USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > Norton > History of the town of Norton, Bristol County, Massachusetts, from 1669 to 1859 > Part 4
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Mr. Brintnell built him a house, or rather a sort of fort, partly of stone and part of wood, and fortified, to some extent, against the attacks of the Indians ; keeping two loaded muskets constantly by his bedside, in case of an alarm during the night. The old house stood for about a hundred years.
2 Plymouth-Colony Records, vol. v. pp. 247 and 252.
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FIRST SETTLEMENTS.
Mr. Brintnell was at Boston previous to his removal to the North Purchase.1 His wife's name was Esther, married previous to 1665 (?). His sons were Samuel 2 (who came with his father to the North Purchase), Thomas, Nathaniel, John, Joseph, and a daughter Mehitable. An inventory of his property was taken Oct. 14, 1692 ; and he probably died not long previous to that date.3 His wife is supposed to have married a Smith after his death ; for, in 1701, she is called " Mrs. Esther Smith." 4
Other settlers soon found their way into the westerly part of the North Purchase, which, for many years, was a part of Norton.
On the 6th of December, 1695, Thomas Leonard, sen., and James Leonard, sen., received a deed,5 from the proprietors of the North Purchase, of two hundred acres of land at Stony Brook, " on the westward side of Coweesset River," as an " Incouragement " " to set up and build a forge to make iron at said place ; " and it was " to be built, and in some considerable forward- ness," before Dec. 1, 1696, or the grant of land was to be null and void. I have in my possession the affida- vits of two persons, taken in 1717, who declare that
1 .Barry's History of Framingham, pp. 194 and 195.
2 See Early Settlers.
3 Probate Records, vol. i. pp. 67 and 225.
4 Since writing the foregoing account, I have seen Mrs. Brintnell, an old lady of ninety years, the widow of Obadiah Brintnell, who died in 1814. She is very positive that the settlement by Thomas Brintnell was made previous to his marriage, which must have been as early as 1664. She says, " He first built his house about forty rods north of where he afterwards lived, which would be within the present limits of Foxborough, in what was then called Boston County, and there resided till after the Indian war; he supposing himself all the time within the limits of Taunton North Purchase." But, when the line was run through, it left him in what was then Dorchester; and therefore he moved (about 1685) his habitation into the North Purchase, to the spot where she (Mrs. Brintnell) now resides, whose husband was the fifth, and the daughters (who now occupy the house with their mother) the sixth, generation of Brintnells who have lived upon the same spot. Mrs. Brintnell says that " Thomas Brintnell had eight sons and two daughters." It is possible, that, living for a time within Suffolk County, the births of his children were recorded at Boston; and hence the historian of Framingham supposed he lived there.
5 This deed, with the autographs attached, of thirty of the proprietors of the North Purchase, - where the land was situated, - is now in my pos- session ; and a copy of it is to be seen on the North-Purchase Records, First Book of Lands, p. 30.
13
FIRST SETTLEMENTS.
the iron-works, or forge, near the dwelling-house of Major George Leonard, deceased, was begun in 1695, and in some considerable forwardness in 1696. To these Leonards was also given the liberty to take their next division of one share in the North-Purchase lands "in the best of iron-oare that they can find." They were also allowed the privilege of digging ore on any other man's land, for the use and benefit of said works, by " paying the owner of such land one shilling a tun for every tun of iron-oare they shall dig." George Leonard, the son of Thomas and the nephew of James Leonard, to whom this grant was made (proba- bly as their agent), set up a forge, or " bloomery," as it was called, at the place designated, which was nearly in front of the spot where the old Leonard mansion-house now stands; and the establishment of this iron-forge, together with the energy and business tact of young George Leonard, soon gave new life and vitality to this neighborhood. The lands in the vicinity were speedily taken up; the population rapidly in- creased ; and every thing seemed to prosper beyond the most ardent expectations of the proprietors of this movement.1
The Pilgrim Fathers, and most of those who peopled this region, had fled, or were the descendants of those who had fled, from the Old World, in order that they might worship God according to the dictates of their own consciences, without any one to molest or make them afraid. Hence they were generally men of prin- ciple, and of sincere and devoted piety. It was a pleasure to them to go to the house of God, and mingle their songs of praise and their prayers in uni- son to the great Creator and sovereign Ruler of heaven and earth. Yes, they were church-going and church-loving men, who willingly sacrificed their all
1 If the reader will turn to the map of Taunton North Purchase, &c., in the introductory chapter, he will find the site of the first settlement by Wetherell marked with a square dot, with the letter W near it, close by the outlet of the pond; that of Brintnell marked in the same manner, with the letter B near it; and that of Leonard also indicated with a similar dot, with the letter L near it.
2
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FIRST SETTLEMENTS.
upon the altar of " freedom to worship God :" there- fore it does not surprise us that the house of God was peculiarly dear to them, and that they were willing to endure great fatigue and inconvenience in order to attend public worship on each returning Lord's day. Having " a will," they of course found " a way," to go up weekly to the temple of the Most High. So devoted, indeed, were the early settlers of this town to their spiritual welfare, that, for several years, many of them - in their poverty, possessing no other means of locomotion - were accustomed to go on foot to Taunton, six, eight, ten, and twelve miles, to attend upon the ministrations of the gospel, returning the same day.
This would certainly have been a great effort for them, if they had been as fearful of using their limbs as their descendants have become at the present day. But they possessed strong constitutions ; their very habits of life made them so; and hence a walk of fif- teen or twenty miles per day through the woods, guided only by marked trees, and over not a very well- beaten path, - frequently crossing the rivers on the trunk of a single tree fallen across the stream, - was not so terrible a thing as it seems to some now, who can hardly walk a mile over a well-beaten road.
There was, however, one inconvenience connected with living thus remotely from meeting, which was a severe trial to our worthy ancestors, and which they determined to remedy at the earliest possible moment. It was this, - they could not take their children with them to the sanctuary ; at least, their smaller children could not go. This difficulty they determined to remedy ; for they knew the importance of early reli- gious instruction. They knew that the spring-time of life was the time to cast the good seed of Christia- nity into the minds of the young. They knew, that, unless the heavenly principles of the gospel of Jesus were instilled into the youthful hearts of those who were " bone of their bone and flesh of their flesh," the pure fruits of righteousness would not come to
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FIRST SETTLEMENTS.
maturity. Next to their own, the salvation of their children from sin was deemed of the highest impor- tance. Accordingly, some of the leading men of the settlement (urged on, no doubt, by some of the leading women ; for they are always foremost in any good cause) met together to take counsel as to what should be done under the circumstances. It is a little uncer- tain whether they met in a lower or an " upper room ; " but it is beyond controversy, that Eldad Earnest was called to the chair, and Hosea Hope was appointed secretary. Samuel Slow came into the meeting a little after the organization was effected, and gave it as his opinion, it was not best to be in a hurry. Isaac Indif- ference did not believe it was of much use to preach to, or to catechize, children. Charles Content thought it was best to let well enough alone. David Delay sug- gested it might, perhaps, be better to wait till there was a fuller meeting, before they took any decided measures. Daniel Decision then took the floor, and made an earnest speech, portraying in glowing colors the vast importance of early religious training to the - pliant and susceptible heart of childhood, and urged immediate action ; and closed by saying, "" Now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation." He was followed by Peter Perseverance, who most clearly showed that all obstacles could be surmounted, and the great object they had in view could, at no distant day, be attained. " I have," says he, " but one little child ; and yet, rather than that child should grow up an infidel, I will sacrifice every dollar I possess, and every foot of land I own. God helps those who try to
help themselves. We must sow the seed, if we would reap the fruit. Mr. Chairman, I move the previous question." All felt that the crisis had come. The chairman, with characteristic promptness, with his firm and deep-toned voice, stated the question to be, " Shall immediate measures be taken to establish the gospel ministry in our midst, so that our children can enjoy the means of grace ? " The decision was over- whelmingly in favor of action. Men, who, as we shall
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PRECINCT CONTROVERSY, AND
soon see, " knew no such word as fail," were enlisted in this cause ; men who never put their hand to the plough, and looked back, had taken hold of the enter- prise ; and hence success, though it might be rather tardy, was sure. Immediately the initiatory steps were taken to have their portion of the town erected into a precinct, which would enable them to establish a religious society of their own. What they did we shall record in the next chapter.
CHAPTER III.
PRECINCT CONTROVERSY, AND INCORPORATION OF THE TOWN.
" At least I'll try. There never yet Was any thing lost by trying."
MISS C. A. BRIGGS.
THE following document, a copy of the original, drawn up and signed by forty-three of the male inhabitants, is the first direct movement towards the formation of a precinct, of which we have any authentic account. I found it, with many other documents relating to the civil and ecclesiastical history of Norton, among some old papers at the "old Judge Leonard House." The ori- ginal draught, with the rude autographs and " marks " of the petitioners, may be seen in the archives of the State, at the State House, Boston.1 It reads as fol- lows : -
" We whose names are underwritten, being part of the Inhabitants of Taunton old Town, and part of Taunton north purchase, being all very sensible of the great difficulty that we are under in liveing so remote from the publick worship of God, and great need of haveing it settled amongst us, that so our children and those under our care & charge, as well as
1 State Papers, vol. cxiii. p. 512.
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INCORPORATION OF THE TOWN.
ourselves, may injoy the meens of grace, and in order theirto, we have this 27th day of novem., 1707, met together, and made choice of George Leonard and Nicholas White, whome we chuse as our agents to act in our behalf in makeing Re- quest to the town to bound us out a presink for the main- tainnence of a minister ; and that, when we have procured a minister to dispence the word of God amongst [us,] we might be freed from paying to the minister & Schoolmaster at town. and we do also give our sd. agents full power to do any fur- ther act or acts, thing or things, that they shall see needfull to be dun for ye bounding of sd. precink, and procureing an able orthodox minister to be orderly Settled amongnst us, whether it be by petitioning to the General court to Settle the bounds of sd. precink, or by any other way or meens whatsoever; as witness our hands, the day and year above writen. we further pomise, that in case a minister be pro- curde as abovesd., that we will each of us pay our proportion by way of rate for his maintainance. witness our hands, George Leonard, Nicholas White, John Lane, Thomas Bra- man, sen., Thomas Stevens, Selvanis Camble, John Briggs, John Hodges, Nathaniell Hodges, Samuell Hodges, Jabez Pratt, Thomas Braman, jun., William Hodges, Robert Tucker, Ephraim Grover, Mathew White, Seth Dorman, Ebenezer Hall, John Caswell, jun., Benjamin Caswell, John Wetherell, Ebenezer Edy, Samuell Brintnell, John Caswell, sen., Eliezer Fisher, Richard Briggs, William Wetherell, sen., Eliezer Edy, John Cob, Andrew Grover, Peter Aldrich, Israel Fisher, Thomas Grover, Nathaniel Fisher, Joseph Briggs, Benjamin Williams, Nathaniell Harvey, John Briggs, jun., Nicholas Smith, John Newland, William Cob, Benjamin Newland, John Skinner."
On the original document, I find written the follow- ing memoranda : -
" March 22, 1708. - At a meeting of a part of the sub- scribers, they made choice of John wetherel, whom they aded to the committee abovesd."
"June 18, 1708. - At a meeting of some of the subscribers, they gave thare agents Liberty to pertition to the Genl. court for a township."
This last vote was passed, as we shall soon see, in order to conciliate some who were opposed to the set-
2*
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PRECINCT CONTROVERSY, AND
ting-off of a precinct. The next day after John Weth- erell was added to the committee, the following peti- tion to the town of Taunton was prepared and duly signed : -
" March ye 23d, 1708. - Whereas divers Inhabitants of Taunton north purchase, together with divers of the Inhabi- tants of Taunton old township, bordering on the north pur- chase, made choice of we, the subscribers, whome they chose as thare Agents to make request to the town to bound us out a precinct for the maintanance of a minister ; we, whose names are underwritten, do therefore, in the behalf of our friends and neighbours, humbly & earnestly desire the town seriously to consider of the vary difficult circumstances that we are under in liveing so remote from the publique worship of God, that great part of the year we cannot come to meeting; and that we can at no time of the year, without very great difi- culty, bring allmost any of our children to meeting: so that, if we continue long after this manner, the sowls of our children, and those under our care and charge, will be in danger of perishing for lack of knowledge. for it is Evident from scriptre that faith comes by heering, and heering by the word preacht. Tho we are not insencable of our poverty, and great dificulty that we shall thereby meet with in carrying on such desire, yet, on the other hand, we have caus to be thankfull that our neigh- bours are generally very forward to promote so good a work ; and our povertye can be no Argument to have our precink lesened, but rather Enlarged. wharefore we Earnestly desire and hope that the town will forward and incorage so good a design, and grant that the military line may be the bounds of the precint, which is burt's brook, and from the mouth of sd. brook to the bridge neer william wetherell, and from sd. bridge north-Estardly to the north-purchase line; that so we may not have one line for the military, and another for the minister. and, in hopes you will grant us this our request, we subscribe ourselves your humble petioners,
" GEORGE LEONARD. JOHN WETHERELL. NICHOLAS WHITE." 1
1 State Papers, vol. cxiii. p. 513.
19
INCORPORATION OF THE TOWN.
The town of Taunton, it seems, did not accede to the request of these petitioners. They therefore turned their steps towards the Great and General Court at Boston ; and, on arriving, presented themselves in this form : -
"To his Excellency Joseph Dudley, Esquire, Capt .- Generall and Governor-in-chief in and over her majestie's province of the Massachusetts bay in New England; And to the Honored councill and Representatives now convened in Generall court this 20 day of October, 1708.
"The humble petition of Diverse of the Inhabitants of Taunton North purchase, and Diverse of the Inhabitants of Taunton old Township bordering on said north purchase, humbly sheweth, that sd. Inhabitants being vary sensible of the great dificulty they are now under in liveing so remote from the publick worship of God, and the great need of have- ing it settled amongst them, that so their children, and those under their care and charge, as well as themselves, may Injoy the meens of Grace, They made choice of us, the subscribers, to be their agents, to make known their desire to the town of Taunton to have a precint bounded out to them for their maintenance of a minister to dispence the word of God among them ; and also to petition the Generall Court to settle the bounds of sd. precint; and also to procure an able orthodox minister to be orderly settled among them, as may appear by a writeing under their hands, dated November the 27th, 1707, and also on the 23d of march, 1708; by which writing they also promise to pay their proportion by way of rate for the maintanance of sd. minister provided as abovesd. In per- sueance of sd. power and trust commited to us, we have com- municated this matter to the town of Taunton, at a town meeting; and although we have Great Incorragement that the most considerable Leading men will be and are for it, yet there is some few that do hesitate about the bounds That we desire for sd. precint; so that hetherto nothing of that nature is finished. and seeing our young ones increase and grow up apace, and that the Lord hath in marcy (as we hope it is in marcy) so Inclined the hearts of our neighbours so earnestly to desire and seek after this thing, we therefore, the sub- scribers, as agents for and in the behalf of sd. Inhabitants, do humbly pray this Generell Court to grant this our humble petition. and the bounds of sd. precint which we desire is,
20
PRECINCT CONTROVERSY, AND
the line or bounds of the military company called the North- purchase company may be the bounds of the said precinct, which is a brook called burt's brook, and from the mouth of sd. brook to wennaconnit bridge, and from sd. bridge north- easterd to the North-purchase line, but leaveing out of sd. precinct all the inhabitants in the North purchase that com- monly go to Bridgewater meeting, who live on the Estardly side of the rhode that Leeadeth from winnacunnit to the bay, - for they in time hope to be a precinct with part of Bridge- water, which we shall not oppose, - but takeing into sd. pre- cinct all belonging to Taunton old Township within the bounds above mentioned. but, if all the North purchase ware Enexed to Taunton for the present, we think it woald be best for the manageing of public concerns; only that the lands within the bounds settled and agreed on between the propria- tors of Taunton North purchase and thair neighbours, on all parts, be confirmed to said proprietors, and the abovesaid pre- cinct settled for the maintainance of the ministry in said precinct. and we farther pray that this honored court woald also apoint a committee to order where the meeting-house should be sett. all which, if this honoured court please to grant, your humble petitioners shall, as in duty they are bound, ever pray.
" GEORGE LEONARD, Agents for and in the behalf NICHOLAS WHITE, of said Inhabitants." 1
The following action was taken by the General Court upon this petition : -
" 22 Octo., 1708. - Read in Council; and Ordered, that the Selectmen of Taunton be served with a copy of this Peton., and heard thereupon before this Court upon the Second Tuesday of the next Session of ye sd. Court, if any thing they have to say why the prayer of the within Petition should not be granted.
" ISA. ADDINGTON, Secry.
"Sent down for concurrence."
"In the House of Representatives, Oct. 25, 1708. - Read and Passed a concurrence, And that the Hearing be upon the Second Tuesday of the next Session of this Court.
" Agreed : THOMAS OLIVER, Speaker.
" Consented to : J. DUDLEY." 2
1 State Papers, vol. cxiii. p. 510.
2 General-Court Records, vol. viii. p. 391.
21
INCORPORATION OF THE TOWN.
It appears that what was called Taunton South Pur- chase made a move simultaneously with the North Purchase to be set off as a precinct. How the order of the General Court on these petitions was received at Taunton will be manifest by the following papers : -
"Taunton, Feb. ye first day, 1708-9. - Whereas ye selectmen of our town was served with a coppy of ye North purches and South purches petitions, and they caused ye town to meet together this day, and Read thayr petitions in ye town-meating, where matters were fairly debated; and there being many men of many minds, so that nothing was concluded on, only some persons would have ye selectmen to take thayr time, and write ye Court an answer.
" So the assembly ware dismised.
" JOHN WILBORE, Town Clerk." 1
Three weeks go by, and another town-meeting is held in reference to the matter. Here is the evi- dence : -
" At a Legall Town-meeting, warned and held at Taunton publick meeting-house, the 22 day of February, 1708-9, It was voted that the town do Impower the present selectmen to make return to the Generall Court in answer.
" A true coppy ; transcribed by me, " JOHN WILBORE, Town Clerk." 1
In obedience to this vote, the selectmen, the next May, at the opening of the General Court, make an answer as follows : -
" To his Excellency Joseph Dudley, Esquire, Captain-Gene- rall, Governor-in-chief in and over her majestie's Provence of the Massachusetts bay, and the rest of the honerable Councill and Representatives Convened in Generall Court, May the 25, 1709, humbly Sheweth : -
" That whereas the Honoured Court sent to the Selectmen of Taunton to show their reasons (if any they have) why Taunton North purchase and South Purchase should not have their prayer granted, -
1 State Papers, vol. xi. pp. 297 and 298.
22
PRECINCT CONTROVERSY, AND
" In answer whereunto, we say, that although it hath pleased God to Increase our numbers, - which, we hope, is in mercy, - yet must say, that, through the providence of God, a great many are so extream poor, and rates and taxes so high, that we find it hard and dificult to rub along; and the Generality of the North purchase are so poor, that we ffear they will not be able to build, a meeting-house and to maintain a minister."
Here follows what the selectmen have to say about the South Purchase, which we omit. The document concludes thus : -
"But as for the North purchase, we think it better ffor them to be a Township than a precinct.
" This is our last and finall answer, uppon mature con- cideration.
" ISRAEL THRASHER, JOHN SPUR, Selectmen.
EZRA DEAN,
" We whose names are underwritten are of the same mind with those above, -
" Thomas Leonard, Henry Hodges, Samuel Deane, Seth Williams, Joseph Williams." 1
On the same date as the above, the Precinct Com- mittee present the following statement to the General Court : -
" To his Excellency Joseph Dudley, Esquire, &c., 25 day of May, 1709.2
" Whereas we, the subscribers, ageints for and in the behalff of divers of the Inhabitants of Taunton north purchase, and "divers of the inhabitants of Taunton old Township, belonging to the north purchase millatary company, have petitioned this Honoured Court to bound said Inhabitants a precinct for the maintainance of a minister; and, in said petition, we have not informed the Honoured Court how far said inhabitants dwell from Taunton meeting-house; these are, tharefore, to Inform this Honoured Court, that Benjamin Newland, Elezer Edy, and Ebenezer Edy, who dwell the
1 State Papers, vol. cxiii. p. 514.
2 We omit a portion of the formula in this and following documents.
23
INCORPORATION OF THE TOWN.
nearest to Taunton meeting-house of any of sd. Inhabitants, dwell at least five miles and a half from Taunton meeting- house, as neer as can be computed; and william wetherell, Sen., John wetherell, Elezer Fisher, Israel ffisher, Nathaniel fisher, dwell about six miles from sd. meeting-house; and John Austin, John Briggs, junior, william Cob, Nicholas Smith, John Newland, Thomas Stevens, John Hodges, and Richard Briggs, dwell about seven miles from sd. meeting- house; as also Thomas Braman, Robert Tucker, and Na- thaniel Hodges, and Samuel Hodges. Selvanis Cambell, William hodges, George Leonard, John Briggs, and Joseph Briggs, Dwell about eight miles from sd. meeting-house; and John Lane and John Cob dwell near 9 mile from sd. meeting- house; and petter Aldrich, nicholas white, mathew white, Seth Dorman, John Hall, John Caswell, Benjamin Caswell, and Joseph Elliot, dwell about ten miles from sd. meeting- house. Benjamin williams dwelleth about Eleven mile and a half from sd. meeting-house. all these abovenamed go to Taunton meeting: but Isaac Shepherd, Thomas Grover, An- drew Grover, Ephraim Grover, Ephraim Sheldon, John Skinner, Samuel Brintnell, dwell farther from Taunton meet- ing than these abovenamed, [so] that they commonly go to wrentham meeting; and they dwell six, seven, and eight miles from wrentham meeting. This account is as neer as can be computed without mesuring; as witness our hands,
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