USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Gloucester > Notes and additions to the history of Gloucester : second series > Part 12
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June 5. The town petitions the General Court, praying for a grant of some of the unappropriated land of the province for the use and sup- port of a grammar school in said town. Read and referred, together with other petitions of the same nature.
1735 .- Samnel Middleton of Bradford and Sarah Davis were married March 27, and had son William, born at Haverhill Aug. 27, 1736.
Felix Doyle and Mary Goodridge were married Dec. 25, 1735, and had Felix, 1737; Daniel, 1739; Samuel, 1745; and Mary, 1747 ; be- sides others who died in infancy.
Josiah Jewett and wife Mercy had Josiah, born Nov. 4, 1735 ; Da- vid, baptized Aug. 7, 1737 ; and Mercy, baptized Nov. 11, 1739.
William Jackson and Rachel Murrell were married Jan. 30, and had daughter Rachel born Nov. 2, 1735.
Benjamin Knights and Grace Tucker were married Nov. 26, and had Benjamin, born in 1738; David, 1740; Sarah, 1742; and Job, 1746.
William Westway and Abigail Eveleth were married Jan. 7, 1735, and had Abigail, born 1735 ; Susanna, 1737 ; William, 1739 ; and Mary, 1742.
John Winnery and Sarah Row were married Dec. 7, and had Sarah, born in 1737; and Mary, baptized JJuly 15, 1739. The latter married David Parsons in 1758.
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EARLY RECORDS.
Eliakim Smith and Sarah Riggs were married Dec. 21, 1735, and had Thomas, born in 1737; Eliakim, 1739; William, 1741; Sarah, 1743 ; Hannah, 1746; James, 1748 ; and Keturah, 1750.
Abraham Battin and Ann Elwell were married June 3, 1735, and had Mary, born in 1735 ; Rowland, 1738 ; Abraham, 1740; Ebenezer, 1742; Ann, 1744; Elizabeth Travis, 1747; JJohn, 1749; Bethial, 1751; and Joseph, 1754.
1736 .- Samuel Heyden or Hidden and Dorcas Robinson were mar- ried Feb. 12, and had Molly, born July, 1736; Lydia; Dorcas, 1740 ; Robinson, 1743; Samuel, 1746; Joseph, 1749; Benjamin, 1751, and Dorcas again, 1755.
Daniel Knights and wife Martha had Elizabeth, born in 1736; Mary, 1738 ; Martha, 1740; Samuel Peteshall, 1742; Daniel, 1744; Susan- nah, 1746 ; William, 1748 ; and Samuel, born at Manchester, Aug. 15, 17 --.
Benjamin Knight had a wife Martha, by whom a daughter Elizabeth was born in 1736; Mary, 1738 ; and Martha, 1740.
Samuel Currier and wife Lydia had a son Samuel born Dec. 4th this year, and a daughter Lydia in 1738.
Thomas Boffee married Margaret Denning Nov. 9, 1736. A Marga- ret Boffee, probably his widow, married Zebedee Day, Feb. 19, 1743.
John Brock and Abigail, daughter of Eliezer Elwell, were married March 25. They had a daughter Abigail and a son John. The latter, born Nov. 4, 1740, married Martha Tucker Dec. 8, 1673, who became a widow before Oct., 1771, and, in 1777, removed with her children, Martha, William and Mary, to New Gloucester.
Benjamin Winter and Ruth, probably daughter of Samuel Parsons, were married Oct. 28, and had Benjamin, born Sept. 10, 1737; and Ruth, May 13, 1739. Thomas Winter, perhaps son of the preceding, married Joanna Davis, May 20, 1762, and had a son Mark Davis, born July 4, 1763.
1737, Feb .- Capt. Everet arrived at Cape Ann from Cadiz, but per- haps not in a vessel belonging in Gloucester, for there is no evidence that as early as this any of the people of the town had engaged in trade with European ports.
" Feb. 5. A Blazing Star appeared, being a small Head at ye West and a dim sharp stream at ye eastern end of ye blaze, which was short and it was about half an hour lower than the Evening Star."-Town Records.
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" On ye 6th, being Sabbath, just before night, we heard a pretty loud earthquake."-Town Records.
" The blazing Star appeared from ye 5th till ye 20 of February inclu- sively, growing dimmer and dimmer until it quite disappeared."-Town Records.
Thomas Phipps and Lydia Murrell were married Dec. 19, and had William, born in 1738 ; and Anna, 1741.
1738 .- Nathaniel Bennet, Joh Bennet, Jonathan Haskell, John Burnham, and Thomas Canneby were supposed to have been lost this year on a fishing voyage to Sable Island.
James Pearson (Hist. 322) had by his first wife, William, born in 1741, and Gibbs, baptized in 1744; and by his second wife, James, born in 1752; Hannah, 1754; John, 1757; and Samuel, 1764. The last named son married Susanna Somes Dec. 16, 1789, and was the father of the late Capt. Samuel Pearson, the last male of the family who bore the name in town.
John Stenchfield and wife Elizabeth had John born this year ; Wil- liam, 1741 ; Elizabeth, 1743; James, 1745 ; Thomas, 1748 ; and Roger, 1753 (?). The family removed to New Gloucester, Me., where James died June 15, 1828, aged 83.
Paul Morgan married Ruth, daughter of Deacon James Lane, April 6, and settled on the north side of the Cape, where the name is still borne by his descendants. His children were :- Ruth, born in 1739 ; Mary, 1741; Judith, 1743; Paul, 1745; Henry 1749; John, 1752; Joanna, 1755 ; and William, 1761. The son John died in captivity at Halifax in 1777. Paul, the oldest son, married Anna Brown of Ips- wich, and died in June, 1830, aged eighty-four. Ann, his wife, died in March, 1832, aged eighty. He had a son Paul who was drowned off Folly Point, Nov. 21, 1811 ; and a son Nathan F. who died in Rockport, July 14, 1865, in his ninetieth year.
Josiah Bradbury, born in Salisbury, July 25, 1704, married Anna, daughter of Samuel Stevens, March 6, 1738, and had a son Josiah born Feb. 16, 1739 ; a daughter Anna in 1742 ; and Maria in 1744. In 1773 he was an innkeeper in Pownalborough, Me. One of his descendants, Josiah, was a soldier in the war of the rebellion, and has children liv- ing in the West.
1739 .- John Kelsey and Hannah Foster were intending marriage July 14. Their sou James was born May 9, 1739.
Charles Stockbridge and Sarah Low were married Nov. 27, and had Sarah, born in 1741; Charles, 1742; and Sarah, again, 1744.
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EARLY RECORDS.
Daniel Stone by wife Miriam had Daniel born in 1729 ; and Stephen , 1741.
William Wilson and Elizabeth Staples were married Jan. 1, and had a son Samuel born Sept. 2.
Richard True and Lydia Mogridge were married Dec. 13, 1739, and had Richard, born in 1741; William, 1743; William, again, 1745 ; Samuel, 1747 ; and Daniel, 1750. The mother is said to have died in Jannary, 1817, at ninety-seven.
Jan. 5. Benjamin Tarr, Samuel Davis, Edward Grover, and sundry others of Sandy Bay petition the General Court to be allowed to receive one-quarter part of their parish tax from the parish treasury, to enable them to maintain preaching the three winter months.
1740, Nov. 17 and 18 .- A violent snow storm ; a sloop from the east- ward, with wood was cast away at Cape Ann and four men were drowned, who attempted to go ashore in a canoe ; but a boy who remained on board the vessel was happily preserved. A man also drove ashore upon a piece of a vessel, but so bruised and spent that he could give no ac- count of himself or the vessel to which he belonged. A number of limes and lemons also came ashore.
Jonathan Fellows ( Hist. 323), who came about this time, was son of Jonathan of Ipswich, and was born June 15, 1707. The wife whom he brought to Gloucester was Elizabeth Sanders, daughter of Caleb Norwood, and widow of John Sanders, to whom she was married in Boston Dec. 3, 1729. She was married to Jonathan Fellows about 1735. He was then a widower, his first wife, Abigail Gaines, having died ten days after the birth of her son Jonathan, Jan. 20, 1730. The children by his second wife were Samuel, born in 1736; Gustavus, 1737, died Aug. 2, 1816 ; Cornelius, 1738, died at Guadaloupe, W. I., in 1795 or 1798 ; Elizabeth, 1740; Nathaniel, 1743 ; Caleb, 1744, died soon ; and Caleb and Abigail, 1746. I know not that any of the sons settled in town, but I can add that Gustavus and Cornelius married and are said to have had thirteen children each. The inventory of the es- tate of Capt. Fellows, taken Jan. 25, 1760, contains the following items : -Homestead, £450; another dwelling house and land in ye woods, £100; a shop, £250; plate, £20; negro boy, £28; negro girl, £28; money at interest and cash, £233 6s. 8d.
John Eulin married Mary, daughter of John Parsley, deceased, Feb. 26, and besides three daughters, had sons John, born in 1741 ; William, 1745, died 1747 ; Jeremiah, 1752 ; and Benjamin, 1754. The son John
13
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HISTORY OF GLOUCESTER :
was probably the John Hewling, jr., who married Mary Clark, July 25, 1764, and Sarah Lee, March 25, 1770. He had a son Samuel born Nov. 6, 1768, who, without doubt, was the Samuel Yewling who died Jan. 27, 1860, aged according to the town records, with not unusual ex- aggeration, ninety-seven.
Philip Bailey and Mary Saunders were married .Dec. 23, 1740, and had a son Philip who died in childhood. He became a widower and married widow Mary Ingersoll, Jan. 21, 1744. He died before the birth of his twins, Philip and Rachel, Jan. 1, 1758. Besides these he had three daughters and a son John. Nathan Bayley, who came soon after Philip, besides four daughters, had sons Nathaniel and Moses. The wife of Nathaniel Bayley was Mary, probably daughter of William Davis. See Hist. 348.
Henry Edgar, of Gloucester, formerly of Richmond, near Kennebec, petitioned the General Court for a grant of some of the unappropriated land of the Province, as a recompense for his great and uncommon suf- fering by the Indians in 1722.
Henry Edgar, jr. and Mary Fleming of Tewksbury were intending marriage Oct. 22, 1743, and were probably the parents of Henry who was baptized at the First Church in 1745. He or another Henry, per- haps the first, married Rebecca Collins Feb. 6, 1764, and had two daugh- ters,-Rebecca, baptized in 1765, and Letitia, in 1767. The father must have died before 6 Jan., 1768, for Mrs. Mary Gibbs, then making her will, gave to Rebecca and Letitia Edgar, "heirs of Henry Edgar, deceased," the house they then lived in. But there was a Henry who married Sarah Byles about 1768 and was lost at sea before 1774, when his widow married Richard Littlehale. He left a son Henry, born in 1771, who became a sea captain and died Sept. 28, 1817.
A William Edgar had a daughter Mary baptized 1 Oct. 1747, and died before 1769. She is also mentioned in Mrs. Gibbs' will, and was, without doubt, the Mary Edgar who married John Stevens Ellery, July 4, 1769, and died in 1770.
John Edgar, not thought to be connected with any of the foregoing, died in August, 1813, in consequence of running a spike into his foot while at work on a wreck.
1741 .- The "Brief" referred to in the following letter from Rev. John White was issued in behalf of the sufferers by the great fire by which, in November, 1740, three hundred of the best buildings, with a vast amount of other property, in Charleston, S. C., were consumed. The British Parliament voted £20,000 for their relief.
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EARLY RECORDS.
Letter from Mr. White to the Governor and Council :
GLOCESTER, June 20, 1741.
May it please your Excellency, and your Honours, I received your Brief. Read and recommended it to our Congregation so far as I could in prudence and conscience. Doubtless Charlestown is under distressing circumstances by reason of the late disas- trous fire, and compassion is dne to them, and those Towns as are able will do an ac- ceptable service and well-pleasing unto God; who contribute to their relief. But I humbly apprehend our Town in ye present impoverished condition are not under ob- ligations to contribute to them. For almost our whole dependance under God is upon our Navigation and Fishery and our other Navigation on our Fishery. And that has so far failed by reason of the war with Spain, and ye fears of war with France ; as also by reason of ye smallness of ye price of fish, and ye dearness of salt, bread and craft, that of above seventy fishing vessels there are few if any above ten in that business. Our people are scattered abroad in the world to get their bread. Many pressed ; many serving as volunteers in his majesty's service. And the cry of many for necessaries is very affecting. And we have had three contributions for ye relief of the poor the last. year in our congregation, and other families are very pressing for relief. I humbly ap- prehend all are obliged in the first place to do justice, and next to love mercy ; and so to walk humbly with God. I wish our People could do justice to me, to others, and to all, which in their present poor condition they cannot. They express a willingness. Our Parish owes me about two hundred pounds, and for the want of it I am obliged (that I may do ye thing that is just, and make my creditors easy) to pay Interest for about two hundred pounds, which is much to my prejudice and distress.
The difficulties I have labored under some years past are such, as to occasion at times serious thoughts of trying some other place or some other business to support my family. But I desire not to be rash but to wait upon God, who in some past tryals has done for me above what I was able to ask or think.
I humbly ask your Excellency and your honours Pardon for my freedom. And trust what I have written may excuse us with respect to the Brief. With my hearty good wishes for your Excellency and your Honours, I am your humble, obedient servant,
JOHN WHITE.
P. S. I pray that my difficult and perplexed circumstances may Apologize and Ex- cuse for my being concerned in the land Bank. When I first gave in my name, I looked upon it as just and beneficial to the Public. But it in ye event proving hurtful, I am sorry I was ever concerned in it. J. W.
Mr. White mortgaged his real estate to the land bank for seventy-five pounds, and was not the only Gloucester sufferer by this wretched finan- cial enterprise. About a dozen citizens of the town were engaged in it, and as late as 1764, assessments were made on eight of them, as fol- lows :- John Millett, £8.3.0; Eliezer Parsons, £2.16.0; David Plum- mer, £12.12.0; John Sargent, £2.16.0; David Stanwood, £5.12.0; Rev. J. White, £4.4.0; Humphrey Woodbury, £. 8.0 ; Thomas York, £5.12.0.
William Webb of Salem and Abigail Riggs were married March 23, and had Abigail, born in 1742; William, 1744 ; Elizabeth, 1748 ; John, 1750 : Lney, 1756 ; and Oliver, 1758. A William Webb was intend- ing marriage with Elizabeth Holland of Manchester, March 14, 1763.
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HISTORY OF GLOUCESTER :
John McClinch and wife Elizabeth had daughter Esther born July 1. A daughter Elizabeth is on the records as born in Ireland.
Ebenezer Bowman and Elizabeth Sanders were married Nov. 23, 1741. They had two Johns, Elizabeth and Ebenezer baptized at the First Church.
Nathaniel Kinsman, probably from Ipswich, married Anna, daughter of famous Capt. Andrew Robinson, Feb. 11, 1741, and had the follow- ing children :- Anna, born in 1743; Nathaniel, 1745; Daniel, 1748; Mary, 1751 ; Simeon, 1752 ; William, 1754 ; Benjamin, 1757 ; Joseph, 1759 ; Benjamin again, 1760; Judith, 1762; Susanna, 1763, and died ; and John, 1766. The Salem Gazette, July 1797, says, "Died at Glouces- ter that worthy servant of God and the church Deacon Nathaniel Kins- man, after a short but painful illness, in the 83d year of his age." Mrs. Kinsman died in advanced years very suddenly. Her husband left her to go into his yard, and upon his return found her lying dead upon the floor. Nathaniel, the eldest son, married Abigail Eveleth, May 17, 1770, and died in January, 1824, aged seventy-eight.
1742 .- The following is the letter of Rev. John White, giving an account of the great revival of religion in his parish this year, mentioned in the History, 228. It was addressed to Rev. Mr. Prince of Boston, and was published in a weekly periodical conducted by him, called The Christian History, giving an account of the propagation and re- vival of religion in Great Britain, America, etc.
GLOCESTER, March, 1744.
Reverend Sir :
Being moved to give some account of the work of God among us, take it as follows. Glocester (formerly called Cape Ann) was small in its beginning, yet of late has greatly increased. When I the subscriber was settled in the ministry here, more than forty-one years ago, there was but one congregation ; and about three score and eight members, and of these twenty-one males. And the materials of three churches have been dismissed from us, in order to be incorporated and settled in gospel order. To the last which is now the fourth church in this town, were dismissed from us upwards of four score males and females. And there now remain about four score males and an hundred and eighty females.
I have not ordinarily fished for souls with a net, but with an angling rod. God the Holy Spirit has been pleased in a more gentle and undiscernable way to work faith in the hearts of our people, and they came in one after another, not in troops, or clusters; except at two seasons, one after the earthquake, and about two years ago. Our people, by the earthquake were (as their neighbors) greatly affrighted; especially the more rude, ignorant and wicked among us. But about a month after the last shocks, when their terrifying frights were over, it pleased God, by his spirit to work kindly in a way of conviction, and I trust of conversion. And there was a great harvest of souls gath- ered in to Christ in a way of open profession, and if we may judge by their after con-
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versation, most of them were sincere; which brought to mind what is written in 1 Kings XIX : 11, 12. And he said go forth and stand upon the mount before the Lord ; and behold the Lord passed by, and a great strong wind rent the mountains, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind, an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire, a still, small voice. And this voice, this still small voice was heard by many, and the powerful voice of the Holy Ghost was effectual for the saving con- version of scores of souis, according to the judgment of rational charity.
Upon what I heard of God's marvellous works of grace at Northampton, and especial- ly upon reading the surprising and affecting account thereof drawn up by their rever- ened pastor, I had at times, sincere, fervent and sensible desires that the God of all grace would visit us with the like plentiful effusions of his holy, promised spirit. And was wont in public addresses to the prayer-hearing God, to ask the gift of gifts, the Holy Spirit. Knowing that application work in the conviction and conversion of sin- ners would be carried on among a gospelized people, more or less as the spirit from on high should be in lesser or greater degrees poured down upon them. And I looked upon it as a further ground of encouragement to wait upon God, that he had so re- markably added to the promises under the old and new testament, his performance, as in Hampshire County. And at length I moved the church to set apart a day of fasting and prayer, to wait upon God for this blessing; viz. that the dews and showers of the Holy Ghost might fall upon us. And God did speedily and plentifully answer our prayers. Of this wonderful work of God I have given the public an account in an epistle prefixed to a sermon preached by the Rev. Mr. Benj. Bradstreet on this joyful occasion, to which I refer the reader." This epistle is inserted by the editor of the Christian History and is as follows :
"There have been unhappy controversies carried on with too much of heat relating to the good work in this and the neighboring Provinces and Colonies. Some ascrib - ing the whole to the Devil. But how can we account for the reconciliation of persons for a long time at enmity, the reformation of proffigate wretches, their deep humilia- tion, their illumination and sound conversion as the effect of Satan's operations? Sure- ly 'tis a new work for Satan to wound and heal the conscience, to fill the souls of men with love to God and Christ; and their mouths with praises to their faithful Creator and dear Redeemer; and bring them to take inexpressible delight in the ways of God. Others on the contrary ascribing all the work done among us to God. Some of which are so new, strange, violent, that 'tis hard to conceive they are the effect of the Holy Spirit's operations. I think we may allow some of them to be the natural effects of human frailty. And if some be allowed to be the effects of an enraged devil, I think it no un - reasonable concession. We in the first parish in Gloucester were so desirous of this work, as to keep a day of fasting and prayer; to ask of God the blessing of blessings, the gift of the Holy Ghost; and invited the rest of the pastors of the town with the Rev. Mr. Nathaniel Rogers to assist in the work of the day. And it was not long after that we found the good effects of waiting upon God. Can any think it possible that when we go to our Heavenly Father and ask a fish that he will give a serpent? 'Tis strange, if immediately upon our asking the saving impressions of the Holy Ghost, God should take that opportunity to send, or permit the devil to come among us with his undoing delusions. But the first most visible and powerful effusion of the spirit was on the last Sabbath in January, 1742, and especially as I was preaching in the afternoon and on the evening in two religious societies in the harbor; many were im- pressed both with distress and with joy, above measure. And on Monday morning in the school of Mr. Moses Parsons, a man disposed zealously to serve the best interests of all he has to do with, and being hired by a number of gentlemen to train up their
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HISTORY OF GLOUCESTER :
children in religious exercises and in singing as well as other useful knowledge; the spirit of God came so powerfully upon the school so that they could not attend the ordi. uary school exercises. But with their joyful master (with whom I left the care of my flock while I went a journey, which I was necessitated to take) and a multitude of spectators they prayed to and praised God by singing spiritual hymns. And in the evening Mr. Parsous preached a lecture in the meeting-house ; and in the close of the exercise the spirit fell upon a great part of the congregation to the amazement of many ; and people had such an appetite to the word preached, that Mr. Parsons called in the help of the other ministers of the town ; and on Tuesday evening the Rev. Mr. Jacques (a faithful aud successful preacher) preached; and on Wednesday evening the Rev. Mr. Bradstreet preached the sermon now put into your hands. Several of the hearers desired a copy of it for the press. And several evening sermons were preached after this. And the good fruits of the visit are very apparent, no less than twenty-one had their experiences read the last Sabbath day."
Now I shall proceed to relate as briefly as I can the effects. As they were all amazed saying in their hearts and one to another what meaneth thee? My eyes never saw such transactions; my ears never heard such expressions; and then it was when the Holy Spirit was poured down, Acts XI: 2. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing wind, and it filled the house where they were sitting. And thus it was with us. But the impression was at first principally on the one side of the meet- ing-house. And there was passed down a spirit of prayer upon young and old, espec- ially 'the younger sort. And children of five, six and seven years and upwards would pray to admiration. And in our parish there has since been formed no less than nine distinct societies of young and old, male and female, bond and free (for one there is a society of negroes who in their meetings behave very seriously and decently. They have been greatly impressed. One of them gave a very satisfying account of his ex- periences, and was taken into church fellowship; most of them entered into covenant, and were baptized themselves and also their issue) who meet several of them twice in a week, to pray and sing, as well as to read books of piety, and the rest once a week. And the younger say their catechism to the head of the meetings. And several ser- mons have been preached unto them. But another effect is a spirit of grace. The work of conscience has been carried on in uncommon manner. But as to the degree and duration of terrors there has been a vast variety. Some have been impressed with deep terrors, and have continued for several months under them. They have been greatly distressed and near to distraction. They have had such discoveries of the greatness of their guilt. and of God's anger, of the badness of their hearts, as to make them cry out. They have had discoveries of their ignorance and unbelief, of their hard- ness of heart and enmity against God. They have seen not only an utter inability to believe, but an aversion to believe. And when it was God's time to heal them and com- fort their wounded hearts and spirits, their joys rose proportionately to their depres- sion, and their lifting up was in proportion to their dejection. And many a time have they been so full of spiritual joys as to sink and faint under the weight of them. Others have been but a short time under a law work. and then there have succeeded joys, under the sense that their sins are pardoned. But of this sort their religious impres- sions, I fear, have too soon worn off. And many moved towards church fellowship and joined to the church. But some are sadly apostacized and are become as vile, yea, more vile, than before. We find that strong but short terrors, succeeded with ravish- ing joys, are no certain evidence of saving conversion. There has been an apparent reformation. Discussious, though lawful and innocent, have been almost wholly laid aside, and the singing of Dr. Watts' hymns is the chief recreation of Christians when they converse. There are no separations among us. Little has been said about new
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