USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Salem > Ryal Side from early days of Salem colony > Part 10
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In the will of John Cresy, the east boundary of his land was a 'Wall running from pretty near Greens Barn over to Greens ten Acre Lott.'
March 20, 1661,2 Warren bought of Edmund Marshall a ten-acre lot, bounded east and west by land of John Batchelder, north by land of Nicholas Howard, and on the south by his own land, with a dwelling-house thereon. On the same date, he bought of Marshall another ten-acre lot, lying between the land of John Batchelder and William King, and bounded south by the river.
Before Warren's death, a part of the lands which he owned passed to the possession of John Green, although the records do not show that he was either a grantee or devisee of Warren, with the exception of a small trans- action in 1672.
* Essex Registry of Deeds, book 6, leaf 68.
2 Essex Registry of Deeds, book 2, leaf 39.
H
JOHN GREEN HOUSE
Built about 1680, torn down 1894 It stood on Bridge Street, opposite Winthrop Avenue
143
LANDS OF JOHN GREEN
The ten-acre lot granted to Warren in 1635 which lay north of William King's land, was probably that which was sold by John Green to Nathaniel Hayward, Oc- tober 25, 1680." The lot lying between the lands of Batchelder and King descended to Jonathan Green, son of John Green, 2d, and was possessed by John Cresy prior to 1735. This was the lot, the east boundary of which adjoined 'Capn Herricks land.'
About seven acres of the remaining Marshall lot of ten acres, then in the possession of John Green, was sold to John Cresy, November 13, 1682.2 The remainder of this lot and another small lot which lay in the golf grounds were retained by the Green estate and descended to Jonathan Green, a grandson of John Green, Sr.
August 9, 1683,3 there was added to the Green estate ten acres of land at Salt House Point by purchase from John Newman, and on July 31, 1691,4 Elizabeth New- man and her son, John Newman, administrators of the estate of Antepas Newman, conveyed to Mary, the widow of John Green, forty-four acres. These were the lands originally granted to John Winthrop, Jr., and given by him to his son-in-law, Antepas Newman, at the time of his marriage to Elizabeth Winthrop.
John Green died in the winter of 1690/1, intestate, and his estate was divided February 28, 1690/1 : 5
Essex Registry of Deeds, book 11, leaf 190.
2 Essex Registry of Deeds, book 6, leaf 68.
3 Essex Registry of Deeds, book 6, leaf 90.
Essex Registry of Deeds, book 9, leaf 22.
5 Essex Registry of Deeds, book 9, leaf 117.
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RYAL SIDE
The Greens Agreement entered August 8th, 1693
Be it known unto all men by these presents: That whereas John Green formerly a liver in the bounds of Salem ... on the land that is near & adjoining to ye land commonly caled by ye name of Royal Side & having a part the said Royal Side land as it is hired of ye Town of Salem, But ye abousd John Green being by ye providence of God lately removed out of this world by death and not having ye Opportunity in his time of Sickness to set his house in order So as to dispose of & Settle his Estate to his Wife & Children by leaving his will ... his now Surviving widow Green ... and all her children ... both married and unmarried ... those parties abovesd Jointly meeting together in ye Serious Considerations of a Good Agreement & Settlement in ye distributing of whole Estate ...
To Mary Green, widow, was assigned one end of the dwelling-house, which she shall choose, and 'the back Leanto of said house and one half of the Barn and the best bed in the house, one third part of the whole estate of the Land Excepting the land at Burch Plain and the ten acres of land at the Salthouse point Lying in the land called Ryall Side and two acres of land which is in Royall Side commonly called by the name of the Rockwell.'
To Abigail, wife of Nicholas Rich, four pounds in money and four acres of land which they live upon. To Elizabeth Green, four pounds in money and four acres of land at Salt House Point, and to Mary, wife of Tobias Trow, was given money and land.
To John Green, Jr., 'that part of Ryall Side which his father hyred of the town of Salem and that part of said land which hath been laid out upon said land by his father.'
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LANDS OF JOHN GREEN
An inventory of the estate of John Green, taken by Nehemiah Grover and Alexander Osburn, March 21, 1690/1, showed 'three acres of land & an orchard on it and a dwelling house, £50 & barn £20 & another Little house £5, fifteen acres of land, thirty acres of land at Burch plain, two acres of land at Ryall Side. Ten acres at the Salt House point in Ryall Side, tho by the shore uncertain.'
The total appraisal of the estate, real and personal, amounted to four hundred and seventy-six pounds and four shillings.
Elizabeth, to whom was assigned four acres of land at Salt House Point, married Jacob Reed, of Salem, and they conveyed their interest in the property to William Green, son of John Green, Jr., July 1, 1706.1
John Green, Jr., died in 1697, and the inventory of his estate, taken in 1698 by Thomas Rayment and John Cresy, showed three acres of land and an orchard upon it, a dwelling-house and barn, outhousing and fifteen acres of land, ten acres at Salt House Point, and ten acres of Mr. Newman's. The real and personal estate was appraised at two hundred and thirty-four pounds and six shillings. His estate descended to his widow, Hannah, and sons, Jonathan, John, and William Green. On March 13, 1698,2 Mary Green, grandmother, con- veyed to Jonathan Green, John Green, 3d, and William Green, sons of John Green, 2d, two thirds of the New- man lands, or a tract of thirty-eight acres.
The estate of John, 2d, became largely possessed by
I Essex Registry of Deeds, book 18, leaf 232.
2 Essex Registry of Deeds, book 61, leaf 207.
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RYAL SIDE
his son, Jonathan, who died in 1731, in possession of the rights in the leased land of one hundred acres and the land of the Green estate lying north of Elliott Street. In the division of Jonathan's estate, one third was assigned to his widow, Mary. Seven acres called the 'New orchard,' and twelve acres called 'sheep pasture,' set off to her, descended to a granddaughter, Anna, the daugh- ter of a son, John, deceased, who, with her husband, Gideon Gowing, conveyed the lots to William Green and Josiah Batchelder, April 8, 1779.1 They became grantors to Dr. Israel Woodberry by deeds of 1784 and 1785.2
The 'new orchard' lot is now occupied by the Ryal Side playground and the Green burial lot. The 'sheep pasture' lies on the south side of Bridge Street, between Winthrop Avenue and Bass River, and is traversed by Lee and Bass Streets, Folger and Riverview Avenues.
Lying south of the 'sheep pasture' was a lot of about twelve acres set off to a daughter, Hannah, wife of Nathan Wyman. This lot was later possessed by William Green. The remainder of the estate fell to a son, William Green, and to Israel Green, both of whom possessed por- tions of the dower and the ten acres at Salt House Point became the property of William Green.
Jonathan Green's house, which was his residence, appears to have stood in the golf grounds, on the west side of a way leading northerly from Elliott Street, called 'Nash's lane.' His widow married Joshua Corn- ing, and they conveyed their interest in the property to Andrew Elliott. This lot appears to have been one of
I Essex Registry of Deeds, book 136, leaf 223.
? Essex Registry of Deeds, book 145, leaf 73.
ON THE GREEN LANDS LOOKING ACROSS BASS RIVER TOWARD BEVERLY About 1870 Mr. Adoniram Porter and Mr. John B. Hill
MR. JOHN B. HILL STANDING ON THE GREEN LANDS LOOKING NORTH TOWARD THE OLD CORNMILL
About 1870
I47
LANDS OF JOHN GREEN
four acres out of a ten-acre lot, about six acres of which were sold to John Cresy by John Green in 1682.
Four of the heirs of Andrew Elliott conveyed their interest in the property, together with a lot of one acre adjacent, to Josiah Batchelder, April II, 1780: 1 'Small piece of land near our barn about one acre ... East on a way from our dwelling house to the road, south with Batchelder's land, South west with land of Noah Cressy, north on land of John Creesy Jr., thence east and south with the cow pen fence on several courses as the fence now stands to the aforesaid way - Also our part of dwelling house formerly built by Jonathan Green of said Beverly, deceased, which we purchased of Joshua Corning - Also all our right and interest in undivided land near said house and Barn which was left in common by a committee that divided the Green estate to ac- commodate the heirs.'
The cow pen stood in the stone wall by the side of Elliott Street near the 'wedding cake,' which is the loca- tion of the sixth hole of the golf course and which occupies the one-acre lot sold by Warren to Green in 1672.
The Smith farm became established by purchase by Nehemiah Smith of Ezra Trask and wife, Hannah, a daughter of Jonathan Green, January 20, 1748,2 and the new orchard, adjacent, was added by subsequent pur- chase by Job Smith, to whom the Town of Salem gave a release of reversion, August I, 1753.3
I Essex Registry of Deeds, book 138, leaf 73.
2 Essex Registry of Deeds, book 100, leaf 17.
3 Essex Registry of Deeds, book 100, leaf 17.
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RYAL SIDE
With the exception of the Dr. Israel Woodberry lot, the land lying from Salt House Point and between Winthrop Avenue and Bass River, also a lot of twenty- six acres lying north of Bridge Street on which the John Green house stood, came into the possession of William Green from the estate of his father, Jonathan. The estate of William Green descended to his son, Moses Green, and continued by descent to John A. Green.
The house of the homestead, which became the home of Moses Green, was probably built by John Green not far from the time that he became a lessee of one hundred acres of land from the Town of Salem under the general lease of 1677/8 and which undoubtedly stood on 'that part of said land' devised to John Green, Jr., 'which hath been laid out upon said land by his father.' It stood on the north side of Bridge Street, opposite Winthrop Avenue, and was torn down in 1894.
A large portion of the Green estate lying on the west of William Green's division, from the river near Mr. Robertson's land, and running north, crossing Bridge Street at Eastern Avenue, to the playground lot, com- prised substantially the division of Israel Green.
On August 1, 1753,' the Town of Salem gave a release of reversion to William and Israel Green of the lease 'made by the Selectmen of said town in ye year 1677 to John Green et al., as may appear by ye records of said Salem.'
The estate of Israel Green descended to his son, John, who on April 2, 1805,2 sold to Nathaniel Porter for the
I Essex Registry of Deeds, book 100, leaf 38.
2 Essex Registry of Deeds, book 175, leaf 235.
MR. JOHN PORTER AND WIFE HANNAH
Married August 18, 1812
Photograph taken in 1867 in the apple orchard of the Porter Farm, Ryal Side
149
LANDS OF JOHN GREEN
sum of $3754, 'Farm in Beverly, formerly Israel Green's, deceased, counting about 54 acres and about 64 poles, with dwelling house, barn and other buildings.'
In marking out the land of what is known as the Porter Farm, the description of the boundaries found in the deed locates the point of beginning at the junction of Bridge Street and Winthrop Avenue, thence southerly as Winthrop Avenue leads to the river, thence along the river shore to Ellingwood's Cove, thence, in a general northerly direction on several courses, to the playground lot, thence southeasterly to the point of beginning.
The farm of Nathaniel Porter became the property of his son, John Porter, who lived here for many years and whose sons became active and prominent in the civic and business affairs of the town. John Porter died, August 8, 1869, intestate, aged eighty-three years, sur- vived by his wife, Hannah, who died February 26, 1879, aged eighty-seven years. The administration of the estate was given to a son, William Porter, of Lynn, January 6, 1870.1
The Israel Green house is still standing at the junction of Winthrop Avenue and Harris Street, south, and the division is now traversed by Winthrop Avenue, Harris Street, Leach Street, Kernwood Avenue, Livingstone Avenue, Ashton Street, Rowell Avenue, and Gregg Street, and upon these highways a large number of Beverly citizens have their homes.
I Essex County Probate Records, book 252, leaf IOI.
THE SECOND PARISH CHURCH
THE Second Parish Church is fortunate, from an his- torical standpoint, in being able definitely to fix, from the information found in the diary of Rev. Joseph Green, pastor of the church at Salem Village (Danvers), the exact date of the erection of their church building.
The locality where the building stands was, in the early days, generally referred to as 'Horse Bridge.' Horse Brook, now known as 'Bell's Brook,' crosses the 'olde Ipswich roade' (Conant Street) a short distance westerly from 'ye countrey way' (Cabot Street), and for over two centuries a bridge was maintained there by the Towns of Salem and Beverly. Its name was usually carried in common reference to the church building erected and maintained in part for many years through the efforts of the early residents of Ryal Side, whose interest and attachment to this community, through the influences of family relationships and other agreeable associations, were cordial and sustained. Because of this spirit and interest, request has been made that this chapter be included.
Rev. Edwin M. Stone, a former pastor of the Second Parish Church, has already written well of its history; therefore it is partly the purpose of this chapter to cover briefly the several real estate transactions with which the 'Church at Horse Bridge' is associated.
The Town of Beverly was incorporated October 14, 1668.1 Its western boundary at that time extended no
I Passed, October 14, 1668, Mass. Archives, volume CXII, pages 182-183.
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THE SECOND PARISH CHURCH
farther than Bass River and a line running northerly from the head of the river by Horse Bridge to the Wenham line, excluding Ryal Side and the territory lying between Frost Fish Brook and Bass River. As this boundary line excluded Ryal Side from the municipal limits of Beverly, the Ryal Side portion of the territory continued as a part of Salem and did not become a part of Beverly until September II, 1753," or about eighty- five years after the incorporation of the town.
Those who lived at Ryal Side and in the northern part of the town in the early days were far removed from any church. Some of them may have attended church at Salem Town or the First Church at Salem Village (Danvers), while a small number were connected with the First Parish in Beverly Town.
After the establishment of the First Parish in Beverly, there seemed to be a disposition on the part of the town to invite the residents of Ryal Side to join with that church. On March 12, 1702/3, a committee was ap- pointed for the purpose of securing membership from among them, but this effort did not appear to meet with much success.
At a town meeting of March 20, 1707, 'It was Voted That there Should be a Commite Chosen to treet Riall Side men and at the same time Capt william Dodg thomas Woodbery Mr Robert Hall Capt Thomas West Jonathan Rayment Where Chosen a Commite with full power to treat with our naibors & frinds of Rialls side In Referens to wat thay ar Willing to Give annually to our Town In Consideration of there Coming to hear the Word preacht with us.'
I Province Laws, 1753, Chapter 12.
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RYAL SIDE
A written proposal was made to the town by several residents of Ryal Side, April 10, 1711, The town ac- cepted their proposition on April 16 of the same year. Among the residents so obligating themselves to the support of the First Parish Church were Jonathan Creesy, Samuel Trask, Stephen Howard, John Batch- elder, Jonathan Batchelder, Josiah Batchelder, and Nehemiah Howard.
But this arrangement evidently continued for only a short time, since the inconvenience of travel and other reasons led the inhabitants to consider the establishment of a church in northern territory in conjunction with those living in that section and with whom they were by family relationship and friendly interests more closely united.
It was in the winter of 1711 when the project was formally brought to the attention of the Town of Salem. December 17, 1711, Salem voted 'that the inhabitants of Ryal side be allowed, with some of their neighbors of the village and also of Beverly, to build a meeting house near horse bridge on the line between Salem and Beverly.' It appears that some objection was made by a few of the residents in the locality who were members of the First Parish, but their remonstrance was not considered sufficient.
By order of the General Court, October 24, 1713, the 'Precinct of Salem and Beverly' was established. No- vember 13, 1713,' the first meeting was held at the house of Captain John Dodge, which stood at the head of Bass River near the first tee of the golf course and which
I Second Parish Records.
SECOND PARISH CHURCH BUILDING, NORTH BEVERLY Called in 1714, the 'Meeting House at Horse Bridge'
153
THE SECOND PARISH CHURCH
was centrally located for this purpose. It was 'voted forthwith to proceed to ye building a meeting house for public worship of God'; also 'that ye meeting house should be set up by the county Road neare ye hous of Mr. Jabez Baker in Beverly.'
It was 'voted to choose a committee of nine persons to manage ye affairs of building and finishing sd hous, any five of them agreeing.' It was decided that the house should be forty-eight feet long, thirty-eight feet wide, and twenty-two feet stud. It was afterward agreed to build the house fifty feet long by forty feet wide if the timbers would permit.
March 9, 1713-14,' it was voted to raise money for building the house and to buy the land. The first owner of the land on which the church building at North Bev- erly stands was John Balch, who died in 1648. It was next possessed by his son John, who died June 16, 1662, intestate. Administration was granted to Mary Balch, widow. The Court at first ordered that the estate should be divided between the widow, Mary, and a daughter, Mary. March 31, 1663,2 the Court ordered that because 'Mary the daughter of John Balch being deceased that Benjamin Balch (brother) after the end of seven years should enjoy all the lands that belonged to said John Balch 50 acres more or less, the said Mary to enjoy all the improved land, upland meadow during the term of seven years.' This property Benjamin Balch conveyed to his son, Benjamin Balch, February 1, 1688/9.3
I Second Parish Records.
2 Records of the Quarterly Courts for Essex County, volume 3, page 47.
Essex Registry of Deeds, book 21, leaf 20.
I54
RYAL SIDE
Benjamin Balch, Jr., died intestate in 1698, and in the division of his estate there were set off two lots, one of three acres and one of six and one half acres, assigned to his son Ebenezer.
The three-acre lot assigned to Ebenezer stood on the south side of Conant Street and is now occupied in part by the Bass River School lot. The lot of six and one half acres is described in the record as follows: 'Unto Eben- eezer, son of dec'd nine acres and a half of land, Six acres and a half thereof lying northwesterly from the County highway Commonly called Boston Road and is Bounded South Easterly by said Road and East northerly by the land of John Rayment, Secundus, and Northwesterly by the land of Benjamin Balch and west southerly by the highway that goeth toward Topsfield.'
This lot Ebenezer Balch sold to the 'Precinct of Salem and Beverly,' May 1, 1714.1 An abstract of the record of conveyance is here given :
Ebeneezer Balch to ye Inhabitants of ye district or precinct call'd Royall Side. The people of Royall Side and Township of Salem and ye people of sd Salem Village living to eastward of frost fish brook and some of the Northwest part of Beverly adjudged to be a distinct and separate princinct to set up and carry on ye public worship of God amongst them as May appeare, wherefore & in consideration of fifty pounds currant money of the precinct abousd paid by Joseph Herrick & others being a Committey Authorized and Impowered by the people of ye precinct aforesd to purchase land for them, ye sd fifty pounds of money I doe acknowledge that I have received & am therewith fully satisfied contented & payd to ye Said Ebeneezer Balch with consent of his now wife have bargained and sold ... unto Joseph Herrick, Nathaniel How- I Essex Registry of Deeds, book 27, leaf 161.
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THE SECOND PARISH CHURCH
ard, Thomas Rayment, John Trask, and Jonathan Dodge all of ye. Township of Salem - Jonathan Rayment, Edward Rayment and Andrew Dodge of ye Township of Beverly, abousd, they being all of ye Committey aforesd, a certain parcel of upland and ground containing six acres and eighty two poles -
Bounded - South by ye countrey road that leads from Ipswich to Boston and is near to the hous of Jabez Baker, Bounded westerly by Beverly Townway, bounded northerly westerly and northerly by Deacon Samuel Balch - Easterly by land of Jonathan Rayment and partly by land of Capt. Peter Osgood. Witnesses, Lot Conant, Henry Herrick, Jonathan Conant. Acknowledged, May 2, 1714.
In the deed conveying the title, it is stated that the lot was in the form of the letter 'L.' On a plan in the possession of Mr. Fred H. Wallis, whose homestead is in the southeastern corner of the lot on Conant Street, it may be seen that from a stake at about the driveway the long line of the 'L' ran northerly, thence turned west- erly, thence southerly, thence westerly to near the Cabot Street entrance to the cemetery, thence along Cabot Street, a distance of about four hundred feet to its junction with Conant Street, thence easterly along Conant Street to the point of beginning. The plan being incomplete and measurements not given, a fair idea of the lot can be had by taking a rectangular parallelogram and attaching a shorter one, perhaps half its size, to one of its sides.
Because of the establishment of the meeting house, the locality became one of public interest and general assembly. As we have seen, the northeast corner of what is Cabot and Conant Streets was occupied by the
156
RYAL SIDE
Balch lands. William Dodge's lot and house was on the southeast corner, now known as the Webber place. Jabez Baker lived on the southwest corner, and on the northwest corner was the lot of Samuel Herrick which he had bought of Exercise Conant, December 28, 1692.1
After acquiring title to the land, the committee pro- ceeded immediately in the business of construction, for about one month later, the building was raised, the evi- dence of which is found in the diary of Rev. Joseph Green, pastor of the Church at Salem Village (Danvers). The entry reads as follows: 'June 8, 1714 - I went to ye raising of ye Meeting House at Horse Bridge. I began with prayer and came home, went again at noon, dined at Mr. Herrick's. My father Gerrish concluded at night and Mr Blowers read and sang the 122 Psalm.'
Mr. Blowers was the minister at the First Parish Church in Beverly and his selection of the 122d Psalm was particularly appropriate. Mr. Gerrish was Rev. Joseph Green's father-in-law and was then minister at Wenham. Mr. Herrick was undoubtedly Joseph Her- rick, a constable of the town and lived at Cherry Hill on the land that his father, Henry Herrick, devised him by will.
So in this inconspicuous entry in the diary of the minister of the Church at Salem Village, made over two centuries ago, the whole picture of the event, so far as it related to the men and the place, becomes clear. The records of the Second Parish Church do not show any- thing which indicates the exact date when the building was raised.
* Essex Registry of Deeds, book 13, leaf 204.
I57
THE SECOND PARISH CHURCH
The meeting house thus raised was placed on what is now the northeast angle of Conant and Cabot Streets. The Church membership was to comprise 'the inhabit- ants of Riall Side in the township of Salem, some of the northwest part of the township of Beverly and the in- habitants of Salem Village living to the eastward of Frost Fish brook.'
At a meeting of the Parish, held March 29, 1715, Rev. John Chipman, then a young man of Harvard College, was chosen as its pastor and continued until his death, March 23, 1775, a period of sixty years.
Shortly after Mr. Chipman's settlement, a grant or assignment of an acre of land was made by the Parish to Mr. Chipman upon which he could erect his house, July 1, 1715.ª Instead of building on this lot, he bought, on September 6, 1715,2 the property of John Conant, for the sum of one hundred and ninety-seven pounds, twelve acres of land, 'with ye house, barn, orchard, fruit trees, fences & fencing thereon,' bounded, 'Northeasterly partly by ye Town road or highway & partly by ye land of Jabez Baker Northwesterly partly by ye land sd Baker & partly by ye Country road Commonly known by ye name of Boston road Southwesterly & South- easterly by ye land of Capt. William Dodge.'
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