USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > Taunton > Quarter millinnial celebration of the city of Taunton, Massachusetts, Tuesday and Wednesday, June 4 and 5, 1889 > Part 13
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35
But, I pray you to have me excused; and trusting that all propitious influences will attend your 250th anniversary,
I am very gratefully yours, JOSEPH H. WILLIAMS.
Rev. Samuel Hopkins Emery, etc., of the Committee on Invitations, Taun- ton, Mass.
Mr. Williams, on being applied to, since the anniversary, for copies of any official certificates in his possession, show- ing new facts concerning Richard Williams, has done us the favor of transmitting the following :-
163
THE BANQUET.
I.
(Extract from Biglands City of Gloucester, (Eng.) page 184. Inscriptions in St. Nich- olas Church.)
" Here lies interred the bodies of John Deighton of this city, gent., and Jane, his wife, daughter to Edward Basset of Uley, Eng., by whom he had issue three sons and four daughters. He spent all his time in the study of chirurgery and attained to great knowledge therein.
He died 16 May 16(40)-and she the 23 April 1631 .- "
II. (Baptism of Frances Dighton, in Church of St. Nicholas, Gloucester.) " Anno dmi 1611.
" The first of March was baptized Frances the daughter of John Dighton."
I hereby certify that the above is a true copy of the Register of Bap- tisms of the Church of St. Nicholas, Gloucester, extracted this four- teenth day of December, 1888,-by me, (Signed) JOHN J. LUCE, Vicar.
III.
(Marriages.)
" Richard Williams of the parishe of St. Johns in Glouc'r and Fran- ces Deighton of the parishe of St. Nicholas in Glouc'r aforesayd were marryed the XIth daye of February at Witcombe Magna by Mr. Stubbs (t)eacher 1632."
" JOHN LLOYD, Minister. THOMAS BAYLIS, Church wardens." RICHARD PACKER,
[Witcombe Magna is about five miles (easterly) from city of Gloucester. ] "I certify the above to be a correct extract from the Transcript of the Register of the parish of Great Witcombe for the year 1632 now in my lawful keeping. "
(Signed;
B. BONNER, N. P., Registrar of the Diocese of Gloucester and Bris- tol at Gloucester.
IV.
(St. Nicholas Vicarage, Gloucester. "Mr. Thomas, has discovered these two baptis- mal entries.)
"1634 March 27, John, son of Richard Williams. "-
" 1635 February 7, Elizabeth, daughter of Richard Williams. "- Yours very truly,
J. J. LUCE." (Signed)
18, 12, '88.
Copy of a Post Card addressed to Conway Dighton, Esq., St. Julius, Cheltenham.
[The Civil year began March 25th.]
164
QUARTER MILLENNIAL CELEBRATION.
The Hon. James Savage, once President of the Mass. Historical Society, in Vol. 4 of his Genealogical Dictionary, p. 565, quoting from Emery's ministry of Taunton, Vol. I p. 44-what is there stated concerning the Richard Williams family, observes : "I greatly distrust the tradition of his very early coming to our country and more the Gloucestershire wife." We are glad to be assured that the correspondence of Gov. Williams, now published, removes all ground for "distrust " concerning either the marriage or the early com- ing to this country.
Frances Dighton, the wife of Richard Williams, was the daughter of Jane Bassett, the daughter of Edward Bassett, whose lineage appears to run back to the first Lord Berkeley. Hence the expression " well born " is not misapplied to her. See the "Visitation of Gloucestershire, 1623" and printed in Vol. 21, Publications of Harleian Society, 1885.
(Letter from Arthur Kinglake, Esq.)
HAINES HILL, TAUNTON, ENGLAND, MAY, 21, 1889. MY DEAR SIR :- Many thanks for your kind invitation to join in the approaching anniversary of the founding of the city of Taunton which would have given me great pleasure to have accepted, but as you are aware, I am no longer young and am not free from the infirmities of old age. You have extended your hospitalities not only to me but like- wise to some of the citizens of our town, and I am not without a hope that a representative of old Taunton may be enabled to be present at the forthcoming ceremony. It is cheering to me and my friends to find that you have not forgotten us, and be assured that we thoroughly ap- preciate your friendship. 1 often reflect on the spirit and enterprise and civilizing influences of your great Republic. We in Taunton have not forgotten the extreme delight which we experienced some few years since by the visit of your distinguished Statesman and Author, Mr. Lowell, who delivered in our Shire Hall in Taunton, a splendid address on the life and character of the "father of the English novel, " Henry Fielding, one of the worthies of Somersetshire.
The name of General Washington is not forgotten in Somerset to this day. When the unhappy war between this country and America took place, Lady Harriet Acland in a truly heroic spirit sought to ac- company her husband Colonel Acland on the Battle Field and this re- quest was courteously granted by the illustrious Commander.
With best compliments to Mr. Lovering and his family,
I remain with much esteem and regard yours very sincerely,
ARTHUR KINGLAKE,
Justice of the Peace for the County of Somerset.
165
THE BANQUET.
(Letter from John Marshall, Esq.)
BELMONT, TAUNTON, ENGLAND, MAY 8, 1889.
DEAR SIR :- I beg to thank you and your committee for your kind invitation to be present when you celebrate the 250th Anniversary of the founding of Taunton, Mass.
I regret I am not able to accept it; my healthi is very feeble, and I am quite unable to leave my home.
I am yours faithfully,
The Rer. S. Hopkins Emery.
JOHN MARSHALL.
(Letter from Edwin Sloper, Esq.)
TAUNTON, OLD ENGLAND, MAY 7, 1889.
GENTLEMEN :- Very many thanks for the cordial invitation to thic City of Taunton to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of our sister town. Unfortunately my time is so occupied that I am pre- cluded from accepting this kindly and well meant desire. Had I been able to participate in your welcome gathering it was my intention to read a short paper on " Old Taunton" and how a tribe of incoming Saxons settled in the Dean and made it their home in the seventh cen- tury. I think I should also have been capable of nearly proving that Street gave the name to your townl.
Trusting that everything will pass off in the most satisfactory man- ner and sharing in your views and the delights which you anticipate,
Believe me yours very truly,
EDWIN SLOPER.
The Committee on Invitation, 250th Anniversary, Taunton, Mass.
(Letter from Wilfred Marshall, Esq.)
THE ELM, TAUNTON, ENGLAND, MAY 23, 1889. DEAR SIR :- Having just returned home after a few weeks visit to the south of France, I find awaiting me your kind invitation to take part in the ceremonies attending the celebration of the 250th An- niversary of the founding of your town.
I am much gratified that you should have been pleased to ask ine to be present on such an auspicious occasion. It is with infinite regret I . find myself unable to avail myself of this opportunity of revisiting your city, and renewing, under such pleasant auspices, my acquaintance with those of your fellow citizens whose hospitality and welcome ex- tended to me in the years '78, '79 and '83, I shall always bear in grateful remembrance.
I am, dear sir, yours very faithfully,
Rer. S. Hopkins Emery.
WILFRED MARSHALL.
(Letter from Thomas M. Hawkins, Esq.)
67 HIGH STREET, TAUNTON, ENGLAND, MAY 18, 1889.
DEAR SIR :- As a member of the Taunton Town Council this side of the water, permit me to heartily thank you and your committee for tlie kind and cordial invitation to participate in the celebration of the 250th Anniversary of the founding of our namesake your side of the water. Could I spare the time and needful, I do not know any thing that would give me greater pleasure than to be with you on June 4 and 5, but un-
I66
QUARTER MILLENNIAL CELEBRATION.
fortunately these two obstacles cannot be overcome, so I can only be with you in spirit on those days. I trust you may have a very successful cel- ebration and your city go on and prosper as in the past.
Although our Taunton is so much older than yours yet you have become a city while we still remain as far as name in statu quo, but our population is increasing, our boundaries expanding, and things generally looking up.
Will it be troubling you to send me a newspaper containing a report of your proceedings on the 4th and 5th proximo? If so please take no notice of this request, as I know you will be very busy, but I shall be glad to hear of your goings on. Now, sir, please again accept my thanks and best wishes, and believe me,
Yours faithfully,
The Rev. S. Hopkins Emery.
THOMAS M. HAWKINS.
To the Mayor and Corporation of the ancient town of Taunton, England, as to all the invited guests of the city, was sent the following form of invitation :
1639. City Seal. 1889.
The honor of your presence is respectfully desired on Tuesday and Wednesday, the 4th and 5th of June of this year, at the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the found- ing of Taunton.
You are cordially invited, as a guest of the city, to par- ticipate in the ceremonies of the occasion.
RICHARD HENRY HALL,
SAMUEL HOPKINS EMERY, JOHN WILLIAMS DEAN HALL,
WILLIAM EDDY FULLER, HENRY MORTON LOVERING,
GEORGE ALBERT WASHBURN,
Committee on Invitations.
This form of Invitation, sent to each member of the Corporation of Taunton, England, was supplemented as fol- lows :
To his Honor, the Mayor of the Borough of Taunton, Somersetshire, Eng- land:
DEAR SIR :- We learn from the Charter of your municipality con- tained in the valuable volume so kindly sent to the city of Taunton, New England, by your Body in 1884, that your municipal government is com- posed of the Mayor, six Aldermen and eighteen Councilors.
167
THE BANQUET.
We therefore send a package of five and twenty cards of invitation to our proposed celebration, which we will thank you to direct to such persons as are associated with you in the Government of the Borough. Will you assure them, all and each, of the heartiness with which we, representing the New England daughter, send her greeting across the water, to the ancient town in the mother land, whence she derived her name. Hoping to welcome you to this our quarter millennial festival, We remain very sincerely yours,
RICHARD HENRY HALL, Mayor, Chairman of Committee on Invitations. SAM'L HOPKINS EMERY, Sec. of Com.
Taunton, Mass., U. S. A., 24th April, 1889.
The reply to the above, bearing date the 16th of May was received in time to be read at the Banquet. See pages IIO-III.
A later communication, dated the 23d of May, was, as follows :
(Letter from Hon. Henry J. Spiller.)
TAUNTON, ENGLAND, MAY 23, 1889
DEAR MR. MAYOR :- By this post I have sent you the address of congratulation from our Town, to the citizens of her daughter Town ill the New World, on the occasion of the celebration of the 250th anniver- sary of the founding of your Town.
We are having an oak frame made for the address which I hope to forward in a few days, and it will be interesting for you to know it will be made of old English oak taken from the old St. Mary's Tower, which was pulled down more than thirty years ago.
A view of the new town, the design of which is a copy of the old, is shown in the address, also a view of our old Castle, which is now used as a museum.
I am sorry myself or any member of our corporation will be unable to be present with you, but I trust your Celebration will be successful in every way.
With kind regards, and best wishes, I remain, dear Mr. Mayor, Yours faithfully,
HENRY J. SPILLER, Mayor of Taunton, England. To his Honor The Mayor, City of Taunton, Massachusetts, U. S. A.,
The "address of congratulation, " to which the mayor refers in his letter arrived in good time, followed by its " oak frame, " and they have been the admiration of all who have seen them, ever since. The text of the address is as follows:
To the Mayor, Aldermen, Councillors, and Citizens of the City of Taun- ton, Massachusetts, U. S. A.
We, the Mayor, Aldermen, and Burgesses of the Borough of Taun- ton, in England, desire to offer you our heartfelt congratulations upon
168
QUARTER MILLENNIAL CELEBRATION.
the celebration of the 250th Anniversary of the founding of your town. As the governing body of the Mother Town from whence your city sprang, we regard with affection the memory of her enterprising sons aud daughters, who carried with them to distant lands beyond the seas the name and traditions of the birth-place of themselves and their ances- tors. Although unable to be present and participate in the ceremonies with which this auspicious occasion will be celebrated, we can assure vou that the ties of kindred and tongue which bind your mighty Nation to the mother Country are still further strengthened by the remem- brance that there exists on the other side of the Atlantic a city worthy of handing down to posterity the name of Taunton, which is endeared to us by the recollection of its historic past, the contemplation of its pros- perous present, and the promise of a still brighter future. We sincerely trust that the Trade and Commerce of your City may grow and flourish, and that the enterprise of its Citizens may increase in prestige and im- portance, so that succeeding generations may inherit wealth and pros- perity, and enjoy the blessings of health and happiness.
Given under the Common Seal of said Borough, this 21st day of May, 1889.
HENRY J. SPILLER, Mayor.
THOS. MEYLER, Town Clerk.
The Reply of Hon. R. H. Hall, Mayor, to the letter of Congratulation was as follows :
MAYOR'S OFFICE, CITY OF TAUNTON, MASS., JUNE STIL,. 1889. Dear Mr. Mayor .- Your esteemed favor of the 23d ult. came duly to hand, and on the evening of June 4th I received the address of congratulation from the mother town of Taunton to her namesake in the New World. My Dear Mayor, on behalf of our citizens, I desire to ex- tend to the ancient town of Taunton our grateful appreciation of this expression of regard so beautifully embellished in this testimonial. Our hearts have been filled with deep emotion as we read the sentiments ad- vanced therein, and we trust that the ties which bind us together may be cemented more closely by this interchange of congratulations, and that we may for ever remain one in sympathy and good will as we are one in name. Our City Council will take early official action on this recogni- tion and acceptance, which I will forward to you in due time Our cel- ebration has been a great success, far exceeding anything within the former history of the municipality. I forward to your address copies of our city newspapers, giving a detailed account, also some souvenirs of the interesting event. With kind regards, I remain, sincerely yours.
RICHARD HENRY HALL, Mayor. To His Honor, The Mayor of Taunton, Somersetshire, England.
The "oak frame" was accompanied with a letter as fol- lows :
TAUNTON, ENGLAND, NOV'R 8th, 1889.
DEAR MR. MAYOR :- I have at last sent you the long promised oak frame for the Congratulatory address sent by our Corporation. I trust it will arrive safely and that you will be able to find a place for it in your
169
THE BANQUET.
Municipal Buildings. The carvings in the upper corners represent, old England to America, and the lower ones, old Taunton to new Taunton.
My year of office expires to-morrow and I have taken the liberty of enclosing one of my photos and ask your acceptance of the same as a small memento of my year of office, and should be pleased to receive one of yours. If you send it please direct it to me at 31 Bridge Street, Taunton.
Wishing you and your people every happiness and prosperity, I am, dear Mr. Mayor,
Yours sincerely,
HENRY JAMES SPILLER, Mayor of Taunton. R. H. Hall, Esq.
To Mayor Spiller's letter of the 8th of Nov., Mayor Hall replied as follows, at the same time sending the reply of the City Government to the "Address of Congratulation " from Taunton, England.
MAYOR'S OFFICE, CITY OF TAUNTON, MASS., U. S. A., Nov. 30th, 1889.
DEAR MR. MAYOR :- Your esteemed favor of the 8th inst. came duly to hand, and the frame which you have forwarded, I dare say will reach us in due time. I have shipped to-day by European Express Co., our rc- ply to the congratulatory address which was unanimously adopted by our City Council. The border around this reply is a design derived from the Trailing Arbutus, a flower which is said to be indigenous to New England. The small sketch at the top, in the border, is a scene repre- senting the arrival of the Mayflower, in Plymouth Harbor. The small sketch at the bottom, in the border, is a view on Taunton river. The dates on each side of the border viz: 1639 and 1889 represent our 250 years of settlement. The sketch at the top under the border is a view on Taunton Green looking towards the Court House. On one side of the sketch you will find the Massachusetts Coat of Arms, and on the other the American. Enclosed within the large initial is a sketch of our City Hall.
The face of the frame which encloses the reply was made from a piece of timber taken from the wreck of the Ship Sparrowhawk, and was presented to the City of Taunton by the Pilgrim Society of Plymouth, Mass. The back of the frame was made of American oak.
The Sparrowhawk was a stanch little craft, built of oak, which sailed from England in 1626 with passengers for the new world, and was wrecked off Orleans, Cape Cod. It was speedily covered with sand, and remained covered until a few years since, when an unusually severe storm unearthed the old hulk. It was then removed and presented to the Pilgrim Society, Plymouth, and has at last found a resting place in Pilgrim Hall, where it has been set up, and is now on exhibition.
Trusting the above will reach you safely, and wishing you and the Borough of Taunton long continued prosperity, I remain, dear Mr. Mayor,
Yours sincerely,
RICHARD HENRY HALL, Mayor of Taunton, New England.
To His Honor, The Mayor of Taunton, Somersetshire, England.
170
QUARTER MILLENNIAL CELEBRATION.
REPLY TO ADDRESS OF CONGRATULATION.
The Mayor, Aldermen, and Common Council of Taunton in New England. to the Mayor, Aldermen, and Burgesses of Taunton in Old England.
GREETING: We have been deeply touched by the reception of your kind address of Congratulation upon the celebration of the 250th anni- versary of the founding of our town, which happily arrived on the very day of its occurrence. We assure you that we fully reciprocate your kindly sentiments so pleasantly expressed, and we fondly cherish the memory of your ancient, brave, and loyal Borough, with its historic Castle, its beautiful church of St. Mary, and its charming river in that lovely vale of Taunton Dean. We wonder not that our fathers chose our name "in honor and love to their dear and native country" and we con- gratulate ourselves that they brought with them from their own land those lofty and sterling principles of thought and action which have con- tributed so much to our prosperity, and secured for us the manifold blessings we now enjoy. May we never bring discredit on our ancient name, but rather lead our English mother to ever feel a just pride in her American daughter, and may the bonds of love and amity between us, and between our respective countries grow stronger and stronger till time shall be no more.
Given in our Council Chamber, this eighth day of August, A. D., 1889. RICHARD HENRY HALL, Mayor.
RIPLEY W. TOWNSEND, Pres. of the Common Council.
EDWIN A. TETLOW, City Clerk.
To this "Reply" from Taunton, New England, the fol- lowing has been received :
TAUNTON, Eng., Feb. 5, 1890.
WORSHIPFUL SIR :- The package containing the framed address as advised, came safely to hand and was officially handed to the Taunton town council at its last meeting, when Alderman Spiller read the corre- spondence addressed to him. On behalf of the council I am desired to express to you and the members of the corporation of the city of Taun- ton how much we esteem your kind and beautifully framed address. It now hangs in a conspicuous position in our new council chamber and I trust will be handed down to future generations as a proof of the good feeling existing between the corporation of the city of Taunton, U. S. A., and the town of Taunton, England. May your city still continue to prosper in every sense of the word and may the bond of friendship be- tween old England and your new and great country be strengthened as time rolls on! The writer has succeeded Alderman Spiller (one of the best mayors Taunton ever had) in the civic chair, and should you pay a visit to this country during my year of office I can promise you a hearty welcome to our dear old town.
Believe me, dear Mr. Mayor.
Yours very faithfully,
GEORGE SAUNDERS, JR., Mayor.
To his worshipful, the mayor of Taunton, U. S. A.
We close our account of the banquet with a flattering notice of the celebration from an issue of a newspaper of the
I71
THE BANQUET.
mother town, soon after, and we may add that letters have been received from many, who were present or who had read the account of our proceedings, expressing in the warmest terms, their gratification at the success of the great under- taking.
"TAUNTON'S AMERICAN DAUGHTER."
The above is the heading of a column article in a recent issue of the Taunton, (England) Courier, descriptive of our anniversary celebra- tion, the introduction to which is as follows:
The ancient borough of Taunton, the county town of Somerset, can trace back its history for considerably more than a thousand years. Many and stirring are the events which have occurred in the garden town from the days when the Roman legions first occupied it as one of the dwelling places of the Britons. Since those times of remote antiqui- ty it has been the frontier fortress of the Saxons, when the Tone was made the border of Wessex; it was seized by Perkin Warbeck in huis brief rebellion; Blake's heroic defence of it against the onslaughts of the Cavaliers is one of the most famous incidents of the wars of the com- monwealth, while the triumphal entry of the ill-fated Monmouth and the Bloody Assizes at which the infamous Jeffreys punished the Taun- tonians by hanging or transporting four hundred of them, forms one of the saddest pages of our national records. Though our American cous- ins in Massachusetts cannot boast that their city-which their ancestors, "in honor and love to their dear and native country, " named after the well remembered English home in the fair vale of Taunton Deane-has played so prominent a part in history as its namesake, yet during the two hundred and fifty years of its existence it has done much of which it may well be proud. It has greatly outstripped the mother town in population, its manufactures are important and increasing, and it has worthily followed the example of old Taunton in its struggles for liberty, and in that enterprise and desire to benefit by human progress and dis- covery which has ever been the characteristic both of the mother and the daughter.
After quoting extensively from Judge Bennett's address and citing some of the important matters connected with the celebration, the Courier closes with saying :
On the whole, the inhabitants of Taunton, Mass., are to be congratu- lated on the highly satisfactory way in which they have celebrated their anniversary, and on the thriving position in which their industry has
I72
QUARTER MILLENNIAL CELEBRATION.
placed their city. One of the most pleasing features of the affair, and an instance of hearty good-will which exists between the mother and daughter towns, was the cordial invitations sent over to the Taunton Town Council to send representatives to the celebration. The mayor, (Alderman Spiller's) letter in reply was published in the Massachusetts newspapers, but it seems as if the address did not reach its destination in time. Our American cousins are rather at fault when, in referring to" the old familiar names being given to New England towns, they say " Rehoboth is in Somerset, not far from Taunton. " This name appears to have a Scriptural derivation.
RECEPTION AND BALL.
City Hall was brilliantly illuminated and beautifully decorated with flags and mottoes in honor of our visitors from abroad. The reception committee and others of our citizens were present to meet our invited guests. Reeves' Band was in attendance and added to the pleasure of the occasion by their fine selections. After an hour or two of pleasant intercourse the ball committee from the adjoining hall appeared and announced that the time had arrived for the commencement of the festivities there. Thereupon this informal but very enjoyable part of the day's observances came to a close.
The programme of Tuesday closed with a Promenade Concert and Ball held in Armory Hall immediately after the close of the Public Reception at the City Hall, and was in charge of the following committee :-
FREDERICK MASON, Chairman,
JOSEPH R. TALLMAN, Secretary, RIPLEY W. TOWNSEND,
EDWIN A. TETLOW, JOHN H. GALLIGAN,
JAMES C. SPROAT, CHARLES P. FOSTER, ALFRED B. SPROAT.
I74
QUARTER MILLENNIAL CELEBRATION.
The assignments of sub-committees were as follows :-
On Reception of Invited Guests.
FREDERICK MASON, JAMES C. SPROAT, JOHN H. GALLIGAN
On Hall Arrangements.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.