HISTORY 
 
 -OF- 
 
 SOUTHBRIDGE, MaSS. 
 
 By Moses Plimpton. 
 
Class F?^ 
 
 Book . fil^T; 
 
HISTOR Y 
 
 OF 
 
 SOUTHBRIDGE 
 
 Moses Plimpton 
 
 DELIVERED BEFORE THE SOUTHBRIDGE, MASS., LYCEUM, OR LITERARY 
 ASSOCIATION, IN THREE LECTURES, MARCH, 1 836. 
 
 SOTJTIIIJUIDGE: 
 
 J O U It N A I. 8 I' E A M BOOK P R I N T. 
 
 1882. 
 

 /^V'T'i/ 
 
 i 
 
HISTORY OF SOUTHBRIDGE. 
 
 If anything of an adverse nature could 
 be supposed to mingle with the gratifica- 
 tion I have experienced in witnessing the 
 lumsual interest which has been manifested 
 by the inhabitants of the town, in attending 
 the lectures of the past winter, it is a 
 consciousness of my inability to discharge 
 in a proper manner the obligation, into 
 which I inadvertently entered. Feeling 
 and acknowledging this, I make no other 
 apology. 
 
 It will probably be expected, that, in 
 compliance with the custom established 
 by those who have preceded me, I sliould 
 announce the subject to which I propose to 
 invite your attention. In doing this, I 
 must take the liberty to say that, if I had 
 succeeded agreeably to my wishes, I would 
 venture to call it a History of Southbridge, 
 but having found it extremely difficult to 
 obtain materials, documents, etc .,in relation 
 to that ijart which would be most interest- 
 ing to all, I mean the first settlement and 
 early progress of this place towards the 
 state in which we now find it, I prefer that 
 what I may offer this evening should be 
 considered as a historical sketch of the 
 early settlement of our country, with the 
 growth and progress of towns in Massachu- 
 setts, intending at the same time to pre- 
 sent you with the best result I have, as yet, 
 been able to obtain by inquiries and 
 researches for the history of this town. 
 
 It is probably well known to most of 
 those who are present, that the first exist- 
 
 ence of Southbridge, as a town, is of 
 recent date. It was incorporated in 181(1. 
 The territory of which it is composed was 
 taken from the towns of Sturbridge, 
 Charlton and Dudley and, of course, it is 
 now bounded on the east by tlie latter 
 town, north by Charlton, west by Stur- 
 bridge, and south by Connecticut line, or 
 Woodstock. Considerably more than half 
 of the territory, and of the [population was 
 taken from Sturbridge. 
 
 It will be seen at once, that so far as 
 ancient liistory is our object we can refer 
 only to the history of our three jjarent 
 towns; that is, in relation to all those facts 
 concerning their municiijal and "other 
 affairs of which they have public records. 
 From these we can get but little informa- 
 tion which will apply very definitely to 
 those parts which now compose this town. 
 The greatest difficulty, however, is not here. 
 The public records of any town do not 
 contain those facts and details, those 
 apparently trifling matters, which are 
 suffered to pass unnoticed at the time, but 
 which truly exhibit and illustrate the 
 character, manners and customs of the 
 times, and the state of society, and to 
 which posterity will always look back with 
 the most lively interest. 
 
 Had I undertaken this task ten or fifteen 
 years since, there were those in existence 
 who could readily have furnished almost, 
 if not quite, all the information requisite 
 to form a correct and valuable history of 
 
HISTORY OF SOUTHBRIDGE. 
 
 everything material in tlie transactions of 
 tliis place from tlie time the first wander- 
 ers penetrated into the wilderness hither, 
 to look out a place for themselves and 
 their offspring. But alas! they have one 
 by one been passing off the stage ; and thus 
 we have suffered to be extinguished with- 
 out using those lights by which we might 
 have taken views of the past, where now 
 all is dark and obscure. It is reflections of 
 this nature, which more than a hope of 
 entertaining an audience, have induced 
 me to call attention to the subject of these 
 remarks, and I would embrace this oppor- 
 tunity to suggest for inquiry, whether there 
 is not generally amongst us, an inexcusable 
 deficiency in a knowledge of history, par- 
 ticularly the history of our own country, I 
 mean that kind of knowledge which is of 
 any considerable value. In all our reading 
 and study, do we not content ourselves 
 with merely skimming the surface, uncon- 
 scious of the rich treasures which lie be- 
 neath and which a minute and careful 
 examination would unfold to our view. 
 There are in history as in everything else 
 two entirely different kinds of knowledge ; 
 the one superficial which can have but 
 little impression on the mind, the other 
 philosophical, critical, and which is calcu- 
 lated to impart to the mental qualities of 
 the individual, the true nature of the object 
 or event on which it is exercised. Most of 
 us, no doubt, have some vague and general 
 notions of great leading events which have 
 happened somewhere, at some time, and 
 in which some distinguished persons were 
 concerned, but how few can tell, how few 
 indeed ever inquire, where, when, these 
 events took place, and who were the dis- 
 tinguished actors. IIow few, in short, 
 trouble themselves about the particu- 
 lars, places, times, dates, comparisons and 
 connected views of all these. 
 
 The ideas which led to these remarks 
 were suggested to me by the discovery of 
 their appropriate application to myself, 
 and which was the first and most important 
 fact I discovered in the course of the inves- 
 tigations I have made on the subject of our 
 history ; and it appeared to me so impor- 
 tant, that I thought it might be of some 
 use to others. 
 
 By way of introduction, I must ask your 
 
 attention to a very brief statement, in the 
 order of time, of some of the principal 
 events in the early history of our country, 
 confining these mostly to Massachusetts; 
 and I would urge the importance of attend- 
 ing to the dates of these events. 
 
 The first discovery of land, not before 
 known to the eastern nations was made 
 by Columbus in Oct. 1492, (344 years since.) 
 This land was the West India islands near 
 this continent. 
 
 The continent was discovered by the 
 same distinguished navigator in Aug. 1498, 
 near the mouth of the river Orinoco in 
 South America. 
 
 In June 1497, the island of Newfoundland 
 was discovered by John and Sebastian 
 Cabot, who sailed from England ; and in 
 the same year, soon after, these men whose 
 names should be remembered discovered 
 Canada, Nova Scotia, New England, and 
 the southern states. 
 
 In 1512, John Ponce de Leon discovered 
 Florida; he was from Spain. 
 
 In 1534, James Cartier was sent by the 
 king of France, entered the gulf of Law- 
 rence, and in 1535 he made another voyage 
 and sailed up the river and visited Mon- 
 treal, which was then the place of resort 
 for all tlie Indians of Canada. 
 
 These discoveries, by the several subjects 
 of Great Britain, France and Spain, laid 
 the foundations of the claims of those 
 nations to the territory, and from these 
 claims arose the wars, which from a short 
 time after the settlement of our country by 
 the English, till about the time of our 
 revolution, at different periods, embroiled 
 the early settlers, and caused great trouble, 
 expense, and loss of lives. 
 
 In 1541, the river Mississippi was discov- 
 ered by Ferdinand de Soto, a Spaniard, 
 
 In 1584, Sir Walter Raleigh entered 
 Pamlico sound, in North Carolina, and on 
 his return to England the name of Virginia 
 was given to the whole country by Queen 
 Elizabeth. 
 
 In 1002, Bartholomew Gosnold discov- 
 ered the promontory at Cape Cod in Massa- 
 chusetts. 
 
 In 1607, the first permanent settlement 
 was made in North America, at James- 
 town in Virginia. 
 
 In the year previous, April 10. IfiOG, 
 
HISTORY OF SOUTHBRIDGE. 
 
 James I, king of England, made a division 
 of what was then called Virginia, into two 
 colonies ; both included they extended from 
 the 84th to the 45th degrees of north lati- 
 tude. The Southern colony he granted by 
 letters patent to Sir Thomas Gates, Sir 
 George Somcrs, and others under the name 
 of the London company. The Northern, 
 called the second colony, he granted to 
 other persons, Thomas Hanham, Raleigh 
 Gilbert, etc, by the name of the Plymouth 
 company, (first grants.) 
 
 In 1600, Henry Hudson, an Englishman, 
 in the service of the Dutch East India 
 company discovered Hudson's river and 
 sailed along the coast from Cape Cod to 30 
 degrees north latitude. This was the 
 foundation of the Dutch claims to this 
 part of the country. 
 
 In 1614 (or 1613) the states general, or 
 republic of Holland, granted to certain 
 Dutch merchants a patent for an exclusive 
 right to trade on the Hudson river, and 
 they erected two forts, one at Albany the 
 other at New York. This gave rise to con- 
 tentions for authority, etc. , till 1064, when 
 the country was subdued by England. 
 
 In 1619, the first provincial legislation 
 ever held in this country was convened at 
 Jamestown; it consisted of delegates 
 chosen by the people. 
 
 In 1614, the celebrated Capt. John Smith 
 who had formerly been out to Virginia 
 and returned to England, sailed, with two 
 ships to North Virginin, (or N. C.) and 
 ranged the coast from Penobscot to Cape 
 Cod, making a more minute discovery than 
 had yet been done. He formed a map of 
 the country, which on his return to Eng- 
 land he presented to Prince Charles, who, 
 being much pleased with Smith's descrip- 
 tion, gave it the name of New England. 
 
 In 1620, Dec. 22, the company of Puri- 
 tans, 101 in number landed at Plymouth. 
 
 In the same year, Nov. 3, King James I, 
 by letters patent, incorporated the Duke of 
 Lenox and others by the nanie of the 
 "Council established at Plymouth (Eng- 
 land,) in the country of Devon, for plant- 
 ing, ruling, ordering and governing New 
 England in America," and granted to them 
 their successors, etc., all that part of 
 America lying from 40 to 48 degrees north 
 latitude, and extending east and west from 
 
 sea to sea. This is the liasis of all the 
 patents in New England under which 
 the coimtry was settled. It had before, it 
 will be recollected, been called North 
 Virginia. 
 
 In 1603 and 1606, Marten Pring, an Eng- 
 lish navigator, visited the coast of Maine, 
 and made some discoveries of its rivers 
 and bays. A settlement w'as attempted in 
 1(507 by the Plymouth company of England, 
 but it did not succeed. 
 
 In 1622, Sir Ferdinando Georges and 
 Capt, Mason obtained from the council of 
 Plymouth a grant of the territory lying 
 between the rivers Merrimac and Sagada- 
 hok, or Kennebec, and in the next j'ear, 
 1623, commenced settlements at the mouth 
 of the Pascataqua, and at Dover, which 
 were the first in New Hampshire. 
 
 The company which had settled at 
 Plymouth in 1620 had no title when they 
 landed ; they had obtained a patent from 
 the South Virginia company and intended 
 to settle near the mouth of the Hudson, 
 but, when in sight of Sandy point, or Cape 
 Malabar, in Chatham, or perhaps having 
 passed on towards New York they were 
 deterred by the dangerous shoals, the 
 breakers and the stormy season from pro- 
 ceeding, and returned round the point of 
 the cape and landed at Plymouth, as be- 
 fore stated. They were soon apprised of 
 the grant to the council of Plymouth, which 
 included the place where they had conclud- 
 ed to settle. They, however, entered into 
 negotiations for the purchase of the lands, 
 and in 1627 obtained a patent for the same, 
 with authority to establish a government. 
 
 In 1627, March 19, Sir Henry Rosewell, 
 Sir John Young, Thomas Southcott, .John 
 Humphrey, John Endicott and Simon 
 Whetcombe obtained from the council of 
 Plymouth a grant of that part of New Eng- 
 land lying three miles south of Charles 
 river and three miles north of Merrimac 
 river. In the next year, March 4, 1628, 
 Charles I, king of England, granted and 
 confirmed the same to the persons before 
 mentioned, and their associates, being 
 twenty others. And in this grant or 
 charter powers of government were given 
 them, by the name of the "Governor and 
 company of the Massachusetts Bay in New 
 England." This was to be the name of 
 
6 
 
 HISTORY OF SOUTHBKIDGE. 
 
 the company, including the persons to 
 whom the grant waS now made, "and all 
 such others as shall hereafter be admitted 
 and made free of the company, etc, and 
 they were to have one governor, one deputy 
 governor and eighteen assistants of the 
 same company to be from time to time 
 constituted, elected, and chosen out of the 
 freemen of the said company for the time 
 being, etc., which said officers shall apply 
 themselves to take care for the best dispos- 
 ing and ordering of the general business 
 and affairs of, for, and concerning the 
 said lands, etc, and the plantation thereof, 
 and the government of the people there." 
 The governor, lieutenant governor and 
 assistants were to hold and keep a court or 
 assembly of themselves, for the better 
 ordering and directing of their affairs once 
 a month or oftener; and upon every last 
 Wednesday in Hilary, Easter, Trinity, and 
 Michas terms respectively, they were to 
 hold one great, general and solemn assem- 
 bly, to be styled and called the four great 
 and general courts. At these great and 
 general courts, "the governor or lieuten- 
 ant govei'nor, and such of the assistants 
 and freemen of said company as shall be 
 present, or the greater number of them, so 
 assembled, etc., shall have power to choose, 
 nominate and appoint such and so many 
 others as they shall think fit, and that shall 
 be willing to accept the same, to be free- 
 men of said company and body, etc. 
 And on the last Wednesday in Easter 
 term yearly the governor, deputy governor 
 and assistants were to be newly chosen in 
 tlie said general court by such greater part 
 of the said company as should be present." 
 Here we have the foundation for a 
 colony in Massachusetts, and tlie origin of 
 our state government. This last Wednes- 
 day in Easter term, was what has ever been 
 our "Election day," imtil the late altera- 
 tion of the constitution, and indeed we are 
 not yet disposed to give it up. It is, and 
 probably will for a long time, be regarded 
 as a holiday. 
 
 The first settlement under this charter 
 was made in 1(528 at Salem, by .John 
 Endicott and about 100 others. In the 
 next year Mr. Endicott was appointed 
 governor, l)eing then in the colony, 
 and abovit 300 others provided with cattle 
 
 and other necessaries sailed from England, 
 and arrived at Salem in June 1G29, but 
 about 200 of these, not liking the situation 
 of Salem went on to Charlestown. 
 
 There had a few years before been some 
 attemiDts at settlement in otlier places as 
 Nantasket, Weymouth, Cape Ann, and 
 Mount Wolliston, in Quincy; but they did 
 not succeed. 
 
 In the same year in which Endicott and 
 others commenced at Salem, 1G28, John 
 Winthrop, Isaac Johnson, 1 homas Goffe, 
 Mr, Dudley, Mr. Craddocke, Sir Richard 
 Saltonstall and others purchased of Rose- 
 well and the company associated with him 
 their rights in the patent. These people 
 spent more than a year in England in 
 making preparations to remove to their new 
 country. At a kind of court holden Oct. 
 20, 1629, they chose John Winthrop gover- 
 nor, Thomas Dudley deputy governor; and 
 the assistants according to the charter 
 were then chosen, or at some time previ- 
 ous. 
 
 In the spring of 16.30 the governor, deputy 
 governor, eleven assistants and about loCO 
 persons of different trades and occupations 
 sailed from England. There were 17 ves- 
 sels employed in tlie transportation of this 
 company. Four of the largest cleared the 
 English Channel, and on Satiu'day, the 12th 
 of July, they came to anchor in the harbor 
 of Salem. On the Thursday of next week 
 the governor and some of liis friends went 
 to "the Massachusetts," as it was then 
 called in distinction from Naumkeag or 
 Salem "to find a place for their sitting 
 down," to use the language of the governor. 
 In a few days most of Gov. Winthrop' s 
 party removed to the north side of Charles 
 river, where Charlestown is now situated, 
 and where a house had been erected for 
 their accommodation by the Salem people 
 under Endicott. This house, however, 
 could shelter but a small part. Most of 
 them lived in tents and booths. They 
 suffered much from the scurvy and small 
 pox, diseases contracted during the voyage, 
 and for want of fresh food. A writer who 
 was probably a witness observes: "Almost 
 in every family lamentation, mourning and 
 woe was heard ; it would assuredly have 
 moved the most locked up affections to 
 tears, no doubt, had they passed from one 
 
HISTORY OF SOUTHBPJDGE. 
 
 hut to tlie other, and beheld the piteous 
 case these people were in." The people at 
 Salem were "very destitute, and planting 
 time being past provision was not to be 
 had for money." 
 
 Gov. VVinthrop at first intended to estab- 
 lish himself and his company about Cam- 
 bridge, or somewhere on the river; — "but 
 viewing the place, liked that plain neck," 
 now Boston, the object being a suitable 
 place for a capital. 
 
 Here, in these events, the arrival of Gov, 
 Winthroj) and his company and their "sit- 
 ting down" at Boston we have the foundation 
 of the settlement of Massachusetts, and, in 
 particular, we here have the first principles 
 of its government. The authority at Salem 
 was soon in this; and in 1691, that of the 
 Colony of Plymouth also. 
 
 It was originally the intention of the 
 company which obtained the grant under 
 the name of the "Governor and Company 
 of the Massachusetts Bay in New England," 
 ihat the governor, etc., should be chosen in 
 England, but, as if an over-ruling Provi- 
 dence intended here to lay the founda- 
 tion of that great event which we celebrate 
 on the Fourth of Jiily, — the Independence 
 of America, — on the 28th of July, 1629, the 
 year before Winthrop and his associate left 
 England, Mathew Cradock, who had been 
 chosen governor, but who never came to 
 this country, proposed to the company in 
 England to transfer the government from 
 the company in London to the inhabitants 
 liere. The proposition was carried, which, 
 as may be clearly seen by a close attention 
 to the proceedings of the government and 
 people of Massachusetts Bay, was the seed 
 from which sprang "the spirit of '76." 
 From 1684 to 1689 the first contest was had 
 between the people here and the govern- 
 ment of Great Britain. Upon the investi- 
 gations of their enemies, a decision was 
 obtained in the Court of Chancery in 
 England that the colony had forfeited their 
 charter, and that the government was 
 henceforth to be placed in the hands of the 
 king. The people did not willingly sub- 
 mit, and when the governor that was ap- 
 pointed to rule over New England (Ed- 
 mund Andross) undertook his task, he did 
 not find it a very pleasant business. In- 
 stead of giving up their charter on his 
 
 demand, the good people of Connecticut, 
 while debating the matter in the evening, 
 in presence of Andros, just blowed out their 
 candles, and ran away with their charter 
 and hid it in an oak tree, now standing, 
 called the "charter oak," and in 1689 peo- 
 ple of Boston caught this British governor 
 and about 50 of his associates, and im- 
 prisoned them. These measures had the 
 effect to obtain a restoration of the char- 
 ters and a reestablishment of the govern- 
 ment in the colonies of New England. 
 
 I mention these things because many 
 have the erroneous impression that we 
 were always under the ^immediate govern- 
 ment of England until the Revolution. 
 
 Let us go back then to the little colony 
 which we left establishing themselves at 
 Boston in 1629. Some account of the first 
 proceedings, in matters of government, re- 
 ligion, c%c., of those who were here laying 
 the foundation of New England, would be 
 undoubtedly interesting, but must be 
 omitted. I am aware that I have already 
 introduced much that may be considered 
 foreign to the sul)ject to which your expec- 
 tations have been directed, but I could not 
 but view the connection between the set- 
 tlement of towns in the interior and the 
 first establishments along our coasts, and 
 particularly that at Boston, as so important 
 that a correct view of the one could not be 
 given without a notice of tlie others. The 
 towns of Massachusetts were settled under 
 the authority of this "Governor and Com- 
 pany of Massachusetts Bay in New Eng- 
 land," and the Colony at Plymouth. The 
 character of our ancestors, who settled here 
 may be traced directly back to the charac- 
 ters, manners, customs and institutions of 
 those who commenced at these places. 
 Among those who, from 1630 to 1646, ap- 
 plied "to be made freemen," agreeable to a 
 clause in the charter, which I have men- 
 tioned, may be found those of the same 
 name as many of the fii'st settlers here. 
 These applicants were very numerous, and 
 were increasing every year. The towns 
 first settled were near Boston of course. In 
 1632, about 3 years from the commence- 
 ment, these towns had multiplied to eight 
 or ten, — Salem, Charlcstown, Boston, Wa- 
 tertown, Roxbury, Newton, Dorchester, 
 Sagus, Cambridge, Medford. 
 
HISTOEY OF SOUTHBRIDGE. 
 
 In 1634 "those in Newton complained 
 for want of lan(f," especially meadow, and 
 desired leave of court to look out either 
 for enlargement or removal, which was 
 granted. Whereupon, they sent men to see 
 Agawam (Ipswich) and Merrimac, and 
 gave out that they would remove." In 
 this way the population extended, and in 
 1651 the town of Medfield, in the county of 
 Norfolk, was incorporated.* At this time 
 the number of towns in Massachusetts had 
 increased to 42. The settlements had not 
 yet, however, extended into the County of 
 Worcester. This was commenced, or 
 rather the first town was incorporated, in 
 1663. This town was Lancaster. There 
 were probably in this, as in all the other 
 towns, some settlements naade many years 
 before the towns were incorporated, it be- 
 ing generally required that there should be 
 about 50 families, or householders, who 
 might, for aught I know, be old bachelors, 
 or at least young men living by themselves 
 for many of the pioneers in all new settle- 
 ments are under the necessity of enduring 
 one or more years of "single blessedness," 
 until they can clear away a little and make 
 room and a shelter for some fair one, who 
 will engage as a partner in their toils. 
 
 A few of the first towns in the County of 
 Worcester were incorporated in the follow- 
 ing order, and it may be remarked generally 
 that the settlements commenced from five 
 to ten years before their corporation : 
 
 Lancaster 1653, Mendon 1667, Brook- 
 field 1673, Worcester 1684 t, Oxford, inclu- 
 ding all of Charlton, 1683, Leicester 1721, 
 Rutland 1713, Sutton 1715, Westboro 1717, 
 Uxbridge 1727, Southborough 1727, Shrews- 
 bury 1727, Lunenburgh 1728, Dudley 1731, 
 Harvard 1732, Grafton 1735, Upton, 1735 
 Hardwick 1738, Bolton 1738, Sturbridge 
 1738. 
 
 The town of C'harlton, as before men- 
 tionedj originally belonged to Oxford, but 
 was not settled, or but little, until after the 
 adjacent towns of Sturbridge, Dudley, &c. 
 On account of the proprietors of much of 
 the land in Charlton living in England, or 
 
 * Principal proprietors were from Dedham. 
 
 t Error. Should be June 14,1722, Lincoln Hist. 
 Worcester, p. 50. Tlie year (1681) is right. 
 — M. P. 
 
 having sold to those who neglected it, the 
 titles became doubtful, which occasioned 
 loss and difficulty to those who attempted 
 to settle, or made purchases. These cir- 
 cumstances retarded the settlement of the 
 town, and it was not incorporated till 1754. 
 Brimfield was incorporated in 1731, and 
 Woodstock, which formerly belonged to 
 this state, was settled some time previous 
 to Sturbridge, in 1686. 
 
 On the 2nd day of April, 1731, the County 
 of Worcester was incorporated, consisting 
 of the following towns and places: Wor- 
 cester, Lancaster, Westborough, Shrews- 
 bury, Southborough, Leicester, Rutland and 
 Lunenburgh, — all in the County of Mid- 
 dlesex; Mendon, Woodstock, Oxford, Sut- 
 ton, including Hassanamisco, (Grafton) 
 Uxbridge, and the land lately granted to 
 several petitioners of Medfield (that is, 
 Sturbridge), — all in the County of Suffolk, 
 Brookfield, in the County of Hampshire, 
 and the South town, laid out to the Nara- 
 gansett soldiers, and all other lands lying 
 within the said townships, with the inhabi- 
 tants therein, &c., being 14 towns, and two 
 tracts or plantations. 
 
 This county, now the "heart of the com- 
 monwealth," was, at the time of the incor- 
 poration, considered a waste and almost' 
 worthless tract of land, and the governor 
 of the colony at that time strenuously 
 opposed its being erected into a county, 
 and stated that it could not probably ever 
 make any figure. 
 
 The same ideas more especially were en- 
 tertained concerning the tract which now 
 forms this town and Sturbridge. It had, 
 at different times from 1723 to 1729, been 
 visited by some of the hardy, industrious 
 and enterprising inhabitants of some of the 
 older towns, with a view to settling here, 
 but the persons in authority, no doubt 
 from motives of true parental regard, dis- 
 countenanced the projects, and they were 
 abandoned for the time. It was now from 
 80 to 100 years since the settlement of the 
 lower towns. Land had risen there in 
 value, beyond the means of those young 
 men who were multiplying around and fill- 
 ing up the houses of their fathers. They 
 could not provide themselves with farms ; 
 agriculture was the only or principal busi- 
 ness; labor was at a very low rale, being 
 
HISTORY OF SOUTHBRIDGE. 
 
 9 
 
 bill 6 (1. old tenor, or about 14 cents per 
 day, in haying lime. Under these circum- 
 stanQes and, notwithstanding the report of 
 the first c6mmittee, sent from the general 
 court to examine, — that the land was not 
 worth settling,— it seems that a number of 
 persons,principally from the towns of Med- 
 field, Watertown, &c., determined to make 
 a beginning here, in this broken, hilly 
 country near the head of the Quinebaug; 
 and, after obtaining a sufficient number of 
 associates, they made formal application 
 for a grant. 
 
 Extracts from the old colony manuscript 
 records : 
 
 1725, June 1. — "A petition of several in- 
 habitants of the town of Medfield and olher 
 towns within the province, showing that 
 there is a tract of province land lying be- 
 tween the towns of Oxford, Brimfield and 
 Brookfield, and the province line, which is 
 capable of being made into a township, and 
 upon which the petitioners are desirous to 
 settle themselves or their children, and 
 therefore praying a grant of the said land, 
 under such reslrictions and regulations as 
 to the court shall seem most proper and 
 reasonable." 
 
 The above petition was referred to the 
 "May Session," which, of course, must 
 have been the session of May, 1726. At the 
 same time it was "ordered that John Chan- 
 dler, * Esq., with two chairmen, under 
 oath, be directed to suivey the lands pe- 
 tioned for at the charge of the i)rovince,and 
 return a plat thereof to this court at the 
 said session," that is, the May session of 
 1720. In the liroceedings of the court at 
 that session I find nothing in relation to 
 this petition, excepting that Mr. Chandler's 
 account for surveying was presented and 
 ordered to be paid ; from which I conclude 
 that the petitioners had abandoned their 
 project, or that they had encountered some 
 obstacle, which induced them to delay it 
 for a while. 
 
 June 14, 1728, I find "A petition of sun- 
 dry inhabitants of the town of Medfield 
 
 * Col. Cliandler appears to liave tieen quite an 
 important man, liavinff charge of the military 
 operations of this part of the state in the Indian 
 trouble. See Lincoln's Hist. Worcester, 5t, 52, 
 63, 58, who afterwards proved a rank tory. and 
 afterwards banished from the state.— E. D. P. 
 
 and others, praying that a tract of land ly. 
 ing, &c., (as described in the first petition) 
 "may be granted to them for a township, the 
 adjacent farm to be added thereto." What 
 is meant by this "adjacent farm" I have 
 not been able to ascertain, unless it was 
 a tract wliich is frequently mentioned in 
 some ancient deeds as the "Winthrop 
 f^rm." Whether these petitioners were 
 the same who applied in 1725 does not ap- 
 pear, as the records contain no copy of the 
 petition, nor any further mention of the 
 names of the petitioners, a circumstance 
 much to be regretted, as a better know- 
 ledge of the projectors of a settlement at 
 this place, could have been obtained from 
 that list of names, than can now be had 
 from any other source.* Two of these, 
 however, appear in subsequent proceedings 
 of the court. 
 
 At this session, June, 1728, the following 
 disposition was made: "In the house of 
 representatives, read and ordered this peti- 
 tion to be referred to the next fall session, 
 and that, in the mean time. Col. Thaxter, 
 Maj. Tileston, and Maj. Chandler be a 
 committee to repair to the lands petitioned 
 for, and described in the written plan, and 
 that they view and well consider the value 
 and circumstances of the said land and re- 
 port their opinion of what the same may 
 be worth, at said session." There is no 
 action upon this petition at the "fall 
 session," probably because the committee 
 had not made their report. 
 
 The subject is found, however, again 
 brought up July 4, 1729, as follows. 
 
 "A petition of William Ward, Esq., and 
 Joshua Morse, in behalf of themselves and 
 forty others, inhabitants of Medfield, etc., 
 setting forth that whereas, already they 
 have petitioned this court for a grant of 
 land lying between Oxford, Brookfield, 
 Brimfield and the province line the court 
 was pleased to appoint a committee to 
 value the same; that said committee re- 
 ported their opinion that the said lands are 
 worth 1000 pounds, (probably old tenor, or 
 about 444 dollars) and forasmuch as many 
 of the petitioners are destitute of [illegible] 
 
 * At the time this was written the Proprie- 
 tors' Records of Sturbridgo could not be found 
 It has since been obtained, with the names of 
 the first 50 proprietors. 
 
10 
 
 HISTORY OF SOUTHBRIDGE. 
 
 (probably settlements) and unable to pur- 
 chase where land is scarce, and older, 
 therefore praying that this court would 
 encourage the settling this said land, and 
 assign a purchase consideration as in their 
 justice and wisdom they shall judge 
 meet." 
 
 In the house of representatives, "read 
 and voted that the prayer of the petition 
 be granted and that the petitioners and 
 their associates, their heirs and assigns, 
 shall have and enjoy the land petitioned 
 for accordingly." 
 
 It does not appear that any other con- 
 sideration was required than complying 
 with certain conditions, which were, that 
 in seven years the applicants were to settle 
 and have actually on the land fifty families, 
 "each to build an house of eighteen feet 
 square at least and to break and bring to 
 fit for plowing, to be well stocked with 
 English grass, seven acres of land, to settle 
 a learned Orthodox minister and lay out to 
 him an house lot equal to the other house 
 lots," and they were not to sell out the 
 lands except to actual settlers. Most of 
 these petitioners probably lived in Medfield 
 and the place was called "New Medfield" * 
 by the proprietors. Some of tliem lived in 
 the towns near, which had been settled a 
 few years before. Some of them did not 
 intend to remove hither, but joined in the 
 petition merely to assist in obtaining the 
 grant. These sold out their rights in the 
 whole or a part of these rights, laid out in 
 lots, to such as wished to settle upon them, 
 not being at liberty as before observed, to 
 sell to any except the actual settlers. 
 
 As near as I can ascertain, the number 
 of original proprietors was fifty, for I find 
 in searching the old deeds, one in July 
 1739, from Jonas Gleason of Boston to 
 Moses Marcy one of the first settlers near 
 this village as will be more particularly 
 related, this expression: "All that my cei-- 
 tain right of land in Sturbridge being the 
 fiftieth part of said township with all and 
 singular the profits, privileges and liberties 
 whatsoever belonging or anything apper- 
 taining unto me, the said Jonas Gleason 
 being one of the petitionei's for said town- 
 
 * It had before been called' Duiner, that Is 
 Dummer, trom Lieut. Gov. Dummer. 
 
 ship and therefore an original proprietor." 
 
 This right was probably about four or 
 five hundred acres and the consideration 
 100 pounds current money. 
 
 It may be proper here to remark that so 
 far as I have had resource to public records 
 and documents in making up this imper- 
 fect sketch, I have necessarily been con- 
 fined wholly to the town of Sturbridge. 
 Our history in particular for many years in 
 its early part is so identified with that 
 of Sturbridge, and the first settlements in 
 our part of Dudley and Charlton were so 
 few, that the records of those two towns 
 had they been accessible and consulted, 
 would have shed but little light in matters 
 of much importance. I have therefore 
 deemed it sufficient for the purposes of 
 this lecture and as the best and in many 
 particulars tlie only means of ascertaining 
 the origin and progress of the settlement 
 of this town, to find and follow first the 
 public track or records of the ipunicipal 
 affairs of Sturbridge in their regular course, 
 with the intention to add from tradition or 
 other sources, such matters as will have a 
 more particular application within our own 
 limits. 
 
 Let us then in imagination go back 
 about 10() years and behold this place and 
 all around us a wilderness. No sound of 
 an axe had been heard; Quinebaug was 
 almost hidden from view by tlie tall trees 
 upon its borders, and no footsteps save 
 those of the savage and of the wild beast 
 had disturbed its waters. 
 
 At this time, 1729, the petitioners as be- 
 fore stated obtained their grant, and after 
 two or three years the time probably neces- 
 sary to make proper arrangements in 
 surveying, laying out lots, marking trees, 
 and determining where the right or portion 
 of each was to be located, they begin in 
 1731 and 2 to provide themselves with a 
 good axe, a pack of clothes, a little Indian 
 meal, a pound or two of powder with shot 
 in proportion, a gun and perhaps a pot or 
 kettle. Thus equipped they set out in the 
 spring from old Medfield, Watertown and 
 other towns adjoining to go on foot to visit 
 their new farms and begin "a clearing." 
 No female was to be there to cheer them 
 around the kitchen fire after the toils of 
 the day were ended, or even to cook a 
 
HISTOKY OF SOUTHBRIDGE. 
 
 11 
 
 johnny cake or make a mess of bean-por- 
 ridge. The first years tliese sturdy lads 
 were necessarily their own cooks, their 
 oM'n companions if indeed tliey were not 
 located so far from each other as to live in 
 solitude. 
 
 Leaving some of these incidents of these 
 times for another occasion it may be re- 
 marked that such was the state of things, 
 until about 1735, when a few families had 
 been established and these increased from 
 time to time, till ITol, when according to 
 tlie conditions of their grant as acknow- 
 ledged to have been fulfdled in the act of 
 incorporation, this little community of 
 New Medfield could number fifty house- 
 holders, "with each an house of eighteen 
 feet square at least," and seven acres of 
 land broke up and brought to, fit for 
 ploughing. — Act of incorjioration, June 24, 
 17o8. 
 
 Note. — From Proprietors' Eecords, 
 which could not be found when this was 
 written, but were obtained by Rev. Joseph 
 S. Clark for his ''Historical iSketch" of 
 Sturbridge in 18o8. the following are the 
 names of the petitioners and grantees of 
 the tract of land: (42.) 
 
 Melatiah Bourn, Esq., William Ward, 
 Esq., Ezi'a Bourn, Shuball Learned, 
 Nathan Fiske,J Henry Fiske,* Capt. 
 Ebenezei' Learned, Nahum Ward, Gershom 
 Keycs, Zerobabel Eager, John Sherman, 
 Joseph Baker, * Jonas Haughton, Tliomas 
 Gltjason, Moses Gleason, Jonas Gleason, 
 Joshua Morse, t Joseph Plympton,t Na- 
 thaniel S)nith,t Solomon Clark, t Timothy 
 Hamant,t William Plympton,§ Ephraiin 
 Partridge, Al)raliam Harding,! Moses Hard- 
 ing,! Josiah Ellis,! Ezra Clarke,! David 
 Ellis, Henry Adams, John Plimpton,! 
 Capt. John Dwight, Capt. Jonathan Boy- 
 den,! Capt. Joseph Clark,! Nathaniel 
 Morse,! James Denison,* Joseph Marsh,! 
 Peter Balch, Samuel Ellis,! Francis 
 Moquet, Ichabud Harding,! Josiah Che- 
 ney.! 
 
 Among others, the following were ad- 
 mitted as proprietors soon after the 
 grant. Nehemiah Allen,* Moses Allen,* 
 Seth Wight,* Uavid Morse,* Moses Marcy,* 
 David Shumway,* John Harding,* Daniel 
 Fiske.* 
 
 * Actual settlers ; ! children or others of 
 the name settlers ; t father of Henry and 
 Daniel one of "Prince's subscribers"; 
 § probably father of William who went to 
 Sturbridge. . 
 
 Brief genealogy of Moses Marcy, Gers- 
 
 hom Plimptom and Daniel Fiske all of 
 Sturbridge, Mass. 
 
 Moses Marcy was son of John of Wood- 
 stock who d. there in Dec. 1673, "being 
 upwards of sixty years of age," as stated 
 in will, Suffolk county records. 
 
 John, was probably a descendent of John 
 of Charlestown, who d. 1041, son of John 
 who d. 16;38. (Farmer.) 
 
 The children of John, of Woodstock, as 
 named in his will were, John, James, Ed- 
 ward, Benjamin, Joseph,* Moses, Samuel, 
 Ebenezer, Anne, Sarah and Elizabeth. 
 
 ! Moses, son of John of Woodstock, had 
 b. in W. five ch. viz. : Dorothy, Jedediah, 
 Martha, Moses and Elijah, ( Martha d. Sept. 
 11, 1736) and near the borders of Oxford, 
 (afterwards Charlton,) and of Sturbridge , 
 all now in Southbridge, six ch., viz.: Pru- 
 dence, (m. Wm. Plimpton,) Mary, (m. 
 Erasmus Babbit,'!) Martha, (m. Gershom 
 Plimptom,) Daniel, Marriam, (m. Gen. 
 Timotliy Newell,) Mehitable, (m, Jona- 
 than Newell of Leicester. ) 
 
 Jedediah, s. of Moses, settled in Dudley 
 and had with others, Jedediah, who m. 
 Ruth Earned of Dudley and settled in 
 Sturbridge at the place of his gr. father. 
 
 Moses, now near the centre of South- 
 bridge, Jedediah of Southbridge son of Jed- 
 ediah of Dudley had b. in S. with others: 
 William, (addition Earned by act of leg- 
 islature,) b. Dec. 12, 1786, m. Dolly Newell, 
 dr. Capt. Samuel Newell, and Susan Fiske, 
 (dr. of Daniel Fiske) second, and present 
 
 wife of Gov. Marcy, Knower, dr. of 
 
 Benjamin Knower, Esq. of Albany, N. Y. 
 
 Wm, L. Marcy was educated at Leicester 
 academy and Brown University, settled in 
 the practice of law at Troy, N. Y., was 
 comptroller, judge of supreme court, Gov., 
 senator in congress, and Sec'y of war. 
 
 * Probably the "Joseph Marcy" with Capt. 
 Stevens, killed at Charlestowu (No. 4 of N. H.) 
 May 24, 1746 in a sally from a fort and conflict 
 with Indians. Hoyt's ''Antiquarian Researches" 
 P. 234 
 
 t John Marcy of Woodstock was probably a 
 descendant of John M. of Charlestawn, who (as 
 in Farmer) d. 1641 and was son of Jonn who d. 
 1638. 
 
 t The author tixes the date of birth at about 
 1700. Mr. Ammidown fixes the date April 18, 
 1702, Vol. 1 page 31. 
 
12 
 
 HISTOKY OF SOUTHBEIDGE. 
 
 * Doc. Thomas Babbit, son of Erasmus, 
 was a surgeon in the expedition to Algiers 
 under Gen. Eaton in. Two of his sons 
 were Lieuts. in the navy, Fitz Henry and 
 Edward, another D. Oliver was surgeon or 
 assistant. 
 
 Erasmus Babbit, another son of Erasmus 
 of Sturbridge was grandfather of Charlotte 
 Cushman the actress. 
 
 Gershom Plimpton, ancestors and de- 
 scendants : 
 
 John, from England about 1639, lived 
 first at Koxbury and in Dedham, m. Jane 
 Dummer, (or similar name) 1043. Freeman 
 and member artillery company 1G43, had 
 thirteen ch., four or five b. in Dedham, re- 
 mainder in Medfield of which he was one 
 of the first proprietors and an inhabitant 
 about 1651. In 1677 in Deerfield, taken 
 captive and burnt at the stake by Indians. 
 
 Joseph, s of John above b. Oct. 7, 1653, 
 Medfield, m. Mary Morse, had in M. four 
 ch., d. 1702. 
 
 Joseph, s. of Joseph above b. March 18, 
 1677, Medfield, m. Priscilla Partridge, had 
 in M. eight ch., d. 1740. 
 
 William, s. Joseph above, b. 1700, Med- 
 field, m. Kezia, dr. of John Dvvight of 
 Medfield, had b. in M. eight ch,, d. about 
 May 1770. 
 
 Gershom, t s. of William above, b. Jan. 
 14, 1733-4, Medfield, went to Sturbridge 
 1753, m, Martha dr. of Col. Moses Marcy 
 March 2, 1758, had b. in SLiirbridge eleven 
 ch., d. Jan. 27, 1808. 
 
 Gershom, s. of Gershom above, b. Feb. 
 18, 1768 in Sturbridge, m. Kezia Fiske, dr. 
 of Dea. Daniel Fiske of S.. Oct. 25, 1792, 
 had b. in b. seven ch., d. April 1824. 
 
 Moses, s. of Gershom above, b. Oct. 17, 
 1/ 1793, Sturbridge, m. Edna Taylor, Nov. 22, 
 1821, dr. of John Taylor of Sturbridge, and 
 had b. in Southbridge seven ch. 
 
 Daniel Fiske, Sturbridge, (one of first 
 proprietors 1731-2. ) Son of Nathan Fiske, 
 Watertown, b. Feb. 9, 1665, m. Sarah 
 
 * See Savage Gen . Diet. Vol. Ill, page 447. 
 
 t Gershom, son, and two brothers, William, 
 jr. and Frederick, went from Medheld to Stur- 
 bridge soon after the town was incorporated. 
 Also Daniel ana James Plimpton from same 
 town of another family but descendants of 
 John P. 
 
 Coolidge. Son of Nathan Fiske, Water- 
 town, b. Oct, 17, 1642, m. Elizabeth. Son 
 of Nathan Fiske, Watertown from England, 
 b. 1042, m, Svisan. Son of Nathaniel, sup- 
 posed to have emigrated but name not 
 found in N. E. 
 
 S. of Jeffery had a son, Nathaniel who 
 took his family to N. E. S. of Robert son 
 of Richard, m. Sibil Gold, four sons and 
 one daughter,* lived in time of "Bloody 
 Mary." S. of Richard of Laxfield, Suffolk 
 county, England, about 1500, 
 
 [In the manuscript a brace marked Eng- 
 land is about the above paragraph, — En. 
 JouK.] 
 
 At the same general court in which the 
 act of incorporation was granted it was 
 "voted that Moses Marcy, one of the prin- 
 cipal inhabitants of a new town erected in 
 the county of Worcester at a plantation 
 called New Medfield, by the name of Stur- 
 bridge, be and hereby is fully authorised 
 and empowered to assemble the free hold- 
 ers and other qualified voters there as soon 
 as may be in some convenient place in said 
 town in order for their choosing a town 
 clerk and all other town officers to stand 
 till the anniversary meeting of said town 
 in March next." 
 
 Agreeable to this vote the first meeting 
 was called Sept, 18, t at the "public meet- 
 ing house," The officers chosen were: 
 
 Moses Marcy, moderator. 
 
 Daniel Fiske, town clerk, 
 
 Daniel Fiske, Moses Marcy, Henry Fiske, 
 selectmen, 
 
 Daniel Fiske, treasurer. 
 
 Joseph Smith, constable. 
 
 Isaac Newell, clerk of the market. 
 
 (The necessity for this office will not 
 now be perceived. The office was left va- 
 cant after a few meetings. ) 
 
 Joseph Allen, fence viewer. 
 
 Jonathan Perry, John Harding, survey- 
 ors of highways, 
 
 Joseph Hatch, James Johnson, hog- 
 reeves. 
 
 According to the custom in modern 
 times these two last named officers must 
 
 * The dr, ra. Bernard, whose dr. m. a 
 
 Locke and was the mother of John Locke, 
 Mass. His, Society, Vol, 10, third series, 
 
 t Daniel Fiske of Cambridge svrveyed the 
 town of Worcester, April, 1675. Was be not 
 ancestor to Daniel here mentionod? E, D. P 
 See Hist. Worcester page 11. 
 
HISTOKY OF SOUTHBRIDGE. 
 
 13 
 
 have been lately married as a necessary 
 qualification. 
 
 In February, 1739, a warrant was issued 
 by the selectilien for the regular annual 
 meeting to be held on the first Monday, 5th 
 of March, "To elect and depute selectmen, 
 constable and other town officers, etc., to 
 furnish Mr. Rice's desk with a cushion, 
 and to agree upon the granting such sum 
 or sums of money as shall be judged need- 
 ful for the benefit of and defraying all 
 necessary charges arising within said 
 town." 
 
 Town officers chosen: Isaac Newell, 
 Town Clerk; Mos«?s Marcy, Isaac Newell, 
 Henry Fiske, Joseph C'heney, Daniel Fiske, 
 Selectmen and Assessors; both offices be- 
 ing associated. 
 
 The town did not "fui-nish Mr. Rice's 
 desk with a cushion." Surveyors of high- 
 ways chosen at this meeting, Moses Marcy, 
 Joseph Cheney, George Watkins, Edward 
 Foster, John Streeter. 
 
 So far as individuals are concerned, my 
 inquiries have been confined mostly to 
 those of the first settlers who resided with- 
 in the limits of what is now Southbridge. 
 But there are a few individuals who were 
 not within these lines, of whom I may be 
 excused for saying something. 
 
 Joseph Smith, the first constable, is said 
 to have been the first person who remained 
 in Stnrbridge during a winter. It was the 
 custom of those who first penetrated the 
 wilderness, acting as pioneers in the work of 
 settlement, to return to their native place 
 in the fall and remain there during the 
 winter. This Mr. Smith was the grand- 
 father of the present Benjamin Smith of 
 Stnrbridge. 
 
 I am not informed where he on Brook- 
 field road made a beginning. 
 
 Daniel Fiske and Henry Fiske were the 
 founders of what is called "Fiske Hill." 
 They were originally from VVatertown, in 
 this state, and were brothers. Their de- 
 scendants are very nimierous in Stnrbridge 
 and in this town. Five of the children of 
 Daniel Fiske were settled in this town, viz., 
 Mrs. Oliver Plimpton, Mrs. Joshua Hard- 
 ing, Mrs. Samuel Newell, Mrs. (iershom 
 Plimpton, Jr., and the late Maj. Samuel 
 Fiske. 
 
 Mr. Isaac Newell was father of f 'apt. 
 
 Samuel Newell, now of this town. He lived 
 at the place afterwards owned by Gen. 
 Timothy Newell in Stnrbridge, near the 
 tan-yard. 
 
 In this year, 1739, the subject of roads 
 came up, and the town by vote approved 
 of a road laid out from the meeting-house 
 to Brimfield, and also one from the meet- 
 ing-house to the south part of the town. 
 And it was voted, April 3rd, that the anni-. 
 versary town meeting for choosing town 
 officers, etc., shall be on the first Monday 
 in March, which vote established a prece- 
 dent ever since followed in that town and 
 continued in Southbridge, 
 
 It seems that, at that time, there was 
 complaint ' 'that the commons were over- 
 stocked with cattle" ; and an attempt was 
 made to procure some action of the town to 
 prevent it, but it did not succeed at first. 
 
 In new places the making of roads is an 
 important item in the public expenditures, 
 and consequently requires large appropri- 
 ations. The tax assessed for roads was £200, 
 old tenor, to be paid in work and teams ; 
 price 10 shillings for a man and ihe same 
 for a yoke of oxen. 
 
 The olher expenses of the town, except 
 the minister tax of 110 pounds, were but 
 little. The town voted to raise 2.5 pounds, 
 "to be put into the treasury for the town's 
 use." 
 
 In Nov., 1739, a special meeting was noti- 
 fied and held "to elect and depute two suita- 
 ble persons to take care that there be no 
 deer killed in this town, contrary to a late 
 law." In those times it was important 
 that this valuable animal should not be 
 wantonly destroyed ; hence the law, and 
 the office of Deer-reeves, to which have 
 since been elected two of the aged citizens, 
 long after the last remaining deer had fall- 
 en before the deadly weapon of the himls- 
 man, or had boimded far away in terror 
 at the disappearance of the forest, which 
 had given him shelter. The custom of 
 choosing "deer-reeves," was continued, 
 even in this town, until Avilhin a few years. 
 
 This town, al the special meeting before 
 mentioned, chose Joseph Cheney and 
 Hinsdale Clark to be informed of all 
 breaches of the deer law. 
 
 There was some, partiality towards the 
 wild animals; Mr John Streeter received 
 
14 
 
 HISTORY OF SOUTHB RIDGE. 
 
 two pounds for tivo ^^ikl cals' heads, which 
 had their ears formally cut off and burnt, 
 in presence of the constable and one of tlie 
 selectmen. 
 
 In March, 1740, James Dennison was clios- 
 en one of the selectmen. He belonged in 
 our limits, and is more particularly noticed 
 in anotlier place. 
 
 In Oct., 1740, the subject of a school 
 was brought before the town, — that is, to 
 see whetlier tlie town would "'come into 
 measures to provide a school," but it was 
 voted in tlie negative. 
 
 I conclude from tliis that at tliat time 
 tliere was no scliool, although by the fol- 
 lowing law of the colony, tlien in force, it 
 seems, if lliere were fifty house holders in 
 town, they were bound to maintain a school. 
 This law, being the first in this state and 
 probably tlie second in any state or coun- 
 try, requiring the public to support schools, 
 and being the origin of our admirable 
 system of schools may not be uninteresting 
 in this place. I therefore exiract the prin- 
 cipal provision: Sec. 1. — It being one chief 
 project of Satan to keep men from the 
 knowledge of the Scrip lure as in former 
 times keeping them (tlie Scriptures) in un- 
 known tongues, so in these latter limes, by 
 persuading from the use of tongues, that so 
 at least the true sense and meaning of the 
 original might be clouded and corrupted 
 witli false glosses of deceivers ;— to the end 
 that learning may not be buried in the 
 graves of our forefathers, in Churcli and 
 Commonwealth, the Lord assisting our en- 
 deavors. It is therefore ordered by this 
 Court and autliority tliereof: — that every 
 township witliin this jurisdiction, after the 
 Lord hath increased them to the fifty house 
 liolders shall tlien forthwitli appoint one 
 within their towns to teach all such cliild- 
 ren as sliall resort to liim to write and 
 read, wliose wages shall be paid,eitlier by the 
 parents or masters of such children, or by 
 the inhabitants in general, by way of supply, 
 as tlie major part of those that order the pru- 
 dentials of the town shall appoint, pro- 
 vided that those who send tlieir children be 
 not oppressed by paying much more tlian 
 they can have them taught for in other 
 towns." This act was in 1647. 
 
 Tliis colony law was substantially re- 
 enacted in 1G92 by the government of the 
 
 province, with a penalty of ten pounds for 
 neglect, which jienalty was increased in 
 1702 to twenty pounds. 
 
 Tliere were otlier provisions in these 
 laws, with higlier penalties, for grammar 
 schools m towns of 100 families, etc. 
 
 These laws and the proceedings of towns 
 under them, have been altered and modi- 
 fied from time to time, as tlie population 
 increased, till they have resulted in tlie 
 school district system now established. 
 
 I mentioned the first proceedings of the 
 town with regard to a scliool in 1740, in 
 wliich no provision was made. In Marcli 
 1742 at tlie annual meeting, "tlie question 
 was put, wliether the t own would grant 
 twenty pounds for schooling of the child- 
 ren in this town, and that the selectmen 
 should dispose of the same for tliat pur- 
 pose, and it passed in the atlinnative." 
 This, then, was the first effectual step in 
 providing for a town school ; and this, as 
 well as all the other proceedings I am relat- 
 ing, had reference to what is now our 
 town, equally with what is left in Stur- 
 bridge. 
 
 On the 9th of April, after this grant, the 
 selectmen held a meeting at the dwelling 
 house of Daniel Fisk, "to consult how to 
 dispose of the money granted for schooling 
 and they resolved as follows, viz., that the 
 soutli east part shall have ten pounds, ten 
 shillings, divided between (l)lank), and the 
 north west part, shall have nine pounds, ten 
 shiUings, divided between two schools." 
 I presume tlie words "two schools" was in- 
 tended or omitted, in the division of the 
 south east part. This part, which drew 
 ten pounds, ten shillings, must have been 
 partly in this town. The money was paid 
 for female teacliers or "woman's schools," 
 as they were called. 
 
 It happens, as a source of information 
 which could not otlierwise be obtained, 
 that, up to this time, the selectmen re- 
 corded their orders on the treasurer at 
 length among the town records. By means 
 of tliese we are enabled to give tlie names 
 of the four celebrated school-mistresses 
 wlio first had the honor of wielding the birch 
 upon the backs of tliose who were then 
 coming upon tlie stage. 
 
 The first order, Dec. 6, 1742, is to 
 "James Dennison five pounds, five shil- 
 
niSTOKY OF SOITTHBRIDGE. 
 
 15 
 
 lings, old tenor, which, (paid) to Margaret 
 Maning, for keeping school at his house 
 the last suipmer. 
 
 By this little scrap we learn many impor- 
 tant facts, viz., that the school was in this 
 town ; that the school house was no school 
 house at all, the school being at Mr. Denni- 
 son's house,* which was a little east of the 
 dwelling house of the late aged Capt. 
 Ealph Whcelock, now owned byLovell 
 Morse, and lastly that the name of the 
 scliool marm was Margaret Maning. Bless- 
 ing and peace to her memory. 
 
 The next order, Dec. 21, is to Jeremiah 
 Streeter, £4, 5s, old tenor, for his wife, her 
 keeping school for this town for the last 
 summer." This is less explicit than the 
 other, — but Jeremiah Streeter' s wife kept 
 the school, in what place or part of the 
 town I cannot ascertain. 
 
 Another order is "to David Shumway, £4, 
 15s, old tenor, for paying Mary Hoar for 
 keeping school for this town at Joseph Al- 
 len's dwelling, etc." This was in the west- 
 erly part of Sturbridge and, as you will 
 oliserve, was in a dwelling house. 
 
 The last order was to John Stacy, £5, 2s, 
 old tenor, for his (probably wife or 
 daughter) her keeping school, etc." 
 
 There is a word omitted in this record — 
 probably it was Mr. Stacy's wife. At any 
 rate, her name was Stacy. 
 
 From these facts we may conclude very 
 safely that, at this time, there weie no 
 school houses, and that the large boys had 
 no time to attend school, or what is more 
 probable, that in the winter the roads were 
 such as not to admit of much travel. 
 
 The same sum (£20) was raised and a 
 similar division made in 1744, viz., £9, 10s, 
 to the west part and £10, 10s, to the east 
 part, and this is to be equally divided be- 
 tween two schools in each part. 
 
 The town had built a house for public 
 worship in 173;], and on the 29th of Sept., 
 173(), had settled the Rev. Caleb Eice, as 
 their first pastor. The meeting house, be- 
 ing erected only four years after the first 
 persons began the settlement, must have 
 
 * It was kept in his barn till "haytime," 
 when the b.iru was wanted for more important 
 matters. 
 
 been an ordinary one, probably without 
 any pews at first. This will appear, as 
 well as some other important inferences, 
 from the following proceedings at a town 
 meeting, Oct. 14, 1741. 
 
 Upon an article "to see whether the 
 town will (lot) out the room in the meeting 
 house under the galleries and come into 
 some measures to do and accomplish the 
 same," it was voted that the persons who 
 might have pews should enjoy them, with 
 their families, etc., and their widows, and 
 after that said pews shall return to the 
 town to be disposed of, etc., the town* pay- 
 ing the cost of building the same; from 
 which and other subsequent proceedings 
 it is evident that the pews were to be built 
 and owned by individuals ; and a committee 
 was chosen to lot out the room for pews, 
 observing the following instructions: "To 
 have due regard to age, to the first begin- 
 ning in town, — and to their bearing 
 charges in town, — and to their usefulness, 
 and to dispose of the room for pews to stich 
 persons as they shall think fit." 
 
 The committee were, — Daniel Fiske, 
 Capt. Moses Marcy and Dea. Isaac Newell. 
 Their ditty in this matter was truly a deli- 
 cate one ; no less than to designate the 
 most meritorious man in town, — the second, 
 third and so on down. They undertook 
 the task, however, and were to rejiort at 
 the next March meeting, having about five 
 months to deliberate. 
 
 The committee made their report as ap- 
 pointed, stating that they had planned, di- 
 vided and numbered said room into 18 
 parts, for 18 pews, etc., and further, "We, 
 the said committee, met on the 9th day of 
 February, 1742, and did agree that.according 
 to the instructions given us by the town, 
 the following persons ought to have the 
 several pew spots and the liberty of pitch- 
 ing in the following order, viz., Moses 
 Marcy 1st, Henry Fiske 2d, Dea. Isaac 
 Newell 3rd, James Dennison 4th, Eoland 
 Tailor 5tli, Daniel Fiske Cth, Joseph Baker 
 7th, Joseph Cheney 8th, David Shumway 
 9th, David Morse 10th, Moses Allen 11th, 
 Joseph Allen 12th, Joseph Smith 13th, 
 Hinsdale Clark 14th, Ezekiel Upham 15th, 
 John Harding Kith, Caleb Harding 17th, 
 Edward Foster 18th. 
 
16 
 
 HISTORY OF SOUTHBRIDGE. 
 
 If the light of phrenology had shown at 
 that time it might have discovered in the 
 craniums of two of the committee, Moses 
 Marcy and Isaac Newell, a pretty manifest 
 development of the organ of self-esteem,— 
 being, in their own judgment. No. 1 and 3. 
 The other, Daniel Fiske, was more modest, 
 being put at No. G ; although if the votes of 
 the town had been a test, he was not less 
 deserving than eitlier of the others, having 
 in every year from the commencement up 
 to that time held four offices, selectman, 
 town clerk, treasurer and assessor. Daniel 
 Fiske* was probably younger than the 
 others, which was one thing to be taken 
 into consideration. 
 
 There is no doubt, however, that had 
 this scale of merit been made by the votes 
 of the town, Moses Marcy would have been 
 placed at the head, and probably the others 
 nearly as they were arranged by the com- 
 mittee, for their report was accepted and 
 ordered to be put on record. 
 
 It seems there were only 18 pews ; of 
 course a kirge portion of the people, if they 
 attended meeting, must sit in the galleries, 
 or in seats. 
 
 Of these 18, Moses Marcy, James Denni- 
 son, Hinsdale Clark, Edward Foster, and 
 perhaps one or tv, o others, resided in the 
 Southbridge part of the town. 
 
 There was still comi^laint that the "com- 
 mons were overstocked with cattle." At 
 that time, and for many years after, there 
 were few if any fences, except to enclose 
 the little lots that had been "brought to" 
 for tillage and mowing. The cattle were 
 turned in common; and it appears that 
 some were disposed to take advantage of 
 this liberal system by enticing in the cattle 
 of their neighbors from the adjoining 
 towns, for which, no doubt, they secretly 
 got something by way of compensation. 
 
 To remedy this kind of connivance at 
 trespass, in March, 1742, it was voted "that 
 when any person be convicted of taking 
 any neat cattle or horses to run on their 
 unimproved land, not fenced, in Stur- 
 bridge, from the 1st of May till the 20th of 
 September current, other than their own, or 
 shall salt them with their cattle, or shall 
 suffer them to lie in their yard peaceably, 
 either directly or indirectly, shall for 
 every such offence forfeit and pay into the 
 
 proper hawards, or field-drivers, the just 
 sum of twenty shillings for the use of the 
 town." 
 
 In 1743 the same sum of £30, old tenor, 
 was raised for "schooling their children 
 this year, and the selectmen to dispose of 
 it for that use, in like manner as they did 
 the year before." 
 
 In this year the regulation about cattle 
 feeding on the common land was contin- 
 ued. 
 
 In March, 1744, the sum of £40 was 
 granted for schooling to be expended by 
 the selectmen, "one half of it to be for a 
 summer school and the other half for a 
 winter school." There was afterwards a 
 question whether the money for a winter 
 school should be laid out ; it was not decid- 
 ed by the town but was probably not laid 
 out, as in March, 1746, a grant of £20 was 
 made as at first; "the school should be 
 kept in four places in the town and chose 
 four men to provide the dames, and Dea. 
 Isaac Newell, John Harding, Hinsdale 
 Clark and Edmund Livirmore were chosen 
 to thai service." This is the first step in 
 the improvement of the school system, by 
 the appointment of a school committee or 
 "four men to provide dames." The plan, 
 if not before, has been since adopted and 
 sanctioned by law. 
 
 In 1747 £70 was voted "for schooling 
 the children," also that £40 be laid out in 
 the summer season, to be kept in torn- 
 places, and James Dennison, David Morse, 
 David Shumway and Moses Allen, "be 
 desired to take care and get proper school 
 dames for to keep school." It seems that 
 one out of the four couniiittee men, Mr. 
 Dennison, was in this town, and this was 
 probably about the proportion which the 
 Southbridge part bore to the whole town 
 at that time, and also at the time we were 
 set off in 1816. 
 
 The next year, 1748, £50 was raised for 
 schooling, "the selectmen to take care 
 that it be carefully laid out for that pur- 
 pose." 
 
 At the annual meeting for choice of 
 town officers, etc., in March, 1749, the 
 meeting was opened by prayer. This 
 W"as the first introduction of a custom, a 
 very proper one, which has generally, if 
 not always since been followed in that 
 
IILSTORY OF SOUTHBiaDGE. 
 
 17 
 
 town, and Soutlibridge. 
 
 In May, 1749, a special meeting was called, 
 the principail occasion of wliicli was a cir- 
 cnnistance wliich at tliat time and probably 
 in other towns also, caused great trouble 
 and fearful apprehensions on the part of 
 those who had felt it a duty which could 
 hardly be called in question witliout ap- 
 proaching to impiety to provide regularly, 
 by tax on all the inhabitants, for the sup- 
 poit of their minister. I liave not before 
 mentioned it because it was then in all the 
 towns a uniform custom to raise money by 
 tax for tins purpose. 
 
 At every annual meeting great care had 
 been taken to make suitable provision for 
 Mr. Eice's salary, fire wood, etc. The 
 salary liad risen from £110 to £470, lis, Ip 
 old tenor. In the first years his wood 
 was provided in addition, but this year, 
 with the last named sum he was to find his 
 own wood. 
 
 The circumstance which this year inter- 
 rupted this state of things was, wiiat the 
 authors of tlie warrant were pleased to call 
 in relation to those to whom it applied, 
 "yeparating themselves from the public 
 worsliip of God on the Lord's day at our 
 meeting hohse," and the question, a most 
 imponant one to tlie people on both sides, 
 to be setiled at the special meeting was, 
 "whether the town will pass a vote to ex- 
 empt those people from paying to the suj)- 
 port of Mr. Kice." But it was too difli- 
 cidt a question to be settled at once. The 
 subject was undoubtedly discussed, l)ut 
 no vote was taken. 
 
 Tlie school money was increased to £80 
 to be divided into four parts of the town, 
 and if there was any disagreement in dis- 
 posing of it, the selectmen were to deter- 
 mine tiie matter." The same sum was 
 raised the next year under the same regu- 
 lations. 
 
 In March, 1751, tlic town granted £50 
 lawful money to Mr. Rice for his salary, 
 equal to $106.3.'} or £375 old tenor. 
 
 The effect of continuing to the tax 
 "Separatists" as they were at first called, 
 (afterwards Anabaptists and Baptists) 
 was now beginning to be felt. It appears 
 Jonathan Perry refused to pay and proba- 
 bly suffered tlie collector to take and sell 
 liis property, and then had a law suit with 
 
 him. In March, 1752, the question was 
 raised, "whetlier tlie town will make a 
 grant of money to Jonathan Mason to 
 make satisfaction for his damage he su.s- 
 tained in the law suit with Jonathan Perry, 
 as the said Mason was collector," but 
 "simdry persons brought in a paper, to 
 show their dislike of that article (in the 
 warrant) and it was not acted upon. 
 
 At this period, 1752, the currency was 
 changed. The time will not allow an ex- 
 planation in detail of the different kinds of 
 currency which liad been in use, but it will 
 be proper here to state, tliat, to pay the 
 enormous expenses which Massachusetts 
 (more than all the other states) had in- 
 cui'red in the several wars with the French 
 and Indians in Canada, the government of 
 this province liad issued large amounts of 
 paper called "bills of credit," the value of 
 which compared with specie, M'as as .$7.50 
 to $1.00, and this paper or currency is re- 
 ferred to when "old tenor" is mentioned; 
 although I believe the government in 1748, 
 passed an act to redeem these bills of credit 
 at the rate of $1.33 or eight, shillings, for 
 every $7.50 or 45 shillings, provided the 
 government of Great Britain should pay 
 us, as they had by act of parliament agreed 
 to do for fighting her battles. 
 
 The pecuniary matters which are herein 
 after mentioned are to be considered as 
 lawful money or specie, and you will see 
 that the sums raised are apparently very 
 small compared wilh the former ones in 
 "old tenor." 
 
 In 1751, it was £10, 13s, 4pfor schools and 
 £15 "for the town's use" and the next year 
 £20, 13s, 4p for both purposes. 
 
 In March, 1752, another special meeting 
 was called, "to see whether the town will 
 come into some methods of agreement with 
 the separatists, that were distrained upon 
 for their minister's rates," etc. The meet- 
 ing was held March 27, Moses Marcy, mod- 
 erator, a place which he always was called 
 to fill when present. I give tlie proceed- 
 ings just as they arc recorded: The "sep- 
 aratists was desired to seat themselves in 
 the body of the seats on the men's side, 
 and the others in the seats on the women's 
 side, which they did. The moderator then 
 desired that there might be a friendly con- 
 ference, and to see if by some means or 
 
18 
 
 HISTORY OF SOUTIIBRIDGE. 
 
 other we could not. make up the difference 
 between us, without going into the law, 
 and after a long debate the separatists were 
 asked whether, if the creations and all the 
 goods that was taken from them by distress 
 for their minister tax in the year 1151 was 
 returned, would satisfy them so that we 
 might live together like Christian friends 
 and neighbors. They answered it would 
 satisfy them for that year with reasonable 
 satisfaction, and no further. Then they 
 were desired to bring in, in writing, what 
 would content them, which they did accord- 
 ingly ; which was to relurn from the year 
 1749, and one from the year 1748 which was 
 John Streeter. It was earnestly requested 
 of the separatists (separates as then ex- 
 pressed) that as we then did, and do now 
 believe we had a good right to do as we 
 did, yet for peace sake that we might 
 meet one another and agree ; but this was 
 refused by them.^ And then it was put to 
 vote, whether the town would return back 
 to the separatists what had been taken 
 from them for two years past, and it passed 
 in the negative. And then the separatists, 
 most of them withdrew and it was put to 
 vote, whether the town would proceed to 
 the choice of a committee to treat further 
 with them, and it passed in the alfirma- 
 tive." The committee were Nath. Walker, 
 James Dennison, Joseph Baker, John 
 Tavbell, and Moses Marcy, who were "to 
 make return of their proceedings as soon 
 as may be." A meeting was called soon 
 after to see if the town would give any 
 further instructions to the committee, but 
 none were given. The expenses of the 
 law suit were afterwards paid by the town 
 to Jonathan Mason, being £18, Is, 8p, law- 
 ful money. 
 
 March 15, 175;^>, it was voted to build 
 three school houses, the location, etc., not 
 Ijrovided for. 
 
 In 1754 the town raised £40 lawful mon- 
 ey '"to mend the roads with" — "allowing 
 two shillings to each man per day. for a 
 day's work and for a yoke of oxen one shill- 
 ing, and one shilling for a cart." At the 
 same time, March 4, 1754, the town ^voted 
 to hire Ichabod Sparrow Paine "to keep 
 school in town" and made a grant of eight 
 pounds ($20.07) "for schooling the child- 
 
 ren." Whether this sum was in addition 
 to the salary of Sparrow Paine, and to pay 
 the "Dames" — or to be the whole for 
 schooling does not appear. This is the 
 first account I can find of any provision for 
 a male teacher or school master, and the 
 first mention that is made of a school 
 house, except in the vote the year before 
 for three to be built, is in the record of a road 
 beginning at the south side of Quinebaug 
 river near Dea. Foster's bridge, down the 
 river to the mouth of Hatchet brook, 
 thence to a slump and a heap of stones, 
 thence by the school house, then turning 
 more east through Sargent James Denni- 
 son's lane to a stake and heap of stones," 
 etc., by Joshua Harding's land, "to a 
 Woodstock road." This road was from 
 the Westville factory round by the Capt. 
 Wheelock house, etc., and the school house 
 probably the first ever built in Sturbridge, 
 certainly the first in this town, was exact- 
 ly where Cyrus Ammidown now lives. 
 This road was laid out in Feb., 1754, and the 
 school house was probably built the year 
 before. Dennison Wheelock, born in 175;5, 
 and now living, is perhaps the only one 
 who can remember attending school at 
 that house. 
 
 In December, 1754, provision was made 
 to fence the burying grounds by a stone 
 wall. 
 
 In March, 1759, "after some considerable 
 debate about schooling, the question was 
 put whether the town would grant £i;3, (is, 
 8p, lawful money, for winter school and it 
 passed in the affirmative," which is the 
 first provision made for a winter school. 
 
 Caleb Rice, the first minister died Sept. 
 2, 1759, and the town had no settled minis- 
 ter, till the 17th June, 1701, when the Rev. 
 Joshua Paine was ordained as their pastor. 
 In the mean time arrangements were made 
 for a constant supply of preaching. At 
 the town meeting, Feb. 10, 1701, to decide 
 on concurring with the church which had 
 voted to invite Mr. Paine to settle, there 
 were 93 votes given, and all for Mr. Paine. 
 It appears from this that there must have 
 been more than 100 voters in town at that 
 time, a considerable number, about one 
 fifth having withdrawn from that denomi- 
 nation, and according to the usual propor- 
 
HISTORY OF SOUTIIBRIDGE. 
 
 19 
 
 tion, between the voters and the whole 
 }3opulation, there were seven or eight hun- 
 dred inhabitants, and perhaps from 150 to 
 200 in tliis town including the parts from 
 Charlton and Dudley, in neither of which 
 were many settlements in 1701. 
 
 Note. — Mr. Paine was ordained June 17, 
 1701. I have reason to believe he was a young 
 tuimarried man and quite a popular preach- 
 er, and especially interesting to the fair 
 "dames" who attended church. I get 
 these opinions from the following transac- 
 tion about a year after Mr. Paine was set- 
 tled, from the records: Then there was a 
 petition from Hannah Allen, Elizabeth 
 Hooker, Hhoda CJlark, Dinah Allen, Abi- 
 gail Mason, Susannah Sollis, Lois John- 
 son, Mary Mason, Abigail Fay, Elizabeth 
 Allen, Abigail Allen, Deborah Faulkner, 
 Hannah Chub and Elizabeth Chickeriug, 
 "showing that the hind seat in the wom- 
 an's side gallery is so low tliat they can not 
 see the minister, and the other sea's are 
 full and crowded so that it is very uncom- 
 fortable sitting; i^raying favor of the town 
 that the town would grant them liberty to 
 build a pew where the hind scat is, etc." 
 
 This surely was a grievance not to be 
 borne, after a new young minister was 
 settled, although they had before made no 
 complaint under their former minister. 
 
 The prayer of tliese yotuig ladies (yotuig 
 ladies, no doubt) was granted, and they 
 proliably soon raised themselves up in 
 siglit of the minister, even so high that he 
 could see them. — M. P. 
 
 In March. 1701, a committee"out of every 
 corner," was chosen to take into considera- 
 tion the affairs of schools and repoit to the 
 town. 
 
 There were persons in different parts of 
 the town who petitioned to have the money 
 they were assessed for schools, to be laid 
 out among themselves. Some of these 
 were granted and some were refused by the 
 committee; where this privilege was grant- 
 ed as reconuuended by the committee, it 
 was still reserved for the town to have It 
 under their eye, how the money is expend- 
 ed. In general the committee reported 
 "that each school district should draw otit 
 of the treasury as much money as they pay 
 to the school rate," and this part of the 
 report was adopted. 
 
 This was the first step taken, calculated, 
 as it must of necessity, to result in the 
 establishment of regular school disiricts, 
 with definite limits. At first when there 
 were but few inhabitants it was found ex- 
 
 pedient to assign £9, 10s to the North West, 
 and £10, 10s, old tenor, to the South West 
 part of the town, the whole being about 
 eqtial to $9.00 in silver. After about twenty 
 years it had arisen to £lo, Gs, 8p, lawful 
 money, or about $44.50 and this it was very 
 evident, could not with anything like con- 
 venience be appropriated or used in any 
 one place to support one teacher as the law 
 seemed to have contemplated. The reme- 
 dy for this difficulty was in making school 
 districts, and this remedy was applied by 
 the people before our lawmakers ijoinled 
 out the way. 
 
 There was a division of the town into 
 five school districts made by a committee 
 appointed foi that purpose in Feb. 1704. 
 This connuittee consisted of the following 
 persons: George Watkins, Daniel Fiske, 
 Ralph Wheelock, James Johnson, Edward 
 Foster, Joseph Cheney, David Morse, 
 David Shumway, Aaron Allen. The re- 
 port was acceiJted March 5, 1764. The 
 divisioii was as might be expected, not 
 very explicitly defined but was no doubt 
 well understood by the people at the time. 
 
 'i'here was but one district in this town, 
 called the Southerly District, The bounds 
 extended from Charlton line, beyond Mr. 
 John McKinstry's, by a saw-mill, (then 
 standing where his mill now is, and be- 
 longing to Rubin Ellis) to the place now 
 owned by Mr. Leonard, and continuing to 
 near the mills of Jephthah Plimpton; 
 thence sottth to Woodstock line, including 
 all that was south and east of tliese lines. 
 The school house was to be east from Sar- 
 gent Dennison's gate, about 20 rods, that 
 is 20 rods east of an old house that stood, 
 or now stands, near the Capt. Wheelock 
 house. The reason why this was located 
 there is, that the one wliich had first been 
 built below was burned down. This then. 
 72 years ago, must have been the only 
 school house within our limits, unless there 
 was one in the Dtidley part, or in or near 
 what is called "the city," or Ammidown 
 village. 
 
 The grant of money after this division 
 and for the year 1704 was "25 pounds lawful 
 money for a winter school, and also 8 
 pounds for a summer school, to be kept by 
 a woman, for the instruction of little child- 
 ren; said 8 pounds grauled with this provi- 
 
20 
 
 HISTORY OF SOUTHBRIBGE. 
 
 so, — that the mmiey belonging to each 
 school district be expended at such place or 
 places in the district as the district shall 
 agree upon, to be left, in order that every 
 part of each district may be profited there- 
 by, as much as may be, in case the districts 
 are agreed ; if not, the selectmen to deter- 
 mine the matter." The proportion or di- 
 vision of money for winter and summer 
 schools established at this time was about 
 the same as is now made in this town, that 
 is, three-fourths for the former and one- 
 fourth for the latter. It was at the same 
 time voted that every school district build 
 their own school house, and that the 
 school houses be devoted to that use for the 
 town; and also "that the school houses be 
 completed and finished, so as to keep 
 school in them by the first of October 
 next." (1764). These arrangements were 
 probably soon carried into effect; and the 
 only alterations which have since been 
 made in our common school system are the 
 division and increasing the number of 
 school districts, as the population in- 
 creased, increasing the amount of money 
 raised for schooling, and the appointment 
 of a school committee for each district, and 
 a general superintending committee for the 
 whole town to examine teachers as to 
 their qualifications, direct the kinds of 
 books to be used, and to visit the schools. 
 I have endeavored thus to trace the vari- 
 ous steps taken by our ancestors in pro- 
 viding for the education of their children, 
 particularly as the subject is, in itself, one 
 of great interest, and it also shows, in some 
 measure, the geneial progress in the state 
 of society in relation to many of its most 
 distinguishing features. The state of things 
 here found to exist at different periods was 
 probably much the same as in other towns 
 in New England of similar age, although it 
 may be presumed that those towns which 
 were settled prior to the close of "King 
 Phillip's War," in 1670, could make but 
 little, if any, permanent provision, except 
 in one fortified place, for schools, being in 
 constant danger of attacks from the Indi- 
 ans. When they, these dangers, had 
 ceased, and the remnants of the unfortu- 
 nate red men had all departed to the West 
 and to Canada, it was the custom to estab- 
 
 lish "moving schools," as they were called 
 and in some towns it was voted "to have 
 a reading, writing and moving school for 
 six months." From this first plan they 
 proceeded soon to a division of the money, 
 to accommodate different parts of the 
 town at the same season of the year ; then 
 to a division of the territory into districts, 
 etc., as we liave seen. 
 
 These remarks will render any further 
 notice of proceedings in relation to schools 
 unnecessary, except, perhaps, to speak of 
 new districts or subdivisions. 
 
 In the year 1765 the government of Great 
 Britain began the system of taxation, 
 which was considered by the colonies as 
 the commencement of a course of meas- 
 ures calculated to make them little better 
 than the slaves of England. The Stami) 
 Act was the first measure which caused 
 alarm, and it created great excitement, 
 particularly in Massacliuseits; and this 
 feeling was soon manifested in the action 
 of the people at their public town meet- 
 ings. In a warrant for a meeting Oct., 
 1705, a leading article was: "To see if the 
 town will give their representatives some 
 instructions respecting the Stamp Act, 
 coming in force, imposing a tax upon these 
 colonies." And it was voted to give the 
 following instructions, viz. : "The town 
 looked upon the duty of the Stamp Act to 
 be insupportable , and to instruct their rep- 
 resentative to use the utmost of his endeav- 
 ors, consistent with loyalty, that said Stamp 
 Act may be repealed." 
 
 The instruction here given is stated to 
 be to "their representative" ; but I do not 
 find up to this time that any representative 
 liad been chosen by the town, nor until 
 May, 1766, when, in pursuance of an article 
 in tlie warrant for that purpose, "the town 
 made choice of Moses Marcy, Esq., to rep- 
 resent them in the great and general court 
 this year." 
 
 It seems that the Lieut. Governor and 
 others had sustained a severe loss, occa- 
 sioned by a mob, or riot, in Boston, re- 
 specting the Stamp Act, and the town voted 
 that the representative should use his en- 
 deavor in the general court tliat the loss of 
 the Lieut. Governor be made up to him, 
 "with as much credit and as little charge 
 
HISTORY OF SOUTHBRIDGE. 
 
 21 
 
 to the province as may be," etc. 
 
 In 1768 sundry persons petitioned to the 
 town, "requesting they may liave the liber- 
 ty of taking their seats in tlie meeting 
 house in the front gallery, or where tlie 
 town shall think proper, in order to carry 
 on the duly of singing with more regular- 
 ity, decency, and good order." 
 
 Previous to this request the singers had^ 
 as we may infer, been seated promiscuously 
 among the audience. The town granted 
 the privilege as requested till tlie next town 
 meeting, and then voted that it ''be con- 
 tinued to them during the town's pleas- 
 ure." 
 
 It has probably ever since been the 
 "pleasure" of the town, as well as of other 
 religious assemblies for public worship, to 
 permit the singers to sit by themselves in 
 the front gallery. 
 
 In May, 1770, Jeremiah Morse, Ephraim 
 Bacon and others, no doubt finding it very 
 inconvenient to send their children to 
 school at the house near Capt. Wheelock's, 
 petitioned lo have the benefit of wliat money 
 they pay towards the school rate yearly, 
 and the town voted they have the benefit of 
 tlieir money, "meaning all south and south- 
 east of Mr. Seth Ilamant's." Seth Ham- 
 ant then lived a little beyond the brook at 
 the north end of Lebanon Hill, so called. 
 
 This division was the first made of the 
 one district, which before embraced nearly 
 the whole of this town and a part of Stur- 
 bridge ; and it was the foundation of the 
 district and school house near Mr. Freeman 
 Pratt" s. The selectmen were still to divide 
 or apportion the school money in the dis- 
 tricts as they should think most just, and 
 for the benefit of the districts. District es- 
 tablished in March, 1772. 
 
 In May, 1771, the town chose Dea. 
 Daniel Fiske to represent them in tlie gen- 
 eral court. There had been none chosen 
 from 17(50 to this time. In 1773 the excite- 
 ment and contest in relation to taxing the 
 Anabaptists, as they were then called, had 
 mostly subsided, and the town voted very 
 liberally to exempt Jonathan Perry and 
 others from the minister rate, notwith- 
 standing tlieir not giving in to the assessors 
 certificates agreeable to law. 
 
 In March, 1774, upon the petition of 
 Jeremiali Morse, Henry Pratt and others, 
 
 the town voted, or made a grant of £1, IGs, 
 lawful money, to their scliool district, in 
 addition to their school money, more than 
 they pay. This vote is perliaps of some 
 importance as a precedent, it being the 
 only instance up to this time in which a 
 district received any more than they paid. 
 
 In 1774 the sum raised for schools was 
 £50, lawful money, !?166.G7, one-quarter 
 part thereof for a summer woman's school. 
 In this year (1774) the subject of building 
 a new meeting house came up, but it being 
 about the commencement of the great 
 struggle between the colonies and England, 
 which required all the attention and re- 
 sources of the people, the building of a 
 meeting house was postponed till after the 
 war. 
 
 Some of the proceedings of the people as 
 indicated in their public meetings on the 
 subject of the coming contest for inde- 
 pendence I think should here be men- 
 tioned, although tliese and some other 
 matters, which miglit be omitted, will per- 
 haps extend this lecture beyond reasonable 
 limits. 
 
 An informal meeting of the inhabitants 
 of the town, upon the request of the se- 
 lectmen, was held at the meeting house on 
 Monday, the 27th of June, 1774. It may 
 be proper to mention that the selectmen 
 for that year were Dea. Daniel Fiske, Capt. 
 Nathaniel Walker. Ensign James Johnson, 
 Lieut. John Tarbell, Lieut. Samuel Ellis, 
 
 The object of the meeting, wliich was at- 
 tended "very unanimously," was "to con- 
 sider of some measure proper to be adopted 
 for the safety and defence of the province 
 in this distressed condition by reason of 
 several late acts of the British Parliament. 
 After solemn prayer to God for direction, 
 proceeded after this manner: 
 
 The selectmen to preside in the meeting ; 
 Dea. Daniel Fiske, speaker. After con- 
 siderable debate on adopting some measure 
 for the safely and defence of the province, 
 etc., it appeared to be the mind of tlie 
 town universally not to purchase any goods 
 wdiich shall be imported from Great Bri- 
 tain after the time stipulated and agreed 
 to; and then, and soon after, generally 
 signed the Worcester covenant, with some 
 small alteration, and universally that and 
 tlie Berkshire covenant, with some altera- 
 
22 
 
 HISTORY OF SOUTHBRIDGE. 
 
 tion in that." I here give tlie precise 
 language of tlie person wlio Icept the record 
 of tlie meeting, who was Joshua Harding, 
 Sr., then town clerk. 
 
 Another meeting was held August 25, 
 1774, upon a like request of the selectmen. 
 A motion was discussed that, "considering 
 the present alarming situation of our pub- 
 lic affairs, by reason of several late acts of 
 the British Parliament, altering the course 
 of justice and annihilating our once free 
 constitution of government, a committee 
 be chosen in each town in the county to 
 meet together at Worcester, or some suita- 
 ble place, to consult and advise what is 
 necessary and prudent to be done by the 
 inhabitants of this county." 
 
 The town was very generally assembled, 
 and it was voted to choose a committee of 
 live, viz., Dea. Moses Wild, Timothy New- 
 ell,* William McKinstry, John Salmon and 
 Benjamiii Freeman. Two of these were to 
 meet with the committee of the other 
 towns and make report at an adjourned 
 meeting. At the adjourned meeting the 
 committee laid before the town their pro- 
 ceedings and resolves at the convention at 
 Worcester, which, "being read twice dis- 
 tinctly," were all approved by vote. 
 
 Sept. 28tli a regular meeting was called 
 by the selectmen to act on various impor- 
 tant matters relating to this subject. It 
 was proposed to provide a field-piece, but 
 the town "did not look upon it necessary." 
 It was voted to provide 4 half barrels of 
 powder, 500 pounds of lead and 500 flints, 
 in addition to the town stock of ammuni- 
 tion. 
 
 Capt. Erasmus Babbit, Sr., and Mr. Tim- 
 othy Newell gave the town one-half barrel 
 of powder, for which the town voted them 
 thanks. A committee was chosen to make 
 provisions for the men in this town, in case 
 they should be called away upon any sud- 
 den emergency. This committee was En- 
 sign James Johnson, Capt. Joseph Cheney, 
 Lieut, Henry Fiske, Mr. Hinsdale Clark, 
 Capt. Ezekiel Uphaiii, Mr. Stephen Ge- 
 rould, and Mr. John Marsh. It was also 
 voted, "by a great majority," to pay the 
 men, in case they should suddenly be 
 
 *Marc>, aftervvHid Gov. Mem. of Gov. 
 couu. couiioil, etc. 
 
 called away. 
 
 Capt. Timothy Parker was chosen a del- 
 egate to the Provincial Congress, to be 
 convened at Concord, the second Tuesday 
 of Oct., 1774. 
 
 There was a j)rovince tax laid upon the 
 towns, the jiayment of which was probably 
 to be voluntary, if at all, it being out of the 
 regular course of proceedings. 
 
 The town, at a meeting Nov. 17, 1774, 
 voted unanimously that the constables of 
 the town pay the province tax to Henry 
 Gardner, Esq., of Stow, and that his re- 
 ceipt thereof should ever thereafter operate 
 as an effectual discharge. 
 
 Capt. Ralph Wheelock, Dea. Daniel 
 Fiske, Mr. Aaron Allen, Mr. Aaron Weld, 
 and Lieut. John Tarbell were chosen a 
 committee to inspect the buying, selling 
 and consuming East India teas. Two half 
 barrels of powder and 300 pounds of lead 
 was added to the siock of ammunition ; and 
 the Rev. Joshua Paine gave one half bar- 
 rel of powder and Lieut. Henry Fiske 100 
 pounds of lead, for which the town voted 
 their acknowledgment of the favors. 
 
 It was then proposed that all men in 
 town of 10 years old and upwards meet at 
 Meeting house on the first Monday of De- 
 cember, 1774, at 10 o'clock in the morning, 
 with arms and ammunition, in order for 
 viewing. 
 
 On the day appointed, to which time the 
 town meeting had been adjourned, the town 
 "very generally met on the training field," 
 (the common was then called a training 
 field) "and having formed themselves into 
 proper order, the conapanies of foot, the 
 minute men, the troop— all belonging in 
 tOAvn, the company of alarm men, — all - 
 marched into the meeting house in good 
 order, having fixed themselves together, 
 there being silence and good order. After 
 solemn prayer to God and singing, the Rev. 
 Mr. Paine preached a sermon from psalms 
 (blank). Arrangements were then made 
 to see that all the different companies were 
 duly equipped, a committee, consisting of 
 the selectmen and Capt. Joseph Cheney 
 and Lieut. Henry Fiske, being chosen for 
 that purpose. 
 
 A committee of one in each school dis- 
 trict was chosen to obtain the signature of 
 every individual in town to an instrument 
 
HISTOTIY OF SOUTHBRIDGE. 
 
 23 
 
 binding them to a strict observance of the 
 rules of the Continental Congress, — in par- 
 ticular that part called the association. 
 
 Upon the repoi't of a committee as to 
 delinquents in arms and ammunition, the 
 town voted ''that it is the sense of this 
 town that every man in town able to fur- 
 nish themselves with arms and ammuni- 
 tion do forthwith fix themselves complete, 
 and be it further recommended by the 
 town, in the strongest terms, to all in town 
 unprepared to defend our just rights and 
 privileges and all that is dear to us, in this 
 time of great danger and distress, to exert 
 themselves to the utmost, to be prepared 
 immediately." 
 
 In March, 1775, the school district in 
 this town was again divided by establishing 
 what is now the centre district. The 
 bounds were "so far west as to take Jona- 
 than Perry (now called the Nathan Hard- 
 ing place) and thence over the river, about 
 southwest, to include Zeeb Clark; from 
 thence, about southeast, to include the laud 
 of Benjamin and David Dix (late Ephraim 
 Wheelock's) and Ichabod Eobbing (now 
 Moses Mason's), and thence south to 
 Woodstock line," on the southeast, bound- 
 ed of course by the Pratt district. The 
 spot for the school house to be on land of 
 Col. Marcy, west of the road, about 20 rods 
 south of Benjamin Freeman's house, 
 '•where the school house now stands." 
 This place was near where the house of Dr. 
 Jeuks stands, and it oeems that a school 
 house had been built before the division 
 was authorized by the town. The spot for 
 the other school house was "on the road 
 leading from John Marsh's (now Grosvenor 
 Marsh's) to the meeting house on Ensign 
 Ellis's land, where the school house now 
 stands," that is, at the time of their loca- 
 tion, which was probably the same place 
 where the present house is located. 
 
 From 1774 to 1784 a change had taknn 
 place in the affairs of this country, perhaps 
 unequalled in importance in the political 
 history of the world. Prior to the first 
 mentioned period, all our waiTants for 
 town meetings commenced with the im- 
 posing authority of,— "In his Majesty's 
 name." etc., and generally ended with a 
 double reference to the year of our Lord 
 and the "year of his Majesty's reign." It 
 
 was not so now. We had nothing with 
 "his Majesty," and instead of his name, 
 our precepts were to be served, "In the 
 name of the Commonwealth of Massachu- 
 setts." 
 
 Besides the natural consequence of the 
 Revolution, which, throughout our whole 
 country, produced a new state of things, a 
 new tone of thought and feeling, in every 
 individual left upon the stage; — a great 
 change had taken place among ovir inhabi- 
 tants. Many of the "fathers of the town," 
 were no longer there, or had ceased to be 
 actors in public life. Another generation 
 had come on, and we find in 1784, Joshua 
 Harding, Jr., town clerk; Benjamin Free- 
 man, Henry Fiske Jr., etc., selectmen; 
 and, in general, the sons of the first inhab- 
 itants, or others of similar age, who had 
 moved into town, were the persons in act- 
 ive life. 
 
 It will be recollected that the subject of 
 a new meeting house came up in 1774, and 
 was then postponed. It was again brought 
 up before the town, in different ways and 
 at different times in 1783 and 4; and I 
 should think, from the general nature of 
 the proceedings, that the inhabitants 
 living in this part of the town were op- 
 posed to building. There were several 
 close votes on the subject, — sometimes for 
 and then against, raising money for that 
 purpose. And I infer from this that even 
 at that time the minds of the people in this 
 'section had been led to contemplate the 
 prospect of having a meeting house, and at 
 least a parish in this part of the town. 
 
 A building committee had been chosen, 
 and while the work of erecting and finish- 
 ing the meeting house was going on, em- 
 barrassments were thrown in the way as to 
 providing the necessary funds, or paying 
 the expenses they had incurred. On a 
 question whether oOO pounds, which had 
 once been granted and the vote reconsid- 
 ered, should be immediately assessed, the 
 vote was, affirmative, 32; negative, 28; and 
 immediately after a number of persons, 
 among whom were Capt. Ealph Wheelock, 
 Mr. John Marsh, etc., remonstrated against 
 the votes which had been passed, on ac- 
 count of illegality as to the place of posting 
 up warrants. This was in Sept., 1784. In 
 the next year there was a petition of per- 
 
24 
 
 HISTORY OF SOUTHBRIDGE. 
 
 sons living near.Brookfield, and probably 
 joined by others in this part, to have the 
 town divided into three districts, or pre- 
 cincts, but :t was voted against '"by a great 
 majority." 
 
 The meeting house, however, was fin- 
 ished in 1785, or early in the next year, and 
 the same year the Baptist meeting house 
 on Fisk's Hill was erected. 
 
 In June, 1786, a committee, which had 
 been appointed for that purpose, by a re- 
 port, which was accepted, numbered all the 
 school districts in the town, affixing to 
 each number the name of some jjerson 
 living near the school house. There were 
 eleven districts, three of which were in 
 this town, viz. : Southbridge — No. 4, 
 Ralph Wheelock; 10, Henry Pratt; 5, Ben- 
 jamin Frenman. Sturbridge — No. 3, Capt. 
 Timothy Parker; 1, Ebenezer Craft, Esq.; 
 2, Stephen Harding; 6, Abijah Shumway; 
 7, Dea. .Jonathan Phillips; 8, Silas Child; 
 9, John Salmon; 11, Capt. Henry Clark. 
 
 When the present meeting house in Stur- 
 bridge was first built, there was no steeple. 
 The steeple was authorized to be added in 
 January, 1794, and probably erected the 
 same year. 
 
 In May, 1793, ihe first regular school 
 district committee were chosen,— three in 
 each district, and in 1790 they were reduced 
 to one in each district 
 
 It seems that what is now the southeast 
 part of this town was formerly considered 
 a part of Woodstock, or a gore of land not 
 belonging toei'her town, for in April, 1794, 
 on the petition of Ezekiel Brown, Joseph 
 Ammidown, C^yrus Ammidown, Benjamin 
 Stoddart, Ephraim Bacon and Jeremiah 
 Morse, they, with their lauds, were re- 
 ceived as inhabiiants of the town. 
 
 In May, 1796, the first persons were 
 chosen, one in eacli school district, to reg- 
 ulate funerals. This is an office not pro- 
 vided for by any law, but a very proper and 
 even necessary one. 
 
 The views of those who first inlroduced 
 these committees may be learned from the 
 following regulations to be observed by the 
 funeral committees, which were adopted by 
 the town in Nov., 1796, having been re- 
 ported by a committee, of which Joshua 
 Harding. Jr., was chairman: 1st — The 
 committee shall be punctual in attending 
 
 upon all funerals within their respective 
 districts, during the term of their appoint- 
 ment. 2nd — During the customary exer- 
 cises of funerals the committee shall see 
 that the minister, or the mourners, ai'e not 
 uncomfortably thronged, and the same at- 
 tention to be paid to the mourners on their 
 taking leave of the corpse. 3rd — The rela- 
 tions of the deceased, having nominated 
 the bearers to the committee, they shall 
 notify and collect them together, when 
 needed. 4th — After funeral exercises are 
 over the committee to see that no time be 
 unnecessarily lost in conveying the corpse 
 to the burying ground and interring the 
 same. 5th — The committee may cam ion 
 the attendants on funerals in standing too 
 long over tlie corpse of those who have 
 died of contagious or infectious diseases 
 that they may not expose themselves to the 
 same disorder, Gth — The committee to 
 pay particular attention to tlie order and 
 decency of the procession moving into the 
 burying ground to the grave, and likewise 
 in returning from the same. In fine, 
 the committee may ai tend to all matters 
 and things that may respect the decency ( 'f 
 funerals, or may in any Avay alleviate the 
 distresses of flie afilicted mourners. 
 
 After the erection of the meeting house 
 of Fisk's Hill, but very few of the inhabi- 
 tants of this town, especially those at the 
 east and southeast parts, attended meeting 
 in the centre house in Stiu-bridge. Many 
 had joined the Baptist society, or occasion- 
 ally attended meeting there. The distance 
 which some had to travel to attend church 
 and to transact town business was more 
 than seven miles. This state of things, 
 besides the great inconvenience it must oc- 
 casion to those who wished regularly to 
 at lend and maintain public worship upon 
 the Sabbath, undoubtedly had a tendency 
 'o prevent many from attending meetiiig 
 at all, or but few times in the year, A cir- 
 cumstance which could not be favorable to 
 the character and morals of society. It 
 could hardly be expected that the affairs of 
 a community thus situated and having 
 among its principal numbers those who 
 felt the importance of a general attendance 
 upon public worship on the Sabbath, should 
 so remain for any considerable time. The 
 southwest part of Charlton and the west 
 
HISTORY OF SOUTHBRIDGE. 
 
 25 
 
 part of Dudley were in some degree labor- 
 ing under similar disadvantages. It was 
 natural then that a remedy should be 
 sought by a reparation and the establish- 
 ment of a new town, or at least by pro- 
 viding soTue more convenient place for 
 public worship. 
 
 The first attempts were for a town. In 
 Nov., 1796, Joshua Harding, Jr., and 
 others petitioned the town of Sturbridge to 
 be set off with a part of Charlton and Dud- 
 ley as a town. Upon an article in the 
 warrant to hear the report of the committee 
 appointed to confer on the subject, it was 
 "voted that this article subside," — a very 
 modest and easy way to let it down. 
 
 A similar petition of Daniel Morse and 
 others was rejected, and in 1798 Joshua 
 Harding and others again petitioned for a 
 town, that is, tliat the town of Sturbridge 
 would assent to the formation of a new 
 town, but they refused. 
 
 As late as 1799 there was a bounty of 
 $1.50 on wild cats. 
 
 In this year, 1799, the school house by 
 Joseph Clark's was burnt, and the town 
 granted 33 dollars towards rebuilding. 
 
 In 1800, Ralph Wheelock and others 
 again petitioned for the assent of Stur- 
 bridge to be set off as a town. The vote 
 was 53 for and 96 against the petition. 
 
 The Rev. Mr. Paine died in 1799, and 
 Rev. Otis Lane was ordained Dec. 10, 
 1800. 
 
 In the arrangement of ecclesiastical mat- 
 ters, ordination of the minister, etc., the 
 inhabitants of this i^art of the town had no 
 part, being left out in the appointment of 
 all committees, etc., probably at their own 
 request. 
 
 Having failed in the project of being set 
 off as a town, apj)lication was made in 
 1800 to the general court for the incorpora- 
 tion of a parish, and this was granted, as 
 will be more particularly mentioned. This 
 project was also opposed by a majority of 
 the voters of Sturbridge, the votes being 
 at one time 39 to 48, and at a special meet- 
 ing to see if the town would reconsider, the 
 votes were — in favor of reconsidering, 71 ; 
 against, 98; and in the same year, 1801, the 
 town of Sturbridge again voted not to 
 abate the minister taxes of those in this 
 part who requested it. 
 
 I have thus noticed as briefly as I could 
 in pursuing the course upon which I at 
 first set out those transactions of a public 
 nature in which this jilace was connected 
 with the town of Sturbridge. I shall here 
 leave that town as a corporation, and in 
 the remainder of public matters to be men- 
 tioned and others principally, confine my- 
 self within our own limits . 
 
 At the time when the first application 
 was made on the subject of a new town, 
 viz., in 1796, meetings had been held here 
 f"om time to time to adopt sucli measures 
 as appeared necessary. At one of these a 
 committee was aijpointed, consisting of 
 Oliver Plimpton, David Morse, Joshua 
 Harding, Jr., Asa Walker, Luther Ammi- 
 down, Ebeuezer Putney, Jr., and James 
 Dyer, to whom was referred the subject of 
 forming a new town and who were to re- 
 IJort thereon. This report, which I dis- 
 covered by accident, among old files of 
 papers, which will probably soon be lost or 
 destroyed, is so valuable a document that I 
 have determined by transcribing to i)re- 
 serve it, and although I am already aware 
 of the unreasonable length to which this 
 sketch may be extended I cannot well omit 
 that report, which is as follows: "The 
 committee to whom was referred the sub- 
 ject of forming a number of the inhabitants 
 of the southeast part of Sturbridge, south- 
 west part of Charlton and west part of 
 Dudley, into a town, have attended that 
 service and beg leave to report as follows, 
 viz. : The first article of instructions to 
 your committee was, to report the most 
 convenient spot for a meeting house. In 
 the public opinion, three particular spots 
 have been referred to, at a very moderate 
 distance from each other. Your committee 
 having jjaid particular attention to each of 
 them, are unanimous in their opinion that 
 the central, which is a rising groiuid on 
 Capt. Marcy's land, north of Col. Free- 
 man's barn (then standing on the other 
 side of the road opposite to the place now 
 occupied by the meeting house) concen- 
 trates convenience, elegance and beauty, 
 
 The second article of instruction to your 
 committee was, to report the principles on 
 which said liouse is to be built. As it is 
 natural to expect that in a class of citizens 
 
26 
 
 HISTORY OF SOUTHBRIDQE. 
 
 so numerous as is comprised in the pro- 
 posed new townrthere Mill be different 
 sentiments in regard to modes of religious 
 worsliip, this part therefore of your com- 
 mittee's instructions forms the most ardu- 
 ous and difficult task. But, as a liberal and 
 conciliatory plan appears to be the general 
 wish, your conimittee propose the follow- 
 ing: That a subscription be opened to 
 raise a sum sufficient to erect a frame 
 and belfry for a meeting house and com- 
 plete the outside, and that the pews be sold 
 at public vendue to complete the inside ; 
 that every denomination be equally privil- 
 eged in said house, according to their in- 
 terest therein, this clause however not to 
 be constructed so as to operate against the 
 major part governing, but to confirm the 
 free use of said house to the minority, when 
 the majority are not improving the same. 
 
 Your committee foresee with concern 
 that the liberality of this plan will be ob- 
 jected to by many respected characters as 
 having a tendency to deprive the town of a 
 stated, settled, orthodox ministry, to 
 which objection your committee beg leave 
 to make the following observations; 
 
 1st. The difference in sentiment be- 
 twixt the Congregationalists and Baptists 
 is principally confined to the administra- 
 tion of the ordinance of Baptism, a very 
 immaterial difference indeed. Were both 
 parties seriously to reflect, that religion 
 consists in purity of heart, and give no 
 more weight and consideration to modes 
 and forms of worship than they really de- 
 serve ; and if a minister should be settled 
 disposed to administer that ordinance in 
 the manner most agreeable to that wished 
 for period, when both parties might be 
 happily united in one society. 
 
 2nd. That every denomination being 
 equally privileged in said house, according 
 to their interest, will have a material tend- 
 ency to unite and cement themselves to- 
 gether in one society. 
 
 3d. That there are comprised in the 
 proposed town as large a number, and 
 reputable both as to character and interest 
 as new towns are generally composed of, 
 (and) il would be ungenerous to say they 
 were not as well disposed towards support- 
 ing the gospel. 
 The third article of instructions to your 
 
 committee was to ascertain the bounds of 
 said town. 
 
 Your committee propose the following: 
 Beginning at the South East corner, on 
 the state line, to include James Haskell, 
 Benjamin Stone, Thomas Cheney, Lieut. 
 Eleazer Putney, Eliakim Chamberlain, 
 Jesse Merrit, Paul Piick, Asa Dresser, 
 Alexander Brown, John Chub, Joseph and 
 William McKinstry, Jonathan Perry, to 
 the river ; thence include John Plimpton, 
 Capt. Elias Plimpton, Fletcher Foster, /^ 
 Capt. Samuel Ellis, Jedediah Ellis, Simeon 
 Mason, and Chester May, to the state line. 
 But as an actual survey will be necessary, 
 before an act of incorporation can be ap- 
 plied for, your committee are of o]3inion to 
 refer minute circumstanceg respecting 
 boundaries to that period. 
 
 The 4th article of instruction to your 
 committee was, to report a plan of the 
 meeting house, which will accompany this 
 report. 
 
 The 5th article of instruction to your 
 committee was, to see what number of 
 persons will come forward to build said 
 house. Although your committee, as yet are 
 not well enough informed to detail the par- 
 ticular disposition of every person, yet from 
 what information your committee have 
 already obtained, the disposition of the 
 people appears to be very general in favor 
 of the plan. Your committee propose to 
 bring forward subscription papers at the 
 present meeting, which will give that point 
 its fairest decision; and all moneys, either 
 by subscription or sales of pews, to be con- 
 sidered as binding, whenever an act of 
 incorporation takes place, otherwise to be 
 void and of no effect. 
 
 Your committee, in closing this report, 
 are disposed to present to your view, the 
 geographical situation of the proposed 
 town. The great parent of nature seems 
 to have been profuse in his favors to this 
 place. The Quinebaug river, which falls 
 so nearly central through, with its excellent 
 seats for mills and other water works, are 
 circumstances highly favorable to the in- 
 troduction of useful mechanics, and ren- 
 dering it a place of activity and business. 
 The goodness of the soil, with the excellent 
 forests abounding wi'h all kinds of timber 
 for building, are estimates of great conse- 
 
 ^ 
 
HISTORY OF SOUTHBRIDGE. 
 
 27 
 
 quence to the general plan. 
 
 Abstractly considered from the value it 
 will add to the real estate, if we take into 
 view the benefits that would naturally re- 
 sult from a religious society, where there 
 are so large a number of youths, in. forming 
 their minds for accomplishments, useful- 
 ness, and virtue, when they are at present 
 by reason of local situation notoriously 
 neglected, are, in the opinion of your com- 
 mittee considerations of so much weight, 
 that (they) ought to bear down obstacles 
 that present themselves in the way of the 
 accomplishment of an object, so noble, so 
 great, and so good. From every view of 
 the subject, your committee recommend, 
 with steadiness, energy and vigor, to take 
 the most effectual measures to carry into 
 complete effect an object of so much con- 
 sequence, as soon as time, and other cir- 
 cumstances will admit." (Report made Feb. 
 29, 1796.) 
 
 This report was signed by the whole com- 
 mittee and undoubtedly expressed their 
 views and feelings, but it is due to one of 
 them to state, that it was from the pen of 
 Joshua Harding, who was usually required 
 to draft instruments of this kind; and it 
 will perhaps be sufficient commendation of 
 the report and of its author to say, that it 
 deserves sound judgment and ability, and 
 in particular, that the candid and liberal 
 views, and high moral tone which pervade 
 it throughout, were literally but specimens 
 of his pure and benevolent mind. 
 
 It will be perceived that at this time all 
 were looking to the immediate formation 
 of a new town, and that the establishment 
 of a parish was not contemplated, and it is 
 not improbable had they known, as it 
 turned out, that they should not succeed 
 on account of the opposition in Sturbridge, 
 all further proceedings on the subject of a 
 meetinghouse, etc., would have ceased, or 
 at least would have been suspended for 
 several years. The people however, agree- 
 able to the plan and recommendations of 
 the committee immediately made arrange- 
 ments for building a meeting house, and 
 at the same time, and subsetiucntly as has 
 before been stated, made applications to 
 Sturbridge all of which were opposed and 
 rejected. The house was to be built by 
 subscriptions as far as they could be ob- 
 
 tained, and the inside, pew's, etc., to be 
 furnished in such manner, and by such 
 means as circumstances might suggest. 
 Most of the persons, probably all who 
 were to be interested in the meeting house 
 agreed to furnish certain articles of provi- 
 sion for the raising, such as bread, pork, 
 veal, mutton, beef, butter, cheese, potatoes, 
 beets, beer, cider, etc., etc. The meeting 
 house was raised under the direction of 
 William Love, July 4, 1797, (and this is the 
 first event to which my memory extends, 
 being then about four years old. ) 
 
 The house was not finished for several 
 years. The first meeting for public wor- 
 ship was April G, ISOO. The preacher was 
 Rev. Alvan Underwood of Woodstock, but 
 the house was not then finished, and I 
 think there were no pews, or at least I 
 remember that there were some loose seats 
 of boards, etc., used. It was dedicated 
 July 4, 1800, and of course was then fin- 
 ished or ought to have been. 
 
 Every place, person, or thing, of suffi- 
 cient consequence to attract attention, to 
 be thought of, or talked about must have 
 a name, particular, and special, as a means 
 of distinction in the class of species to 
 which it belongs, and if those whose right 
 and duty it is, do not see to it, and apply 
 some distinctive appellation, others will do 
 it for them. How long will your inquisi- 
 tive neighbors suffer your infant to be 
 called '"baby"? Not long enough for you 
 to determine which of your ancesters, 
 uncles, cousins, or friends was most worthy 
 to have his or her name transplanted into 
 your family. 
 
 So in relation to this place, we had de- 
 termined to be, and become a separate 
 distinct community, neither Sturbridge, 
 Charlton, or Dudley. We had built a 
 meeting house, made calculations for pub- 
 lic worship by ourselves, applied for incor- 
 poration as a parish, etc., but in all these 
 matters had forgotten to give ourselves a 
 name. We could not conveniently, or 
 rather properly be East Parish, West Par- 
 ish, or South Parish, because either of 
 those appellations would only apply to one 
 of the three towns to which we belonged. 
 In this state of things, and from the ne- 
 cessity of the case some person, or persons, 
 (and it will probably never be known who) 
 
28 
 
 HISTOEY OF SOUTHBRIDGE. 
 
 gave us a name, and tliat was Honest town. 
 It may have Vhen attached to us by some 
 one in the old towns from which we had 
 separated in a moment of resentment at 
 our obstinacy, in not being satisiied to go 
 some miles to meeting, it may have come 
 from some wag or l)ar room joker over his 
 mug of flip, or possibly from some one of 
 our own, really honest inhabitants who 
 firmly believed that there was more true 
 genuine honesty here, than in any other 
 place in this part of the country. Be all 
 these things as they may, it is certain that 
 this place, now Southbridge, for twenty 
 years or more, before we became a town 
 was known far and near by the name of 
 Honest town, and whether the term was 
 applied ironically, or in "sober earnest," 
 or whether the character of our inhabi- 
 tants for fair dealing between man and 
 man rose above or fell below the common 
 standard, the truth would probably require 
 us to admit that from "local situation," to 
 use the charitable expression of the amiable 
 author of the report which I have intro- 
 duced, or from some other cause there was a 
 general want of stability, a kind of freedom 
 from wholesome restraint, which was by 
 no means favorable to the cause of good 
 morals, virtue, and religion, and the effects 
 of this state of things are yet, in some 
 measure, visible. 
 
 The Poll Parish (alias Honest town. ) In 
 the year 1801, certain persons having peti- 
 tioned therefor, an act was passed, "setting 
 off a number of the inhabitants of the 
 south east part of Sturbridge, the south 
 west part of Charlton, and the west part of 
 Dudley into a poll parish for the purpose of 
 a religious society." The preamble of the 
 act, containing the reason for the same is 
 as follows: "Whereas, for the convenience 
 and satisfaction of a number of the inhabit- 
 ants of the towns of Sturbridge, Charlton, 
 and Dudley in the county of Worcester, 
 with respect to their attending public 
 worship it is found necessary to set them 
 off, and erect them into a poll parish." 
 
 The persons thus set off, and who consti- 
 tuted the parish with the estates which 
 they then had or might thereafter possess 
 were: Ralph Wheelock, Abel Mason, Josh- 
 xia Harding, Benjamin Freeman, Jedediah 
 Marcy, Oliver Plimpton, John Ammidown, 
 
 Luther Ammidown, Gershom Plimpton, 
 Joseph Shaw, Robert Edwards, Calvin 
 Ammidown, Jephthah Clark, Jeremiah 
 Shumway, Oliver Hooker, Eleazer Putney, 
 jr., Solomon Clark, Daniel Morse, jr., 
 Calvin Perry, Moses Clark, Asa Walker, 
 David Dix, Henry Pratt, Jason Morse, jr., 
 Lemuel Mason, Moses Mason, John Marsh, 
 Samuel Newell, James Dyer, Joseph Sabin, 
 Eleazer Putney, Jedediah Ellis, Israel 
 Marsh, Jonathan Mason, Zebina Abbott, 
 Elias Plimpton, Duty Marsh, Dennison 
 Wlieelock, Gershom Plimpton, jr., Nathan 
 Brown, John Holbrook, Ephraim Wheel- 
 ock, William Love, Asa Morse, Jonathan 
 Perry, Oliver Thayer, Ralph Harding, 
 Abesha Sabin, John Plimpton, Thomas 
 Cheney, Jesse Morse, Pearley Stone, John 
 Mason, Moses Marcy, Edward Morris, 
 Theodore Marcy, Joseph Barrett, Ephraim 
 Bacon, Enoch Bacon, Cyrus Ammidown 
 Ralph Vinton, Jonathan Perry second, 
 Ruggles Morse, William Blood, Charles 
 Dugan, jr., David Clemons, Alexander 
 Brown, Rufus Brown, Gload Dugan, 
 Charles Dugan, John Heath, Ebenezer 
 Clarke, John Wait, Nathaniel Searle, 
 Joseph Barrett, jr., Daniel Morse, Alpheus 
 Morse, Jeremiah Morse, Freeman Pratt, 
 James Wheelock, John Marcy, Abel 
 Mason, jr., Samuel Wetherly, Abisha 
 Hooker, Fletcher Foster, Moses Wheel- 
 ock, Calvin Wheelock. Moses Foster, Sam- 
 uel Bobbins, Jacob Mason. 
 
 In 1787, December 3, Capt. Timothy 
 Parker was chosen a delegate to the con- 
 vention in Boston, to be held second 
 Wednesday in January to consider the re- 
 ported constitution of the United States. 
 
 In 1788, Ai^ril 7, highway districts were 
 first established with limits, the roads hav- 
 ing before been under the superintendance 
 of the surveyors acting together. 
 
 Josliua Harding, jr., was chosen repre- 
 sentative in 1787 and 1788, and Josiah 
 Walker from 1789 to 1797. 
 
 May 10, 1790, upon a petition of Roland 
 Clark, and others to be set off as a separate 
 school district from the districts No. 5 and 
 10, a committee reported that there 
 were a number of the iiiliabitants who re- 
 ceived but little benefit of schools, and that 
 a small district of about ten famiJies, and 
 thirty scholars might be made, which 
 
niSTOET OF SOUTnBRIDGE. 
 
 20 
 
 Avould have four weeks' school in winter, 
 and three in summer, etc., and the report 
 was accepted. This was the fourth and 
 last district estahlished in this town before 
 it was incorporated, being the district by 
 Mr. Joseph Clarlte. 
 
 In May 1791, Daniel Morse and others 
 were exempted from the payment of min- 
 ister tax, for two years. 
 
 Until 1791, the school houses had been 
 built by subscription, or voluntary contri- 
 , bution, but in this year. May 12, upon the 
 report of a committee it was voted to build 
 and repair school houses by a tax, and in 
 1792 £800 was raised for that purpose, and 
 £110 for support of schools. 
 
 In May, 1792, Col. Benjamin Freeman 
 and others who lived south of the road 
 leading from Col. Freeman's house to Dud- 
 ley, being within the limits of Charlton, 
 petitioned the town to be received as inhab- 
 itants of Sturbridge, and the petition was 
 granted. How this action of the town 
 could answer the purpose I do not know, 
 but tlipre was probably a law to sanction 
 the proceeding, for it is true that Col. 
 Freeman and some others on the south 
 side of the road did not attend town meet- 
 ings, etc., in Sturbridge, althougli others 
 in this village living where the Dresser 
 brick store is, and near the Maicy mills 
 were required to go to Charlton. 
 
 In 1793, inoculation for the small pox 
 was authorized at John Plimpton's, Sim- 
 eon Mason's and Joseph Shaw's. 
 
 The foregoing list contains ninety names 
 which was probably all, or nearly all the 
 legal voters within the limits of the parish. 
 Strictly speaking the parish had no limit, 
 but was composed of certain persons who 
 saw fit to join in the request to be incor- 
 porated, but their residence was mostly 
 within the bounds of what is now the 
 town of Southbridge. Of this whole num- 
 ber forty-seven, more than one half, are 
 known to have ceased to be among the 
 living in the space of thirty-five years, be- 
 ing the time since the parish was incoi'po- 
 rated. Sixteen have removed from this 
 place and probably many of them are not 
 living, eleven have either died or removed, 
 not having been known to me, I can not 
 say which. The remaining sixteen are 
 now living in or near this town, viz.. 
 
 Samuel Newell,* Oliver Hooker. Daniel 
 Morse, Jason Morse* Moses Mason*, Den- 
 nison Wheelock*, Nathan Brown,* Eph- 
 raim Wheelock, Ealph Harding, Abislia 
 Sabins,* Enoch Bacon,* Cyrus Ammi- 
 down,* William Blood,* Alpheus Morse,* 
 Freeman Pi-att, Abel Mason, jr.* 
 
 I have mentioned this list of the names of 
 those who were members of the old parish, 
 which at first may appear to some a dry 
 and uninteresting detail, but that list in 
 connection with the small number who now 
 remain, and the time in which so great a 
 change is made, cannot but present to us a 
 subject for deep reflection. We here see, 
 in the ordinary progress of human affairs 
 the passing away of one generation. In 
 thirty-five years, more than one half the 
 male adults of a given territory are nimi- 
 bered with the dead, and of those who re- 
 main in the place not more than six con- 
 tinue to take any part in general public 
 concerns. Such is human life, and such are 
 the important facts of history when exam- 
 ined and viewed in their appropriate con- 
 nection, which place us who are now on 
 the stage, as it were upon the pinnacle of 
 time's observatory from which, casting our 
 view backward or forward for the short 
 space of thirty-five years we may contem- 
 plate a period probably without the sphere 
 of our own brief pilgrimage here on earth. 
 By the act of incorporation, Oliver 
 Plimpton, Esq., was authorized to call the 
 first meeting of the parish, and accordingly 
 on the 21st of March 1801, issued a warrant 
 to Luther Ammidown, then of Charlton, 
 directing him "to notify and warn the in- 
 habitants belonging to the new poll parish, 
 etc., to meet at the meeting house near 
 Col. Benjamin Freeman's on Tuesday, the 
 31st of March." The purpose of this meet- 
 ing was to organize by choosing parish 
 officers, to grant money to supply preach- 
 ing, etc., "to see what method the parish 
 will take to encourage singing amongst us," 
 and to choose some person to take care of 
 the meeting house. The meeting was 
 held agreeable to the Avarrant, at which 
 the following oflSicers were chosen: Lu- 
 ther Ammidown, moderator; Joshua Har- 
 ding, clerk; Oliver Plimpton, Luther 
 Ammidown, John Ammidown, Joshua 
 
 ♦Not liviug in 1852. 
 
30 
 
 HISTORY OF SOUTHBRIDGE. 
 
 Harding, Daniel "Morse, assessors ; Abel 
 Mason, treasurer; David Dix, collector. 
 At this meeting it was voted to raise 
 money by tax to supply preaching the en- 
 suing year. A committee was appointed, 
 consisting of Oliver Plimpton, Abel Mason, 
 sen , and Calvin Ammidown, "to report 
 the sums necessary to be raised, and like- 
 wise the appropriation of the meeting 
 house amongst the different denomina- 
 tions." The committee reported that the 
 sum of two hundred and fifty dollars be 
 granted and assessed, for the purpose of 
 supplying preaching, and fifty dollars for 
 contingent charges, and that the Universa- 
 lists have the use of the house one fourth 
 part of the time, and the other denomina- 
 tions the other three fourths, which report 
 was accepted by vote. Jonathan Perry, 
 Robert Edwards, and John Ammidown 
 were chosen a committee "to promote and 
 encourage singing," and Capt. William 
 liove to take charge of the meeting house. 
 
 I am thus particular in giving the whole 
 proceedings at the meeting, because it was 
 the first occasion of any business transacted 
 in a corporate capacity in this place, and 
 more particularly, because it contains the 
 first action upon the subject of supplying 
 the pulpit, and appropriating the meeting 
 house among the different denominations. 
 Here was to be a test of the practicability 
 of the plan proposed by tho committee of 
 1790, whose report it will be recollected had 
 reference to the state of things which must 
 exist, after the erection of a meeting house. 
 It seems that at this meeting all these 
 matters were arranged without any diffi- 
 culty. A committee of five, consisting of 
 Capt Ralph Wheelock, David Dix, Capt. 
 Mason, John Ammidown, and Asa Walker 
 was chosen to supply preaching for the 
 year. There were two Universalists, Mr. 
 Dix and Mr. Ammidown, the other three 
 were Congregationalists, from which I con- 
 clude that the number of Baptists was so 
 small, or from some other reason they did 
 not claim any voice in the committee. 
 
 Another committee, Oliver Plimpton, 
 John Ammidown, and Robert Edwards 
 was chosen, "to procure subscriptions of 
 money from those persons who live within 
 said parish, and did not sign the petition 
 for incorporation," those who were mem- 
 
 bers being liable to the tax, which it will be 
 recollected was voted at this meeting. 
 And here it may be remarked that this tax 
 of 1801 was the only one ever voted by the 
 parish, or by any other subsequent religious 
 society or other body in this town for the 
 support of preaching. At the next parish 
 meeting, and at every meeting requiring 
 measures to be taken for that purpose, a 
 committee was appointed to procure sub- 
 scriptions. 
 
 At the annual meeting in March, 1802, 
 the only matteis worthy of notice are, that 
 a committee on the appropriation of the 
 meeting house reported "that the Univer- 
 salists have the use of said house half the 
 time, two months at a time, the other de- 
 nominations the other half," etc., which 
 report was accepted by vote, also that 
 Oliver Hooker, Freeman Pratt, Ralph 
 Harding, and Elijah Marcy were chosen 
 "to lead the singing." 
 
 This arrangement for "dividing the time 
 of the several teachers, proposed to 
 preach," it" appears did not prove satisfac- 
 tory, and a meeting was called on the 26th 
 of April following. "To see if the parish 
 will agree to unite in supporting the gospel 
 amongst us, or make some different ar- 
 rangements from what was done the last 
 meeting respecting dividing the time of 
 the several teachers proposed to preach 
 with us," etc. The meeting was held, but 
 nothing was done by way of making a 
 different arrangement, except a considera- 
 ble discussion," after which a motion was 
 made and carried to dissolve the meeting . 
 
 In the warrant for a meeting in January 
 1804, an article was inserted, "To see if 
 the parish will agree to be set off from the 
 several towns to which they now belong, as 
 a town by themselves," and upon this 
 article, "it was voted by a large majority to 
 be set off as a town." The same subject 
 was brought up in Mai-ch of the same year 
 at the annual meeting, but was not acted 
 upon by the meeting. 
 
 In March 1805, it was voted "to let the 
 Universalists have the meeting house the 
 second Sunday in every month the ensuing 
 year." 
 
 In 1806, this arrangement was again 
 altered, the Universalists to have one half 
 the time. 
 
HISTORY OF SOUTHBRIDOE. 
 
 31 
 
 In Dec. 1807, a meeting was called, prin- 
 cipally to see if the parish will petition the 
 general court for an alteration in their act 
 of incorporation, and to set them off as a 
 parish with lines. 
 
 At the meeting Dec. 17th a committee 
 was chosen to draft articles of amendment 
 to the act, and it was also "voted to be set 
 off as a parish with lines, and choose a 
 committee of three to petition the general 
 court in behalf of the parish for that pur- 
 pose." The committee Avere, Joshua Hard- 
 ing, Jason Morse, and Jonathan Perry, 
 and Oliver Plimpton were chosen to pre- 
 sent the petition to the general court . 
 
 This project of being set off as a parish 
 with lines did not succeed, or probably was 
 abandoned without much exertion, it being 
 intended at, and before that time to apply 
 to be incorporated as a town as soon as 
 circumstances would justify this measure. 
 
 In August 1811, an attempt was made by 
 the call of a special meeting "to have con- 
 slant, and regular preaching," but the re- 
 sult was only the following rather singular 
 vote, viz., "that it be recommended to the 
 present miuisterial committee to employ 
 Mr. Sawyer a number of Sabbaths, between 
 now and next annual meeting." 
 
 In Nov., 1811, upon the request of sever- 
 al individuals, a special meeting was called 
 by the assessors, "to see if said parish will 
 petition the next general court to be set off 
 from the several towns of which they are 
 composed, to be a town by themselves, by 
 the name of ." 
 
 agent lo present to the next general court 
 the petition and old plan of said parish, for 
 the purpose expressed in said petition, 
 bearing with him a copy of the votes of 
 said parish, relative to being set off, etc., 
 and, "that the committee to whom was en- 
 trusted said petition enter the name of 
 in blank, for the proposed town." 
 
 At this meeting, Nov. 2.5, it was "voted 
 to be set off as a town, also voted to choose 
 a committee of three, viz., Joshua Hard- 
 ing, Luther Ammidown, and Reuben Har- 
 rington to take charge of a petition to be 
 sent to the general court." The subject 
 was further postponed to the annual 
 meeting to be held in March following, at 
 which it was, "voted to have three in addi- 
 tion to the committee relative to being set 
 off as a town, whose duty is to have the 
 petition copied off anew, and the plan of 
 the proposed town improved, in order to be 
 sent to the general court. The additional 
 committee were Oliver Hooker, George 
 Sumner, and Asa Walker. This meeting 
 was adjourned to May 19, and it was then 
 "voted to choose Gershom Plimpton as 
 
 This vote, as recorded was indeed a singu 
 lar one, and how it could be complied with, 
 I cannot understand. The truth, however 
 is, that the business of fixing upon a name 
 for this new town was attended with no 
 little difficulty, as will be seen in the se- 
 quel. 
 
 It may here be observed that in all the 
 efforts of the parish to become a town, 
 there was great opposition on the part of 
 Sturbridge, Charlton and Dudley, but more 
 particularly from the first named town, on 
 account of the larger share of territory which 
 they were likely to lose. The object there- 
 fore of the petitioners was not accom- 
 plished without much trouble, delay and 
 expense, and the agent first appointed not 
 succeeding in that year, at the annual 
 meeting March 30, 1813, and adjourned to 
 May 17, James Wolcott, jr.. was appointed 
 agent, and Oliver Hooker and Oliver 
 Plimpton assistants, the first to attend the 
 general court, and the others to advise and 
 consult with him on the subject of the pe- 
 tition. There was still delay, the object 
 was not accomplished, and in December 
 1813. by request, a special meeting was 
 called, to be held January 11, 1814, "To see 
 if the parish will choose an agent," etc. 
 At the meeting it was voted to postpone 
 choosing an agent, and to choose a com- 
 mittee of five to make a new draft of peti- 
 tion, etc., and to obtain as many signers as 
 possible previous to the2.5lh inst., and the 
 meeting was adjourned to that time. 
 
 At the adjourned meeting Gershom 
 Plimpton was appointed agent to attend 
 the present session of the general court, 
 and present the petition and plan, and he 
 was "authorized to act and transact any- 
 thing and everything necessary, and rela- 
 tive towards carrying into effect the prayer 
 of said petition in his power." 
 
 It seems by the peculiar and strong terms 
 used in this vote, that the people had be- 
 come impatient at their continual failures, 
 
HISTORY OF SOUTHBRIDGE. 
 
 and that the measure which suggested it- 
 self at all times, as most likely to insure 
 success was to have a new agent, and in 
 this instance, to confer upon him unlimited 
 authority to act, and transact any, and 
 everything. But all this did not answer 
 the purpose, and at the next annual meet- 
 ing, March 29, 1814, Oliver Plimpton was 
 chosen an agent, "to attend the next 
 session of the general court, and use his 
 endeavors to obtain an order of notice, or 
 at least an examining committee, for busi- 
 ness relative to being set off as a town." 
 It was here probably that the first step was 
 taken which would prove an entering 
 wedge in establishing the town, viz., the 
 request for an examining committee. 
 This could not be refused, especially as it 
 was to be at the expense of the petitioners, 
 and there was so little doubt that a com- 
 mittee would be granted, that a special 
 meeting was called. May 17, 1814, to adopt 
 measures with reference to the visits of the 
 committee. A committee of five Avas 
 chosen to wait on the court's committee, 
 and pay the expense. An additional agent 
 was chosen to attend the general court, viz. 
 Maj. Calvin Ammidown. A committee 
 was chosen to survey the parish again more 
 accurately, and a committee of seven to 
 draft a new petition, and circulate it. 
 
 Another special meeting was called, Dec. 
 6, 1814, at which Jason Morse was chosen 
 as an additional agent, and Joshua Hard- 
 ing, Gershom Plimpton, and Fordyce Fos- 
 ter appointed a committee to draft an act 
 of incorporation. At this meeting also 
 came u\) the important subject of determin- 
 ing upon a name for the new town, and 
 from some trivial circumstances the discus- 
 sion of this point led to greater warmth of 
 passion, excitement, and violence than was 
 ever before, or since witnessed in this place 
 at any public meeiing. It was, however, 
 at last voted that, "each one bring for- 
 ward his favorite name for the proposed 
 town, and that one be selected from the 
 list," and a committee of five was chosen 
 for the purpose of making this selection . 
 This committee were, Abel Mason, sen., 
 Joshua Harding, Gershom Plimpton, 
 Fordyce Foster, and Jacob Endicott. The 
 meeiing was adjourned for half an hour, 
 for the deliberations of this committee. 
 
 On meeting after adjournment the commit- 
 tee reported the names of Southbridge and 
 Quinebaug, for the consideration of the 
 parish, and Southbridge obtained the vote. 
 I have always understood that South- 
 bridge was the name proposed by the ven- 
 erable Capt . Abel Mason, sen. 
 
 This important matter was not yet set- 
 tled, however. The meeting it seems was 
 adjourned for some other purpose to the 
 3d of January 1815, and was held accor- 
 dingly on that day. The committee ap- 
 pointed to survey the parish made a report 
 which was accepted, and a committe was 
 chosen to meet the Dudley committee rela- 
 tive to the proposed line between that 
 town and the new one, also it was voted 1o 
 amend the third section of the act of incor- 
 poration by inserting a provision for secur- 
 ing our proportion of legacies and bequests 
 due, or belonging to either of the three 
 towns. The exciting subject of a name 
 was again brought up, and it was "voted 
 to reconsider the name of Soutlibridge, and 
 insert the name of Vienna. A committee 
 of three was appointed to invite those that 
 remonstrated against being set off. The 
 occasion of the appointment of this com- 
 mittee was that several persons in Charl- 
 ton, who were inchuled in the east part of 
 the new town according to the lines, as 
 petitioned for, remonstated to the general 
 court against being set off in the new 
 town, which at this stage of the proceed- 
 ings, caused much difficulty, trouble and 
 delay, in finally determining the easterly 
 line of the town. 
 
 The meeting of January 3d was again 
 adjourned to the 20th. Here it was once 
 more voted to reconsider the name of 
 Vienna, and insert the name Southbridge, 
 and it was further voted, "that if there be 
 any other town by the name of Southbridge 
 in this commonwealth, that Newburgh or 
 Newbern be substituted." There was 
 however no other town by that name, and 
 thus by this last vote, after so much 
 rough handling, and so many hairbreadth 
 escapes, perhaps from eternal oblivion, the 
 name of Southbridge finally triumphed 
 over all enemies and opposition, and es- 
 tablished its claim to the first rank and 
 highest place in all the tens of thousands 
 of epistles which should go forth from our 
 
HISTORY OF SOUTHBRIDGE. 
 
 33 
 
 little territory from and after tlie 15tli of 
 February 1816, in all after time. 
 
 The new town liad now got a "name," 
 but as I have here intimated, it had not 
 yet its "local habitation." Although the 
 business was in a fair way to a successful 
 termination, yet the difficulties with the 
 Charlton remonstrants and others in rela- 
 tion to a part of the petitioners in Dudley 
 living east of John Ammidown's, who it 
 was found at last must be left out, by the 
 decision of the court's committee, these 
 and other things caused embarrassment 
 and delay. At the annual March meeting 
 in 1815, Calvin Ammidown, Fred'k W. 
 Bottom, and James Wolcott were appointed 
 agents to carry on the business of the pro- 
 posed new town, and it became necessary 
 to have a second committee from the gen- 
 eral court. This committee consisted of 
 Dr. Starkweather, the celebrated Dr. 
 Noah Webster, (author of Webster's spell- 
 ing book, third part the American diction- 
 ary, etc. ) It became necessary also to send 
 one of the agents to a part of this com- 
 mittee in the recess of the legislature with 
 a plan of such lines as it was tliought 
 would be accepted by the inhabitants of 
 the parish, and to see if it was thought 
 reasonable by the committee. This last 
 court committee came out in Oct., 1815, for 
 the purpose of holding a meeting in each 
 of the three towns to hear all parties, and 
 finally settle the point as to the lines, what 
 individuals should be left in the old towns, 
 etc. Those who did not wish to come in 
 from Charlton were excluded. They were, 
 I think, Jesse Merrit, Royal Ellis, and 
 Eliakim Chamberlain, and perhaps one or 
 two others, all of whom, I believe, have 
 since regretted that they did not come into 
 this town. 
 
 In the part of Dudley, Otis Ammidown 
 and several of the Cheneys, who were 
 among the petitioners, were excluded, but 
 it was agreed by vote that the part then set 
 off would assist them afterwards, and pay 
 the expenses of obtaining an additional act 
 to annex them to Southbridge, and as soon 
 as it was thought proper they petitioned, 
 and in 1852 were annexed to this town . 
 
 The "act to incorporate the town of 
 Southbridge," was approved by the govern- 
 
 or, and thus became a law February 15, 
 1816*. 
 
 The first town meeting was called by a 
 warrant from Oliver Plimpton, Esq., and 
 held March 6, 1816, at which the town was 
 organized by the appointment of all neces- 
 sary officers, etc. 
 
 In the subsequent transactions of the 
 town, committees were appointed to meet 
 similar committees from Sturbridge, 
 Charlton, and Dudley, for the purpose of 
 making a division of town property. . This 
 division will show the relative proportion 
 which the property set off from each town 
 bore to the whole towns as they existed 
 before. 
 
 Charlton, about one-tenth — amount to be 
 divided $1,059.10; belonging to South- 
 bridge $100.15. 
 
 Sturbridge, about one-fifth — amount to 
 be divided $524.38; belonging to South- 
 bridge $112 .57. 
 
 Dudley, about one-sixth — amount to be 
 divided $854 .38 ; belonging to Southbridge 
 $58.65. 
 
 In Sturbridge it was found that the 
 whole number of ratable polls was 476, 
 about one-third of which were set off to 
 Southbridge, 151, and also that the whole 
 valuation was $19,514, and in Southbridge 
 $5,027, or a little more than one-fourth. 
 
 The population of this town was in 
 1820, 1066; in 1830, as given in the last 
 census, 1444. 
 
 At other periods the population of our 
 territory may probably be estimated about 
 as follows, from the best data I can obtain : 
 In 1801, between 450 and 500; in 1816, the 
 time of our incorporation nearly, 900, and 
 the present number is probably not much 
 short of 1800. 
 
 There was a new arrangement of school 
 districts in 1816, in which the Clobe dis- 
 trict was made from a part of what had 
 been the centre district, and a part of the 
 Charlton territory. The school house in 
 the centre, which then stood where Mrs. 
 Clemence now lives was located where it is 
 near the Baptist meeting house . The first 
 house was burnt in 1828, and rebuilt the 
 same year on the same ground. The 
 other districts in the Sturbridge part re- 
 
 *In a short time the name of Honest town 
 was bat seldom mentioned. 
 
34 
 
 HISTOEY OF SOUTHBRIDGE. 
 
 niained nearly as they were before, and 
 there was one distj'ict mostly from Dudley, 
 and one half district from Charlton mak- 
 ing six whole and one half district, and 
 these have not since been materially 
 altered, excepting that in the centre and 
 Globe districts, the increase of scholars has 
 made it necessary to resort to a division of 
 the scholars, and to employ two or more 
 teachers. 
 
 And here I am admonished that having 
 already occupied too much time in relating 
 things which may appear less interesting 
 to this audience than they have to me, and 
 having endeavored to trace out the various 
 steps by which we became a town, I must 
 omit any further notice of public proceed- 
 ings as a town. 
 
 And by way of apology, in making which 
 I dare not use but a few words, I must 
 observe that one great difficulty in prepar- 
 ing this narrative has been to condense 
 the materials, and mould them into some- 
 thing like reasonable dimensions. In this 
 I have not succeeded as I wished, and 
 could not without abandoning the course, 
 and changing the plan which I at first 
 marked out, I know full well, and was 
 awai-e of it before I finished, that three 
 quarters of an hour is as long as I ought to 
 detain you, but I could not bring it within 
 that compass. 
 
 The remaining subjects will be noticed 
 as briefly as possible, which are : 
 
 The ecclesiastical affairs of the parish 
 and town. 
 
 The progress of business, trade, etc. 
 
 The progress of literature, the lyceum, 
 and temperance associations. 
 
 The names of some of the first inhabi- 
 tants, and times of their commencing, and 
 characters and anecdotes of a very few, 
 and all I have been able to obtain. 
 
 I have before stated that the first meet- 
 ing for public worship was April G, 1800. 
 In that year there were five different 
 preachers: Rev. Alvan Underwood, 12 
 Sabbaths: Rev. Zenas L. Leonard, 15; Rev. 
 Mr. Larned of Charlton, 2; Rev. Timothy 
 Williams, 1; Rev. Mr. Bromley, 2, in all 
 32 Sabbaths in nine months. 
 
 In 1801, 17 ministers preached 39 Sab- 
 baths; Mr. Underwood, 2; Mr. Leonard, 8; 
 Mr. Bromley, 1; Hosea Ballou, 1; Mr. 
 
 Tm-ner, 8; Mr. Sabins, Mr. Sanders, Mr. 
 Allen, Mr. Brown, Mr. Graves of Wood- 
 stock, Ezra Williams, Mr. Andrews, Mr. 
 Loomis, each one Sabbath ; Mr. Bisco, 2 ; 
 Mr. Thurber, 2; Thaddeus Fairbanks, -5; 
 Mr. Coddington of Holland, 2. 
 
 In this year, Sept. 16, the Congregational 
 church was established and organized; 
 deacons, Asa Walker and Daniel Morse. 
 There were 21 members, 8 males and 13 
 females: Asa Walker, Daniel Morse, Elias 
 Plimpton, Fletcher Foster, Abel Mason, 
 Jason Morse, Samuel Ellis, Deborah Free- 
 man, Anne Dresser, Lois Foster, Rachel 
 Foster, Experience Wheelock, Lucy Mason, 
 Mary Mason, Abigail Ellis, Phebe Morse, 
 Jemima Harding, Ruth Mason, Mary 
 Chamberlain. 
 
 In 1802, there were 12 ministers, and 35 
 meetings, or preaching on 35 Sabbaths: 
 Mr. Underwood, 2; Mr. Leonard, 5; Mr. 
 Larned, 3; Mr. Furver, 8; Mr. Fairbanks, 
 4; Mr. Loomis, 6; Mr. Lane of Sturbridge 
 2 ; Joshua Flagg, 2 ; John Nichols, 1 ; Mr. 
 Lyman of Woodstock, 1 ; Mr. Phillips and 
 Daniel Marten, one half day each. 
 
 In 1803, 6 ministers preached 33 Sabbaths : 
 Mr. Leonard, 6; Mr. Larned, 11; Mr. 
 Ballou, 1; Mr. Turner, 11; Mr. Flagg, 3; 
 Mr. Murray of Boston, 1, 
 
 In 1804, 9 ministers, 31 Sabbaths: Mr. 
 Underwood, 1; Mr. Leonard, 5; Mr. 
 Larned, 4; Mr. Turner, 12; Mr. Fairbanks, 
 5; Ezra Williams, 1; Mr. Flagg, 1; Mr. 
 Wild, 1; Mr. Whipple of Charlton, 1. 
 
 In this year there was a convention or 
 association of Universalists, attended by 
 Mr. Murray of Boston, Mr. Ballou, Leland, 
 Streeter, etc. 
 
 In 1805, 5 ministers, 25 Sabbaths : Mr. 
 Leonard, 7; Mr. Turner, 10; Mr. Fair- 
 banks, 6 ; Mr. Coddington, 1 ; Ezra Wil- 
 liams, 1. 
 
 In 1806, 7 ministers, 23 Sabbaths; Mr. 
 Underwood, 1 ; Mr. Leonard, 4 ; Mr. Tur- 
 ner, 8; Mr. Fairbanks, 5; Mr. Wild, 1; 
 David Batchellor, 1 ; Mr. Judson, 3. 
 
 In 1807, 8 ministers, 28 Sabbaths: Mr. 
 Leonard, 8; Mr. Ballou, 1; Mr. Tiu-ner, 3; 
 John Nichols, 10; Mr. Wild, 1; Mr. Whip- 
 ple, 1; Mr. Riddle, 3; Mr. Noyes, 1. 
 
 In 1808, 8 ministers, 25 Sabbaths; Mr. 
 Underwood, 1; Mr. Leonard, 3; Mr. Tur- 
 ner, 3; Elijah Sabin, 1; John Nichols, 12; 
 
HISTORY OF SOUTHBRIDGE. 
 
 William Graves, 1; Mr. Wilson, 3; Mr. 
 Sampson, 1. 
 
 In 1809, 6 ministers, including Dea. 
 Grosvenor, 18 Sabbaths and more, etc.: 
 Mr. Turner, 2 ; John Nichols, 1 ; Mr. Whip- 
 ple, 1; David Batchellor, 0; Mr. Wilson, 2; 
 Dea. Nathan Grosvenor, who read ser- 
 mons and carried on the meetings G Sab- 
 baths, and also from Sept. 24 to the end of 
 year. 
 
 In 1810, Mr, Grosvenor. read sermons as 
 last year from April 5th, to June 1st, be- 
 sides which there were 7 ministers, 19 Sab- 
 baths : Mr. Flagg, 1 ; Mr. Whipple, 1 ; Mr. 
 Lamson, 1; Salmon Hebard, 1; Mr. Whit- 
 ney, 1; Elisha Sweet, 13; Mr. Pomeroy, 1. 
 
 In 1811, 13 ministers, 28 Sabbaths: Mr. 
 Underwood, 1; Mr. Bolles (q 11); Mr. 
 Smith, 1 ; Mr. Moon, 1 ; Mr. Fay, 1 ; Mr. 
 Sawyer, 1 ; Luke B. Foster, 1 ; John Nich- 
 ols, 11; Mr. Whipple, 1; Mr. Batchellor, 2; 
 Mr. Wilson, 2; Dea. Grosvenor, 1; Mr. 
 Sweet, 4,. 
 
 In 1812, 14 ministers, 22 1-2 Sabbaths: 
 Mr. Leonard, 1-2 ; Abiel Williams, 1 ; Mr. 
 Bolles (qll); Mr. Moon, 6; Mr. Fay. 1; 
 Mr. Angell, 1; Ezra Williams, 1; Mr. 
 Clark, 1 ; Mr. Kimball, 1 ; Mr. Lane, 1 ; Mr. 
 Rice, 2 ; Phileman Memger, 1 ; Mr. Samp- 
 son, 1 ; Luke B. Foster, 4. 
 
 In 1813, 11 ministers, 20 Sabbaths: Mr. 
 Leonard, 2 ; Mr. Fay, 2 ; Mr. Angell, 1 ; Mr. 
 Lane, 1 ; Mr. Batchellor, 2 ; Doc. Austin, 1 ; 
 Jordan Dodge, 1; Mr. Woodruff, 4; Ste- 
 phen Haskell, 1 ; Mr. Comique. 1 ; John 
 Fuller or Taylor, 4. 
 
 In 1814, 8 ministers, 27 Sabbaths: Mr. 
 Leonard, 7; Mi. Angell, 7; Mr. Knight, 6; 
 Mr. Field, 2 ; Mr. Branch, 1 ; Mr. Batchel- 
 lor, 1; Stephen Williams, 2; Mr. Bently, 1. 
 
 In 1815, 13 ministers, 49 Sabbaths ; Mr. 
 Park, 20; Mr. Underwood, 1; Mr. Leonard, 
 1; Mr. Rich, 9; Mr. Mills, 1; Mr. Angell, 1; 
 Mr. Lane, 2; Mr.Johnson, 1; Mr. Whipple, 
 5; Mr. Batchellor, 3; Mr. Smith, 2; Mr. 
 Bates, 1; Mr. Backus. 2. 
 
 In 1816, 11 ministers, 43 1-2 Sabbaths: 
 Mr. Park, 17 1-2; Mr. Leonard, 1; Abial 
 Williams, 2 ; Mr. Spooner, 1 ; Mr. Putnam, 
 1; Mr. Angell, 15; Esek Brown, 1; Mr. 
 Branch, 1 ; Mr. Whipple, 1 ; Mr. Batchellor, 
 1 ; Mr. Backus, 2. 
 
 In this period of sixteen years there 
 were seventy-four different ministers, em- 
 
 bracing the denominations of Congrega- 
 tionalists. Baptists, Universalists, and 
 Methodists, and you will have observed 
 that the number of Sabbaths on Avhicli 
 there was public worship, from 1805 to 
 1814 did not average more than half in 
 each year, and if it were not known to 
 have been the fact, it might readily be sup- 
 posed, that in a place like this, remote 
 from any otlier convenient place of attend- 
 ing church, to be destitute of any preach- 
 ing one half of the time would naturally 
 lead to an habitual disregard of the Sab- 
 bath ; such a state of things could not but 
 be unfavorable to the character and morals 
 of the inhabitants, of the youth in particu- 
 lar. 
 
 As soon as it was determined that we 
 were to become a town, if a proper regard 
 for the welfare of the community were not 
 sufficient, there were other circumstances 
 which tended to hasten measures for the 
 settlement of a minister . 
 
 The meeting house was owned, and had 
 always before been occuijied by different 
 denominations, and it now became a ques- 
 tion if a minister was to be settled, of 
 which denomination he should be. And 
 here I regret to say, there were some pro- 
 ceedings such as preparations for using 
 force in obtaining the occupation of the 
 house. Such things if countenanced by 
 those who profess to be engaged in the 
 cause of religion confer no credit, and can 
 be of no service to that cause. They be- 
 long rather to the class of partizan wrang- 
 ling. A moment's consideration could not 
 but suggest to all the fact, that there were 
 rights and property, in this question, 
 without a proper regard to which on all 
 sides, no minister could be settled in that 
 house. This was soon discovered, and ar- 
 rangements Avere made, by which tlie Coii- 
 gregationalists sold their interest in the 
 meeting house to the Baptists, and those 
 wlio associated with them. 
 
 Mr. Park preached most of the time in 
 181(), until 23d, when the Congregational- 
 ists left the meeting house, and held their 
 first separate meeting at the dwelling 
 house of Mr. Brown, (near the elm 
 trees.) They continued to hold meet- 
 ings at this house, until they erected the 
 house now owned by Dr. Hartwell (in 
 
36 
 
 HISTORY OF SOUTHBRIDGE. 
 
 which was used for public worship until 
 he South meetiag house was erected in 
 1821. The Congregational society was in- 
 corporated December 13, 1816, and on the 
 18th of December of that year Mr. Park 
 was ordained as pastor of the church and 
 society, in which place he continued six- 
 teen years until Dec. 18 1832, when he was 
 dismissed by his own request. 
 
 Rev. Henry I. Lamb was ordained as 
 pastor of the same, June 6, 1833, and dis- 
 missed April 23, 1835, at his own request, 
 but continued to preach till the 6th of 
 June. There was constant preaching dur- 
 ing the season, and a part of the time by 
 candidates for settlement, among whom 
 was Rev. Eber Carpenter, the present pas- 
 tor, who was ordained Dec. 1, 1835. 
 
 After the Congregationalists sold their 
 interest in the meeting house. Rev. George 
 Angell supplied the pulpit principally, and 
 on the 27th of August, 1816, he was installed 
 as pastor. 
 
 The Baptist church was established 
 January 29, 1817. It then consisted of 
 26 members, (males and females). There 
 are how, I understand, 179 members. Mr. 
 Angell died Feb. 18, 1827. 
 
 Rev. Adison Parker was in&talled Aug- 
 8, 1827, and continued till Dec. 2, 1832. 
 
 Rev. David C. Bolles was installed March 
 12, 1833, and his connection as pastor con- 
 tinued till May 1, 1835. 
 
 Rev. Joseph G. Binney, the present pas- 
 tor, commenced his labors as pastor Au- 
 gust 23, 1835. 
 
 The Baptist society was incorporated by 
 the name of the First Baptist society in 
 Southbridge, January 29th, 1822.* 
 
 While Mr. Bolles was pastor arrange- 
 ments had been made to repair the meet- 
 ing house by taking out all the interior 
 pews, etc., and erecting slips; and byre- 
 moving the former steeple, and erecting a 
 new one. 
 
 The pastors of both of these societies ap- 
 pear to enjoy the confidence and esteem 
 of the people ; and it is hoped that their la- 
 bors may be the means of advancing the 
 cause of true religion, and of instilling such 
 principles as will tend to strengthen the 
 
 *An association or society was formed, and 
 a constitution, or by-laws adopted, May 1, 1816. 
 
 virtue, and improve the character of our 
 growing population. 
 
 It may be well to mention liere, that at 
 the time the parish was established in 1801, 
 arrangements were made for a place to de- 
 posit tlie remains of the dead. It did not 
 long remain unoccupied, for the year 1801 
 was a season of sickness and death among 
 the inhabitants of this place, particularly 
 the children. 
 
 The first death after the burial ground 
 was prepared, and consequently the first 
 inliabitants were: 1801, August 8th, Oliver 
 Plimpton, jr. ; Aug. 9th, Edwin Plimpton ; 
 10th, Fanny Plimpton; 20th, Dwight P. 
 Clarke; 25th, Louisa Plimpton. The first 
 and last named were Oliver Plimpton's 
 children, the second and third, children of 
 Gershom Plimpton, the other a child of 
 Ebenezer Clark. From that time to the 
 first of January, there were many other 
 deaths, and among them some of the prin- 
 cipal men of the parish, Mr. Jeremiah 
 Shumway, Oct. 24th, and Lieut. Robert Ed- 
 wards, Nov. 21st. 
 
 In passing to notice the business of the 
 place, the time admits only of the bare state- 
 ment of a few dates, in relation to some 
 parts. 
 
 The first and principal business of this, 
 as of most places, was clearing lands, and 
 preparing farms for cultivation. This lias 
 progressed in the ordinary course. 
 
 I'he first store (unless there was one at. 
 or before that time, kept by Mr. Luther 
 Ammidown near his late residence) was 
 kept by Oliver Plimpton, Esq., (in company 
 with Maj. Ellis, of Medfield), commenced 
 selling goods in 1791, in one of tlie rooms 
 of his dwelling house ; but this location, as 
 may well be supposed, was not very agree- 
 able to the female department, and in about 
 a year afterwards he built a store near his 
 house, which was for many years the 
 principal place of trade for the westerly part 
 of this town, although much of the trade 
 was at the store of Newell and Upham in 
 Sturbridge. At first he found great diffi- 
 culty in obtaining license, as there was at 
 that time probably more patriotism, and 
 less taste for foreign gewgaws than at the 
 present day. 
 
 After several years, this store was dis- 
 continued, and Oliver Plimpton, Doctor 
 
ITTSTORY OF SOUTHBRIDGE. 
 
 :n 
 
 Wolcott, and others established a store in 
 this village, at the place where the brick 
 store of Luther and Holmes Animidown 
 is now situated, and in the building which 
 they removed, and the business lias been 
 continued at that jilace by different persons. 
 
 In about ISK) or 1811 Fordyce Foster and 
 James Wolcott, jr., establi-^hed a store at 
 the place where the Dresser block now 
 stands. This was continued until about 
 I8I0, when James Wolcott, jr., and Perez 
 B. Wolcott erected a store at the place 
 where the North Tavern or Temperance 
 house stands. This was purchased by the 
 Globe Manufacturing company in 1814, and 
 by tliem occupied as a store until 1817, 
 when it was sold to Maj. Calvin Ammi- 
 down, and the building was enlarged and 
 converted into a tavern. 
 
 In about 1816 the store now occupied by 
 Plimpton tt Lane was established, and 'the 
 business for some time carried on by Calvin 
 Ammidown, Larkin Ammidown, and 
 others, until a division of the property, 
 which took place in about 1817. 
 
 Since that lime otlier stores have been 
 established in different parts of the town, 
 "too numerous to mention." 
 
 But it was the waters of Quinebaugwliich 
 were destined to put new life and vigor into 
 tlie business of this town. For several 
 years previous to 1811 and 1812 individuals 
 from abroad liad frequently been here to 
 examine, and make calculations for erect- 
 ing manufacturing establishments. 
 
 Tlie first cotton factory in tliis vicinity, 
 was at tlie place tliat is now called West- 
 ville. It was built in 1811 by an incorpo- 
 rated company. The owners were Rev. Mr. 
 Leonard, Jolm Plimpton, Stephen Newell, 
 Moses Fiske, Jephtlia and Zeba Plimpton, 
 Nathaniel and Franklin Rider. Capital 
 about 0,000 dollars. It afterwaixls sold to a 
 new company, (in part the former owners) 
 viz: Ira Carpenter, James Bliss, Ezra Per- 
 ry, Ezra Perry, jr., David Atherton, Mr. 
 Leonard, John Plimpton, Moses Fiske, and 
 St eplien Newell . 
 
 It was afterwards sold to Josf'iih S. Glad- 
 ding, and Andrew Young, jr., in 1822, and 
 by them sold to Jolin Mason in 1824, by 
 whom it was sold to James Wolcott, jr., 
 Samuel A. Groves, and Samuel IT. Judson, 
 in tlie same year, and it was purchased by 
 
 the iDresent ownei's in 1833, Mr. Plimpton, 
 Doctor John Seabury, Samuel H. Judson, 
 afterwards incorporated as Westville Man- 
 ufacturing company. 
 
 The factory now owned by the Dresser 
 Manufacturing company, was put in opera- 
 tion in 1814, 
 
 The owners were Jolm Green, of Rliode 
 Island, and William Sumner, llie latter hav- 
 ing tlie care of the business and living in 
 this town. ■ This privilege was owned in 
 part by Maj. George Sumner, wlio erected 
 clotliing works below tlie cotton factory, 
 and tliat business and wool carding was 
 continued until the whole became the prop- 
 erty of S.H. Babcock, of Boston, by whom 
 it was sold to Harvey Dresser. After the 
 purchase in 1833, it was greatly enlarged 
 and improved by filling up witli new ma- 
 chinery. It now belongs to a corporation 
 by the name of tlie "Dresser Manufacturing 
 company." 
 
 At about the same time in whicli tliis 
 factory was first erected, a woolen factory 
 was put in oiieration, near the old bridge. 
 It was at first called the "Charlton Woolen 
 Manufacturing company," and in 1810 it 
 passed into the liands of some diiferent 
 owners, viz: Jeremiali Shumway, Benja. 
 min F. Sliumway, Joseph Marcy, Timothy 
 Paige, jr., and Reuben Harrington, and was 
 incorporated by the name of tlie "Soutli- 
 bridge Manufacturing company," Sucli 
 lias been the combined operation of fires, 
 misfortunes and perhaps other equally pow- 
 erful causes, that nothing is now left to pre- 
 serve tlie memory of this woolen factory, 
 excepting some considerable amount of old 
 debts and executions against the company 
 unpaid and consigned to out of "Profit and 
 Loss." 
 
 The business of manufacturing at the 
 "Globe Village," so called, was commenced 
 in 1814. The spinning was commenced in 
 the old mill, which stood near tlie road, on 
 the South side. Tlie first owners were 
 Thomas Upham, David Fiske, Samuel 
 Newell, James Wolcott, jr., Perez B. Wol- 
 cott, Josiali I. Fiske, Frances Wheelock, 
 Ephraim Angell, Moses Plimpton, and 
 Samuel S. Newell, a part of whom were in- 
 corporated by the name of the "Globe 
 Manufacturing company," in Oct., 1814, 
 The factory building below the road was 
 
38 
 
 ITLSTORY OF SOUTHBRIDCiE. 
 
 erected in 1815. It was at fii'st and until 
 1817 a cotton factory. In 1817 there was a 
 division of tlie property among tlie owners ; 
 the South side heing talcen by James Wol- 
 cott, Perez B. Wolcott, Sanmel A. Groves, 
 and Epliraim Angell, and the other side 
 by the remaining ijroprietors. Additions 
 were soon made to the Soutli side, and the 
 woolen business established, and in 1820 the 
 owners of the other side, who still com- 
 posed the'*Globe Manufacturing company," 
 sold out the whole of their property to Mr. 
 Wolcott and his company . This company 
 sold the cotton machinery to the Columbian 
 Manufacturing company in 1821. 
 
 After the purchase from the Globe Man- 
 ufacturing conipany in Feb., 1820, James 
 Wolcott, jr., Perez B. Wolcott, and Samuel 
 A. Groves were incorporated by the name 
 of the Wolcott Woolen Manufacturing 
 company, and the company was increased 
 by new proprietors in Boston, who made 
 investments to considerable amoimt. After 
 the great misfortune occasioned by the fall- 
 ing of the dam, and the destruction of 
 property it occasioned, the Boston owners 
 determined to abandon the concern, and 
 get rid of their interest. In 1829 it passed 
 into the hands of Messrs. Sayles and Hitch- 
 cock, of Boston, and in 1832 they obtained, 
 a new act of incorporation by the name of 
 the "Hamilton Woolen company," and the 
 establishment is now owned by this com- 
 pany, though with some recent changes of 
 proprietors. That village is still called the 
 "Globe," which name it will i^robably con- 
 tinue to bear from the name of the iirst 
 company established in 1814. 
 
 The Columbian Manufacturing company 
 was first established as a firm, consisting of 
 Calvin Ammidown, Ebenezer D. Ammi- 
 down, Moses Plimpton, Samuel Hartwell, 
 and Samuel L. Newell, m 1821, and the 
 factory, etc., was erected in that year. It 
 was incorporated in 1826, consisting of 
 Eben D. Ammidown, Moses Plimpton, 
 Samuel Hartwell, and Stilman Plimpton. 
 
 The business and establishment have at 
 different times been increased, and it may 
 be stated of all the manufacturing estab- 
 lishments herein mentioned, that when 
 first started and for several years after the 
 machinery did not exceed from one eighth 
 to one fourth the amount they now contain. 
 
 The factory of Larkin Ammidown was 
 erected in 18:32, I think. The machinery 
 has since been increased by the addition of 
 looms, etc. 
 
 The introduction of manufacturing in 
 this place in 1S12 to 1814 may be considered 
 as the great cause or first step in the rapid 
 increase of business and population in this 
 town, xis an illustration it need only be 
 remarked, that previous to that time there 
 were not more than ten dwelling houses 
 within one fourth of a mile of the Baptist 
 meeting house. At the Globe village the 
 houses of Capt. Newell, Gershom Plimpton, 
 and Samuel Fiske, were the only dwellings. 
 There was no such thing as teaming, as a 
 regular busiiiess, and a four horse team 
 had never been seen here. The merchants 
 and manufacturers occasionally hired two 
 horses, and sometimes, though not often, 
 three of different persons, and a wagon, 
 and sent after their goods, cotton, etc. There 
 are now within the distance mentioned 
 from the village about 50 dwelling houses, 
 and at the Globe village nearly 20. The 
 transportation of stock for manufacturing 
 and of merchandise, etc., keeps in constant 
 employment three teams of four and six 
 horses, besides a large amount of transpor- 
 tation done by farmers and others for 
 themselves. 
 
 The first measure for the promotion of 
 temperance, by means of an association, 
 was in 1827. In November of that year a 
 society was formed upon a principle of 
 temperate drinking. It was highly approved 
 and there was no difficnlty in getting mem- 
 bers; every person, no matter what had 
 been his habits, was perfectly willing to 
 sign the pledge to drink temperately. It was 
 so easy to perform the requirement without 
 any change, it being a well known fact that 
 every drunkard is in his own estimation a 
 temperate drinker. It was soon found 
 however, that the only effect of this society 
 was to leave men just where they were be- 
 fore, all temperate drinkers in their own 
 opinions. 
 
 In Dec, 1820. the Temperance Society 
 which now exists, formed upon the iirinci- 
 ples of total abstinence from the use of 
 spirits, was established. From the few 
 who first joined it has been receiving addi- 
 tions to its members, till they now amnout 
 
HISTORY OF SOUTIIBRIDGE. 
 
 39 
 
 to more than 500 aclherinir ;iiul active mem- 
 bers Avithin tlie town. 
 
 In literature there is nothinfjj worthy of 
 particular notice in our history, morn tlian 
 has been related in the the notice of oui- 
 common schools, except that In Oct., 1820, 
 the Southbridge Lyceum was established, 
 being among the first association of the 
 kind in this state. Its meetings were held 
 during the winter season from October 
 to March every year till Feb., 18;M, when 
 they were discontinued. This, and the 
 Young Men's association at the Globe vil- 
 lage, the principal exercises in which were 
 discussions and debates upon questions 
 previously proposed, have unquestionably 
 been rhe means of much improrement to 
 those who have attended the meetings . 
 Something of the kind ought to be sus- 
 tained. 
 
 Prior to 1836 the following were the only 
 persons who had a liberal education be- 
 longing within the bounds of Southbridge : 
 Daniel Fiske Harding, son of Joshua Har- 
 ding jr., and Jemima (Fiske) ; William Lar- 
 ned Marcy, son of Jedediah Marcy, jr., and 
 Ruth (Larned); and Comfort Dix, son of 
 David Dix, great grandson of Col. Moses 
 Marcy.* 
 
 I have mentioned tlie subject of roads, 
 but time will not permit an attempt to 
 give any account of particulars in establish- 
 ing them. In general, it may be said, that 
 when the place was first settled, there was 
 much to do in laying out roads. At almost 
 every town meeting there were several new 
 ones to be established or others to be al- 
 tered. Most of our old roads were fixed 
 nearly where they now are, from 174;J to 
 1775. The bridge near the Westville fac- 
 tory was called "Dennison's bridge" ; that 
 and the others were frequently carried 
 away by freshets in tlie spring, and it is 
 said by some that the name of Sturbridge 
 was suggested by tlie circumstance that 
 the fresliets always carried off the bridges. 
 
 Tlie road from Dennison (or Westville) 
 bridge towafds this village was laid out 
 and accepted, March, 174.'!; by Jonathan 
 I. Ammidowii's and Grosvenor Marsh's, in 
 1750; from Westville bridge by tlie Foster 
 
 *Atterwanl^ Coiupliollfr.dovernor ami Judfje 
 of ti'uperlor Court of J>"ew York and Secretary 
 of War. 
 
 place, south, same year; from Westville, 
 by Lovell Morse's, in 1754; from the bridge 
 at Globe Village, north, by John McKin- 
 slry's, in 1750; from Lovell Morse's (then 
 James Dennison's) by Ralph Harding's to 
 the other road, 1750; from Woodstock line 
 "south of Col. Marcy's new sawmill" (the 
 Nathan Brown mill) to Joseph Clark's, 
 1771; from Woodsiock line by Alpha 
 Morse's to Freeman Pratt's, in 1772; and 
 in the same year a short piece of road from 
 the main road in the village, towards the 
 Marcy mills to Charlton line, which crossed 
 between Mr. UndcM-wood's and tlie old 
 bridge. 
 
 These are all the roads I noticed in look- 
 ing over the records of Sturbridge. 
 
 It now remains for me to speak more 
 particularly than I have yet done of some 
 of the first settlers in different parts of tlie 
 town, and although this portion of the sub- 
 ject may appear to have belonged more 
 properly to the commencement, I have 
 thought proper to introduce it at the close 
 of this lecture. I must therefore, for a few 
 moments, ask you to go back a little more 
 than a century among our ancestors. 
 
 You will recollect t"liat on a former oc- 
 casion I stated that the settlement of this 
 town and Sturbridge was commenced in 
 1731 and 1732. So far as I can ascertain, 
 tlie four first persons who arrived were 
 Joseph Smith, James Dennison, Joseph 
 Cheney, and David Morse, which was in 
 1730 or 1731. I think David Morse began at 
 tlie place now owned by Capt. Mason, as I 
 find that in 1737 Jonathan Mason bought 
 of him land "with a dwelling house", that 
 is probably a log cabin. With two or three 
 exceptions, I shall confine myself to those 
 who are known to have remained in what 
 is now this town . 
 
 James Dennison then was the first. For 
 one or two years he made his lonely habi- 
 tation in a kind of cave formed by rocks , 
 now to be seen on the hill east of the road 
 leading from Lovell Morse's by Mr. Denni- 
 son Wheelock's. It is said he got alarmed 
 at some noise about his premises one night, 
 and supposing that a bear or some other 
 animal had designs unfavorable to him he 
 did not afterward continue there nights. 
 
 Mr. Dennison moved his wife from Med- 
 field, the town from which he canie,in May. 
 
40 
 
 HISTORY OF SOUTHB RIDGE. 
 
 1782. Her name was Experience. The 
 house he had prepared for their residence 
 was, and a part of it may be now, standing 
 east of Lovell Morse's. On the 31st, of Au-- 
 gust, 1732, was born at this place. Experi- 
 ence Dennison, daughter of James and 
 Experience Dennison, and the first child 
 born in Sturbridge, or "in this place," as 
 the old record states it. This daughter was 
 their only child, and she was afterwards 
 married to Capt. Ralph Wheelock who will 
 be more particularly mentioned. Mr. Den- 
 nison lived at the place before described un- 
 til his death, the time of which I have not 
 been able to ascertain. 
 
 The next person to be noticed is Col. 
 Moses Marcy. He was born in Woodstock, 
 probably about the year 1700. Knowing 
 that lie was born in Woodstock and that he 
 must have resided there nearly 30 years, 
 I conclude that Woodstock was settled more 
 than 30 years before this place. Mr. Marcy 
 came to this place in Oct., 1732, and first re- 
 sided for several years on the north side of 
 the river, somewhere between the bridge 
 and the interval. Previous to 1740 he re- 
 moved to the place where Jedediah Marcy 
 now lives, and about that time erected the 
 house which is now there, though it has 
 been covered since and probably altered 
 and improved otherwise. This was the 
 first upright house built in town. 
 
 Col. Marcy was married in 1723 to Miss 
 Trudence Morris. There were some things 
 rather romantic in those days as well as in 
 modern times, in matters of love, courtship, 
 and marriage. The parents of Miss Pru- 
 dence did not like the proposed connexion 
 between Mr. Marcy and their daughter and 
 in order to secure her effectually against h's 
 visits, they shut her up in a chamber. But 
 as much as they might thmk they had 
 raised her above him they did not get her 
 quite high enough. He went in the night 
 with a stick or fishing rod, and knocked 
 gently on the window where he had ascer- 
 tained she was confined, a summons to 
 which she immediately attended by opening 
 the window. At this interview it was agreed 
 that he should depart out of the neighbor- 
 hood to a place called Pim'ico, and she was 
 to prevail on her parents, her lover being 
 gone, and no longer any danger, to permit 
 her to go to Pimlico to visit her friends. 
 
 This she effected on condition that the 
 maid servant of the house should accompa- 
 ny her, to which she had no objection. She 
 made severa' of these visits, and it need 
 hardly be told to those wlio know the art 
 and perseverance of true lovers, that at 
 these visits means were contrived to carry 
 on the courtship, and that the result ^as 
 Miss Prudence became the wife of Mr. 
 Marcy. 
 
 (Jol, Marcy was for 18 years town clerk in 
 Southbridge, and by reason of his particular 
 care in recording the births of all his chil- 
 dren, both date and place, I am enabled to 
 ascertain some facts in his life ■which I 
 could not otherwise obtain. 
 
 He had 11 children, 4 sons and 7 
 daughters ; 5 born in Woodstock — the last 
 July 1, 1732, 2 in Oxford — that is on the 
 other side of the river, and 4 at the place 
 now owned by Jedediah Marcy. One of 
 his sons, Jedediah, lived in Dudley. He 
 was father of the late Capt. Jedediah Mar- 
 cy, jr., of th's town. The last named was 
 father of William Marcy, etc., governor of 
 New York. Another son, Elijah, lived at 
 the Brown mills, and was killed by a fall at 
 the grist mill, according to the Sturbridge 
 record, Feb. 1, 1779. From this son are de- 
 scended Lemuel Marcy, father of Dwight 
 S. Marcy. One other son, Daniel, lived 
 first on the south side of the road near the 
 Columbian pond, and afterwards lived 
 and died at the place owned by Jacob 
 Oakes. He was fathei of the late Morris 
 Marcy of this town; of this other son, 
 Moses, I do not know the history. One of 
 the daughters married Richard Dresser, 
 grandfather to Harvey Dresser. One mar- 
 ried William Plimpton, one Dr. Babbit, 
 sen., oneGershom Plimpton, sen., one Gen. 
 Timothy Newell, one Jonathan Newell of 
 Leicester ; the other daughter died at the 
 age of nine years. 
 
 For business enterprise, and accumula- 
 tion of prope. i.y, Col. Marcy was undoubted- 
 ly the first man in the place. He acquired 
 a large amount of land, whiclf after many 
 divisions and sub-divisions has descended 
 with greatly increased value to some of his 
 posterity.* 
 He was also a man of much influence in 
 
 *He built the first ni'lls near ibis village, and 
 at the Nathan Brown place. 
 
HISTORY OF SOUTHBRIDGE. 
 
 41 
 
 public affairs. From 1738 to 17G2 lie was ' 
 for 24 years moderator at every annual ' 
 town meeting, 25 years one of the select- ! 
 men, 8 years treasurer, and 18 years town 
 clerk, and the first representative to the 
 general court, in 1700. He died Oct. 9, 1779, ' 
 not having lived to participate in the 
 general joy of the nation, at the glorious 
 termination of the revolutionary war. 
 
 There are but few of the first settlers of 
 whom I have learned many particulars, as 
 their families, characters etc., or as to 
 the time when they commenced ; of course 
 they can only be mentioned in connection 
 with the place where they resided. 
 
 The first resident immediately in the vil- 
 lage was Samuel Freeman, father of Col. 
 Benjamin Freeman. He resided at the 
 house above the elm trees, or rather at the 
 place where that house stands, it having 
 since been altered and enlarged. He was 
 a blacksmith, and did all the custom work 
 for several miles around. His shop was on 
 a part of the ground now occupied by the 
 new tavern. He began about 174.5, and 
 died Dec. 31, 1772. His son Benjamin was 
 also a blacksmith and kept the first tavern 
 in this place, at the house now occupied by 
 Luther Ammidown, (unless his father had 
 kept a tavern before which I do not know. ) 
 
 Most of the land in this village and for 
 some disiance on all sides remained in the 
 hands of the d'-scendants of Col. Marcy 
 and Mr. Freeman until some time since 
 1801, and prior to that time no additions of 
 buildings were made. 
 
 The first settlement of the Globe village 
 was made, as near as I can ascertain, by 
 Aaron Martin, at the place of the late Maj 
 Samuel Fiske, some time about or before 
 1738. He was drowned in attempting to 
 ford the river, March 11, 1751. There was 
 no bridge at that time and the place of 
 crossing was some distance below the 
 present bridge. 
 
 The water privilege at this village was 
 first occupied by Gershom Plimpton, He 
 was born in Medfield, January 14, 
 1733-4, and came to this place in 1753. He 
 came on foot with his pack, gun, and am- 
 munition, etc., and on his way killed two 
 partridges which he sold to pay his first 
 night's entertainment after his arrival. He 
 was a clothier by trade and erected works 
 
 for that business on the south side of the 
 road. He lived several years in a part of 
 his clothing shop, and afterwards built at 
 the place now owned by Henry Plimpton, 
 the house being a part of that now standing. 
 He afterwards built a grist mill, which was 
 coniinued at that place until 1814. In 
 1758, March 2nil,lie married to Martha Mar- 
 cy, daughter of Moses Marcy, as has been 
 before mentioned. He was fond of hunt- 
 ing and fishing, always kept one or more 
 hounds, and occasionally went on hunting 
 excursions almost to the last jjeriod of his 
 life, but never was anxious to increase his 
 property. He at first purchased about 100 
 acres of land, and made no addiiionto it 
 afterwards. He died January 27, 1808, 
 with the reputation of a benevolent and 
 honest man. 
 
 There were many incidents in his life 
 which would illustrate the progress of set- 
 tlement, etc., at the time, but lean mention 
 only one. Some years after he began, 
 probably about 1756, there was nothing but 
 a foot f)ath from this place to the old Col. 
 Cheney house ( so called ) which was near the 
 place of Larkin Ammidown" s factory. 
 Coming from Col. Cheney's in the evening, 
 and when near the place of the Columbian 
 factory, he heard the howling of wolves, 
 not far from him, and he supposed they had 
 seen or smelled him and were collecting to 
 pursue him . It may be imagined that his 
 speed was soon increased to its maximum, 
 and being very active and swift of foot, he 
 in a few minutes reached Mr. Freeman's in 
 this village, and the wolves had to make 
 other provision for their supper. 
 
 The place on the hill now occupied by 
 Thomas N. Harding was commenced by 
 Jonathan Perry, from Watertown, some 
 years before 1738. After he purchased and 
 had made some improvements he returned 
 to Watertown, having planted some corn, 
 etc., for a crop in the fall. . On returning to 
 this land he furnished himself with half a 
 bushel of Indian meal, some powder and 
 shot intending to procure game for meat, 
 and to have some bread or Johnny cake to 
 subsist upon till his crops came m. These 
 articles he brought on his back from Water- 
 town and anticipated a comfortable living, 
 but imagine his disappointment when he 
 arrived and laid down his cumbrous 
 
42 
 
 HISTOEY OF SOUTH BRIDGE. 
 
 pack on opening which he found his pow- 
 der had broken loose from tlie paper and 
 got thorouglily mixed with his meal and so 
 compounded that tliey could not be separat- 
 ed. It wovild make poor ammunition, and 
 the life of many a partridge and rabbit was 
 saved by this accident, but still he conclud- 
 ed it would do for bread, and as for meat 
 he could get some from the river, and sus- 
 tained by his fortitude and industry he got 
 along comfortably through the season. He 
 returned to Watertown for several winters 
 until he got ready for housekeeping, when 
 he married Martha Morse, daughter of 
 Joseph Morse. 
 
 The house which he built was burned 
 about the year 1805, being then owned by 
 the youngest son, Jonathan, and this is the 
 only dwelling house I have ever known to 
 have been burned in this town. 
 
 The place now owned by John McKinstry, 
 as was also the land of Henry Plimpton, 
 was first owned by Hezekiah Ward of 
 youthborough, probably the same person I 
 formerly mentioned as being one of the first 
 petitioners for the grant. William McKin- 
 stry, grandfather of John McKinstry, pur- 
 chased of Mr. Ward, January I'l, 1748. He 
 was born in Ireland, Oct. 0, 1722, in 1741 en- 
 listed on board a merchant vessel to sail 
 from Liverpcjol to Boston, at 20 shillings per 
 month, payable on his return, and 18 shil- 
 lings advanced as bounty. He landed at 
 Boston, August 15th, and not liking his 
 service and the treatment he received 
 from his captain, he nsolveJ to remain in 
 New England, and on the 25th of August 
 follovved a country's team out of the town, 
 whence he proceeded to Med field. He was 
 suspected as a runaway and found no one 
 to encourage him till he arrived at the house 
 of William Plimpton, father of Gershom 
 Plimpton before mentioned, who received 
 him into his family, treated him kindly,and 
 employed him to labor on his farm 7 years. 
 The kindness and hospitality he received 
 from Mr. Plimpton were gratefully remeui. 
 bered, and so often and particularly spoken 
 of that all the circumstances have lived in 
 the memory of his descendants who still 
 participate in the feelings of their ancestor. 
 
 Mr. McKinstry at first lived for some 
 years in a kind of log hut such as the young 
 men of that time used for their dwellinirs 
 
 when they kept "Bachelor's hall." It 
 was situated west of the road towards the 
 brook, and he had for his companion Capt. 
 Ralph Wheelock, who first began and 
 cleared a few acres on the north part of the 
 farm now owned by Henry Plimpton. Mr. 
 Wheelock afterwards in March, 1758, sold to 
 Gershom Plimpton, having January 24th, 
 1751, married the only daughter of James 
 Dennison, being as before stated the first 
 child born in the town. Mr. McKinstry 
 was married to Mary Morse, daughter of 
 Joseph Morse, January 30th, 1751, and died 
 Nov. 12, 1795, aged 73. 
 
 As a specimen of agricultural experi- 
 ments it may be mentioned that Mr. Mc- 
 Kinstry and Mr . Wheelock thought it would 
 be an improvement to their crop of corn, to 
 manure the hills with dry leaves, but after 
 waiting anxiously to witness the result in a 
 rapid growth, they found it did not come up, 
 as the term is, the leaves having rather 
 strong ami-vegetating qualiiies. They of 
 course were under the necessity of digging 
 up the corn, taking out the leaves, and 
 waiting till late in the season or until 
 another year for an improved, or even an 
 ordinary crop of corn. 
 
 Mr. Wheelock inherited a considerable 
 portion of the land of Mr. Dennison. He 
 was for many years treasurer of the town of 
 Sturbridge. His life was extended far be 
 yond those of his associates, the first settlers 
 of the town. He had seen the acts of four 
 generations, and was the last of his race. 
 He died Dec. 28, 1822, at the age of 06, and 
 at or near the place where his father in law 
 Dennison had resided. 
 
 His first wife died Oct. 12, 1766, and he 
 married Experience Crany, Sept. 12, 1766. 
 The number of his children was 15, and 
 yet for so large a number, but few of them 
 or their descendants are in this vicinity. 
 
 The place owned by Capt . Samuel New- 
 ell was fiist begun by Isaac Johnson, a 
 mechanic, who bought one acre of Jonathan 
 Perry. It afterwards was owned by dif- 
 ferent parties and Doctor James WolcoLt 
 once lived there. 
 
 The farm of Peter Dugar was first set- 
 tled by his father, Charles Inigar, who was 
 a son of Daniel Dugar. The latter was a 
 Frenchman, and came to this place from 
 Nova Scotia in the time of the old French 
 
HISTORY OF SOUTHBRIDGE. 
 
 43 
 
 war, not wishing to engage In the war, but 
 remaining neutral. In those days it is said 
 that very many foreigners who arrived in 
 this cotmtiy Avere in a habit of calling upon 
 Col. Marcy as a kind of patron and protecl- 
 or, he being of Irish descent. Daniel Dugar 
 came with his family to Col. Marcy's and 
 lived in a part of his mill for several years. 
 At the termination of hostilities between 
 France and England, in which the latter 
 acquired possession of Canada, the king 
 made a grant of land to all the French who 
 had been neutral during the war. Old Mr. 
 Dugar, preferring the language and society 
 of his own countrymen, returned to Cana- 
 da with all his family except his son Charles, 
 whom no entreaties, temptations, or 
 threats could induce to return with the 
 family; they even took all his wages he 
 had earned dm-ing this season in working 
 for Col. Cheney, and all his clothes except- 
 ing those he wore, hoping thereby to in- 
 duce him to follow them; but he would 
 not go. The fact was he had fallen in 
 love with Miss Sarah Chubb, and as he 
 expressed it,, "I would not leave my Sarah 
 f eg: father, mother, brothers, and sisters"; 
 and he did not. He was married to "his 
 Sarah" May 14, 1T6T; and I have no doubt 
 of the truth of this relation, or of his sin- 
 cere affection for Miss Chubb; for at her 
 funeral I saw the old man bend over her 
 corpse, and for a long time weep and give 
 utterance to his grief and lamentation. 
 
 While the family of old Mr. Dugar lived 
 in Col. Marcy's mills the lads and lassies 
 of that day, the children of Mr. Marcy, Mr. 
 Truman, etc., used to have jolly times in 
 visiting the family of the '"old Frenchman" 
 as he was called ; and many a winter even- 
 ing was passed off with such plays and 
 amusements as were fashionable at that 
 time; and the friendship then contracted 
 was afterwards maintained between these 
 families and Mr. Charles^ Dugar. One of 
 the daughters of Col. Maicy, wife of Gen, 
 Newell, always continued her visits to Mr. 
 Dugar's, in some of the earliest of which, 
 to show the custom of those times com- 
 pared with the luxury and refinement of 
 the present day, it may be stated that she 
 occasionally took a social drink with her 
 old friend in the shell of a (jootte e;/</, in- 
 stead of our double flint cut glass tumblers. 
 
 Mr. Dugar had to pay for his land the 
 second time, the first title not being good — 
 as was the case in many instances in Charl- 
 ton; yet he by industry and perseverance 
 acquired and paid for a good farm, and 
 was respected and esteemed as a good 
 neighbor, generous to the poor, and always 
 a social companion, 
 
 I now pass to the village called Weslville. 
 That settlement was commenced sometime 
 about or previous to 1738, at two places; 
 one now owned by Tristram S. Wheelock, 
 by Dea. Edward Foster. He was grand- 
 father of the present Alpheus and Elias 
 Foster — was one of the first deacons of the 
 church in Sturbridge. He prepared the 
 first water privilege at that place some dis- 
 tance above the present dam. He died 
 Feb. 9, 1775. The other person was Dan- 
 iel Plimpton, father of the late Capt. Elias 
 and Lieut. John Plimpton; and his house 
 was at the place of the widow of Elias 
 Plimpton. He died June 10, 1777. 
 
 The place of Capt. Abel Mason was be- 
 gun by his grandfather, Jonathan Morse 
 from Dedham, in 1738. I think a small 
 beginning was made before by Mr. David 
 Morse, as I find a deed from the latter to 
 the former at that time, of land '"with a 
 dwelling house." 
 
 From a person who some years since had 
 an intei'view with the late Capt. Abel Ma- 
 son, Sen., for the purpose of making in- 
 quiries, I have the following facts: 
 
 When Mr. Jonathan Mason first came to 
 the place bears, wolves and deer were 
 numerous, and made depredations upon 
 the flocks of cattle and sheep and fields of 
 grain. The people were in the habit of 
 attending meeting at all times when it was 
 iwssible fo go. Mr. Mason, and those in 
 his neighborhood, had to travel o or G miles 
 througli the woods and ford the Quinebaug 
 in the summer; and they sometimes felled 
 trees across to pass upon, which would re- 
 main until carried off by freshets. In win- 
 ter the men of one neighborhood assem- 
 bled early and by the aid of snow shoes, 
 or rackets, beat a track — all going single 
 iile. The women and children would fol- 
 low and mothers oft^'u carried young chil- 
 dren in their arms. The farm of Dea. Ja- 
 son Morse was commenced by Mr. Joseph 
 Morse who came from Sherburn. He was 
 
44 
 
 HISTORY OF SOUTHBRIDGE. 
 
 grandfather of the present Jason Morse. 
 
 The other first settlers in that part of the 
 town were John Marsh, where Grosvenor 
 Marsh resitles ; Samuel Ellis, at the place 
 of Dwight S. Marcy; Joshua Harding, at 
 the farm of Ralph Harding; William Hat- 
 field, at the place now owned by John 
 Marsh; Joseph Mason, at Sylvanus Cham- 
 berlain's. 
 
 In other parts of the town the first inhab- 
 itants were Hinsdale Clarke, at Isaac A. 
 Newell' s ; Moses Clarke, at Lemuel Clark's ; 
 Roland Clarke, at Jos-ph Clark's; Benja- 
 min Dix, at the place now owned by Mr. 
 Jackson, (but he bought after some im- 
 provements of John Pike); Ichabod Rob- 
 bins began at the place of Moses Mason ; 
 Elijah Harding at the place of Lieut. Oli- 
 ver Mason, and on the Parker Morse hill, 
 Martin Spencer, Sen., was one of the first; 
 Comfort Searle bought at the Baylies place 
 after some improvements by Mr. Jackson. 
 
 At the east part of the town near the late 
 Luther Ammidown's, Phillip Ammidown 
 began about the year 1760, having moved 
 there from another part near the Cheney 
 farm. He was father of Caleb Ammidown, 
 Esq., who died a few years before the par- 
 ish was formed, and about the time the 
 meeting house was built. Elisha Sabin 
 began at the place of the late John Ammi- 
 down, now owned by Lewis Ammidown. 
 He served in the French war. 
 
 At the south-east part of the town which, 
 was settled at a later period than the other 
 parts, the first inhabitants were Joseph 
 Ammidown, father of the present Cyrus 
 Ammidown, and brother of Caleb. He 
 lived at the place formerly owned by 
 Cyrus Ammidown, which he purchased 
 nearly new in 1779. Jeremiah Morse, 
 father of Alpheus Morse, began at the 
 place now owned by Alpheus, in 1764; Eph- 
 raim Bacon began at the place of his late 
 residence at about the same time; Henry 
 Pratt at the place of Freeman Pratt; Dea. 
 Daniel Morse, at his late residence; Joseph 
 Barret, at the old house east of the road 
 between Corbin Lyon's and Daniel Morse's 
 — all these began new some years after. 
 Asa Morse, father of Parker Morse, first 
 began east of Daniel Morse's and after- 
 wards moved to the place where he died, 
 on the hill. James Dyer began at Corbin 
 
 Lyon's; Moses Marcy, grandson of the first 
 settler, began at the Luther Smith place. 
 
 One of the first, and a very early inhabi- 
 tant, was Col. Thomas Cheney, who be- 
 gan at a place near Larkin Ammidown's 
 factory. He was a large land holder, a 
 distinguished public man. He had no 
 children, but brought up his nephew, the 
 late Thomas Cheney, to whom he left a 
 considerable part of his property. The 
 place of the late Caleb Ammidown, on 
 which his widow now lives, was com- 
 menced by Benjamin Stone. 
 
 The section near Elisha Morris's was 
 formerly inhabited by negroes and was 
 called New Guinea . 
 
 I have thus named most of the first set- 
 tlers of this town, and with a few facts 
 connected with the history of the two Mr. 
 Fiskes, I trust I shall be ready to close and 
 relieve your patience. 
 
 Henry and Daniel Fiske first came from 
 Watertown in 1731. The lot of Henry 
 was drawn near Bookfield, but he did not 
 like it, and purchased on the hill near 
 the land of his brother, and towards the 
 south end of the hill. While chopping 
 on a, still clear day he heard the sound of 
 an axe to the south of him, not knowing 
 of any person located in that direction, ar 
 the other person also heard his axe, be; 
 on the south side of the river; they boi 
 proceeded towards the sounds they had 
 heard to the bank of the river, each fell 
 a tree for a bridge, by means of which 
 they met. The other person was James 
 Dennison, and the acquaintance thus com- 
 menced was kept up by subsequent inter- 
 course. 
 
 Henry and Daniel Fiske lived together 
 near the house now owned by the Uphams 
 on Fiske hill, and did their own cooking 
 seven years. They went to Brookfield on 
 Saturday night to get their washing done. 
 They were very industrious, hard working 
 men, and in order not to lose time in cook- 
 ing they usually boiled a pot of beans at 
 night which answered for their supper and 
 breakfast, and probably, dinner. On one 
 occasion a high Avind blew a large stone 
 from the top of the chimney which fell 
 upon their pot of beans, and broke it in 
 pieces, spilling the contents into the fire 
 — deranging their regular meals for a 
 
IITSTOT^Y OF SOUTIIBRIDGE. 
 
 45 
 
 (lay or Iwo. 
 
 VVliPii thoso men coiiuiioiiocd thoy found 
 two jilacosat which wore tlio remains of 
 Indian corn hills; one near where they 
 first buili their lints, the other on tlie north 
 side of the hill below Joshna Mason's. 
 These were the only places where traces of 
 Indian agriculture were found . 
 
 Henry Fiske was born in 1707, died 17i*0. 
 They had sixteen children each; tlie only 
 one of Henry's now living in this vicinity 
 is Capt vSinieon Fiske, from whom I have 
 obtaiiled many of tlie materials for this 
 narrative. He is now 81 years old . 
 
 Daniel Fiske was born in 1709 and died 
 in 177S of the small pox, which he took 
 while in Boston as a representative of Stur- 
 bridge. Of the children of Daniel Fiske 
 there ar(> now five daughters living — the 
 oldest 7S and youngest 70 years of age. and 
 all able to do a great proportion of the 
 work in their families. 
 
 The facts which I have in a very long, 
 and no doubt tiresome discourse, endeav- 
 ored to lay before you. would furnish a 
 
 heme for much comment. I intended to 
 lo^e with some reflection — comparing the 
 past with the present and urging upon the 
 gentlemen now in active life, the youth in 
 liarticular, the importance of guarding 
 against the thousand dangers incident to a 
 growing and dense population, but this 
 cannot be attempted. I will only thank 
 you foi- the patience with which you have 
 attended to my remarks, and ask pai-don 
 for the tax upon your time, and conclude 
 by saying that if any information I have 
 communicated shall be of any value in pro- 
 portion to the time and trouble it has cost 
 me in preparing it, I shall be satisfied . 
 
 iS'DTE 1852.— The foregoiup; was written under 
 an appointment for a particular time, made and 
 accepted witliout a due consideration of the 
 lalior and searcnine of records, etc , which 
 would he required. The time heing; insufficient 
 for the work, it is crude and imperfeet in 
 matter and arrangfraent and hiving; heen tak- 
 en to Burlinaton, Vt., New York, Albany and 
 other places for perusal iiy friends and rela- 
 tives of my own and other names, among 
 whom were G. W. Newell, Esq., Gov. Marcy, 
 eti!., who kept it a long time. It has with its 
 other deficiencies quite an antiquarian appear- 
 ance. M. p. 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 SKETCH OF MR. PLIMPTON 
 
 Mo.ses Plimpton was born in thai part of 
 Stnrbridge, Mass., which subsequently be- 
 came Southbridge. His parents were (iler- 
 shom Plimpton and Keziah Plimpton, 
 daughter of Deacon Daniel Fisk of >Stur- 
 bridge. He married Edna Taylor, tiaugli- 
 ter of John Taylor of Stnrbridge, Nov. 22, 
 1821. Seven children were born . 
 
 In his nineteenth year Mr Plimpton 
 taught a district school in the town of Mon- 
 son, and in the winters following in Charl- 
 ton and Stnrbridge. He was elected town 
 clerk of Southbridge in 1820 and held the 
 office for several years. He was also for 
 many years a mendjer of the school com- 
 mittee. In politics he was a whig, and was 
 quite active in the military service of the 
 State. He was a member of a battalion of 
 artillery, 1st brigade, 6th division; was 
 made sergeant in 1821, commissioned lieu- 
 tenant by Gov. Eustis, in 1823 and by Gov. 
 Lincoln, liromoted to the captaincy in 1829. 
 
 He was engaged agreatei' par.L of his life 
 in manufacturing and from 1821 until 1844 
 was one of the proprietors of the Columbi- 
 an cotton mills, which in the latter year 
 were destroyed by tire. 
 
 For some time after this he carried on 
 the Westville nulls, but left Southbridge in 
 1849 and removed toDracutand from there 
 to Somerville, having received a custom 
 house appointment in July of that year. 
 He resigned his situation upon the election 
 of Franklin Pierce to the presidency. He 
 last resided on Tremont street in Boston . 
 
 His death was caused by injuries received 
 by being violently knock,ed down while at- 
 tempting to cross Washington street in 
 Boston. He was taken to his home where 
 
 he died the following night, September 19, 
 1854. 
 
 In addition lo being a prominent citizen 
 and leaditig mannlacturer, Mr. Plimpton 
 was a discriminating reader and was, judi- 
 cious in the selection of books; many that 
 he has left in possession of liis children are 
 of that character which treat upon the prac- 
 tical questions of tlie times rather than the 
 lighter topics. 
 
 lie was particularly well read in iH)lilical 
 economy andwas a strong bcdiever in a tar- 
 if for the protection of our home industry. 
 Taking an active interest in whatevei' con- 
 cerned the welfare of the conimuniiy, he 
 was one of the foi'cmost in [jronioting Ihe 
 cause of temperance ami he ilelivered lec- 
 tures upon this as well as on oMier topi' s. 
 He aided in establishing lyceums, as th'-y 
 were called in his day, and debating socie- 
 ties and became a member of the W^orces- 
 ter Agricnlinral Society in Is.i'.i. 
 
 In Holmes Ammidown's Ilistorical ( ol- 
 lections we find the following: 
 
 " Diirii'g a period of forty years, from 
 his early nnmhood few, if any, e\- 
 ert(Ml a greater or more benelicial inllu- 
 en(;e, in this town than he. To the cause 
 of temperance, schools, lyceums and rcilig- 
 ion, and in fact to all objects, the design 
 of which was the elevation of the people 
 and society about him, he gave his atten- 
 tion and active support. Although not hav- 
 ing the advantage of a collegiate education 
 yet he may be properly called an educated 
 num." 
 
 COKUKCTIONS. 
 
 In March. IS'-iij, Mr. I'limpton delivered 
 what he called ''three lectures," before the 
 
HISTORY OF SOUTIIl'.HIIKJE. 
 
 47 
 
 Soutlibridgf Lyceum or Literary Associa- 
 lioii, Uic original uiamisoript of vvliicli was 
 fur along linu! considered lost, but which 
 was finally fo'inid at tlie rooms of the New 
 England Historic (Genealogical Society, of 
 which he hecanu' a member two years be- 
 fore his death. On its disc very a copy was 
 made for the above mimed society and the 
 original given to Mr. Plimpton's family. 
 The typ(^ for the within I'e print was set 
 from the copy kindly loaned us by the His- 
 torical (JeiH^alogical Socieiy. 
 
 .\fter the conclusion of the work, ilirough 
 the courtesy of Manning Leonard, JCsc]., we 
 wine able to have the reprint compared with 
 the original. This comparison disclosed 
 the following ei'rata.. Wti are indebted to 
 Hohnes Aniniidown foi' the engraving of 
 Mr. I'iinipton in this volunn;. 
 Page 1. col. 2, line liO, for gulf of Lawrence 
 read gulf of St. Larvjence. 
 
 •■ '). col 1, line "AS. for legislatinn read 
 legislature. 
 
 ■' -1, col. 2, line J2. for(Jeoriies read Geo- 
 
 IJCS. 
 
 '■ 7, col. I. line 1, for ihe othej's read an- 
 other. 
 
 ■■ 7. col. 1, line l,s, insi-ri mi-igcd after 
 soon. 
 
 '■ 7, col. I. line lit, loiijf Plymouth lead 
 at Plymouth. 
 
 " 7, col. 2, line 4, for ihcii- chai'ter read 
 lb '. charter. 
 
 * s. col I, line li;, for Kid:; ic^ad H'M. 
 
 " S, col 1. lin(! •]4, for ('orporation lead 
 
 in corpora'ion 
 '• S, col. 2, line 2'.». for ihc incoijiura- 
 
 tiou ic id i s incorporaiioii. 
 " '.». col. 1. lint' '■')■',. for (•hainnen read 
 
 chainmen. 
 " !>, col. 2, line IT), insert liust before 
 
 jtrojcciors. 
 •' It, col. 2. line 2,s. for wijucn i-cad 
 
 within. 
 " 10, col. f, line -J'.t, for an^ljiing read 
 
 anywav. 
 " 11. col. 1. line '12, for 17:;i read 17;J8. 
 " n, col. 1. line :"! ). instead ot .Shuball 
 
 Learned read Sbuball (Joi-Jiani. 
 
 Thomas Learned. 
 
 • 11. col. L line 40, add Samuel Ellis. 
 
 '• II. col. I, foot note, insert and after 
 Daniel. 
 
 Page 11, col. 2, line 4, for UW, read 1723. 
 
 " II, col 2, line 22, for Marriam read 
 Miriiam. 
 
 ■■ 11, col. 2, line 2.s, (;omma after gr. 
 father, and no paragraph. The sen- 
 tence should eiul with the words 
 centre of Soutlibridge in the line 
 bel(»w. 
 
 ■' II, col 2, foot note, line ."i. for P. 2o4 
 read P. 2;J(). 
 
 " 12, Ctrl. 1, line 5, for D. Oliver read 
 Doliver. 
 
 ■■ 12. <-ol. I, line 27, insert of between 
 s. and .Joseph. 
 
 ■■ l;], col. 2, line 4!», for this town read 
 the town. 
 
 ■' l;J, col. 2, line •")1, for informed read 
 informers 
 
 ■' 14, col. 1, line 20, add after the word 
 second. .Similar law pass' d in Conn. 
 lli;!U. 
 
 ■' 14, col. I, line 40, omit the. 
 
 '■ V>, col 1. line 10, omit for. 
 
 ■' li), col. 1, line ^)i for into read unto. 
 
 •' It), col. 1, line 48, for their read the. 
 
 " 10. col. 2, line 4, omit same 
 
 ■' 17, col. 2, line -'.l. insert therefore 
 
 attcr matters. 
 ■■ 17, col. 1, line 4iS. transpose the and 
 
 ta.\. 
 '■ l.s, col. 2. line -jI, foi- i)m-yiiig grounds 
 
 read the singular. 
 ■' 10. col. 1, line ;;2. omit the lirst 
 
 young 
 '" 10, col. 2. line -Vjt. for Rubin read 
 
 Reubin. 
 ■■ 20, c(j|. 2, line 27, foi' reiue-entatives 
 
 ri ad the singular. 
 ■■ 21, c.<>\ 2. line ;!". for measure read 
 
 measures. 
 
 ■■ 22. col. I. line 10, omit was. 
 
 ■' 2."1, col. 1. line 2, for rules read re- 
 sol \t's. 
 
 •■ 2;;. col. I, line 2(1, for Roiibiiig read 
 Robbins. 
 
 ■' 2;], col. I, line 42, for their read this. 
 
 ■' 2.";, col. 2. line 1. insert to do after 
 
 nothing. 
 ■ 24. col. 1. After the name Capt. 
 IlchiyClark in the 2-Jd line, a por- 
 tion of the 2X\h and 20th pages 
 should l)e insertiHl, beginning with 
 the words "In 1787, December . '5, " 
 
48 
 
 HISTORY OF SOUTH BRIDGE. 
 
 etc., and ^ndins; with "and Joseph 
 
 Shaw's." 
 Page 24. col. 1, Une 5:5, insert quotation 
 
 mark before 1st. 
 " 24, col. 2, line 21t, insert quotation 
 
 mark after mouri ers. 
 " 25, col. 1, line 4, for repn ration read 
 
 separation. 
 " 25, col. 2, line Kl, for r)a\id read 
 
 Daniel. 
 " 25, col. 2, line 18, for Ebcnezer read 
 
 Eleazer. 
 " 26, col. 1, line ;>(>, after a<;reeable in- 
 sert to the subjects ot it, we might 
 
 look forward. 
 " 2(3, col. 1, line 45, omit selvi^s. 
 " 26, col. 2, line s, for Paul Rick read 
 
 Paul Rich. 
 " 27, col. 1, line 12, insert all before 
 
 obstacles. 
 " 27, col 1, line ;]1, for deserves read 
 
 discovers. 
 " 28, col. 2, line 2:5. foi- Dugan read 
 
 Dugar. 
 '• 28, col. 2, line 24, for Dugan read 
 
 Dugar. 
 " 28, col. 2, line 25, foi' Dugan read 
 
 Dugar. 
 " 28, col. 2, line 3:5, should follow 
 
 •'Capt. Henry Clark,'" page 24. 
 " 29, col. 2, line ;55, insert quotation 
 
 mark before considerable. 
 '• 31, col. 1, line 13, insert semicolon 
 
 after Perry, and change were to was 
 
 in the line Ijelow. 
 " ?,2, col. 1, line 23, visits should be 
 
 singular. 
 " 32, col. 1, line 2S, insert of live after 
 
 committee. 
 " 38, col. 1, line 51, for 18.52 read 1822. 
 " 33, col. 2, line 23, for one-sixth read 
 
 one-sixteenth. 
 " 33, add to the foot note, "and it has 
 
 for years been almost forgotten." 
 " 34. col. 1, line 2, insert after district 
 
 "called the Ammidown dislric'.'" 
 Page:!4, col. 2, line 22, for P^u'ver read 
 
 Turner. 
 " 34, col. 2, line 20, for Daniel Marten 
 
 lead David Martin. 
 " ;j5, col. 1, line 21), for Member read 
 
 Munger, after wrangling. 
 " 35, col. 2, line 37, Add "and the rash 
 
 contention of demagogues." 
 " ;!(), col. 1, line 10, for Rev. Henry I. 
 
 Lamb, read Rev. Henry J. Lamb. 
 " ;!7, col. 2. line 11, for death read 
 
 deaths. 
 " ;56. col. 2, line 13 for iidiabitanls read 
 
 intermenls. 
 ■• 36, col. 2, line ;!S, insert he before 
 
 commenced. 
 
 " ;J7, col. 1, line 41, for Zeba, read Ziba. 
 
 ■• ;!7. col. 1, line 43, insert was after it. 
 
 " ;>7, col. 2. line 17, for the read this. 
 
 " 37, col. 2, line 40, for out read account. 
 
 " 37, col. 2. line 40, for .losiah I. Fiske, 
 
 read Josiah J. Fiske. 
 
 Same line, for P>ances read Francis. 
 " :!S, col. 2, line 29, omit comma and add 
 
 each after horses. 
 " 39, coll. 1, line 8, for association read 
 
 plural. 
 " ;>9, col. 1, line .50, for I read P. 
 " 40, col. 2, line 12, forSouthbridge, read 
 
 Sturbridge. 
 •' 40, col. 2, line 36, for this other son 
 
 read the other son. 
 " 41, col. 2, line 46, for this read his. 
 " 42, col. 1, line 38, insert man's after 
 
 country. 
 " 42, col. 2, line 19, insert "they accord- 
 ingly planted their corn upon leaves." 
 " 42, col. 2, line 39, for Oct. 12, 1776 
 
 read Oct. 21, 1765. 
 *' 43, col. 1, line 38, for Truman, read 
 
 Freeman. 
 " 43, col. 2, line o4, for have read learn. 
 " 44, col. 2, line 34, for fell read felled. 
 
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 
 
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