USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Sudbury > The history of Sudbury, Massachusetts, 1638-1889 > Part 10
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" The said Timothy is to fell all the timber and saw it, and then the town is to carry it to the place."
The town was also to help raise it. The time of this con- tract also is uncertain. The record of the date is so muti- lated that it is uncertain whether it is 1643 or 1653. On the page preceding are the dates 1652 and 1653. If this contract was made in 1643, then that with Ambrose Leach might have been earlier than has been conjectured, and the bridge built by him may have been destroyed by a flood soon after com- pletion, which caused the erection of another so soon.
In 1645, it was ordered "that £20 should be alowed ye town of Sudbury toward ye building of their bridge and way at ye end of it to be paid ym when they shall have made ye way passable for loaden horses, so it be done wthin a twelve month." (Colony Records, Vol. II., p. 102.) The town was also for this reason at one time favored by an abatement of rates, as we are informed by the following record : -
"Whereas it appears to us that Concord, Sudbury and Lan-
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caster are at a greater charge in bridges for the publicque use of the countrye than some other of theire neighbor townes, we conceive it meete that they be abated as followeth ; Con- cord and Lancaster all theire rates, whether payd or to be payd to those two bridges above named, and Sudbury the one half of theire rates to the sayd bridges, and theire abatement to be satisfied to the undertakers of those bridges, or repayed againe to such as have payed as followeth." (Colony Rec- ords, Vol. IV., p. 307.)
The bridge built at this spot is said to be the first framed bridge in Middlesex County. The locality is one rich in reminiscences of Sudbury's early History. Over this cross- ing the Indians were forced, on that memorable day when King Philip attacked the town. At the "Bridge foot" were buried the bodies of the Concord men who were slain on that dismal day. (See period 1675-1700.) It was the bridge of the old stage period. Just beyond, by the "gravel pit," was the beginning of the "Old Lancaster road." Here was the crossing, over which Washington passed when he went through the town. Thus suggestive are the associa- tions that eluster about the spot, and chime in with the nat- ural loveliness that sometimes adorns it. When the mead- ows grow green in the spring-time as the floods are passing away, and the willows, standing in hedgerows like silent sentinels, send forth their fragrant perfume, here surely is a fit place for reflection, a suitable spot in which to meditate upon things that were long ago.
CAUSEWAY.
Westerly beyond the bridge was built a raised road or causeway, which was sometimes called the "Casey " or "Carsey." This is a memorable piece of highway. Repeat- edly has it been raised to place it above the floods. At one time the work was apportioned by lot; and at another the Legislature allowed the town to issue tickets for a grand lottery, the avails of which were to be expended upon this causeway.
Stakes were formerly set as safeguards to the traveler, that
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he might not stray from the way. In 1653, it is recorded that speedy measures were to be taken to repair the cause- way and highways. Just when this causeway was built we have found no record, but we infer that it was begun as early as 1643, since at that time the cart-bridge was made, and about that time the service of Thomas Noyes as ferryman ceased. With the construction of a cart-bridge, the people would naturally construct a cart causeway, since without this a cart-bridge could be of no use for vehicles. The older causeway is that which is a few rods west of the town bridge further east, and takes a southwesterly course at the parting of the ways.
GRIST-MILL.
Another necessary convenience to the settlers was a grist- mill, or, as they expressed it, "a mill to grind the town's corn." Such a mill was erected in the spring of 1639 by Thomas Cakebread. The following is the record concerning it: "Granted to Thomas Cakebread for and in considera- tion of building a mill, 40 a. of upland or thereabout now adjoining to the mill, and a little piece of meadow down- wards, and a piece of meadow upward, and which may be 16 or 20 a. or thereabout. Also there is given for his accommo- dation for his estate 30 a. of meadow and 40 a. of upland." (Town Records.)
Mr. Cakebread did not long live to make use of his mill. . His widow married Sargent John Grout, who took charge of the property. "In 1643, the cranberry swamp formerly granted to Antient Ensign Cakebread was confirmed to John Grout, and there was granted to Sargent John Grout a swamp lying by the house of Philemon Whale, to pen water for the use of the mill, and of preparing it to remain for the use of the town."
Probably the house of Philemon Whale was not far from the present Concord road, near Wayland Centre, and pos- sibly stood on the old cellar hole at the right of the road, north of the Dana Parmenter house. The bridge at the head of the mill-pond long bore the name of Whale's Bridge. This mill stood on the spot where the present grist-mill
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stands, near Wayland Centre, and which has been known as Reeves's, Grout's, and, more recently, Wight's mill. Some of the original timber of the Cakebread Mill is supposed to be in the present structure. The stream by which it is run is now small, but in early times it was probably somewhat larger. The dimensions of the mill are larger than formerly, it having been lengthened toward the west.
CHURCH.
The town now being laid out, and the necessary means for securing a livelihood provided, the people turned their atten- tion to ecclesiastical matters. The church was of paramount importance to the early new England inhabitants. For its privileges they had in part embarked for these far-off shores. To preserve its purity they became pilgrims on earth, exiles from friends and their native land. Borne hither with such noble desires, we have evidence that when they arrived they acted in accordance with them. In 1640 a church was orga- nized, which was Congregational in government and Calvin- istic in creed or faith. A copy of its covenant is still pre- served. The church called to its pastorate Rev. Edmund Brown, and elected Mr. William Brown deacon. It is sup- posed that the installation of Rev. Edmund Brown was at the time of the formation of the church. The town in se- lecting Mr. Brown for its minister secured the services of an energetic and devoted man. Edward Johnson says of · him, in his " Wonder-Working Providence," " The church in Sudbury called to the office of a pastor the reverend, godly and able minister of the word, Mr. Edmund Brown, whose labors in the doctrine of Christ Jesus hath hitherto abounded, wading through this wilderness work with much cheerfulness of spirit, of whom as followeth : -
" Both night and day Brown ceaseth not to watch Christ's little flock in pastures fresh them feed,
The worrying wolves shall not the weak lambs catch ; Well dost thou mind in wildernesse their breed.
Edmund, thy age is not so great but thou Maist yet behold the Beast brought to her fall,
Earth's tottering Kingdome shew her legs gin bow,
Thou 'mongst Christ's Saints with prayers maist her mawle.
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" What signes wouldst have faith's courage for to rouse ? See Christ triumphant hath his armies led,
In Wildernesse prepar'd his lovely Spouse,
Caused Kings and Kingdomes his high hand to dread ; Thou seest his churches daily are increasing,
And though thyself amongst his worthyes warring,
Hold up thy hands, the battel's now increasing,
Christ's Kingdom's ay, it's past all mortall's marring."
The home of Mr. Brown was in the territory of Wayland, by the south bank of Mill Brook, on what was called " Tim- ber Neck." (See map of house-lots, Chapter V.) The house was called in his will " Brunswick," which means " mansion by the stream," and stood near the junction of Mill Brook with the river, a little southeast of Farm Bridge, and nearly opposite the Richard Heard place. Nothing now visible marks the spot, but both record and undisputed tradition give its whereabouts. (For further of Mr. Brown see period 1675-1700.) Mr. Brown's salary the first year was to be £40, one-half to be paid in money, the other half in some or all of these commodities : " Wheate, pees, butter, cheese, porke, beefe, hemp and flax, at every quarters end." In the maintenance of the pastor and church the town acted as in secular matters. The church was for the town ; its records were for a time town records. Civil and ecclesiastical mat- ters were connected. If there was no state church, there was a town church, a minister and meeting-house, that was reached by and reached the masses. "Rates " were gath- ered no more surely for the "king's tax " than to maintain the ministry. To show the manner of raising the money for the minister's salary shortly after his settlement, we insert the following: "The first day of the second month, 1643. It is agreed upon by the town that the Pastor shall [have] for this year, beginning the first day of the first month, thirty pound, to be gathered by rate and to be paid unto him at two several payments, the first payment to be made one month after midsummer, the other payment to be made one month after Michaelmas, for the gathering of which the town hath desired Mr. Pendleton and Walter Hayne to undertake it, and also the town hath discharged the pastor from all
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rates, for this year, and the rate to be levied according to the rate which was for the - meeting-house, the invoice being taken by John Freeman." Of the prosperity of this little church, Johnson says, in his "Wonder-Working Providence," "This church hath hitherto, been blessed with blessings of the right hand, even godly peace and unity; they are not above 50 or 60 families and about 80 souls in church fellow- ship, their Neat head about 300."
MEETING-HOUSE.
A church formed and pastor secured, an early movement was made for a meeting-house.
"'Mid forests unsubdued The Sabbath dome rose fair, And in their rude unsheltered homes Was heard the call - to prayer." SIMES.
The spot selected was at what is now the "Old Burying- ground," in Wayland. The building stood in its westerly part, and a few rods northerly of the Sudbury Centre and Wayland highway. The site is marked by a slight embank- ment, and by a row of evergreens set by Mr. J. S. Draper. The house was built by John Rutter, and the contract was as follows : -
" February 17th, 1642.
"It is agreed between the townsmen of this town on the one part, and John Rutter on the other part, that the said John Rutter for his part, shall fell, saw, hew and frame a house for a meeting-house thirty foot long, twenty foot wide, eight foot between joint three foot between, stude two cross dorments in the house six clear story windows, two with four lights apiece, and four with three lights apiece, and to ententise between the stude, which frame is to be made ready to raise the first week in May next.
" JOHN RUTTER.
" And the town for their part do covenant to draw all the timber to place, and to help to raise the house being framed and also to pay to the said John Rutter for the said work
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six pounds, that is to say, three pound to be paid in corn at three shillings a bushel, or in money, in and' upon this twenty seventh day, of this present month, and the other three pounds to be paid in money, corn and cattle to be prized by two men of the town, one to be chosen by the town and the other to be chosen by John Rutter, and to be paid at the time that the frame is by the said John Rutter finished.
" PETER NOYSE, WALTER HAYNES,
" BRIAN PENDLETON, JOHN HOW,
" WILLIAM WARD, THOMAS WHYTE."
(Town Book, p. 27.)
An act relative to the raising and locating of the building is the following, dated May, 1643: The town "agreed that the meeting-house shall stand upon the hillside, before the house- lot of John Loker, on the other side of the way; also that every inhabitant that hath a house-lot shall attend [the rais- ing of] the new meeting-house, or send a sufficient man to help raise the meeting-house." The year after the contract was made a rate was ordered for the finishing of the house, to be raised on "meadow and upland and all manner of cattle above a quarter old, to be prized as they were for- merly: Shoates at 6 shillings 8 pence apiece, kids at 4 shil- lings apiece."
A further record of the meeting-house is as follows : -
" Nov. 5tlı, 1645.
" It is ordered that all those who are appointed to have seats in the meeting-house that they shall bring in their first payment for their seats to Hugh Griffin or agree with him between this and the 14th day of this month, which is on Friday next week and those that are (deficient) we do hereby give power to the Marshall to distrain both for their payment for their seats and also for the Marshall's own labor according to a former order twelve pence.
" WALTER HAYNE, WILLIAM WARDE.
"EDMUND GOODNOW,
" HUGH GRIFFIN."
JOHN REDDICKE,
.
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HISTORY OF SUDBURY.
Considerable importance was attached in the early times to the seating of people in the meeting-house, and in the records of new houses of worship mention is made of this matter. Respect was had to social condition and circum- stance ; committees were chosen to adjust these matters in the payment of rates, and references are made in the records of town-meeting to the requests of parties about their seats in the meeting-house. A rule that was general was, that the men should sit at one end of the pew and the women at the other. In the third meeting-house erected in Sudbury it was a part of a plan that the pews should be so arranged as to seat seven men on one side and seven women on the other. In this first meeting-house of Sudbury, the people purchasing seats had a right to dispose of their purchase, in case they should leave the settlement; but the right was reserved by the town of seating the parties who purchased, as is declared by the following record, Jan. 26, 1645: It was "ordered, that all those that pay for seats in the meeting- house shall have leave to sell as many seats as they pay for, provided, they leave the seating of the persons to whom they sell, to the church officers, to seat them if they themselves go out of town." About this first meeting-house a burial place was soon started. No land purchase was made for this purpose until subsequent years (see chapter on Cemeteries), but, after the old English custom, graves were gathered about the church. The services held in the first meeting-house were probably like those held in other houses of the period. There were two sermons on Sunday, with a short intermis- sion at noon. The sermon was usually about an hour in length, and the time of preaching was measured by an hour- glass that was placed in the pulpit. Long prayers, if not in favor, were in use ; and the minister prayed for the practical needs of his little flock, detailing in his supplications the wants of the sick, the sorrowful, the sinful, and asking that all things might be sanctified to the soul's spiritual good. Strangers were sometimes asked to exhort or prophesy. Scripture reading, except reading the text, and incidental readings in the course of the sermon, was not known in the early churches. We are informed by Mr. Loring's Diary
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HISTORY OF SUDBURY.
that the reading of the Scriptures, as a part of the Sabbath service, was introduced into the Sudbury church, without opposition, in 1748. When the Scriptures were read, an exposition was expected ; and without this it was called "dumb reading." The church music was of a congrega- tional character, and made use of for worship. There were no useless mummeries of meaningless tunes. Most of the churches for a time after 1640 used "The Bay Psalm Book," which was gotten up by New England ministers, and which was the second hymn book used in British America. It is stated (Palfrey) that, for three-quarters of a century, not more than ten different tunes were used in public worship, among which were "York," "Hackney," "St. Martyns," " Windsor," and "St. Marys." The people were called to meeting by the beating of a drum. In a record, bearing date 1652, is a statement as follows: "It shall be agreed with Edmund Goodenow, that his son shall beat the Drum twice every lecture day, and twice every forenoon, and twice every afternoon upon every Lord's day, to give notice what time to come to meeting; for which the town will give him twenty shillings a year - and to pay him in the town rates." This son of Edmund Goodenow was John, as the records state that, in 1654, "John Goodenow was discharged from the town's engagement for beating the drum to call persons to meeting." A sexton was soon appointed, and it is recorded that, in 1644, John Toll was to "make clean the meeting- house for one year, and to have for his labor six shillings, eight pence."
₹
CHAPTER VII.
Land Divisions. - Origin of the Terms "Common " and " Lot."- Per- mission of Colonial Court for Land Division. - Principles upon which Land Divisions were Made .- The Meadows a Basis of Division .- Meadow Rights, or Meadow Dividends .- Rules of Division. - Quan- tity of Meadow Received in, Three Early Allotments .- Division of Upland .- Town's Common or Undivided Lands .- Proprietors' Com- mon or Undivided Lands. - Proprietors' Meetings subsequent to. 1700 .- Specimens of their Records .- Land Allotments to be Re- corded. - Cow Common. - Land for the Support of the Ministry. - Reservations for "Planting Fields," a "Training Field," a Mill, a Pasture for " Working Oxen," Timber Land.
These are the records, half effaced, Which, with the hand of youth, he traced On History's page.
LONGFELLOW.
THE settlers had little more than got fairly located at the plantation, when they began dividing their territory, and apportioning it in parcels to the inhabitants. Before these divisions were made there were no private estates, except such house-lots and few acres as were assigned at the outset for the settler's encouragement or help, or such land tracts as were obtained by special grant from the Colonial Court. But divisions soon came. Piece after piece was apportioned, and passed into private possession. Soon but little of the public domain was left, save small patches at the junction of roads, or some reservation for a school-house, meeting-house or pound, or plot for the village-green.
From common land, which the undivided territory was called, has come the word " common " as applied to a town common, park or public square. And from the division of land by lot, the term " lot " has come into use, as " meadow- lot," " wood-lot," and "house-lot." The early land divisions
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HISTORY OF SUDBURY.
were made, on permission of the Colonial Court, by such commissioners as the town or court might appoint. As a specimen of these permits, we give the following : -
"A Generall Court, holden at Boston the 4th Day of the 7th month 1639.
" The order of the Court, vpon the petition of the inhabi- tants of Sudbury, is, that Peter Noyes, Bryan Pendleton, J [John] Parmm A [Parmenter], Edmond B [Brown], Walter Hayne, George Moning, & Edmond Rise have comission to lay out lands to the p'sent inhabitants, according to their estates & persons & that Capt Jeanison, Mr Mayhewe, Mr Flint, Mr Samuel Sheopard, & John Bridge, or any 3 of them, shall, in convenient time, repaire to the said towne, & set out such land and accomodations, both for house-lots & otherwise, both for Mr Pelham & Mr Walgrave, as they shall think suit- able to their estates, to bee reserved for them if they shall come to inhabite them in convenient time, as the Court shall think [fit]."
But while these divisions were by the permission of the court, the principles of division were largely left to the peo- ple themselves ; and in the early New England towns various methods were adopted, in accordance with the plan or com- pact on which the plantation was formed. In more or less of the towns, the petitioners for a land tract of which a town was to be composed were a company of proprietors which might correspond to a corporation of to-day. They had a moderator, clerk, record book, and committee. The officials of these proprietaries, before a place was incorporated, per- formed functions to some extent corresponding to those of town officials afterwards. The committees corresponded to the town's selectmen, the clerk to a town clerk, and the pro- prietors' books to town records. The proprietors' books were not only a record of their proceedings, but served also as a registry of deeds, and were the evidence of land sales, bound- aries, etc.
These companies or proprietors could, by majority vote, divide up and dispose of their land in a way subject only to
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HISTORY OF SUDBURY.
the terms of the proprietors' compact, to restrictions of the court, and the common law. When the plantation by incor- poration became a town, the proprietors did not lose their original territorial rights, but the principle of ownership and control was the same as before. If, when the place was a plantation or proprietary, a person owned certain shares in the territory by reason of money paid in, or as a reward or recompense for some service performed, when it became a town he retained his right to those shares and the rights that appertained to them : and when the lands were divided those rights would be allowed. Hence, whether it were plantation or town when the division of land was made, though the act of division was subject to a majority vote, the mode of divis- ion was to have reference to the original right of every grantee.
The town of Sudbury, as a plantation, was formed on what we consider the proprietary principle. The persons that petitioned for the land tract, and those . whom they represented, or, in other words, the original grantees, at first possessed the whole territory. In their collective capacity, they had power to divide up their lands or keep them as common property ; but when divisions were made, it must be done in an equitable manner, that is, in proportion as each had paid in, or in proportion to the value of the orig- inal right; or they were to dispose of them in such a way as was, by general consent, for the common good of the com- pany, as the selling of land to meet public expenses, or the granting of it as a gratuity to help on the settlement; or the setting apart of a portion of it for a common pasture. But while the town had a right to do any or all of these things, as a matter of fact it did not at first divide up all of its land, except the meadows. These it divided proportionably, as we have stated, and the meadows being thus divided, became the basis of future allowance and rights ; in other words, it is supposed that the settlers put into the enterprise different amounts of money, and received meadow lands in proportion to what each put in ; and that, on the basis of the amount of meadow received, rates were raised for public purposes, and certain rights were possessed,- as the right of commonage, or
J &COVANT o Botox
A PART OF SUDBURY CENTRE View from a point to the easterly.
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HISTORY OF SUDBURY.
to divisions of uplands. So far as we know, no lands were sold at the outset solely and directly to construct public works, or to pay for a foot of the common territory.
Thus the division of meadow land was an important transaction. It was not only a disposal of common prop- erty of the proprietors, but it established a standard of rates, and in a certain sense of valuation. For example, money to pay for land purchased of Karto was to " be gath- ered according to such quantity of meadow as are granted to the inhabitants of the town." In the division of "uplands," the rule of receiving was according as a person was possessed of "meadow." In the pasturage of the extensive cow com- mon, the people were to be limited in the number of cattle put in by their meadows, or their rates as based upon them.
In the erection of the meeting-house and pay of the minister reference was had to rates paid on the meadows. Perhaps the meadows thus assigned might properly be termed "meadow- rights." As in some places the "acre-right " would procure lands or privileges in proportion to the part paid into the com- mon venture by the proprietor, so in Sudbury the meadow-right might do likewise ; and a person who possessed an original meadow-right might possess a right to subsequent land allot- ments, or the right of his cattle to commonage, so long as the town had undivided territory. Thus it might be said that the proprietors received values on their investment in the enter- prise, not by monied divisions, but by land divisions. Hence, these divisions of land might be called the dividends of those early days, and the money raised by the town on the basis of these early divisions of meadow might be called assessments on the stock made to meet public expenses. We conclude that these meadow-rights or dividends were merchantable, to the extent that a person in selling them might or might not con- vey the right that belonged to them, as related to commonage and other allotments. The lands that were given by gratu- lation, for worthiness or work done for the public, might or might not have the privileges of an original meadow- right or dividend. In raising money to pay Karto for the land which the town last bought of him, it was ordered that "all meadow was to pay at one price, and that all
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