USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Sudbury > The history of Sudbury, Massachusetts, 1638-1889 > Part 36
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 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54
DIVISION OF THE TOWN.
A prominent event of this period was the division of the town. The proposition came before the town by petition of John Tilton and others June 25, 1778, in the East meeting-house. "The question was put whether it was the minds of the Town, that the Town of Sudbury should be divided into two towns, and it was passed in the affirmative. And appointed the following gentlemen to agree on a Divi- sion Line and Report at the Adjournment of this meeting viz Col Ezekiel How Capt Richard Heard Mr Nathan Loring Mr Phinehas Glezen M' John Maynard and Mr John
419
HISTORY OF SUDBURY.
Meriam." The committee reported that they were not agreed as to the line of division.
At a meeting held Jan. 1, 1779, the town appointed Major Joseph Curtis, Thomas Plympton, Esq., Mr. John Balcom, Capt. Richard Heard and Capt. Jonathan Rice to agree on a line of division. At the same meeting measures were taken to petition the General Court. Strong opposi- tion at once manifested itself, and the town was warned to meet at the West meeting-house December 6,-
" 1st To choose a moderator
" 2d To see if the town will choose a Committee to act in behalf of this Town at the Great and General Court of this State to Oppose a Division of sd Town and give the Comtee So chosen Such Instruction Relating to said affair as the Town may think proper and grant a Sum of Money to Enable said Comtee to Carry on Said Business "
The meeting resulted as follows : -
" 1st Chose Asahel Wheeler moderator
" 2d Chose Col Ezekiel Howe Mr Wm Rice Jur and Thomas Plympton Esq a committee for the Purpose contained in this article and granted the sum of three hundred Pounds to Enable their Comtee to Carry on said affair then adjourned this meeting to tomorrow at three oclock at the same place.
" Tuesday Decem' 7th The Town met according to adjournment proceeded and gave their Comtee Chosen to oppose a division of this Town & the following Instruc- tions viz.
" To Colo Ezekiel Howe, Thos Plympton Esq and Mr Rice Jut you being chosen a Comtee by the Town of Sudbury to oppose a division of sd Town as Lately Reported by a Comtee of the Honle General Court of this State
" You are hereby authorized and Instructed to preferr a Petition or memorial to the General Court in behalf of Said Town. Praying that the Bill for Dividing Sd Town May be set a fire or altred setting forth the Great Disadvantages the Westerly part of the Town will Labour under by a Division of said Town as reported by sd Comtee viz : as said report deprives them of all the gravel and obliges them to maintain
420
HISTORY OF SUDBURY.
the one half of the Great Causeways on the Easterly part of said Town notwithstanding the necessary repairs of the Highways on the westerly part of said Town are nearly double to that on the East.
" Said Report also deprives them of the Pound, it also deprives them of a Training field though Given by the Pro- prietors of Said Town to the Westerly side for a Training field for Ever
" And further as there is no provision made in said report for the Support of the Poor in Said Town which will be a verry heavy burthen to the West side of the Town as the report now stands. Also at said adjournment the Town Granted the sum of three Hundred pounds, in addition to the other Grant of three hundred Pounds to Enable their Comtee to carry on said Petition
" Then the town by their vote dissolved this meeting "
But, notwithstanding the vigorous protest made by promi- nent citizens, their arguments did not prevail with the Court, and an article was passed, April 10, 1780, which authorized a division of the town. A committee was ap- pointed by the town to consider a plan for the division of property and an equitable adjustment of the obligations of the East and West parts of the town. At an adjourned meeting, held March 14, the committee rendered the follow- ing report which was accepted and agreed upon.
" We the Subscribers being appointed a committee to Join a Comtee from East Sudbury to make a Division of the Money and Estate belonging to the Town of Sudbury and East Sudbury agreeable to an Act of the General Court Passed the 10th of April 1780, for Dividing the Town of Sudbury, proceded and agreed as followeth viz : that all the Money Due on the Bonds and Notes being the Donation of Mary Doan to the East Side of the River be Disposed of to East Sudbury according to the will of the Donor. And the money Due on Bonds and Notes given by Mr. Peter Noyes and Capt Joshua Haynes for the Benefit of the Poor and Schooling be Equally Divided between Each of the
421
HISTORY OF SUDBURY.
Sd Towns, which Sum is 423 : 3 : 4 That all the Money Due on Bonds and Notes for the New Grant Lands, or Money Now in the Treasury or in Constables' hands be Equally Divided between Each of Said Towns which Sums are as follows viz :
" Due on New Grant Bonds and Notes 133 : 14 : 7
" Due from Constable 3110 : 10 : 7
" Due from the Town Treasurer 348 : 6:5
" And that all Land that belonged to the Town of Sud- bury or for the benefit of the Poor shall be Divided agree- able to the Act of the General Court for Dividing Said Town. And that the Pound and Old Bell and the Town Standard of Weights and Measures which belonged to the Town of Sudbury be Sold at publick vandue and the pro- ceeds to be Equally divided between the towns of Sudbury and East Sudbury.
" Also that the Town Stock of Arms and Amanition be Divided as set forth in the Act of the General Court for Dividing the Town of Sudbury. And if any thing shall be made to appear to be Estate or property that Should belong to the town of Sudbury before the Division of the above articles it Shall be Equally Divided between the Town of Sudbury and the Town of East Sudbury. And that the Town of East Sudbury shall Support and Maintain as their Poor During their Life the Widow Vickry and Abigail Isgate, And all Such Persons as have Gained a Residence in the Town of Sudbury before the division of Sd Town and shall hereafter be brought to the Town of Sudbury or the Town of East Sudbury as their Poor Shall be Supported by that Town in which they Gained their Inhabitance. Also that the Debts Due from Said Town of Sudbury Shall be paid the one half by the Town of Sudbury and the other half by the Town of East Sudbury which Sum is 2977 : 7 : 1
" ASHER CUTLER ASAHEL WHEELER
" THOS WALKER ISAAC MAYNARD Committee " " JAMES THOMSON
Other committees concerning the matter of division were appointed the same year. The assessors were to make a
422
HISTORY OF SUDBURY.
division with East Sudbury of the men required of Sudbury and East Sudbury for three years ; also to make division of clothing, beef, etc., required of said town. A committee, April 23, 1781, made the following financial exhibit : -
Due to Sudbury in the Constable's and Treasurer's hands £1487. 9.10
That the town had to pay the sum of 1661.19. 5
Sudbury's part of the Powder 142 lbs
Their part of the Lead 394 lbs 4
their part of the Guns on hand
The old Bell, Pound and Town Standard of Weights and Measures sold for £1183.10. 0
Sudbury's part of the above sum is 391.15. 0 Received of - money 27.0. 0 20. 8. 0
The charge of sale
The remainder to be paid by the treasurer of E. Sudbury.
Money due to the town in Mr Cutler's hands taken out of the State Treasury for what was advanced by the Town of Sudbury for the support of Soldiers' families who are in the Continental Army 1206. 2. 0
In the division Sherman's Bridge was left partly in each town, and the river formed about half the town's eastern boundary. At a place on Sand Hill the town line was made irregular in order to admit the training-field and the Caleb Wheeler farm, which was a triangular piece of about forty- three acres. The definition of the town boundary line and the clause which retained the training-field and the Wheeler farm in the town is as follows : -
" Beginning with the river between Concord and Lincoln, thence running with the river till it comes to the mouth of a ditch on the west side of said river between the lands of Wm Baldwin Esq, and Eliakim Rice ; - thence on said ditch to the County road leading to Stow, crossing said road ; connected (or continuing) on the South side thereof till it comes to the line between land of Nath1 Rice and Jona. Carter ; - thence southerly with the line between said Rice & Carter to land of Elisha Wheelor ; then running Easterly with the line between said Carter and Wheelor to the County roading leading to Marlboro'; - thence running up and bounded on the Westerly side of said road till it comes
423
HISTORY OF SUDBURY.
opposite to the line between the heirs of Lieut. Dan' Good- now and land in possession of Robert Emes at "Sandy Hill"; - thence crossing said road to the corner aforesaid ; - thence running to a White Oak the head of Capt. Moses Maynard's meadow ; - thence on a straight line ; - thence on a straight line to a swamp-White-Oak on the bank of the River - eastwardly from the dwelling house of Capt. Moses Stone; thence up the river to Framingham line."
" And it is also enacted that the House and lands of Caleb Wheelor - together with the Training-field adjoining thereto, shall remain to the Town of Sudbury."
In the division provision was made for the maintenance, by Sudbury, of the Canal Bridge and that portion of the old causeway which extends from the bridge westerly to the upland. As the support of the Canal Bridge came upon Sudbury and mention is made of it in various places in the Town Records, it may be of interest here to state something of its history. This bridge is so named because it crossed that portion of the river which it is supposed ran through an artificial channel. No bridge in that immediate vicinity but the " Town bridge " is mentioned in the earlier records, and the stream, as before stated (see page 93), originally passed near the eastern upland. The earliest record we have any knowledge of, which contains reference to this bridge, is in 1768, which is a bill for the repairing of the " new bridge near Dea. Stone's, Lanham, Sherman's, the Town bridge and the Canal bridge." This shows its existence at that time, but gives no intimation as to when it was made; neither is there any record so far as we know as to when the canal was constructed. An artificial opening might not have been made there until years after the bridge was made. The first water-way may have been a natural one which only required a small crossing, and may subsequently have been enlarged by the current. In other words, when the causeway was built a small outlet may have been left in it at this point for the purpose of allowing the water to pass off the meadow more readily in time of flood. This passage way at first may have been but an open fordway. In the process of time, as
424
HISTORY OF SUDBURY.
the causeway was gradually raised and the channel or aperture naturally increased in size, a more substantial bridge may have been required. Another theory is that the making of the canal and the bridge was the result of raising the causeway at one time or another. If the town succeeded in raising the money when it tried to do so by means of a lottery in 1758, the Canal Bridge may have been built at that time. As there was opposition to raising the causeway, because it was supposed that it would set back the water, the statement being made that there was " not one foot of fall in the river for 25 or 30 miles," an aperture might have been left in the raised road or causeway or a canal cut to obviate the difficulty, and the canal would require a bridge. Still another theory is that the canal was built by private enterprise. Mr. Abel Gleason, now one of the oldest inhabi- tants of Wayland, states that when he was a boy, ten or twelve years old, he helped make hay on both sides of the canal for Colonel Baldwin, the owner of the land; and that the colonel told him that " the water always made its way over the 'oxbow' more or less; but at one time a Mr. Goodnow and another man, whose name he could not re- member, dug out a straight channel for the water to run in." A channel once dug would naturally increase until suffi- ciently large to allow all the water to pass through it. The short causeway from Sudbury to the Canal Bridge was laid out by the county commissioners in 1832, and the same year was made under the supervision of a committee from East Sudbury.
The following officers were chosen, just before the divi- sion, at a town-meeting held in the East and West meeting- houses, March 6, 1780 : " Selectmen - Capt. Asahel Wheeler. Wm Baldwin Esq. Mr. Thomas Walker, Capt. Caleb Moul- ton, Mr. Isaac Maynard. Capt. Thadeus Russel, Mr. Benja- min Smith. Town Clerk and Treasurer James Thompson. Other officers chosen were 3 Assessors, 4 Constables, A ' committee of correspondence,' consisting of five persons. 4 ' wardins.' 2 surveyors of shingles, 2 sealers of leather, 3 fence viewers. 2 deer reeves, 4 tythingmen, 4 hog reeves, 2 field drivers, 8 surveyors of highway, 2 fish reeves, and 2
425
HISTORY OF SUDBURY.
clerks of the market. Total on the official board fifty-five persons."
After the division the town went on with its usual activity. At a town-meeting held March 5, 1781, the fol- lowing officers were chosen : " Moderator - Capt. Jonathan Rice. Selectmen - Mr. Wm Rice, Capt. Moses Stone, Lieut. Jacob Reed, Lieut. Abijah Brigham, Capt. Samuel Knight. Clerk and Treasurer, Wm Rice." The records state that the town-meetings were frequently held at the house of Mr. Johnson. Probably this was the house of Aaron Johnson, Innholder. Some of the early town records and acts after its division are the following : Oct. 8, 1781, granted " Rev. Mr. Bigelow for salary the ensuing year seventy-four pounds in specie, also granted for a grammar school for a year, 12 pounds and ordered that said school be kept at the school house near the meeting house, also granted for support of a reading and writing school 48 pounds and ordered the same to be kept in the other four school houses in the same pro- portion. Also granted 60 pounds to furnish their quota of beef for the supply of the army. Also allowed 16 shillings for the taking care of the meeting house, and chose John Green to take care of the meeting house and dig graves as occasion required for the ensuing year." At the same meet- ing money was granted for the supply of the soldiers for the Continental army.
In the warrant of a meeting dated Jan. 15, 1781, was an article " to see if the town would choose a committee and empower them to bring an action against or proceed other- wise in a suit of law with the town of Boston for their bringing Mary Piper and her children into Sudbury, she and her children not being able to support themselves and not belonging to Sudbury." At a subsequent meeting the com- mittee was chosen to proceed against Boston as suggested.
In 1782, it was " voted to pay Rev. Mr. Bigelow's salary in specie 111 pounds, of which Roland Bogle's part to collect as constable was £52-11s-9d and Mr. Joshua Haynes part as constable to collect was £58-8s-3d." In 1782, the town ordered their committee to build a suitable place at the school-house " near the meeting house for
-
1
426
HISTORY OF SUDBURY.
hanging their bell on instead of repairing the place where it now stands." In 1785, the number of selectmen chosen was reduced to three. In 1787, it was voted to rebuild the canal bridge. The same year Isaac Lincoln was chosen to take care of the meeting-house and ring the bell, for which he was to have eighteen shillings, which was the lowest price bid.
SHAY'S REBELLION.
In 1786, occurred an event called Shay's Rebellion or In- surrection. The cause of it was the unsettled condition of the country, its depreciated currency, and a lack of business prosperity in general. A small portion of the community sought to adjust matters by resorting to arms. An effort was made by some of the insurgents to prevent the holding of the county courts, and, on several occasions, the presence of troops was required to preserve the peace. Concord, being a county town, was one of the imperiled places, and there were indications that on Sept. 12, 1768, an outbreak might occur there, as on that day a company of about one hundred men assembled there under command of Job Shat- tuck of Groton, and Nathan and Sylvanus Smith of Shirley. Matters, however, were adjusted without any open out- break. From the proximity of Concord to Sudbury, nat- urally the town would be expected to render military service at that place, if it was needed, and also to furnish aid, in common with the other towns, for the suppression of the rebellion. The following papers are supposed to refer to such service.
" Sudbury 10th September 1786
"Sir you will fully comply with the orders you received from me this Day, Excepting your Marching by the shotest Rout to Concord, you will instead of Marching to Concord March with your Company Imbodied to Sudbury Meeting House at Eight oclock in the Morning in order to join the Regt
" Capt Benj Sawin yours &c Jona Rice Lt. C. Comd "
427
HISTORY OF SUDBURY.
" Commonwealth of Massachusetts Dr
" To the Selectmen of Sudbury for furnishing the men that was called out to Supres the Late Rebellion agreeably to the Militia Law to three different times to seven Days each at four Shillings Pr Day."
Nov. 24, 1788, it was voted to hear the report of a com- mittee who had, at a previous meeting, been appointed to present a report of the depreciation of Mr. Bigelow's salary. They " reported that the sum of £155-18s-9d was due to Mr. Bigelow on the deficiency of his salaries for the years 1776, 1777, 1778 and half of 1779," and it was voted to pay £120 to make up the deficiency.
In 1789, the town " empowered a committee to purchase the land of Mr. Doane for the purpose of enlarging the burying ground and voted that the committee provide and build the wall around the yard." When the town were assembled in October, 1789, and the committee reported relative to the land for enlarging the burying-ground, it was voted " that the inhabitants of the town now present go out and inspect the land proposed, when the inhabitants returned, and a vote was taken, but passed in the negative ; this question came up if they would accept of the land if they could have it free of expense and they voted in the affirmative."
In 1792, the town voted to sell the training field in the southeast part of the town, and "the Committee formerly employed to sell the Work house " were appointed to attend to the work. The same year measures were taken for the prevention of the small-pox. The article concerning it in the warrant was " To see if the town would admit the Small Pox into sd town by Inoculation." " It passed in the nega- tive." The following year the selectmen were instructed "to take measures to prevent the spreading of the small pox, and to prosecute the persons who transgressed the laws respecting the disease." Instructions were also given " to make diligent search to see if there were any persons who had been inoculated for small pox contrary to law."
428
HISTORY OF SUDBURY.
In accordance with a vote of the General Court in 1794, a map was made of the town. This map, a copy of which is in the State Archives (Vol. II., page 7), was made by Mathias Mosmon, and bears date April 17, 1795. A copy of it is here given together with the following statement and description by the author of the map : -
" The above Plan of the Town of Sudbury in the County of Middlesex, Common Wealth of Massachusetts was taken by the Direction of a Committee Chosen by the Inhabitants of Sd Sudbury in obedience to an order of the General Court dated June 26th-1794. on the above plan Air inserted and described Each Town line that meets or joins with Sudbury. the Rivers are also accurately surveyed and planned, the breadth of which are as followeth. the River Elsabeth is from 4 to 5 rods wide, but [there is] no public bridge over the river where it joins Sudbury, the other river called Sudbury or Concord River is from 7 to 8 or 9 rods wide, and [there is] one bridge over sd river where it joins Sudbury called Sharman's Bridge, 100 feet long, one-half belonging to Sudbury, and 25 rod of Causeway. Sudbury also [is to] build and keep in repair the Canal Bridge in East Sudbury Long causeway and 52 rods of sd causeway. the County roads are also surveyed and planned. in Sud- bury is but one house for public worship which is noted. the center of the town is about one mile northwestwardly from the meetinghouse. the distance from Sd Sudbury to Cambridge the shire-town of the county is 17 miles, and from sd Sudbury to Boston the Metropolis of the Common- wealth of Massachusetts through Watertown and Roxbury is 22 miles, and through & over West Boston Bridge is 20 miles. in Sudbury is but 3 ponds of any considerable mag- nitude which has been Surveyed and planned as above. here is no falls of Water worthy of note. in Sª Sudbury is not a hill whose summit is lofty. in the Southwardly part of sd town is part of a hill called Penobscott which will be described in the plan of Framingham. No manufactories are erected in Sudbury. in sd [town] are three grist mills, two saw mills, and one fulling mill as above described, on a
MARLBOROUGH 826 R S' 18 30'W The line between Sudbury & Narthorough was nm
PITCH PINE MARLBOROUGH
S 12'W. 852 n
Ort.18 1791 by Matthias Mosnon
.
Joseph Howe's Grist Mill
Bottiund's
Kinghl's trist Mill
Pont
2.1
Spalio
Brook
TO BOSTON
Penny's Six Mille
- A PENOBSCOT HILL
WORCESTER
Brook-
------
H
PART OF
FROM
Wash
LANCASTER
POST -ROAD
)
CENT
Hop Brook
Cutter &Holden's" Saw & Corn Mill Freds fulling Mill
FRAMINGHAM
MEETING HOUSE
FROM
Mill Bwok
BOSTON
West Brook
WHITE OAK --- 0
STONES SUDBURY & Stutbre FRAMINGHAM COR.
Thumng field
Surbur,
1 .1. 156 Rods
.
L'A
SWAMP CAK STUMP & STONES SUDBURY & E SUDBURY COR
EAST SUDBURY
M I 0 Z - A M LL S. 73 15 E. 1457 Rods. The line between Sudbury & Emmingham was um od 24 179} by Matthias Mosmon R
STONES
SUDBURY-
FRAMINGHAM COR
& STOW CORNER
OLD COUNTY ROAD
COUNTY ROAD
STAKE
ROer
TOW
, line between Sudbury & Slow by Matthias Mosmon (kl 22 1794
STAKE & STONES
AN ANGLEIN .. IN SLOW LINE-
SUDBURY
-
How Biver
Pond
the River Elisabeth
STAKE & \'' STONES
NORTH
-
RT ACTON STOW & SUDBURY
Cop
FROM
MARLBOROUGH
...
'STAKE & STONES ACTON & CONCORD COR.
LANCASTER
FROM
COUNTY ROAD
THROUGH
LITTLETON
O O U CONCORD
ROAD
TOWN
STAKES & STONES
SUDBURY. CONCORD
LINCOLN & E. SUDBURY CORNER
Concon!
Biver
SHARMAN'S BRIDGE ONE -ALA . SUDAYA:
756 5 W 1777 R The line between Comord & Sudbury ran Out 11 1194 by Matthias Mosmon.
by M.M.
illis's Lond 1. la meustur
TO CONCORD
ACTON
CONCORD
BID. N. WALKER &CO. ING. BOSTON.
36 A.
530 rods up said river men by Jabex Brown Oct 1794
-
429
HISTORY OF SUDBURY.
Stream known by several different names as above. the width of which where it leaves Marlborough and enters Sudbury is not much more than a yard wide and where it enters East Sudbury is about 5 yards wide. in the Nortli- wardly part of sd Sudbury a mine has been discovered and worked upon. the depth of the hole is about - feet in a Ledge of rocks supposed to be a copper mine but has not been worked in since the beginning of the Revolution. here is not Iron Works or furnaces. said plan is laid down by a scale of 200 rods to an inch Surveyed by
" MATHIAS MOSMON
" Dated at Sudbury April 17 = 1795."
THE NEW MEETING-HOUSE.
In the latter part of the period the town took measures to erect a new meeting-house. In 1789, " chose a committee to look out a place suitable for a new meeting house, for drafting a plan, and receiving proposals from individuals in relation to building the same." They subsequently decided upon the shape and dimensions, but, different opinions pre- vailing relative to the location, the construction of the build- ing was deferred for some years.
Oct. 5, 1795, the town again voted " to build a new Meet- ing House, that it should be erected on the common land near to the present meeting house, and that the south and west cells of sd house should occupy the ground on which the south and west cells of the present meeting house now stand upon, and that the enlargement of the meeting house should extend North and East. Voted to accept a plan drawn by Capt Thomson which plan is 60 feet by 52 with a porch at one end with a steeple or spear on the top of sd porch. Voted that the Commitee for building the house should consist of nine persons, and that they should receive nothing for their services." In 1796, it was voted that a bell should be purchased for the meeting-house. October, 1798, the building committee presented to the town the sum- mary of receipts and expenditures which was six thousand twenty-five dollars and ninety-three cents. The town granted three hundred dollars for the purpose of grading
430
HISTORY OF SUDBURY.
the ground around the new meeting-house. Those who desired it were granted the privilege of working out their proportionate share of the expense ; the price of labor being nine penee per hour for a man and nine penee per hour for a good yoke of oxen and cart. November, 1796, it was " voted to request the Rev. M' Bigelow to preach a sermon at the dedication of the meeting house." At the same meet- ing it was " voted that the Pew Holders in the body of the Meeting House as soon as Divine Service is over fling their pew Doors wide open so as not to obstruct the passage of the people in the allies - that the Speaker pass out first, then the pew holders to pass on after as fast as Conveniently may be out at the front Door, then those who sit in the seats next-also voted that as soon as they are out they move off from the door steps so as to let the people have liberty to come out without Crowding - also voted that the pew holders in the galleries fling their pew doors wide open that they empty their pews, together with the fore seats first, the 2d and 3d seats to follow in course - also voted that those who come down the West pair of stairs pass out at the West Door those who come down the East stairs pass out at the East Door, and to move from the door steps so as to give Liberty to empty the house as soon as conven- iently may be. It was then voted to Choose a Committee for the purpose of Regulating the Assembling of the people at the Dedication of the Meeting House, to keep good order on said day and prevent damage being done to said House. Said Committee to consist of 12." At the same meeting " voted to appropriate to the use of the Singing Society in Said Town the front gallery and so much of the side galleries next the front as shall be necessary for their accommodation."
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.