USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Municipal history of Essex County in Massachusetts, Volume I > Part 6
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(Sydrach Miller, "a cooper and cleaver; who, demanding £45 for him and his man the first year, £50 a year the second and third year," was "held too dear for the Company to be at charges withal." This reference occurs in the records of the meeting of the Company held March 2, 1628, (-9). He is not referred to again, and we do not know that he came. The writer believes that he did not.)
Robert Moulton was the "chief" of the six ship-wrights sent by the Company. Soon after that, he removed to Charlestown and is believed to have resided on "Moulton's Point," the present site of the Navy Yard.
(George) Norton. In the Company's letter to Governor Endicott we read "there is one Norton, a carpenter, whom we pray you respect as he shall deseve." Pope believed that this was "George" Norton, who was made a freeman in Salem, May 14, 1634.
Abraham Palmer was a merchant and a member of the Company in England. He adventured £50 in the joint stock and was one of the four- teen to sign the instructions to John Endicott, May 30, 1628. He came to New England (in all probability with Higginson) and went to Charles- town, where he became prominent.
Walter Palmer was with Abraham among the thirteen first settlers of Charlestown.
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SALEM BEFORE 1630
Mr. Richard Palsgrave was a physician. His name appears third on the list of the first thirteen inhabitants of Charlestown, in 1629. He came from Stepney, Middlesex, England.
John Pratt, surgeon. From the records of the Court of Assistants, held in London, March 5, 1629, we learn that an attempt was made to in- duce a surgeon to sail for Salem: "A proposicon beeing made to inter- tayne a surgeon for the plantacon, Mr. (John) Pratt was propounded as an abell man vppon theis condicons, namely, That 40 pounds should bee allowed him, viz-for his chist 25 pounds, the rest for his own sallery for the first yeere, prouided he continues 3 yeeres, the Companie to bee at charge of transporting his wiffe and (servant), haue 20 pounds a yeere for the other 2 yeeres, and to build him a howse at the Companie's chardge and to allott him 100 acres of ground. But if he stay but one yeere, then the Companie to bee at charge of his bringing back for England and he to leave his servant and chist for the Companie's saruice."
Isaac Rickman was recommended by Mr. Simon Whetcombe to re- ceive "diet and house-room at the charge of the Company." That body agreed, however, that they would pay £10 per annum for diet and lodging. He probably returned to England soon, as no more is heard of him.
William Ryall (Rial or Royal) was a cooper and cleaver of timber who was employed by the Company and Governor Craddock in equal shares. The district in Beverly lying to the eastward of Danvers river and north of Bass river is named for him-Rial Side. In 1636 he re- moved to what is now Yarmouth, Maine, and the river which flowed by his house has ever since borne the name of Royal's river.
John Sales or Sale was one of the original thirteen at Charlestown.
Mr. Samuel Sharpe was a valuable man in the little colony, having charge of the artillery. We first learn of him in the records of the Com- pany in London, February 26, 1628 (-9), as follows: "For our five pieces of ordnance, long since bought and paid for, Mr. John Humphrey is en- treated and doth promise forthwith to cause them to be delivered to Samuel Sharpe, who is to take care for having fit carriages made for them." March 3, we read: "Mr. Samuel Sharpe, with whom there hath been an agreement made in the behalf of the Company to give him £10 per year for three years, to have the oversight of the ordnance to be planted in the fort to be built upon the Plantation, and what else may concern artillery business to give his advice in; but for all other employ- ments was left to be entertained (i. e. employed) by any other particular brethren of the Company, who for other occasions had entertained him already, and held not fit (proper) to be at further charge in that kind. The said Sharpe is also entertained to oversee the (servants) and employ- ments of certain particular men of the Company. But for the general (Company's concern) presented a bill for three drums and other par-
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ESSEX COUNTY
ticulars, amounting to five pounds, nineteen shillings; which the treas- urer hath order to pay."
A few days later Mr. Sharpe requested of the Company that "all or the better part of his salary might be paid him now, to provide him apparel withal; and if he should happen to die before he had deserved it, his said apparel should satisfy it. Upon debate whereof, it was thought fit that twenty pounds should be paid him; and this to be the Treasurer's warrant for payment thereof, upon his salary of £10 a year, for three years." At a meeting held April 30, 1629, he was elected a member of Governor Endicott's Council. He was elected an assistant of the Com- pany in England, but being out of the country was not able to serve, as he could not take the oath, and Roger Ludlow was elected in his place, February 10, 1630. The Company intrusted to him the duplicate char- ter to be delivered to Governor Endicott and he also had charge of the Company's seal. Further evidence of the great confidence reposed in him was shown by the following instruction: "If, at the arrival of this ship, Mr. Endicott should be departed this life (which God forbid,) or should die before the other ships arrive, we authorize you, Mr. Skelton, and Mr. Samuel Sharpe, to take care of our affairs, and to govern the people according to order, until further order."
Mr. Sharpe was to employ as much of his time as was necessary in the office of master-gunner and "the rest he is to follow other employ- ments of our Governor's (i. e., Governor Craddock, whose agent he was) and others, for whose employment he is particularly sent out." If any provisions were left "that was provided for the passengers accommoda- tion." Mr. Sharpe was to have half for the use of Mr. Craddock and partners. The fort in which Mr. Sharpe set up the ordnance above men- tioned was near what is now Sewall Street.
Reverend Samuel Skelton was baptized in 1592-3. He matriculated at Clare Hall, Cambridge University, as a sizer, July 7, 1608. He took his degree of B. A. in 1611, and M. A. in 1615. Mr. E. C. Felton, who has made an exhaustive study of the Skeltons in England, states that "It was not religious persecution which compelled Skelton to leave England. He was a Puritan of the Puritans, but there is no evidence that he was ever brought in collision with the ecclesiastical authorities." Mr. Felton thought it probable that Mr. Skelton while at Tattersholl was private chaplain to the Earl of Lincoln. Simon Bradstreet the younger, who became so important a figure in New England history, was, it is said, as a youth, in the household of the Earl. In the letter to Governor Endicott the following is found: "One of them (the ministers) is well known to you, viz. Mr. Skelton, who we have the rather desired to bear a part in this work, for that we are informed yourself have formerly re- ceived much good by his ministry." No one has as yet been able to find where or when the Governor had come under the influence of Mr. Skel- ton.
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SALEM BEFORE 1630
Mr. Skelton came in the ship "George Bonaventure" and arrived here on the 24th of June, and was chosen and ordained pastor on the 20th of July, 1629. In 1630 he was granted all of the land east of what is now Summer street in Salem from the mill pond probably as far north as what is now Creek or Norman streets. His home was probably by the water near the present Mill street. Edward Johnson described him as "a man of a gracious speech, full of faith, and furnished by the Lord with gifts from above to begin this great work of His, that makes the whole earth to ring again at the present day." In the County Court papers in Salem, the writer found the following: "The ould houfe in Salem which once was Mr. Skelton's being in eminent danger of present falling to the en- dangering of the lives of Children & Cattell and others, ordered yt within Ten Days should, house fail to be taken downe the penaltie of ffyfe pounds, etc., etc." (27th, 6th mo., 1644.)
Reverend Ralph Smith. Allusion is made to him in the first general letter of the Company to Governor Endicott, as follows: "Mr. Ralph Smith, a minister, hath desired passage in our ships; which was granted him before we understood of his difference in judgment in some things about our ministers. But his provisions for his voyage being shipped before notice was taken thereof, through many occasions wherewith those entrusted with this business have been employed, and for as much as from hence it is feared there may grow some distraction amongst you if there should be any siding, although we have a very good opinion of his honesty, yet we shall not, (we) hope, offend in charity to fear the worst that may grow from their different judgments. We have there- fore thought fit to give this order, that unless he will be comfortable to our government you suffer him not to remain within the limits of our grant." He came in the ship with Mr. Higginson, who refers to him as follows, under date of May 21, 1629: "Thursday, there being two min- isters in the ship, Mr. Smith & my selfe, we endeavoured together with others to consecrate the day as a solemne fasting & humiliacon to al- mighty God, as a furtherance of or present worke."
Nicholas Stowers and John Strickland, Stickland or Stickling, were both included in the original list of the inhabitants of Charlestown in 1629 and probably came with this company.
Hugh Tilly came in the "Lion's Whelp" as a servant to Sir Richard Saltonstall. Shortly after his arrival, he was appointed to help in setting up a saw mill.
Richard Waterman was a hunter. In the Company's letter we read the following, directly after the words of commendation concerning Lawrence Leech which we have quoted: "The like we say of Richard Waterman, whose chief employment will be to get you good venison."
(John Whitcomb) who was in Dorchester as a proprietor in 1636-9, and later went to Scituate, may have been the "Mr. Whitcomb" who was to see the leather discharged at Salem in 1629. See Suffolk Deeds, I.,xix.
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ESSEX COUNTY
Mr. Lambert Wilson, surgeon, was mentioned in the Company's let- ter as follows: "We have entertained Lambert Wilson, chirurgeon, to remain with you in the service of the Plantation; with whom we are agreed that he shall serve this Company and the other planters that live in the Plantation, for three years, and in that time apply himself to cure not only such as come from hence for the general and particular accounts, but also for the Indians, as from time to time he shall be directed by yourself or your successor and the rest of the Council. And moreover he is to educate and instruct in his art one or more youths, such as you and the Council shall appoint, that may be helpful to him and, if occasion serve, succeed him in the Plantation; which youth or youths, fit to learn that profession, let be placed with him; of which Mr. Hug- gesson's son, if his father approve thereof, may be one, the rather be- cause he hath been trained up to literature; but if not he then such other as you shall judge most fittest." Winthrop states that Mr. Wilson, "our chief surgeon," was in the war with the Pequots in 1637.
The size of this company, composed as it was of a large number of men, skilled in divers occupations, and the great value of the large car- goes of much needed and very useful supplies, greatly strengthened the settlement. Many of the men who came became prominent in the affairs of the town and colony, and their descendants, leaders in many walks in life, are scattered all over this glorious land, which they themselves ably assisted in founding. F. A. G.
CHAPTER IV.
ORGANIZATION OF ESSEX COUNTY.
First Incorporated Towns-Courts Established-The New Charter- Public Buildings Erected-State Institutions in the County-Sta- tistics.
The object of this chapter is to begin with the judicial power vested in the Court of Assistants in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1639, and trace the various changes in sub-divisions and the government of such parts of the territory as were from time to time organized to operate in a sense, separate from and independent of the general colony.
September 9, 1639, it was enacted that "for as much as the business of the ordinary Court of Assistants are so much increased as they can- not be dispatched in such season as were fit, it is therefore ordered that such of the magistrates as shall reside in or near to Boston, or any five, four or three of them, the Governor or Deputy to be one, shall have power to assemble together upon the last fifth day of the eighth, eleventh, sec- ond and fifth months every year, and then and there to hear and de- termine all civil causes, whereof the debt or trespass and damages shall
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ORGANIZATION OF ESSEX COUNTY
not exceed twenty pounds, and all criminal causes, not extending to life or member or banishment, according to the cause of the Court of Assistants, and to summon juries out of the neighbor towns, and the Marshal or necessary officers are to give their attendance as at other courts."
March 3, 1635, it was enacted that "there shall be four courts kept every quarter, one at Ipswich, to which Newbury shall belong; two at Salem, to which Saugus shall belong; two at Newtown, to which Charles- town, Concord, Medford and Watertown shall belong; four at Boston, to which Roxbury, Dorchester, Weymouth and Hingham shall belong."
There were also to be four great Quarter Courts kept yearly in Bos- ton by the Governor and the rest of the magistrates; "the first, the first Tuesday in the fourth month, called June; the second, the first Tuesday in September; the third, the first Tuesday in December; the fourth, the first Tuesday in the first month, called March." This was when the old calendar was in use.
June 2, 1641, it was enacted that "whereas it is desired by this Court to ease the country of all unnecessary travels and charges, it is ordered that there shall be four Quarter Courts kept yearly by the magistrates of Ipswich and Salem, with such others to be joined in commission with them as this Court shall appoint, not hindering any other magistrates that will help them ; this order to take effect after the next Quarter Court shall be ended at Salem and Ipswich, two of these Quarter Courts to be kept in Salem and the other two at Ipswich; the first Court to be kept the last third day of the seventh month at Ipswich (and the next at the same time the former courts were) and the next at Salem, the third quar- ter at Ipswich, the fourth at Salem, and the magistrates of Ipswich and Salem to attend every of these courts, but no jurymen to be warned from Ipswich to Salem, nor from Salem to Ipswich; to each of these a grand jury shall be warned once a year, and these courts to have the same power both in criminal causes the Court of Assistants hath at Boston Court; provided it shall be lawful to appeal from any of these courts to Boston; the fines of these Courts to defray the charges of the same, and the overplus to be returned to the treasurer for the public. And Salis- bury and Hampton are joined to this jurisdiction of Ipswich, and each of them to send a grand juryman once a year to Ipswich."
These enactments show the arrangement and distribution of judicial powers at the time of the division of the Massachusetts Bay Colony into counties, in 1643. May 10th that year it was enacted "that the whole plantation within this jurisdiction is divided into four shires, to wit:
Essex Shire-Salem, Lynn, Enon, Ipswich, Rowley, Newbury, Gloucester and Chochicawick.
Middlesex-Charlestown, Cambridge, Watertown, Sudbury, Con- cord, Woburn, Medford, Lynn Village.
Suffolk-Boston, Roxbury, Dorchester, Dedham, Braintree, Wey- mouth, Hingham, Nantasket.
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ESSEX COUNTY
Norfolk-Salisbury, Hampton, Haverhill, Exeter, Dover, Strawberry Bank.
These were all of the incorporated towns in the Massachusetts Colony. In the shire of Essex, Salem was incorporated June 24th, 1629, as a town, and March 23, 1836, as a city ; Lynn, in November, 1637, as a town, and in April, 1850, as a city ; Enon (later known as Wenham) was incor- porated May 10, 1643; Ipswich, August 5, 1634; Rowley, September 4, 1639, as a town; Newbury, May 6, 1635; Gloucester, May 22, 1639, as a town, and May 26, 1871, as a city; and Chochicawick (later Andover), May 6, 1646, after the incorporation of Essex county.
In Middlesex, Charlestown was incorporated June 24, 1629; Cam- bridge, September 8, 1633; Watertown, September 7, 1630; Sudbury, Sep- tember 4, 1639; Concord, September 2, 1635; Woburn, May 18, 1642; Medford, September 28, 1630; Linn Village (after incorporated as Read- ing), May 29, 1644.
In Norfolk, Salisbury was incorporated October 7, 1640; Hampton, September 4, 1639; Haverhill, in 1645, as a town, and March 10, 1869, as a city; Exeter, and Dover and Strawberry Bank (now Portsmouth) be- came afterwards a part of New Hampshire. €1
In addition to the towns above named as a part of Essex County: Amesbury was incorporated April 29, 1668; Boxford, August 12, 1685; Beverly, October 14, 1668; Bradford, in 1675 (now a part of Haverhill) ; Danvers, 1757; Essex, 1819; Georgetown, 1838; Groveland, 1850; Hamil- ton, 1792; Lawrence, incorporated as a town April 17, 1847, and as a city March 21, 1853; Lynnfield, July 3, 1782; Manchester, May 14, 1645; Marblehead, May 2, 1649; Merrimac, April 11, 1876; Methuen, December 8, 1825; Middleton, June 20, 1728; Nahant, March 29, 1853; Newbury- port, January 28, 1764, as a town, and May 24, 1852, as a city; North Andover, April 7, 1855; West Newbury, as Parsons, February 18, 1819, and under its present name June 14, 1820; Peabody, March 18, 1855, as South Danvers, and its present name given April 13, 1868; Rockport, February 27, 1840; Saugus, February 17, 1815; South Danvers, May 18, 1855; Swampscott, May 21, 1852; Topsfield, October 18, 1650; West New- bury, June 14, 1820.
The account given in all previous histories shows that as the towns of Amesbury, Haverhill and Salisbury were the only towns in Norfolk county outside of the territory of New Hampshire, which became a Royal province in 1679, the following act was passed by the General Court on February 4, 1679 :
This Court being sensible of the great inconvenience and charge that it will be to Salisbury, Haverhill and Amesbury to continue their County Court, now some of the towns of Norfolk are taken off, and considering that these towns did formerly belong to Essex county, and attended at Essex courts, do order that these towns that are left be again joined to Essex and attend public business at Essex courts, there to implead and be impleaded, as occasion shall be; their records of lands being still kept
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ORGANIZATION OF ESSEX COUNTY
in some one of their own towns on the north of Merrimack, and all persons according to course of law are to attend in Essex county.
By this act Norfolk County, as incorporated in 1643, was extin- guished, to be revived in another section of the State by an act of incor- poration dated March 26, 1793. The act above mentioned alludes to a farmer union of Amesbury, Haverhill and Salisbury with Essex, which never actually existed. The allusion is probably to old court connections which existed before the incorporation of the county, in 1643. Ames- bury was a part of the old town of Salisbury; Boxford of the old town of Rowley; Beverly a part of Salem, and afterwards of Danvers; Bradford, a part of Rowley; Danvers, a part of Salem; Essex, a part of Ipswich; Georgetown, a part of Rowley; Groveland, a part of Bradford and Box- ford; Hamilton, a part of Ipswich; Lawrence, a part of Andover, North Andover and Methuen; Lynnfield, a part of Lynn; Manchester, a part of Salem; Marblehead, a part of Salem; Merrimack, a part of Amesbury; Methuen, a part of Haverhill; Middleton, a part of Salem, Topsfield, Box- ford and Andover; Nahant, a part of Lynn; Newburyport, a part of New- bury; North Andover, a part of Andover; Peabody (formerly South Danvers and a part of Danvers) ; Rockport, a part of Gloucester; Saugus, a part of Lynn and Chelsea; Swampscott, a part of Lynn and Salem; Topsfield was New Meadows; Wenham was Enon, mentioned in the act incorporating the county ; and West Newbury was a part of Newbury, in- corporated as Parsons, and changed to its present name June 14, 1820.
Since the addition of the towns of Amesbury, Salisbury and Haver- hill in 1679, the only change in the boundaries of the county of Essex is that already referred to, caused by the annexation of a part of Chelsea, in Suffolk County, to Saugus.
The State historians mention Essex County as follows: "Essex county, of which Salem, Lawrence and Newburyport are the shire towns, is situated in the northeast corner of Massachusetts, and is bounded on the northeast by the Atlantic Ocean, on the southeast by Massachusetts Bay, on the southwest by Suffolk and Middlesex counties, and on the northwest by New Hampshire." It contains about five hundred square miles, traversed by the Merrimac river, which flows into the ocean at Newburyport; the Shawsheen, which enters the Merrimac at Lawrence; the Parker river; Bass river, and the Ipswich river.
After the formation, in 1643, of the counties, the above courts con- tinued, though the Strangers' Courts were modified, and the Quarter Courts, in their respective counties, were called County or Inferior Quar- ter Courts. It had also been provided by an act passed September 9, 1639, "that records be kept of all wills, administrations, inventories, of every marriage, birth and death, and of all men's houses and lands." It had before the above date been provided by a law passed April 1, 1634:
That the constable and four or more of the chief inhabitants of every town (to be chosen by all the freemen there at some meeting there) with the advice of some
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ESSEX COUNTY
one or more of the next assistants, shall make a surveying of the houses, back side, corn fields, mowing grounds and other lands improved or enclosed on, granted by special orders of the court, of every free inhabitant there, and shall enter the same in a book (fairly written in words at length and not in figures), with the several bounds and quantities by the nearest estimation, and shall deliver a transcript thereof into the court, where in six months next now ensuing; and the same so entered and recorded shall be a sufficient assurance to every such free inhabitant, his and their heirs and assigns of such estate of inheritance or as they shall have in any such houses, lands or frank tenements. The like course shall be taken for assurance of all houses and town lots of all such as shall be hereafter enfranchised, and every sale or grant of such houses or lots as shall be, from time to time, entered into the said book by the said constable, and four inhabitants or their successors (who shall be still supplied upon death or removal), for which entry the purchasers shall pay six pence and the like sum for a copy thereof under the hands of the said surveyors or three of them.
The recorder was the clerk of the court. In 1641 it was provided that in every town "a clerk of the writs" should be appointed, and a part of his duty was to record all births and deaths, and yearly deliver to the recorder of the court a transcript thereof. It was also provided that every married man bring a certificate, under the hand of the magistrate who married him, to the clerk of the writs, to be recorded and returned by him to the recorder. Thus it will be seen how extensive the jurisdic- tion of the county court was made. Aside from its ordinary judicial powers, it had charge of the records of deeds of probate matters and the laying out of highways, and included the departments now held by the judge and register of probate, the register of deeds, the clerk of the courts, and county commissioners.
With regard to the treasurers, their duties up to 1654 were per- formed by the treasurer of the whole Colony or of the county. In that year it was provided "that henceforth there shall be treasurers annually chosen in every county, provided that no clerk or recorder of any county court shall be treasurer of the county." The officer now called sheriff was in the days of the Colony called marshal. There was a marshal of the General Court alone, up to the formation of the counties, in 1643, and after that date each court apparently appointed its own marshal, though it is possible that even before that time every Quarter Court had its own officer bearing that name. So far as Essex County is concerned, it is proper to state that the present registry of deeds contains the en- tire records from 1638, and that the original probate records prior to 1671 are to be found in the office of the clerk of the courts, where they were originally kept. The registry of probate was located in Ipswich until 1851, when, under general powers conferred by law, the county commissioners removed it to Salem.
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