USA > Vermont > Windham County > Newfane > Centennial proceedings and other historical facts and incidents relating to Newfane, the county seat of Windham County, Vermont > Part 11
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Suspended between A. Birchard's house and store was a motto in these words : " Welcome, we greet you." In front of the residence of the Rev. Chas. Burnham, Parson Tay- lor's present successor, the building that once served as Windham County jail on Fane hill, the eye of the visitor met with all the signs of a generous public welcome, and the following motto ; " Our country, our state, our home." This house having a public and historic character, it is proper that we should note explicitly its present location. It stands upon the south side of the common, the first house west of what was once the Union church, now remodeled and called Union Hall.
Having thus noted the various arrangements for the reception and welcome of the public, it becomes our duty to narrate the several transactions of the day, in the order in which they occurred. Between nine and ten o'clock, the singers from the several parts of the town, who were to form the choir for the occasion, in accordance with their previous arrangements, began to assemble at the residence of Mrs. Sarah Cook and her son-in-law, Mr. O. T. Ware, near the bridge south of the village, and opposite the mill yard, for the purpose of donning their ancient costumes. The necessary changes were completed without delay, and by ten o'clock all were in readiness to proceed to the school house. the point where the procession was to form. Here they met the various other ancient and modern mem- bers of the procession, some on foot and some on horse-
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back ; the whole fully and completely representing the beginning and end of the century. After encountering the delays always incident to such large public gatherings, the procession was finally formed in the order named in the programme, with a single exception, as follows: R. M. Gould, and J. Cutler, with the Fisher brothers of Worcester, Mass., and their wives returned upon this memorable day to their native town, with coach and four, and brought with them their Hon. friends the Ex-Mayor Clark Jilson, of Worcester, a native of Whitingham, Vt., and Mr. Earle, one of the city sheriff's. They came with flags, and banners, and horses gaily decked and caparisoned for the occasion. They, in company with the Hon. C. K. Field, were given a position next to the band.
At a quarter before eleven the order, "Forward march," was given by Col. A. B. Franklin, and the procession, closely pressed on all sides by the crowd, moved up the street to the foot of the common; thence to the right, past the residence of H. Rice to the front of the jail; thence to the left, past the residence of A. Birchard, the Fayette- ville hotel, and the residence of S. F. Whitney, to the dwelling house of the late Gen. P. T. Kimball ; thence down past the Congregational church, to the residence of the Rev. Mr. Burnham ; thence to the left again. past Union Hall, to a point near the center of the common; thence direct to the stand in front of the court house, where the Rev. Mr. Burnham opened the exercises with a solemn and impressive prayer. The president of the day followed with a short address of welcome; then arose ye ancient choir and rendered, " Auld Lang Syne," in a manner that showed that time had shorn that grand old tune of none of its harmony, power or pathos. The choir was composed of the following named persons : Dea. John Goodnow. Capt. Joshua Morse, both men past three score and ten, O. E. Franklin, S. P. Miller, William T. Bruce, Geo. W. Redfield, F. O. Burditt, D. A. Dickinson, Mrs. D. A. Dickinson, Mrs. D. D. Dickinson. Mrs. Samuel Morse. Miss Fanny Morse, Mrs. S. F. Whitney, Mrs. W. J. Tut- hill, Mrs. F. O. Burditt, Mrs. H. H. Smith.
The Brattleboro cornet band, one of the leading musical
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organizations of its kind in the state, in which Newfane was represented by the Higgins brothers, occupying a position upon the ground, just at the left of the choir, immediately upon the close of " Auld Lang Syne," struck up one of their soul-stirring airs in a manner that touched the musical chord in the soul of all the vast audience, which was composed of people not only from all parts of the town, county, and state, but the union, many a son and daughter of Fane having returned from various states in the Union to enjoy this occasion. It was one of the largest public gatherings ever held in town, estimated by many to be at least three thousand people.
Mr. Field's address occupied about an hour in its delivery. Long before its close his voice failed him and he was obliged to hand over his MS. to his friend Col. K. Has- kins, who finished its reading in a round, full voice, and a highly acceptable manner; upon its close the choir sang " Ode to Science," and the band followed with a stirring air; thus closed the exercises of the forenoon.
EXERCISES OF THE AFTERNOON.
Re-assembling at a little past two o'clock the choir and band opened the exercises as per order of the programme. The president then announced that voluntary remarks from any one were in order, but as no one seemed disposed to accept the invitation, the toast master, Rev. Mr. Burnham, came forward with his sentiments, which soon met with hearty and cheery responses, from those to whom they were directed. Not having a short hand reporter present, we have been able to give in the foregoing pages only the few answers prepared for the occasion. Eldest among the venerable ones present upon this memorable day was Mrs. Reba Holland, hale and healthy in body and mind, at the advanced age of fourscore and ten. Eighty years of her life having been spent in this town and its immediate vicinity. Her father coming from Massachusetts when she was ten years old, moved his family into an open log pen,
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without either floor, roof, or door, built upon the hill, to the west and opposite of the then Hazleton meadows, now owned and occupied by the Franklin brothers and their mother.
Among the others of this patriarchal circle, was Mr. Artemas Eddy, aged eighty-seven, and Mrs. Brown, and the Hon. Austin Birchard, both octogenarian residents of the town. The venerable Judge Keyes, of Brattleboro, who laid the foundation in his early practice on Fane hill for that legal lore that in his palmy days gave him the reputa- tion of being the best read lawyer in Windham County, was to be seen with his long silver locks, bleached by eighty-seven summers, moving about with that short, shuffling step that all men knew was Judge Keyes'.
Prominent among the active men of political and judicial fame was the Hon. Ex-Judge Aldis of the Supreme Court of Vermont, now U. S. Consul to Nice, Italy.
Present upon the stage were the Hon. Judges, James Barrett and H. H. Wheeler, of our State Supreme Court ; the Hon. Ex-Mayor C. Jilson and sheriff's Gould and Earle of Worcester, Mass; the Hon. C. N. Davenport. Col. K. Haskins, Col. S. M. Waite and the Rev. Mr. Grout, of Brattleboro ; the venerable Austin Birchard, and various members of the centennial committee, with some of the direct descendants of the three original pioneers of the town.
Very soon upon the opening of the afternoon exercises, it became evident that a portion of the matter prepared and intended for the occasion, must necessarily be omitted for the want of time. Accordingly, Mr. Green withheld the letters and facts in his possession, but in this work they occupy the position, as matters of history, that they were to have occupied in the proceedings of that day.
Upon the close of the toasts and their responses, Mrs. Wm. A. Stedman, wife of a grandson of the original pioneer, Nathaniel, came forward clad in ancient costume. and commenced the reading of an original poem, written for the occasion ; but ere she began dark lowering clouds gathered overhead, and while the half had not been told, the heavy drops began to fall, and the people were com-
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pelled to seek shelter wherever it could be found. By special request the court house was opened and Mrs. Sted- man invited to go in and finish the reading of her poem. The house was soon filled to its utmost capacity and Mrs. Stedman was requested to commence and re-read her article entire ; which she did in a manner that would have done credit to any professional reader. Following it were speeches from various individuals, among whom were Jilson, Gould and Earle, the latter of whom, a Massachu- setts man, seemed intent upon cracking sharp jokes on his friends Gould and Jilson.
The closing words of the day, from the Rev. Mr. Olmstead of Townshend, Rev. Mr. Grout of Brattleboro, and various other gentlemen, were earnest appeals to the townspeople to see to it that the history of the town and its centennial celebration should be published ; and now, after a delay of two years, a committee has finally been chosen and authorized by a vote of the town to write out and publish the work.
DECORATION OF THE CHURCH, JULY 5.
The church was beautifully decorated with evergreens. Upon the end of the church, directly behind the pulpit, was placed a large evergreen cross. Upon the left side of the cross and under the transverse piece was the date 1774, and " Taylor," the name of the first pastor ; on the right side was 1874, and " Burnham," the name of the present minister. Above the cross, in large letters, was the sentence : " Holiness becometh thy house, O Lord, forever." Against the front of the pulpit was another evergreen cross, beautifully orna- mented with flowers. Charming vases of flowers adorned the pulpit and the table in front of the pulpit. In front of the choir was this sentence : " Praise God in his sanctuary." A large evergreen wreath and cross adorned the windows,
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and the chandelier was appropriately and neatly adorned. The Sabbath was a beautiful day, and the sanctuary was thronged with multitudes from abroad, who had returned on this joyful occasion to mingle their prayers and praises with the residents of the place, in the House of the Lord.
The choir opened the exercises of the day by singing " Old Denmark :"
" Before Jehovah's awful throne."
The introductory exercises were conducted by the Rev. Lewis Grout, of West Brattleboro, who was a native of this town. The 48th Psalm was read, prayer offered, and the hymn :
" How pleased and blessed was I, To hear the people cry," etc.,
was sung to " Dalston."
Sermon.
The morning service was concluded by singing the hymn : " I love thy church, O God," etc.
It was sung in the old fashioned way, by reading two lines, then singing them, and reading two more. and so on.
As a fitting conclusion of the services of the day, though not a memorial service, the Rev. Mr. Burnham preached from thes ewords: " Show thyself a man," I Kings, ii : 2.
PART II.
PART II.
In this portion of the work will be found all the various facts and historical matters of interest, that we have been able to collect and authenticate, that have not appeared in the previous pages.
ORIGINAL CHARTER.
The application for, and Charter of 1753.
At a council holden at Portsmouth, by his Excellency's orders, on Wednesday, April II, 1753:
Present-Theodore Atkinson, Richard Wibird, Samuel Lolley, Daniel Warner, Esq's. The secretary laid before the Council the petition of Abner Sawyer and about sixty others, praying a grant of His Majesty's unappropriated lands lying to the westward of Connecticut River, for a township six miles square, upon the condition directed to in His Majesty's instructions, and asked the Council whether they would advise his Excellency to make such a grant, to which they did advise and consent.
PROVINCE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE.
Seal!
George, by the grace of God, of Great Britain, France and Ireland, King, defender of the Faith, &c. To all persons to whom these presents shall come, --- GREETING :
Know ye, that we of our special grace, certain knowledge and mere motion, for the due encouragement of settling a new plantation within our said Province, by and with the advice of our trusty and well-beloved Benning Wentworth, Esqr., our Governor and Commander-in-chief of our Province of New Hampshire, in America, and of our Coun- cil of the said Province, have, upon the conditions and reservations hereafter made, given and granted, and by these presents, for ns, our heirs and successors, do give and
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grant in equal shares, unto our loving subjects, inhabitants of our said Province of New Hampshire, and his Majesty's other governments, and to their heirs and assigns forever, whose names are entered on this grant, to be divided to and amongst them into seventy- four equal shares, all that tract or parcel of land situate, lying and being within our Province of New Hampshire, containing by admeasurement twenty-three thousand and forty acres, which tract is to contain six miles square, and no more, out of which an allowance is to be made for highways and unimprovable land hy rocks, mountains, ponds and rivers, one thousand and forty acres free, according to the plan thereof made and presented by our said Governor's orders, and hereunto annexed, butted and bounded as follows, viz: Beginning at a stake and stones five hundred rods east 10º south by the needle from the northeast corner of the town of Marlborough, and from thence running six miles north 20° east by the needle to n stake and stones, from thence west 10º north by the needle six miles to a stake and stones, from thence south 20° west by the needle six miles to the north side of Marlborough aforesaid, thence by Marlborough line cast 10° south to Marlborough's northeast corner, from thence con- tinning that course to the stake and stones first above mentioned, and that the same be and is hereby incorporated into a township by the name of Fane, and that the inhabi- tants that do -- or shall hereafter inhabit said township, are hereby declared to be enfranchised with and entitled to all and every the privileges and immunities that other towns within our said Province by law exercise and enjoy. And further, that the said town as soon as there shall be fifty families resident and settled thereon, shall have the liberty of holding two fairs, one of which shall be held on the , and the other on the - annually, which fairs are not to continue and be held longer than the respec- tive - following the said respective days, and as soon as the said town shall con- sist of fifty families, a market shall be opened and kept one or more days in each week, as may be most advantageous to the inhabitants. Also, that the first meeting for the choice of town officers, agreeable to the laws of our said Province, shall be held on the last Wednesday in August next, which meeting shall be ratitied by Mr. Abner Sawyer, who is hereby also appointed the moderator of the said first meeting, which he is to notify and govern agrecable to the laws and customs of our said Province: and that the annual meeting forever hereafter for the choice of such officers of said town shall be on the second Wednesday in March, annually. To have and to hold the said tract of land as above expressed, together with all the privileges and appurtenances, to them and their respective heirs and assigns forever, upon the following conditions, viz: That every grantee, bis heirs or assigns, shall plant or cultivate five acres of land within the term of five years, for every fifty acres contained in his or their share or proportion of land in said Township, and continue to improve and settle the same by additional cul- tivations, on penalty of the forfeiture of his grant or share in the said Township, and its reverting to his Majesty, his heirs and successors, to be by him or them regranted to such of his subjects as shall effectually settle and cultivate the same. That all white pine trees within the said Township fit for masting our royal navy be carefully pre- served for that nse, and none to be cut or felled without his Majesty's especial license for so doing first had and obtained, upon the penalty of the forfriture of the right of such grantee, his heirs or assigns to us, our heirs end successors, as well as being sub- ject to the penalty of any act or acts of Parliament that now are or hereafter shall be enacted. That before any division of the said land be made to and amongst the gran- tees, a tract of land as near the centre of the Township as the land will admit of, shall be reserved and marked out for town lots, one of which shall be allotted to each grantee of the contents of one acre, yielding and paying therefor to us, our heirs and snecess- ors, for the space of ten years. to be computed from the date hereof, the rent of one car of Indian corn only, on the first day of January annually. if lawfully demanded, the first payment to be made on the first day of January rext ensning the date hereof. And every proprietor, settler, or inhabitant, shall yield and pay unto us, our heirs and successors, yearly, and every year forever, from and after the expiration of the ten years from the date hereof, namely : on the first day of January, which will be in the year of our Lord Christ one thousand seven hundred and sixty-four, one hilling Proc- lamation money for every hundred acres he so owns, settles, or possesses, and so in proportion for a greater or lesser tract of the said land, which money shall be paid by
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the respective persons abovesaid, their heirs or assigns, in our Conncil Chamber, in Portsmouth, or to such officer or officers as shall be appointed to receive the same, and this to be in lien of all other rents and services whatsoever.
In testimony whereof we have caused the seal of our said Province to be hereunto affixed. Witness, Benning Wentworth, Esqr., our Governor and Commander-in- Chief of our said Province, the 19th day of June, in the year of our Lord Christ, 1753, and in the twenty-sixth year of our reign.
By His Excellency's command, with advice of Council.
B. WENTWORTH.
THEODORE ATKINSON, Secretary.
Entered and recorded according to the original charter, under the Province seal, this 21st day of June, 1753.
Per THEODORE ATKINSON, Secretary.
The names of the grantees of the above Charter have already appeared in Mr. Field's address.
Ilis Excellency Benning Wentworth Esq., one tract of land of the contents of five hundred acres, which is to be accounted two of the above shares ; one whole share for the incorporated society for the propagation of the gospel in foreign parts ; one whole share for the first settled minister of the gospel in the said town ; one whole share for a glebe for the minister of the church of England as by law established.
Henry Sherborn, Theodore Atkinson, Richard Wibird, Samuel Smith, John Downing Senior, Lolly Sampson, Sheaffe and Daniel Warner, John Wentworth Junior.
Province of New Hampshire, entered and recorded from the back of the charter of Fane, the 21 June, 1753.
TIIEODORE ATKINSON, Secretary.
The following named persons were the grantees of the second Charter, granted November 3, 1761.
The names of the grantees of New Fane : Benja. Flagg, Mary Sawyer, Jonas Hey- wood, James Barrat, John Milling, Sam'l Ball, Thomas Barrat, Eben'r Morse, Luke Brown, Sam'l Jones, Isaac Miller, Timo. Brown, Sam'l Jones, Jun'r, John Hazleton, Esq., Sam'l Heywood, Jonas Potter, Ross Wyman, Amos Heywood, Abijah Brown, Charles Brigham, Esq., Charles Heywood, Isaac Glezon, Ezra Sawyer, Jun'r, Joseph Hubbard, John Brooks, James Taylor, Isaac Hubbard, Thos. Sawyer, Inness Sterner, Thos. Davis, David Fiske, Job Cushing, Jona. Fisk, Isaac Davis, Thos. Green, Ezra Sawyer, Simon Davis, John Woodward, Daniel Warner, Esq., Sam'l Potter, Isaac Wil- lard, Mark IIunking Wentworth, Esq., Sam'l Potter, Jun'r, Benja. Stowell, Theodore Atkinson, Esq., Simon Davis, Jun'r, Isaac Barnard, Esq., Maj. John Wentworth, Esq. Ephraim Brown, Joseph Bixby, Ephraim Potter, Edward Brown, Timo. Payne, Esq., Timothy Wheeler, Sam'l Brown, Will'm Young, Simon Hunt, Luke Brown, Jun'r, Thos. Hubbard, Joseph Hubbard, Jun'r, Jona. Heywood, Joseph Hubbard, Jonah Conant, Samuel Brooks, David Wheeler.
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FIRST TOWN OFFICERS,
CHOSEN UPON THE ORGANIZATION OF THE TOWN, MAY 17, 1774.
Moderator, Ebenezer Fletcher ; Town Clerk, Luke Knowlton ; Supervisor, Luke Knowlton ; Overseers of Poor, John Wheeler and Ebenezer Fletcher ; Trustees, Jonathan Park, Moses Kenney, and Christopher Osgood ; Commissioners, Edward Smith, Chirstopher Osgood, and John Wheeler; Assessors, Christopher Osgood, and Luke Knowlton ; Collector, Josiah Randall; Treasurer, Luke Knowlton ; Constables, Phineas Farrar, John Morse, Edward Smith, and Lemuel Stevens ; Overseers of High- ways, Josiah Randall, Ebenezer Merrick, Moses Kenney, and Lemuel Stevens ; Fence Viewers, Jonathan Thurston, Joshua Morse, Christopher Osgood, and Nathan Pike.
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FAMILY GENEALOGIES.
FIELD FAMILY.
John Horne Tooke, in his "Diversions of Purley," sug- gests that Field in old English was written Feld. Field land or Feld land was open land and was used to designate land where the trees had been felled, in contradistinction to wood or forest land. Feld, Felde and Fielde were com- mon names in England before the fifteenth century.
Hubertus De la Feld came from Colmar, an imperial city during the middle ages, near Strasburg, in Alsatia, on the German border of France. He was of the Counts De la Feld, who resided at Colmar as early as the sixth cen- tury. He came to England with William the Conqueror, in 1066, and held lands in Lancashire, in 1068, granted to him by the Conqueror for military services. The De la Felds and De la Feldes were common before the reign of Richard II. During the fourteenth century the prefix " De la " was dropped, in consequence of the wars with France having made it unpopular. In the fifteenth century the name Field seems to have been generally substituted for that of Feld, Felde, or Fielde.
John Field, the astronomer, was born about 1525, and died at Ardsley, England, in 1587. He published the first astronomical tables in 1550 that ever appeared in England, they were calculated upon the basis of the Copernican theory.
The first appearance of the name of Field without the prefix " De la" was in Ardsley and Bradford in the west riding of Yorkshire which borders upon Lancashire, near the lands granted by the Conqueror to Hubertus De la Feld.
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Ancient records and documents furnish satisfactory evidence that the name Feld without the prefix " De la" is not to be found earlier than about 1400, and the fact that the Fields appear where the De la Felds were originally located indicates that the families were identical. In addition, the coat of arms of the ancient De la Felds is the same as that of the modern family of Field: "Sable, a chevron between three garbs, argent."
John Field, the Astronomer, married Jane Amyas, of London, in 1560. They had eight sons and one daughter. John Field, Jr., the fourth son, was the father of Zechariah Field, who was born at Ardsley, England, in 1600, emigrated to Boston, in 1632, and settled in Dorchester, where he remained until 1639, when he removed to Hart- ford, Conn., and from thence, in 1659, to Northampton, Mass., and, in 1663, to Hatfield, Mass., where he died in 1666.
He married Mary -, and left five children who were all born in Hartford, between the years 1643 and 1658. The youngest son, Joseph Field, remained in Hatfield until 1714, when he removed to Sunderland, and from thence to Northfield, in 1720, to gain a title to his allotment of land. He returned to Sunderland, in 1726, died February 15, 1736, aged seventy-eight years.
He married, first, Joanna, daughter of John Wyatt, of Hartford, Conn., June 28, 16SS ; second. Mary Belding. She died March 15, 1751, at Northfield. aged eighty-seven years. Joseph Field had by his first wife eleven children. Jonathan Field, youngest son of Joseph Field, was born October 13, 1699, at Hatfield, and removed with his father to Sunderland. He married, first, Mary Billings, of Hat- field, March 30, 1721, by whom he had four daughters. She died in 1736. In 1738 he married, for his second wife, Esther Smith, of Hatfield, by whom he had four sons and two daughters. His oldest son, Seth Field, was born in 1741, and died in 1813. Seth Field married, first, Mary Hubbard, of Sunderland, by whom he had six children. Second, Margery Lotheridge, of Pelham, Mass., in 1815. She was born in the north of Ireland, in 1754, her maiden
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name was Margery Knowlton. She died at Silver Creek, N. Y., in 1833.
Martin Field, son of Seth Field, was born January 12, 1773, died October 3, 1833. Married Esther Smith Kel- logg, of Amherst, Mass., February 21, 1802. She was born February 25, 1780, and died June 6, 1867. They had four children as follows :
Charles Kellogg, born April 14, 1803. Married Julia Ann Kellogg, of Cooperstown, N. Y., June 29, 1828.
Mary Hubbard, born September 13, 1804. Married, first, Theodore F. French, of Troy, July 27, 1824. Died Sep- tember 11, 1828. Second, Thomas Jones, of Enfield, Mass., December 24, 1835. Died October 21, 1853.
Roswell M., born February 22, 1807. Died at St. Louis, July 12, 1869. Married Frances Reed, of St. Louis, May 30, 1848. She died November 18, 1856.
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