The history of Nantucket County, island, and town : including genealogies of first settlers, Part 14

Author: Starbuck, Alexander, 1841-1925
Publication date: 1924
Publisher: Boston [Mass.] : C.E. Goodspeed & Co.
Number of Pages: 900

USA > Massachusetts > Nantucket County > The history of Nantucket County, island, and town : including genealogies of first settlers > Part 14

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HISTORY OF NANTUCKET

of such methods as they shall think most proper to Suppress the aforesaid persons from being on the wharf or about town after the time of night afore s'd." . It may be noted that Indians and negroes come into the interdicted class without reservation; others are possibilities.

At the Town Meeting held March 18, 1727-8, Nathan Folger was "chosen pound keeper for the pound near his house, John Swain, alias England, to be chosen pound keeper for that pound at Poatpes-John Renuff is chosen pound-keeper for Newtown." This is the first mention of that section of the Town by that name that occurs in the Records.

On July 16, 1728, it was "voted that the town will Receive & draw out their part of the 60,000 pounds allowed to them by an Act of the General Court being 780 1b. Voted that Silvanus Hussey be one of the trustees to receive and improve our part of the s'd money to the towns best Advantage Voted that Ebenezer Gardner be one other of them. Voted that John Macy be the third Trustee for the s'd affair." It is to be feared that this accession to the finances inclined the Town to extravagance for at the meeting held January 10, 1728-9, the sum of £120 was appropriated for the Town's needs for the ensuing year.

March-1728-9, Nathan Folger was chosen "to have the care of the Meadows under the bank near his house and to impound all Creatures found loose thereon and all Creatures teddered on the Common on s'd Meadows."

The brevity of Town Records sometimes presents some in- teresting questions for solution, as for instance at the election of Town officers March 16, 1730-31, John Renuff was chosen a Selectman. Then immediately follows "Voted that John Renuff is discharged from the being Selectman and Ebenezer Gardner is chosen in his stead." Gardner had been on the Board of Select- men for the two previous years, and Renuff was drawn as a petty juryman, which might have interfered with his service as a Town Father .. The action of the meeting did not prevent John from: being chosen a Field. Driver and a Hog Reeve the following year: He was also chosen a Grand Juror.

A Town Meeting was held May 19, 1732 "to choos forty-two men part Indians part English to serve on the jury at the. Superior Court to be held at Sherborn on the 14 day of June next." "The Indians then chosen and voted to serve are these under written, Cawdoode, Eben Cawdoode, Micah Phillip, Jonathan Small, Jonathan Micah, Mattakachame, Micah John, Aaron, John Quaiub, Ben Teshime, John Teshime, Josiah Spotso, Wechigin, James Pocknalı, Anthony Solomon." Of the number Cawdoode, James Pocknah, Micah, Ben Teshime, Josiah Spotso, and Wechegin were chosen Grand. Jurors. The others were appointed to the. Petit Jury. Whether electing Indians to jury duty did not prove a sucecss, or for what reason is not clear, but that year seems to have been the only one in which they were chosen.

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No inconsiderable portion of the time at Town Meetings seems to have been taken up with a discussion of the dog question. Orders were frequently passed for their restraint and occasionally peremptory orders were given for them all to be killed. On the 21st of October, 1734, the "Town taking into consideration the Damage done and like to be done by the great Increase of Dogs among us have voted and agreed that henceforth no dogs be kept on the Island of Nantucket and that all the Dogs that are now shall be Destroyed unless the owner shall send them of the Island or otherways Dispose of them within fifteen days & in the meantime to keep them carefully tyed and prevented from doing any damage. And the Town hath voted and agreed that if any persons shall presume to keep any after the expiration of s'd time he shall forfit and pay the sum of twenty shillings a month to the use : of the Town for such time as he shall keep a Dog. and the town hath chosen & impowered Thomas Macy, John Macy, Nathan Folger, John Coffin, Zephaniah Coffin and Grafton Gardner, or any of them to take care that the above orders be Effect-performed."

At a Town Meeting held January 20, 1734-5, it was voted to pay Jethro Starbuck and Thomas Macy £20, "for their trouble and charges in managing the loan money." It was further voted "that one hundred and fourty one pounds seven shilings and eight pence the Remainder of the Interest* of the loan money shall remain in the treasurers hands for the use of the town he accompting with the Town for it."

At the Annual Town Meetings held March 23, 1735-6, it was voted "that Samuel Ray be a Packer to view and prevent any fraud in flesh exposed to sale by the barrel for the year Insuing.' At the same meeting the Selectmen, or any three of them, were authorized "to examine and audit the Town Treasurers account and make Return thereof into the town meeting in January next." Jeremiah Gardner, George Hussey and Eleazer Folger were appoint- ed a committee "to Draw up & send an address to the Governor concerning the Superior Court from this County to Barnstable."t On May 10, 1736, George Bunker was elected Representative to the General Court and he was instructed "to perfer a petition to the general court to pray them that we might have a special court held on our Island for the tryall of any Capital crime and high mis- demeanor that may hereafter happen to be committed here in consideration of the great charge of going to some other county.".

On January 17, 1736-7, it was voted that the charge of record- ing the ear-marks of sheep "be put into the raise for every man to pay the equall proportion who had one or more marks to Record."

*Principal is doubtless meant as £780 was the entire sum orignally received and the Town at once appropriated £120 for current needs.

¿Dec. 17, 1736, the General Court enacted this law-"Whereas the Inhabitants of the Island of Nantucket Complain of the Great Hardship & Expense of transporting their Criminals to the County of Barn- stable in Order to be tryed Be it further Enacted by the Authority afores'd that from henceforth all Capital offences or other High Misde- meanors that shall arise or be Committed within the Island of Nan- tucket or the dependencies thereof shall be heard and tryed at an Infer'r Court of Judicature, Court of Assize and Gen'l Goal Delivery to be holden for that purpose within the Island of Nantucket or some place within the Same and at such time as the Gov'r & Council advising with the Justices of the s'd Court shall from time to time direct and appoint according as occasion may be." (Mass Archives Vol. 65, p. 116.)

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On July 11, 1736, (?7), John Aaron, James Mamuk, Josiah Spotso, Mattakachame Micah, all Indians, were selected for Grand Jurymen and Micah Phillips, Anthony Solomon, Isaac Woose, old Saul, John Quaiab, John Teshime, James Pock, and Titus Ezeky, also Indians, were chosen for Petit Jurymen.

In 1738, the rat problem seems to have presented itself to the Islanders for solution. The fisheries and their accompanying trade were employing an increasing number of vessels and doubt- less rats were among the undesirable importations. At a meeting of the Town held May 22d of that year it was "Voted that every person that shall from henceforth kill a Rat and carry his head unto the town Treasurer shall for every such Rat Receive Six-pence Reward which the Treasurer is hereby ordered to pay, this Act to continue & be in full force for one year Insuing the Date provided the s'd Rat shall be so full grown as to be all over Covered with hair." This vote was formally and solemnly "consented to" by the Selectmen as appears by their signed indorsement, though why this consent should have been deemed necessary is not apparent. At a Meeting of the Town January 15, 1739-40 this vote was renewed to stand in force for another year, which would seem to indicate that it had proved efficacious.

. There would seem to have been some hesitancy on the part of the hogreeves in regard to enforcing the Town's orders or some fear as to how far their acts would be supported, for at the Annual Meeting held March 18, 1739-40, it was voted "that the Town will support and Defend the Hogreeves in any action or Suit they may be concerned in for Impounding any hogs Going at large or that are liable to be impounded by law."

· At the Annual Meeting of the Town March 9, 1740-41, "it being put to vote wether the Town will build some fortifications to prevent an enemy from comming into the harbor it passed in the negative." * The rats seem to continue their depredations and the voters seem satisfied with the effect of their campaign against the pest as it was voted "that the order made for killing Rats be Revived and Confirmed for the year Insuing." A new source of trouble seems to have arisen-geese were becoming troublesome-the salvation of ancient Rome was a nuisance on Nantucket, and it was voted "that no Geese shall henceforth Run on the common and if any be found there it shall be free for any to kill them and have their bodies."

At the same meeting the salary of the Town Clerk was set at 20 Shillings New Tenor, or three pounds of Old Tenor per annum. On the same occasion 'It being put to vote wether Francis Blockhouse of Barnstable a weaver shall be admitted an Inhabitant here it passed in the negative." This rejection of an undesirable, a not infrequent circumstance in many towns in the Massachusetts Bay, was so rarely resorted

*There was a chronic state of war between England and France, and French privateers hovered continually around the coast.

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to in Nantucket, thta this appears as a single, isolated case. It is to be regretted that the early records of the Trustees or Selectmen do not appear to have been preserved until long subsequenty. They may have explained some acts of the Town, which at present are difficult to understand. 1:

That there was a military company on the Island, in spite of the vote regarding fortifications, is evident from a vote passed March 24, 1740-41, providing "that the charge of Drums and Colours for the Military foot Company shall be Defrayed out of the Town treasury."

It was decided not to send any Representative to the General Court for the May session, in 1741, but on July 6th, the Town elected Capt. Josiah Coffin to that position, to the Court "to be held at Boston, July 8th, 1741, during their session and sessions for the year Insuing."

At the Town Meeting, January 19, 1741-2, it was voted "that the selectmen be impowered to purchase some quantity of corn with the Publick Money, to supply the poor with, if they find it neces- sary."

On February 22nd, 1742, the Town voted to choose "36 to be for Jurors of the Superior Cort and 109 for petty Jurors." Why so many were to be chosen is not clear. Challenges would seem to have been numerous.

At a Town Meeting held April 12, 1743, the Town applied the principle of betterments to highway alterations. At that meeting it was voted, "that the Town will have the highway near Ebenezer Calef house to be a little altered so as the Selectmen Judge to be more convenient for the Towns use if he the s'd Ebenezer 'Calef will be at the charge of it, it being also for his benefit." At the same meeting the Town voted to allow William Swain three pounds for the use of his house in the small pox time.

At the Annual Meeting of the Town, held March 14, 1744, Matthew Jenkins was elected "leather sealer for the year Insuing."

"At a Town Meeting at Shurborn on Nantucket July ye 5, 1744, George Bunker Esq., is chosen Moderator for this meeting. Voted that this meeting be adjourned until the 7th of July following at which time being met the meeting was opened. Voted that Ben- jamin Jinks of Tiverton, clothier, be admitted an Inhabitant here if he Removes hither within one year & a half next Insuing.".

On July 11, 1744, jurymen were drawn to serve at the Superior Court to be held at Barnstable on the third Tuesday of July for the Counties of Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket.

January 24, 1746, the Town voted to "Build a light house on Brant point." Ebenezer Calef, Jabez Bunker and Obed Hussey were chosen to "be the men to take care to build the light house." On the 28th of the following April, the Town passed the following seemingly incomplete vote: "that whereas there is a light house built at the Charge of the Town on Supposition that the owners and

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others concerned in the shipping will maintain the s'd light as they shall think to be the most for their conveniency During the pleasure of the Town." As there was no other business transacted at the meeting, which seems to have been called solely for the considera- tion of this matter, the inference is that the Town desired it under- stood that the owners of the shipping were expected to maintain the building and light.

December 17, 1746, the Town again voted to have all the dogs on the Island of Nantucket killed and appointed a committee of seven to be the executioners. Any other inhabitant had the privilege of sharing in the slaughter. A reward of "ten shillings for a large dog and five shillings for a little one old tenor," was offered to increase the interest in the process of extermination.

January 13, 1747-8, it was voted "that the Town will fence the Beach near brant point, to preserve the harbor and that Mat- thew Jinkens & Nathan Coffin, manage s'd fence."

A foot note following the record of the Town Meeting of March 14, 1748, announces that "The old prison at Wesco is Sold to William Swain for 18"10'.0 old tenor." There is no record concerning the transaction regarding the cause or authorization ex- cepting this.

September 14th, 1748, "Voted that the watch in the Town at present shall begin at Eight of the clock in the evening except on seventh day night and first day night it shall begin at seven o'clock." "Voted that the watch at break of day may return to their Home."

. : January 31, 1749-50, It was voted to petition the General Court to change the date of the local March Court "to the last tuesday in february or the first in March." *. At the same meeting a committee of three was chosen to audit the Treasurer's accounts.

For some unexplained reason the Annual Meeting of March 13, 1749-50, resulted in a complete overturn of the Board of Selectmen. Some members of the Board of the previous year had served for several years, some of them for as many as twenty-five but they all went down in the political upheaval. ;

January 30, 1750, it was voted "that the Town will buy an Engine to Quench fire of £18.0.0 price Sterling. Voted that Silvanus Hussey, Abishai Folger and Richard Coffin be the men to procure s'd Engine.".

May 22, 1751, George Hussey, Richard Coffin and Grafton Gardner were appointed a committee to draw up a petition to the General Court praying for an abatement in the Province tax assessed against the Town "s'd Town being Humbly of the mind that they "are Rated much above their proportion."

January 15, 1752, the Town passed an order "that all neat

*The Court day was the last Tuesday in March. It does not ap- pear that the General Court sanctioned a change.

tThomas Macy had served 25 consecutive years, and Paul Starbuck 13 years with a single vear interim.

. i

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creatures horns be sawed off from three years old and upwards by the first of May next." A penalty of five shillings awaited the owner for each failure to comply with this law and Shubael Pinkham was appointed to prosecute all who did not so comply.

March 18, 1752, the Town voted "that the watch house in Wesco be the place to keep the Engine in in the place where it now stands. Voted that Six Men be chosen to take care of s'd Engine. Voted that Richard Mitchell, Zacheus Macy, Paul Bunker, William Coffin, John Coleman Jun'r, & Hezekiah Coffin be the Men to take care of said Engine & repair the House fit for the Reception of said Engine and safe keeping of the same."

There appears to have been a desire on the part of the Proprietors of the common and undivided land to purchase the fence which the Town had erected at Brant Point and which ad- joined that of the Proprietors, but at a meeting held January 10, 1753, it was voted not to sell it. The Town did vote, however, that it would join the "fence that was set on Brant point with the Proprietors Fence that now Incloses s'd Point & jointly make one fence in common where it now stands or in any other more Con- venient Place in order to preserve the Harbour & maintain the same so effectually (if possible) that no Beasts may be able to break into the same & if any do they shall be dealt with as by Law in such cases is provided."

Another somewhat mystifying item as it stands by itself in the Town's Records is found under date of January 30, 1754, which states that the Town voted "that the affair concerning the Doctor's bill of charge for what was done for Nathaniel Clark at Rhode Island be continued till the next meeting." At the next meeting action was again postponed and there the matter seemed to end. What happened to Nathaniel Clark in Rhode Island, or whether it was a case of supposed liability or simply charity is left to conjecture.

Up to the year 1754, there appears to have been no attempt to separate the early Town Records from those of the County and Proprietors, with which they were somewhat bewilderingly entangled. On February 13 of that year the Town voted" "that the records that belong to the Town that are Intermixed with the County & Proprietors Records be Transcribed into a Book by themselves to be in the Care of the Town Clerk. Voted the Town Clerk, Proprietors Clerk & County Register shall Transcribe what each hath in his Custody & Deliver them to the Town Clark and County Register." It would appear that this order never was carried into full effect as the early volumes contain vital statistics, records of meetings, deeds and court records in the same books.

On October 9, 1754, at a legally warned meeting of the Town, "that part of the Excise Bill now Depending in the General: Court Relating to the Private Consumption of Wines, & Spirits Distilled Came under Consideration and after a full Disquisition: : of the m'atter-Voted Unanimously that the Passing that part of the Excise Bill into a law Relating to the Private Consumption of Wines & Spirits Distilled is against the minds of this Town. Voted Unanimously that the Thanks of this Town be given to his : Exel- ency the Governor for his not Signing of the aforesaid . Bill &

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Desire him to Remain of the same mind at the Setting of the General Court next.'

At the Annual Meeting March 19, 1755, Matthew Barnard and Samuel Ray were elected "gaugers of Liquid Matter." At the same meeting, Grafton Gardner, Richard Coffin, David Gardner, John Gardner and Abel Gardner were chosen "a Committee in behalf of the Town to view the Land between the Dewelling House (s) of Barnabas Gardner & John Coffin Sheriffs & use such measures as they shall think Proper to obtain a Public Highway for the use of the Town through the same in such Part of said Land as they shall think fit." The peculiar personnel of the committee leaves it doubtful whether it was intended to persuade Barnabas Gardner or intimidate John Coffin.

At the Annual Meeting March 27, 1756, the minor officers were again selected by a hand vote.

A meeting of the Town was called December 8, 1756, to take measures to have the Province tax for the current year abated. Abishai Folger, Esq., the Representative in the General Court was instructed to urge the Town's claim and Jonothan Coffin, Esq., was appointed to co-operate with Mr. Folger in drawing up a suitable petition to present to the Court setting forth the many reasons for an abtement and stating that the Town is "Humbly of opinion as said Tax now stands that it is Impossible for said Town to pay it."*

February 23, 1757, it was voted to repair the Town house.

The salary of the Collector of Taxes for 1758 was fixed at £33.6s.8d lawful money. Thomas Arthur was elected Collector. It was again ordered at the Annual Meeting that the ends of the horns of next cattle be sawed off, a penalty of eight pence attach- ing to those who failed to obey the order.

At a Town Meeting held July 26, 1758, for the purpose of acting on the matter, it was "Voted that the Town will build a Light House on Brant Point .*** Voted that Abishai Folger, Za-

*When the English government inhumanly exiled the Acadians from their homes in Nova Scotia and dispersed them among their Anglo- American Colonies Nantucket had its assignment of 33 to which one was subsequently added. In the Archives of the State on page 174, vol. 23, (French Neutrals) is the Statement of the Town on the expense of sustaining them from Feb. 8, 1756 to Aug. 14 of the same year, amount- ing to £26.19.3. The division was apportioned according to the taxable wealth of the towns. On page 3 of Vol 24 is a list of the names and ages of those assigned to Nantucket. They were in March 1758, as by the record:

Germa (i)n Dupee aged 69

yrs.Peter Brufe (Sickly)

44 yrs.

Mary Dupee, wife (Infirm)

" Mary Brufe his wife

Michaell Dupee his son

" Peter Brufe, his son

John Dupee, Do

25 Mary Brufe his Daughter

Margaret Dupee, Daughter, (Sickly)

Hannah Dupee, Do

Modlin Brufe Daughter

Modlin Dupee, Do

" Elizabeth Brufe Daughter

-iver Dupee

Francis Brufe son

Ann Dupee his wife

31 Joseph Brufe Son

Mary Dupee his Daughter

5 Jermane Dupee aged

yrs.

Margarett Dupee Daughter

1 Margarett Dupee daughter

Francis Dupee

Peter Dupee son aged

Margarett Dupee his wife

24 John Dupee son

Francis Dupee his son

= Mary Dupee Daughter

4 Joseph Dupee son

" Susanah Dupee daughter

1 Charles Dupee son Francis Dupee son

Mataine Brufe his Daughter

Margaret Brufe Daughter

3 Ann Dupee his wife

Ann Dupee Daughter

Margaret Dupee Daughter Joseph Dupee Son

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HISTORY OF NANTUCKET

cheus Macy & Richard Mitchell be a Committee to get a Light House built on Brant Point and to carry on the affair till the Light House be Completed. Voted that the aforesaid committee build such a Light House as stood there heretofore which was lately burnt down."

At a meeting on January 30, 1760, the Town voted to "chuse a number of men to walk the Town in the night season and on the first Day of the week to suppress the Growing Disorders of the young people in the said Town and all others that are dis- orderly and act Inconsistently with the Principles of Morality & Virtue.

Voted that Obed Hussey, Thomas Arthur, Elisha Coffin, Samuel Ray, Christopher Hussey, Paul Bunker, Urfah Gardner, Heze- kiah Coffin, Nathaniel Macy, Simeon Gardner, Richard Chad- wick, Paul Gardner, Shubel Pinkham, Peleg Bunker, John Gardner, Jr., & Francis Brown be the men to serve the Town in the above written Capacity for Six months next Ensuing."

At the Annual Meeting, March 19, 1760, Thomas Arthur was re-elected Collector of Taxes, and his salary was fixed at two and a half per cent on collections.

It would appear that the office of Constable was worth some- thing to the incumbent for the record for this meeting states that "Micah Coffin is to give thirteen & four pence & Joseph Bunker five and four pence for the place. of Constables."

The same meeting also chose Francis Barnard and Peleg Bunker "to Inspect and take care of the Engine." The record also shows a different procedure regarding the election of a county Register, as it states that "the votes for a county Register were brought in and Delivered to the Constable to (be) brought in to the Court of General Sessions of the Peace at october next ac- cording to Law."

At a meeting held December 31, 1760, "It being put to vote whether the Town will build a Workhouse for the use of the Town it passed in the negative."

At the Annual Meeting March 25, 1761, Capt. Obed Hussey, Joseph Rotch, Richard Coffin, Hugh Catchcart, Frederick Folger and Thomas Arthur were elected "Wardens." There is nothing in the Record to indicate what their duties were but presumably they were Fire Wardens. The same constables were again chosen and their offers were slightly increased excepting that Bunker's was the higher. The meeting chose Elisha Coffin, Peleg Bunker, Thomas Macy and Solomon Gardner to be night watchmen for £800 old Tenor for one year. Elisha Coffin was chosen "Master of the Watch" and the meeting voted to have a "watch House built for the use of the Town."

At a meeting held May 20, 1761, it was voted "that the Town will make application to the General Court to Desire them to pass a Act to put a stop to Masters and Mistresses of Houses entertain- ing Minors at unreasonable hours of the Night in Drinking, Carous- ing and frolicking Contrary to the Mind of their Parents or Masters.

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Voted that the Selectmen of the Town of Sherborn be a Committee to draw up a petition in behalf of the Town and present the same to the General Court in order to have the above mentioned vices suppressed."

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The history of Nantucket County, island, and town : including genealogies of first settlers, Part 14

Author: Starbuck, Alexander, 1841-1925 Publication date: 1924 Publisher: Boston [Mass.] : C.E. Goodspeed & Co. Number of Pages: 900

Author: Starbuck, Alexander, 1841-1925
Publication date: 1924
Publisher: Boston [Mass.] : C.E. Goodspeed & Co.
Number of Pages: 900