USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Lancaster > The early records of Lancaster, Massachusetts. 1643-1725 > Part 9
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1672, 7 May. Whereas the honoured Major Willard, Mr Thomas Dan- forth wth the late Capt Johnson, haue, by order of this Court, binn a comittee to order the prudentiall affaires of Lancaster for many yeares, Lancaster hauing binn setled for seuerall yeares, & as the sajd comittee informes, many yeares since binn trusted by them & able to mannage their owne affaires; the sajd towne of Lancaster now humbly desiring the Courts favour, that the Comittee, for their great pajnes & service for so long a season, may be thankfully acknowledged & dismist from future trouble in such respect, & themselues betrusted, as other townes ate, to mannage their owne affaires, the Court judgeth it meet to grant their request heerin.
[ Massachusetts Records.]
To the honourable the Govr the Deputy Gour magts & Deputyes assembled in the geurall Court.
The Petition of Jno Prescott of Lanchaster In most humble wise shew- eth, Whereas je Petitio hath purchased an Indian right to a small parcell of Land, occasioned & circumstanced for quantity & quality according to the deed of sale herevnto annexed and a pt thereof not being legally setled vpon me vnlesse I may obteyne the favor of this Court for the Con- firmation thereof, These are humbly to request the Courts favor for that end, the Lord haueing dealt graciously with mee in giueing mee many children I account it my duty to endeavor their prouission & setling and do hope that this may be of some vse in yt kind, I know not any claime
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MASSACHUSETTS. 1643-1725.
made to the said land by any towne, or any legall right yt any other per- sons haue therein, and therefore are free for me to occupy & subdue as any other, may I obteyne the Courts approbation. I shall not vse farther motiues, my cordition in other respecks & wt my trouble & expenses haue been according to my poor ability in my place being not altogether vn- known to some of ye Court.
That ye Lords prsence may be with & his blessing accompany all yor psons, counsells, & endeavors for his honor & ye weale of his poor people is ye prayr of
Yo' suppliant. JOHN PRESCOTT Sent 17 : 3: 1672 read and referred to ye Comittee,
In Refference to this Petition the Comittee being well Informed that. the Petr is an ancient Planter & hath bin a vsefull helpfull & publique spirited man doinge many good offices ffor the Country Relatinge to the Road to Conecticott, marking trees, directinge of Passengers &c and that the Land Petitioned for beinge but about 107 Acres & Lyinge not very Convenient for any other Plantation, and only accomodable for the Petr we Judge it reasonable to confirme the Indian Grant to him & bis heyres if ye honord Court see meete.
The Deputyes approue of the returne of the Comittee in answer to this pet : or Hon- ord magis" consenting hereto.
WM TORREY Cleric
29 May : 72. Consented to by ye magists
EDWARD TYNG
GEORGE CORWIN HUMPHREY DAVIE
EDW RAWSON Secret.
Attention was called to the above petition by the Honor- able Samuel A. Green. Both petition and deed are among the Shattuck Manuscripts in the possession of the New England Historic, Genealogical Society. The grantor was James Wiser, alias Quanapaug, that brave Christian cap- tain of the Nashaways, whose timely warning of the impending danger might have prevented the massacre of February, 1676, had the colonial authorities paid proper regard to it. The land joined Prescott's farm at Washacum previously granted. The railroad buildings and tracks at Sterling Junction occupy a portion of it.
In the Middlesex Court Files are several papers relating to Elizabeth Parker's illegitimate child, and Edmund Parker's neglect of Sabbath day ordinances. The more important of them are here transcribed, not only to record
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ANNALS OF LANCASTER,
town action, but because they afford a picture of what was probably the most abjectly wretched home in Lancaster.
For Decon Parkes & the sciectmen of Roxbury.
You are herby to take notice that the selectmen of the Towne of Lan- caster haue made Application vnto the Court of this County held yesterday being the 18th of june where they manifested themselues onwilling to Receue into their towne a Bastard Child born of the body of Elizabeth Parker in your towne & now sent with the mother to liue in the towne of Lancaster with Edmund Parker who is a very poor man & vnable to main- teyne his owne family much less the said Bastard Child & its mother, the Court haue heard their Complaint & ordered that the selectmen of Rov- bury do take care to prouide for the maintenance of the said Bastard Child according to Law. This at yr Request I thought meet to certifie you, Mr Danforth being not psent to give you a Copy of yee Courts order. June 19th : 1672. Yr louing friend
DANIEL GOOKIN C. To the Constable of lanchester or his deputy.
You are in his majesties name [several word's illegible] the child of Elizabeth Parker with the mother vnto Roxbury where it was born vnles the grandfather Edmund Parker will vndertake to secure the town of Lan- chester to the sattisfacion of the selectmen whereof you are not to faile
this 29 of 4 mo 1672, this is a trew coppy.
SIMON WILLARD assistant.
The following is neither signed nor dated ; it is in Ralph Houghton's handwriting.
Worshipful and honoured gentlemen.
Wee have Received a letter bearing date the 30: 5 m: 72, wherby wee understand your worships wanted information in Regard you had the report only of one partie in Reference to the bastard child borne at Roxberie, for had your worships bene well informed and well considered the trouble it hath caused in our pore towne, wee supose the curant of your advise would haue Run an other way, for besides the infamie of hauing a bastard, legaly fathered vpon another towne as apears by the order of the honoured Countie Court at boston prouision being made theire for the keeping of it, and the townsmen willing and for- ward to take care of and for it, that If the said maintainance ordred were to scanty they would vse means to make it vp by the towne, and yet not- withstanding all this, that the Reputed father which is soe able to haue kept his owne, should violently and forcibly If not fraudelently thrust it vpon vs, it being soe that he did know that the townsmen had warned Edmund Parker, him that tooke the child to the contrarie before they had
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MASSACHUSETTS. 1643-1725.
made any Contract about it, wee conceiue had the like bene done to your towne, your worships would haue bene of an other mind and haue looked at yourselues caled to stand vp in your towns defence against such a wrong and the sence your worships had of the pore infants sufering would have moued you to haue advised the Right owner to have kept his owne and not to hane exposed it to an other jureney and the hazard thereof, and had your worships knowne the pore man's incapacitie for such a thing in Respect of his habitation is soe mean that when it Raines their is noe drie plac in it and many times forced to goe to other houses for shelter and for lodging, but one pore bed for himselfe his son and daughter all to lodg in or sleep by the fire, soe that before she went from him to live in service it was said they all lay togather, which ocasioned her to ly at neigh- bouring houses and soe her time was lost & she became a burden to her father and other neighbours, wher she haunted, and then she went to service ; and also the mans ill disposision in Refranc to the ordering of his family, which was but one son who is about 20 years of age, and all the means the towns men from time to time can vse would not be avail- able to cause him to get his said son a litie learning nor to atend to the publique ordinances on the Lords day, soe as that it is said and credibly Reported that he hath not bene at meeting a whole year and when delt with. full of froward and peevish and provoking language, and that is the best that can be expected by the townsmen's endeuors with him, therefore the townsmen humbly ciane the asistance and helpe of the next honoured Countie Court herin and alsoe to judge whether this man be fit to take more young ons in to his family, and alsoc in Referenc to the Charg that must of nessesitie be forthwith expended in building and for lodging and other nesesaries fit for a woman that giues sucke and such a child that soe their lives are healthey, may not be exposed to danger and the towne to quiet, we supose your worships will judge the burden too heavie for this pore towne. and not countinance the Reputed father in such an vniust im- posision, but to lay the charg vpon him who is soe able to beare it, and says it shall be here tho it cost him froo, or otherwise that the Countie may Contribut herin or that the honoured Countie Court would be pleased to free our towne of guilt in case either the mother or child sufer or pish. And soe crauing pardon for our boldnes herin we Rest yours in subiection to law and order.
1672 Oct I. The Court hauing considered the Complaynt of Lanchas- ter selectmen referring to the Bastard Child of Silvanus negro, late servt to Deacon Wm Parks of Roxbery, and entertained by Edmund Parker of their Towne Contrary to their order & notice giuen them. notwithstanding the vnsutable prouision yt he hath for the entertainmt thereof as they in- forme, Do order that during the abode of y' said child in yt place, the selectmen shall take care that it be provided for in all respects as humanity and religion requires, and that the said Parker shall giue them bond with
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ANNALS OF LANCASTER,
sufficient suretyes to the vallue of 10og for to save the Towne harmless & to pay all disbursments for the prouission of the said child, or otherwise the sd Parker shall return it to Roxbury, there to be prouided for accord- ing to the order of Boston Court.
LANCASTER this 13h !! ": 1672
A bill of charges drawne vp by the townsmen in Reference to the bas- tard child of Elizabeth Parker.
I The Cunstable and Ralph Houghton themselues and horses attending Charlestown Court where the child was fath- ered vpon Roxburie 0: 11:0
2 Goodman Prescott going to Nonacoyecos for a warant to
convey the child to Roxbury 0: 1 : 0
3 Going downe to Roxburie to carry the child and its mother, 2 men and 3 horses 0: 16:0
4 the Cunstable and goodman Prescott attending Cambridge Court by their order in Reference to making prouision for her child 0: 16: 0
5 to Jonathan Whetcombe for a horse to nonacoiacus 0: 1:0
tot
1673 Ist of 2 mo .- LANKESTER
Wee doe present daniell James for living from vnder famely govern-
ment. Witnes John More & John Prescot Sent
[Grand Jury presentments - Middlesex Court Files.]
To the Cunstable of Lanchaster.
In his majties name you are required to warne Edm : Parker & his sonne Abram to apeare at y" Court to be held at Charlstowne the 16th of this instant December to ans' for neglect of Gods Publ worship on ye Lds Dayes & for witnesses Jno Prescot Sen' & Hent Kerly, Also Jon Addams to answer for lying & false dealing & for witness Jonathan Prescott & John Diuell & hereof you are to make a true returne vndr yor hand and not to faile
dat 4 : 10 : 73
THO DANFORTH R
Edmund Parker and his son and the witneses to his case wer warned to apeare at the Court acording to this warant. Jon Adams was absent and could not haue warning but the others were warned as aforsaid.
8: 10:73 By me JONATHAN PRESCOTT Cunstable.
To the Honoured Countie Court at Charlstorne.
The humble Request of the townsmen of Lancaster in Reference to Edmund Parkers presentment sheweth that the witneses namly John Pres- cott sen who is aged and infirme and not able to atend the court being
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MASSACHUSETTS. 1643-1725.
winter season, the grand jurie man did informe the said Parker that If he did not Reforme his not coming to meeting he must present him, but he did not Reforme neither hath bene at meeting, neuer since the last Court, he semeth to plead his pouertie and want of clothes but in answer to that he hath land and catle sum what considerable and himselfe and his son able bodied for labor, and no after charge only his daughter and her bastard which he violently tooke in, contrarie to the towns order and much endeu- ors against the same which the honoured court is well aquainted with : in Reference to his son it is the greife of many in the towne, and the towns- men, that he hath had noe beter educacion : the towns men haue laboured with the said Parker to get his son some learning and to send him forth to publique catechising but all in vaine, but haue had many froward peevish expresions from him, soe that he hath wearied them out. They liue mis- erable vncomfortable liues both for food and cloath, and lodging. it is Reported that all the sleepe they haue is siting by the fire vpon a bloke, and all through his owne froward imprudent cariage. theirfore it is the humble Request of the townsmen that the honoured Court would be pleased to asist the townsmen in this bussiness either by sentance or coun- sell or what way soe euer may be most conducing to the poore mans wel- fair and his sons. And in soe doing the honoured Court will ingage the townsmen as in dutie bound euer to pray.
By order of the townsmen
LANCASTER 13 : 10 mon : 1673. RALPH HOUGHTON Clarke
LANCASTER the 4th 2 mon : 1674 To the Honoured Countie Court siting at Cambridge the 7th of April! 1674.
The townsmen of Lancaster, In faithfullness to our neighbour Parkers soule and body both, doe count it their dutie to giue sum informacion to this honoured Court. it being soe that their indeuors at home hath bene fruitlese. And they wearied ont with pevish, froward provoaking expres- sions, when they haue laboured to psuade him to put himselfe and family into a more comfortable way of liuing, for it is hard for the honoured Court to conceiue how vncomfortably the pore man liues both in Respect of food cloathing and lodging tho he hath land and catle considerable and a strong yong man to his son and noe other charge but what he hath need- lesly and indiscreetly brought vpon himselfe in taking in his daughter and her bastard child forcibly against the towns order soe that through his owne indiscretion he hath brought a great burden vpon himselfe, If not vpon the towne, the towns men from time to time hath laboured with him in Reference to his son to gett him sum learning and to bring him vp to sum honest imployment acording as the law prouids or to sufer them to doe it, but nothing would prevaile with him. but as it is signified to the honoured Court by a presentment it is certainly knowne among vs that his son hath not beene at meeting at the worshipe of god this seuerall yeares
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ANNALS OF LANCASTER,
only sum few sabothes about a yeare senc, And he himselfe hath not Beenc in the meeting house for sum considerable space of time which is to our greife, nor about the house in the time of publique worshipe saue sum few sabothes a late And what his Reson is wee know not. And his not coming into the house makes the case doubtfull to the witnesses as to take a posetiue oath that he doth not com. And herin your worships have a true Relation of the case in Reference to our neighbour Parker. Crauing Pardon for our boldnes herin we shall not trouble the honoured Court any further at present.
Subscribed by order of the townsmen RALPH HOUGHTON
1674 April 7"! Edmund Parker of Lanchaster appearing before the Court & being convicted of neglect of Gods worship in Publ on the Lords dayes both himselfe & family was admonished. And the Court do comend it to the care of the selectmen of yt place dilligent to inspect his family and observe their manners for the future, and in case that they find not an amendment in those charges whereof he hath been now convicted they are then hereby ordered and impowered to dispose of his sonne to service where he may be better taught & governed, and in case that threw stub- bornnes of father or sonne, they be obstructed herein, that then they in- forme ye Court or some of the magts thereof who will take order therein as the law directs.
1674, Oct 6. The Comittee nominated Aprill 73 for laying out ye high- way between Groton & Lanchaster are againe desired and impowered by this Court to attend ye same and Capt James Parker is to appoynt time & place for their meeting.
[Middlesex Court Records.]
This committee had taken action the year before, and the following report of their doings is found in "The Early Records of Groton," by the Honorable Samuel A. Green.
Wedensday 4 of June 1673 fforasmuch as the countrey hye way as it was formerly layd out by Lankaster and groaten vpon seuerall yeares triall. proued to be very insufficient and very difucult to be made passable in regard it was for the most part lyeing in the Intervailes wheirin their are seuerall soft places and litle brookes vpon which bridges and other mater for making the same passable is apt to be raised and torne vp by floods and vpon experiance of the same Lancaster made aplication to groaten for Removing of the said way to Run more vpon the vpland which was Read- ily atended and John Prescott seni -- and Roger Sumner for Lancaster and sergent Parker and corperall Knop for groaten wer chuse committe by both to townes to lay out the said hye way as aforsaid which was atended the
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MASSACHUSETTS. 1643-1725.
day aforsaid as followeth (viz) first within the bounds of groaten they toke their begining at their meeting house to the mille of Jonas Prescott by Matthias farnworths his house six . Rods wide turning of out of the common mill way near twenty Rod aboue the mille and then it Runs 4 Rode wid through the land of the aforsaid Jonas Prescott acording as it is described by trees marked by the men aforesaid and from the said Jonas Prescotts land to penicooke River in Lancaster through swan swamp 6 Rod wide as it is already marked out by the comitte aforsaid and from the way aforsaid butting upon Penicook near to the night pasture wading place, they tak the way as it is left in width through the Intervayle and ouer nash- away bridge and soe to the meeting house and as it is to be understood that the way within lancaster bounds Runes neare the mideway betweene the brook medow and plumtrees medowes oucr a hill called Mahaneknits hill and soe along on the vpland to the pond path as it Runes near to the Still Riuer medow and Josiah Whits medow vntill it come to the Swan Swamp path as aforsaid and to the confirmation hereof the comitte afore- said haue hete vnto put their hands the day and year aboue said
JOHN PRESCOTT ROGER SUMNER JAMES PARKER JAMES KNOP
1674. General Daniel Gookin says of the Nashaway Indians "These have been a great people in former times but of late years have been consumed by the Maquas wars and other ways ; and are not above fifteen or sixteen families."
7
LANCASTER IN PHILIP'S WAR.
1675. ffrom Nashowah Allies [alias] Lankester 16th : Augst 1675. Honoured Sir
last nightt aboutt seauen A Clocke we martched Into Nasho- wah wheare we are Att Presentt butt shall as soone as the Constable Ilajth prest vs a dozen Horsses; Proseed for groatton & so to Chenceford; ac- cording to the ordr Major Willard gaue me yesterday Att Quoahbauge ; .. . . . our Major hauejng A Seartayne Intelligence of a Considerable Party of Indians yt haue gathered toogather a littell aboue Chensford which I hope wee shalbe vp with this Night or to Morrough at furthest & if it pleese God I come vp wth them god assisting me I will Cloosely in- gadge with them, & god Spearing my life I shall as oppertunity gives leave Acquaintt yor honor off my Actjons; I Have wth me butt 60: Men at Present ; .
SAMUELL MOSLEY
The above is extracted from a letter of the noted Captain of dragoons to Governor Leverett, in Massachusetts ar- chives LXVII, 239. Six days later, Sunday, August 22d. the Indians having warily avoided an encounter with the dragoons, and got in their rear, made a raid upon Lancas- ter. Gen. Daniel Gookin states that this bloody foray was headed by a one-eyed chief of the Nipmucks, named John Monoco, "who lived near Lancaster before the war began," and that he had twenty of Philip's men with him. Mrs. Rowlandson writes :
Those seven that were killed at Lancaster . . . . upon a sabbath day, and the one who was afterwards killed upon a week day, were slain and mangled in a most barbarous manner by one eyed John and Marlboroughs praying Indians, as the Indians told me.
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MASSACHUSETTS. 1643-1725.
The charge against the Christian Indians was maliciously untrue, as proven upon their trial. The scene of the murders was at the north end of the settlement, the house of the MacLouds being in the neighborhood of the North Village cemetery. The names of the slain were :
George Bennet, Mordecai MacLoud,
William Flagg, Mrs. Lydia MacLoud.
Jacob Farrar, Jun.,
Hannah MacLoud, aged four
Joseph Wheeler, years, An infant MacLoud.
Flagg was a soldier detailed for duty here, from Water- town. Wheeler was not a Lancaster man, but probably of Concord.
for the Honoured Countie Court siting at Cambridge.
I was desired by a poore widow whose husband was slaine by the Indi- ans here and hath 5 small children left with her; by a law of the countrie shee should have brought in an Inuentorie of her husbands estate, but such are the deficulties of the time, and alsoe the trouble of her litle chil- dren that shee could not posibly with any saftie com downe; her name is Lidia Benet, And alsoe a Scotsman Mordicai Mukload who alsoe was slaine and his wife and children, and his house and goods all burned : he hath a brother suruiuing, both of them had a desire to haue com downe with their Inuentories but both of them haue Catle in the woods, but know not whether the Indians haue killed them or not, and therefore they humbly desire the honoured Court not to looke vpon them as contemners of authoritie but giue them liberty vntill another Court and in soe doing, the honoured will ingage the widow and fatherless children as in dutie they are bound to pray for the honoured Court.
Lans 2 : 8 : 1675 Subscribed by RALPH HOUGHTON
[Middlesex Court Files.]
Clarke of the writs
The bold incursion of one-eyed John was but the prelude to the fearful tragedy of February 10th. Of the plan for the destruction of Lancaster in all its details, even to the very day assigned for its accomplishment, the colonial authorities were fully advised ; yet so far as any records show, with a neglect that seems criminally strange, they did almost nothing to ward off or meet the blow. Of the
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ANNALS OF LANCASTER,
aboriginal possessors of Nashaway none, unless Sholan, better deserves to be honored among us than that Indian scout, whose courage, skill and fidelity should have saved the town from the massacre of 1676,-James Quanapang. alias James Wiser, alias Quenepenett. or Quannapohit. This Christian Indian was so well known for his bravery, capacity and friendship for the English, that Philip had marked him for martyrdom. and given orders accordingly to some of his lieutenants. The governor of the Colony about the same date, commissioned him and a fellow Chris- tian named Job Kattenanit, from Natick, for the dangerous venture of visiting the Indian camps to bring back informa- tion of the numbers and plans of Philip's forces. These two men. the historian William Hubbard tells us, "through the woods, in the depths of winter, when the ways were impassable for any other sort of people," sought the Nipnet outposts, and "ordered their business so prudently as that they were admitted into those Indian habitations as friends and had free liberty of discourse with them." They were closely watched, however, threatened, and but for a powerful friend would have been slain. In Quanapaug's own words :--
Next morning I went to One-eyed John's wigmam. He said he was glad to see me :- I had been his friend many years & had helped him kill Mohaugs :- and said nobody should meddle with me. 1 toid him what was said of me. He said if any body hurt me they should die . . . . I lay in the sagamores wigwam ; and he charged his gun, and threatened any man that should offer me hurt. . . . . And this Indian told me they would fall upon Lancaster, Groton, Marlborough, Sudbury and Medfield, and that the first thing they would do should be to cut down Lancaster bridge so to hinder their flight and assistance coming to them, and they in- tended to fall upon them in about twenty days time from Wednesday next. .
[James Quanapag's Information.]
Quanapaug finding that he must soon meet Philip, and having effected the main purpose of his errand, evaded his suspicious foes by a cunning stratagem, and on the 24th,
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MASSACHUSETTS. 1643-1725.
IIth mo., 1675, brought to his employers. the Governor and Council, full knowledge of the hostile forces and their fell intent. The emergency demanded speedy energy : it met inaction. Rumors of coming woe meantime stirred the air in the Nashaway valley. The chief military offi- cer. the minister, and other leading citizens went to the Bay to awaken the Council from their lethargy and beg for help. It was too late. February 9th. 1675-6, about ten o'clock at night, Job Kattenanit, the second spy, com- pletely exhausted, dragged himself to Major Gookin's door in Cambridge. He had deserted wife and children, and alone travelled upon snow shoes through the pathless wilderness from New Braintree, a terribly fatiguing march of eighty miles, to save his English friends. James Quan- apaug had foretold that on the morrow the blow would be struck at Lancaster. Let Daniel Gookin tell Job's story, and the fulfillment of the prophecy.
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