundred pounds, old tenor, yearly salary, upon condition he will come to the centre of the parish to preach, and so long as he preaches there, or supplies the parish with preaching there.
Here perhaps is as proper a place, as I shall find, to notice a controversy which raged with too much bitter- ness, during the remainder of Mr Peabody's ministry, and the whole of Mr Badger's, respecting the location of the house for publick worship. The two first meet- ing houses were built entirely for the use of the Indians, who were principally settled in the southerly part of the town. The third house also was erected chiefly for the same purpose and on the same site. The English likewise at first mostly settled in this vicinity, and were accommodated by such a location. Those who after- wards settled in the north part of the town, were at from five to six miles distant, and of course were incommoded and uneasy. Many votes were past and reconsidered, to move the house or build a new one, till one was final- ly erected near the centre, A. D. 1799.
Those who were active in this controversy, are chief- ly gone to their long home, and their contentions and animosities are interred with their bones. It is the du- ty and inclination of their posterity to let them repose together in silence.
A list of the names of the Indians old and young, male and female, which lived in, or belonged to Natick, was taken June 16, 1749, and published in Historical Col- lections, Vol. 10, page 134. By this it appears that there were at that time 166 Indians belonging to Na- tick ; 42 on the south side of Charles river ; 64 south of Sawpit hill on Pegan plain ; 16 west of Sawpit hill :
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HISTORY OF NATICK.
26 south east of Pegan plain ; and all were accommoda- ted as the meeting house then stood.
A plan of the township, in the possession of Samuel Fiske, Esqr. bears the following inscription .- ' This is a Plan of the Roads and the situation of the houses in the Parish of Natick. The red spots are English hou- ses and the black spots are Indian houses or wigwams. Laid down by the scale of two hundred rods to an inch. August 1st, 1749. Samuel Livermore, Surveyor.' This plan is somewhat defaced, but there appear to be about 40 black spots and about 50 red ones.
As there is no hill now known by the name of Saw- pit, it is left to conjecture which one was intended above.
1758 .- Octr. 2d. Voted that the parish committee should fence the English burying places with stone wall.
1763 .- March 31st. Voted to finish the galleries and build gallery stairs in the meeting house.
1765 .- Septr. 23d. Voted to finish the meeting house by a considerable majority.
1767 .- March 4th. Granted 40 pounds towards fin- ishing the meeting house.
1775. The inhabitants of this town were universal- ly and zealously opposed to the measures of the Brit- ish government, which resulted in American indepen- dence.
Jan. 3d .- Monday-Voted not to send to the Pro- vincial Congress-to choose a Committee of Inspection, and made choice of Capt. James Mann, Mr Oliver Ba- con and Lieut Ephraim Jennings-to choose a Com- mittee of Correspondence, and made choice of Lieut William Boden, Capt Joseph Morse and Lieut Abel Perry.
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HISTORY OF NATICK.
March 6th .- Voted to raise 18 minute men.
March 13th .- Voted not to pay the minute men- that the Constables should pay the Province taxes to Henry Gardner, Esq. of Stor, as Receiver General, and to indemnify the Constables.
April 19th .- On this memorable morning, as one of the survivors lately expressed it, every man was a min- ute man. The alarm was given early, and all marched full of spirit and energy to meet the British. But few had an opportunity to attack them. Cæsar Ferrit and his son John arrived at a house near Lexington meeting house, but a short time before the British soldiers reach - ed that place, on their retreat from Concord. These two discharged their muskets upon the regulars from the entry, and secreted themselves under the cellar stairs, till the enemy had passed by, though a consider- able number of them entered the house and made dili- gent search for their annoyers.
This Cæsar was a great natural curiosity. He was born on one of the West India islands, and was accus- tomed to boast, that the blood of four nations run in his veins ; for one of his Grandfathers was a Dutchman, the other a Frenchman ; and one of his grandmothers an Indian, and the other an African. He married a white New England woman, and they had several chil time, flowed the blood of five nations. His son John served through the revolutionary war, and is now a pensioner.
May 12th .- Voted to dismiss Capt Joseph Morse, Lieut William Boden and Lieut Abel Perry from being Select men, as they are going into the Massachusetts service.
Captain Morse was considered a valuable officer, rose
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HISTORY OF NATICK.
to the rank of Major, remained in the service till the year 1779, when he came home an invalid, and died on the 16th of December, of the same year, aged 39. The other two soon exchanged the implements of war for those of husbandry, and lived to an advanced age.
1776 .- May 20th. The first warrant on record for a district meeting, granted in the name of the Govern- ment and People of Massachusetts Bay, bears this date.
June 20th .- A very spirited report of a committee, consisting of Revd Stephen Badger, Capt John Coo- ledge and Mr Daniel Morse, solemnly engaging to sup- port the Honorable Continental Congress with their lives and fortunes, should said Congress declare them- selves independent of the Kingdom of Great Britain, was unanimously accepted.
July 3d .- Voted seven, pounds, as an additional sum to the bounty of seven pounds, that the Colony gives to those that enlist into the Canada expedition.
Indeed the votes passed through the whole of the revolutionary struggle prove, that Natick furnished men, and complied with other requisitions for carrying on the war, with as much zeal and alacrity, as many larger and more opulent villages.
1778 .- May 7th. Voted not to confirm the new constitution, by a majority of forty nine.
1781 .- This year Natick was incorporated as a town, Feb. 19th.
1786 .- This was the season of Shays's rebellion, when not only every full grown male citizen but every school boy was a 'government-man.' Then it was the fate of every barndoor fowl, that was clothed in white, to become a sacrifice to law and good order ; for the feathers rose to the hat crown, in the shape of a cockade, and the carcass was stowed in the knapsack of the soldier, as part of his rations.
..
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HISTORY OF NATICK.
One Lieutenant, one Serjeant, a Drum and Fife Ma- jor, and eight, or ten rank and file joined Lincoln's ar- my, and assisted in restoring peace and order.
1787 .- Jan. 30th. Voted that Capt. Asa Drury open a subscription, to see who will subscribe money, or other necessaries, for the use of the soldiers that have been, or shall be ordered to march, on the present expe- dition ; also voted six shillings for each of said Soldiers, as a bounty.
March 5th. Granted 10 pounds to buy ammuni- tion.
Nov. 23d. Chose Major Hezekiah Broad delegate to represent the town in Convention. This was the convention which adopted the Federal Constitution. The good Major voted against it; but immediately ac- quiesced in the doings of the majority, and promised to do all in his power to defend this palladium of our lib- erty, safety and prosperity. This promise he faithfully fulfilled, so long as he lived. He died much respected and lamented, March 7th. 1823, aged 78.
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