USA > Rhode Island > Washington County > Narragansett > A history of the Episcopal church in Narragansett, Rhode Island, including a history of other Episcopal churches in the state > Part 43
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' To Have and to Hold, all and singular the said tract of land and pre- mises, with every of their privileges, commodities and appurtenances, un- to the said John Hill, Christopher Champlin and Ebenezer Punderson, their heirs and assigns forever, to the use and benefit and behoof of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in foreign parts, and their successors for- evermore, to be by the said Society forever thereafter applied and appro- priated for the benefit of the Episcopal minister for the time being, of the Episcopal church in said Charlestown, in the said county of King's county, and his successors forever, and to and for no other use, intent or purpose whatsoever. And I, the said George Ninigret, do hereby for myself, my heirs, executors, administrators, and successors in said Sachemship and, Principality, and every of them, covenant and warrant to and with the said John Hill, Christopher Champlin and Ebenezer. Punderson, their heirs and assigns, and also to and with the said Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in foreign parts, and their successors, that I am at this present time, and by right of indefeasable inheritance, the true, lawful, and absolute owner and proprietor of said premises, and the same are now free and clear of all manner of incumbrances whatsoever, and that I, my heirs, executors, administrators or successors, now do and forever shall and will defend all and singular the said premises, with their appurtenances, unto and to the use of them for the purpose aforesaid, against all claims and de- mands whatsover.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal, this 14th day of January, in the year 1745-6. his GEORGE -C NINIGRET. mark.
Acknowledged the same day and duly recorded.
(Charlestown Records.)
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copal minister that ever preached at Providence, where, for a long time, I used to go four times a year, but that church has now a fixed missionary of its own. I took notice before of my labours at New London, in Connecticut, and would to God I could boast of more success ! But toil and travel has put me beyond my best ; and, if I am not rewarded with a little rest in Europe, where my desires are, I have strong hopes of infinitely more desirable rest from my labours, in those celestial mansions prepared by my dear Redeemer.
Beside the members of our church who, I may boast, are the best of the people, being converts, not from convenience or civil encour- agement, but conscience and conviction, there are Quakers, Ana- baptists of four sorts, Independents, with a still larger number than all those, of the descendants of European parents, devoid of all re- ·ligion, and who attend no kind of public worship. In all the other col- onies the law lays an obligation to go to some sort of worship on Sunday, but here, liberty of conscience is carried to an irreligious extreme.
The produce of this colony is principally butter and cheese, fat cat- tle, wool, and fine horses, that are exported to all parts of the English America. They are remarkable for fleetness and swift pacing, and «* I have seen some of them pace a mile in little more than two min- utes, a good deal less than three .* There are above three hundred
* "The breed of horses called "Narragansett Pacers," once so celebra- ted for fleetness, endurance, and speed, has become extinct. These horses were highly valued for the saddle, and transported the rider with great pleasantness and sureness of foot. The pure bloods could not trot at all. Formerly they had pace races: Littleneck Beach, in South Kingstown, of ~ one mile in length, was the race course. A silver Tankard was the prize, and high bets were otherwise made on speed. Some of those prize tank- ards were remaining a few years ago. Traditions respecting the swiftness of these horses are almost incredible. Watson, in his 'Historical Tales of Olden Times,' says: "In olden time the horses most valued were pacers, now so odious deemed. To this end the breed was propagated with care. The Narragansett racers of Rhode Island were in such repute, that they were sent for, at much trouble and expense, by some who were choice in their selections."
" The aged Thomas Matlock, of Philadelphia, was passionately fond of races in his youth -- he said all genteel horses were pacers. A trotting horse was deemed a base breed. All the races were pace races."
" Thomas Bradford, of Philadelphia, says they were run in a circular form, making two miles for a heat. At the same time they run straight races of a mile."
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vessels, such as sloops, schooners, snows, brigantines, and ships, from sixty tons and upwards, that belong to this colony ; but as they are rather carriers for other colonies, than furnished here with their car- goes, you will go near to conclude that we are lazy and greedy of gain ; since, instead of cultivating the lands, we improve too many hands in trade. This, indeed, is the case ; there are here, which is no good symptom, a vast many law-suits, more in one year than the coun- ty of Derry has in twenty. And Billy McEvers has been so long your father's and your Honor's constable, that he would make a very good figure on the bench of our courts of sessions and of common pleas, and no contemptible one on those of our courts of assize and general goal delivery.
The Novanglians in general, the Rhode Islanders in particular,
Mr. I. P. Hazard, in a communication states, that " within ten years one of my aged neighbors, (Enoch Lewis) since deceased, informed me, that he had been to Virginia as one of the riding boys, to return a similar visit of the Virginians to this section, in a contest on the turf; and that such visits were common with the racing sportsmen of Narragansett and Virginia, when he was a boy. Like the old English country gentlemen from whom they were descended, they were a horse-racing, fox-hunting, feasting gen- ration."
" My grandfather, Gov. Robinson, introduced the famous saddle horse the 'Narragansett Pacer,' known in the last century over all the civilized part of North America and the West Indies, from whence they have lately been introduced into England as a ladies saddle horse, under the name of the Spanish Jannette. Governor Robinson imported the original from Anda- lusia, in Spain, and the raising of them for the West India market, was . one of the objects of the early planters of this country. My grandfather, Robert Hazard, raised about one hundred annually, and often loaded two vessels a year with them, and other products of his farm, which sailed di -. rect from the South Ferry to the West Indies, where they were in great demand. One of the causes of the loss of that famous breed here, was the great dernand for them in Cuba, when that island began to cultivate sugar extensively. The planters became suddenly rich, and wanted the pacing horses for themselves, and their wives and daughters to ride, faster than we could supply them ; and sent an agent to this country to purchase them on such terms as he could, but to purchase at all events."
" I have heard my father say, he knew the agent very well, and he made his home at the Rowland Brown house, at Tower Hill, where he commen- ced purchasing and shipping, until all the good ones were sent off. He never let a good one, that could be purchased, escape him. This, and the fact that they were not so well adapted to draft as other horses, was the cause of their being neglected, and I believe the breed is now extinct in this section."'
"My father described the motion of this horse as differing from others, in that its back bone moved through the air in a straight line, without inelining
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are perhaps the only people on earth who have hit on the art of en- riching themselves by running in debt. This will no longer remain a mystery, when I have related to your Honor, that we have no money among us, but a depreciating paper currency ; and this, in the cur- rent of thirty years, has dwindled down from 6s. 8d. to about 47. per ounce. He who disposes of his goods on long credit, and another who lends his money at 101. 12 1-2, or even 15l. per cent., the first loses his profits, and the last some of his principal, besides all the in- terest. Indeed, a new act of the British Parliament, ill-penned, - 2 passed last winter, to restrain us. But such things are only Bruta fulmina ; and we shall go on, I doubt, in our old way of paper emis- sions, unless the Lord in mercy to us, should dispose the sover- eign power to vacate our patent, and prevent our destruction, by tak- ing us out of our own hands.
I mentioned wool as one of the productions of this colony, but, although it is pretty plenty where I live, yet, if you throw the English America into one point of view, there is not half enough to make stockings for the inhabitants. We are a vast advantge to England in the consumption of her manufactures, for which we make returns in new ships, whale oil and bone, (which grows in the whale's mouth,) and dry fish to the ports of Portugal, Spain, and Italy, which are paid for by draughts on London and Bristol merchants.
I wish Ireland were at liberty to ship us their woollens, which we
the rider from side to side, as the common racker or pacer of the present day. Hence it was very easy, and being of great power and endurance, they would perform a journey of one hundred miles a day, without injury - to themselves or rider."
Those kept for family use were never used in harness-draughting stif- fened their limbs. In the revolutionary war, trotting horses became more / valuable for teaming than pacers, and would sell better in market, and could be easier matched. After the war, trotters were more valuable for transportation, and the raising of pacing horses consequently ceased. Only a few of the country gentlemen kept them for their own use. In the year 1800, there was only one living.
An aged lady now living in Narragansett, in 1791, rode one of these pa- cers, on a ladies' side saddle, the first day to Plainfield, 30 miles ; the next day to Hartford, 40; staid there two days, then rode to New Haven, 40 ; from thence to New London, 40 ; and then home to Narragansett, 40 miles more. She says she experienced no sensible fatigue.
Horses and the mode of travelling, like every thing else, have undergone the change of fashion.
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shall always want, instead of her linens, which will soon cease to be in demand here.
Before I leave this colony, give me leave to observe to your honor, that the Lord Marquis of Hamilton, predecessor to the late Dukes of that title, bought of the aforesaid Council of Plymouth, sixty miles square of land, which comprehends most of this colony, and part of Connecticut, with 10,000 acres at Sagadahock, and only length of time, neglect, and some misfortunes that befel that family, have deprived them of the benefit of that great estate .*
The last duke put a copy of his patent into my hands, when I was in England, in 1737, and from that, and from what he told me, it appeared to my understanding, that his title was good, and might, were the times favorable to that family, be recovered again. At an easy quit-rent of five shillings sterling per 100 acres, it would 1
* The boundaries of the tract of land abovementioned, are extracted from the deed from the Council of Plymouth to James, Marquis of Hamil- ton, for sixty miles square in New England, dated 1635.
" This Indenture, made 22d day of April, in the 11th year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord, Charles, by the grace of God, King of England, &c., between the Council established at Plymouth, in the county of Devon, for the planting, ordering, ruling and governing of New England, in America, of the one part, and the Right Honorable James, Marquis of Hamilton, on the other part, witnesseth, &c., give, grant, bargain, sell, enfeoff, and con- firm unto the said James, Marquis of Hamilton, his heirs and assigns, "all that part, purparte, and portion of main lands in New England aforesaid, situate, lying, and beginning at the middle part of the mouth or entrance of the river of Connecticut, in New England, and from thence to proceed along the sea coast to the Narragansett river or harbor, there to be account- ed about sixty miles, and so up the western arm of said river to the head thereof, and into the land northwestward till sixty miles be finished, and so to cross over land southwestwards, to meet with the end of sixty miles to be accounted from the mouth of Connecticut up northwest, and also all islands and islets, as well employed as within five leagues distance from the premises, and abutting upon the same or any part thereof, not other- wise granted to any by special name, all which part and portion of lands and premises shall from henceforth be called by the name of the county of New Cambridge. Also, all that portion of lands, woods and wood grounds, lying on the east side of the river of Sagadahock, in the easterly part of New England aforesaid, containing and to contain ten thousand acres, and to be had and taken together, as conveniently as the same may be, towards the head of the said river, and next unto the land of Edward Lord Georges there, which henceforth is to be called by the name of -
The Council of Plymouth made many indistinct and interfering grants : they became obselete, the Duke of Hamilton's was one.
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amount to more than £5760 per annum, and might be improved to a much greater sum.
The next province to Rhode Island is the province of Massachu- setts Bay, whose metropolis is Boston, a town containing about 20,000 inhabitants. It is bounded southerly on the Atlantic ocean, westerly on Rhode Island and Connecticut colonies, northerly, partly, as far as the French, on the back of us, will suffer them to extend, and . easterly and partly northerly, on the province of New Hampshire. This province was originally two colonies, viz .: New Plymouth colony and that of Massachusetts.
New Plymouth was settled in 1620, by the English Brownists, who had resided ten years at Leyden and the Hague, in Holland, and were obliged by the States to remove. Quitting the name of Brownists, taken from Brown abovementioned, on their entrance into New England, they became known by the epithet of Independents, and upon their principles and platform of church government, all the Independents in New England erected and regulated their churches, if you are pleased to call them so.
The Massachusetts colony was settled by an embarkation of Pu- rtians in 1629, and a greater in 1630 ; although, in 1622, a number of Episcopal people had settled at a place called Weymouth, but the Plymoutheans soon proved so bad neighbours to them, and irritated the natives against them, that Mr. Morrel, their minister, and his people, were fain to flee to Virginia, a church settlement from the beginning.
Grown wanton with power and privilege, it became necessary to quell the factions in these little colonies, by issuing quo warrantos against their charters, and entering up judgment in the King's Bench against them, as forfeited. King William granted them a more lim- ited patent, by which they were united into one province, by the name of the province of the Massachusetts Bay, in New England. The crown reserves the power of appointing them a governor, a lieu- tenant governor, and secretary ; and the governor may approve or disapprove of the choice of the speaker of thelower house of assem- bly, and can give his negative to all laws.
The freeholders annually choose representatives for their general court, and these choose the councillors, who may all be negatived by the governor except seven, the necessary quorum.
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The governor acts by a set of royal instructions, and their laws must have the royal fiat before they are binding.
Independency is the religion of the public, yet there are ten churches of England in that province, under the care of ten clergy- men, as there are in Rhode Island colony five clergymen and six churches. They are obliged to other colonies for many of the ne- 1 - cessaries of life, yet they have a great trade to England, with whale- bone, oil, pitch, and tar, and to Portugal, Spain, and Italy, with dried fish, to the West Indies with cod, mackerel, boards, frames for houses, and other sorts of lumber.
They have one college, at New Cambridge, and many, petty, ill- taught grammar schools; yet, under these mean advantages, they are a more polite and regular people than some of their neighbours.
This is a very large and populous province, and has many Irish settlements in the out-towns on the French frontier, so that our coun- trymen, though less esteemed than they ought to be, are yet their barrier in time of war.
New Hampshire province lies eastward of the Massachusetts, and is absolutely under the king. 'Tis from thence the royal navy is furnished with mastings, yards, spars, and oars; and whoever is master of this, and the provinces eastward of it, must be master at sea in Europe. Of such consequence are these northern planta- tions to the crown, that without them 'tis not possible to preserve the dominion of the sea.
There is one very worthy clergyman of our church fixed in Ports- mouth, the metropolis of this province. His name is Browne,* and he was born in Drogheda. The governor and council go to church here ; and, were all the colonies immediately under the crown, as this is, the church would gain ground faster than she does. In this
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* PORTSMOUTH, N. H., Sept. 15, 1845.
To Mr. Updike :
Dear Sir,-It was not convenient for me to answer your letter by mail. I am in the course of preparation of a complete history of my church, including a notice of Ashur Brown. He was born in Drogheda, Ireland, in the year 1700: was educated at Trinity College, Dublin ; re- ceived the degree of A. M. 29th July, 1729; was ordained by the Bishop of London for a society in Providence, Rhode Island ; was, in 1736, sent as missionary to Queen's Chapel, Portsmouth, N. H., where he remained till his death. He died suddenly, at Cambridge, Massachusetts, June 11, 1773, and on the following Monday, the 16th of June, his remains were interred in
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province lies that town called London-Derry, all Irish, and famed for industry and riches.
Next you enter on the province of Main, which, in its civil gov- ernment, is annexed to the Massachusetts, as Sagadahock also is ; and both rather by use than right.
In these two Eastern provinces many Irish are settled, and many - have been ruined by the French Indians, and drove from their homes. It is pretty true to observe of the Irish, that those who come here with any wealth, are the worse for their removal ; though, doubtless, the next generation will not suffer so much as their fathers ; but those who, when they came, had nothing to lose, have throve greatly by their labour. He that lies on the ground can fall no lower ; and such are the fittest to encounter the difficulties attending new set- tlers. But I must say no more.
More eastward still, and beyond the Bay of Fundy, is the L'Aca- dian country called Nova Scotia. This country was erected into a colony of Scotch by King James the First, their countryman. It was ceded to the French Crown by his grandson Charles the Sec- ond, and they called it L'Acadia.
In Queen Ann's war, General Francis Nicholson, at the head of some New England troops, disciplined by English officers, the French fort in Port Royal, and with that garrison the whole province became a conquest. The French planters transferred their allegiance, but retained their religion, and are at this day called the Neutral French ; but by their behavior in the late war, one may see that they are not so fond of English liberty, as of what we are too much used to call French tyranny. Port-Royal, in honor of Queen Ann, changed its name into Annapolis- Royal, and is ever since her war an English garrison.
Eastward of Annapolis, and in the same province, is the new town of Halifax, which has made so much noise in the public prints --- it consists of about 5000 inhabitants, besides the troops. It must be supported well from England, for at least twenty years to come, be-
Portsmouth, N. H., and a funeral sermon, from Zechariah 1-5, was preach- ed by the Rev. Mr. Bass, of Newberry, Massachusetts. He lett two sons and four daughters. He died at the age of 74. He had a flourishing church, and numbered more than 100 communicants.
Respectfully, yours,
CHARLES BURROUGHS.
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fore it can become independent, or be able to defend or provide for itself. -
If it is a barrier settled in earnest, it may in time make amends for the loss of Louisburg, taken by your countryman, the brave Ad: miral Warren; but if it is intended no more than to amuse and be neglected, it will not stand long before French forces, when there is a rupture with that Crown. But this is a delicate point, and requires to be touched tenderly.
Newfoundland, a large island in the Atlantic, is the next Ameri- can English settlement. It was formerly granted to the Duke of Hamilton, and Herbert, Earl of Pembroke, in partnership ; but they have neglected to settle and improve it. There are, however, several large settlements of fishermen ; and on the south shore of this island, the society maintain two missionaries among them.
A captain of the war ship stationed there is the Governor, during his stay, and when there is no man-of-war, the captain of the first English ship that comes to anchor is chief commander.
Thus have I, in a very cursory and incorrect manner, run over the English plantations, without observing, however, the thousandth part of what deserves notice. I write now from memory, though in the style of truth ; and flatter myself, from the candor so peculiar to the Cary's, that you will overlook the faults of this indigested letter. And if any unguarded or severe expressions have dropped from my pen, you will secure me from censure, by making a generous use of my freedom.
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To return to New England : As the Jews had their Nazareth, the New Englanders have their Ireland ; but, as what is always due to too national a spirit, they are as much despised in the other Eng- lish plantations, as any Teague is by them.
This country might be made greatly serviceable to the mother country, by proper management ; but false, I had almost said fatal policy, has overlooked both the civil and religious interests of Eng- lish America. Indeed, the Society for propagation, &c., has done - wonders, but nothing less than royal and national attention is equal to the thing.
If our accounts from home may be depended upon, religion runs low, and Ireland is like to regain its ancient name of Insula Sancto- rum, compared with the greater Island. The revolution which hap-
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pened before you or I were born, might be thought a wise and neces- sary measure ; but we see it has been followed with some bad consequences. To get free from Popery, we have run into infidelity and scepticism, and, like Roman mariners, Incidimus in Scyllam, cupientes vitare Charibdem. Except the little revival religion had in Queen Ann's reign, the church has gained no ground, but in | America, since that period. This puts me in mind of Pope upon criticism. After speaking of King James's reign, and passing to the next, he says :-
The following licence of a foreign reign, Did all the dregs of bold Socinus drain. Then first the Belgian morals were extoll'd, We their religion had, and they our gold : Then unbelieving priests reform'd the nation, And taught more pleasant methods of salvation
But Mr. Pope was a papist, and so retained little reverence for the revolution ; but he was an Erasmian one, and therefore the bet- ter to be borne with.
If I should ever be settled in Europe, and have a little leisure, I would employ my pen in a small history of the English plantations ; but if that is not my fate, I may leave, perhaps, but can't with safe- ty give, the public what may be helpful to an abler hand. The share of satisfaction which a man of my age can promise himself in this world, is small, and hardly worth attention ; and yet I should be glad, were it God's will, to end my days nearer to where I began them, than I now am.
I have great reason to thank God, that I was afflicted and abused by a false charge in my youth, as that opened me a way into the Christian priesthood in the most excellent of all churches. As I never was a father in any form, and have none but a wife to take care of, I shall do all I can to make myself a friend of the mammon I shall leave, and nothing would give me greater pleasure, than to foresee that my books and picture were deposited, the first in the parochial library at Dungiver., and the last in your Honor's hall .*
* Dr. McSparran in his will, which was executed before his last visit to England, bequeathed the documents and manuscripts which he had col- lected to his wife, to be sold by her. This induces the belief that he thought them valuable. He survived her. He mentions in his " America
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