USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Concord > The history of Concord, Massachusetts > Part 37
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Job Kattenanit of Natick dragging himself to the door of Major Daniel Gookin's house in Cambridge a short time before midnight on Feb. 9th after a journey of eighty miles from the Indian village at Meminimisset bringing intelligence in confirmation of a report made by Quanapaug a Christian convert of the Nashaway Indians whom Gov. Leverett had employed as a scout, that the Indians would in twenty days fall upon the English settlements and first attack Lancaster, and Tom Doublet speeding through the long, lonely forest with a message from the Governor in behalf of distressed Mrs. Rowlandson are emphatic tributes to God's saving power among the heathen and to the untiring efforts of His servant the Apostle Eliot who declared it.
These faithful Christians famished and almost over- come by their long fatigue bore witness to their loyalty to the newly found faith by all the eloquence of noble endur- ance. True there may have been among the Christian Indians religious renegades and cases of mistaken conver- sion, instances of which Mrs. Rowlandson has cited in her "Removes ;" but so it has been with some of the alleged conversions among civilized Christians, and the spurious only proves the value of the genuine.
As to some of the war measures of either side there is but small opportunity to be apologetic. Each dealt with its captives with a cruel commercialism that can under no circumstances be condoned much less commended.
That both contestants believed themselves right we may not question but how this could be is not so easily explained. The same inexplicable way of thinking and of viewing things may have had its influence here as in years later when the pious colonist with a composure of conscience that is remarkable convicted witch suspects.
That the fathers were great in their heroic faith is beyond
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controversy for this only could have kept them through their hours of trial. That they meant well in what they did few can doubt who know them; but how they could justify some of their means to their righteous aims and ends is beyond our knowledge. All we can do is to be generously charitable.
CONCORD SQUARE, 1903.
AIPA HELT
CONCORD SQUARE, 1840.
CHAPTER XLV
Changed Condition of the Colony at the Close ot King Philip's War - Process of Recuperation - Erection of a New Meeting House - Evangelical Character of the Concord Church - Progress in Educational Affairs - Early Circulating Library - Donation of Land by Capt. Timothy Wheeler - Real Estate Transactions - Adjustment of Riparian Rights of the Bulkeley Mill Privilege - Settlement of the Controversy Concerning the Blood Farms - Historical Sketch of the Blood Family - Indian Deeds in Confirmation of Old Titles.
A FTER the close of King Philip's war the colonial towns were not slow in engaging in the work of reconstruction and soon there was once more seen upon the hillsides and along the glades safe and pleasant homesteads and plenteous harvest fields. After the wag- ing of the terrible conflict a sense of security came over society and there was fresh inducement to effort. The local Indian question it was believed had been settled. There was no longer the possibility of a sudden uprising by which all progress might be impeded and any enterprise that had been undertaken destroyed. It had become safe now to invest in new lands to further clear away the forest, and to erect bridges and make passable roads.
It was now considered comparatively safe to live in any portion of central or southern New England. The traveler could make his journey through the wood without danger of an interruption or signs of an enemy. The settler's wife could build a fire for the evening meal and her husband in the distant field could smile at the sight of the cheerful
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chimney smoke and the thought of supper that would await him as he left his hard day's work without having his happiness interfered with by a consciousness that the rising smoke might attract savages. The children could gather fresh flowers in the meadows ; women could venture alone by the countryside and cattle could be allowed to browse at will in the brushwood with only the merry tinkle of the cow bell to disclose their whereabouts, so great had become the security almost immediately after the war had fully ended.
The town of Concord in common with others of the colony early felt the welcome impetus and was not back- ward in taking advantage of the brightening prospect and in accepting of the invitation of new circumstances to develop her resources. Centrally situated as she was among the townships of the county her territory was both convenient and attractive and from time to time new names were added to her list of inhabitants.
With the changed conditions came new sights and sounds which formed a contrast with what had just preceded them which was very marked.
Instead of the hurrying footsteps of forest messengers coming with tidings of the near approach of war parties and the sight of new levies of soldiers sent by the Council to rendezvous at Concord and perhaps be billeted upon the inhabitants, and of clumsy carts loaded with the goods of fleeing refugees whose homes were menaced and guarded by a convoy of grim troops, there was heard the rattle of the hay-rigging coming from the meadow loaded with sedge or from the field with corn, or the load of wood from the forest or there might have been seen jogging to the grist mill, the farmer from some remote district or from the border of some adjacent town ; or the teamster from "up country" going to market with his produce and that of his neighbor to be exchanged in barter for such commodities as they could not produce or make for themselves.
To a small extent the townships that had suffered the
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most severely in the war were assisted by the colony in a temporary abatement of taxes. In 1676 valuable assistance was rendered from a fund sent to America from Ireland called the "Irish Charity Donation or Fund." The gift was designed for the people of Massachusetts, Plymouth, and Connecticut colonies and was made "by divers Chris- tians in Ireland for the relieffe of such as are Impoverished Distressed and in Nessesitie by the late Indian Wars." It came to this country by the "Good ship called the Kath- . rine of Dublin." The fund is supposed to have been pro- cured by Rev. Nathaniel Mather a brother of Increase.
The tax abatement for the town in 1676 was £50. The amount allowed Concord people from the charity fund was £50. Eighteen families consisting of seventy-two persons received benefits from the fund.
The goods contributed consisted of oat meal, wheat, malt, butter, and cheese. The appraised value of these was as follows : malt "18s per ball, butter 6d, cheese 4d.
During the entire colonial period we conclude that the regular routine of town business went on without much essential variation. There were about the same officials to be chosen from year to year the same objects for which to appropriate money and the same ways and means to be employed for meeting these things.
There was a careful surveilance by the town of all its officials and of its affairs in general, and but little if any- thing was left at loose ends which appertained to the public interest.
The following copy of instructions given to the Concord selectmen in the year 1672 shows the nature of subjects to be looked after.
""Instructions given to the Selectmen of Concord for the year, 1672.
I To see that the ministers Rates be discharged according to time
2 To ascamen whether the meting house, be finised accord- ing to agreement, & if not, that it may be; but if the
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agreement be fulfiled, then to take cear that somthing be done to keep the water out, and that the pulpet be altred.
4 That spedy kere be taken to mend or demales, the foote bridg over the Riv' at the Iron Works :
5 To treat with Capt. Thomas Wheler about his leese of the Townes farme & if it may be upon Resonable termes to alter that perticuler wherein the Towne is Jn Jnoiyned to send such a nomber cattle yearly to be herded by him ;
6 To let out the land & housing where now John Law dweles ; for the benefet of the towne,
7 To take order that all Corn filds be sufficently fenced in seson, the Crane fild & bricke keld field espe- cially ;
8 And that incorigment be given for the destroing of blackburds & Jaies;
9 That speciall cear be taken to prevent damiag by swine in corne fieldes & medows
IO That shepe & lames be keept from doing damiag in cornefields ;
II To make a Record of all the habitationes, that are priv- iledged with liberty at Comones ;
12 To take account of the laste yeares selectmen for what is don, [due?] to the Towne by Reent by John Law, or by givft by Joseph Meriam ; or otherwise of wright dew to the Towne, not to Restraine the selectmen from lenity towards John Law ;
13 To see that menes lands both Improved & unimproved be truly broth. [brought in]
14 To take care that vndesirable persones be not enter- tained ; so as to become inhabitants
15 To take cere that psones doe not ouer Charg ther Com- ones with Cattle,
16 That all psones that have taken the oath of fidellity be Recorded,
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17 That cere be taken that Cattle be herded, as much as may be, with convenence
These perticolers were agreed vpon by vs whose names are vnderwriten nehamia. hunt; John fflint; John
miles ; Will dated 4 : I. mo. 1672 heartwell ; Tho; Wheler Joshuah brooke Joseph; heaward ; Gershom. Brooke, Humpry barit John Billings"
But while public proceedings usually moved on uninter- ruptedly and with only here and there a ripple of change or excitement in 1689 the rule was broken in upon by an event which disturbed the whole town. This was an order by the colonial authorities to compel all who would participate in home government to become freemen or in other words to qualify themselves by taking the following "freeman's oath."
""I, A. B., being by God's providence an inhabitant and freeman within the jurisdiction of this commonwealth, do freely acknowledge myself to be subject to the government thereof, and therefore do swear, by the great and dreadful name of the everlasting God, that I will be true and faithful to the same, and will accordingly yield assistance and sup- port thereunto with my person and estate, as in equity I am bound, and also truly endeavor to maintain and preserve all the liberties and privileges thereof, submitting myself to the wholesome laws and orders made and established by the same; and, further, that I will not plot nor practice any evil against it, nor consent to any that shall do so, but will timely discover and reveal the same to lawful authority now here established, for the speedy prevention thereof; more- over, I do solemnly bind myself, in the sight of God, that when I shall be called to give my voice touching any such matter of this state wherein freemen are to deal, I will give my vote and suffrage, as I shall judge in my conscience, may best conduce and tend to the public weal of the body, with- out respect of persons, or favor of any man. So help me God, in the Lord Jesus Christ."
At an early stage of Colonial history only a freeman
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could vote or hold office or serve on a jury; and only church members could become freemen.
This rule which was formally in force till the close of the administration of Sir Edmund Andros worked to the exclusion of many substantial citizens. In process of time however the rule became so changed that by taking the oath of fealty to the Colony a person could vote in municipal and military matters and hold town office. By this change, whereby it was made possible for persons to be elected to office without being subjected to the process of becoming freemen, an active participation in town affairs became more general. After a while however the reform had a setback ; and in 1689, a few years before the Colony passed into a Province, the old method was for a short period revived ; and again no one could vote unless he had been made a freeman. The immediate result of this move- ment was to lead many citizens who were church members to apply to be made freemen.
The following is a list preserved among the State Archives Vol. 5 page 352, containing names of Concord citizens who having complied with the conditions were con- stituted freemen at the time of the revival of the old method of eligibility. That they were church members is evident from the fact that only church members could be made freemen.
"In Concord ye 3 of Ist munth 1689.
An acount taken of the nonfrreemen which are free hold- ers, whos housing and Lands do amount to the uallew of six rante by the year.
Mr. James Minerd
Nathanell Stow
Danell Dane
Nathaell Harwood
Eliphelet fox
Thomas gobile S(enior) Robord Blood, S John wheler, S
John Ball Samuel fletcher
Nemiah hunt, S Timithy Ries
Samuell Davis, S Samuel Stratten
John Shaperd, S
Johnethen habord
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48 1
Abraham Tempel
Joshua Wheler
Recherd Tempel
James Smadly
Isaac Tempel
Nathanell Buse
Simon Davis
John wood
Roberd Blood
Abraham wood
Simon Blood
Obadiah wheler
Josiah Blood
John Haward
Judath poter
Thomas Wheler
John Jones
Steuen Hosmer John Hartwill THOMAS : WHEELER :
HOMPHARY BARET
NATHANIEL BILLING Select men STEUEN HOSMOR ELIPHELET FFOX
21 March 1689. Voted by the Court to be ffremen EBENEZER PROUT, Clerk
Consentª Jsª Addington Secry"
Besides the foregoing who are supposed to have given the Court satisfactory credentials of Church membership upon their application to be made freemen, we have the following names of citizens who also applied to be made freemen about the same time together with the requisite certificate for church membership.
"Concord March 12th 89
All whom ye knowledge of what is here exp'ssed doth concerne may please hereby to understand, that ye psons here named are members in the full comunion of the church ; Leiftent Simon Davis, Leiften' Jonathan Prescot, Joseph ffrench, Thomas Pellot, Samuel Hunt ; Eliezer fflag, Samuel Hartwell, Samuel Myriam, John Wheeler, Samuel How, Abraham Taylor, John Hayward, Nathaniel Ball, Samuel Wheate, Timothy Wheeler, John Myriam, Daniel Pellet ; Wittnesses my hand ;
EDWARD BULKELY."
"22ª March, 1689.
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All above written (Except Daniel Pellet) voted to be ffreemen.
his age being questioned. Jsa ADDINGTON Secry. EBENEZER PROUT CLERK.
certificate of church membership.
These documents are interesting not only as illustrative of the working of the political system of the times, but they are also valuable as indicating how large a proportion of the town's population belonged to the church.
Among the more important events which occurred at Concord during the latter part of the Colonial period was the building of a new meeting house.
As stated in an early chapter of Part I the first meeting house was built soon after the settlement began, and stood upon the little hill by the "strate strete" at the beginning of Lexington street. This which was undoubtedly built of logs had no successor upon its perched position on the . hill top but was followed by a more imposing structure erected upon the plain by the brook. Agitation upon the subject of a new house of public worship began soon after the death of the first minister, and in 1667 a vote was taken in town meeting to erect one. The building was to stand "between the old edifice and Deacon Jarvis'," Jan. 27, 1668, a committee consisting of Capt. Timothy Wheeler, Joseph Wheeler, and John Smedly was chosen to plan and take charge of the business of construction, and in 1672, the selectmen were to see if the contract for completing the work had been fulfilled. The new house of worship in style closely resembled the old meeting house at Hingham, Mass., which was built in 1681. It had a peeked roof with four sides or slopes in which were dormer windows, and was surmounted by a belfry. The main structure was nearly square and had a gallery. Along the walls were ranged a few pews, but the center was mostly filled with plain seats. A vane was on the spire inscribed with the date, 1673.
As no further reference will be made to ecclesiastical
.
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matters of the Colonial period we will observe in passing that the indications relative to the early church at Concord are that its creed and its ministers were evangelical, and that the religious traditions of the town are in substantial accord with those of the typical Pilgrim and Puritan. The light that shone in the wilderness was a gospel light and among the twinkling stars that glittered through their night of solicitude and sorrow none were as bright to the settler as that which arose and stood over the place where lay the Babe of Bethlehem. The Christ of that first Christmas was the Christ of the Concord colonist. It was to His word that he looked for guidance, by His sac- rifice he believed he would be saved, and upon this rock he built his church.
One sign of progress after the close of Philip's war was an increased interest in education. In the early years of the township learning took a low place. The times were hard. To obtain a livelihood required the greatest effort, but straightened as its circumstances were, the town was early supplied in its several districts with those who were competent to teach the children and youth to read and write. In 1665 complaint was made against the town for its lack of a "Lattin Schoole Mr." It was also about this time repeatedly reminded of its laxity in provid- ing educational privileges in general.
In the Mass. Archives Vol. 129, page 130 is a paper of indenture executed by the overseers of the poor of the town of Boston and Ebenezer Prout of Concord by which a child nine years of age was to be brought up. She was to "Be taught perfectly to read English, Sew, Spin, and Knit as she shall be capable ; " she was to be supplied with "wholesome sufficient meat, drink, Apparel, washing, & Lodging;" and at the end of the term, she was to be dis- missed with "two new Suits of Apparel throughout, one for Lord's days, the other for working days."
The date is 1688 and the term of indenture was until the subject became 21 years old or was married. This
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transaction between Ebenezer Prout and the Boston guardians of the poor corresponds in its substance to a report of the town constables to the Council of the state of education in Concord about 1680. In the report it is stated that they found "no children or youth not taught to read and know the Capital laws."
In addition to school privileges and the educational agency and influence of the pulpit, the town was early favored as has been stated in another part of this volume with a catechistical exercise on the Lord's day, a practice probably the first of its kind in this country, and if it may be considered a Sunday school then the pioneer Sunday school in America. The town early had a circulat- ing library and this too perhaps was the first one in the country. In 1672, the town instructed the selectmen "That ceare be taken of the bookes of marters & other bookes, that belong to the Towne, that they be kept from abeuce uesage, & not to be lent to any person more then one month at one time."
At this distant day it is not easy to conceive of the exact methods of pronunciation in the every day conversa- tion. From the manner of spelling it is possible to sup- pose what may have been the style of pronouncing certain syllables. An occasional use of the letter a instead of e in such words as certain and clerk easily leads to the conjec- ture that they were pronounced as to the first syllable like a in far. In the use of the letter e for i in such words as dis- trict and little, the inference is that they were pronounced as they were spelled.
The writing of various words with a terminal e, which are written in modern times without it as in the words "poore" and "yeare" may suggest the possible prolongation or trill- ing of the letter r. So also where double consonants begin a word as "ffirst" for first, a natural conclusion may be that the sound of the syllable containing it was somewhat lengthened.
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The absence of any elision of the letter h in words that begin with an aspirate lead to the inference that none of the English settlers at Concord elided the aspirate in their talk.
The cause of common schools received an impetus in 1687 by a gift of land as set forth in the following clause in the will of Capt. Timothy Wheeler who died in July of that year.
"I Give to the Towne of Concord my house that stands near Eliaz. Fleggs house with the Land that itt stands upon and is joyned to itt; wch is about Three acres ; be itt more or Lesse bounded by the Highway on the North East by my Land (viz') the Gutter and Eliazer Fleggs Land on the North West & South This I say I Give to the said Towne to be improved as followeth [viz']; That about halfe an acre of the said Lott be laid out to the training place the fence to Run from the Corner of the House to the brow of the Hill upon a straight Lyne; the Dwelling house with the rest of the Land wth all that is upon itt I give to be Improved for the furtherance of Learning and the Support of a Schoole in the said Towne"
The more notable real estate transactions during the later years of the Colonial period consisted mainly in the adjustment of relations already existing or in minor transfers of original grants.
In 1667, an agreement was reached relative to a matter of controversy which had long been going on concerning the Bulkeley mill privilege. As has been stated in the story of the town's settlement a corn or grist mill was caused to be erected by Parson Peter Bulkeley on the mill brook the dam of which was near the present public square. When he died the property was conveyed to his widow Grace Chet- wood Bulkeley and shortly after there arose the vexed question as to what were the exact rights of flowage, which were accorded to the mill proprietor when the town granted the mill privilege. The land about the mill pond was valuable on account of its near proximity to the public
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places and it might take but a slight elevation of the "splash boards" of the dam to cause the water of the pond to encroach upon it and occasion "wetness" about the new meeting house grounds, and the town pound and perhaps damage the tan pits. In several instances the town offi- cials had been instructed to guard the immediate vicinity of the backyard of the meeting house against inundation from the water of the mill brook.
But the temptation to augment the mill power by increas- ing the fall at the flume was perhaps only a natural one, and hence in spite of expostulation on the part of the public the maximum height was adhered to until matters were settled by arbitrament of the court whose verdict was as follows :
"I. That the ounors of the sajd mill shall have liberty from time to time, & at all times, to rajse the water fowre ffoote tenn inches perpendicular ffrom the bottome of the mill troffe, as now it lieth at the head of the milne pond, but the wast or low shott not to be made narrower then now it is, or to be raysed higher then to rajse the water (at the head of the pond) to fower ffoote seuen inches ffrom the bottom of the milne troffe before the water runns ouer the wast.
2. What land lyeth vnder water, by reason of the milne pond, at such a head of water as aforesajd, shall be the pro- priety & propper right of the ounors of the sajd mill for euer, excepting alwayes that land which the toune of Con- cord haue formerly granted to any of their inhabitants, all wch land each proprietor shall enjoy according to his toune grant after the mill is wholly disannulled.
3. The ounors of the sajd mill for euer shall not be iable to sattisfy any damage donn to any person or persons whatsoeuer, by such a head of water kept and majntejned as before sajd.
4. The ounors of the sajd mill foreuer shall enjoy the benefit of all that water wch may be obteyned by any menes formerly attempted i. e. to the higth of such a head of water as aforesajd, wch water shall not be diverted by any
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person or persons whatsoeuer.
5. Lastly. The ounors of the sajd mill foreuer shall enjoy priuiledge on the comons for clay & sand convenient for the repaire of the mill damage from time to time as formerly they haue enjoyed.
SYMON WILLARD JNO FOUNELL, & JOHNATHAN DANFORTH.
The Court approoves of this return."
In 1686 there was an adjustment of the controversy relating to the Blood farms. These farms consisted of cer- tain territory in and about the present town of Carlisle. A part of them was owned by Robert Blood as early as 1642. Because situated outside the boundary line of any town the dwellers on them were styled borderers. These farms being in no incorporated town were without civil or ecclesi- astical status. The occupants paid their rates in Billerica but when the Indian war came they paid their rates in Con- cord, and had the protection of Concord's garrison houses. Subsequently these rates by order of the Court were refunded to Billerica. The question of jurisdiction in this and sim- ilar instances was settled by the General Court Oct. II, 1682. After citing facts in cases of a like nature that had occurred in different places it ordered that Borderers should pay the county treasurer two shillings for every two hun- dred acres of land ; and towns were to "assess all country grants of lands & all belonging to peculiar persons that lye neerest to each toune or tounes."
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