USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Shrewsbury > History of the town of Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, from its settlement in 1717 to 1829, with other matter relating thereto not before published, including an extensive family register > Part 16
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" No Quaker, Ranter, or any such corrupt person, shall be admitted a freeman of this corporation."
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" Ordered, That the Quakers in prison at Ipswich be forth- with sent for. Having been brought in, the Court, after much endeavor to convince and reform them, ordered, that Samuel Shattuck, Lawrence Southwick, Cassandra, his wife, Nicholas Phelps, Joshua Buffam, and Josiah Southwick be enjoined, at their peril, to depart out of this jurisdiction, before the first day of the Court election next, under the pain of death " !
" Whereas Daniel and Provided Southwick, son and daughter of Lawrence Southwick, have been fined by the County Courts at Salem and Ipswich, and pretending that they have no estates ; in answering the question, what course should be taken for the satisfaction of the fines? the Court resolve, that as many such cases were likely to arise, the treasurers of the several counties are hereby empowered to sell said persons to any of the English nation at Virginia and Barbadoes " !
" Whereas there is a pernicious sect called Quakers, lately arisen, who, by word and writing, have published and maintained many dangerous and horrid tenets, and do take upon them to alter the received laudable customs of our nation, in giving civil re- spect to equals or reverence to superiors, [in not taking off their hats, &c., ] this Court doth order, that every person of the cursed sect of the Quakers, not an inhabitant of, but found within this jurisdiction, shall, by constable or selectman, be apprehended and imprisoned without bail, &c., and that every inhabitant of this jurisdiction, being convicted of being of the aforesaid sect, denying civil respect and reverence to equals and superiors, with- drawing from church assemblies, and frequenting private meet- ings of their own, in opposition to church order, and to the ortlio- dox received opinions of the godly, &c., shall suffer imprison- ment one month, and then to depart this jurisdiction, or give bond for appearance at the next Court ; when, if refusing to re- tract and reform, he shall be sentenced to banishment on pain of death."
1759. " William Robinson, Marmaduke Stevenson and Mary Dyer, banished by the last Court, on pain of death, being com- mitted by order of the General Court, were brought to the barg. and acknowledged themselves to be the persons banished. After
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a full hearing of what the prisoners could say for themselves, it was put to the question, whether William Robinson, Marmaduke Stevenson and Mary Dyer, who have been convicted for Qua- kers, and banished on pain of death, should be put to death, as the law provided in that case ?
The Court resolve in the affirmative. And the governor, in open Court, declared the sentence, viz : William Robinson, you shall go from hence to the place from whence you came, and from thence to the place of execution, and there hang till you be dead. And the like sentence upon the others, one after the other, in the same words."
Mary Dyer was respited upon the petition of her son, William, and leave given her to depart after forty-eight hours; but, if found in this jurisdiction again, to be executed forthwith. Con- nected with her respite, was an order, that " she shall be carried to the place of execution, and there stand on the gallows, with a rope about her neck, till the rest be executed."
" The Marshall General, with the aid of Capt. James Oliver and one hundred soldiers taken by his order proportionably out of each company in Boston, completely armed with pike and musketeers, with powder and ball, was directed to execute the sentence passed upon the prisoners ; " and Robinson and Ste- venson were hanged accordingly.
1661. " Peter Peirson and Judah Brown, Quakers, being indicted, stood mute." The Court ordered, "that they shall by the Constable of Boston be forthwith taken out of prison, and stripped from the girdle upwards, by the executioner, and tied to the cart's tail, and whipped through the town with twenty stripes ; and then carried to Roxbury and delivered to the constable there, who is also to tie them to the cart's tail and again whip them through the town with ten stripes; and then carried to Dedham, and delivered to the constable there, who is again in like manner to cause them to be tied to the cart's tail and whipt with ten stripes through that town ; and from thence they are im- mediately to depart this jurisdiction at their peril."- Hazard's Historical Collections.
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Much more of a like nature could be added, if more were needed. The majority, considering themselves the only true worshippers, caused the Baptists also to feel the weight of their indignation, as manifest opposers of the true worship of God." Other denominations were then unknown here, or did not choose to make themselves known under existing circumstances.
1668. " It is enacted, by the Court, that all the King's high- ways within this government shall be forty foot, at the least, in breadth."
The old post road from Boston through this town towards Springfield was the King's highway, and was laid out without bounds or points of compass, while the greater part of the terri- tory, now the County of Worcester, belonged to the County of Middlesex. The records concerning it, are in the latter county. The former was incorporated in 1731.
1675. " Whoever shall shoot off any gun, on any unneces- sary occasion, or at any game whatsoever, except at an Indian or a wolf, shall forfeit five shillings for every such shot, till further liberty shall be given."
" The public officers' wages shall be paid in corn; and that Indian corn, for defraying public charge, and paying all public officers, be at two shillings and sixpence per bushel."
"Whosoever of the freemen do not appear at election in per- son or by proxy, shall be, for such neglect, amerced to the treas- ury, ten shillings." For several years, the elections were held in Boston.
Hartford, Windsor and Weathersfield were the first places set- tled in Connecticut. The first was, at the beginning, called Newtown, the second, Dorchester, and the third, Watertown, from the towns in Massachusetts whence the first settlers principally emigrated. Their early laws and orders were of the Massachu- setts stamp.
Passing over those, for the breach of which the penalty was death, I select a few of another class, which the reader will find to be curious, and, in almanac language, " useful and entertain- ing ; " useful, so far as a knowledge of the past will better enable him to appreciate the times in which he lives.
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" No one shall hold any office, who is not sound in the faith; and whoever gives a vote to such a person shall pay a fine of one pound."
" No one shall run on the Sabbath-day, or walk in his garden, or elsewhere, except reverently to and from meeting."
" No one sliall travel, cook victuals, make beds, sweep house, cut hair, or shave, on the Sabbath-day."
" The Sabbath shall begin at sunset on Saturday."
" No woman shall kiss her child, wife her husband, or husband his wife, on the Sabbath or fasting day."
" No minister shall keep a school."
" A debtor in prison, swearing he has no estate, shall be let out and sold to make satisfaction."
" No one shall read common prayer, keep Christmas or saints' days, make mince pies, dance, play cards, or play on any instru- ment of music, except the drum, trumpet and jewsharp."
" No gospel minister shall join people in marriage. The mag- istrates only shall join in marriage, as they may do it with less scandal to Christ's church." [Prohibition taken off 1694.]
" A wife shall be deemed good evidence against her husband."
"Married persons must live together or be imprisoned."
" Every male shall have his hair cut round according to a cap." *
" All capital causes, concerning life or banishment, if there is no express law, shall be judged, according to the word and law of God, by the General Court."
Such were some of the blue laws of Connecticut. They are taken from Peters' and also Barber's compilation of them, and re-published at Hartford in 1838.
Another was this, but not vouched for by any known authority - " Beer is forbidden to be made on Saturday, because it will work on Sunday."
*" A cap to go round the head was used, drawn close to the head, and the hair then cut by the cap. A pumpkin, severed in the middle, and placed on the head, was used as a substitute for the cap, in the season of them."
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As an offset to these, that compilation, consisting of more than 300 pages, contains some of the "blue laws" of the other colonies.
The following are from the Virginia code.
1662. "Every person who refuses to have his child baptized by a lawful minister, shall be amerced 2000 lbs. of tobacco, half to the parish, and half to the informer. Tobacco was the cur- rency of Virginia, and corn of Massachusetts.
" He that brings home a hog or hogs without their ears, shall be adjudged a hog-stealer."
" In actions of slander, occasioned by a man's wife, after judg- ment for past damages, then the woman to have a ducking ; if they are above 500 lbs. of tobacco, then the woman to have a ducking for every 500 lbs., if the husband refuse to pay."
" It has been reported as true, that in the early settlement of Virginia, squirrels were so numerous, they injured and often des- troyed the fields of corn, and the outside rows were often entirely destroyed ; to prevent which the General Court soberly set them- selves to work to remedy the evil, and ordered, that thereafter no planter should have or plant any outside row in his cornfield ! "
" There was an ancient law of Massachusetts, directing that ladies' dresses should be made so long as to hide their shoe- buckles, prohibiting short sleeves - and, in 1653, 1. Fairbanks was tried for wearing great boots, and acquitted."
Previous to the Revolution, it was customary to give rings and gloves at funerals, to the clergyman, pall holders and bearers.
In the interior, however, rings were rarely given. The num- ber of pairs of gloves bestowed on such occasions depended in some degree upon the circumstances of the deceased and his family. They were of leather, and white, in the earlier period ; afterwards of a dark purple color.
The Probate offices in the older counties of the Common- wealth contain abundant evidence of the customs and practices on such occasions.
The funeral expenses of Samuel Blanchard, of Andover, who died in 1707, were in part as follows :
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6 galls. wine,
£0 15s. 0d.
20 prs. gloves, 1 10 0 Rum, sugar and allspice, 0 9 3
Half bbl. cider,
0 5 0
Robert Ward, a cooper by trade, died in Charlestown, 1736. The inventory of his personal estate was £71 17s. 3d. Real estate, 170 0 0
Funeral expenses, in part, 17 prs. of gloves, £5 10s. 6d.
Wine, . . 0 18 0
1 pint stomach water, 0 1 S
Paid the porters, 1 10 0
Use of the pall, . 0 10 0
Tolling the bell, 0 3 0
Mourning scarfs for 3 heirs, 30 0 0
Funeral expenses of Rev. Thomas Cobbett, some time minis- ter of Lynn, afterwards of Ipswich, who died in 1685.
1 barrel wine, £6 8s. Od.
2 do. cider,
82 lbs. sugar,
0 11 0 2 1 0
¿ cord wood, 0 4 0
4 dcz. prs. gloves for men and women, 5 4 0
And some spice and ginger for the cider.
Until the time of the Revolution, burial service was regulated by law, so far, that it could not be performed on the Sabbath without a permit from a magistrate, and then only after sunset.
Copy of a permit granted in Boston, 1771.
" Whereas it has been represented to me, by the relatives of William Lowder, who died on Thursday last, that he cannot be conveniently kept at this season, and have desired leave that he may be buried this evening, liberty is hereby granted for his be- ing buried, notwithstanding it is Lord's day, they conforming to the law, in that case, as to the time; and to take care, that the corpse be not carried to the grave, until one hour after sunset.
Given under my hand, this 22d day of September, 1771. BELCHER NOYES, Justice Peace."
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Neighbors returned from the grave with the mourners, and were provided with a supper.
Such was the practice until the time of the Revolution, when, all the resources of the country being required for its defence, it was voted, in public assemblies, "to encourage economy and frugality, and, on the death of near relatives, to wear no other mourning dress than a black ribbon or crape on the arm or hat for men, and a black ribbon around the neck for women."
This was carried into practice, whereby unnecessary expenses were diminished, and the poorer classes relieved from spending their all to avoid the appearance of not mourning the loss of their friends. The heart, and that alone, knows its own sorrows. Grief is invisible, and when its possessor seeks to soothe it by extravagance in external things, it is no longer grief, but pride.
As if mourning were not enough, we not unfrequently hear of half and full mourning. How this, on first hearing it, strikes the mind, may be judged by the question of a child, whose mother, having lost an aunt, remarked to some friends, that she should put on half mourning ; whereupon the child, in the simplicity of her heart, asked her mother if only half of her were her aunt?
Although admonished to bring these details to a close, I cannot refrain from copying the following " beautiful picture of the en- during affections of a mother," by the Rev. Thomas Cobbett, in a discourse on the duties of children, which, with his funeral ex- penses, before mentioned, is taken from the History of Lynn, by Alonzo Lewis.
" Despise not thy mother when she is old. When she was young, yea, when she was middle-aged, thou prizedst and re- spectedst and didst reverence and obey her; do it as well when she is old ; hold on doing of it to the last.
Age may wear and waste a mother's beauty, strength, parts, limbs, senses and estate ; but her relation of a mother is, as the sun when he goeth forth in his might, for the ever of this life, that is always in its meridian and knoweth no evening. The person may be grey-headed, but her motherly relation is ever in its flourish ; it may be autumn, yea, winter, with the woman, but with the mother, as a mother, it is always spring."
MISCELLANEOUS.
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The following is a list of Revolutionary Pensioners belonging to the town, including those who went into the service from it, but afterwards settled in other places, and drew their pensions there. Furnished by Nathan Howe, Esq.
Calvin Sawyer,
John Bragg,
Peter Cary,
Daniel Holden,
George Filmore,
Humphrey Bigelow,
Ithamar Newton,
Thomas Harrington,
Marshall Newton,
Daniel Harrington,
Jonathan Harrington,
Samuel Smith,
Ebenezer Mann,
Lewis Smith, 2d,
Ashur Smith,
Nathaniel Hapgood,
Benjamin Pratt,
Joseph S. Temple,
Nathan Pratt,
Benjamin Maynard,
Jonah Howe,
Jonas Stone,
Nathan Howe,
Austin Flint,
John Peirks,
Solomon Howe,
Jasper Rand,
Gardner Howe,
Lewis Smith,
Stephen Smith,
Elijah Southgate,
Stephen Pratt,
Jonas Hastings,
Calvin Newton,
Ephraim Holland,
Daniel Williams,
Jonah Holland,
William Dexter,
Asa Wheelock,
Jos. B. Jennison.
NORTH PARISH.
What here follows, relating to the North Parish, was omitted to be inserted at the close of the Ecclesiastical History of the First Parish, where it properly belongs.
Some extracts in relation to it, from a historical sketch of the town of Boylston, by Matthew Davenport, Esquire, published in 1831, will precede what I have to say of it - viz :
" The church was gathered the 6th day of December, 1.743." "On the 20th day of the same month, Rev. Ebenezer Morse was ordained the first pastor."
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" The same year, they purchased the burying ground of Eleazer Taylor, and built a meeting-house."
" The connection betwixt the Rev. Mr. Morse and his people appears to have been harmonious, and the parish at peace among themselves, till about the year 1770." "Soon after this, it was discovered by the parish, that their minister was a Loyalist. From this time till his dismission the connection between them was any thing but harmonious. Mr. Morse, with a little policy, might probably not have been particularly obnoxious on this ac- count ; but his independent and unyielding spirit disdained any prevarication or concealment. And in his public addresses to the throne of mercy, he would pray for the " king, queen, and royal family, the lords spiritual and temporal," with more fervor than his rebellious parishioners could bear.
In the beginning of the year 1771, things appear to have been approaching a crisis, and in June, a meeting was called, " to take into consideration the difficulties subsisting betwixt Rev. Eben- ezer Morse and the church and people of this place ; and more especially what the church had drawn up as reasons for their dis- missing Mr. Morse, which are as follows, viz :
Rev. Mr. Morse appearing so unfriendly to the common cause of liberty, which America so much contends for at the present, gave occasion for the town of Shrewsbury to call him to an ac- count by a Committee of Inquiry ; and the said Mr. Morse, when upon examination before said Committee and before the town, after the said Committee gave in their report, did so con- duct and word himself, that the town, as well as the Committee, did view him as unfriendly to the common cause, and in conse- quence thereof did vote, that the said Morse be disarmed and laid under other disadvantages, in consequence of which, together with other difficulties subsisting, we cannot see how we can, in conscience, be contented with him as our pastor, and are of opin- jon, that we shall expose ourselves to the displeasure of the Congresses, and all others that are friends and well wishers to the rights and liberties of America, if we should suffer him to continue any longer as our pastor."
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The vote was then put whether Rev. Ebenezer Morse's pas- toral office should be dissolved, and passed in the affirmative, by a division of thirty-seven yeas to twelve nays. A Committee was then chosen, consisting of Daniel Whitney, Nathaniel Da- venport, Jonas Temple, Frederic Albert, and Silas Howe, “ to inform Mr. Morse that he is dismissed, and that it is expected he do not attempt to enter the desk any more, as a minister in this place, and that the Committee see that he do not," which latter part of their duty, it is said, they literally performed.
The 25th day of September following, a precinct meeting was called, upon the petition of Dea. Cyprian Keyes and others, " to see if the parish will join with the church, in inviting some sister churches to assist in a day of fasting and prayer, &c .; and agreed to send letters missive to Holden, Shrewsbury and Wor- cester churches. These churches failed to attend, as stated in the records, and another day was appointed ; and voted to send to the churches in Shrewsbury, second in Mendon, second in Medway, second in Wrentham and in Holden. These churches met by their pastors and delegates, and advised to make an ad- dition to the council, by sending to the church in Dedham, and to the church in Abington, which was agreed to, and adjourned to November 8th.
The council met at that time, and " after prayer by Rev. Samuel Niles, and vote put, after proceedings read, whether the precinct would rescind the vote passed on the 15th day of June last, dismissing Mr. Morse, and passed in the affirmative. Ques- tion then put, to dismiss Mr. Morse, agreeably to the advice of the council, and passed in the affirmative." Thus ended this un- pleasant altercation betwixt Mr. Morse and the precinct.
Jan. 22, 1776. A meeting was called to see if the precinct would concur in the choice the church had made of Mr. Jesse Read to settle with them in the pastoral office, and passed in the affirmative, and voted him £66, 13s. 4d. annual salary, and £133, 6s. Sd. settlement." To the above votes was a written protest, for reasons assigned.
" We, the subscribers, inhabitants of Shrewsbury, do protest against the proceedings of this day, for the following reasons, viz :
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The proceedings are founded upon the result of an ex parte council, against which Mr. Morse has taken sufficient excep- tions, and supported them undeniably in the public prints.
2d. Because it is extravagant to vote large sums of money to candidates while they know not that [whether] they are dis- charged from paying Mr. Morse's salary, especially considering the amazing expenses of the public at the present time.
3d. Because said money is to be paid in part by those, who cannot consistently with gospel rule, hear said candidate.
Signed, John Crawford, Benjamin Fiske, Joseph Biglo, Charles Biglo, Jotham Bush, Solomon Houghton, and William Craw- ford. These, it will be recollected, were all political friends of Mr. Morse, except Joseph and Charles Biglo.
It is remarkable, that there is no further account of Mr. Read on record. On the 18th November, 1776, the precinct voted to invite Mr. Eleazer Fairbank to settle with them in the minis- try, and voted him the same salary and settlement which they had voted to Mr. Read. Mr. Fairbank was ordained 26th March, 1777, and dismissed, at his own request, April 23, 1793.
March 12, 1794, Hezekiah Hooper, of Bridgewater, was or- dained over the church and society in this place, and died in December, 1795 .*
Ward Cotton of Plymouth, Grad. H. U., 1793, succeeded Mr. Read, and was ordained June 7, 1797, and at his request dismissed in 1825." Thus much from Mr. Davenport's sketch, with the exception of the subjoined note.
To the foregoing, I add some things of an early date, relating to the founding of that church, and some of its subsequent tran- sactions touched upon in the foregoing account, and in which there are some errors as to dates. These I shall point out, as it is important they should be given correctly. " Mistakes will happen in the best of families," and the press, especially in the use of figures, but adds to the number.
* Grad. H. U., 1789, son of Hezekiah Hooper, who married Elizabeth Leonard, 1758, who was son of John Hooper, who married Elizabeth Packard, 1722, who was son of John Hooper, who married Sarah Harden, and settled, then having a family, in Bridgewater, before 1703.
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MISCELLANEOUS.
The north part of the town was made a parish 17th Decem- ber, 1742, and called the North Precinct, until March 1, 1786, when it becaine a town, by the name of Boylston. Neither the parish nor the town obtained incorporating acts, until after long and repeated trials, especially the town. To 1786, as a compo- nent part of Shrewsbury, its history belongs to the latter town. It was one in territory. Its inhabitants assembled in one place for the transaction of business. Their intermarriages were fre- quent, and the church in the North was gathered out of that in the South Parish. They were of us, and, although gone from us, there remain ties of a local, social, and ecclesiastical nature, common to both, and cherished by each. Here, in common with the rest, are recorded, but less perfectly than they should have been, the marriages, births and deaths, to 1786, that occurred in that part of the town. They will appear in the geneological table, &c.
I shall speak only of its ecclesiastical history, and that mostly in extracts from the records of Rev. Mr. Cushing and Rev. Dr. Sumner.
"The Second Church in Shrewsbury (says Mr. Cushing in his records) was gathered October 6, 1743. The two deacons chosen to accompany me when this church was embodied." Mr. Davenport has it December 6, 1743.
" Copy of a letter directed to me, (Cushing,) to be communi- cated to the church in Shrewsbury."
" To the church in Shrewsbury.
A number of the members of the same, and dwelling in the North Precinct, in said town, wisheth grace, mercy and peace.
Reverend, Honored and Beloved,
Whereas we, the subscribers, together with others of said pre- cinct, and covenanting with us, are, as we trust, in God's provi- dence, called to incorporate into a particular church unity of our Lord - these are, therefore, humbly to request your leave there- for ; and, that you grant us a dismission from you, and an interest
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in your prayers, that God would not only settle the gospel ordi- nances and institutions among us, but also grant, that pure religion might in this place flourish and abound, we subscribe your breth- ren in faith and fellowship.
JOHN KEYES, Deacon. ELEAZER TAYLOR, OLIVER KEYES, JONATHAN KEYES, CYPRIAN KEYES, Deacon. EBENEZER TAYLOR, JOSIAH BENNET, ELISHA MAYNARD,
PHINEAS HOWE, JONATHAN BENNET,
JOHN KEYES, JR. DANIEL BIXBY, NATHANIEL BIXBY."
North Precinct in Shrewsbury, Sept. 7, 1743.
" Sept. 11, 1743. This request was offered to the church to which it was directed, and they voted, the persons here signing, their request.
Attest, JOB CUSHING, Pastor."
" Deacon Miles and Deacon Knowlton, chosen at the request of the brethren in the north end of the town, to accompany me in assisting to gather a church among them, October [not Dec.] 6, 1743, and on the 26th, the Rev. Ebenezer Morse was or- dained their pastor." Mr. Cushing and the deacons assisting on the occasion.
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