Our country and its people; a descriptive and biographical record of Bristol County, Massachusetts, Part 7

Author: Borden, Alanson, 1823-1900; Boston History Company, Boston, pub
Publication date: 1899
Publisher: [Boston] Boston History Company
Number of Pages: 1399

USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > Our country and its people; a descriptive and biographical record of Bristol County, Massachusetts > Part 7

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John Woodcock is allowed by the court to keep an ordinary at the Ten-Mile River (so called), which is in the way from Rehoboth to the Bay, and likewise enjoined to keep good order, that no unruliness or ribaldry be permitted there.

Woodcock was twice married and had a large family, among whom were several sons, one of whom was killed by the Indians, as before related. His death took place October 20, 1701, after a long life of usefulness as a pioneer and unyielding warfare upon the Indians.

Woodcock sold two hundred and ten acres of land "at a place com- monly called Ten-Mile River by a highway called Wrentham Lane," etc., with buildings, to John Devotion, who took possession in April, 1694. On July 10, 1711, this man sold the farm to John Daggett, of Martha's Vineyard, with twenty-five acres on Nine- Mile River and one whole share in the undivided lands in Attleborongh. This John Dag- gett was the first of that name to settle in the town. In April, 1722, Daggett sold the homestead to Alexander Maxcy; it subsequently passed to his son Levi and from him to Col. Israel Hatch. . The old Woodcock garrison house stood until 1806.

The fine water power at Attleborough Falls attracted early settlers, among whom was John Daggett, of Rehoboth, who laid out lands at that point and in October, 1677, sold fifty acres to his brother, Thomas Daggett, of Martha's Vineyard. Edward Hall, formerly of Taunton and later of Rehoboth, owned fifty acres there at an early date, which descended to his son John, who sold it to John Stevenson and Samuel Penfield; the latter sold it in 1686 to Thomas Daggett, of Edgartown, and Joseph and Nathaniel Daggett, of Rehoboth. The two last named were sons of the first John Daggett, of Rehoboth. This land was di- rectly around the falls, and included a water privilege. The first mill built there was for grinding corn, and was owned at one time by Joseph Daggett; it was probably the first mill in the town. In 1703 the town voted that he should have the water privilege, free of taxes "until a corn mill has the constant custom of three-score families, and if a saw mill be built, that, to bear his equal share in public charges in said town."

FROM 1685 TO 1776.

Another early settler there was Thomas Butler, and there were two others of that name in the town. Families from Rehoboth settled early in the southeast corner of the town, and the vicinity of the city was occupied by some of the early comers.

Edward and Nathan Richards were the first of this name to settle in Attleborough. They were the sons of John Richards, of the fourth generation from the first John, son of Thomas, who was the first of the name in this country. Edward Richards was born in Dedham in 1724, settled in Attleborough and became a prominent citizen, especially during the Revolutionary period. The committee chosen by the town for the convention held at Concord in October, 1779, consisted of Mr. Richards, Levi Maxcy and Col. Stephen Richardson; Mr. Richards held other public positions of honor. He had four sons, one of whom was Calvin, father of Manning Richards, one of the earliest jewelry manufacturers in the town, and grandfather of Hon. H. M. Richards. Calvin had another son who bore his name, who was associated with his brother Ira in large manufacturing interests in the town. Ira Rich- ards (son of Calvin) was father of E. Ira and Josiah D. Richards, and died at the age of fifty-three years after a very active and useful life. Other members of this family have been prominent in the affairs of Attleborough, as further noticed in Part III of this work.

The Blackinton family were among the early settlers of Attlebor- ough, Pentecost Blackinton coming from Marblehead about 1700. His son Peter was grandfather of William, who was a Revolutionary sol- dier and a gun manufacturer. After the war he was associated with his son William in cotton mills, first at North Attleborough, and later at Falls village. He was father.of Col. Willard Blackinton, a leading manufacturer many years, postmaster, a member of both branches of the Legislature, and a public-spirited citizen.

Ebenezer Daggett was for many years one of the conspicuous cit- izens of the town. He was largely interested in the manufacture of cotton goods, was a public-spirited citizen, and at the time of his death a member of the State Senate. His sons, H. N. and H. M. Daggett, became owners of the cotton mills at the Falls, and made print cloths a number of years. The firm was dissolved about 1856, and H. N. Daggett subsequently established the manufacture of braid, which was very successful. The names of many other settlers of the town will appear as we proceed.

The inhabitants of Attleborough early provided for religious instruc-

OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

tion. The town remained one parish until April, 1743. The first set- tled minister was Rev. Matthew Short, who was called in October, 1711; he was to have fifty pounds a year for the first six years, but re- mained only four years, removing to Easton. The first meeting-house was built in 1710,1 but was not wholly finished until 1714. The site was given by Lieut. Moses Read. As early as 1705 eighty pounds had been granted towards building a minister's house; this was not all collected until 1707-8. In 1710 it was voted that this property should be "given to the first minister who shall serve the town seven years in the office of minister." Ebenezer White was the second regular minister, preaching from July, 1715, until his death, September 4, 1726, thus acquiring title to the ministerial lot. Other later grants of land in this town were made to ministers. In November, 1734, Noah Carpenter, sr., and Caleb Hall, out of good-will towards the "church and congregation of said Attleborough, called by the name of Presby- terians," gave them a tract of about forty rods of land "where the new meeting-house now stands." This new meeting-house was built in 1728.

Habijah Weld was the third minister, and served the congregation from 1727 until his death in 1782. Upon the division of the parish in 1743 the west part constituted the First, and the east the Second parish. Among other early ministers of the First parish were Revs. - Wilder, Thomas Williams, Charles J. Warren, John D. M. Bailey, S. B. Morley, B. C. Chace, H. P. De Forest, John Whitehill and others.

In the Second parish a meeting was held in June, succeeding the division, "to consider and see what the parish will do, in order to place a meeting-house for the public worship of God." It was voted to set their church " where the roads meet or cross each other." Rev. Peter Thacher was called as the first pastor, and served until 1784. Before the close of 1743 it was voted to build a meeting-house thirty- five feet square, and " high enough for one tier of galleries." Another vote changed the size to 45 by 35 feet. On October 16, 1744, it was voted "to have a burying place in the meeting-house lot, and that it should be at the northwesterly corner of said lot." This was the first public burying ground in East Attleborough. Other early pastors in

1 At a town meeting, February 9, 1709-10, voted to build a meeting-house thirty feet square and sixteen feet between joints, and to set it upon a piece of land on the east side of the country road near to the house of Christopher Hall, and to get the timber for said house, and to frame and raise it by the 1st of June next.

FROM 1685 TO 1776.

this parish were Revs. Ebenezer Lazell, Nathan Holman, John Fergu- son, Jonathan Crane, Charles D. Lothrop, Francis N. Peloubet, Samuel Bell and others. The second house of worship was built in 1825.

What was known as the North Baptist Church has a history traceable back to 1747. It was for many years of the Congregational faith, and on January 20, 1747, "set apart their esteemed Brother, Nathaniel Sheppard, by solemn ordination, as their pastor." He died April 14, 1752. The society had a feeble existence until 1769, when it was changed to "a Baptist Church, in what is called open communion." At that time there were six male and four female members. The first meeting- house was finished in 1784, and the second one was built in 1817. Abra- ham Bloss preached from 1767 till his death, September 16, 1769. Other early pastors were Elder Job Seamans, Elder Abner Lewis, Elder James Read, Revs. Stephen S. Nelson, Silas Hall, Williams Phillips, Jonathan E. Forbush, Reuben Morey, William H. Alden, G. F. Warren, J. F. Ashley, Abijah Hall.

The South Baptist Church was established in 1760, but its early records are not in existence. A meeting-house was built, and the so- ciety continued to about 1800, when it was dissolved.

The educational interests of Attleborough were, of course, under care of the authorities of Rehoboth until the incorporation of the former town. Early in the history of Rehoboth one of the citizens was in: structed to write to a young man in Dorchester "to signify to him that it is the town's desire that he would be pleased to come up and teach school." The people were soon informed by the men in authority that they had agreed with Edward Howard to teach school "at twenty pounds a year and his diet, besides what the Court doth allow in that case." In the spring of 1699 Thomas Robinson taught a reading and writing school for boys only, and in the next winter Robert Dickson was engaged to teach "both sexes of boys and girls to read English and write and cast accounts," for which he was to be paid thirteen pounds, one-half in silver and the other in "good merchantable board at the current and merchantable price." These were among the very early schools of the county, outside of Taunton, and were established in obedience to the law of 1647, which provided for taxing the people for free public schools. In 1744 towns containing one hundred or more families were compelled to support a teacher who had a knowledge of Greek and Latin in addition to English branches.

The first records regarding schools in Attleborough after the town 8

OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

was incorporated, is under date of March 20, 1716, when it was "voted and agreed upon that Deacon Daggett should be schoolmaster." In December of that year Josiah Jacques was employed for one year as schoolmaster at "twenty pounds in current money of this province, or proportionately for less time, if he should not stay so long." This school was probably in what became South Attleborough. In 1717 Thomas Cathcart, of Martha's Vineyard, taught school for thirty pounds. At this time, and for many years later, the schools were taught in dwellings. The population of the town in 1717, including the Gore (as Cumberland was then called), did not exceed five hundred, and one school sufficed. In December, 1718, the town voted "that ye school should be kept seven months in one quarter of ye Town at a time, and that Quarter shall have power to place the school as they shall think most proper and convenient." A committee of five was chosen to divide the town into quarters, with power to designate in which quarter the school should be first kept, etc. The committee were H. Peck, Ensigns Whipple and Read, John Lovell and Samuel Day. There is no report of this committee on record, nor notice of material change in the schools until 1737, when the town was divided into four districts-northwest, southwest, northeast and southeast. George Allen taught school in 1724, 1726, 1728 and 1732, his pay rang- ing from thirty to fifty pounds " and his diet." In 1735-6 there was probably no school, as a vote on the subject is recorded in the negative. John Gratorex, Benjamin Ide and John Robbins, jr., were teachers at about that period. In 1745, one year after the passage of the law establishing free schools, it was voted in January "to choose a com- mittee to divide the town into five parts and the Gore to be one part. Voted that the school be kept in two places, six months each in each part, during the next two years and six months." At about the same time the town exhibited praiseworthy enterprise in voting "thirty pounds old tenor money to encourage ye keeping of women schools.". As population increased better school facilities were gradually provided as necessity required, until 1771, when, in November, a committee was chosen " to divide the town into twelve parts, and appoint the places where the school shall be kept." This committee performed its task, but made the number of districts thirteen. Among other early teachers were Elisha May and Ephraim Starkweather. In 1776 it was voted "to divide the school money, that each may have his part." The num- ber of districts (or "quarters," as they continued to be called) was kept

FROM 1685 TO 1776.

at thirteen until after the close of the Revolution, when, in 1789, it was " voted to make twenty quarters." In 1788 the first division of school money was made on a basis of the number of scholars. The twenty quarters continued until 1808, when the town was divided into eighteen "districts," the boundaries of which are given in the records. The records previous to 1804 do not give the location of any school- houses. In that year money was raised for building purposes, and the first house erected was probably in the Old Town district. The next one was built soon afterwards at the Falls, and ere long all the districts were thus provided. During forty years after the Revolution the ap- propriations for " tuition and schooling " were made per capita on chil- dren from four to sixteen years of age. From seventy-five cents in 1801, the sum was increased to one dollar in 1807, and so remained un- til 1820. The details of the gradual growth of the town school system during the last fifty years-the increase of appropriations from one dol- lar to eight dollars, the building of school-houses and increase in num- ber of scholars, are given in the various school reports. The old dis- trict system continued until 1883, when it was abolished by a State law. High schools were established in 1867 in both Attleborough and North Attleborough, which have been efficiently conducted ever since, as indicated in later pages.

The next town incorporation in Bristol County was that of Norton, the first steps towards which were taken November 27, 1707. Up to that time most of the territory (which formerly included the present towns of Mansfield and Easton) constituted what was known as the Taunton North Purchase. (See History of Taunton herein.) The purchase was made June 6, 1668, of Thomas Pence, Josiah Winslow, Thomas Southworth and Constant Southworth, "the country's agents," by the following persons:

Richard Williams, Nicholas White, Jr., Hezekiah Hore,

John Richmond, Samuel Williams,

Walter Dean,

Alice Dean,

Christopher Thrasher,

Israel Dean,

Mrs. Jane Gilburt,

James Walker, Joseph Wilbor, William Harvey, Thomas Leonard, John Turner,

Robert Crossman,

George Watson,

Shadrack Wilbor,

Samuel Smith,

Thomas Caswell, John Macomber,

Richard Burt,

John Smith,

John Tisdell, Sr.,

John Tisdell, Jr.,

James Phillips,

Edward Bobbot,

Henry Andrews, John Cob, George Hall, John Hall,

Edward Rew, John Parker, Samuel Paule,

James Burt,

George Macey,

OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

Samuel Hall,

Thomas Lincoln, Sr.,

James Leonard, Sr.,

Thomas Harvey, Sr.,

Nathaniel Williams,

Nathaniel Thayre.

Thomas Williams,

Thomas Lincoln, Jr.,

John Briant,

Nicholas White, Sr.,

Peter Pits,

Thomas Harvey, Jr.

Jonah Austin, Sr.,

The first town clerk of Norton was John Briggs, for one year, and he was succeeded by George Leonard, who held the office three sep- arate terms, the last one 1743-50. The first Selectmen were George Leonard, John Wetherell and Thomas Stephens, 1711. The history of the settlement of this town down to the date of the first petition for its formation as a precinct, is largely embodied with that of Taunton. Forty-three of the settlers in the North Purchase made petition in 1707 through their chosen agents, George Leonard and Nicholas White, to the old town of Taunton "to bound us out a presink for the maintain- nence of a minister; and that, when we have procured a minister to dispence the word of God amongst us we might be freed from paying to the minister & Schoolmaster at town," etc. The signers of this petition were the following, as copied from the records :

George Leonard,

Nicholas White,

Ephraim Grover, Mathew White,

Andrew Grover, Peter Aldrich,

John Lane,

Seth Dorman,

Israel Fisher,

Thomas Braman Sen.,

Ebenezer Hall,

Thomas Grover, .

Thomas Stevens,

John Caswell Jun.,

Nathaniel Fisher,

Selvanis Camble.

Benjamin Caswell,

Joseph Briggs,

John Briggs,

John Wetherell,

Benjamin Williams,

John Hodges,

Ebenezer Edy,

Nathaniell Harvey,

Nathaniell Hodges,

Samuel Brintnell,

John Briggs Jr.,

Samuell Hodges,

John Caswell Sen.,

Nicholas Smith,

Jabez Pratt,

Eliezer Fisher,

John Newland,

Thomas Braman Jun,,

Richard Briggs,

William Cob,

William Hodges,

William Wetherell Sen.,

Benjamin Newland,

Robert Tucker,

Eliezer Edy, John Cob,

John Skinner.

John Hathway, Jonathan Brigs, Increase Robinson,

Another petition followed this one, dated March 23, 1708, in which was set forth the difficulty of traveling so far to public worship, and praying for a division to be so made that "the military line may be the bounds of the precinct, which is burt's brook, and from the mouth of sd. brook to the bridge neer william wetherell, and from sd. bridge north Eastardly to the north-purchase line; so that we may not have one line for the military and another for the minister."

FROM 1685 TO 1776.

This was signed by George Leonard, John Wetherell and Nicholas White. The old town did not readily grant these requests, and on Oc- tober 20, 1708, the General Court was similarly petitioned and a hear- ing on the subject granted October 22 for "the second Tuesday of the next session of the sd. court." The precinct was finally formed Sep- tember 19, 1709, and an order was passed by the Council and Assembly March 17, 1710-11, to the effect that "the North Precinct in Taunton be, and hereby is granted to be a Town, distinct from the Town of Taunton, by the name of Norton." The act of incorporation was passed June 12, 1711.

William Wetherell, who came from England as a cabin boy, was in old Taunton in 1643. In 1659 he had a division of land made to him, and in 1672 was among the proprietors of the Taunton South Purchase, including what is now Dighton and a part of Berkley. This William Wetherell was the first permanent settler within the bounds of Norton. The Proprietors' Records of Taunton show that on April 29, 1669, he sold some land on Mill River, which embraced " five acres, more or less, which was granted to him by the town for a home-lotte." On the same day was laid out to him sixty acres of land in four lots on the easterly and northerly side of Winneconnet Pond. There he probably built a house in that year. His name appears in 1675 in the list of Taunton proprietors, and also several times in the Grand Inquest between 1650 and 1690. He was constable between 1672 and 1676 and representa- tive to the Plymouth Court in 1671 and 1685. June 2, 1685, he was licensed "to retaile cider, beeir, and strong liquors," and probably kept a public house on what is now the Bay Road. He was wounded in King Philip's war, and has had many descendants in the town.

The next settler in the North Purchase was Thomas Brintnell, who located in 1685 in that part which is set off as Mansfield. The grant of two hundred acres of land at Stony Brook to two brothers, Thomas Leonard, sr., and James Leonard, sr., in 1695, was made for their "in- couragement to set up and build a forge to make iron at said place ; " it was " to be built and in some considerable forwardness " before De- cember 1, 1696, or the grant would be revoked. These Leonards were given also the privilege of selecting their next share in the North Pur- chase land " in the best of iron oare that they can find," and they could also dig ore on any other man's land by "paying the owner of such land one shilling a tun for every tun of iron-oare they shall dig." George Leonard, son of Thomas, established a forge, or "bloomery,"

OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

as it was called, nearly in front of the site of the old Leonard mansion. This enterprise, and the vigor and energy with which the Leonards pushed forward all their affairs, gave a great impetus to the improve- ment of a region that was then mainly a wilderness.

As late as 1724 the town voted five shillings for each wild cat killed, which enactment continued two years. The records show the follow- ing on this subject :

March ye 1st, 1724-5 .- Joseph Godfrey, John Caswell and Ebenezer White Brought Each of them a wild-cat's Head to me, and I cut the Ears off from them; and the towne of Norton was to pay five shillings a head for each of them.

Per me, George Leonard, clerk.

Oct. 6, 1725 .- Voted to Raise five shillings more in said Rate to pay to Thomas Skinner, Sen., for a wild-cat's head, which he ciled.

A premium was also paid for "blackbird's heads, and jayes and woodpeckers."

A quaint record, relating partly to schools in this town, is found under date of September, 1741, when it was voted "to raise £40 for the Suport of the scoole, and for the birds' and squirls' heads, and the poor." As late as April, 1803, it was voted " to give 25 pence for every old crow that should be killed in the town of Norton, and carried to the Town Treasurer."

Brief notes of a number of settlers earlier than 1711, have been con- densed from Clark's excellent history of this town. Peter Aldrich, one of the original members of the First Church, was married here in 1702, and had three children. Deacon John Andrews, born about 1686; is supposed to have been a grandson of Henry Andrews, one of the first settlers of Taunton. John Austin, son of John Austin, jr., was born July 1, 1671, and lived in the east part of the town. Thomas Braman may have been a son of Thomas, sr., who was in Taunton in 1653; he died June 7, 1709, and had a son, Thomas, jr., who lived in this town. Daniel Braman was also son of Thomas, sr., born October 11, 1688, and lived where his father first settled. Deacon John Briggs, son of Richard Briggs, of Taunton, probably lived near the Center, as he was several times chosen " clark of ye market." He had brothers, Joseph, born June 15, 1674, and Richard, born January 12, 1679. Samuel Briggs was an early settler, married Mary Hall, had several children, and died about 1705. Sylvanus Campbell became a settler before 1700. John Cobb may have been son of John Cobb, of Taunton, and was born March 31, 1678. William Cobb was probably his brother, and

FROM 1685 TO 1776.

settled in the easterly part of the town. Joseph Dunham lived early at Lockety Neck. Ebenezer Eddy, son of John Eddy, of Taunton, and grandson of Samuel Eddy, of Plymouth, settled near the site of Crane's Depot. Eleazer Eddy, born October 16, 1681, was his brother. Four Fisher families, Samuel, Eleazer, Israel and Nathaniel, brothers, sons of Daniel, of Taunton, were all early settlers. Four brothers named Hodges, sons of John, of Taunton, and grandsons of William, who was at Taunton in 1643, were early settlers; their names were John, born April 5, 1673; Nathaniel, born April 2, 1675; Samuel, born May 20, 1678; William, born June 6, 1682. John Lane was son of Andrew and grandson of William who came to Dorchester in 1635-36. Benja- min and John Newland, brothers, were early settlers, as was also Jabez Pratt, who was a son of Jonathan, and Isaac Shepard, son of Thomas. Thomas Stephens, son of Richard, of Taunton, was born February 3, 1674, and probably lived near the center of the town. In 1712 he had laid out to him land on Lockety Neck near the confluence of Rum- ford and Wading Rivers. Robert Tucker was a resident as early as 1698, and John Smith was an early settler. The settlement of William Wetherell has been noticed; he had a son of the same name, born about 1650, who lived on the homestead, and another named John, born in 1664. The latter had a son of the same name, born October 8, 1688, who is said to have been the first white child born in the town; he also lived on the homestead.

Hon. George Leonard was son of Judge Thomas Leonard, and grand- son of James, the pioneer. This family trace their ancestry back to Lennard Lord Dacre, who was descended through two lines from Ed- ward III of England. The Norton Leonards were very large land owners and exercised a powerful influence upon the settlement and de- velopment of this town.

The records show that Norton sent part of a military company to aid in the old French and Indian war (1756-63) of which John Caswell was ensign. The men from Norton were Thomas Braman, drummer, Philip Atherton, Jeremiah Campbell, Micajah Dorman, Abijah Fisher, John Fisher, Eleazer Fisher, John Forrest, Isaiah Forrest, Samuel Forrest, Thomas Grover, Zephaniah Lane, Ephraim Thayer. Major Hodges, who died in the service, was a Norton man. In Capt. Nathan- iel Perry's company of Easton (then a part of Norton), employed in defending the frontier in 1754, were Jonathan Eddy, William Rogers, Levi Lane, Samuel Pratt, Elijah Smith, John Thayer, George Weth-

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Our country and its people; a descriptive and biographical record of Bristol County, Massachusetts, Part 7

Author: Borden, Alanson, 1823-1900; Boston History Company, Boston, pub Publication date: 1899 Publisher: [Boston] Boston History Company Number of Pages: 1399

Author: Borden, Alanson, 1823-1900; Boston History Company, Boston, pub
Publication date: 1899
Publisher: [Boston] Boston History Company
Number of Pages: 1399