USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Princeton > History of the town of Princeton in the county of Worcester and commonwealth of Massachusetts, 1759-1915, Volume I > Part 4
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The Rev. Andrew Gardner, a graduate of Harvard
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University 1712, was in 1719 settled as the first minister of the town of Worcester. He was a very eccentric man and his habits occasioned great complaints among his parishioners; his " too ardent love for the chase of the deer and the sports of the hunter," combined with other objec- tionable characteristics, finally leading to a separation, from his church, not without a lawsuit to recover his salary which he considered due.
As elsewhere stated he married the widow of Rev. Joseph Willard of Rutland, and subsequently settled at Turkey Hills (Lunenburg) where complaints similar to those at Worcester were made against him. Again taking up his staff he removed with his family to Number " 4 " (Charles- town, N. H.) and during the French and Indian war he was in the service of the Province as chaplain at Fort Dummer.
It is possible that while at Worcester or Lunenburg he acquired by grant or purchase lands in Princeton, other than the Willard farm, but no record of such has been found. There was in this vicinity a large tract of "unappropri- ated " land of the Province and it is quite probable that some of it was quietly appropriated by settlers and a title acquired only by long occupancy, which may account for the absence of record evidence of their title. Without any attempt to locate exactly the several farms or estates in this section, which is probably impossible, it will suffice to mention some of the more prominent owners.
In 1750 Daniel Drury of Shrewsbury purchased of the Province for £14.5, 76 acres of land west of and adjoining the Willard farm of which he then owned a part (for plan see Mass. Archives, Vol. 46, pages 199-201). The next year the Willard and Drury farms were conveyed to Benjamin Wilson, who sold a portion to Daniel Gardner, Jr., as before stated. This latter portion is described as " Lying near a place called Crows Hill," (now in West- minster), and an island near the northerly end of Willard's is named, both of which references may serve to locate the tract or farm to those familiar with that region.
In 1757 Mr. Wilson with Moses Garfield built a saw
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mill, probably on or near the spot so long occupied for that purpose, now occupied by Osgood's Mill.
In 1795 there was a grist or a saw mill there. There is evidence also of there being two houses in that vicinity in I754.
This was doubtless the first mill in the easterly part of the town.
In a conveyance of a small lot of land with one-half of the saw mill, Oct. 21, 1757, by Mr. Wilson " of Gardner's farm near Watchusett Hill " to Mr. Garfield of the same place, it is provided that Mr. Wilson shall " have the priveledge of Laying Boards on a Little Knole or Ridge Hill Easterly from the place where said Wilson and Gar- field are now Building a Saw Mill " and also the privilege of building a dam, etc. (Worcester Deeds, Vol. 39, page 536.)
One of the brooks in this vicinity was designated as " Gardner's Brook."
Among other owners of land in this vicinity were: Edward Wilson, Edward Joyner, William Joyner, Gardner Chandler, Abel Ray, Joshua Mosman, John Bowen, John Frost, some of them acquiring their titles subsequent to I759.
Edward Wilson (brother of Benjamin Wilson, above named) as early as 1760 owned a part of Kneeland and the Willard farms. In 1763 he, with Benjamin Houghton, petitioned the Court for indemnity on account of their bounds interfering and the land "falling short 45 acres," for which Mr. Houghton was allowed £24. Mr. Wilson also purchased of the State in 1781 for £20. in silver, 80 acres west of Drury's, extending to Westminster line, which was probably the 80 acre lot which the Province attempted to sell in 1762. His petition to the General Court in re- lation to this land is of some interest.
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Commonwelth of The Massachusetts
To the Honble Sennitt and Honble House of Rep. esentatives in General Court assembled att Boston April ye roth 1781.
The petition of Edward Willson of Princeton Humbly Sheweth, - That there is about Eighty acres of unimproved Land Lieing partly in Princeton, and is unapropriated Land; & the property of the Commonwelth and your petitioner being under Verry Low Circumstances unable to purchase a farme to Live on haue Entered upon and made Some Improuement on said premises in hopes of Receiving some proffit from the same: but have not as yet receieued any and your petitioner being Sensible that he is Lieable to be Considered as a Trespasser; yet However Relieth on the indulgence of the Honble General Court and most Humbly Moues tha. he may be In- dulged with Liberty of purchaseing the same att the full value considered as in a State of Nature and as the Land can be of no possable seruice as it Lies to the publick: but if sold may mak Considerable Returns to the Commonwealth but if the Honble House should judge it in Expedient to Indulge your petitioner with the Land att priuet Saile: prays the Land may be sold att a publick vendue.
With Reserue that your petitioner may have a Just and Reasonable allowance for his Labour out of the proceades theirof.
And your petitioner as in Duty Bound shall Ever pray &c.
Edward Wilson."
In House May 8, 1781 - ordered a Committee to apprize and Sell to E. W.
"In the condition in which it was before said Willison made any Im- provements thereon." 1
In 1765 he with Timothy Mossman (whose connection with the Potash farm is elsewhere noted) petitioned the General Court reciting that Wilson " bought 5 years since a tract called Willards farm of 250 acres, that the curveyor in laying it out took in II acres of Province land as part of that tract, being part of 105 acres lying between Nolands (Kneelands) farm & Gardners farm " that he, Wilson, has built his house on the said II acres - that Mossman was at charge of surveying the said 250 acres & both of them were in the last war. They therefore prayed for a grant of the 105 acre tract." 2
The House granted Wilson the eleven acres " where his house was built," but the Council nonconcurred and a second attempt resulted in a second denial.
1 State Archives, Vol. 233, pages 30, 31.
2 Court Records, 25, 423.
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John Frost subsequently took the eleven acre lot and John Bowen the 105 acres.
Mr. Bowen desired to buy this of the Province in 1771 and Asa Whitcomb was instructed in 1773 to sell it - the eleven acres originally included in Kneelands farm " to be prized & if John Frost who lives on it does not want it " it was to be sold at auction. Mr. Whitcomb declared the land of no value and declined to put it up, but the next year it was sold, 103 acres to John Bowen, £1519, and 10 acres to John Frost for forty shillings.
A plan of this land is found in Massachusetts Archives, Vol. 4, page 81.
During the war of the Revolution Mr. Bowen was a sympathizer with the mother country, and with other Loyalists was obliged to leave the country and seek safety elsewhere. His land in Princeton was confiscated and sold, and the net proceeds, £258, turned in to the Province treasury.
Benjamin Houghton was one of the largest real estate owners in the Province. In addition to the Wilder and Allen farms previously referred to, he purchased of the Province, in 1752, 329 acres on the northerly side of the Mountain, extending to and easterly of Kneeland's farm. The price paid for this was £42.6.
To this he added by purchase of a portion of Kneeland's Farm and the conveyances to him on record are very many as are also the sales made by him.
The land northeast of the Mountain he sold in small farm lots to various parties, Abel Ray, Jr., Tilly Littlejohn, and others (Littlejohn sold his house in 1790 to Ephraim Woolson).
Blagrove's Farm. This farm (sometimes erroneously called Blackgrove's or Blagrow's) comprising one thousand or more acres, was situated in the southeasterly part of the town, extending from the northerly bound of the East Wing to Still River or Sterling bound.
It derived its name from Nathaniel Blagrove of Bristol, R. I., and its history was discovered by me only after a long
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and persistent search. For this history we must go back to the early days of the Colony.
Capt. John Allen was a resident of Charlestown as early as the year 1639. He was a man of some prominence in that town, at one time a Deputy to the General Court, and his name frequently appears in the public records, especially in connection with his occupation as a ship- master. In the Records of Massachusetts Bay, Vol. V, page 427, appears the following under date of Nov. 7, I668. 1
" The Court, Understanding that Capt. John Allin hath Severall times been imployed by order ffrom this Court, viz tenn dayes, to look after a French ship upon the coast. as also a voyage to Mounsieur De Aulnay, both himself and ship, for the space of neere twenty dayes besides a second voyage to the a foresaid D Aulnay wherein he was about sixe weekes, to wch may be added his lending M' Winslow, for the countrys vse, one hundred pounds in England wch was not payd in seven yeares after, & then but in country pay: all wch considered the Court judgeth it meete, as a manifestation of their acceptance of such his good services, which hitherto hath not been tooke notice of, so as to render him any answerable recompense, to grant him a thousand acres of land where he cann finde it, according to law, so as to take it not vp in aboue two places."
This was a rather tardy settlement of obligations in- curred some twenty to twenty-five years previously, but the poverty of the Colony may have been sufficient excuse for the delay. The possession of a boundless country afforded an easy method of cancelling its debts, in cases where the creditors were willing to take their pay in land.
In reference to these services of Capt. Allen the Court records give several interesting items.
In May 1645, Major Gibbons was ordered to send " two shallops furnished with men to goe for ye discouy of what he shipp yt lyeth houring about these Coasts is, & whence," &c. and a committee was authorized to draw up
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a commission to Mr. Allen who doubtless had charge of the undertaking.
In the same year appears this record (referring to a passport for a certain Capt. Bridge) " Capt. Rob Bridge is imployed by this Courte to negotiate wth Monsieur De Aulnay, Knight, left genne' all for ye King of Fraunce, in ye prince of Acadye, on ye Speciall affaires of ye comis- sionTs of ye Vnited Collonyes of New England, in a vessell of whereof Mr. Allen is M'", &c. There were two vessels besides Capt. Allen's employed in this expe- dition.
In relation to the loan of money referred to by the Court in 1668 we have an interesting item.
In a letter to Edward Winslow who was then (1649) in England, the Court acknowledges the receipt of a letter by the hands of Capt. Allen, regrets its inability to provide suitable allowance for him (Mr. Winslow) and adds " yett Shall wee hope by Gods assistance, faithfully dischardge and satisfy Mr. Allen or any other from whom you have receaved any moneyes in our behalf." And on the 18th of October, 1649 " Itt is ordered, that the Treasurer doe forthwth pay and satisfy M'. John Allen one hundred and thirty pounds, in the best and current pay that comes into the treasury out of this levye for his hundred pounds he paid M' Winslow."
As the treasurer of the Colony received for the " Country levy " or taxes all kinds of grain and produce (the price of which was regulated by the Court, this year being " wheate, at fiue shillings, barely at fiue shillings six pense; pease & rye, four shillings; Indian corne three shillings ") we can easily surmise that Capt. Allen would gladly have dis- counted his claim at a large percentage for coin.
However, the settlement of the account was made in " country pay " as ordered, and nineteen years later the Court endeavored to adjust the matter with him, together with his other unsettled claims, by the grant of land above named, and this was the origin of the farm within Prince- ton bounds, known as Blagrove's farm.
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Capt. Allen lived but a few years after the grant of the land was made him, and by his will in 1672-3 he gave to his wife, with his other estate " one thousand Acres of Land given by the Contrye " which she was to hold for the benefit of their children. Mrs. Allen survived her husband but a short time, her death occurring in 1675.
One is inclined to think that Capt. Allen's right in the one thousand acres of Province Land, was forgotten by his heirs, for apparently nothing was done to secure it for more than fifty years after the Captain's decease.
It was in the year 1727 that Thomas Church in behalf of himself and other heirs of Capt. Allen petitioned the General Court for the location and survey of this tract granted in November, 1668.
This was ordered Dec. 9, 1727, and a plan presented the following June was accepted, and the grant confirmed. The bounds of this tract are so well defined on the plan in the Massachusetts archives (a copy of which is also in Worcester, Registry Deeds, Vol. 44, page 31) that there is now no difficulty in determining its location. Upon the same plan is a description of the " Hartwell farm " to which reference is elsewhere made in these pages.
The river forming the easterly boundary of the tract now Still River is described on the plan as "a Rocky Stream of water being the Westerly Bounds of Lancaster New Grant." (Now Leominster.)
The property thus confirmed to the heirs of Capt. Allen, appears to have passed into the possession of one of his daughters, Elizabeth, who married first Nathan Hayman, and second Nathaniel Blagrove. The latter was a man of some prominence in Bristol, R. I., where he was a judge of probate, and when he died in 1742, by his will he directed that the remains of his first wife, Elizabeth Allen, and those of her former husband, Nathan Hayman, be taken up " enclosed in one coffin and buried in one grave."
It is not evident why the name of Blagrove should have attached to the farm, but it was so designated as early as 1730. The title seems to have rested in the heirs of Eliza-
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beth (Allen) Blagrove, from her death until 1760, when there was a division of the property among them (Wor- cester Registry, Vol. 44, page 31). The parties then entitled to share the estate were Rev. William Brattle of Cambridge one-fourth, Rev. Israel Loring of Sudbury one- eighth, Dr. Zachariah Harvey of Princeton one-third, widow Alice Eunice one-eighth and Thomas Green one- sixth. Mr. Brattle and Mr. Loring had married daughters of Mrs. (Allen) Hayman, but the relationship of the other heirs has not been ascertained. Dr. Harvey probably acquired his share by purchases.
Upon a resurvey of the farm it was found to contain 1150 acres " neat measure." To Mr. Brattle was assigned 250 acres on the northerly side, and to Mr. Loring 125 acres on the easterly side. A little north of Mr. Loring's lot, and some 200 rods north of the present easterly corner of the town on Sterling bounds, there is shown on the plan a bridge across the river, and this is identical with the location of the present bridge on the County road.
To Dr. Harvey was assigned the remainder of the tract, and having purchased the shares of Mr. Green and Mrs. Eunice, and being allowed 150 acres to make his proportion " as good in quality " as the others, he became the pro- prietor of 775 acres. The "Brattle farm" and "Loring farm " are often named on the early tax lists of the town.
The Brattle farm was confiscated by the Government and sold in 1781 for £281.10, silver money to William Putnam who the following year conveyed it to David Osgood.
Having traced the history of the Blagrove farm from the year 1645 to 1760 it may be well to leave the subsequent divisions and transfers for the investigation of the present owners.
Muzzy's Farm. Benjamin Muzzy of Sherborn in 1729 petitioned the General Court " stating that he was taken Prisoner by the Indians while he was a Soldier in service of the Province, and endured a long and cruel Captivity among them and narrowly escaped death, that the Wounds and other hard Usage he received from the Enemy has
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History of Princeton
occasioned much sickness since his Return and a charge to the Doctor, And therefore Praying for a Grant of Land or a Sum of money out of the Treasury in consideration of his Sufferings and Losses abouve mentioned."
The original petition of Mr. Muzzy cannot be found, neither have any other facts concerning him been learned.
For a number of years, at this period, the Court was very liberal in giving away the unappropriated lands of the Province, and this liberality only tended to increase the applications, which became very numerous and were based upon all sorts of real or imaginary claims.
It was easier to satisfy these demands by gifts of land than of money, and the result of Mr. Muzzy's request was a grant of 200 acres. A tract on the north of "great Wachusett " was selected surveyed and confirmed in May, 1730, but in December following, for reasons not appearing on record, another tract east of Wachusett was substituted.
Mr. Muzzy sold the farm on the 13th of June, 1749, for £400 Old Tenor to Robert Keyes of Shrewsbury who with his family settled there in May, 1751, and this was the farm where he was living when he lost his little child, to which event reference is made elsewhere.
Potash Farm. The history of this large tract of land of I500 or more acres, dating back to the year 1735, is of no little interest.
For many years the subject of the manufacture of potash in this country had occupied the attention of merchants, and the General Court of this province had offered many inducements to accomplish the desired object, not only to meet the limited demand here, but also with the expecta- tion of exporting to England in large quantities. The abundance of wood in the province seemed to offer en- couragement for its manufacture, and some attempts were made, considerable quantities being produced in Ashburn- ham, Leominster, Rutland and other towns, but probably only a small amount was ever manufactured within the limits of Princeton.
The various petitions and papers relating to this industry,
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on file in the Massachusetts Archives, are full of interest, but this sketch must be confined to one project only.
Thomas Plaisted, a merchant of Boston presented to the General Court, Dec. 29, 1735, a petition the substance of which is given in the Court records (the original is not to be found.)
" A petition of Thomas Plaisted late of London now of Boston Mercht Showing that he is well acquainted with the Mystery of making Potash which he apprehends may be carried on to a good advantage in this Province. Propos- ing to treat with a Committee of this Court & Praying that some suitable Persons may be accordingly appointed to receive & consider what he has to offer on that head, & make report thereof to the Court.
In the House of Representatives Read & Ordered that Joseph Gerrish " John Choat Esq", Mr. Prout, Coll Brown, M' Thomas Cushing, John Alden & Nahum Ward Esq', Mr. Milbury, & Mr. Ingersol with such as the Honble Board shall join be a Committee to take this Petition under consideration and report their Opinion what may be proper for the Court to do for the encouragement of the Petition" in carrying on the Manufacture of Potash within this Province as within mentioned."
" In Council, Read & Concur'd And Edmund Quincy, Samuel Thaxter, William Dudley, Ebenezer Burrill & Isaac Lothrop Esq' are joined in the Affair." (Vol. XVI, page 248.)
The report of this Committee with the action thereon is of sufficient interest to give in full.
Jan. 12, 1735-6.
" Edmund Quincy Esq' from the Committee on the Peti- tion of Thomas Plaisted gave in the following Report: viz.
" In obedience to the Order of this Court appointing a Committee to consider of the Petition of Mr. Thomas Plaisted &c. We having met & discoursed fully with the Petition' & received from him more particulars and Pro- posals in writing, herewith exhibited, referring to the carry- ing on the Manufacture of Potash within this Province, Are
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of Opinion that for Encouragement of the Petition' in an Undertaking so much for the service of Great Britian as well as advantage to this Countrey, There be granted Fifteen hundred acres of Land in some suitable place, within forty or fifty miles of the Town of Boston, unto some proper Person or Persons that this Court shall appoint to be holden by him or them in trust & for the use of the said Thomas Plaisted the Petioner, for the space of three years; & that there be also advanced & paid him out of the public Treasury the sum of Eight hundred Pounds to be by him repaid together with the value or price of the said fifteen hundred acres of Land at a moderate rate & apprizement at the expiration of the term of three years as aforesaid; For the payment of which sums the Petition' shall be obliged to find sufficient security as also for his the said Plaisteds making at least thirty Tuns of Potash & sending the same to London according to the proposals above mentioned; & that the said Manufacture shall be openly & publickly carried on so that whoever shall labor therein shall be made capable of manufacturing it them- selves; & further that in order to his finding out a suitable Tract of Land as aforesaid some meet Person or Persons that are well acquainted with the unappropriated Lands, be appointed as soon as the season of the year will admit thereof, & at the charge of the Government to assist the Petition' in finding out & surveying the said fifteen hundred Acres in order to its being granted & confirmed in trust as aforesaid: and further we are humbly of opinion that if the Petition" effect his design of introducing & carrying on the said Manufacture to the advantage of the Province, as he hath proposed, It will be proper to make the said Grant of fifteen hundred Acres an absolute Estate, in the Petition™ & his Heirs, & that he be further rewarded for such his good service to this country by an adequate generous Grant or Allowance of this Government. All which is humbly submitted.
By order of the Committee, Edmª Quincy."
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In the House of Representatives Read & Ordered that this Report be accepted :
In Council: Read & Concur'd: & Joseph Wilder is ap- pointed to assist in finding one & surveying the Lands within mentioned: & in taking said survey, that he care- fully view & consider the Quality of the Land, & return, with the Plat, his Opinion of the value thereof at the same time.
In the House of Representves Read & Concur'd.
Consented to J. Belcher.
The restrictions placed upon the loan and the conditions of the grant proved to be judicious in the light of subsequent events.
One tract of land containing 1500 acres adjoining Water- town farms was selected and surveyed and on the first of July, 1736, was confirmed to Mr. Plaisted.
It would seem that the wooded lands in that vicinity must have been of more vigorous growth than in later years to induce Mr. Plaisted to accept this tract for his experiments in manufacturing potash.
No plan of this tract has been found, and it is now impossible to make one that is accurate, as the lines and courses are not well defined. This is immaterial however, as a subsequent survey proved that the original grant encroached upon one of earlier date. The location of the farm is indicated on the accompanying plan.
The most southerly portion was added to make up for that which was lost on the northerly side by interference with an earlier grant. If the recorded measurements are followed exactly, a portion of the farm would possibly lie in Leominster, but there is evidently an error in the length of the line, which perhaps should read 200 instead of 280 rods.
A few months later Mr. Plaisted desired an understand- ing about the payment of the proposed loan, and also asked that the limit of three years time, within which he was to
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commence the manufacture of potash, be reckoned from his receipt of the money and not from the date of the grant. The latter was conceded, but it is probable that he never received any funds from the Province treasury, nor had occasion to call for them, on account of the successful operation of his venture.
If tradition may be relied upon, he commenced the manufacture of potash somewhere within the limits of the farm, but soon abandoned it, and the history of his experi- ments, the extent of his investment, and the cause of his failure to make a merchantable article are hidden in the past. He remained in the vicinity evidently for ten years at least, as in 1738 he purchased "Mayhew's Farm " adjoining, but nothing more is known of him or his move- ments in Boston or elsewhere, nor the time and place of his death.
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