USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Shrewsbury > Old times in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts. Gleanings from history and tradition > Part 7
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Abel Goulding came into town about 1790 with his family, and lived on what is now called the Dickenson place, near the meeting of the Worcester and Holden roads, in the old blockhouse, built in the earliest times as a stronghold to which the inhabitants of that part of the town might flee, in case of any Indian invasion. When the danger from Indians was over it was occupied as a dwelling-house, and was not taken away until about twenty-five years ago.
Abel Goulding acquired his fame by inventing a loom for making chaise lace, the trimming used in the linings of chaises and carriages. He made a loom and manu- factured the lace at his home. His father lived on Goulding Hill and with him lived his daughter Milly, who was a bright girl and taught school in Worcester. The death of her lover broke her heart and turned her brain, and she became a wanderer about town, mildly insane and always pleasant and gentle. Tradition says
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OLD TIMES IN SHREWSBURY
that she had but to wish for a thing, when it came to her in one way or another. One would conclude that she wished for little, her possessions were so scanty. She was once in want of some candles, but it seems she had no tallow. She strolled off through the fields, and in her walk came across a dead cow. Not being fas- tidious she went home for a knife and with it she cut out all the tallow from the carcass and then made her candles, thanking the Lord for thus generously provid- ing for her wants. So she went through life never suf- fering from want, but always having her necessities sup- plied like the ravens; and Milly Goulding's wishes. became a proverb among those who knew her.
While Parson Cushing was yet living, and Nathaniel. Whittemore was tanning calf-skins for schoolboys' aprons, before Old Tombolin had worn out his sheep- skin breeches, little Mary Garfield was growing up. And when the military companies were forming and Ross. Wyman was making his patriotic horseshoes, when " Old Grimes" was visiting the Baldwin Tavern and Dr. Sumner was preaching in the new meeting-house, she- was lively Molly Garfield. By the time that Luther Goddard preached the Gospel and cleaned the people's watches, while Milly Goulding was patiently awaiting the fulfillment of her modest wishes and Dr. Knowlton. began to dispense his herbs and fishworms, she was called Old Moll Garfield the Witch. Not that she was ever thought to be a disagreeable, mischief-making
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witch, but one whose character would bear inspection even in those days when suspicion had not yet died out. She fared better than her predecessors of a century before, for no one meddled with her liberty and she was allowed to sit quietly in her hut and distil her rose water and cider brandy-harmless decoctions for a witch to bring out of her cauldron. Some say that her little habitation was on the spot where Mr. Cook's carnations bloom so marvelously now. Others say that it was in the vicinity of the present Garfield residence, which is a more mar- velous place still than Mr. Cook's greenhouses. How- ever this may be, she did good work in spinning for the neighbors ; but the boys were shy of her, and being determined to settle the question once for all whether she was a true witch, hung a horseshoe over the door of the room where she sat spinning one day. This story does not say whether they saw her come out, or whether she quietly slid up the chimney, but she was ever after called a witch. The legend says that on very dark nights she would mount her broom-stick and sail off into the clouds much higher than the church steeple, coming down again as gently as a thistle down. Such frolics as these indulged in at her extreme age look a little as though she was at least an unusual person, but many strange things happened long ago that we cannot account for.
There were some other curious people in town then, and later. One of these was Jo Aldrich, who was a
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OLD TIMES IN SHREWSBURY
servant in the Miles family and always, when not at work, dressed in a white suit. He was not careful to keep the family secrets and caused some funny expe- riences. Ezra Howard and his dog will still be remem- bered by some; Ezra was a servant at the Baldwins.
The story of the coming of the first Plympton to Shrewsbury is thus told by a granddaughter, Mrs. Streeter, and is taken from the records of the Plympton family :
"My Grandfather, Elzaphon Plympton, was a shoe- maker and also a farmer. About 1792 he went to Shrewsbury and bought a tract of land entirely covered with wood. He first cleared away the wood from a spot large enough for a house, then dug a cellar, put up the frame and covered it. I have heard my grandmother. say that the first summer she lived there, no floors were laid, only loose boards put in place, and a board laid across the timbers for a shelf on which to set her dishes. There were no doors, windows or a chimney. A tem- porary fireplace was built out of doors where she did her cooking ; and they went through the woods to a spring, not far from the house, for water. When the cool autumn weather came on, the chimneys were built, the doors hung, windows put in, and the house made more com- fortable for the approaching winter. Thus my grand- father went on doing a little at a time, as his limited means would allow, from year to year, until at last the wood was cleared away from the place, and his land
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brought under a good state of cultivation, with mowing, pasture land and tillage. He had a fine apple orchard beginning to bear nice fruit. His house was finished and though not large, made a comfortable dwelling, with wood-house, granary, barn and workshop. All this was done in about twenty years. With the small means he had at his disposal, his growing family of nine children to feed, clothe and care for, he must have been a remarkably good calculator, a frugal, industrious man, and my grandmother his true helpmeet."
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THE HENSHAW PLACE.
C APTAIN NATHANIEL ALLEN came here from Boston about the year 1756 and lived on the place now owned by Mr. Samuel D. Ward. He was a sea-faring man, had been in various parts of the world and had acquired a sufficient amount of property to enable him to build himself a house a little handsomer than his neighbors. It was well built, too, and had the look of being rather grand, perched high up from the road, and nearer to it than the present house stands. The style of building was different from the ordinary New England country houses and was built with a curb roof and dormer windows. The outer walls were brick- lined, as a protection against the bullets of any enemy. The rooms were higher than those in most houses and the windows larger. The front door was quite imposing with its carved side posts and cornice overhead sur- mounted by a spread eagle, all brought from England, no work of the kind then being done in this country. The door opened into a hall which ran through the
THE HENSHAW PLACE.
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THE HENSHAW PLACE
house from north to south, and a broad flight of stairs led to the rooms above. The house was in its latter days painted yellow, and called by the children "The old yellow castle," so grand it seemed to them. East of the house was Capt. Allen's small store where he kept a stock in trade. He had a slave called by the name of Noah, whom he sent one night in the early spring with an errand to the Baldwin Tavern. He appears to have been unacquainted with the sociability of Shrewsbury frogs, for as he was passing the brook in the yard on his way home he heard a voice calling out as he thought, " Noah Allen," "Noah Allen," "Nigger Man," "I'll have him." For one instant he listened to the words spoken in such a weird tone, and then wild with fright he fled, and "not a moment stopped or staid he" until he arrived at his own master's door in safety. Capt. Allen appears to have had more than one slave, for we hear of his being at the Baldwin Tavern one day with his black man Boston and his little son Lewis, his son Caleb being left at home. While Capt. Allen was talking with others who were standing near, the little boy Lewis, in climb- ing about, fell into the well. He was soon recovered, but the father was more frightened than the boy, and told Boston to run home and see if Caleb had not fallen into their well, for he never knew Lewis do any kind of a trick that Caleb did not do the same thing immediately. Boston obeyed orders but found Caleb had not thought of falling into the well. Lewis Allen lived to grow
1
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up and became a goldsmith by trade. He also grew into such a dangerous Tory that his townsmen desired him to seek a residence elsewhere. He respected their re- quest and removed to Leicester, where he purchased the Mount Pleasant farm of Col. Joseph Henshaw, who bought Allen's farm in Shrewsbury and removed there in 1781. Lewis Allen died at Mount Pleasant and at his own request was buried in the garden near the road that, as he said, he might "hear the news when the stage goes by;" and he threatened vengeance on the one who should desecrate his grave. In the course of time some owner plowed over the grave and ever after the place was haunted, his ghost always troubling any- one who ventured to live there.
Col. Henshaw was a sea captain in early life, had spent much time at sea and in foreign lands, from whence he brought home treasures of many kinds and a large quantity of silver ware. At the opening of hos- tilities with Great Britain he was sent as delegate from Leicester to the first Provincial Congress, in Oct., 1774, and the next month was one of a committee "to make an estimate of the loss and damage of every kind to the province by the Boston port bill, and the act for altering the civil government." He was elected a member of the second Congress and one of a committee "to establish an intimate correspondence with the inhabitants of the province of Quebec." He was also sent to Connecticut to consult with the Governor and General Assembly on
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THE HENSHAW PLACE
matters relating to Col. Benedict Arnold and the stores which he was conveying to Ticonderoga, requesting that an effort be made to have any surplus stores sent to the Province of Massachusetts, ammunition and guns being much needed there. He went, and the Congress allowed for his own expenses and those of his servant, £7.14. The following is a copy of the Congressional resolve : "Resolved, That Col. Joseph Henshaw be appointed and directed to repair to Hartford and inquire whether provision is made, by the General Assembly of the Col- ony of Connecticut, for securing and maintaining the fortress of Ticonderoga and acquaint Col. Arnold that it is the order of this Congress that he return and render accounts of his expenses in that expedition, in order that he may be honorably discharged : But if Col. Henshaw shall find that such provision is not made, and the Gen- eral Assembly be not sitting, that he proceed to Ticon- deroga, and inform Col. Arnold that it is the order of this Congress that he continue there, with such number of forces as said Col. Henshaw shall judge necessary for the purpose. Nevertheless, if the said Col. Henshaw shall find the General Assembly sitting, and that they have not made such provision, that he consult with them touching this important matter, and take their proposals, and immediately make report to the Congress of this Colony." .During the Revolutionary War he was elected to many important offices and distinguished himself by his patriotism and bravery. He lived but a few years
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OLD TIMES IN SHREWSBURY
after coming to Shrewsbury, but his widow, Mrs. Sally Henshaw, continued to live on the Henshaw Place, noted for her deeds of kindness and benevolence. One picture that we have of her is as she was sitting beside the bed of her servant, poor black Jack, who was dying of a fever, fanning him to keep away the flies, for, she said, "It seems as if the flies would eat up poor Jack." Aunt Sally Henshaw was not only kind-hearted, but she wore beautiful dresses and was very handsome herself when she was young.
In the lane that led from the yard to the woods and pastures to the south, old black Cæsar and his wife had their little house where they lived and worked for the Henshaw family. Hannah had a great fondness for " the ardent" and frequently allowed her love for it to overcome her prudence and drank too freely, but Cæsar carried a steady head and kept things smooth at home. The poor woman's retribution overtook her at last, and one fatal day Dec. 26, 1807, after having taken most of the contents of her jug, she tried to lift it to its place on the shelf over the fireplace, but her joints were weak and gave way all at once and she fell in a heap on the fire. Cæsar being near by, picked her up and did what he could for her dreadful burns, bestowing most loving care upon her. In a day or two he left her for a short time to go on some errand and when he returned the door was blocked by something on the inside. In at the window he went and found Hannah sitting on the
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THE HENSHAW PLACE
floor, her back against the door, her hand on the bed- post and she was dead. The poor man was heart- broken, and when some days after a neighbor went to see how it fared with him, the door was again found blocked on the inside, another entrance at the window and old Cæsar was sitting with his back against the door, his hand on the bed-post, and he dead. He died of grief, and his heart was really broken for his dear, black, drinking wife. To conclude this mournful and truthful tale, the house itself burned down not long after and only a few stones now mark the spot where this loving couple lived and had their tragic end.
Aunt Sally, after having become blind, went to live with her brother Joshua Henshaw, who was a man of some prominence in Boston, once owned Spectacle Island in the harbor and removed to Shrewsbury to spend his last years, living in the house which was moved away in 1876, from the site where now stands the residence of the late Hon. Thomas Rice.
Squire "Josh" was a very slender man and fun was occasionally poked at him on that account. He was once annoyed at the continuous efforts of a tin peddler to prevail upon him to purchase some of his wares and he finally asked the peddler if he had not a pair of boots that would fit him. "Yes," said the peddler, "here is just the fit," handing him a pair of tin candle moulds.
The old house was taken down in 1852 and the present one erected. The well sweep still remains as when
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OLD TIMES IN SHREWSBURY
Cæsar drew the water from the well, the same well into which the youthful Samuel Ward once fell, and when he was brought up unhurt, wanted to go back and get his hat. The well and the house are shaded by three of the four elms which were set out by Aunt Sally's name- sake and niece; and not far from Cæsar's house-site stands the old sassafras tree, as large one hundred years ago as it is to-day, from which several generations of children have peeled the fragrant bark to chew on their way to school. Aunt Henshaw's June roses still bloom. on the bank in front, bright and red as they bloomed in the days gone by when Mrs. Henshaw herself came out with stately step to see how her garden grew, or the gay young niece who visited her ran out to pluck a. nosegay on a Sunday morning to wear in her belt to church.
SHREWSBURY IN THE REVOLUTION.
SKETCH OF GENERAL WARD.
A RTEMAS WARD was born November 27th, 1727, in the house afterward known as the "Baldwin Tavern," which his father Nahum Ward built, as we have seen in a former chapter. Here he spent his early life, and when seventeen years of age entered Harvard College, from which he was graduated at the age of twenty-one years. He was then attracted to the pleasant town of Groton, Mass., where he taught school for a time, boarding in the family of the Rev. Caleb Trowbridge, whose wife was a granddaughter of the old puritan minister, Rev. Increase Mather, one of the leading theologians in the time of the Salem Witch- craft, and it must be confessed that the witches re- ceived little favor at his hands.
After the school teaching was over Artemas Ward married Sarah, daughter of the Groton minister, who is said to have inherited some of the firm character- istics of her Mather ancestors. They commenced their
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married life in the house on Rocky Plain, which his father had presented to him, and being commissioned one of his Majesty's justices, he there had his law office where offenders were summoned to appear be- fore him to be tried for their misdeeds. There, too, he kept a small store, and by his account book, which is preserved in good condition, he must have done a thriving business. His rum and molasses he bought 1 by the barrel in Boston, of Joshua Winslow, and he bought his broadcloth of John Hancock. Very little is known of his life at this time, save that he held some town offices, being town clerk, selectman, and representative to the General Court. The first glimpse which we have of his military life is that he was Cap- tain of the first company raised in this town. In 1755 he was commissioned Major in the Third Regiment, Abraham Williams being Colonel. In 1758 he was made Lieutenant Colonel in the Regiment of foot commanded by Col. William Williams and raised for the invasion of Canada, setting out for the wars in May of that year.
The following extracts are made from his Journal kept during the expedition : "May 30, 1758. Marched to Brookfield, lodged at Hastings's; 31st to Northamp- ton, lodged at Gideon Lymans; June 3. Seven com- panies of our Regiment marched ten miles to ye Coffee house and emcamped.
7th. The whole Regiment marched for Greenbush
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by ye way of Connameak, marched 13 miles, my horse flung me into a River.
9. Marched nine miles & came to Greenbush, lodged at Capt. Dows, drew provision for 7 days for ye Regt.
14. Marched to Saratoga, 15 miles. Left Capt. Ball at ye falls, Lieut. Rice at Fort Meor.
16. Marched to Fort Edward and encamped-17,
built a brest work on ye west end of ye encampment.
I 9. The General with his aid de camp came to see the Provincial Troops; was pleased with Col. Williams' Encampment.
20. The Honble Col. Gage & Col. Haldiman came to pay Col. Williams a visit. The General not well. The French Flag uneasy because not sent away-an> acct of the arrival of the Storeship, an acct of Lord Hows arrival at the Lake with a number of Battoes, an acct of one of Rogers men killed by the guard at Half-way brook.
22. An acct of a party of 100 Indians discovered on the East side ye River, a party of 200 from Prebbles Ruggles & Nichols regiment ordered out in quest of them made no discovery. Ruggles & Williams Regi- ment musterd by Brigdr Gen1 Gage who did Col. Wil- liams ye Honor to say, was his Regt in uniform it would be one of the finest he ever saw.
24. A large detachment to escort y teams & assist in Building a fort came to this place three prisoners (who escaped from Canada) about 12 o'clock A. M.
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OLD TIMES IN SHREWSBURY
brot an acct that ye French were raising all their forces-that they were in great want of provisions- that but few Indians had joyned them as yet.
June 25. About 400 teams & Wagons passed on to ye Lake with stores-preached from Deut. 23d 9. About 150 of Col. Williams Regiment with a large detachment from the Inkskilling & Ruggles Regiments Imployed in building a stockade fort at Half-way Brook.
28. Left Half-way Brook & came to Lake George -encamped.
July Ist. Battoes loaded with Artilery & Stores.
2. Battoes given to all the Provincial Troops to load with flour Pork &c.
4. Orders given for Heavy Baggage to be put on Board.
5. Sailed. In ye Evening put a shore tarried about 2 hours & refreshed ourselves, then came up Lord How & ordered all to come under sail.
6. Landed without opposition & killed 4 of the
1 enemy, took 6 prisoners all ye rest after destroying their Block house fled-12 o clock set out for ye mills met ye enemy Ingaged them. Lord How fell in Bat- tle with about 10 more, the line of march broke all. in confusion, returned to ye place we landed at & Incamped with 160 prisoners, many of the enemy slain viz 160.
7th marched and took possession of ye mills-Wills
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SHREWSBURY IN THE REVOLUTION
& Prebbs Regts marched from ye mills and built a brest work within 34 mile of the French & encamped.
8. Formed our lines before ye enemys brest works, the fire began at 9 lasted till Night many slain. Began to build a brest work but soon shamefully retreated to our old brest work.
9. In ye morning arrived at ye Battoes went on board and in ye afternoon came to ye place went from on ye 5th instant & encamped.
IO. Nothing but Confusion.
I3. We movd & pitched our tents by ye French In- trenchment.
July 19. Heard two men were killed and scalped at Stillwater yesterday.
20. 3 Capts 2 Liets I Ensn & 21 privates slain (& missing) Between this and Half-way Brook.
2 I. A general Court martial, In which there was one sentenced to be hanged for stealing and 2 others to receive 100 lashes each.
29. Majs Rogers & Putnam with 700 men sent down at 2 oclock in ye morn to ye Lake & 10 to South Bay to Intercept the Enemy in their return.
3Ist. News from Half-way Brook of ye Enemy marching toward Fort Edward.
August 3d. Doctr Ashley deceased at Saratoga. Aug. 8. Heard that 2 of Lord Hows Regt was found scalped which was supposed to have deserted from ye Regt before we went to Ticonderoga with
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one more which some days since was taken up by some of our men and is now under arrest, it is thought that he was with the Indians that fell upon ye teams on ye 28th of July last. It is thought he will suffer death for his crime.
9. News from Rogers that he had got forty scalps & two prisoners, he lost 20 & had 50 men wounded two brought into Fort Edward that was scalped but alive-ye truth is they gave ye enemy a good drub- bing this time.
13. Last night ye french Flag of truce went off- this day Capt. Maynard returned from his scout with Maj. Rogers, he went to south bay fort Ann then to Fort Edward & Saratoga he said he had 7 men shot down within the length of his gun of him, in time of the engagement.
20. This day news came to head Quarters from a letter from Gov. Hutchinson of ye surrender of Cape Breton that it surrendered ye 26 of July last.
2I. Lt Johnson of Capt. Jacobs company went out on a scout with about 15 or 16 Indians and English to reconoiter and get a Captive if possible.
25. Went to half-way brook with 550 officers & men & relieved the party stationed there.
Sept 15. Nothing remarkable saving Broadstreats taking Saratoga on ye 27 of August last."
A musket with bayonet and cartridge-box are some of the trophies sent home from the war by Col. Ward,
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and are now in the possession of his descendants. At the time of this war one-third of all the able bodied men of Massachusetts were in the field. Of the number who went from Shrewsbury, Mr. Harlow in his History traces but nine names.
LT. COL. ARTEMAS WARD, JOHN WHEELER,
LT. MARSHALL NEWTON, WILLIAM HOWE,
ENSIGN NATHAN HOWE, AARON SMITH,
DR. EDWARD FLINT, JOSHUA SMITH,
CALEB PARKER.
The two Howe brothers and Aaron Smith came home sick, and the town granted them each an allow- ance of several shillings on account of their sickness. An old document of which the following is a copy, reveals some other names :
"Shrewsbury May ye 2d 1758 We ye Subscribers do hereby acknowledge that we have recd of Artemas Ward fifty shillings each, it being in full for ye fifty shillings bounty allowed by ye General Court for In- listing into ye Canada Expedition.
In witness whereof we have hereto set our hands-
· JOHN MORSE, . EPHRAIM PRATT,
JOHN NEWTON,
EZEKIEL KNOWLTON,
RUFUS TAYLOR,
LUKE KNOWLTON,
JOHN HAPGOOD,
NAHUM EAGER,
STEPHEN PARKER, JR., BENJAMIN EAGER
TIMOTHY HOWARD, for negro POMPEY.
SOLOMON FAY."
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In July 1765 the following named persons received each, nine pounds bounty from the muster master, Col. Artemas Ward, "for enlisting into the service of ye Province of ye Massachusetts Bay in ye year afore- said "-
JOHN TAPLIN, WILLIAM JORDAN, JOHN LOVE, ELIAS WITT,
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DAVID BOYNTON,
EPHRAIM STONE,
JONATHAN SMITH, SAMUEL PEGON,
BENJAMIN WARREN.
These names are all under date of Shrewsbury at the same time. Mr. Harlow mentions one young Shrewsbury hero, Jonah Taylor who went in his youth- ful ardor with the famous expedition against Cape Breton under Sir William Pepperell and fell at Louis- burg in 1745. On his return from this expedition Col. Ward resumed his place in town affairs, administering justice to the unruly and throwing his influence on the right side of the grave questions then arising among the people.
In 1762 he sold his house on Rocky Plain to Rev. Mr. Sumner and removed to the place since known as the Ward Homestead, on the opposite side of the King's highway from the Baldwin Tavern.
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