USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Marion > Lands of Sippican on Buzzards Bay > Part 6
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Not enough to make one a nuisance so one might be thought undesirable and asked to depart from the town.
But when you got back in the hard pew perhaps you fell asleep and snored and the tithing man gave you a sharp rap, and the children tittered and then there was work for the other tithing man. The tithing men were there to "Inspect the Youth on the Lord's day to prevent the profanation of the Lord's Day and to bring them to punishment if they don't reform."
In the meantime the town had not been idle in regard to "the three R's".
In 1704 it was voted to put into the minister's hands ten pounds to support a school master, and the next year the select- men were empowered to "engage some able person to teach children and youth to Reed and Right," at two shillings a week with "dyet, washing and lodging."
But the children must have been taught at home, with the large boys who wanted a college education taken in charge by the minister, because not until six years later did they choose any one.
In 1711 Jane Marshall was engaged "for to teach childered & youth to Reed and Write" and in pay she was to have her "dyet and twelve pounds". Mrs. Jane Marshall went around from one village to another but not for long, because "Joseph Benson, John Dexter & ickobod burg" had had their eyes on her and they "requested to have their protest entered for that they accounted she was not as the law directs."
Poor Jane Marshall who thought she had a respectable position as school mistress! Perhaps she didn't know the Ten Commandments! Or perhaps she had committed an offence to proper decency!
The Old Colony Laws were so strict. They stated that children must be taught to read the Scriptures, and must know
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Brigadier General Timothy Ruggles - "Timothy, the Tory"
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the Ten Commandments, and give proper answers to the Catechism when they were called up in the meeting house for their examinations. Every family must have a Bible and Catechism, even if it were paid for out of the Town Treasury!
Perhaps some freckle-faced boy faltered in his answer to the question about company in hell and mispronounced "Legions", and to the stern faced committee sitting solemnly on the hard meeting house seats, it showed that Mrs. Jane Marshall was not as the law directs in her education.
"What company will be there?"
"Legions of devils, and multitudes of sinners of the human race."
Or perhaps she walked by the Trout Brook with a swain (she was a widow); or perhaps she picked an apple on the Sabbath Day.
You could be put in the stocks for that; those horrible structures built in the meeting house square where many a poor wine bibber or scold or liar could be seen with legs and arms and head stuck through holes in stout timbers, with some- times the unprotected face covered with mud and filth thrown as scoffers passed by.
Many have been shocked in looking up ancestral lines to read in the Records, of a forefather who was arrested for Sabbath breaking. After pondering on the disgrace that this far away ancestor is bringing at this late day into the annals of a respectable family who is only trying to get into the English royalty, what a feeling of relief when on turning a page, "Sabbath breaking" proves to be "Carrying corn from the mill." One had to be careful in those old days. Even writing a note on "common business on the Lord's day" was not the proper thing to do "although this last offence might meet only a reproof."
Perhaps Jane wasn't able to control the unruly boys, forty or more of them, who came tramping into the little school room on week days.
There were no girls to relieve the masculine atmosphere of the "skule" and pick posies for teacher by the wayside,
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because for many, many years girls were not sent to the public schools. What they knew of "Wrighting and Reeding" they learned at home or at a Dame School. Not until a hundred years later were they admitted as the boys were. They went to Dame Schools and learned knitting and made samplers to show their different stitches, worked into the alphabet and birds and houses, and a verse from the Bible and a name and a date.
Women educated! It was harmful to females! Didn't Gov. Winthrop in 1645 express the masculine opinion of the century when hearing of the failing mind of the wife of the Governor of Connecticut, he writes in his diary ---
"If she had not gone out of her way and calling to meddle in such things as are proper for men whose minds are stronger she had kept her wits and might have improved them usefully and honorably in the place God had set her."
And so the masculine mind reasoned for the next two hundred years.
Jane Marshall! Perhaps she laughed on the Sabbath Day at Joseph Benson and John Dexter and Ichabod Burge going piously in at the men's door of the meeting house!
Anyway, she fades from the picture, and in February they chose John Myers as "Skool Master", and he was paid twelve pounds in money "for his paines in keeping of Skool to teach children & youth to Reed and write & to have his dyet pro- vided for him."
He went all over the settlement, jogging along sometimes on horseback, or more likely walking.
"first at Whitehall, then at the center, 3ly at Mattapoisett, 4ly at the fresh meadows, and 5ly at Sepecan."
The "Skool Master" with his quill pens, his ferule, his rod, and his dunce cap, and Reeding and Wrighting and figuring. The Bible and the New England Primer and the Catechism! No Geography! That was only "a diversion for a winter's evening," until nearly a century later.
And we know one boy who went to school to Jane Marshall and John Myers, in Rochester long ago. Over at Whitehall one rainy day that summer of 1711 he sits down and begins a diary
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"Joseph Prince His .Book, Anno Domine, Remarks
Aug. 4, 1711 Aage 15 years at hom.
da 4 Rany, Right, Read."
He was a solemn little boy if one judges by his reading. "An accompt of the books that I rede out." Among them are "the bibel."
A Discourse Concerning Comets.
Time and the End of Time.
Contemplation on Mortality.
Now or Never the time to be saved.
The Joy of Faith. The Foly of Sinning.
The Sincere Convert.
The poor Doughting Christian drawn to Christ.
Joseph was the son of the rich land owner of Rochester. His father had made money in land, also in coasting vessels, had been captain of the sloops "Tryal" and "Little Otis", and Joseph's grandfather was Governor Hinckley.
He had lived first in Cromeset Little Neck. Cromeset included Great and Little Necks in Sepecan and the Prince boys "loged" sometimes in the small house at Cromeset.
The Prince family owned hundreds of acres and one of the boys, in 1704 had called himself "duke of Sandwich". But the big new house was built on the road where the "long bridge" is and Joseph writes on the "rany" Aug. 4. It is Saturday and the next day is the Sabbath and he goes to meeting, sits in the prominent Prince pew and listens to a dis- course by the Rev. T. Ruggles from the Text. Tim. 3. 5 which he sets down in his diary.
"Having a form of godlyness but denying the poor thereof from such turn away."
He "drives plow" and goes to Sandwich and makes hay and goes to Middleboro.
Sometimes he "logs at Cromeset" then "cums hom" and always he "reades."
"Monday. Read, Right and Sifre.
Tues. Took ox and drive plow. R.
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W. Drive plow & Reade.
Th, Drive plow & Reade. Go to Middleboro."
His mother is away from home and he receives a letter from her and copies it in his diary
"See you be a good boy and mind what you have to doe. Comb your head and read as you have opportunity. Dont venture into danger without a call. Have a cair you do not get cold and make yourself sick. But above all take cair of your soul. Don't live like a wicked boy, without prayer whairever you be." .
Four years later in the diary he writes "I finding myself Inclining to Spiritual decays in Religion I do here by beg of God for his spirit to quicken me."
John Myers must have been husky. He wasn't thrown out of the "Skule house" by the big boys and his salary was in- creased to 16 pounds and later to 20 pounds, but they soon out grew his teaching, and in 1717 Thomas' father was em- powered to provide the town with a grammar school.
William Griffith was hired for a quarter of a year "if he will agree to tearms."
In 1720 Rochester was in disgrace again before the Court for not having a School teacher, and not until 1723 do we catch a glimpse of another, then one by the familiar name of "Masshell" is examined and found to be "a fitt person Qualified as the Law directs."
"Mr. Josiah Marshall". He has been to college. Whether he plied the birch and made pens in Rochester for ten years, the records do not state but in 1732 Benjamin DeLaNoy came and taught for thirty pounds and "Dyat, washing and lodging & hors to Ride."
He taught for many years, but there are many blank spaces in regard to education in Rochester Towne and some- times years passed with the youth learning to read and write at home, with boys going to college taught Latin and Greek by the minister. The state law in regard to district schools was passed in 1789, and ten years later Rochester adopted it.
But every Sabbath Day, school or no school, the youth gather at the meeting house, spell out the names of the Banns
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posted on the doors, go in sedately, watch the hour glass as it is turned as the sermon goes on, try not to wriggle when the titheing man is looking, hear the new born babies choking gasps as they are baptised in the ice cold water, watch the deacon as he stands on the pulpit stair and "sets the Psalm", blows the pipe, and recites two lines of the psalm from the New England Psalms and Hymns.
"Where as sometimes Deacon Elisha Freeman is absent who is appointed to set the Psalm, it is voted in his absence that Josephus Hammond do it, and in his absence Mr. Joseph Lovel and in his, Mr. Seth Dexter do it."
There must be no hitch in the service.
By 1733 the Mattapoisett village is growing larger and the people are talking about "being so remote from the Center as to make their Difficulty great in all public Conserns," and three years later they have their own meeting house.
Slowly the people withdraw from the mother congre- gation. Thirty-three members who lived at the Fresh Meadow, in 1739 built their own house of Worship. The Lands of Sepecan and old Rochester Towne losing what is now Tremont, South Wareham, Tihonet, Wareham Center and beyond into Agawam, when Wareham became a Town.
Rochester-Towne-in New England, the Center where the muster field is and the town meetings are held, but the funeral sermon of the old lieutenant Hammond is preached in Matta- poisett.
"Duty & Privilege of ancient saints to leave their dyeing testimony behind them to posterity, a sermon occasioned by the death of Lieut. John Hammond of Rochester."
It was one hour and one half long and the Center folks had to go to Mattapoisett to listen to it.
Old Minister Ruggles serves his people well but he gets into an argument with Noah Sprague, Esq., and so another meeting house is erected in the northern part of the town in 1748.
But the people still ride up from Sepecan and listen to him until after fifty-eight years of service he "goes to his re-
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ward," and the work is taken up by the Rev. Jonathan Moore who had been librarian at Harvard College.
As they sit there listening to "Fustly" and "Ninethly" and "Twelvthly" and "again" and "once more" waiting for the "Amen", they don't hear it yet but in the distance there is the sound of the beating of drums and the high whistle of fifes. It is coming nearer and it will drown out the lowing of the cattle, the bleating of sheep, the crash of the big trees fall- ing, the whirr of the mill grinding, the men in the hay fields, the churn in the kitchen, even the "fifthly" and "amen" of the sermon, for war is there just beyond the years and soon they are to meet him-these stern old Colonists with their New Eng- land Primers and Bibles.
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CHAPTER VI
SHILLINGS AND PENCE TO DOLLARS AND CENTS
"Father and I went down to camp, Along with Captain Gooding. And there we see the men and boys, As thick as hasty pudding."
OLD BALLAD.
Kings and Queens were bowed on and off the stage across the Atlantic. Quarrels among the monarchs spread, and many a Peter Crapo marched at sunrise that the North American con- tinent might be English rather than French.
Seed time and harvest came and went; little sloops put out from the Landing wharf; the farmers left their crops and chased whales and became captains of trading vessels and came home and counted their flocks and herds and built more generous homes for their growing families, houses with enormous chim- neys in the middle instead of at the side, with great fire places up stairs and down, to combat the frost of the New England winters. Large families were the pride of the New England Father's heart, and little red faced infants were baptised by the score in the old meeting houses. Many Marys, and Marthas, and Priscillas, but also Zedidiah, Asevath, Zilpha, Abishai, Onesiphorus and like Biblical names were familiar in old Rochester.
Then suddenly it seemed the sound of fifes and drums was near and loud, and there was drilling on the musterfield!
How did this come to pass?
For many months when the post rider came on his weekly trips, the villages were excited by the news from Boston. The news of the Stamp act reached every mill, blacksmith's shop, and farm and the Tavern! The Tavern rang with arguments
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about tea and "cloth" from England, but it was just talk, and would drift away to silence; until in September 1768 the town woke to action, for letters came in from the Selectmen of Boston and a town meeting was called.
From all the Rochester villages they rode into the Cen- ter to
"Choose a committee to joyne in Conjunction with the Committee of Convocation to be assembled at Faneuil Hall on Thursday 22nd Inst., to act or advise in the ardent affairs of Government Relative to his Majesties Province of the Massa- chusetts Bay."
And there was a bustling spirited meeting in the Hall with ninety-six towns represented.
There was danger in the air!
Here was a gathering of citizens protesting against their government, and when the talk grew rebellious some of the representatives grew alarmed. Some of them who had leanings towards the old Home England came back to their town meet- ings to argue! to plead! to storm!
Two days after the Faneuil Meeting two regiments of British soldiers were landed in Boston! What was the use of being too hasty! Besides Rochester had a brilliant son who was one of the most fiery supporters of the Crown! Timothy Ruggles, Jr. the son of the beloved old minister. Timothy who built a high pew in the meeting house and who had become a noted, witty lawyer. He had been sent as repre- sentative to the General Court when he was but twenty-five.
Old Minister Ruggles had some land in Hardwick and Timothy, Jr. and others from Rochester had gone there to im- prove the land but Rochester watched with a great deal of pride as during the French War he rose to be Brigadier Gen- eral. He had become Chief Justice to the Court of Common Pleas. He was a delegate from Massachusetts to the "Stamp Act Congress" at New York and was made President of the Congress.
Rochester's noted son was for the Crown, and anyway all Plymouth County was a little cold to Boston's troubles. James
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Warren told Samuel Adams that Plymouth County Towns "could not be roused except by a power that would wake the dead." But the feeling changed.
When the "Lobster backs" fired on the crowd in Boston that were snow-balling them, the news caused great excitement.
Blood shed in Boston!
An Indian from Nantucket!
Messengers from Boston came into Rochester Towne!
The months go by and December 1772 the constables call a town meeting and they draw up resolutions endorsing the plans of the Boston committee and also vote-
"That if our representative or any other person in this town that either has or shall here after basely Desert the cause of Liberty for the sake of being promoted to a post of Honour or profit or for any other Mean View to Self Intrust shall be looked upon as any Enemy to his country and be treated with that neglect and contempt that he justly deserves."
The young men coming into power in the villages are no respectors of the Crown and they are watching their represen- tative, Samuel Sprague.
The next year Sprague was not re-elected. Ebenezer White, a real patriot, was sent to Boston. He was afterwards a Lieutenant Colonel in the regular army.
They throng into the Tavern and talk over the great af- fairs that are pressing in on them from the outside, and condem- ning Samuel Sprague and others for their sentiments. Sprague was not intimidated for he said he was not at all sure that the colonies were right in their stand. He refused to drill, and was defiant. He left Rochester and made his home over the Dartmouth line but when he died he left a trust fund that showed he had no hard feeling towards the town.
Names and dates with now and then some body like Nat Ruggles, whose personality is vivid through the mist of years.
N. Ruggles, who nearly broke up the town meeting about tea!
Here were letters from Boston asking advice! Nobody knew what to do!
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Some people stayed home from the meeting. David Wing, the clerk, thought he would be on the safe side and didn't come, so Joseph Haskell was chosen clerk and old Deacon Sylvanus Cobb, moderator.
The meeting was called to order, the Boston Letter read and then there was silence.
Minute after minute passed. Five! Ten! Fifteen! then N. Ruggles rose.
They all knew Ruggles and they watched him with ex- pectancy.
Hadn't he succeeded in having a motion carried at one town meeting that "all men who own swine shall have their noses ringed."
He had set an old woman- in the judge's seat at a court meeting in Rochester. When reproved he said that all old women sat there.
Once he gave a note, payment to be "the day after judge- ment day."
"What method are ye going to use to proceed with the business of the day?" he drawled.
"Well it's a solemn occasion" said the old deacon "it might be proper to ask the Lord's help in prayer."
"No articles in the warrant calls for prayer" says Rug- gles.
"I am astonished," said the Deacon, "to hear such an observation."
"Not more astonished than I am to see you in that seat, and I hope if there is to be a prayer it will be somebody else than Parson Moore, for I heard so much of his praying on Sunday that I don't want any on a week day."
Eyes rolled around in amazement, for it was a solemn occasion, and they voted to have Parson Moore lead in prayer.
The Parson rose and looked about him. "Before I ap- proach the Throne of Grace I would like to make a few re- marks," said he. And he made a few remarks! His scathing opinion of Ruggles! Then he changed his tone and addressed the "Throne of Grace."
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The meeting ended by the voters making a very solemn agreement not to use that "cursed weed" tea and to transact no business with those who would not sign.
Tories couldn't get their neighbor's help in haying, couldn't hire oxen. Better keep quiet as time went on.
When the "Dartmouth" with Rotch, Captain, was boarded in Boston harbor and 342 chests of tea dumped in 3 hours, it brought the trouble near. The villages were near old Dart- mouth, Bedford. The Captains talked! Excitement grew! Many town meetings were called! The Rochester representa- tive is told "not to act in conformity to the late acts of Parlia- ment but to adhere to the charter of the province Granted by King William & Queen Mary & act Consistant with the Liber- ties and privilages of it."
Mixed in with the exciting Colony news we read of roads being laid out.
"Road by the Haunted House (altered)". "Middleboro line to Seth Randall's" "Dartmouth line to Isaac Pope's" and "a work house is established with spinning wheels, etc., "to set at work those who mis-spend the time."
In June 1774 there is a special town meeting to "take into consideration the Difficulties which we labour under Respect- ing a non-Importation with Great Britton."
Another town meeting! It is "voted to subscribe a cov- enant to break off all trade with the Island of Great Brittain untill the port or Harbour of Boston be opened."
Boston, their bustling city with 1000 ships a year leaving port, closed!
By September they are voting for "40 fire arms to be purchased for the use of S'd Town" and "That Mr. Nathan Nye, Jr., make up the Town Stock of powder to 400 weight with Lead & Flints answerable."
In October they vote -
"That the Assessors Do not make the province Rate untill they are otherwise ordered by the Town & that the Town will save them harmless in the action."
"Voted to choose Officers to take ye Command of the Mil- itary Companies" and "That the provential laws Respecting
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the Regulation of the Militia be adopted for the Rule and Con- duct of the soldiers in the Town with this exception: As in said Laws there is Coporal Punishment to be Inflicted for some crimes & misdimeanors. Therefore, Voted that when any per- sons shall be Guilty of any of said crimes where a Coporal Punishment shall be Inflicted by said Laws that they be Tried by a Committee of 3 persons to be chosen by Said Town."
The villages are wild with suppressed excitement.
They assemble according to vote-all the Minute Men-one hundred of them on the training field "Three half Days in each week as shall be appointed by their Captain & Twice in a month in one Body to learn the use of the Fire Licks from this Day to the first Day of April next to be Ready to March when Needed & Equip Himself with a Good Firearm & other Acooterments as Recommended by the Provential Congress" and they "shall be Intitled to one shilling ye Week."
The young men met on Sept. 20, 1774 and made plans "to make an excursion into the county of Barnstable" to prevent the Inferior Court of Common Pleas from holding its regular session.
They called their company "The Body of the People". They marched off with drums beating. When they reached Wareham Noah Fearing, John Gibbs, Nathan Briggs and Sal- athiel Bumpus joined them and on they went, arriving at Sandwich in the evening.
The next morning they marched, some on horseback, some trudging along on foot with the drum corp for music into Barn- stable.
Right to the court house they rode where they took pos- session, sending out picked men through the village to ask the people to renounce the Crown.
Abraham Holmes of Rochester describes the scene.
The Justices in their robes came. One of the Rochester boys stood on the court house steps and said "All that is dear to us and the welfare of unborn millions direct us to prevent the court from being opened."
And from the stern Judge in his robe:
"This is a constitutional court, the jurors have been drawn from boxes as the law directs, why do you interfere?
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"But from the decision of the court an appeal lies to a court whose judges hold office during the King's pleasure over which we have no control!"
The crowd cheers. They are with the men from Rochester. And they persuaded the justices to sign, and the court did not set.
Then the boys rode gaily up the old way from Sandwich to the Lands of Sepecan to the beating of Triumphal drums.
The music dies, and they go to milking cows, and getting in wood, and building more stone walls about the pastures.
And then from the Provincial Congress at Watertown on Jan. 17, 1775 a letter:
"hereby is recommended to the Militia in all Parts of the Colony, to hold themselves in Readiness to march at a minute's warning to the Relief of any Place that may be attacked, or to the Support of our Army with at least twenty Cartridges or Rounds of Powder and Ball and to prevent all Confusion or Delays. It is further recommended to the Inhabitants of the Colony, living on the Seacoasts or within twenty miles of them, that they carry their arms and ammunition with them to Meet- ing, on the Sabbath, and other days, when they meet for Public Worship."
The thrill when they go to meeting! Just like the old Indian days, say the old grandfathers, as they jog along up from Great Neck and Sippican expecting to see a "Red Coat" behind every bush. For although they are watching, how easy to creep up in the night along the shore of the Coves and land silently.
The guns, in the square pews, how they clank on the floor!
And the exciting messages they listen to in the old meeting house!
To the young generation England meant not the dear "Mother country" but a dictator bothering.
A letter from I. Putnam sent to Capt. Cleveland: "Mr. Keyes this A. M. brought us the news that the men of War and troops began to fire upon the people of Boston last night at sun- set, when a post was sent immediately off to inform the country.
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