USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Boxford > The history of Boxford, Essex County, Massachusetts, from the earliest settlement known to the present time: a period of about two hundred and thirty years > Part 11
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* The preceding members of this committee belonged to Topsfield; the following, to Boxford.
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HISTORY OF BOXFORD.
the owners of the land." Joseph Andrews and several others dissented from the rest of the town about the place, and nothing was further done at that meeting. A week from that day the inhabitants met again, and chose Thomas Andrews, Ensign John Perley, John Peabody, Quarter- master Tyler, and Thomas Hazen, to be a committee to "carry on the work of building the meeting-house in the town of Boxford according to their best discretion, improv- ing men in our own town if they may be obtained reason- ably ; also to agree with the owner of the land where the meeting-house shall stand."
The Topsfield people, recognizing the intentions of the Boxford brethren, and seeing that they were in danger of losing their support, 1694-95, March 5, gave liberty to have more seats made in the church for the further accommoda- tion of their "neighbors of Boxford." It was also voted that when the Boxford people removed they might sell their pews to any one that contributed to the support of the ministry, or to the town for what they paid for them.
June 18, 1697, it was voted " to carry the timber of the meeting-house to the north side of the plain near to John Buzwell's pasture, and there to frame it by the thorn bushes, where the paths meet that come from William Foster's and Abraham Redington's dwelling-houses." At this meeting they chose a new committee, consisting of Thomas Perley, Samuel Symonds, and John Peabody, to · agree with workmen, or a workman, to build and finish it, as cheap as possible, within one year and eight months after the date of the meeting, if it could be done. The proposed size of the building was also altered to thirty-four feet long, and about thirty feet in breadth. This was prob- ably the size it was erected. The roof was elevated from the four sides of the building to a peak in the centre, which was surmounted by a turret. This turret stood till May, 1732, when the building was in such a bad condition
I27
HISTORY OF BOXFORD.
that the rain and snow beat in around it; and they took it down, and closed the aperture.
At a town-meeting held Jan. 3, 1698-99, the town chose a new committee to carry on the work of building the meeting-house, consisting of John Perley, Thomas An- drews, Thomas Hazen, Daniel Wood, and Joseph Hale. It was also voted that every man in the town should have liberty to do as much work in building and finishing the meeting-house, as will come to his share, excepting the money part, the committee to set the price of each one's labor. The fee of the committee was three shillings a day from the Ist of March to the Ist of November, and half a crown a day during the rest of the year. John Per- ley, being a carpenter, and as we find his name on most of the committees, was probably the master workman.
At the above town-meeting, it was voted to have the meeting-house ready to be raised by the 10th of the follow- ing June, and to be finished by the Ist of January, 1700, or sooner if it could be conveniently done. Feb. 3 (1698-99), a new committee was chosen to finish the house, and "to make a gallery in it, and a pulpit as good as Topsfield's, and make seats both for the lower room and galleries suffi- cient for the whole house." This committee was Joseph Andrews, Joseph Bixby, Daniel Wood, John Eames, and Zaccheus Curtis. The committee at first agreed with the carpenters to build the pews, and set them as they were in the meeting-house in Andover; but Oct. 4, 1700, the inhabitants met in the new meeting-house, and chose John Perley and Samuel Symonds, with the carpenters, a com- mittee to set the pews as they thought would be most to the town's advantage. The expense of building the meet- ing-house was to be paid at three payments, -the first, May 20, 1699; second, "next cresmus;" third, when the work was all done.
Then a season of eight months passes, and the building
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HISTORY OF BOXFORD.
was not begun, nor even its site decided upon. About eight years had elapsed since the first step was taken in the matter. On the 18th of September, 1699, with a view of finally fixing upon a proper site, the town chose a disinterested committee, consisting of the following dis- tinguished men from the neighboring towns : Ensign Nehe- miah Jewett, Capt. William Raymont, Dr. Philemon Dean, Deacon Nathaniel Knowlton, and Sergeant Ephraim Ste- vens. By the choosing of this committee it is inferred that the disputation of a proper site was the reason the meeting-house had not been erected. The committee met on the 3d and 4th of the following month, and selected " a small hill in the land of Abraham and Thomas Redington, where a stump stands with stones laid upon it upon the northerly side of the thorn bushes, and meeting of two ways."* Said Redingtons, the owners of the land, as soon as the decision was made, presented to the town, gratuitously, in a deed dated 23 Oct., 1699, the “ small hill" decided upon. Where this hill is situated has been very clearly enunciated to have been the northern corner of the cemetery situated in the East Parish village, near the present church.
The meeting house was now commenced, and the work carried through with precision, without any interference whatever. Within the next twelve months it was entirely finished; and on the 9th of January, 1701, the committee presented it to the town. This must have been an ex- hilarating season; they had looked forward to this time for
* The bounds of this piece of land are thus defined : "First bound is a tree, which is Ensign Dorman's corner bound, and so northerly fifteen rods to a small white-oak, marked ; from thence easterly ten rods to a great rock with stones laid upon it ; and from thence southerly thirteen rods and a half to a red-oak tree, marked ; and from thence eight rods westerly to the first bound. And this land lieth adjoining the twelve-rod-broad road which run- neth from the thorn bushes to the other road which lieth from Andover to Topsfield."
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HISTORY OF BOXFORD.
many years, when their hopes would be realized. But, to sum it all up, we cannot think they had much to be proud of, as the building was not built in the best and most dur- able manner possible. We find it leaked very soon after its completion, and only about thirty years later it was found to be in such a poor condition that it could not be repaired.
CHAPTER VI.
1700-1730.
REV. THOMAS SYMMES. - CHURCH ORGANIZED. - ROADS LAID OUT .- STOCK OF AMMUNITION. - SLACKNESS OF THE CONSTA- BLES IN GATHERING RATES. - INDIAN DEEDS. - EDUCATION. - PEABODY'S MILLS. - EARLY PAUPERISM. - REV. MR. SYMMES' PASTORATE AND DISMISSION .- REV. JOHN ROGERS SETTLED. - DR. DAVID WOOD. - DR. JOHN ANDREWS. - THE TIMES. - BATCHELDER'S SAW-MILL. - HOWE'S SAW AND GRIST MILLS. - ANDREWS' MILLS. - INDIAN WAR OF 1722-25. - REPAIRING ROADS. - THE BOOM PETITION. - VARIOUS MINOR KINDS OF BUSINESS CARRIED ON. - CEMETERIES. - NEGROES. - " MOTHER DOWEN."
EV. WILLIAM SYMMES was ordained a min- ister in England, in 1588. His son, Zachariah Symmes, was for more than forty years the AO 2 minister of Charlestown, Mass. Zachariah had a son of the same name, who was settled over the church in Bradford, Mass. He had a son Thomas, who was born in Bradford, Feb. I, 1678, and entered Harvard College at the age of sixteen, in 1694, from which he graduated with honor in 1698.
Fourth of October, 1700, it was voted by the town "to send Ensien John pearly and Clark Simons to inviet mr Simes [Rev. Zachariah Symmes of Bradford] mr persons m Capen mr barnit : to come to our towen and to afoerd us thair halp in keeping a day of prayer to seek the Lord for his blasing in our colling of a minnister to dispenc the word of god amongst us in Boxford." Jan. 9, 1700-01, it
130
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HISTORY OF BOXFORD.
was voted " to give an Envitation to m' Thomas Simes to bee our minister if it pleas god to inclien him to take vp with our invitation and what wee can give : also the Towne have Choes Corperal daniel wood and Corperal Thomas pearly to goe to Cambridg and Carey the Towns Vot and declaer it to m' Simes and bring the Town his answer whether hee will Exsept of it or not or other wies." Why Mr. Symmes was at Cambridge so late, we do not know. He had completed his collegiate course in 1698, and he might have been studying theology there with some divine. The call was accepted ; and on Sunday, April 27, of that year, he preached his first sermon here. This was proba- bly the first service ever held in Boxford. Mr. Symmes, in speaking of his ministry, often affirmed that he began too early, being at this time only twenty-three years of age. At a meeting held April 4, 1701, the town voted to give him sixty pounds in money, yearly, for his salary ; also, to build him a house forty-eight by twenty feet, and two stories in height, and a back room of sixteen or eighteen feet square ; also, to finish the house by the next October, come twelvemonth, and as much sooner as possible ; also, to find him thirty-five cords of wood yearly ; also, to pro- cure him ten acres of land, as convenient as they could, not far from the meeting-house, which house and land they agreed to give to him and his heirs forever, if he would ac- cept of their invitation to settle with them in the ministry. Immediately on his accepting their invitation the town set themselves to work on the promised dwelling-house for their pastor, which was completed much more readily than the meeting-house, it being finished and taken possession of by Mr. Symmes, July 22, 1702. It is supposed to have stood in the cemetery, near the present First Church, on a knoll, the site now being occupied by the monuments of Messrs. Sayward and Dorman. No one living knows any thing about the house, only that there was an old cellar
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HISTORY OF BOXFORD.
there, and that it was undoubtedly the site of the parson- age ; the town records prove that it was situated near by. It has probably been razed to the ground more than a cen- tury. Benjamin Rogers, son of Rev. John Rogers, probably occupied and owned it last It was no doubt a very sub- stantial dwelling, and perhaps looked upon as a fine resi- dence, as it cost quite a large sum of money. The ten acres of land were also obtained, and conveyed to Mr. Symmes. Instead of the thirty-five cords of wood which the town was to find him yearly, after the first year they paid him eight pounds in money in addition to his regular salary.
Until Sept. 25, 1702, the Boxford people continued to belong to the Topsfield church. On this day the church convened " to consider the application of sundry persons belonging to Boxford, who had asked their dismissal from that church, preparatory to being organized into a church in their own town.". Upon this application, the church voted to dismiss the Boxford people when they shall have paid up all arrears. The result was that on the 4th of the following month the following members were dismissed, viz .: John Peabody, John Perley, Thomas Hazen, Josiah Hale, Jonathan Bixby, Thomas Redington, Abraham Redington, John Stiles, Samuel Foster, Daniel Wood, and Luke Hovey. A short time after, Samuel Symonds, Zac- cheus Curtis, Ephraim Curtis, and Joseph Peabody, jun., asked for dismission, but were refused, "by reason of the difference between the two towns as touching their limits." The first two obtained their dismission in 1709, but the others were probably not dismissed.
Rev. Mr. Symmes was ordained Dec. 30, 1702, at which time the church consisted only of those men who were dismissed from the church in Topsfield, Sept. 25, 1702. No record has been found descriptive of his ordination. After the church had been organized, and the pastor settled
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HISTORY OF BOXFORD.
over it, Jan. 17, 1703, Mary Watson, Mary B-, Sarah Wood, widow Peabody, Elizabeth Stillman, Mary Hale, Deliverance Stiles, widow Bixby, Sarah, wife of Jonathan, Bixby, and Elizabeth Buswell, were added to it on dismis- sion from the Topsfield church; also, Feb. 21, 1703, Jos- eph Bixby, Jonathan Foster, Timothy Foster, Thomas Per- ley, jun., Samuel Symonds, jun., John Symonds, Thomas Perley's wife, Jonathan Foster's wife, Timothy Foster's wife, Samuel Symonds' wife, and Goodwife Chub; and also, on the 25th of the following April, twelve more, viz. : Joseph Peabody, Jacob Perley, Timothy Dorman, John Buswell, David Wood, Lydia, wife of Jacob, Perley, Tim- othy Dorman's wife, David Wood's wife, Abigail Bixby, Hannah Kimball, and Ebenezer Stiles. By this time the church must have contained nearly fifty members. No more large additions were made, the increase being in more regular order.
While Mr. Symmes is quietly pursuing his ministerial relations we will return to 1696-97, March 2, when the town laid out a new road "from the training-place to the north-west end of the town, beginning at the training-field, and so along the path by Abraham Redington's field to the widow Stiles' new field, and so along the path to Cold- Water-Meadow Swamp, and so over the swamp, and along the path to Samuel Pickard's new field now in possession of Jonathan and William Foster, from the east end of that field to the east end of Meadow-pine Swamp, and from thence on a north-west course on the south side of a great valley and swamp straight to Andover road to Ipswich, not very far from John Tyler's field, and so along Andover road to the corner of Sergeant Chadwick's field, and from thence to young Moses Tyler's barn, and so along the path to Nathaniel Peabody's house, and so into a way the pro- prietors of Mr. Nelson's great farm have laid out for their necessary use." About three years later, - July 17, 1700,
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HISTORY OF BOXFORD.
- it was agreed by the selectmen, " that the highway shall continue as it is used for that end, from the road by Wil- liam Foster's field along to Rowley bounds near to a hill called Tobacco-pipe Hill." This above-said road is that which now leads from the residence of Mr. Humphrey Per- ley to Rowley line. On the same day a highway was laid out " from Francis Elliot's house to the mill-path as it is now improved, and as the trees are marked, and so on to Crooked-Pond Brook, and so on as the trees are marked to the edge of the long plain, from thence straight over said plain to the Fishing Brook, a little above the pout-hole, and so on to the road coming out of the field by Timothy Dor- man's barn, - said road to lie one part upon said Dorman's land, and part on Corporal Joseph Peabody's land, - and so on to the meeting-house." On the 9th of the following September another highway was laid out "from the meet- ing-house, as straight as the ground will most conveniently allow of, to the upper end of the meadow that lieth a little ways below the widow Peabody's new mill, and so over the brook to the bounds of the land between the widow Pea- body's land and Joseph Hale's land, and so along upon their bounds to Andover highway, part upon the widow Peabody's land and part upon Joseph Hale's land." This last highway is the Chapman road that is now obsolete.
In 1696, Aug. 14, the town's stock of ammunition was delivered into the hands of Quartermaster Tyler to remain in his possession till it was ordered otherwise. The stock consisted of ten pounds of powder, thirty pounds of bullets, and fifty flints.
Most of the early constables were slack in collecting the rates ; some of them having collected not more than a half of any list which had been committed to their care. In 1697 a general reckoning took place between them and the town, to learn their financial condition. This showed sad neglect on the part of some of the constables. In
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HISTORY OF BOXFORD.
1699 a rate of £14 18 s. 10 d. was given to William Watson to gather; but he, "pleading much infirmity," had neg- lected it " so that the whole rate was in danger of being lost ;" and the selectmen placed it in the hands of Samuel Symonds to gather. In December, 1699, the constables were again called to an account.
Although John Winthrop had procured a deed, of the old sagamore Masconnomet, of the whole tract of land then included in the town of Ipswich (1638-then including the town of Boxford), his three grandsons Samuel and Joseph English, and John Umpee, in 1700, laid claim to the territory of Boxford. A town-meeting was held Jan. 15, 1700-0I, at which their claim was not refuted, but a committee- John Perley, Thomas Perley, John Peabody, Thomas Hazen, and Josiah Bridges- was chosen to treat with the Indians about their demand. The committee and the Indians met at the house of Lieut. Thomas Perley - who furnished them with " vittels and drink " - and agreed, that, for eight pounds in money paid to Samuel English, and "two shillings and sixpenc in Silver and Rum and vittels enouf" to the other two, the Indians would give them a deed of the property. Jan. 16, Samuel English gave the town a quitclaim deed of the township. This deed is recorded on our town-records ; but as it is similar in form, and of the same tenure as the deed which the other two Indians signed shortly afterward, we do not give it here. Samuel English signed the first deed with his mark: U2; it was witnessed by Thomas Baker, Jos- eph Foster, and Moses Parker, and acknowledged before Dudley Bradstreet, Esq., of Topsfield, on the same day. The deed is here given that the other Indians signed. The heading shows that the deed was first written to re- ceive the signatures of the Indian trio. This last deed is found recorded on the records of Topsfield ; though why recorded there, and not on our own town-records, is a mys- tery. The deed is as follows :-
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HISTORY OF BOXFORD.
"SAMLL ENGLISH, JOS. ENGLISH, JOHN VMPEE, INDIANS, TO YE TOWN OF BOXFORD.
" Recd on record, Febr 24: 17034.
" To all people unto whom these Presents shall come, Samuel English, Joseph English, & John Vmpee, Indians, Grand Children & the next true, rightfull, and Lawfull heirs of Musquonomet, alias Muschonomet, Indian Chief, Sagamore, and native Proprietor of that whole Tract of Land Extending from the Southerly Side of the River Merrimack unto Naumkeeg, otherwise called Bass river, lying in the County of Essex, within his Majtie Province of the Massachusetts Bay, in New England, Send Greeting: Whereas, Divers Englishmen, many years since, in the Lifetime of the Said Musqunomet, als Mus- chonomet, with his Knowledge, Lycence, and good Liking, did Enter into, Subdue, Improve, Build, and Settle an English Plantation, Con- taining about Twelve Thousand acres of Land, more or less, now Called and Known by the Name of the Town of Boxford, within the aforesd Tract of Land, in the said County of Essex, which said Plan- tation or Township, and the Lands thereto Belonging are Butted and Bounded, Northerly by a marked Pine Tree on the Southerly Side of Merrimack River aforesd, which is the Corner Bounds, and then the Line Runs by Marked Trees that are between Andover and Boxford, and Southerly according as the Trees are marked betwixt said Ando- ver and Boxford, as it hath been perambulated, till it Come to the Eight Mile Tree, so called, which is a Bound mark betwixt said Andover and Boxford, and Southerly to a White oak, which is the Bounds betwixt Wills Hill men and said Boxford, and then Southerly to a Wild Pear Tree, or Box Tree, standing by Ipswich River side, and then Easterly as the River Runs, till it meet with Ipswich Line, which said Line doth extend Six miles from said Ipswich meeting house, and then upon a Straight Line till it Come to an apple tree that is in Lieut Pearly's field, marked, and then it runs with Ipswich Line, until it meets with Rowley Line near Caleb Jackson's, and so till it come to a white oak in Bradford Line, as it is setled betwixt Boxford and Rowley, and then westerly till it meet with the Pine Tree first mentioned, parting Betwixt Boxford and Andover. Now, Know yee, that we, the said Samuel English, Joseph English, and John Vmpee, the true, Rightfull, and Lawfull heirs of the said Musquonomonet, als Muschonnomet, as aforesd, as well upon the consideracon afored, as for divers other good Causes and Consideracons us thereunto moving, more especially for, and in Consideracon of the sum of nine pounds, Current Silver money of New England, to us in hand, at and
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HISTORY OF BOXFORD.
before the Ensealing and delivery of these presents, well and truly paid by John Pearly, Thomas Pearly, Thomas Hazen, John Peabody, and Josiah Bridges, all of Boxford, aforesd, Yeomen, a Committee and agents for the said Town of Boxford, The Receipt whereof we do hereby acknowledge, and ourselves to be therewith well Satisfied, Contented, and fully paid, Have Granted, aliened, Enfeoffed, Released, Ratifyed, Confirmed, and forever Quit Claimed, and, by these pres- ents, for our selves and our heirs, Do fully, freely, clearly, and abso- lutely grant, aliene, Enfeoffe, Release, Ratify, Confirm, and Quit Claim, unto the said John Pearly, Thomas Pearly, Thomas Hazen, John Peabody, and Josiah Bridges, and the Rest of the Freeholders and Proprietors of the said Plantation or Township of Boxford in their actuall possession, being all the aforesd quantity and Tract of Twelve Thousand acres of Land, more or less, Scituate, Lying and being in the sd County of Essex, and butted, bounded, and described as aforesd, or howsoever otherwise the same is bounded, or Reputed to be Bounded; Together with all and singular the Trees, Timber, Woods, Underwoods, Rivers, Brooks, Ponds, Streams, Waters, Water Courses, Marshes, Meadows, Fields, Fishing, Fowling, Hunt- ing, Edifices, Buildings, Rights, Members, Profits, Privileges, Com- modities, Advantages, Hereditaments, Emoluments, and appurces, whatsoever upon or Belonging to the said Tract of Land, Plantation, or Township of Boxford aforesd, or to any part or parcell thereof, and all the Estate, Right, Title, Interest, Inheritence, use, property, Claime, and demand whatsoever, of us, the said Samll English, Jos- eph English, and John Vmpee, and each of us, our and each of our heirs, of, in, or to the same, and the Reversion and Reversions, Remainder and Remainders thereof. Co Habe and to Thold all the said herein before granted, Released, and Confirmed premises, unto the said John Pearly, Thomas Pearly, Thomas Hazen, John Peabody, and Josiah Bridges, and the Rest of the Freeholders and Proprietors of the Town of Boxford aforesd, their heirs' and assignes, to their only proper use, Benefit, and behoofe, for Ever. And we, the said Samuel English, Joseph English, and John Vmpee, for ourselves and our heirs, do hereby Covenant, grant, and agree, to and with the said John Pearly, Thomas Pearly, Thomas Hazen, John Peabody, and Josiah Bridges, and their heirs and assignes, on behalfe of themselves and other the freeholders and Proprietors of said Town of Boxford, their heirs and assignes, for ever, that we, the said Samuel English, Joseph English, and John Vmpee, are the true, Rightfull, and Lawfull heirs of the before named Musquonomonet, alias Muschonomet, and
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HISTORY OF BOXFORD,
that we shall and will warrant and defend all and singular the Lands and premises by us herein before granted, Released, and quit claimed, unto ye sd John Pearly, Thomas Pearly, Thomas Hazen, John Pea- body, Josiah Bridges, and other the Freeholders and proprietors of the Town of Boxford aforesd, their heirs and assignes for Ever, against ourselves and our heirs, and all and Every other person or persons Claiming any Right, title, or Interest therein from, by, or under our said Grandfather Musquonomonit, alias Muschonnomet. In witness whereof, we have hereunto set our hands and seales, the - day of -- anno Dom : 1701 annoq; RRs Gulielmi Tertii Angliæ, &c., Decimo tertio.
" Signed, Sealed, and DD
by Joseph Foster, John Boynton.
his
JOSEPH
ENGLISH,
SEAL
mark.
his
JOHN
VMPEE,
SEAL
mark.
"Joseph English and John Vmpee appeared before me, the subscriber, one of his Majties Justices of ye Peace for the County of Essex, and acknowledged this Instru- ment to be their act and deed, this 22d of Octobr, 1701.
" DUDLEY BRADSTREET, J. Peace. " Examd p. Steph. Sewall, Recodr."
The first step toward the propagation of education in Boxford was taken by the town, Nov. 24, 1701, when they chose John Peabody to be their " scowel master." We do not find that a schoolmaster had taught here before this time; and perhaps they might not have hired one so early, had they not been reminded of their duty by an order from the General Court. Mr. Peabody taught the chil- dren here for several years. In 1712 Thomas Perley, jun., was chosen schoolmaster. Aug. 25, 1713, the town agreed with Nathaniel Peabody to teach. Sept. 12, 1716, the town agreed with Thomas Jewett "to teach Scoul for writing reading & Arethemitick . .. to the 6 parts of ye Town ye Town is for give him forty shillings pur month for ye six months & convenent diat & lodging." Covey Morgan taught in 1719 ; Ephraim Dorman, 1720. September, 1722, Thomas Redington was chosen " to learn persons to read,
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