The Boston news-letter, and city record, Part 39

Author: Bowen, Abel, 1790-1850
Publication date: 1825
Publisher: [Boston] : Abel Bowen
Number of Pages: 850

USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > Boston > The Boston news-letter, and city record > Part 39

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).

Military .-- At a meeting of the In- dependent Company of Cadets, on the 24th inst. for the choice of officers, Maj. Gen. Crane presiding, Henry F. Baker was elected Captain, with the rank of Lieut. Colonel, vice Lieut. Colonel Thomas C. Amory, resigned ; Ignatius Sargent, Lieutenant, with the rank of Major, vice Major John Gray Rogers, resigned ; Peter C. Brooks Jr. Ensign, with the rank of Major, vice Major George W. Sturgis, resigned ; and John Rogers, Adjutant, with the rank of Captain, vice Capt. Henry F. Baker, promoted.

The Roxbury Hourly .- The Ga- zette states that the line of stages re- cently established to run between this city and and Roxbury meets with great encouragement ; and that about eleven hundred passengers passed to and fro by this conveyance during the last week.

On Saturday last, Daniel Aborn, a promising youth aged 17, from Paw- tucket, R. I. fell through the scuttle of the store in which he kept, in Kilby street. He survived the accident only three hours, his skull being badly frac- tured.

Rev. C. A. Frey has resigned his situation as Agent to to the American Society for meliorating the condition of the Jews.

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AND CITY RECORD, APRIL 29, 1826.

A correspondent of the Palladium suggests that the 50-foot street about to be laid out from North Market to Richmond Street, E. of Ann Street, be called QUINCY Street, and the outside Street, 65 feet wide, from Long Wharf to Lynn ssreet, be called COMMERCIAL Street.

There are 48 streets in the cities of New York and Boston, which bear the same names-they are as follow : Allen, Ann, Beach, Bedford, Bridge, Broad, Broadway, Canal, Cedar, Charles, Chamber, Chesnut, Clark, Columbia, Cross, Essex, Fayette, First, Fourth, Franklin, Front, Gar- den, Green, Hancock, Howard, Lib- erty, Market, Oak, Oliver, Park, Pearl, Pine, Pitt, Prince, Robinson, South, Spring, Spruce, State, Suffolk, Temple, Theatre-alley, Wall, Warren, Wash- ington, Water, Walnut, and West.

The Rev. Mr. Cornelius, in the course of a powerful and learned dis- course, at the Old South, the last Sab- bath, observed that it had been ascer- tained that twelve hundred young gentlemen were prepared for the pro- fession of medicine, six hundred for law, and five hundred for the minis- try, the last year, in the United States.

Rev. Dr. Beecher, of this city, is ap- pointed by the Governor to preach the Election Sermon in Connecticut, in May next, and in case of his failure the Rev. Isaac Lewis of Greenwich.

Mr Heinrich will give his " farewell Concert," this evening, in Boylston Hall.

Massachusetts ' Highlands.' --- The Hampshire Gazette states that the company who have purchased the house, &c. on Mount Holyoke, in- tend to make a good road to the sum- mit the ensuing summer, and the ground will be laid out for a large ho- tel, garden, &c. which are to be com- menced next year. The place has been leased for the present season to Mr Paul Strong, a man of experience, who will accommodate the public as well as the present buildings will allow.

Population of Dover, N. H .- By the census, recently taken, it appears that the whole number of inhabitants of that town is 4160, viz :

Males over 16 years of age 1259

Females do. 1482

Males under 16 704

Females do. 697

4142

Coloured Males

Coloured Females 9

Total, 4160

By the census taken in 1820 it ap- pears that the whole number of inhab- itants then amounted to 2871. In- crease, in about six years, 1289.

The legislature of New-York ad- journed on Tuesday 18th inst. after a session of 156 days, having passed about 320 out of between 7 and 800 bills entered upon the general orders of both houses. The Assembly was composed of 57 farmers, 29 lawyers, 20 merchants, S mechanics, 7 physicians, 2 manufacturers, 2 tavern-keepers, 2 of no profession -- 127 ; 57 are natives of New-York ; 29 Conn. ; 19 Mass. ; 7 Vermont ; 5 New Hampshire ; 4 Pennsylvania ; 3 Rhode Island ; 1 New Jersey ; 1 Scotland, and 1 Ire- land.

Ata meeting of the common coun- cil of Albany, a memorial asking aid of Congress in improving the naviga- tion of Hudson River, near that city, was read and approved, and the mayor was instructed to forward it to Wash- ington.

The New-York National Advocate, of Thursday, contains a report of an interesting Breach of Promise case, which was tried in that city on Wednes- day ; Mr Crawford vs. Mrs Benford. The plaintiff' was a grey headed gentle- man of 74, very lame, nearly blind, and quite poor ; the defendant, a wid- ow of about 65, a little paralytic, and the owner of a good estate. The coun- sel for the defendant asserted among other things, that the plaintiff saw the

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THE BOSTON NEWS-LETTER,

lady's charms in her rent-roll, and not in her face, while Mr Crawford, on his side, protested that ' his sole desire was to bury Mrs Benford along side of his first wife' Verdict for the plaintiff, $200 and costs.

A child, ten years old, in the west- ern part of this state, is now cutting its fifth set of teeth. The truth of this statement may be relied on.

The anniversary services of the Asylum for Indigent Boys took place yesterday afternoon, in the Old South Church. Sermon by Rev. Mr Wis- ner.

The English, American, and Ar- menian prisoners in Burmese, being in the greatest distress for food, sent to Monshoozar to say, they were so long without food they were starving Monshoozar sent rice and money for their relief, which, when the King heard, he ordered him and his whole family for execution, and they were only saved by chance, by the interces- sion of the King's sister. But all his property is confiscated, and he is m irons. Some of the white people who were in irons are dead, but none have been executed. They died from trou- ble, broken hearts and ill usage.

An aged Pramin has lately been dis- covered, whose age is proved by the Villagers to be between 130 and 140 years, and his son, a hale young fel- low, 80 years old, resides with him.

We are informed by a gentleman from Port au Platt, Hayti, whose in- formation may be relied on, that forty thousand persons died in the vicinity of Port au Prince, of the small Pox, in the last six months preceding the 3d of March last .- N. Bed. Mer.

The Greek Government has an- nounced that they will listen to no propositions for peace that do not em- brace an acknowledgment of INDE- PENDENCE.

The New York Gazette states, that 'Dr. Payson, of Portland, has accepted . the invitation to take the pastoral charge of the Cedar-street Church in New York, recently vacated by the death of Dr. Romeyn.' This is a mis- take. The Doctor has declined the invitation .- East. Argus.

Master Dixon, a lad from the south, has been arrested, and is to be put on trial in Connecticut, for giving ' read- ings and recitations.' Had he stolen a hat and a pair of boots, they could have done no worse .-- Noah's Adu.

Newport, April 19 .- Yesterday two young men, passengers in the brig John, from Havana, returning from Fort Adams, were capsized by the jibbing of the boat, and one of them, named Oliver Gregge, of Boston, was unfortunately drowned. The other was providentially saved.

Connecticut Election .-- The official votes for Governor in Connecticut give Governor Oliver Wolcott a majority of 1589, and Lt. Gov. David Plant, 3416 majority. The Senators elect- ed are David Hill, Luther' Loomis, John Welsh, Ebenezer Stoddard, Na- than Johnson, Samuel Church, Noyes Darling, Alexander Stewart Jr. In- goldsby W. Crawford, John Alsop, James Mitchell, and Samuel Tweedy.

$4,000, taken from a letter deposit- ed in the Post Office of N. York, ad- dressed to the Cashier of the New- England Bank, in this city, have been recovered. The theft has been fixed on a lad employed as an assistant by one of the letter carriers in New-York.

A forgery on the Life and Fire In- surance Company, to the amount of $3000, was detected yesterday morn- ing, and the parties implicated taken into custody .- N. Y. Post.

The Corner Stone of the First Church in Salem was laid on Thurs- day, 27th inst. Services by Mr. Bra- zer and Mr Upham.

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AND CITY RECORD, MAY 6, 1826.

HISTORICAL.

For the Boston News Letter and City Record.

SKETCHES OF THE EARLY HISTORY OF BILLERICA .*

Billerica, formerly known by the name of Shawshin, is one of the an- cient towns in Middlesex county. So early as 1637, the General Court of Massachusetts appointed Capt. Jenni- son and Lieut. Spooner, 'to view Shawshin, and to consider whether it be fit for a plantation.' In 1641, ac- cording to the old Colony records, and according to Hubbard, it was granted to Cambridge, ' provided they would make it a village to have ten families settled there within three years.' A more formal grant of Shawshin was made to Cambridge, 14 June, 1642, and in May, 1643, a grant was made without any condi- tion of making a village. There were probably some inhabitants here very soon after the year 1642, but it is doubtful whether there were any per- manent residents. Its settlement has been generally referred to 1653, when there was a number of families settled between the Concord and Shawshin rivers. It was incorporated by the name of Billerica, from a considerable town in Essex county, England, in May, 1655. The carliest settlers were from Cambridge, most of whom were emigrants from England. They were a respectable company, and some of them were persons of good educa-

tion. Among those who settled in Billerica during the first twenty years were the names of Danforth, Hill, Par- ker, French, Brackett, Rogers, Jefts, Crosby, Whiting, Stearns, Brown, Farmer, Tompson and Richardson. To the name of Danforth, the town is principally indebted for the valuable facts contained in the records for nearly twenty years.

Few names in the country, says Dr. Eliot, have produced more literary characters than the name of Danforth. Capt. Jonathan Danforth was among the most active and enterprizing in- habitants of Billerica. He was born 29th Feb, 1628, at Framingham, in Suffolk, England, where his father, Rev. Nicholas Danforth, was a gentic- man of such repute and estate ' that it cost him a considerable sum to escape the knighthood which King Charles imposed upon all of so much per annum." His father came to New England in 1634, and settled at Cam- bridge, where he died about four years after his arrival. His brothers were Hon. Thomas Danforth of Cambridge, Deputy Governor of the colony, and Rev. Samuel Danforth, a learned and eminent minister of Roxbury. Capt. Danforth settled in Billerica in 1654, where he remained till his death, Sep- tember 7, 1712, at the age of 84. He left many manuscripts, some of which are in possession of the writer of these sketches. A poem was published on his death, from which the following lines are selected.

" Hle rode the circuit, chain'd great towns and farms To good behaviour ; and by well marked stations, Hle fixed their bounds for many generations. His art+ ne'er fail'd him, though the loadstone fail'd, When oft by mines and streams it was assail'd. All this is charming, but there's something higher, Gave him the lustre which we most admire." }

Rev. Samuel Whiting was another of its carly inhabitants. Of him, it may be proper to give a short notice. He was the oldest son by a second marriage of Rev. Samuel Whiting of Lynn, who came from England and arrived at Boston, 26th May, 1636. His mother, a woman of exalted piety and virtue, was a daughter of the right honourable Oliver St. John, of Bedford- shire, and nearly related to Lord St. John of Bletsoe. He was born about the year 1632, most probably at Skir- bick, near Boston in Lincolnshire, where his father then resided. H was graduated at Ilarvard College in

* These sketches are copied with several addi- tional farts from Farmer & Moore's Historical Col- lections, publisbed in New Hampshire in 1823. They were principally derived from " An Histori- cal Memoir of Billerica," published in 1816,

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* The art of Surveying.

His piety is here alluded to.

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THE BOSTON NEWS-LETTER,

1653, and a few years after complet- ing his theological studies, went to Billerica, and was ordained the first minister of that place, November 11, 1663. His contemporaries in the min- istry in the adjoining towns were all eminent men. Fiske of Chelmsford, Mitchel of Cambridge, Bulkley of Concord, Barnard of Andover, and Fox of Woburn, were in active life, and were his associates in the ministe- rial profession. Mr Whiting remained the minister of Billerica nearly fifty years from his settlement, and continu- ed to discharge the duties of his sacred office, with great prudence, diligence and circumspection till age rendered him unequal to the task. He then had the assistance of a colleagne. Dr. Mather, in his Magnalia, calls him 'a reverend, holy and faithful minister of the gospel.' He departed this life, February 28, 1713, aged about 80 years. One of his sons, John Whiting, who was graduated at Harvard Col. lege in 1685, was the second minister of Lancaster. There he was killed, with twenty-one others, on the 11th September, 1697, when that town was surprised by the Indians.

John Stearns was among the earliest inhabitants. He married Mary Lath- rop of Plymouth colony, who was probably a daughter or grand-daugh- ter of Rev. John Lathrop of Scituate. John Stearns, his son, was the first per- son born in town, on record. The late Rev. Josiah Stearns, and Hon. Isaac Stearns were his descendants.

Joseph Tompson was son of Rev. William Tompson, one of the first ministers of Braintree. He was born 1st May, 1640. In this town he was many years a selectman and town clerk, a deacon of the church, an in- structer of youth, a captain of the mi- litia, and a representative to the Gen- eral Court in 1699, 1700 and 1701. He died 13 Oct. 1732, aged 92. His widow died 9 Oct. 1742, aged 91.

William French was admitted a freeman of the colony 3 March, 1636, and resided several years at Cambridge, previous to his removal to this town. He was an officer in the militia, and

was authorized in 1666 to solemnize marriages. He died 20 Nov. 1681, aged 78. Two of his sons were early inhabitants of Billerica, viz. John, who died Oct. 1712, and Jacob, who died 20 May, 1713, aged 73.

Edward Farmer came from Ance- ley in Warwickshire, England. He was the son of John Farmer, a des- cendant from Edward Farmer, Chan- cellor of the Cathedral Church at Sal- isbury in 1531 .* He was accompa- nied or soon followed by his mother, a widow, who, soon after her arrival, married Rev. Thomas Wiswall of Cambridge Village, now Newton. She survived him, and died at her son's in Billerica, May 21, 1686. She was originally of Great Packington, in Warwickshire, her name Isabel Bar- bage. From her descended in a di- rect line the late Rev. Richard Farm- er, D. D. Master of Emanuel College, Cambridge, author of ' An Essay on the Learning of Shakspeare,' and among the best commentators on that immortal bard.+

The progress of the settlement at Billerica was not rapid, but the meas- ures adopted by the inbabitants were well calculated to render it perma- nent. Among the regulations entered in the early records were the follow- ing : All persons unknown to the townsmen desirous of becoming inhabi- tants, were required to bring a certifi- cate from the place whence they came, exhibiting such testimony as should be satisfactory to the town ;- that upon their admission as inhabitants, they should subscribe their names to all or- ders of the town, and bear their pro- portion of all public charges in church, town and commonweal. Any person, not qualified by law, who should pre- sume to give his voice, or vote in any

* See Anthony Wood's Fasti Oxoniensis.

t This distinguished scholar and antiquary was born at Leicester, May 4, 1735 ; died Sept. 8, 1797. From Dr. Farmer's nephew, Rev. Thomas Farmer, of Woburn, Bedfordshire, the writer of these sketches received several years since, some ex- tracts from his papers, and an impression of the seal which he wore and used, the last of which is with the Antiquarian Society at Worcester.

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AND CITY RECORD, MAY 6, 1826.

elections of the town, or interfere in any town affairs, was subject to a fine of five shillings, to be levied by the constable. Any inhabitant or propri- etor who should bring in, or entertain in town, any person as a servant, should give bond to the constable to secure the town from all damage that might arise from the maintenance of such servant. In case of refusal to give bond, a penalty of twenty shillings per week was incurred. No -proprietor possessing less than a ten acre privi- lege, should alienate any part of his right to any person without consent of the town. But a person having more than this proportion, might sell or dis- pose of a five acre privilege. Proprie- tors of not more than ten acre privile- ges could not, without permission of the town, dispose of their privilege to any person, not even to their children, unless the town had refused to make them a grant.

In 1658, the inhabitants, to the num- ber of nineteen, agreed with Rev. Samuel Whiting in reference to his settlement in town. They engaged to give him and his heirs a ten acre privi- lege, and a house comfortably finished with the accommodations belonging to it, if he should continue with them dur- ing his life. They also agreed to give him a salary of 40l. for the first two years, 50l. for the third, and 60l. for the fourth, and afterwards engaged to ' better his maintenance as the Lord should better their estates.' His stat- ed salary after the fourth year was 701.

Rev. Mr Whiting was ordained Nov. 11, 1663, and from satisfactory evi- dence it appears that the church was gathered at the same time. From a charge in the town records, it was for- merly inferred that the church was or- ganized April 27, 1663, but from an- other charge, the 'gathering of a church and the ordaining of Mr Whiting,' are considered as coeval.

On the 2d August, 1675, Timothy Farley of this town, was killed at Qua- boag, now Brookfield, in an engage- ment with the Indians. Such was the gloomy aspect at this time, and the alarm and terror spread through the

country by the ravages of the Indians, that the inhabitants of this town held a meeting on the 13th August, for the purpose of adopting measures for mu- tual defence and security. The follow- ing entry of their proceedings is made in the records, which gives an idea of the danger they apprehended from their subtle and powerful enemy. ' The town, considering the Providence of God at the present, calling us to lay aside our ordinary occupations in pro- . viding for our creatures, and to take special care of our own lives, and the lives of our wives and children ; the enemy being near and the warning of God's Providence upon our neighbours being very solemn, do therefore, order and agree to prepare a place of safety for women and children ; and that per- sons and teams shall attend the said work until it be finished. An account of the whole charge being kept, shall be equally divided upon the inhabi- tants with other town charges.' Soon after this meeting, the town received an order from the honorable council, to gather the several inhabitants into garrisons according to their best capac- ity. In obedience to this order, a meeting of the selectmen and commit- tee of the militia, was holden for that purpose, 8th October, when several garrisons were formed, and suitable arrangements were made. On the 14th, the selectmen and committee were met by Major Simon Willard, who approved their measures, and as- sisted them in instituting a number of . other garrisons in addition to those formed on the 8th.

The excitement produced in the public mind at this period, by the pre- datory incursions of the Indians, caus- ed many persons to leave their habita- tions, and seek refuge in the most campact part of the several towns. The settlements in the northerly part of this town on Concord river, were from their situation, peculiarly expos- ed, and were deserted by the inhabi- tants, who were ordered to be enter- tained ' in the body of the town.' It is not known that this town received any essential injury during King Philip's war.

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232

THE BOSTON NEWS-LETTER,

The number of families in town about this time, appears to have been forty-eight, and the number of dwell- ing-houses forty-seven. In 1679, there · were sixty rateable estates, including non residents. In a return, made in 1680, to a warrant from the deputy Governor, the town stated the number of families able to bear public charges to be fifty ; and of aged persons and poor, including widows, to be ten. A writing and reading school was at this time taught by Joseph Tompson. No grammar school was in town.

The witchcraft delusion in 1692 ex- tended to this town, and several per- sons who had been inhabitants were concerned in the tragical scenes at Sa- lem Village. Thomas Carrier, alias Morgan, a Welchman, became an in- habitant of Billerica about the year 1663. He was at first not accepted as an inhabitant, and a petition ap- pears to have been preferred to the county court against his admission. Hle was, however, afterwards admit- ted ; was married by General Gook- in, May 7, 1664, to Martha Allen and had several children born here. His son, Richard Carrier, born in this town, July 16, 1674, was one of the witnesses against Rev. George Bur- roughs, who was executed August . 19, 1692. His wife was arrested on sus- picion of witchcraft, had a trial before the Court at Salem, was condemned the 5th of August, and executed on the 19th among the unhappy victims at Salem Village. Her own daughter, a child about seven years old, was allow- ed to testify against her mother. The testimony and confession she gave may be seen in the second volume of Hutchinson's History of Massachusetts. It does not appear that Carrier lived in Billerica when his family was in- volved in this sad catastrophe. He probably lived in Andover. From President Allen's Biographical Dic- tionary, it appears that for the last twenty years of his life, he lived in Colchester, Connecticut, where he di- ed May 16, 1735, at the age of 109 years. He was a member of the church in that town, His head in his

last years was not bald, nor his hair gray. Not many days before his death he travelled on foot to see a sick man six miles, and the very day before he died, he was visiting his neighbours. Though there is no posi- tive evidence that any of the inhabi- tants of Billerica were put upon trial for the supposed crime of witchcraft in the time of this delusion, yet it may be safely inferred that several were suspected and one or two apprehend- ed. Besides the authority of Hutch- inson, the town records inform us that during the height of the delusion, two persons were in the prison at Cam- bridge, and that they both died there. Rebecca, wife of William Chamber- lain, died there Sept. 26, 1692, and John Durant, Oct. 27, 1692. They were probably both victims of the infatuation which prevailed at that time.

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The Boston news-letter, and city record, Part 39

Author: Bowen, Abel, 1790-1850 Publication date: 1825 Publisher: [Boston] : Abel Bowen Number of Pages: 850

Author: Bowen, Abel, 1790-1850
Publication date: 1825
Publisher: [Boston] : Abel Bowen
Number of Pages: 850