USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Newbury > Ould Newbury: historical and biographical sketches > Part 38
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After his return home he was for several years elected representative to the General Court. In 1784, he lost to a
* History of Essex County, published in 1888, second volume, page 1723.
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great extent his power of speech by a stroke of paralysis. He lived, however, for many years, dying May 27, 1798. The sword he used at Bunker Hill, his commission from the Continental Congress, and other mementoes of his long and eventful life are preserved at Turkey Hill.
His will, dated Sept. 1, 1775, and proved June 4, 1799, made liberal bequests to his wife and to each of his daughters. To his sons, Josiah and Moses Little, he gave the farm in Newbury, with the buildings thereon. He also gave to his son Moses about seven thousand acres of land in Apthorp, N. H., and one-eighth of the Pejepscot patent on the east side of the Androscoggin River.
In the division of the farm at Turkey Hill between Josiah and Moses, the latter came into possession of one-half the up- land and meadow land, together with the whole of the house built by Colonel Moses Little in 1748. He owned and occu- pied the house until March 18, 1842, when he made an assignment of his property to W. B. Bannister and Josiah Little (Essex Deeds, book 331, page 95).
March 22, 1842, W. B. Bannister and Josiah Little con- veyed the house and land to Matthias P. Sawyer (book 348, page 122).
April II, 1842, Matthias P. Sawyer gave a deed of this property to Josiah Little (book 332, page II).
Oct. 2, 1860, the executors of the will of Josiah Little sold to John Gardner Little " all the land with the buildings thereon," particularly described in the deed recorded in the registry of deeds, book 612, page 221.
Mr. John Gardner Little, the present owner of the estate, is a great-grandson of Colonel Moses Little.
The half-tone print on page 540 gives a view of the old homestead as it now is. Although nearly a century and a half old, there has been no attempt in recent years to change its appearance outwardly or modernize it within.
PATRICK TRACY.
Many important facts and incidents connected with the early life and parentage of Patrick Tracy are unknown. He was probably born in the county of Wexford, province of Leinster, Ireland, about the year 1711. When quite a young lad, he sought and obtained employment in a merchant ves- sel, and, with the consent of his parents, sailed from the harbor of Wexford for New England. The date of his arrival in Newbury is uncertain. For several years he followed the sea, and made frequent voyages to the West Indies and elsewhere. He afterward became a competent and skilful navigator, and as ship-master and ship-owner acquired considerable wealth. He subsequently established himself in business as a merchant and importer of foreign merchandise.
He was a vestryman in St. Paul's Church from 1743 to 1747, inclusive, and a subscriber to a fund raised in 1743 for the purpose of providing new pews for the church. May I, 1744, he was assigned two pews (Nos. 35 and 49) as his proportion of the number built.
Dec. 9, 1749, he bought of Deacon Parker Noyes about fifteen rods of land with a dwelling-house and shop thereon, near the foot of State Street, on the southwesterly side of Water Street, for the sum of £4,800, including, also, the privilege of a twelve-foot way leading from Water Street to the land of Joseph Arnold. The heirs of Samuel Todd, Timothy and Richard Toppan, Joseph Arnold, and the grantor are named as abutters (Essex Deeds, book 93, leaf 195).
Patrick Tracy owned and occupied this property at the time of his decease, but the boundaries had been consider-
PATRICK TRACY.
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ably enlarged by the purchase of adjoining land in 1753 and 1754. The house and other buildings were destroyed by the great fire of 1811. The twelve-foot way mentioned in the deed is now known as Elbow alley. It extends from Water Street, near its junction with Market Square, running at first in a southerly direction, then turning abruptly to the south- west, and so continuing until it reaches Liberty Street.
July 8, 1757, Mr. Tracy purchased the dwelling-house, wharf, dock, etc., owned by Colonel Richard Kent at the time of his death. On this wharf, built by Richard Dole in 1678, Mr. Tracy erected several large warehouses for the storage of merchandise.
In 1771, he bought the house and land on Greenleaf's lane previously owned and occupied by Rev. John Lowell. He removed the house to Temple Street, and erected on the site thus made vacant an elegant and substantial residence for his eldest son, Nathaniel Tracy .* His only daughter, Hannah, married Jonathan Jackson in 1772, and commenced her married life in the house on High Street now known as the Dexter house. In 1778, the adjoining house, built by Hon. John Lowell, was purchased by Mr. Tracy for the use of his son John Tracy.
A portrait of Patrick Tracy, painted by an unknown artist, is in the possession of Mrs. Patrick Tracy Jackson, No. 383 Beacon Street, Boston. A photograph of this painting hangs in the Public Library Building, Newburyport, and has been reproduced by the half-tone process for the illustration of this sketch. The original oil painting is of very large size, the canvas measuring at least five feet in width and ten feet in height. The work is finely executed, and represents Captain Tracy standing erect, dressed in the costume of the period. An anchor, on which his left hand rests, with several boxes and bales of merchandise in the background, symbolize his career as a sailor and as a merchant.
In commercial as well as in mercantile affairs Captain Tracy was eminently successful, and maintained to the close of a long life the character of an honorable and upright man.
* In 1865, this house was purchased by private subscription, and presented to the city of New- buryport for a Public Library Building.
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His intention of marriage to Hannah Carter, of Hampton, N. H., was recorded in Newbury Dec. 4, 1742 ; and Jan. 25, 1742-3, he was married by Rev. John Lowell, of Newbury. His children by this marriage were as follows : -
Hannah, born Oct. 20, 1743 ; died July 2, 1744. Vincent, born May 4, 1745 ; died July 7, 1745.
Hannah (Carter) Tracy died March 27, 1746, aged twenty- eight. Captain Tracy married, for his second wife, Hannah Gookin, daughter of Rev. Nathaniel Gookin, Jr., and Dorothy (Cotton), of Hampton, N. H., July 25, 1749. The children by this second marriage were as follows : -
Nathaniel, born Aug. 11, 1751. John, born April 19, 1753. Hannah, born April 26, 1755.
Hannah (Gookin) Tracy died Aug. 20, 1756, aged thirty- three. Captain Tracy married March 25, 1773, for his third wife, Mary, widow of Michael Dalton and mother of Tristram Dalton. He had no children by this marriage. He died Feb. 28, 1789, aged seventy-eight. Mary (Dalton) Tracy died Dec. 10, 1791, aged seventy-eight. He was buried in St. Paul's churchyard. On the monument erected to his memory is the following inscription : -
Underneath are the remains of Patrick Tracy, Esquire, Who departed this life February 28th 1789 Aged 78 years. In various and strongly Contrasted Scenes of Life He eminently shone as a man, A citizen and a Christian. His firm expectation of a future existence Moderated his Temper in Prosperity Supported him in Adversity And enabled him to triumph in Death.
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His will, on file at the probate office in Salem, was evi- dently written by Theophilus Parsons, who was named as executor. The will was dated Oct. 16, 1788, and proved April 3, 1789. By this will he gave to his son Jonathan Jackson and wife, Hannah (Tracy) Jackson, and their chil- dren " the house where I now live " at the foot of Fish Street ; to John Tracy and his children "the house where he (John Tracy) now lives, purchased of John Lowell, Esq."; and to Nathaniel Tracy and his children "my brick dwelling house in Newburyport at present improved by my son Jonathan Jackson, with all the land under and adjoining the same, and all the buildings thereon, being all my land between Fish Street and Green Street."
He also provided for the support of his "faithful black man Apropos," and gave him " the right to dwell with his family in the house now standing upon my land or field afore- said by the burying place in which he now dwells, and also a right during his the said Apropos' natural life to improve the garden adjoining his said dwelling house, which rights, free of any rent, I hereby give and confirm to him, the said Apropos, during his own life, and no longer."
" And, further, I hereby enjoin it upon my children that when and so far as the said Apropos is incapacitated from acquiring his subsistence, and that with comfort, that they equally join in assisting him to render his life comfortable ; and this I expect from my children as they value my injunc- tions or shall respect my memory."
April 8, 1791, two years after the death of Patrick Tracy, the land upon which Apropos lived, with about eleven and one-half acres adjoining, was conveyed by Thomas Russell to Theophilus Parsons, " reserving to the said Apropos the right to use and occupy the said house and about one-half acre of land " (Essex Deeds, book 154, page 178).
March 30, 1792, Theophilus Parsons conveyed the above- described property to Timothy Dexter (book 154, page 178).
Dec. 10, 1794, Timothy Dexter sold to Anthony Daven- port, merchant, and Moses Davenport, innholder, a certain lot of land, situated in Newburyport, bounded and described
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substantially as in the above-named deeds, "reserving out of the described Premises to Appropos Tracy, late servant to Patrick Tracy, Esq., deceased, the use and occupation of a dwelling house and half an acre of land under and adjoin- ing the same, situate at the East corner of the Premises as the same is fenced, by the said Appropos during the natural life of the said Appropos " (book 158, page 231).
March 27, 1848, William Davenport, son of Anthony Davenport, and Anthony, son of Moses Davenport, sold to the town of Newburyport one-half the Davenport pasture, so called, bounded on Low Street (now Pond Street), the town's land, and land of Eastern Railroad Company (book 395, page 209). By this conveyance the east corner of the pasture where " Appropos " formerly lived was transferred to the town of Newburyport, and since that date there has been no change in the ownership of the property.
The old homestead, owned and occupied by Patrick Tracy at his death, remained in the possession of Jonathan Jackson and his children until Jan. 17, 1805, when one-half of the land and buildings were sold to Mark Coffin for $4,500, and the other half to Joseph Cutler for a like sum. The deeds were signed by Jonathan Jackson, Henry Jackson, merchant, Charles Jackson, James Jackson, physician, Patrick Tracy Jackson, merchant, Harriet Jackson and Mary Jackson, sin- glewomen, Francis Cabot Lowell, merchant, and wife Han- nah in her right, and John Gardner and wife Sarah in her right, all of Boston (Essex Deeds, book 177, leaves 38 and 70).
Joseph Cutler sold his half of the property to Richard Pike Oct. 31, 1807 (book 182, leaf 28) ; and, after the death of Mark Coffin, Samuel Bailey purchased the other half (deeds recorded book 178, page 133, and book 182, page 50) Nov. 20, 1807, a partition was made of the land and build- ings between the two owners ; and that portion upon which the house stood came into the possession of Richard Pike, who owned it when it was destroyed by, the great fire in 18II.
PUBLIC LIBRARY BUILDING.
After the purchase of the Lowell estate on Greenleaf's lane in 1771, Patrick Tracy erected on the site of the old house, which he removed to Temple Street, an elegant brick residence for his eldest son, Nathaniel Tracy, who married, Feb. 28, 1775, Mary Lee, daughter of Colonel Jeremiah Lee, of Marblehead.
At that date, Nathaniel Tracy was not quite twenty-four years of age. He was born Aug. 11, 1751, and graduated from Harvard College in 1769. He took a supplementary course of study at Yale, and in 1772 commenced business in partnership with Jonathan Jackson at Newburyport. The firm was prosperous, and for many years engaged in mercan- tile transactions of great magnitude. At the breaking out of the Revolutionary War, Nathaniel Tracy fitted out a fleet of privateers. The first one sailed from this port in August, 1775. During the next eight years he was the principal owner of twenty-four cruising ships, carrying 340 guns, and navigated by 2,800 men. They captured one hundred and twenty vessels, which, with their cargoes, were sold for nearly four million dollars ; and with these prizes 2,225 men were taken prisoners of war. During the same period Mr. Tracy was the principal owner of one hundred and ten merchant vessels valued, with their cargoes, at $2,733,300. At the close of the war only thirteen were left, all the rest having been lost or captured by the enemy.
While prosperous and successful, Mr. Tracy lived in mag- nificent style. He owned several houses in addition to the brick house on State Street. Among them was the Spencer- Pierce house in Newbury and the old Craigie house in Cam- bridge, formerly Washington's headquarters, and afterward
HOUSE BUILT BY PATRICK TRACY IN 1771.
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the residence of the poet Longfellow. He was liberal and given to hospitality. His cellars were stocked with the choicest wines. His horses and carriages were the best that money could buy, and the appointments at his table were rich and sumptuous. At his home in Cambridge he entertained many distinguished guests ; and in the brick house on State Street, Newburyport, he was often honored with visitors prominent in public life.
In an article written by Colonel Samuel Swett, son of Dr. John Barnard Swett, and published in the Newburyport Herald Nov. 23, 1865, is the following interesting state- ment :
Thomas Jefferson was an intimate friend of Mr. Tracy, and wrote some poetry concerning him. He was a guest of Mr. Tracy for some time at his house, with his eldest daughter and a female slave; and they embarked with Mr. Tracy in his ship " Ceres " for England, where Mr. Jefferson debarked and Mr. Tracy sailed for Portugal in hopes of ob- taining a favorable settlement of his accounts with Gardoqui there, but in this he was most wofully disappointed.
The facts stated in the above quotation are corroborated by James Parton in his Life of Thomas Jefferson. A para- graph from the chapter entitled " Envoy to France " reads as follows : -
While Jefferson was thinking of returning in all haste to New York to catch the next French packet, he heard of a Boston ship loading for London that would, it was thought, put him ashore on the French coast. It proved to be the ship " Ceres," belonging to Nathaniel Tracy, one of the great merchants of New England, who was going in her himself, and would land the party at Portsmouth, after having passed the whole voyage in communicating commercial knowledge to Mr. Jefferson. Nothing could have been more fortunate.
Parton adds that Jefferson, in order to obtain additional in- formation in regard to the business affairs of New England, " made an excursion along the coast to Salem, Newburyport, Portsmouth, towns beginning already to feel the impulse towards the remoter commerce which was to enrich them."
Jefferson, in his autobiography, briefly alludes to this trip to New England in 1784, and says :-
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On the 7th of May Congress resolved that a Minister Plenipotentiary should be appointed in addition to Mr. Adams and Dr. Franklin for negotiating treaties of commerce with foreign nations, and I was elected to that duty. I accordingly left Annapolis on the 11th, took with me my eldest daughter, then at Philadelphia (the two others being too young for the voyage), and proceeded to Boston in quest of a passage. While passing through the different states, I made a point of informing
NATHANIEL TRACY.
myself of the state of commerce in each ; went on to New Hampshire with the same view, and returned to Boston. Thence I sailed on the 5th of July, in the " Ceres," a merchant ship of Mr. Nathaniel Tracy, bound to Cowes. He was himself a passenger: and after a pleasant voyage of nineteen days, from land to land, we arrived at Cowes on the 26th.
Mr. Tracy remained in Europe several months, endeavor- ing to bring about a satisfactory settlement of his business
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affairs, but at length was compelled to return home, broken- hearted and discouraged. Two years later, in 1786, he found himself hopelessly involved in financial difficulties, and owing large sums of money that he could not pay.
His splendid estates were sold for a small portion of their value, and he retired from active business pursuits, and with his wife and children lived in comparative quiet and seclusion for the remainder of his days in the old stone mansion on the Spencer-Pierce farm in Newbury.
On pages 254 and 255 of Brissot de Warville's " Notes of Travel in the United States," written in 1788, the author says : -
We dined at Newbury with Mr. Tracy, who formerly enjoyed a great fortune, and has since been reduced by the failure of different enter- prizes, particularly by a contract to furnish masts for the marine of France. The miscarriage of this undertaking was owing to his having employed agents in procuring the first cargo, who deceived him and sent a parcel of refuse masts that were fit only for fire-wood. Though the manner in which Mr. Tracy had been deceived was sufficiently proved ; yet, for the clerks of the marine' at Versailles, whose interest it was to decry the American timber, this fact was sufficient to enable them to cause it to be ever after rejected. And Mr. Tracy's first cargo was condemned and sold at Havre for 250/. He lives retired : and, with the consolation of his respectable wife, supports his misfortunes with dignity and firmness.
Patrick Tracy, who bought the land on Greenleaf's lane in 1771, and built the brick dwelling-house there, still held the title to the property ; and at this crisis gave. Jonathan Jackson, his son-in-law, permission to occupy a portion of it temporarily.
The will of Patrick Tracy, dated Oct. 16, 1788, and proved April 3, 1789, gave to Hannah Tracy, Patrick Tracy, Jere- miah Lee Tracy, Mary Tracy, and Louisa Tracy, " children of my son Nathaniel Tracy," "my brick dwelling-house in Newburyport at present improved by my son Jonathan Jack- son, with all the land under and adjoining the same, and all the buildings thereon, being all my land between Fish Street and Green Street."
While residing in this house, Hon. Jonathan Jackson was
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appointed United States marshal for the district of Massa- chusetts ; and when Washington visited New England the arrangements for his journey in this State were confided to the care and supervision of the marshal. A committee was appointed to receive the president upon his arrival in New- buryport, and some of the unoccupied rooms in the Tracy house were furnished and made ready for his accommodation.
Washington was escorted by two companies of cavalry from Ipswich. After crossing the bridge over the river Parker, he proceeded in his carriage. until the dividing line between Newbury and Newburyport was reached. There a halt was made and an ode of welcome, " He comes! he comes ! the Hero comes!" was sung by a chorus of voices. Preceded by several companies of militia and artillery, he was conducted past a long line of tradesmen, manufacturers, sailors, children from the public schools, the Marine Society and various other associations, to the apartments that had been provided for him. An address prepared by John Quincy Adams, then a student -at -law in the office of Theophilus Parsons, was delivered, to which Washington replied in words appropriate to the occasion. A reception in the evening and a fine display of fireworks closed the ceremonies of the day.
Washington arrived in Newburyport Friday, Oct. 30, 1789, about four o'clock P. M. He passed the night in the Tracy house and left town Saturday morning after an early break- fast with Hon. Tristram Dalton .*
* The diary of Washington, printed in 1858, contains the following account of this visit to New- buryport : ---
Friday, October 23, 1789.
On the Line between Worcester and Middlesex I was met by a Troop of light Horse belong- ing to latter, who Escorted me to Marlborough, (16 miles) where we dined, and thence to Weston (14 more where lodged). At Marlborough we met Mr. Jonathan Jackson, the Marshall of this State, who proposed to attend me whilst I remained in it.
Friday, October 30th 1789.
At this place (Ipswich) I was met by Mr. Dalton and some other Gentlemen from Newbury- port; partook of a cold collation, and proceeded on to the last mentioned place, where I was received with much respect and parade about 4 o'clock. In the evening there were rockets and some other fireworks, and every other demonstration to welcome me to the Town. This place is pleas- antly situated on Merrimack River, and appears to have carried on (here and above) the ship build- ing business to a grt. extent. The number of souls is estimated at 5000.
Saturday, October 31st.
Left Newbury-port a little after 8 o'clock (first breakfasting with Mr. Dalton), and to avoid a wider ferry, more inconvenient boats, and a piece of heavy sand, we crossed the River at Salisbury, two miles above, and near that further about - and in three miles came to the line wch divides the State of Massachusetts from that of New Hampshire. Here I took leave of Mr. Dalton and many other private Gentlemen who accompanied me.
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Nathaniel Tracy was living at this time on the Spencer- Pierce farm in Newbury, under a lease from Thomas Russell, of Boston, "to Patrick Tracy and his son Nathaniel." Two years after the death of his father, Nathaniel Tracy sold and exchanged the brick house and land on Fish Street for the old stone house and farm where he was then residing with his family. The deed making this conveyance is dated April 6, 1791, and is recorded in the registry of deeds at Salem, book 153, leaf 210.
It is impossible within the limits of this sketch to give more than a brief outline of the life and character of Nathan- iel Tracy.
He was the oldest son of Patrick and Hannah (Gookin) Tracy. He was born Aug. 11, 1751, and married Feb. 28, 1775, by Rev. William Whitwell, of Marblehead, to Mary Lee, daughter of Colonel Jeremiah Lee, a wealthy merchant of that town, who owned and occupied an elegant house, which was undoubtedly at that time the finest residence in New England.
His children by this marriage were : -
Hannah, born Jan. 25, 1776: married William Raymond Lee. Martha Lee, born July 6, 1777; died Nov. 10. 1778. Patrick, baptized by Rev. Thomas Cary Feb. 27. 1780. Nathaniel, baptized June 27, 1781 ; died previous to 1788. Jeremiah Lee, baptized Dec. 21, 1782 : died Jan. 16. 1844. Mary, born in Cambridge, Feb. 25. 1786; died Dec. 23. 1809. Louisa Lee, born in Cambridge, April 25, 1787 : died May 15, 1869. Nathaniel, born Nov. 25, 1788.
Nathaniel, born March 18, 1790.
Martha Abby Lee, born Sept. 27, 1791. Helen, born Jan. 22, 1796; died Nov. 10, 1865.
Nathaniel Tracy died Sept. 19, 1796, aged forty-five. He was buried in the Old Hill burying ground, Newburyport, near Pond Street, between Greenleaf and Hill streets. For many years his grave remained unmarked. Within the memory of many persons now living, a solid and substantial tombstone, inscribed with his name, age, and date of death, has been erected by some of his descendants.
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His wife, Mary (Lee) Tracy, died Oct. 31, 1819, aged 66. She was buried in the New Hill burying ground. One son, three daughters, and two grandchildren are interred in the same lot. In the immediate vicinity are the graves of Caleb Cushing, the statesman, and Hannah F. Gould, the poetess.
Nathaniel Tracy's portrait hangs in the brick building on State Street where he lived for many years. It has been reproduced by the half-tone process for this sketch.
In early life his friends and associates found him a pleas- ant companion, courteous in manner, and agreeable in conver- sation. He was tall, robust, and comely, wealthy, witty, and patriotic. He was given to hospitality, and his generosity was unstinted. During the Revolutionary War he contrib- uted over $160,000 from his own private resources for the support of the government.
For some years previous to his death, he and his family were members of the First Parish in Newbury and attended public worship there. His widow, Mary (Lee) Tracy, as administratrix, sold at auction Dec. II, 1797, a pew in the First Parish meeting-house that belonged to his estate.
Thomas Russell, who came into possession of the Tracy House April 6, 1791, was at that time an eminent Boston merchant. He died in 1796, at the age of fifty-six. He was engaged in mercantile pursuits before the War of the Revolu- tion. As early as 1786, he sent his first ship from the United States to Russia and ultimately developed a profitable trade with that country. He was a delegate from Boston in the convention held in Massachusetts for the adoption of the Federal constitution in 1788 ; and afterward was president of the Boston Chamber of Commerce, and also representative to the General Court for several successive years.
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