USA > Massachusetts > Franklin County > Whately > History of the town of Whately, Mass., including a narrative of leading events from the first planting of Hatfield, 1660-1871 : with family genealogies > Part 4
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And forasmuch as distinet and particular rules in this case, suiteable to the estate or quallitie of each person, cannot easily be given, itt is further ordered by the authoritie aforesaid, that the selectmen of every toune, or the major part of them, are heereby enabled and required from time to
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time to have regard and take notice of apparrell in any of the inhabitants of their several tonnes respectively, and whosoever they shall judge to exceede their rancks and abillities in the costlines or ffashion of their apparrell in any respect, especially in the wearing of ribbons or great bootes (leather being so scarce a commodities in this countries ) - lace pointes, &c. silke hoods or searfes, the selectmen aforesaid shall have power to assesse such persons so offending in any of the particulars above mentioned, in the country rates, at two hundred pounds estates, according to that proportion that such men use to pay to whom such apparrell is suiteable and allowed, -provided this lawe shall not extend to the restraint of any magistrate or publieke officer of the jurisdiction, their wives and children, who are left to their discretion in wearing of apparrell, or any settled millitary officer or souldier in the time of military service, or any other whose education and imploiments have bin above the ordinary degree, or whose estates have bin considerable, though now decaied."
Under this law, at the March Term of the Court for Hamp- shire County, 1676, " the jury presented sixty-eight persons, viz. thirty-eight wives and maids, and thirty young men, some for wearing silk and that in a flaunting manner, and others for long hair and other extravagancies." Joseph Barnard and his wife Sarah, and his sister Sarah, Thomas Crafts, Jonathan Wells, and the wife of Thomas Wells, Jr., "were fined ten shillings."
In September, 1682, the selectmen of the five River towns were all " presented " to the Court for "not assessing, according to law," those of the inhabitants of their several towns that " wore silk " and " were excessive in their apparel."
But the publie sentiment had undergone a change. The young man could fight the Indians as well as his father ; and personal courage was a passport to favor ; and the young men and young women combined and declared their independence. They-the young women-put on all the silks, and scarfs, and gold rings they could induce their brothers and beaux to pur- chase for them, and defied the law ! Of course the law was a dead letter.
There is another law of the Colony-not often referred to, but important, as showing the temper of the times-which I will quote in this connection. It will help explain some of the cus- toms of the early settlers, to be described more fully hereafter. It is the Order of the Court of 14 May, 1656, "requiring ye improvement of all hands in spinning " :-
1
42
This Court, taking into serious consideration the present streights and necessities that lye uppon the countrie in respect of eloathing, which is not like to be so plentifully supplied from forraigne parts as in times past, and not knowing any better way and meanes conduceable to our subsistence than the improoveing of as many hands as may be in spining woole, cotton, flax, &c .-
Itt is therefore ordered by this Court and the authoritie thereof, that all hands not necessarily imploide on other occasions, as weomen, girles, and boyes, shall and hereby are enjoyned to spinn according to their skills and abillitie ; and that the selectmen in every toune doe consider the con- dition and capacitie of every family, and accordingly to assesse them at one or more spinners ; and because several families are necessarily imploied the greatest part of theire time in other busines, yet, if opportunities were attended, some time might be spared at large by some of them for this worke, the said selectmen shall therefore assess such families at half or a quarter of a spinner, according to theire capacities ; Secondly, that every one thus assessed for a whole spiner doe, after this present yeare, 1656, spinn, for thirty weekes every yeare, three pounds pr. weeke of linin, cot- ton, or woollen, and so proportionably for half or quarter spinners, under the penaltie of twelve pence for every pound short; and the selectinen shall take speciall care for the execution of this order, which may be easily effected, by deviding theire several tounes into tenn, six, five, and to appoint one of the tenn, six, or five to take an account of theire division, and to certifie the selectmen if any are defective in what they are assessed, who shall improve the aforesaid penalties imposed upon such as are negli- gent, for the encouragement of those that are diligent in their labour.
This " mind " of the Court was in force -- not latterly as a law, but as a custom-for near one hundred and fifty years.
As a further illustration of the condition of families in those early times, and the conveniences of housekeeping, and the kind and value of stock and tools upon a good farm, the Inven- tory of Lieut. William Allis, taken Sept. 18, 1678, is herewith appended :-
In purse and apparrell,
€ 9
13 0
Arms and ammunition,
6 1 0
Beds and their furniture,
9 5 0
Napkins and other linen,
2
1 0
Brass and pewter pieces,
5 10 0
Iron utensils,
2 11 6
Cart and plow irons, chains, stilliards, Tables, pitchforks, cushions, sythe,
7
5
1 19 0
Barrels, tubs, trays,
3 9 6
Woolen and linen yarne,
0
18 6
Several sorts of grain, flax,
11 12 0
43
2 horses, 7 0 0 3 cows, 2 steers, 2 calves, 1 heifer, 20
0 0 Swine and Sheep,
10 8 0
Houses and home lot,
100 0 0
Land in South meadow, .
114
in Great and Little meadow,
136 0 ()
" Plain and Swamp,
20
0 0
" Quinepiake,
28
13 0
£ 196 06 6
PASTURES .- Cows and sheep were pastured on the " Com- mons " lying to the west and northwest of the street. Young stock of all kinds was " marked," and turned out to run at large. As soon as the cattle became sufficiently numerous, i.e., about 1680, a cow-herd was employed. An agreement is recorded by which a man engaged to keep the town herd from early in May to Sept. 29, for twelve shillings a week, payable in grain. He was to start the herd in the morning by the time the sun was an hour high, take them to good feed, watch them, and bring them in seasonably at night. The date, Sept. 29, is named, because this was the time when all crops on the intervals were required to be gathered, and after which the proprietors pastured the cows in their enclosed fields until the snow fell. The care taken that none should be deprived of religious ordinances, is evinced in the vote of the town requiring every owner of cows or sheep to take his turn in tending the herd on the Sabbath,-thus giv- ing the cowherd or shepherd an equal share in the rest and privileges of holy time. Hatfield had two hundred and seventy- three sheep in 1691.
By a law of the Colony, a dog that bit or killed sheep was to be hanged. Usually, the guilty dog was taken to the woods, a leaning staddle was bent down, and a cord was fastened to the top andto the dog's neck ; the elastic sapling then sprung back, with the dog dangling in the air. Sometimes both cats and dogs were hanged at the short end of the well-swipe .*
BASHAN .- About this time, probably in 1682, the meadows lying north of Great Meadow were divided, and allotted among
* Sylvester Judd, Esq.
0
44
the inhabitants. No doubt the planters and mowers, as they worked close up to Little Pond, had often looked wishfully over the ridge to the goodly and fruitful land beyond. No wonder, as they saw its noble oaks and walnuts, and its fat pasturage, they named it "Bashan." Like the other meadows, this tract was first divided into two parts, now known as Old Farms and West Farms; and each of the then fifty-eight proprietors received a lot in both parts. Three or four houses were built on Bashan near this date. The cellar holes of two of these houses, and stones used for the chimneys, may now, or could till recently, be seen on land of R. II. Belden, Esq. One of these houses was " fortified," as appears from the records of 1695. But owing to their great distance from the village, and the difficulty of getting to and fro, especially during the spring freshets, and their exposure to Indian assaults, they were abandoned for a time, perhaps permanently, about the time of the breaking out of the war of 1703. When David Graves built in the Straits, thirty years later, some of the timbers from one of these Bashan houses was transferred and used in part as the frame of his dwelling house (the old Stockbridge Tavern). Possibly the Bashan settlement was not finally abandoned till about 1728.
THE FOUR DIVISIONS OF COMMONS .- Up to 1683 only a small portion of the lands in Hatfield township had been dis- tributed among the inhabitants. All the River meadows north of Bashan ; and all the uplands west of the "Hill " and the Straits road, were lying common, and used for general pas- turage. But now these upland Commons were divided, and apportioned among the settlers.
Oct. 21, 1684 .- " The town hath agreed to divide the Com- mons in the town (except what is reserved for home lots, sheep pastures, etc.) to every inhabitant, according to his present val- uation of estates ; and the said Commons shall be laid out in Four Divisions, -the first to begin upon the plain behind the Mill, and end at the northerly line of the uppermost lot laid out in Mill river Swamp : The second to begin at the north side of the uppermost lot in the Mill river Swamp, and end at the north side of the town bounds : The Third Division to begin at the northwest side of the highway that goeth towards Northamp-
45
ton, and from the hill commonly called Sandy Hill, and end at the rising up of the side of the hill called the Chestnut Moun- tain : The Fourth Division to begin where the Third division endeth, and to end at the outside of the town bounds."
As will appear from this vote, the whole territory lying west of the River meadows was marked off into two parallelograms, one embracing the land between the said River meadows * and Chestnut-plain road, and the other the traet west of this road. These main divisions were then cut by an east and west line, running nearly parallel to though not coincident with the present south line of Whately. The whole of the second and fourth, and nine lots in the third, divisions, lay in Whately.
Each Hatfield inhabitant then holding real and ratable estate, sixty-nine in number, received a lot in each of the four divisions. The principle of distribution, i.e., the size of each man's lots, was " according to the present valuation of estates." This, of course, made great diversity in the size of the lots. The allotment thus made in 1684 was confirmed in 1716, and re-confirmed in 1735.
As the second and fourth of these divisions comprised the lands which now constitute nearly the whole of the town of Whately, the names of the original grantees, with the number and width of each man's lot, must be a matter of historic interest and value, and the record is herewith presented : -
A List of the Second Division of Commons, as they were laid and staked out April 25, 1716 .- This Division of Lots runs West and by North, East and by South, abutting on an highway on the West side of the Mill River Swamp westerly ; and part against a great bank by the l'et Swamp, part against the Farms, and part against the great River casterly :-
No. Width-R. ft. I No.
Width-R. ft.
1 Daniel White 32 10 8 Samuel Allis
21 7
2 Step. Tailor's heirs 3 8 9 Mr. Chauncey
7 15
3 Walter Hixon ..
9
6 10 Richard Morton
31 10
4 Samuel Gun G
4 11 Hez. Dickinson
9 115
5 John Smith's heirs 4 10 12 Benj. Wait
22 .124
6 Widow Graves 11
3 13 Edward Church 28 11 7 Tho's Hastings 9 143
14 William King 6 1
* The easterly boundary of the Second Division was a very irregular one. For a distance, it run on the bank west of Hopewell ; then on the west line of the Bradstreet Farm ; and from the north line of this farm to the Deerfield line it touched the Connecticut River.
46
Width-R. ft. No.
Width-R. ft.
No. 15 John Allis .
52
103
44 Sam'l Carter
5
4
16 Samuel Kellogg
18
4 45 Sam'l Gailor
25
11}
. 17 Mart. Kellogg
6
4 46 Widow Fellows
13 3}
25 113 47 Sam'l Billings' heirs
6 10
19 John Wells .
26 11 48 William Gull
28 153
20 Samuel Marsh 21 John Coles
36 9 50 Sam'l Gillet's heirs
6
4
22 Sam'l Dickinson 32 10 51 John Steel
6
4
23 Philip Russell
21
12 52 Joseph Bodman
6
4
24 Town Lot
7 15 53 John Graves
10 6
25 Ephraim Beers
26 Robert Poage 5
7 15 54 Tho's Wells' heirs, add. to Noah W. 55 John Field
13
-
28 Tho's Meekins, Jr. heirs 7
29 Daniel Belding
30 Robert Bardwell
.
10
9 58 Step. Gennings
9
17
10
32 Benj. Hastings . .
10
14₺ 13₺
61 John White . 62 William Arms
8
35 Samuel Field
. 12
64 Mr. Atherton's heirs
8
-
The Fourth Division of Commons. Laid out April 29, 1716. This Division runs East and West, bounded on an Highway ten rods wide, laid out next the Mill River Swamp, East ; and on the end of the six Mile from great River, West. This Division runs ninety-one rods beyond the Roaring Brook, where was set up a long square stone, and a Bass tree marked with six Splashes.
No.
Width-R. ft.
10
5
No. 12 Sam'l Wells
Width -R. 10 11 ft.
2 Widow Graves
.
11
5 13 Daniel White
3 Sam'l Foot
13
- 14 John Smith's heirs
4
11
4 William Arms
8
14 15 John Field
- 16 Widow Fellows
13 5
6 Robert Bardwell
10
11 17 John Steel
6
5
7 Sam'l Allis
24
33
- 19 Nath'l Dickinson, Sen. . 25 -
9 Mr. Atherton
9
- 20 Daniel Warner
23
10
10 John Coleman
- 21 Eleazer Frary
16 5
11 Hez. Dickinson
37 10
2 22 Sam'l Gailor .
26
-
.
10
10
65 Oba. Diekinson 66 Benj. Barrit .
7
37 Tho's Bracy .
5
15
53
13}
69 Nath'l Dickinson, Sen.
24
-
41 Joseph Field
10
3
70 An overplus granted to Mr. Williams.
42 Sam'l Foot
12
14
43 Nath'l Dickinson, Jr. 17 33
-
14 8 57 John Hubbard
11
31 Sam'l Partridge
·
10 14₺ 59 Sam'l Belding, Jr.
60 Sam'l Graves, Sen.
10
33 Step. Belding .
14
34 Samuel Wells
36 John Coleman . 36
-
- 153 7 67 Daniel Warner 68 Eleazar Frary
4
23
-
38 Isaac Graves
39 Sam'l Belding, Sen. . 32
40 Wm. Scott . 14
10
-
-
·
33
14
5 Step. Belding
15
11 18 Edw. Church
29
8 Sam'l Dickinson
9 93 63 Noah Wells
5
A Highway .
27 Sam'l Graves, Jr. 8 1.14
56 Tho's Loomis
11
11 9 49 Tho's Meekins, Sen.
14 133
18 Joseph Belknap
1 Joseph Field .
47
No.
Width- R. ft. No.
Width-R. ft.
23 John Cowles .
37 - 47 Sam'l Graves, Sen. .
10 3
21 William King
.
6
5 s Martin Kellogg .
6 5
25 Sam'l Gillet's heirs
6
S 19 Tho's Mekin's heirs
8 :
26 John Ilubbard .
An highway .
.
10 3 51 Benj. Barrit
5
-
28 Sam'l Belding, Jr. .
IS 3 52 Tho's Bracy .
6 -
29 Sam'l Field
12 11 53 Town Lot
8
-
-
.
31 Ephraim Beers S - 55 Sam'l Graves, Jr.
11 56 Joseph Bodman
6
5
33 William Gull 29 5 57 Sam'l Billings' heirs
8
8
.
34 Sam'l Carter
5
5 58 John Graves .
10
8
35 Step. Tailor's heirs
5
5 59 Joseph Belknap
60 Sam'l Marsh .
11
22
39 Sam'l Kellogg
40 Oba. Dickinson
10
61 Walter Ilixon
8
41 Tho's Meekins, Sen. heirs 15 -
65 Step. Genings
9
4
42 Richard Morton 32 - 66 Benj. Wait
43 Mr. Chauncey 8
- 67 Nath'l Dickinson, Jr. 7 5
44 Robert Poage 5
5 68 John Wells . 27
45 John Allis
53
5 69 William Scott
15
-
6 Samuel Gun .
6
5
In addition to the second and fourth divisions, nine lots, num- bered from sixty-one to sixty-nine, in the third division of Commons, were in Whately, assigned to Samuel Gun, Edward Church, Benjamin Hastings, Widow Fellows, Richard Morton, Nathaniel Dickinson, Jr., John Coleman, Samuel Billings's heirs, Benjamin Wait. The width of these nine lots, in the aggregate, was one hundred and fifty-four rods.
The "Three Miles Addition," now the town of Williamsburg, though granted by the General Court in 1695, was not divided and allotted to the inhabitants till 1740.
The grant of eight thousand and sixty-four acres known as the " Hatfield Equivalent," adjacent to Huntstown (situated in the present town of Hawley), was allotted in 1744. The tract was apportioned into two parts ; and each proprietor, eighty-three in number, received a lot in each part.
-
36 Tho's Wells, add. to Noah
11 Wells.
5 3
10
-
38 Tho's Loomis
11
6
63 Tho's Hastings
18 - 8 Set off to the West on top of Hill. 9
37 Sam'l Partridge .
11 62 Noah Wells - .
9
-
32 Dan'l Belding
10 -1 50 Isaac Graves .
11 - Set off to the West. 15 10
27 John White .
30 Sam'l Belding, Sen. 32 12 54 Benj. Hastings
11
26
61 Philip Russell
23 1
48
ROADS .- The location of the public (in distinction from the proprietors' ) roads properly deserves attention in connection with the division of Commons, as both were parts of a common plan. Taken together, the system devised was at onee simple and con- venient, giving each land owner the readiest access to his several lots. The general plan was, roads running nearly parallel with the river, at about a mile distant from each other, intersected at nearly right angles by cross roads, at convenient distances. All these highways were originally ten rods wide.
The "base line" of all the roads was the "Straits," which followed nearly the Indian trail from Umpanchala's Fort to Pocumtuck. This was, practically, the dividing line between the meadows, on the one hand, and the Commons on the other. It was very early accepted as a county road.
The next, in importance if not in time, was the road over Chestnut Plain. When the Commons were first marked off into two parallel divisions in 1684, a space ten rods wide was left between them unappropriated, to be used when occasion shoukl require. This is recognized as a road in the records of April, 1716. The vote of the town laying a public highway here bears date 1756, though several houses had been built on the line some years earlier. And, what is worthy of note, this highway was not surveyed and definitely located till it was done by Whately, in May, 1776.
Probably the Poplar hill road, the road from Spruce hill south over Chestnut mountain, and the Claverack road, were designated early, but no vote laying them out as highways, has been found on Hatfiel Records. The highway from Deerfield line by Abraham Parker's (previously a " close road," with bars, ) to the Bradstreet Proprietors' highway, near R. T. Morton's corner, was laid out in 1756 ; and, at the same time, the said proprie- tor's highway was accepted as a publie road. This run origi- nally south of the cemetery, and struck the "Straits " below the John Wait place. In 1755, a road was laid from the Straits eastwardly "by Ebenezer Morton's," to the road dividing Old Farms and West Farms, thence to Denison's Farm. Consid- erably earlier than this, a path had been marked out and tray- eled, from the Straits,'near " Mother George," northwesterly, through " Egypt," to Chestnut plain. This had several branches,
19
one of which was the "Conway path," used by the emigrants from the Cape, in 1763. This was the only feasible road for teams, between the east part and the centre of Whately, till near the time of its incorporation. The road now known as " Christian Lane," was originally a reserved lot in the Second Division of Commons, and was only a bridle path, or at best a log causeway, for many years.
Private roads-or proprietors' highways-all of which had bars or gates, were laid when needed. Such was the path from Hatfield Street to Great Meadows; and later, to Bashan ; and later still, continued northerly through Denison's Farm, by the " Old Orchard." Such, also, was the road from the county road near " Mother George," to "Hopewell "; and another, further north, from Benjamin Scott's to near Joshua Beldin's.
But to return to our narrative. The tide of settlement which started northward into Bashan in 1682, was arrested by the breaking out of King William's War in 1688.
Taught by past experience, the Hatfield settlers had not neg- lected preparations for a possible renewal of hostilities. They had extended the lines of palisades so that they reached two hundred and twenty-nine rods on one side, and two hundred and forty-six rods on the other, enclosing the greatest part of the village. The house of Mr. Williams was " fortified," as were three houses on the Hill, and one at the Farms.
" Watches " were set at night, and " warders," or day watch- ers were employed, from May 1st to the time of " the fall of the leaves,"-the Indians as a rule, making their attacks while the leaves were on the trees, for better concealment, or in the dead of winter ; and a " guard " was always stationed in or near the meeting-house upon Lord's days, and lecture days, and public meeting days.
All males from sixteen to sixty, except those exempted by law, were required to train four days in a year.
But now for a time, stricter watches, and wards, and almost daily scouting were kept up ; and though there were no important battles in the neighborhood, small skulking parties of Indians kept the people on the alert. As early as 1687, Hatfield had a
G
50
full militia company of sixty-four men. John Allis was the first captain. In 1690, Hatfield had eighty soldiers.
To understand the care and cost of these military precautions, it may be stated, that at this time the pay of a private soldier was six shillings per week ; drummer and corporal, seven shil- lings ; clerk and sergeant, nine shillings; ensign, twelve shil- lings ; lieutenant, fifteen shillings ; captain, thirty shillings ; the pay of mounted men, and most of the scouting was performed by troopers, was twenty-five per cent. higher. For subsistence, the price of board for soldiers on the march was eight pence per day, soldiers in garrison, three shillings and six pence per week. Many were billeted in families, and fared the same as their hosts. The ordinary rations were pork or beef, bread or dry biscuit, and peas. When on expeditions, they often carried the Indian food called Nocake, i.e., Indian corn parched and beaten into meal. Sometimes, rum, sugar, pipes, and tobacco were fur- nished the troops. When horses were fed at grass, the price per full day was three pence ; at hay and provender, six pence.
Sept. 16, 1696, the Indians came suddenly upon Deerfield Village and took Daniel Belding and two children, Nathaniel and Esther, killed his wife Elizabeth and three children, Daniel, John, and Thankful, and wounded Samuel and Abigail, who recovered, though Samuel's skull was fractured. The remaining children hid among some tobacco which had been hung to dry in the attic, and were not discovered.
The middle of July, 1698, four Indians came into the upper part of North Meadow, where men and boys were hilling corn, and killed John Billings, aged twenty-four, and Nathaniel Dick- inson, Jr., thirteen, and took Samuel Dickinson, aged eleven, and a lad named Charley. They shot at Nathaniel Dickinson, Sen., and killed his horse, but he escaped.
This war lasted ten years.
TAXES .- The burden of taxation, on account of the Indian wars, was heavy on the young settlement. The "Country Rates "-nearly the same as our State taxes-assessed on the estates and polls of Hatfield, for the three years, 1675, '76, and '77, amounted to £117. In 1692 this tax was £184. A part of this was payable in grain, and part was a money tax. The
51
latter was regarded as especially severe; for, according to a statement in a petition sent to the Government, "not one in ten of the inhabitants of the county have any income of money in any manner." In a like petition, Hatfield said, " Money is not to be had here." In one or two instances the Court agreed to compound the money rates, by receiving " corn at two-thirds the country pay prices." Sometimes a respite or abatement was granted. "In ans" to them of Hattfeild, it is ordered, that the rates of those of that toune who have bin impoverished by the late cruelty of the innemy burning doune their habitations, shall be respitted and left in their hands untill the Court shall give further order therein." [ Colony Rec., 30 Oct., 1677.]
A single " country rate " was an assessment of one shilling and eight pence on males over sixteen years old, and one penny per pound on real and personal estate. Once only, a tax was levied on females. In June, 1695, it was ordered, that single women who earn a livelihood should pay two shillings each, -being one half as much as the poll tax of males for that year.
The prices at which " country pay " was receivable for taxes were from time to time fixed by law. "Oct. 15, 1650 .- Itt is ordered by this Courte, that all sortes of corn shall be paid into the country rate at these prizes following, viz : wheate and bar- ley at five shillings pr. bushell ; rye and pease at four shillings ; Indian at three shillings, marchantable."
The payment of the Province tax of Hatfield in time of war required no transportation. This being a frontier town, sol- diers were constantly quartered upon the inhabitants, who were expected to charge the stipulated price for subsistence, etc. ; and this amounted to a much larger sum than the town tax. The charges allowed Hatfield, up to May 1, 1676, for feeding men and horses, and supplies for various expeditions, footed i.p £788. In October, 1680, there was still due the town on these war charges, £400. This was fully paid by the Government before 1684.
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