USA > Massachusetts > Hampden County > Springfield > The first century of the history of Springfield; the official records from 1636 to 1736, with an historical review and biographical mention of the founders, Volume I > Part 4
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HISTORICAL REVIEW.
1660 .- Quince Smith. Given liberty to stay two months in town from December 18, 1660, when he was warned to de- part the town.
1660 .- Mr. Hooker. Preached here a short time and went away.
1661 .- Charles Ferry. Died here in 1699.
1661 .- Elizabeth Hitchcock, widow of Luke of New Ha- ven, died here in 1696.
1661 .- John Hitchcoock, son of Elizabeth. Died here in
1712.
1661 .- Luke Hitchcock, son of Elizabeth. Died here in
1727.
1661 .- Jeremy Horton, son of Thomas. Died here in 1782.
1661 .- John Horton, son of Thomas.
1661 .- John Harmon, son of John. Died here in 1712.
1661 .- Samuel Harmon, son of John. Died at Suffield in 1677.
1661 .- John Dorchester, son of Anthony. Died here in 1705.
1661 .- James Dorchester. Died here in 1732.
1662 .- John Petty. Died here in 1680.
1662 .- John Henryson. Went to Haddam, Conn., and died there in 1688.
1662 .- William Hunter. Killed by Indians in 1676.
1662 .- James Taylor. Died here in 1720.
1662 .- Thomas Mascall of Windsor, admitted.
1663 .- Hugh Mackey. Had seat in church.
1663 .- Thomas Thomson, a boy, had seat in church. Be- longed in Windsor.
1663 .- John Barber. Died here in 1712.
CLERK OF THE WRITS.
The Clerk of the Writs was an official which the General Court required each town to elect, subject to confirmation at the next session of the County Court. It was his duty to issue summonses and grant writs of attachments in civil suits,
46
THE FIRST CENTURY OF SPRINGFIELD.
and to enter in the town books a record of all births, mar- riages and deaths. For a summons he received a fee of two- pence; for a writ of attachment, threepence; for recording a birth, marriage or death, threepence. Henry Burt was the first Clerk of the Writs chosen for Springfield. having been elected by the town on the 29th day of the third month, 1649. The records of births, marriages and deaths are in his hand- writing from his appointment in 1649 to 1662. The follow- ing are the names of the persons, with their terms of service, who held that office in Springfield :-
Henry Burt, 1649-1662. Died in office.
Thomas Cooper, 1663-1676. Killed by the Indians when Springfield was burned.
Samuel Holyoke, 1676. Died in office.
John Holyoke, 1677.
TOWN RECORDERS.
Every one who has had occasion to search the early rec- ords in various New England towns has noticed the differ- ence in their completeness and intelligent statement of the various transactions which occurred, and how much is due to the recorders for a careful statement of those events which have become of the greatest interest to thousands of descend- ants in tracing the part which each inhabitant took in found- ing the towns and in making that history which now stands forth as a bright example of intelligent and conscientious en- deavor. The records of Springfield are much more complete than any other in the first settlements on the Connecticut River, and much is due to Henry Smith, the first Recorder, who served from 1636 until his return to England in 1653. Elizur Holyoke, who soon succeeded him, appears to have been equally painstaking, but his duties were more perfunc- tory in their execution and reflect less of the feeling and opinion of the townspeople in their doings when assembled in public meetings. The following are the names of the re- corders and their terms of service from 1636 to 1736 :-
Henry Smith 1636-1652
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HISTORICAL REVIEW.
John Pynchon.
1652-1655
Elizur Holyoke. 1656
In the absence of John Pynchon.
John Pynchon.
1657-1660
Elizur Holyoke. 1661-1676
Died in office.
John Holyoke. 1677-1680
Daniel Denton I68I
John Holyoke.
1682-1695
John Pynchon, Jr 1696
Jonathon Burt . 1697-1700
John Pynchon, Jr.
170I
John Holyoke.
1702-17II
Pelatiah Bliss. 1712-1715
Joseph Warriner 1716
Pelatiah Bliss.
.1717-1727
William Pynchon, Jr.
1628-1636
THE GOOD SENSE OF THE COMMON PEOPLE PREVAILED.
Looking backward from this period of time we find but little in the town records to indicate that William Pynchon had an active part in the administration of the town's affairs. Undoubtedly he was looked to for counsel and suggestion, but after the first few years the details were entrusted to oth- ers, who appear to have been fully equal to their various du- ties. Returning to England in 1652, he left nothing except the record of his duties as magistrate and the transactions connected with the publication of his book and the burning of it by the authorities in the market place at Boston, to show from our present point of view, any impression which he made upon the life of the community. That he was a man of ability and one who exerted a powerful influence in the earlier work of the Colony, there can be no doubt. But after the settlers had once secured a foothold, neither the withdrawal of a few nor the death of any single individual, would have broken up the settlement. The law of average prevailed, and there was sufficient cohesive force in the leading spirits
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THE FIRST CENTURY OF SPRINGFIELD.
to have successfully worked out the problem of self-govern- ment, and brought any question that might have arisen, to a successful issue. The sternest problem which at any time, with perhaps a single exception, confronted them, was simply one of food and clothing,-material subsistence. When the Indians in treachery came down upon the settlement it was the average opinion and the average courage which saved the inhabitants and it was this spirit which rebuilt the town.
Transferring the business of the town from the whole body to a chosen few. the selectmen, did not relieve the inhabitants of responsibility. It was the duty of every man in the settle- ment who was an "admitted inhabitant" to be present at the annual town meetings and to take part in its affairs, to either agree or express dissent. May 7, 1645. this vote was passed :-
"It is voted and agreed upon by ye generall consent of the Plantation that if any inhabitant shall absent himself from any town meeting upon any sufficient warning given them. or shall withdraw from the meeting before there be a full dis- charge, without a sufficient excuse or leave, he shall be liable to pay half a bushel of Indian corn for every such defect. It was voted to be a sufficient warning if publik noticement is given after a lecture to meet in the afternoon."
It would appear that even this vote did not produce the de- sired effect, for the fine was increased the next year to one bushel. The inhabitants were required to be present "when the blessing is desired," indicating that town meetings in the early years were opened with prayer. This law, as laid down by the town, was kept in force for many years, but the fine was finally reduced to sixpence. At the town meeting in April, 1665, there were no less than fifteen voters absent, but the majesty of the law was sustained. The founders swerved not from the decrees which they had laid down for the gov- erning of the town. The foremost as well as the humblest. from Deacon Chapin down to John Matthews, who used to beat the drum for Sunday meetings, came in for his share when delinquent.
49
HISTORICAL REVIEW.
LOCATION OF THE FIRST MEETING HOUSE.
There is nothing in the town records to show where re- ligious services were first held. In the absence of a meeting house it is probable that they were conducted at the residence of some of the settlers,-at the house of William Pynchon, at Mr. Moxon's, or possibly elsewhere. The first mention of a meeting house is under date of January 10, 1645, when it was voted that every inhabitant should give 28 days' work toward such purpose, no man to be required to work over six days at a time. It was first voted to take forty rods of land from the lot of Thomas Stebbins, but later six rods square was deemed sufficient, and for the remainder of the forty rods Stebbins was to allow a rod in breadth for a way to the train- ing field. February 28, 1645, a bargain was made with Thomas Cooper to build the meeting-house. It was to be 40 feet long, 25 wide, nine feet between joints, to have four large windows, two on each side and one on each end. There were to be two turrets, one for the bell and the other for a watch-house. It was to be completed by the 30th of Sep- tember at an expense of 80 pounds. On the 26th of March, less than one month, the town acknowledged that Cooper had fulfilled his bargain. He was to receive in payment. "wheate, pease, pork, wampum, debts and labor." It stood, as is generally known, on the south side of our present Court square, a few feet back from Main street, near what is now Elm street, on which it faced. This lot was originally Henry Gregory's, but when he withdrew from the town and went to Connecticut, Thomas Stebbins, son of Rowland, purchased it. On this spot was erected the first building devoted to re- ligious worship in this State west of Boston and vicinity, and the first public building for any purpose in Springfield. This was the beginning of our present First church. Thomas Cooper, the builder of the meeting-house, came with John Stiles' company from England to Windsor, removing thence to Springfield when still a young man.
In 1650 John Pynchon appears to have driven an advan- tageous bargain to make a chamber in the meeting-house :-
50
THE FIRST CENTURY OF SPRINGFIELD.
"February 6, 1650. It is agreed by the towne that if mr John Pynchon will make a chamber over the meeting howse and board it he shall have the use of it Intirely to himself for Ten years, and then if the Town need it they may have it, provided they alow the sd mr John Pynchon the charge that he hath been about it, or else he is to have the use of it longer till they do alow him the charge that he layed out about it."
Evidently this gave dissatisfaction when the voters re- flectd upon what they had done, and two years later it came up in town meeting again for consideration, when this action was taken :-
"There falling out some disputes betwixt mr John Pynchon and the towne in reference to the above mentioned bargain, about the meeting-house chamber, it was put to vote whether the Inhabitants be willing to take the chamber into theyr hand again presently, promising to pay mr. John Pynchon his wholl charge that he hath bin at about it, for the time past; and he to have the use of the chamber till October next, pro- vided he lay not above 400 bushells of corne in it; if he exceed that quantity he is to underprop ye floor at his own charge, as Rich: Sykes and Thos: Cooper shall judge meete. It was voted affirmatively to all the particulars, whereupon George Colton and Robert Ashley were nominated by mr. John Pynchon, and appointed by ye vote of ye Inhabitants, to gather in ye rate that shall be made by the Selectmen for the charge layed out about this floor, and see it payd into mr. Pynchon by ye 20th of February next, in marchantable wheate at 3s rod per bushell."
The chamber, coming into the hands of the town, was let for many years to different individuals as a place for storing grain, though John Pynchon does not appear to have occu- pied it again after giving it up to the town.
THE BURYING-GROUND AND TRAINING-FIELD.
West of the meeting-house, on the banks of the Connecti- cut, William Pynchon and Henry Smith, by order of the town, bargained with Francis Ball and Thomas Stebbins, ac-
.
51
HISTORICAL REVIEW.
cording to a report made to the town February 26, 1645, for 2 1-2 acres of land for a burying ground and a training-fieldl. Here were the home lots of the two; Ball on coming here from Connecticut bought the improvements of the lot owned by John Woodcock, on which are now located the Chicopee bank building, the Hampden County court house, and the Elm-street grammar school building. The town took an acre of Ball's lot and an acre and a half of the Stebbins iot, for which it gave in payment double the number of acres else- where. A street had been previously opened from Main street to the meeting-house, and this was continued two rods wide to the training-field. After Ball's marriage, and four years after his settlement in Springfield, he was drowned in the Connecticut. His widow married Benjamin Munn, who continued to reside on her home lot until his death. In 1645 Thomas Cooper, who was then one of the selectmen, made this entry in the town book: -
"It was voted that Thomas Stebbins and Benjamin Munn should have use of the trayning place for pasture for the tern of ten years, for certayne, and for the term of their own per- sonal living, if they live longer, upon condition that they keepe it cleare of offensive matter, as wood and brush, or the like and they are now to sow it with inglish grass seed."
This lot was used for exercising the military company, and for a burying-ground for about 200 years. When the first settlers came from England to this country, both France and England were little more than a military camp, and evidently the first impulse of the settlers was to arm for defence: but where the enemy was to come from to make the attack was not explained. Nevertheless they set about preparing for defence by training the youth as well as the elder men in the manual of arms. They evidently cherished their military titles, regarding them as tokens of honor. Under the date of November 14, 1639, is this record :-
"It is ordered yt the exercise of training shall be practiced one day in every month, and if occasions do sometymes hin- der, then ye like space of tyme shall be observed another tyme
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THE FIRST CENTURY OF SPRINGFIELD.
though it be 2 dayes after one another. And yt this tyme of trayning is referred to ye discretion of Henry Smith, who is chosen by mutuall consent to be the Serjant of ye Company, who shall have power to choose a Corporall for his assistant. and who soever shall be absent himselfe with out a lawful ex- cuse shall forfeit 12 pence, & yt all above 15 yeares of age shall be counted for soldiers, and the tyme to begin the first Thursday in December next."
AN EARLY ADOPTION OF REFERENDUM.
Referendum, or the submitting of certain public measures to the people for approval, after having been enacted by the Legislature has been discussed at considerable length in re- cent times, and no doubt it has been considered in the light of a new discovery,-certainly as something never practiced in this country. In Springfield it is more than 250 years old. When the selectmen were elected in 1646 this vote was adopted :-
"By mutual consent it is agreed to refer into theyr the Se- lectmen's hands the ordering of all prudential affayers of the town, and whatsoever they so order in reference to the good of the towne shall stand in force as ye act of the towne, pro- vided that what orders or conclusions they shall agree upon, be openly published before the generality of ye towne after a lecture, or at any trayning day, or any other public meeting: and in case there be no negative vote by the generality of the towne within 7 days after, then it shall stand and be taken for granted that the towne by such silence doe confirme and es- tablish theyr orders."
The "generality of the town" is understood to mean a ma- jority of those having right to vote. This practice was main- tained for many years. The second volume of records shows by frequent statement that measures adopted by the select- men were read on public occasions, with the date of reading affixed to the selectmen's decree.
A TOLL ROAD ESTABLISHED.
The making of public roads was one of the early duties to
53
HISTORICAL REVIEW.
which the selectmen were called, and the first toll road was authorized in 1648. The selectmen were allowed liberty to set a certain toll on carts that shall pass any highway which shall appeare more than ordinary chargeable in the repara- tion of it." At a town-meeting held November 7. 1648. it was voted as follows :-
"It is agreed that those who will joyne to make a cartway over ye meddow against Robert Ashley's shall have liberty to barr up ye Cartway, and to take 4 pence per load of any oth- ers that shall cart over said way, who have not Joyned in mak- ing of it. Those who have given in their names to make ye cartway are as followeth: Thomas Merrick, Thomas Steb- bins. James Bridgman, John Clarke, William Warriner, Row- land Stebbins, Samuel Wright Samuel Marshfield. Widow Ball."
This road was at some point north of the present village of West-Springfield. In 1660 a toll bridge was established1 over Mill river, where the street railway now crosses-the river on the way to Forest park. The town voted :-
"The lower end of the Towne have Liberty to make a cart Bridge over ye mill river, above ye old mill. & such as Joyne not in making of it, if they shall make use of it they shall allow or pay to ye makers of it 3 pence per Load for Three years."
This establishes the locality of Pynchon's grain-mill nearer than any other record in the first volume; it must have beenat or near the site of the mill which is still in existence there.
EXCLUDING UNWORTHY PERSONS.
Unworthy persons or those liable to become a town charge. were not admitted for settlement, the founders thus under- taking to guard at the beginning against all undesirable char- acters. As early as 1642 this vote was passed :-
"It is agreed with the generall consent and vote of the In- habitants of Springfield: That if any man of this Township shall under the Colour of friendship or otherwise intertayne any person or persons here, to abide or continue as inmates. or shall subdivide theyr house lots to entrtayne them as ten-
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TIIE FIRST CENTURY OF SPRINGFIELD.
ants or otherwise, for a longer tyme than one month, or 31 days, without the generall consent & allowance of the inhab- itants (children or servants of the family that remayne single persons excepted) shall forfeit for the first default xx shil- lings, to be destrayned by the Constable of their goods, cat- tell or chattails, for ye publique use of the Inhabitants: And alsoe he shall forfeit xx shillings per month for every month that any such person or persons shall soe continue in this township, with out the generall consent of the Inhabitants: and if in ye tyme of theyr abode after ye limitation they shall neede releefe, not being able to mayntayn themselves, then he or they that entertayne such persons shall be lyable to be rated by the Inhabitants for ye releife & maintenance of the said party or parties, as the Inhabitants shall think meete."
In 1659 John Wood was called to account for giving enter- tainment to Isaac Hall for the space of two months, and was fined 40 shillings. Quince Smith was regarded as another undesirable person. He was given liberty to tarry in town "2 months from ye 18th of December, 1660; if he tarry long- er it must be by a new liberty from ye selectmen." On the 18th of February he was warned by the selectmen to depart the town. The sons of even the first settlers were not admit- ted as inhabitants, to be voters and assume the responsibili- ties of citizenship, without giving bonds to the town to se- cure it against any charge which might possibly arise on their account. Deacon Chapin gave bonds of 20 pounds each when two of his sons were admitted, Henry in 1660, and Josiah in 1663. At the time of Henry's admission Elizur Holyoke gave bonds in the sum of 20 pounds to the town treasurer for the admission of Samuel Ely, "to secure the town from any charge which may arise to the town by the admission of the said Ely or his family," the same as had been imposed on Deacon Chapin.
BEFORE THE SELECTMEN AND THE COUNTY COURT.
Looked back upon in the light of the present, the first set- tlers of Springfield formed almost a spotless community, not
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HISTORICAL REVIEW.
entirely unlike some of the remote rural communities of re- cent times. There were no thefts, little drunkenness, and no brutal assaults. The breaches of the public peace were mostly of a trival nature, and with rare exceptions would not now call for consideration. The shortcomings of the first settlers consisted mainly in not living strictly up to "town orders," such as failing to ring the swine, not maintaining suitable fences, and occasionally omitting attendance at town meetings. Possibly there might have been some neighbor- hood gossip and occasionally departures from the standard set by the "fathers of the town," but there were no crimes committed that would shock the community, such as breach of public trust, assault or murder. The offenses of our ances- tors were mostly of a nature which would now, rarely. if at all, be heard of in our courts. There was no lack of vigilance and no lack of public officers to enforce what was then held as a public offense. At a very early day "Two wise and dis- creet men" were chosen annually at the town-meeting, "to present on court days all breaches of Court or Town orders, or any other misdemeanors as shall come to theyr knowledge, either by their own observation or by credible information of others, and they shall take out process for the appearance of such as are delinquent. or witnesses, to appear on sayd days. when all presentments shall be Judicially heard and examined by the magistrate. . These to stand in this office for a year or till others be chosen in their roome."
The cases of breach of town orders came before the select- men, and the graver offenses before the county court, held twice a year, which was at Northampton in March and in Springfield in September,-for which 12 jurymen were sum- moned, selected mainly from the jurisdiction of the two towns, but from other settlements in part at a later period. The first trials, when William Pynchon was the magistrate, were before a jury of six, all residents of Springfield, as no other settlements had been made hereabouts prior to his de- parture in 1652 for England.
One of the breaches of town orders relates to a defective
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THE FIRST CENTURY OF SPRINGFIELD.
fence in what was later West Sprinfield. Reice Bedortha and John Bagg had been chosen fence-viewers on the west side of the "Great River," and they discovered that John Scott had a very defective fence, to which they called his attention. They found "20 rods altogether deficient & 20 defects in other places. Having given him warning and yet upon a 2d view a month after they found the aforesaid defects; & a 3d tyme they found ye defects a fort Night after." The select- men considered his case and summed up his great neglect as below :-
"The Select men doe Judge that after ye first warning tothe 2d view should be accounted but one defect. But the 20 rod is now 20 shillings, & ye 20 other defects 20 shillings more. After ye 2d warning when ye viewers went the 3d tyme to see it a fortnight after being 12 days at 12 pence per Rod, makes 20 shillings every day, which comes to 12 pounds the 12 days; togither with ye 40 shillings aforesaid makes ye whole 14 pounds, one half wherof ye Towne order gives to ye view- ers, & ye other halfe to ye Towne."
This fine of 14 pounds, nearly equivalent to $70, would probably have bankrupted John Scott, and on a training day the town voted to remit its half, undoubtedly taking this view of the situation. At the same time, when Bedortha and Bagg, the two viewers, had presented Scott, there came an- other complaint :--
"John Bagg complaining against Reice Bedortha, his part- ner, for one rod defective. Reice disowning it to be his fence the Selectmen Judged that ye fence must first be determined his before he can be concluded defective, or Lyable to je fine." But this was not the end. It being shown that Be- dortha and Bagg had been remiss in their public duties as fence viewers, they two were brought to justice, as the record shows :-
"It is ordered that ye viewers of fences, viz: Reice Bedortha and John Bagg, for neglecting their Charge in not viewing fences according to order, shall pay a fine of ro shillings to ye Towne, that is 5 shillings apeice."
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HISTORICAL REVIEW.
Fines for having defective fences were not imposed upon the white settlers alone. The viewers at a later date, Ed- ward Foster and Thomas Miller, complained of the "Indian Catonis & his company for not doing up the water fence be- longing to their land in the field, they having had warning. about 4 or 5 rods being defective upon the land next to the river, besides ye securing of the river, for which neglect they are fined to pay 2 and 1-2 bushels of Indian corne." The In- dians were neither prompt menders of fences nor in payment of fines. At the next meeting of the selectmen they entered their decree in this case :-
"The Indian fence into Agawam river being still defective it is ordered that ye viewers shall amend it & have double compensation according to law, & have warrant to ye consta- ble to Levy it, & also to Levy the 2 and 1-2 bushels of In- dian corne, which they were fined at the last meeting of ye Selectmen."
INDISCRETIONS OF OUR PURITAN YOUTH.
The sons of our Puritan ancestors could not have been entirely unlike the boys of our present time, but they had the law laid down to them in a summary manner when they transgressed. The selectmen, Deacon Chapin, Nathaniel Ely. George Colton, Rowland Thomas and Elizur Holyoke, in 1664, made observation and recorded this decree :-
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