USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Sudbury > The history of Sudbury, Massachusetts, 1638-1889 > Part 23
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Joseph Buttrick was a son of William Buttrick, who came to New England in 1635, and died in 1698, aged eighty-two. His second wife was Jane Goodnow of Sudbury.
James Hosmer was the oldest son of James, who came to Concord among the first settlers, and died in 1685. James, the son, married Sarah White in 1658. His widow married Samuel Rice.
253
HISTORY OF SUDBURY.
Samuel Potter was son of Luke Potter, one of the first set- tlers at Concord and deacon of the church there. Samuel married Sarah Wright in 1675.
MARLBORO MEN.
In Hudson's " History of Marlboro" it is stated that the records of that town give the names of John Howe, Henry Axtel, and Eleazer Ward as being slain by the Indians in Sudbury; but whether in the Sudbury fight with Wads- worth, or not, is not known.
John How was a son of John How, one of the petitioners for the Marlboro Plantation. He was born in 1640, proba- bly in Sudbury, and married in 1662.
Henry Axtel was one of the proprierors of Marlboro at the time of its incorporation, and drew his land in the first division. He married in 1665, and was slain by the Indians between Sudbury and Marlboro, April 20, 1676.
Eleazer Ward was born near 1649, married Hannah Rice, lived in Sudbury, and was killed by the Indians upon the highway between Sudbury and Marlboro, April 20, 1676.
THE CHRISTIAN INDIANS.
In connection with what has been said of the English who were in this battle, we will give a few facts concerning the Indians who came to the rescue under Captain Hunting. These were a detachment of the Christian Indians who had been placed on Deer Island by the colonial authorities, after the outbreak of the war. Years before, they had been gath- ered by Rev. John Eliot into several villages, where they lived peaceably among themselves, and on friendly relations with the whites. Their character and conduct was such as showed the civilizing influence of Christianity, and the power of the gospel to uplift and bless their race. But a few acts by a few recreant and unfaithful ones aroused the suspicion of the English against them all, so that, instead of allowing them to be their allies, they exiled them to an island in Bos- ton harbor. But as the war progressed, their assistance was needed; and at the request of Mr. Eliot and General Gookin, the Governor and Council allowed a detachment to be placed
254
HISTORY OF SUDBURY.
under the command of Captain Hunting, and sent at once to Sudbury. In this service they showed their bravery and faithful attachment to the English. When they crossed the river, to discover the enemy's movements on the west side, they knew not but what Philip was in ambush for further prey, but they moved forward, and went beyond Green Hill; and when in the solitude of the forest they beheld those prostrate forms, their stern spirits were melted, and it is said, they wept.
MOVEMENTS OF THE ENGLISH AFTER THE FIGHT.
The dead having been buried, the English repaired, ac- cording to Warren and Pierce, to Nobscot to bring the carts into "Sudbury towne." These carts are probably the same as those mentioned by Gookin, when he says, "At the same time [that is, at the time the survivors of this fight were secreted in Noyes's Mill] Captain Cutler of Charles- town, with a small company," - according to Hubbard, eleven, -" having the convoy of some carts from Marl- boro that were coming to Sudbury, having secured his car- riage at a garrison house, escaped narrowly being cut off by the enemy." The same author goes on to state, that the enemy " at that time cut off some English soldiers that were coming down under the conduct of one Cowell of Boston, that had been a convoy to some provisions at Quaborg Fort." Other soldiers were soon on the march to the spot, the country having been aroused by this disaster to Wadsworth.
On April 22, 1676, it was ordered by the Council, " that the majors of Suffolk and Middlesex issue out their orders, Maj. Thomas Clark to the Captain of the troop of Suffolk, to raise forty of his troops, well attended, and completely armed with fire arms, and furnished with ammunition, under the conduct of Cornet Eliot, [and] such officers as he shall choose to accompany him, forthwith to visit Dedham, Med- field, and so to Sudbury ; and Major Daniel Gookin to issue out by order a like number of troops out of Middlesex troops, under the conduct of Thomas Prentis, or such as he shall choose, to visit Concord, Sudbury, and so to Medfield."
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HISTORY OF SUDBURY.
The order to Cornet Eliot was, "You are ordered and requested to take forty of the troop, and so many as you can suddenly raise, and march with them into Sudbury, and inquire of their present distressed condition, and of the inter- ring of the dead bodies, as also of the enemy's motion, and place of their rendezvous, and if you have opportunity you are to distress, kill, and destroy the enemy to the uttermost, taking good heed lest, through any neglect, or too much adventurness, you hazard the lives of the men by their sud- den surprisal of you. You are also to visit Medfield, and make report of what you find to the Council, and in so doing this shall be your warrant."
Thus, after this disastrous battle, the English were on the move; but the Indians had departed westward. As we have noticed by the letter of Lieutenant Jacobs, they passed through Marlboro on the morning of the 22d, when the sun was about two hours high. This was Philip's westward retreat. He never retraced his footsteps. Sudbury was the last eastward town in his march. As a conqueror he could go no farther. On April 21 his sun had reached its merid- ian; on the 22d it turned towards its setting. His host was broken; the ranks of his warriors began to thin; and when he returned to his home at Mount Hope, it was to be hunted and harassed ; and Aug. 12, 1676, he fell by the hand of one of his race.
SUDBURY'S LOSS.
The war with King Philip left the town in a weakened condition. Even had the people sustained but little direct loss, their prosperity would naturally have been checked by the imperiled state of the community; but the actual loss to the people in property was considerable, as is indicated by various petitions, in which they set forth their circumstances. In 1677, some inhabitants of Marlboro, Lancaster, and Sud- bury sent a petition to the Court, asking that a certain tract of land lying about Marlboro, called by the Indians Whip- suffrage and Ocogooganset, might be given them. The rea- son of this request was, as they say, " Because many of which Indians in our late war have proved very perfidious
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HISTORY OF SUDBURY.
and combine with the common enemy," and because we hav- ing been "upon ye Country's service, and hazarded our lives against ye common enemy, have suffered much damage by being driven from our habitation, and some of our habita- tions burnt." (State Archives, Vol. XXX., p. 240.)
But we are not left to general statement of the material loss sustained, for the specific damage to each individual's property is given in " The Old Petition." The first part of the petition, together with a list of the losses, which we give here verbatim, is as follows : -
To ye Honble ye Governor Magistrates & Deputies 'of ye Gen' Court assembled at Boston ye 11th October 1676.
The humble Petition of yor poore, distressed Inhabitants of Sudbury Humbly Showeth.
That whereas yor impoverished Petitionrs of Sudbury have received intelligence of a large contribution sent out of Ireland by some pious & well affected p sons for ye reliefe of their brethren in New England by ye hostile intrusions of ye Indian Enemy, and that upon this divers dis- tressed towns have presented a list of their losses sustained by fireing and plundering their estates. Let it not seem presumption in yor poore Petitionrs to p'sent a list of what Damages are sustained by yor enemies in his attempts ; hoping that or lott will be considered among Our breth- ren of ye tribe of Joseph; being encouraged by an act of Our Honble Genll Court; that those who have Sustained considerable damage should make addresses to this prsent session.
An Accompt of Losse Sustenied by Severall Inhabitants of ye towne of Sudbury by ye Indian Enemy ye 21st Aprill 1676.
L S D
Mary Bacon formerly ye Relict of Ensign Noyes 140: 00: 00
Thomas Plimpton
130: 00:00
Deacon John Haines 180: 00:00
Seg Josiah Haines
190:00:00 060 : 00: 00
Capt James Pendleton
John Goodenow
150: 00:00 180 : 00: 00
William Moores
Edward Wright
100:00:00
Elias Keyes
John Smith
Samuell How
060 : 00: 00 080 : 00 : 00 140: 00:00 050: 00: 00
Mr Pelham
Mr. Stevens
015 : 00: 00
Corporall Henry Rice John Allen James Roose
180: 00: 00 060 : 00: 00 070: 00: 00
.
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HISTORY OF SUDBURY.
John Grout junr Thomas Rice Widd Whale Henry Curtice John Brewer
060 : 00: 00
100:00:00
024 : 00: 00
200:00:00
Jacob Moores
050: 00: 00 100:00:00
Joseph ffreemon
080 : 00: 00
Joseph Graves
060 : 00: 00
Peter King
040: 00: 00
Widd Habgood
020:00: 00
Benjamin Crane
020: 00: 00
Jhomas wedge
015: 00: 00
John Blanford
010: 00: 00
Thomas Brewer
010: 00: 00
Richard Burk
010:00:00
Thomas Reade
003 : 00: 00
Wholl Sum
2707: 00:00
Beside ye uncovering ye Many houses & Barnes & some hundred of Acres of lands which are unimproved for feare of ye Enemy to Our greate loss & Damage - (Signed)
Edm Browne
Joseph [-]
Edm Goodnow
Peter Noyes
John Grout
Jonathan Stanhope
John Haines
Edward wright
Josiah Haines
Jabeth Browne
Thomas Read
John Grout junr
Peter King
Joseph Graves
John Ruter senr
Tho Walker
Joseph Noyes
John Blanford
John Goodnow
John Allen
Mathew Gibs
Henry Curtis
Thomas wedge
Jacob Moores
Benjamin Crane
John Brewer
Zecriah Maynard
James Ross
Joseph Moore
Richard Burk
John Parminter
Thomas Brewer
Henry Loker
Samuell How.
120:00:00
Henry Loker
The contribution to which the petition refers was called " The Irish Charity Donation or Fund." The gift was made in 1676, for the people in the Massachusetts, Plymouth and Connecticut colonies who had suffered in King Philip's War. It was "made by divers Christians in Ireland for the relieffe
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HISTORY OF SUDBURY.
of such as are Impoverished, Distressed and in Nessesitie by the late Indian wars ; " sent by the "Good ship called the Kathrine of Dublin." Rev. Nathaniel Mather, the brother of Increase, is supposed to have been a means of procuring the fund. The proportion received by Sudbury was for twelve families, forty-eight persons, 77. 4s. Od. This was to be deliv- ered to the selectmen of the several towns in meal, oat meal, and malt at 18d. per ball, butter 6d. cheese 4d. per pound.
The following is another section of the same petition : -
Furthermore prmitt yor humble Peticonrs to present a second motion. And let it be acceptable in ye eyes of this Our Grand Court vizt :
That whereas by an Act of Our late Gen"] Court ten rates are leavied upon Our towne amounting unto 2001b: as appeareth p warrant from Our Treasurer, which said sum was leavied by Our Invoyce, taken in ye yeare before Our greate damage susteyned. It is ye humble & earnest request of yor Petitionrs to commiserate Our Condition, in granting to us some abatement of ye said sum for ye ensueing consideration, Vist: ffirst Our towne to pay full for theire estates then taken which in greate pte they have now lost by ye enemy's invasion may seem not to savor of pitty no not of equity
Is it not reasonles that this service soe beneficiall should not be consid- ered with some reward which may not easily be esserted (sic) by issuing forth an Act of yor grace in a suitable abatemt of ye said sum leavied with ye conferring of a Barrell of Powder & suitable shott in regard that yor Petioners have spent not only their owne stock or others but much of ye Towne stock.
In response, " the Court judged meet to order that Sud- bury be allowed and abated forty fower pound ten shillings out of ye whole sume of their ten county rates." (Colonial Records, Vol. V., p. 124.)
CHAPTER XIV.
1675-1700.
Revival of Prosperity after Philip's War .- Payment for Fortification of the Meeting-House. - Erection of Saw-Mill at Hop Brook. - Death of Rev. Edmund Browne; Place of Burial; Historical Sketch. - Settlement of Rev. James Sherman. -- Purchase of Parsonage .- Building of New Meeting-House. - Political Disturbances. - Change of Charter. - Administration of Sir Edmund Andros. - Indian Hos- tilities. - The Ten Years War. - Distribution of Ammunition. - Petition of Sudbury. - Phipps Expedition. - Sudbury Canada Grant. -- Witchcraft. - Samuel Paris; Historical Sketch. - Incorporation of Framingham. - Miscellaneous Matters.
The land lies open and warm in the sun, Anvils clamor and mill-wheels run ; Flocks on the hillsides, herds on the plain, The wilderness gladdened with fruit and grain. WHITTIER.
THE war with King Philip being ended, the way was opened for renewed prosperity. New buildings went up on the old estates, the garrisons again became quiet homesteads, and the fields smiled with plentiful harvests. An early move- ment was made to meet indebtedness caused by the war. March, 1676-7, it was ordered, "that the rate to be made for the fortification about the meeting house of this town shall be made by the invoice to be taken this spring, leaving out all strangers and sojourners, and that the logs there used be valued at two shillings six pence each, boards five shil- lings six pence per hundred foot, and every man's day's work at 18d." A little later, Feb. 26, 1677, it was ordered, " that such persons as have brought in logs for fortification of the meeting house, do bring in their account of logs, and all per- sons an account also for their days' work done thereupon
259
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HISTORY OF SUDBURY.
unto the town clerk between this and the next town meeting now appointed to be the 11th of March next, and such as do not, shall lose both their logs and work, for the town will wait upon them no longer."
ERECTION OF SAW-MILL.
Another movement that denotes the town's activity and recuperative power was the erection of a saw-mill. A town record, dated March 26, 1677, informs us it was ordered that " Peter King, Thomas Read, Sen., John Goodenow, John Smith and Joseph Freeman have liberty granted them to build a saw mill upon Hop Brook above Mr. Peter Noyes's mill, at the place viewed by the committee of this town chosen the last week, which if they do, they are to have twenty tons of timber of the common lands for the building thereof, and earth for their dam, and also they are to make a small dam or sufficient causage so as to keep the waters out of the swamp lands there, provided also that if Mr. Peter Noyes shall at any time throw up his corn mill they do in room thereof set up a corn mill as sufficient to grind the town's corn and grain as Mr. Noyes's present mill hath done and doth, and see to maintain the same, and whenever they or any of them their heirs, executors, administrators, Assigns, or successors, shall either throw up their said corn mill or fail to grind the towns corn and grain as above said, the towns land hereby granted shall be forfeited and returned to the town's use again, and lastly the said persons are not to pen up the water, or saw at any time between the middle of April and first of September, and they are also to make good all the highway that they shall damage thereby."
DEATH OF REV. EDMUND BROWNE.
The town had not moved far on the road to renewed pros- perity before another calamity came. This was the death of its pastor, Rev. Edmund Browne, who died June 22, 1678. The first intimation we have on the town records of Mr. Browne's sickness is the following: "Ordered, that next Lord's day there be a free contribution [asked] and collected by Deacon Haines for and towards carrying and charge of
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HISTORY OF SUDBURY.
Preacher (upon the sickness of Mr. Edmund Browne, Pas- tor) that the pulpit might be supplied notwithstanding, after the best manner that may be obtained." Captain Goodenow, Deacon Haines, Mr. Joseph Noyes and Peter King were em- powered to be a standing committee during the pastor's sick- ness, and ordered " to take care that this town be supplied with able Preachers whilst the Pastor is not able to offici- ate." "The following named persons offered themselves for the 1st month to travel with horse and weekly to fetch and return Preachers for the supply of the town, at least every Lord's day. 1st Peter Noyes, Joseph Parmenter, 2d Tho. Brown, Joseph Moore, 3d Jnº Goodenow, Joseph Graves, 4th Samuel How, Thomas Read, Jr."
We have discovered no record, and are aware of no tradi- tion, relating to Mr. Brown's burial or place of interment. He may have been buried in the old yard in Wayland, and the grave may have been left unmarked, or the stone may have been broken or fallen, and been removed. It has been conjectured that his remains were placed in some tomb in or about the city of Boston. The writer has examined copied inscriptions on the stones of some of the older graveyards of Boston, but has discovered there no name which could be that of the first pastor of Sudbury. In Sewall's Diary is the following entry: "Monday, May 9th, 1709. Major Thomas Brown Esq. of Sudbury was buried in the old Bury- ing place. Bearers, Cook, Sewall, Hutchingson, Townsend, Jas Dummer, Dudley, Scarves and Gloves." "The old Bury- ing place " was that of King's Chapel, Boston. The wife of Major Thomas Brown was buried in the East Side Burying- ground, Sudbury. If Major Brown was not buried with his wife, but it was considered important that his remains should be taken to Boston for interment, the same may have been the case with Edmund Browne.
In the death of its first pastor the town met with a great loss. It is true, he was nearly or quite fourscore years old, but judging from his activity in the Indian war, in fortifying his house, and sending messages to the Colonial Court, he was still energetic and robust. Moreover, he had been with the people from the beginning of the settlement; he had
262
HISTORY OF SUDBURY.
passed with them through the desolations of a terrible war, and had been a sharer of their joys and sorrows for many years. From what we know of him, we judge him to have been a warm friend of the truth, and an ardent defender of the Christian faith. It is certainly creditable to him, that, after such a long pastorate, his people were of a character to empower their committee to provide " an able Orthodox Preacher," after he was taken ill.
Mr. Browne came from England in 1637, and, according to Mather, was ordained and in actual service in that coun- try before he came to America. He was a freeman of Mas- sachusetts Bay Colony, May 13, 1640. He married, about 1645, Anne, widow of John Loveren of Watertown, but left no children. He was a member of the synod that established " The Cambridge Platform," 1646-8; was on the council that met in 1657 to settle the difficulties in Rev. Mr. Stone's church, Hartford ; preached the artillery election sermon in 1666; and his name is attached to the testimony of the seventeen ministers against the proceedings of the three elders of the First Church, Boston, about 1669.
Mr. Browne was quite a land owner, his real estate, as it is supposed, amounting to three hundred acres. His early homestead at Timber Neck had originally belonging to it seventy acres. He received from the General Court a grant of meadow land situated in the present territory of Framing- ham, and from time to time became possessed of various lands both within and without the town. Mr. Brown hunted and fished, and it is said was a good angler. He played on several musical instruments and was a noted musician. In his will he speaks of his " Base Voyal " and musical books and instruments. He was much interested in educating and Christianizing the Indians, and at one time had some of them under his special care. His library was for those times quite valuable, containing about one hundred and eighty volumes. He left fifty pounds to establish a grammar school in Sudbury; but by vote of the town, in 1724, it was diverted to another purpose. He also left one hundred pounds to Harvard College.
263
HISTORY OF SUDBURY.
SETTLEMENT OF REV. JAMES SHERMAN.
The town was not left long without a pastor. It soon called the Rev. James Sherman, who had preached during the illness of Mr. Browne. May 6, 1678, "it was ordered that the committee engage the service of Mr. James Sherman that hath officiated in the town in that kind to continue in that work till the first of September next, or longer as they shall see cause, or till further order from the town." May 20, on a " training day," it was decided that Mr. Peter King was to entertain Mr. Sherman, and to have six shillings per week "for his diet, lodging, attendance, and horse."
Active measures were immediately taken to provide the minister with a house. The town bought of John Loker the east end of his house, standing before and near the meeting- house, and his orchard, and the whole home lot of about four acres ; it also bought of him the reversion due to him of the western end of the house that his mother then dwelt in. This part of the house was to be the town's property at the marriage or death of the said Widow Mary Loker. For this property the town was to pay John Loker fifty pounds. (See p. 116.) The Widow Loker appeared at town-meeting, and surrendered all her reversion in the western end of the house to the town, reserving the liberty to have twelve months in which " to provide herself otherwise." She also promised in the meantime "to quit all egress and regress through the eastern end of the house and every part thereof." , In conse- quence of this the town agreed to pay her annually - that is, till she should marry or die-twenty-five shillings, money of New England. The town also voted to raise twenty-five pounds with which to repair the house. The records inform us, that " the said town doth freely give and grant unto Mr. James Sherman, minister of the word of God, all that house and lands which the said town bought lately of John Loker, and twenty pounds to be paid him in [country] pay towards the repair of the said house, and also twenty pounds more to be paid him in money, for and towards the purchase of the widow Mary Loker's lot that lies adjoining to it, when she
264
HISTORY OF SUDBURY.
shall have sold it to the said Mr. James Sherman, and also six acres of common upland lying on the back side of the town at the end of Smith field, and also six acres of meadow ground some where out of the common meadows of this town. These foregoing particular gifts and grants the said town doth engage and promise to the said Mr. James Sher- man minister and his heirs . . . in case he shall settle in this town and live and die amongst them their Teaching Elder. But in case the said Mr. Sherman shall not carry out the constant work of preaching in and to this town, during his life, or shall depart and leave this town before his death, then all the premises shall return to the said town's hands again to be at their own dispose forever, only they are then to pay to the said Mr. Sherman all the charges he hath been out for the same in the meantime, as [they] shall be judged worth by indifferent men mutually chosen, unless both par- ties shall agree therein among themselves."
The town also agreed to pay Mr. Sherman eighty pounds salary ; twenty pounds of this were to be paid him in "money, twenty pounds in wheat, pork, beef, mutton, veal, butter, or cheese, or such like species at country price, and the remain- ing forty shall be paid him in Indian Corn and Rye, or Bar- ley or Peas, all at country prices." He was to have five pounds added per annum to his salary for the cutting and carting home of firewood. He was also to have the use of the minister's meadow lands, and could pasture his cattle on the common land, and have firewood and timber from the common land of the town.
The 30th of October, 1678, " the said Mr. James Sherman did then and there freely and fully declare before the townl his acceptance of all that which the said town had granted and done in all respects as is before written, in consideration thereof for his part he did promise the said town, that he would live and die in the constant and public discharge of this duty, by preaching the word of the Lord unto them, and in the faithful administration of all the ordinances of Christ amongst them; which the Inhabitants of the said town ac- cepted of ; and said Mr. Sherman also declaired there that if the mint house should be put down so that money cannot be
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HISTORY OF SUDBURY.
had he should neither expect nor desire any part of his sal- ary in money."
Thus the town secured the services of Mr. Sherman, and provided him with a place of residence; and within a year after the death of Mr. Browne, the church was again equipped for work. Mr. Sherman was son of Rev. John Sherman of Watertown. He married Mary, daughter of Thomas Walker of Sudbury, and had two sons, John and Thomas. He was ordained in 1678, and was dismissed May 22, 1705. After leaving the pastoral office he remained in town for a time, occasionally preaching abroad. Afterwards, he prac- ticed medicine in Elizabethtown, N. J., and Salem, Mass. He died at Sudbury, March 3, 1718.
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