USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Oxford > Memoir of the French Protestants, who settled at Oxford, in Massachusetts, A.D. MDCLXXXVI : with a sketch of the entire history of the Protestants of France > Part 3
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Jacque Depau Jean Beaudoin
John Butcher
Laurence Hammond.
Rean Grignon Phelippe Emgerland
By the Inhabitanc of New Oxford.
Montel J. Dupen Capt. Jermon Peter Cante
Ober Jermon Jean Maillet
Andre Segourne
Jean Milleton
Bereau Caeini
Elie Dupeu
Peter Canton &c.
The Weidow Leveufe Jean Johnson of which her husband and three children was kil and murder by the Ingen."
By a plan of Mr. Gabriel Bernon's land in Oxford, taken in 1717, it appears, that it measured 2672 acres, "exclusive of Mr. Daniel Bondet's of 200 acres, and out of said 2672 acres must come out
Charden Babut
366
FRENCH SETTLEMENT IN OXFORD.
172 acres of meadow in one entire piece, which Mr. Dudley and Compa. give to the village." The tract of land "within this Plan" was estimated by the selectmen of Oxford "to be worth one thousand pound ;" and this valuation was certified by them on the plan, 11 January 1716-17. Signed, Richard Moore, Benoni Twitchel, Isaac Larned. Another certificate was given on the same paper by the selectmen of Mendon, concerning the justness of the above valuation, adding, " that we know nothing but the said Ber- non hath been in the quiet possession of said land for or nere thirty years." Signed, Thomas Sanford, Robert Evans, Jacob Aldrich.
By another paper in the MS. Collection, it appears, that Mr. Bernon petitioned the king in council for certain privileges, which indicate the objects to which the enterprize of this adventurer was directed. It is entitled, " The humble Petition of Gabriel Bernon of Boston in New England." It states: " That being informed of your Majesty's pleasure. particularly in encouraging the manufac- tory of Rosin, Pitch, Tarr, Turpentine, &c. in New England, in which manufactory your Petitioner has spent seaven years time and labor and considerable sums of money and has attained to such knowledge and perfection, as that the said comodities made and sent over by him have beene here approved of and bought for your Majesty's stores ; your Petitioner's zeal and affection to your Majes- ty encouraged him to leave his habitation and affairs (being a mer- chant) and also his family to make a voyage to England on purpose humbly to propose to your Majesty in how great a measure and cheap price the said Navall stores may be made and brought into any of your Majesty's kingdomes to the great promotion and advan- tage of the Trade and Commerce of your Majesty's subjects of New England, all which is most evident by the annexed paper." He prays his Majesty to take the premises into consideration, and to grant him his royal patent or order for providing and furnishing his Majesty's fleet with the said stores under the conditions his Majesty in his royal wisdom should think fit, or otherwise to except him out of any patent to be granted for the said manufactory, that he " may have liberty to go on and continue in the said manufactory in any part of New England."
This paper is endorsed : " Peticon Gabriel Bernon."
" Papiers qui regarde deux voyages de Londre pour les affaires a fabriques des Resme. Examne le premier Octobre 1719."
In 1720, Gabriel Bernon, " of New Oxford in New England," presented a petition to his excellency governor Shute, and to his
367
FRENCH SETTLEMENT IN OXFORD.
Majesty's council, and house of representatives in General Court as. sembled. In this petition he states, that he was " one of the most ancient families in Rochel in France; that upon the breach of the Edict of Nantes, to shun the persecution of France he fled to Lon- don; that upon his arrival, -Teffereau, Esq. treasurer of the Protestant churches of France presented him to the honorable so- ciety for propagating the gospel among the Indians in New Eng- land; that Mr. Thompson the governor [president] offered to " in- stal him in the said society," and offered him land in the govern- ment of the Massachusetts Bay ; whereupon Isaac Bertrand Du Tuffeau desired him " to assist him to come over to New England to settle a plantation for their refuge," that he did advance him such sums, as, " with the exchange and interest from that time, would amount to above one thousand pounds; that Du Tuffeau, ar- riving at Boston with letters of credit from Major Thompson and himself, " delivered them to his late excellency Joseph Dudley, Esq. and the honorable William Stoughton, Esq. deceased, who granted to the said Du Tuffeau 750 acres of land for the petitioner at New Oxford, where he laid out or spent the abovesaid money." Mr. Bernon farther stated in his petition, that Du Tuffeau allured him by letters to come to Boston : that the said Du Tuffeau, " be- ing through poverty forced to abandon the said plantation, sold his cattle and other moveables for his own particular use, went to Lon- don, and there died in an hospital." Mr. Bernon closed his state- ment by observing, that, excited by letters of Du Tuffeau, he ship- ped himself, his family, and servants, with some other families, and paid passage for above forty persons ; that, on their arrival at Bos- ton, he presented letters from Major Thompson to Dudley and Stoughton, Esquires, " who were pleased (besides the 750 acres that were granted to Bertrand Du Tuffeau and the petitioner) to grant him 1750 acres of land more ; and," he adds, " for a more authentick security his late Excellency and Honour was pleased to accompany me to Oxford, to put me in possession of the said two thousand five hundred acres, which I have peaceably enjoyed for better than these thirty years last past, having spent above two thousand pounds to defend the same from the Indians, who at di- vers times have ruined the said Plantation, and have murdered men, women, and children."
At the close of the petition he represents, that the inhabitants of New Oxford now disputed his right and title, in order to hinder him from the sale of said plantation, which would put him to the
.
368
FRENCH .SETTLEMENT IN OXFORD.
utmost extremity, " being now near eighty years of age," and having several children, all which have dependence, under GOD, for a subsistence on him, after he had " spent more than ten thou- sand pounds towards the benefit of the country, in building ships, making nails, and promoting the making of stuffs, hats, rozin &c." The object of this petition was, to obtain such titles, as would con- firm to him and his family the said lands, " without any misunder- standing, clear and free from any molestation either from the in- habitants of New Oxford, or any pretensions of Bertrand Du Tuf- feau."
Neither the merits, nor the success, of this claim are known to the writer of this memoir.
F. [Page 350.]
SECOND SETTLEMENT OF OXFORD.
Copy of a Deed conveying the Lands in Oxford to the second Compa- ny of Settlers, 1713.
Exracted from the Records of the town of Oxford at Mr. Campbell's the town Clerk, by A. H. 1817.
" To all people unto whom these presents shall come Joseph Dudley of Roxbury in the county of Suffolk and Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England, Esq. Wm. Taylor of Dorches- ter in the same county Esq. Peter Sergeant of Boston aforesaid Esq. and Mehetabell his wife, John Danforth of Dorchester aforesaid and Elizabeth his wife, John Nelson of Boston aforesaid Esq. and Elizabeth his wife, as they the said Wm. Taylor, Peter Sargeant, John Nelson and John Danforth are the heirs and executors of the Hon. Wm. Stoughton late of Dorchester Esq. deceased, send greet- ing : Whereas the General Court of the Colony of the Massachu- setts Bay in the year One thousand six hundred and eighty two granted to the said Joseph Dudley, Wm. Stoughton, major Robert Tompson and their Associates a certain tract of land scituate in the Nipmug Country, of eight miles square, for a Township &c. as may be seen more at large by the Records of said General Court, Pur- suant whereunto and for the uses aforesaid the said Joseph Dudley Wm. Stoughton and their Associates in the year one thousand six
. hundred eighty and brought over thirty French Protestant Families into this country, and settled them upon the easternmost part or end of the said Tract of land, and severed, granted, and sett apart 12000 acres for a village called Oxford for the said Families,
369
FRENCH SETTLEMENT IN OXFORD.
and bounded it as by a Platt upon Record will manifestly appear : But forasmuch as the said French families have many years since wholly left and deserted their settlements in the said Village, and the said lands as well by their deserting the same, and refusing to return upon public Proclamations made for that end, as by the voluntary surrender of most of them are now reinvested in, restored to, and become the estate and at the disposition of the original pro- prietors their heirs and successors for the ends aforesaid. And whereas there are sundry good families of her majesty's subjects within this province who offer themselves to go and resettle the said village whereby they may be serviceable to the province and the end and design of the original grant aforesaid be answered and attained : Now Know Ye, That the said Joseph Dudley, Wm. Tay- lor, Peter Sergeant and Mehetabell his wife, John Nelson and Eliz- abeth his wife, and John Danforth and Elizabeth his wife, for and in consideration and to the uses and intents abovementioned, Have fully, freely, and absolutely and by these presents do give grant and confirm unto Samuel Hagbour, John Town, Daniel Eliott, Abiel Lamb, Joseph Chamberlin, Benj". Nealand, Benoni Twitchell, Jo- seph Rockett, Benj". Chamberlin, Joshua Whitney, Thomas Hun- kins, Joseph Chamberlin jun. Oliver Coller, Daniel Pearson, Abram Skinner, Ebenezer Chamberlin, James Cotter, Isaac Learned, Eb- en". Learned, Thomas Leason, Eben'. Humphry, Jona. Tillotson, Edmund Tailor, Ephraim Town, Israel Town, Wm. Hudson, Daniel Eliott junr. Nathaniel Chamberlin, John Chandler jun'. John Chan- dler and others their Associates, so as their number amount to thir- ty families at least, All that Part of the Sd. Tract of Land, &c. &c. PROVIDED ALWAY, That if any of the persons grantees above nam- ed or any of their associates shall and do neglect to settle upon and improve the said land with themselves and families by the space of two years next ensuing, or being settled thereon shall leave and desert the same and not return to their respective habitations in the said Town upon due notice given, That then and in such case it shall and may be lawful to and for the rest of the Grantees and their Associates heirs or assigns respectively or the major part of them to seise upon and take the said Estate or Estates of such per- son or persons so deserting, &c. . . .
In witness whereof the party abovenamed to these presents have hereunto interchangably set their hands and seals the 8th. day
VOL. II. 46
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FRENCH SETTLEMENT IN OXFORD.
of July in the 12th. year of her Majesty's Reigne Annoq. Dom. 1713.
JOSEPH DUDLEY (SEAL.)
WM. TAYLOR
(SEAL.)" &c. . . . .
" Boston July 15th. 1713 Recd. and Recorded with the Records of Deeds for the Cty. of Suffolk, Lib. XXVIImo. fol. 174 &c. per Addington Davenport Register." [Attested by John Town, Town Clerk.]
Division of Land. From Oxford Town Records.
The draft of ye first Division of Land voted to be drawn on January ye 18th 14 To each man of the 30 to his house lot- his choice according to the lot he draws each man's lot to be 60 acres.
Daniel Eliot jun.
1
John Coller 16
Ephm. Town
2
Joshua Whitney
17
Sam1. Hagbourn
3
Joseph Rocket 18
Benony Twichel
4
Eben'. Larned, 19
Isaac Larned 5 Joseph Ghamberlin 20
Joshua Chandler
6
Thomas Hunkins
21
Eben". Humphry
7
Edmund Taylor
22
Daniel Pearson
8 Eben'. Chamberlin , 23
Wm. Hudson
9
Nath1. Chamberlin
24
Benja. Nealand
10
Jonathan Tillotson 25
Josh. Chamberlin jun.
11
Oliver Coller
26
Daniel Eliot
12
John Chandler jun.
27
Abiel Lamb*
13
Benjn. Chamberlin
28
Thomas Gleason
14
Abram Skinner 29
John Town
15
Israel Town 30
* Died not many years ago, aged upwards of 90 years. He often " told about the Great Snow," which occurred when he was a boy [1717-18.]
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