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 5
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"The Selectmen considering the great damage done to ye glass windowes in ye meeting house by childrens playing about ye meeting house. They do order that if any persons children or others, shall be found playing at any sports about the meeting house, whereby ye glass windows thereof may be endamaged, such persons shall be liable to a fine of I2d a peece for each tyme they shall be found soe playing. which fine is to be paid within 3 days after such default, and if the Governors [fathers] of any youth that soe offend shall refuse to pay the said fyne, such youths shall be liable to be whipt by the Constable before 3 or more of ye Selectmen, who shall determine ye number of stripes to be inflicted,
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& if any other persons so offending shall refuse to pay ye said fyne as aforesaid, they shall be liable to ye punishment as aforesaid, & all such fines shall go one half to the informers, & the other half to ye Selectmen, for the use of the town in bearing publik charges."
This had the desired effect as no record was made of the boys being whipt under the direction of the benign Deacon Chapin and his fellow-members of the board. But the spirit of youth was evidently abroad and if they could not throw stones at the meeting-house windows they could do some other things even at the risk of being punished. The argus eyes of the conservators of the public peace were not unmindful of improprieties by whomsoever committed, as the following indicates :-
"It being observed & complayned of that Persons do fre- quently take liberty to ride very swiftly with their horses in the streets to ye endangering of children and others, it is therefore ordered that if any person be observed to Run his horse or to ride faster than an ordinary gallop in ye streets of this town, except upon such urgent occasions as shall by ye Selectmen be judged warrantabel so to do, he shall be liable to a fine of 3s 4d, to be paid, one shilling to the Informer & the rest to ye Towne. This order not to extend to Troop- ers in tymes of their exercise."
"Troopers," were the members of the cavalry company, who might be out for exercise on a training day. The first to transgress this order were Thomas Stebbins, Jr .. Timothy Cooper, John Hitchcock, Samuel Bliss, Jr., and Jonathan Ashley, all young men. On notification to appear, Stebbins went before the selectmen, who for "fiersely galloping & running his horse last Wednesday forenoon, in ye street from Goodman Miracks upwards, acknowledged it and was sen- tenced to pay 35 4d." The others not appearing, their trial was continued till the next lecture day, when they were fined 2s 4d each.
Youthful indiscretions began to show themselves about this time within as well as without the meeting-house. At
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a meeting of the selectmien April 7, 1669, it was voted :-
Miles Morgan and Jonathan Burt are ordered to sit in ye Gallery to give check to the disorders in youth & young men In tyme of Gods worship. Anthony Dorchester is to sit in ye Guard Seate for ye like end."
The preceding are not the only instances in which the youth of that time were transgressors of the established cus- toms. Even Elizur Holyoke's sons were subject to disci- plin and were brought into court with others. In the Pynchon Magistrate Book is the following record :-
"Thomas Noble, Constable, presenting Thomas Thomson and John Horton for the last Sabbath, June 7. 1664. in the evening about 1-2 hour after Sunset, Samuel and Elizur Hol- yoke, being accessories in sayd fray; the Commissioners upon examination of the case do find that the said four persons did profane the Lord's day and therefore determine that they all shall be admonished thereof, and that Thomas Thomson, John Horton and Samuel Holyoke shall pay a fine of 5 shil- lings apeice to the County, or be whipt by the Constable on the naked body with three stripes apeice, whereupon they were all admonished and the three former desiring to pay their fines than otherwise, were ordered to pay them to the County Treasurer."
The Justices, or Commissioners, as they called themselves. who sat in this case, were Deacon Samuel Chapin and Elizur Holyoke, the latter the father of the Holyoke boys. Thomas Thomson was a Windsor youth who resided here for a short time.
JOHN PYNCHON'S EXPERIENCE IN PORK RAISING.
In 1656 John Pynchon set out on a pork-raising specula- tion, on Freshwater river, now in Enfield, Conn ..- at that time within the jurisdiction of Massachusetts. He procured a grant of land, 20 acres for himself, and 10 acres each for George Colton and Benjamin Cooley. When granted it was with the agreement that "if they doe not make use of it themselves it is to return into the Townes hands agayne-
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they are not to sell it to any other." The sequel was not re- corded until October 8, 1660, when it appeared that Cooley had withdrawn, Pynchon taking his portion. The record gives the conditions and the results :-
"According to order by the Selectmen there was granted parsell of land at fresh water brook, to Mr. Pynchon, George Colton and Benjamin Cooley, in proportion as they carry on their design of keeping swine there. In all forty acres of upland, ten acres to each quarter part, and this upon condi- tion that they doe within two years carry on the design of keeping swine there. If they fail in carrying on that design within two years, or such of them as doe faile, they forfeit the land, & it remains to the other or them that do keep swine there; or else falls to the town, if none carry on that de- sign of keeping swine. The design of keeping swine there was accordingly caryed on & within the tyme limited, and continued until Windsor corne fields eat up ye swine."
This quotation is in the handwriting of John Pynchon, and what he probably intended to say was, that the swine ran out of the Enfield woods, in which they were fattening on acorns, and other nuts, into the Windsor corn-fields, and ate so much that they consequently died from the effects, and not by being eaten up by the fields.
In the grants of land at Woronoco were sixty acres on the request of Thomas Merrick and David Ashley to Timothy Mather of Dorchester, and forty acres to his father, the Rev. Richard Mather, the first minister of that town. The fam- ily of the Rev. Mr. Mather were of more than ordinary abil- ity. His sons, with the exception of Timothy, were minis- ters. Two went back to England and preached there during their lives. Another, Eleazer Mather, was the first minister of Northampton, and it was his daughter Eunice, who be- came the wife of the Rev. John Williams, and was killed by the Indians after the burning of Deerfield, on the way to Canada. From her is descended Mrs. Elizabeth Storrs Mead, president of Mount Holyoke college at South Hadley. Timothy, the father of the family, is the ancestor of all who
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bear the name of Mather in New England. This grant at Woronoco remained in the family for a considerable period.
ROUND HILL GIVEN TO PYNCHON FOR BRINGING SHEEP TO TOWN.
The name "Round hill," applied to the elevation between North Main and Plainfield streets, is nearly as old as Spring- field itself. The hill is mentioned in the record by that name not many years after the settlement was begun. In 1654, it was, with adjoining land on the west, given to John Pynchon by the town on condition that he would bring 40 sheep into the town and offer them for sale to the inhabitants. This, too, was the introduction of that important domestic animal into this region. Among the "Several particulars which was voted unto by the Towne upon a trayning day, May 29th, 1654, was the following :-
"In consideration of this said land the said John Pynchon doth promise to purchase 40 sheep within the space of six months, and he to use his best indevoure to bring them into Towne and there to dispose of them as he shall see cause, provided he sell them not to any out of town in case any in towne will buy then.
The 15 acres of land was laid out to him, part of it under the round hill next to his 3 corner meddow, & part of it upon ye round hill: It goeth over ye round hill and leaving a part of it. John Pynchon desired the rest of ye land on that hill & so down to ye brooke called Endbrooke, or 3 corner med- dow brook, being about six acres, so that in all Mr. Pynchon hath about 21 acres."
At a later day this grant to Pynchon was increased to 23 acres, on account of his introducing the 40 sheep. "Three- corner meddow" is now Hampden park, and Endbrook in later days came to be known to Springfield as North-end brook. The level region, on part of which stands Bright- wood, was known to the first settlers as the "Plaine," and has not the name of Plainfield street, of the present time, come down to us from that fact?
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OUR VILLAGE BLACKSMITH CAPTURED BY CROMWELL AND FORCED TO MIGRATE.
The blacksmith was an important and useful citizen in all the New England settlements. In the early days his work was needed by every one who was tilling the earth and clear- ing the forests. In many communities unusual efforts were made to secure a competent workman in this craft, who was given valuable grants of land to make a permanent abode in the town and perform such work as was most needed; in fact, it was a calling that came nearer and was in closer touch with the people of those early times than any other. Longfellow's picture of the smith in later days might apply to him of ancient Springfield :-
Under a spreading chestnut tree The village smithy stands; The smith, a mighty man is he, With large and sinewy hands; And the muscles of his brawny arms Are strong as iron bands.
Our smith was John Stewart, a thrifty and bustling Scotch- man, whose early adventures made him an interesting char- acter, though he appears to have embarked in a failing cause, which brought to him deportation from his native land to the wilds of America, where he served more usefully and with greater credit to himself than when he was fighting the battles of Charles I in his own Scotch Highlands. But let us go back to the record here prior to his advent in Springfield. The town was without a permanent smith and might have had none, for nearly 10 years after the beginning of the set- tlement. Under date of January 8, 1646, this record was made: "George Colton and Miles Morgan are appoynted to doe theyr best to get a smith for ye Towne." Eight months later, September 4, this entry in the records was made. -
"A bargaine was driven the day above said betwixt the towne of Springfield and Francis Ball for a Shop for a Smith, which is to be 12 foote wide, 16 foote in length, six foote stud
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betwixt Joynts, a chimny for the forge, runged, to be boarded both roofe and sides, to make a doore and windowe in the end, with a beam in ye middist, for which work to be suffi- ciently accomplished by September 28th, next. the towne doth condition to pay him five pounds either in wheate at 3s 8d per bushel, or in worke as he shal need it. to be payd in unto him ye Ioth of march next, at the house of Henry Smith. He doth also agree to find boards for ye covering and sides, with nayles & hinges, &c, and what he wants else, and he is to bring in his account what boards he useth and what other charges he is at, for which he is to be payd as before in wheate at 3s &d per bushel, or in worke as he and they shall agree. It is agreed that this house shall remayne in the hands of the towne till they se cause to dispose otherwise of it."
What success George Colton and Miles Morgan had in get- ting a smith, is not known, nor the date of John Stewart's coming to Springfield, but he is the first one mentioned and probably was the first to take up his residence here. His quitting Scotland was enforced by Cromwell after the battle of Dunbar, he having been engaged on the side of the van- quished. Prior to this event, the marquis of Montrose, who began his career as a covenanter, went over into England and there came under the influence of Charles I, whose cause he espoused in opposition to his former declarations. He returned to the Highlands of Scotland and there raised the royal standard, around which he gathered an army and then waged war in behalf of the king. Into this service went our John Stewart, who was, as he says engaged in five battles till the tide turned against the cause which he was serving. The royal army was then under David Leslie, and had more than double the numbers of that commanded by Cromwell. Confident of success, Leslie left his entrenchments at Dunbar and marched to the open plain, when Cromwell seized the op- portune moment and won the day, capturing the entire army not already slain in the engagement. Many of the prison- ers were deported and John Stewart was among the number. On coming to England he was sold to service and John
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Pynchon was the buyer. As he was a capable smith he was put to work in the smithery, which had been built by the town and in Pynchon's accounts appear credits to various ones for "your helping John in the Smithery." November 29, 1653, before Elizur Holyoke and William Warriner, was made this agreement between Pynchon and Stewart :-
"I agree with John Stewart to allow me yearly 12 shillings in Smithery work for 3 years, which is for my staying [wait- ing] so long for that 30 pounds which is due to me from him for releasing him from my service. And he ye said John Stewart consented & promised to allow me for three years twelve shillings per year in mending or making of Iron work.
Jolın Pynchon."
In 1658 the shop was given to Stewart by the town, and he pursued his calling many years. One of his public duties was to see that all swine above three months old were ringed, and the selectmen appointed him "to goe twice every week through the town, from March to November, to take notice what swine are unrung and to demand of the owners for every such swine, and in case any shall refuse to pay him 6d for ringing them, warrant will be granted to the constable to distraine, who shall have 3d for his pains."
. Stewart prospered for some years and received various grants of lands. In his old age he became infirm and finally bedridden, and among other misfortunes a horse was taken from him for use in an expedition in pursuit of Indians and died from hard usage. When Sir Edmund Andros came into power as governor of New England Stewart sent him a pe- tition, now in the State archives at Boston, wherein he re- counts his service under the king and what he had suffered here. It is in the handwriting of James Cornish, of North- ampton, who was clerk of the courts for Hampshire county under Andros's administration, and is as follows :-
"To His Excellency Sir Edmund Andros, Knight, Gov- ernor & Captain General in Chief of all His Majesties Terri- tory: in New England: Whereas, your poor petitioner was
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in service in five battles under the noble Marquis of Mont- rose, in Scotland, for His Majesty, King Charles the First, & thereby suffered & received many dangerous wounds, having escaped with his life through mercy, yet his health has been and is likely to be deeply impayred whilst he lives, being alto- gether left uncapable of getting a livelyhood in this world for himself and family; that although having a trade which might afford him a comfortable living, he through Gods providence was layd about three years last past bedrid, and so continues uncapable to gaine any reliefe in his sad condition, and never received one penny towards all his service, wherein he was en- gaged. Was afterwards taken by Lord Cromwell in the fight at Dunbar, & after sent into this land where I was sold for eight years service to purchase my future freedom.
"God having bestowed some small estate on your poor petitioner whilst he gave him ability to labour, may it please your excellency, I had lately a horse pressed from me for ser- vice in this country, in pursuit of Indians, which dyed in the service by the wrong he received before he came home. Your poor petitioner was greatly disappointed by his loss, which was all the team he had, & having bin constrayned to buy an- other, which cost 6 pounds 10 shillings, for supply of his fam- ilys present want, although he is very doubtful whether this will prove so serviceable as the former did.
"Your humble petitioner most humbly craves that your Excellency would vouchsafe to order a just & due satisfac- tion to him for his so great damage, & your petitioner shall daily pray for the best of blessings on your Excellency, & re- mayne your most unworthy humble servant, John Stewart.
Springfield, 19th September, 1688."
As Andros was not looked upon at that time with greater favor than was his royal master in England, our Puritan an- cestry did not honor John Stewart's draft. The poor man quitted this world's troubles April 21, 1690, and two days later his will was presented for probate, Samuel Marshfield and Obadiah Miller making oath that they were present and saw him sign it.
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The battle of Dunbar took place September 3, 1650, when 4,000 of the Scotch army were slain and 10,000 taken prison- ers by Cromwell. Deportation of the prisoners must have begun very soon afterwards. The ship John and Sarah clear- ed from London and passed the search office at Gravesend on the 8th of November, 1651, for Boston, with 272 Scotch prisoners, who were consigned to Thomas Kemble of Charlestown. John Stewart probably came in a previous ship as his name is not in the list. Rev. John Cotton, in a letter to Cromwell, under date of Boston, July 5th, 1651, wrote :-
"The Scotts whom God delivered into your hands at Dun- barre and whereof sundry persons were sent here, we have been desirous (as we could) to make their yoke easy. Such as were sick of scurvy or otherwise have not wanted for physic or chyrurgery. They have not been sold for slaves to perpetual servitude, but for 6 or 7 or 8 years, as we do our own; and he that bought the most of them (I heare) buildeth houses for them as their owne, requiring 3 days in the weeke to worke for him (by turns) and 4 days for themselves, and promiseth as soon as they can repay him the money he laid out for them, he will set them at liberty."
John Stewart was not the only one who gave service to Pynchon under like conditions or for payment of passage. It appears to have been a common custom for young unmar- ried men to pay for their passage in labor, after their arrival, and John Pynchon must have secured them personally, or by an agent in Boston.
HAMPSHIRE COUNTY CREATED.
The movement for creating a county organization in this part of the colony of Massachusetts Bay, which resulted in the formation of the County of Hampshire, was begun in a special town-meeting held February 26, 1662, which de- clared :-
"Upon conference & serious consultation, the Town by vote concluded it convenient & necessary that there should
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be all die consideration concerning Setling the Townes in this Western part of the Collony into the forme of a County: In order whereunto Capt. Pynchon, Lieut. Holyoke & En- sign Cooper"-
Here the record, which is in the handwriting of Elizur Holyoke, ends, but we find that at the next meeting in May of the General Court, the proposition was presented by John Pynchon, who was present as the deputy from Springfield- his second year's service. The county organization was per- fected, thus signalizing an important event in the progress of our local government, and almost the first entry of John Pynchon into public life, beyond the confines of the township. He was now in his 36th year, and for more than 40 years after this he was an important figure in the history of the Connec- ticut valley, of which Springfield was the central point of ac- tion. The creation of courts and the settlement of towns, all eminating at suggestion from this central point, gave Springfield a foremost rank among the places outside the settlements along the eastern seaboard, and marked an era in the little settlement, founded 26 years before under diffi- culties which to spirits less courageous might well have seemed too great to overcome.
MINOR EVENTS, BUT NOT WITHOUT INTEREST.
Our selectmen must have had regard for financial respon- sibilities, and sometimes returned the offenses against their commands to profitable sccount. In 1660, Richard Fellows, having sold his land by promise contrary to order, whereby it was forfeited to the town, they took off the forfeiture on condition that he "supply the Towne with a sufficient horse for a journey to ye Bay this next Spring or Summer, when ye Towne shall please to call for it." This might have been with a view of supplying the transportation for the deputy to the General Court when he went to Boston.
Monopolizing official positions was not confined to the General Court. In 1660 John Pynchon was selectman, town clerk, town treasurer, and moderator of all town-meetings
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for the year, which with his numerous business interests must have kept him well occupied.
The annual town-meetings, after the town's affairs were placed in the hands of selectmen who were elected by the peo- ple, were at first held on the first Tuesday of November of each year. At a special meeting in January, 1660, it was voted that henceforth the "Generall Towne meeting for the choice of Towne officers shall be on ye first Tuesday in Feb- ruary." The town was called together at the usual time in November, and after much deliberation it was concluded to adhere to the former vote. At the February meeting it was voted that "Hence forward yearly at ye Generall Towne meeting there shal be a moderator chosen who shall stand as moderator not only for that day but for all town meetings the year ensuing." At this meeting it was voted that the moder- ator shall always be "chosen by papers,"-that is by bal- lots,-which is the first mention of a vote being taken other than "by the erection of hands."
The town constable was an important officer in early times, and was selected with more than ordinary care, regard being had to those qualities which would make him an acceptable and efficient official in maintaining order, and in collecting town rates and fines. At the meeting in 1660 it was voted :---
"That henceforth ye choice of ye Constable 'shall be after this manner: The Constable whose tyme is expired before he goes out of his place, shall Nominate two men, and ye Towne commissioners or chiefe civil power in Towne, shall Nominate one more, or two, which they pleas. The Three men, or 4, if 4 be Nominated, shal be put to vote, & ye that hath most votes shall be constable the yeare ensuing, who by Country Law [law of the General Court] is lyable to Five Pound fine for refusal of ye office."
At this meeting Robert Ashley was chosen constable, "& had his oath given him, which he took ye same day. Law- rence Bliss was chosen Constable Deputy for supply of ye Constables place in his absence."
Toil in its hardest aspect must have been expressed in the
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faces of those who wrestled with the difficulties which beset every one on the banks of the Connecticut at the beginning, and toil was alike honorable to all .. Every one labored in the fields and in the woods, or in following such other work as the settlers required. We find Richard Sikes, who was on the first board of selectmen, not only following the vocation of a farmer but doing whatever came to him, and while he had stood as one of the foremost of "discreet men," we note his public service in sweeping the meeting-house and in ringing the bell for meetings, marriages and funerals. The record under the date of February 10, 1653, says :--
"Richard Sikes hath covenanted to ring the Bell and to sweep the meeting house according to former terms, namely 12d the week, provided he will have his liberty to leave the work at a months warning. His pay to be payed halfe mer- chandable Indian corne and halfe merchandable wheat, to be payd at one intire payment at the end of June next, ending the date hereof, but if he leave the work after the payment is made he is to abate I shilling the week.
"There is granted to Richard Sikes for ringing the Bell for marriages and Burials I shilling a time. This pay to be payd by those who shall imploy him for such service."
He continued to serve the town in this office for several years, for which he received 52 shillings a year.
Taxation does not appear to have aroused much if any hos- tility concerning town affairs, during the first 30 years. Whatever charge of a public nature was held to be necessary was cheerfully met. John Pynchon, Elizur Holyoke and John Dumbleton were the only ones that were even in a sin- gle instance, dissatisfied. and that relates to an early reserva- tion in which they simply fell back upon a prior exemption as a right. In the first compact "Three-Corner meadow," our Hampden park, was divided between William Pynchon, who had 20 acres. Jehu Burr and Henry Smith, who had 10 acres each. It was mutually agreed at the time that these three in- dividuals should have 40 acres granted to them, to be free of all charges forever, as compensation for their continued pros-
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