USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > Our country and its people; a descriptive and biographical record of Bristol County, Massachusetts > Part 14
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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
held a religious meeting " at a more accessible point and finally organ- ized a Non-Sectarian Church in 1693; this is termed in the records a "Church of Christ in Swansea." To this organization all Christians were welcomed, and in 1725 it was decided to receive members by only "laying on of hands." Among the very early pastors were Job and Russell Mason, while meetings were frequently during many previous years conducted by the members themselves. In 1693 Thomas Barnes was ordained pastor, the society was formally organized and he con- tinued until 1706, when he died. Joseph Mason succeeded Mr. Barnes and the church prospered. He was succeeded by his nephew, Job Mason, in 1738, who preached until 1775, his colleague being his brother Russell from 1752; the latter continued in the pastorate until 1799. Benjamin Mason, a cousin of Russell, assisted him from 1784, and in 1812 became pastor. Later pastors were Philip Slade, Benjamin Taylor, Richard Davis, James J Thatcher, Isaiah Haley, Jonathan Thompson, H. P. Guilford, and others. The records show that some kind of a meeting-house was built before 1719, when it was proposed " to make some addition to the meeting-house." This was not done, and soon afterward a new building was erected. It was occupied until the completion of the present edifice in 1833. No other church was organized in Swansea before the close of the war of 1812-15.
It is not known just when the first school was taught in Swansea territory, but it was doubtless before the town organization. On De- cember 19, 1673, it was "Voted and orderered, nemine contradicente, that a school be forthwith set up in this town for the teaching of gram- mar, rhetoric, and arithmetic, and the tongues of Latin, Greek and Hebrew; also to read English and to write, and that a salary of forty pounds per annum in current country pay, which passeth from man to man, be duly paid from time to time, and at all times hereafter, and that John Myles, the present pastor of the church here assembling be the schoolmaster." This was the foundation of the school system of the town. In 1698 Jonathan Bosworth was employed as teacher at a salary of £18, one-fourth in money and the remainder in provisions "at money prices." The early schools were more or less intermittent, and according to custom were taught in different parts of the town. In 1702 the town was fined five pounds for not having a school, and thereupon employed John Devotion at £12 and diet, and £20 for keeping a horse; his pay was raised to £16 the next year. In 1709 he was employed for six years, at the expiration of which he was again
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123
FROM 1776 TO 1815.
hired for twenty years more. From that time onward the records and reports contain the division of the town into districts, the building of additional school houses, and the employment of more efficient teachers.
What has always been known as Miles's Bridge was one of the earliest structures of the kind in this part of Bristol county. It probably was first constructed in the early part of the last century, for it is referred to in the statutes in 1736-7 as Miles's Bridge in a country road which had already fallen into decay, and the towns of Swansea and Barring- ton were ordered "to build a good and substantial cart bridge across the said river in the country road aforesaid where the said bridge did stand." In 1749 an act was passed permitting the town to raise funds by a lottery for rebuilding this bridge. The present iron bridge was erected in 1878.
There has never been much water power in this town and industrial operations have been and still are limited in number and importance. A few saw and grist mills were in operation in early years, but all have passed away. More recent industries are noticed farther on.
When the present century opened, prosperity in Bristol county had regained its normal condition to a considerable extent. From the ter- rible blow when seventy vessels were destroyed in Buzzard's Bay in 1778, maritime affairs had slowly risen towards their former im- portance. The first renewal of the whale fishery after the war was the sailing of the sloop Hero, Capt. Joseph Delano, in 1785, and before 1800 the fleet of Dartmouth whaling and merchant vessels numbered about fifty. With general development and growth through this region better means of travel and transportation were demanded, and a stage line was established in 1800 between Boston and New Bedford, via Taunton. Stages left Major King's tavern in Boston every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday at 3 o'clock A. M., and returning left New Bedford on the alternate days at the same hour. They passed through Sharon, Easton and Taunton, changing horses each way at the latter place. Stages were placed on the line from Boston to Newport in 1808, leaving both ends of the route every day excepting Sunday at 5 A. M., going through Taunton, Berkley, Dighton, Troy (Fall River) and over the Stone Bridge1 at Tiverton, arriving at 6 P. M. Prior to this date
1 The bridge at that point was built of wood and several times swept away previons to 1810. In 1807 a determined effort was put forth to have a permanent stone structure built. Eight hun- dred shares of stock were issued, at $100 a share, making a capital of $800,000 and the bridge was built under superintendence of Maj. Daniel Lyman. It was finished in 1810, was damaged and
124
OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
stages on this line passed through Attleborough. This line continued until 1814, and others are noticed farther on.
The time at length arrived when the peaceable conditions existing between England and America were disturbed. Stipulations of the treaty of 1783 had repeatedly been disregarded by the mother country, frontier posts were still held by British soldiery and it seemed impossi- ble for England to recognize the sovereign rights of the new nation that had once been her subject. The conflict raging between England and France gave opportunity for many acts of injustice. In 1806 Eng- land declared the continental coast under a strict blockade; a few months later Napoleon issued a decree placing the entire British coast in a sim- ilar condition. These acts (which practically forbade neutral vessels from entering their ports) bore heavily upon the commerce of New England, where the maritime interests were largely dependent upon the markets of the Old World. Moreover, British cruisers waylaid American vessels, under claims of the right of search, and took Amer- ican seamen into their service. Such injustice was unbearable.1 In 1807 an embargo was proclaimed, and British ships could not enter American harbors. The Massachusetts governor immediately issued an order calling out 11,075 men to be ready to march at short notice. Under this order the Bristol county brigade provided one regiment of two battalions; one company of cavalry, and one company of artillery -a total of five hundred and eighteen men. The maritime interests suffered terribly from the date of the establishment of the embargo and Bristol county actively opposed its continuance, as well as the war that was felt to be imminent. In 1809 Congress repealed the embargo act and substituted a rule of non-intercourse with England and France until they should remove the restrictions upon trade. This was done by France in 1810, but not by England until June, 1812, when it was too late to avert war; indeed, there were other grievances that would in any event have prompted America to a declaration of hostility.
Again the Bristol county brigade was placed on a war footing, and as early as September 18, 1812, brigade orders were issued for the assembling of the various companies and regiments upon Berkley Com- mon on the 26th of October. New Bedford received crushing blows at
repaired in 1817, and again seriously damaged in 1868, when about $250,000 was expended in re- pairing it.
1 It was stated by Mr. Lyman, U. S. Consul at London, that in 1811 there were 14,000 Americans serving under compulsion in the British navy.
125
FROM 1776 TO 1815.
the very outset of the war. During the three months immediately suc- ceeding the beginning of hostilities eight vessels belonging to that port were captured by the enemy, the cargoes of which had a value of $218,000. Privateering was rampant, an American fleet of two hun- dred and fifty-one vessels being engaged in the work, besides many private armed craft. Only one privateer belonged to this county- the Governor Gerry of Fairhaven. On June 14, 1813, New Bedford village was invaded by a body of British troops, the public buildings were surrendered, twelve vessels in the harbor were burned or partly burned, and other extensive damage done. Indeed the whole New England coast swarmed with British frigates, gun brigs and privateers, and it is little wonder that bitter opposition to such a war existed.1 It was one of the unavoidable conditions that one section of the country should be forced to bear the greater share of the burden of the strug- gle. One harrowing detail of the war was the confinement of a very large number of American sailors who had been impressed into the British navy, in Dartmoor prison, where they suffered the most in- human barbarities. Many of these prisoners were of the number serv- ing on English ships under compulsion, who refused to fight their own countrymen; hence their incarceration. Twenty-one of those hapless prisoners were from New Bedford; four from Fairhaven; one each from Acushnet and Westport. A number of other Bristol county men were confined in other English prisons during a part of the war period.
For the defense of New Bedford and the coast in that vicinity, there were stationed there an artillery company under Capt. Samuel Stall; a company of infantry under Capt. Nathaniel Nelson; a small com- pany of "sea-fencibles" in barracks in Fairhaven, where two other companies were formed in September, 1812, one under Capt. John Alden, jr., and the other under Capt. Joseph Bates, sr. All the troops in New Bedford in 1814 were under command of Lieut .- Col. Benjamin Lincoln, who rose to be a major-general. What was known as the Head-of-the River company (Acushnet) was stationed along the harbor shore under command of Capt. Reuben Swift. There were also a Fairhaven company under Capt. William Nye; a Dartmouth company under Capt. Bradford Howland; a Westport company under Capt. Jonathan Davis, which took part in the war. Parts of two companies
1 It is on record that the Legislatures of several eastern States not only condemned the war with England as "unpatriotic, impractical and unjust," but took measures for protection against the " violence and tyranny of the United States government."
126
OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
from Freetown, one commanded by Capt. Lynde Hathaway, and the other by Capt. Simeon Ashley, formed part of the coast guard in 1814. A company of artillery was sent to New Bedford from Norton in June, 1814, consisting of about one hundred men, under command of Capt. Isaac Lane.
On October 3, 1814, a company from Providence requested liberty to build a breastwork on land belonging to Seekonk and Rehoboth at a place called "Kettle Point," and solicited assistance from the citizens. "By vote, granted the request of said committee so far as related to Seekonk and chose a committee of seven to request the citizens to assist in raising the fortification."
Recruiting stations were opened in several of the towns early in the war and enlistments were quite numerous. Many of the towns voted sums of money to pay volunteers and to contribute their share of am- munition and equipments.
In July, 1814, Capt. Noah Reed's company was ordered to New Bed- ford for coast guard service. In that company were thirteen Easton men, including Captain Reed, Lieut. Simeon Drake, and Sergt. Joseph Hayward, jr. The company comprised seventy-seven men, thirty two of whom were from Attleborough, sixteen from Norton, fourteen from Mansfield and one from Westport. Capt. Isaac Lothrop's company of forty-three men, some of whom were prominent citizens of Easton, and others from that section, was ordered into service near Boston. An- other company of Easton men performed coast guard duty at Plymouth from September 26, to October 18, 1814. There were thirty three men in this company.
The war closed with a treaty of peace signed at Ghent, December 24, 1814. The settlement was greeted in this country with criticism and ridicule, for it demonstrated that nothing had been gained by a conflict which had cost thirty thousand lives and a million dollars in treasure. Even the protest against impressment of American seaman was waived in the treaty, and little remained for the glory of the country but the memory of the heroism displayed by our sailors and soldiers. But peace, under any conditions, was welcomed throughout the land, and the event was properly celebrated in New Bedford, Taunton, Fall River, and elsewhere in this county. The close of the war found the country again in poverty, with extremely high prices for all commodi- ties, and money very scarce. The New Bedford Mercury of January 15, 1813, gives the following prices at Boston, at that time: Flour
127
FROM 1776 TO 1815.
$12. 50 per barrel; sugar 18 to 24 cents per pound; butter 15 to 16 cents per pound; corn $1.20 per bushel; pork $17 per barrel; mess beef $9.50 per barrel; molasses 70 cents per gallon ; sperm oil $1.40 per gal- lon; whale oil 70 cents per gallon; sole leather 22 cents per pound ; rye $1.50 per bushel; Virginia coal $18 per ton; Hyson tea $1.45 per pound; Jamaica rum $1.45 per gallon; Holland gin $2.50 per gallon.
The following table gives the prices of many of the necessaries of life at each semi decade, from 1795 to 1815 inclusive:
1795
1800 $8.00
1805
1810
1815
Beef No. 1, bbl.
$13.00
$10.00
$10.00
$12.50
Coffee, 1b.
.21
.25
.31
.24
.23
Corn, Northern, bush.
1.00
.75
1.25
1.15
1.00
Cotton, 1b.
.33
.40
.25
.16
.20
Duck, Russia, bolt
16.00
16.00
20.50
30.00
31.00
Flour, bbl.
12.00
10.00
13.00
8.25
9.25
Pork No. 1, bbl
18.00
17.00
16.50
19.00
25.00
Rice, cwt.
7.00
4.50
6.50
4.00
3.63
Rye, bush.
1.16
1.00
1.33
1.75
1.12
Salt, Liverpool coarse, hhd.
4.75
5.75
4.00
7.00
Sugar, Mus., cwt.
14.00
14.00
14.50
12.50
16.00
Tea, Hyson, 1b.
1.33
1.34
1.20
1.00
1.75
Tobacco, leaf.
6.87
5.00
8.00
8.00
7.00
Barley, bush.
.79
1.00
.87
1.08
Six new towns were erected in this county during the period. under consideration in this chapter. Two of these, New Bedford (1787) and Fall River (1803), are elsewhere treated. The first of the other four to be incorporated was Westport, which was set off from Dartmouth in 1787. Small additions have been made to the area of this town, from Dartmouth in 1793 and 1805, and from Portsmouth, R. I., in 1861. A warrant was issued to William Almy by Benjamin Russell directing him to warn the inhabitants of the new town to the first town meeting. This was held at the house of William Gifford, August 20, 1787, and William Almy was chosen moderator. The following officers were then elected: Abner Brownell, town clerk; William Almy, Richard Kirby and Edward Borden, selectmen; Richard Kirby assessor; Thomas Tripp, Stephen Cornell and Pardon Brownell, fence viewers; Abner Brownell treasurer; Stephen Davis and Barjonas Davol, surveyors of lumber; Thomas Tripp and Stephen Cornell, field drivers; Nathaniel Kirby, poundkeeper; Benjamin Brownell, sr., sealer of weights and measures; Benjamin Cory, sealer of leather; Abner Brownell, warden ; Caleb Earl and Edward Boomer, tithingmen; Stephen Davis and Bar-
128
OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
jonas Davol, measurers of wood; John Tripp 2d, and William Almy, hog reeves; Benjamin Davis, innkeeper; Israel Brightman, Jonathan Davis, Wanton Case, Jonathan Taber, Capt. Sylvanus White, George Lawton, Job Almy, Pardon Brownell, Samuel Willcox, Peleg Cornell, jr., and Lemuel Milk, surveyors of highways.
A committee, consisting of Stephen Peckham, Wesson Kirby and William Davis, was chosen to settle between this town and Dartmouth in New Bedford. The meeting then adjourned to reconvene September 20, "at the dwelling house of Joseph Gifford, inkeeper." William Almy was chosen delegate to the convention of 1788 for ratifying the United States Constitution.
At a meeting held April 7, 1788, a committee, consisting of William Almy, Wesson Kirby and Edward Borden, was chosen to act in rela- tion to selecting a site and building a town house. This committee reported at a later meeting that "at Stepen Kirby's, Northeast corner of his Land adjoining the Road," was the best site and that the town should acquire sixteen square rods of land at that point. The report was favorably received and a building committee appointed, consisting of George Lawton, Wesson Kirby and William Hicks. Before the building was begun the site was changed to the " southeast corner of Ichabod Potter's land." The committee was then instructed to have the house ready for the annual meeting in March, 1789, if possible. It was accordingly built and occupied more than a century. The records for 1788 show accounts of Stokes Potter, Abiel Macomber and Edward Borden, for the care of certain paupers.
Among the early settlers in Westport territory, some of whom may have been mentioned in the history of Dartmouth and New Bedford, were Capt. Sylvester Brownell, Elkanah Tobey, James Richmond, Samuel Brownell, John Babcock, Andrew Hicks, Jairus Clark, John Hix, Peleg Sisson, Jonathan and George Mosher, Thaddeus Reynolds. Howland Tripp, Sanford Brightman, David Brownell, Jacob Hicks, Jacob Chase, John Allen, William Davis (the first representative to the General Court), William Almy, Abner Brownell, John Mosher, Abner Gifford, Isaac. Cory, John Anthony, Tillinghast Almy, Nathan C. Brownell, Anselm Bassett, James H. Handy, Nathaniel Kirby, Abner B. Gifford, William White, Frederick Brownell, and many others whose families are noticed in Part III of this work.
Before the incorporation of the town, and as early as 1762, the militia of old Dartmouth had become so numerous as to be divided into five
129
FROM 1776 TO 1815.
companies, one of which, without doubt, belonged mostly to the terri- tory of Westport. The captains of the five companies were Ebenezer Akin, Job Almy, Ezekiel Cornell, Benjamin Sherman and Elkanah Winslow. In 1781 there were nine companies in Dartmouth. That part of this force belonging to Westport territory was then officered by Capt. Robert Earl; Lieut. Sylvester Brownell, Ensign John Hix. In July, 1788, Robert Earl was promoted to major of the Second Regi- ment of the Bristol County Brigade, and Lieutenant Brownell to cap- tain of the Westport Company,
In 1787 (the year of incorporation) a small village was in existence at the head of the east branch of Westport River, and another at Westport Point. "The people are much divided in religious sentiments. There are five meeting-houses: Two for Friends, two for Baptists and one for Methodists. The village at the head of East or Nochacuck River is about eight miles from New Bedford, eight from Franklin, and twenty- one from Newport. Formerly considerable quantities of timber were obtained from this town. The whale fishery is now an important branch of business; eight whaling vessels now go out from Westport Point. There is a cotton mill in this town having 3,072 spindles, which in 1837 consumed 300,000 pounds of cotton." 1
The territory of Westport was for many years under religious influ- ence of the Friends, so many of whom settled in old Dartmouth. The Friends' Meeting at Central Village was separated from the Dartmouth Meeting in 1766, under the name of the Acoaxet 2 Monthly Meeting.
Some years later the title was changed to Westport Monthly Meet- ing. A house of worship was built in 1814, which is still standing, though in a remodeled form. The first members were Ichabod Eddy, Joshua Devol, Mercy Devol, Israel Wood, Philip Tripp, Margaret Tripp, Christian Brightman, Sarah White, all of whom were, of course, early settlers. Other churches were not organized in the town until after 1815.
In early years a considerable whaling business was done from West- port waters, as already indicated. Other fisheries have in the past con- stituted a profitable source of income, and are carried on to the present day. The first schools were established long before the incorporation of the town, as noticed in the preceding history of Dartmouth.
The town of Somerset was set off from Swansea and incorporated February 20, 1790. The " Shawomat Lands," or Shawomat Purchase,
1 Barber's History of Massachusetts. 2 Indian name of Westport.
17
130
OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
which included the territory of Somerset, has been described in an earlier chapter. The number of owners was thirty-one, besides Gov- erner Winslow and Capt. Benjamin Church, and their first meeting was held March 6, 1677, at Plymouth. There the territory was divided into thirty-one shares, one of which was to be laid out " in a conven- ient place for the minister, and to be perpetually for the use of the ministry." The "little neck called Boston neck," and the "great neck," and the "lands lying in Taunton river from the said neck to Taunton bounds," were also divided into thirty-one shares, "each share extending in length from sd river till it comes to the highway which is to be left between these lands and the two miles which belong to Swansey." Capt. John Williams, Isaac Little and Thomas Linkcon were chosen a committee to call the first meeting of the purchasers. The old record book of the proprietors is in existence and contains on the first page the following :
This Book was Begun in ye yeare 1680, By Increase Robinson, Clark for The Said Purchasers.
Samuel Sprague was clerk a little later and inscribed the list of pur- chasers as follows :
Heare foloth ye names of ye purchars of Shawomat Neck, viz .: Richard Dwelby, Isaac Buck, Daniel Damon, Nathaniel Winslow, Samuel Prince, W. Briggs, Jr., C. Briggs, Jonathan Aldin, Capt. John Williams, Isaac Little, Edward Grey, M. Hallo- way, John Briggs, Richard Winslow, Thomas Linkcon, John Swift, Capt. Fuller, John McNuckley, Jonathan Jackson, Richard Pronby, Ephraim Littelle, Samuel Littelle, John Mendall, William Hatch, William Poaks, Joseph Wod, Daniel Wod (Wood), Cornelius Briggs, Increase Robinson, Thomas Peirce, John James, Governor Winslow, and Capt. Benjamin Church.
The first town meeting in Somerset was held "at the school house near Capt. Robert Gibbs," on December 15, 1790, with Jerathmel Bow- ers, moderator, and the following officers were chosen: Daniel Wilbur, David Luther and Theophilus Shove, selectmen, assessors, and overseers of the poor; Preserved Peirce, treasurer; Jonathan and Aaron Baker, constables; Capt. Job Slead and Allen Chase, fence viewers; Philip Bowers and Daniel Chase, jr., field drivers; Peleg Chase and Nathan Chase, hog reeves; Thomas Marbel, surveyor of plank and timber; Ezra Chase, cutter of staves.
One of the prominent early settlers of a name that has been conspic- uous in Somerset and Fall River ever since was William Slade, who lo- cated there in 1680; the meetings of the proprietors were held at his
131
FROM 1776 TO 1815.
house after they were discontinued at Plymouth. He was a farmer and operated the well known Slade's ferry across Taunton River. He mar- ried a daughter of the Rev. Obadiah Holmes, of Rehoboth, and died in 1729. He had sons, Jonathan, Edward and William. The ferry was kept in this family until the bridge was built in 1876, a period of more than two hundred years. The ferry was last operated by William L. Slade.
Among names of settlers are those of Sylvanus Soule, William Chase, Nathaniel Winslow, Samuel Shearman, Joshua Eddy, William Anthony, John Eddy, John Winston, Joseph Chase, William Chase, jr., Jonathan Slade, Jerathmel Bowers, Jonathan Bowers, Daniel Wilbur, David Luther, Theophilus Shove, Jonathan and Aaron Baker, William Reed, Philip Bowers, John Wilbur, James Sherman, Nathaniel Lewin, Bill- ings Coggshall, Gardner and Israel Anthony, Nathaniel Lyons, Clark Purinton, Asa Pierce, William Barton, Francis Bourne. Among later residents before the middle of the century may be mentioned Elijah Barker, Bradford Buffinton, John C. Brown, Daniel Chace, Benjamin Chace, Hiram Gardner, David Anthony, Jonathan Buffinton, Joseph Gray, Daniel Earle, P. S. Gardner, Henry L. Gibbs, Samuel and Rob- ert Gibbs, John Hood, Anthony Harts, Barton Luther, John Lee, Nathaniel Mason, Nathaniel Monroe, William Slade, Nathan Slade, L. Shearman, William and Hanson Wilbour, and others.
One of the first public measures adopted by the proprietors was in relation to providing schools for their children, The records contain an entry for March, 1735, showing that "Wm. Hart, schoolmaster," was paid " for boards, nails, and workmanship to repair the house on the fourscore acre lot." It cannot now be stated how long previous to that date schools had been taught in the town On February 11, 1743, the following entry was made:
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