Standard history of Essex county, Massachusetts, embracing a history of the county from its first settlement to the present time, with a history and description of its towns and cities. The Most historic county of America., Part 24

Author: Tracy, Cyrus M. (Cyrus Mason), 1824-1891, et al. Edited by H. Wheatland
Publication date: 1878
Publisher: Boston, C. F. Jewett
Number of Pages: 450

USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Standard history of Essex county, Massachusetts, embracing a history of the county from its first settlement to the present time, with a history and description of its towns and cities. The Most historic county of America. > Part 24

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).

Boxford was originally a part of the domains of the old Sagamore Musehonomet, from whose grandsons, Samuel and Joseph English and John Umpee, Boxford obtained a deed of the land contained in the township for niue pounds, in October, 1701. Numbers of the subjects of this chief, as well as of others of antedate, resided on our hills, in the valleys, and on the borders of the ponds, living by the products of the chase and piscatorial industry, and having the fruit of the soil as a luxury, if the squaws were willing to cultivate the same. About 1830, several Indian bodies, and great numbers of arrow-heads, together with a stone mortar and pestle, were dug up. Arrow-heads, made of some flinty stone, are frequently found.

The first white settlement was made in the East Parish, the West Parish not being settled until about 1670. In 1673, there were six- teen families in the village ; in 1680, twenty-five ; therefore making an increase of nine families in the intervening seven years. During the next five years they increased to forty families, when, thinking, as they had so large a population, that they could support a minister, and carry on a town government, they petitioned the General Court to be granted a township privilege, which was aceeded to by the session commencing Aug. 12, 1685. The name was changed from Rowley Village to Boxford, and the people immediately instituted the government of the town of Boxford. The town probably received its name from Boxford, England, where the Rev. Samuel Phillips (the pastor in Rowley at that time) was born.

In continuing this sketeh, we have thought proper, to render it more perspicuous, to divide it into the several departments of local history ; viz., religious, military, educational, &c. We will first speak of its

RELIGIOUS HISTORY.

As the settlers came and made Boxford their home, they attended divine worship at Topsfield, and many of them were admitted to the church there, and helped to bear its expenses. This they continued to do, with little interruption, until in the early part of the last decade of the seventeenth century, when " contentious feelings " arose among the brethren, which ended in the Boxford people's withdrawing themselves from the church. However, as early as 1692, the Boxford people had thoughts of building themselves a house of worship, which might, perhaps, have caused the unhappy state of feeling.

In 1699, a meeting-house was begun to be built by the Boxford people, which was finished and presented to the town, Jan. 9, 1701. It was " thirty-four feet long, thirty feet wide, and eighteen feet stud between joints." The roof was elevated, from the four sides of the building, to a peak in the centre, which was surmounted by a turret. This ancient edifice stood in the northerly corner of the cemetery, located near the present First Church.

Their first minister was the Rev. Thomas Symmes, son of the Rev.

* See Rowley.

HISTORY OF ESSEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

Zachariah Symmes, the first minister of Bradford, where Thomas was born Feb. 1, 1678, and graduated at Harvard College, 1698. He preached his first sermon in Boxford, on Sunday, April 27, 1701, which was also the first one that was ever preached in the town. Mr. Symmes was ordained Dec. 30, 1702, the church then consisting of only eleven male members, who had been dismissed from the Topsfield church. The following month, however, ten of the female members were dismissed from the Topsfield church and annexed to the Boxford church. In February and April following, twenty-two more, both male and female, were dismissed and annexed as above, thus building up the church to about fifty members.

Mr. Symmes meeting with difficulties too great for him to overcome, he felt himself obliged to resign his office, which he did, and thereupon was dismissed in April, 1708. After he left Boxford, his father having died, he received a call to take his place in the ministry at Bradford, which he accepted, and after a successful ministry, expired Oct. 6, 1725, at the age of forty-seven years. Mr. Symmes was a man of much learning, and very active with his pen; several of his productions, both scriptural and seeular, were published, and among them is the most authentic account of "Capt. Lovewell's fight at Pig- wacket," in 1725. Increase Mather spoke highly of him. Mr. Symmes' preaching was very fruitful wherever he went.

The second minister was the Rev. John Rogers, son of Jeremiah Rogers, of Salem, Mass., who was of the eighth generation from John Rogers, the Smithfield martyr. Mr. Rogers was born at Salem, and graduated at Harvard College, 1705. His ordination took place in 1709, and so commeneed his labors, which endured for nearly half a century.

Nothing occurred out of the regular order of a pastor's duties during the thirty-odd years of his pastorate. In this time, however, great changes had been going on. The north-western part of Boxford had so increased in population that they nearly equalled or execeded that of the old part. Many of them belonged to the church in Bradford. In 1735, they received affirmative answers to their petitious to the General Court to become two distinct parishes, which have ever since been known as the East and West parishes. We will continue the history of the

First Church .- The old church edifice was pulled down in 1745, and a new one erceted, thirty-eight feet wide, forty-eight feet long, and twenty-four feet stud, with a "fashionable " roof. This edifice stood on the corner, directly in front of the present church. The cost was about £1,500.

Difficulties having arisen, the Rev. Mr. Rogers closed his ministerial relationship with the church in 1743, and removed to his son's in Leominster, where he died, in 1755. Mr. Rogers was a very blunt man in his speech, and also very forcible in his preaching. During his pastoral charge more persons were added to the church annually than during any other pastorship. Like his son, he was not afraid to declare the whole counsel of God.

Sixteen years now pass before another minister is settled over the church. During this long season the preaching had been very irregular, and therefore very perplexing.

The Rev. Elizur Holyoke, of Cambridge, was ordained Jan. 31, 1759, and, to the record of the ordination exercises, Mr. Holyoke adds with his own pen : " And thus to one who is less than the least of all saints is this grace given, that he should preach the unsearchable liches of Christ." Mr. Holyoke erected the " Old Holyoke House," which is an interesting relic, and in 1760, with his blushing bride, took possession of its spacious interior.

In Feb., 1793, Mr. Holyoke was prostrated by a paralytic shock, from the effects of which he died, March 31, 1806, at the age of seventy-four years and ten months. He was son of Samuel and Eliza- beth (Brigham ) Holyoke, and nephew of Pres. Edward Holyoke, of Harvard College, and was born in Boston, May 11, 1731. Gradu- ated at Harvard College, 1750.

The chords of harmony between him and his people were ever per- feet, even to reverence and love. His ministry, extending as it did through the period of forty-seven years, was very uncommon and un- precedented in the ecclesiastical history of New England. Always genial, happy, and loving, he was a favorite with all, and his death was deeply felt by the parish.

The fourth minister was the Rev. Isaac Briggs, of York, Me., who was ordained, Sept. 28, 1808. He occupied the pulpit for twenty-five years, leaving in 1833. "Parson Briggs," as he was called, was born in Halifax, N. S., about 1775 ; graduated at Brown University, 1795 ; first settled over the church in York, Me., where his stay was brief; resigned in 1807; and came to Boxford, as above. Mr. Briggs often visited the field wherein he had labored for a quarter of a century, always being welcomed by his old parishioners.

The Rev. John Whitney, the fifth minister, was ordained Oct. 15, 1834. His stay was brief, being dismissed ( ?) in 1837. He was a native of Harvard, and graduated at Amherst in 1831.

Before Mr. Whitney left, steps had been taken to build a new house of worship. The work was carried forward and the present house was erected and ready for occupaney in the spring of 1838.

The Rev. Mr. Coggin's (the sixth minister) ordination occurred at the same time as the dedication of the new church ; viz., May 9, 1838. The Rev. William Symmes Coggin, son of the Rev. Jacob Coggin, of Tewks: bury, was born Nov. 27, 1812. Graduated at Dartmouth College, 1834. After occupying the pulpit for thirty years, his health begin- ning to decline, he resigned his position, which the parish and church reluctantly agreed to. He was a servant faithful in the service of his Lord ; one by whom many souls have been blessed and led unto that light which "shineth more and more unto the perfect day." Content to live with the people of his early charge, he still remains among then, sometimes officiating in the pulpit, and pursuing his pastoral visits, - though under the sanetion of friendly calls, -the same as in the past. "May his last days be his best days, and may he finally be gathered with those who, having ' turned many to righteousness, shall shine as the stars forever.""

The Rev. Sereno David Gammell, of Charlestown, the seventh and present pastor, was ordained Sept. 9, 1868. In the following spring, the new and substantial parsonage was built, by subscription, at a cost of $4,000. The church membership numbers one hundred and thirty ; the Sabbath school has upwards of a hundred scholars ; and the " Mary Ann Peabody S. S. Library " contains about three hundred volumes. They have a parish fund of about $8.000.

Second Church. - The people in the West Parish had preaching among themselves for some years before they were incorporated into a lawful body. After the General Court granted them a parish privi- lege (June 28, 1735), they completed their house of worship, and extended an invitation to the Rev. John Cushing, who was then preach- ing there, to become their settled pastor. He accepted their call, and was ordained Dee. 29, 1736. The church consisted of eleven members dismissed from the Bradford church, and seven (all males) from the First Church in Boxford. As soon as the church was embod- ied. seven members were dismissed from Bradford church, and eleven (all females) from the First Church in Boxford, thus numbering about forty members. Shortly after, several more were dismissed from the two churches. About 1740, several families, with their lands in Andover, were annexed to the second parish. The second parish, at the present time, takes in a part of Andover, the present parish clerk being an Andover man.

Mr. Cushing's health failing him, he was not able to preach regul- larly after the summer of 1763. May 19, 1766, he closed his services for the society, and, after lingering for five years, he died Jan. 25, 1772, in the sixty-third year of his age. He was a man of extensive learning, and a very popular preacher. He was a son of the Rev. Caleb Cushing, of Salisbury, where he was born April 10, 1709. His

HISTORY OF ESSEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

mother was Elizabeth, daughter of the Rev. Jolin Cotton. He grad- uated at Harvard College, 1729.

In November, 1774, they finished their second church, which had been built "according to the same Plan by which the Meeting House in New Rowley (Georgetown) was built, excepting a Steeple, instead of which we are to have a Porch built as at the other end of the meet- ing house."

The Rev. Moses Hale, the second minister, was ordained Nov. 16, 1774 ; the meeting house was probably dedicated at the same time. He was a son of the Rev. Moses Hale, of Newbury, and was born Feb. 19, 1749, in Rowley. Graduated at Harvard College, 1771. Mr. Hale was early stricken down by disease in the thirty-eighth year of his age, dying May 25, 1786, in the twelfth year of his ministry, and leaving five motherless children to mourn his loss, - his wife having died April 24th of the preceding year.

The third pastor was the Rev. Dr. Peter Eaton, of Haverhill, who was ordained Oct. 7, 1789. In 1840, he was the oldest minister in the county then in office, having completed half a century of service. Shortly after, his health began to fail. After several requests to be dismissed, the parish reluctantly granted his request Aug. 21, 1845. He was not dismissed, however, but the Rev. Calvin E. Park was installed as Dr. Eaton's colleagne, Oct. 14, 1846. Mr. Eaton quietly passed away April 14, 1848, at the mature age of eighty-three years. He was born in Haverhill, March 15, 1765, and graduated at Harvard College, 1787. He was noted as a powerful preacher, a loving pas- tor, and an endearing friend. His memory will be dear as long as time endures.

In 1843, the third and present church edifice was erected, and ded- icated Nov. 22d of that year. Its cost was $4,917.62.

The Rev. Mr. Park occupied the pulpit till his resignation in April, 1859.

The fifth settled pastor was the Rev. Charles M. Pierce, of Andover, who was ordained Sept. 2, 1863. He asked for a dismission, and was granted it July 17, 1867. By this act they lost an " able and faithful pastor, one who cared much for his Master's glory, and who sought to be His faithful servant in the Christian's work."

The sixth settled pastor was the Rev. James McLean, of Sonth Wey- mouth, who was ordained Feb. 20, 1877. He asked for a dismission, which was accordingly granted, and his labors ended July 1, 1878. The church is at present without a pastor.

John Tyler Barker, who died in 1872, bequeathed to the society $30,000, the income of which to be applied to the support of the preaching.

A handsome and substantial parsonage, in the gothic style, has been recently erected for the use of the minister.

The church membership now numbers about fifty ; the Sabbath school has from seventy-five to one hundred scholars, who have a Sunday-school library of about two hundred and fifty volumes.

Bath societies are the original Orthodox Congregational, there being no organization of any other religious denomination in the town.

MILITARY HISTORY.

Those who are acquainted with Boxford's history, always speak of its being one of the most patriotic towns in times of peril and danger, when deeds alone will profit, that New England has ever had the honor of acknowledging to belong to her.

When King Philip and his allies were burning, plundering, and murdering the settlers in Swanzey and vicinity in the southern part of Massachusetts, in 1675, Joseph Bixby, and perhaps others from Boxford, went out with the neighboring soldiers, and fought against the savages.

In 1689, several of our men, with the soldiers from the neighbor- ing towns, went down into Maine to help defend the settlements from the attacks of the savages, who had become very fierce.

Boxford played no mean hand in the several seasons of Indian hos-

tility, which were constantly breaking out during the last decade of the seventeenth century.

Several of our young and fearless men went out with Capt. Love- well, in 1725, to " quell the Indian pride." They helped to form his company, who marched in February, 1725, on snow-shoes, with their provisions on their backs, on an Indian trail which they had found following np the Merrimac River. We have not space to detail how they captured, roasted, and feasted on a bear; how they tracked the Indians, until they discovered their encampment on an island in Lake Winnipiseogee (N. H.) ; how they attacked them in their camp, and killed them all (10), and returned triumphant to their homes .*

In 1748 and 1749, several Boxford men were stationed at Scarbor- ough, in the company of Capt. Joseph Frye, of Andover. Others were stationed at Gorhamtown and New Marblehead, in 1749 and 1750.

When the eastern frontiers were troubled in 1754, several more Boxford men went out for their defence in the company of Capt. Humphrey Hobbs, of Souhegan. Several more went out the follow- ing year in the company of Capt. Abiel Frye.

Several men from Boxford were in Cal. Winslow's expedition to Nova Scotia. Of the neutral French which were distributed among the various towns in New England, Boxford had fifteen to provide for, until March, 1758, when six of them were removed to Middle- ton.

The long and tedious " French and Indian War " drew into service many of the inhabitants. Boxford raised "a company of foot" for the "invasion of Canada in 1758," which was placed under the com- mand of Capt. Israel Herrick. This company, in addition to another, under the command of Capt. Francis Peabody, of Boxford, were in the service while the war lasted [1758-60]. Others served in the companies that were raised by the neighboring towns. The history of this war is but a recital of the sufferings and dangers that our townsmen had to pass through. Wading up to their waists in water, pulling their batteaux after them over the rapids ; marching through the trackless forests ; camping upon the wet, cold ground; their clothing worn out; food often scarce, and of poor quality ; - who can tell these tales of suffering but those who knew them only by experience ? When the Colonies were taxed so heavily by the mother country, just previous to the Revolution, in their correspondence with Boston, the committee of Boxford speak of the great amount of suffering, money, and anxiety the " French and Indian War" had cost them, and thought it extremely hard that England should tax them so heavily, unnecessarily, especially when they had lately suffered so much for the almost express sake of the Crown of England.

In their correspondence with Boston, the committee of Boxford write very resentingly of the acts of Great Britain, at a very early hour in the day of the uprising of the Colonies. And, as the birth of independence was drawing near, nothing seemed too bad to say about the mother country.

May 24, 1770, the town voted "that they will to their utmost, encourage the produce and manufacture of all such articles as have formerly been imported from Great Britain and used among them.

" Voted that they will not use any foreign tea, nor suffer it to be used in their families (cases of sickness excepted), until the duty upon it shall be wholly taken off, - the duty on which has so largely contributed towards the support of such a . tset of men.

" Voted, that they will not by any means whatever, knowingly, have any sort of trade or dealings with those detestable persons who have preferred their own little interests to the good of the country in contriving to import goods contrary to the non-importation agreement of the merchants and traders on the Continent ; and that whosoever

# See " Book of the Indians," Book iii., Chap. ix. ; also, " New England History, and General Register," Vol. v., p. 80.

t Hon. Aaron Wood, who was Town Clerk, when these resolves were passed, being a moral man, left this word out, and inserted a dash in its stead.

HISTORY OF ESSEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

shall be found to trade with them knowingly shall be deemed unworthy to hold any office or place of trust in the town forever hereafter."

Seventeen days before the Declaration of Independence was adopted, the inhabitants of Boxford " voted unanimously that if the Honorable Continental Congress should for the safety of the colonies declare them independent of the Kingdom of Great Britain, they, the said inhab- itants of Boxford, will solemnly engage with their lives and fortunes to support them in the measure."

In a letter to Boston, dated Feb. 4, 1773, the committee of cor- respondence of Boxford write : " We are desirous to exert our utmost abilities in all legal and constitutional methods to break, if possible, the iron band of oppression and prevent the welding of the last link in our chain of impending slavery."

On the twenty-seventh day of December following, they write : " It is the resolution of this town to do all that's in their power, in a lawful way, to heare off this yoke of slavery, and to unite with their brethren of the town of Boston, and the other touns in the Province, to defend our rights and charter privileges, not only with our estates, but with our lives; considering how dear those rights and privileges were purchased for us by our fore-fathers at the expense of their own blood and treasure."

But leaving these outbursts of pent-up patriotism and independence, we must move forward to the real seenes of bloodshed, the opening battles of the Revolutionary War.

A company of " Minnte-men " had been formed, and had trained themselves for active service. On the morning of the 19th of April, 1775, the alarm gun at Andover awoke the slumbers of the inhab- itants, and news soon came of the real condition of affairs. The " Minute-men" and the two militia companies of the town were quickly on their way to the scene of conflict, but they arrived too late to participate in the fight at either Lexington or Coneord. The two militia companies (the east parish company was commanded by Jacob Gould, and consisted of fifty-seven men; the west parish company was commanded by John Cushing, and contained thirty- three men) returned to their homes. The "Minute-men" (com- manded by William Perley, and numbering fifty-two men), followed in the rear of the British as they retreated back to Boston,

And gave them ball for ball, From behind each fence and barn-yard wall."

The "Minute-men " eamped in the vicinity of Boston, and on the evening of June 16, 1775, they formed part of that regiment, which, under command of Col. Prescott, following the glimmer of dark lanterns, erossed the Neck, and helped to rear that ominous defenee, which so astonished the Britons when the sun shed its first rays of light over the sparkling water, on the morning of the 17th of June, 1775. They bravely fought, while their amunition held ont, when they were obliged to suceumb to a retreat. Eight men out of this company were left dead upon the field or iu the redoubt.

Twenty-five men went to the assistance of Cape Ann (Gloucester) this year (1775).

Saltpetre was manufactured here, this year, for the manufacture of gunpowder. The blacksmiths' forges were also utilized in melting lead and running it into bullets.

During the campaign of 1776, forty-nine men enlisted for eight months in the "Cambridge Campaign." Twenty-five more were stationed at Winter Hill and Roxbury. Twenty-six more enlisted in the "Continental and Northern Army." Six were stationed at Dorches- ter. Ten were stationed at New York, for two months. Nine were stationed as above, but at a different time. Ten were stationed for two months at Winter Hill. Thirty-four enlisted in the " Continental and Northern Army " at a different time from the others. Fourteen were in the " Remainder of the Continental Army." The whole number of men who were out this year, as per rolls, was two hundred and eleven.

In November of this year, the famous Sullivan expedition was

formed, to ravage the Indian settlements on the western frontier. Sev- eral men from Boxford were in Capt. Lane's company, in Col. Alden's regiment, and passed through much of the ordeal which they were called to suffer. Two of the Boxford men died, and many others of the expedition were killed, or died natural deaths. The names of Sehoharie, Cherry Valley, Unadilla, and others associated with them, will never be forgotten by the annalist of Indian history.

Capt. Richard Peabody was also stationed at Ticonderoga and Crown Point, this year (1776), with a company of volunteers, who took part in the fight at Tieonderoga.

Some of the men that took part in the disastrous journey of Ar- nold's to Quebee, in the fall of 1775, belonged to Boxford. More suffering was probably endured in this expedition, thau in any other season during the Revolution, or at any time of war sinee.

Que of Boxford's soldiers was one of the guard of Maj. Andre ou the night before his execution.

In March, 1777, thinking they were not doing their share toward the cause of independence, they hire thirty-three men to enter the army, at a cost of £778. Most of them were from Boston.

The surrender of Gen. Burgoyne, on the 17th of October, 1777, was witnessed by several of the Boxford soldiers.

In 1780, Boxford raised more than £60,000 (the worthlessness of money must be takeu into consideration), to purchase beef for the soldiers.

In 1781, Boxford voted to pay soldiers, who would enlist in the army for three years, one hundred and twenty silver dollars apiece.

Shay's rebellion, in 1787, ealled ont several Boxford men.

Several drafts were made on the militia companies, as per aet of Congress, April 10, 1812, for soldiers to assist in guarding the sea- ports along the Atlantic coast. The inhabitants of Boxford were against the doings of the National Government, in that they declared war with Great Britain, as they believed it would be detrimental to their prosperity, happiness, and the morals of the people. In 1814 more drafts were made.

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.

Standard history of Essex county, Massachusetts, embracing a history of the county from its first settlement to the present time, with a history and description of its towns and cities. The Most historic county of America., Part 24

Author: Tracy, Cyrus M. (Cyrus Mason), 1824-1891, et al. Edited by H. Wheatland Publication date: 1878 Publisher: Boston, C. F. Jewett Number of Pages: 450

Author: Tracy, Cyrus M. (Cyrus Mason), 1824-1891, et al. Edited by H. Wheatland
Publication date: 1878
Publisher: Boston, C. F. Jewett
Number of Pages: 450