USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > Our country and its people; a descriptive and biographical record of Bristol County, Massachusetts > Part 45
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The third lot was drawn by Christopher Wadsworth, an early settler in Duxbury, who died about 1677. On December 20, 1700, Latham Clark and his wife Ann, of Newport, kinsman of Wadsworth, trans- ferred, for £140, to Benjamin Church the north half of this lot, which 54
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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
was given to said Clark and John Wilbur (or Wilbour) of Portsmouth by John Wadsworth, then deceased and late of Duxbury. On Decem- ber 20, 1700, this tract was equally divided, Clark taking the south part and Wilbur the north. On January 4, 1726, for £100 Benjamin Rosbotham sold to Constant Church two-fifths of the south half of this lot, bounded north by the north half of the lot, then owned by Samuel Forman; east by Watuppa Pond; south by the second lot; westerly by land of Constant Church and Stephen Southworth (formerly owned by Joseph Rosbotham). This tract mentioned as belonging to Rosbotham was sold to him by Benjamin Church December 12, 1712. On January 2, 1728, Patience Church, widow of Constant and administratrix, sold to Benjamin Durfee for £30 a part of the third lot, bounded east by the County Road, northerly by land of Samuel Forman and Aaron Bowen, westerly by Aaron Bowen and Taunton River, and southerly by Aaron Bowen. Constant Church, son of Benjamin, died March 9, 1727, and was buried on the old meeting house lot in the north part of Fall River. On March 23, 1768, Samuel Forman and John Forman, of New Jersey (sons of Samuel), sold to Thomas Durfee the north part of this lot with buildings, bounded west by the river; north by lands of Boomer, Elsbre, Butman, Borden and Snell; east on the old Tiverton line; south by the Indian land and others; 328 acres. About the year 1853 the town bought thirty two acres of the north half of this lot for $15,000, for a park. This was subsequently traded with Dr. Nathan Durfee for the land of Oak Grove Cemetery. The Indian reservation1 is also on the north half of this lot.
1 The original Indian reservation at Fall River formerly belonged to a person who was con- victed, in 1693, of "high misdemeanors." He was sentenced to pay a fine of £150, but managed to escape from the officer having him in charge, and fled to Rhode Island. After a few years, being desirous of returning to the State, Maj. Benjamin Church presented a petition on his behalf to the General Court, proposing that, for the satisfaction of said fine of £150, which was imposed upon him, he would convey to the Province certain lands therein indicated, and praying that on completing a deed for said lands, he should be set at liberty, and be permitted to return to his family. In answer to the petition, it was resolved, in March, 1701, "that the prayer therein be granted," and said Ebenezer Brenton, esq., the said Maj. Benjamin Church, and Mr. William Pa- bodie were appointed " a committee to take care that sufficient deeds of conveyance of the lands be made and executed " by the petitioner. In conformity therewith, the deed was duly executed the 27th of November, 1701. The General Court by resolve of the same year, 1701, granted the land, thus acquired, to Capt. James Church and certain members of his company of friendly In- dians, in consideration of services rendered by them to the Province .- Report of Commissioner John Milton Earle, 1862.
These lands were divided in 1707 and confirmed to the Indians in severalty and to their heirs forever. The land was surveyed and the several lots assigned by number to the members of Captain Church's company. Only a small part of the lots was improved or built upon. In 1763 the General Court caused a new survey to be made and a new assignment of lots of those who had died and left no posterity. The tract contained one hundred and ninety acres and sixty-four rods of land, which was thus divided into twenty-eight equal parts.
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THE CITY OF FALL RIVER.
The fourth lot was drawn by Edmund Chandler. On March 8, 1685, the south half by John Wilbur and wife Hannah, of Portsmouth, "for love and affection for my sister Elizabeth Freelove and husband Morris, part of 4th lott granted unto Edmund Chandler, being 1/2 of said lot on the south, bounded on the west by Taunton river, north by land of Matthew Boomer, south by land of Christopher Wadsworth, for their natural lives, then to the lawful heirs of Elizabeth." Matthew Boomer, sr., transferred to Matthew Boomer, jr., the south half of the north half of this lot, with dwelling, etc., twenty-eight rods wide, two hun- dred and twenty acres. On June 24, 1677, Matthew Boomer sold to John Reed the north one fourth of this lot, which he had bought of Henry Brightman. The north one-fourth remained in the Reed family until gradually sold off in lots. The homestead stood on the site of St. Joseph's church. The next one- fourth south of the Reed tract remained in the Boomer family until the daughter married Capt. Jonathan Brownell, and was sold to the city of Fall River for the town farm.
The fifth lot was drawn by Samuel House. His sons, Samuel and Joseph, sold, on March 25, 1678, the north half to Henry Brightman for £70. At about the same time Brightman and Thomas Cornell bought on this lot and in 1679 Cornell sold his part to George Lawton, jr., of Portsmouth, who probably settled there before 1687. On Octo- ber 31; 1687, Lawton sold for £250 to Samuel Gardiner, of Newport, the south half, fifty-eight rods by four miles, with dwellings and other buildings. This land went bock to Lawton in 1694, when Gardiner and others bought on Gardiner's Neck, and in 1694 Lawton sold the same half to Ezekiel Hunt for £200. The old north cemetery is on a part of this lot.
The sixth lot was drawn by John Howland who was, probably, the earliest settler thereon, and was succeeded by his brother, Samuel. In 1691 Nathaniel Howland, of Dartmouth, sold to Henry Brightman, of Portsmouth, the south half, bounded south by land of Henry Bright- man, and north by land of Samuel Howland. This lot remained in the Howland, Brightman and Hathaway families, who were intermingled by marriage, until most of it was sold off in house lots.
George Watson drew the seventh lot. He was a constable in Plym- outh in 1660 and probably retained this lot as long as he lived, leaving it to his children and grandchildren. On July 20, 1706, John Watson, probably grandson of George, sold his right to Henry Brightman.
The eighth lot was drawn by Ralph Partridge. At the division of
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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE
1660 it went to his heirs, and on October 29, 1694, his grandsons Ralph and Peter Thatcher, sold to John Reed, a "cordwainer." He became an actual settler. This lot lay just north of the Border City Mill site. On July 30, 1713, John Reed, sr., sold to John Reed, jr., the north half of the lot and on the same date also to his son the south half of the south half (one-quarter), reserving the other quarter for himself. Parts of the north half remained in the Reed family until recent years.
The ninth lot was drawn by Mr. Timothy Hatherly, who sold his right before the date of division, and it came into possession of James Cudworth, who sold it in 1681 to Simon Lynde of Boston. From him it descended to Samuel Lynde, who gave it to his grandchildren, Thomas and Elizabeth Valentine, from whom it passed to various owners.
The tenth lot was drawn by Love Brewster and passed by kinship to his son Wrestling Brewster, who sold the north half to John Rogers, a carpenter. On October 3, 1702, Rogers sold to Edward Thurston, sr., whose son, Thomas Thurston, settled thereon and remained until his death, March 22, 1730. This land has always remained in the Thurston family and is now owned by William Hambly, who married Edward Thurston's daughter, who is sister of the late Anthony Thurs
ton. The south half of this lot was purchased by Thomas Durfee of Brewster and John Rogers on May 29, 1676, for £65, and it was set- tled by his son, Robert Durfee.
Richard More, an early settler of Duxbury, drew the eleventh lot. It must have passed to Richard More, between whom and Hugh Woodbury there appears to have been a dispute as to title, as the rec- ords show a deposition of Benjamin Church, made May 2, 1696, that "I, in company with Hugh Woodbury, at his dwelling in the year 1680, in Freetown, upon the Eleventh lot, lying north of Robert Dur- fee, was fencing his land and possession thereof." This indicates that Woodbury was in possession in 1680. Thomas Durfee made a similar deposition. Israel Woodbury died in 1700 without issue and the lot was divided between Hugh Woodbury (probably a second Hugh) and the children of Nicholas Woodbury. Thomas Gage, a cloth dresser and clothier, was an early settler on this lot.
The twelfth lot was drawn by Walter Hatch. It lay in the northerly part of Fall River and passed to Joseph Hatch, son of Walter, who sold it, June 8, 1705, to Jonathan Dodson, who became a settler about 1708. He was a prominent citizen and held the offices of town clerk,
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THE CITY OF FALL RIVER.
selectman, assessor, representative, etc. This lot was transferred from Jonathan Dodson to his brother, Graham Dodson, from whom it came down to later purchasers.
The thirteenth lot was drawn by Thomas Southworth, a brother of Constant Southworth, both of whom came to America with their wid- owed mother in 1628, settling in Plymouth. Thomas was prominent in the militia and both brothers appear to have been leading cititzens.
The fourteenth lot, half of which is in Freetown, was drawn by William Paybody (Peabody), but by an order of the Plymouth Court it passed to Benjamin Church. It remained in his possession until it was purchased by Boston men, one of whom was Samuel Lynde. The lat- ter donated two and one-half acres of the lot for the old meeting-house lot, burial ground and training field, as elsewhere described.
A large area of territory in the southern part of Fall River was in- cluded in the Pocasset Purchase, described in an early chapter of this work. The first meeting of the proprietors of that purchase was held April 11, 1681, at which Christopher Almy, Job Almy, William Man- chester and Nathaniel Thomas were appointed to lay out lots.1 This committee made a report of the first division on February 20, 1682-3. The first twelve lots were in Fall River territory. They were called "great lots," and extended from Taunton River one mile eastward to the Eight-rod Way. At the meeting held June 30, 1696, it was " Or- dered, that a highway 8 rods wide be laid out along the head of the great lots to Punkatest." These twelve lots were drawn as follows:
Lot 1. Edward Gray. Lot 7. Christopher Almy. 8. Edward Gray.
2. Edward Gray.
3. William Manchester. .6
9. Christopher Almy.
" 4. Edward Gray.
10. Daniel Wilcox.
5. William Manchester.
11. Job Almy.
6. Benjamin Church. 12. Edward Gray.
These lots, with the exception of 7, 8 and 9 were fifty-two rods wide;
1 We, whose names are underwritten, the purchasers of the Land of Pocasset and places ad- jacent, Do engage ourselves to the Hon. Court of New Plymouth that we will from time to time use our utmost endeavor for the well settling of the Plantation and in order thereunto will be careful to settle, etc.
Edward O. Gray (mark), Nathaniel Shower,
Benj. Church, Christopher Almy, Job Almy, Thomas Wait, Daniel Wilcox (mark), Wm. Manchester.
-Rec. Mass. Hist. Soc'y, vol. III, p. 237.
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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
the others were fifty rods. A highway four rods wide was laid out be- tween lots 12 and 13, which is now State street.
The second division included the land between the Eight-rod Way and Watuppa Pond and the Quequechan River, the lots being called the "six-score acre lots," containing each one hundred and twenty acres. The first twelve were in Fall River territory, but the area of land required for the twelve extended a little farther southward than that of the first division, making the angle seen in the southern line on the Fall River map.
The second division was as follows:
Lot 1. Richard Borden. Lot 6, Job Almy. 7. Lidy Gray.
" 2. John Cook.
" 3. John Cook. 66 8. Christopher Almy.
" 4. William Corey,
9. Nathaniel Southwick.
10. Joseph Wanton.
" 5. Job Almy and Thomas Corey. [The Six-rod Way extended across 11. Seth Arnold.
this lot. ] " 12. Edward Gray.
The third division included the land which has been called "French- town," between the south pond and Quequechan, and the north pond. It was laid out in 1697, and the first twelve lots were drawn as follows :
Lot 1. Christopher Almy,
2. Thomas Hix.
66 3. David Lake.
4. Seth Arnold.
5. Constant Southworth.
6. Job Almy and Robert Negard.
7. Ephraim Cole.
Lot 14. John Cook.
15. Richard Burding (Borden).
16. Naththaniel Blagrove and Ward.
17. Thomas and Roger Cory:
18. George Brownell.
19. Daniel Wilcox.
20. Edward Gray.
21. Job Almy's daughter.
8. Thomas Durfee and Mathew Burding (Borden). 22. Thomas Cook.
9. John Pearce and E. Ward.
10. Joseph Wanton.
" 11. Samuel Little.
" 12. John Woodman and Joseph An- thony.
" 13. Ephraim Cole.
27. Samuel Little.
28. Samuel Gray.
29. Job Almy.
30. John Cook, jr.
[Between this lot and the four- teenth a highway six rods wide was laid out, which is now the Six-rod Way.]
23. Samuel Cook.
24. Gershom Wardell.
25. Gideon Freeborn.
26. Gershom Wardell and Job Law- ton.
A boundary dispute arose between Freetown and Tiverton soon after their incorporation, which was amicably adjusted in 1700 by a commit- tee consisting of Josiah Winslow, Robert Durfee and Henry Brightman,
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THE CITY OF FALL RIVER.
of Freetown, and Richard Borden, Christopher Almy and Samuel Little, of Tiverton. The division line as determined by this committee is thus described by the Rev. Orin Fowler, writing in 1840-41:
The division line settled by this committee extended by a cleft rock, over which the store of Reed & Bowen now stands [now northest corner of Bedford and Main streets] southwardly to the Fall River, thence the river to be the bound to its mouth, and from the cleft rock easterly about on the line of the present Bedford street. This continued to be the line between these two ancient towns so long as Tiverton belonged to Massachusetts.
In 1740 a dispute arose regarding the boundary between Massachu- setts and Rhode Island, and a commission was appointed by the king to determine the true boundary. The commission reported in 1746 and the report was confirmed by the king, but was appealed from by both colonies; the matter was not finally settled until 1862.1
John Borden, the first of this name to immigrate, came from Eng- land in 1635. He settled, probably, near Boston, removed thence to Rhode Island, and from there in 1648-50, to the vicinity of New Lon- don, Conn. His elder brother, Richard, came over at about the same
1 One of the decrees in the king's award mentioned "a certain point 440 rods to the south ward of the mouth of Fall River," from which a line was run three miles eastward, forming the north- ern boundary of that part of Rhode Island. In measuring this 440 rods the commissioners of 1746 followed the sinuosities of the shore and thus reached a point from a quarter to a half mile farther north than if they had measured in a straight line. From this point they extended the three-mile line, running it through the southern part of Fall River village, a little north of the line of the present Columbia street. Here was the justification for the complaint of Massachu- setts. In 1844 a commission was appointed consisting of Rev. Orin Fowler, Dr. Foster Hooper and Dr. Phineas W. Leland, who were directed to petition the Legislature to not permit any set- tlement of this question less advantageous to Massachusetts than that granted by the king in 1746. In 1856 the Rhode Island Legislature divided the town of Tiverton, setting off the north part, as Fall River, Rhode Island. The dividing line extended from the south side of the twelfth great lot of the Pocasset Purchase to the Eight-rod Way ; thence it followed the present State line to the South Watuppa Pond, and thence followed high-water mark to the south end of Sandy Pond, and on to the Westport line. Meanwhile in 1844 a commission was appointed which reported on the subject to the Legislature in 1848 ; but owing to the representations of the above- named committee the Massachusetts Legislature refused to ratify the report of the commission, and by agreement of both States the question was referred to the United States Supreme Court. In 1860 the court appointed engineers to settle upon the proper boundary, their decree to take effect in 1862. The full claim of neither State was allowed, but the line was so established as to give undivided jurisdiction over a thickly-populated district, bringing into Massachusetts about eleven square miles of territory, about nine of which, with a population of nearly 3,600 and taxa- ble property with a value of nearly $2,000,000, were within the limits of Fall River city. This ter- ritory contained at that time 631 families, 410 dwellings, six school houses and one meeting-house. On the evening of March 1, 1862, when the change took effect, an enthusiastic municipal celebra- tion was held. The town government of the Fall River of Rhode Island were escorted to the city hall by the national guard, where appropriate proceedings took place, and the Rhode Island clerk presented to Mayor Buffinton the charter, title and records of the acquired town. Con- gratulatory speeches were made by prominent citizens. That this change was of the highest importance to the growth of Fall River as a whole is seen in the rapid upbuilding on the Rhode Island territory since 1862.
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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
time, and possibly on the same vessel, and settled on the site of Ports- mouth, R. I., where his son, Matthew, was born in May, 1638. Rich- ard Borden was a prominent man of strong character; his death took place May 25, 1671. His son John was born in September, 1640, and married Mary Earl. His name stands foremost among the sons of Richard, and his de- scendants greatly out- number those of his brothers who settled in New England. He was extensively known among the Friends as John Bor- den of Quaker Hill, Portsmouth, R. I. He died June 4, 1716.
Richard and Joseph Borden were sons of this John, the former born October 24, 1671 (the eldest son), and the latter born De- cember 3,1680, Rich- ard was a large land- holder in Tiverton, though not one of the original purchasers. He and his brother purchased of Col. Benjamin Church RICHARD BORDEN. twenty-six and one- half thirtieths of the mill stream and mill lot at Fall River, besides several other tracts of land bought of Edward Gray, of Plymouth, who owned nine-thirtieths of the Pocasset Purchase. All of this property passed by will to Rich- ard's four sons, John, Thomas, Joseph and Samuel. Of these Thomas was a Tiverton farmer, a large land owner and interested in the Fall River stream. The latter he gave to his son, Richard, and the Cran- berry Neck property, with other lands to his other son, Christopher. He died in his forty-third year.
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THE CITY OF FALL RIVER.
Richard Borden, son of Thomas and grandson of John, was a farmer and mill owner in Fall River. He was born in 1722, and during the Revolutionary war was taken prisoner, with Capt. Benjamin Borden, and carried to Newport. He was soon released on parole. He died July 4, 1795. His son Thomas inherited the homestead, and rebuilt the saw and grist mills that had been destroyed by the British. This and other outlying property had been handed down from generation to generation from the first Richard of Tiverton, and so continued in the family until the formation of the Fall River Iron Works Company in 1831, when the part contiguous to the lower part of the Fall River was sold to that company. He died in 1831.
Col. Richard Borden, son of Thomas, grandson of Richard and great-grandson of the first Thomas, was born April 12, 1795. He passed his early years as a farmer and later became identified with many of the business interests of Fall River. While Fall River was still a small village he became interested in maritime affairs and gave renewed impulse to the shipping interests of the locality. From 1812 to 1820 he operated the grist mill which stood near the site of the An- nawan Mill. Another mill was built on the north side of the creek on the site of Annawan Mill, which was known as the Davenport mill, which was owned by Richard Borden, uncle of Colonel Richard; a tramway was built from this mill to the shore and a car ran up and down the incline drawn by a rope wound on a drum. He joined with Major Durfee in constructing several small vessels, the lumber for which was sawed .in a mill adjoining the grist mill. He was active in organizing the Fall River Iron Works Company in 1821, which became a successful industry. He held responsible positions among the offi- cers of industrial and transportation companies in Fall River and its vicinity, as noticed elsewhere, and was instrumental in constructing the railroad from Fall River to Myrick's, to connect with the New Bed- ford and Taunton Railroad. He also organized the Cape Cod Railroad Company, of which he was chosen president, and constructed a line of road from Middleborough down the cape as a feeder to the Fall River route. With his brother Jefferson he inaugurated a steamboat line from Fall River to New York in 1847, with an employed capital of $300,000. The fine steamers Bay State, Empire State, and Metropolis were built for this line, and proved very successful from a business standpoint. In the war of 1812 he enlisted as a private and rose step by step to the rank of colonel (March 12, 1828), thus gaining his well
55
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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
known tittle. In the Civil war, also, he evinced the most enthusiastic patriotism. During his life Colonel Borden was in all respects the foremost citizen of Fall River and accomplished more for its develop- ment than any other man. He died February 25, 1874.
Joseph Borden, son of the second Richard, inherited a large estate from his father, including several water privileges on Fall River. He was a clothier and owned and occupied the fulling mill built by Col. Benjamin Church, which stood between what is now Main street and the great falls to the west of that highway. He was born November 4, 1702, and was killed by the machinery of his mill in December, 1736.
Among other prominent members of this conspicuous family were Simeon Borden, born June 29, 1798, a distinguished civil engineer and scientific mechanic; died October 28, 1856. His father, also named Simeon, was a very prominent citizen; he foresaw the great future of Fall River; became a large landowner, and devoted his whole energies to the upbuilding of the place. Nathaniel B. Borden and his son of the same name, both prominently connected with the manufactures and trade of Fall River. Joseph Borden, son of John, born December 3, 1680, married Sarah Brownell. In 1714, the year in which his father made his purchase on Fall River, he built a saw mill near the site of the Pocasset Mill of to-day; this was subsequently moved down the stream near to the head of the great falls. His property extended on the north side of the stream from the county road (now Main street) west to the salt water, and included the privilege of joining dams with his brother Richard, who owned the south side of the stream, together with all his father's share of the first lot of the Freeman's Purchase, lying next to Fall River and extending from Taunton River to the Watuppa Ponds.
As pioneers and later important factors in the upbuilding of Fall River, the Durfee family is conspicuous. The elder Thomas Durfee came from England in 1660, and settled in Portsmouth. His son Rob- ert settled in 1686 on a tract of land purchased by his father of William Brewster and John Rogers for £65; it was a half part of the tenth lot of the Freeman's Purchase. This was the first settlement by a Durfee on what became Fall River territory.
Thomas Durfee, son of the first Thomas had a son named Job, born in 1710, married Elizabeth Chase, and was made a freeman in 1731. He purchased in 1736-7, of Joseph Cook, the nineteenth lot of the Pocasset Purchase on Stafford Road, and there resided until his death in 1774.
435
THE CITY OF FALL RIVER.
Samuel Durfee, son of William, who was son of the first Thomas, inherited the large old-fashioned residence on the upper road near the stone bridge, which was owned in recent years by Col. Thomas J. Borden.
Benjamin Durfee, son of the first Thomas, married Prudence Earle in 1699, and inherited from his father, besides what he had already given him, large tracts of land that eventually became a part of Fall River. With subsequent purchases he became one of the largest land- owners in this section. He received by gift from his father the land from Rodman street on the north to Osborn street on the south, and extending from the shore to Eight-rod Way; this tract was purchased of William Manchester in 1680 and given to Benjamin Durfee in 1709: it passed to his son, Capt. William Durfee, and from him by will, the south half passed to his nephews, Richard Durfee and James Durfee; the north half to his relative, William Borden. After other changes of ownership it was cut into building lots and has been sold and built upon.
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