USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Haverhill > The history of Haverhill, Massachusetts, from its first settlement, in 1640, to the year 1860 > Part 44
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66
Dr. Nathaniel Saltonstall
Ebenezer Gage,
James M'Hard,
Samuel Walker,
66
66
James Brickett,
John White, jun.
66
Samuel Appleton,
429
HISTORY OF HAVERHILL.
Rev. Hezekiah Smith, January, 1784 Leverett Saltonstall, October,
Dean Tyler, 66 Justin Kent, 66 .€
Caleb Stark, October, John Huse, 66
Ebenezer Greenough, 66 Richard Kimball, , 66
Edward Woodbury,
Rev. William Bachelder, Jan. 1806
John Thaxter, January, 1785 John Varnum, April, 66
Samuel Blodget, July, 6 6 Samuel Bartlett, October, 66
William Greenleaf, jun. Oet.
Benjamin Clap,
66
Benjamin Mooers, January, 1786 James Bartlett, 66 1807
David How, 1787 Charles White,
April, 1808
Leonard White, October, 1788
John Marsh, 6
Nehemiah Emerson, January, 1789
Rev. Joshua Dodge, January, 1809
Henry West, October, 66 Daniel Haddock, April, 66
Daniel Brickett," 66
David Bryant,
66
66
Rev. John Shaw,
66
66
Nathaniel Hills,
October, 66
Moses Marsh, jun.
1790
Peter Osgood,
January. 1810
Jonathan B. Sargeant.
Jesse Harding, April, 1811 .6
William Cranch,
January, 1792
Moses Wingate,
Moses Atwood, April, 66 James How, July, 66
John Johnson, July, 66 David How, jun.
Abraham Swett,
66
James Atwood, David Marsh, 2d.
January, 1813
Cotton B. Brooks,
66 Samuel W. Duncan, April, "
Benjamin Willis, jun, 66
William Greenough, January, 1814
Ichabod Tucker,
January, 1795
Daniel Appleton, jun.
Rev. Abiel Abbot, July,
William White, 66
Ephraim Emery, April, 1796
Phineas Carleton, 66
Oliver Putnam, October, 1798
John Atwood, 66
..
Caleb B. Le Bosquet. 66
James H. Emerson, October, 1815
Daniel Swett, April, 1799
Rufus Longley,
Moses Morse,
January, 1800
Jonthan K. Smith,
April, 1816
Ezekiel Hale, April, 1802
James H. Duncan,
January, 1816
Dudley Porter, jun. October,
John Woodman, April, 1816 .6 1817
Jabez Kimball, January, 1804
Isaac R. How,
Galen H. Fay, April, “
Revd George Keeley, Jan. 1819
Moses Brickett, January, 1805
Nathan Webster, Jan.
Dudley Porter, sen. April, “
Stephen Minot, April, 1822
The first Fire Engine in this town was purchased in 1769, by a com- pany formed for the purpose. In organizing the company, Cornelius Mansise was chosen Captain, or Chief Director, with fourteen assistants, including under officers. The company were to meet monthly. Those who neglected to attend the annual meeting, in May, one hour before sunset, to clean, fit, and exercise the engine, were to pay a fine of 8d to the Clark and treasurer. For absence at fires, the fine was Gs, and when a member wished to leave, he had to pay 3s. When any one did not pay his fines, he was voted out of the company.
October, 1812 66
Henry Porter, April, 1794
66
430
HISTORY OF HAVERHILL.
The first clection of officers was held May 16, 1769, when the following were chosen : - Cornelius Mansise, Captain; David Remick, James Scammon, John White, Thomas Cogswell, Enoch Marsh, Nath Marsh, Nath Walker Jr, David Bradley, Daniel Greenleaf, James HeHard, Israel Bartlett, Bailey Bartlett, Samuel Eames, Phineas Carleton, Assistants ; Nath Walker, Jr, Clark. The Clark was to " warne all sd company, when and ware to meet by a billet."
August 1st, Wm. Lampson was chosen Lieutenant. September 19th, the company met for the first time at their new Engine House.
The second year, David Remick was chosen Lieutenant, and James McHard, Clark. Several of the members were fined for not appearing to excreise the engine, and it was voted that it should " be exercised at the sun one hour high for the futer, and the members be warned one day be- forehand, and any officer absenting himself shall pay 2s lawful money."
March 19th, 1770, the company " took the engine out, worked her, and put her in again ; " and in the evening " met at Capt Bradley's for re- freshments, &c."
This engine was purchased and kept in repair entirely by private sub- scriptions. The first mention we find of such a machine, in the town records, is in September, 1779, when a proposition was made
" To see if the town will build a small Store house for Storing Publick Goods or Stores belonging to the Town, together with the Engine." The town voted not to act upon the article.
In 1769, " salt works " were erected on Mill Brook, by one James Hud- son. and the town (September 21) voted him, as an encouragement, the sum of £13.6.8. But he soon found the business unprofitable, and it was abandoned.
Among the town officers in 1771, we find, for the first time, " Weighers of Bread." Nathaniel Walker and William Greenleaf were chosen for that purpose.
In 1773, a petition was presented to the town, and an article was there- upon inserted in the warrant for the annual meeting, " to see if the town will vote that the stream proceeding out of the Little ponde be turned into his natural course from said pond to the West river."¡ The proposition was negatived.
Round Pond.
1 Little River. At the annual meeting, in 1768, James Sawyer and John Farnum were granted the privilege of flowing the Great Pond, " to save water to grind at their mills," provided they secured the town from damage, in consequence of such flowing.
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431
HISTORY OF HAVERHILL.
A tornado which took place in this vicinity, on the 1st of August, 1773, is thus described in a publication of that period.
" The tornado took its course from the cast, first struck Salisbury point, and following the course of the Merrimack river, spread havoc before it for the space of a mile in width, extending to Haverhill. The devastation was almost beyond conception or description. Almost every house and building, from Salisbury point to a quarter of a mile above Amesbury ferry, was levelled with the ground, uprooted, or otherwise damaged. A Capt. Smith, who belonged to Beverly, was sitting in a sail maker's loft, at Amesbury, when the storm commenced, and in a moment he and the whole building were carried away together, the building rent to pieces and dispersed. Capt. Smith was found lying senseless ninety four fect from the sill of the loft he was carried from ; one of his legs was broken, and he was otherwise bruised. A large white oak post, fourteen fect in length, and twelve by ten inches, was transported one hundred and thirty- eight feet. Two vessels of ninety tons, building in Amesbury, were lifted from the blocks, and carried sideways through the air, twenty-two feet. A large bundle of shingles was taken from the ground, and thrown three hundred and thirty feet, in an opposite direction to that of the post above mentioned, and at right angles to the course the vessels were carried. Large trees were torn up by the roots and cast into the river. Large oak planks were hurled, with the velocity of cannon balls, through the roofs of houses ; and, in fine, during the hurricane, which lasted a few minutes only, the air was filled with everything that could be moved, whirling with the most surprising rapidity through the air, and surrounding the affrighted inhabitants, some of whom were taken up by the winds, carried a consid- erable way, and let down safe: others were buried in their cellars, but were dug out without receiving any hurt. About one hundred and fifty buildings fell.
" In Haverhill, the inhabitants fled in consternation from one large dwelling house, which was blown down, and thought to save themselves in a barn which was almost new, and filled with about thirty tons of hay ; but the barn was entirely blown to pieces, in another moment, and some parts of it carried to the distance of three miles.
" This tempest was preceded by heavy rain and gross darkness ; and it appeared first on the Merrimack river, which was in the utmost tumult, rolling upon the banks, and threatening to swallow up the affrighted in- habitants."
432
HISTORY OF HAVERHILL.
Mirick (who evidently mistakes in placing the date as the 13th, instead of the 1st of August,) thus describes the effects of the tornado in this town : -
" About 8 o'clock in the morning, a large black cloud arose in the South- west, charged with wind and rain. The wind came in a vein of only a few rods in breadth, and sweeping over Silver's Hill, struck the house of Mr. Bradley, now owned by Hon. Moses Wingate. Mr. Bradley imme- diately ran to the door and attempted to hold it, while the family was thrown into the greatest confusion, running hither and thither, amid the falling bricks, broken glass, and splinters of wood. The roof was instantly blown off, and a bundle of wool was taken from the garret and carried to Great Pond: Not a pane of glass was left in the house. The barn, which stood within a few rods of the house, was totally demolished, and a valuable horse which was then in it, escaped unharmed."
The physical, as well as the political elements, seem to have been un- usually turbulent about these times. The year 1772 is set down as " uncommonly stormy," with much snow and wind in April, and a " great rain and freshet " in September.
In September, 1773, the General Court passed an act "to prevent the destruction of Salmon in Merrimack River; " in which it was declared that no seines should be used which were more than sixtecn rods longs They had previously been used, it appears, long enough to stretch quite across the river.
The same fall, the town decided " to build a stone Pound in the corner * of the parsonage pasture, neare Capt Eames." This was the old stone pound, which stood on the west side of Main Street, about midway be- tween White and Fourth Streets, and which was demolished not many years since. The house of A. B. Jaques, Esq., stands upon the original site of the pound.
At the annual meeting, in 1774, it was proposed to see "whether the Town will vote Mr Hezekiah Smith residing in said town his proportion of Rents," &c., of the parsonage lands, "according to the number of his hearers belonging to Haverhill." The town refused to make such a divi- sion, and also to choose a committee to examine the records of the Baptists.º
At the same meeting, a proposition was made, and agreed to, that two schools should be kept the year to come, " the one a Grammar School, and the other an English School." Though the record does not so state, yet
" The same proposition was renewed in 1780, but "passed over."
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433
HISTORY OF HAVERHILL.
we presume the vote referred to the First Parish only ; as grammar schools were already kept in the several parishes.
This year the town voted to choose a board of Overseers of the Poor, but after choosing them, re-considered their action, and decided not to have any. In 1776, the same thing was again done, and it was finally decided to add two more to the Board of Selectmen, - which was done. In 1781, the number was again reduced to three.
In 1774, John Eaton, after faithfully serving as town clerk and treas- urer for the long period of fifty-seven years, retired from office, and John Whittier was elected in his place. " Clark Eaton " lived in the house now owned and occupied by Joseph B. Spiller, just below the " button- woods." That he was well fitted for the responsible post, and commanded the respect and confidence of his fellow-townsmen, is abundantly demon- strated by his fifty-six annual re-elections to the office. Whittier having declined a re-election in 1778, Eaton was again chosen to the office, but refused to serve. He was then considerably past four-score years of age !
Among the names of the original grantees of the township of Rumford, Me., February, 1774, (upon petition of Timothy Walker, Jr., of Concord,
N. H., and associates,) we find the following from this town : -
Benjamin Gale, James McHard, Phinehas Kimball,
Nathaniel Marsh, Anna Stevens,
Robert Davis.
Cutting Marsh Henry Lovejoy,
The whole number of grantees was sixty-nine.
In 1777, the small pox again visited this vicinity, and caused great alarm. A. town meeting was called, April 8th, to see if the town would ereet an " Innoculating Hospital." The town not only refused to erect such a hospital, but also refused to let it be done at individual cost, con- tenting itself with choosing a committee to act with the seleetmen in preventing the spread of the disease. From the record of a meeting, May 21, we fiml that although the town had so decidedly objected to a hospital, one was then actually in course of erection ; and a proposition was made that the selectmen might be authorized to permit persons to be inoculated in it- but it was refused.
The next year, however, it was found that some such measures were necessary, and in June it was voted to " give leave and admit of Innocu- lation in the town," and the selectmen were to appoint the time and place for that purpose. But before July was past, the vote was "revoked," and two months later, (September 21) it was " voted to prosccute those per- sons that have taken the small pox by innoculation in this town, or any that shall take it in future, without consent of the town first obtained." 55
434
HISTORY OF HAVERHILL.
Three weeks later, it was " voted to allow the inhabitants of the town to be innoculated at the Hospital, or houses near it " A committee of seven was chosen to have the charge of the hospital, and several regulations were adopted for their government." Were it not for the extravagancies of even quite recent times, we should, perhaps, smile at this vascilating course. But when we reflect that, although the loathsome disease is now shorn of its principal terrors, yet its appearance in our communities is the signal for all sorts of wild fancies and fears, the smile assumes a doubtful significance.
The winter of 1780 was one of remarkable severity. For forty days, thirty one of which were the month of March, there was no perceptible thaw on the southerly side of any house. The snow was so deep and hard that loaded teams passed over walls and fences in every direction. Says Hon. Bailey Bartlett, in his journal : -
" Snow so deep and drifted that in breaking a path on the Common, we made an arch through a bank of snow, and rode under the arch on horse- back."
The same year is rendered memorable for its " dark day," which occur- red on the 19th of May. For a week or more, the air had been very thick and heavy ; and, on the morning of the above-named day, very black clouds were seen to rise suddenly and fast from the west, and soon covered all New England with almost total darkness. It was darkest from nine o'clock A. M., to half-past three, P. M. About twelve, M., fowls went to roost, frogs peeped, cattle went to their barns, and night-birds appeared. About midnight, a breeze sprung up from the north-west, and the dark- ness gradually disappeared. It was attributed to a thick smoke, which had been accumulating for several days, occasioned by extensive fires in northern New Hampshire, where the people were making many new set- tlements.
If the office of constable was not a desirable one previous to the war, it must have been much less so when the people were so heavily burthened with taxes, as they were about this time. We need not therefore be sur- prised to find that it was found necessary to order the town treasurer to prosecute those refusing to serve when chosen to the office.
The depreciation of the paper currency had become so great, that, in 1781, the town decided not to receive any more for taxes. In September of that ycar, the town had £10,121.4.4 of it in the treasury. Exchange was then seventy-five to one ! This gives to the list of prices of that time
" From the Town Records of 1782, we find the disease was still in the town, and the "Pest House" in active operation ..
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435
HISTORY OF HAVERHILL.
a really formidable appearance. Shoes were £20 per pair ; milk 15s per quart ; plauk 27s per foot ; wood £35 per cord; board &60 per week ; sugar 54s per pound ; meal 78s, and potatoes 96s per bushel ; rum 45s per pint ; molasses 22s per pint ; coffee, 96s, butter 60s, candles 60s, pork 60s, veal 24s, tobacco 36s, and ginger 60s per pound; and everything else in proportion. We copy the following as an additional illustration : -
" 1781. April 16, the town of Haverhill to Nathaniel Bradley
to one mug of flip
3.12.0
to my horse to danvers
24. 0.0
to 3 messes of oats
5. 8.0
to ferrage
1.16.0
to one dinner supper & Breakfast
18. 0.0
.
to one nights Lodging
1.16.0
to 4 mugs of flip
14. 8.0
to 3 half-mugs for my self
5. 8.0
£74.8.0
Errors Excepted
Nathaniel Bradley.""
In 1782, the town's proportion of the State tax was £2,026.4.0, and of the tax laid by Congress, for the war, £1,347.18.04! No wonder that men shrunk from the unpleasant duties of town offices. At the annual meeting that year, Joseph Dodge, Captain Nathaniel Marsh, and Phineas Carleton, were successively chosen town clerk and treasurer, the first two refusing to serve ; and Deacon Moses Clements refused to serve as select- man. Four town meetings were held before a constable for the East Parish was finally secured ! Phineas Nichols and Reuben Currier were chosen, refused to serve, and were fined £5 each; and it was only by voting him their fines as a premium, that Edmund Brown was induced to accept the office !
In 1783, the town voted to instruct their Representative to join the Representatives of Newbury and other towns in the county, to memorialize the General Court in regard to " the unequal distribution of the Courts in the County," and at a subsequent meeting it was voted to concur with Newbury and Almsbury in praying for the removal of all the courts and county offices to Ipswich.
" Six years later, (1787), Rum was two shillings and six pence per gallon ; Shalloon, two shillings and six pence per yard ; Sugar, nine pence per pound ; Chocolate, one shilling and four pence per pound ; Salt four shillings per bushel; Coffee, one shilling and six pence per pound ; Brandy, five shillings per gallon ; Mutton, four pence per pound ; Flour, three pence per pound.
436
HISTORY OF HAVERHILL.
In the early part of May of this year, the selectmen received a letter from the Committee of Correspondence, of Boston, in relation to the return of "refugees " to this country, and an article was inserted in the warrant for a meeting on the 14th of the same month, to see if the town would take any action in the matter. At first, it was voted not to take any ac- tion, but " after some debate," it was
" Resolved, That it is the sense of this Town that their Representative be Instructed that whenever the affair respecting the return of Conspiri- tors or absentees, should be laid before the General Court, by proper authority, that he do use his Influence in said Court to prevent the Return of said persons, until the Reasons for the same be laid before his Consti- tuents, if not Inconsistent with the articles of peace agreed upon at Paris by the Powers of War, in Nov. 1782."
Bailey Bartlett was chosen Representative to the General Court, in 1784, but declined, and Samuel White was then elected. Bartlett had filled the place three years, and was the first one elected by the town under the Constitution. The town acknowledged his past services by a vote of thanks.
At the same time liberty was granted "to the Fire Club to set an Engine House on the west side of the landing, adjoining land of Samuel White."
On the 29th of June, of this year, John Sawyer, who had been partially insane for several years, leaped from the belfry of the First Parish meeting- house. Mr. Bradford, the bell-man, who had but one leg, was ascending to the bell, when Sawyer crowded past him, and, without warning of his design, Icaped from the dizzy height. He intended to throw himself directly upon the whipping post and stocks, which stood a few feet from the north east end of the meeting-house, but over-shot the mark, and landed on the side-walk. The fall broke his back, and he survived but a few hours.
The year 1785 was one of remarkable extremes of weather, &c. April 1st, the snow was three feet deep on a level, and so hard, that as late as the 15th it was used for skating, and still later, bore up cattle. On the 13th, the Merrimack was passable on the ice. In September and October there fell unusual quantities of rain. In the latter month there fell in three days nine inches, and the Merrimack was higher than in the great freshet of 1745. November 25, there was a remarkable snow storm, the snow blowing into balls, one of which ran 76 feet, and measured 17} by 22 inches. December 18th, the frost was out of the ground, and the weather pleasant. One month later, was the "coldest night ever known in the climate."
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HISTORY OF HAVERHILL.
The novelty of the following, (which includes all the articles in the warrant for a town meeting November 14th, 1785) entitles it to a place in a history of the town : -
" First, To see if it be the minds of the Town to have a bank of paper money Emitted if it may be done upon a Solid foundation.
" Secondly, To chuse a committee to draw up Instructions for our present Deputy to forward the Matter that it may be done without delay."
The scheme did not, however, appear to meet with the favor its friends expected. It was " voted not to act on the first article in the Warning," and the second was then passed over, as a matter of course.
In March, 1786, the office of "Surveyor of Bread" was joined with another, called " Clerk of the Market." The latter was from this time regularly chosen annually, until quite recently. The Selectmen were at the same time ordered to regulate the size of all bread sold by the bakers in the town.
This year is rendered memorable, by an insurrection in the western part of the State, headed by one Daniel Shays, and known as " Shays' Rebellion." The origin of these disturbances is to be found in the suffer- ings of the masses of the people under their grievous load of taxes. A few artful and unprincipled men, took advantage of their distresses, and pur- suaded them that they had a right to rid themselves of the restraints of law and government, which had so oppressed them.
Early in August, delegates from about fifty towns assembled at Hatfield, " to consider and provide a remedy for the grievances they suffered," and though they professed to disapprove of mobs, their action so inflamed the minds of the ignorant, that three weeks after, a mob of fifteen hundred men, chiefly armed, assembled at Northampton, and prevented the sitting of the Court of Common Pleas. The spirit of insurrection spread rapidly. The first of September, three hundred armed men took possession of the Court House at Worcester, and would not allow the Court to be opened. Soon after, a similar body assembled at Springfield, under the leadership of Captain Daniel Shays, but found the Court protected by six hundred of the militia, under General Shepard, and after threatening and alarming the people for four days, they dispersed. Similar disturbances occurred in Berkshire, Bristol, and Middlesex Counties, and the governor finally con- vened the General Court to consider the unhappy state of affairs.
Previous to the last named act, the town of Boston held a meeting, and addressed a circular letter to every town in the State, "concerning the common interest of the country." On the receipt of the letter in this town, a meeting was at once called, and a committee chosen to draft a suitable
438
HISTORY OF HAVERHILL.
reply. General Brickett was chairman. At an adjourned meeting the committee reported the following, which was read and adopted, and sent out as the deliberate conclusion of the town. The document breathes the purest and loftiest patriotism : -
" Haverhill, the 10th of October, 1786.
Friends and Fellow Citizens : -
Your circular address of the 11th of September last, to the several towns of this Commonwealth, has been received, and laid before this town at a legal meeting of the same, and a serious attention paid to the importance of the subject. The blessings of a free Government, and an undisturbed, impartial administration of justice, are the peculiar advantages of freemen, and when contrasted with the miseries attendant upon a despotism, appear as objects too dear to be sacrificed without a struggle. So sensible of these advantages were the good people of this Commonwealth in forming their Constitution, that they, with grateful hearts, acknowledge the good- ness of the Great Legislator of the Universe in affording them in the course of this Providence,. an opportunity, deliberately and peaceably, without fraud, violence, or surprise, of entering into an original, explicit and solemn compact with each other, whereby the dignity of man was preserved, his essential rights and liberties guarded, and the fruits of his honest industry and labor secured to him, against the avaricious grasp of a despot or his minions. Under a Constitution so mild and equal, being neither the result of fear or surprise, nor any system imposed upon us by a foreign power ; but made our own free act and deed, by our voluntary censent in which the various branches of government are wisely separated, arranged and organized, and so ample provision made for the regular and impartial administration of law and justice, we flattered ourselves we should have enjoyed for a long time the blessings of peace, good order and harmony. From our government being annually elective by the people, they have a complete control over their rulers, and it is our peculiar advantage that both governors and governed feel alike every public burden, and share in common every calamity and distress.
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