USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > New Bedford > The history of New Bedford, Bristol County, Massachusetts : including a history of the old township of Dartmouth and the present townships of Westport, Dartmouth, and Fairhaven, from their settlement to the present time > Part 12
USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > Westport > The history of New Bedford, Bristol County, Massachusetts : including a history of the old township of Dartmouth and the present townships of Westport, Dartmouth, and Fairhaven, from their settlement to the present time > Part 12
USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > Dartmouth > The history of New Bedford, Bristol County, Massachusetts : including a history of the old township of Dartmouth and the present townships of Westport, Dartmouth, and Fairhaven, from their settlement to the present time > Part 12
USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > Fairhaven > The history of New Bedford, Bristol County, Massachusetts : including a history of the old township of Dartmouth and the present townships of Westport, Dartmouth, and Fairhaven, from their settlement to the present time > Part 12
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Arthur Hathaway, whose name is mentioned in the list of proprietors, came from Plymouth. He married Sarah Cooke in 1652, and their son John was born 1653. John Hathaway, who was probably the son of said John and grandson of Arthur, was the father of Thomas Hathaway, whose son Jethro was the father of the late Stephen and grandfather of the late Humphrey Hathaway, of Acushnet. Sarah Cooke was probably the daughter of John Cooke, who represented Dartmouth at the Old Colony General Court in 1673, and granddaughter of Francis Cooke, one of the "Pilgrim Fathers" who came over in the Mayflower, 1620.
The Hathaways were extensive landholders, derived from John Hathaway, who held a share in "the eight hundred acre division." Their lands were situate on both sides of the Acushnet River, commencing about half way from New Bedford
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to Acushnet. Jethro Hathaway, as well as his father and grandfather, was a prominent man in the early history of Dartmouth; and the handwriting of the former, who was one of the committee on surveys from 1758 to 1773, is remarkably hand- some, and rarely equalled by the professors of penmanship at the present day. The old home- stead of Stephen Hathaway, son of Jethro, is about one mile below Acushnet village, on the east side of the river. A still older home of the Hathaways, and probably the original one, stood until within a few years on the road from New Bedford to Acushnet village, a little north of the Nash road.
It is much to be regretted that these old family' mansions are so fast disappearing. Every year witnesses the demolition of more or less; and for another generation hardly a vestige of them will remain. It is quite remarkable, too, that these old houses should be so little valued; one would sup- pose that an ordinary respect for our forefathers should be sufficient to save them from destruction. But, aside from any such consideration, they were built in so substantial a manner, their massive oak frames and boarding held fast by treenails, and in most of them no other wood used than oak and cedar, which, unless where neglected and exposed to the weather, remain as fresh and sound at the expiration of a hundred years as on the day of the building. How much more picturesque and home-like, too, appear these old-fashioned farın- houses of our ancestors, so strong and so durable,
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compared with the modern upstart cottages, usually painted white, with green blinds, which have in a great measure taken their places!
With the loss of the old houses also comc the more artificial and enervating habits of the people. The representatives of the old settlers now to be seen rarely present the fresh countenances and robust health of their fathers; and the ap- pearance of the women, even our farmers' wives and daughters, particularly since the introduc- tion of stoves and less comfortable clothing, has perceptibly changed for the worse. Let the old- fashioned houses, then, be spared from any farther destruction, and the cheerful wood fire substi- tuted for the health-destroying stove, so we may again hope to witness somewhat of that comfort and prosperity which was the happy lot of our ancestors.
One of the early settlers of this town, and a proprietor in "the eight hundred acre division," was Colonel Samuel Willis, who was born in Bridgewater, Mass., in the year 1688, and died in Dartmouth Oct. 3d, 1763, in the seventy-sixth year of his age. His wife, Mehitable Willis, died Jan. 18th, 1782, in the ninety-fourth year of her age. They lie buried in the old graveyard at Acushnet. Their children were Eliakim, Benjamin, Samuel, Ebenezer, Zerviah, Hannah, and Jireh.
Major Ebenezer Willis died Nov. 7th, 1809, aged eighty-three years and four days. Elizabeth, his wife, died Aug. 9th, 1807, in her seventy-ninth year. Samuel, their son, died at sea March 4th, 1805.
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Samuel Willis, the father of Colonel Willis, graduated at Harvard College in 1652. Eliakim, his grandson and son of Colonel Willis, graduated at Harvard College 1735. Benjamin, son of Col- onel W., graduated at Harvard College 1740.
The earliest record of Samuel Willis in the old book of surveys by Benjamin Crane bears date Oct. 3d, 1713. He was at this time about twenty- five years of age. Colonel Willis also held a Justice's commission ; and the records of his judicial proceedings are supposed to be still in existence, but I have not been able to find them.
A mural monument, with the following inscrip- tion upon a horizontal slab of freestone, is to be seen in the aforesaid graveyard :
"In memory of Col. Samuel Willis, Esq., who departed this life Oct. 3d, 1763, in the 76th year of his age."
From papers supplied me by a lady of this city, a great-granddaughter of Colonel Willis and daughter of Samuel Willis, 3d, I make the follow- ing extracts :
"He [Colonel S. Willis] was the first who owned a sea vessel in what is now called the port of New Bedford. One of his sons who had graduated at Harvard College, Eliakim Willis, navigated the vessel as master. He was afterwards settled as minister in Malden, near Boston, sixty years. Jireh Willis, Esq., commenced the practice of law in early life, but disliked the profession, and lived a retired life, except at the breaking out of the American Revolution, when he devoted a large portion of his time to animating, consoling and aiding his fellow-citizens. His son, William Willis, American Consul at Barcelona, Spain, who at one
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time lived in Europe, lately died at the age of ninety-six years at Vernon, Virginia. His mother was a descendant of Lord Blaney, in Ireland, who had wealth as well as title, but both are now extinct." Manuscript of Charles Willis, son of Augustus P. Willis, New Orleans.
The following additional information of the Willis family is from a paper containing statements of Miss Pamela Willis, daughter of Jireh Willis, Esq., who died in the year 1847, aged eighty-eight years :
" Her father, a very pious man, was quite active in those severe times which preceded the. Revolu- tion. He contributed, through the press as well as otherwise, to mature the people of the country for an independent existence. He wrote those articles for the Royal American Magazine, over the signa- ture 'Cato,' which attracted public attention and excited much interest at that time."
Her brother, the Hon. William Willis, "at the age of sixteen joined the army under Washington, and adhered to the public service until the liberties of our country were established. During a part of the Revolutionary struggle he commanded a brig-of-war, and after peace was restored re- ceived an appointment under the elder Adams to represent the Republic as Consul at Spain." . After his return from Europe, he was a Representative to the General Court of Massachusetts.
A gentleman of this city informs me that he was present at the old state-house while Mr. Willis was making a speech. His hair was powdered, and being otherwise dressed as a gentleman of the old
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school, and of fine personal appearance, and somea what excited upon the occasion, he attracted much attention.
" I remember," adds this venerable lady in her reminiscences of New Bedford, " being told by my grandfather [Col. Samuel Willis] that a number of Indians had huts down where Purchase street runs, or nearer the water where clams were plenty, and that a mortal sickness came among them and swept them all off; but none of the white people had it. My grandfather told me about the Indians lashing their children to boards, to make them straight; and at one time, two squaws, who had been drinking rum, placed their children, as usual, against a tree for the night, and one of them placed hers head downwards, and the night being stormy, it perished."
There is a tradition in the Willis family that the Russells and Kemptons purchased their land of Col. Willis; and I am inclined, after a close examination of the case, to give it credence, although the Russells and Kemptons were orig- inal proprietors, and settled in Dartmouth many years before the Willises. But their land in the original division of eight hundred acres was situated in the south-west part of Dartmouth, at and about Russell's Mills, at least that of the Russells, who in the early part of the last century found their way to the banks of the Acush- net River. The following statement concerning this matter is from the same source before quoted : " The Joseph Russell farm was Willis property,
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and sold by her grandfather [Col. Samuel Willis, Esq.] to them ; or rather her uncle Benjamin had it set off to him as his portion, and then it was sold to the Russells." She also thinks that the Kemp- tons and Allens purchased from the same source.
The original Willis house stood upon the spot now occupied by the mansion of the late John Avery Parker, on County street, and was built by Samuel Willis, 1st, the father of Col. Willis, at an early period in the history of this town. This house and the succeeding one were destroyed by fire,-the former supposed to have been caught from the pipe of an old female servant while smoking. The third Willis house was built by Major Ebenezer Willis; and was removed to Pur- chase street; and this also was destroyed by fire a few years ago.
The house built by Jireh Willis, Esq., brother of Major Ebenezer Willis, is still standing on the west side of County street, at the corner of Robeson street, and is now owned by the heirs of the late Samuel Rodman, Sen., to whom it was conveyed by the late Hon. William Willis.
The aforesaid Jireh Willis, Esq., drew the deed of the first lot of land sold by Joseph Russell from his paternal homestead, to John Lowden, who built upon it the first house below the County road, in 1764, and which, it will be remembered, was burnt by the British during the Revolutionary War.
The Willises were people of superior abilities, and probably one the best-educated families among the old inhabitants of Dartmouth, and consequently
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among the most prominent and valuable citizens. Their extensive landed estates have in a great degree passed into other hands, but a portion is still held by the lady before mentioned, whosc mansion stands upon a part of her ancestral domains, and whose family, with herself, are the only remaining representatives of this once wealthy and prominent family in New Bedford.
The Rev. Eliakim Willis, the minister of Malden for so long a time, and whose old parsonage-house is still to be seen there, was a man of superior attainments. By him the late distinguished Greck Professor of Harvard University, John Popkin, D. D., was educated.
In the reminiscences before mentioned, the nar- rator speaks of "a place in the woods where was formerly an Indian hut, and where we found hoar- hound and other herbs still growing. The Indian who had occupied this spot was named Adam; he was called 'old Adam.' We also found shells there. Once I lingered there, and my party left me-the children used to play there-and went into the Allen woods, and it was some time before I could overtake them. Being a very timid child, I was much alarmed, and I cannot forget the joy I felt when I overtook my party. At that time there were many Indians in the neighborhood, but our parents told us not to be afraid of the Indians, -never to be afraid if we saw the Indians, for they would not hurt us; and so we did not fcar them at all. For one day myself and little brother were in the woods, and we saw a number of
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Indians coming, so we stepped upon a rock upon. one side of the cart-path, and let them pass, and they went along two and two, and one of them had something in his arms that looked like a baby; and when we told our mother about it, she said she thought it was a funeral." The location of the above sketch of the primitive life of our old settlers is a short distance to the north-west of the spot on which the old Willis house stood.
Since writing the preceding, the following addi- tional genealogy of this family has been forwarded me by an estimable lady, a granddaughter of Ebenezer Willis:
" Colonel Samuel Willis held his military com- mission from the English crown. He married a Quaker lady of the Gifford family in Dartmouth. His son Eliakim married in 1738 Miss L. Fish, of Duxbury, who died in 1769. In 1770 he married Miss M. Marchant, of Boston, who died in 1796, leaving no children.
Ebenezer married in 1751 Miss E. Hawes, of Chatham, Cape Cod. Their children were Hannah, married to J. Mayhew, who died in 1812, leaving no children; Esther and Elizabeth, died in youth; Sarah, who was adopted by her Uncle Eliakim, married to Rev. F. Sargeant in 1786, and to Colonel John Popkin in 1797-died in 1849, leaving three children.
Samuel married Miss M. Tallman, a lady yet living. He died in 1795.
Zerviah Willis married; her descendants are among the Kemptons of New Bedford. Ephraim Kempton is her grandson.
Hannah married; her descendants are in the Hathaway name. One of them, Mr. James Til- ton, is now living on the land once her great- grandfather's.
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The deed of purchase of the land of the old parsonage at Malden bears date 1757, in the ninth year of His Majesty's reign. Mr. Willis, was or- dained in 1752.
In Professor Felton's memoir of Doctor Popkin, he says: 'Dr. Popkin was placed when six years - old under the charge of Rev. Mr. Willis. Six years later he was transferred to the North Latin School, in Boston.' "
The grandmother of the writer of this history -a daughter of Joseph Russell, 3d, born 4th mo. 30th, 1747, O. S .- informed him that in her youth an Indian wigwam stood in the woods, near "the block," lately removed, on Bridge or Middle street. .A hut occupied by an Indian woman, named Sarah Obadiah, stood a short distance north of Clark's Cove, about one mile south from the centre of the city, within the memory of a number of our citizens, and was a favorite place of resort by the young people of both sexes. I have often heard these visits spoken of with much interest as pleasant reminiscences by those who had participated in them.
It is quite possible that the objects of interest and excitement of the present time afford less real happiness than the simpler amusements of the earlier days. But youth is ever happy and hopeful, and will find new spheres of enjoyment when the older ones fail.
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CHAPTER XVI.
EARLY INTERCOURSE WITH ENGLAND -LETTER OF INTRO. DUCTION GIVEN TO A MERCHANT OF THIS PLACE BY A FIRM IN LONDON, PREVIOUS TO THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR-A STRAY LEAF FROM THE DIARY OF SAID MER- CHANT-OLD HOUSES-GENEALOGICAL SKETCHES OF OLD FAMILIES-HISTORICAL REMINISCENCES.
I HAVE previously written of the early mercantile and commercial transactions of those old merchants of New Bedford, Joseph Russell & Sons, who previous to the Revolutionary War, besides their whaling business and the manufacture of sperma- ceti candles, had opened a trade with London, and imported. English goods by the way of Boston or in their own vessels.
It will be remembered that at this time there were few articles of domestic or agricultural use manufactured in this country; and this intercourse with the mother country was undoubtedly one of the greatest sources whence the village of Bedford received its first impulse as a commercial place. A large proportion of the implements of industry. of English manufacture were thus supplied to our ancestors ; and besides these, many articles of luxu- ry and comfort. Even at this day, in the older fam- ilies may be seen specimens of fine old China ware, silver, and the homelier articles of domestic use, which were brought over at this early period.
By the time of the commencement of the Rev- olutionary War, the yeomanry of old Dartmouth,
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as well as the citizens of the village of Bedford, were noted for their prosperity and general thrift- ness. The wild and extensive forest lands had yielded to the persevering exertions of our hardy forefathers, and smiling farms, with their broad acres of cornfields and meadows, had taken their place. The little village of Bedford had sprung up on the banks of the Acushnet, and the founda- tion of her great commercial enterprise was already laid.
On their outward voyages these vessels took oil and candles; and by the commencement of the war the port of Bedford, Dartmouth, had become well known among commercial people. But the war ruined the business, which, with the subse- quent burning of the place by the British in 1778, would have completely discouraged any people but such as are of the most industrious and cour- ageous character. The loss of their vessels and the depreciation of the continental paper money left them at the close of the war stripped of nearly everything except their real estate.
· The business of Joseph Russell & Son having become quite important, in the year 1770 Barnabas Russell, the eldest son and copartner of Joseph Russell, went out to London for the purpose of enlarging their business relationship with merchants there, and making purchases for their home trade.
The following copy of a letter of introduction, and notes from the diary of this gentleman, have been placed in my hands by a lady, one of his daughters, now a resident of this city :
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" London, ye 11th August, 1770.
MR. THOS. GRIFFITHS-Sir: This will be deliv- ered you by Mr. Barnabas Russell, who we recom- mend to you as a very prudent, careful young gentleman. He has opened an account with us in company with his father, under the firm of Joseph Russell & Son, of Bedford, in New England. We supply them with the articles they want from thence, and if you supply them with what they want from your port, you will be very safe in your advance. Any civilities you shew Mr. Russell will be a favor done to, Sr,
Your most humble servants,
LANE, SON & FRASER."
The following is a stray leaf of all that remains from the aforesaid diary, kept by Mr. Russell while in London, which we trust will prove interesting as a reminiscence of olden times:
"First-Day, ye 26th, 1770. At eleven o'clock took a walk into Saint George's Fields. In the afternoon went to meeting. [Here the manuscript is torn and obliterated.]
Fifth-Day. Went with Ward into the Tower .. Saw them make guns, and saw the brass cannon, small arms, and the horse armour; the King's crown, and the lions, leopards, and panthers. Dined at Latham's; then went with Polford, got the knee straps, and returned home.
Sixth-Day. Picked out some hardwares. Dined with Lane and Fraser; then went with Capt. Jar- vis to the rope-walk, there bought me some tow- lines; returned home, then went into the borough, spent the evening with Doctor Gray and Doctor Jones, and returned home at ten o'clock.
Seventh-Day. Bought parrot pattern for a gown. Dined at home with a gentleman; then took coach with Polsford and Latham and three
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ladies. Went to Vauxhall; saw the gardens, cascade, and heard the music. Returned home at twelve o'clock.
Fourth-Day. In ye afternoon took a walk with Ward into the Pantheon.
Second-Day. Dined with Thomas Wagstaff, a Friend, in Grace Church street.
Third-Day - morning. Went to Smithfield, then to the coffee-house and the borough, dined with Doctor Gray, and returned into the city. Went to the insurance office, and spent the evening with John Harrison, a very agreeable man. Re- turned home at eleven o'clock.
Fourth-Day-morning. Had a boy, Thomas Baxter, bound to me for six years. , Dined with Friend Masterman. Went with Gray and four more doctors in two coaches to Ranelagh; there saw the grand fireworks and a great deal of com- pany. At twelve o'clock returned home."
Do the young gentlemen of New Bedford who go to London in these days do things better than this? Here we see business and pleasure hand in hand.
Barnabas Russell, the gentleman to whom we are indebted for this pleasant little piece of his early experience, was a brother of the late Abraham, Gilbert, and Humphrey Russell. He was born in Dartmouth 3d mo. 26th, 1745, O. S., and was therefore in his twenty-sixth year at the time of this visit. He subsequently removed to Easton, Washington County, New York, and there died May 14th, 1812.
The following is a list of houses standing in New Bedford in 1846, erected previous to the Revolutionary War:
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ON SOUTH WATER STREET.
No. 1, Patty Hussey house.
No. 4, County house, much enlarged.
No. 37, Shepard house.
No. 40, William Russell house.
No. 45, Jonathan Howland house.
No. 55, Fitch house.
No. 57, Pardon Howland house.
No. 65, brick house.
No. 67, James Allen's house.
ON NORTH WATER STREET.
No. 13, Seth Russell house.
ON FIRST STREET (BETHEL COURT.)
Nos. 2 and 4, Isaac Howland house.
Nos. 3 and 5, Joseph Rotch house.
No. 7, Walter Chapman house.
No. 13, Bethel house.
ON SOUTH SECOND STREET.
No. 6, James Davis house; this was removed from the site of " Wash- ington Hall," formerly the market. .
ON NORTH SECOND STREET.
No. 45, Manasseh Kempton house (Silas.)
No. 85, Benjamin Kempton house.
No. 97, Drew house.
No. 104, Thurston Potter house.
No. 116, Claghorn (George) house.
ON FOURTH STREET.
No. 4, Akin house, moved south from the corner of Main street.
ON PURCHASE STREET. No. 18, Barnabas Russell house, moved north from the corner of Main street, now owned by Edward Stetson.
No. 194, Simeon Price house (the small house south of his present one. ) No. 252, Willis house, removed from the present site of J. A. Parker's house.
ON MAIN OR UNION STREET (ORIGINALLY "KING STREET.")
No. 66, Widow Ross house, west part.
No. 120, Daniel Ricketson house.
No. 137, William Tobey house.
No. 140, Eagle tavern.
No. 143, Mayhew house. No. 146, Widow West house.
No. 152, Grinnell (Moses) house.
No. 159, Humphrey Howland house.
No. 164, Gideon Howland house.
No. 166, Mason house.
No. 167, Caleb Green house.
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ON NORTH STREET.
No. 1, Patrick Maxfield house.
No. 2, Jonathan Russell house.
No. 16, Jabez Hammond house.
ON MAXFIELD STREET.
No. 2, Zadock Maxfield house. No. 13, John Lawrence house.
ON RAY STREET.
George East house. Oliver Price house.
Philip Cannon house.
ON COUNTY STREET.
Cove house (originally Allen.)
No. 27, Caleb Russell house.
No. 59, Allen Kempton house, near the corner of Allen street.
No. 175, Ephraim Kempton house.
Jireh Willis house, corner of County and Robeson streets.
ON ELM STREET.
No. 129, Joseph Russell house, north of the academy, removed from County street.
ON THOMAS STREET.
No. 60, Thomas Kempton house.
OUT OF TOWN.
Samuel West house (B. Rodman's farm-housc. )
Jesse Reynolds house.
William Tallman's farm-house (Willard Nye's.)
Charles Russell's farm-house (Mrs. Coffin's.)
Dr. Perry house (Thaddeus M. Perry.) .
Paul Swift house,
Jireh Swift house,
Elisha Tobey house,
Acushnet.
Sommerton house (Thomas Hathaway's,)
Samuel Hunt's house, (Augustus Harrington's,) J
John R. Davis (Sen. ) house, North Fairhaven.
Thomas Wood's, North Fairhaven, one of the oldest in New England. Old Taber house, Oxford village.
Old Akin house, on an old cross road near Padanaram.
Old Ricketson house, near Russell's Mills.
The four last have stone chimneys.
Eleven houses were burned by the British during the Revolutionary War, Sept. 6, 1778.
1. William Claghorn's, on South Water street, west side.
2. John Lowden's, on South Water street.
The latter, which was farther south, was on the site now occupied by the Benjamin Hill house.
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3 and 4. Benjamin Taber's, north side of Union, east of Water street. 5. Barzillai Merrick's, south side of Union street, and opposite Taber's. 6. Joseph Russell's, of Boston, east side of South Water street, - now entrance to Commercial wharf.
7. Joseph Rotch's, occupied by Joseph Austen, on the site of William Rotch's, Jr., Water street.
8. Joseph Rotch, 2d, south of the latter.
The number of old houses is lessening very fast ; but there are a few more within the limits of the old township of Dartmouth than I have mentioned.
I have been agreeably surprised to find in my investigations so large a number of the original settlers of the old township of Dartmouth repre- sented here by their descendants at the present time, and generally occupying the localities of their ancestors. On looking over the map of the present towns which comprise the original township, viz., Westport, Dartmouth, New Bedford, and Fair- haven, a large proportion of the names which appear are those borne by the original settlers. Of course there has been a considerable emigration, and a few families have become extinct, but enough re- main to prove the correctness of my statement.
The stock from which this people came was re- markable for their industry and sobriety, containing a large infusion of the Quakers; and consequently a general thrift and prosperity was the consequence, which to a good degree remains to the present day. May it so continue!
Even in New Bedford, now containing some twenty thousand inhabitants, a fair proportion of the active energy, enterprise and wealth are to be found with those whose names are to be seen among those of the early villagers of Bedford. By referring to the list of names in the last chapter,
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