USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > Charlestown > The history of Charlestown, Massachusetts > Part 4
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FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCHI,
BUILT 1833.
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HISTORY OF CHARLESTOWN.
CHAPTER XVII.
Biographical Sketches. - Increase Nowell. - Robert Sedgwick. - Thomas Graves. - Francis Willoughby. - Richard Russell.
INCREASE NOWELL was the most distinguished of those who re- mained in town on the dispersion of Winthrop's company. He was relative of Alexander Nowell, dean of St. Paul's, in Elizabeth's reign ; a Patentee ; elected an assistant of the Massachusetts Com- pany in England, October 20, 1629 ; came over in the Arbella with Winthrop; and on the organization of the first church, was chosen ruling elder. But being also an assistant, the question arose whether a magistrate ought to be a ruling elder ? It was submitted to the Salem and Plymouth churches, which gave the opinion, " that a ruler in the church ought not to be a ruler in the state at the same time." Mr. Nowell, accordingly, relinquish- ed the office of elder.
He held the office of magistrate until his death. But to write in full his biography would be, in fact, to write a large part of the civil and ecclesiastical history of his time, for his name appears in connection with much of it. He was secretary of the colony many years, and one of the commission for military affairs in 1634. He joined with Endicott, Dudiey, and others, in 1649, in the asso- ciation against wearing long hair.
son, Thomas. His wife, Anne, was living in 1651, as she, this year, decded land with him. She died soon after, and Mr. Allen married, for his second wife, the widow of Robert Sedgwick ; they had no children.
Harvard had a large property for those days, in this town,- one half of which fell, probably, to his widow. I have met with only one allusion to a sale of land by her, and that in 1638, to Thomas Graves. Thomas Allen was also a large land owner, having, among other proper- ty, five hundred acres granted to him, "in regard to Mr. Harvard's gift." Among the sales of property is one, in 1659, of a part of the estate on which " his mansion house " stood. It had an orchard, and was bounded north on " the narrow lane up Mill-hill." The purchaser was Thomas Shephard. In 1676 Gravel-lane is described as bounded on Mr. Shephard's land, and this, it is hence inferred, was Harvard's house, standing in 1697, and owned by Mrs. Shephard. It is the estate on which Washington Hall stands.
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HISTORY OF CHARLESTOWN.
Mr. Nowell was one of the chief founders of the town. He was often on important committees, a short time town clerk, and for nineteen years a selectman, - from 1635, with the exception of 1653, to the year of his death. He devoted his life to the public service, and died poor. The situation of his family, just before his death, elicited the following order of October 24, 1655. "It is desired that the deputies of each town commend the condition of Mr. Nowell's family to their several towns in reference to some meet recompense for the said Mr. Nowell's service by way of rate or otherwise, bringing their returns to the next Court of election." This vote, at least, cheered the closing days of this " honored magistrate." He died November 1, 1655. The next year, Octo- ber 14, 1656, the General Court, remembering Mr. Nowell's "long service to this Commonwealth in the place not only of a magistrate but secretary also, for which he had but little and slen- der recompense," granted Mrs. Nowell and her son Samuel, two thousand acres of land. The territory now part of Worcester, was once owned by this family.
Increase Nowell was a rigid Puritan, and enjoyed, in an eminent degree, the respect and affection of his contemporaries. One terms him, " one of the men of renown that settled Massachu- setts : " another, " honored and upright-hearted :" a third, " emi- nent for his piety and learning." The long confidence of his townsmen, and the votes of the colony, are solid testimonials of the value of his services. It is to be regretted that his piety was accompanied with a severe temper, and his public virtue with a stern intolerance.
Mr. Nowell married Parnel Coitmore, the daughter of Catharine Coitmore. She survived him ; and the town, in 1658, voted that she " should be freed from paying town rates hence forwards." She died March 25, 1687, aged eighty-four.1
ROBERT SEDGWICK was one of the most distinguished men of his time. The family is supposed to have sprung from the northern counties of England. Johnson furnishes the earliest notice of
1 Increase and Parnel Nowell had eight children, of whom three died in infancy, namely, Increase, Abigail and Eliezur. The others were : - 1, Samuel, born November 12, 1634, graduated at Harvard College in 1653, a preacher, often engaged in the public service, treasurer of the College, and an assistant in 1680. He married widow Mary Usher, who died in this town August 14, 1683. He died in London, September, 1688.
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HISTORY OF CHARLESTOWN.
Mr. Sedgwick, writing that he "was nursed up in London's ar- tillery garden," and " was stout and active in all feats of war." He was admitted an inhabitant of this town June 3, 1636 ; a freeman in 1637, and this year chosen representative, and several times afterwards. He was also selectman, and often engaged in town business. He was, probably, a merchant, and on an occasion of selling his goods too high, was admonished (1639) by the Court to take heed of oppression. He was the captain (1636) of the first " trained band " of this town, the first major (1644) of the Middle- sex regiment, and elected major general May 26, 1652. In 1641, '45, and '48, he commanded the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company, and in 1641 the Castle. In 1645, he had a commission to take care of the fortifications of the town, and to keep it and the harbor " from all hostile and mutinous attempts or insurrections." He was, among other duties, directed to have always in readiness, " a barrel of powder for every six pieces of ordnance, with twelve shot and five pound of match, if any ships in the harbor shall quar- rel and shoot one another, whereby the people, or houses may be endangered."
Previous to July 1, 1654, General Sedgwick had visited Eng- land, and engaged in the service of Cromwell, as commander of a contemplated expedition against the Dutch at New-York. In a letter to the Protector, of this date, Sedgwick informed him of his arrival here, and of his proceedings; namely, that in fourteen days he had victualled his ships, and in six more was ready with nine
2, Mehitable, born February 2, 1638, married William Hilton Sep- tember 16, 1659. Their children were, Nowell, born May 4, 1663 ; Edward, born March 3, 1666 ; John, baptised May 24, 1668 ; Richard, born September 13, 1670; and Charles, born April 19, 1673. William Hilton died September 7, 1675, and his widow married, October 29, 1684, deacon John Cutler, who died September 12, 1691. She died, Sept. 1711. 3, Increase, born May 23, 1640, (Boston Records,) - a seaman.
4, Mary, born May 26, 1643, married August 14, 1666 Isaac Wins- low, whose father, John, was a brother of Edward, of Plymouth, and whose mother, Mary, was the first female who landed from the Mayflower in 1620. Their children were : - Parnel, born November 14, 1667, mar- ried Richard Foster, May 4, 1686; Isaac, born and died in 1670 ; Mr. Winslow dicd, August 14, 1670, at Port Royal, Jamaica ; his widow married, September 16, 1674, John Long, who died July 20, 1683. Their children were Isaac, born 1675, died 1680; Catharine, married William Welstead May 24, 1694; Samuel died March 18, 1730; and Mary married Simon Bradstreet ; Mary Long died about 1729.
5, Alexander, graduated at Harvard in 1664, the author of several Almanacks, and died in 1672.
.
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HISTORY OF CHARLESTOWN.
hundred foot and a company of horse, to act against the enemy, when, June 1, news of peace arrived ; and that commissioners, at a meeting in Charlestown, June 17, had determined to employ the force against the French forts in Nova Scotia. Sedgwick sailed, July 4, 1654, from Boston, with a fleet consisting of the Augustine, Church, Hope, and a ketch; arrived at St. Johns, a strong fort, on the 14th; captured it on the 17th ; then took Port Royal and another French fort, and sailed for Piscataqua.
Though the General Court questioned General Sedgwick's authority for doing this, yet such vigorous action was so acceptable to Cromwell, that the next year he was appointed to an important service in the West Indies. Jamaica had been captured ; and General Sedgwick was sent, with a fleet under his orders, with reinforcements for the army under General Venables. He sailed from Plymouth July 11, 1655; and arrived at Barbadoes, August 27, when he learned that Venables had met with a repulse, losing four hundred men. A few extracts from Sedgwick's letters show the state of his feelings. Writing to Cromwell, September 1, 1655, he says : -
"I must confess, I cannot but bring my own spirit to stand and con- sider what I may understand of the mind and will of God, and what he speaks in so loud a voice as this. I must conclude this, that God is righteous in his proceedings, to curb and bring low the pride of the sons of men."
The same letter concludes in the following manner : -
" I am resolved to attend my business with as much wisdom and vigor as God shall assist me with. I thank God, my heart in some measure beareth me witness, that it is the glory of God, that I intended in this em- ployment, and I hope he will yet own us. Our condition, I am confident, is often remembered by you in your approaches to Heaven, and I hope will yet be. Religion and God was pretended, and I question not intended, and I know must now be attended, if we prosper. Let your highness be pleased to pardon my boldness and prolixity. I thank God my prayers are for you, that the God of wisdom and grace may yet own you in your so many weighty affairs, that you may be a blessing to your generation, and serviceable to Christ, and to his people.
Sir, I am willing to be, and wish I were, Your Lordships humble Servant, ROBERT SEDGWICK."
General Sedgwick's letters,1 long, able, and interesting, present
1 In Thurloe's State Papers.
18
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HISTORY OF CHARLESTOWN.
a vivid view of the difficulties he had to encounter. "The truth is," he writes the Protector, November 5, 1655, " God is angry, and the plague is begun, and we have none to stand in the gap." " Sir, you cannot conceive us so sad as we are, broken and scat- tered, God rending us in twain, a senseless hearted people, not affected with his dealing towards us." 'There was the evil of a divided command. A council for managing the affairs of the island was formed, of which Sedgwick, appointed commissioner by Cromwell, was one, and General Fortesque was president. The latter soon fell a victim to the climate. At this time General Sedgwick made two requests to the Protector : -
" One is, if God spare me life, that your highness would be pleased to permit me to come to England. But I am not very solicitous in that, sometimes thinking that another place will be my portion, before I may hear again from your highness.
" The other petition is : I left behind me a dear and religious wife, who through grace hath much of the fear and knowledge of God in her. I have also five children, to me dear and precious. ] would only by this, that your highness would cast one thought towards them ; that whatever hazard or hardship I may go through, yet my relations may not be for- gotten. I only expect, what your highness was pleased to promise me, that she may not be troubled in obtaining it in such seasons, as may tend to her comfort."
General Sedgwick renews the latter request, -in relation to his pay, - to Cromwell's secretary, Thurloe, in letters dated November 7, and November 12, 1655; remarking, " the truth is, my heart and spirit are in a confusion, and (I) think sometimes it may finish my few days I have here to be." His presentiment proved true. So far from granting his request to return, the Pro- tector sent him a commission to command the army. " He never enjoyed himself," writes one of his officers, " after he re- ceived his commission," " but as was apparent to all men, from that time lost much of freedom and cheerfulness." He died May 24, 1656.
Charlestown has cause to remember the public spirit of General Sedgwick. He took a warm interest in its welfare ; and either as selectman, representative, or a member of an important committee, was constantly in its service. He was an enterprising merchant, as we find him building wharves on the shore east of the old ferry- ways, carrying on a brewing establishment, building the old 'Tide Mills, and interested in the Iron Works at Lynn. He was zealous in disciplining his company, - freely spending time and money,
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HISTORY OF CHARLESTOWN.
Johnson says, for this purpose. The train band manifested their feelings towards him by the grant, somewhat irregularly, of a piece of land, which the town "to gratify the major " confirmed. His residence was in the market-place, now the square, near the site of the Bunker Hill Bank.
Robert Sedgwick was a representative of the liberal Puritans of early New-England. Religion was in all his thoughts, and yet he openly opposed the prevailing intolerance. His regard for educa- tion is seen in his gifts to the College. He was "a very brave, zealous and pious man," 1 " beloved and esteemed by all." 2
THOMAS GRAVES, the ancestor of the distinguished family of this name, was born June 6, 1605, in Ratcliff, England, and baptised June 16, at Stepney.3 In 1629 he is mentioned by Higginson in terms of commendation,4 and was mate of the Talbot,-the year that the engineer of the same name came over. In 1630, he was made freeman; in 1632 was master of the Whale; in 1633, of the Elizabeth Bonadventure; in 1635, of the James; 5 in 1643, of the Trial, the first ship built in Boston, and which had been com- manded by Thomas Coitmore. Mr. Graves continued to follow the sea. During the protectorship of Oliver Cromwell, and while on a mercantile voyage, he met a Dutch privateer in the English Channel ; and though in a merchantman, he engaged with her, and captured her. As a reward for his bravery, the owners of the vessel presented him with a silver cup; and Cromwell conferred on him the command of a ship of war.6 In the inventory of his
1 Carlyle.
1271412
2 Aylesbury, his secretary, June 25, 1656, in Thurloe, vol. iv. p. 604. " He was truly a religious man, and of the most innocent conversation I ever accompanied."
General Sedgwick names five children living in the year of his death. Of these, - 1, Samuel, baptised 1639, was in 1668 a woolen draper of London. 2, Hannah, baptised 1641. 3, William, married Elizabeth, daughter of Rev. Samuel Stone, first minister of Hartford, Connecticut, and died in 1674. He had a son Samuel from whom the distinguished family of the Sedgwicks is descended. 4, Robert, member of artillery in 1674, whose widow died in 1683. 5, I know nothing of the fifth child.
3 MSS. in possession of his descendants. I have been informed that the date of his birth and baptism may be relied on ; the MSS. make the engi- neer and admiral identical .- See p. 26.
4 Hutchinson's Coll., p. 48.
5 Winthrop's Hist., vol. i. pp. 77. 161. He came over " every year 6 MSS. Papers.
for these seven years."
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HISTORY OF CHARLESTOWN.
estate he is called " Rear-Admiral ; " he must have received this distinction, also, from the Protector.
'The name of Thomas Graves 1 is not found on the Town Re- cords until 1638; and of course, he had no share in any divisions of land previous to this time. In 1639, with his wife Catharine, he was admitted to the church of this town; and after this date, until his death, his name is constantly found on committees, and in divisions of land : and the names of his children, among the list of baptisms in the Church Records. He died July 31, 1653. Winthrop commends him as " an able and godly man." His will contains his autograph. The signature of the engineer is also affixed to the contract (see p. 16) he made with the company in 1629. Fac-similes of the two,-
Sformal 0
THE ADMIRAL,
ho: Granice
THE ENGINEER,
indicate the hand-writing of two individuals. The admiral was undoubtedly the ancestor of the family of this name in this town.2
1 The compiler of the account of the settlement of the town appears not to have known the whole name of the engineer (see p. 20) but left a space for the name of "Thomas." He always writes out the name of the admiral in full ; and after 1640, with the " Mr." before it. In 1633 the General Court (see p. 52) ordered the neck of land " where Mr. Graves dwelleth" to belong to Newtown,-since Cambridge. This neck was East Cambridge ; and it is probable that the "Mr. Graves" was the engineer.
2 Thomas Graves married Catharine Coitmore, the daughter of widow Coitmore, noticed on page 86. He names in his will, sons John, Thomas, Nathaniel and Joseph : and daughters, Rebecca, Elizabeth and Susanna. Of these :
1, John, probably lived in England, as a house at Ham, near London, is bequeathed to hiin.
2, Thomas, born in 1638 at this town, married May 16, 1677, Elizabeth the widow of Dr. John Chickering, who died July 22, 1679. He then
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HISTORY OF CHARLESTOWN.
FRANCIS WILLOUGHBY, an eminent eitizen, was the son of Colonel William Willoughby and his wife Elizabeth, of Portsmouth, county of Ilampshire, England. He was admitted an inhabitant of this town, August 22, 1638; and from 1640 to the time of his death, was almost constantly engaged in the public service. He was first chosen selectman in 1640, and served seven years on this board ; was representative 1649 and '50; elected an assistant in 1650, '51, '54, and was Deputy Governor from 1665 to the day of his death. He was, also, entrusted with an agency in England, as appears from the vote of the Court, October 15, 1669, granting him one thousand acres of land : -
" The Court considering that our honored Deputy Governor, Francis Willoughby, Esq. hath yet had no acknowledgment of the country's respect to him by grant of lands or otherwise, as has been shown to some others that have not done that public service which he hath done for this place as well in England as here, do therefore grant him one thousand acres of land to be laid out in any place that may not prejudice a plantation." 1
Mr. Willoughby was a merchant, and a successful one. He built wharves above and below the old Ferry-ways, where he owned a large property. He had a part of this granted to him in 1649, when a road was laid out to the landing "so that boats might go to low water mark ; " he " agreeing to build a wharf and stairs for passengers and maintain them." In 1663 he resigned this land adjoining the ferry. He built (1641) a ship directly on the Warren Bridge avenue. He lived near the square, between Harvard-street and Bow-street, on the estate on which the house
married, May 15, 1682, Sarah, the widow of Dr. Samuel Alcock. Their children were : Thomas, Catharine, John, Nathaniel, Susanna, Joseph. Hon. Thomas Graves, distinguished as a physician and judge, died May 30, 1697. His widow married Colonel John Phillips of this town and died March 1, 1731, aged eighty-seven.
3, Nathaniel, baptised 1639, a mariner, married August 24, 1664, Elizabeth, daughter of Richard Russell. Their children were Nathaniel, Maud and Elizabeth. He died February 12, 1679.
4, Joseph, born April 13, 1645, married, Jan. 15, 1666, Elizabeth Maynard, and had, Samuel, born 1667, Richard, born 1672, John, born 1674. He married a second time - Mary, and had Mary, Ebenezer and perhaps others.
5, Susanna, born July 8, 1643, married Zechariah Symmes (minister of Bradford) November 18, 1669. Their children were, Susanna, Sarah, Zechariah, Catharine, Thomas, William and Rebecca. Susanna died July 23, 1681 : her husband Zechariah, March 22, 1718.
6, Of Rebecca, I know nothing.
1 Savage's Winthrop, vol. ii. p. 321.
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HISTORY OF CHARLESTOWN.
stands that was, a few years since, occupied by Governor Everett. He died April 4, 1671.
Hutchinson 1 has this short, but honorable characteristic of him : "He was a great opposer of the persecutions against the Baptists." He is mentioned, in warm terms of affection, by his contemporaries. Two significant memorials2 of him exist. One is a letter dated May 28, 1670, when he was confined to his house, and addressed to his associates in the government. After dwelling on the rumors that came to him of disunion in the councils, he says : -
" I do earnestly beseech you that you study and contrive some way before you break up the Court, to adjourn with the demonstration of onenes and affection, that it may appear you all scope at the good of the country. And that you will endeavor to have as good thoughts one of another as possibly you can ; retaining the interest of the name of God among us : Let it not be published to the world that the Government of New-England is broken, and that your animosities are such that it is im- possible for you to agree in any thing that may tend to the saving the whole. Desiring a good construction may be put upon my broken hints ; and that you will believe that my scope is publick interest : Praying and beseeching the Lord to be with you in your councells and determinations, yt his name may be gloryfied in all your transactions, with my service heartily endorsed to your interest." 3
The other memorial is the fragment of a speech made in 1666, on one of the most interesting events in the history of New- England. It was delivered in the controversy (which began in 1662) connected with the preservation of the Charter Privileges ; and was against sanctioning an appeal to the king, or his commis- sioners. A royal mandate (1666) summoned the General Court to send persons to England, to answer the complaints made against the colony; the Court refused to comply with the order. The following is a part of the debate in the council :
" Bradstreet. I grant legal process in a course of law reaches us not in an ordinary course, yet I think his prerogative gives him power to com- mand our appearance, which before God and men we are to obey."
" Dudley. The king's commands pass any where ; Ireland, Calais, &c.,
1 Hist. Mass., vol. i. p. 216.
2 Governor Willonghby left MSS. which (see p. 4) were in the hands of Prince. There is a journal, supposed to have been written by him, now in the archives of the Antiquarian Society of Worcestor. It is in a dif- ficult cypher, which I have, in vain, tried to read. Rev. W. I. Buddington says of it : " It is entitled 'A Continuation of my Daily Observation,' and comprises a period of time from 1. 9 mo. 1650, to 28. 10 mo. 1651. It was certainly written in Charlestown, for on the first page is a brief ac- count, not written in cypher, of a fire, which consumed eleven or twelve houses, 21. 9. 1650, p. 208." 3 Mass. Archives, p. 203.
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HISTORY OF CHARLESTOWN.
although ordinary process from judges and officers pass not. No doubt but you may have a trial at law, when you come in England, if you desire it, and you may insist upon it and claim it."
" Willoughby. Whether God doth not call us to argue one way, as well as another; whether Calais, Dunkirk,- have not been governed by commission, and if this be allowed, how casily may the king in one year undo all that he hath done: and we must as well consider God's displea- sure as the king's, the interest of ourselves and God's things, as his majesties prerogative ; for our liberties are of concernment, and to be regarded as to the preservation ; for if the king may send for me now, and another to-morrow, we are a miserable people." 1
It is to such far-sighted men as Willoughby, that New-Eng- land owes its liberties. From this period, - and the decision of this question,- Judge Minot 2 dates the origin of the contro- versy between the patriots and prerogative men, scarcely inter- mitted, and never ended until the separation of the colonies from the mother country.
Winthrop relates an incident that happened in London. Dr. Child, who had been harshly treated by the General Court, met Mr. Willoughby at the Exchange ; and in conversation about New-England, "railed against the people, saying they were a company of rogues and knaves." Mr. Willoughby replied, " that he who spake so, &c., was a knave; " whereupon the Doctor gave him a box on the ear. Mr. Willoughby arrested his assailant ; who, through friends, made atonement. Dr. Child was ordered to " give five pounds to the poor of New-England (for Mr. Willoughby would have nothing of him) and to give Mr. Willoughby open satis- faction in the full Exchange ;" and to promise in writing that he never would speak evil of New-England again, nor cause the coun- try trouble.3
Governor Willoughby left a large estate,-valued at &4050. 5.4. of which £600 were in money and plate. He gave three hundred acres of land for the school of this town ; and five pounds to Thomas, son of the celebrated Ezekial Cheever, schoolmaster, "provided he be brought up to learning in the College." He names this institution as one for which he had great affection, and felt desirous for its prosperity ; "Having," he says, " made it my work to solicit the country in general, and particular persons to
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