USA > Rhode Island > Washington County > South Kingstown > A history of South-Kingstown > Part 1
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.
Gc 974.502 So87co 1771816 1
M. L.
REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
Go
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01102 7825
A HISTORY
OF
SOUTH-KINGSTOWN
BY
CHARLES COMSTOCK
Reprinted with .A Foreword by WILLIAM DAVIS MILLER
KINGSTON RHODE £ ISLAND 1934
.
1
F
845876 .18
Comstock, Charles.
A history of South-Kingstown. by Charles Comstock. Re- printed with a foreword by William Davis Miller. Kingston. Rhode Island. 1934.
op. 1. 1-11 p. illus. 221cm.
Contains a reproduction of the original half-title. frontispiece and t .- p. Title of the original: 'A history of South-Kingstown ; with a partleu- lar description of the Hornet's nest company, and the Cats let out of the bag: by Charles Comstock, IL.D., F.R.S. Newport : Printed for the author. 1-06.
BHELP CARD "A contribution to the seanty store of material for the study of the social, economic and religious conditions which existed in the smaller townships of New England in the early years of the republic ... it is, in all probability, not a wholly distorted representation of the thoughts and manners of his contemporaries, especially of a class usually deemed unworthy of perpetuation in Historical record." -- Foreword .. A satirical narrativo.
cf. Sabin.
1. South Kingston. R. I.
Title from Providence
Gift' 35
121 A 35-323
Pub. Libr. Printed by L. C.
171816
-------
/T 35
Foreword
TF by anyone an excuse be deemed necessary for the 1 reprinting of this scurrilous, ribald but amusing pam- phlet, let it be found in the fact that it is the source from which "Shepard Tom" drew that delightful tale of the Cat Inspector, a man who "had a very enterprising ingenu in cats and wanted it to be discovered to the pub- lic," and retold by him, in a slightly expurgated form, in the Jonny Cake Papers. Yet there is, I believe, another plausible reason why The History of South Kingstown should be printed for a second time: to make more read- ily available a contribution to the scanty store of material for the study of the social, economic and religious condi- tions which existed in the smaller townships of New England in the early years of the Republic. Although it is certain that this history was not written in that "very still frame of mind" that Comstock once experienced, but rather with a bitter resentment against real or imag- ined wrongs; it is, in all probability, not a wholly dis- torted representation of the thoughts and the manners of his contemporaries, especially of a class usually deemed unworthy of perpetuation in historical record.
As to Charles Comstock himself, little can be learned other than that which has been related by "Shepard Tom." That he was an "odd character" seems to be superfluous comment, but it is of interest that at one period he kept a boarding house or tavern on the Ferry Wharf in Newport and "had for his tavern sign swing- ing on hinges over the sidewalk, the full length picture
1
1
of a thick-set, squat built man, holding a big tom cat aloft in his left hand, whilst he grasped a hot iron in his right, in the act of branding the quadruped ... beneath which .. . was printed ... 'LISHA GARNER, CAT INSPECTOR." His claim to a degree and to a fellowship in the Royal Society cannot seriously be considered but should rather be at- tributed to the quality of his sense of humor.
In this reprint the original text has been followed without change or correction, save that a portion of one sentence has been deleted; a sentence which offends the religious rather than the moral proprieties. The half title, the title and the frontispiece are reproduced in fac- simile but the variation in the size of the type has been corrected. The Newport printer of the original evidently did not have a large stock of type, since after page 25 he dropped from ten point to eight point and employed the latter to the end of the book. Of the three copies recorded in Providence, use has been made of that copy in the library of the Rhode Island Historical Society; and to this Society and to its Librarian, Howard M. Chapin, Esq., I wish to express sincere appreciation for the privi- leges and courtesies extended to me.
WILLIAM DAVIS MILLER
"Waitelands"' Kingston, Rhode Island
...
-
-
...
A HISTORY OF fouTHE KINGSTOWN, Lc.
-
The Cat Inspector.
A HISTORY
OF
SOUTH-KINGSTOWN;
WITH A
PARTICULAR DESCRIPTION OF THE
HORNET'S NEST COMPANY,
AND THE
. CATS LET OUT OF THE BAG :
BY CHARLES COMSTOCK, L. L. D. F. R. S.
NEWPORT : PRINTED FOR THE AUTHOR. 1806.
HTUI08
PREFACE.
As there has not been any history given of that town, to my knowledge, and as the inhabitants of it are somewhat singular, I think it necessary that there should be a his- tory of them, given, to let the public know what sort of people there are in the world, (for the world lies in wickedness: ) And it is necessary that the youth should know this fact, in their early stage of life, in order that they may escape the shares and cheats in this world, which are many to deceive. For these reasons, I think it necessary to give the following history.
A HISTORY
OF
SOUTH-KINGSTOWN, &c.
A BOUT the last of March, A. D. 1802, I moved into South-Kingstown, which is bounded Easterly and Southerly on the sea, Westerly on Charlestown and Richmond, and Northerly on North-Kingstown. The . land next to the sea is very good for Indian corn and bar- ley, and excellent for grazing. The people are free- hearted with their victuals and drink; the most so of a- any part of the world that ever I was in-Their advice to me I thought was very singular. One of my neigh- bors said my house was a good stand for a public house, and had been made use of in that branch of business, it being the mansion house of John Potter, Esq. deceas- ed. And there was an out-house belonging to it, about one hundred rods from it, which I rented out, and which my neighbour told me was a good place to rent out to two squaws: That it would be a good plan for me to take out a licence, and get a hogshead of rum, and let the squaws come to my house, and have a room to be in private with such men as wanted them; for rum and women was in the best demand of any thing in that town. I told my neighbor that I would not keep such a house, and not only so, but there would be too much trusting in the business. He told me to trust the people, and if they did not pay me soon, to sue them, and that would bring more custom to the house. My neighbour I found out by woful experience, knew the disposition of that sort of people better than I did; for as
( 6 )
I made some mistake in marking of a flock of sheep, and through mistake marked some that was not mine they reported that I was a thief, and gave me an infa- mous character; and although they reported such a story, the people of that town would not believe it, that were men in good credit, for they are not all drunkards and squaw hunters; for there is a number of men in that town, who are men of excellent good characters, and despite all such wicked conduct-It is an easy town to get a living in; some of them get rich; and I have observed in experience, so far through life, that where a place is easy to get a living in, the morals of the people are apt to be corrupted; for if people are not in some employment, they will soon get into vice. For idleness leads people to drinking, gaming and other bad habits, which has frequently taken place in South-Kingstown; for those who have been rich, have frequently brought up their children in idleness and luxury, which has led them into bad company and many vices, which have been the means of their spending what their parents gave them. I believe it is best for parents that are rich or poor, to bring up their children strictly in some ho- nest employment. The people of South-Kingstown are generally industrious in mowing time; but the rest of the year, many of them are very idle. Their farmers farms are very much overrun with brush. In the spring of the year there is a number of men that follow fishing which takes up considerable part of their time, for there is a great many fish caught in that town, especial- ly in the pond colled Potter's pond, and also in Narrow- river. As to their religion, part of it is Rum, some of them are Nothingarians, some of them Universalists, a few of them Friends, and some of them are Baptists, but most of them are Nothingarians. I believe that Nothingarian religion, Universal Salvation and Rum Religion, are very suitable to go together, if it is proper
( 7 )
to call them Religion; for I think that the Universal Doctrine, Nothingarians and Rum, generally go toge- ther. All Religion is measurably good, that adds to mankind's morals; but that which hurts their morals is bad. I believe that the three that. I mentioned that were suitable to go together, are like deadly poison to man's happiness, and lead them off from taking up their daily Cross and following Christ. With regard to regenera- tion and newness of life, which leads mankind into meek- ness of heart, our Saviour said, blessed are the poor in spirit, for they shall see God; blessed are the meek in heart, for they have the promise of eternal life. This making the way to heaven easier than it is, is deceiving ourselves; for our Saviour said, if you live in your sins, and die in them, where I go, ye cannot come. Fur- ther he said to Nicodemus, that he must be born again. This being born again, takes away our sins and iniqui- ties, and brings people to newness of life. We read in scripture, that there was a whirlwind, and the Lord was not in it; but there was a still small voice, and the Lord was in it. When I was about sixteen years old, I was at work in the woods, and I went to a spring, and got some water to drink, and sat down on a rock in a very still frame of mind, and in thinking of my past con- duct and way of living, I thought seriously upon relig- ion, and in silent waiting on the Lord, my sins and ini- quities were set before me; and in that waiting, I found it my duty to refrain from my vain way of living: and the plain language was set before me, which was a great cross to my mind. I strove to make some other profes- sion of Religion that was easier and not so much in the cross, but I found if there was no cross there would be no crown. But still I strove in my mind to shun the cross; for to be brought down to a life of self-denial, is a great cross to the mind that wants liberty; and my wild nature was not willing to take the yoke of Christ
( 8 )
on me; and I put off the serious thoughts; for I found that I must leave all my former companions in vanity, and retire alone; for in my silent waiting, the passage of scripture came fresh in my mind, where it says thou must give an account for every idle word; and it appear- ed to me that most of my conversation was idle. But I turned my back upon the reproofs of instruction, till I was about eighteen years old; yet in the mean time my mind often was disturbed and could not find that in -. ward peace which my distressed mind wanted to find.
I went to hear that worthy Friend Rachel Wilson, from old England; and heard her declare the gospel testimony, which she did with so much power and elo- quence, that I could not withstand the inward duties of divine grace in my mind any longer; but gave up to the heavenly call; and in that call I found it my duty to use the plain language, which was to say thee and thou to a single person, and leave my former company and companions in vice and folly. I retired much a- lone, was often in tears, both night and day. I could write much upon my experience; but I have not set out to write upon religion, but to give a history of the people of South-Kingstown.
Some of the people of that town, being as ignor- ant about pure religion as Nicodemus was about the new birth, and in their ignorance not knowing THOU from THOUCE, in that dark state of mind, and in deris- ion, called me thouce; and asked me what I said thouce for. They said if I would leave off saying thouce, that they should like me better. I did not so much wonder at their ignorance, after I heard one of them in con- versing about religion
This is owing to their being in a dark state of mind; for disobedience makes a long wilderness. Thus we read in scripture, that the Children of Israel were forty years in
( 9)
the wilderness. I believe that disobedience makes a long wilderness.
Many of them think themselves very cunning when they have cheated one another; for their art and craft is to cheat every one that they can. After they have cheated another, by deceiving or lying, they frequently boast of it, and say they have out cunninged the per- son that they dealt with; that they told him a lie, and made him believe it was truth-for they glory in their shame: We read of some men's glorying in their shame. They are not often ashamed unless they have taken one another's word, and have been cheated by believing each other. What men of wisdom despise, they call very cunning. Their craft is often to make a bargain, and if they find that it is not to their interest to stand to their word, they will frequently say that they were in jest: for that is part of their sort of wit. Another sort of their craft is to find out other men's business; to see if they can raise some false report about a stranger; and if the stranger is as artful to make a lye, and tell it, as they are themselves, then they think him very cun- ing and he will soon have credit amongst them. Some of them are artful to find out what a man owes; and report that he owes three or four times as much as he does owe; and some of them will, if they owe the same man, report that he owes them; or else they dont serve other strangers as they served me. This is part of craft; and he is not alone in the bu- siness. Some of them will call a man a fool if he stands to his word, if it was against his interest; for he might have got off by telling the man he made the bargain with, that he was in jest .- This way of treating man- kind, they think very cunning.
After I purchased the farm of Job Hopkins, in the aforesaid town of South-Kingstown, they reported that I had bought farms, and could not pay for them, which
( 10 )
was a notorious falsehood. One of my neighbors came riding into the field half drunk, and said here is a man who has purchased a farm, and cannot pay for it.
In the fall of the year after I moved into South- Kingstown, I purchased a cargo on credit to carry on to Nantucket; and I was cast away, which prevented me from making immediate remittances. Soon after I went out of the county, into the county of Providence, to collect some money, to pay for the articles I had pur- chased. They reported that I had run away. When I returned home, I found seven copies of writs, and one pair of my oxen carried off. I was very angry; and I told some of them, that the wolves had been amongst my sheep, and that I thought mankind in nature the most like the hogs of any creature I could compare them to. For if one hog gets hung in the fence, and squeels, the rest of the hogs will fall a fowl of him, & kill him, if he cant get loose. I thought their conduct looked so to me; for when one has met with a misfortune, for all to fall on him, bespeaks the nature of swine, more than of good neighbors.
As I had bought a lot of land of
and given him a mortgage deed of the same land, and eighteen acres of the land that I purchased before of Job Hopkins, they reported that I should forfeit the eighteen acre lot and that if I did not pay a certain sum of money by the 25 of the next March. All this was false, and as many more falsehoods as they could think of, they told about me, to destroy my credit; and sent them over the State as fast as they could; for they knew if they could destroy my credit, they could de- stroy my interest, and have a good chance to get some plunder.
Many of them are poor pay; and it is very hard to collect any money from many of them. For one of them had been indebted to me for some time, and I found
( 11 )
that it was hard to get the pay from him; and I bought something of him, so that I became indebted to him; and soon after I became in debt to him, we settled, and I gave him a note on demand with his promise that he would not sue me; and he sued me in less than one hour after I gave him the note: For that is part of their craft.
There is one who some of them boast much of, as a very crafty man, and subtle man, whom I think proper to mention in this pamphlet. And I suppose he is of the Scotch-Irish extract, from what I have seen and heard of his conduct. His art is to be as smooth as any Irishman that ever I was ac- quainted with. For after I had purchased the aforesaid lot of him, and got a deed of it, I promised him that the deed should not go on record, till I had got Mary Hopkins's right of dower secured to me on the eighteen acre lot, that I had mortgaged to the above said
for his security for the land I purchased of him. He then contrived another plan, that was if I would let out to him part of the meadow that I purchased of him, he would agree for the deed to go on record, which was lodged in the Clerk's office; for he said it would cut him short of hay. And he said he had got a large num- ber of young stock, and he could not winter them, if he did not have more meadow. And further, he promised me that he would wait longer for the first payment; and not only so, he said it would do him a good kind- ness. And we agreed that he was to have twelve acres at the east end of the lot, and ten at the west end of the lot. He insisted upon having a lease that day; and I did not know his craft in having the lease that day; and Robert Sands was present, and he wrote a lease for twelve acres at the east end of the land, that
said that he purchased of George Potter, and ten acres at the west end; for he told me that he bought the
12
(
whole of the land of George Potter. And when I came to find out that he purchased the east end of Henry Potter, and that the land was worth three times as much as the land that I agreed to let him have, and that the land which I kept was not worth one third part so much as the land that he by his lies got a lease of, and that I was ketched, I asked him how he come to tell me such a falsehood; and he told me that I should not have taken his word, but gone to the record and seen for my- self: I thought that was a curious turn for a man to tell a lie, and then say that I should not have taken his word: It plainly showed me that he was a common liar, for I fully believe that has been his practice, and is still his practice. But when a man has followed that business so long as I think he has followed it, he has not so good a chance to cheat the people as he had when he first began the trade. For lying is a business that if a man intends to follow, he must go where he is not known, or come across a stranger. I think it is highly necessary that such a man should be published and made as public as possible. Some men think if they get ketched by such a villain, that they will let others find him out as they have done. But I am of a different o- pinion: For when a man has been robbed of his mo- ney, he generally published it in the newspaper, to no- tify the people so that they may be on their guard. And I think it is as necessary that people should know the above said- -; for I don't think that there are many robbers that have made so much money by robbing, as I think he has by lying. For the chance of getting clear of a robber, I think is better, than the chance of getting clear of the above said
for he pretends a great deal of friendship. A robber's faculty is to scare men out of their money; and I think it is likely that - would have taken up that bu- siness, if he had been a man of courage. But I sup-
( 13 )
pose he has not courage enough to make so finished a robber, as he is a liar. For he appears to me to have a great faculty in lying. The devil is said to be subtle. We read in scripture, that he was more subtle than the beasts of the field, and that he is the father of lies: he teaches his servants to lie, and trains them up in deceit and lies. I suppose that learnt his trade of him. We read in scripture, that the Savior of the world of mankind was carried up on a pinnacle to be tempted. Satan offered him all the glory of the world, if he would fall down and worship him. I think it is very likely that has made an al- liance with him; for his kingdom is of this world. has acquired a great deal of this world's goods; and I suppose that a great part of it has been obtained under a pretension of friendship. I have thought that to pretend friendship, in order to get away a man's pro- perty, is not so honorable as to be a common highway robber; for then a man has some chance to save his money. After I found that friendship was to get all he can, and that he does not scruple to tell any lie or lies to obtain his ends, I advised him to take up highway robbing, in order to raise his credit.
Now to convince mankind that he is such a man as I have described him to be, I shall endeavor to set forth his conduct with me, which is as follows. I shall first return back to their sueing me. whilst I was gone out of the county, as I mentioned before, a- mongst the rest sued me; and never asked me for the money; but drove on as fast as he could. After I re- turned home he told me that he was my friend, and that he was sorry he had sued me; and that he would lend me twenty dollars if I wanted them, for he was not a- fraid of losing the money that I owed him: and that he was my friend, and that he would not distress me .-
B
( ) 14
Sometimes the devil will appear as an angel of light; for rough means will not always answer his ends. I be- lieve that he is as faithful to the devil, as ever Paul was to the light of Christ; for after he had offered to lend me money, and the execution was almost run out, he agreed to indorse a note for me at Washington Bank for two hundred dollars, and send it on by Robert Helme, if I would make over my stock to him; and the money was not to come into my hands, till the stock was made over to him; for we did not know whether the note would be discounted or not. The note was discounted, and he went to Helme's and got the mon- ey into his own hands; and forty-six dollars of the mo- ney he kept in his hands; and not only so, but part of the money that one pair of the oxen were sold for, was not turned into the bank; and he kept that, and the forty-six dollars also. And I suppose that I have rode and travelled near three hundred miles after him for it; and I got impatient; and I sued him; and he to put off the payment, put in an answer, and reported that I ow- ed him; for that was his art. And he wished to make a rule of court, and settle all matters subsisting between us; and after the men had met once, he said that he would not meet, and that he would stop the judgement from being received, by pleading that he had never had a day in court; that they decided ex parte; for that is a part of his craft. Sometimes he will answer a note of hand under an expectation that if it is answered, that the docket will be so full that the Court will not get to it; and that will put off the payment one year. People begin to be shy of his word. Some say that he has frequently promised twelve per. cent; and when it has been running two or three years, he will say that he will not pay such great interest, and tell them that they may sue him; for that is cheaper for him than to pay
( 15 )
twelve per cent; for he knows that they cant recover but six per cent.
Part of his conduct with me I have forgot, which I think proper to insert, though it had ought to have come in before. That is, when I was about to pur- chase a cargo to carry on to Nantucket, in the year A. D. 1803, in the month of September, he appeared very friendly; but it turned out to be. Scotch Irish friend- ship. For I bought four heifers of him, and he was to wait till my return; and before I got out of sight of Connanicut light-house, he sent the note to the hornet's nest, to get a writ, and attached all my land; although before I went away, he offered to give his note and take mine, if any body that I bought of chose his note, rather than mine. After I returned home, he came to me, to borrow twenty dollars of me. I told him that my money was all in silver, and that I had promised it to the bank; for that was the agreement that I had made with the directors, and I could not lend the mo- ney. He told me that he had lent me some once; and being my indorser at the bank I did not know how to refuse to let him have the money. He promised me that he would pay me the silver dollars in one week, upon point of honor. So I let him have the money; and I kept the note about six months, and I could not . get the money of him, and I put the note away to a person that held a note against me, for about fifteen dollars. The person would not take the note, without I would take the remainder out of his shop; or he would put the note in suit. So I let the person have the note and took the remainder out of his shop, rather than to be sued.
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.