USA > New Hampshire > The history of New-Hampshire. Comprehending the events of one complete century and seventy-five years from the discovery of the River Pascataqua to the year one thousand seven hundred and ninety, Vol I > Part 3
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to make their gain. 3. He never went in 1635. perfon to overfee the people whom he em- ployed. 4. There was no fettled government to punifh offenders, or mifpenders of their mafters' goods. Two other things contribut- ed to the difappointment in as great, if not a greater degree than what he has affigned. The one was that inftead of applying them- felves chiefly to hufbandry, the original fource of wealth and independence in fuch a coun- try as this ; he'and his affociates, being mer- chants, were rather intent on trade and fifh- ery as their primary objects. Thefe cannot be profitable in a new country, until the foundation is laid in the cultivation of the lands. If the lumber trade and fifhery can- not now be carried on to advantage, without the conftant aid of hufbandry in their neigh- bourhood, how could a colony of traders and fithermen make profitable returns to their employers, when the hufbandry neceffary for their fupport was at the diftance of Vir- ginia or England ? The other miftake which thefe adventurers fell into was the idea of lordfhip, and the granting of lands not as freeholds, but by leafes fubject to quit-rents. To fettle a colony of tenants in a climate fo far northward, where the charges of fubfift- ence and improvement were much greater than the value of the lands, after the improve- ments were made ; efpecially in the neigh- bourhood of fo refpectable and growing a colony as that of Maffachufetts, was indeed a chimerical project ; and had not the wifer people among them fought an union with the Maffachufetts, in all probability the fettle- ments muft have been deferted.
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HISTORY OF
CHAP. II.
Troubles at Dover .- Settlements of Exeter and Hampton .- Ruin of Muson's interest .- Story of Underhill ._ Combina- tions at Portsmouth and Dover .- Union of New- Hampshire with Massachusetts.
HILE the lower plantation on the river Pafcataqua lay under difcouragement by the death of its principal patron, the up- per fettlement, though carried on with more fuccefs, had peculiar difficulties to ftruggle with. Two thirds of this patent belonged to fome merchants of Briftol, the other third to fome of Shrewibury'; and there was an agreement that the divifion fhould be made by indifferent men. Captain Wiggen who was fent over to fuperintend their affairs, af- ter about one year's refidence in the country made a voyage to England, to procure more ample means for carrying on the plantation. In the mean time thofe of Briftol had fold their intereft to the lords Say and Broke, George Willys and William Whiting, who continued Wiggen in the agency, and pro- cured a confiderable number of families in the Weft of England, fome of whom were of good 1633. eftates, and " of fome account for religion," Hubbard's to come over and increafe the colony. It ap- MS Hist. Dover Rec- ord8. pears from ancient records that Wiggen had a power of granting lands to the fettlers ; but, as trade was their principal object, they took up fmall lots, intending to build a compact town on Dover Neck, which lies between two branches of the river, and is a fine, dry, and healthy fituation ; fo high as to command all the neighbouring fhores, and afford a very
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Extenfive and delightful profpect. On the 1633. moft inviting part of this eminence they built a meeting-houfe, which was afterward furrounded with an entrenchment and flank- arts, the remains of which are ftill vifible. Wiggen alfo brought over William Leverich, a worthy and able puritan minifter ; but his allowance from the adventurers proving too fmall for his fupport in a new country, where all the neceffaries of life were fcarce and dear, he was obliged to remove to the fouth- ward ; and fettled at Sandwich in the colony of Plymouth. This proved an unhappy event to the people, who, being left deftitute of reg- ular inftruction, were expofed to the intru- fions of artful impoftors.
The firft of thefe was one Burdet, He had 1634. been a minifter at Yarmouth in England ; but either really or pretendedly taking of- fence at the extravagancies of the bifhops and fpiritual courts, came over to New-Eng- land, and joined with the church in Salem, who employed him for a year or two as a preacher, being a good fcholar and plaufible in his behaviour. But, difgufted with the ftrictnefs of their difcipline, he removed to Dover; and continued for fometime in good ef- teem with the people as a preacher ; until by 1636, artful infinuations he raifed fuch a jealoufy in their minds againft Wiggen their gover- nor, that they deprived him of his office, and elected Burdet in his place.
During his refidence here, he carried on a correfpondence with Archbifhop Laud to the difadvantage of the Maffachufetts colony, · reprefenting them as hypocritical and difaf- 1637. fected, and that under pretence of greater pu-
Hubbard's MS Hist.
E
100-4020 0
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HISTORY OF
1637.
1638.
rity and difcipline in matters of religion, they were aiming at independent fovereign- ty ; it being accounted perjury and treafon by their general court, to fpeak of appeals to the king. The prelate thanked him for his zeal in the king's fervice, and affured him that care fhould be taken to redrefs thofe dif- orders when leifure from their other concerns would permit. This letter of the archbifhop was intercepted, and fhewn to the governor of Maffachufetts. Burdet's villainy was con- fidered as the more atrocious, becaufe he had been admitted a freeman of their corpora- tion, and had taken the oath of fidelity. A copy of his own letter was afterward found in his clofet.
About this time, the Antinomian contro- verfy at Bofton having occafioned the ban- ifhment of the principal perfons of that fect, feveral of them retired to this fettlement, be- ing without the jurifdiction of Maffachufetts. When this was known, Governor Winthrop wrote to Wiggen, Burdet and others of this plantation, ' that as there had hitherto been a 'good correspondence between them it would 'be much refented if they fhould receive the 'exiles ; and intimating the intention of the 'general court to furvey the utmoft limits of 'their patent, and make ufe of them.' To this Burdet returned a fcornful anfier, re- fufing to give the governor his title. The governor thought of citing him to court to anfwer for his contempt ; but was diffuaded from it by Dudley, the deputy-governor, who judged it imprudent to exafperate him, left he fhould avenge himfelf by farther accufing them to their enemies in England. The
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1638.
governor contented himfelf with fending to Hilton an account of Burdet's behaviour, in- clofing a copy of his letter, and cautioning the people not to put themfelves too far un- der his power. His true character did not long remain fecret ; for being detected in fome lewd actions he made a precipitate re- moval to Agamenticus [now York] in the province of Maine, where he alfo affumed to rule, and continued a courfe of injuftice and adultery till the arrival of Thomas Gorges, their governor, [in 1640] who laid a fine on him, and feized his cattle for the payment of it *. He appealed to the king, but his appeal not being admitted, he departed for England full of enmity againft thefe plantations. When he arrived, he found all in confufion ; and falling in with the royalifts was taken and imprifoned by the parliamentary par- ty,"which is the laft. account we have of him.
One of the exiles on account of the Anti- nomian controverfy, was John Whelewright, brother to the famous Anne Hutchinfon. He had been a preacher at Braintree, which was then part of Bofton, and was a gentle- man of learning, piety and zeal. Having en- gaged to make a fettlement within ten years, on the lands he had purchafed of the Indians at Squamfcot falls, he with a number of his adherents began a plantation there, which according to the agreement made with Ma- fon's agents they called Exeter. Having ob- tained a difmiffion from the church in
* The records of the court mention him as " a man of ill name and (' fame, infamous for incontinency." Lib A. Sept. 8th, 1640
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HISTORY OF
Exeter Records.
1638. Bofton*, they formed themfelves into a church ; and judging themfelves without the jurifdiction of Maffachufetts, they combin- ed into a feparate body politic, and chofe rul- ers and affiftants, who were fworn to the due difcharge of their office, and the people were as folemnly fworn to obey them. Their rulers were Ifaac Groffe, Nicholas Needham, and Thomas Wilfon ; each of whom contin- ued in office the fpace of a year, having two affiftants. The laws were made in a popular affembly and formally confented to by the rulers. Treafon, and rebellion againft the king, (who is ftyled "the Lord's anointed") or the country, were made capital crimes ; and fedition was punithable by a fine of ten pounds, or otherwife, at the difcretion of the court. This combination fubfifted three years.
About the fame time a plantation was formed at Winnicumet, which was called Hampton. The principal inducement + to the making this fettlement was the very exten- five falt-marfh, which was extremely valua- ble, as the uplands were not cultivated fo as to produce a fufficiency of hay for the fup- port of cattle. With a view to fecure thefe meadows, the general court of Maffachufetts had [in 1636] empowered Mr. Dummer of Newbury, with John Spencer, to build an houfe there at the expence of the colony, which was to be refunded by thofe who
Massa. Re- cords.
* The names of those who were thus dismissed were,
John Whelewright, Christopher Marshall,
Richard Merrys, Richard Bulgar,
George Baytes, Thomas Wardell,
- Philemon Purmot, Icaac Grosse,
William Wardell. '
(Boston Church Records.)
Fishal
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fhould fettle there. Accordingly an houfe 1638. was built, and commonly called the Bound- houfe ; though it was intended as a mark of poffeffion rather than of limits. The archi- tect was Nicholas Eafton, who foon after re- moved to Rhode-Ifland, and built the firft Englifh houfe in Newport.
Callender's Century Sermon, p. 98.
This entrance being made, a petition was prefented to the court by a number of per- MS of Mr. fons, chiefly from Norfolk in England, pray- Gookin. ing for liberty to fettle there, which was granted them. They began the fettlement by laying out a townthip in one hundred and 8, 1688. forty-feven fhares; and having formed a church, chofe Stephen Batchelor for their minifter, with whom Timothy Dalton was foon after affociated. The number of the firft inhabitants was fifty-fix *.
Massa. Re« cords Sept»
The authority of Maffachufetts having ef- tablifhed this fettlement, they, from the be- ginning, confidered it as belonging to their colony. Though the agent of Mafon's eftate MS Depe- made fome objection to their proceeding, yet sition in no legal method being taken to controvert files. this extenfion of their claim, the way was pre- pared for one ftill greater, which many cir- cumftances concurred to eftablifh.
Sup. Court
After the death of Captain Mafon, his wid-
Anne Ma- ow and executrix fent over Francis Norton son's Let- ters, and as her "general attorney ;" to whom the MS Depo- committed the whole management of the ef-
sitions in Sup. Cours Alles.
* Some of their names are mentioned in the Court Records, viz. Thomas Molton,
Stephen Batchelor, Christopher Hussey, Mary Hussey, widow, Thomas Cromwell, Samuel Skullard, John Osgood!, Samuel Greenfield, John Molton,
William Estow, William Palmer,
William Sergeant,
Richard Swayne, William Sanders, Robert Tucke, John Cross ..
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HISTORY OF
1638. tate. But the expence fo far exceeded the in- come, and the fervants grew fo impatient for their arrears, that fhe was obliged to relin- quifh the care of the plantation, and tell the fervants that they muft fhift for themfelves. Upon which they fhared the goods and cattle. Norton drove above an hundred oxen to Bof- ton, and there fold them for twenty-five pounds fterling per head, which it is faid was . the current price of the beft cattle in New- England at that time. Thefe were of a large breed, imported from Denmark, from whence Mafon had alfo procured a number of men fkilled in fawing planks and making potafh- es. Having fhared the ftock and other ma- terials, fome of the people quitted the plan- tation ; others of them tarried, keeping pof; feflion of the buildings and improvements, which they claimed as their own ; the houf- es at Newichwannock were burned ; and thus Mafon's eftate was ruined. Thefe events hap- pened between 1638 and 1644.
Hubbard's MS Hist.
Among the Antinomians who were banifh . ed from Bofton, and took refuge in thefe plantations, was Captain John Underhill, in whofe ftory will appear fome very ftrong characteriftics of the fpirit of thefe times. He had been a foldier in the Netherlands, and was brought over to New-England by Governor Winthrop, to train the people in military difcipline. He ferved the country
Prince's Annals, ASS.
in the Pequod war, and was in fuch reputa- tion in the town of Bofton, that they had chofen him one of their deputies. Deeply tinctured with Antinomian principles, and poffeffed of an high degree of enthufiafm, he made a capital figure in the controverfy ; be- 1
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ing one of the fubfcribers to a petition in 1638, which the court was cenfured, with an inde- · cent feverity, for their proceedings againft Whelewright. For this offence he was dif- franchifed. He then made a voyage to Eng- land; and upon his return petitioned the 1637, court for three hundred acres of land which had been promifed him for his former fer- vices, intending to remove after Whelewright. In his petition he acknowledged his offence in condemning the court, and declared " that " the Lord had brought him to a fenfe of " his fin in that refpect, fo that he had been " in great trouble on account thereof." On this occafion the court thought proper to queftion him concerning an offenfive expref- fion, which he had uttered on board the fhip in which he came from England, " that the " government at Bofton were as zealous as " the fcribes and Pharifees, and as Paul before " his converfion." He denied the charge, and , it was proved to his face by a woman who was paffenger with him, and whom he had en- deavoured to feduce to his opinions. He was alfo queftioned for what he had faid to her concerning the manner of his receiving af- furance, which was " that having long lain " under a fpirit of bondage, he could get no " affurance ; till at length as he was taking a " pipe of tobacco, the fpirit fet home upon " him an abfolute promife of free grace, with " fuch affurance and joy that he had never " fince doubted of his good eftate, neither " fhould he, whatever fins he might fall in- " to." This he would neither own nor de- ny ; but objected to the fufficiency of a fin- gle toftimony. The court committed him
Nov. 15th,
الحامل
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HISTORY OF
1638. for abufing them with a pretended retraction, and the next day paffed the fentence of ban- ifhment upon him. Being allowed the liber- ty of attending public worfhip, his enthufi- aftic zeal brake out in a fpeech in which he en- deavoured to prove " that as the Lord was "pleafed to convert Saul while he was per- " fecuting, fo he might manifeft himfelf to " him while making a moderate ufe of the "good creature tobacco ; profeffing withal " that he knew not wherein he had deferv- "ed the cenfure of the court." The elders reproved him for this inconfiderate fpeech ; and Mr. Cotton told him, " that though God " often laid a man under a fpirit of bondage ." while walking in fin, as was the cafe with " Paul, yet he never fent a fpirit of comfort " but in an ordinance, as he did to Paul by "the miniftry of Ananias ; and therefore " exhorted him to examine carefully the rev- "elation and joy to which he pretended." The fame week he was privately dealt with on fufpicion of adultery, which he difre- garded ; and therefore on the next fabbath was queftioned for it before the church ; but the evidence not being fufficient to convict him, the church could only admonifh him.
Thefe proceedings, civil and ecclefiaftical, being finifhed, he removed out of their jurif- diction ; and after a while came to Dover, where he procured the place of governor in the room of Burdet. Governor Winthrop hearing of this, wrote to Hilton and others of this plantation, informing them of his character. Underhill intercepted the letter, and returned a bitter anfwer to Mr. Cotton ; and wrote another letter full of reproaches
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againft the governor to a gentleman of his family, while he addreffed the governor him- felf in a fawning, obfequious ftrain, begging an obliteration of former mifcarriages, and a bearing with human infirmities. Thefe letters were all fent back to Hilton ; but too late to prevent his advancement.
Being fettled in his government, he pro- cured a church to be gathered at Dover wlio chofe Hanferd Knollys for their minifter. He had come over from England the year before ; but being an Anabaptift of the An- tinomian caft, was not well received in Maf- fachufetts, and came here while Burdet was in office, who forbad his preaching ; but Un- derhill, agreeing better with him, prevailed to have him chofen their minifter. To in- gratiate himfelf with his new patron, Knollys wrote in his favour to the church in Bofton ; ftyling him " The right worfhipful their honoured governor." Notwithftanding which they cited him again to appear before them ; the court granting him fafe conduct. At the fame time complaint was made to the chief inhabitants on the river, of the breach of friendfhip in advancing Underhill after his rejection ; and a copy of Knollys's letter was returned, wherein he had written that "Un- " derhill was an instrument of God for their " ruin," and it was enquired whether that letter was written by the defire or confent of the people. The principal perfons of Portf- mouth and Dover difclaimed his mifcarriag- es, and expreffed their readinefs to call him to account when a proper information fhould be prefented ; but begged that no force might be fent againft him. By :his inftiga-
1639.
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HISTORY OF
1639. tion Knollys had alfo written to his friends in England, a calumnious letter againft the Maffachufetts planters, reprefenting them as more arbitrary than the high-commiffion court, and that there was no real religion in the country. A copy of this letter being fent from England to Governor Winthrop, Knollys was fo afhamed at the difcovery, that obtaining a licence, he went to Bofton ; and at the public lecture before the gover- nor, magiftrates, minifters and the congrega- tion, made confeflion of his fault, and wrote a retraction to his friends in England, which he left with the governor to be fent to them.
Underhill was fo affected with his friend's humiliation, and the difaffection of the peo- ple of Pafcataqua to him, that he refolved to retrieve his character in the fame way. Having obtained fafe conduct, he went to Bofton, and in the fame public manner ac- knowledged his adultery, his difrefpect to the government and the juftice of their pro- ceedings againft him : But his confeffion was mixed with fo many excufes and exten- uations that it gave no fatisfaction ; and the evidence of his fcandalous deportment being now undeniable, the church paffed the fen- tence of excommunication, to which he feem- ed to fubmit, and appeared much dejected while he remained there.
Upon his return, to pleafe fome difaffect- ed perfons, at the mouth of the river, he fent thirteen armed men to Exeter to refcue out of the officer's hand one Fith, who had been taken into cuftody for fpeaking againft the king. . The people of Dover forbad his coming into their court till they had confid-
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ered his crimes and he promifed to refign his place if they fhould difapprove of his conduct ; but hearing that they were deter- mined to remove him, he rufhed into court in a paffion, took his feat, ordered one of the magiftrates to prifon, for faying that he would not fit with an adulterer, and refufed to receive his difmiffion, when they voted it. But they proceeded to chufe another gover- nor, Roberts, and fent back the prifoner to Exeter.
A new fcene of difficulty now arofe. Thomas Larkham, a native of Lyme in Dor- fetfhire and formerly a minifter at Northam near Barnftable, who had come over to New- England, and not favouring the doctrine, nor willing to fubmit to the difcipline of the churches in Maffachufetts, came to Dover ; and being a preacher of good talents, eclip- fed Knollys, and raifed a party who deter- mined to remove him. He therefore gave way to popular prejudice, and fuffered Lark- ham to take his place ; who foon difcovered his licentious principles by receiving into the church perfons of immoral characters, and affuming, like Burdet, the civil as well as ecclefiaftical authority. The better fort of the people were difpleafed and reftored Knollys to his office who excommunicated Larkham. This bred a riot in which Lark- ham laid hands on Knollys, taking away his hat on pretence that he had not paid for it ; but he was civil enough afterward to return it. Some of the magiftrates joined with Larkham, and forming a court, fummoned Underhill, who was of Knollys's party to appear before them, and anfwer to a new
1639.
1640,
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HISTORY OF
1640. crime which they had to alledge againft him. Underhill collected his adherents ; Knollys was armed with a piftol, and another had a bible mounted on an halbert for an enfign. In this ridiculous parade they marched a- gainft Larkham and his party, who prudent- ly declined a combat, and fent down the riv- er to Williams the governor, at Portfmouth, for affiftance. He came up in a boat with an armed party, befet Knollys's houfe where Underhill was, guarded it night and day till a court was fummoned, and then, Williams fitting as judge, Underhill and his company were found guilty of a riot, and after being fined, were banithed the plantation. The new crime which Larkham's party alledged againft Underhill was that he had been fe- cretly endeavouring to perfuade the inhabi- tants to offer themfelves to the government of Maffachufetts, whofe favor he was defi- rous to purchafe, by thefe means, as he knew that their view was to extend their jurifdic- tion as far as they imagined their limits reached, whenever they fhould find a favour- able opportunity, The fame policy led him with his party to fend a petition to Bofton, praying for the interpofition of the govern- ment in their cafe : In confequence of which the governor and afliftants commiffioned Simon Bradftreet, Esq. with the famous Hugh Peters, then minifter of Salem, and Timothy Dalton of Hampton, to enquire into the mat- ter, and effect a reconciliation, or certify the ftate of things to them. Thefe gentlemen travelled on foot to Dover, and finding both fides in fault, brought the matter to this iffue, hat the one party revoked the excommuni-
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cation, and the other the fines and banifh- 1640. ment. a.
In the heat of thefe difputes, a difcovery was made of Knollys's failure in point of chaftity. He acknowledged his crime be- fore the church ; but they difmiffed him and he returned to England, where he fuffered by the feverity of the long parliament in 1644 ; Neal's Hist! Puritans. and being forbidden to preach in the church- 4to vol. II. es, opened a feparate meeting in Great St. p. 113. Helen's, from which he was foon diflodged, and his followers difperfed. He alfo fuffer- Neal's Hist. N.England, ed in the caufe of non-conformity in the vol, 1. page reign of King Charles the fecond, and at 216. length (as it is faid) died " a good man in a Mather's good old " age." (September 19, 1691, ÆEt. lib. 3. p. i. Magnal. ninety-three.)
Underhill having finifhed his career in thefe parts obtained leave to return to Bof- ton, and finding honefty to be the beft poli- cy, did in a large affembly, at the public lec- ture, and during the fitting of the court, make a full confeffion of his adultery and hy- pocrify, his pride and contempt of authority, juftifying the church and court in all that they had done againft him, declaring that his pretended affurance had failed him, and that the terror of his mind had at fome times been fo great, that he had drawn his fword to put an end to his life. The church being now fatisfied, reftored him to their commu- nion. The court, after waiting fix months Annals. for evidence of his good behaviour, took off his fentence of banifhment, and releafed him from the punifhment of his adultery : The law which made it capital having been enact- ed after the crime was committed, could not
Prince's
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1640. Hubbard's MS Hist.
touch his life. Some offers being made hint by the Dutch at Hudfon's river, whofe lan- guage was familiar to him, the church of Bofton hired a veffel. to tranfport him and his family thither, furnifhing them with all neceffaries for the voyage. The Dutch gover- norgave him the command of a company of an hundred and twenty men, and he was very fer- viceable in the wars which that colony had with the Indians, having, it is faid, killed one hundred and fifty on Long-Ifland, and three hundred on the Main. He continued in their fervice till his death.
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