USA > Massachusetts > Franklin County > Colrain > The early settlers of Colrain, Mass., or, Some account of ye early settlement of "Boston township no. 2, alias Colrain, adjoyning on ye north sid of Deerfield" : an address delivered before H.S. Greenleaf Post, No. 20, G.A.R., at Colrain, May 30, 1885 > Part 5
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of the men to prosecute the war, and as her proportion of the National debt she owed five millions of dollars. On her own account she owed four millions more; and to the soldiers she had sent into the field, she owed an additional six hundred thousand; making her total in- debtedness about ten millions of dollars; not much we should say, in the light of our present liabilities; but to our fathers, with revenues to meet this liability, only the slightest, with industries destroyed and para- lyzed by war, with a people unsettled and debased by the same cause, with taxes high, and a prospect that they must be still higher, with stringent laws regarding the collection of debts; which they conceived to be and which doubtless were, unnecessarily cruel; the prospect to them was simply appalling. And it is not to be wondered at, that in view of all this; added to the inflammable appeals and resolutions of designing men; many of these brave veterans who had stood firm where dangers were thickest, in the struggle for independence; were swept from their loyal moor- ings, and induced to take up arms against their country; an act which to their dying day they regretted, and remembered with shame and confusion.
SHAY'S REBELLION.
In the disturbances which followed, and which are known as the "Shay's Rebellion", this town was pretty thoroughly divided in sentiment, and the lines very sharply drawn. Many recruits were furnished to the ranks of the insurgents, while a still larger number, I must believe, remained firm in their ad herence to the cause of law and order. As early as .
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April, 1782, "the town unanimously voted, that it is the opinion of this town that the county courts ought not to sit in this county of Hampshire, in civil cases until the grievances they labor under are redressed", and "to send a petition to the judges of the supreme court at Northampton, and also a com- mittee to go to neighboring towns to inform them of our proceeding"; and chose Geo. Patterson, Lieuten- ant Bell, and Lieutenant Riddle, as a committee. They then adjourned the meeting, for three days, at which time they met, heard the report of their com- mittee and "voted that those who go to Northampton have ammunition out of the town stock"; and in the following month Geo. Patterson, Col. McClellan, James Stewart, David Wilson and Deacon Lucas are chosen a committee "to draw up the grievances we labor under, and lay them before the town for the town's acceptance and amendment, that they may be laid before the General Court's Committee provided they come to town".
It will be seen by this, that the attitude of the town was anything but passive, and this too nearly five years before these troubles resulted in any serious outbreak. A vote passed at the March meet- ing of 1783, disclosed somewhat, the circumstances they were in. Voted, "that grain shall be received for taxes at the following rates; wheat, 8 shillings, rye, 6 shillings, corn, 5 shillings and wool, 2 shillings and six pence, and that persons paying any of the above articles in lieu of money, shall deliver them at Major Smith's, Geo. Patterson's or James Stewart's." And as bearing upon their estimate of a "tory turn coat"; in May of this year they voted "that the people called
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refugees, that have gone to the British, shall not return to live amongst us." Rather uncharitable per- haps, but God bless them for their discriminating uncharitableness in this regard.
In August 1786, was held the famous Hatfield Convention and Colrain was probably represented by Lieutenant James Stewart. From this time on, matters ripened fast; the sitting of the courts was obstructed at Northampton and other places, and in January, 1787, occurred what is known as the battle at Springfield, the account of which is familiar to you all. Colrain was well represented on both sides that day, each doubtless believing they were right; but at the first shot the army of Shay's, which was really little else but a mob, ignominiously broke and fled.
They could not be rallied, and soon dispersed to their homes. When the men of this town arrived here they were dreadfully bitter regarding their townsmen who had remained loyal to the Goverment. Especially so were they regarding Col. McClellan and Major Wm. Stevens; these two they swore they would hang, but when their threats came to the ears of the Colonel's wife she merely remarked, "Haman built a gallows on which to hang Mordacai"; evidently having in mind an experience that Haman encoun- tered in that little transaction. Their wrath soon sub- sided however, and March 21st following, sixty of them are recorded as taking the oath of allegiance administered by the Colonel; and with him also they were obliged to leave their guns; so that his bedroom, at the time is said to have presented the appearance of a small sized arsenal. Two days later appears the record of 25 more, subscribing to the oath before
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Hugh Maxwell, Esq., of Heath. Certain restraints and disabilities, were imposed upon them for a short term, which they soon outlived, and the Shay's re- bellion was a thing of the past. But not to be entire- ly forgotton, as the satirical prodding regarding it, which those who had remained loyal, always delight- ed to give their fellows; would hardly let the memory of it die. Two anecdotes regarding it have been
preserved, and are perhaps worth relating. The first is of Deacon Riddle, and his son Samuel.
Deacon Riddle then lived where Mr. Gordon Thomp- son now lives at Elm Grove. His son Samuel, (father of the present Mr. Wm. Riddel of Greenfield), was a "Shayite" and went off with the others to Springfield. His father, the Deacon was loyal, and did not approve of his son's conduct; so hitching up his, horses, he started after him. When he arrived at Springfield, the Shay's men were getting rather broken up, and some of them were deserting. He found his son, and told him to get into the sleigh and go home with him. Samuel obeyed, and they started; but before they had gone far, in passing a public house, they were halted as deserters; ordered to get out, their team unharnessed and put in the barn, and they were then placed in a room, containing but one small window, some distance above the ground, and the door securely locked. The Deacon, a pious, godly man; seeing a Bible lying on the table, opened it and commenced to read. He had not read long, when a a stranger came into the room, paused in front of the Deacon, and in no gentle manner snubbed the Deacon's nose. The covers of that Bible came together with
the noise of a small earthquake; the Deacon rose in his wrath, seized the rascal by the back of the neck,
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and the most obvious portion of his pantaloons, and threw him through the window to the ground below, taking out glass, sash, and all. The Deacon then composedly returned to his Bible reading; the son Sam, during this time being a much frightened spectator of events, and neither of them knowing what next would happen. Very soon however, there is a rap at the door, and they are told that their team is ready for them to depart; it having been discovered, that the athletic Deacon was not the kind of a Shayite deserter they took him for.
The other story, is of Col. McClellan, and his neigh- bor Samuel Boyd. Boyd too was a Shayite, and at the close of the affair found himself in durance vile, with a strong probability that serious consequences lay not far ahead. His wife, sorely pressed with anxiety, be- sought the Colonel to intercede for her husband's pardon.
The Colonel with his characteristic kindheartness; and doubtless remembering the time when Boyd and himself had faced danger together, (for Boyd had belonged to the minute men) consented to go; so saddling "Old Pomp" he started for Boston. Arrived there, he presented himself before the Governor; (at that time no less a person than the redoubtable John Hancock, him of the severely classical and famous signature), interceded for Boyd and secured his release. After it was arranged, and while the papers were being made out, the Governor thought to give the Colonel a gentle reproof at being too kindhearted in matters of this sort. Said he ;- "Col. McClellan, I believe if the devil himself should get into trouble, you would intercede, to have him set at liberty". The
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reply of the Colonel shows the quality of his wit, if not of his theology. "Certainly sir,-I should, if he repented".
FAMILIES.
I have spoken of the relationships which existed between very many families of the settlers, prior to their settlement in this town. Such was the case, and in the years succeeding, the marrying and intermarry- ing continued among them, until it might almost be truthfully said, that nearly all the inhabitants of the town were related to each other; constituting
"So subtle a tangle of blood, indeed, No heraldry Harvey, could ever succeed In finding the circulation."
If I have not detained you to weariness, with this recital; and I somewhat fear I have, I would like to · speak briefly, of some of the families that settled here very early, and the descendants of whom, some of them at least, have since remained uninterruptedly residents of this town. Prominent among these are the Clarks.
Lieutenant John Clark and seven of his sons, were among the earliest settlers here. His family were probably all born in the old country, and they doubt- less came over from Ireland in the colony which arrived in 1718 or 19. They came to Colrain from Worcester or Rutland, (though John Jr. is mentioned as from Shrewsbury) having spent at least some part of the twenty years following their arrival in America, in those places.
They were here in Colrain in 1738, and during that, and the years immediately following, bought
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largely of the settling lots ;* and in 1745, the father bought the 500 acre tract on the west side of Norh River, disposing of a portion of it, very soon after, to his son Mathew; from whom it descend- ed, probably by inheritance to the fourth or possibly fifth generation.
The Clarks were evidently people of means and interested themselves largely in the welfare of the new settlement, and were also active in its affairs; John, (senior) having been Treasurer and Collector from 1738 to September 1740.
The name of the wife of John Clark (senior,) was Agnes Adams. The names of the children in the order of their birth are as follows; Jane, who married William Gray; Mathew, who married Jane Bothwell; 1 Thomas, who seems to have never married; John, who married Catherine Montgomery; James, who married Mary Clark; William, who married Mary Smith; Samuel, who married Margaret Paul;
* It has been stated that the proprietors gave away many of the house lots, to settlers, at first ; some authorities placing the number so donated, as high as fifty lots; and Joshua Winslow in a letter written in 1751, to some of the settlers ; objecting to their proposed petition to the General Court to have all the lands taxed ; claims that forty home lots, together with the second division lots were so disposed of. I have in my possession a copy of an old tax bill of a few years later, in which all the land then owned by the proprietors seems to be taxed ; which would indicate that neither the settlers or the General Court, paid much attention to Mr. Winslow's demurrer. Now while what is claimed above may be true, (and there is some internal evidence going to establish it), yet from the knowledge I have gained of the settlement of the estates of some of these early settlers ; and that some of them at least, died in debt to these same proprietors ; I am inclined to think that perhaps, Winslow was en- deavoring to excite their sympathy, and that even at this early date. this was an attempted case of tax dodging.
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Elizabeth, who married John Stewart; and George, who married Alice, daughter of Deacon Alexander Harroun.
Of the sons, certainly six, and I think all, settled here. The one in doubt is Thomas; as I find no record of his owning land; but as he was unmarried, he undoubtedly lived with his father, on the home- stead. The Clark geneology says that John Jr. settled in Pennsylvania; but that is, I think, a mistake: I am confident he settled in this town, and on the Copeland place, but did not live there many years, dying previous to July 11, 1742. The children of the two families, of the name who live here at present, (Joseph B. and John L.) are the seventh generation from Lieutenant John Clark, who have lived in town; and are descendants of Matthew Clark who was killed by the Indians in May 1746, as I have previous- ly stated. And I am not aware that any descendant of any other branch of the family now resides here ; certainly I think, none bearing the name.
Matthew Clark, oldest son of John, senior, with his wife, Jennet Bothwell (or Bothel, I get it both ways), settled on lot No. 8, as I have said, and were the parents of ten children, all but three of whom were born previous to their settling here. Of these Jane, married Andrew Smith; John, married Betsey Stewart; and is the ancestor of the numerous branches of the family hereabouts; Alexander, married Eliz- abeth Donica; and settled in Shelburne; Agnes, mar- ried Daniel Donelson; and has numerous descend- ants still living among you; William, married Mary Patterson; Elizabeth, married William Stewart; son of Charles Stewart; and her descendants are well known; Hannah married Joseph McKowan, (or McCowan),
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and was killed by the Indians, during the latter part of the Indian war; Margaret, married Peter Harwood, removed to Amherst, Mass., and afterward to Ben- nington Vt .; Sarah died, from drowning, unmarried; and Matthew, married Jane, daughter of John Workman.
As it may be of interest to some, certainly to those who are descended from him, I will allow space in which to introduce the will of John Clark, senior, a copy of which I have in my possession.
In the name of God, Amen. I John Clark, senior, of South Hadley, in the county of Hampshire, Province of Massachusetts Bay, Husbandman, being in perfect health of body, and in my right mind, but knowing the mortality of all mankind, am willing to settle my worldly affairs in the follow- ing manner. Imprimis; I give and bequeath to my beloved wife Agnes Clark, my whole household furniture, all my stock and chattels, and fifty acres of division land in a plantation called Colrain; she pay- ing whatever debts may be found upon my whole estate.
Item. I give and bequeath to my son Geo. Clark, all my husbandry utensils, together with my home lot, buildings, and improvements, in the above named plantation, called Colrain.
. Item. I give and bequeath to my daughter Elizabeth Clark, one note, of about ninety-four pounds from Elijah Alvord of South Hadley.
Item. I give and bequeath to my grandson, James Clark, son of my son John, deceased, one hundred acres of division land in said Colrain, with my gun and powder-horn; provided he stay with my wife until
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he be twenty one years of age; these things to be at her disposal.
Item. I give and bequeath to my daughter Jane Gray, fifty acres of division land in the plantation called Colrain.
Item. I appoint my beloved sons James and William Clark, executors of this my last will and testament. Witness my hand and seal, at Pelham July 15th, 1748.
R. ABERCROMBIE,
JOHN FERGUSON, WITNESSES. JOHN CLARK, [L. S. ]
A. ABERCROMBIE,
This will was presented for probate May 9, 1750, thus fixing quite closely the date of his decease. His wife does not seem to have long survived him; as November 13th, 1750, her son George is' appointed administrator of her estate.
George Clark, or Deacon George Clark, as he was known, lived and died on the home-lot, where his son Noah, known to many of you, afterward lived; of whom it is told, that when the article of candle-snuffers, came into use, he was often known to praise the great convenience of the article, at the same time, snuffing the candle with his thumb and finger, and carefully depositing it in the cavity of the snuffers.
v Andrew Smith, during his somewhat limited stay in town was prominent in its affairs. He was the first settlers clerk, and seems to have held many other positions of trust; but I find no mention of him in the records after March 22, 1745. He married Jane Clark, though not till after 1750, I think, and removed back to Holden, Mass., where he raised a family, died, and was buried. His son' Andrew, married a Gragg, and lived in this town in 1788, afterward
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removed to Charlemont, where he reared a numerous family, and where his descendants now reside.
John Pennill (or Pannell), was another prominent man. He settled, as I have said, on lot 57. Most of his family were born previous to his com- ing here; only one son, Abraham, having been born in town, in 1742, the first white male child born in town. His son John Jr. seems to have inherited the home- stead, or at least the east half of the two lots, 57 and 58, the west half going to Abraham. John Jr. was settlers' clerk from March 4, 1745, to March 4, 1754, and after the incorporation of the town, was town clerk from 1761 to 1764. He had a numerous family, two of his sons, John and James, marrying daughters of Hezekiah Smith. Beside John Jr., and Abraham, there were Archibald, Robert, and per- haps other children. Archibald married Esther, daughter of John McCrellis, and lived on lot 47; where he died in 1754, leaving four children, and his widow afterward married Deacon Andrew Lucas. Next to John Clark, it is probable that Hugh Mor- rison was the largest owner of land in town in those early times; and to him the settlers were greatly in- debted for his public spirit and enterprise. He came here from Londonderry, New Hampshire, probably in 1739, having emigrated from the north of Ireland to that place about 1725 or 6. He and his brother-in- law, John Henry, in settling here, seemed to prefer going outside of the regular lots, and bought land up in the woods, on what was then the northern frontier of the town, and where the fort was soon after located. His wife was Martha, McCrellis; and their children were, David, Robert, John, Martha, Samuel, and perhaps others; the two last only having been born
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in this town. David was carried away by the Indians in 1746, as I have related. Of Robert I can give no further account John was a noted Indian fighter, and for a great many years a prominent man; he married, and raised a family of eight children, and it was through him the lineage descended in this town. He removed to Hartford, N. Y. where he died Aug- ust Ist, 1810, aged 82 years. Martha, the first white child born in town, married Hugh, son of Dr. Hugh Bolton; and has descendants living at the west; and the only farther trace I get of Samuel, is in 1766, at which time he is living in Halifax, Vt. Hugh Morrison died, I think, not far from 1765, though the date of his death and place of his burial, cannot be determin- ed, as no stone marks his grave. His wife died in 1772, aged 70 years; and a nameless grave, just to the north of her's, in the old burying ground, is no doubt, the last resting place of Capt. Hugh Morrison; one of Colrain's best and bravest veterans.
Thomas McGee, (weaver,) the progenitor of all of that name in this town, came here with his father-in- law James Stewart, from Concord, Mass. in March, 1742. He was at that time about 28 years old, and probably had but recently married his wife. He settled on lot 53; and for several years I think, his father-in-law lived with him. He was Deacon in the church for a great many years, a staunch, reliable man, thoroughly trusted in public and private affairs. He was above the average, I am sure, in educational attainments, as indicated by his signature which I have seen. He settled many estates and held town office much of hislife. He died very suddenly, October 27th, 1793, aged 79 years, leaving a family of eight children; his son Jonathan succeeding to his estate,
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and to the public confidence which his father had enjoyed.
About 1748, James Stewart, ( who is set down in the early records as a wig maker), seems to have separated from his son in law, Thomas McGee, and bought lot 32, and settled upon it; the house he lived in, standing in what is now Mr. Wm. B. McGee's pasture, near to the line of the old road, known as the "Handy lane". About 1754 he is joined by his son James Jr., to whom, he deeded lot 33, which he seems to have acquired meantime. And from this time forward. for fifty years or thereabout, no man in town, was more a public servant than James Stewart Jr. He was settlers' clerk for several years following 1754, and was elected town clerk in 1764; and for nearly twenty five years following, with the exception of one year, the records of the town are kept by him. He was a beautiful penman, and it is a pleasure, at this time, to read what he has written, though much of it is more than a century old. He was a teacher of the art of writing, many coming from as far away as Greenfield to be taught by him. He served on many committees of the town, and was much em- ployed in drawing of wills and matters of that kind. Respected and beloved by all, he filled a large space in the public estimation His first wife was Agnes ( - -) who died in 1784 leaving a numerous family. After her death, he married the widow Margaret Anderson. This lady, previous to her mar- riage to Anderson was the widow of John Kately, who lived on lot 54, and who died about 1752 or 3. She was the mother of the somewhat famous Han- nah Kately, whose custom it was, to attend town
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meetings, and if affairs were not conducted as she thought proper, or seemed to encroach upon her rights; she was wont to protest against the action of the town, and have it placed on record; and some of the protests of Hannah Kately, the original "woman's righter" of Colrain, may be found in the old record book to-day. James Stewart, Jr. died in 1809, at the ripe old age of four score. His father James, senior, died in 1773, aged 93.
Ensign Hugh Henry, was another of the veterans of his time. He came from Stowe, Mass., about 1740, settling on lot 34, and built his first log house a few rods southwest of where the south school house now stands, just at the east side of the line of the old road. In this house the first town meeting was held, of which he was moderator, and for several years he was selectman and treasurer of the town. His death occurred in 1746, leaving a wife and certainly five children, all young; the young- est being but four years of age. He was great grandfather of Mr. Charles Henry of Greenfield, and of others of the name living in Heath. In 1754, his heirs sold lots 34 and 35, to William Miller, and the last named lot has remained in the possession of Miller's descendants ever since.
John Henry (brother of Hugh) settled a short dis- tance north of Samuel C. Avery's, on the farm after- ward owned and occupied by James McCullock. His wife was Mary McCrellis, sister of Martha, the wife of Hugh Morrison. He died about 1750, leaving five children. William, his oldest son removed about 1772 to Bennington, Vt. where some of his descendants, now live; others of them reside in Michigan; the wife
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of Governor Alger, at the present time Governor of that state, being a great grand-daughter of William Henry. James and John, next younger, removed to Cambridge, N. Y. and their descendants are numerous in that vicinity; and Andrew, the young- est son settled in Leyden .
The wife of John Henry was a remarkable woman, and had a most remarkable career. In her early life in Ireland, she married (-) Foster, by whom she had one child, a daughter, whom she named Margaret. Being left a widow she than married ( - ) Workman, by whom she had a son, John. Again left a widow, she emigrated with her two child- ren to America, where she married Henry, by whom as I have said, she had five children. £ After his death she became the wife of Richard Ellis, who lived at one time on lot No. 10, and who afterward removed, I think to Ashfield. She outlived her fourth husband, spending her last days with her son Andrew Henry, in Leyden, and died there May 11, 1802, in the ninety-seventh year of her age. Her son John Workman, married Phoebe Stewart, sister of James Stewart, Jr., and settled on the farm where Mr. Ariel Hinsdale now lives.
Two families by the name of McCrellis, lived in town, back in the early times; John and William. The "McCrellis family records" say they were brothers, but I am confident they were not.
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