USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Salem > The history of Salem, Massachusetts, vol 2, 1924 > Part 32
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Nathaniel Pattey appeared in Salem this year for the first time, and he was of Bass River Side the next year. He was a servant of Hugh Woodberry ; and was gone to sea in November. Nov. 6, 1660, the selectmen admitted Clement Salmonds3 to be an inhabitant. He came from Boston, and returned thither in 1662. Hugh Jones4 Luteranos came from Wincanton, England, about 1642, in Mr. Stratton's ship, as a servant of Robert Gutch, and lived in Salem in 1660, having been a servant of Thomas Gardner. He became a planter.
After Charles II ascended the throne of England, fearful that the events occurring during the period of the Commonwealth might have influenced the young monarch unfavorably toward the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the general court addressed to him the following latter (which is here given somewhat abbre- viated :--
To the high & mighty Prince Charles the Second, by the grace of God King of Great Brittajne, Fraunce, & Ireland, Defender of the Faith, &c.
Most gracious & dread soueraigne :-
May it please your majty, in the day wherein yow happily say yow now know that yow are king ouer your Brittish Israel, to cast a favor- able eye vpon your poore Mephibbosheth, now, &, by reason of lamenes in respect of distance, not vntill now, appearing in your presence; wee meane vpon New England, kneeling with the rest of your subjects be- fore yor majty, as her restored king; wee forgett not our ineptness as to these approaches. Wee at present owne such impotency as renders vs
1Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, volume II, pages 222 and 223.
2Mrs. Elliot married, secondly, before November 27th, James Bedde. The latter drank intoxicating liquor to excess, and she had an uncontrollable tongue. They lived in Wenham in 1662. Mr. Elliot had a daughter Sarah, who survived him. As a boy, in 1641, he was a servant of Hugh Laskin.
3Clement Sammon married Joanna Riland June 13, 1660, in Boston ; children : 1. John, born May 9, 1661, in Salem; 2. Mary, born Jan. 12, 1663-4, in Boston; 3. Elizabeth, born Feb. 26, 1665-6, in Boston; 4. Samuel, born April 5, 1668.
4Hugh Jones, born about 1641 ; married, first, Hannah Tompkins June 26, 1660; she died in 1672; married, second, Mary Foster Dec. 31, 1672; he was living in 1681 and dead in 1691; she was living in 1696, and was of
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vnable to excuse our impotency of speaking vnto our lord the king ; yet, contemplating such a king, who hath also seene adversity, that he knoweth the heart of exiles, who himself hath binn an exile, the aspect of majesty, thus extraordinaryly circumstanced, influenced, and ani- mateth exanimated outcasts (yett outcasts, as wee hope, for the trueth ) to make this addresse vnto theire prince. Hoping to find in yor sight, wee present script, the transcript of our loyall hearts, into yo" royall hands, wherein wee craue leaue.
To supplicate yo" majesty for yo" gracious protection of vs in the continuance both of our civil priviledges according to (& of our re- ligion & libertjes) the grauntees knowne end, of suing for the pattent conferred vpon this plantation by your royall ffather. This, our libertje to walke in the faith of the gospell wth all good conscience according to the order of the gospell, (vnto which the former in these ends of the earth is but subservient,) was the cause of our transporting ourselves, wth our wiues, our litle ones, & our substance, from that pleasant land ouer the Atlanticke Ocean into the vast & wast wildernes, choosing rather the pure Scripture worship, wth a good conscienc, in this poore, remote wildernes, amongst the heathens, then the pleasures of England, wth submission to the impositions of the then so disposed & so farre pre- vayling hierarchie, weh wee could not doe wthout an evil consci- ence.
Our wittnes is in heaven, that wee left not our countrje vpon any dissattisfaction as to the constitution of the civil state. Our lott, after the example of the good old non conformist, hath binn only to act a passiue part through out these late vicissitudes & successiue ouerturnings of state. Our seperation from our brethren in this desart hath binn & is a sufficient bringing to minde the affliction of Joseph ; but providentiall exemption of vs hereby from the late warrs & temptations of either party wee account as a favor from God; the former cloaths vs wth „th sack cloth, the latter with innocence.
Wee could not liue w tout the publicke worship of God. Wee were not pmitted the vse of publicke worship wthout such a yoake of sub- scription & conformity as wee could not consent vnto wthout sinne. That wee might therefore enjoy divine worship wthout the humajne mixtures, wtout offence either to God, man, or our owne consciences, wee wth leaue, but not wthout teares, departed from our country, kindred, & fathers houses, into this Pathmos, in relation wherevnto wee doe not say our garments are become old by reason of the very long journey, but that ourselves, who came away in our strength, are, by reason of very long absence, many of vs become grey headed, & some of vs stoop- ing. for age. The omission of the prementioned injunctions, together wth the walking of our churches, as to the point of order, the congre-
Woburn in 1707; children: 1. Hannah, born Feb. 9, 1660-1; 2. Sara, born April 30, 1663: 3. Elizabeth, born Oct. - , 1664; 4. Mary, born Jan. 30, 1665; married John Pudney Jan. 1. 1683-4; 5. John, born Aug. 4. 166 -; of Framing- ham in 1726: 6. Deborah, born March 10, 1669-70; 7. Samuel, born April 30, 1672; living in 1696; 8. Rebecca, born Oct. 15, 1673; 9. Abigail, born Jan. 7, 1674-5; TO. Hannah, born May 17, 1677; IT. Rachel, born April 17, 1670; living in 1690; 12. Sarah, born July 10, 1681; living in 1696; 13. Lydia, born Feb. 20, 1684-5; 14. Hugh; of Woburn in 1707.
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gationall way is all wherein wee differ from our Orthodox brethren. S", wee lye not before yo" sacred majtje. The Lord God of gods, the Lord God of gods, he knoweth, & Israell he shall know; if it were in rebellion or schisme that wee wittingly left our dwellings in our owne, or con- tinew our dwellings in this strainge land, saue vs not this day.
With the religious stippulation of our prajers, wee, prostrate at yo" rojall feete, begg pardon for this our boldnes, craving finally that our names may be enrolled amongst
Yor majtjes most humble Subjects & suppljants, JOHN ENDECOTT, Gouno", in the name & by the order of the Generall Court of ye Massachusetts.
With this letter to the king, another was sent, addressed to Parliament, and also a letter of instructions to the colonial agent in England.1
Rev. Edward Norris, pastor of the church, was not well for several years before his decease. In his will, dated Dec. 9, 1657, he wrote : "having infirmity upon me which may prove very dan- gerous, and mortal." Sometime after, he was stricken speechless in the pulpit. He became so weak that the town ordered, May 2, 1659, "that when God shall take Mr. Norrice to rest out of this world to himself: that the town shall be at the charge for his burial." He died Dec. 23, 1659, after serving here nineteen years, and in the prime of his life.
Rev. Mr. Whiting2 was still in service here when Mr. Norris died, but removed immediately afterward to Billerica, where he was ordained pastor of the church Nov. 1I, 1663. He preached the Artillery sermon in 1682. Cotton Mather called him "a reverend, holy, and faithful minister of the gospel." He died Feb, 28, 1713-4, at the age of eighty. The following lines are in a poem published soon after his death :-
Whiting, we here behold a starry light, Burning on Christ's right hand and shining bright; Years seven times seven, sent forth his precious rays, Unto the gospel's profit and Jehovah's praise.
Nov. 29, 1659, the town ordered that the ministry for the next year be supported by voluntary contributions put into the "drawing box"; and those that will not so contribute should be taxed by the selectmen. The only record about the success of this plan is a single line in the accounts of the town: "Rec p sev"ale
1These papers are all printed in full in the Records of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, volume IV, part 2, pages 449 to 456.
2Rev. Samuel Whiting married Dorcas -; children: I. Elizabeth; 2. Samuel; 3. John; minister at Lancaster, where he was killed by the Indians - Sept. II, 1697; 4. Oliver; 5. Dorothy; 6. Joseph; 7. James; 8. Eunice ; 9. Benjamin; 10. Benjamin.
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men for the msty £1, 17s., 6d." At this time the Quakers were making inroads on the church attendance and influencing the members in their interest in its services and their maintenance.
It was expected that a stranger would be the new minister who must soon come, and it was deemed necessary that a parsonage should be provided for him. There had been no parsonage since the death of Rev. Francis Higginson, in 1630-thirty years be- fore. Nov. 29, 1659, the town therefore voted "that there shall be a house built for the ministry." The site chosen for it was the lot on the northwest side of Washington Square west, between the Second Church and Williams Street. On the plan, the dotted line indicates the westerly line of Williams Street. The lot was owned by Daniel Rumball who permitted the town to take it, and he was given a lot of land in satisfaction therefor1. On the day that the N town voted to build the parsonage, William A Browne and Mr. Corwine were desired to agree with carpenters for its construction ; and to pay for the same two hundred pounds was ordered to be raised by taxation Dec. 14, 1659. The house was of considerable size. The strip of land on the easterly side of the lot was con- veyed by John Williams to Mr. Higginson, the new minister, Nov. 20, 1682. Mr. Higginson's HIGHWAY. barn stood upon this strip, and the house was . on the street end of the original lot. Mr. Higginson died in 1708, having in his will devised the estate to his son Col. John Higginson, who died March 23, 1719-20, possessed of it. In his will, he devised it to his daughter Mary, wife of James Lindall and her children. She died in 1753, leaving three children, Timothy Lindall, Sarah Lutwyche and Abigail Jennison, widows, the latter being of Boston and the others of Salem. Sarah released her interest to her sister Abigail in 1754, and Mrs. Jennison lived in the house. Timothy and Abigail di- vided the estate two days afterward, Abigail thereby becoming the owner of the house and that portion of the land. She removed to Danvers before 1759, when the house was occupied by Ruth Putnam and William Patterson, a mariner, and she conveyed the property to Mr. Patterson Jan. 1, 17612. He died in 1770, and the administrator of his estate conveyed the "old house" and land to Jonathan Andrew May 9, 17713. The house was gone before 1788.
1Salem Town Records, volume II, page 7.
2Essex Registry of Deeds, book 109, leaf 85.
3Essex Registry of Deeds, book 129, leaf 244.
John Higginson
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John Higginson, a son of Rev. Francis Higginson, the first teacher of the church, was thirteen years old when he came to Salem with his parents in 1629. He was born at Claybrook, Leicester, England, Aug. 6, 1616. He was chaplain at Fort Say- brook, Conn., in 1641; taught school in Hartford; and studied theology with Rev. Thomas Hooker. In 1643, he became assistant to Rev. Henry Whitfield of Guilford, Conn., whose daughter Sarah he married. He had sole charge of the church there from 1651 to 1659. In the latter year, he took passage in a ship for England, and because of the severity of the weather was obliged to put into the harbor of Boston. Apparently, he visited Salem soon afterward, about the time of the decease of Mr. Norris. He was asked to remain here awhile, and be the temporary pastor of the church. He agreed to stay a year. Subsequently, he was invited to become the permanent pastor, and he gave his affirma- tive answer in the following letter :-
It hath been matter of serious enquiry to me wt should be the will of God & my duty in this great turne of my life, especially in ordering my Abode here amongst you for a time, weh hath been ouerruled by the Prouidence of God wholly beyond my owne intention in my removall from ye place where I was before. And yet truly when I haue con- sidered all, I encline to look at ye call of ye people here as the call of God for my continuance amongst you. I desire to be thankfull to God & thankful to you all for your loue to me & mine, & am willing to settle amongst you as in Acts 2. 42 so when I joyn in church fellowship with you So long as the Church & people of God here continue in the stedfastnes of Faith in Christ & order of ye Gospel as now you doe.
So long as I finde yt I can (with a good Conscience)
I. cary on ye part of ye worke of Christ weh may be
2. long to me & discharge my duty to my Family.
I doe express my selfe willing to setle amongst you with a true intention, and a true affection having no other thoughts or desires but to liue & dye amongst you as my Father did before.
There is but one thing, I would commend vnto ye Congregation that you would seriously think of a Ruling Elder, for though I should not be vnwilling to doe wt ye Lord shall, enable me, yet I am not free to vndertake church work without ye Assistance of a Ruling Elder, the place being great the people many, & ye work like to be much es- pecially in such times as these.
And for myselfe I know my own weaknes many wayes & yt I shall have need of ye Freedome of my Spirit & command of my time, yt I may in some measure fulfill ye work of ye ministry vnto wch I am called of God by yourselues.
This invitation was accepted in June or early in July. With his family and goods, he was transported from Boston to Salem by Capt. Richard Moore by water, for which service the town paid him forty shillings. His family consisted of his wife Sarah and
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children, John, aged thirteen, and four others. Two children were born to them in Salem ..
The church elected John Browne ruling elder, in his ab- sence, and he accepted the position July eighth, and, in accepting it, he said in effect that though he judged himself unfit and there were many others more able for the work, yet considering the call of God and his people in it, and that he might be any means of the church's settlement, he did give up himself to the Lord and to the church in the work so far as the Lord should enable him thereunto. His occasions at Virginia required his presence there the following winter, and when the Lord should please to return him safely from thence he should then continue at home and apply himself to the work as the Lord should enable him.
Letters inviting the churches of Ipswich, Lynn, Reading and Boston to participate in the ordination exercises were sent. At the ordination, which was in August, 1660, Mr. Higginson preached the sermon from I Cor. 3 : 7 : "So then neither is he that planteth anything, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase." Maj. William Hathorne and the deacons imposed their hands upon Mr. Higginson, and then he upon the ruling elder. Rev. John Norton of Boston gave the right hand of fellowship, speaking from Gal. 2 : 9 : "And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship ; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision."
Mr. and Mrs. Higginson were dismissed from the church in Guilford and received into the church in Salem. The parsonage was unfinished Jan. 8, 1660-1, when the selectmen agreed with John Ruck that he should have ten pounds a year for entertaining Mr. Higginson "into his house" on what is now Mill Street, for so long time as he should live in the house ; and the town to be at the charge of making a brick chimney in the outhouse. Mr. Ruck was to have twelve pounds for the wood he was to provide Mr. Higginson with the first year. The Ruck house at that time was the northwesterly portion of the present house, where the great chimney is. The house was built, as it was originally, before 1643.
Mr. Higginson was the stenographer of the synod which was held at Cambridge in 1637, being employed by magistrates and ministers of the Bay to make a report of the meetings and write out the material parts for printing, which he did, and it was accepted by the general court at Boston, in May, 1639. It was agreed that he should have the benefit of the printing of it, which was estimated at one hundred pounds. He loaned the copy to the ministers, and some of them wished to have it printed, and
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some did not. In May, 1641, he again delivered the copy to the court, to whom he wrote, from Guilford, Aug. 9, 1643, requesting the court to pay him for his services, and suggested fifty pounds1. The court replied by saying that he was given the right to print it and "make his best of it"; and if he had been persuaded not to print it by any persons it was his matter and not the court's. So, apparently, all his labor was lost.
The town voted, March 9, 1659-60, to pay Mr. Higginson one hundred and sixty pounds a year as salary and twelve pounds for his fuel; and, July 17, 1671, it was mutually agreed that he should have one hundred pounds a year and forty cords of wood, and the same was agreed to in 1676-7. The salary was at first raised by voluntary subscription, and the deacons reported monthly the amount contributed. This was soon found to be a precarious or at least uncertain method, and afterward the town voted that the selectmen solicit contributions directly from the people. After three years trial of this last method, the salary was found to be forty pounds behind. In 1667, it was decided to make an assess- ment upon the people (Quakers excepted) ; and, June 30, 1668, a number of residents petitioned the Salem court for arbitration with Mr. Higginson relative to his claims, to settle the whole matter, lest through long delays "such a place as this, any sad in- conveniences may follow to the dishonor of God, the discourage- ment of the ministry and the dishonor of the people here." No action was taken upon the communication.
April 13, 1661, the town granted to Mr. Higginson one and three-fourths acres of swampy land near the northeast corner of Washington Square, "in the Common Pen neare Mr. Stileman's field on the south and Mr. John Gidney's and John Neale on the north to begin at the upwards west corner of Mr. Stileman's pas- ture and cross over to John Neal's field and so downwards to the sea between those fields above named"; and also six acres of land at the Neck, constituting what is now known as Juniper Point, and described as "in the great neck neare to Mordechai Creuet's new Dwelling." Apparently, when in need of money he sold the swamp lot in or before 1664; and the Juniper lot in 1671.
DOMESTICITY
As commerce increased new articles came to the houses of the settlers. An "eastend" carpet, calico carpets, a Thrum rug, and a worsted Thrum rug appeared. "Sea beds" were here, flags were used to fill ticks, and Flanders ticks were in some houses. There were flag-bottomed chairs, looking glasses, desks and wicker baskets; also, Turkey cushions, Turkey-work chairs,
1Massachusetts Archives, volume X, leaves 185 and 186.
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leather chairs and straw-bottomed chairs. William Woodcock, the apothecary, had a trunk with feet. Thomas Trusler had "a broad plait candlestick of brass, to hang on a wall." Brass and- irons appeared in some forerooms. Framed pictures were fre- quently hung in the best room. Latten ware became common, as pudding, dripping, sauce and other pans, cullenders, candlesticks and lamps. Snuffers were introduced to trim the candles. There were also Lisbon ware, silver cups and spoons, china porringers, quart stone jugs and brass savealls. In the kitchen, began to appear nutmeg graters, mincing knives, and molasses and oranges.
New materials for apparel appeared, as Hampton serge, galloon ossinbridge cloth, Turkey mohair, silk mohair and hair camlet. In spite of the fact that it was proposed in the general court in 1654, that the Irish be prohibited from entering the Colony, because of "ye cruel and malignant spirit that has from time to time been manifest in ye Irish nation against the English nation," Irish cloth, linen, serge and blanketing, and even Irish beef became common here. Upon the clothing, were soon used silver, gold and steel buttons, and there were tape and ribbon. The buttons came on cards, much the same as they do now.
The apparel of the women now included taffety scarfs, felt hats, silk hoods, lawn handkerchiefs, sleasie aprons, straw hats, cametto coats, buckskin buskins, dimity waistcoats, red waistcoats, castor hats, narrow-brimmed hats, Portugal caps and ivory combs. French fall shoes appeared here in 1680. Among other personal articles, were snowshoes, walking canes, pen knives, razors and silver-bowed spectacles. Furs of all kinds were plentiful.
The principal money in circulation was the Spanish and New England silver coins.
In the way of military weapons and accoutrements, as well as for protection and hunting, were muskets, carbines, fowling pieces, pistols, rapiers, swords and snapsacks. Henry Harwood had a javelin.
There were a considerable number of slaves here, Negroes and West Indians.
As to methods at meals, the adults ate their repasts and then the servants and children ate the same class of food.
Books began to accumulate here as the years passed. The Bible was the common book, being found in most houses. The next was the Psalm book, with an occasional copy of the New Testament. Widow Margery Wathin, who died in 1644, had- twenty-four old books, valued at eight shillings, and a Bible and testament, at nine shillings. Elias Mason had nine books, ap- praised at thirteen shillings, when he died in 1646. William Clark died in 1647. possessed of Purchas' Pilgrimage, a rare and im-
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portant volume. Mrs. Rebecca Bacon died in 1655, possessed of Doctor Sebe's and Doctor Preston's Works, Calvin's Institutions, Luther upon the Galatians, Mr. Shepard's Morality of the Sab- bath, Nicholas Gibbin's Disputations, Joshua Symonds' books, Markam and ten small books, besides three Bibles and a Con- cordance. Thomas Sallows, who died in 1663, had two of Mr. Burroughs' writings. Thomas Flint had, at the time he died, in 1668, a great Bible, Psalm book and a sermon book. John Sy- monds, who died in 1671, had, among other books, a volume of Doctor Preston's works and one of Mr. Rogers' works. William Bowditch, who died in 1681, had beside a large Latin Bible, eleven books called Rutherford's Letters, valued at one pound and two shillings; twenty books of Durham on the Commandments, ap- praised at one pound and ten shillings ; five books of Mr. Rait against Popery, valued at six shillings and three pence; three books of William Colvill's Works; two books of George Dow- name's Works ; one volume of John Browne's Works ; one volume of John Despagne's Works; and two books of Meinlies against Dempster.
Rum, in considerable quantities, early appeared here.
The husbandman soon acquired the practice of keeping his grain in the garret of his house, and established a dairy room called a buttery.
The settler who cultivated the ground and conducted the business of farming most extensively was Farmer John Porter, in what is now Danvers, whose title he certainly earned. At the time of his death, Sept. 6, 1676, he had twelve acres planted with Indian corn and two acres with peas and twelve acres sowed to barley and one to wheat. He had eight oxen and two three-year- old steers, a bull, fifteen cows, nine two-year-olds, eight yearlings and eleven calves, five horses, six mares and two colts, forty-six ewe sheep and wethers and fourteen lambs and fourteen swine and eleven young shoats. He had two negro slaves and three English servants.
· Clergymen seem to have been the most educated men among the early settlers. They had the largest libraries, at least. Lawyers were rare, and the minister did many things that a lawyer ordin- arily does. The legal side of their services was almost confined to drawing of wills and deeds, although advice must have been frequently sought. Early deeds occasionally began with "To all Christian people to whom these presents shall come," etc .; and it is easy to imagine who prepared them. Wills more generally manifested their authorship in the preamble: "In the name of God amen, I, John Pickering of Salem, being of perfect mind and memory, do make and ordain this my last will and testament in manner and form following. First, I bequeath my soul to my
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Lord God and Saviour, and my body to the earth from whence it came." This will is dated July 30, 1655.
Barbers were the first surgeons. They were early called
here barber-surgeons or limb-dressers. They performed ampu- tations and phlebotomy, extracted teeth, etc. Their sign is con- tinued to this day. It was a pole wound with a narrow bandage, and originally had a basin suspended from it, all of which indi- cated the winding of the bandage around the limb to stop the bleeding and the basin in which to catch the blood.
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