USA > Rhode Island > Newport County > History of Newport County, Rhode Island. From the year 1638 to the year 1887, including the settlement of its towns, and their subsequent progress > Part 78
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HISTORY OF NEWPORT COUNTY.
" Circled by waters that never freeze, Beaten by billows and swept by breeze, Lieth the island of Manisses. .
:₭ * *
" No greener valleys the sun invite, On smoother beaches no sea-birds light, No blue waves shatter to foam more white.
" Then is that lovely island fair; And the pale health-seeker findeth there The wine of life in its pleasant air."
As to the geological formation of Block island we can per- haps give no better idea than that expressed by Mr. Edward E. Pettee, in the following language:
"At some not very remote period Block Island undoubtedly formed the eastern extremity of Long Island, having been de- tached from Montauk possibly by some convulsion of nature, but more likely by the combined action of wind and sea, which latter force has since, by gradual encroachment, principally on the Montank side, widened its channel until at present some thirteen miles of comparatively shoal water intervenes.
"As a basis for this presumption we take the fact that the geological structure of the two is peculiar and similar, while entirely unlike that of the adjacent mainland, and the estimate of the New York State Geologist that .at least one thousand tons of Montauk Point is carried away by the sea on a daily average,' making an annual degradation of several acres, and finally, Indian traditions indicating that the distance between them was much less in early times.
" This theory may seem improbable to many who are un- familiar with the ceaseless work of these great natural forces in modifying coast contours, but it is certain that much more marvellous changes than this have been wrought by the same agencies at other points within a period covered by authentic records. "
When Block Island was first seen by civilized navigators is only a matter of conjecture. The hardy vikings of old may perchance have cruised along its coast and traded with the In- dians centuries before Columbus was born, but nothing definite was known of the place until Verrazzano, a French navigator, examined its shores in 1524, and gave a report of it to Francis I., king of France. This discoverer named the island Claudia in
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HISTORY OF NEWPORT COUNTY.
honor of the king's mother. The French navigator described the island as being "in form of a triangle, distant from the main land three leagues, about the lignesse of the Island of Rhodes; it was full of hills covered with trees and well peopled, for we saw fires all along the coast. We gave it the name of Claudia of your majesties mother." All this statement with regard to the discovery by Verrazzano is of course based on the assumption that the voyage claimed to have been made by that navigator along the American coast from latitude 34° to 50° was actually made. Scholarly antiquarians and investiga- tors, like T. Buckingham Smith and Henry C. Murphy, have denied its authenticity. If their impeachment holds, the above statements are void.
Nothing further has been given us in regard to Block Island until the discovery of it made by Adrian Block in the year 1614. He is the first European known to have explored the island. He mentions finding upon it a numerous tribe of Indians who received himself and his crew very kindly, and regaled them with hominy, succotash, clams, fish and game.
Block had been detained at Manhattan, where he had been trading, until his vessel was accidentally burned. He then set about building a small vessel, and in it he sailed eastward down Long Island sound, discovering on his way the open water which disclosed the fact that Sewanhaka was an island, also discover- ing the small islands about the east end of that island, and pur- suing his course till he finally came upon Block island. This he called "Adrian's Eyland," and it was so marked on the Dutch maps of that period.
The Indian name of the island was Manisses ; the first civil- ized name given to it was Claudia ; it was incorporated as New Shoreham ; but custom, stronger than all these, has given and preserved to it the -simple appellation, Block Island.
The next event of importance was the visit of John Oldham to this place to trade with the Indians. Oldham was a con- tentions, turbulent man, who had come from England to Plym- onth in the ship " Ann," in the year 1623, where, owing to his superior abilities, he was invited to a seat in Governor Brad- ford's council. In 1625, however, his strong attachment to Episcopaey led to his being banished from the colony. He subsequently found his home in the neighboring colonies, and in 1636 he made a visit to Block Island for the purpose of
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HISTORY OF NEWPORT COUNTY.
trading with the Indians. While lying here with his vessel, the Indians of the island, whose secret hatred he had incurred by his friendly relations with the Narragansetts, who were their enemies, made an attack on him and murdered him on board his vessel. The deed had scarcely been done when another ves- sel, commanded by John Gallop, came past the island, and being attracted by the suspicions actions of the Indians, whom he saw in great numbers on board Oldham's vessel, he made the dis- covery of what had been done and attacked the Indians in their boats as they were attempting to flee, and killed a large number of them before they could reach the shore.
Oldham's murder greatly incensed the people of Massachu- setts, of which colony he was then a wealthy and prominent citizen. "God so stirred np the hearts of the honored governor, Master Harry Vane," says the quaint chronicler, "and the rest of the magistrates to send forth one hundred well appointed soldiers under the conduct of Captain John Enicott." An ex- pedition was thus fitted ont with orders "to put the men of Block Island to the sword, but to spare the women and chil- dren."
It is said that the Indians made very little resistance, but soon fled to the woods. Here the terrified inhabitants concealed them- selves while the English destroyed two plantations-about two hundred acres of corn, partly harvested-and some sixty wig- wams, and then re-embarked. The island at that time (1637) was well timbered, their corn fields being protected on all sides by forests. One of these corn fields was on the sontherly part and the other on the northerly part. The latter was known by the early settlers as the "Corne neck," and is still known as the Neck.
This expedition, having made no definite settlement of the Indian question, another was soon after fitted out under com- mand of Israel Stoughton. The latter landed his forces on the island in the night, and making a sudden attack on the natives, killed a few and burned a number of wigwams. They then came to a parley and made a treaty of subjugation, by which the In- dians were to pay a tribute of one hundred fathoms of "wam- pum peague" to Massachusetts annually.
From this time on Massachusetts claimed the island, and the Indians acknowledged the conquest by paying the stipulated tribute to the governor annually, and they were considered, as
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HISTORY OF NEWPORT COUNTY.
Roger Williams said, "wholly said governor's subjects." In 1658 the general court of that colony granted the island to Gov- ernor Endicott, Richard Bellingham, Daniel Dennison and Wil- liam Hawthorne. In the year 1660 these men sold it for $400 to sixteen individuals, who had it surveyed and apportioned among themselves.
August 7th, 1660, these purchasers met at the house of Dr. John Alcock to confer about the premises above mentioned and "concerning the erecting of a plantation on the aforesaid Block Island." This took place in Boston. Considering the remote- ness of the island to them, it was attended with some consid- prable expense, and each one bore his part by mutual agree- ment.
The sixteen purchasers of the island already referred to were Richard Billings, Samuel Derring, Nathaniel Wingley, Tormot Rose, Edward Vorse, John Rathbone, Thomas Faxon, Richard Ellis, Felix Wharton, John Glover, Thomas Terry, Jolin Sands, Hugh Williams, John Alcock, Peter George and Simon Ray. The division of the lands already referred to was made by a Mr. Noyes, of Sudbury, Mass., acting surveyor, accompanied by Mr. Faxon, acting as a committee of the proprietors. The meet- ing at which the division was agreed upon and ordered was held in September, 1660, at the house of Felix Wharton, in Boston.
The island was divided into three parts, the northern, the western, and the southeastern, variations in the quality of the soil suggesting different sized allotments. The lots in the northi- ern part were numbered and apportioned to individual owners: In the northern division-1, Richard Billings; 2, Samuel Der- ring; 3, Nathaniel Wingley and Tormot Rose; 4, Edward Vorse and John Rathbone; 5 and 6, Thomas Faxon; 7, Richard Ellis; 8, Felix Wharton; 9, John Glover; 10 and 11, Thomas Terry; 12, John Sands; 13, Hew Williams; 14, John Alcock; 15, Min- ister's land: 16, Peter George; 17, Simon Ray. In the western division-1 and 2, Thomas Faxon; 3, Nathaniel Wingley and Tormot Rose; 4 and 5, Thomas Terry; 6, Felix Wharton; 7, John Alcock: S and 9, Peter George and Simon Ray. In the southeast division-10, John Rathbone and Edward Vorse; 11, Richard Billings; 12. Richard Ellis; 13, Hew Williams; 14 and 15, John Glover and James Sands: 16, Samuel Derring.
In the beginning of April, 1661. two vessels which had been built for the purpose, a bark, under the command of William
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HISTORY OF NEWPORT COUNTY.
Rose, and a shallop under command of William Edwards and Sammel Staples, started on their voyage to the island, the for- mer from Braintree, and the latter from Taunton. Sailing to the island they commenced a settlement.
The name of Rose is the only name of an original settler now represented among the residents of the island. It is highly probable that some of the purchasers never remained for any length of time and indeed may never have come hither to settle at all. Of those who did come, James Sands was among the prominent ones. He was born in Reading, in the county of Berks, England, and was among the settlers of Ports- mouth, but left that town with Mrs. Hutchinson and joined in the work of erecting a house for her at East Chester, near New York. Mrs. Hutchinson, having been doomed by the In- dians and Sands himself driven ont of their territory, he re- turned to Rhode Island, and with his wife, Sarah, became one of the first settlers of Block Island. He subsequently repre- sented the town in assembly for a number of years, and built a stone house here, to which the inhabitants were in the habit of resorting in times of special danger. He died March 13th, 1695, having had five sons and three daughters. His wife, Sarah, who survived him for several years, was for a long time the doctress of the island, being skilled in surgery as well as in medicine. In her will she provided for the manumission of her slaves, and made provision for their bringing up. She died in 1702. The children of James Sands were John, James, Samuel, Edward, Job, Sarah and Mercy, and a young daughter who was drowned in a mill pond near the house. Job married Sybil, a daughter of Simon Ray; Edward married Mary, daughter of John Williams; Mercy married Joshna Raymond of New London; John, Samuel and Job went to Long Island.
The stone house before spoken of, built by Mr. Sands, stood near a mill pond not far from the harbor. The house was so commodious that when the French took possession of the island in 1689 they disarmed the men and imprisoned them in this house.
John Alcock was an educated man, being a graduate of Har- vard College in 1646. He came to the island at its settlement, but died near Boston March 27th, 1667. His estate here was divided among his children.
Simon Ray remained at the island and became a distinguished
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HISTORY OF NEWPORT COUNTY.
character in usefulness and honors in the new settlement. Be- sides filling many positions of trust, he was wont, in a landable Christian manner, to hold meetings in his own house on Lord's days, conducting the same in prayer, singing psalms and exhortations. His children were Sybil, Mary, Dorithy and Simon. The last named was born April 9th, 1672. He was a captain in 1705, and held the office of deputy altogether twenty- one years. He was twice married. By his wife, Deborah Greene, he had four daughters who married as follows: Judith, Thomas Hubbard of Boston; Anna, Samnel Ward, afterward governor of Rhode Island; Catherine, William Greene, who also became a governor of the state; Phebe, John Littlefield, whose daugh- ter, Catherine, became the wife of General Nathaniel Greene.
Mrs. Greene says: "Simon Ray, Sen., was a puritan and lived and died in the faith of the puritans. He held public worship very many years on Sunday in his own house and that he had committed the New Testament and the Psalms to mem- ory. . When he was old and blind she heard him complaining of being ill and that he had been able to repeat to himself but fifty chapters of the scriptures that day."
He lies buried beneath a massive slate slab on a hill from which a large part of the island and the surrounding sea is in open view. He died March 17th, 1737, in the 102d year of his age.
It is said of him that when the French came upon the island he suffered considerable torture at their hands on account of his refusal to disclose the hiding place of his treasures. At one time they placed him in a cheese press and turned the screws down on him, on another occasion they tied him and whipped him, and again they struck him down with a blow from a fence rail on the head and nearly killed him. At his death he set free by his will his three slaves, Esther, Sofa and Warwick.
Hew Williams was a hatter. Why the name appears in the form that it does the writer is not able to explain, except on the general principle that great carelessness in spelling prevailed at that day. "Hew " joined the Boston church January 1st, 1642. Ilis will was dated October 21st, 1674. He probably had some domestic difficulty, as we find he deeded his property to his brother John and his sister, Mrs. Hale. An action at law ap- pears also to have been brought against him for defamation of his wife.
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IHISTORY OF NEWPORT COUNTY.
John Rathbone, one of the original proprietors, was a sur- veyor of highways in 1676, and a deputy from 1681 to 1684, in- clusive. He and his wife Margaret both died in 1702. His son John fell heir to his mansion. His danghter Sarah married a Mr. George. Thomas was born in 1657 and became identified publicly with the interests of the early settlers.
William Tosh, another of the original purchasers, did not come to the island till the year following that in which the com- pany came. He had a family of ten children, viz .: Merey, Sarah, Daniel, William, Mary, Catherine, John, Bethiah, James and another whose name we have not been able to find. It is said that one of these sons started on a very stormy day to come to the island from the mainland, in a small boat, and was lost in the raging sea, never being seen again.
William Rose, who was captain of the barque when the proprietors came here to settle, appears to have gone hence soon after, as his name disappears from the records, but Thomas Rose, otherwise called Tormot, who is supposed to have been a son of William, remained on the island, and died in 1684. His son John married Mary Dodge, and had children: Tormot, Daniel, John, James, Mary, Catherine and Ezekiel, among whom the parental estate was divided.
Samnel Derring married Mary Ray, who, dying in 1657, he married Frances Newcomb. His son returned to Massachusetts, and nothing further is known of the family here.
Peter George, as well as Simon Ray and Samnel Derring, was of Braintree, Mass. He did not live long after removing to the island. Some of his children, it is supposed, settled in New- port. Com. Stephen Decatur is said to have been one of his descendants.
Thomas Terry came from England in 1635. Although one of the first settlers on the island, he afterward removed to Free- town, Mass., where his descendants yet reside.
Thomas Faxon returned to Braintree, where he was pressed into the service under Sir William Phipps, in the expedition against Quebec.
Richard Ellis was of Dedham, and returned thence, after which nothing of him is known here.
Before the town was incorporated the colonists appeared to be in some uncertainty as to whether they were rightfully a part of Massachusetts or of Rhode Island. Their government
835
HISTORY OF NEWPORT COUNTY.
was a pure democracy, subject to no law superior to their own will, and they probably differed in opinion as to which colony they would prefer to belong to. The island was settled by Massachusetts puritans, who had but little sympathy with the people or institutions of Rhode Island. It was during this time, in March, 1664, that the general assembly of Massachu- setts requested the governor and deputy to proclaim to the peo- ple here that they were under the care of that jurisdiction, and to direct James Sands, as constable, to call the most able and deserving men of the island to the general court of Massaclin- setts in May to be made freemen of that colony, in accordance with the usual custom. The candidates accordingly pre- sented were accepted by the assembly and made freemen, and James Sands and Thomas Terry were appointed by the assem- bly to call the newly made freemen and inhabitants together and read to them the orders of the court for their present regu- lation and to inform them that they were to be owned as free- men, and to take from them their acceptance of the terms and conditions under which they were received as freemen of the Massachusetts colony.
Sands and Terry were by the assembly appointed selectmen, and the freemen were directed to elect a third to act with them, as also a clerk and a constable. The people of the island were authorized to send two deputies to the general assembly, a code of laws was furnished the new town, and the people were as- sured on the strength of " His Majesty's most gracious pleas- ure," "That no person within the said colony at any time hereafter shall be in any way molested, punished, disquieted, or called in question for any difference of opinion in matters of Religion that do not actually disturb the civil peace of the said colony."
The list of freemen of 1664 was as follows: James Sands, Joseph Kent, Thomas Terry, Peter George, Simon Ray, Wil- liam Ilarris, Sammel Derring, John Rathbone, John Davis, Samuel Staples, Hugh Williams, Robert Gnttory, William Tosh, Tormot Rose, William Cahoon, Tristram Dodge, John Clarke and William Barker. Hugh Williams had made some expressions inimical to the colony, which he was required to retract before he was accepted as a freeman. Thus carefully did the colonists guard the walk and conversation of their mem- bers.
53
.
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HISTORY OF NEWPORT COUNTY.
The town was admitted to the colony as Block Island May 4th, 1664. Some of its early orders and regulations were curios- ities, and as such a few are mentioned. It was ordered that Joseph Billington should "plant and sufficiently tend three acres of corn the next ensuing year, and so yearly during his abode here, and if he do not he shall depart the island." It was also ordered " that the town's book shall be constantly kept in the hands of the town clerk. And a town clerk to be chosen yearly for that end who can both read and write."
During the year 1665 James Sands and Thomas Terry were elected to represent the town in the general assembly, they be- ing the first deputies from this town chosen to that body.
Among those mentioned as freemen in 1664 is the name of Tristram Dodge. He was not one of the original settlers, but closely followed them, and soon became conspicuous in the new settlement, as have also many of his descendants down to the present time.
Edward Ball, of English lineage, and his wife Mary George. came still later, settling here in 1678. He was deputy warden in 1702, and sheriff in 1704. His son, Peter, was a prominent representative in the colonial legislature, and a prime mover in obtaining a pier for the island in 1735. The Hon. Nicholas Ball, who has been so instrumental in an official capacity in subserv- ing the interests of the islanders, and who will be mentioned again more fully, is a descendant of Edward Ball.
Nathaniel Mott was admitted a freeman in 1683. In 1695 he was town clerk, which office lie held for many years. He was a representative in the legislature in 1710.
Captain Thomas Paine, who commanded the expedition against the French privateers in 1690, and who has the honor of having fought the first naval engagement on the waters about the island, came at a later period than the last mentioned. He was one of the solid and loyal citizens of the town during the revolution, representing the town in the general assembly in 1753, 1757, 1761, 1765 and 1775.
The family of Littlefields have been very numerons on the island for many years, being descended from Nathaniel and Caleb, who were admitted as freemen in 1721. Nathaniel was a representative in the Rhode Island assembly in 1738, 1740, 1748 and 1754. Caleb Littlefield, Jr., was one of the committee of the island to oppose the English tea tax. John Littlefield
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HISTORY OF NEWPORT COUNTY.
was made a freeman in 1738, and was a representative from 1747 until the revolution, serving during a period of nearly thirty years. William Littlefield was an active soldier in the revolu- tion. In 1775 he was appointed ensign, and subsequently lien- tenant captain. Catherine Littlefield, daughter of John, mar- ried Major-General Nathaniel Greene and became an intimate associate of the wife of General Washington.
There are many others who were among the early settlers of the island who deserve mention in this connection, but we have not been informed concerning them, and will close this subject by giving a list of the freemen in 1678. The entire list for that year was as follows : James Sands, Simon Ray, Peter George, John Williams, Robert Guttory, John Sands, John Rathbone, Sen., Nathaniel Niles, James Sands, Jr., Thomas Mitchell, John Rathbone, Jr., Thomas Rathbone, Tristram Dodge, Jr., Nathaniel Briggs, Daniel Tosh, Tormot Rose, Tristram Dodge, Sen., Edward Ball, John Ackers, William Frode, Benjamin Niles, William Rathbone.
Nathaniel Winslow, Nathaniel Mott and John Mott were made freemen August 20th, 1682; Nathaniel Coddington in 1683; Josiah Holling, Joshua Billington, William Carder and William Hancock in 1684; James Danielson in 1685; Dr. John Rodman and Job Carr April 7th, 1690; and Joshua Raymond November 17th of the same year.
Something of the mode of life of the early settlers of the island is narrated by Mrs. Governor Greene, in a manuscript yet extant, which gives a hint in regard to those times, in the following language: "The first settlers had one cow to three families. They made mush of Indian meal which they eat with a little milk instead of molasses. They had a fish called horse mackerel. This was their daily fare. They eat their breakfast and went sometimes several miles to their work of clearing, and on their return this was their supper."
Within a few years after the settlement of Block Island the whites began to experience trouble with the Indians. The lat- ter, conscious of their greater numbers, began to look upon the sixteen families as intruders. Moreover, traders sold fire-arms and " fire-water" to the Indians, and thus imperiled the infant colony. Concerning these unpleasant disturbances the Rev. Samuel Niles relates the following:
"At Block Island, where I was born. some time after the
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HISTORY OF NEWPORT COUNTY.
Island began to be settled by the English, there then being but sixteen Englismen and a boy, and abont three hundred Indians, the Indians were wont, some of them, to treat the English in a surly, lordly manner, which moved the English to suspect they had some evil design in hand; and it being in the time of Phil- ip's war, there was a large stone house garrisoned, erected by James Sands, Esq., one of the first settlers. To this garrison the women and children were gathered. But this was not esteemed a sufficient defense against such a great number of Indians as were then on the Island. They therefore kept a very watchful eye on them, especially when they had got a consider- able quantity of rum among them and they got drunk, as is common with them, and then they were ready for mischief. Once when they had a large keg of rum and it was feared by the English what might be the consequence, Mr. Thomas Terry, then an inhabitant there, the father of the present Colonel Terry, Esq., of Freetown, who had gained the Indian tongue, went to treat with them, as they were gathered together on a hill that had a long descent to the bottom, where he found their keg or cask of rum with the bung ont, and began to inquire who had supplied them with it. They told him Mr. Arnold, who was a trader on Rhode Island. Upon which he endeavored to undervalue him and prejudice their minds against him; and in their cups they soon pretended they cared as little for Mr. Arnold as he did. He told them, that if they spake the truth they should prove it, which is customary among them, and the proof he directed was to kick their keg of rum and say ' Tuck- isha Mr. Arnold;' which one of them presently did, and with his kick rolled it down the hill, the bung being open as was said, and by the time it came to the bottom the rum had all run out. By this stratagem the English were made easy for this time.
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