USA > Massachusetts > Dukes County > Marthas Vineyard > The history of Martha's Vineyard, Dukes County, Massachusetts, Volume I > Part 17
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Administration of Maj. Matthew Mayhew
shrift, not entirely merited by his general excellence as governor of New York and New England, but all that he stood for became a part of his personality in the eyes of Puritan Massa- chusetts. To all but the official family on the Vineyard the change was most welcome, as it meant a reorganization of the provincial governments, not only in personnel, but in principles and ideals. It indicated the passing of absolutism and the inauguration of popular sovereignty. There is not on file any communication from Mayhew expressing his joy at the change of government, or a welcome for the successor of Andros. The new royal governor, sent out by William and Mary, was Henry Sloughter, who arrived at Fort James early in 1691.
But the absence of an address of welcome and fealty from Mayhew was compensated for by one from Simon Athearn, and aside from its interest as a contemporary view of the conditions upon the Vineyard, it shows how the oppo- sition regarded the new order of things, and hoped for a cor- rection of their wrongs. It is therefore printed in full, and is as follows: -
May it please your Excelency
To lend an ear, Considering the things nessessary for the good & wel being of the English Inhabutants of martains vinyard who are your servants waiting for your good & faverable settlement of your powerfull afars with us: more espetially me your most humble servant who desiers to praise God for your safe ariveall at new york with their majesties Commishon whom God have raised up to be the deliverers of our nations: when tidings first Came to us of the Revolution we may truly say (we ware like thay that dream) skersly beleveing so wonderfull a deliveranc: Now forasmuch God have be pleased to give us such gratious soverans a king to be our nursing father & a quene to be our nursing mother, thro many trobls we are in hops to Receive his promise of our Judges as at first and our Counselers as at the begining & our eyes shall see our teachers &c
And now may it not be said God is Rissen, and have taken hold of Judgment against the nations untell he have made his Jerusalem the praise of the wholl Earth. Now to strengthen our things that remaine & to reviewe those that are reddy to die, we pray your aid, to settell the maintenans of the work of the ministrie on martains vineyard, by the tithes. And the wholl Inhabutants to be Comprehended in two assemblys on the Lords day (as it now is) I humbly conceve there is an Eternal warant, Christ being a priest for ever after the order of melchisedec, it being in the order of melchisedec to receive tithes of Abraham: and for what of this settelment, Coms much disorder, both of Contention among the people, and the ministrie often Left vacant: also we pray your ayd that all other rats be raised on the sub- sittie for want of this: there is much rong dun for sumtims the old law book of york is made use ofe to raise mony on our Cattell, at three tims the valu,
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and somtims great rong don by the partiall notions of men who rate persons, for that they have not, our Creaturs runing together, we know not what we have untell the summer and the shearing time Com: only tillage have they rated, all other lands and meddows have beene rate free, (which will not be purchesed with cattel here being about fifty-eight English Inhabutant familys on the Iland & most pore, four of the wich Justices of the peace their estats being rate free burthen the rest, when in our nation thay serve their King & Cuntry for their honnor, but if Justisces of the peace be Com- mishonated (all of one family, what and how thay please to raise monys on the people, without an assembly, the Justisces Estats being rate free) it shews the people are at a low Eeb, but wee hope to be delivered from such arbatrary power, who fish in devishons of the people, and seeke not their peace. We hope your Excelency will defend our towns, in their patant Rights formerly graunted By Governor Lovlesse of new york, to all intents and purposes, Commandement was given to devid the land of Cannan unto the tribs by lot, when possest by the heathen, so our former Governor gave us our townships bounded by pattant to all intents and purposes, whereby we humbly conceive the right by Eternal Equity to be ours; and we hope to be defended in all our town rights to all intents and purposes against Corronal dongans purchas, we are farre of and know not the time but I humbly desier the honorable assembly would Consider our settelment: And that the wholl trade of disposing any strong Liquers to the Indians of the vineyard be stopt, which is a thing of so evil Consequenc in druncken- nesse Eydlnesse & selling their corn for nought, which brings them into poverty and stealing for hunger: The Indians might and would be servis- able in the defenc of the Iland against the Enemy, And doutlisse it would be their great incuragement if your Exelency would be pleased to bestow an hundred armes with amonition for the use of the Indians on the vineyard in time of danger to be delivered unto them and when dainger is past to be returned in to the English keeping in store for the same use: thro marcy we have bene preserved from the foran Enemy, And we trust to be preserved hoping your Excelency will tak Care of us in these perrelous tims desiering your Excelency to pardon the boldnesse of your servant who have thought it my duty thus in writing to pay my most humble Respects unto your Ex- elency desiering the God of heaven to increase in you that wisdom which is from above, and to blesse you with a long and happy Life, which is the prayer of your most humble servant to be Commanded.
SIMON ATHEARN
from tisbury on the vineyard this 6th day June 1691.1
THE VINEYARD ANNEXED TO MASSACHUSETTS.
The leading men of Massachusetts had set in motion, early in 1690, a plan for the renewal of their charter, and the Plymouth people joined them in the same design, sending over the Rev. Increase Mather of Boston and Rev. Ichabod
1N. Y. Col. Mss., XXXVII, 161.
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Administration of Maj. Matthew Mayhew
Wiswall of Duxbury, who with Sir Henry Ashurst, constituted a committee to obtain from the English government new and broader charters. Each colony was striving to be independent of the other, while the royal authorities were intent upon consolidation. Indeed, the agents found a disposition fixed to annex Plymouth to New York, and only after long nego- tiations, extending over the period of a year, was the matter settled, though not to the satisfaction of all parties. The annexation of Plymouth to New York was averted, and the colonies of Massachusetts and Plymouth were united into what is now the present commonwealth, and, what is of local interest to the Vineyard, our island was detached from its old connection with New York and added to the new gov- ernment of Massachusetts. In what manner this was brought about is not known, but that it was done without the knowl- edge of the officials of the Province of New York, and un- known as well to the Mayhews, is evident from all that fol- lowed. The charter of William and Mary, dated October 7, in the third year of their reign (1691), provided for the juris- diction of Massachusetts over certain described territory, not necessary to be rehearsed, "together with the Isles of Capawick and Nantuckett near Cape Cod." In London at that time with these agents, was Sir William Phips, Kt., of Boston, who through the influence of Mather received the nomination as governor of the new Province of Massachu- setts.1 Sir William had been knighted by King James in 1687 for recovering the treasures from a Spanish ship which had been wrecked at St. Kitts, and in August, 1690, was the commander of the disastrous expedition sent against Quebec. He arrived in Boston on May 14, 1692, with the charter, and set about the prosecution of his duties thereunder, with considerable vigor, if not with entire discretion.
L
1William Phips was the son of James Phips, a gunsmith, from Bristol, England, and was born on the Kennebec river, at the present Phipsburg, in 1651. He died in London in 1695, and a monument in the church of S. Mary, Woolnoth, still stands to his memory. He was governor during the horrible witchcraft delusion.
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History of Martha's Vineyard
CHAPTER XVI.
THE VINEYARD AND THE MASSACHUSETTS CHARTER OF 1692.
Within the first week after his arrival, Sir William Phips, Knight, Captain General and Governor-in-Chief of the Prov- ince of Massachusetts Bay, issued his warrants to the towns in the province requiring them to send representatives to "the great and Generall Court to be convened at Boston on the eighth day of June, 1692," and it is known that one reached Edgartown in due season. Great indeed was the consternation among the ruling element. They were in- credulous, as no previous intimation of the political changes had come to their knowledge. Chief Magistrate Mayhew forbade any action upon the warrant, and at once notified the New York authorities. The opposition were as unprepared as the Mayhews, but both began to fight for position. The warrant for the election prescribed the qualification for electors as "a freehold of 4os per ann(um) or other property to the value of £40 sterling," a limitation which reduced the voters in the two towns to small proportions. The wealth of the island was largely centered at Edgartown, where the officials resided, and on a test vote, based upon the property quali- fications, the farmers of Tisbury could not secure a repre- sentative if there should be a general vote. So Athearn con- cluded to select an Edgartown man to receive the suffrage of the qualified electors, and Joseph Norton stood as the can- didate of the opposition. It is not known that there was any effort on the part of the Mayhews to contest the election, as they held the proceedings to be illegal, and warned all concerned against participation in the affair. Doubtless this was their attitude, and when Norton was chosen, they applied their "influences" to persuade him not to attend the session, under penalty of their displeasure, and the consequences of disloyalty to the lawful government established by the duke and his successors. And they nearly succeeded in frightening him off. It required all of the persuasive powers of Athearn to make him stick, as it was of vital importance at this junc- ture that there should be no hesitating or doubtful parti- sans.
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The Vineyard and the Massachusetts Charter
THE MAYHEW ELEMENT OPPOSES THE CHANGE.
The recollections of the "Dutch Rebellion" had not yet faded from the memories of those survivors who had "felt the halter draw" and the example of it was held up by the authorities to deter the opposition from active connection with the new government. All the relatives of the Mayhew family were busy in the campaign of education. The most energetic of them was one the most distantly connected, Benjamin Skiff, and it goes without saying that all sorts of arguments were used to keep the freemen of the Vineyard from rallying around the leader of the opposition. He was handicapped, however, by the financial status of his sup- porters. He constantly refers to "the pore of tisbury," and describes the residents of that town as having "but small cottages to sleep in and buy their heay from Chillmark." It was not yet the time of manhood suffrage, and influence was measured by pounds, shillings, and pence. But to return to the formal efforts of Matthew Mayhew in his letter to the New York authorities. The tenor of his letter is not known, but the record of it appears from the entry in the minutes of the council: -
At a Councell held at Fort William Henry the 12th of August 1692. ..
. Upon reading a Letter from Major Mayhew of Martin's Vineyard to Wm. Nicolls Esq. signifying that the Inhabitants of the Islands in Dukes County are disturbed by some Warrant or order directed to a Constable or some other Person from Boston in New England, as if those Islands were under that Government, to their great Disorder and Confusion.
Their Majesties Pleasure being noe ways signified to those in authority now concerning the Surrender of any Part of this Province or Dependencys unto any Persons whatsoever:
ORDERED that the Officers civil and military of the said County be required and they are hereby required to continue in their obedience to their Ma'ties Authority settled over this their Province pursuant to their severall respective Commissions untill further orders.1
The clerk of the council, under date of August 18, made reply to Mayhew's letter in behalf of Mr. Nicolls, which adds some further particulars: - 2
Maj'r Mayhew
Mr Nicolls having Prduced yor Letter in Council the same being Read it is the Resolution of the Council that you are to Continue in your Obedi- ence & subjeccon to their Ma'ties Government settled over their Province
1N. Y. Col. Mss., Council Minutes, VI, 114.
2Ibid., XXXVIII, 170. A copy is in Mass. Archives, II, 386.
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of N. Yorke pursueant to the severall Commissions Civil & military which you have received Their Ma'ties nor their predecessors having made any Alteracon of the like nature without signifying their pleasure by their Letters mandatory to the Governor or Command'r in Cheife & Council which when we shall receive you shall quickly be advised of yor Duty in the mean time if any person or persons within yor County Doe make any disturbance they must be proceeded against for the same at their perill.
I am advised that yor taxes are levied and wonder they are not trans- mitted unto their Ma'ties Collr & Recr Generall I desire you to be vigilant & Carefull to maintaine their Ma'ties peace and to advise yor bretheren the like I desire to hear from you by the first opportunity of the Condicon of yor Islands & of any accident shall happen.
While this harmless correspondence was being carried on, Simon Athearn was laying the foundations of a new politi- cal structure for himself and the opposition. He accepted the fact that a change had taken place and at once put him- self in communication with the authorities of Massachusetts, to whom almost twenty years ago he had sent that fateful appeal to be taken in under their protection. Now they had been taken in unexpectedly, but none the less gladly and acceptably. Failures in the past did not discourage him, and he essayed this attempt to enlist support as hopefully as though he had never met with defeats. Accordingly, he sent the following communication to Sir William and the council in June, for consideration at the first session of the General Court: -
Wee most humbly petition that marthas vineyard and Elzebeth Ilse and its dependances be considered and made on(e) town or place So one Representative might serve for the whole for we are but about fifty 7 or 8 famelys on the Iland: the east end of marthas vineyard was formerly granted by Mr Tho. Mayhew the elder and sence confirmed by the Gov- ernor of New York unto the Inhabitants freehoulders theire heires or as- signes for ever to be a town ship knowne by the name of Edger town the western most bounds of Edgertown is on the north side of the Iland at holms his hole or the Springs at the head of that Cove called Weahtaqua and bounded on the south side of the Iland called tickanomans neck and so including all the east end of the Iland and the Iland called Chapaquiget with natuk: Tisbury and Chillmark and its dependances is bounded by said bounds of Edger town.
Your most humble petitiner prayeth that tisbury Chillmark & its dependances with all the west end of the Iland might be made one parrish for the better Carrying one of the maintenancof the ministerie there and under one constable one assesment for their majesties service. There is nessessety of Courts of Justice on marthas vineyard I think needful as Capt'n John Gardner of Nantuckett have advised thar one County Court of Common pleas be held onc a year one year at marthas vineyard & one year at nantukett & in case of appeale to boston &c
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The Vineyard and the Massachusetts Charter
The military officers of the Company at Chillmark and tisbury are Capt. Benjamin Skiffe, Left'nt Isaac Chase, Insign John Manter men approved: we propound as most fitt persons at Edger town Mr John Butler to be Captain, Mr Thos: Doggett to be Left'nt, Mr Jacob Norton to be Insign & Mr Joseph Norton to be Sheriff.
In most humble wise we present this to the honourable Council for Consideration: if nothing be don' but expenc of mony & time it will be a matter of discorragment to the good minded people And cause for the enemy to Insult.
Your most humble petitiner shall ever pray for your prosperous Government.1
SIMON ATHEARN
SIMON ATHEARN COURTS THE NEW AUTHORITIES.
Athearn's recommendations were generally fair, there being two of the Mayhew regime included in his list of "fitt persons," but the only one who profited by this appeal was Joseph Norton, who was commissioned as sheriff by Governor Phips in the following month .? At the first sitting of the General Court no comprehensive legislation was enacted, but a naval office was created, with a provision that an officer should be appointed "at Marthas Vineyard . ... to enter and clear all vessells passing to and from hence, but not to be accounted a port for the delivery or lading or any of the enumerated commodities."3 It was evident to the Massa- chusetts legislators that there were factional disturbances on the Vineyard which must be investigated before much could be done for the best interests of the place. Therefore, after the adjournment of the session, the governor and council decided to despatch Major-General John Walley to the scene of the conflict, and Sewall notes in his diary under date of Sept. 30, 1692, that "the Major Generall sets out for Eliza- beth's Iland and Martha's Vineyard." The Mayhews were still unreconciled to the situation and endeavoring to find some flaw in the charter which would restore to them their former grip upon affairs. Already one office had passed out of the family, and the outlook was ominous. Doubtless, many moves were made of which we have no record, and many letters exchanged between the ex-chief magistrate and his New York supporters to block the impending transfer
1Mass. Arch., CXII, 422.
2His commission is dated July 25, 1692, and is found in Mass. Archives, XL, 266. See also Ibid., Vol. 276, for a petition of Athearn for this appointment.
3Acts and Resolves, I, 35.
"Diary, I, 366.
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History of Martha's Vineyard
of allegiance. To conclude otherwise would discredit the political partisanship of Mayor Mayhew, and minimize his dislike of the Puritan colony, which had been set in authority over him.
Governor Phips taking advantage, evidently, of the local property interests which Major Wait Winthrop had in the Elizabeth Islands, commisioned him to go to the Vineyard and add his influence to that of Walley in composing the dis- turbed spirits of the old regime, and if successful to admin- ister the official oaths to them as officers of the new government. The conclusions of Winthrop after an interview with the Major were decidedly pessimistic as to the success of his mission, and he reported that it would be necessary to make some demonstration in force to bring the recalcitrants to terms. His letter addressed to Secretary Addington, makes an inter- esting contribution to the story of current events, and is as follows: -
After I had been here and at my Island some time without opertunity of geting over to the Vineyard, Mr. Mayhew came over and went to Barn- stable and as he returned I met him at this place, and after some discours told him I had his Excellencys order to administer the oath to himselfe and the other officers which the law required, in order to their excercising their Places they were comissionated to, but he utterly refused to accept of any place himselfe, but said he knew not but his brother and Mr. Newcomb might, which he should encourage, and so went home in his canoe and after some time returned me the enclosed papers,2 but before that I was well assured that none of the officers (unless one or two who were not at home), would take the oathes, therefore resolved tho I had met with the opertunity not to have gone over to Expose the Govr'mt as well as myselfe to contempt amongst such a crew as I understand are there, having no other orders but to administer the oaths; and upon their refusal must have but made same return which I now doe. I hope his Excelency will see cause to take effect- uall orders to setle that place before thay have farther orders from York, which I believe thay will expect as soon as a sloop now in Tarpolin Cove can get there, by which I believe thay have made returne to som of the en- closed papers, and desired farther directions; the least that can be don I believe will be to send the sloop3 and some persons of the Council to be joyned in comission with such Justices of the place as may be apointed to to hold a Session or Court there which would effectually settle all matters in that place. I mean not the justices appointed in the former comission by the word crew before mentioned, who I believe would be satisfied if
·
'The letter has no date, but is marked "received October 21, 1692," and was probably written at Woods Hole. (Mass. Archives, II, 383-4.)
2The enclosures were the documents printed on page 183, together with a requisi- tion for £43: 15s as the share of Dukes County in the expense consequent on the defence of Albany, and the reply of the Mayhews to General Winthrop.
3Winthrop refers to the sloop of war belonging to the Province and used for patrolling the coast to look out for armed French ships.
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The Vineyard and the Massachusetts Charter
thay thought their titles would not be questioned, and would then, some of them, be sutable to be continued in comission.
While the Major, in his chagrin at the turn of affairs "did thrice refuse the crown," and professed willingness for his brother to hold office, yet his actions belied his words. He not only counseled others on the Vineyard to hold aloof, but used the same tactics among the people of Nantucket. James Coffin and William Worth, in a letter dated October 13, state the situation on that island: -
"Mr Mayhew sent us over his shrife and Ben: Smith and one man more with the governors orders which we have sent his Excellency a true coppy: at there arivall they ware very high but we discourst with them till we made them calme: but in short we are all well sattisfied by what we understand by them that Mr Mayhew at thare returne with our Answar will goe directly for York: and we have reason to conclude wil doe us all the mischife that he is aboll to doe: and by al that we can gather he hath bin & is the only Instruement to stir up the governer of York against us.1
During the performance of this side-show, far removed from the knowledge of the Massachusetts authorities, the Major was trimming his sails to catch the contrary breezes should it finally become necessary for him to seek a harbor on the strange coast to which his craft was drifting. He was playing a fore-and-aft game now, and as an example of his company manners when dealing with Winthrop as emissary of Governor Phips, the following letter in his own hand- writing and signed by the other two judges of the court, may show the reverse of the picture for which he posed in all humility and deference to the new conditions: - 2
Sir Wee cannot think that our retaining and exercising our severall places of trust under their Majesties for their service in the province New Yorke should be any offence to the Governor of their Province of Massachusets Bay in New England: we having lately received orders from Benjamin Fletcher Esq their Majesties Gov'rn'r of that province commanding and requiring of us there unto on penalty of being sent for to answer such default before him in Councell and having taken oath to govern this County by the lawes of that province before his arivall and think wee may justly suppose himself as their Majesties Governor of that p'vince to have order concerning there Islands, having for so long time appertained thereunto: and shall hope if not request that his Excellency will admit of time to be therein resolved: ourselves being no waies inclined to one or the other government: otherwise then to manifest our obedience to
1Letter to Capt. John Gardiner. Coffin and Worth wrote a reply to Major Mayhew, which was non-committal in character, stating they could not take any definite steps, "for many reasons," basing it on the absence of Captain Gardiner.
2Mass. Archives, II, 387.
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History of Martha's Vineyard
their Majesties commands, which wee thought most to signifie to yourself, understanding that his excellency has given yorselfe some orders concern- ing this County, which is all at present from,
Your friend & servant, MATT: MAYHEW RICHARD SARSON THOMAS MAYHEW
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