USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Royalston > Reflections on Royalston, Worcester County, Massachusetts, U.S.A > Part 24
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Whether the poor people of Royalston get better care on account of the Fund then they would if provided for only by taxation may not be told; but if no more is expended for this purpose than would be if it were all provided by taxation, then the taxpayers are being helped on their taxes, as it would require a tax of approximately $1.30 on each $1,000 of the taxable valuation of the Town, which is
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something over $1,000,000, to raise the equivalent of the annual income of more than $1,300 from the Fund.
THE BLISS LIBRARY FUND.
In 1899 Mrs. Timothy Bliss left a legacy of $1,500 for the benefit of the Public Library, as a memorial to her husband, a descendant from one of the old families of Royalston. This fund brings an income of about $75 each year.
VARIOUS CHURCH FUNDS.
In addition to the three Bullock Church Funds here mentioned, the churches of Royalston have been the recipients of other trust funds and benefactions, which are mentioned in the matter relating to the churches on other pages of these Reflections. Perhaps the donors of these "minor" funds have not "safeguarded" thom with as elaborate requirements as were attached to the Bullock and Bartlett Funds; at any rate, nothing relating to such requirements has been made promi- nently public.
CEMETERY TRUST FUNDS.
On pages 157 and 158 something has been said about funds left in trust with the Town, the income from which is for use in the care of cemeteries. This class of funds is increasing and will probably continue to increase rapidly; even a brief visit to any cemetery makes apparent the constant and increasing need of expend- iture in the care of the homes of the dead.
OLD-TIME SOCIAL CUSTOMS.
Many of the customs of former times seem amusing and sometimes ridiculous to us, just as some of the customs of our time will seem to future generations.
As the early settlers of New England were Puritans-dissenters from the forms of the established governmental Church of England (see pages 125 and 126), who had removed to Holland, and from Holland to America, in 1620, naturally they tried to establish themselves in the new country under conditions conforming to their views. They had sought religious liberty, but having secured it, in a degree, they were averse to according it to those who held different opinions.
In Royalston, as probably in most of the original towns, the church was insti- tuted and maintained as a town affair for a time, and the town records contain numerous notations of votes taken relating to meeting-houses, pastors, and the general management of religious affairs.
The Caswell History of Royalston does not contain as many of these interest- ing excerpts from the town records as we would have been glad to have seen, but here is one good one which will serve as a foundation for "a few remarks."
At a town meeting held June 14, 1778, the following votes were passed: "Voted to build the stairs inside the Meeting House." "Voted that the Committee build four seats round the galleries." "Voted that the Committee sell room for a single Pew all round the back side of the Galleries, to the highest bidder at a vendue to help finish the seats in the Meeting House." "Voted that the front gallery be di- vided-two-thirds for the men to sit in and one-third for the women to sit in." "Voted that the men sit in the Men's Gallery and the women sit in the Woman's side." "Voted that the Committee build the stairs and seats as soon as convenient may be."
This is all that the Caswell History of Royalston gives us on this important matter of "seating the meeting-house." But the History of Sutton,-the town from which nearly one-half of the original settlers came to Royalston, and which furnished two of its prominent clergymen,-mentioned on page 163 of these Reflec- tions, abounds in references to the matter, scattered along from 1723 to 1760,-so many, in fact, that it is difficult to choose samples. But here are a few.
"Voted to seete the meeting House and Chuse a Cometty for that sarvice." "Voted that mr Johnathan Keney and mr Obdiah Walker and mr Ebenezer Sterns and mr Thomas nickiols and mr Cornalous Putnam shall be a Commetty for said sarvice-the In structions thay are to goo by Is age and Rate and office-Heds not Regarded."
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Nearly a year after the choice of this "Commetty," they made a "Returne," specifying the locations of seats for 84 men named; and further: "First in ye wimines fore seet below Ye widdo Stockwell ye widdo Rich. Ye 2nd seet. Doct. Putnams wife Wido Page Wido Rebekah Kenney Mrs. Harwood. ye 3 seet. ye Wido Martha Sibley. Ye fore seet in ye front gallery, Widdo Mary Sibley. And it is to be understood that all ye women that have husbands are seeted eaquel with thar husbands."
The compiler of this part of the History of Sutton states that "at this period all property holders were taxed for the support of the gospel, and were expected to attend church. Hence, if to the above list of [84] males we add the names of the pew-holders, we have a record of all the adult males in town at this date, with the possible exception of a few in the part which is now Grafton."
Regarding the size and shape of the Sutton pews, one committee reported descriptions of 16 locations which they had granted, with dimensions like "front 5 foot, in depth 5 foot and 5 inches;" "front 5 foot and 3 inches, deep 5 foot and 6 inches;" "front 5 foot and 2 inches, deep 6 foot and 4 inches," etc .; 8 out of the 16 being 5 feet or more in both dimensions, the others being smaller, in one dimension if not both ways; one having only 1 foot and 6 inches front.
This description of nearly square and box-like pews coincides with what I was told about the pews in the old meeting-house on Royalston Common, built in 1797, to replace the one provided by the Proprietors in 1764. I was informed that the seats in those square box-like pews were like shelves attached to the several sides with hinges, and when the people arose to their feet and then sat down again dur- ing the services, there was a great clatter all over the place as the seats were thrown up against the sides of the pews to give more standing room, and again when they were thrown down to their supports.
Until the division of the Town of Sutton into two parishes, in 1743, the Town had been the Parish, but from that time the First Parish handled affairs, and in 1749
"Voted to give liberty to have a meeting-house to be built by subscription and set as near as can conveniently to the old meeting-House."
"Voted to give all the Pew Room, to the subscribers, in the [new] meeting- house on the wall on the Lore flower and in the Gallery, Excepting the Ministerall Pew, to Dispose of in order to Inable the said subscribers to Finish the said meet- ing-house provided they Finish it in three years."
We must conclude that in the early days, in Royalston as well as in Sutton, the family men, those who had wives, occupied pews with their wives; and there the children were accommodated; and there were lots of them, more than of adults; and they had to "go to meeting." But the single or unmarried men and women must be seated apart; hence the "men's side" and the "women's side."
In 1759 there was considerable activity in relation to the Sutton meeting-house, and the parish "Voted to Receive the Meeting House under the present Sircum- stances the subscriber's Treasurer to deliver up to the Parrish, all the money they have within the Treasurer," and also "to Dispose of the Two hind seats below, both the mens and womans seats in s'd meeting-House in order to Build Pews and that the money they are sold for, is to be Disposed towards finishing the meeting- house.'
"Voted that Mr. Sam'l Chase, Tarrant Putnam and Dea. Benjamin Woodbury be a Com'tt to make saile of s'd seats in s'd meeting-house," and also "that the s'd seats, if Built into Pews, to be Raised but half as high as the Pews against the walls, and that there be Public notice given of the sail of s'd Pews and sold to the Highest Bidder."
In 1760 the Parish appointed "Capt. John Fry, Mr. Jona. Dudley, Dea. Putnam, Dea. Woodbury & Mr. Jona. Hale to be a committee to seat the Meeting-House. S'd Committee to have Regard, in the first place, to age and then, to their Real & personal Estate. The men in the Parish that have pews in the meeting-house are not to be seated by this present Com'tt."
This "Com'tt" reported that they had "accordingly Leted them out for four Pews, and have sold them to the highest Bider," and Mr. Follinsbe Chase, Lieut. Jona. Lille, Mr. Nata. Sibley and Ins' Sam'l Chase secured them at prices ranging from 6 pounds 6 shillings to 9 pounds.
As Capt. John Fry, Dea. Benjamin Woodbury, Obadiah Walker, the Chases,
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Stockwells, Sibleys, Marshes, and others mentioned in those early Sutton church affairs, were among the first settlers of Royalston, or ancestors of some of those first settlers, those who came became very prominent and influential in the church and town affairs of Royalston; and no doubt they patterned things largely after the Sutton ways.
In 1736 a petition was received from certain young men, for permission to build a pew in the Sutton meeting-house, and it was "Voted the Prayer of the said Petisioners be granted with this Proviso that they Take in a suficient number with them That have Petitioned to fill up the Roome and build thare seat or pew no wider than the Hind seat or at Least so as not to Dammidge no other seate."
I will try the reader's patience with one more quotation from Sutton History.
"Voted that mr Jonathan Bacon Dea. Benj. Woodbery, mr Samuel Barton, mr Francis Dudly Lieut. Obadiah Walker, Be a Committee to seat ye meeting House -Degnifieing [dignifying] ye seats, 2nd Seat Below and ye fore seat in ye front (gallery) Equel, ye third seat Below and the fore seat in ye side (gallery) Equel, Having Respect to age and Real and personal Estate."
"Dignifying of seats" in the old East meeting-house in Royalston, (so called to distinguish the one at the Center from the one at the West part of the town,) was spoken of in my childhood days; and I can see now, as I recall the locations of sit- tings in the First Congregational Church, for the first 25 years of my life, that the custom of according the best seats to people dignified by wealth and honor had its influence for a long time. The Estabrook and Bullock families for many years were the most dignified of any in Royalston, according to the rules. And so the Estabrook family occupied the best pew on the southerly side of the middle aisle, about half way from the entrance to the pulpit, and the Hon. Rufus Bullock family held one correspondingly as good on the northerly side of the middle aisle; while Col. Elmer Newton's was directly behind the Estabrook pew, and Col. Willard Newton's next; and on the other side, Hon. George Whitney's was the first one behind Hon. Rufus Bullock's, and Esquire Barnet Bullock's next. Probably the dignity of some of the other and less desirable seats could be traced, but I will spare myself and the reader the trouble.
The property rights in pews in the early meeting-houses were established by deeds, which included the ground on which the pews stood. Quite possibly that ownership of the ground may be mentioned nowadays, when a transfer of property in a pew is made.
The custom of separate sittings for the two sexes continued for a long time at the First Congregational Church in Royalston, so far as all services in the vestry were concerned, whether "social" prayer-meetings, Sabbath-school, or other gath- erings. Gentlemen and their wives and children, who sat together in their pews in the auditorium, separated when they went into the vestry, the men and boys taking seats on the "men's side," which was on the southerly side of the middle aisle, while the ladies and girls occupied the "women's side," northerly of the middle aisle. I was brought up to attend regularly all of the services held in that church, and I can truthfully say that previous to 1859 I never saw a man, or a boy who was much above the age of infancy, sitting on the "women's side," or a woman or a girl sitting on the "men's side," with the possible exception of one or two cases where a gentleman visiting in town accompanied ladies to a service, and, having no resident gentleman to escort him to the side set apart for those of his sex, was allowed to sit with the ladies with whom he came, on the "women's side."
I believe that credit is due to David P. Foster for taking the first step toward breaking up an old custom, which, while it was probably founded on some good reason, had become well nigh ridiculous. Mr. Foster was married Nov. 15, 1859, and on the next Sunday evening he attended a service in the vestry and sat with his wife on the "women's side.' Some of the older men were slightly shocked at the rank disregard of the time-honored custom; but he continued in the course in which he had started, and was soon followed by others, until in time there was not much distinction between the two sides of the vestry, although some of the older people followed the custom which had become a life-long habit with them.
The old meeting-houses were not warmed in winter, except perhaps by the "hereafter" for unbelievers depicted by the faithful ministers. Undoubtedly no stove of any kind was in use at the time when the first meeting-house in Royalston
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was ready for use, in 1764. Nor is it probable that fire-places, built at first of stone, and later of brick, at the bottoms of huge chimneys, were installed in the barn-like meeting-houses. Seemingly it would require rows of chimneys and fire- places on all sides of a meeting-house to furnish adequate warmth, for a large part of the heat developed from burning immense quantities of fuel in the fire-places would go right up the chimneys. But people managed to keep from freezing to death in their dwellings without stoves in those early times. I knew a woman who lived in Royalston until 1868, dying that year at the age of nearly 91 years, who never had a stove in her home, but did all cooking and household work solely by a fire-place fire; undoubtedly she suffered from the cold at times, but perhaps not more than some others who lived in super-heated and poorly ventilated houses. Those people of the olden time wore the heavy home-knit, home-woven and home- made clothing, and ate heartily of heat-producing foods; and they took large quan- tities of oxygen into their systems, to help turn their food into good warm blood. Moreover, the men folks had much healthy out-door exercise in fitting up sufficient fuel to keep the home fires burning on the hearthstones, although it was not nec- essary that it be reduced to as small pieces as are required for stove use, but was often fed in the form of logs, so large that it was necessary to roll them into the house and the fire-place. Some idea of the amount of wood required to keep the home fires burning in one house is found in the statement that one of the articles of agreement with Rev. Joseph Lee, the first pastor of the Royalston church, was that he should be provided with 30 cords of wood to be drawn annually from his own land to his door. A pile of 30 cords of wood around the parsonage to-day would be an interesting sight.
There was one method of introducing heat, aside from that generated theo- logically, into those meeting-houses of the olden time. That was by means of foot-stoves, which were little metal boxes or chests, fitted with bails or handles, within which live coals from the fires on the hearthstones could be placed, and they could be carried to meeting and used as foot-warmers; and at noon-time during the all-day services, they could be replenished with live coals from the fires of people whose homes were near the meeting-house.
Sundays were busy days at some of the old-time meeting-houses. Two and sometimes three preaching services were the rule with the Royalston church. On page 124 I quoted from a journal kept by a relative in 1838 that he "went to three meetings" May 20, and "heard three good discourses" May 27. My recollection of the years from 1852 to around 1864, is of a Sunday morning service beginning at 10.30 and continuing until a little past 12, Sabbath school during the intermission, and an afternoon preaching service beginning at 1.30 and lasting until a little past 3 o'clock; this for a summer schedule, while in the winter the afternoon service was usually opened at 1.15, so that the people from the distant farms might get home a little earlier to care for their stock. Perhaps occasional Sunday evening services were held during the period mentioned, but they were not held regularly; but after the afternoon service was dropped, not far from 1864, a Sunday evening service of some kind was quite common, and in the summer time it was often held at 5 o'clock, and once in each month it might be a Sabbath-school concert.
In accordance with the old English custom, Tithingmen were chosen in town- meeting by our ancestors, whose duty it was to preserve good order during divine service, and to enforce the observance of the Sabbath. They were provided with wands or rods with which they reached around and tickled the pates of those who fell asleep in meeting under the somniferous influences of the long sermons; and they called to account those who went about on the Sabbath for any other purpose than to attend divine worship, visit the sick, or on matters of grave necessity.
In modern times men have worn wigs only for the purpose of covering heads made bald by the loss of the natural hair. But in the olden time wigs were worn for purposes of decoration and display. The History of Sutton states that "all men as old as 25 or 35 years had two wigs, one for week-days and one for Sunday. The Sunday wig was very showy and expensive. The hair was shaved closely, that the wig might set well. All old people who wore wigs usually took them off in the meeting-house and put upon the head a knit cap, made of linen or cotton yarn for summer use, and of woolen for winter. There was a small knot or tassel on the top of this cap. The practice of wearing wigs began to be unfashionable as early
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as 1780 or 1785. All old people wore them until 1800. Dr. Hall [for 60 years min- ister in Sutton] wore his wig and cocked hat to the last. The last wig worn in town was that of Col. Tim. Sibley."
From this we may infer that some of the stalwart men who went up from Sutton to subdue the wilderness in Royalston, along from 1760 to 1780, were wig- wearers. Unfortunately no pictures of these stalwarts wearing wigs have come down to us; they were too busy felling trees and building modest homes to spend any time sitting to have their portraits painted, which probably was the only way of getting a "likeness" in that era. But our friend, Hon. Isaac Royal, had the time to sit for his and the means to pay for a good one; and in Caswell's History of Royalston will be found a copy of the result, showing the distinguished "Proprie- tor" all "dolled up" with a wig of curls covering all of his head except his girlish face, and flowing down his back. The ruffled shirt-front and sleeves shown in the picture were common articles of dress at that time, although probably the Royals- ton pioneers did not wear them on ordinary occasions.
Perhaps the painter made a good copy of Hon. Isaac Royal's face, but the reader who may take the trouble to look it up will probably agree with me that he did not do the right hand justice, as will be seen by comparison with a real hand.
Those old painted portraits cannot be as true to life as the more recent daguerreotypes, ambrotypes and photographs-shadow representations of objects made by the chemical action of light. The painter, however expert he may be, is sure to emphasize some features at the expense of others. Thus, in the copy of the portrait of Rev. Joseph Lee, in the Royalston History, his face is represented as about one-half the width of his shoulders. Admitting that Mr. Lee was prob- ably of rather slight build, we must think that the artist exaggerated the dispro- portion. In ordinary life-like photographs the breadth of face seems to be around one-third of that of the shoulders, rather than one-half. It must require delicate skill for a painter to use his brush to bring out some feature and not overdo the matter. Even those who paint their own faces often do that. We are greatly in- debted to the camera for accurate "likenesses."
The town Pound, an inclosure in which estray or trespassing domestic animals could be impounded until their owners could pay the legal charges and take them away, was a common institution of the olden time, and Royalston had one. The Town voted for one in 1796, and it was to be 25 feet square and 612 feet high. It was probably the one that I saw somewhere around 1860, located a little northerly of the West road from the Common, nearly opposite Little Pond. It had not been used for many years; its stone walls were in fairly good condition, but it lacked gate or bars to close the entrance. It may still be in existence. Field-Drivers, to round up and bring in the offending animals, and Pound-Keepers, to look after them when impounded, were regularly elected town officers then, as I suppose they are still; and some convenient pasture or barn-yard is used for impounding.
The Puritans, following the practices of people under nearly all forms of religion, established Thanksgiving Day and Fast Day. In addition to the services of praise to God, Thanksgiving Day was made a day of feasting. And it seems probable that when the men of that time took their guns and went out to procure meat for the feast, the wild turkey, of all the animal life which must have been abundant in the forests in those early days, was chosen as the creature that would furnish the large amount of delicious food required. The regular observance of a Thanksgiving Day, which began in New England, has extended throughout the country, and we now have the annual national Thanksgiving Day on the fourth or last Thursday in November, with the turkey still prominent in the feast.
The observance of Fast Day, instituted by the Puritans, has not been so con- sistently followed up. The first Thursday in April was the day designated for it in Massachusetts, by a proclamation by the governor, which was read from pulpits on the preceding Sunday. In my younger years, along from 1850 to 1860, the day was observed mainly by comparatively light meals and attendance at a church service, in keeping with the custom of the ancestors. But interest in the religious observance of the day gradually waned, the church services were poorly attended, and the evenings were given over to amusements. Back in 1860 or 1861, as I fix the time, word went around at Royalston Center that the people in general were invited to the home of Postmaster Charles H. Newton for a "good time" on Fast
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Day evening. The gathering was a large one; and the treat was of a nature well calculated to appease the hunger of any who had been fasting during the day. It happened that the maple sugar season was then in full swing, and a kettle of the syrup, cooked almost up to the "sugaring-off" point, had been brought up from the Newton farm, and was kept simmering on the Postmaster's kitchen stove. Eggs were cracked and dropped from their shells into the hot stuff in the kettle, and in due time the mixture was ladled out and served to the guests. "Was it good?" Well, I don't think that any one who ate more than one of those dropped eggs, with the accompanying "gravy," went away hungry; in fact, I opine that quite a few went away with the feeling that perhaps they might never again be hungry. After a time, Fast Day became so poorly observed along the lines on which it was instituted, and so much used as an opening day for out-door sports, that it was abolished by an act of legislature.
The Puritans were Protestants,-opposing the traditional and formal usages of the Church of England, and advocating simpler forms of faith and worship than those established by law. (See pages 125 and 126.) Naturally, these Protestants rejected many of the observances and formalities common with the church from which they had dissented. It is probable that our Puritan ancestors ignored Christmas and Lent and Easter. Although they landed on Plymouth Rock a few days before the 25th of December, I have no recollection of mention that they re- garded that day as different from any other day. And the same may be said of the Lenten season and Easter. Apparently those festivals and fasting occasions, as well as the doctrines of the Trinity, the Miraculous Conception, the Vicarious Atonement, Future Retribution, and others, had their counterparts in the ancient religions of humanity, heathen, mythological, or otherwise, thousands of years, perhaps, before the dawn of Christianity. But dissenters sometimes inconsistently reject doctrines and principles seemingly as vital and important as others which they would give their lives to maintain.
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