USA > Massachusetts > Nantucket County > The history of Nantucket County, island, and town : including genealogies of first settlers > Part 23
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174
HISTORY OF NANTUCKET
gate: on the south by the sea and on the west and northwest by the English.
Apr. 1702: Henry Britten sells to the Town other land at Mya- comet.
July 1 1690 : Jeptha to the Town; a tract on the west by the land of Spotso, being from the spring at Shimmo unto the bounds agreed on by Jeptha and Spotso, near unto Mattaquatcham on the south by the sea, on the east from the westward end of the great valley at Chappapemesset* called Pasocha and from thence on a straight line unto a swampy slue or pond by the highway near Masquatuck.
Nov. 3. 1691: Jeptha alias Saucauoco; a tract to the Town on the south and south-west to a great stone lying and being at old Siascon- sett and 20 rods from the clift and north to Sanckotuck.t
Jan. 20. 1708; Askammopoo, widow of Spotso to her son Jo- siah, all interest in the Island.
Sept. 2. 1709 : Eastor, an Indian woman, wife of Jeptha to Ste- phen Hussey, for the Freeholders all interest in lands of her hus- band.
1709: Spotso to Eleazer Folger one horse commons.
Mar. 1. 1709: Askammopoo, sister and heir of Wauwinnet to her natural son Josiah Spotso, three-quarters of all the land which came from Wauwinnet.
1715: Daniel Spotso to Inhabitants; The first bound a spring to the northward of Joseph Meeder's house by the meadow; thence on a straight line to Sasapana Will's old cellar; from thence straight to Kestokas field: from thence to John Swain's gate by the creek and so along by the creek to the first bound. This must have been a tract near Podpis.
1717; Spotso to Samuel Coffin-pasturage.
1722: Spotso to the Freeholders; this tract near the east end of the Island; from a rock at the English bounds at a place called Kesto- kas field on a straight line to a place called Aquitnet. Point where the fishing house of William Worth now stands; on the west by the English bounds and by Pocomo, on the north by the harbor, and east by the sea.
1723: Daniel Spotso to the Inhabitants; a tract in the section now called Squam.
Silas an Indian to Thomas Macy: 16 acres of land near Squam Pond.
1726: Spotso to the trustees; A strip of land from Potpis to the sea near Aquitnet.
1739: James Shay to Ebenezer Gardner for the Town.
(This statement is appended "Whereas, I was married to Jemi- ma, the daughter and heir of Cain, a sachem, and she having died, I hereby sell all interest in her land.")
*Between Surf Side and Tom Nevers Head. +Sankoty.
175
HISTORY OF NANTUCKET.
1741: Daniel Spotso having died his son Barney sells to the pro- prietors all his interests in the land of his father.
Ben Abel, a sachem, sells to the proprietors two-thirds of all land in the territory of Wanackmamack. ("In consequence of this deed the Indians in his tribe repudiated him as their sachem, and a revolt took place." (Worth 127) The Indians made a vigorous and united effort to regain the land but a thorough investigation failed to invalidate the title.)
1742: Esau Cook, an Indian, to Samuel Coffin, for the propri- etors, land at the South Shore.
March 2. 1744: Isaac Mussaquat to proprietors, land between Weeweeder Pond and Myacomet Pond, 240 rods north and south.
Oct. 9. 1744: Mussaquat had died and his wife had married James Robbin. They sell to the proprietors all interest in Isaac's land.
1744: James Shay to proprietors one horse common.
1745: Isaac Woosco to Paul Pease; land near Sasagachah Pond.
1747: Samuel Chegin to Chapman Swaine "My English built dwelling house at Squam where my father lived."
1748: Eben Abel to proprietors; certain land at east end of Is- land.
March 8, 1758: Eben Cain to proprietors; all land that he had inherited from Ezeky.
July 14, 1762: Titus Zekey to proprietors : ten acres at Squam.
July 20, 1730: Joshua Jethro to the proprietors; all his interest in land inherited from his father Nickanoose. He made claim to this land, much of which had been purchased by the Town from the Spot- sos and other descendants of Nickanoose. His absence from the Is- land for over 50 years led to the inference that he had died, and when he appeared the land owners consulted their old men and they found that there had been such an Indian mentioned in the records March 25, 1674, in which he complained against Nickanoose for de- nying his title or interest in his land, and Nickanoose in open Court owned Jethro's title after the death of Nickanoose equally with Wau- winnet.
1771: Benjamin Abel sells to the proprietors all his interest in Nantucket.
1772: Abigail Jethro to proprietors-part of a horse common.
1774: John Jethro to proprietors one sheep's common.
176
HISTORY OF NANTUCKET
CHAPTER V
THE WAR OF THE REVOLUTION
Immediately preceding the War of the Revolution business at Nantucket was in the full tide of success. The Islanders were recovering from the depredations of French and Spanish privateers as well as from the unfriendly legislation of English parliaments. During the period from 1771 to 1775, there fitted annually from Nantucket for the northern whale fishery 65 vessels, aggregating 4875 tons, and for the southern whale fishery 85 vessels, aggre- gating 10,200 tons, the whole manned by 2025 men, and producing on the average 26,000 barrels of sperm oil and 4,000 barrels of right whale oil. This was practically one-half the number of vessels and more than one-half the tonnage engaged in the business in the entire Colony of Massachusetts Bay .* On all sides there was the hurry and bustle of business. Every trade allied to that of whaling was flourishing and prosperous. Merchants, black- smiths, coopers, boat-builders, riggers, sailmakers, oil and candle manufacturers, rope-makers, seamen, all were interchanging oc- cupations and all shared in the general prosperity. The
early acts of the Provincial Congress, from its first assembling at Salem, in September, 1774, had not seemed to disturb the Islanders. The acts of the British Parliaments, up to this time, hostile though they were intended to be, and designed to foster the whale-fishery from English ports at the expense of the Colonies, had only served to stimulate the hardy fishermen of New England to even greater exertions. At first dismayed, they were by no means discouraged, and ere many years they had regained their former supremacy.
*Port of equipment
Vessels fitted annually for north- ern fishery
Their Vessels Their
Seamen Barrels Barrels
Ton-
fitted age annually age for south- ern fishery
Ton-
Em-
of Sper- of ploy'd maceti Whale oil taken oil tak-
· annually
en an- nually
Nantucket
65
4,875
85
10,200
2,025
26,000
4,000
Wellfleet
20
1,600
10
1,000
420
2,250
1,250
Dartmouth
60
4,500
20
2,000
1,040
7,200
1,400
Lynn
1
75
1
120
28
200
100
Martha's Vineyard 12
720
0
0
156
900
300
Barnstable
2
150
0
0
26
240
0
Boston
15
1,300
700
260
1,800
600
Falmouth,
Barnstable Co
. . 4
300
0
0
52
400
0
Swanzey
4
300
0
0
52
400
0
Total
.183
13,820
121
14,020
4,059
39,390
7,650
Report of Thomas Jefferson on
the State
of the
Whale Fishery
in Massachusetts 1771-1775.
177
HISTORY OF NANTUCKET
The repeated aggressions of the English king had finally stirred the colonists to the point of active resistance. As Massachusetts seemed particularly to be discriminated against, so the Bay Colony was naturally the one which was most restive. The open rupture between the General Court which met at Salem, October 5th, 1774,* and Governor Gage, and which led to the immediate or- ganization of a Provincial Congress, under whose authority measures were adopted looking to the resistance to further aggressions by meeting force with force if necessary, had put Massachu- setts in the fore-front in apparent opposition to King George, and drew upon the inhabitants of the Colony the especial dis- pleasure of the King and Parliament.
The first industry towards which was directed the disciplining force of Great Britain was the fisheries. Massachusetts seemed to be the nucleus of the insurrectionary movement, ergo, the way to repress the insurrection was to repress the fisheries; hence Massachusetts must be the first to experience the power of the m'other country. ;
In pursuance of this policy on the 10th of February, 1775, the English ministry introduced into Parliament a bill restricting the trade and commerce of Massachusetts Bay, New Hampshire, Con- necticut and Rhode Island to Great Britain, Ireland and the British West India islands, and prohibiting the Colonies from carrying on any fishery on the Banks of Newfoundland or any other part of the North American coast.# Says Bancroft: "The best shipbuilders in the world were at Boston, and their yards had been closed; the New England fishermen were now to be restrained from a toil in which they excelled the world. Thus the joint right to the fisheries was made a part of the great American struggle." **
The opposition to this Restraining Bill, though small in numbers, was able and determined, both in the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The British Ministry asserted that the fisheries were the property of England, and it was within the rights of the British government to do with them as it pleased. To that claim Johnston replied, "God and nature have given that fishery to New England, and not to Old."ft The friends of America further argued that if the American fishery was de- stroyed England would not be benefited but the occupation must inevitably fall into the hands of Great Britain's natural rivals. At every possible stage the forlorn hope attacked the positions
*September 28th, 1774, "Stephen Hussey was chosen by a great majority to Represent the Town at the General Court to be holden at Salem on the first of October next." It does not appear that he took his seat, nor did the Town revoke his election.
t"The first step toward inspiring terror was to declare Massachu-
setts in a state of rebellion, and to pledge the Parliament and the whole force of Great Britain to its reduction; the next, by prohibiting the American fisheries, to starve New England; the next to incite servile insurrection." Bancroft's Hist. United States, Vol VII, p. 222. #English Annual Register 1775, p. 78.
** United States, VII, p. 239.
ttBancroft's United States, VII, p. 239.
178
HISTORY OF NANTUCKET
of the government only to be repeatedly defeated. The merchants and traders of London petitioned against the passage of the Act, and American merchants secured the services of David Barclay* to conduct for them the examination of those called upon to testify regarding the effects of the bill.
Much evidence was given tending to show the importance of the colonial trade. It appeared that in 1764 New England em- ployed in the fisheries 45,880 tons of shipping and 6,002 men, the product amounting to £322,220,16s.3d. sterling in foreign markets; that all the materials used in the building and equipping of vessels, excepting salt and lumber, were drawn from England,t and the net proceeds were also remitted to that country; that neither the whale nor cod fishery could be so successfully carried on from Newfoundland or Great Britain as from North America, for the natural advantages of America could neither be counteracted nor supplied; that, if the fishery was transferred to Nova Scotia or Quebec, government would have to furnish the capital, for they had neither vessels nor men, and these must come from New England; that it must take time to make the change, and the trade would inevitably be lost; and that American fishermen had such an aversion to the military government of Halifax, and "so invincible an aversion to the loose habits and manners of the people, that nothing could induce them to remove thither, even supposing them reduced to the necessity of emigration.#
"It was said that the cruelty of the bill exceeded the examples of hostile rigour with avowed enemies; that in all the violence of our most dangerous wars it was an established rule in the marine service, to spare the coast-fishing craft of our declared enemies; always considering that we waged war with nations, and not with private individuals." **
The claim was made that by the operation of the bill, if enacted, much harsdhip must come to many people who already were at sea, and who, by the very nature of their occupations, must be innocent. Said the opponents of the bill: "The case of the inhabitants of Nantucket was particularly hard. This extra ordinary people, amounting to between five and six thousand in number, nine-tenths of whom are Quakers, inhabit a barren island, fifteen miles long by three broad, the products of which were scarcely capable of maintaining twenty families. From the only harbour which this sterile island contains, without natural products of any sort, the inhabitants, by an astonishing industry, keep an 140 vessels in constant employment. Of these, eight were em- ployed in the importation of provisions for the island, and the rest : in the whale-fishery." The English Quakers, in behalf of their brethren at Nantucket, presented a petition to the govern- ment, in which they declared the people of the Island innocent of disloyalty, stated "their industry, the utility of their labours both to themselves and the community, the great hazards that
*Nantucket subsequently had a whaleship named in his honor.
¡Under the restrictions of Parliament the Colonies were allowed little or no liberty to manufacture articles they required.
#English Annual Register.
** English Annual Register, 1775, p. 80.
179
HISTORY OF NANTUCKET
attended their occupation, and the uncertainty of their gains: and shewed that if the bill, passed into a law, they must in a little time be exposed to all dreadful miseries of famine. The singular state and circumstances of these people, occasioned some atten- tion to be paid to them. A gentleman on the side of the ad- ministration said, that on a principle of humanity he would move, that a clause should be added to the bill, to prevent the operation from extending to any whale-ships, which sailed before the 1st of March and were at that time the property of the people of Nantucket."*
Says a writer, of the day, "The bill was attacked on every ground of policy and government; and with the greatest strength for the smallness of their numbers by their zeal and activity. of language and height of colouring. The minority m'ade amends for the smallness of their numbers by their zeal and activity * * *
* Evil principles," they contended, "were prolific; the Boston Port Bill begot this New England Bill; this will beget a Virginia Bill; and that again will become the progenitor of others, until, one by one, parliament has ruined all its colonies, and rooted up all its commerce; until the statute book becomes nothing but a black and bloody roll of proscriptions; a frightful code of rigour and tyranny; a monstrous digest of acts of penalty and incapacity and general attainder; and that wherever it is opened it will present a title for destroying some trade or ruining some province."
Among the active and eloquent opponents of this iniquitous measure was Edmund Burke and it was during the prolonged and exhaustive debate on this bill# that he uttered those memorabie words that became so familiar to the youth of Nantucket. "For some time, Mr. Speaker," said Burke, "has the Old World been fed from the New. The scarcity which you have felt would have been a desolating famine, if this child of your old age,-if America, -with a true filial piety, with a Roman charity, had not put the full breast of its youthful exuberance to the mouth of its exhausted parent. Turning from the agricultural resources of the Colonies, consider the wealth which they have drawn from the sea by their fisheries. The spirit in which that enterprising employment has been exercised ought to raise your esteem and admiration. Pray, Sir, what in the world is equal to it? Pass by the other parts,
*English Annual Register 1775, p. 85.
¡A letter to the Provincial Congress dated London, February 24 1775, says "To my great astonishment, I have before me an act for blocking up the other colonies; and another called the black act; to prevent the fisheries. The whole nation seems to be deeply affected at such an enormous crime, which is supposed to be done at the request of the king and his creatures. God forbid, that you should be intimi- dated at this iniquitous law, which is calculated to ruin what was a mutual benefit to you and us. This must convince you what you are to expect, if you submit to the most shocking set of men that England * * *
can produce. You now see their humanity. * Yesterday, Doct Fothergill and Mr. Barclay were so pressed in spirit, that they went to Lord North, and told him that the bill for prohibiting the fishery, was so horrid and inhuman an act, that the nation would rise and oppose it; and that if it did pass into a law, it would be a scandal to humanity, and perhaps occasion a revolt. They plead two hours with him, but to no purpose.
The bill is to be read a third time on Thursday; so that in five days this horrid bill passes into a law, without any further consideration. Oh, America! Oh, England!
The ministry, in order to quiet the mob, ordered an inflammatory pamphlet to be burnt at Guildhall, which drew off the people, whilst the bill passed in parliament." Journals Provincial Congress pp 745-746. 1March 22, 1775. This speech was virtually in support of a peti- tion by English Quakers in behalf of their brethren in Nantucket.
180
HISTORY OF NANTUCKET
and look at the manner in which the People of New England have of late carried on the whale fishery. Whilst we follow them among the tumbling mountains of ice, and behold them penetrating into the deepest frozen recesses of Hudson's Bay and Davis's Straits, whilst we are looking for them beneath the Arctic Circle, we hear that they have pierced into the opposite region of Polar cold, that they are at the antipodes, and engaged under the frozen serpent of the South. Falkland Island, which seemed too remote and romantic an object for the grasp of national ambition, is but a stage and resting-place in the progress of their victorious in- dustry. . Nor is the equinoctial heat more discouraging to them than the accumulated winter of both the Poles. We know that whilst some of them draw the line and strike the harpoon on the coast of Africa, others run the longitude, and pursue their gigantic game along the coast of Brazil. No sea but what is vexed by their fisheries. No climate that is not a witness to their toils. Neither the perseverance of Holland, nor the activity of France, nor the dextrous and firm sagacity of English enterprise, ever carried this most perilous mode of hardy industry to the extent to which it has been pushed by this recent People; a People who are still, as it were, but in the gristle, and not yet hardened into the bone, of manhood. When I contemplate these things,-when I know that the Colonies in general owe little or nothing to any care of ours,* and that they are not squeezed into this happy form by the constraints of a watchful and suspicious Government, but that, through a wise and salutary neglect, a generous nature has been suffered to take her own way to perfection,-when I reflect upon these effects, when I see how profitable they have been to us, I feel all the pride of power sink, and all presumption in the wisdom of human contrivances melt, and die away within me. My rigour relents. I pardon something to the spirit of liberty."
Eloquence, arguments, facts, alike were useless. The Gov- ernment had the votes, and the oppression became legalized. A minority of fifteen in the House of Lords, combatting the measure as determinedly as it had been opposed in the House of Commons entered their protest against it. There was a slight relenting in-so-far as Nantucket was concerned, and the application of the extremest features was modified in their case.
In the meantime the Continental Congress, which had assembled at Philadelphia, had been active in safeguarding the rights of the Colonies. Non-consumption, non-importation, and non- exportation agreements had been considered, reported and subscribed to by the several delegates.i These agreements vitally affected the people of Nantucket and were of such a nature that it was not possi- ble for the Islanders to carry them out and exist. The distressful con- dition in which the inhabitants of the town of Boston found them- selves through the operation of the Boston Port bill# was likely to be much intensified in the case of Nantucket, which was obliged to export its products to get the wherewithal to live and to import its
*A sentiment very similar to that expressed ten years before by Col. Barre to Charles Townsend who was contending for the government for the passage of the Stamp Act. Col. Barre indignantly denied that the English government had given the Colonies either care, nourish - ment or protection.
¿Cont. Congress, Oct. 20, 1774.
#Journal Mass. Provincial Congress, p 54.
181
HISTORY OF NANTUCKET
provisions and other necessaries of life to prevent distress and star- vation. It must be recognized, however, that the Massachusetts Bay Colony showed a commendable leniency regarding Nantucket, and as a rule modified, as much as possible, injurious legislation, and made no attempt to carry into effect those orders which were seriously det- rimental to the people of the Island .* Undoubtedly the various direc- tions regarding the organization of minutemen, drilling, organization of militia, etc., were communicated to the many sympathizers with the colonials on the Island, but there is no known record of their execution. The Island was not omitted, however, in the appoint- ment of Committees of Correspondence, for, on April 12, 1775, Josiah Coffin Esq., Grafton Gardner Esq., Josiah Barker, Timothy Folger Esq., and Stephen Hussey were chosen by the Provincial Congress such a committee for the County of Nantucket .; Stephen Hussey was subsequently chosen as the member from the county "to attend the Committee of Safety, and let them know the names of the officers in said counties belonging to the minutemen, and such as are most suitable for officers in the army now raising."# By April 20th the conflicts at Lexington and Concord had already taken place. Of this period Macy says :- "The long expected period at length arrived; even before spring closed, the first blood was spilt in the battle of Lexington. The news of this action spread rapidly to every part of the colonies; in a few days it arrived at Nantucket.if The countenances of the people, here, bespoke the anguish of their hearts. All business was immediately at a stand. Discouraged and powerless, they could do little else than meet together and bemoan their fate. Sorrow was depicted on every countenance; every mind was overwhelmed with fearful anticipations, all springing from one general cause- the war. Many were deeply concerned for the welfare of their husbands, children, or brothers, then at sea on whom they depended for their sub- sistance, and for the comforts of life; many were anxious on account of their property, both at home and at sea, on which their dependence was placed. A common distress pervaded all hearts, which was in no way relieved by anticipations of the future. No system of future business could be fixed on; many believing, that, notwithstanding some blood had been shed, the difficulty would yet be settled, and business be again safely re- sumed; but others, and the greater part, were of the opinion that the contest would be long and terrible. Time proved the latter to be correct.
"The vessels belonging to the Island mostly arrived home in safety for the English government cherished a belief, that, by
-
*See Records of First Provincial Congress of Mass.
+Records Prov. Cong. pp. 140-141. It would be exceedingly inter- esting to know what action was taken by this Committee or its mem- bers but no record of what they did is known to exist.
¿Records First Prov. Cong. of Mass. (Apr. 24) p. 150.
** Pages 80-81
ttUnder date of Friday, April 21, Kezia Coffin, who subsequently was married to Phineas Fanning, then a girl of 16 says-"Frd Crow arriv'd today from Bass River brings very shocking news-a Party of Regulars march'd out of Boston 20 miles after cannon. they met a Party of Americans Parleyed with, on the whole they fir'd at each other (which shot the first gun is not known) a number was kill'd on both . sides-the Regulars march'd back to Boston with all speed-the militia & minute men were raised & the whole country was in Confusion .- a vessel has since arriv'd from Salem that confirms the above news & also tells that a Packet had arrived with news that the Ports are to be shut up the 10th of May."
182
HISTORY OF NANTUCKET
quelling the difficulties in the province of Massachusetts Bay, the whole country besides would comply with the requisitions demanded of them; they, therefore did not send out their cruisers in great numbers, until they found their mistake; which gave an opportunity for the whalemen to get home, though many of them were on the coasts of Guinea and Brazil, at the commencement of hostilities."*
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