USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Newbury > Reminiscences of a nonagenarian > Part 30
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 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43
30
Cutler built the house above, but at this time it was owned and occupied by Mr. Abraham Jackson. This gentle- man, a descendant from an English family of note, was for some years one of our first merchants. Mr. Jackson twice married. The first wife was Mary Mitchell, of Boston, the mother of one son, Nathaniel, and two daughters, Ann and Mary ; the second, Hannah Parsons, granddaughter of Rev. Jonathan Parsons, also had one son and two daughters, Isaac Rand, Ellen and Charlotte. Miss Ann long ranked among the brilliant stars of society, possessing a vivid imagination and much theatrical talent. One who ever listened to her thrilling tales, would never forget her descriptive ability, or her tragic powers.
Mary, Mrs. William Smith, was one of the most attractive of women, pos- sessing rare attainments. After her husband's death she established a flour- ishing seminary .at Alexandria, D. C., where she drew around her the daugh- ters of some of the most distinguished families in the country ; her house be- came the centre for the best society in the "District ;" the names of the great- est statesmen of the period, and many eminent foreigners were enrolled among her personal friends.
Ellen married Admiral George Fred- erick Pearson, U. S. Navy. A viva- cious and cultivated lady, Mrs. Pearson adorned the elevated position to which she was called, winning the esteem of those with whom she became connected. Isaac Rand Jackson died young. Atthe time of his death he was Charge de Affairs from United States to Denmark. He married Louisa Carroll, granddaugh- ter of Charles Carroll of Carrollton.
Previous to the purchase of the house
.
234
REMINISCENCES
on Green street, Mr. Jackson's resi- dence was on Water street, near that of Joseph Marquand. When the old- est son, Nathaniel, was cighteen, Mr. Marquand being a representative at the General Court in Boston, young Jackson passed the night at his neigh- bor's. Before retiring, Mrs. Mar- ยท quand would order a large armful of . wood and some half dozen mould can- dles, then bid the young man good night, with the remark : " Now, Nat, read just as long as you please."
In the Revolutionary war one of Mr. Marquand's prizes contained a library, the property of the Governor-General of Canada, which that dignitary had forwarded to England preparatory to following himself. Naturally a devour- er of books, this large collection of the best authors was a rare treat, and night after night the visitor, forgetting time, pored over the pages, which often were of the old fashioned brownish paper, and fine type, until his eyesight entire- ly failed. This weakness of the eyes, changed his whole career. He left his father's counting room, and, as super- cargo, entered upon a life on the "ocean wave." For years foreign lands and tongues were more familiar than his own. He became an apt business man, a distinguished linguist, a remarkably well informed and most accomplished gentleman. His knowledge of Spanish was such that in the war of 1812, while sailing under Spanish colors, he was kept three days on board of a British man-of-war without disclosing his na- tionality, though every artifice was used to catch him off his guard. On the third day he was permitted to return to his ship, which proceeded on its course. Some time after having been captured, Mr. Jackson, when on parole in London,
met an officer of the vessel in which he had been detained. This Lieutenant had striven by every device to startle young Jackson into some unguarded exclamation, but without avail. In- stantly recognizing the pseudo Span- iard, he gave his hand with a cordial greeting, exclaiming "I knew you was a Yankce all the time, who ever saw a blue-eyed Spaniard ? But you was such a deuce of a clever fellow we could not detain you."
Mr. Jackson married, in Gottenburg, Miss Johanna Tod, a lady of Swedish birth, but of Scottish parentage. His eyes having regained their strength he ceased his wanderings. At his house in Newburyport he often entertained distinguished foreigners. Bishop Chev- ereaux, on his visits to the place, never left without calling to enjoy a chat in his native tongue ; later several young men from the Spanish West India islands availed themselves of his in- struction in learning English. The tidings that Nat. Jackson had contract- ed a marriage abroad made no small stir amongst the belles of Newbury- port, but time showed the wisdom of his choice. Lovely, devoted, well did Mrs. Jackson fulfil the vow to love and cherish for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health. The friend and companion, as well as the watchful and judicious mother of her children, a kind neigh- bor and faithful friend, none knew her but to love her. To the choice circle admitted to her intimacy, she became dear as a sister, and the youthful com- panions of her sons and daughters, will ever cherish the memory of one, who, by her grace and urbanity, her sympa- thetic interest in their joys and griefs, her many little devices for their enter-
235
OF A NONAGENARIAN.
tainment and amusement, made so many sunny hours, which will ever gleam undimmed amidst the recollec- tions of the past.
Capt. and Mrs. Jackson reared a gifted family of four sons and three daughters. The second daughter married Capt. Joseph C. Hoyt, one of the most suc- cessful ship masters of Newburyport, who died on the 5th of June, 1880. Andrew, the second son, died in boy- hood. Thomas the eldest, and Cor- nelius Souchay, the youngest, settled in St.Louis, where both died, the former in middle life, the latter in early manhood. Highly beloved and respected, a large circle, both at the east and west, mourn their early death. To the versatility of talent, hereditary in the family, to Souchay was given a fine artistic genius, a Hogarthian power to portray, with lifelike vividness, as if- by magic, the persons and seenes around him, slight pencil sketches, but these depict a pow- er that needed only practice, to have placed him amongst the most eminent of world-renowned artists. Nathaniel, the third sou, won a brilliant record in the war of the rebellion. Entering the army as Colonel of the first Maine regi- ment, three months men, he continued in the service, after the return of the regiment. Wounded at the battle of Gaines' Mills, he was promoted to the rank of Brigadier-General for his gallantry. He accompanied Sherman through his Southern campaign, leaving the army, at the end of the war, with the rank of Major-General by brevet.
The arms of Jackson (Southgate) co. Middlesex, are :
GULES, A GREYHOUND COURANT, IN A FESSE OR, BE- TWEEN THREE PHEONS OR. CREST-A GREYHOUND PASSE SA, COLLARED OR, RESTING THE DEXTER FOOT ON A PHEON OF THE LAST.
The next house, on the corner of Green and Union (now Washington) street, was built by Capt. Babson, from Gloucester, who came to Newburyport for business facilities. It was pur- chased by Col. Fowle, and after his decease it was occupied by Joseph Cut- ler, who married Col. Fowle's widow. Mr. Cutler, the cashier of the Merri- mac Bank, died suddenly, early in the present century. The lower half of the house, at the time of Mr. Cutler's death, was occupied by Mrs. Cutler's nephew, Mr. Joseph Hooper. This gentleman, a grandson of Robert, com- monly styled " King" Hooper, of Mar- blehead, and Benjamin Harris, the dis- tinguished merchant of Newburyport, and son of Joseph Hooper, the royalist, was born after his father went to Eng- land. In several ways this young man was despoiled of a large fortune. His father's property was confiscated by government ; his furniture had been previously burned by his indignant townsmen ; through treachery and
236
REMINISCENCES
fraud he lost an estate in Boston, on Pemberton hill, which by right belonged to his mother. Pemberton square has been laid out on this property. Noth- ing daunted, Mr. Hooper gathered the remnants of his patrimony and opened a crockery store in Blunt's building, State street. Soon after he was united in marriage with Miss Mary Whitmore, the daughter of Col. Joseph Whitmore, a veteran of the Revolution, whose residence was on Fair street. Mr. and Mrs. Hooper reared a large and highly- talented family of sons and daughters. Afterwards Mr. Hooper occupied the three-story house on Washington, near Boardman street, for some years the residence of Enoch S. Williams, esq. In the rear of this house, Mr. Williams established the first comb factory in the place, and in this house Mr. and Mrs. Hooper's fourth daughter, Lucy, the able writer, was born. Though she passed from earth in early womanhood, her name had become enrolled among the sweet singers and celebrated au- thors of America.
The Hooper coat of arms are :
OR, ON A FESSE BETWEEN TILREE BOARS, PASSE AZURE, AS MANY ANNULETTES OF THE FIRST. CREST- BOAR'S HEAD ERASED AT NECK, AZURE. BESSANTIE ARMED AND CRINED.
The Harris arms are :
AZURE, A CHEVRON ERMINE, BETWEEN TIIREE HIEDGE- HOGS, OR ON A CHIEF, TIIE PRUSSIAN EAGLE WITH IMPERIAL CROWNS. CREST-A HEDGEHOG OR. SUPPORTERS OF ARMS, ON THE DEXTER SIDE EAGLE, ON SINISTER A STAG.
Mrs. Joseph Cutler, as Miss Alice Hooper, had been a celebrated beauty. Her portrait, by Copley, has excited universal admiration. The lady is painted in a dress of blue satin, with antique bodice, full skirt, and demi- open sleeves, finished by double lace ruffles, with stomacher to match, neck-
lace and car-jewels of pearls, hair brushed from the forehead and turned over a roll at the back. One hand hangs gracefully at her side, the other, outstretched, catches the sparkling drops from an old-fashioned aqueduct. Beyond is a wood, lighted by a shim- mer of sunset glow ; through openings the eye catches glimpses of an open country, stretching far in the distance, with a gleaming horizon, barred by ruddy cloud streaks. Words are inad- equate to describe the perfection of this painting. The shadow of the lace upon the arm is a wonderful specimen of art, and one listens to hear the tin- kle of the fountain, or stoops to catch the pellucid drops from the maiden's fair hand.
Newburyport at that time was rich in Copley's paintings. Mr. Joseph Hoop- er had a likeness of his father, and Mrs. Nathaniel Tracy, whose maiden name was Mary Lee, niece of Mrs. Robert Hooper, had life-size portraits of her father and mother. The pair are painted in the dress fashionable at the time of their marriage. Mrs. Lee is depicted coming from a garden laden with roses. These are magnificent pictures. I have been told that the artist ranked then among his very best. The only picture by this distinguished artist at present remaining in the city of which I have any knowledge, is a pastel, half size portrait of the third daughter of Rob- ert, or "King" Hooper of Marble- head, Rebecca, wife of Lewis Jenkins. Mr. Jenkins for years kept a dry goods store on State, corner of Essex street, at the sign of the golden ball. He died in 1799. The portrait is that of a young lady in the dress of the period, cut low, square in the bosom, and trimmed with rich lace, the hair turned
237
OF A NONAGENARIAN.
over a roll, and ornamented by flowers. The face and figure present the delicate beauty, and high bred grace which characterized the ladies of the Hooper family. This picture has descended to a grandniece, Mrs. Caroline (Gallis- han) Currier of Belleville. Robert, or King, Hooper was born in Marblehead. His father came from Wiltshire, Eng- land, amongst the earliest settlers of this country. Robert married Ruth, daughter of Mr. Joseph Barnard Swett, a prominent merchant. They had six sons and four daughters, Mrs. Dalton, Mrs. Cutler, Mrs. Jenkins, the fourth, Hannah, who married a White. His son Stephen owned the "Hooper farm, " on Pipestave hill, afterwards purchased by my uncle John Coker. Mr. Robert Hooper was one of the principal founders of Mar- blehead prosperity. His fellow-towns- men held him in high esteem, and styled him " King Hooper," as a mark of honor. Mr. Hooper owned a fine country seat . in Danvers, which is now the property of Mr. Francis Pea- body. This was a magnificent estate, one of the handsomest of the grand old colonial mansions, with appointments and grounds to match ; the place was famed for its beautiful trees. The walls of the best rooms were hung with tapestry, and the furnishings equalled it in splendor. At the commencement of the Revolutionary war the British for a time quartered troops upon the place, and so well was it stocked with all that was requisite for man and beast, that the soldiers were not obliged to go elsewhere for supplies.
Though his son Joseph chose to re- main loyal to King George, Robert Hooper was a true patriot. At the beginning of the war he refused the
offer to be made King's Commissioner, an extremely lucrative situation.
The Rev. John Pierpont, during his residence in Newburyport, occupied the Cutler house for a time.
On the upper corner of Green and Union streets, was the mansion built by, Judge Parsons, then owned and oc- cupied by Leonard Smith. Mrs. Smith was a sister of General Peabody. Mr. Smith at that time ranked amongst our wealthiest and most active merchants. Above came the long, low school-house I have mentioned. The corner border- ing on High street was an open field. The first of the three-story houses on Harris street, from Green, was built and at that time occupied by Obadiah Parsons, the second by Samuel Dole, the last, next to State, by Capt. Sam- uel Chase.
The lower side of Tyng street and Toppan's lane formed the dividing line of Newburyport from Newbury. The house on the corner of High and Tyng streets was built by Thomas Coker, who also built the house on the upper cor- ner, in Newbury ; the one below, down Tyng street, was built by Humphrey Webster. The second on High was the residence of Abner Toppan ; the three-story house on the corner of High and Broad streets was built by Moses Fraiser, esq. ; at this time it was owned and occupied by Capt. Jacob Greenleaf. The next, on Broad street, was built by Capt. Moses Goodrich ; the one below by Thomas Coker. this gentleman was the father of my uncle John Coker, of West Newbury. At this time the house was owned and occupied by a Mr. Brown. The hand- some residence of Tom. Thomas came next; below that, Moses Coffin, the father of Mr. Emery and Col. Fred-
238
REMINISCENCES
erick Coffin, had built a three-story house ; further down was the residence of Capt. Fletcher.
Mt. Rural, the estate of Dr. Josiah Smith, bordered the upper side of High street, from Toppan's lane nearly to Kent street ; fields intervened to Com- mon pasture lane, now Johnson street. The first house on the lower side below Broad was the residence of Dr. Bond ; the next had recently been erected by William Swain ; the brick house on the corner of Kent street was built and owned by Messrs. Enoch and Ste- phen Toppan : a field separated Kent from Buck street. Capt. Buck's hand- some brick house was on the lower cor- ner of Buck street ; Mr. Woodman's be- low. Opposite, on the lower corner of Pasture lane, was the new three-story house of Capt. William Hoyt ; below was the residence of Capt. Charles Goodrich ; next came the elegant man- sion of John Tracy ; below was the Dexter house, then Caldwell's tavern. On the lower corner of Olive street stood the old Frothingham house, the birth place of the wife of Lord Tim- othy Dexter; below. came the Bassett house and the residence of Mr. Porter Russell. A house owned by Mr. Wil- liams was on the upper corner of Boardman street ; and Capt. Lunt's on the lower. The elegant residence of Dr. James Morse, rector of St. Paul's church, came next; below were the handsome mansions of Capt. Tristram Coffin, Capt. William Faris, Mr. Ab- ner Wood and Jonathan Pettingell. The old Pettingell house was below on the upper corner of Winter street. Next to the Dexter house garden, on the upper side, was the Titcomb house, and a two-story house, built, I believe, by a Mr. Somerby ; next was the rec-
tory of St. Paul's parish, at that period occupied by the widow of Bishop Bass. Below were the handsome three-story houses built and occupied by Capt. Wyatt and Samuel A. Otis, esq. ; next came the Carey house, the former resi- dence of the Rev. Thomas Carey of the first church ; Mr. Philip Bagley's, Enoch Toppan's. and that of Deacon Parker followed, with the Cooper and Packard houses. Below Star alley was the Horton house and a row of old style domiciles ; on the'corner next the mall stood the mansion of Daniel Farn- ham, esq. Jacob W. Pierce occupied the house on the lower corner of Winter street ; next came the Marsh. house and the old Bailey place ; below, St. Paul's church and church-yard. On the opposite corner of Market street was the Morse house, famous in the annals of witchcraft, a picturesque old fashioned building painted red ; below came the Hodge house, and the resi- dence of Dr. Adams on the upper cor- ner of Court street. Below the mall, on the upper side, were the residences of William Moulton and William Green- leaf, the academy and the handsome mansions on the ridge, Judge Liver- more's, Capt. Abraham Wheelwright's, Mr. Stocker's, Capt. Eben Wheel- wright's, Deacon Solomon Haskell's, Richard Pike's, Capt. John O'Brien's, Capt. Philip Coombs', and Elias Hunt's. The old Prout house and that of Capt. Benjamin Pierce stood below. Dr. Charles Coffin's was the last house be- fore crossing the Newbury line.
On the lower side the first house from Newbury was that of Samuel Mil- liken ; then came Capt. Micajal Lunt's, the old Tom Cross house, Capt. Sam- nel Swett's, Anthony Davenport's, and Capt. Holland's, on the lower corner of
239
OF A NONAGENARIAN.
Federal street. Fields stretched from Federal to the lower side of State street; the old Buntin house stood on the upper corner. The four- story brick block on Brown's square had been recently built. On Market street were the handsome residences of the Hortons, Stephen Frothingham, Edmund Bartlett, and Capt. Isaac Stone. The Hoyt mansion was on Boardman street, with the Johnson's, Gallishan's, and Capt. Pulsifer's. Mr. Butler Abbott had a handsome estab- lishment on Kent street; Capt. Sam- uel Bailey's residence was on Spring street. Captains Eleazer and William P. Johnson, William Coombs, and William Bartlett, esq., occupied hand- some houses on Federal street. Capt. Nicholas Johnson had recently pur- chased the large brick house on the Boston turnpike, built by William Wooart, esq; Mr. Seth Sweetser built and occupied the one below. Capt. John Coombs resided on Water, corner of Lime street; Judge Greenleaf's residence was on the corner of Union and Titeomb streets. The Atwood house stood on Lime, corner of Atwood street. Besides the residences I have named, there were many others, both spacious and elegant, scattered through- out the town. A stable was attached to the better class of houses, and many of the more common had a barn for the accommodation of a cow if not a horse. Most families had one or more cows, which in summer were pastured in the upper or lower common ; when returning home at nightfall they made quite a drove. The more prominent citizens usually had a horse, and some kept a coach and span.
There were three Masonic lodges : St. John's, St. Peter's and St Mark's.
St. Peter's occupied Washington hall ; I think St. John's assembled in Madi- son hall in the Phoenix building, and that St. Mark's joined with St. Peter's.
Samuel Bartlett, a younger brother of Col. Bartlett, occupied the lower half of his house. Mr. Samuel Bartlett was a Mason. When I was a child the breth- ren often assembled at his residence. They occupied the front chamber, where they would keep up a most tremendous racket until a late hour.
Mrs. Bartlett was a delicate woman with small children, and my aunt was subject to nervous headaches. I won- dered that they bore the infliction with any patience. For myself I obtained a great dislike to the order, and firmly believed in the red hot gridiron and every other diabolical invention.
CHAPTER XLVII.
At this time the old English style had not wholly passed from society ; there was more of precedent and caste than now.
The professional men and their fam- ilies held the first rank, then came the merchants, town and national officers, shipmasters, the more prominent and wealthy mechanics, etc. Politics sepa- rated the elite ; though sometimes meet- ing on common ground, usually there was but slight social fraternization. There were Federal and Jacobin clubs, military companies, balls and parties. One lady would not call upon another of the opposite party ; gentlemen were scarcely civil to each other ; much ran- cor, bitterness and scorn were shown upon both sides. The artillery company
240
REMINISCENCES
were Jacobins, the " Silver Greys" Federalists. The leading Jacobins were Capt. Benjamin Pierce, the O'Brians, Mr. Marquand, Capt. Russell, Dr. . Smith, of Mt. Rural, the Williams family, Capt. Richards, and others.
Most of my town relatives were Federalists. Through my Johnson, Little and Smith ancestry, I was con- nected with the Johnsons, Crosses, Coombs', Wheelwrights, Noyes', Bart- letts, and other of older families. At their residences, and those of my uncles Peabody and Bartlet, I met. the most brilliant stars in the Federalist galaxy. My great-uncle Daniel Johnson was the black sheep amongst his Federalist brethren. At Gov. Gerry's election the opposition got up all sorts of slurs : one was a caricature called a " Gerry- mander." Uncle Daniel took pains to procure a copy which he sent to me. The Democratic party also had the ascendency in the legislature. In 1812 the old senatorial districts were re- arranged, and the Federalists, in de- rision, drew this figure, as representing Essex county :
FI Gerrymander.
The picture uncle Johnson sent to me was in the Newburyport Herald, and covered two-thirds of one page of that sheet.
The Embargo Act wholly disarranged the business of Newburyport ; for a time it brought much suffering. It was but natural that opposition to the pol- icy of the administration should be nearly universal. On the first anniver- sary of the passage of the act, the flags were hung at half mast, the bells were tolled, and minute guns were fired ; while a procession of sailors bearing crape on their arms marched through the streets, headed by a dismantled vessel drawn by horses on a cart. This craft bore a flag inscribed : "Death to Commerce." On the quarter-deck stood a sailor with a glass in his hand, and a painted motto bore the words : " Which way shall I steer?" Occa- sionally the sailor threw the lead. Op- posite the custom house he delivered an address appropriate for the day and the Federalist party.
In 1809 the Embargo gave place to the Non-Intercourse Act. Negotia- tions with Great Britain followed, which resulted in the release of our citizens impressed into her service. In 1810 France repealed her conti- nental decrees. Business revived, and shipbuilding again became active.
The brilliant coterie of which Judge Parsons, and his law students, Robert Treat Paine, Rufus King, John Quincy Adams and other talented young men, the Jacksons, Daltons, Tracys, Green- leafs, Hoopers, and other distinguished families, the Misses Fraiser, Atkins, Searle, Bradbury, Farnham, Thomas, Jenkins, and other belles and beauties, who graced the assemblies at the old Tabernacle in Temple street, in my
241
OF A NONAGENARIAN.
mothers girl-hood, had been succeeded by another generation. Of the clergy- men's families, the three daughters of Parson Giles had just entered society. Dr. Andrew's oldest son was in col- lege and Margaret was in her teens. Dr. Spring's oldest sons were also collegians. Dr. Dana's and Parson Milton's children were small. Dr. Morss had recently married Miss Martha Boardman. Dr. Micajah Saw- yer was the senior physician, his two daughters, Mrs. Lee and Mrs. Schuy- ler, had been married several years. I vividly recall the grandeur of their nuptials. Dr. Francis Vergnies, a Frenchman, a physician of much skill, and extensive practice, lived and died a bachelor. His home for many years was on the lower corner of Union, (now Washington, ) and Market streets. Dr. Nathan Noyes had married Miss Mary Niles, of Hanover, N. H., and established himself in Newburyport, where he was fast becoming a celebrity. Dr. Bricket, had moved into town from the lower parish in Newbury, where he still had a large practice. Dr. Pres- cott, who had recently established him- self in the place, with his wife and lovely daughters, was fast acquiring a wide spread popularity. Dr. Johnson, a young man and unmarried, had just received his diploma. .
Theophilus Bradbury, judge of the Supreme Court of Massachusetts, died in 1803. Judge Parsons, when a stu- dent, read law in the office of Theoph- ilus Bradbury, who was a member of Congress from this district during Washington's administration.
Judge Livermore was then the oldest and the most distinguished of the legal fraternity of the town; he was also our representative to Congress. His
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.