USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Concord > The history of Concord, Massachusetts > Part 5
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But a step and we were in; and down the Musketequid we glided, through the bay, pastthe hill; and soon on the banks of the south meadow we saw the lights of several wigwam fires. The night was dark and it began to rain, for the storm presaged by the morning "weather breeder" had set in, and swift clouds from the southerly gave a threaten- ing prospect. It was not long before there loomed a light from Tahattawan's wigwam at Nashawtuc, which was quite welcome, as it showed we were nearing home. But we were not to reach it quite as soon as we thought, for scarcely had we passed the precincts of this last point, when, of a sudden, Goodman Barrett dropped his paddle and almost
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fell, as with a shriek he uttered something about "a sight." Quickly starting up, for we had crouched low to avoid the storm, we saw "the sight," which consisted of a small lumi- nous ball just over the meadow, slowly moving and only a few rods ahead of us. Gently shoving the boat towards the bank beside some water brush we lay low and quietly waited. It was not long before the strange light vanished, but so thoroughly aroused were we to the danger of en- countering a spook if we proceeded, that we concluded to remain where we were until the apparition, if such it was, had settled itself. While we sat with bated breath by the water brush various conjectures were made as to the cause of the strange "visitation," as our friends called it, and Good- man Hayward ventured the suggestion that "as near as he could make out it was over the 'mort stone' near the Cart bridge by the 'Carsey,' and he had heerd it was a bad sign to set a 'cops' down anywhere after it was started, and this was done with John Heald's 'cops' when they stopped the bier at the 'mort stone' to keep the 'buryin' cloth on."
But Goodman Barrett did not think so, "for," he said, "Mort stones wus made on purpose to set copses on when the bearers got tired of carryin 'em : besides, John wus everybody's friend, and it wus not likely that his sperit would haunt the medder-land." As for myself, I did not know. I had heard somewhere and sometime of strange lights called "Will-o'-the-wisp," but I had never seen one and was not sure, so I kept still ; and as Goodmen Barrett and Hayward thought we had better leave the boat and go to the manse across-lots, I acceded, and we were soon ashore.
It was but a short walk that took us from the landing place to a point where we got a glimpse of the friendly light gleaming out of the little manse window, and, perhaps, the distance appeared less because of our haste, for as the darkness deepened and the pelting storm increased, we hardly looked backward or sideways, except to take a fur- tive glance toward the "mort stone" when we crossed the
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mill dam. On arriving indoors, however, all was cheerful. Our wet doublets (thick, sleeveless jackets), were thrown aside, and having dried our clothes by the welcome blaze of Parson Bulkeley's bright fire, we were soon seated upon the oaken settle regaling ourselves with a posset (porringer) of hulled maize and goat's milk, in pleasant anticipation of a proposed talk on the town meeting, which was to take place on the morrow.
In preparation for the neighbors who were to convene for the evening's conference, the parson had brought in an extra settle from the room adjoining and placed an arm- chair at the hearth's corner
REVEREND PETER BULKELEY EAST MEISTER AND ONE OF THE FOUNDERS OF THIS TOWN A BARGAIN WAS MADE WITH THE SQUAW SACHEM THE SAGAMORE TAHATTAWAR AND OTHER LADLAMS WHO JREN SOLO THEIR RIGHT IN THE SAF GRES SQUARE CALLED CONCOPO TO THE ENGLISH PLANTERS AND CHE THEM PEACEFUL POSSESSION OF THE LAND
A. 0. 1635.
TABLET MARKING THE SITE OF THE PETER BULKELEY PARSONAGE
1721 - 94
TABLET MARKING THE SITE OF CONCORD'S FIRST TOWN HOUSE.
CHAPTER VI.
Informal Talk Preparatory to Town Meeting - The Apparition - Exodus of Concord Settlers to Connecticut - Statement of Rev. Cotton Mather - Effect of the Exodus on the Laity - The Town Maeting.
I N the short space of time before the first arrival not much was said of the ordinary day's happenings, for all the talk was on the episode closing.
That we had seen something strange no one doubted, but, it was said, "sich things have been obsarved before," and that this was similar to that seen by Goody Bateman at "Cedar Croft" and by Prudence Ball up at the "bend." That it prognosticated evil, however, was not thought probable by the Parson, to whom all looked in this matter, as in every other, for sound counsel and safe solutions, because on other similar occasions nothing had happened out of the ordinary, except that shortly after Goody Bateman's discovery the Pequod war broke out ; but there were other signs about that time, such as sounds over the trees, and the pale flashings of a luminous night mist, and a sickly look of the sun, which latter, however, some were venturesome enough to assert was caused by a dry spell. With these various conjectures as to the cause, the subject was dismissed after a few practical remarks by the pastor about the proper way of improving all strange and inexplicable phenomena.
When the company had assembled we saw that not all were present whom history informs us were early at the plantation. Among those absent were Elder John Jones, Goodman Middlebrook, two of the Wheelers, and some
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others. Both personal interest and curiosity prompted us to inquire the cause of this; but as Goodman Hayward when on the boat had intimated that some families had gone away and that there had been discord in the new township, we kept still, thinking that when the sparks snapped they might tell us. But as there was just then burning on the back log only some small split spruce which came from the Parson's mill meadow swamp, the sparks could say nothing about it.
Presently some one brought in an armful of cleft chestnut, which we were informed was cut at Simon Willard's at Nashawtuc, and came from a clump of trees in his clearing, beneath which the faithful pastor and his beloved parish- ioner, Mr. Willard, had often held sweet but sad converse on town affairs. As the wood was thrown on the "cob irons" and began to crackle and glow, while Jude Farwell puffed at it lustily with a small pair of buff colored bellows, we knew we should soon hear something, since it is char- acteristic of chestnut-wood to snap freely. Nor were we wrong in our conjecture, for as the coals brightened the sparks snapped, and we eagerly caught the following : There had been an exodus and a sad one. Some of the original grantees had died. Mary, the wife of James Hos- mer, was buried December 3, 1641 ; Joseph Meriam died January, 1640; and Jane, the wife of Timothy Wheeler, died in December, 1642. But other causes besides death had broken the ranks. Several had returned to old Eng- land ; some had gone to settlements near the sea; and in October, 1644, about one-eighth part of the Concord colony followed Elder John Jones to Fairfield, Conn. Of course, curiosity was aroused to know the cause of this last removal ; but as before intimated, we surmised that the subject might be a delicate one, and that some present might be sensitive to any inquiries we might make concern- ing it.
But soon the sparks snapped out more vigorously than ever, and the inference from them was very direct and
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clear that it was not alone the "badness and wetness of the meadows" or the "poverty and meanness of the soil" that caused all the trouble, but an inharmonious mixture of too much ruling Elder with a proper amount of teaching Elder ; so that it was difficult to tell where the authority of the latter began and that of the former ended. This posi- tion of the sparks was confirmed in our minds by Cotton Mather, author of the "Magnolia," who stated that "diffi- culties arose between the minister and people at Concord, which were settled by calling a council after the abdication of one of them," that is, one of the ecclesiastics ; and, also, "that upon Mr. Bulkeley's pressing a piece of charity disa- greeable to the will of the ruling Elder there was occasioned an unhappy discord in the church of Concord," and the same thing is also implied in a letter of Rev. Peter Bulke- ley to Rev. Thomas Shepherd of Cambridge, in which he asks his opinion as to the relative power of the ruling Elder and the pastor ; and also in a letter of Mr. Bulkeley to Cotton Mather, when he hints about "The evil of the times we live in, and what mischief one lofty spirit that has reputation for understanding can do among the weak."
When the sparks from Mr. Willard's cleft chestnut burned low we hardly expected to learn anything of the effect of this ecclesiastical broil on the laity ; but just then Robert Fletcher threw on the fire a stick of well seasoned pine, which we were told was cut and hauled for the minis- ter from trees growing by the highway on the "strate strete" by the "housen," where a large share of the original settlers lived, and under which many conversations had been held. Upon this, we expected to obtain just the in- formation we desired ; and as the fire flashed and the sparks merrily snapped up the chimney flue, we learned that the ecclesiastical disturbance had a depressing effect on the laity financially ; so that some refused to pay their proportion of the public charges ; and a council called to consider mat- ters had advised the clergy to be content with what they got, since the burden on the people was heavy. From
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these statements we inferred that, though the minister's salary was only about £70 annually and this to be paid partly in country produce, yet, for the people to be taxed in addition for a supernumerary, was thought too grievous. We also inferred this from the fact that in 1645 Lieutenant Simon Willard was excused from attendance as deputy to the General Court, and was supposed to go home to cheer up the people; and from the fact that about the same time the Court passed an order forbidding any person leaving the townships of Concord, Sudbury, and Dedham except by permission of the selectmen ; and that the Concord citizens be exempt from the payment of certain rates for three years; only directing that they still exercise in the train band.
As the various topics talked of were considered in the town meeting on the day following, we will not refer to them until that meeting is described. It is sufficient to say that while this preliminary conference in some of its features might correspond to the modern caucus, yet in others it did not, for there were no objectionable politics whatever, neither was there anything representative of two parties ; but it was only an informal neighborhood gathering, de- 'signed to expedite matters at the coming meeting. What was talked about was an admixture of social, ecclesiastical and civil interests, showing plainly a quasi-connection of church and state, and best designated, it may be, as a New England theocracy, where the old maxim, "Vox populi est vox Dei," was reversed and made to read, "Vox Dei est
vox populi." When the conference broke up the room was soon vacated. There was no lingering for a last word of senseless small talk, but soon all was still except for the clink "of the tongs on the andirons as Parson Bulkeley heaped the brands on the back log and tenderly covered them with ashes. The storm beat on the diamond-shaped window panes ; a fox barked near the out-buildings, while from afar, beyond the meadows near where the "sight" appeared, came the deep baying of Simon Willard's two
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house dogs. We picked up the brown "betty," and care- fully carrying it so as not to spill any of the grease, we bade the Parson good night and went to our room. We found it an unplastered one, opening into the lean-to garret, upon whose roof the autumn rain was falling pleasantly.
To describe an old-time town meeting at Concord as it occurred in the remote past is a difficult and delicate task, since the records of each session for about the first half century of the settlement were probably destroyed, as be- fore stated, in the destruction of Major Simon Willard's house by fire. But if we assume that Concord had customs in common with other colonial towns, and make conjectures based on analogy, we may suggest what may have taken place in a town meeting at Concord about 1655. Let it be understood, then, that though the following narration is in part fictitious, yet, like much of the foregoing, it is designed with due reference to such matters of tradition and record as have come to us, to set forth the character of a people and the customs and usages of an age long since vanished. The next morning we arose bright and early. The sunlight streamed into the manse windows and stretched across the mill meadows, giving assurance that the storm had subsided.
As it was our purpose to note everything about the set- tlement, while breakfast was being prepared we walked out to look over the premises. The house was not by any means an uncomfortable one, for though it was low and plainly built, yet it was snug and fairly commodious. The chimney was of stone, with clay mortar; the outside was covered with "clayboards" (clapboards), so called because they were fastened to the clay daubing of the walls, and the roof was thatched with meadow "blue joint."
As we strolled abroad beyond the meeting house and over the Ridgeway we came to one of the "common plant- ing fields," where many pumpkins still remained ungath- ered, and now and then scattered on the ground was a long, full ear of maize, showing the value of fish as a fertilizer,
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and also that though the Indians had tilled this same field long before the English purchased it, the soil was still strong. At the farther end of the enclosure we saw a red deer timidly browsing among the weeds for stray corn, while skulking along the outskirts of the adjacent woods was a lank wolf. Upon seeing the wolf we were reminded that it might be breakfast time and made haste to return, crossing over the burying ground to the street, this being nearer than the way we came and farther from the wolf. We were shortly at the manse door and seated at the table.
The morning meal consisted of toast made of goat's milk and journey (johnny) cake, so-called from the ease of mak- ing and its adaptation to people journeying. The toast was served from a tureen, which had been placed in an iron chaffing dish with coals in it, this useful article having been brought into requisition to keep the breakfast warm till our return. The trenchers (plates) were of pewter, and beside each was a beaker of water. There was also some apple mose which the fruit of a few apple trees the first in the settlement had afforded, and this, with some cranberry tarts made with rye crust, completed the meal. After breakfast the Parson returned thanks, and taking the well-worn Bible from a shelf read a portion of it, then kneeling and with hands reverently clasped upon its dark leathern lids, offered upon that altar in the wilderness a worship that was far more than form. After prayer he exchanged his light outer garment for a red "doublet," and went to the barn to fodder his stock. We accompanied him, conversing on various practical matters, among which was the value of meadow grass, and our conclusions were that notwithstand- ing what some have said about its worthlessness, it nevertheless was quite serviceable, and that without it per- haps the settlers' cattle would have starved. The weather also was considered, and about this we concluded it was no colder in Concord than elsewhere, especially if we could credit the statements of good Cotton Mather, that in Salem
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it was so cold that sap forced out of the wood by the fire in the middle, froze simultaneously at both ends.
After the chores were done, which were few, for the Par- Son had but two cows, we returned to the manse and soon went to the meeting house where the town's business was to be transacted pursuant to a warrant previously posted on the door, and also upon a "publishing post" by the wayside.
As we entered the low, rectangular structure, almost severely plain in its appliances, and with no chimney, steeple, or porch, we saw at a glance that we could learn nothing from the sparks about the political management of the municipality as it related to the past, for there was no fireplace. We reverentially removed our hats and seated ourselves in one of the hard, pen-like pews before the com- munion table, behind which the moderator afterward sta- tioned himself; and while waiting for the session to open we talked with Ensign Meriam as to the methods by which town affairs were conducted.
Our conversation on this subject was soon interrupted by the arrival of "Clark" Willard with the "town books ;" whereupon by motion of Goodman Potter, Ensign Hos- mer took the chair and the session began. Parson Bulke- ley was asked to pray, the "clark's" records were read and "silentiously" approved, and business commenced. We soon saw that the principles of parliamentary usage differed but little from those of the present, though there were some quaint variations in terminology. If a measure was passed without opposition it was said to be passed by a "silentious" vote. In some instances "it was resoluted," and so recorded, but generally, acts were passed by a "majer vote" or by a division of voters, and the record might read "by a clere vote." The resolutions and measures adopted ranged all the way from the appropriation of twenty shil- lings to pay for the "diet" of the deputy to the Colonial Court, to the requisition of a receipt from Abimeleck Bate- man for the ninepence paid for publicly whipping a stranger
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for disorderly drunkenness, and for the sixpence paid for placing a persistent Sabbath breaker in the stocks.
Among the officers chosen were selectmen, commissioners of rates, highway surveyors, tythingmen, fence viewers, and a "clark." Among the appointments was that of a person to procure a "branding iron" for marking horses, a person to take care of the town's stock of ammunition ; a person to beat a drum to call people to meeting on Sundays and lecture days, and to sweep and keep clean the meeting house ; a committee to establish rules for cutting wood on the "commons"; a person to look after and repair the watch house; and George Fowler was appointed to "breed salt petre" in some out-house used for poultry. Mr. Simon Willard was allowed to sell wine and "strong water," and was to exercise the "train band."
Among things "ordered" were that "all persons who shall cut down trees within half a mile of the meeting house shall cut them up within three months ;" (This order was perhaps to prevent forest fires.) that "any persons who neglect to attend town meeting, they having been properly warned, shall pay a fine of two shillings, and if they leave before the close they shall be fined the same ;" and that "the chief trees shall be left standing by the high- way as shelter for the cattle from the heat."
Among the appropriations were "ten shillings to pay Sergeant Scotchford for warning suspicious persons out of town," they being liable to become a public charge ; "ten shillings to purchase a new buryin' cloth to cover up copses ;" "twenty shillings to set two mort stones between the Blood farms (Carlisle) and the buryin' ground ;" "eight shillings to set stakes by the causeways, for the use of travelers at high water"; "five shillings to be paid Good- man Woods for mending the pound, besides half the receipts for impounding stray cattle the ensuing year ;" "three shillings to purchase a padlock for the stocks ;" and "five pounds for paying the board of poor people to such
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as would take them at the lowest bid, they to have good and sufficient diet and suitable clothing."
After the meeting broke up but little was said, for the cool shadows at the close of that early October day sent each householder hurrying home "to cover up things," as Goodman Woods said there would be a hard frost up his way. The meeting was adjourned without date, for Lieu- tenant Willard did not know of anything that should call them together until Michaelmas.
CHAPTER VII.
Scene by the Wayside-Home of Timothy Wheeler- Evening Talk by the Fireplace- Statements of John Scotchford-Cause of the Settlement of Concord.
A CCORDING to previous arrangement, no sooner was the meeting over than we started with Timothy Wheeler for his home. This visit we considered quite a privilege, inasmuch as having seen the easier side of a settler's life at the manse, we greatly wished to see the other side in the quiet homestead of an outlying farm : moreover, we had heard of Goody Wheeler's "apple mose" and "sweet conserve," and knew that we would receive there more than an average of Concord comforts, besides a chance of listening to some good stories from her consort, since Timothy, as he was called by the town folks, was acquainted with everybody from the "nine acres" to the "lower medders," and knew many strange incidents of settlers' life by the Musketequid.
As we left the meeting house there passed us a drove of cattle composed of cows, calves, and several oxen, which we were informed were the property of various owners who were pasturing them on the common feeding field. Not caring to be too inquisitive at the outset, for we knew there would be much to inquire about, we asked no questions on the subject, but by the data obtained from the sparks and elsewhere we inferred that there was a daily herding of these animals, and that it was done by each householder in turn collecting them in the morning and returning them to the barnyard at evening; and if we are right in the above infer- ence we may well wait for a moment at the next bar-way while we reflect upon a custom that has such pleasing and pastoral relations. The farm boy driving home the cows has long been a favorite subject for the painter, and justly
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MERLAN'S CORNER
THE BRITISH TROOPS METALAYING ON THE
WERE HERE ATTAČILO IN PLANE
-- ----
MERIAM'S CORNER.
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so, but is it hardly comparable in its picturesque suggestive- ness with the bringing home of that little lone herd from the broad meadow lands and the sunny hillsides to the snug straw thatched barns of the Concord husbandmen ? We can almost conceive of the scene, as at sunsetting by the woodside pathway is heard the tinkling sound of the bell wether and the deep clank, clonk of the cow bell, and the familiar, breezy call of the tired herdsman, all of which are as welcome to the waiting milkman and maid as were the notes of the post horn in the days of stage travel to the old-time tavern-keeper.
The natural concomitant of all this was the dropping of the barnyard bars while Flora, Brindle and Bess, good stock from Surrey and Kent, stepped over them, and the rest of the drove moved to their own stalls further on. And the children, for they are there in this true back- woods nursery, little Cerinthy, Hannah and Hope, Jona- than, Jesse and Abiather, are all on hand with their porringers, each to be served first.
We were not long in reaching Timothy's house, which was a plain structure with a stout frame roughly boarded with thick planks set upright inside, both for finish and for defence from attacks of the Northern and Eastern Indians. Within the building, things differed from those at Parson Bulkeley's, for the Parson was more than well- to-do; he was for the times wealthy, and things at the manse were somewhat in accord with his estate, The chimney was a massive one placed near the middle of the house, and up the broad flue over the fire-place was a large "lug" of green walnut that extended from ledge to ledge and which Timothy told us might last for several months, but with a liability if left too long, of burning through. This "lug" was used in place of a crane, which came later, and upon it were suspended "hooks and tram- mels"; below were a pair of andirons, before which was a broad, flaring hearth ; above the fireplace was a mantel piece, and upon it a pair of candle-snuffers, a tinder box
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and a "saveall"; the latter article being a small candle stick with an upright pin proceeding from the centre and used for impaling partly spent candles when too short for the common candle stick. Squashes, sage, and savory were also there, while over all were a couple of firearms resting peacefully upon wooden pegs.
As we entered the house Goody Wheeler met us with a cheery look and we soon felt at home. The evening meal which was awaiting our arrival was laid on a small pine table without leaves, and though every dish was unpreten- tious, yet there was a display of neatness and taste which at once convinced us of the good sense of Timothy's consort. The food consisted of johnny cake, a trencher of apple slump, and pumpkin pie with a rye crust. There was also on a narrow side board or adjustable shelf hinged to the wall and upheld in horizontal position by a single stake, or leg, the remnant of a boiled dinner, but no potatoes ; the absence of the latter being accounted for by the fact that potatoes were as yet 'but little grown by the settlers, being regarded by some at that time as unfit for food. For drink there was home brewed beer either made from barley malted at the village malt house or from malt bought by the ball.
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