USA > Rhode Island > Washington County > North Kingstown > Facts and fancies concerning North Kingstown, Rhode Island > Part 5
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A grist mill was erected near there in 1824 by Jonathan Nichols, later owned by Jonathan Nichols Arnold, but that grist mill was gone before our ride.
Just north of the Stony Lane Bridge stands the house where lived a primeval "concientious objector" to the Stonington Railroad. The tracks were to run between his house and his barn and naturally this was too much for Alexander Huling who sat with his gun on his knee, keeping everyone at a distance for days. We do not know how he was convinced, but he was finally won over and allowed the work to go on.
Next we came to the road from Wickford Junction to Davisville. A flat country road with scrub oaks on the east side that fairly blazed with gorgeous mahogany-red leaves in the fall. It ran close to the railroad track and one had to be careful not to let the horse be startled when a train went by.
As we crossed the road I glanced with misgiving at the Potter Sweet house, on the corner and set back a little above the road. I touched Mian- tinomi with the whip to quicken his pace, for here was a disconcerting memory. One afternoon long before this ride, my brother was driving by that house with a carriage full of happy young people and there on the bank was a long table on which a sumptuous repast was set, while around it sat at least ten guests. My brother pulled up the horse and called blithely, "Is this a private party, or can we get into it?" The host rose quickly and came close to the carriage. "This is a funeral," he said. There was no need
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to say more, we had gone like the wind, but do you wonder that to this day I hurry by that house?
On the left side of the road as you cross it at Potter's Corner stands the historic old Baptist Church, with its graveyard close beside it, a little village of the dead, still speaking its faith in immortality.
It is not far to the second Davisville road, and crossing that we drove on to the Indian Fortress, sometimes called Wilkie Fort, because the land at one time belonged to a man named Wilkie.
Up hill all the way, we drove slowly, but every now and then we caught delighful glimpses of tiny cottages with big barns, tucked into the lovely landscape.
At last we reached it, called by some "The Queen's Fort" named for the Squaw-Sachem Quaiapen, who ruled the surrounding settlements of the Narragansetts. History speaks of the "Queen's Chamber", a huge excavation beneath immense rocks. It was high enough to be comfortable, with its entrance completely hidden. Centuries of neglect have filled in the chamber, till now it is very small, in fact any queen who might live there now, must be almost as slim as a paper doll.
This is a famous fortress, for here lived and died Wampanoags and Narragansetts, the real Rhode Islanders, original owners of part of these our United States. What fun it was that afternoon, when you found a real arrow head!
Opposite the Fortress we stood silent before an amazing stone wall. Each rock was a large as our phaeton, without the "dickie." Who built it and why they used those huge rocks we do not know, but overgrown with brush and saplings, it is still well worth a trip to see.
Stony Lane lost its name at Sunderland Road, running into Pardon Joslin Road, then Widow Sweet's Road, Congdon Mill, Robin Hollow, Raccoon Hill Trail and came to a dead end at Matterson Plain Road.
Miantinomi wanted to turn around there, but we still had plenty of time. In "fancy" we did not really have to go home at all!
The red-gold sun had set over the last hill and we stopped where we were in the soft summer twilight and let the happy memories of Stony Lane fill our hearts with love of the old and also love of the new that grows old so quickly now that we, too, are "getting on."
THE CASEY HOUSE LILLIAN ROSE GARDINER
T "HE Casey House, built about 1725, is situated on the Boston Post Road about a quarter of a mile north of the village of Saunderstown. It stands back from the road betwen fine old elms and was the scene of Revo- lutionary conflict as indicated by many bullet holes.
The original floor of the dining room over which a new floor has been laid, is riddled with holes. Three of the dining room doors and a hall door also show scars of bullets. It is said that a small closet proved a safe hiding place for minute men during a skirmish.
The house is now owned by the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiques.
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THE ANCIENT CURSE ABBIE PECKHAM GARDNER
TOLUMES have been written and more has been said about witches and witchcraft, fortune tellers and astrologers in the 17th and 18th centuries in the Massachusetts Colony, but now and then a long-forgotten story which has escaped the pen of the historian is called to mind by a descendant of a pioneer settler. It was such an one who, as he gathered one winter's evening with his family about his blazing log fire, related the following tale:
In the early 1750's in the town of Swansea, Mass., a vagrant fortune teller named Jeffrey Martin lived and thrived. So cleverly did he ply his trade that he was greatly feared by all the townspeople and none dared cross him or show his or her real feelings of disgust lest he would retaliate by casting a spell or bringing disaster upon such an one.
Many tales were told of blasted crops, milch cows that became suddenly dry, barns that were struck by lightning; all caused by a spell Jeffrey had cast because of some fancied rebuff he had received.
A little back from the country road outside the village, stood a modest farm house which was owned and occupied by a yeoman and his family named Wilbor. One day, as the daughter of the household named Chloe Wilbor, was coming out of the doorway of her home, she saw Jeff, as he was called, sauntering up the path toward her. When the man saw her he bared his head, made a low curtsey as he held his hat in his hand and said, "Will the young lady permit me to enter the house and get a drink of water?"
Chloe, who was a sprightly, spirited girl, gave the man a look of disgust. "Begone, worthless vagrant!" she said, "Why do you burden people with your whining? Go to the public well. There is plenty of water there." And as she spoke she held the door closed with her left hand. A dark, sullen look came over the man's face, a gleam of fire shot into his eyes, and straightening himself to his full height, he placed his shoulder against the jamb of the door, and pointing his finger at the girl said, "A curse be upon your head from this hour; your husband will have a withered left arm; your oldest son will drown in a seething river," and turning on his heel the man walked slowly down the pathway.
Chloe reentered the house, slamming the door behind her, and stamped her foot upon the floor in violent rage. "What care I for his curse!" she cried petulantly, "How dare the beggar use insulting language to a daughter of the leading citizen of this town! Let him show his face here again and I'll have him arrested."
Not many weeks after the above incident took place, Chloe Wilbor went to the Narragansett Country to pay a visit to a relative who was a descendant of Samuel Wilbor, one of the seven Pettaquamscutt purchasers. It was at a husking bee during this visit to Pettaquamscutt that she met William Hammond, a well-mannered, striking-looking young man, the son of Joseph Hammond, owner of several hundred acres of land on and around Hammond Hill in North Kingstown.
A husking bee in South County in the 18th century was one of the gala festivals of the year, being surpassed in importance only by their
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Christmas celebrations and by wedding festivities which were regal in their appointments. After the fertile fields had yielded their harvests, the huge barns bulged with grain, the larder was well stored with choicest viands and the cellars groaned with hogsheads of cider and casks of finest wines as well as home brew. It was then that the planters from the countryside for many miles around gathered to make merry, and to give grateful thanks to the God who had so richly blessed them during the season which was past.
The festivities took place in the huge barn in which a feast was spread before the assembled guests which was both appetizing and bountiful, and then followed a season of merriment which was unrestrained. A huge pile of corn was husked and thrown into the center of the barn, and whenever a red ear was discovered in the hands of a maiden or matron-which was frequent-a chase around the premises followed, and after the victim was finally caught a boisterous period of kissing ensued. During the evening Chloe Wilbor was belle of the occasion; she was possessor of many red ears and in consequence seemed to enjoy the spirited chase about the huge barn and the ensuing penalty of paying the forfeits. In the dancing which fol- lowed the husking bee, Chloe Wilbor was never without a partner.
During the festivities it was noticed that William Hammond was less boisterous in the merriment than the other young swains of the party, and it was also noticed that the young man was infatuated by the charms of Chloe Wilbor, and remained much by her side.
The romance which had its beginning at the husking bee increased rapidly in intensity, and after an interval of some months there followed a marriage between the two young people.
William Hammond brought his bride to live in the Hammond home- stead on Hammond Hill, which overlooked Pettaquamscutt River. They were a handsome couple although William's left arm hung helpless by his side. Little comment was made upon William's infirmity. If some one attempted to inquire concerning it, a warning finger was placed upon the lip and so the majority of the neighbors were in ignorance of the story of William's useless arm.
Ten children were born to the couple in the homestead on Hammond Hill, and in turn these children married and begat children of their own. The eldest son, Joseph, with his family, continued to live in the homestead with his parents.
On long winter evenings, when the young people with their elders gathered about the roaring log fire in the fireplace, the children would clamber about their grandmother's knee and beg for a story about when grandmother was a little girl in Swansea. "Your stories are so exciting grandma," they would say.
Then grandma, Chloe Wilbor, would usually begin by telling about the notorious fortune teller of whom all the people in the whole countryside stood in fear. "And you know, children, that I, a girl of nineteen years was the only person who dared defy him and let him know that I didn't fear him. Such a hold had that vagrant upon the minds of the simple country folk that if a barn was burned or the crops were ruined on account of drought they would try to remember some slight they had given Jeff Martin that . caused him to put a curse on them."
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"But grandma," said one of the children, "what caused grandpa to have a helpless arm?"
"Listen, children," said Grandma, "now that grandpa's mother is gone I will tell you the legend that has been handed down in the family. When grandpa was an infant he was riding in his mother's arms on horseback to good old St. Paul's church which was not far from their home. The horse took fright and they were thrown to the ground. The boy's arm was broken and never properly set, because there were no good surgeons in the vicinity in those days. During her lifetime his mother would. never allow anyone to speak of her boy's helpless arm for she felt the judgment of God was visited upon her on account of some unknown sin she had committed, and so your grandfather, all his life, suffered from the curse of a withered arm."
The winter of 1792 was long remembered because of its intense cold and the great amount of snow upon the ground. There was also much sickness in the colnoy. Early in March the ice in Narrow River began to break and in huge masses to float down stream to the sea. The planters around the riverside watched Middle Bridge very closely for it was known the timbers and supports were old and weak and they wondered if the old structure would be able to hold out against the strain. On the evening of March 10 Joseph Hammond's wife was taken suddenly ill with a distemper which was prevalent in the colony and it was important a doctor should be called immediately. Joseph Hammond sprang upon his horse and sped down the hill to Middle Bridge, for the doctor lived on the opposite side of the river.
When Joe Hammond on his horse was half way across the bridge, the whole structure gave way and horse and rider were hurled into the torrent and swept under the ice floes and rapidly carried down the river to the ocean. The shores of the river were lined with planters and people who were powerless to give the slightest assistance, and it is a tradition that the body of neither rider nor horse was ever recovered.
There is a legend, handed down in the family, that when one of the onlookers carried the sad news to Joseph Hammond's family, his old mother, who was still living, fell back in her chair in a swoon, crying: "The Curse! The Curse! Joe lived in constant terror of the Curse all his life. 'You can't forestall the ruling of fate,' Joe said, 'it is sure to overtake you sometime before you die.' "
THE METHODIST AND QUAKER CHURCHES IN WICKFORD
TN EARLY days, Methodist services were held in the cottage house of the late Mrs. Hunt on Pleasant street. On the corner of Friend and Fowler streets was located the Friends Meeting House, a good sized building which was some years ago removed to the Allenton Road, which connects Hamil- ton with the Tower Hill Road and was converted into a dwelling house. Near the site of this church, in Wickford, may still be seen the remains of a number of graves.
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THE LURE OF PROBATE RECORDS MARY TAYLOR WHITNEY
T NO ONE who has never read Probate Records or who has only glanced occasionally at them, delving with a purpose seems the driest and most tedious of occupations, a waste of precious time. But to those for whom the past lives again in this search, nothing yields greater satisfaction. The suc- cession of families and relationships are real. The earliest recorded probate in North Kingstown is May 19, 1692-the will of James Reynolds.
December 16, 1871, the bank where the town records were stored was burned, which meant a great loss, for the records could never be replaced. The covers of the volumes were destroyed, fire ate around the edges of the pages and there seemed to be little of value left. What remained was care- fully kept and under the direction of the Town Clerk, Thomas J. Pierce, these fragments were wonderfully set by the Emery Process into book form and as they stand on the top shelf in the vault of the Town Hall, in the strong and attractive bindings, one would never guess how much the fire destroyed, yet with care, much valuable information can be pieced together.
The first books were small and as paper was scarce, every available space was used. The ink, much of it being made of walnut shells soaked in water, was sometimes bright but mostly faded. In many cases, the writing was in so fine a hand and the spelling so strange that a magnifying glass is needed. The "e" was like "o" and the "s" like "f".
The book opens with the date of the meeting of the Court followed by the names of Council present who served as the members of the Probate Court. Then follow the wills and administrations and the disposition of each. After the middle of the book is reached, it must be turned over and the Council takes up matters of interest; here we find the bonds and in- ventories and the most interesting items concerning the people of the town over whom the Council exerts a paternal interest.
In the early days, nearly every man made a Will and some women- some long, some short and some going into the minutest details regarding the disposition of the estate. The attempt to distribute fairly seems evident. Those making wills had little money but they had much land which was left to the sons, very seldom to other members of the family. To the daughters there may be left personal property such are furniture and bed- ding, and oh, so many feather beds, pillows and bolsters.
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The division of the house is both curious and pathetic. To the eldest son and his usually large family there is left the greater part, but the widow is granted certain rooms; the great room, the northwest bedroom, the stove bedroom, which appears to be the warm room near a fireplace as stoves were not known at so early a date, a place in the yard to put her wood, a portion of the cellar and usually a small piece of land for a garden. She is allowed to pass up and down the chamber and cellar stairs and to use the front and back doors, also the kitchen for washing and baking; however, there is added "doing as little damage as possible to the rights of the other heirs." The son or sons are to furnish her with "milk and bread, meat, .sauce, cider and soap." Sometimes, she has a riding beast and a saddle, usually of plush, if her husband was well-to-do. One man ordered that
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yearly, a son should provide his widow with a barrel of beer and a barrel of cider. Another requested that she have all the water that ran from the wash house roof. Then, too, she had a few articles of furniture and the de- ceased frequently gives all the furniture which his wife brought him at her marriage to his widow.
When the husband died intestate, it was customary for the widow to ask the Council to set off some of the household goods to her. The follow- ing is the list which one widow desired. "A jar of butter, bureau, four sheets, a counter pain, an axe, a milk pail, a tin kittle, a fry dish, a wash boiler, rolling pin, dried apples, bedstead and cord, a comforter, feather bed, five old chairs, a table and a window curtain."
The inventories are most interesting and include in one case, "an old wig, a handkerchief, a pair of mittens, a pair of stockings, a pair of shoes, an ink horn and a pen knife."
There were always many children and when the father died, some were apprenticed to relatives or neighbors to serve. until they were of age and were to be taught to "read, wright and sifer", also some trade.
Here is the interesting indenture of one Mary Cheet, 18 months old --- evidently, the mother had married the second time and had no place for little Mary.
Found in Land Evidence, Book 4, page 129. Dated October 6, 1719.
'Phebe Dolliver, mother, hath by her own free and voluntary will, put her child, Mary Cheet and doth bind her said child and apprentice her to John Gornett, worsted comber, to him, his heirs and assigns until she arrives at the age of twenty-one years. She to be after the manner of an apprentice from the day of the date thereof to learn the art of spinning and knitting and to do housework during all of which term for her master and his heirs. She shall faithfully serve, his secrets keep and all his lawful commands gladly everywhere obey. She shall not waste her master's goods nor lend them to others. She shall do no damage to her said master nor see it done by others without telling or giving notice to her said master or to his heirs. She shall not contract matrimony within the said term nor play at cards or dice nor any other game whereby her master may be damaged with his own goods or the goods of others. She shall not absent herself by day or night from her master's service without leave nor 'hant' taverns or ale houses nor play houses but in all ways behave herself as a faithful apprentice ought to do. In consideration thereof, said Gronett, his heirs and assigns shall find for her good and sufficient meat and drink, washing, apparel and lodging and all necessities both in sickness and in health."
A WILL WHICH INDICATES A ROMANCE
The will of Benjamin Mory of North Kingstown, dated 1728.
"To my sisters, Abigail, Hannah, Mary and Elizabeth, I give and be- queath the land given to me by my uncle Benjamin Mory, provided that my sister Mary doth not marry with John Jones, the John Jones that lives with Sam Slocum; but if she does, she shall receive but four shillings."
And now the will of John Jones dated later in 1728.
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"I give and bequeath to my friend, Mary Mory, all my estate of every kind after the payment of debts.
"I appoint Mary Mory as my Executor."
THE SAD STORY OF SARAH WIGHTMAN OF NORTH KINGSTOWN
This story is not in any way unusual for the period in which she lived but it does depict conditions in a New England town in the early days before methods for relieving mental illness or poverty were even thought of. There were no almshouses for those whom poverty left homeless and no asylums for the mentally ill. Sarah was insane.
She was the widow of Samuel Wightman and she received her dower but for some reason the Town Council was in charge of her and at each monthly meeting voted money to pay her board-she seems to have had a new boarding place almost every month judging by the names.
Four shillings a week was the amount most frequently mentioned for her care. Occasionally, articles of clothing were ordered for her.
Then the time comes when her condition grows worse and the Council orders the blacksmith to forge a strong chain to bind Sarah Wightman and one can easily imagine Sarah's pitiable condition.
After several months, the Council orders that the chain be removed for a month and also orders that a good warm petticoat, a warm blanket and shoes and stockings be made for her.
Nothing more is heard of her and it seems that she must be improved but the appropriations for her support continue until 1743 when Exeter was set off from North Kingstown. About this time, Sarah disappears entirely from the records. A guardian must have been appointed by later develop- ments for she is discovered to be living in that part of the town which is now Exeter, and the guardian is often mentioned.
At one of the first Council Meetings of the new town, the discussion began as to the necessity of the support of Sarah. It was voted to send her back to North Kingstown but that town refused to receive her. The argu- ment lasted some time before Exeter was willing to assume the burden.
One entry is made that she needs clothes-a shift and a coat for she is nearly naked. The mention is made of the danger of small pox and she is moved to another location in the town.
The Town Council of North Kingstown turns over to the guardian in Exeter the belongings of Sarah which consist of a coverlid, one shift, one bed tick and some clothing.
At this time, it is mentioned that her dower on one hundred pounds is all gone except sixteen shillings; it would appear that she had no relatives and for that reason the Council manages the spending of the dower.
In Exeter, a guardian again petitions the town to buy clothing for her as she is nearly naked again.
Among other articles there is provided a "Rapper" and a beaver coat.
Since death records were not recorded at this early date, the guardian's final report is all the information there is concerning her demise This was in 1757. It mentions the expense of a coffin and a gallon of rum. The latter as necessary for a funeral as the former.
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NORTH KINGSTOWN COUNCIL RECORDS
Here are some interesting items found in the Council Records:
Nearly everyone seems to procure a license to sell strong drink, many women among the number. *
James Christopher, a transient man, is taken ill before he can be sent out of town; the Town Council orders that the Overseer of the Poor put him in a cold "barth" at the expense of the town. Very soon the Council orders a coffin.
In 1777, two men are appointed to apportion salt. *
A curious boundary-Beginning at a heap of stones in the sand and running to a stake in the swamp, thence westerly to a brook, down the brook to a cedar tree and back to the heap of stones.
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In 1880, a petition to show a wooly calf is granted. * * *
A license is granted for a walking match in Chapin Hall to begin on Friday night and end Saturday night.
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Someone complains that Christopher Fowler, a tavern keeper, allows people to play cards and entertains negroes and Indians. * *
At nearly every meeting of the Council, a member is appointed to visit the poor who are boarded around and report to the Council. Invariably the report is, "no complaint."
A man named Callendar is ordered to be sent out of town in one-half hour or be publicly whipped; it now being half past nine.
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* * The Town constable is ordered to take a stranger to Newport as cheaply as possible, he being very sick and helpless. * *
The Bellingham Sergeant was ordered written to, to come and get a troublesome woman whom this town rejects.
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Every one who moved into a town had to have a "sertifiket" from the town where he has lived. One man is greatly distressed when he loses his and asks for another for he fears the town in which he is to settle will think no one owns him.
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