USA > Vermont > Rutland County > The history of Rutland county, Vermont; civil, ecclesiastical, biographical and military, pt 2 > Part 43
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HON. JOSEPH BOWKER.
[Read by Henry Hall before the Vermont Historical Society at Windsor, July 1st and 2nd, 1863.]
If we consult our published histories for a knowledge of the leading actors in the drama of Vermont's colonial and revolutionary struggles, we shall find none whose appearance is so weird and spectre-like as that of the Hon. Jo- seph Bowker of Rutland. He glides before our vision, the incumbent of the most important of- ficial stations; he vanishes-and we seek in vain for the faintest vestige of his antecedents or subsequent destiny.
It seems as if he were like the mystic Mel- chisedec, without father, without mother, with- out genealogy, and like the divinely buried Mo. ses, no mortal could tell the place of his burial.
Appletons' new American Cyclopedia con- tains ample columns descriptive of obscure In- dian agents, worthless military officers and insig- nificant politicians, but it does not even name him, who was, in a modified sense, the John Hancock of Vermont.
As Bowker died 79 years ago ; as his only sur- viving heirs were two married daughters, whose descendants are said to be in the far west; as his official files in the county clerk's office were probably burnt half a century since, with a mass of other papers, as useless lumber. there remains only brief documentary and oral evi- dence, from which to gather a few scanty facts, that, woven into far too beggarly a wreath, are rought as a votive offering on the altar of that Vioricau historic muse, who has, in our sister · swept through fame's marble balls, with
reputation, and next to Mr 3, it is claim- 11. puts all trailed in light; albeit, in our
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humble State, she has worn rather the lowly guise of crusading pilgrim, with palmer's staff, cockle shell, and sandal shoon.
An intelligent lady cotemporary told me that Bowker was early left an orphan-brought up in the family of a Mr. Taintor, a prosperous farmer,-privately betrothed to his daughter Sarah, drafted into the army during the French war, in the garrisou at Ticonderoga one or two years,-he returns with so good & reputation that he soon becomes the son-in-law of his qua- si guardian. .
The time and place of his birth are as yet uuknown. According to one who came to Rut- land three years after Bowker's death-the late Hon. J. D. Butler-no mean authority on any subject of which he ever spoke-Bowker came from Sudbury, Mass., or near there: a section of country 'that has abounded in Bowkers and Taintors for nearly two centuries.
In October, 1773, we find Bowker in Rut- land, with the title of Captain (military titles then were not prejudicial to one's reputation for capacity or integrity) Moderator of a Proprie- tors' Meeting ; one of the committee to find the centre of the town ; chairman of the commit- tee to inspect proprietors' titles, &c., and with his wife, becoming a member of the Congrega- tional church, then and there established.
He soon appears a general office-holder for town, county and State; one of the Committee of Safety ; a magistrate very generally sought for the execution of conveyances, for the adjn- dication of legal rights, and for the trial of to- ries ; town treasurer, selectman, town repre- sentative. member of the Governor's Council ; on all committees. financial, political, ecclesias- tical or legislative ; member of the Board of War, commissioner for the sequestration of to- ries' estates ; Judge of the Probate and coun- ty courts, and Chief Judge of a special court, appointed by the first Legislature.
About 1780. Bowker, Craghorn, Henry Strong and John Smith built a saw mill about eighty rods from the main north and south road, on Handpole, Moon's or Tuttle's brook. A portion of his farm abounds in clay, and an inventory of his estate shows a note of $13, against John Forbes for three thousand brick. Thus he seems ubiquitous, everywhere present, in all the political, legal, religious and business ope - rations of society, sympathizing with and parti- cipating in all the efforts of the infant colony, for defence, organization and improvement.
The nature of some of his miscellaneous ser-
vices for the public will appear by extracting a few items from his account, viz.
" State of Vermont, to Joseph Bowker, Dr. Nov. 1777, to attending vendue one day, 63
July, 1778. to attending vendue one day, 43 To writing three leases, 33
23
To one day in leasing Rockwell's lot, To cash paid Gideon Cooley for boarding and transporting the families of Perry and Shorey to the lake, £ 2 6=
Sept., 1778, to cash paid to Daniel Wash-
buru for boarding the family of Robert Per- ry five weeks, £2
To journey of myself and horse to Tin- mouth and attending the trial of John Mc- Neal, 9
Jan., 1780, to journey to Manchester of myself and horse, 38 miles, 13s 4d
To eight days service iu drawing a lot- tery, at 7s per day, £ 2 95
To two dollars paid to widow Weller, for house room and firewood, 123
To six bushels Indian corn for use of the State, 1Ss
To journey to Sunderland to attend the council, 42 miles, 13s
To one day's services,
To one day of myself and horse to Cas- tleton, 9s
To one day weighing bread and forward- ing provisions, 4s
To one day of man and horse to trans- port provisions to Pittsford, 93
To cash paid Nathan Pratt for transport- ing tory women to the Lake, £ 2 2s2d April, 1780, to paper to Captain Parm. lee Allen, £5 3s 21
On the 20th of October, 1779, he received from the State treasurer, £ 8 8s " for examining accounts of a committee to build a fort at l'itts- ford," and on the 22nd of February, 1781, 63 " for examining a muster roll."
The following are significant :
" Clarendon, Jan. 21, 1778.
Received of Joseph Smith, commissioner of Sequestration, four pounds one shilling and tive pence, L. M., for my time setting with the com- mittee to try tories.
JOSEPH BOWKER." "In Council, 25th Nov., 1777.
Captain Bowker, Sir: The confusion and multiplicity of business occasioned by the un- happy war, in the northern department, since the appointment of this council, has prevented their being able to get the constitution printed ; which obliges us. this council, to desire you to call together the old convention ; to meet at Windsor, on Wednesday, the 24th of December next, which you will not fail to do.
I am sir, by order of Council, Your most obedient servant,
THOMAS CHITTENDEN, President," "In Council, Bennington, Feb. 17, 177S.
To Captain Joseph Bowker, Sir :
Whereas, complaint is made to this couuci !.
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by deacon John Burnap, that Moses Olmstead and - - Owen, of Pittsfield, did, in Decem- ber last, take from him about twelve hundred weight of iron, which is detained from him ; he therefore desires this council that they would direct him in what manner he may obtain his property again. Therefore this council recom- mend to call together the members of the sev. eral committees in Rutland and the neighbor- ing towns, to the number of five, to judge and determine the case pending between the above parties according to justice and equity.
By order of council,
THOMAS CHITTENDEN, President."
If the remuneration, for the above named services seem paltry, we must remember the penury of the people, the exhaustive effects of the war, the scarcity of money, there being then only one bank in the nation, and but little spe- cie ; State orders and individual notes being the chief circulating medium ; also a custom, prev- alent among the public men of those days, as among the early invalid visitors to Clarendon Springs, namely, that of carrying their provis- ions in their portmanteaus and trunks, and therewith boarding themselves. [Perhaps also the patriots of the revolution hungered and thirsted after the public treasure with less greed than the army contractors, et id omme genus, do now.]
But the positions in which Bowker is the best, or only known to the general public, are, that of president of those conventions that as- serted the State's independence and framed the first constitution, and that of speaker of the house of representatives. Was it any honor to preside over such assemblages ? What was the character of their members ? We need not be told that the early settlers of Vermont were not Chevalier Bayards or Sir Phillip Sidneys in When we see that the treasurer of the State, on the 12th of February, 1779, paid him £ 24 bounty, for killing three wolves, we might infer him to have been somewhat of a Nimrod ; but this is, at least, partially negatived by turning to the inventory of his estate, where we find neither gun, pistol nor sword. scholarly and courtier-like accomplishments. Chiefly tillers of the soil, only a very few of them possessed either wealth or professional culture. The supreme court had dispensed law to the State almost a decade of years before the election of Nathaniel Chipman as judge, the first lawyer ever on that bench. Yet, were not He was such a general business man we should naturally conclude that he must have had libra. ry enough to post himself in all political, legal, financial and ecclesiastical affairs ; yet we have no evidence that he died the possessor of a single volume. the people, generally, thoroughily educated as to their legal and political rights? Gage, the last British governor of Massachusetts, wrote to the home government, that every subject in his province was a lawyer or a smatterer at law. Edmund Burke, on the 22nd of March, 1775, There is oral, but no recorded, evidence, that a Christian might wish to die, in the midst of a told the British House of Commons that the | he was an officer of the church, and he died as fierce spirit of liberty was stronger, and the supply of law more general in America than in 'religious revival.
any other country in the world ; that he was informed by the bookseller that after tracts of popular devotion, law books were most eagerly sought for by the Americans, and that about as many copies of Blackstone's Commentaries on the English laws were sold, in these colonies, with a population of two and a half millions, as in all England with seven and a half mil- lions of people.
If the four colonies of New England were settled by some of the best blood of Old Eng- land, was not Vermont settled by some of the keenest intellects and strongest reasoners, as well as by the bravest soldiers, the best shots, and the best farmers of the seaboard colonies ? Summon before you in dense array from mem- ory's archives, the soldiers, statesmen, politi- cians, legislators, governors, judges and exec- utive officers generally, that adorned Vermont's early history, and say, was it a slight compli- ment to be always called upon to preside over the solemn councils of such heroes? Why did not some of his talented and ambitious com- peers, at least once, achieve that honor ? Does not his invariable election as presiding officer, bespeak him pre-eminently familiar with parlia- mentary usages, self possessed, courteous, im- partial and quick of apprehension ?
Let us turn our attention to his pursuits and tastes. In 1774 he bought 150 acres of land, and sold 50 acres. This was his only trading in Rutland lands, and thus during the last ten years of his life, he owned and occupied 100 acres of land. In his deed he modestly styles himself a yeoman, while some of his brother farmers, in their deeds, call themselves gentle- men ; yet at his death ouly 30 acres of his land were improved. His official duties perhaps oc- cupied more of his time than his farming.
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He built his house of plank, when about all the other houses in town were of logs, and added thereto a lean-to, or semi-veranda; yet his residence could scarcely have been palatial, for it was appraised at only £ 40, just the ap- praisal of the sawmill, of which he owned one quarter, while his barn was valued at £ 28.
His style of housekeeping could not have been very aristocratic, for all liis household furniture was worth only about £ 50.
Admire the selection of his home in this wil derness. His farm, lying on the east side of Main Street road, extended 100 rods south, from about Green Street, to and including a part of Handpole Brook, and a half mile east of said road, he locates his dwelling, fronting towards the south, about half way down this noble slope of a pleasant hill (although now undervalued and desecrated by unfit tene- ments) and there, during the last ten years of his life-ten years of highly useful and honor- able exertion-with the mountain majesty of Killington on the east, Otter Creek on the west and the deep forests everywhere, he saw a State rise out of political chaos. peace between the United States and Great Britain, courts and churches duly organized, and the founda- tions laid for a framed courthouse and church, in the town which had most honored him, and been most honored by him.
Prominent as Bowker was, why was he not, like his townsmen, Sylvanus Brown, John Smith and Peleg Sunderland, denounced, outlawed, and a price offered for his head, by the gov- ernment of New York ? As he was a mod- est, unassuming man, of few words, probably his tastes did not incline him to engage in those acts of forcible resistance to the belligerent and official Yorkers, then deemed such efficacious and medicinal remedies against oppression.
We know also that he was no land specula- tor ; bought no land in Rutland until 1774, and died seized of no real estate but his home farm, if we omit one right of land in Starksboro, and another in Medway or Mendon.
Bowker died between the 10th of April and the 2d of Sept., 1784. There was no burial ground in Rutland then, except the one at Rut- land Centre, and somewhere in that public acre his remains were buried. The Rev. Jacob Wood, a revivalist, attended his funeral. The funeral procession had nearly completed its walk of two miles when Mr. Wood suddenly leaped upon a stump, and turning towards the mourners and their friends, cried, "Hark ! at
the day of judgment it will be an honor to be a Christian :" then jumped down and silently walked with the rest towards the graveyard.
We regret that the grave of Vermont's great Jurist, Nathaniel Chipman, is unhonored by any monument, obelisk, tablet or slab; yet that disgrace can be removed ; but our regret is sad- der, because unavailing, when we consider that the grave of the president of those conventions that gave Vermont her political existence and form, is not only unlionored, but literally un- known.
Notwithstanding the numerous and responsi- ble offices held by Bowker, he died almost as honorably poor as Aristides : his whole estate being appraised at about $ 1750. a very mode- rate competence, even in those frugal days .- But whatever else he left or failed to leave, the fragrance of a good name embalms liis memo- ry : tradition breathes not the slightest mist upon his fair fame. Mrs. Mercy Smith, a mem- ber of the first family settled in town, declared him to be " one of the finest of men, and reli- gious." Wm. McConnell, a neighbor, asserted that " he was the only man around here that knew anything-justice, judge, representative, deacon. &c." The late H. Strong, another neigh- bor. said. " Joseph Bowker was one of the com- mittee of safety ; he was greatly looked up to for counsel, much esteemed for his great and ex- collent qualities, for many years the most con- siderable public man in town, and, during the troubles of the war and the negotiations with Canada, he was always resorted to, solely for counsel and advice." The Rev. Dr. Heman Ball, who came to Rutland about twelve years after Bowker's death, leaves on record this cas- ual testimony : " Judge Bowker, who was often mentioned to me in language of much respect."
Who does not wish that photography had been invented by Adam, and never since a lost art, that we degenerate moderns might gaze upon the features of the mighty dead of all ages ? If we imagine Bowker standing before us, about five feet and seven inches in height, stoutly built, dressed in his favorite suit of blue .- blue coat, blue overcoat, blue vest, blue breeches, sometimes varied with cotton and linen breech- es and sometimes, again, with leather breeches, long stockings, silver buttons, silver stock buckle, silver bosom brooch, silver knee buck- les and silver shoe buckles, we shall. per- haps, have the best likeness now attainable, of " this fine old New England gentleman, all of the olden school."
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REV. BENAJAH ROOTS.
BY REV. ALDACEWALKER, D. D.
Rev. Benajah Roots, one of the first settled pastors in Vermont, was born in 1726, in Woodbury, Ct. Of his early life I can ascertain nothing. He was graduated in 1754 at Prince- ton College, N. J., with 19 classmates, 12 of whom became ministers. He studied divinity with Dr. Belamy of Bethlehem, Ct. In 1756 he was employed to preach in Simsbury, Ct., and was ordained there. Aug. 10, 1757, and remained 15 years. During his last few years there, there was much difficulty. February, 1770, a council was called by mutual desire, to hear and give their sentiments upon sundry exceptions said members had to make to some of Mr. Roots' doctrines, and also to some in- stances of his conduct relative to church disci- pline. No formal charges were made against their pastor ; but there were some supposed matters of difference, and grounds of complaint. The "result" of the council, and a "A few brief Remarks" in reply, by Mr. Roots, were published that year.
On reviewing the points of difference in doc- trine, as presented by the "Result of Council," and the "Brief Remarks." the conclusion is forced upon us, that according to the principles of Orthodoxy as now understood in New Eng- land, he stands high above his judges-as he certainly does in comprehensiveness and clear- ness of thought, and com.nand of language. And one can hardly read the pamphlets referred to without the reflection that, however it may be with the vaunted Ecumenical Council, Con- gregational councils may err. The council does not intimate that there is any occasion for the dissolution of the pastoral relation. A hope is expressed that "One and all will study the things that make for peace and mutual edifi- cation."
He was dismissed the next summer after this Consociation, and soon after came to Vermont. The early settlers in Rutland were most of them from Simsbury and neighboring towns. The way was open to emigrate with some of his flock, and once more become their pastor. Here he gathered the West Rutland church, though it was organized near the Centre, October 26, 1773,-the first Congregational church organ- ized in the county, and the second on the west side of the mountains in the State.
The sermon which Mr. Roots preached was printed. In the preface he says he knows of but one settled Congregational minister, in the whole region of country between Massachusetts and
Canada, and the Hudson and Connecticut riv- ers. There were at that time about 30 families in the town. As near as can be ascertain.ed, he engaged to preach for 5 years. and take the lot of land reserved for the first settled minister for his compensation, though the land according to the original designation became his of right at the time of his installation. He fulfiled the contract on his part, though the latter part of the time his health was poor. It is erroneously stated in the history of congregational minis- ters and churches, of Rutland county, published in the Quarterly Register, that " the settlement right, coming into his hands in consequence of his installment, became property of very con- siderable value to his family." This statement was made, it is presumed, under the apprehen- sion that this "settlement right" was the lot of land upon which Mr. Roots and family lived ; which is one of the most valuable farms in the town. But an examination of the true record shows that this lot, with another of 100 acres on the opposite side of Otter Creek, and 400 acres of uncultivated land, in the township were pur- chased by him, and deeded to him, before be moved to Rutland, for £ 195, paid in hand .--- The "minister's lot" was located near the N. E. corner of the town, among lands which. until within 20 years, have been regarded as having little more than a nominal value.
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After 5 years, some feeling is said to have arisen among the people, because their pastor was unwilling to preach longer without further compensation, and other ministers were em- ployed, to some extent; but he is supposed to have officiated most of the time, when he was able, till his death, in about 14 years. The church first consisted of 14 members; for 12 years there were but six added. This embraces the Revolutionary war period; not a time of prosperity to any of our churches.
In 1784-5 there was a revival which brought in 49 new members. About 4 years before the colony had left to establish the church and society in the East Parish, the pastor's resi- dence was 2 or 3 miles distant from the church : and frequently, on account of poor health, he was unable to attend. One Sabbath when thus known to be ill, and not expected, he rode up. When some of the brethren expressed surprise at seeing him out, he replied, that he dare not stay at home, for it was strongly impressed upon his mind that the Lord would be there. His people thought they never heard their pastor preach as he did that Sabbath; thus commenced that refreshing from the presence of the Lord
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which changed the whole aspect of the commu- nity, and gave strength and stability to the church. Mr. Roots labored with all his heart. assisted, part of the time, by Rev. Asa Burton of Thetford, and Rev. Joel Swift, soon after set- tled in Bennington : but he was doing his last work. Consumption had marked him; slowly he sank down into his rest, to sleep with the generation to which he had preached. His grave-stone informs us that he died March 15, 1787. in his 62d year.
From the little left of Mr. Roots' writings, it may be gathered that he was a man of strong mind, comprehensive views and sound scholar- ship. He received the degree of A. M. from his Alma Mater, and also from Yale and Dart- mouth. In Rutland he acquired the reputation of a strict disciplinarian, in church matters, of- fence having been given to some by the ex. communication of a prominent member. As a preacher he is said not to have been eloquent in manner, but he gave plain utterance to im- portant and well arranged truth ; and he spake in earnest. The aged man in Simsbury, before referred to, says, " After he had been settled some years in Rutland, he came back on a visit Soon after the close of the Convention, and during the same year, he removed to Rutland, deeming it a better field for the practice of his profession ; but in the fall of 1791, Vermont being now one of the United States, and enti- tled to two representatives in Congress, he was elected with great unanimity to represent the district composed of the towns west of the Mountains, and was re-elected in 1793, and again in'95. In the spring of '97 he was again a candidate for re-election ; but having iden- tified himself with the anti-Federal party, then beginning to be known as Republicans, he was defeated. In the fall of the same year, howev - er, he was elected to represent the town of Rutland in the State Legislature ; and on the assembling of that body it was found that there had been a change in the political atmosphere in the majority, and he was elected chief justice of the Supreme Court. and preached, from Luke, Iv. 16-20. This dis- course was very appropriate, and excited much interest." The sermon preached at the organ- ization of the church, in Rutland, may be taken as a specimen of his style. He speaks of it as having been prepared in the wilderness, without the ordinary helps which ministers have; and he consents to its publication be- cause he expects many of them will be scat- tered in the wilderness, where books are scarce; and, he continues, "if they may be of service to form, in the mind of any, just sentiments of the true church of Christ, and awaken in them an earnest solicitude to belong to this church, my end, in some measure, will be ac- complished." The sermon is certianly not such an one as we are sometimes given to under - stand are needed to "interest" the people in of the State, and that the Republicans were our new settlements, at the West. But I have no doubt those strong sinewed, strong minded men, who have turned aside, for a day, from the rugged labors of the field, to establish gospel institutions for themselves, and their descendants, could follow out its reasonings, and appreciate its truths, and thus doing were both interested and profited.
ISRAEL SMITH,
The fourth Governor of Vermont, was born in
Suffield, Ct., the 4th day of April, 1759, and graduated at Yale College in 1781.
He first came to Vermont in 1783, and im- mediately commenced the practice of law at Rupert, in the county of Bennington. He was the representative from that town to. the Legislature of Vermont during the years 11 15, '88, '89 and '90, and was, in 1786. elected one of the justices of the peace for that county ; this being the first election of that officer under the State government. In 1789 he, together with Isaac Tichenor. Stephen R. Bradley, Na. thaniel Chipman, Elijah Paine, Ira Allen and Stephen Jacob were appointed commissioners "to ascertain, agree to, ratify and confirm, a jurisdictional or boundary line between the State of New York and the State of Vermont, and to adjust and finally determine all and ev- ery matter and thing, which, in any wise, ob- struct a union of this Siate with the United States." Having accomplished the object of their appointment, he was chosen a delegate to the Convention which assembled at Benning- ton January, 1791, to consummate the measure, by ratifying the constitution of the United States.
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