USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Haverhill > The history of Haverhill, Massachusetts, from its first settlement, in 1640, to the year 1860 > Part 25
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December 7th, the committee reported upon the latter proposition, and the town voted to purchase the house. The price paid for the house, and all his land, was three hundred pounds.
At this meeting, fifteen personst had liberty "to build a seat to sit in, in the hind seat of the meeting house, in the west gallery, they also prom- ising that they would not build so high as to damnify the light of them windows at the said west end of the said west gallery," provided they made up the number of twenty persons to sit in said seat.
At the next meeting, eight otherst had leave " to build a pew in the hinder seat of the front gallery ;" and thirteen young ladies§ were granted permission " to build a pew in the hind seat in the east end of the meeting house gallery," provided, as in the first mentioned case, they did not " damnify or hinder the light."
The following is equally curious :- " John White desiring leave to set up a shed on the outside of the window at the west end of the meetinghouse to keep out the heat of the sun there, it was readily granted." (Query,- Were window curtains then unknown ?)
Another Commoners' meeting was held in the spring of this year, (1709) at which John White, the Town Clerk, was chosen "Proprietors Clerk," and it was decided to hold a meeting on the first Tuesday in April, annu- ally. From the record of this meeting it appears, that at the first meeting, the previously chosen committee had reported the names of all those who were entitled to vote as proprietors of the common land. The same per- son being clerk for the town, and also for the Commoners, the record of their meetings was kept in the town's book of records until April 13th, 1713, when they commenced keeping them in a separate book, and so continued to keep them, until they ceased to meet, as such.
> Mr. Brown, for reasons not given, declined to accept the call to settle in town. Hc preached here twenty-four Sabbaths, and was succeeded by Rev. Joshua Gardner.
t Nathaniel Merrill, Samuel Roberts, Henry Sanders, John Corlist, Joseph Hutchins, Nathaniel Clement, Samuel Watts, Nathaniel Merrill, Jr., John Mulekin, William Smith, John Silver, Thomas Silver, John Rewy, Ephraim Roberts, Jr., William Whittier.
The following afterward joined with them :- Samuel Haseltine, Edward Carleton, Abell Merrill, Nathaniel Emerson, Jr., John Lad.
# John Ela, Samuel Ela, Ebenezer Eatton, Robert Slaekman, Samuel Peaty, Jonathan Clark, Samuel Currier, Jr., llope Rogers.
§ Abigall Duston, Abigall Mitchell, Abigall Lad, Mary Corlis, Elizabeth Watts, Mary Mitchell, Sarah Peasly, Elizabeth Simons, Susannah Hartshorn, Abiah Clement, Abigall Simons, Bethiah Bodwell, Sarah Merrill.
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HISTORY OF HAVERIIILL.
With the following, from Mirick, we close our record of this year : ---
" The house of Col. Richard Saltonstall was blown up by a negro wench. on the night of the 29th of March. In Mr. Pike's journal, it is mentioned thus : - ' Colo. Saltonstall's house blown up by negroes 29th March, 1709. Though many lodged that night in the house, yet nobody hurt. A mar- vellous providence.' Tradition has hoarded many stories concerning this affair, some of which are extremely ridiculous. The following, it is be- lieved, is a true statement of the case. It appears that the Col. had severely corrected the wench, some time previous, for misbehaviour, and ever after, she cherished a feeling of hatred toward him, and determined to take signal revenge. In the dead of night. on the 29th, when the house was wrapped in a profound stillness, she carried a quantity of powder into the room, directly under that which was then occupied by the Col. and his wife. Having fixed a long train and connected it with the powder, she dropt a match upon it and fled precipitately to the farm-house, which stood but a few rods distant. She had scarcely secured herself, when the pow- der went off with a tremendous explosion, and nearly or quite demolished the house. The Col. and his wife were thrown in their bed some distance from the house, without receiving any injury. The soldiers stationed in the house, were scattered in every direction, but happily, no lives were lost. The Col., after recovering from his surprise, went directly to the farm-house and found his servants all up. excepting this wench, who feigned sleep. He suspected and charged her with the deed, but it could never be proved."
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HISTORY OF HAVERHILL.
CHAPTER XV.
1710 TO 1722.
AT a meeting of the town, May 15, 1710, it was unanimously voted, to invite Rev. Joshua Gardner to settle in town, and, at the same time, the thanks of the town were tendered him " for his labors hitherto."
We find nothing more about his settlement, until October, when a church meeting was held, to consider the matter, at which he was unanimously made choice of ; and, at a town meeting, the same day, this action of the church was unanimously concurred in. The salary voted him was seventy pounds per annum, payable " one half in good passable money, & the rest in good merchantable corn, at money price, or in good passable money, & the use of all the Parsonage Housing & lands & meadous."
This offer, though not so large as the one made Mr. Seaver, seems to have been satisfactory to Mr. Gardner, as may be seen from the following letter, which was read at a town meeting December 11th, and " very well accepted " : -
" To the church and inhabitants of Haverhill.
Dearly beloved in Christ
Being informed by your Committee that it is your unanimous desire that I should settle with you for the carrying on the work of the ministry among you ; and also what you have freely voted to do for my mainten- ance : I have taken the matter into consideration, and advised with my friends upon it, who universally encourage me to accept the invitation. Therefore apprehending that providence does as it were thrust me forth into his harvest, and finding a greater inclination & more encouragment of late to enter upon the work than formerly, my thoughts are, I am bound in duty to give up myself to the service of Christ in the work of the min- istry among you fearing if I should do otherwise God would be displeased with me.
I do therefore hereby declare that I do cheerfully, and that not without a sense of my own insufficiency for so great & solemn a work, endeav- ouring to place my entire dependence upon God for direction & assistance to carry it on - accept your invitation on the terms you propose.
Thankfully acknowledging your kind acceptance of my labors with you hitherto ; likewise your respect & love shown me in your late invitation & proposals ; earnestly begging your prayers to God for me that he will abun-
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HISTORY OF HAVERHILL.
dantly furnish me with all needful qualifications for the work I trust he is calling me unto ; and that I may come unto you in the fulness of the blessing of the Gospel of Christ
I take leave to subscribe myself your brother in Christ
Joshua Gardner."
Mr. Gardner was ordained the 10th of January, 1711, the town paying all the expenses of the occasion, - amounting to twelve pounds.
Though the town had not been troubled by the Indians for above two years, yet they did not think it prudent to relax their vigilance, - at least, so far as their means of defence were concerned. Their garrisons, and houses of refuge, were kept in complete order for occupation at a mo- ment's notice, and the parsonage house was repaired and fortified."
A large company of soldiers, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Saltonstall, were also kept constantly armed and equipped, and exercised in the town; and, that these soldiers might be the better prepared for every emergency, the General Court (June 19. 1710,) ordered them to be supplied with snow shoes. Snow shoes were also supplied to the whole of the North Regiment of Essex. The names of the snow shoe men in Hav- erhill, were
Thomas Whittier,
John Eaton,
John Page, Jr., Nathan Simons, John Webster,
Stephen Emerson, Stephen Johnson, Jonathan Hendrick,
Joseph Emerson,
Daniel Lad, Jr.,
Samuel Huckins,
Christopher Bartlett, Jr., Joseph Bond,
Jonathan Eastman,
Adum Draper, Richard Whittier, John Watts, Stephen Davis,
Ephraim Davis,
Elisha Davis.
Robert Peasly,
Jonathan Eaton, Job Eaton, John Ela, Peter Green, Sen., Ephraim Gile,
William Davis,
Joshua Padington,
Samuel Ayer,
William Whittaker,
John Heseltine, William Johnson,
Abraham Bradley, Samuel Davis,
Matthew Harriman, Jr., Josiah Heath, Jr., John Hutchins, Jr., Andrew Michel, John Marsh,
Abraham Whittiker, Jonathan Simons, Robert Hunkins, Joseph Bradley, Ephraim Robards, John Heath, Jr., Benjamin Page, Jr., John Shepard, Nathaniel Smith,
Thomas Johnson, John Stevens.
Anthony Colby, Nathaniel Duston, Samuel Dow,
Samuel Robards, James Ayer,
Edward Ordway,
* The expense of repairing the parsonage was eleven pounds fourteen shillings and six pence. Among the items in the bill we find-Clear white pine boards, at five shillings and eight pence per hundred ; plank, at seven shillings per hundred; labor, at three shillings per day; and large board nails at one shilling and four pence per hundred. Among the bills of the year, we find one for a barrel of cider for the minister, the price of which was five shillings and six pence; and one for the services of the Town Clerk for the past year, ten shillings.
236
HISTORY OF HAVERHILL.
At the annual meeting for 1711, the Selectmen were ordered to hire a Grammar School master, who was " to move quarterly to such places as the Selectmen agree to, as shall be most convenient for the inhabitants of the town." It seems that no school-master could be found who would move quarterly, and after trying for six months to hire one, another meeting was called, and a proposition submitted that the town pay a teacher five pounds to keep a school one quarter at the school-house. This was voted down immediately,-probably by those who lived at a distance from the village, and who desired to share with the villagers in the advantages of such a school, as will appear hereafter.
From the bills approved this year, we learn that Obadiah Ayer kept a school half a year in 1710, for which he was paid fifteen pounds. He also kept this year, the same length of time. It was not, however, what they called a Grammar School, as only " reading, writing and cyphering" were included in the list of studies.
Some idea of the extent, as well as location, of the Cow Common, as first laid out, may be formed from the following vote of the Commoners, April 3, 1711 : -
" Voted and granted that the Cow Common may be fenced in from the Pond Bridge & so by Ephraim Guile's, and as far as the river runs by Ephraim Roberts sawmill, and so to Tho Duston's :" Those that fence it in to set up convenient gates for passage with teams; one at the Pond Bridge, one at Ephraim Guile's, one at Tho Duston's, one gate by Samuel Smith's house, another by Stephen Dow's on the Wid: Bromege's, and another, if need be, at the lane by Jonathan Emerson's: This Common to be improved by those that fence it in, & not others, for the feeding of cows, sheep, & riding horses, & no other cattle, for this year & until the Com- moners shall take further order."
A meeting of the Commoners was called October 15th, to consider about making some more stringent regulation in relation to the " transporting of timber, staves, and firewood" out of town. The vote of the town, passed in 1674, being read, it was declared that it could not well be mended, and therefore nothing further was done.
John Swett, a native of Newbury, was this year appointed ferryman at the Rocks ;- hence the name of " Swett's ferry." It is believed that there were then no more than two houses at that place; and, indeed, the whole town had increased but very little, if any, in population, during the last
" That is, the fence followed the stream from the outlet of the Great Pond, around to Tho Duston's,- or near the junction of Fishing and Little Rivers.
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HISTORY OF HAVERHILL.
thirty years. Strangers would not move into it, on account of the danger arising from the Indian war, and it is probable that those who sickened and died, and those who were slain by the enemy, nearly equalled the births.
The only damage done by the Indians this year, was at Cocheco (Dover) in the spring, when five persons were killed. But the constant fear of them eaused a strong force to be kept in the frontier towns. As late as August 27, 1712, a foot company of fifty men was ordered to be raised, and posted at Haverhill.
At the annual meeting for 1712, several persons" applied for an abate- ment of their taxes for the ministry, and the school, on account of the great distance they lived from the Town, and the difficulty they met with in coming. The town voted to abate one half of their ministry rates.
This year the town was again presented for being destitute of a sehool- master, and on the 12th of May, Nathaniel Haseltine was chosen to appear at the Court of General Sessions, held at Salem, to answer it. Nothing further was done in this matter until the following March, when the town refused to give the Selectmen power to hire a school-master, and thus the subject rested until June, when a meeting was called to see what should be done about schools in town.
By a law of 1700, every town of fifty families and upwards was required to be constanly provided with a school-master to teach children to read and write; and every town of one hundred and fifty families was required to have a free grammar school, where youth could be instructed " in such grammar learning as may fit them for admittance into the college." .
Previous to this time, there had been but one place in town for a school -in the village-and, as a matter of course, those who lived in distant parts of the town could have but little benefit from it. That this disad- vantage was felt, is seen from the vote, in 1711,-to engage a school-master who should " move quarterly." But now the question assumed a more definite form. Petitions were received from several of the inhabitants, ; for a school house in the northwest part of the town, near Job Clements' at the town's cost, and a school one quarter of a year, " that they might have the benefit of having their children brought up to learning as well as the children of those that live in the center of the Town; " and also
* Henry Bodwell, John Gutterson, Thomas Austin, Joshua Stephens, Robert Swan, John Cross, William Cross, Robert Swan, Jr., Joshua Swan. These all lived In that part of the town now Methuen.
t Joseph Emerson, Mathew Herriman, Jobe Clements, Joseph Heath, John Stephens, Aaron Stephens, Ephraim Roberts, Josiah Ileath, sen .. Benjamin Emerson, Joseph Johnson, Samnel Worthen, James Heath, Thomas Johnson, William Whittiker, John Simons, Josiah Ileath.
1
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HISTORY OF HAVERIIILL.
from several of the inhabitants in the north-easterly part of the town," for a school-house and school "near the house of Mr John Whittier, on the common, between the two bridges, & between the house of Danl Ela, and the Country road." Both petitions were granted ; and the selectmen were ordered to provide a school-master : and a committee was chosen to build the school-houses immediately. The latter were to be "20 ft long, 16 ft wide, & S ft stud, & furnished so as may be comfortable & convenient."
Mr. Ayer kept the school in the town this summer, and a Mr. Stedman, of Cambridge, kept the succeeding fall and winter.
Hostilities having ceased in Europe early in this year, the Indians again expressed a desire for peace, and a treaty was entered into with them at Portsmouth, which was attended by delegates from the tribes on the St. John, Kennebeck, Ameriscoggin, Saco, and Merrimack, and articles of pacification were duly signed July 13th, 1713, and were formally con- firmed, with loud demonstrations of joy, by a great body of Indians who were assembled at Falmouth, waiting the result. Thus was peace once more permitted to smile on the New England frontiers.
By the terms of this treaty, the English were allowed to enter upon their former settlements, without molestation or claim on the part of the Indians, while to the latter was reserved the right of hunting, fishing and fowling, as freely as they enjoyed in 1693 ; and government was to estab- lish convenient trading houses for the Indians, where they might obtain their supplies without the fraud and extortion which had been practiced in former years. ; The next spring, a ship was sent to Quebec, to exchange prisoners.
Among the town votes of 1713, we find one in which the selectmen and constables were ordered " to regulate the conduct of disorderly boys on the Sabbath, in the meeting house." From this it is evident that boys were - boys, as long ago, at least, as the time of our great-grand-parents.
At the annual meeting in 1714, Robert Swan petitioned for permission to keep a ferry near his house, but the town declined to grant the request.
Another petition was received at this meeting for permission to build a " women's pew" in the meeting house .; The place proposed was "the hind scat in the women's gallery." The matter was left with the Selectmen.
@ John Sanders, Robert Hastings, Anthony Colbie, Joseph Whittier, James Sanders, Robert Henkins, Samuel Currier, John Currier, John Page, Jr., Robert Hastings, Jr., Jonathan Peasly, Benjamin Page, Jr., Daniel Ela, Benjamin Page, Sen., Abraham Page, Thomas Johnson, Jr., Joseph Grely, John George, John Eleh.
t Hutchinson estimates that, "from 1675 to 1718, 5 to 6000 of the youth of the country had perished by the enemy, or by distempers contracted in the service."
# The petition was signed by Hannah Simons, Elizabeth Currier, Hannah Eatton, Judith Eatton, Mehetable Guile, Ruth Dow, Abigall Dow, Sarah Johnson, Sarah Haseltine, Hannah Heath, Sarah Guile.
239
HISTORY OF HAVERHILL.
A petition was also received for a school-house in the northwesterly part of the town, " between Hog-hill and the brick-kill bridge ;" but " very few if any persons voted for it," and the request was therefore denied."
At this meeting, the Selectmen were " desired to seat the negroes in some convenient place in the meeting-house, if they can." This appears to have been the origin of the " negro pew," in this town; and it is worthy of note, that the practice thus inaugurated, continued so long as there were negroes in the town,-a period within the memory of many persons now living.
In this connection, we give the following synopsis of the history of slavery in Massachusetts. We condense it from the reply of Dr. Belknap of Boston, to Judge Tucker of Virginia, in 1795 .;
Samuel Maverick resided on Noddle's Island when Winthrop came over in 1630. He had a fort and four great guns. John Joselyn, who came to New England in 1638, mentions Mr. Maverick's negro woman and a negro man, and "another negro who was her maid," and that " Mr. Maverick was desirous to have a breed of negroes." He understood that the negro woman " had been a queen in her own country," &c.
The laws enacted between 1630 and 1641, make mention of servants and masters, man-servant, and maid-servant ; in 1645 mention is made of negroes " fraudulently and injuriously taken and brought from Guinea" by Captain Smith to Piscataqua. About the same time (1645) a law was made " prohibiting the buying and selling of slaves, except those taken in lawful war, or reduced to servitude for their crimes by a judicial sentence, and these were to have the same privileges as were allowed by the law of Moses." In 1649 it was enacted-" If any man stealeth a man or man- kind, he shall surely be put to death. Exodus xxi-16."
In 1675-6-7 some Indians, who had submitted to the government, joined against the English in Phillips war. Those taken in arms, were adjudged guilty of rebellion. Some were put to death, but most of them were sold into slavery in foreign countries. Some of these latter found their way home, and joined with the hostile Indians in a succeeding war, in revenge.
African trade was never prosecuted, in any great degree, by merchants of Massachusetts. Negroes were probably introduced via trade with Barbadoes. In 1703, a duty of four pounds was laid on every negro imported. Not over three ships a year ever engaged in the African trade.
" The names of the petitioners were-Peter Green, Jotham Hendrick, Nathaniel Peasly, Samuel Clements, James Sanders, Peter Green, Jr., John Page, John Eatton, Matthew Herriman, Jr., Joseph Peasly, Abraham Page, Henry Sanders.
t From Mass. Hist. Soc. Coll. Vol. 4, 194.
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HISTORY OF HAVERHILL.
Rum was the main spring of it. Slaves purchased in Africa were chiefly sold in the West Indies, or Southern colonies. When the markets were glutted, and prices low, some were brought here. Very few whole cargoes ever came. One gentleman remembers only two or three :- One thirty to forty years ago, which was mostly children. Rhode Island did much more of this than Boston. Some of their vessels, after selling prime slaves at the West Indies, brought the remnant to Boston. Boston is the only seaport in Massachusetts ever concerned in the business. About the time of the stamp act, the trade declined, and in 1788 was prohibited by law.
The causes of its declension were,-it required large capitol-was hazardous-was never supported by popular opinion-the voice of con- science was against it-those engaged in it, in their last hours bitterly lamented it-the laboring people complained of the blacks, as intruders- the inconsistency of pleading our own rights and liberties, while we encouraged the subjugation of others.
There was never anything like a census before 1763, and it was not then very accurate. It was very unpopular. The second was in 1776; the third in 1784.
In 1763 there were in Mass. 5,214 blacks, or 45 to 1 of population.
1776 " 66 5,249 66 65 " 1 " 1784 66 4,377 66 66 80 " 1
In 1790, (first United States Census) there were in Massachusetts and Maine, six thousand blacks and Indians - about two thousand were mixed and blacks. Slaves were most numerous previous to 1763. Prince Hall, a very intelligent black man, aged fifty-seven years, thinks slaves were most numerous about 1745. Boston contained one-fourth part of all of them. In country towns, he never heard of more than three or four on a farm, except one, which had sixteen, and " it was a distinguished singu- larity." They were employed as rope-makers, anchor-smiths, ship-carpen- ters, and in families, as servants.
Negro children were always reckoned incumbrances, and when weaned, were given away like puppies. The negroes were inventoried and taxed as ratable property. Some of them purchased their freedom; and some were liberated by their masters. The law was against manumission, un- less the master gave bonds for maintenance in case of sickness, or decrepitude. Negroes were forbidden to strike a white man, on pain of being sold out of the province. If found out after nine o'clock, P. M., they were sent to the House of Correction. Inter-marriage was prohibited, under severe penalties.
241
HISTORY OF HAVERHILL.
The controversy about slavery began about 1766, and was warmly con- tinued till 1773, by newspaper articles, pamphlets, speeches, &c. The Quakers helped the cause along. In 1767, an attempt was made in the legislature to discourage the slave trade, but it failed ; and again, in 1773, on petition from the negroes. In 1774, an act was passed by the Assem- bly, to prevent importation ; but it was vetoed by Governor Hutchinson. After the adoption of the Constitution of 1780, which declares " all men free and equal," many asked for, and obtained their freedom. Some took it without leave. Many aged and infirm continued in the families where they had lived. In 1781, an indictment was found against a white man in Worcester County, for assaulting, beating, and imprisoning a black. He was tried in the Supreme Judicial Court, in 1783. His Defence was, that the black was his slave, and the beating, &c., were necessary correc- tion. The Answer was the foregoing clause of the Constitution. The judges and jury decided that he had no right to beat or imprison the negro, and he was found guilty and fined forty shillings. This was the deatlı- blow to slavery in Massachusetts.
We believe that the earliest distinct allusion to " servants" we have met with in the records or traditions of this town, is the record of the death of " Hopewell, an Indian Servant of John Hutchins," in 1668. The next, is found in the account of the remarkable preservation of Rev. Mr. Rolfe's children, by his "negro woman," Hagar, in 1708. Hagar " owned the covenant, and was baptized," with her children, (two sons and one daugh- ter) by Rev. Mr. Gardner, in 1711. In 1709, the house of Colonel Richard Saltonstall was blown up, by " his negro wench," whom he had previously "corrected." In 1723, Rev. Mr. Brown had an Indian ser- vant, as may be seen from the following entry in his book of church records : - " Baptized Phillis an Indian Girl, Servant of John & Joanna Brown." In 1728, Mr. Brown baptized " Mariah, negro servant of Rich- ard Saltonstall." In 1738, Rev. Mr. Bachellor baptized "Celia, Negro child of John Corliss." In 1740, he baptized " Levi, Negro child of Sam- uel Parker." In 1757, he baptized " Dinah, negro child of Samuel Haseltine; " and, also, " Lot & Candace, negroes belonging to Richard and Martha Ayer. In 1764, he baptized " Gin, negro Girl of Peter Carleton." Mr. Bachellor had himself a negro servant, as we find, in the church book of records of the West Parish, under date of March 24, 1785, the follow- ing entry among the deaths: - " Nero, servant to ye Revd Mr Bacheller." There is a tradition that he had a negro named " Pomp," who is said to have dug the well near the old meeting-house. As the story goes, just before setting out for an exchange with a distant minister, Mr. Bachellor
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