USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Concord > The history of Concord, Massachusetts > Part 17
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While the cakes were baking Goodwife Hartwell brought in a jack and a spit, informing us that this was used in cooking meat, the jack turning the spit so that it would "do evenly."
As we were company there was "boughten" tea that evening, instead of the usual malted beverage, and in place of the usual wooden trenchers we had pewter plates of a pattern that showed that Jazen came of a good family, for she said she brought them with her from England.
Grace was asked before eating, and thanks returned after- wards, forcibly reminding us of the poet Burns' beautiful picture of "The Cotter's Saturday Night."
After supper we sat about the fireplace and talked while the children popped corn and cracked nuts, and the rain ran down the east window pane. The corn they popped in the ashes, occasionally stirring it; the nuts they cracked on the stone hearth.
In the course of the evening Nathaniel Ball came in and soon after Thomas Brooks, for they lived near. Nathaniel Ball wanted some garget for a sick cow, and Thomas Brooks brought back a couple of cart ladders which he had borrowed.
The room was savory with the roasting of a spare-rib which Goodwife Hartwell was getting in readiness for the men folks' dinner next day, as she was to attend a quilting at Farmer Miles'. The smell of the pork suggested some queries respecting the raising of swine, which we had seen frequently running at large by the roadside and in pasture
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places. We learned that swine were of great importance to the settlers. They were not only prolific, but at certain seasons could subsist on the abundant acorn mast with which the woods abounded. They also fed upon ground nuts and succulent roots and wild cherries and berries. At some seasons they were restrained from running at large ; and at town meeting in Concord and towns adjacent, laws were enacted to regulate them, of which the following are specimens :
"In 1641, it was ordered that every one that keeps any hogs more than his own within one fortnight after this day shall rid them out of this town, only that for every hog that shall be taken in to be kept by any one more than his own, for every week shall pay five shillings."
In 1643, it was ordered "That every inhabitant should drive out his hog every morning into the wood, and when they come home at night to see them shut up safe, or else, if they be about the street, to ring and yoke them."
In 1648, it was voted in town meeting "That every swine that should be found of every man out of his own property without a sufficient yoke and ring, after the first of March next the owner thereof shall forfeit for every swine so taken one shilling, and if the swine be yoked and not ringed or ringed and not yoked then six pence for any swine so taken, beside all the damage done by any such swine." It was also "Agreed that all yokes should be under the throat of the swine, and so long as the swine was high, and a rope go up on each side to be fastened above, and that swine should not be accounted sufficiently ringed if they could root."
In 1643, it was ordered by the freemen of the town " that all the cattle within this town shall this summer not be turned abroad without a keeper, and the keeper shall not keep any of the herd in any of the great river meadows from Bridle point downwards towards Concord." The in- tent of the order was to preserve the river meadows.
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In 1655, it was ordered that " All young new weaned calves shall be herded all the summer time."
In the town of Concord there appeared to be a separate territory assigned to the swine, when under restraint during planting time. This territory was in the vicinity of Con- cord Junction, near Annursnuc hill, and is known in the records as the "hog pen " and "hog pen walk." After the crop was gathered these animals were allowed to run at large, provided there was placed upon them an ear-mark, so called ; so that each settler might know his own swine and be held responsible for their mischief. The Indians were not allowed to mark their swine, and if they sold any pork they were to bring the hog's ear with it. In the rec- ords mention is repeatedly made of the "hog pen walk"; and in the land divisions this territory was held as a reser- vation. The hill Annursnuc is one of the highest three in the town of Concord. Its name is supposed to mean the same as Quinnursnuck, which signifies pestle, from the fact that rocks such as the Indians made their mortars and pestles of were found there. (Mr. Davis, Plymouth, Mass.) It is said that porphyry, of which arrow heads were made, was found there also.
After the neighbors had departed Goodman Hartwell related to us some of his family history ; and as this and that of his numerous descendants has long been identified with the annals of Concord, we will give a brief outline of it.
According to Densmore, the historian of the Hartwell family, William and Jazen Hartwell came to America prob- ably about 1635 or 1636. It is supposed William was about 23 years of age when he went to Concord, and in 1642 he was made a freeman of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. He was one of the town's original grantees and a most estimable citizen, holding office and serving on im- portant committees. He had a large family and his descendants are widely scattered throughout the country, many of whom are holding responsible positions. He died
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March 12, 1690, aged 77. His wife died August 5, 1695. In his will he mentioned among his children, John, Samuel, Sarah, and Mary. The following are the earliest vital statistics relating to the family in this country, and these have been preserved among the colonial archives :
" John, the sonne of William Hartwell, was born the 23-12-1640.
" Samuel, son of William and Jasan Hartwell, borne 26-1-45.
" Martha, daughter of William and Jassin Hartwell, the 29th-2-1649."
It is not known where William Hartwell was buried.
As has been stated, his house was situated on the " Old Bay road " leading from Concord to Lexington, and was about a mile more or less from the public square. His original house lot consisted of nine acres, and was near the eastern boundary of property lately owned by the originator of the famous Concord grape. His subsequent land pos- sessions were large. At the time when a disturbance arose because of titles, and a committee was chosen to adjust land matters at their discretion, William Hartwell was allowed 247 acres, which were in three separate lots. It is thought that all his children were born in Concord.
Bright and early on the morning following the night spent at William Hartwell's we started for the farm house of Constable Thomas Brooks. Crossing over the field we observed one of the ditches which were used for fencing. We saw by the size of the stubble within the enclosure that the corn stalks which grew upon it were very large ; we also pulled up several turnips and found the quality good, which satisfied us they were raised on comparatively new land, or that which had lately been broken up, disabusing us of the theory that only old Indian fields were planted by the settlers.
We heard above us the scream of an eagle and the honk of some wild geese flying southward ; and as we suddenly saw through the cold gray of the thick mist, for the wind
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had become easterly, a barley stack a little back of Constable Brooks' barn, which through the tog looked larger than ever before, there flew from it several brant which had alighted there the night before in the storm and were forag- ing on the unthreshed grain.
We soon came to the house which was the second erected on the spot, the owner, like others of the hamlet, having years before exchanged the little log shelter for one more substantial of frame work.
We met Constable Brooks with a small shepherd dog turning the sheep into the pasture lane, leaving the dog for their sole keeper during the day, and to bring them home by night-fall at his master's call.
Our host was right glad to meet us, as he stated, because our conversation on several subjects the night before was interrupted for want of time, and moreover he said his good wife, after seeing us at the meeting house, had many things to say about the Sunday training of children in things religious.
As Constable Brooks had several duties to attend to that day that could not be put off, he invited us to go with him; and he had in the barn an extra horse which he had brought over from Joshua Wheeler's, thinking we would be glad to accompany him about Concord town in the perform- ance of his official duties.
It was nearly mid-forenoon when we rode out of the door yard, Farmer Brooks with his wife seated on a pillion behind him on one horse, and we on the other. Goodwife Brooks was going with us as far as Parson Bulkeley's, where she was to join a party going to the quilting.
Behind us upon our horse were thrown a couple of saddle bags in which were put, among other things, " Fox's Book of Martyrs," which he had borrowed of the parson and was now returning, and a string of plump, pink sausages as a present. By this time the day had become beautiful, the sun which had burned through the fog now shone brightly, and the glint of the moisture from the late rain upon the
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fallen leaves and mossy tree trunks looked gorgeous, and everything had the clean, still, and suggestive appearance of an October day after a storm.
Our animals were far from being fast, but jogged along with the motion of veritable plow horses as they were, and it was past noon when we rode over the north bridge and entered the lane leading to Goodman Hunt's in the north quarter, after having left Goodwife Brooks and the contents of the saddle bags at the parsonage.
Among the duties performed by Constable Brooks that day was the warning of Richard Rambler out of town; he having gotten into Concord without a sponsor in case he or his family should become a public charge; and what made the case more aggravated was that the selectmen of Watertown had warned him away on at least two occa- sions, and when he at last left there and came to Concord he had taken another person with him who was as much given to idleness as himself, and who withal was profane and used lewd language and was considered a little light- fingered and given to beer. Another service had been to notify two parties who had presumed to dress with undue regard to colonial law, which forbade vain display in per- sonal dress, that they should be more circumspect and leave off some of their flummery and furbelows, and take less pains about their Sunday head-dress.
As we rode along we made some inquiry as to the laws regulating dress ; and for substance the following were some of them :
In 1634, it was enacted in view of "some new and immodest fashions, that no person, either man or woman, shall hereafter make or buy any apparel, either woolen, silk or linen, with any lace on it, silver, gold, silk, or thread, under the penalty of forfeiture of such clothes ; also, that no person, either man or woman shall make or buy any slashed clothes other than one slash in each sleeve, and another in the back; also all cutworks, embroidered or needlework caps, bands and rails are forbidden hereafter to
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be made and worn under the aforesaid penalty ; also all gold or silver girdles, hat bands, belts, ruffs, beaver hat, are pro- hibited to be bought and worn hereafter under the aforesaid penalty." A few years later a law was made against "short sleeves whereby the nakedness of the arm might be discov- ered in the wearing thereof," "sleeves more than half a yard wide in the widest place thereof," "immodest great breeches, knot of ribbon, broad shoulder bands and rails, silk rases, double ruffs and cuffs."
In 1561, the General Court enacted that if a man was not worth two hundred pounds, he should not wear gold or silver lace or buttons or points at the knees, and women holding a less property than this were forbidden to wear silk or tiffany hood scarfs. The same year the court put upon record as the occasion of the law, "its utter detestation and dislike that men or women of mean condition should take upon themselves the garb of gentlemen."
From our observation of Constable Brooks' day's work, we learned that the office of constable was an important one, and that it was with propriety that after being chosen by the town he was sworn in by officers of the colonial government. At one place he collected fifteen shillings . and six pence for the use of the town of Concord from a person who had brought in a stranger presumed to be of a questionable character, this being the usual amount per week required in such cases.
He also stopped at the house of one Loren Little and censured him in behalf of the town for "taking in and har- boring" Dothan Doolittle, who, common report said, was of "a vicious nature and had an evil tongue." The last official acts of the day were to stop at the meeting house and fasten to one of the hitching trees a couple of wolf pates, which Samuel Smedley had sent up; and post upon the door the notice of a marriage in place of the one which the rain had soaked off; and to "right up" a mort stone by Sorrel lane which had been leaning a little since the last heavy corpse was laid upon it.
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As we passed into the North quarter we soon arrived at Goodman Hunt's. His house was a model one for the times, being of convenient proportions and so situated as to catch every sunbeam and having no isolated best room on the north side. As we walked in we found dinner awaiting us, for the household had been apprised of our coming by Goodman Buttrick, who lived a little below and had come up to bring a letter which had been brought up from Watertown and left with him for delivery. After dinner we repaired to a shed where some men were hatchelling flax, about the first which had been raised in Concord for a com- mercial purpose. As there was in one corner a triangular fireplace, we seated ourselves before it and talked and whit- tled until the sun shining through the windows showed that it was about time we were starting home.
During the afternoon, part of our conversation was on military matters ; and as the subject was an important one in those days, we will relate some facts concerning the mili- tary history of Concord in its first century. Almost all able-bodied men except ministers and magistrates were fur- nished with arms and ammunition, and expected to be present and drill on stated occasions. They were also required to go on expeditions and scoutings if necessary, and to stand in readiness for "watch and ward." So invariable was this rule that it was necessary to apply to the General Court for exemption. The officers of a company consisted of captain, lieutenant, ensign, and four sergeants. A regiment had a field officer called a sergeant-major, and over them all was a major-general. The commissioned officers carried swords, or leading staves and pistols : they were elected by the mem- bers of the company and approved by the General Court. The sergeants bore halberds; the common soldiers were armed with matchlock or firelock muskets and had horns and pouches for powder and ball ; sometimes a forked stick was carried to steady their aim. Officers were required to be church members, and the military exercises were pre- ceded or followed by prayer. Sometimes a military election
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was the occasion for doing the civil business of the town. As early as 1636, Sergeant Willard was appointed to exer- cise the military company at Concord and was commissioned captain in 1646, at which time Timothy Wheeler was made ensign. Mr. Willard served as captain fifteen years. In 1671, Ensign Wheeler was made captain, Thomas Hinch- man lieutenant, and Henry Woodis quartermaster. Two years afterwards Woodis was made cornet and Corporal William Hartwell was appointed quartermaster. After the death of the old Indian fighter, Wheeler, Thomas Hinch- man was made captain and John Flint lieutenant. In 1677, Peter Bulkeley was appointed captain. July 2, 1689, James Minot was elected captain, Simon Davis lieutenant, and Humphrey Barrett ensign.
About a year after the close of Philip's War the military force of Concord con- sisted of upwards of 150 men, besides some enlistments in a horse company. Nov. 6, 1689, it was ordered by the representatives "that the foot company of Concord having 250 men be divided into two companies."
The afternoon passed quickly at Goodman Hunt's, and there were so many things to talk about that it was late be- fore he said anything about his family history ; a subject which, if not introduced voluntarily, we were quite apt to inquire about, especially when we called upon an original grantee of the first quarter century ; only a few facts how- ever were elicited concerning the Concord Hunts, but from other sources we have received the following information :
William Hunt was in Concord as early as 1640, and be- came a freeman in 1641. He died in Marlboro, Oct., 1667, leaving an estate of £496 and children named Nehe- miah, Isaac, William, Elizabeth, Hannah and Samuel. He was born in 1605, and married Elizabeth Best, who died in 1661. While in Marlboro he married Mercie Heard Rice, widow of Edmund Rice, in 1664. The Hunt family has been a prominent one in Concord, and in the adjoining towns of Acton and Sudbury. Those in the former town are descendants of William; and of these was
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Simon Hunt, Captain of a company in the 3d Regiment of Massachusetts militia in the Revolutionary war. Those in the latter town are in part descendants of William, and in part of Robert Hunt, who came from Charlestown, or of Isaac Hunt, a blacksmith, who came from Cambridge and early settled in the Lanham district, owning at one time about four hundred acres on Pelham's Island. The old house, built tradition says about 1750, is still standing about a half mile from Heard's (Pelham's) pond.
Nehemiah Hunt, son of William, who has been called " Lord of Punkatassett," lived on the estate bought by his father of Rev. Peter Bulkeley ; which estate has been owned and occupied in recent years by his descendant, William H. Hunt.
The following is the only mention of the Hunt family among the vital statistics of the town of Concord down to 1654 :
" Hannah, the daughter of Wm. Hunt, was borne 12 (12) 1640."
CHAPTER XXII.
Visit at Goodman William Buttrick's - His History - Situation of his House - Reflections upon a pro- spective Wedding - Historic Sketch of Thomas Brooks - Curious Laws and Customs relative to marriage - Bachelors, Match Making, Widowers - Wedding Gifts -Attend "Lecture Day" Service - Its Nature and Importance - Religious Charac- ter of the Colonists- Care of the Poor - Visit at the home of Goodman Richard Rice.
A S we were about starting on our return to the East quarter, Thomas Bateman drove into the yard, and leaving his horse to feed at will, stepped to the door and stated that there was to be a meeting of the land com- mittee at Goodman William Buttrick's that evening for the adjustment of some matters relative to boundary lines; and that he called to notify Constable Brooks, who was one of the committee, and also to request us to be present.
Here let us pause and briefly notice some facts about this estimable family, which has long been conspicuously connected with the history of Concord.
William Buttrick came from England to America in 1635, on the ship Susan and Ellen, in company with Rev. Peter Bulkeley and Thomas Brooke. He embarked from London, May 9, 1635, and was in Concord at its begin- ning. His English home was at Kingston-on-the-Thames in Surrey.
When he came to this country he was probably about twenty years old, since in 1684, when he deposed concern- ing the purchase of the township from the Indians he
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declared himself sixty-eight. He served many years in the town militia as Sergeant, and when sixty-five years of age petitioned the Court to be exempt from further military duty. He married for his first wife Sarah Bateman, who died in 1664. He died June 30, 1696. His descendants are of illustrious memory. Among them was Major John Buttrick of the Middlesex yeomanry in 1775, whose grave- stone in the Hill burying ground sets forth his estimable character and distinguished services.
The homestead of William Buttrick was situated on the west bank of Concord river upon the upland, an eighth or a quarter of a mile from the North bridge, where he could look down upon the spring floods as they sometimes spread themselves far out over the low meadows; and .where, to the south-westward, he could see the smoke wreaths curling upwards from the snug homes of the Will- ards, Busses, Woodses and Hosmers.
At the northerly the Barretts had built, and far over the marsh, as the broadening river flowed downward towards the Blood farm and Winthrop grant was a country broken by scant settlements.
It is easy to suppose that on account of their early acquaintance and because they had sailed the seas together, a peculiar neighborliness should exist between the two townsmen, Brooks and Buttrick, and that whenever either was in the other's quarter he should visit him ; and that often they should meet together with Parson Bulkeley in each other's homes and talk over what they had seen and known of things abroad. There is also every reason to believe that the Batemans were frequent callers at the But- trick home for kinship's sake, and that altogether there was about this rural manor house an air of sociability and com- fortableness not surpassed in the Musketequid plantation.
The " committee of nine " all came except two, who, as they lived at a considerable distance, were doubtless de- tained by the storm which towards sunset had again set in with a prospect of continuing till morning.
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It was a pleasant and cozy scene as around that even- ing fireside the group sat, while the sparks snapped briskly, and with an unusual activity chased each other over the old crane.
The east wind blew up from the meadows ; the big rain- drops pelted against the small diamond-shaped window panes, and sometimes a tiny stream ran under the door, until Goodwife Buttrick threw against it a husk mat.
But little cared we for the storm, housed warmly as we were and our "cattle," and with the assurance of clean, soft couches in case the storm continued so as to render a return that night to the East quarter unwise ; moreover, Constable Brooks had said there was no concern on his part about his wife, as she was expecting to stop over night at the Miles's in case the quilt was not finished.
In the morning we did not return to Constable Brooks', but remained to go with the Buttrick family on the day fol- lowing to the wedding.
It was with regret that we bade Constable Brooks good- bye, and as he drove down the hill he called back to us and said that a seat would be reserved for us beside him in the meeting house next Sunday, and that if we would go home with him after service, he and his wife would tell us about the Sabbath catechumenical exercise ; a matter we were ex- ceedingly desirous of knowing about, for we thought by what we had heard that it savored very much of a modern Sunday school, and if so this was the first in the country.
After his departure we retired to the little chamber that had been assigned us under the double gable whose end window faced to the south, and there, as preliminary to the marriage, we recalled whatever we knew of colonial customs as they related to courtship and marriage and the condi- tions consequent upon remaining single. It was a fit time for the consideration of such a subject, for the morning was lovely, and we were reminded of the words of the poet :
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" Sweet day, so calm, so clear, so bright, The bridal of the earth and sky,"
and these words together with the preparations which were going on in the room below for the prospective wedding lent a suggestiveness which was very helpful.
In fact things were in pleasant keeping one with another on that bright autumnal morning, with its crisp white frost and genial sunshine, and we thought if the beauty of a day is an auspicious omen to those who are so near their bridal hour, then the twain may be happy indeed.
We had talked about marriage customs the afternoon previous, as we sat by the triangular-shaped fireplace in Goodman Hunt's shop; and as one of the tithing men came in and conversed with the constable about an especial espionage which they were keeping upon a certain bachelor in the Shawshine district, who was acting frivolously toward a giddy and flirtish maiden who occasion- ally rode over to Goodman Meriam's grocery store with a pannier filled with eggs and dried apple, and who had ordered the storekeeper to get her a "smartish gown" when he went " below," we learned, upon intently listening, about all there was of common or statute law on the sub- ject. It only remained, therefore, for us to put things together on that bright morning.
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