The history of Milton, Mass., 1640 to 1877, Part 5

Author: Teele, Albert Kendall, 1823-1901 ed
Publication date: 1887
Publisher: [Boston, Press of Rockwell and Churchill]
Number of Pages: 776


USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Milton > The history of Milton, Mass., 1640 to 1877 > Part 5


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1601 Marche


" Elizabeth ye daughter of George Tucker Gent was baptized ye five and twenty day."


38


HISTORY OF MILTON.


He went from Weymouth to Gloucester, where he was the Town Recorder, and subsequently returned to Weymouth.


From Weymouth he came to Milton, near the time of the incorporation of the town, and purchased land on " Bresh Hill," in November, 1663.


1602 Marche


" Maria ye daughter of George Tucker Gent was baptized ye four and twenty day." The next entry, by a different writer, was quite difficult to make out.


1604


" Robert ye sonne of George Tucker Gent one of the Burghers at this font was baptized ye VII of June."


The Robert Tucker here spoken of was doubtless the progenitor of the Milton Tuckers. A more extended and minute examination of the registers of this church at " Milton- next-Gravesend" might have settled the question; but Mr. Tucker was not able to pursue the examination in his visit of 1885.


The date of Robert Tucker's birth here recorded corresponds with the dates given in Doomsday.


A more careful search of the Registry of Baptisms at this church, in 1887, brought to light the baptism of John in 1599, and of Henry in 1612, thus making this record identi- cal with the Harliean manuscripts, and establishing the fact that the Robert Tucker here spoken of was the son of George Tucker, 2d, and his second wife, Maria Darrett.


The Harliean manuscripts omit the birth of daughters.


" HARLIEAN MANUSCRIPTS."


" Reports of the visitations - County of Kent in 1619, 1620, 1621 - Harliean 1106."


" Willielmus Tucker of Thornley, County of Devon, m. Jona Ashe -had sons George, Thomas, John.


" George Tucker [I] m. Maria Hunter of Gaunte and had five sons, George, [2] Nich- olas, Tobias, Mansfield and Daniel."


"George Tucker [2] m. first Elizabeth dau. of Francis Stoughton and had son George [3] born say 1595. He m. second Maria Darrett and had three sons : John born abt. 1599, - Robert born 1604 and Henry born 1612."


Daniel Tucker, presumed office under Bartholomew Gosnold in 1602, gave his name to "Tucker's Terror," on Cape Cod, and was probably with Gosnold in 1608. Being uncle of John, Robert, and Henry, sons of George [2], he may have induced his nephews to come to this country. John was the progenitor of the Newbury Tuckers; Robert of the Milton Tuckers; and Henry was, perhaps, the Henry Tucker of Bermuda, 1662.


GEORGE TUCKER OF " MILTON-NEXT-GRAVESEND."


George Tucker the first was a man of note in the ancient " Milton-next-Gravesend." In the history of Gravesend donated to our Public Library by H. A. Whitney, pp. 83, is given an account of the controversy in regard to the advowson of the Milton Manor: "The Manor descended to Sir Thomas son of Sir Henry Wyatt and he, in 1540, demised the same, with the two turns in the advowson annexed, to Henry VIII. But when Queen Elizabeth, in 1572, conveyed the Manor to George Tucker, no notice was taken of the advowson."


The first charter of the Incorporation of the Towns and Parishes of Gravesend and Mil- ton was given July 22. 1562, in the fourth year of Queen Elizabeth, and there were ten Jurats appointed of whom George Tucker was the second. (pp. 189.)


A second charter was given June 5, 1568 ; of the 12 Jurats, George Tucker was the fourth. In 1572-3, Sept. 3. Of the twelve principal inhabitants of Gravesend and Milton, George Tucker is mentioned as third.


In 1634 a third charter was given, and Henry Tucker, supposed youngest brother of Robert, was the fifth of the twelve Jurats.


In 1637 the same Henry Tucker was Mayor of Gravesend and Milton. Soon after this the Tucker family disappears, and no further trace of it is found in the annals of " Milton- next-Gravesend," confirming the generally accepted tradition that, at about this time, the younger members of the family, onc after another, emigrated to America.


Robert Tucker of Milton died March 9 1681-2 : he is spoken of by Rev. Peter Thacher as " Goodman Tucker " and often as " old Mr. Tucker.""If he is the Robert Tucker bap- tized at " Milton-next-Gravesend," he would be 78 at his death.


39


BOUNDARIES.


He was the first town recorder of Milton, was selectman for several years, and also represented the town at the General Court.


The inference naturally suggested to Mr. Robbins was that Robert Tucker, or some of the first inhabitants, following the common custom of naming the towns in New England from their homes in Old England, gave to this town the name of Milton.


The committee, appointed eight years ago to prepare a town seal, found this argument so natural and probable that they were led to adopt, as the crest of the shield on the town seal, a fac-simile of the north-western front of the ancient church of Milton Abbey, now standing in Dorsetshire, England.


The town, by a unanimous vote, accepted the report of the committee, adopted the design presented as the corporate seal of the town, and thus gave their approval to the conclusion of the committee.


BOUNDARIES.


The geographical boundaries of the Dorchester plantation were not fixed until several years after the occupancy of the territory.


In September, 1635, the report of a committee, previously appointed, on the question of boundaries was accepted, " estab- lishing the south line of the Town, on the sea at some point in Quincy Bay, south of Squantum, giving a considerable portion of the upland and all the salt marsh on the south bank of the Neponset to the Town of Dorchester: an extent of ten miles of shore, including nearly the whole of the south-west side of the harbor."


From this and other reports we learn that the south line of Dorchester began at Sachem's brook, near the site of the old "salt works," and extended in a straight line to the top of Great Blue Hill.


In 1636 the town of Dorchester obtained a grant of all the land south of the Neponset to the Blue Hills; and Sergeant Collicot secured from the Neponset Sagamore Kitchamakin a conveyance of this territory for fifty fathoms of wampum, to- gether with forty acres of land for himself, adjoining lands already held by him on that side of the river.


This grant included the whole territory subsequently set off as Milton, excepting a portion of the south-westerly part of the town, purchased by individuals and annexed to Milton, and a


40


HISTORY OF MILTON.


second annexation from Braintree on the petition of several citizens.


MILTON BOUNDARIES.


The boundaries of Milton, when set off, were as follows :


On the north Neponset river, separating it from Dorchester, excepting the Grain Mill.


On the south a straight line drawn from near the north-east base of Woodcock Hill (now Forbes Hill) to the top of Great Blue Hill, separating the town from Braintree.


On the east the line dividing the salt marsh and upland on the south side of the river, as far as Sagamore creek, and thence by said creek and an irregular line to the corner boundary at Woodcock Hill, - Milton taking all the marsh, and Braintree the upland.


On the west, a line drawn from the termination of the south- ern boundary on the top of Great Blue Hill in a course about N. 36₺ W., until it strikes the Neponset river. This territory contained an area of about seven thousand acres.


Fifty and ninety-two years afterwards this area was greatly extended by the accession of two large tracts of land on our southern boundary.


BLUE HILL LANDS.


The town of Boston owned a tract of land lying in Braintree, called the "Blue Hill Lands" comprising an area of three thousand acres.


This whole tract, abutting the southern boundary of our town, was purchased by four citizens of Milton, Manassah Tucker, Samuel Miller, John Wadsworth, and Moses Belcher, by deed from the town of Boston, dated May 9, 1711. April 21, 1713, Moses Belcher conveyed to his three associates for £385, by quitclaim deed, his quarter of the purchased land, and the whole tract was divided between Manassah Tucker, Samuel Miller, and John Wadsworth, December 24, 1713.


The purchase was made by the grantees with the expectation that the whole tract would be annexed to their own town.


The town of Milton 1 was equally anxious to gain this acces- sion to its territory, and petitioned the Legislature to this effect.


1 MILTON'S PETITION.


The humble petition of the Town of Milton - Showeth - That whereas they have lately with a great sum of money purchased of the Town of Boston a great tract of land con- taining about three thousand acres of land, called by the name of the " Blue Hill Lands," bounded upon Milton Line, northerly by Dorchester Land, westerly by land called Mr. Hully's and easterly by Monotocot River, and whercas the tract of land is a part con- tained within the Township of Braintry, your petitioners most humbly pray the favour of


41


BOUNDARIES.


Braintree 1 also presented strong claims to the land, alleging in remonstrance that though the best part may lie nearer Milton, the greater part was nearer Braintree.


To settle the question as to jurisdiction, the whole matter was referred to the Great and General Court for a decision.


this great and General Assembly to annex the same to, and make it a part of the Town- ship of Milton, to which end the said town of Milton humbly pray your Excelleney and Honor to consider, for the following reasons : -


That the situation of the land is some miles nearer to Milton than any other town, the greater or best part of it lying within a mile and a half of the Milton meeting-house.


The poor eireumstanees of Milton, and the straitness of their Township is such that they are under great difficulties and diseouragement in the diseharge of the public charges, and this addition would very much enable and eneourage them to eheerfulness in their publie affairs.


Whoever they are, who shall inhahit and improve these lands must of necessity attend publie worship in Milton, it being so near, and their children also may conveniently have the benefit of sehooling in the same Town, and eannot have it in any other Town.


The inhabitants of said plaee must eart and transport their wood, hay, and other matters through the town, and soon get to be of some advantage as well as a burthen.


The said Town, as is above said, have purehased it, upon which aeeount it is miost equitable they should have the jurisdiction who have the property ; unless any great ineon- venienee to the contrary, whieli eannot be pretended; all which and whatsoever else your poor petitioners have to offer, being considered by the wisdom and justiee of Honorable Court, they humhly hope they may obtain the favour of granting their rights, which shall he most thankfully acknowledged by the Town. To your Exeelleney and Honor Henry Vose, Manassah Tueker, Jolin Wadsworth, a committee in behalf of the Town. March 14, 17II.


1 BRAINTREE'S REMONSTRANCE.


To this petition the Town of Braintree made the following rejoinder : -


" Whereas the Petitioners say they have lately with a great sum of money purchased of the Town of Boston a great traet of land containing about three thousand aeres ealled by the name of the Blue Hill Lands, which said traet of land the petitioners own is contained within the Township of Braintry, but most humbly pray the favour of the Great and General Court to annex the same to, and make it a part of the Township of Milton, for which they offer several reasons to consideration.


" And whereas the Petitioners say in the Preamble to their petition that they have lately purehased &c."


" Ist The Respondents answer, that it was purchased by some few of the inhabitants of the Town of Milton, as private persons, and not by the Town of Milton.


" 2d That the greater the traet of land is the more unreasonable it is, that the petition should be granted."


" Their First reason, That the seituation of said land is (as they say) by some miles nearer to Milton than any other Town, the greater and best part of it lying within a mile and a half Milton Meeting-house.


" The Respondents answer That the matter alleged in this reason is by no means true. But if they had said it was nearer to Milton than any other Town exeept Braintree, it had been well enough for that purpose; the best part may ly near Milton, yet the far greater part of the land lies nearest Braintree.


" As to their second reason, The Respondents answer, That the Township of Braintree being lately divided into two Preeints, are under as great, if not greater difficulties and diseouragements than the Town of Milton ean pretend to be. No doubt but the addition they pleaded for, would enable and encourage them, so it would encourage and enable the Respondents, if such a part of the Town of Dorehester or Milton were added to their Township, but believe the Great and General Court will not judge it reasonable, so have not yet petitioned for it.


" As to their third reason, the truth of which is therein asserted, depending upon the first which is not true, it must fall with it, but supposing it may be true with regard to some few particulars, it is but the common misfortune of some few private persons in all Towns whatsoever.


" As to the fourth reason, The Respondents say, admiting the matter therein contained to be true, yet it is but a common kindness and the Town of Milton do now pass through Braintree to go to the salt meadows.


" As to the fifth reason it is answered already in the answer to the first; in the preamble, in part, as to what remains the Respondents eannot see the reasonableness of


42


HISTORY OF MILTON.


After a full hearing of the facts the Court apportioned fifteen hundred acres to Milton and the same amount to Braintree.


IN COUNCIL, March 14, 1711.


Upon hearing of the committees or agents for the respective towns of Milton and Braintree - Ordered that one half of the three thousand acres of purchased lands within mentioned lying on that side next to Milton be annexed to the Township of Milton; The rest to lye to the Township of Braintrey. And that Isaac Winslow and John Cushing Esqs. with such as shall be named by the Representatives, be a committee to state the Bound line of the division aforesaid accordingly. Mr. Winslow to appoint the time and give notice thereof to both said Towns, and make a report of their doings to this Court.


Sent down for concurrence -


J. HADDINGTON, Sec'y.


IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES March 18, 1711.


Read & Concurred - and Major Samuel Thaxter and Mr. William Den- ison are named to be of that committee.


[Public Archives.]


JOHN BURRILL, Speaker.


DIVISION OF BLUE HILL LANDS. Anno Regni Annee Reginee Undecimo.


At a Great and General Court or Assembly for the Province of the Massa- chusetts Bay in New England, begun and held at Boston upon Wednesday the 28th day of May 1712 convened by her Majesties Writts - May 30, 1712 In Council -


The following is the Report of the Committy appointed to divide Blue Hill Lands between Braintree and Milton executed by the Council and Con- curred by the Representatives of the Province of the Massachusetts Bay May 21 1712.


Where as the Town of Milton hath petitioned the General Court of the said Province, Praying that a sertin tract of land containing about three thousand acres called by the name of Blue Hill Lands, bounded northerly on Milton town line, by then lately purchased of Boston, then lying within the township of Braintry might be annexed to, and be a part of the town- ship of Milton -


Whereupon the said Court did order that the one half of the said tract of land should be annexed to the township of Milton, and the rest to ly to the town of Braintry, and that we the subscribers should be a Commity to settle the land line of the Division according as by the Court's order dated March the 14: 1711 at large appears ; therefore we the said Commity pursuant to the aforesaid order meet upon said tract of land on the 21st day of May aforesaid, and having notified the Select Men of both towns of the time and place of meeting, and the Select Men of Milton being present, but the Se- lect Men of Braintry appeared not - We proceeded and surveyed said tracts of land, and set off the northerly half part thereof to the said Town of Mil- ton, and staked the dividing line between the said towns of Milton &


it, that they who have the property should have the jurisdiction, for as much as that would alter the constitution of most Towns in the Province.


" All which with what else may appear, your respondents humbly hope this great and General Court will see full cause to dismiss the said petition.


"Edmund Quincy, John Cleverly Neamiah Hayden, Peter Adams " Committee in behalf of the Town of Braintree.'


43


BOUNDARIES.


Braintry upon the said tracts of land in manner following, that is to say : ---- Beginning at a heap of stones in the bound line of the easterly end of the three thousand acres of Blue Hill Lands, near to which stands a white oak tree which we marked with the letter M. on the northerly side and B. on the southerly side, and from thence we proceeded and ran a line West, and by South Nine degrees Southerly, and marked several trees in the line with letters as aforssaid, until we came to a Gray Oak tree standing near the cartway leading from Milton to Ponkapog by the foot of one of the Blue Hills, which tree we marked with the letter M. on the north side and B. on the south side; and from thence we run a line West, Southwest, nine de- grees Southerly and marked several trees in the range with letters as afore- said till we came to Dorchester town line where we set up a stake with a heap of stones about it, and marked the said stake with the letter M. on the northerly side and B. on the southerly side thereof. -


ISAC WINSLOW JOHN CUSHING SAMUEL THAXTER WILLIAM DENISON


Consented to J. DUDLEY Copy as of Record Examined by ISAC ADINGTON Secretary. [Court Records.]


FIRST ACCESSION, 1712.


The Blue Hill Lands comprised what is now the south part of Milton and the west part of Quincy. They were bounded on the north by the original south line of Milton, from the "Sturdy Oak " (now marked by a granite pillar near the ter- mination of Quarry Lane) to the top of Great Blue Hill ; on the south by Blue Hill River ; on the west by Dorchester (now Canton) line; and on the east by an irregular line running south-easterly from the sturdy oak to a point on Blue Hill River near the outlet of Narroway or Great Pond.


DIVISION.


The commissioners, in dividing these lands between Milton and Braintree, run a nearly straight line in a south-westerly direction through the tract. They began at a white-oak tree in the easterly line, about a mile south-south-east from the " sturdy oak." This point is now marked by the stone post at that corner of Milton. The line runs west-south-west nearly a mile to a point near Randolph avenue, where stood a gray-oak tree " near the cartway leading from Milton to Ponkapog by the foot of one of the Blue Hills" (now called Chicatawbut). Here the line bends a little more towards south-west, and thus continues about two miles, meeting in its course the stone post near the Hunt house, to the Dorchester (now Canton) line at a point about thirty rods south of Hillside street. The line


44


HISTORY OF MILTON.


is crossed by Hillside street at the stone post just east of. the Hunt house, and again near the Johnson house.


The territory lying between these lines and the original south- ern boundary from Woodcock Hill to the top of Great Blue Hill comprises the fifteen hundred acres annexed, or one half of the Blue Hill lands purchased by the before-mentioned men of Milton. By this division all the houses now standing in Mil- ton, on Hillside street, west of the Thomas Hunt house, except the Houghton and Johnson houses, are on land then set off as the Braintree half of the Blue Hill lands. The Houghton house was built at the time of this division, and probably the John- son house.


In 1722 Joseph Houghton conveyed to his son Ebenezer a tract of 150 acres of land, " bounded southerly by Monatocut brook or river; westerly by Benjamin Crane ; northerly by Milton and Braintree old line; and easterly by Nathaniel Houghton. Containing by estimation 150 acres more or less situate in the townships of Milton and Braintree in the County of Suffolk ; it lyeth in a tract of land lately purchased by some particular men of Milton of the town of Boston or of their agents, and it is called Blue Hill Land. This tract of land was formerly laid out by Mr. Thaxter in lots and this is the third lot in number."


The lots laid out by Mr. Thaxter were probably No. 1, the Tucker Lot, extending from Dorchester line to Silver brook ; No. 2, the lot of Benjamin Crane ; No. 3, the Joseph Houghton Lot ; and Lot No. 4, the Nathaniel Houghton Lot.


It is altogether probable that William Tucker came into pos- session of Lot No. 1 through his father Ebenezer Tucker from his grandfather Manassah Tucker, one of the original purchas- ers of the Blue Hill Land, and conveyed the same to his nephew, Ebenezer Tucker, Jr., though many suppose the house and lot belonged to John Puffer. Of this I have no proof. A deed from William Tucker, to Ebenezer Tucker, Jr., yeoman, dated March 12, 1754, conveys " three fourths of a piece of land con- taining 60 acres more or less lying partly in Milton and partly in Braintree and bounded as follows: northwesterly by the road leading from Milton & Stoughton; southwesterly by the boundary lines between Milton Stoughton and Braintree & Stoughton [formerly Dorchester], southeasterly by land of John Puffer, and northeasterly by a brook parting between the premises and land of Benjamin Crane, with the dwelling house and other buildings standing thereon."


These lands remained as a portion of Braintree until 1754,


45


BOUNDARIES.


when the owners united in a petition to the General Court to be set off to Milton.1


As the origin of this whole territory of eighteen hundred and forty acres annexed to Milton, on the south, after the incorporation of the town, has hitherto been involved in uncer- tainty, and the facts regarding it have been misapprehended and unintentionally misstated, especially with reference to this south-west corner, it is deemed necessary that deeds of con- veyance, petitions, remonstrances, and all authorities be given in full to establish the statements now set forth.


This tract has also been carefully delineated on the Histori- cal Map, to make it plain to those who choose to investigate the history of this section of our town.


1 PETITION OF PARTIES TO BE SET OFF FROM BRAINTREE TO MILTON.


Province of Massachusetts.


To his Excellency William Shirley Esq. Captain General and Governour in Chief, and the Hon. the Council and Hoble the House at Representatives of Boston in General Court assembled by adjournment March 27, 1754 Humbly Sheweth


That your petitioners Nathaniel Houghton Benjamin Crane and Ebenezer Tucker are inhabitants of Milton, and the said Nathaniel hath about two acres of his homestead in Milton, and about eighty acres in Braintree, and the said Benjamin hath about two acres of his homestead in Milton, and about one hundred acres in Braintree; and the said Eb- enezer Tucker hath about five acres in Milton, and about thirty acres in Braintree; and your petitions homesteads are so remote from the Publie Worship and other meetings in Braintree, that in case they should settle any of their children on that part of their home- steads which lye in Braintree, it would necessitate them to pay duty there without any - privilege, their homesteads being about eight miles from the Precinet to which they pay their Precinet dues, which renders it impracticable for them to attend with their families either at Public Worship on the Lords days or at the meetings for secular business, by which means they would entirely lose the privileges which necessarily ought to accompany their duty, and under these eireumstanees to be obliged to pay for the settlement of ministers in Braintree as your petitioners have already done for several, and for many years for their support, without receiving [by reason of your petitioners remoteness] the least benefit, is humbly apprehended to be very greivous, and if your petitioners should settle any of their families on that small part of their homesteads which lie in Milton, it would then stop their whole estates from being entitled to one vote either in Braintree or Milton for want of sufficient estate to qualify them, and whereas your petitioners estates are situated but about three miles from Milton Meeting House, they humbly apprehend it most natu- ral for their whole homesteads to belong to Milton.


And your petitioner Ebenezer Houghton humbly apprehends his care to be attended with still greater hardships by reason, his dwelling is in Braintree, where he pays for the settlement of one minister after another, and for their support and all other Parish dues, without the least benefit accruing to him for the same, by reason of his remoteness from the places of public meetings both for religious worship and for seeular business, he not remembering his being once notified to any Public Meeting, and it not being practicable for him with his family to attend Public Worship or other mectings, yet compelled to pay to Braintree though your petitioner Ebenezer Houghton with his family constantly attend Public Worship at Milton, Braintree being about eight miles distant from his dwelling house, and Milton about three miles-for all which reasons your petitioners humbly move your Exeellencies and Hors compassionate consideration of their circumstances, and that you will be pleased to sett off the estates of your petitioners Nathaniel Houghton, Benjamin Crane and Ebenezer Tueker, to the town of Milton, and your petitioner Ebene- zer Houghton with his estate to Milton, or afford them such relief in the premises as in your known wisdom and justice shall be thought proper, and your Petitioners as in duty bound still ever pray.




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