USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Haverhill > The history of Haverhill, Massachusetts, from its first settlement, in 1640, to the year 1860 > Part 12
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".Voted that forthwith there shall be a house erected & built as near the meeting house that now is, as may be, which may be convenient for the keeping of a public school in, & for the service of a watch-house, & for the entertainment of such persons on the sabbath days at noon as shall desire to repair thither, & shall not repair between the forenoon & 15
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afternoon exercises to their own dwellings: which house is to be erected upon that which is now the town's common land or reserved for public use."
The town also voted that in case the contributions voluntarily offered were not sufficient to erect the school-house, that they should be laid aside, and the whole charge be paid by a public rate (tax) upon the inhabitants The charge of the work was left to William White, Peter Ayers and Nathaniel Saltonstall. Thomas Wasse was chosen to keep the school the ensuing year. A striking illustration of the financial condition of the town at this period, is found in the fact that Wasse's salary for 1668 was not paid until more than three years afterward.
At the same meeting, the " powers of the selectmen" were defined. The following is the substance. They had power: 1. To order and appoint when Mr. Ward's salary should be paid, levy rates for the same, and to take them by distress if not paid otherwise. 2. To observe all orders of the town, and collect all fines. 3. To pay all debts of the town, by fines due, or by rates in general. 4. To make all rates necessary to defray the town's debts. 5. To call town meetings at discretion. 6. To see that all laws of the County were observed and kept. 7. To act in all pruden- tial affairs of the town according to law. 8. To observe all orders of the town as near as they can.
The same record informs us that Henry Palmer refused to serve as Con- stable after being chosen, and "was fined according to law !"
Our ancestors must have been early risers, as we notice that the town meetings often commenced at seven o'clock, A. M., and were never adjourned to a later hour than eight, A. M.
If any suppose that " talking in town meeting " has increased in these latter days, we would remind them that as early as the time of which we now write, it frequently took three days to transact the business at the annual meetings, notwithstanding they commenced at such an carly hour as above mentioned. The time occupied, and the small number of votes usually passed, clearly indicate that our early townsmen were not at all deficient in the " gift of gab."
One of the noticable peculiarities of the Town Records about this time, is, that the Recorder gives the names of those who "dissented " from any vote passed by the town. It is somewhat remarkable that but very few names are thus recorded : especially when we consider that so much time was spent in discussions, and that nearly all town matters, large and small, were acted upon directly by the inhabitants, in Town Meeting assembled.
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About this time the town resolved that no vote should be valid that was passed after sunset - an excellent regulation.
From the Court Records we learn, that, in 1671, a thatched house, be- longing to one Matthias Button, and situated somewhere near the present house of Mr. Thomas West, (one mile northeasterly from the village) was burnt. The incident is worthy of mention, principally, from the fact that it was a " thatched " house, and we find but few intimations in the records of the time, as to the style of houses in the town.
Button was a Dutchman and seems to have been an unusually moveable one. He first lived in the village, then in the western part of the town, then in the eastern, and finally settled where his house was burned. Rev. Thomas Cobbett say that Button came to this country in 1628, with the first governor of Massachusetts. He was of Ipswich in 1639, and came to Haverhill in 1646, from that place. He died in 1672, at a great age."
From the fact that a Committee was chosen to find if they could, one of the highways which had been previously laid out by the town, we judge that such laying out was not as thoroughly done as it is at present. It may also be mentioned in this place, as a suggestive fact, that no record is made of any work whatever done to highways, (unless we except two or three bridges,) until long after the period of which we write. Their best and only highways were merely paths, or tracks, ungraded, and bridgeless, except here and there a rude bridge across the larger streams.
From the record of the same meeting, we make the following extract: -
" Robert Emerson, Ephraim Davis, & John Heath Jun, desiring to take the oath of fidelity to this Colony, it was administered to them by N Sal- tonstal, Commissioner."
At this time, no one was allowed to vote in the nomination of magis- trates, and choice of deputies, (Representatives) unless he had taken the " freeman's oath," or "oath of fidelity." A man might be a frecholder and not a freeman, and vise versa. He might be a voter in town affairs, and yet neither be a freeholder nor a freeman. A freeman was one who had taken the freeman's oath .; A freeholder was one who, either by grant, purchase, or inheritance, was entitled to a share in all the common and undivided lands. When any town officers were to be chosen, or money
@ By his wife Lettice, he had Mary, baptised February 23, 1634; and Daniel, February 22, 1635. By his wife Teagle, he had six children (see appendix). Hc married Elizabeth Duston in 1668. Daniel, probably a son of Matthias, was in Lothrop's company. and was killed at Bloody Brook battle, Sep- tember 18, 1675.
t At first, (1631) only members of the church were admitted freemen . - "For time to come noe man shalbe admitted to the freedome of this body polliticke, but such as are members of some of the churches within the lymits of the same."-Col. Rec. 1-87.
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raised by way of rate, all the inhabitants could vote; but when a magis- trate was to be nominated, or Deputy to General Court chosen, only free- men were allowed that privilege.
The town was yet in want of more corn mill accommodations, and as those to whom had been granted the exclusive privilege of erecting such mills in town, seemed, for some reason, to be unable, or disinclined, to supply them, it was voted (March 7, 1671,) that " John Haseltine or any other man, have free liberty to build a mill to grind corn in the town of Haverhill, either upon the west river" called the sawmill river, or upon east meadow river .; "
At the annual meeting in 1672, the selectmen were ordered " to pro- vide, at the town's cost, a place in the Meeting House, according to law, to secure the town's stock of powder, & other ammunition." At this meet- ing Robert Emerson and wife brought to the town meeting the orphan child of Richard and Hannah Mercer, and desired the town to take care of it, and also to pay them for nursing it above a year past. The town or- dered the seleetmen to provide for it, and to pay Robert Emerson what they should find due him, and also to " address the County Court next at Salis- bery to have order from them, & counsel how to dispose of the said child, and maintain the same." Providing for their poor, as a town, was evi- dently a new business for them at this time. This, we believe, was the first case where application was made to them to support a pauper. The next, was the case of Hugh Sherratt, in 1677, which we have already noticed.
At the same meeting it was voted, " that the Selectmen shall hire Thomas Wasse for a school master to learn such as shall resort to him, to write & read as formerly, who shall be the settled schoolmaster for the town, until the Town take further order : provided that they do not allow the said Thomas Wasse more than Ten pounds by the year ; he having the like liberty to agree with the parents or masters of those that come to him as formerly."
At the very next annual meeting, this yearly salary was, by vote, " taken off, & no more to be allowed or rated for." Probably the amount received from the parents of the pupils had now, in the opinion of the town, become sufficient for the teacher's support, without this annual appropriation.
From the Court Records of this year, we learn that two Indians, named Simon and Samuel. were fined five pounds, " for stealing Englishmen's horse."
· Little River.
t "East Meadow river," was the stream running from Peaslee's mill, nearly south, and emptying into the Merrimack, at Cottle's Ferry ; passing about one-fourth of a mile cast of the East Parish Meeting House.
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This Simon, or Symon, was one of the "Christian," or "converted " Indians, many of whom lived among the settlers, worked for them, and partially adopted civilized habits. Some of these demi-savages subse- quently became exceedingly troublesome to the settlers, and one of the worst, was this very Symon, who for several years made his home in this town, and Amesbury. He is described by one of the writers of the time, as " the arch villain and incendiary of all the eastward Indians "; and he seems to have been an active spirit in several of the principal attacks upon the English in this vicinity.
Upon the Files of the Hampton Court for this year, (1672) we find the following curious order of Court : -
" At a Courte holden at Hampton, 8th of 8th mo. This Court being informed that John Littlehale of Haverhill, liveth in an house by himself contrary to the law of the Country whereby hee is subject to much sin ; and having had information of some of his accounts which are in no way to be allow'd of but disproved and discountenanced, doe therefore order that the said John doe forthwith, at farthest, within the time of six weeks next after the date hereof remove himself from the said place and solitary life and settle himself in some orderly family in the said towne and bee sub- ject to the orderly rules of family goverment in said family (unless hee remove out of the said towne within the time) and if he doe not perform this order as abovesaid then this Courte doth order that the Selectmen doe forthwith order and place the said John to bee in some orderly family as abovesaid, which if he shall refuse to submit unto, then these are in his majesties name to require the Constable of said town upon his knowledge of it. or information, to apprehend the person of said John and carry him to the house of correction in Hampton, there to bee kept and sett to work untill hee shall be freed by order of authority ; and this order shall bee a discharge and security."
This order had the desired effect. John immediately removed to " some orderly family."" If. however, the order was intended as a hint that he ought to take to himself a wife, John was not over hasty in taking the hint, as he did not give up a "jolly bachelor's life " until forty-four years afterward, when he had attained the respectable age of sixty-six years. He then married and became the father of two children.
At the annual meeting for 1673, the Clerk was ordered to enter "in the book " all the previous orders and grants of the town "which stand in loose papers & sheets." This vote accounts for the promiscuous manner
" John Littlehale, son of Richard, one of the pioneer settlers of the town, was born November 27, 1650. He was the third of a family of twelve children. His mother's maiden name was Mary Lancton.
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in which the votes and grants of the town are recorded in the old book of Records. They were many of them first written on "loose papers & sheets," and when finally recorded, no regard was paid to their dates. Indeed, many of them are without date, making it difficult, and in some cases impossible, to assign them correctly.
At the same meeting, " John Hutchins, having built galleries" in the meeting-house, was " allowed to sell seats or priveleges in the same to any one "; Robert Swan was ordered to " pull down " a ditch he had made across one of the town's highways, or be prosecuted ; and Abraham Whit- ticker, having failed to pay his rent of "sixpense a year," for a certain piece of land belonging to the town, the latter took it into their own hands again. Abraham had occupied the land thirteen years, and had paid nothing. He must have been poor indeed, as he candidly told the town he was, when called on to know if he would pay his rent.
From the Hampton records, we learn, that on the 24th of September of this year, " There was a storme of raine and snow so that the ground was covered with snow, & some of it continued until the 26th."
When the older towns on the Merrimack were first settled, large quanti- ties of sturgeon were taken from the river, which were not only used and highly valued as an article of diet, but pickled and packed in kegs for transportation. Frequent allusions to this subject are made in the State and County records, and in old account books. Wood, who visited America in 1633, says: " Much sturgeon is taken on the banks of the Merrimack, twelve. fourteen, eighteen feet long, pickled and sent to England." We think that either his fish or the story must have been somewhat stretched, to come up to the number of feet given! The Massachusetts Indians named the river Monomack, signifying sturgeon, of which they are said to have taken large quantities annually.
We do not learn that many of these fish were ever put up in this town for exportation, but in the towns below, (Newbury and Salisbury) it was at one time quite an extensive business. In 1656, " a keg of sturgeon, ten shillings," was among the charges for entertaining an ecclesiastical council at Salisbury. In 1667, Israel Webster testified " that he carried twenty two firkins & kegs of sturgeon from William Thomas' cellar to send to Boston." In 1670, Joseph Coker was licensed by the County Court "to make sturgeon in order to transport." In 1680, the Court licensed Thomas Rogers " to make sturgeon, provided he shall present the court with a bowl of good sturgeon every Michaelmas court."" As late
o llist. Newbury.
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as 1733, and probably later, the business was carried on quite largely in Newbury.
While the towns below seem to have nearly monopolized the sturgeon fishery, Haverhill was for a long time largely engaged in the curing and exportation of salmon and alewives. Previous to the building of dams and bridges across the Merrimack, its falls were noted for their salmon and its tributary streams for their alewive fisheries.
The falls of Pentuckett, (Haverhill) Pawtucket, (Lowell) Namoskeag, (Manchester) and Pennycook, (Concord) were favorite places of resort for the Indians, during the fishing season, and, in consequence, became in time the seat of extensive Indian settlements, the different communities, or tribes, being known and distinguished by their place of settlement.
Haverhill, from its favorable situation at the head of sloop navigation, and tide water, and at the first falls of the river, was not only one of the carliest and latest engaged in these fisheries, but also the largest. From the year 1654, when Stephen Kent was granted liberty " to place a wear in Little River, to catch alewives," and 1657, when Thomas Hutchins was permitted " to set a weur in the Merrimack near the falls." until within the last twenty years, its fisheries have been no small item in the trade and commerce of the town. Persons are still living who remember when nice dried salmon was so plenty in town, as to be a " drug" in trade, and well nigh unsaleable at the low price of four or five cents per pound ; and, in the fishing season, fine fresh salmon sold for even less than the price stated. It is well authenticated, that at one time it was nowise un- common to stipulate in the indentures of apprentices, that they should not be obliged to eat salmon oftener than six times a week! As the streams and ontlets of the ponds became obstructed, and their waters defiled, by dams, mills, and bridges, the supply of salmon rapidly diminished, and at the present time but few are annually taken in the Merrimack, while the quality of these is much inferior to those of former times.
The same causes which prevented the salmon from continuing their an- nual visits to the ponds and streams of the interior, to deposit their spawn, also diminished the number of alewives. The latter, however, being less nice in their tastes, continued to " run " somewhat later than the former. It is but a few years since alewives were caught in considerable numbers in Little River, near the factory on Winter Street.
Next to salmon and alewives, shad should be noticed in an account of our fisheries. We regret, however, that we have been unable to obtain much definite information in regard to this branch of business At one
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time it was carried on extensively, and, during the fishing season, gave profitable employment to hundreds of persons on the Merrimack. Shad were from time immemorial used by the Indians of New England to man- ure their corn, and from them the first settlers learned to use it for the same purpose. Whether they also used them as an article of diet, we have no means of knowing; but from the fact that salmon, every way richer and superior, were so plentiful, and easily obtained, we are confi- dent that shad were not at first considered of much account as food. Even within the memory of persons now living, they have at times been caught in such large numbers as to be unsaleable, except for manure. It was no unusual occurrence to catch several hundreds at a single haul, even in the small seines used in the last century. In the New Hampshire Gazette, for May 13, 1760, we find the following item, illustrative of our point :- " SIIAD. - One day last week was drawn by a net at one draft Two Thousand Five Hundred and odd Shad Fish out of the River Merrimack near Bedford in this Province. Thought remarkable by some people."
In these days, when fifty is reckoned a remarkably large " haul," even with our double seines, of twenty rods in length, the above number seems almost incredible.
The causes we have already enumerated, also diminished the number of shad in the river, and since the erection of dams at Lowell, Lawrence, and other places, this branch of our fisheries has ceased to be profitable, and will doubtless soon be abandoned altogether. Bass are still caught here, in their season, but not in sufficient numbers to offer much induce- ment to engage in the business, or to have it reckoned as a branch of our industry.
The town seems to have been ever watchful and jealous of its timber. The very first vote of the first recorded meeting of the town, was to pre- vent its unnecessary destruction. When we remember that the town was theit covered with a thick and heavy growth of wood ; that an untrodden, and seemingly inexhaustable wilderness stretched itself between here and Canada, in which no smoke curled from the home of a . white man; it seems almost unaccountably strange that they should have been so careful of their timber. But so it was. No man was allowed to cut down more trees than he needed to supply his house fire for the season, or to furnish lumber for his own use. As "pipe staves " became an article of trade and export, and a convenient means to supply a few shillings of hard money to the settlers, the town voted that no one should have liberty to make more than "one hundred for every acre his house-lot contained," under the severe penalty of five shillings for every tree he felled more than
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was required to make his proportion. The exportation of lumber was also forbidden. It seems, however, that notwithstanding the severe penalties attached, these regulations were sometimes violated, and finally, the thing was done so openly, and extensively, that a town meeting was called (Jan. 1, 1674), to consider the matter. The whole time of the meeting was oc- cupied in a consideration of this one subject, and it was finally voted unanimously, that timber for staves, heading, ship timber, or frames of houses, should not be transported out of town, or even " brought to water side." At the ensuing March meeting, a surveyor of boards, and a culler of staves, were chosen for the first time. James Pecker was chosen to the first, and Robert Clement to the latter office.
We have before noticed that the town seemed particularly desirous of securing the settlement of mechanics among them. That the cases men- tioned were not merely instances of strong personal friendship or influence, is evident from the general tenor of the record. Mechanics were needed to assist in developing the natural resources of the town, and as their presence and labor would add to the general comfort and prosperity, the town did not hesitate to offer to all such as seemed worthy, every possible inducement to settle among them.
At the meeting last mentioned, (March, 1674,) John Keyzar of Salem, was granted a piece of land, with privileges on the common, &c., if he would come " and set up his trade of tanner." He did so, and in 1682 the town confirmed the grant to him and his heirs forever.
That the duties of the Selectmen were not only manifold, but their pay not at all extravagant, may be judged from the fact that, among other things, they were " to have some one to sweep the meeting house duly, decently and orderly," and that their annual pay for all their services, was the sum of fifty shillings, which was to be distributed among them, " to each man according to his services."
The subject of the town bounds, which had been permitted to rest quiet- ly for a few years following the running of the line in 1667, as we have already noted, was again brought up in 1674, by a request from the Se- lectmen of Haverhill, that the bounds might be " perfected."
A reference to the report of John Parker to the General Court, under date of 1667, will show that at that time the line north from the point due west of the meeting house was started, but left unfinished. After waiting nearly seven years, and finding that the work was not likely to be " perfected " without an effort on their part, the town directed the Select- men to attend to the matter at once. The Selectmen thereupon employed
16
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Jonathan Danforth, a somewhat distinguished surveyor, to finish the work begun in 1667. He did so, and at the May session of the General Court in 1675, presented the following report :
" Att the request of the Selectmen of Hauerill, the bounds of the sajd toune were perfected as followeth : From Hoults Rocks wee ran due north west, according to the eompasse, not allowing any variations, allowing Amesbury their full and just bounds, as hath binn determined by the honoured Generall Court; all the other ljnes on the west side of the plan- tation wee ran from Merremacke Riuer due north, vntill it eut with the first line, where wee erected a great pillar of stones; this last line was sett out and begun to run, by Ensigne Noyes and Sarjant Jno. Parker, at eight miles distance from Hauerill meetting house, vpon a due west line, which is according to the grant of the Generall Court; the running ljnes on both sides of the plantation were well bounded by markt trees, & heapes of stones. Lajed out
By Jonathan Danforth, Survejer."
The Court approved of the return, and thus, to use the language of the selectmen, " perfected" the bounds of the town, according to its order of 1667.
As proof that the early inhabitants of the town were " subjeet to frailty and error," we cite the following, from the records of the County Court :--
" Nathaniel Emerson was admonished by the Court for being in com- pany with Peter Cross, and others, at Jonas Gregory's, and drinking of stolen wine.""
" Robert Swan was fined 20s for being drunk and cursing."t
" Michael Emerson was fined 5s for his cruel and excessive beating of his daughter with a flayle swingel, and kicking of her."# We think Michael had reason to congratulate himself on getting off so easily for his brutal conduet.
Two daughters of Hanniel Bosworth were fined ten shillings each for wearing silk.§ This was contrary to the law, for persons in their station of life. " Bravery in dress " was strictly forbidden.
Hannah Button was sentenced by the Court to be whipped, or pay a fine of forty shillings, for misdemeanors.
Daniel Ela was made an example of, for swearing, in the amount of ten shillings ; and two shillings were added for his " reviling speeches." We may charitably suppose that Daniel was by this not only convinced of the wickedness, but of the expensiveness of such conduct, and became a wiser and better man.
@ 1673. + 1674. # 1bid. § 1675.
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CHAPTER X.
INDIAN TROUBLES .- FROM 1675 TO 1678.
IN the preceding chapters, we have followed the early settlers of our town, year by year, through their first third of a century, - the lifetime of a generation, - and, except the privations and hardships incident to all new settlements at that early period, we find their history one of continued peace and prosperity. They had increased in population and wealth from a small pioneer company of twelve men, until their town ranked as the twenty-fifth of the forty-nine towns in the Colony. They were, as far as we can judge, a happy, prosperous, and peaceful community. Their reli- gious teacher was a man distinguished for his upright Christian character, and, influenced by his example, his people prided themselves on the purity of their moral conduct, and the extreme exactness of their religious devo- tions. We have no hesitation in saying that there was no settlement in the Colony, containing a less number of idle and vicious persons, in proportion to the population, than Haverhill. The small number of prosecutions for immoral conduct, to be found on the Court Files, attest the truth of our declaration. Would that the record of the succeeding third of a century were equally pleasant to contemplate; that the peaceful, happy homes of Pentucket, were, for another generation, to rest undis- turbed and prosperous. But it is otherwise.
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