USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > Our country and its people; a descriptive and biographical record of Bristol County, Massachusetts > Part 27
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1 At the beginning of King Philip's war there were in Taunton ninety-six heads of families, a list of which is on record and is of interest in this connection. They were as follows:
1. Thomas Amesbury, 16. Thomas Caswell, sen.,
31. Richard Godfree,
2. Henry Andrews,
17. Thomas Caswell, jun., 32. John Gould,
3. Jonah Austin, sen.,
18. Augustine Cob,
33. Joseph Grey,
4. Jonah Austin, jun.,
19. Edward Cob,
34. Jabez Hacket,
5. James Bell,
20. John Cob,
35. William Hailstone,
6. Edward Bobet,
21. Robert Crosman,
7. John Briant,
22. Alice Dean,
37. Joseph Hall,
8. Hugh Briggs,
23. John Dean,
38. Samuel Hall,
10. Richard Briggs,
25. Walter Dean,
40. William Harvey,
11. William Briggs,
26. John Eddy,
41. John Hath way,
12. Mr. Brinton's Family,
27. Daniel Fisher,
42. Hezekiah Hoar,
13. John Bundy,
28. Nathaniel French,
43. John Hodges,
14. James Burt,
29. Mr. Giles Gilbert,
44. Samuel Holloway,
15. Richard Burt,
30, Mrs. Jane Gilbert,
36. John Hall,
9. Jonathan Briggs,
24. Thomas Dean,
39. Thomas Harvey, jun.,
45. Aaron Knap,
251
THE CITY OF TAUNTON.
In King William's war (1689-97) Taunton bore an active and honor- able part. In fixing the proportion of men and arms to be furnished by each town in the first days of the war, the court ordered Taunton to supply "4 men and 4 armes." In the next year under two separate orders the town was ordered to furnish five men at one time and four- teen at another. For the expedition to Canada money was raised in the town to the amount of £12 6s., fourteen of the prominent cit- izens being the contributors. For that expedition the following men were impressed under warrant of June 24: "John Bagley, Eleazer Walker, John Edy, jr., Thomas Eliot, Thomas Richmond, John Smith, jr., William Ripley, Peter Pits, jr., John Steples, Samuel Waldron, Miles Jurden, William Brigs, the son of Richard Brigs." Another list of thirty impressed in 1692 includes nearly all Taunton men. These impressment warrants continued to be issued at frequent intervals until near the close of the war, and, with the records of contribution of money and arms made by the inhabitants of the town, are amply suf- ficent to show that a spirit of patriotism animated the community.
The country enjoyed only a short period of peace after the close of the King William war, when again the colonies were drawn into the conflict that is known as Queen Anne's war, which continued from 1702 to 1713. It has been described in its relations with this county in earlier chapters. The impressment warrants addressed to Taunton contain more than one hundred names, many of which are, however, repetitions. After the conclusion of peace the country remained under its white banner more than thirty years and until the beginning of the old French war in 1745, notice of which is left for another chapter.
While the course of public events in Taunton during the first cent-
46. James Leonard, sen.,
47. James Leonard, jun.,
48. Joseph Leonard.
65. Edward Rew, 82. John Tisdale, jun.,
49. Thomas Leonard,
66. John Richmond,
83. John Turner,
50. John Lincon,
67. Increase Robinson,
84. James Walker, sen.,
85. James Walker, jun.,
86. William Witherell,
55. Daniel Mackney,
72. Samuel Smith,
89. Shadrach Wilbore,
90. Joseph Williams,
91. Nathaniel Williams,
75. Nicholas Stoughton, 92. Richard Williams,
59. Jeremiah Newland,
60. William Paul,
77. Nathaniel Thayer,
94. Joseph Willis,
61. James Phillips,
62. Peter Pitts,
63. Thos. & Philip Pointing,
80. James Tisdale,
52. Thomas Lincon, sen.,
53. Thomas Lincon, jun.,
54. George Macey,
68. Mr. Shove,
69. Francis Smith,
70. John Smith, sen.,
71. John Smith, jun.,
88. Joseph Wilbore,
56. John Macomber, sen.,
57. John Macomber, jun.,
58. Richard Marshel,
73. Richard Stacey,
74. Richard Stephens,
78. Robert Thornton,
95. Nathaniel Wood ward,
79. Christopher Thrasher,
96. Goody Wiatt.
76. Jared Talbut, 93. Samuel Williams,
87. Nicholas White,
51. Samuel Lincon,
64. John Tollard, 81. John Tisdale, sen.,
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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
ury after settlement began was not of momentous importance, even as associated with the wars that have just been noticed, still a degree of interest surrounds the proceedings of the civil authorities in those early years that is only strengthened by the passage of time. One of the most important matters that required attention from the General Court in early years was the establishment of certain regulations relative to receiving settlers in the various towns and the sale of lands to them. These regulations were enforced by committees, one of which was ap- pointed for Taunton previous to 1641, consisting of seven men. They were " to receive in such persons as might be fit to live together in the fear of God and obedience to the king, in peace and love as becometh Christian people, and they were to dispose of such equal and fit portions of land unto them as the several estates, ranks and qualities of such persons as the Almighty in His providence should send in among them should require."
In June, 1641, the General Court adopted the following :
Whereas, those seven first freemen, men of Taunton, that have undergone great travel and charges about the attending of the courts, laying out of lands, and other occasions for the town, it is thought meet by the government that therefore they have a proportion of land in some convenient place lying together assigned them, so that it exceed not the quantity of forty acres apiece, besides the other proportions of lands in other places as other of the inhabitants of the said town of Taunton have, when the said lands shall come to be divided hereafter.
Those seven freemen were William Pole, John Gilbert, sr., Henry Andrews, John Strong, John Dean, Walter Dean, and Edward Sase.
These were sworn in as freemen in 1638, and were the only freemen until 1641, when William and John Parker were admitted. William Pole, John Gilbert and Henry Andrews were chosen the first deputies to the General Court in 1639, and in 1640 John Dean was made con- stable, an office then of very great importance. The standard of char- acter necessary to qualify a person for admission as a freeman was high, a fact which kept all New England communities measurably free from unwelcome elements that otherwise might have followed the tide of immigration.
Some of the earliest legislation that affected Taunton was in relation to the establishment of town pounds. In the early times, when fenced inclosures were few, the town pound was a necessary and important institution. For example the following was enacted in 1633:
That every Constablerick have a suffic pound to impound cattle that shall trans- gresse any such orders as are or shall be made-That whatsoever damage comes to
253
THE CITY OF TAUNTON.
any body by cowes, goates, mares, sheep or hogges by breaking into mens p'ticular inclosures, It shall be lawfull for the p'sons so damnified to impound, and two suffi- cient men to view the damage which accordingly shall be given and payed.
This act was followed by several others in later years on the same subject. In 1658 it was provided that " every pound-keeper shall have sixpence for every horse impounded." It was provided, also, that horses should be branded, those of Taunton to have "a T on the neer shoulder." It is not recorded just when the Taunton pound was built, but it was previous to 1664, probably many years earlier, and records of certain early boundaries enable us to give its situation as near what is now the junction of Main and Spring streets, on the river side near the crest of the hill. Under the province a law was passed ordering the maintenance of pounds, and one was built of stone at the west end on Tremont street near Crapo street, which was used until recent years; another was constructed of stone at the east end of the town.
The earliest recorded marriage in this town was that of Richard Paul and Margery Turner, who were united November 8, 1638. This Mr. Paul was licensed to keep a victualing house at Taunton in 1640. The second marriage was that of William Harvey and Joane Hucker, married April 2, 1639. In 1650 William Parker was deputed by the court to marry persons in Taunton.
The storing and care of gunpowder and other ammunition in the troublous early times was an important duty of every town and was or- dered by law. For example, in 1641 the following was enacted :
That every township in the Government shall provide a barrell of powder, and lead, or bullets answerable to be kept by some trusty man or men in every town that it may be ready for defence in tyme of neede and danger.
Taunton was lax in observing this law, for which the town was pre- sented in 1651. In 1653 it was provided that each town should have powder to the amount of a barrel to every fifty men. In 1641, at the March court, "Mr. Francis Doughty, of Taunton, for selling a pound of gunpowder to the natives (contrary to the acts and orders of the court), which was confessed by himself, is fined 30 shillings." With the oncoming of the early wars, making it necessary to keep a larger stock of ammunition, a powder-house became a necessity in Taunton. It was built on " Powder-house hill," so called, at the Weir, on the east side of the river between Berkley and Plain streets. It is not known just when it was built and no record of it appears until after the Rev- olutionary war, when it was inspected by Major Seaver.1
1 The usefulness of this old powder-house came to an end about 1830. In 1827 its contents
254
OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
While we cannot devote extended space to the routine proceedings of the court and the town authorities relating to Taunton, it will be profit- able and interesting to make such extracts as are permissible, which will aid the reader in forming an idea of how public affairs were di- rected in early years.
The fact has been noted that Francis Doughty was fined thirty shil- lings for selling gunpowder to an Indian. This fine was granted soon afterward to the town, "upon condition that the townsmen of Taunton shall make all the swamps betwixt Plymouth and Taunton passable for man and horse." This seems like a small sum of money to pay for a large piece of work, and it is not strange that the town neglected to comply with the requirement. As late as 1647 the town was taken to task by the court and ordered to perform the work or refund the money to the treasurer for use of the government. Again, two years later, the highways still being unrepaired, the " way wardens or sur- veyors of Taunton " were presented " for neglecting to mend the high- ways." The surveyors were John Dean and Richard Stacy, and it is not known what became of Doughty's fine.
Wolves and other animals were troublesome, and in 1642 the court ordered each town to "make wolf traps and bait them," under penalty of ten shillings. Under this order Taunton was to have two traps. The bounty offered for killing a wolf was at first five bushels of corn, and was afterwards changed to " fifteen shillings to an Englishman for a wolf's head." "To an Indian, half pound of powder and two pounds of shot." As late as 1689 John Thrasher made a receipt as follows: "I recd of Joseph White liveing in Tanton too woulfs heads."
Early town meetings were held in the meeting-house and so contin- ued to be until 1746. When the meeting-house began to need repairs, which was very early, there was considerable trouble to get the town to vote the necessary funds for the purpose. One of the earliest records on the subject states that "forty pounds were voted to repaire the old meeting house." At a later date "there was a town meeting to try to voat for the building of a new meeting house and it was passed in the negative." In 1746 the court house was erected and that was then used for town meetings when not occupied by the courts.
The code of morality and public respect for the law in Taunton was
comprised 692 pounds of balls, 18 to the pound ; 5 pails, 22 iron kettles, 13 tin basins, 12 tin cups, 7 earthen plates, 9 guns, 9 gun locks, 12 wormers, 1 ax ; not a very formidable armament, surely. In 1834 the last estimate of the contents of the house by the Selectmen, gave it as worthless, and the building soon fell into decay.
255
THE CITY OF TAUNTON.
high in the early times, and offenses of all kinds were severely and summarily punished. A general law of 1640 required "every Con- stablerick to have a paire of stocks and Whipping Post erected," and they were frequently used. It is not known how early these instru- ments for punishment were set up in Taunton, and no mention of their use appears in the records until 1672, when a person was sentenced by the General Court " for speaking opprobriously of some in place, in the town of Taunton, to sit in the stocks at Taunton on a training day not to exceed two hours." In 1687 among the town debts is noted the fol- lowing: "To repaire of Pound, Whipping Post, and Stocks, 16s. 06d."
In June, 1646, William Holloway complained to the court that an aged woman brought from England by him was chargeable to him, whereupon the court requested him to deliver her to the town, or to whom they should appoint to receive her, with her clothing and bedding, and the town was to take order for her maintenance. There are many other places in the records where the careful solicitude of the authorities for the poor is shown. The same was true regarding the rights of ap- prentices and servants. Jonathan Briggs, a servant of William Hail- stone, complained to the court in June, 1654, that his master had not performed his agreement with him-that he did not teach him the tailor's trade, and the court ordered Hailstone to pay the servant £15. At the June Court of 1657 a complaint was made against Robert Cross- man for wronging his apprentice, and the Selectmen were ordered to hear the complaint of the servant, and if the matter could not be thus settled, both master and servant were ordered to appear at the Court of Assistants in Plymouth. This same Crossman was presented in March, 1655, for " breaking open the pound by taking down a rail and taking out his calves," and the same man was fined five shillings in 1657, " for attempting to strike George Macey with a firebrand."
The protective policy followed by the authorities is clearly shown in the following :
June, 1653. Whereas, complaint is made of Thomas Brayman, of Taunton, that by reason of a distracted condition in which he is, that both himself and wife are out of employment which may conduce to their maintenance and subsistence, the Court have ordered that such of the town of Taunton who are deputed by the said town to order the especial affairs thereof, shall dispose of the said Brayman as they shall think meet for one in such condition, and that his wife be put forth to service, being young and fit for the same, and having no other way so likely to procure her maintenance.
The reference in this record to men who were duputed to attend to
256
OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
town affairs, shows that although selectmen were not at that time author- ized by law, still certain persons were invested with the duties that afterwards fell to those officers.
At the June Court of 1649, Edward Bobbit was presented for receiv- ing pay for " stolen wampom," and Thomas Gilbert for letting go one whom he knew to have a quantity of "wampumpege." Both of these cases were discharged.
At the October Court of 1649, John Hathaway was presented for lending a gun to an Indian; he was cleared with an admonition. In May, 1650, William Shepherd confessed to purloining certain goods from his mother-in-law, and was sentenced to return the goods and to "be whipped at the post."
Constant watchfulness was exercised by the authorities to keep out of the town all persons of bad morals. One William Paule (probably not connected with Richard Paul, one of the purchasers), was sentenced in 1656 to be whipped with his paramour, for adultery; he was also driven from the town. In this connection the following appears in the records for 1657:
Whereas, complaint is made to the Court by the inhabitants and townsmen of Taunton that sundry unworthy and defamed persons have thrust themselves into the said town to inhabit there, not having approbation of any two magistrates, ac- cording to an order of Court. and contrary to the minds of divers of the inhabitants, to their grievance, the Court, having taken their condition into serious condition, doth order,-
1. That no such person be entertained by any inhabitant of the town, on the pen- alty of forfeiting twenty shillings for every week that they shall entertain them with- out the approbation of the five selectmen, appointed to order the public affairs of the town; and in special that William Paule and his wife be forthwith expelled the town.
2. Likewise, it is ordered, that you give warning to your townsmen, that no per- son or persons of your town do sell, hire, or give house or land to any person, so as thereby to bring them in to be inhabitants amongst them, but such as have appro- bation of two of the magistrates at least, according to an ancient order of Court, as they will answer their contempt in doing the contrary.
3 and 4. For your third and fourth grievance, we conceive that if your constable and grandjurymen do their duties, there will be a full redress of such abuses.
The five Selectmen then in office were Capt. William Pole, George Hall, William Parker, Lieut. James Wyatt and John Dean. They were required to "warn a town meeting" to consider the foregoing propositions.
The sanctity of the Sabbath was jealously guarded by the pioneers and in the records are many references to the matter. In October,
257
THE CITY OF TAUNTON.
1658, it is recorded: "Lieftenant James Wyatt to be sharply reproved for his writing a note about common business on the Lord's day, at least in the evening somewhat too soon." Others were presented for needless traveling.
In the following we find one of the first references to a very early in- dustry :
Jan. 5, 1659. It is voted and agreed by the town that Henry Andrews and John Macomber shall have liberty to erect or set up a saw-mill on the Mill River, if it be not found hurtful to the grist-mill upon these terms following, that the inhabitants of the town shall have liberty to bring what timber they shall think meet, either pine, chestnut, or cedar, and what timber any of the inhabitants shall bring as above said they shall deliver the one-half of it again to him that brought it, sawing either to boards or planks as the inhabitants shall see cause.
And what other boards the inhabitants above said shall need for their own partic- ular use the said Henry Andrews and John Macomber shall sell them at the rate of four shillings to a hundred ordinary town pay, and this above said mill to be in some forwardness within one year after the date hereof, or else this order to be of no effect.
The exact site of this mill is not known; but the foregoing order shows to what a great extent the business affairs, as well as the per- sonal conduct, of the inhabitants, was regulated by the town authorities. In 1664 James Walker had an interest in this mill, and Joseph Gray and Samuel Linkorn (as the record has it) were brought before the court and confessed their guilt in injuring the mill, carrying away property, leaving "a libellous paper behind them." Perhaps in the way of retaliation, James Walker was complained of in the same court, as follows :
Whereas, at this Court, the above bounded Joseph Gray and Samuel Linkorn, to- gether with George Watson, complained of great wrong, sustained not only by them, but by the whole Town of Taunton, by James Walker his neglecting, according to engagement, to leave a sufficient passage for the herrings or alewives to go up in the river on which the saw mill standeth, the Court directed an order to the Constable of Taunton to require him to signify unto the said James Walker that he speedily take course that a free passage be left for the going up of the alewives in the said river while yet some part of the season remains of their going up.
There is the fullest evidence in the records covering many years that the authorities gave the most watchful care to the preservation of the herring and the oyster fisheries for the convenience of the people; these fisheries were long a very important and prolific source of food supply. At the July Court of 1680 the oyster fishery is thus men- tioned :
33
258
OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
The Court doth order, that all such as are not of our colony be hereby prohibited of fetching oysters from Taunton River with boats or any other vessels; and in case any such shall persist on in so doing after warning given to the contrary, this Court doth order John Hathway, of Taunton, and do hereby empower him to make seizure of such boats and vessels for the colony's use.
Besides the saw mill and the early iron works, which are elsewhere described, the manufacture of tar was an early industry of considerable importance, and its sale was regulated by the court in 1670, preventing its indiscriminate distribution to persons outside of the colony. It was provided that for two years it should be sold to such persons within the colony as would give eight shillings for a small barrel and twelve shil- lings for a large barrel of the product. At these prices a number of men agreed to buy all the tar made in the colony, and the several towns were divided among them. Edward Gray and William Clarke took Plymouth and all of the western towns of the colony, "John Cobb's of Taunton, being the place of delivery of what tar shall be made within the liberties thereof."
The manufacture and sale of intoxicating liquor was the cause of much legislation and trouble in the colony, which has not ceased to the present time. The license to Richard Paul has already been noticed. Although his place was called victualing house, his license carried with it the privilege of selling liquor, but under very strict regulations. In June, 1644, it is recorded : "William Parker is licensed to draw wine in Taunton." In August, 1663, the record shows the following :
Liberty is granted unto Thomas Leonard, of Taunton, sen'r, to sell strong liquors and wine in the said town betwixt this date and the Court to be holden at Plymouth in June next, and that he observe the orders of Court as are extant about selling liquors and wine, and that he keep good order in his house with them to whom he sells any.
Mr. Leonard soon afterward lost his wife by death and his license was revoked because he was thus deprived of his housekeeper, and be- cause " there was another ordinary in the town." In March, 1677, Ed- ward Rew was granted a license to keep an ordinary, and required "that he keep good orders in his house, that so no abuse be suffered by him on that account." In July following Nicholas White, of Taunton, was fined £30 for selling liquor to the Indians on several occasions. In June, 1671, the court established regulations to prevent excessive drinking in the licensed places, and James Walker, Aaron Knapp and John Dean were appointed to act as inspectors of the ordinaries to see
259
THE CITY OF TAUNTON.
if the regulations were violated. In the Proprietors' Records for De- cember 13, 1669, " Thomas Harvey, of the ordinary," is mentioned, while in June, 1685, the year of the formation of Bristol county, the court granted liberty to Sergt. William Witherell, of Taunton, "to re- tail cider, beer, and strong liquors." In October following Thomas Leonard and Shadrach Wilbore were given liberty to sell liquor by the gallon. The license fee in Taunton, as fixed in 1669, was £2.
The home lots of the early settlers were six to fifteen acres in extent, while their pastures, meadows and woodlands were scattered in various parts of the town. For the rearing of young stock in the first few years a pasture for the common herd became necessary, with convenient drinking water and so situated as to be easily fenced. Hay was needed for the stock in winter, and this could be obtained along the Taunton River at the expense of making and transportation. The early transport- ation of timber and lumber was also an important consideration. It would seem providential for the inhabitants that Taunton River, with its broad and deep channel, was here for the transportation by boat and raft of hay, timber and herds to their various destinations, where they were unladen at landing places; these were probably at first upon pri- vate lands, but as the population increased and river transportation accordingly, public landing places were ordered. The first of these, doubtless, was provided by the following vote under date of August 12, 1661 :
The five men to lay out on the Neck of land on the great river next the land of Jonah Austin a tract of the towns land for the landing of hay.
In the Proprietary Records, for 1664, chapter 6, is found the descrip- tion of five landing places provided by the Selectmen. The situation of all of these is shown on the first map in this volume.
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