USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Princeton > The history of Princeton, Worcester county, Mass. from its first settlement; with a sketch of the present religious controversy in that place. Designed for the use of the inhabitants > Part 14
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14
The BIBLE is ready, and will be sent up whenever you shall say ; in the meantime you will make use of your known prudence and good judgement in introducing it. There is bound up with it the Church Services, the Apoc- rypha, and Sternhold and Hopkins's Psalms, all which I think superfluous, and may be taken out by re-binding, if you think proper.
In 1774 Mr. Gill represented the town in the General Court at Salem, and in the Provincial Congress at Concord. For many years subsequent he was also member of the state legislature, until his elevation to a seat at the senate board, in 1789. During the same year, he was transferred from this to a seat in the Executive Council. In 1794 he was elected Lieutenant-Governor under Mr. Adams-an office which he held until 1800, acting as Governor from the date of Gov. Sumner's death, June 7, 1799, until the inauguration of Mr. Strong, in May, 1800. At this time he was a candidate for the office of Governor, against the latter gentleman, receiving however but few votes. He was re-elected Lieutenant-Gov- ernor under him, and died immediately after, May 20th, 1800.
In 1767 Mr. Gill lost his first wife, and, in 1772, married Miss Rebecca Boylston, a niece of the late Thomas Boylston, Esq. She died in 17 -.
Throughout his life Mr. Gill maintained the character of an upright man, a firm uncompromising patriot, a devoted husband, a liberal towsman, an exemplary public officer, and a consistent Christian.
WILLIAM DODDS, Esq. whose history for a long period of years, is more emphatically a part of the town's than that of any other single individual, was born at Lexington, Mass. November 6th, 1748. He received no education in his early years, except that of a few weeks each winter in a district school. At the age of sixteen he removed to Holden, where, a few years after, he married Miss Anna Child, and removed to Princeton, were he continued to reside until his death, in 1833, at the age of eighty-five.
For thirty years, with only an occasional interruption, Mr. Dodds filled the office of Town Clerk, and his records, during that period, are a model of perfection and imitation, and evince a knowledge of business and of legal forms and
127
HISTORY OF PRINCETON.
technicalities, which few, aside from professional men, pos- sess. For several years he also represented the town in the state legislature. During the early period of his resi- dence in Princeton he employed most of the winters in teaching, either in that or the adjoining towns. In 1809 he received a justice's commission, which he continued to hold up to the time of his death. Until within a few years of the close of his life, he was accustomed to transact all the usual business within a justice's jurisdiction, both in this and some of the neighboring towns. Indeed, at this time, " Squire Dodds" might rank as the lawyer of the vicinity. During the latter part of his life his faculties became impaired, and, before his death, completely shattered. Few men have had the good fortune to enjoy more largely the esteem and respect of their townsmen, and still fewer more richly to deserve it. His sphere was in the humbler walks of life, yet his self- qualification for its duties, and his entire discharge of its responsibilities, mark him still the perfect man.
WARD NICHOLAS BOYLSTON, Esq. alias WARD HALLOWELL, was born in Boston, November 22d, 1749. His father, Ben- jamin Hallowell, Esq. was a native of Boston, and, at the time of the revolution, an officer in the Custom-House. His mother, Mrs. Mary Hallowell, was the daughter of Thomas Boylston, and sister to the second wife of the Hon. Moses Gill. He received his education in the free schools of Boston. In March, 1770, at the solicitation of his maternal uncle, Nicholas Boylston, Esq. the distinguished benefactor of Har- vard University, through a royal license, he dropped the name of Hallowell, and added to his christian name that of the above-mentioned uncle.
In 1773, for the purpose of renovating his health, Mr. Boylston commenced a journey through Europe and Asia. He embarked on board the "King of Naples," bound from Boston to Newfoundland, October 12th. From the latter place he sailed to Italy, and from thence proceeded to Tur- key, Syria, the Archipelago, Palestine, Egypt, and the Bar- bary Coast. He also passed through Geneva, Savoy, France, and Flanders. During this tour he kept a journal, which, re- plete with interest, and in many parts illustrative of Biblical history, is still preserved in manuscript, and which, it is to be hoped, may yet be given to the public. He arrived in Lon- don, 1775, and for the twenty-five subsequent years remained
128
HISTORY OF PRINCETON.
there engaged in the various operations of trade. In 1800 he sailed for Boston, where he arrived on the 15th of May of the same year.
From this time until his death, in 1827, he continued to reside during the larger portion of the year at Princeton, spending the winter months at his seat at Jamacia Plain, Rox- bury, Mass. Soon after Mr. Boylston's arrival in Boston, he confirmed to Harvard University a bequest of Nicholas Boyls- ton, Esq. amounting to $23,200, as a foundation of the pro- fessorship of Rhetoric and Oratory, with the condition that John Quincy Adams should be appointed professor. In 1802 he secured to the same Institution an annuity of $100, to be distributed in prizes for the discussion of medical questions. In 1803, he paid to the treasurer of the Institution $500, as a fund, the income of which should be expended in additions to the library. To this succeeded the annuity of $60, to be distributed in Elocution prizes to undergraduates. Large bequests were made to the same institution in his will.
In 1824 Mr. Boylston presented the town of Princeton with $500, to lie as an accumulating fund, under certain con- ditions, until it should be sufficient to build a Town Hall. In addition to this, several acres of land were given them as a parsonage estate. At his death he also left them $500, the interest of which, after a certain time, is to be applied to the support of a congregational minister. Also, $500, to lie un- der a similar condition, as an accumulating fund, the proceeds to be then applied to the support of poor widows and orphans. These sums are all now supposed to be forfeited. In addition to these, there were in his will large bequests to the town of West-Boylston, to whom, I believe, a portion of the forfeited legacies to the town of Princeton, revert.
APPENDIX.
The following is the petition and resolve referred to in the note on page 16 :-
PROVINCE OF THE MASSACHUSETTS BAY.
To His Excellency Francis Bernard, Esq. Governor and Commander-in- chief in and over said Province, The Honorable His Majesties Council and House of Representatives, in general Court assembled, at Boston, the 30th Day of December, Anno Domini, 1767.
The Petition of Timothy Fuller of Princetown, in the County of Worces- ter, Clerk, humbly shews-That, in the Month of September last, he was or- dained as a Minister in said Place-That the said Place is now in its Infancy and not very able to support the Gospel, but the Harmony and Unanimity that appeared among them to settle your Petitioner was a great Inducement to accept of their Invitation at the small living of fifty-three Pounds six Shillings and eight Pence per Annum, which your Petitioner apprehends is as much as they are able to pay in their Present Circumstances-That the said Place labors under many difficulties by reason of the great Expense they have been and are necessarily obliged to be at, in finishing their Meeting- House, making and maintaining new Roads in a Wilderness Country-And greater than any new Town lately granted as they have no publick minis- terial Lands for the use of the first settled minister-That the Hill called Watchusett Hill lies within the Limitts of said Town, which belongs to the Province ; The whole Contents whereof are about five Hundred Acres, four Hundred Acres of which are mountain, barren and unfruitful, and never can be fitt for any Improvement as many of this honorable Court are well Knowing ; That about one Hundred Acres of it upon the South Side nigh the Foot of the Hill, altho' very rocky and uneven, may possibly be im- proved as Pasture Land.
Your Petitioner therefore humbly prays that, as an Encouragement to him (seeing there are no publick Lands reserved for the first settled Min-
17
130
APPENDIX.
ister in said Place) you would, out of your wonted Goodness, grant unto him the said Province Land.
And as in duty bound shall ever pray.
TIMOTHY FULLER.
We the Select-Men of Princetown unite our humble and earnest Desire that the Prayer of your Petitioner above may be granted for the Reasons assigned in the above Petition.
And as in duty bound shall ever pray.
PETER GOODENOW, ? Select-Men
JOSEPH GIBBS,
EBENEZER JONES, of
OLIVER DAVIS,
Princetown.
BENJAMIN TAYNTER, 1
In the House of Representatives, January 20th, 1768. Resolved-That the Prayer of said Petition be granted and that the Tract of Land belonging to this Province lying in Princetown, in the County of Worcester, called Watchusett Hill, containing about five Hundred Acres, bounded East four Degrees North one Hundred and Sixty Rods on Watertown Farm, then North 46 Degrees East 160 Rods on said Watertown Farm, then North 97 Rods on Muzzey's Farm now Keyes's, then North 23 west 70 Rods on Benjamin Houghton's Land, then westerly 135 Rods on said Houghton's Land, then 60 Rods on said Houghton's Land to a white Oak Tree, then South 55 west 253 Rods on Westminster Line to a red Oak Tree the corner of Mr. Allen's Farm, then East 21 Degrees South 100 Rods on said Allen's Farm, then running on said Allen's Farm about 190 Rods to the Bound first mentioned ; be granted to the said Timothy Fuller, his Heirs and Assigns forever, as an encouragement to him to continue in the faithfull Discharge of his Office in said Princetown-Provided that He or his Heirs pay their Proportion of a Tax of two pence Per Acre for three years, laid by the Gen- eral Court at their Session in January, A. D. 1760, upon all the unimproved Lands in said District of Princetown.
Sent up for Concurrence-
THOMAS CUSHING, Speaker.
In Council, January 20th, 1768. Read and Concurred ---
A. OLIVER, Secretary.
Consented to-
FRANCIS BERNARD.
A true Copy, Examined-
P. JNO. COTTON, D. Secretary.
3779
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.