USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Maynard > The annals of Sudbury, Wayland and Maynard, Middlesex County, Massachusetts > Part 22
USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Sudbury > The annals of Sudbury, Wayland and Maynard, Middlesex County, Massachusetts > Part 22
USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Wayland > The annals of Sudbury, Wayland and Maynard, Middlesex County, Massachusetts > Part 22
USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Sudbury > The annals of Sudbury, Wayland, and Maynard, Middlesex County, Massachusetts > Part 22
USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Wayland > The annals of Sudbury, Wayland, and Maynard, Middlesex County, Massachusetts > Part 22
USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Maynard > The annals of Sudbury, Wayland, and Maynard, Middlesex County, Massachusetts > Part 22
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THE OLD BURYING GROUND.
This is the northernmost burying ground of the town, and situated about a quarter of a mile from Wayland Centre on the road to Sudbury. It is a most interesting spot. Within it were located the first three meeting houses of the township, and here from 1642-3 to near the second quarter of the eighteenth century all that was mortal of the early inhabitants was laid for its final rest Not until 1716-17 is mention made of a burying ground on the west side of the river, so that this old ground must be alike sacred in its associations to both Way- land and Sudbury. In burying their dead near the meeting house the settlers followed the custom prevalent in their old English home ; but as the first meeting house was not built till 1642-3, it is supposed that the first burials were beyond the present cemetery, in what was called the "Old Indian Burying Ground." Here probably were buried the bodies of Thomas King and his wife and son, who died about two years after the settlement began ; and per- ·haps it is their graves that are marked by the three horizontal stones that are still visible. Here probably was buried Edward, the servant of Robert Darnill, who died in 1640. Passing from this most ancient place of interment, we enter at once upon the new portion of the
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" Old Burying Ground." Here is the family lot of James S. Draper, surrounded by a eres- cent shaped evergreen hedge that opens to the sunlight. Here is the lot and the grave of Dr. Joseph Rutter Draper, late of Boston, and surgeon in the Federal army during the civil war. He was a descendant of John Rutter, one of the early grantees. Here, too, are the graves of Lydia Maria Child and her husband, David Lee Child. They are marked by two marble stones, on which are inscribed the following epitaphis : -
LYDIA MARIA CHILD Born Feb. 11, 1802 Died Oct. 20, 1880 You call us dead W'e are not dead We are truly living now.
DAVID LEE CHILD Came to this world in West Boylston, Mass., July 8th, 1794 ; Vanished from this world in Wayland, Sept. 18th. 1874.
Passing on towards the centre of the yard, we read the names of Heard, Noyes, Cutting, Gleason ; and in the more ancient portion, on the moss-covered and weather-stained slate stones, are found the cross-bones and skulls and quaint epitaphs. This last-named portion, which constitutes the original graveyard, lays along the highway. In 1800 it was enlarged on its southerly side by purchase from Nathan and Luther Gleason of about three-fourths of an acre ; and in 1835 it was further enlarged by purchase, from the heirs of William Noyes, of land to unite it with the " Old Indian Burying Ground." This ancient burial place is situated on the county road from Wayland to Sudbury Centre, about a half mile from the railroad station. Its surface in places is quite uneven and rough, and in some places the wild grass has probably never been npturned, except when the ground has been broken for new graves. The general direction of the older graves is northerly and southerly, which is con- trary to the position of graves in some of the old New England burying grounds, which is in an easterly and westerly direction.
For inscriptions on some of the grave-stones see pp. 53 and 54.
THE GRAVE OF REV. EDMUND BROWN.
There has been more or less conjecture as to the whereabouts of the grave of Rev. Edmund Brown, the first minister of the settlement. The exact spot is unknown, but the probability is that his body was interred somewhere in the town's old burying ground. Circumstances strongly favor this presumption, and we know of no valid objection to it. In this town most of his eventful life was spent, and he would naturally desire to be laid among his own people; and if there was a vacant spot in the church-yard near the old meeting house where his voice was so long heard, we may suppose that it would be selected for his final resting place. All the horizontal stones that are visible have been carefully searched for the desired inscription, and the earth has been probed with a bar to discover any that might be concealed by the turf, but the search has been vain. Dr. Thomas Stearns, a man mneh interested in historical research, stated in a lecture given in Wayland, a half century ago, that Rev. Edmund Brown was buried in the old burying ground, and that his grave was covered by a horizontal stone, upon the under side of which were the letters "E. B." Whether Mr. Stearns received his information from tradition, or some other source, is now unknown.
LOCATION OF FIRST MEETING HOUSE.
It is considered by the writer quite probable that the first meeting house, which was built by John Rutter in 1642, as also the second one, which we are informed was on the site of the first, stood on the southerly side of the half acre first used as a burying ground, on the
REV. JOHN B. WIGHT, At the age of 60.
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bank by the roadside, instead of the spot a little farther up marked by evergreen trees which is assigned by tradition as the site of the first meeting house, and which doubtless is the site of the third one, built in 1687-8. The following are some of the reasons for this conjec- ture : -
1. For obvious reasons the settlers would probably place their first meeting house, as well as their first log cabin homes, near the road, which road lay where the present county road lies.
2. The town record concerning the location of the first meeting house is that " It shall stand upon the hillside before the house lot of John Loker on the other side of the way."
3. It is stated in the " Records " that " the new meeting house [that is, the third] shall stand upon the present Burying place of this town on the most convenient part thereof or behind or about the old meeting house that now is." The " convenient place," we should suppose, would be where were the fewest graves. The first interments would naturally be made near the meeting house; the "convenient spot," then, would probably be back of these graves ; and since a half century had passed, and graves bearing date 1676 and 1678 are found in what is supposed to be the farther part of the half acre originally allotted for the burying ground, it is probable that the lower part of the yard was more or less occupied, which may account for the third meeting house being located so far from the road.
Perhaps a reason why the third meeting house was not placed on the old site, if so be it was not placed there, was that probably a longer time was to be occupied in the erection of this building than of the preceding one, and the people would not unnecessarily deprive themselves of a place of worship during this time.
The records also state, concerning a parsonage for the Rev. James Sherman, who was settled in 1678: " The town bought of John Loker the east end of his house standing before and near the meeting house, and his orchard and home lot of four acres."
John Loker's house has been located on the " map of house lots " as being on the road- side northwesterly of and beyond the burying ground. One reason for placing it here is because the half acre first purchased by the town for a burying place was a part of the house lot of John Loker. Perhaps a cart path led up the southeasterly side of his house to his orchard, which may be the " way" referred to in the record. These records perhaps may indicate that the meeting house stood near the southwestern corner of the yard. Moreover this spot could be more properly called the hillside, especially before the present bank wall had diminished the slope to the road, than the spot referred to above, which might almost be called the summit.
SUCCESSION OF MEETING HOUSES.
Four meeting houses have been erected in the present territory of Wayland, which are successors of the one built by John Rutter in 1642-3. Two of these were in the old burying ground, as before observed, and the others at the Centre (see pp. 49 and 51). These, together with the first one, we think circumstances and the records indicate, have for near two centuries and a half been the houses of worship of the same church organization, viz., that over which the Rev. Edmund Brown was the first minister, and which is now known as the church of the First Parish, or the Unitarian Church. Although changes may have occurred both in theology and polity, yet we have found no evidence in the old records that the organization itself has been changed ; and we conclude, therefore, that the church estab- lished in 1640 has passed from meeting house to meeting house as the centuries have come and gone. During the controversy in the first quarter of the eighteenth century, concerning the division of the town into precincts (see pp. 48 and 49), nothing occurred, that we have
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yet discovered, which caused the church on the east side to lose its identity as the First Church of the town. There was a separation from it, but not a removal of it. The records of the church, as kept by Mr. Loring, inform us that the church met at his house, Feb. 11, 1723, and voted that the church be divided into two churches. The desire to divide came from the east side people, and Mr. Loring at this time was living with them, he not having removed to the west side till the 25th of July following (see pp. 48 and 49). Previous to the time the vote was taken to divide, preaching had been maintained in both precincts. The one element, we conclude, was already worshipping in the west precinct, and the remaining element, we infer, without evidence to the contrary, continned on in the east precinct as the original church, with all its traditions, associations, and prestige. It is true that the records were subsequently in the possession of the west precinct church, and are now in the hands of the Unitarian parish of Sudbury; but this may be accounted for on the supposition that Mr. Loring, having kept the scanty records that were then made of church matters, may have taken them with him on his removal to the west side as a matter of no consequence to either church. On March 18, 1724-5, the west side people " entered into and renewed " a " holy church covenant," and to this were subscribed the names of the thirty-two male communicants on that side the river, including that of Mr. Loring. This evidently was not a consecration meeting ; for, if it had been, the names of the forty-two female communicants would have been subscribed also. The fact of this renewal of cove- nant relations may indicate that the people now worshipping on the west side felt the need of a formal church organization. That the east side considered the Rev. Israel Loring their pastor, after the west side had given him a call, is indicated by the statement that the east side people took measures to provide for " their now settled minister, Mr. Israel Loring." The very fact that the west side people gave him a call shows that they did not consider him then pastor, but the pastor of the east side church. According to the records the church voted to divide, not to remove. A part went out, and the rest remained; and we infer that the part which remained had no occasion to organize anew. New parochial adjust- ments may have been made on both sides, as old parish relations would naturally, if not necessarily, be disturbed ; but the church in its religious or covenant relations, on the east side, we conclude, remained unchanged, and that it was as truly as ever before, the First Church of Sudbury. The following, we think, is an outline of the leading facts relating to the church and parish in the two precincts: Dec. 18, 1721, the west precinct voted "to have the preaching of the word of God amongst us." This indicates that there was a parish there. A little later, they extended a call to Mr. Loring to become their pastor; and shortly after this, the east precinct invited him to remain with them, and took measures to provide for " their now settled minister, Mr. Israel Loring." This indicates that a parish was in existence in the east precinct. June 11. 1723, it was voted " to divide the church into two churches." This may indicate that, though the east and west precincts acted at that time as separate bodies in their parish relations, they still remained an undivided church. On March 18, 1724-5, the west precinct entered into and renewed a "holy church covenant," to which the male members subscribed their names. This may indicate that at that time a church was formed in the west precinct. The vote to divide the church took place at Mr. Loring's house, on the cast side, Feb. 11, 1723. He moved to the west side the next July, and as the records were kept by himself he probably took them with him ; and had he decided not to accept their call, and remained on the east side till his death, the records probably would have remained also and been transferred to his successors. The foregoing is the opinion of the writer, as formed from the facts and records that he has thus far discovered.
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INDUSTRIES.
TANNERIES. - In 1773 James Brown had a tannery at a spot near the present grocery store of Henry Lee & Sons, and forty rods of land thereabouts were sold for the purpose.
About 1765 Dr. E. Roby owned a tan-yard on land now the house lot of Mr. William R. Dudley. This tan-yard was in use until about 1805.
There was also a tan-yard on the Hawes place, at the beginning of the 19th century, · kept by Benjamin Poole ; and also one on the Seth Adams place, at an early date.
BRICK-MAKING. - Bricks were made on land called "Smithfield," which is the field lying next to and northwest of the Widow Bowles' house at Whales' Bridge, at a very early date. They were also made at " Timber Neck; " near the North school-house; at "Common Swamp," a locality of about fifty acres in front of L. H. Sherman's house ; and also west of " Pelham Pond." At all these places excavations or clay-pits are probably visible.
Timothy Allen kept a tailor's shop in the centre of the town from 1805 to 1845. About 1830 a house, formerly used as a store, was moved from " Bigelow's Corner " to a spot near the brick house opposite the " Old Roby House," and in this house he afterwards carried on his business. The building is now Theodore Sherman's shoe store.
BLACKSMITHS. - Within the original limits of the Sudbury territory the following blacksmiths early plied their trade : Mr. Stearns, formerly of Charlestown ; Richard Sanger (see p. 44), from 1777 to 1815. Silas Grout kept a shop located at a spot in front of the Judge Mellen house.
CARPENTERS at an early date were John Rutter, 1639; Ephraim Curtis, 1690; John Merriam, 1750 to 1780 ; Isaac Carver, 1790 to 1820.
STORES AND STOREKEEPERS. - About 1750 a store was built by Dr. E. Roby, and by 1814 the house was occupied by Dr. Nathan Rice. It stood on the present William R. Dudley place.
About 1790 to 1808 Becky (Rebecca) Drumond, a maiden lady, kept a store of small wares and goods near the spot now occupied by C. A. Cutting's house.
Aaron and William Bridge kept a store in a part of the " Bridge Parsonage " (Alden Wellington place) from 1790 to 1815.
Jonas F. Heard kept a dry goods and grocery store in a building once used as a school house, which stood near the present railroad station at the Centre, and which was long known as the " Old Red Store," or Newell Heard's store (see p. 57).
The " Green Store " was in the building next to the Unitarian church at the easterly. Dry goods and groceries were sold there as early as 1816 by J. F. Heard, and later by Asa Wheeler, James E. Field, Jesse Wheeler, H. F. Lee, and others.
At " Bigelow's Corner " John Flagg kept dry goods and groceries about 1815 to 1827, near the house now owned by T. W. Bennett.
About 1835 George Smith sold dry goods and groceries at the house now occupied by J. Mullen at the Centre. Goods were subsequently sold there by Charles Howard and also by John M. Seward.
The building at present used as a store by Henry Lee was built by Deacon J. W. Morse about 1848, and used by him for a dry goods and grocery store. L. B. White, George Hosmer, and Charles Richardson have since occupied the building for store purposes.
The "Old Town House," built in 1841, was purchased in 1879 by L. K. Lovell, who has since used it for a store.
In several of the stores and buildings now named the post office has been kept.
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SLAVES AND COLORED SERVANTS.
Colored servants were early owned or employed on the east side of the river. As early as 1653 the records concerning land division inform us about servants "as men have, that they have either bought or bought up." In Vol. LXXIX., p. 247, State Archives, is a petition from Richard Heard, to the effect that he had a negro man in His Majesty's service, in Capt. John Nixon's company, and that he was taken sick at Deerfield on his way home, and remained there sick for a long time; and that he had to take his two horses and go after liim. He asked the General Court to consider luis case, and the committee reported "twenty-five shillings in full to be be paid to Col. John Noyes for the use of the Petitioner."
Rev. John Swift of Framingham disposed of five slaves by his will, one of whom, named Nero, he gave to Dr. Ebenezer Roby, liis son-in-law, of Sudbury.
In the old burying ground are small slate stones that mark the graves of two colored persons, who were once evidently servants in the old Noyes family. On one of the stones is the following inscription : -
PETER BOAZ A Coloured Man Æt 63.
On the other stone is the inscription :- FLORA A Coloured Woman Æt 91.
These graves are placed in an easterly and westerly direction at the foot of graves of the descendants of Mr. Peter Noyes, "gentleman," who came to America in the ship "Confidence " in 1638, and was one of the town's early grantees (see p. 2).
But few negroes were living in town a century and a half ago. The following is a state- ment of their number, as given in "Memoirs of Sudbury," which is a small sketch of Sudbury history, supposed to have been written by Rev. Israel Loring :-
Number of white people in town on both sides of the river Number of Negroes, males . 15
1,745
Number of Negroes, females . 12 Total number of blacks . 27
There is reason for supposing that colored people were held in a good degree of respect among the white inhabitants in whose families they lived. Dr. Israel Loring writes very kindly in his diary about a servant named Simeon, who was born and bred in his household, and died just after he arrived at the age of freedom. He writes: "April 30th, 1755, this morning Simeon was taken ill of colic, but soon recovered." "May 10th, Simeon died, aged 21. Altho' he partly recovered, he grew worse again. He was greatly beloved by the family, and has drowned us in tears. In the evening we committed the remains of Simeon to the grave. A great number of the congregation attended the funeral." The Sabbath following Mr. Loring preached a sermon on his death, taking his text from Ps. lxxxix. 48. In the central and older portion of the old burying ground at Sudbury Centre is a grave- stone with the following inscription : -
Here Lies ye Body of Simeon ye Once Faithful & Beloved Servant of ye Rvd M' Israll Loring, who Died May ye 10, 1755, in ye 22 Year of His Age.
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WORK HOUSE.
In 1753 a movement was made to establish a work house in Sudbury. in order. as stated, that " Idle & Disorderly People " might be employed. In process of time the project was carried out, and in 1765 a building was hired of Isaac Reed. for which he was to receive as rent two pounds eight shillings.
One of the rules or regulations relating to the work house, as enacted " at a quarterly meeting of all the Overseers of the Poore in Sudbury at the work house in said Sudbury on the first Tuesday of the month, April. Anno Domini 1763." is as follows: -
That when any Parson whome we Shall Judge Doath Fall under our Immediate care and Inspection Shall be by a Summon under the hand of our moderator or Clark Duly Sent to him Setting forth the time for his appearance before us at the said work house. and Shall not Punctually appeare before us the said Overseers, at the said work house, and then and in that case. a warrant under and and Seal of our said Clark Shall Isne out Dyrected to the master of the said work house or to the Constable of the sd Towne of Sudbury forthwith Requiring them to apprehend the body of the sd Contemptous Parson and Canse him or her to appear before us, the sd overseers at the said work house. that he or she may be Proceeded with or Punished for his or her Contempt, by being publicly whipped at the whipping post at the work house not Exceeding Ten Stripes or otherways as the said Overseers Shall then order, and be Subject to pay to the office' that Shall have served the sd warrant his tees by Law allowed him, the Service of which summons Shall be found by Giving him or her Summon in form aforesaid or Leaving same at his or her Last or usual place of abode. by any Constable of sd Sudbury or any one of the Overseers who Shall make Return of ye sa Summons to the sa Overseers at the time therein ordered.
SMALL-POX HOSPITALS.
The people of Sudbury were not exempt from the dread so common in ancient times of the small-pox scourge. We of to-day can but imperfectly conceive of the peril to which people were exposed where the disease prevailed before the discovery of vaccination. The victims were not buried in the town's common burial places. but in lonely isolated spots. to avoid the contagion that might result if the grave was encroached upon. even after the lapse of many years, by the opening of new graves. Inoculation was a mode of treatment intro- duced about 1721, by which it was supposed a person could have the disease in a very light form, and be free from the danger of contagion ever after.
Several hospitals. or " pest houses," as they were called, were erected in Sudbury for the accommodation of any who wished to go to them and take the disease in this way. and there be treated. Three of these hospitals were in East Sudbury. One of them was on the island, another in the " pock pasture." where an old cellar hole marks the spot (see p. 57). and the other near the residence of Mr. J. S. Draper. At the last-named pest house five of the patients died, and were buried in the northwest corner of the field in which the house stood. At two of these graves are slate headstones, with the following inscription : -
In memory of Mr. Zebadiah Allen Who Died of the Small Pox June 2, 1777. Aged 75 years
In memory of Mary Wife of Mr Zebadiah Allen Who died of the Small Pox June 7, 1777
Many of those who thus voluntarily took the disease had it in a mild form ; but after a
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time inoeulation was forbidden by law and vaccination took its place, and now the lonely graves, tradition, and a few records are all that remain to tell of the ancient pest houses.
TOWN AREA, ETC.
The town of Wayland contains an area of 10,051 acres. The Sudbury River forms its westerly boundary for the distance of five miles, two hundred and fifty-one rods : it runs within the town four miles and two hundred and thirty rods, and its entire length, between the north and south boundary, is ten miles and one hundred and sixty-two rods. (For further facts about Sudbury River. see p. 34.)
IRREGULARITY OF THE TOWN'S BOUNDARY LINE AT SANDY HILL.
When the east side people sought for a division of the town, one objection brought against it by the west side was that they would lose the " Training Field ;" and it is sup- posed that Caleb Wheeler was a strong opposer of the measure, because it would bring his farm into the proposed new town. It was probably as a means of compromise that both of these tracts were left in Sudbury, and henee the irregular boundary at Sandy Hill. Lands in Sudbury on the summit of the hill, and adjacent to the South Sudbury and Wayland new road, are still ealled the .. Wheeler place." Various efforts have been made by town officials to have the line straightened, but they have thus far been in vain.
There is, in connection with the record of the boundary line of the two towns, the fol- lowing elause : " And it is also enacted that the House and lands of Caleb Wheeler-together with the Training-field adjoining thereto - shall remain to the Town of Sudbury."
FIRST OFFICIAL BOARD OF EAST SUDBURY, 1780.
At the first town meeting held in East Sudbury the following officers were elected : Joseph Curtis, town clerk and treasurer; Capt. Richard Heard, Joseph Curtis, Phinehas Glezen, Jacob Reeves, Capt. Isaae Loker. seleetmen ; Joseph Curtis, William Baldwin, Lient. Thomas Brintnall, assessors ; Capt. John Noyes, Isaac Damon, eolleetors ; William Baldwin. Lieut. John Whitney, Capt. Isaac Loker, Lieut. Jonathan Hoar, highway survey- ors : Phinehas Glezen, Lieut. Joseph Dudley, tithing-men ; William Barker, William Dudley, fenee viewers ; Ezekiel Rice, fish-reeve : Samuel Griffin, Nathaniel Reeves, field drivers ; William Revis, hog-reeve ; Lieut. Samuel Russell, sealer of leather. Capt. Richard Heard was chosen representative.
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