USA > Rhode Island > Washington County > North Kingstown > Facts and fancies concerning North Kingstown, Rhode Island > Part 14
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In his obstetrical experiences he once had three cases of twin babies in two days and in his entire experience two cases of triplets.
He was one of the first physicians in the state to recognize and success- fully treat a case of myxedema with a thyroid extract. His paper on this subject was read before the Rhode Island Medical Society and printed in the Boston Medical and Surgical Journal in 1896.
At his death the Rhode Island Medical Society paid him the following tribute regarding his ability as a physician: "One of the best diagnosticians in the state."
DR. SHAW'S RULE FOR PREPARING CUCUMBERS
Peel rather thick. Slice not too thin. Soak in cold water for an hour. Pour off water and add vinegar, salt and pepper, then throw the mixture to the hogs.
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The following was found under the attic floor boards in the old Glad- den house:
"A child of Mr. and Mrs. John Cooper, Jr., of Wickford became ill (about 1815) and Dr. William Tillinghast was called in. He charged twenty-five cents for 'visit and advice', twelve cents for 'dose for child', fifty cents for 'visiting child today and last night, and twelve cents for dose of 'calomel and julep'."
And the child recovered but the bill was not paid for four years.
John Saffin's recipe for cough for child: * * *
A quart of white wine
Two nutmegs, grated
Three ounces of white sugar candy
One-half an ounce of Safferon
The shells of two new layed eggs, well dried and beaten to powder.
Mix together and put them in a bottle close stopped. Then give the child as it is grieved, a spoonful or two every night and morning, according to 'the strength of the child.
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JOHN SAFFIN Born in England, 1632 MARY TAYLOR WHITNEY
TN THIS man, we find one of the most influential citizens of North Kings- 1 town for several years. He served on many committees and was one of three Commissioners to set aside land for the Huguenots in East Greenwich. He later returned to Boston which had been his home before he became attracted to the beautiful Martha Willett of North Kingstown. daughter of Thomas Willett who became the first mayor of New York. The Willett family played a prominent part in the town's affairs and Martha's brother, Francis, was Town Clerk for many years. In Boston. John Saffin was one of the judges of the Superior Court. Being a man of superior refinement, education and culture, he found few his equal among the people of Rhode Island whom he called false and perfidious and very commonplace.
A man of such strength of character that he was not afraid to be married on Friday nor to start a journey on that day; Friday. being a fast day. Possibly, he might have settled permanently in North Kingstown in spite of many annoyances, for he built a large house near the South Ferry which was not destroyed until 1872, except for the fact that Connecticut claimed this land, confiscated his property and threw him into prison when he declared he belonged to Rhode Island and not to Connecticut. This was before the boundary line had been established by the Crown. Although Martha gave him eight sons, his name has not been passed down owing to sad circumstances.
Small pox, with its deadly power, was sweeping New England and in one week in Boston, Martha and two sons died of it; later five more died and the eighth died in London before he was twenty-one. John buried them all, except the last, in his tomb in Boston and never ceased to mourn for them. He spoke of his particular sons with the greatest affection-mention- ing them as, "so fair", "so comely" and "the darling of his time". When the last one died, he exclaimed in agony of soul, "And to my amazing grief, God took him also." After John, an older son, and Martha had died, a classmate wrote, as if in comfort,
"May say to those who still survive, Though John and Martha die, yet God's alive."
This story which well illustrates the spirit of the times, is told.
On her way to church, Mrs. Saffin was taken very ill; a courier was dispatched to Plymouth to notify Mrs. Eddy that her services as nurse were sorely needed. Mrs. Eddy started afoot as soon as she could arrange to do so, but the way was long and it was Sunday when she reached Boston; she was promptly thrown into jail for walking on the Sabbath. Because the Saffins were people of influence, she was soon released.
Are we troubled about "our times"? Well, John Saffin was also, for in . 168I he writes as follows: "The merchants complain of losses by ship wreck, the countrymen of losses by rates (taxes), the soldiers are cheated, the Courts are meanly fitted, the Judges are partial; some of the lawyers sit and
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quaff in taverns and are no better than devouring caterpillers. Extravagances of the citizens were never more glaring and women flaunt themselves in idleness and luxury."
He enjoyed the writing of poetry, especially, epitaphs.
"Here lies a lion To foes of this Our little Zion."
"Here lies the darling of his time Mitchell, expired in his prime, Who, five years short of forty-seven Was found full ripe and plucked for heaven."
(Epitaph for Rev. John Wilson) "Rejoice! Blest spirits, Sing a little higher, Here's one more added to your Heavenly Choir."
Although John married twice after the death of Martha, he wrote the following:
"Thus I, these five and twenty years am left alone My unimpaired loss of her long gone."
The second wife was the widow of one Peter Liggett, an invalid; the third was the beautiful young heiress, Rebecca Lee, with whom John con- stantly quarrelled. At this time, he was living in Bristol, Rhode Island, and was the first Probate Judge there. He left Massachusetts on account of a disagreement with Deputy Governor Joseph Dudley and never returned.
Age did not mellow his temper and Cotton Mather chides him and suggests that he return to his wife and bury his grievances in a deep grave before he falls into one himself.
He constantly criticizes the town's people publicly for their corrupt practices but his cries for justice are unheeded; at last, he becomes so insolent that he is asked to retract his statements. He appears before the Council and in this very shrewd way makes reply: "If it is right to close highways that have been open for years, to promise to give a man a deed for his land and constantly defer it and in the end give it to someone else, then, I retract."
He makes a will leaving nothing to his wife but to little Martha Willett of North Kingstown, his wife's namesake, he leaves forty pounds.
The Probate Records mention her petition for the appointment of a guardian as her uncle John Saffin has left her forty pounds.
There is also left to the poor of Bristol, five pounds to buy books. He requests that he be buried with his family in Boston and prays God to for- give his sins. He remains self-willed to the end and only death conquers him.
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SHIPPING AND SHIP BUILDING IN NORTH KINGSTOWN
MARY TAYLOR WHITNEY
TICKFORD was once, after Newport, the largest commercial port in Rhode Island, rivaling even Providence. The firm of Brown & Ives who carried on an extensive shipping trade with their Providence ships, at one time tried to purchase land on the Wickford shore but such a high price was asked for it, that they desisted.
Brigs, schooners and ships of all kinds did a large and profitable busi- ness with the West Indies; they were loaded with crops from the adjoining farms, wood, shingles, staves, cheeses made from Catherine Smith's favorite recipe; and Narragansett pacers, those famous horses raised exclusively in the South County. They brought back tropical fruits and molasses which they converted into New England rum.
In those days many sailors might be seen strolling along Main street looking into the windows of the shops and dropping in to some of them for a glass of spirits, which sold for three cents. In one cellar shop, the wooden pegs upon which hats were hung, may be seen today.
Many men were engaged in the building of ships, some of them sizable; the ship "Union" with the exception of two, was the largest built in the state. At one time five ships were being built. At the foot of Main street there was built a full-rigged ship.
Reading the History of Kent and Washington Counties, I counted the names of thirty-four sea captains. Many of them bore the name of Gardner. One captain, Joseph Congdon, doubled Cape Horn eight times during the gold rush. Captain Benjamin Baker returned from California with three barrels of gold dust.
The sloop Resolution, commonly called the "Reso", plied between Wickford and Newport for many years, carrying passengers from New York who left the train at Wickford Junction, transferring to the branch railway for the dock in Wickford.
Ships were constantly being menaced by the swarms of privateers and pirate ships as well as by dangers from English seamen during the war of 1812, so gradually the town turned to manufacturing.
I am told that the farmers all along the coast made a good living setting traps for a fish used for bait which the large fishing vessels from the Grand Banks came to purchase. It is said that on some days, many sloops were in at a time, each wishing to be served with bait first; at times the language of a captain forced to wait his turn was not printable. However, when all sails were spread and these white-winged birds hastened out toward the Grand Banks to fish with Rhode Island bait, the picture was beautiful.
The subject of shipping would not be complete without the mention of a remarkable ship builder, John Aldrich Saunders for whom Saunderstown was named. He was born in Westerly in 1786 and died in Tower Hill on March 4, 1832. The following is taken from the Narragansett Register by James N. Arnold:
"He was a man of great ingenuity and built the first three-masted schooner, discovering that the American sycamore and buttonwood were
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THE UNION A full-rigged ship built at Wickford in *1816 by John McKinzie. Sketch by Paule Loring
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best for keels. His first ship was a sloop which he named "Catherine" for his wife who was a great help to him; she spun yarn for a strong linen thread and his sister Lydia wove it into cloth which was made into sails . in New London. The first center-board boat in this section was made by him and was named Dolphin. He also built the large ferryboats which plied between South Ferry and Newport and car- ried cargoes of horses, cattle and all sorts of merchandise. One of his boats had a fireplace and was built to draw as little water as possible so that it could sail close to land and take on wood. He revelled in fancy names for his sloops, Nonesuch, Lark, King. fisher and one of his last, the South Kingstown which was wrecked in a gale off Narragansett Pier."
THE ,AID
A sloop 42.5 long. 16.7 with 20.92 tonnage, was built in 1864 in North Kingstown. It was used as a freighter and later as a mail boat between Wickford and Newport.
The following, written by Captain Rollin E. Mason, is of interest:
"About 150 years ago Wickford Harbor was head- quarters for Labrador fleets of square-rigged fishing boats.
"Until the latter part of the 19th century, at which time Wickford Harbor was much deeper than it now is, North and South Coves and Fishing Coves were used as winter headquarters for schooners and freighters. It was the delight of Wickford boys to skate out to these vessels and board them.
"The remains of Acid Dock can be seen on the beach adjoining Captain Joseph Smith's property on Pleasant street, Wick- ford. On this dock were acid works where birch wood was 'tried out' for tar products used largely in the construction and maintenance of boats.
"June 1, 1854, Capt. Alfred Mason, father of Capt. Rollin and the late Seth C. Mason, bought the 91 T. two-masted schooner "Empire" which was 68 feet 6 inches long, 23 feet 6 inches wide, and 6 feet deep. With the help of one other man they engaged in trade along the coast from Providence to New Orleans, with occasional trips to Albany through the Erie Canal. From New Orleans he brought great hogsheads of rich dark molasses loaded in the hold of the schooner."
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THE ROLLING MIA :..
A MENHADEN FISHING BOAT
Menhaden fishing at one time was an important industry. A fish factory in early years was located on Cornelius Island, just off the foot of Pleasant Street. After oil was extracted from the fish, much of the "scrap" was used by farmers. Wickfordites, objecting to the resulting odor, entered an injunction, the case was tried at Kingston, and the industry was abolished.
PRACTITIONERS OF THE HEALING ART
EMILY G. N. GREENE
TOT many doctors have come from North Kingstown. Perhaps the
Nº place, washed by the salt sea, is too salubrious for medicos and the race too hardy to have provided a living for a large number of the profession. It is certain that there was more concern for the soul than for the body in the seventeenth century, and in consequence, it was easier to find a minister than a doctor. Moreover, a minister could prescribe for the sick and com- monly did, practising what our ancestors called. "the healing art". Treat- ment, whether for body or soul, was rugged. McSparran records in his Journal that he ordered "bleeding" for a man who had fallen from a cart and broken his neck, as if the injury sustained were not enough.
Prior to 1700, if the ministration of the two indomitable clergymen, Doctor McSparran and Doctor Torrey, could not cure one, there was recourse to the French physician, Doctor Ayrault, who had come from Angers and was trying to lead the little band of Huguenots at Frenchtown. It was to him that the ancient hussey at the tavern whispered her complaints so loudly as to embarras Madame Knight, who afterwards described it in her memorable Journal thus:
. our hostess, a pretty full-mouthed old creature, entertained our fellow traveler, ye French Doctor with innumerable complaints of her bodily infirmities and whispered to him so loud that all ye house had as full an hearing as he."
In behalf of the hussey, it might be said, that seeing a doctor was not an every day affair, as her complaints evidently were.
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In addition to Doctor Ayrault, who "lived in a wilderness country" and had been "a help to raise many from extreme sickness", there were Gilbert Updike and Doctor Moffat. The latter, when in North Kingstown, was most often preoccupied with the making of snuff at a little mill, which was later to be remembered, not because of his snuff but because of a little boy, whom McSparran christened Gilbert Stuart.
Broken bones, no more uncommon then than today, were successfully treated by Benoni Sweet and for years by his descendents, who seem to have inherited from him his dextrous fingers, singularly well adapted to manipu- late dislocations.
Midwives saw to the arrival of babies in North Kingstown. Countless good women went about to officiate at the "appointed time". Mary Mowry from Jamestown is perhaps the best remembered by posterity.
Whichever doctor was consulted, certain things were likely to be pre- scribed: a purge, a bleeding, a double purge. Certain remedies were widely sought from doctors, who in many cases, were their own apothecaries: an electuary, a gargarison, a cordial. An electuary was the name, according to James Clauson, for an expensive medicine. In a physician's ledger for the year 1749, an electuary cost anywhere from three to four pounds, according to the size of the electuary or perhaps to the size of the patient's purse. The occupation of the patient usually appears in the physician's ledger of the period. We find mention of: schoolmistress, wig maker, ferryman, barber, but seldom a word as to the nature of the patient's malady, which was, it is to be hoped, too obvious to the doctor to have merited recording.
Many doctors grew their own herbs and simples. Solomon Drowne, that truly remarkable man for industry and botanical acumen, had a physic garden of real note at Mount Hygeia from which he compounded his drugs. From the prescription book of Doctor William A. Shaw of Wickford, which may have been the book of his father, William G. Shaw, come a few names of medicinies: wine of aconite, hemlock linament, citron oint- ment, aniseed cordial, syrup of sarsaparilla.
These remedies sound more palatable than "tincture of worms" and it it questionable, whether an eye water, which contains "oil of snails" would appeal greatly today, even if the snails had been "purged" by "laying in a basket of sweet pot herbs or grape leaves one night", as is recommended in the book of John Saffin.
. Our ancestors took these drugs, being "neither sugar nor salt" and paid in money or land or cord wood or pork, hay, vegetables or whatever they had. An entry in a Newport ledger reads: "-by cash received in post 8 pounds; one wig received 6 pounds; balance due 17-12-0." This was in the year 1742.
Our predecessors here in North Kingstown were doubtless pleased with these costly drugs and talked about their curative values, as we chatter so glibly today of sulphanilimide or sulphapryidine. Nothing in the eighteenth century was so good to ward off influenza, to use their words, as "barbary put up in sugar and molasses", unless it were a "good hot sangaree", which is what Shepherd Tom Hazard swore by. Even then, there were advocates for one type of medicine or another. Cadmus drink was universally popu- lar. Samuel Sewall fearing "fever and ague" -- and who doesn't ?- took
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some cardmus drink at night, "sweat pretty well and so it went off, blessed be to God"-to which in the year 1941, we say Amen!
The ignorance of the early medicos may seem to modern eyes abyssmal but so also must seem their strength. Early and late, they labored, traveling miles on horse-back or in a chaise over this rough country. James Noyes, who in the fashion of the day, combined medicine with the ministry, had a territory, which extended from New London to Newport. In the rigors of the Narragansett climate, which was either "frying or freezing", as McSparran so aptly described it, the early physicians met plague and malady without the aid of laboratory, apothecary or hospital, figthing continually the invincible adversary, which modern science has not wholly conquered. Courageously and untiringly, they ministered to the sick, bringing solace to the mind, if not always to the body.
NOTES FROM THE WRITINGS OF REV. MacSPARRAN, D. D.
A LITTLE church was built in Newport ye metropolis of the colony in 1702, and that in which I officiate in Narragansett in 1707. There have been two incumbents before me, but neither of them had resolution enough to grapple with the difficulties of the mission above a year apiece.
I entered on this mission in 1721. By God's blessing I have brought over to the Church some hundreds and, among the hundreds I have bap- tized, there are left 150 who receive the Sacrament at my hands, from twenty years to seventy or eighty. By my exertions, and out-labours a church was built 25 miles to the westward of me --- another 16 miles to the northward of me where I officiate once a month, and at a place six miles farther off on the Sunday before that monthly Sunday. I was the first Episcopal minister that ever officiated at Providence where, for a long time, I used to go four times a year. I took notice before of my la- bours at New London in Connecticut, and would to God I could boast of more sucess, but toil and travel have put me beyond my best.
Again in his diary he writes: Visited Abigail Sampson a sick 'mus- tee' (half breed Indian). She is desirous to be admitted into the church. Went and came through the river (Pettaquamscutt), safe in my chair. O God to thee be praise for all my preservations. June 1, 1740 preached at Brimfield, 90 miles distant from Narragansett. May 16, 1745 rode 30 miles up into the wilderness and lodged at Samuel Cooper's. Feb. 1, 1748 read prayers and preached at Mrs. Lippett's. Had long conference with Moses, her eldest son and baptised him the next day by immersion at the tail of his Grist Mill.
In 1741 Rev. MacSparran catechised 'near about or more than 110 negroes'. Nov. 15, 1751 I travelled in company with Samuel Albro to Warwick. Going down near Joseph Jessey's the mare I rode tripped and fell down with her nose to the ground but so recovered that I kept
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my saddle with difficulty, and gave me such a shake that the pain across my diaphragm has been very bad ever since. We dined at Mrs. Jeremiah Lippett's. Sunday I read prayers and preached at Coeset Church, went to Shanticut to see Mr. Christopher Lippett, who has lost his oldest son and five other of his children are sick with a distemper called canker of the throat. Mr. Knox led my horse over the river and I went over on: the string pieces of the low bridge having hold of Samuel Albro's hand with my left hand and having a stick in my right. God preserved me here and I thank him.
Dr. MacSparran was often sent for to bleed people and attend them when they met with accidents. He opened their sores and carbuncles; poulticed and physiced them; wrote wills and occasionally deeds; and served as general legal councilor in perplexed households.
During the severe winter of 1740-41 people suffered unusual hard- ships; contagious diseases spread mortality, animals froze, food was scarce and the loud and calamitous call of wasting war with France and Spain aggravated the distresses of the country. . Dr. MacSparran, in a letter to Henry Clay in Ireland, says: As from my lands I can see the Atlantic Ocean, I have seen it froze as far as human eye could reach.
On March 15, 1741 Dr. MacSparran delivered a sermon in St. Paul's Church, relative to the winters hardships, from which the following ex- tracts are taken:
Through the unmerited mercies of God, health is restored to our inhabitants and we are delivered from the late distressing sickness, the small-pox, rash and measles. It becomes us, my brethren, to call to mind what concern then seized our souls, what construction we put on those voices of God and how well we have answered the ends of those cor- rections . . .
It is an elegant and ancient observation that if men did listen to the laws of Christ, and postpone their ambition and interest to His admoni- tion and counsels, all countries would soon combine in an inviolable league of love. The rules of Christianity are inconsistent with all kinds of war but defensive.
Thirdly, we are warned, also, by the uncommon inclemencies of a cold and long winter. The elements have been armed with such piercing cold and suffocating snow, as if God intended the air that He gave us, to live and breath in, should become the instrument to execute His vengeance on us, for our ingratitude to His goodness, and our transgression of His law ..... But how of late has the grazier groaned to see the severity of the season, to hear his herds and his flocks making moan for their meat; and after a few fruitless complaints, uttered in accents peculiar to their kind, drop down and die and disappoint the increase and expectation of the spring .. ..... Let us therefore fly to God with an early and earnest importunity, since none but He can remove what we feel, or avert what we fear.
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W. G. SHAW, Doctor of Wickford-Typical Charges And Credits-Daybook commenced December, 1807
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William Cole Dr., visit and various medicines, $1.25. Huling Gard- ner, by load of black heart walnut and some bark. Peleg Lawton Cr., load of oak wood. Gen. James Updike, medicines and visit $.50. John Gardner Cr., pail butter wgt. 341/2 at 20 cents pound, Christopher Nor- thup Cr., Ten Dollars. Nic. C. Northup Cr., 91/4 pd. chickens at 9 cts. Calvin Hammond, visit various medicines, childe. $.50. Thomas, Rich- ard Esqr., visitg wife and carthic'g wife $.75. Giles Pearce, Boston Neck visit in night and bleeding and med. $2.25.
Benj. L. Peckham, 12 pills cathartic $.25. Henry Reynolds, Extg. tooth $.25. Wm. Hammond Sr., visit antispasmodic, 8 pills ex-cath. mix. $2.00. Lewin married a brunner at Nat'l Champlins, Chapmans Mills. To deliver wife with Dr. Gerard in difficult particulario $6.00. Boon Spink, delv. wife and extra attendance, easy deliv. $4.00. Sheriff Nick Gardner, night attendance all night $3.00. Daniel Congdon, visit twice, bleed'g large epispastic, various meds. $3.50. Caleb Carr married "a Fones, cathartic and borax $.25. Philip Tillinghast by I barrel flour $6.75. Corey Pearce, elix. paregoric $.25. John McGuire, deliv. wife. Cr. by load stones from his lot $1.00. I carted them. Isaac Reynolds, visit'g and bleed'g wife and bottle Hunts $2.00. Rufus Hunt visit in storm med- icines, cathartic pills Feb. 14, $2.00.
John Nason visit epispastic various meds. wife, pills Opii etc. $1.59. Dan Lawton 3 dr. unguent anti-inflam. $.25. Ezekiel Gardner calling, bleed'g wife, 50 cts. var. meds. sister $.75. Sam Cranston by cr. one bush. corn $.35. Ezekiel Gardner, wife in labor bad $3.00. Royal Vaughn Dr. unguent med. $.17 cr. cash $5.00. Abraham Greene visit 18 pills rhuem attendance twce. $1.50. Capt. Silas Browne Cr. 51/4 pds. butter at $.18. Gould Gardiner, wife in patiricio $3.00. Nate Gardner Cr. 61/4 pds. veal at 6 cents. Daniel E. Updike Cr. by 3 yards of black broad cloth at $.30. Benj. A. Thomas Cr. by a prize ticket $3.00 and by 7 pds. goose at 6 cents. Chris. Dee by cr. cotton cloth 241/2 yds at 55 cts $13.471/2
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