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Gc 974.5 K56p 1225933
M. L.
GENEALOGY COLLECTION
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01068 3628
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2015
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400.
PICTURES OF RHODE ISLAND IN THE PAST.
BY THE SAME AUTHOR THE EAST INDIA TRADE OF PROVIDENCE 1787 TO 1807
PICTURES OF RHODE ISLAND IN THE PAST
1642-1833
BY TRAVELLERS AND OBSERVERS
EDITED BY GERTRUDE SELWYN KIMBALL
PROVIDENCE R. I. PRESTON AND ROUNDS CO. 1900
ye 974.5 K 56 p
COPYRIGHT 1899 BY GERTRUDE SELWYN KIMBALL
PRESS OF THE NEW ERA PRINTING COMPANY, LANCASTER, PA.
1225933
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
1642. Thomas Lechford, Plain Dealing. 1
1660. Samuel Maverick, Description of New England. 2 1665. Nicolls, Carr, Cartwright and Maverick, Report to the King. 3 1668. Roger Williams, Letter to the Town of Provi- dence. 5
1680. Peleg Sanford, Answer to the Board of Trade. 6
11
1685. Edward Randolph, Articles of Misdemeanor. . 1690. N. N., Short Account of the Present State of New England. . 13
1699. Earl of Bellomont, Report on Rhode Island. 15
1702. Joseph Dudley, Letter to the Lords of Trade. .
18
1702. Cotton Mather, Magnalia. . .
21
1704. Sarah Knight, Journal. 23
1708. Samuel Cranston, Answer to the Lords of Trade. 27
1708. Robert Quary, Letter to the Lords of Trade. 29
1708. Samuel Cranston, Letter to the Lords of Trade. 30
1729. George Berkeley, Letter to a Friend. 34
1732. George Berkeley, Sermon before the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel. 36
1739. John Callender, Historical Discourse. 38
1739. The Modern History. 40
1741. William Chandler, Boundary Commissioners' Journal. 41 ·
. 1741. John Checkley, Notitia Parochialis. . 46
1747. Daniel Neal, History of New England. 48
1753. James MacSparran, America Dissected. 49 .
1754. Jacob Bailey, Memoir. 55
1759. Andrew Burnaby, Travels. ·
56
1765. Robert Rogers, Concise Account of North America. 60
V
vi
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
1769. Benjamin West, New England Town and Coun-
try Almanack. . 63
1770. A. Cluny, American Traveller. . ·
64
1771. Morgan Edwards, Materials for a History of the Baptists in Rhode Island. 66
1771. Ezra Stiles, Diary.
72
1772. James Manning, Letter. 73
1773. Daniel Horsmanden, Letter.
74
1773. Hugh Finlay, Journal. 78
75
1775. Elkanah Watson, Memories.
1780. Claude Blanchard, Journal. 85
80
1780. Count Axel de Fersen, Letters. 87
1780. Marquis de Chastellux, Travels.
1780. Samuel Hopkins, Autobiography.
89
1781. Count Cromot du Bourg, Journal.
1781. Abbé Robin, New Travels. 95
1782. Prince de Broglie, Journal. 100
1782. Count Mathieu Dumas, Memoirs. 105
1783. Samuel Davis, Journal. . 106
1787. Hector St. John Crèvecœur, Letters of an Ameri- can Farmer. . 108
1787. Manasseh Cutler, Diary. . 112
1788. J. P. Brissot de Warville, New Travels. . 113
1792. Jedidiah Morse, American Geography. 116
1793. James Freeman, Remarks on the American Uni- versal Geography. . 120
1794. John Drayton, Travels. 121
1795. "Citoyen Adoptif de Pennsylvanie," Réponse. 124 1795. John Pierce, Diary. . 125
1795. W. Winterbotham, Historical, Geographical, etc., View. . 127
1795. Duke de la Rochefoucauld-Liancourt, Travels. 131
1801. Josiah Quincy, Journal. . 148
1806. John Melish, Travels. . 153
1807. Edward Augustus Kendall, Travels. . · . 156
91
1781. Samuel Hopkins, Letter. . 91
TABLE OF CONTENTS. vii
1810. Henry A. Howland, Reminiscences. . . 159
1812. Henry C. Knight, Reminiscences. . 162
1818. Henry Fearon, Narrative of a Journey. . 164
1821. Timothy Dwight, Travels. . 166
1822. Benjamin Waterhouse, Letter to Jefferson. . 169
1826. Anne Royall, Sketches of Life and Manners. . 170
1833. Thomas Hamilton, Men and Manners. . 173
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INTRODUCTION.
Nothing is more characteristic of American life, in the present or in the past, than the rapidity with which the face of the country is transformed by the hand of man. Wheatfields and orchards stand now where ten years ago were only the prairie or the forest. The mission of American mankind (a mission more inspir- ing and more ideal than we are apt to suspect) has been " to go up against the land and possess it," and trans- form it. And yet, especially here in New England, how much remains from decade to decade unchanged ! That strain of conservatism in the American blood, which jostles so oddly with its audacious energy and enterprise, has preserved for us, in these older com- munities, many of our material landmarks and still more of our traits of character. Very likely it is this mingling of change and of permanence which appeals to us with so constant a charm in old descriptions of New England or any of its regions. When we come across them in our reading, we are quickly interested to see how much, in the scenes which are familiar to us, is the product of change, how much has come down to us unaltered from earlier days. Most of us readers of books who dwell in Rhode Island have had the pleasure of encountering a few such descriptions of its former appearance and character. Miss Kimball has had the happy thought of extending and giving per-
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INTRODUCTION.
manence to our pleasure by making a comprehensive collection of such descriptions. It is not unlikely that even the expert student of Rhode Island history will be surprised that she has found so many. Certainly they are from sources most varied in character, and show us Rhode Island, or Providence, or Newport, at many periods and from many points of view. Some of their writers are genuine Rhode Islanders, governors perhaps, like Sandford and Cranston, giving the home government information, not uncolored with patriotic purpose, respecting the colony. Some, though at the time of writing residents of Rhode Island, look upon it with the eyes of strangers-the kindly eyes of good Dean Berkeley, or the indignant orbs of the virtuous MacSparran. Some of our witnesses are clergymen, some soldiers. Some are geographers, like Dr. Jedidiah Morse. Some come upon official business, governors like Bellomont and Dudley striving to maintain order and the rights of the Crown ; Capt. Chandler survey- ing boundaries, Hugh Finlay inspecting post-offices, Chief-Justice Horsmanden seeking the destroyers of the Gaspee. Mather the Puritan, Morgan Edwards the Baptist statistician, Robin the Catholic abbé, all have here their place and their right to be heard. An especially interesting group is that of the French officers who came with Rochambeau, and whose ami- able views of republican America were not without their influence in a later Revolution. Most interesting and instructive of all, perhaps, are those who travelled through Rhode Island simply for the sake of travel- ling, from Madam Sarah Knight, the Boston school-
xi
INTRODUCTION.
mistress, to President Dwight and the Duke of La- Rochefoucauld-Liancourt.
Miss Kimball has made no effort to suppress criti- cisms of Rhode Island. To see ourselves as others see us is recommended to us all as salutary, and certainly is always entertaining. At this distance of time we can listen with equal complacency and equal interest to the admirer of Rhode Island, to her detractor, and even to her " candid friend." Doubtless many readers will think the expressions of opinion respecting the in- habitants of Rhode Island quite as good reading as those passages which show us the ancient aspects of country and town.
The plan pursued by Miss Kimball has been to re- print the texts exactly, copying, in cases where there are several editions of a book, from the earliest acces- sible edition in which her extract is contained. The extracts are arranged in a chronological order, the date assigned to each being that of the year in which it was written rather than that in which it was published, if the two are known to differ. To each piece she has prefixed a short heading, intended to show who the author was, what was the point of view from which he looked at Rhode Island, or under what circumstances he wrote. The source whence the text is derived is scrupulously stated, for Miss Kimball has desired that the book should be, as I am sure it will be, of use and value to careful historical students, as well as a source of entertainment to those who love to read Rhode Island history " with their feet on the fender."
J. FRANKLIN JAMESON.
PREFACE.
Many of the volumes examined in the work of pre- paring this little book have, necessarily, been somewhat scattered and difficult of access, and it gives me pleas- ure to take advantage of this opportunity to thank those to whom I am indebted for assistance in this work of preparation. Much valuable material was found in the John Carter Brown Library, in this city, and the kind courtesy of the librarian, Mr. G. P. Win- ship, calls for a grateful acknowledgment. The late Mr. Amos Perry, Mr. William E. Foster, and Mr. Sidney S. Rider, of Providence, have furnished valu- able information respecting biographical material.
To Professor W. Whitman Bailey and to Mr. Al- bert V. Jencks I am indebted for the loan of rare books, while to the kind advice and assistance of Dr. J. F. Jameson, of Brown University, the volume owes no small amount of whatever merit it may possess.
GERTRUDE SELWYN KIMBALL.
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PICTURES OF RHODE ISLAND IN THE PAST.
1642. Thomas Lechford.
Thomas Lechford describes himself as "a student or practiser at law." In 1637 he fell under the ban of Archbishop Laud, and, he tells us, "suffered im- prisonment and a kind of banishment." The next year he came to Boston, where he was regarded with distrust by those in authority, on account of both his profession and his doctrine. In 1641 he left New England and returned to London, where his book was written and published. Cotton, in his " Way Cleared," says that he " put out his Book (such as it is) and soon after dyed." The extract given is taken from this book -Plain Dealing : or, News from New-England, ed. 1867, pp. 93-97.
At the Island called Aquedney, are about two hun- dred families. there was a Church, where one master Clark was Elder : The place where the Church was, is called Newport, but that Church, I heare, is now dissolved ; as also divers Churches in the Country have been broken up and dissolved through dissention. At the other end of the Island there is another towne called Portsmouth, but no Church : there is a meeting
1
2
PICTURES OF RHODE ISLAND.
of some men, who there teach one another, and call it Prophesie. These of the Island have a pretended civill government of their owne erection, without the Kings Patent.
At Providence, which is twenty miles from the said Island, lives master Williams, and his company of divers opinions ; most are Anabaptists ; they hold there is no true visible Church in the Bay, nor in the world, nor any true Ministerie. This is within no Patent, as they say ; but they have of late a kind of government also of their owne erection.
One master Blakeston, went from Boston, having lived there nine or ten yeares, because he would not joyne with the Church ; he lives neere master Williams, but is far from his opinions.
I 660. Samuel Maverick.
Samuel Maverick (1602-c. 1668) came to America in 1624, and settled on Boston Bay where Chelsea now is. He was a man of good family, well educated, in- telligent, and justly celebrated for his hospitality "to all Comers gratis." After the Restoration, Maverick returned to England, and was appointed one of the four members of the Commission of 1664. The path of the Commission, in New England, was not one of peace. Maverick bore his part in the struggle with the contumacious colony, but made New York his per- manent residence. This extract is taken from his ac- count of New England, recently discovered, and printed in the Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical So- ciety, 2d Series, I. 243.
3
COLONEL RICHARD NICOLLS AND OTHERS.
Rhode Island. This island is about ffouerteen miles Long, in some places 3 or 4 miles Broad, in other lesse. It is full of people haveing been a receptacle for people of severall Sorts and Opinions. There was a Patent granted to one Coddington for the Government of this Island, and Warwick and Providence two Townes which lye on the maine, and I think they still keepe a seeming forme of Goverment but to litle purpose, none submitting to Supream Authority but as they please.
1665. Colonel Richard Nicolls and Others.
Richard Nicolls (1624-1672) was the first English governor of New York. An adherent of the Stuart cause, he followed his King into exile, and obtained substantial preferment in England, after the Restora- tion. In 1664 he was appointed military commander of an expedition to inquire into the condition of New England-and incidentally to acquire the Dutch terri- tory along the Atlantic seaboard.
As a matter of fact, the other members of the Com- mission (Sir Robert Carr, George Cartwright and Samuel Maverick) carried out the regulation of New England, while Nicolls was chiefly concerned with the reorganization of the province of New York. This description of Rhode Island is an extract from the Re- port of the King's Commissioners concerning the New England Colonies, made December, 1665, and is found in Bartlett's Records of the Colony of Rhode Island, II. 127, 129.
1
PICTURES OF RHODE ISLAND.
The Colony of Road Island and Providence Planta- tions returned their humble thanks to his Majestie for sending Commissioners, and made great demonstrations of their loyalty and obedience.
They approved as most reasonable that appeales should be made to his Majesties Commissioners, who having heard and determined some causes among them, referred other, some in civility to their generall Court, and some to the Governour, and others, some of which causes they againe remitted to the Commissioners to be determined.
All proceedings in justice are in his Majesties name. They admitt all to be freemen who desire it.
They allow liberty of conscience and worship to all who live civilly.
And if any can informe them of any thing in their lawes or practice, derogatory to his Majesties honour, they will amend it.
The Nanyhygansett Bay is the largest and safest port in New England, nearest the sea, and fittest for trade.
This Colony hath two scattered tounes upon Road Island, two upon the maine land, and four small vil- lages.
Here only yet is Limestone found, and here only the Governour and magistrates serve the publick at their own charges. In this Colony is the greatest number of Indians, yet they never had anything allowed to- wards the civilizing and converting of the Indians. And in this Colony they have the greatest plaines, but no place of strength fortifyed, though many places capable of fortification.
In this Province, also, is the best English grasse, and most sheepe, the ground very fruitfull, ewes bring ordinarily two lambs ; corn yields eighty for one, and in some places, they have had corne twenty sixe yeares together without manuring.
In this Province only they have not any places set
5
ROGER WILLIAMS.
apart for the worship of God, there being so many subdivided sects, they cannot agree to meet togeather in one place, but according to their severall judgments, they sometimes associate in one house, sometimes in another.
I 668. Roger Williams.
The life and work of Roger Williams are too well known to need elucidation here. The letter cited may serve as an illustration of the kindliness and public spirit for which he was no less noted than for his love of liberty and his undaunted pugnacity in theological controversy. This letter is taken from Vol. VI. of the Publications of the Narragansett Club, Letters of Roger Williams, pp. 324, 325.
To my much respected the Inhabitants of the Town of Providence.
Providence, 10th February, 1667-8.
Loving Friends and Neighbors,-Unto this day, it pleased the town to adjourn for the answering of the bill for the bridge and others. I have conferred with Shadrach Manton and Nathaniel Waterman, about their proposal, and their result is, that they cannot obtain such a number as will join with them, to under- take the bridge upon the hopes of meadow. I am, therefore, bold, after so many anchors come home, and so much trouble and long debates and deliberations, to offer, that if you please, I will, with God's help, take this bridge unto my care, by that moderate toll of strangers of all sorts, which hath been mentioned ; will maintain it so long that it pleaseth God that I live in this town.
6
PICTURES OF RHODE ISLAND.
1. The town shall be free from all toll, only I desire one day's work of one man in a year from every family, but from those that have teams, and have much use of the bridge, one day's work of a man and team, and of those that have less use, half a day.
3. I shall join with any of the town, more or few, who will venture their labor with me for the gaining of meadow.
4. I promise, if it please God, that I gain meadow in equal value to the town's yearly help, I shall then release that.
5. I desire if it please God to be with me, to go through such a charge and trouble as will be to bring this to a settled way, and then suddenly to take me from hence, I desire that before another, my wife and children, if they desire it, may engage in my stead to these conditions.
6. If the town please to consent, I desire that one of yourselves be nominated, to join with the clerk to draw up the writing.
ROGER WILLIAMS .*
1680. Governor Peleg Sanford.
Peleg Sanford (1632-c. 1700) was prominent in various official positions. He was general treasurer of the colony under the Royal Charter, from 1678- 1681, and upon the death of the governor, was elected
* The Providence town meeting, on May 9, 1662, passed the fol- lowing vote : " Ordred that A bridge be made over Moshosick River by Tho: Olney jun' his Dwelling howse ; John Browne, Edward Smith, Thomas Harris jun", John Steere, Epenetus Olney, Tho. Arnold, Tho: Olney jun', and George palmer, are appointed to git the Timber of the said Bridge, and to fframe it, and then to give no-
7
GOVERNOR PELEG SANFORD.
by the General Assembly to fill the vacant place, in 1680. He was governor of Rhode Island until 1683. He also served his colony as agent to England, and served the mother-country in the capacity of judge of the Admiralty.
The following " Answer of Rhode Island to the In- quiries of the Board of Trade," the original of which is in the British Public Record Office, is here reprinted from Arnold's History of Rhode Island, I. 488.
Whereas wee the Governor and Councill of his Majesties Colloney of Rhoade Island and Providence Plantations receaved from your Lordships the Right Honorable, the Lords of his Majesties most Honorable Privy Councill, appointed a committee for Trade and Forreign Plantations certain heads of inquiery, sub- scribed by the honorable secretary William Blathwayt, in obedience to your Lordships commands requiring an answer thereunto ; wee the Governor and Councill aforesaid accordinge to the best of our understandinge make answer as followeth, vizt.
To the first wee humbly answer that the Councells and Assemblies are stated accordinge to his Majesties appointment in his gratious letters Pattents, and our Courts of judicature are two in the yeare certain ap- pointed accordinge to Charter, and are carried on by Judges and Jurors, accordinge to Law and Charter.
To the second, concerninge the court of Admiralty wee answer that wee have made provision to act ac- cordinge to the Lawes of England as neare as the con- tice unto the Surveiors, to warn the inhabetantes together to mend. the high wayes, and then to rear the said bridge ; and this bridge to be done before the next hay tyme". Primitive as all this sounds, the skill to build a bridge over our river between May and "hay tyme" would have been appreciated by many of us in 1898.
An inkstand made from one of the timbers of the old Weybosset bridge is in the Museum of the Rhode Island Historical Society.
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PICTURES OF RHODE ISLAND.
stitution of our place will beare havinge but little occasion thereofe.
To the third wee answer that accordinge to our Charter the Legislative power is seated in our Generall Assemblies, and the executive power of the government is in our Courts of Trialls settled accordinge to Charter.
To the fourth wee answer that our Lawes are made accordinge to the Charter not repugnant but agreeable to the Lawes of England.
To the fifth wee answer, that as for Horse wee have but few, but the chief of our Militia consists of ten companys of foote, being Trayned Bands under one Generall Commander, and their arms are firelockes.
To the sixth, wee answer that in the late Indian warres wee fortified ourselves against the Indians as necessity required, but as for fortification against a Forreign enemie, as yet wee have had no occasion but have made as good provision as at present wee are capacitated to doe.
To the seventh wee answer, that our coast is little frequented and not at all at this time with privateers or pirates.
To the eighth wee answer, as with respect to other Nations, that the French being seated at Canada and up the Bay of Funde are a very considerable number, as wee judge about two thousand, but as for the In- dians, they are generally cut off by the late warr, that were inhabitinge our Colloney .;
To the 9th wee answer, that as for Forreighners and Indians, we have no commerce with, but as for our neighbouringe English, wee have and shall endeavour to keepe a good correspondency with them.
To the 10th we answer as to the Boundaryes of our Land within our Patent that our Charter doth declare the same viz-[extracts the bounds from the charter, and adds, " the greatest part of it uncultivated, and is about a degree as we conceave."]
9
GOVERNOR PELEG SANFORD.
To the 11th wee answer that the principal town for trade in our Colloney is the Towne of Newport, that the generality of our buildinge is of timber and gen- erally small.
To the 12th, That wee have nine towns or divisions within our Colloney.
To the 13th, That wee have several good Harbors in the Colloney of very good depth and soundinge, navigable for any shippinge.
To the 14th, That the principall matters that are exported amongst us, is Horses and provisions, and the goods chiefly imported is a small quantity of Bar- badoes goods for supply of our familyes.
To the 15th, That as for Salt Peter we know of none in this Colloney.
To the 16th, Wee answer that wee have severall men that deale in buyinge and sellinge although they can- not properly be called Merchants, and for Planters wee conceave there are about five hundred and about five hundred men besides.
To the 17th, that we have had few or none either of English, Scots, Irish or Forreighners, onely a few blakes imported.
To the 18th, That there may be of Whites and Blakes about two hundred borne in a yeare.
To the 19th, That for marriages we have about fifty in a yeare.
To the 20th, That for burrials this seven yeares last past accordinge to computation amounts to foure hun- dred fifty and five.
To the 21st, That as for Merchants wee have none, but the most of our Colloney live comfortably by im- proving the wildernesse.
To the 22d, That wee have no shippinge belonginge to our Colloney but only a few sloopes.
To the 23d, that the great obstruction concerninge
10
PICTURES OF RHODE ISLAND.
trade is the want of Merchants and Men of consider- able Estates amongst us.
To the 24th, wee answer that a fishinge trade might prove very beneficiall provided accordinge to the former artickle there were men of considerable Estates amongst us and willing to propagate it.
To the 25th, That as for goodes exported and im- ported, which is very little, there is no Custome im- posed.
To the 26th, wee answer that those people that goe under the denomination of Baptists and Quakers are the most that publiquely congregate together, but there are others of divers persuasions and principles all which together with them injoy their liberties accordinge to his Majesties gratious Charter to them granted, wherein all people in our Colloney are to enjoy their liberty of conscience provided their liberty extend not to licenti- ousnesse, but as for Papists, wee know of none amongst us.
To the 27th, That we leave every Man to walke as God shall persuade their hartes, and doe actively and passively yield obedience to the Civill Magistrate and doe not actively disturb the Civill peace and live peace- ably in the Corporation as our Charter requires, and have liberty to frequent any meetings of worship for their better Instruction and information, but as for beggars and vagabonds wee have none amongst us ; and as for lame and impotent persons there is a due course taken. This may further humbly informe your Lordships that our predecessors about forty years since. left their native countrey and comfortable settlements there because they could not in their private opinions. conform to the Lithurge, formes and ceremonies of the Church of England, and transported themselves and familyes over the Ocean seas to dwell in this remote; wildernesse, that they might injoy their liberty in their opinions, which upon application to his gratious Majesty
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