USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Marion > Lands of Sippican on Buzzards Bay > Part 12
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The Old Landing Store Book
1-3/s yd. Blue B. Cloth 7.57
2 skeins black silk
12
1 doz. horn buttons .06
7.75
Out on the Indian Ocean there are pictures of the Roch- ester villages! The trees, the familiar skies of New England! They wonder what is happening at home, and talk of the Quakers and "New Lights" and "Old Lights", and who has died, and who has married. Out where the great sea "smiles and smiles" Pilgrim names are spoken.
Capt. Elisha sails in on the Persia May 6, 1831, with 2800 bbls. sperm; and in the Commissioner's report in one word is told the story of the Meridian, "Full".
The excited home comers find that Capt. Barden has mar- ried Charlotte Dexter, and Allen Dexter has persuaded Widow Cynthia Pitcher to cast her lot with his, and Capt. Jabez Handy
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THE GOOD OLD WAYS OF CAPTAINS DAYS
carries off Ruth Briggs. · A little Haskins baby has been bap- tized "Daniel Webster" for the great man who used to come so much to the Center, and Ichabod Burgess, "soldier of the Revolution", and Capt. John Wallace "soldier of the Revolu- tion" die, and they say in the village,
"How soon they will all be gone, the old soldiers!" The last Indian is gone, and soon there will be only a few old mus- kets left of the Revolution.
"Capt. Elisha" home from the Indian Ocean sits in his store and collects "worfage" from the little coasters that come and go.
And little boys, Stephen and Emerson, and John and James, and Newton, and George who will take the places of the grizzled old captains, are climbing over the ships at the wharves.
As the captains grew wise in the shipping world, the houses became larger in old Rochester Towne, and all the way along the road down from the Center, and the Old Landing, new homes were built, with beautiful doorways and mantles carved and decorated; paper from France and England, and panelling of beauty.
The captain's farms were small settlements in themselves with barns, and wood houses, carriage and dog houses. The great brick fire places, and ovens, still turned out pies, 24 at a time, and Indian puddings, and beans, and brown bread in enormous quantities.
Wooden shutters kept the sun from the best room carpet, not the clumsy ones for protection from Indians, but lighter and ornamental.
The bedrooms were almost filled with the enormous four posted maple bedsteads with deep downy feather beds - live geese feathers of course - and great fat pillows and bolsters. Feather beds needed especially in the best bed room where the sheets fairly rattled on a cold February night. Acres and acres of farm land with hay fields and cow pastures, gardens and barns with sleigh wagons, oxen, horses, high backed sleighs, plows, harrows, and the little nests of the sailors in the wharf village held high boys, low boys, Windsor chairs, stools and tavern tables, and maps and colored pictures on the walls.
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LANDS OF SIPPICAN.
The captains and mates came home and went to husking bees, spelling bees, house raisings, skating parties, hayrides, and sleighing parties. They had their daguerreotypes taken and their portraits painted when a whaler made a "greasy" voyage.
They came in hearty, blustering, talking to the family in their ship trumpet tones, filling the big houses where fathers, mothers, sometimes widowed aunts and sisters with their child- ren, all lived comfortably together; with Grandma or Grandpa smoking contentedly in the warmest corner near the fireplace. A feeling of the bigness and breeziness of the oceans came in with the sea folks.
A great time when they came home!
Everybody stayed up late, as late as nine-thirty or ten, and even when the house quieted down so there was only the tick- tock of the tall clock in the corner, the great living room kitchen seemed filled with a clean cold wind from the sea.
The beautiful center village with its handsome two story farm houses, was still the important part of the town, altho the Mattapoisett village was growing rapidly with its ship- building and whaling. It was said that there was a good deal of grumbling in Mattapoisett about going to the Center for the town meeting.
But that was treason! The Center was where the "town meet" had always been held, and they keep on jogging up there to lay out roads and build bridges as usual. In 1832 the road up from the Eben Holmes' farm house was laid out, also "into Charles Neck by John Clarks" (the present Pleasant Street and Converse Road.)
The temperance question comes up in town meetings! In 1830 the town had sent a petition to the legislature to make a new law authorizing the county commissioners or the Selectmen to license tavern keepers, giving them all the usual rights ex- cept the right "to sell spiritous liquors."
Another petition sent in was in a very pathetic key! It told of "the wife's streaming eyes over her naked and supperless children" and went on to say that "Banking, Turnpike Roads,
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THE GOOD OLD WAYS OF CAPTAINS DAYS
Canals, and even Railroads sink into insignificance beside the important subject."
Several deaths in Mattapoisett village aroused them! It had always been a disgrace to be without good liquor in the house, but the villages began to have temperance meetings.
The Captains came home disgusted with drunken crews, and between voyages they dipped into town affairs. They pro- hibited drinking at picnics, clambakes, and all public gather- ings. A cold water Army was formed in the villages. In Mattapoisett 250 children joined according to Dr. Robbin's diary.
And the little vessels come and go from Capt. Elisha's Wharf. In 1834 he adds the names of the Georgia, William Rusell, Nigel, Virginia, America, William, Angel, Swift, and Florida.
Aug. 1 he writes "upon a'ct of Ship Shylock toward 1/8 part of same of $1200. Twelve hundred dollars." By the next year the Washington, Lydia, Stranger, Wave, and Leven- ant appear on the pages, and later he adds Brig Pearl and Bar- que "Copoecl:". That same year Dr. Gage of Rochester Towne is paying $3.00 for a chaise to Boston. Perhaps it is Deacon Haskell's, for it costs the Doctor 50c for having the chaise mended when he gets to the city. Perhaps the trip home, in and out of the deep ruts finished the old carriage, as the doctor buys a "Sulky and harness" for $100. that year. He has on hand "leeches, Sulfa, castor oil, oil of Golden Rod, Camphor, Laud- anum, Alcohol, sugar of lead. chalk. ointment, cardamon, Digatales and lavender." It cost him $2.00 for 8 Leeches and $10 for "one gross of sq. bottles." He had toothbrushes too. He had bought a dozen for $1.13.
In Sippican people are having furniture made. In Geo. Bonum Nye's book there it is written
"To making one chest to one work stand 2.00"
$3.00
In the stores, the blacksmith's shops, the gamming centers of the village, one hears stories of the ports of the world; and Captain Elisha puts down the Altamaha on his list, and charges
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LANDS OF SIPPICAN
"Worfage" for salt. to B. B. Nye, B. Holmes, Caleb Handy, Jonathan Dexter and John Clapp.
And the sea takes its toll, and in the Records is written
"Lost at sea".
"Lost at sea".
The sadness of the last words from the Caducius! The choked voices of the sailors! "Don't ask me to tell you!" And they shake their heads, these boys who saw! But the village life goes on. They marry, and are born, and die!
Young couples put their household goods on a schooner and take the long journey to the big sea port to make their fortunes.
On Thanksgiving Evening Dec. 3, 1835 a Rochester lady is writing "Fifty times today have we wished that our dear friends that have become residents in the big city were with us."
"Our family at dinner was the smallest I ever recollect. Eben dined at Capt. Tobey's upon the ducks. Now he and Martha are at Dr. H's. Hannah has gone out with Martha Gibbs. Mother is knitting. George is sitting in the great chair with the singing book in his hand. I have been out this after- noon - called at the Parsonage - also at Mr. Holmes, Capt. Lombard's, and Mr. Bonney's. Mrs. Lumbard's party was pleasant and social. Two weddings to take place. Dr. Ellis of Sippican to Miss Delano and our cousin George Gibbs to Miss Shiverick of Dartmouth. The whole matter has been ad- justed since he came home, he told his brother if he waited to perform another voyage he should be so old that no one would marry him. I suspect he thought now was the present time.
We were very happy indeed to receive your letter. We had many fears respecting you, but still hoped that you would not suffer so much. We felt that we have the greatest cause of gratitude to our Father in Heaven for his goodnefs, mercy in protecting you when dangers stood thick around. I think there is no situation that one so sensibly feels their dependence on God and the fraility of human aid as when they are on the water."
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· And little sister adds a note
"We missed you very much last Wednesday about making the pies. Mrs. Bigelow has had a new Bonnet and shawl sent to her from Boston this week."
At the end Brother writes about his Thanksgiving dinner. "the ducks was all we had, much as ever the feathers was off. George says I must go and milk so good night"
And off goes the letter
"Sent to New York City, per steam boat."
Some boys who had become good ship wrights, went to New Bedford and home Saturday nights; walking towards home until some of the folks who had started out with the old horse, met them. Later some went to New York to the clipper ship yards.
They watched the port grow to be a town of 300,000 people. It was a risky gamble to buy farm land above Tenth St., and the great excitement of the town was the yelling rivalry of the fire companies as they raced to the sound of the bells.
. But the chanteys ring louder to most of the boys
"Then up aloft that yard must go Whiskey for my Johnny"
And sooner or later they took their course before the mast and up and up to walk in beaver hats and canes with the captains of the world ports.
April 1, 1839 the familiar name of a whaler, the Solon, appears on Capt. Elisha's book.
He pays Noble E. Bates, ship agent, "Two hundred ninety one dollars and twenty cents in full for two shares in Brig Solon and out fits bill made up to Sept. 1, 1838."
And he credits "By cash from said Ship, 1 March, 1839, Six hundred dollars, $600.
He buys on June 13, 1839 from M. S. Lincoln &c, Boston "Plaid silk cravats" and "Gent's kid gloves", "Fancy prints", "Cambric", "Taffeta ribbon", "Fancy pongee handkerchiefs", "Satin vestings", "Blue pilot cloth", "German Silver strap at 50c", "Buckskin", "Super pearl shirt buttons $1.00", "Cologne", "Satin vest and coat buttons", "Wallets", 'Scotch
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flannel", "Queen's own Cassimere", "Alpaca", "Black silk velvet", "Black silk coat cords", "Fancy silk vest bindings", "Lavender Cassimere", "Ladies kid gloves", "Green broad- cloth at $2.50 a yard." "Invisable green broadcloth, $1.58", "Fine purple broadcloth at $3.50", "White flannel", "Scarlet flannel", "Fancy prints", "Eng. prints at .27c", "Book mus- lin, Bishop lawn, Wh. Cambric", "Satin ribbons". Oh, those Captains and their wives dressed well when they went to meeting, or on to New York and New Orleans and Liverpool.
The door of the meeting house was interesting in those days for how the captains were sailing out into matrimony.
Capt. John K. Hathaway and Mary Hammett; Capt. Ira Baxter of Barnstable carries off Sylvia Delano, Capt. Henry Delano's daughter; Rhoda Briggs to Capt. Thomas C. Bates; Capt. Stephen Hadley to Mary Soule of New Bedford.
They stand in their poke bonnets and stare at that big door between services, and what a shaking of heads to learn that one stern "Parent has ordered the publishment taken down!"
Capt. Peleg Blankinship married to Eliza Leonard Hadley; Capt. Russell Grey comes up from Yarmouth and wins Sarah Luce; Capt. James Luce who has gone to New York to live, marries Squire Fearing's grand-daughter of Wareham and Capt. Obed Delano marries Verona Hadley, and then is off on a long voyage.
Young captains with high hopes of good voyages! And that year of 1839 the old captains were slapping their thighs and chuckling "By Godfrey" he's landed his fish at last! Mrs. Eunice Delano had been prevailed on to take the final step and go as bride to the fine large house on the road that went through the Hiller farm that Capt. Stephen Luce had built.
It was several months after the intentions were nailed on the meeting house door, and how the tongues did wag!
In the three villages the people were much interested in education; that is, the aristocrats were to the extent of building Academys in all the villages, even the North village of Rochester.
FAC
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THE GOOD OLD WAYS OF CAPTAINS DAYS
"Oh no !- no indeed!" said a Rochester captain's daugh- ter, 80 years old, "We never went to the public schools. There were private schools for the captain's families!"
The public schools of her time almost a century ago, were noisy, vulgar affairs.
Boys and girls of all ages, up to the grown young men home from whaling, would come rushing out of the plain little buildings at recess like young savages.
One little school building, at the corner of the road that branched off to Mattapoisett and down to Charles Neck (after- wards a part of the Lucy Faunce house) was quite out of the wharf village, but sixty pupils crowded into the small room, 19 by 20 ft. To make room for so many, wooden boards were placed across the seats, and what a clattering when the boards come up to make way for a class coming up to recite.
The Sippican Academy was afterwards made into St. Gabriel's Chapel, and where South St. runs from Front St. to Pleasant, was called "Academy Field" in the memory of many living today. The Academy on the "green" at the Center was built in 1836, and many children from Sippican attended it.
Dr. Robbins was a member of the school board, and he writes of visiting Rochester Academy Sept. 15, 1841.
"Rode to Rochester and attended the examination and exhibition of the Academy. The performance was good and honorable to the school. At the exhibition in the evening there was a great audience."
Nobody in "nee buckles' now but Dr. Robbins. The captains are wearing the latest beaver hats and stocks and blue broadcloth "coates".
They are constantly coming home to improve their villages.
Subscribing to this and that. Back in that far away time now, when "esses" were 'effs", they were writing their names at the bottom of a paper that ends in part.
"It is well known in this Vicinity that the pall made youfe of in this place is old and poor, we have thot that it beft to raife money by Subscription to purchafe another" and the names go down followed by $1.00 signs for a new "velvet pall."
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Now in this year of 1841 it is the meeting house in Sippi- can. For forty-one years they have been paying "pue rent" to George Bonum Nye who sat in his little kingdom that stretched a half a mile to his wharf at the narrows.
But Geo. Bonum Nye had made the last entry in the long sheep skin covered book. His heirs had the building. It needed repairs.
Why should the members pay for improvements on a run down building that they didn't own!
John Clapp, grown well-to-do from salt making, offered a lot between the Tavern and the meeting house (where Church's and Blankinship's stores are now.)
Capt. Henry Allen, grown well-to-do from the southern and Liverpool trade, whaling, and ship yard, came up from his house (the Cudahy House) through the barred gates, past the Hillers, and offered the corner lot opposite the old meeting house in exchange as a better place to "set the meeting house."
And ten men put in $1,000 a piece, and the present white meeting house (New England Christopher Wren style) was begun on Apr. 1, 1841. Capt. Henry Allen, Dr. Walton W. Ellis, Capt. Elisha Luce, Capt. John Pitcher, James Wittet the sail maker, William Taylor, Capt. Rowland Luce, William W. Allen, Capt. Stephen Luce and Silas B. Allen.
Ship owners and ship masters!
On July 5, 1841 the villages celebrate the 4th of July at Sippican and Dr. Robbins writes:
"Independence Day. A number of people here went a sailing and many and I went with them to Sippican. We had good services and a procession and a dinner in a grove with a great many people. No spirits or wine and great harmony. Mr. Bates of Wareham gave the address. Warm, and very dusty."
The temperance question!
"An intemperate man died last night, with a short and violent sickness."
"An intemperate man died yesterday."
And a month later.
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THE GOOD OLD WAYS OF CAPTAINS DAYS
"We had a temperance meeting in the evening and formed a Total abstinence Society with a reformed drunkard at the head of it."
Dr. Robbins was slowly becoming an adherant of the temperance movement, but he had no use for the abolitionists that were coming into the villages to talk.
He goes to Nantucket and encountering abolitionists "on the earnest invitation of all on board I spoke on the subject against them."
Later he jots down "At every hand a miserable abolition lecturer." He goes to a lecture on "electricity, that new fangled thing that people are beginning to tell about."
But temperance Societies are formed and they are having celebrations, and processions, and military guards.
Dec. 1, 1841 the new white meeting house was dedicated. Dr. Robbins writes "Quite cold and good sleighing. The council met few in the whole and some absent. Leander Cobb read a summary of his articles of faith. Very satisfactory. He was installed pastor with his father. Mr. Putnam preached very well. The new meeting house was dedicated."
And then follows an item that shows that John Clapp the salt maker has gone.
"Met with the trustees appointed by the will of John Clapp, deceased to take care of the fund about $10,000 left by him to that society." The Clapp house was left as a home for the Minister Cobb.
Salt from the harbor helped build and still helps support the white meeting house on the corner, for John Clapp wrote
"to continue the salt works business and apply annually amounts necessary to defray expense and repairs, the prin- cipal amount to be kept intact with power to sell the whole or part by majority vote in good interest of church and Society."
The church flourished. Dr. Robbins writes about "the powerful work of grace has commenced at Sippican, Great are the mercies of the Lord." But the salt works wind mills are silenced, and from John Clapp's land the great timbers were carted off to build houses and barns.
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The whalers come and go, the schooners tie up for the winter, and Capt. Samuel Luce's daughter Jane, for whose self alone a big house (the Sargent) had been built by an aspiring suitor, married Harvey Cobb of Plymouth and went and lived almost opposite the rejected gift.
The discarded lover shut up the house and never went into it again, it is said.
By 1846 they are pasteing carefully in the Scrap Books "Life or Death or the Last Race of the Horse Beppo". "The Betrothed, or the Exile."
Mrs. Lydia H. Sigourney was a favorite author for the scrap books.
"Bengen on the Rhine"; and "Emilia, a tale of the Heart": and Hood's Advice to Wives, "Invariably adorn yourself with delicacy and modesty"; and mournful poems on love and death.
That year the "Sippican Benevolent Society whose object. shall be to aid (by contributing the avail of its labor or other- wise) such Benevolent objects as they shall see fit", was flour- ishing and "they" are sending "a box of bedding and cloth- ing to the Portugese who have been persecuted and driven from their country on account of their religion."
That year it took only 16 days to cross the 3000 miles of the Atlantic.
Smiling summers on Sippican harbor and blue grey win- ters come and go with letters few and far between.
Relatives reckon and carefully mark the days of a voyage in the Old Farmer's Almanack that is sewed up and down the back and hung beside the big clock for reference as to moon and tides, sunset and sunrise.
And on the marked dates letters are mailed to reach the dear boys, husbands and fathers and sons, to catch them in curious ports of the world from the turtle shell on the Galap- agos Islands to far away Canton.
Agents send news of home.
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THE GOOD OLD WAYS OF CAPTAINS DAYS
Sippican, 1847
"Capt. H. D. Delano Sir
Your favor from St. Marks come to hand the 3rd inst. The next day I went to New Bedford and shiped your boat to New York. I hope she may reach you in safety. Josiah had an offer for the Boat $50. Sent to me to know what he had better do. I sent him word not to sell until we heard from you as you might want her again.
Josiah received your letter from St. Marks and he is now building a vessel 300 Tons without contract, as John says.
The old Col. and myself have an idea of fitting up the Dock below my store and fitting up a ship yard. If we do, John Delano, J. D. Allen and myself shall try ship building and if we start shall calculate to build one or more a year com- mencing next fall and have her the next August-if she will not sell run her. They think that we all being concerned can build to good advantage. When you write give us your views and advice.
P. S. Nothing heard from David Wing about your boat come ashore last fall about 2 weeks after you left badly stove over to Nye's harbor.
(Signed) G. Delano."
Old letters!
Down the long years comes a treasured letter written to Lydia, daughter of Capt. Bowles, who lived at the turn of the Old Landing road. Lydia's letter! Three quarters of a cen- tury old and yet its faded blue lines spell romance. "J. P. R." he signs himself.
"Dear Lydia", he wrote
I flatter myself that the integrity of my intentions will excuse the freedom of these few lines. Those only who have suffered them can tell the unhappy moments of hesitating un- certainty which attend the formation of a resolution to declare the sentiments of affection. I who have felt their greatest and most acute torments could not previous to my experience have formed the remotest idea of their severity .. Every one of those
..**
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qualities in you which claim my admiration increases my dif- fidence, by showing the great risk I run in venturing perhaps before my affectionate assiduities have made the desired im- pression on your mind, to make a declaration of the ardent passion I have long since felt for you. If I am disappointed of the place I hope to hold in your affections, I trust this step will not draw on me the risk of losing the friendship of your- self and family. I will press the subject no farther having made this candid declaration I shall wait patiently for your answer."
Yours sincerely,
J. P. R."
Did J. P. R. copy from a "Letter Writer?" What did Lydia answer?
Romance and tragedy! Poor Josiah, for a young captain captured Lydia!
The town records tell the end of Josiah's romance.
"Capt. Franklin Hathaway, 24 yrs. old, son of David and Abizail Hathaway, married Lydia H. Boles, 21 years old daughter of Leonard and Lovica" in 1849.
And "J. P. R"?
Off he sailed "For California O" "There's plenty of gold So I've been told on the banks of the Sacramento!"
Everybody is singing "Blow my Bullies, blow!" And Josiah lost the memory of Lydia in the gold rush. Ships from Mattapoisett and New Bedford; and whalers, not only disap- pointed sweethearts, but many a husband was carried away on that shining river of gold!
"Does she think he is dead?"
"Why, she ain't heard from him for two years!"
"Wall, I saw him in Frisco, my last voyage!"
Young Oliver, son of Minister Leander Cobb was caught in the tide, but the expense of getting across the Isthmus, and shoes $40., $50. a pair, and eggs $10.00 a dozen!
شهرة وسيـ
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THE GOOD OLD WAYS OF CAPTAINS DAYS
Allen Dexter is accidentally shot in California! And after a few months homesick boys scramble aboard the Whalers to get back to New Bedford and home!
The ship hammers still sound in Sippican; but the great excitement is the quarrel of the villages over where the town meeting shall be held, and the railroad coming through.
"Sippican Jan. 12, 52.
Capt. H. D. Delano
Dear Sir .-
We have been trying hard to build a vessel at the land- ing but have not got it yet and dont know as we shall yet. We can raise the owners well enough. But Keen authorized Capt. S. Luce to build for him first. And he holds out the idea that he is agoing to do so. Its evident enough that he does not intend to do anything unless he is driven to it by our move- ments at the Landing.
The R. R. is the great subject of talk here this winter. We think its bound to go through now. Its thought that there will be no difficulty in getting the stock taken up at once. The books will be opened in about a week from this date.
Captain S. D. Hadley at home yet. Isaac Delano has gone to N. Y. today to go with J. E. Hadley as mate.
Ward P. Delano."
Pale blue paper, faded ink! Old letters that have come back to Sippican from China, Italy! Home again in the sea chests and kept in packages that crackle to the touch in Sippican homes three quarters of a century later.
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