USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > Norton > History of the town of Norton, Bristol County, Massachusetts, from 1669 to 1859 > Part 32
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
364
PAUPER HISTORY.
1790 ; and the last warrants for this purpose we have found are dated in 1794. We should have given the names of the persons warned away, if we could have found a complete list. We here present to our readers one of these warrants, which will serve to show the manner of proceeding : -
" BRISTOL SS. - To either of the Constable of Norton in sd. County of Bristoll, Greeting. - Whareas Benjamin Lane, Late of Dorchester, is Lately Come to Sojourne in the Towne of Norton ; and he hath not Gott bondsmen for the towne- Scurety, in Case he Should Come to be a towne-Charge, - These are, in his majestie's name, to Require you to warne the sd. Benjamen Lane, that he depart out of the towne of Norton within the Space of fourteen days after warning Given him to depart; and make Returne hereof, with your doings herein, forthwith after you have warned him out. Given under our hands, ye 17th day of May, anno dom. 1722, in the eighth year of his majestie's Reign.
" THOMAS SKINNER, NICHOLAS WHITE, BENJA. WILLIAMS,
Selectmen."
It was also required of those who received a stranger into their house to dwell, or let him a house to dwell in, to give notice of the fact to the town-authorities.
Only two years (1742 and 1743) in the history of the town have overseers of the poor been specially chosen ; the selectmen being, ex officio, overseers when the town chose none. June 18, 1770, the selectmen were chosen a committee, to join with a committee of Mansfield, to make a division of the poor between the two towns. The report of this committee was accepted by the town, Sept. 2, 1771. From it, it appears that Norton agreed to maintain, if need be, Abigail Leo- nard, Theodora Leonard, Widow Mary Smith, Asa Eddy (a minor), Samuel Eddy and his wife, Widow Harradon, and Delancy Harradon. Mansfield agreed to maintain, if need be, John Wetherell, Seth Stephens and his wife Abigail, Samuel Stephens (a minor), Zu- ruiah Hide and her child, and George Tucker. It was further agreed, if any persons should thereafter
365
PAUPER HISTORY.
be brought from other towns for support in Norton or Mansfield, those who had their last residence within the limits of Norton should be supported by Norton, and those who had their last residence within the limits of Mansfield should be supported by Mansfield. Both towns, in their corporate capacity, ratified this agreement : but, in an action brought by Norton against Mansfield for the support of a pauper, in ac- cordance with this agreement, it was decided by the Supreme Court, in July, 1819, that Mansfield was under no legal obligation on account of any poor, but those who, by virtue of the incorporating Act, acquired a settlement in that district ; and hence the agreement was not binding upon Mansfield, because the two towns had no legal power to make such an agreement.1
Until within a few years, it was the general practice in this town to yearly " vendue the poor ; " or, in other words, to sell their maintenance, either separately or together, for the year, to the lowest bidder. To stimu- late the people to take the poor at a low figure, spiritu- ous liquors were formerly gratuitously distributed to the crowd who came to " bid off the poor." We regard this venduing of the paupers as one of the most un- feeling and heartless customs that has been rife in New England. It was too much like selling slaves upon the auction-block to meet with the approbation of all; and hence, from time to time, the question of an alms-house, where all could be properly cared for, was discussed. In the warrant for a town-meeting to be on the 2d of December, 1776, there was an article " to consider and determine whether they will hire or build a house for the reception of the poor." We do not find any recorded action upon the matter. Another attempt was made in 1787 to " build a house or houses for the poor," with a like result. Jan. 14, 1793, to build, or not to " build, a house or barrack for the poor," was the question before the town. The
1 Massachusetts Reports, vol. xvi. p. 48, &c.
31*
366
PAUPER HISTORY.
meeting was dissolved without any vote upon the article. May 11, 1807, " voted that the selectmen vendue the poor alltogether for one year, and the doctering and clothing to be included." May 13, 1816, " voted that the poor be put out singly for one year, from the first of Sept. next." But a more humane and Christian way of supporting the houseless and moneyless sons and daughters of the town came at last. Nov. 1, 1830, a committee was chosen to inquire into the expediency of purchasing a farm for the support of the poor, to ascertain the cost of keeping the paupers for the last five years, and to make such other inquiries as they thought proper. The time had not then arrived for heeding the calls of humanity. Yet the idea of an alms-house was not lost sight of, but sought to be practicably carried out. April 7, 1834, the town " voted to dismiss the subject respecting a farm for the poor." In a little more than three years from this last date, or May 31, 1837, the leaven of justice and benevolence had so far done its work, that the town voted, fifty to twenty, to purchase a farm for the poor ; and a committee of nine were chosen to make the purchase. The committee bought the farm occupied by John Hall, 2d, in the northerly part of the town, near Mansfield line, consisting of a hundred and ninety acres ; and a deed of it was given to the town, Nov. 16, 1837. It was occupied as an alms-house and poor-farm about the 1st of April, 1838; and the poor are still provided for at that place, although a portion of the land has been sold by the town. The following per- sons have been superintendents of the alms-house since its occupancy for that purpose : John Patten, from April, 1838, to April, 1839; Alanson Makepeace, from 1839 to 1840 ; Moses Hunt, from 1840 to 1843 ; Schuy- ler Freeman, from 1843 to 1846; Moses Hunt, from 1846 to 1851; Ebenezer Burt,1 from 1851 to 1853; Alanson Makepeace, from 1853 to 1854; Reuben Har-
1 Mr. Burt died May 1, 1852; and his widow managed the affairs till the following April, when the term of her husband's service was to have ex- pired, had he lived.
-
367
PHYSICIANS.
low, from 1854 to 1856. Moses Hunt then returned, and is still there.
We take great pleasure in recording the fact, that, just as these pages were going to press, the inmates of the alms-house voluntarily declared to the writer, that they had every thing provided for their comfort they could reasonably expect ; that they had no fault to find, either with the superintendent or the overseers ; that they did not think there were many towns where the paupers were as well cared for as in Norton. May it ever be so! May the injunction of the sacred pro- verb ever be heeded ! - " Rob not the poor, because he is poor."
CHAPTER XXV.
PHYSICIANS.
" Throw physic to the dogs : I'll none of it." - SHAKSPEARE.
THE first notice of a physician that I find is a record on the town-books, under the date of July 13, 1724, when it was " voted that thay would pay doctor Deen out of the next town-rate what ye selectmen shall agree with him, for doctoring Walter Merry's hand." He is supposed to have lived in Taunton.
Dr. SAMUEL CASWELL appears to have been the first resident physician within the ancient limits of Norton. He is supposed to have been the son of John Caswell (see early settlers); and was born Oct. 6, 1695. The first notice we have of him on our records is Oct. 17, 1726, when the town "voted to Pay to Doctr. Saml. Caswell, for doctering Goode Merry, 0-15-0." He, however, bought land in Norton, in 1723, of Lydia Briggs, daughter of Samuel Briggs, deceased ; and was then called a "Practitioner of Physick." Pro- bably about that time, he established himself here as a
368
PHYSICIANS.
physician and farmer. He lived where Benjamin Sweet now (1858) lives ; and his house stood three rods over the line, within the present limits of Mansfield. He married, Feb. 5, 1727-8, Ursula White, daughter of Deacon Nicholas White ; and had four children. He remained here till about the year 1747, when he died. He is believed to have had a wife, and a son Samuel, previous to his marriage with Ursula White.
Dr. NICHOLAS WHITE was the son of Deacon Nicholas and Experience White (already mentioned), and was born about 1705. He was a practising physician for several years, and resided sometimes in the North and sometimes in the South Precinct of Norton. He married Sarah King, May 1, 1728 ; and they had six children. He died in the North Precinct, June 29, 1751.
Dr. WILLIAM WARE was the son of John and Me- hitable Ware, of Wrentham; and was born July 4, 1697. Feb. 19, 1729, he bought of John" Finney the farm now (1858) owned by Sanforth Freeman. He was a " Practitioner of Physick" here for several years, and also kept a public-house from 1728 to 1740. He sold his farm in Norton, Nov. 24, 1750; and moved soon after to Dighton, where he died in 1764 (?). His first wife was Zibialı Sweeting, mar- ried Oct. 30, 1728. She died Nov. 1, 1732. His second wife was Anna Hodges, married Sept. 27, 1733. His third wife was Lydia - He had at least nine children, seven of whom are mentioned in his will.
Dr. JOHN WILD, Jun., was the son of John and Abi- gail Wild, and was probably born in Braintree in 1727. He is supposed to have lived where George R. Leonard now lives. He married, May 1, 1746, Anna Hodges ; and had two or three children. He was buried in the Timothy-Plain Cemetery; and this is the inscription on his gravestone : " In memory of M.D. John Wild, who died December ye 13th, 1756, in ye 30th year of his age."
Dr. LEWIS SWEETING was undoubtedly the son of Lewis and Zibiah (Whiting) Sweeting, of Wrentham,
he
d di
369
PHYSICIANS.
who were married in 1721, and were afterwards of Rehoboth. He probably came to Norton soon after reaching his majority, and seems to have lived a part of the time within the present limits of the town, and a part of the time in Mansfield ; in which town he was one of the Committee of Correspondence and Safety in 1776. He married, Nov. 21, 1744, Abiah Cobb ; by whom he had ten children. When he died, we are not informed.
Dr. GEORGE WHEATON was the son of Ephraim and Abigail Wheaton, of Swansea ; grandson of Deacon Ephraim and Mary (Mason) Wheaton, of Swansea ; great-grandson of Robert (who was in Rehoboth as early as 1643); and was born Aug. 18, 1728. He came to Norton, and commenced practice as a physi- cian, previous to 1750. In that year he bought the place formerly owned by Dr. Caswell, and lived on the Mansfield side of the line for many years. Some time after the incorporation of Mansfield, he removed to the place where L. O. Makepeace now lives, in Norton ; where he died, June 4, 1803. He married, Oct. 4, 1750, Elizabeth Morey ; and had six children. In 1758, he was surgeon's mate in an expedition for " the total Reduction of Canada." He was much employed in public life as selectman, assessor, repre- sentative to the General Court, justice of the peace, &c.
Dr. JONATHAN PRATT is supposed to have been the son of Jonathan and Abigail (Morse) Pratt ; and was born Oct. 17, 1729. He lived in the Mansfield part of Norton, some distance to the south-east of Mansfield Centre. He married, 1758, Hepzibah Billings, of Stoughton (now Sharon) ; but never had any chil- dren. He was, in 1757, styled " Doctor " on the " Alarm list" of soldiers in the North Precinct. He died Oct. 13, 1771.
Dr. GIDEON TIFFANY was the son of James, jun., and Elizabeth (Allen) Tiffany, of Attleborough; where he was born Sept. 19, 1737. His grandfather, James Tiffany, came from England. He married Mrs. Sarah
370
PHYSICIANS.
Farrar, the widow of Rev. George Farrar, of Easton,1 Feb. 8, 1759. She was the daughter of Nathan and Elizabeth (Nicholson) Dean, of Norton. Her father and mother both died within a week of each other, when she was about three years old; and it is sup- posed that she was immediately, or very soon, taken into the family of Rev. Mr. Avery, and lived with them till her first marriage. After the death of her husband, she probably returned to Mr. Avery's, and lived there till her marriage with Dr. Tiffany; and then he also took up his abode at the old parsonage- house (a picture of which we have given on page 65), where he resided till after the death of Mr. Avery, when he sold the old ministerial farm which he bought a few years previous, and removed to Keene, N.H. About 1782, he removed to Hanover, N.H., and re- mained there while his sons were in college. He went from Hanover into the State of New York, where he lived for some years ; but is supposed to have died, many years ago, at Ancaster, Canada West. He had ten children.
Dr. ADAM JOHNSTONE was a Scotchman by birth, and probably came to Norton about 1772. He mar- ried, Oct. 14, 1773, Sarah Hodges. She " died sud- denly, Oct. 29, 1781, in her 31st year." He is said to have been a " surgeon in the Revolution." 2 He kept a public-house in the centre of the town from 1780 to 1787 ; and, probably soon after the latter year, left town. He is believed to have resided, for a time after leaving here, at Pelham. From thence he went to Danby, Vt .; and died there June 10, 1806.
Dr. DANIEL PARKER was the son of Rev. Jonathan
1 Mr. Farrar was the son of George, jun., and Mary Farrar, of what is now Lincoln; and was born Nov. 23, 1730; graduated at Harvard, 1751; and died Sept. 17, 1756, of a fever, at his father's house, whither he had gone to visit a sister sick with the same fever, who died a few days previous to him. He was buried at Lincoln. He was the brother of Rev. Joseph Farrar, the first minister of Dublin, N.H. He was married June 2, 1756. His wife was then a minor; and, a few days before his death, he was ap- pointed her guardian.
2 Book of the Lockes, by J. G. Locke, p. 169.
T
to
at L
a S b E b
1
E D J
C
S
a
E
I
371
PHYSICIANS.
Parker, of Plympton; and was born about the year 1750. He was here as early as 1773 ; and, during most of the time of his residence in Norton, lived on the farm lately owned by Benjamin Blandin, deceased. He married, Dec. 22, 1777, Miss Abigail Hewes, of Wrentham; and had seven children. He died Sept. 26, 1826, aged seventy-six. Feb. 17, 1794, he was com- missioned a surgeon of the regiment to which the militia of this town belonged ; which office he held for several years.
Dr. NATHANIEL COOK was the son of Paul and Jo- anna Cook; and was born May 29, 1752. He probably did not practise any great length of time, as he died Oct. 22, 1778; which must have been soon after he completed his medical studies.
Dr. TIMOTHY SMITH was the son of Timothy and Hannah (Hall) Smith, grandson of Seth and Eliza- beth Smith ; and was born Oct. 17, 1754. He married Anna Morey, Oct. 20, 1778 ; and had five children. He was a surgeon in the Revolutionary war, but never had a very extensive practice in town. He died Jan. 9, 1794. His widow married Abiel Lincoln ; and, during the latter part of her life, received a pen- sion from the government for services rendered by her first husband.
Dr. NATHAN BABBIT was the son of Nathan, jun., and Abigail (Cobb) Babbit, grandson of Nathan and Sarah, and great-grandson of Nathan, who, with his brother Edward, is supposed to have come from England, and settled in Berkley. Dr. Babbit was born in Norton, March 6, 1755. In the year 1778 and the early part of 1779, he was surgeon's mate in the Military Hospital at Providence, R.I. June 24, 1779, he married Anna Newcomb, and located himself at the east part of the town, at the place where Calvin Lincoln now lives. He kept a public-house from 1780 to 1787 or 8. In the summer of 1789, he removed with his family to Westmoreland, N.H., where he continued in the full practice of medicine for " quite
372
PHYSICIANS.
a number of years;" but, during the latter part of his life, he was principally engaged in agricultural pursuits. He had three sons and three daughters, and died April, 1826.
Dr. SAMUEL MOREY was the son of Samuel and Mary (Hodges) Morey, grandson of George and Elizabeth Morey ; and was born June 4, 1757. He graduated at Yale College in 1777. He soon after entered the Revolutionary army as surgeon. After the close of the war, he was a practising physician for many years in town, and was quite distinguished in his profession. He lived for many years at the place now occupied by George Barker, on the road to Mansfield. He married, April 19, 1787, Miss Sarah Palmer, daughter of the second minister of this town ; and had three children. He died Nov. 8, 1836.
Dr. LEWIS LEPRILETE was a Frenchman by birth, and was naturalized by an Act of the General Court, March 6, 1790. He probably came to this town about the close of the Revolutionary war. He married, March 15, 1784, Mrs. Deborah (Hodges) Allen; and lived, after his marriage, where Mr. L. O. Makepeace now resides. He was a distinguished physician, and had quite a number of medical students while he resided in town. He remained here till about 1792; when he removed to Jamaica Plain (West Roxbury), where he remained two or three years. He then re- turned to France, and was absent about seven years. On his return to America, he located at Franklin, and remained there till he died. His remains were taken to Jamaica Plain, and the forms of burial were ob- served ; but, before his death, he had given his body to Dr. Warren, of Boston, for anatomical purposes, and it was taken from the grave after the friends had left. " On a marble slab standing in a field on the Boylston estate, about 20 rods from Boylston Street," Jamaica Plain, is an inscription in Latin. The fol- lowing is a free translation of a portion of it: " In memory of Doctor Lewis Leprilete, member of Mass.
L. Grozeher Lith. Boston.
Fc Rich ? the Sweet
373
PHYSICIANS.
Med. Soc .; born in Nantes, France, Oct. 10, 1750 ; Died July 29, 1804 ; very celebrated in surgery." 1 I am told there is a very good portrait of Dr. Leprilete in the possession of Dr. Miller, of Providence, R.I.
Dr. LEAVIT BATES was the son of Leavit and Eliza- beth (Pain) Bates, of Mansfield ; and was born May 6, 1770. He came to this town, and established himself as a physician, about 1796. For some years, he re- sided in front of the Trinitarian Meeting-house. He was quite attentive to his patients, and rather moderate in his charges ; and hence was quite popular as a phy- sician. He married Hannah Clapp, 2d, in 1797; and had five children. He died Dec. 16, 1850.
Dr. GUILFORD HODGES was the son of Tisdale and Naomi (Hodges) Hodges ; and was born Jan. 25, 1778. He fitted for college, and was one year at Brown University. He studied medicine with Dr. Willard, of Uxbridge. He was a practising physician here in 1803, and also taught school the same year. He re- moved soon after to Phillipston, where he practised till his death in 1815. He married Phebe Maynard, of Phillipston, and had two sons.
Dr. ASA M. ADAMS was the son of Asa and Martha (Metcalf) Adams, and is believed to have been born in Natick about 1795. He was licensed to practise medicine, Aug. 31, 1818, by the Censors of the Rhode- Island Medical Society ; and was then said to be of Cumberland, R.I. He came to Norton about 1819, and commenced practice as a physician ; and rode quite extensively for some years. By his somewhat intemperate habits, he finally lost the confidence of the community ; and removed to Easton about 1841, where he remained a few years; and from thence he went to Taunton, where he died, a bachelor, Oct. 25, 1852.
Dr. RICHARD F. SWEET was the son of John and Eunice (Tucker) Sweet, and was born March 11, 1801. He fitted for college at Andover, and gradu-
1 See Genealogical Register, vol. x. p. 22.
32
374
PHYSICIANS.
ated at Brown University in 1824. After graduating, he studied medicine about two years with Dr. Bugbee, of Wrentham ; and also attended one or two courses of medical lectures at the Medical College at Boston, where he graduated July 25, 1827; and was soon after appointed Physician of the Marine Hospital at Holmes's Hole, in Tisbury, on the Island of Martha's Vineyard, which office he held for two years, residing at Edgartown during the time. After closing his con- nection with the hospital, he practised two years at Edgartown. In August, 1831, he removed to his native town; and had quite an extensive practice till his death, March 21, 1841. He married, May 16, 1830, Eliza Milton, of Edgartown; and had three sons and four daughters. He was a very estimable citizen.
Dr. IRA BARROWS was born at Attleborough in 1804, and is the son of Ezra and grandson of Ichabod Bar- rows. He graduated at Brown University in 1824; but received his medical degree at Harvard in 1827, and immediately entered into practice at Pawtucket. He left there in 1837, and went to the West. In 1840, he returned to Pawtucket, and practised for a few months. He came to Norton in 1841, and was quite popular here and in this vicinity till 1851; when he removed to Providence, R.I., where he now resides, quite distinguished as a physician of the homeopathic school. He married, in 1833, a daughter of the late Oliver Bartlet, of Smithfield, R.I .; and has had four children.
Dr. BENJAMIN M. ROUND was born in Rehoboth, Aug. 11, 1816; and is the son of Benjamin and Devena (Harvey) Round. He studied at Bristol Academy, at Taunton ; and also, for about two years, with Rev. Mr. Cobb, of Taunton. He studied medi- cine with Dr. Swan, of Easton, and Dr. Randall, of Rehoboth ; and attended medical lectures at Harvard College in 1841 and 2. He was licensed to practise in 1843, and commenced his professional duties as an allopathic physician. He came to Norton, Sept. 9, 1843. The 1st of April, 1844, he commenced the
375
BURYING-PLACES.
homœopathic practice, which he still continues. He married at Norton, Dec. 24, 1845, Miss Seraphene S. Pullen, of East Winthrop, Me .; and had one child by her. She died Sept. 19, 1847. For second wife, he married, Aug. 30, 1849, Miss Sophia Morey, of Taun- ton (a grand-daughter of Dr. Samuel Morey, already mentioned), and has had four children. He is now the only resident physician in town.
Dr. GEORGE H. RANDALL is the son of Dr. M. R. and Eliza Randall, of Rehoboth, where he was born in 1826 (?). He practised some time with his father, after completing his medical studies. June 1, 1851, he married Mehitable Hodges, of this town, and located here, where he remained till April, 1854; when he removed to his father's, in Rehoboth, where he still resides.
We cannot learn that any other physicians have re- sided for any length of time here. It is certainly quite an argument in favor of homœopathy, that one physician is now able to attend to the wants of the sick ; while, years ago, there were three allopathic . physicians here, and all had as many patients as they could well attend to. Allopathic physicians of other towns are frequently called to practise in Norton ; and patent medicines, of numberless names, but of doubtful value, find a ready sale here.
vd
CHAPTER XXVI.
BURYING-PLACES, &c.
" Give me no grave where the brier and bramble Choke the green grass o'er my place of repose."
Miss C. A. BRIGGS.
THE proprietors of the North Purchase, June 9, 1702, " Voted that the land on the southerly side of the way to Chartley (and on the westward side of the Town-
376
BURYING-PLACES.
line), between said way and Joseph Willis his Land, shall ly perpetually Common for publick uses; not heading Jabez Pratt's land northward." 1
This is what is now called the "Common Burying- ground," southerly of the road leading from Austin Messinger's to Sanforth Freeman's, about a mile and a quarter southerly from the Centre Village. The " town-line " spoken of is the line between the North Purchase and the old town, or original purchase, of Taunton. This is believed to have been the first burying-place formally set apart for that purpose within the present limits of our town.
William Hodges, by some means, is supposed to have come in possession of Joseph Willis's land south- erly of this lot set apart for public uses. It is pre- sumed, from the annexed documents, that he wished to bring his house up to the road leading from the meeting-house to George Leonard's ironworks (called Chartley): therefore he (Hodges) took possession of the easterly end of the Common, next to the "Town- . line," and built his house near the two elms now standing, where Rev. 'Mr. Palmer afterwards lived ; and, in lieu of this land taken up, he laid down an equal amount of his own, adjoining to, and on the southerly and westerly side of, the burying-ground. The following protests were made against the occupa- tion of this land by Hodges : -
0
"Whereas there was a piece of land in Taunton North purchase, lying on the south side of the way yt leadeth to Chartley, and on the north side of the land that was Formerly Joseph Willise's, and on the west side of the town-line; which parcel of land was voted and appointed, by the proprietors of said north purchase, to ly perpetually Common for public uses ; and there is a burying-place already begun in, and at one end of, said parcel of land, - the other end lying very convenient for a training-field ; and whereas William Hodges is about to make some alteration in said common, - viz., to take up the land at the one end, which was designed for a Training-
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.