USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > Norton > History of the town of Norton, Bristol County, Massachusetts, from 1669 to 1859 > Part 23
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In the warrant for a meeting, April 2, 1753, were articles to see about dividing the lands between Norton and Easton, and to divide the moiety set off to Norton between the two precincts of that town; and also to determine for the maintenance of what ministers they should be improved. The proprietors vote to divide the lands equally between the towns of Norton and Easton ; that the half-share belonging to Norton should
1 North-Purchase Records, p. 76. 2 Ibid. p. 77.
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OF THE CONGREGATIONAL PARISH.
be equally divided between the two precincts; and that the -
" Part of sd. lands which shall fall to Norton South Pre- cinct shall always be and Remaine to the use of the ministry of said Precinct, to which the North-Purchase Lands, which Leyeth between the Line of the town of Attleborough and the Line of Taunton old Township, shall belong to."
They then declare, that -
" Whereas our Predecessors, who voted and sett sd. Land appart for the ministry, ware of and Belonged to those Churches which ware then called and Known by the name of Congregationell Churches, and we apprehend it was their Desire and intent that the above-mentioned Land should be Improved for the maintaining of the ministers of those Churches which shall be of those Prinsepells ; tharefore we now vote, that the whole of the abovesd. Lands shall be Im- proved for the maintaining of the ministers of the severall Congregationell Churches which belong to the said towns as above mentioned, and be Improved for that end only." 1
The division of lands having been made, the South Precinct, at a meeting held March 29, 1756, chose Col. George Leonard, Lieut. Benjamin Cobb, and Lieut. Thomas Morey, a committee to take care of their part, and "to see that there be no damage done on said Land by cutting timber or any other way." The land, however, in its unimproved state, was not very avail- able property for the payment of ministerial charges ; and therefore, at a precinct-meeting, Jan. 16, 1758, Jonathan Lincoln, Benjamin Cobb, and Thomas Morey, were chosen a committee to make report, at a future meeting, " what is best for the South Precinct to do concerning said Land."
We find no record of their report. The precinct held a meeting, Dec. 21, 1761, and declared that -
"These Lands mostly lye in the North Precinct of sd. town of Norton, and so far from the sd. South Precinct that
1 North-Purchase Records, p. 84.
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MINISTERIAL FUND, AND INCORPORATION
they can never be of but Little or no advantage Towards maintaining the ministry of the South precinct in Said town of Norton, and no Improvement made on said Land yett. Therefore the Said precinct Now voted, that Thomas Morey, Esqr., shall be Impowered, in behalf of said precinct, To petition to the great and general Court of this province, That they woold Impower or Ennable said first precinct of The town of Norton, or such other persons as sd. Court shall Ap- point and Impower, to Sell all the sd. precinct's ministerial lands above mentioned, for the most said Lands will fetch ; and the money that shall Be Raised by the sale of sd. Lands to be Lett out to Interest as sd. court Shall order ; the Interest only to be applyed yearly towards the maintaining the mini- stry of sd. precinct For ever; which, we apprehend, will be as agreeable to the good Intent and meaning of the proprie- tors who gave sd. Lands as to Lett the Lands Lye, and more for the Interest of sd. precinct." ?
In obedience to the trust confided in him, Mr. Morey knocked at the door of the General Court, Jan. 18, 1762, with his petition, asking that the wishes of the precinct may be gratified. The court promptly granted the power asked for. Here is the evidence : 2-
"In the house of Representatives, January 23d, 1762, Read and Ordered, that the Prayer be so far Granted, as that the South Precinct in the town of Norton, by a Com- mittee by them to be appointed for that purpose, be Impow- ered to make Sale of the Land mentioned in the Petition, for the most the same will fetch; and to make a Good Deed or Deeds in Law for Conveying the Same. the Proceeds of the Said Sale to be Let out at Interest, on Good Security, to be Improved annually towards the Support of a Congregational minister in Said Precinct, in the same way and manner as the Rents of Said Land would have been Improved if it had not been disposed of.
"Sent up for Concurrence.
" JAMES OTIS, Speaker.
" In Council, January 28, 1762. - Read and Concurred. "JNO. COTTON, Dep. Secty.
" Consented to : " IRA BERNARD."
1 Parish Records, book i. p. 98, &c. 2 Ibid. p. 127.
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OF THE CONGREGATIONAL PARISH.
No progress was, however, made towards the sale of the land, till after the incorporation of the North Pre- cinct into the District of Mansfield. March 21, 1774, the town vote that the committee lately chosen for that purpose make sale of the ministerial land lying in Mansfield, and belonging to Norton, "as soon as conveniently may be for the interest of said town." That " convenient season " did not come at once ; for, Nov. 17, 1777, the town vote to sell their ministerial land lying in Mansfield at public vendue, and dis- charged from further service a former committee chosen for that purpose. They also chose Seth Smith, Isaac Hodges, and John King, to attend to the matter ; who, Jan. 1, 1778, were empowered to act in conjunc- tion with a similar committee from Mansfield, to divide the lands belonging to the two towns, and establish the bounds. The division having been made,1 these lands, - a part lying near Mansfield Meeting-house, and now crossed lengthwise by the Taunton-Branch Rail- road, and a part on "Dorchester Plain " so called, - amounting to about one hundred and fifty acres, were sold, in four lots, to John Pratt, George Cobb, Isaac Smith, and Samuel Hunt, for £1,059. 17s. 9d. On the fourteenth day of December, 1778, George Leo- nard, Esq., was chosen by the town to receive the money from the committee. On Monday, 8th of March following, a committee was raised to consider in what manner the money could be best deposited " for the benefit of the Congregational society in Norton." They report, May 26, that " the method they should have chose " was, at that time, "attended with some difficulty ; and therefore recommend that Dea. Benja. Copeland, Dea. Benja. Pearson, and Dea. Daniel Dean, be impowered to receive the money, and put the whole into the Continental Loan office in their own name ; " they giving a receipt to the town-clerk for the same. This report was accepted.2
The fund thus created was increased by adding the
1 See Parish-Records, p. 129, &c.
2 Ibid. pp. 132 and 133.
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interest thereto, and by the proceeds resulting from the sale of " pew-ground " in the meeting-house, till, in a few years, the interest was sufficient to pay the salary of the minister; and it continued to do so till the death of Rev. Pitt Clarke in 1835.
By good financial management, this fund is still available for the payment of ministerial services, and essentially lightens the taxes that would otherwise fall somewhat heavily upon the parish possessing it.
INCORPORATION OF THE PARISH.
It is probable that the disposition made of the money in 1779 was attended with some difficulties ; and hence there was a society-meeting called on the 6th of Janu- ary, 1783, "To choose a committee to petition the General Court to Incorporate sd. Society, so that they may legally act with regard to their ministerial money, or any other matter that concerns sd. society." At the meeting, Capt. Isaac Hodges was chosen agent to forward to the General Court a petition for an act of incorporation ; and five trustees were chosen to take care of the money. The prayer of the society was answered, as the annexed document will show : -
" An Act1 to incorporate the Congregational Society in the town of Norton into a distinct Parish, and also to incor- porate a Committee of the said Society for certain pur- poses.
" Whereas the Congregational society in the town of Norton, of which the Reverend Joseph Palmer is the present minister, have represented to this Court that the said society are possessed of a sum of money and securities to the amount of four hundred and twenty-five pounds, which they desire to improve to the purpose of beginning and laying a foundation for a fund, the interest whereof to be appropriated to support a learned, pious, Protestant, Congregational minister in the said society for ever, and for building or repairing a meeting- house in said society ; and have supplicated this Court by a
1 Passed March 4, 1783. (See Massachusetts Special Laws, vol. i. p. 44, &c.)
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OF THE CONGREGATIONAL PARISH.
law to invest the said society with all the powers, privileges, and immunities that precincts or parishes in this Common- wealth do or may enjoy: And also that certain persons, by them, the said society, elected and named, may be made a body corporate, with sufficient powers to receive the aforesaid sum, and other donations that are or shall be made for the purposes aforesaid, and for the well-ordering the same : -
"SECT. 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Rep- resentatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, That the Congregational society in the town of Norton, in the county of Bristol, where the Reverend Joseph Palmer now officiates, be, and they hereby are, incorporated into a distinct parish, by the name of the 'Congregational Parish in Norton;' and hereby are invested with all the powers, privileges, and immunities that precincts or parishes within this Commonwealth do or may by law enjoy. And that it may be known at any time who of the inhabitants of the said town belong to the said parish, -
"SECT. 2. Be it enacted by the authority aforesaid, That all those inhabitants of the said Norton, who usually attend public worship with the aforesaid society, shall be deemed and taken to belong to the said parish, to all intents and pur- poses, until they shall signify in writing, under their hands, to the Clerk of the said parish, their intention to attend public worship with some other religious society, and shall actually attend. Provided, nevertheless, That all parishioners so re- moving shall be held to pay all arrears of taxes legally assessed on them by the said parish before their removal.
" SECT. 3. And be it further enacted by the authority afore- said, That George Leonard, Esq., be, and he hereby is, fully authorized to issue his warrant, directed to some principal inhabitant belonging to the said parish, requiring him to give notice to the inhabitants of the parish aforesaid, qualified to vote in parish-affairs, to assemble at some suitable time and place in the said parish, to choose all such officers as parishes are by law required to choose in the month of March an- nually; and to transact such other matters and business as is necessary to be done in the said parish.
"SECT. 4. And be it further enacted by the authority afore- said, That George Leonard, William Homes, Daniel Dean, Isaac Hodges, and Israel Trow, chosen, elected, and named by the said society for that purpose, and their successors hereafter chosen by the parish aforesaid in the manner as in
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MINISTERIAL FUND, AND INCORPORATION
and by this Act is hereafter provided, shall be, and hereby are, declared to be a body corporate, by the name of 'The Trustees of the Congregational Parish in Norton,' and here- by are incorporated to this special purpose : viz., To receive all the donations, subscriptions, securities, and monies now in the hands of the said society, and also such grants, appro- priations, and donations, either real or personal, that have been or shall hereafter be made for the purposes aforesaid ; provided the whole sum do not exceed the sum of three thousand pounds. And all such sum or sums as shall be received by the aforesaid present Trustees, or their successors in the said trust, shall be, and hereby are, appropriated to raise an income by the annual interest arising therefrom for the purpose aforesaid.
"SECT. 5. And be it further enacted by the authority afore- said, That all bonds, mortgages, or other lawful securities, made to the said George Leonard, William Homes, Daniel Dean, Isaac Hodges, and Israel Trow, and their successors in the said trust, are hereby declared good and valid: And the said Trustees and their successors, by their said corporate name, may sue and be sued, and are hereby fully authorized by themselves, or by their agents or attornies, to appear, plead, and defend, in any action or suit brought by or against them in their said capacity, and the same prosecute to final judgment and execution, in any Court proper to try and determine the same.
"SECT. 6. And be it further enacted by the authority afore- said, That the aforesaid sum of four hundred and twenty- five pounds, and all such further sum or sums as may hereafter be annexed thereto, shall be by the said Trustees put to interest; and the annual interest arising therefrom shall be further put to interest, and so from year to year until a capital shall be raised, the annual interest whereof shall be sufficient to support a minister as aforesaid ; and then the an- nual interest of the said increased capital, or so much thereof as the said corporation shall find necessary, shall for ever after be paid to such minister resident and officiating in the work of the ministry among said society within said town. And if it shall ever happen that there be no such minister settled within the said society, then, in every such case, the interest arising in such vacation shall be improved to supply the said society with preaching. And, if there shall be any sur- plusage, it shall be put to interest on new securities, and
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OF THE CONGREGATIONAL PARISH.
added to the said capital, and improved for the building or repairing a meeting-house for the said society ; and all such increased sum or sums shall be ordered and disposed of by the said Trustees according to the directions hereinbefore provided respecting the said capital.
"SECT. 7. And be it further enacted by the authority afore- said, That if at any time the income arising by the annual interest of the fund aforesaid shall be more than sufficient for the purposes aforesaid, - in that case, all such surplus shall, and hereby is, specially appropriated, and shall be improved by the parish aforesaid, towards the support and maintenance of a school for the benefit of said society.
" SECT. 8. And be it further enacted by the authority afore- said, That the said parish, at their annual meeting in March, from time to time be, and hereby are, fully authorized to choose five Trustees for the year ensuing.
" SECT. 9. And be it further enacted by the authority afore- said, That if at any time the said parish shall, at their annual meeting in March, neglect, or by any means be prevented, choosing Trustees, - in every such case, the Trustees last chosen shall continue vested with all the powers and privileges aforesaid until others be chosen.
"SECT. 10. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That the said Trustees, and their successors from time to time, shall be accountable to the said parish, and may be by them, for any misdemeanor or failure in their said trust, removed therefrom ; in which case, and also in case of death or other removal of any one or more of them, it shall and may be lawful for the said parish to appoint others in their room. And the said parish may at any time call a meeting for that purpose accordingly."
In four days after this Act was approved by the Governor, a warrant was issued by George Leonard to Silas Cobb, to notify a meeting for the purpose of organizing by choosing all proper officers required by the Act. George Leonard was chosen moderator ; Silas Cobb, clerk; and Seth Smith, jun., treasurer. The same trustees were chosen as were mentioned in the Incorporation Act. "Voted, that the Trustees should call in the money now outstanding due to sd. parish."-" Voted, that the sd. Trustees shall lay
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INCORPORATION OF CONGREGATIONAL PARISH.
out sd. money for public securities as soon as may be."
After a few years' time, it was deemed proper to make an addition to the Act of Incorporation ; and, upon application of the parish to the General Court for that purpose, the following additional Act was passed June 17, 1797:1-
"SECT. 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Rep- resentatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, That the said parish be, and hereby are, author- ized and empowered, at any legal meeting thereof, to be holden in the month of March annually, to choose some suitable person to be Treasurer for the Trustees of the said parish; and the person so chosen shall give bond, at the dis- cretion of the said Trustees, for the faithful performance of his duty.
"SECT. 2. And be it further enacted, That the Treasurer (for the time being) chosen and qualified as aforesaid shall be empowered to receive, for the use of the said parish, all monies and securities for money belonging to said parish ; any thing in the act to which this is in addition to the contrary notwithstanding."
No further change was made, so far as we can learn, till after the death of Rev. Pitt Clarke; when it was found, that, in order to settle a minister, he must be paid a salary larger than the interest of the fund would amount to: and hence, on the twenty-eighth day of December, 1835, after inviting Rev. Mr. Bridge to settle with them as their mimister, the parish voted " to petition the Legislature for an act of Amendment in their act of Incorporation." A petition, signed by the Parish Committee, was sent to the General Court, stating the facts in the case, and asking that they might have the privilege of using the interest of the fund towards the support of the minister, though it was not sufficient to pay his whole salary. The prayer was granted as follows : -
1 Massachusetts Special Laws, vol. ii. p. 164.
1
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COMMON SCHOOLS.
" Be it enacted, &c., The annual interest of the fund be- longing to the 'Congregational Parish in Norton' may be appropriated by the said parish toward the support of their minister, and for supplying the said parish with preaching, although the same may not be sufficient for the support of a minister; any thing contained in the act to which this is in addition notwithstanding.1
" Approved March 11, 1836."
This fund now amounts to something more than seven thousand dollars; a portion of which is in- vested in bank-stock, and the rest is loaned on per- sonal security. I am told that the fund in Easton and Mansfield has become very much reduced from its original amount.
CHAPTER XIX.
COMMON SCHOOLS.
"'Twas nobly done, to make the schoolhouse free." - C. T. CONGDON.
WITHIN a few years after the incorporation of the town, and the settlement of a minister to look after the spirit- ual interests of the young, their intellectual culture was provided for by the establishment of public schools: The first recorded action of the town relative to schools was April 28, 1719, when -
" The town made chois of Thomas Skinner, Sen., to Be thare Scoolmaster, and to beginn at ye first day of June, 1719, and to continu one quarter; and his salary not to Ex- cead two pounds for said quarter."
It is probable, however, that some private instruction had been given previous to this date. For some years
1 See Special Laws, vol. vii. p. 579.
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COMMON SCHOOLS.
after the establishment of public schools, the town, in their corporate capacity, chose the schoolmaster. In some instances, however, they delegated power to the selectmen to contract with the teacher, and make the necessary arrangements for the opening of the school ; yet, for more than eighty years after the or- ganization of the town, there were no schoolhouses specially erected for that purpose. The early settlers felt themselves too poor, and had too many difficulties and obstacles to contend with, to furnish the means or find the time to erect separate houses for the instruc- tion of the young. In very many instances, they were obliged to "kill two birds with one stone." Hence pri- vate houses, carpenters' shops, &c., were more or less used for school purposes. Probably, in the centre of the town, the meeting-house, in the summer season, was converted pro tempore into a " temple of science." I am informed by a native of this town (Rev. Isaac Braman of Georgetown, born in 1770), that, in his boyhood-days, -
"The schools generally were kept in private houses. I once went to school in a Carpenter's shop, in which the work- bench was used for a table. In the study of Arithmetic, no scholar was allowed a book. The teacher would give him a sum ; and he might sit and study upon it until he had found an answer, which would sometimes occupy several days."
And, in almost every other respect, there was a like deficiency in books.1 Hence, of necessity, much of the instruction was oral, and less mechanical, than at the present day, even if it was given in a mechanic's shop. Mr. Braman says, " The great object," in those days, " was to procure cheap teachers," - an idea by far too prevalent at this day ; yet there was far more excuse for this idea a century ago than now.
How cheaply the first teachers of Norton were pro- cured, will at once be seen by a reference to the price
1 " In my early days," says Mr. Braman, " no book was used in school, except the Bible and Spelling-book. There were respectable aged persons who could not read."
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COMMON SCHOOLS.
paid them. I have been informed by some elderly people, that most of the early schools were established for boys ; it being thought almost entirely unnecessary that girls should be educated. As they were not ex- pected to cast interest, or engage largely in any busi- ness transactions, it was not deemed important that they should be sent to school. Their husbands - if they had any - were considered the proper guardians of their interests ; and therefore, if they learned any thing, it must be in patience and meekness of their husbands at home. Hence, for many years after public schools were established, there were no female teachers. Of course, if they knew nothing themselves, they could teach nothing to others.
The first record I find of a female teacher, or " schoolmistress," as she was called, is in 1791, when an order was drawn to pay Patience Leach for teaching eight weeks, at three shillings per week. Jonathan Hunt boarded the " schoolmistress " eight weeks that year, at three shillings per week; and hence it is presumed she taught in his District, No. 7. Deacon Daniel Lane informed me that he knew Miss Leach, and said she belonged to Easton; and was of the opinion that she married a Mr. Bird, and died, not many years ago, at Taunton.
The next year (1792), Abigail Morey taught school three months, - probably in the Centre District, as she boarded at Col. Silas Cobb's. She subsequently taught other schools in town.
The board of male teachers, between the years 1719 and 1800, ranged from four to sixteen shillings per week ; the latter amount, no doubt, being paid when the currency was somewhat depreciated. As the population of the town was at first quite sparse, it is highly probable that there were but few children within its limits, - possibly not more than enough for one good school, if all could have been collected into one room. But, as all could not attend at one place, the school was kept from time to time in different parts
22*
1
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COMMON SCHOOLS.
of the town, so as to better accommodate all, as will appear from the following records : -
"May 13, 1720. - The town made choice of Jeremiah Bassett for to be Scoolmaster; &, accordingly, he have agreed & excepted of the same for one quarter of a year, after the Rate of thirty pounds Per year, - one-third money, the other two-thirds other pay. first beginning at the public meeting- house, the scool to be moving, If continued the other part of the year. the second quarter [to be] at that part of the town called Scottlin ; & the third quarter taking in Tiump's & White's and Skinner's naiborhood; and the fourth quarter at Winnaconick."
This practice of "moving" the school, as it was termed, continued for several years, - most probably till the town was districted.
" Aug. 14, 1721. - At a towne-meeting Legally warned [for that purpose], chose Jeremiah Basset to be Schoole- master to Keep Schoole in sd. towne one year next enceuing ; and sd. Basset is to have thirty Pounds in ye Produce of ye town, at the Price allready Sett."
June 20, 1723, at a legal town-meeting, it was -
" Voted that Simeon Wetherell shall be schoolmaster to keep school at his father's or his one house, to teech children to Reed, Right, and Cifer, for one quarter of a year next after the Last of august next; and the selectmen shall agree with sd. Wetherell for his service, and he is to be Paid in ye Pro- duce of ye towne. Sd. Wetherell shall Keep School at but one of the Places all sd. quarter. And sd. Wetherel Excepted of his being Schoollmaster on sd. terms."
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