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 JULY 4, 1876. 
 
 CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION, 
 
 Canton, ^ Mass. 
 
 HISTORICAL ADDRESS, 
 
 HON. CHARLES ENDICOTT, 
 
 BOSTON: 
 
 WILLIAM BENSE, PRINTER, 35 CONGRESS STREET, 
 1876. 
 
JULY 4, 1876 
 
 CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION, 
 
 Canton, Mass. 
 
 HISTORICAL ADDRESS, 
 
 HON. CHARLES ENDICOTT. 
 
 BOSTON: 
 
 WILLIAM BENSE, PKINTEK, 35 CONGRESS STREET, 
 
 1876. 
 
Fi-^ 
 
 e- 
 
 c 
 
 M^Y 
 
 [Public Resolutions, No. 1.] 
 
 Joint Resolution on the Celebration of the Centennial in the several 
 ' counties or towns. 
 
 Be it Eesolved hy the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of 
 America, in Congress assembled, That it l)e, and is hereby recommended by the Sen- 
 ate and House of Representatives, to the people of the several States, that they 
 assemble in their several counties or towns on the approaching Centennial Anni- 
 versary of our National Independence, and that they cause to have delivered on such 
 day an historical sketch of said county or town from its formation, and that a copy of 
 said sketch may be filed, in print or manuscript, in the clerk's office of said county, 
 and an additional copy, in print or manuscript, be filed in the office of the Librarian 
 of Congress, to the intent that a complete record may be obtained of the progress of 
 our institutions during the first Centennial of their existence. 
 
 Approved, March 13, 1876. 
 
 Commonwealth of Massachusetts. 
 
 House of Representatives, 
 April 27, 1876. 
 
 Ordered, That the Secretary of the Commonwealth transmit to the clerks of the 
 several cities and towns in the Commonwealth a copy of the joint Resolution of Con- 
 gress on the celebration of the Centennial, in the several counties or towns, trans-' 
 mitted to the Senate by his Excellency the Governor, April 24, 1876. 
 
 Geo. a. Marden, Clerk. 
 
 Concurred. Senate, April 28, 1876. 
 
 S. N. GiFFORD, Clerh. 
 
Sketch of the Celebration. 
 
 In accordance with the foregoing recommendation, a pubHc 
 meeting was held in Massapoag Hall, on the seventh day of June, 
 1S76, to take into consideration the subject of a Centennial Ad- 
 dress and Celebration in Canton, on the fourth of July following. 
 The meeting was fully attended, and the object for which it was 
 called met the hearty approval of the citizens of the town gene- 
 "~^ erally. Another meeting was held at the same place a week 
 
 f^ later, and the following committees were chosen to make the 
 
 '^ necessary arrangements for the proposed celebration. 
 
 ^^^~" General Committee, J. Mason Everett, Elijah A. Morse, 
 
 ■O Ezra S. Brewster, Samuel H. Capen, Arthur C. KoUock, David 
 
 T. Hagan, Thomas E. Grover, W. Henry Bense, and Frank L. 
 ^^ Gates. 
 
 ^ Finance. Ezra S. Brewster, George F. Sumner, Joseph W. 
 
 '*' C. Seavey, Andrew A. Harrington, William B. Revere, William 
 
 F. Colby, and William E. Lonergan. 
 
 Historical Address and Invitations. Arthur C. Kollock, 
 
 Joseph W. C. Seavey, Robert Draper, Daniel T. V. Huntoon, 
 
 Thomas E. Grover, J. Mason Everett, and George F. Sumner. 
 
 Music. George F. H. Horton, Edward R. Hixon, Larra E. 
 
 Wentworth, Joseph W. C. Seavey, and Andrew Lopez, Jr. 
 
 Fireworks. Richard Howard, Larra E. Wentworth, Samuel 
 H. Capen, Nathaniel Bent, Edgar H. Deane, William H. Little, 
 and W. Henry Bense. 
 
 A Committee of Ladies, consisting of Mrs. Frank M. Ames, 
 Mrs. Arthur C. Kollock, Mrs. Emma P, Capen, and Miss Georgie 
 
4 
 
 A. Shepard, was also appointed, who organized the choir, and 
 had charge of the music at the church. 
 
 The celebration begun on the morning of the " Fourth " with 
 a procession of "Antiques and Horribles," under the command 
 of Mr. John S. Wattles, chief marshal. 
 
 The commemorative services were held in the meeting house of 
 the First Congregational Parish, at two o'clock in the afternoon. 
 The church had been generously offered for that purpose by the 
 Society worshipping there, and its interior was tastefully decorated 
 for the occasion, Thomas E. Grover, Esq. acted as President of 
 the Day. 
 
 The Canton Brass Band, Walter Ames, leader, furnished mu- 
 sic for the exercises of the morning and evening. 
 
 The celebration closed with fire-works on " Orthodox Hill," 
 and bonfires on the summits of Billings Hill and Blue Plill. 
 
 The following is a copy of the Order of Exercises at the church. 
 
irr6. 
 
 18^6, 
 
 ekation 
 
 liccting |)oiisr of tljt tHrsl CongrcgHtional f Hrisj), 
 
 Canton, Mass., July 4, 1876. 
 
Order of Exercises 
 
 8. 
 9- 
 
 lO. 
 
 1 1. 
 
 12. 
 
 Organ Voluntary, Miss Clara B. Lopez. 
 
 Reading from the Scriptures, Rev. John W. Savage. 
 
 Prayer, Rev. William H. Savary. 
 
 Chorus, — Centennial Hy?nn^ — J. K. Paine. 
 
 Introductory Address, Thomas E. Grover, Esq^. 
 
 Chorus, — "To Thee., O Country I'''' — yiiliiis Eichberg, 
 
 Reading of the Dechiration of Independence. 
 
 Misjs J. Annie Bense. 
 
 Chorus, — America7i Hy7nti., — Keller. 
 
 Historical Address, Hon. Charles Endicott. 
 
 Chorus, — " The Star Spangled Bamter." 
 
 Addresses by Citizens. 
 
 Hymn, — " America." 
 
 THE AUDIENCE ARE REQUESTED TO JOIN IN SINGING THIS HYMN. 
 
 My country, 't is of thee, 
 Sweet land of liberty , 
 
 Of thee I sing : 
 Land where my fathers died, 
 Land of the pilgrim's pride, 
 From every mountain's side 
 
 Let freedom ring. 
 
 My native country, thee, 
 Land of the noble free, 
 
 Thy name I love ; 
 I love thy rocks and rills, 
 Thy woods and templed hills, 
 My heart with rapture thrills. 
 
 Like that above. 
 
 13. Benediction, 
 
 Let music swell the breeze, 
 And ring from all the trees 
 
 .Sweet freedom's song; 
 Let mortal tongues awake, 
 Let all that breathe partake, 
 Let rocks their silence breaks 
 
 The sound prolong. 
 
 Our Father's God, to thee. 
 Author of liberty. 
 
 To thee we sing ; 
 Long may our land be bright 
 With Freedom's holy light, 
 Protect us with thy might. 
 
 Great God, our King! 
 
 Rev. Clifton Fletcher. 
 
Introductory Address, 
 
 THOMAS E. GROVE R, ESO 
 
 Ladies and Gentlemen : 
 
 One hundred years ago to-day the old bell in 
 Independence Hall rung out the glad tidings that a new nation 
 had been born. Dependent colonies then became independent 
 States ; scattered communities were united and became a nation. 
 Standing, as we now do, at the threshold of the second century of 
 national existence, it is not only proper, but it is our duty, to honor 
 the occasion by worthy and appropriate exercises. In the century 
 past, we find much to excite our pride and adiiiiration, mingled 
 with some things we would gladly forget. I will not tire you 
 by recounting our virtues, nor will I disturb you by dwelling upon 
 our misfortunes. We rejoice that a whole country can unite with 
 one accord in remembrance of the event we have here met to 
 commemorate ; we rejoice that each day is carrying us farther 
 from the burning passions and bitter griefs growing out of the 
 late conflict, and that the soothing hand of time is mellowing into 
 tenderness the memories it has left us. We have no desire to turn 
 back the seasons, and to live over again those years so heavy 
 with dread anticipations of the future. To-day we have gathered 
 for the more pleasing task of recounting the achievements of those 
 patriotic men who, a century ago, were engaged in the great 
 contest with the mother country. We, who dwell in Massa- 
 chusetts, have particular reasons for joining in this celebration. 
 
8 
 
 It Ts not claiming too much for our grand old Commonwealth to 
 say that, to her, more than to any other, is this country indebted 
 for its free institutions, its republican form of government, and 
 whatever of liberty these secure. She bore more than her share 
 in the revolutionary struggle ending in our independence, and no 
 characters in history stand out more boldly and grandly than her 
 leaders in those perilous times. The men who, at the beginning, 
 formed the councils, and directed the destiny of this nation, were 
 not common men. Measure them by any human standard and 
 you cannot find their superiors. In all their acts they seemed led 
 by an enlightened and intelligent patriotism, which raised them 
 above prejudice, or passion. Their devotion to their native 
 land was founded in great principles, and supported by great vir- 
 tues, — qualities that only the noblest characters can claim. We 
 may justly boast of our progress, of our wealth, and of our 
 material prosperity, but after all, their example is to-day our 
 richest inheritance, and most priceless possession. Here, under 
 their guiding hands, was first established that consummate form 
 of government which, carried out as it never had been before, se- 
 cured freedom to a whole people. It was the application of a 
 principle to practical government that till then had been considered 
 only as the idle vision of dreamers, and which found its expression 
 in the Declaration of Independence, "that noble instrument," 
 a late historian observes, "■ that should be hung up in the nur- 
 sery of every king and blazoned on the walls of every royal 
 palace." The liberty they gained for themselves and for their 
 descendants, did not, however, arise from the excitement of the 
 hour. It was the slow growth of ages, brought hither from other 
 lands, but planted here under a free sky, and in a noble soil, it 
 produced a bovmtiful harvest, which, in good time let us trust, will 
 yet develop into more perfect ripeness. 
 
 To-day the past and the future part at the door of the new 
 century. The past is secure, the future depends upon the ability 
 of this and coming generations to maintain the strict integrit}', and 
 practice the stern virtues of the founders of the Republic. Let 
 not their example be forgotten, lest tiie lesson it teaches should 
 also perish. 
 
ORATION, 
 
 Hon. CHARLES ENDICOTT. 
 
 Fellow Citizens : 
 
 On this Centennial Anniversary of our National 
 Independence, at the invitation of your Committee, I am to speak 
 !o you for an hour touching the territory which we inhabit, and 
 the action of the municipalities with which it has been connected 
 for an hundred years. 
 
 The National Congress, by a joint Resolution passed on the 13th 
 of March last, recommended to the people of the several States 
 that they assemble in their counties and towns on the approaching 
 anniversary, and that they cause to have delivered on such day an 
 historical sketch of said county or town, to the intent that com- 
 plete record may thus be obtained of the progress of our institutions 
 during the first century of their existence. 
 
 The ancient town of Dorchester was settled in the year 1630, 
 
 and comprised, substantially, the comparatively small territory 
 
 lying between the Neponset River and the town of Boston and 
 
 the Bay. The date of its incorporation is given as Sept. 7, 1630, 
 
 3 
 
ro 
 
 because, on that day, the Court Record has this entry : " It is or- 
 dered that Trimountaine shalbe called Boston ; Mattapan, Dor- 
 chester ; & the towne vpon Charles Ryver, Waterton," This 
 vote was the Act of Incorporation. In 1636 the Court granted to 
 Dorchester the territory south of the Neponset to the top of the 
 Blue Hills, being substantially that territory, which, in 1663, was 
 incorporated as the town of Milton. 
 
 In 1637, an extensive grant, subsequently called the "New 
 Grant," was made to Dorchester by the Court, comprising all the 
 territory, not before granted, lying between Dedham and the Ply- 
 mouth or Old Colonv line, which included the present territory of 
 Canton, Stoughton, Sharon, the larger part of Foxborough, and a 
 portion of Wrentliam, — extending, very nearl}-, to the Rhode 
 Island line. This large extent of territory, was then, of course, 
 but a wilderness, and is repeatedly referred to in the General 
 Court Records, as "• lying beyond the Blue Hills." 
 
 Prior to and after the settlement of Dorchester, the Neponset 
 Indians, as the Pimkapoag Indians were then usually called, had 
 their habitation in Dorchester and its vicinity. There they hunted 
 in the forests and took their fish from the rivers and the Bay. 
 
 The inhabitants of Dorchester having early purchased of the 
 indians their title to the lands, were doubtless anxious that the 
 tribe should be further removed from their midst. In 1657, at the" 
 solicitation of Eliot, the town granted to these Indians 6000 acres 
 at Punkapoag, and about that time they were removed hither. 
 
 The Grant was located by Major Atherton and Lieut. Clap ; 
 the lines of the location were delineated on Butcher's Plan, made 
 in 1^6, and were also plnced upon the county map, some years 
 since, through the instrumentality of our townsman, Mr. Ellis 
 Ames. 
 
 This indian land was disposed of, from time to time, to the 
 Englisli settlers by the Indians, or by the guardians of the tribe, 
 under the authority of the General Court, until about the year 
 1829, when the last of it was sold. 
 
 There is much interesting liistory connected with this Indian 
 territory but I have not the time to develop it. 
 
In 1724, a portion of the New Grant was set off to Wrentham, 
 and on the 220! December 1726, the town of Stoughton was incor- 
 porated, and the present towns of Stoughton, Canton, Sharon and 
 a part of Fokboro', were inchided within its limits, Dorchester 
 interposed no objection to the act of incorporation, for when the 
 question came before that town to see whether they would agree 
 to its being set off the vote was thirty-four in favor and twenty-nine 
 against it. 
 
 On June 20, 1765, Stoughtonham was incorporated as a District, 
 and continued such vmtil, by a General Act, passed August 23, 
 1775, that, and all other Districts of like character, were invested 
 with all the powers and privileges of towns. By Special Act, 
 Feb. 25, 1783, Stoughtonham took the name of Sharon. 
 
 Of the internal history of Stoughton, from its incorporation in 
 1726, down to the year 1773, I propose to say but little. This 
 part of the town, now Canton, constituted the First Precinct, or 
 Parish, and that part, now Stoughton, after the incorporation of 
 Stoughtonham as a District, constituted the Second Precinct. 
 
 We may assume that the inhabitants of the diflerent Precincts 
 lived harmoniously together under one town government, 
 increasing in population and wealth, — maintaining their 
 churches and schools, and educating themselves and their 
 children in these, as well as in the town meeting, the militia and 
 the General. Court, not only for the ordinary duties of life, but 
 also for those of local government, and the more stern realities of 
 the Revolutionary Crisis. 
 
 Here, within a mile of this spot, Roger Sherman, whose 
 name is appended to the Declaration of Independence, which has 
 been read in our hearing, and who was one of the Committee that 
 reported it to the Congress, passed the days of his boyhood and 
 youth, even if not born here upon our own territory, which is a 
 matter of some doubt and uncertainty. 
 
 For a series of years preceding the Declaration of Independence, 
 the action of the British Ministry and Parliament, on the subjects 
 of taxation, trade and labor, had l)een such as to exasperate the 
 Colonies and doubtless led many thinking minds to reflect upon 
 
the value to the Colonies of their connection with the mother 
 country, and the absurdity of remaining in subjection under the 
 many grievances imposed upon them. 
 
 That a people like ours, numbering two and a half millions, 
 with an extensive territory and ample room for expansion, could 
 long remain subject to a foreign government that oppressed and 
 held them down is utterly inconceivable. 
 
 Sabine^ scouts the idea that the stamp duty and the tea duty 
 were the causes of the American Revolution. " Colonies " 
 says he, " become nations as certainly as boys become men, and 
 by a similar law." " The Declaration of the fifty-six at Philadel- 
 phia, was but the contract signed by the forty-one sad and 
 stricken ones in the waters of Provincetown, with the growth of 
 one hundred and fifty-six years." " At most, taxation and the 
 kindred questions, did but accelerate the dismemberment of the 
 British Empire, just as a man whose lungs are half consumed 
 hastens the crisis by suicide." 
 
 For years prior to 1776, Samuel Adams, the great leader of 
 Revolutionary sentiment, had labored with all his powers to instil 
 into the minds of the people republican ideas. He was unre- 
 servedly for separation and independence, which he had avowed 
 as early as 1769, — and which he wished to have declared imme- 
 diately after the Battle of Lexington. He foresaw that sooner or 
 later it must come, and to his view apparently, the sooner the 
 better. 
 
 " Taxation," and "■ Taxation without Representation " were 
 the watchwords, to some considerable extent. But it was not 
 simply the paltry taxes that were levied upon the Colonies that led 
 to independence. These words were but the terms used to signify 
 a certain class of legislative acts that were especially aimed at the 
 industrial and maritime interests of the Colonies. Sabine tells us, 
 '' there were no less tlian twenty-nine laws which restricted and 
 bound down Colonial industry " " hardly one of which, until the 
 passage of the Stamp Act imposed a direct tax." "They forbade 
 the use of water-falls, the erecting of machinery, of looms and 
 spindles, and the working of wood and iron ; they set the king's 
 
13 
 
 arrows upon trees that rotted in the lortsts." It was not, as I have 
 said, so much " direct taxation " as it was this restrictive policy 
 and legishition, the end and purpose of which was, to keep the 
 Colonies as mere tributaries and market places for the trade and 
 manufactures of the mother country, and to prevent our merchants 
 from carrying on trade with any nation, other than Great Britain. 
 
 The Colonies hesitated long before proceeding to active re- 
 sistance, but having once entered upon it, the path of duty became 
 plain and they persevered until success crowned their efforts. 
 
 Our locp^l history as connected with the Revolutionary Struggle 
 must be drawn largely from the records of the town of Stoughton, 
 of which Canton was then a part. From these records I shall 
 quote freely, as being the most satisfactory mode of showing the 
 progress of events. 
 
 I propose to commence with the early spring of 1773- -^^ this 
 time the Boston Committee of Correspondence, at the head of 
 which was Samuel Adams, addressed a letter to the town, and a 
 meeting was called to consider it. The record proceeds as fol- 
 lows : — 
 
 " At a Town Meeting, legally assembled in Stoughton on Mon- 
 day y*" I*"' day of March, A. d. i773' 
 
 Mr. Joseph Billings, Moderator. 
 Voted to hear the Letter sent from the Town of Boston : and 
 after some debates, the following Letter was read : 
 
 " To the Boston Committee of Correspondetzce : 
 Honored Gentlemen : 
 
 Having had opportunity to hear and consider 
 your Letter to us : for which we are obliged and Thankful to you ; 
 We, according to our best understanding, think that our rights as 
 Men, as Christians and British subjects are rightly stated by you 
 and in the many instances produced have been greatly infringed 
 upon and Violated by Arbitrary Will and Power. We esteem 
 them heavy grievances, and apprehensive that in future time they 
 may prove fatal to us and our Posterity, as to all that is dear to us, 
 
 4 
 
H 
 
 Reducing us not only to Poverty but Slavery, We do Humbly Re- 
 monstrate against them and concur with you and our Brethren in 
 several Towns of the Province, tho' we cannot Joyn with all the 
 Towns, nor with you in every circumstance and Particular of your 
 Proceeding, Yet we must concur with you and them in Bearing our 
 Testimony against them and in uniting in all Constitutional 
 methods for regaining these Rights and Privileges that have been 
 ravished from us and for retaining those that yet Remain to us 
 and accordingly we advise and Instruct our Representative to 
 exert himself for these ends. And as that this Province ever had, 
 and (ought) to have a right to Petition to the King for the Redress 
 of such grievances as they feel and for Preventing such as they 
 have just Reason to apprehend and fear, that he move that an 
 Humble Petition for these Purposes be Presented to His Majesty, 
 Hoping for a Divine Blessing upon all our Constitutional En- 
 deavours for the Preservation and Enjoyment of all our natural 
 and Constitutional Rights and Privileges, and Professing our Loy- 
 alty to the King and Praying that he may Long sit upon the throne 
 and Rule in Righteousness, and that he may be a nursing father 
 to us his Loyal Subjects and all his officers may be peace and his 
 exactions Righteousness, We subscribe ourselves your distressed 
 Brethren and oppressed fellow subjects." 
 
 '' Voted to accept of this Letter and that it be Recorded upon 
 the Town Book, and a copy be sent by the Town Clerk to the 
 Committee of Correspondence in Boston." 
 
 It will be seen that at this time the town was extremely cautious 
 about committing itself to the views and purposes of the Boston 
 Committee; — they agreed fully in the statement of grievances, 
 but prefered to continue their petitions to the King. This cau- 
 tion is still further exhibited by the action of the Town Meeting 
 held on July ii, 1774, when it was 
 
 " Voted \.o di\%w-\'\%% the 2' Article, viz: — To see if the Town 
 will vote to pay £3. 17. 9. to the Hon''"'' Thomas Cushing, Esq^- 
 of Boston, by y^ 15'" day of August next, to pay y*" Committee of 
 this Province chosen by our General Court to meet y" Committee 
 of other governments." 
 
15 
 
 It is evident, however, that there were active friends of resistance 
 in Stoughton, and that they were not idle ; nor were they long 
 delayed in bringing the town to their way of thinking. 
 
 A little more than a month from the date of the preceding 
 meeting, to wit: on the i6th of August, as Bancroft informs us, 
 " a county congress," of the towns of Suffolk, (which then em- 
 braced what is now Norfolk), met at a tavern in the village of 
 Stoughton. This tavern, one of our own historians, Mr. Hunt6on, 
 informs us, was the " Doty Tavern," a building now standing a 
 little to the south of the base of Blue Hill. At this meeting 
 Joseph Warren was present. " As the aged Samuel Dunbar, 
 the rigid Calvinist Minister," of the first parish, continues Bancroft, 
 "breathed forth among them his prayer for liberty, the venerable 
 man seemed inspired with " the most divine and prophetical en- 
 thusiasm." " We must stand undisguised upon one side or the 
 other," said Ebenezer Thayer of Braintree." 
 
 I do not tind that the Stoughton men who may have attended 
 this meeting at Doty's tavern were chosen thereto by any action 
 of the town ; so far as our own citizens were concerned, it was an 
 individual matter. It is said, however, by Bancroft, " that the 
 members were unanimous and firm ; but that " they postponed 
 their decision till it could be promulgated with greater formality," 
 and, so far as this town was concerned, it may be added, with 
 greater authoiity. To this end, and in contempt of Gage and the 
 Act of Parliament, they directed special meetings in every town 
 and precinct in the county, to el6ct delegates with full powers, to 
 appear at Dedham on the first Monday in September. 
 
 On the 29th day of August another town meeting was held. 
 The meeting at Doty's tavern had had its effect ; the appearance 
 there of the aged minister Dunbar, probably had created enthu- 
 siasm among the people, — given courage to the timid and hope to 
 all. William Royal was chosen Moderator, and it was — 
 
 " Voted that a Committee be chosen to represent y'' Town in a 
 County Convention of y" Towns and Districts of this County to 
 be holden at the house of Richard Woodward at Dedham on 
 Tuesday y'' 6th day of September next, with full power of adjourn- 
 
i6 
 
 ing, acting and doing all such matters and things in said Convention, 
 or in a general Convention of the Countys of this Province as to 
 them may appear of Public Utility in this day of Public and 
 General Distress." " Voted that five persons be chosen for this 
 Purpose, and also that John Withington, Theophilus Curtis, John 
 Kenney, Jedediah Southworth and Josiah Pratt be this Com- 
 mittee." 
 
 ''That this Committee be directed to endeavor to obtain a 
 County Indemnihcation for all such persons as may be fined or 
 otherwise sufier by a non-compliance with a Late Act of y*" British 
 Parliament, intitled " An Act for the better regulation of the Gov- 
 ernment of the Massachusetts Bay in North America." 
 
 " That this Committee be also a Committee of Correspondence 
 to advise and correspond with the other Towns in this Province 
 about all such matters and things as may appear to them likely in 
 any way to affect the Public. 
 
 On the 6th of September i774i the County Convention assembled 
 at the house af Mr. Woodward in Dedham ; every town and dis- 
 trict in the County was represented. Their business was referred 
 to a committee, of which Joseph Warren was chairman. 
 
 The Convention was adjourned to meet on Friday the 9th, Sept. 
 at the house of Daniel Vose, in Milton, when Warren presented 
 the Resolutions, with an elaborate report introductory thereto, 
 from which I extract two lines, in these words : " On the fortitude, 
 on the wisdom, and on the exertions of this important day, is sus- 
 pended the fate of this new world and of unborn millions." 
 
 The Address and Resolutions, since known as the " Suffolk 
 Resolves" were unanimously adopted. 
 
 And it was " Voted., That Joseph Warren, Esq. and Doct. Ben- 
 jamin Churcli of Boston, Deacon Joseph Palmer and Col. Eben- 
 ezer Thayer of Braintree, Capt. Lemuel Robinson, William Hol- 
 den, Esq. and Capt. John Romans of Dorchester, Capt. William 
 Heath of Roxburv, Col. William Taylor and Doct. Samuel 
 Gardner of Milton, Isaac Gardner, Esq., Capt. Benjamin White, 
 and Capt. Thomas Aspinwall of Brookline, Nathaniel Sumner, 
 Esq., and Mr. Richard Woodward of Dedham, be a Committee 
 to wait on his Excellency Gov' Gag^e and inform him that this 
 
^7 
 
 County is alarmed at the fortifications making on Boston Neck, 
 and to remonstrate against the same." 
 
 The Committee on the next day prepared an address " To His 
 Excellency, Thomas Gage, Esq., Captain-General and Com- 
 mander-in-Chief of His Majesty's Province of Massachusetts Bay," 
 and presented the same to Gage, on Monday the 12th. 
 
 To this address the Governor replied on the same da}^ ; after 
 which, the Committee met together and adopted an answer to 
 the Governor, of which a copy was delivered to Secretary Flucker 
 by Joseph Warren, with a desire that he would present it to the 
 Governor, and request His Excellency to appoint a time for re- 
 ceiving it in form, which, as the Committee were informed, the 
 Governor declined. 
 
 These Resolves attracted great attention. They were sent by 
 special messengers to our delegates in the Continental Congress, 
 delighting Sam. Adams and John Adams, and creating great ex- 
 citement in the Continental Congress, where they were read. Jo- 
 seph Galloway, a loyalist, at one time a member of the Conti- 
 nental Congress, in his " Historical and Political Reflections of 
 the Rise and Progress of the American Revolution, London, 1780," 
 said, these " Suflblk Resolves" "contained a complete declar- 
 ation of war against Great Britain." 
 
 On the 26th day of September, at a Town meeting held in the 
 first precinct, (in the meeting house which stood within twenty 
 rods of this spot,) the town, together with the district of Stough- 
 tonham, made choice of Mr. Thomas Crane for their representative, 
 and voted him the following instructions : 
 
 " Sir. — As we have now chosen you to Represent us in the 
 Great and General Court to be holden at Salem on Wednesday y^ 
 5"* day of October next ensuing, We do hereby Instruct you that 
 in all your doings as a member of the House of Representatives 
 you adhere firmly to the charter of this Province, granted by their 
 Majesties King William and Qiieen Mar}-, and that you do no act 
 that can possibly be construed into an acknowledgment of the va- 
 lidity of y"" act of y" British Parliament for altering y" Govern- 
 ment of Massachusetts-Bay. More especially that you ac- 
 5 
 
knowledge y" Honourable Board of Counsellors elected by y*" Gen- 
 eral Court at their session in May last as y'' only rightful and Con- 
 stitutional Counsel of this Province; and- as we have reason to 
 believe that a Conscientious Discharge of your duty will Produce 
 your Disolution as an House of Representatives, We do hereby 
 Impower and Instruct you to join with y" members who may be 
 sent from this and y'^ other Towns in y" Province, and to' meet with 
 them at a time to be agreed upon in a General Provincial Con- 
 gress to act upon such matters as may come before you, in such a 
 manner as may appear to you most conducive to y*" true Interest 
 of this Town and Province and most likely to Preserve the Lib- 
 erties of all North America." 
 
 On the same dav the town made choice of Mr. John Withington 
 to meet the Committee from y"' several Towns in this Province, at 
 Concord, the second Tuesday in October next, in a General Pro- 
 vincial Congress, to act upon such matters as may come before you 
 in such a manner as mav appear to you most conducive to the true 
 Interest of this Town and Province and most likely to Preserve the 
 Liberties of all North America. 
 
 1 775, January 9. The town made choice of Mr. Thomas Crane, to 
 Represent them in a Provincial Congress to be held at Cambridge, 
 the first day of February next. : 
 
 At the same meeting it was put to vote whether the tovvn would 
 send their Province monev to Henry Gardner, Esq., and it passed 
 in the negative. 
 
 Gardner had been elected Province Treasurer by the Provincial 
 Congress. 
 
 ^This money consisted of tax money, collected by the constables 
 for the province, and the proposition really was to divert it from the 
 use of his majesty's oilicers and treasury and use it for the purpose 
 of resisting the encroachments of the Crown. 
 
 How this vote could have been carried in the negative after 
 what had already taken place it is a little ditiicult to conceive ; 
 however that may have been, at an adjourned meeting held a week 
 later, the vote was reconsidered and it was '■'■ voted to send all our 
 Province money to Henry Gardner, Esq., of Stow, as is recom- 
 
19 
 
 mended by y" Provincial Congress." It was further " Voted to- 
 indemnity the constables for not carrying the Province money to 
 Harrison Gray, Esq." who was the treasurer of the crown. 
 
 On the same day, the Continental Congress and their Resolves 
 were fully appi'oved, and a Committee of Inspection chosen, con- 
 sisting of nineteen persons, viz : — 
 
 John VVithington, John Kenney, Adam Blackman, James En- 
 dicott, Jeremiah Ingraham, Abner Crane, Peter Talbot, Jonathan 
 Capen, Robert Capen, Jedediah Southworth, Samuel Shepard, 
 David Vinton, Theophilus Curtis, Josiah Pratt, Eleazer Robins, 
 Samuel Tucker, Benj" Gill, Robert Swan, and Peter Gay. 
 
 This Committee was instructed , to use its interest that the 
 Resolves and the Association of the Continental Congi-ess be 
 closely adhered to.. 
 
 Matters uqw looked warlike, for on March 6th, i77'=J, the Town 
 " Voted to raise one quarter of the Militia as Minute men agree- 
 able to the advice of y'^ Provincial Congress," " and to give them 
 one shilling for half a day's training, for two half days every 
 week." The field officers with the Selectmen were directed to 
 raise the men. 
 
 March 20. The Tovvn " Voted that Mr. Thomas Crane attend 
 the County Congress at Mr. Daniel Vose's in Milton, y*" 26th day 
 of April next." 
 
 It will be remembered that it was at the house of Mr. Vose that 
 the Suflblk Resolves were adopted on September 9th, 1774. 
 
 Whether the meeting at Mr. Vose's was held on the 26th I am 
 not informed, ^very likely not, for, before* that .time, important 
 events were to happen. The 19th of April was fast approaching. 
 Gage had determined to cripple the country towns by destroying 
 the colony stores at Concord, and secretly prepared an Expedition 
 for that purpose, — a force of eight hundred grenadiers and in- 
 fantry crossed in boats from the foot of the common to East Cam- 
 bridge. The activity of Warren and Paul Revere discovered the 
 purpose of Gage, .and arrangements were made by which Concord 
 and the Middlesex towns should be notified. Paul Revere's fa- 
 mous midnight ride on the iSth of April, aroused the people of 
 
20 
 
 Medford, Lexington and Concord, and it almost seems as if the 
 clatter of his horse's hoofs were heard l^ere in Stoughton, for on 
 the nineteenth nine companies of militia marched from Stoughton 
 and the district of Stoughtonham, to the assistance of their breth- 
 ren, viz : — 
 
 Capt. James Endicott's Company, 83 men. 
 
 " William Briggs' " 41 " 
 
 " Asahel Smith's " 77 " 
 
 " Peter Talbot's " 85 " 
 
 " Josiah Pratt's " 33 " 
 
 " Israel Smith's " 23 " 
 
 " Samuel Payson's " 33 " 
 
 " Edward Bridge Savels' Co., 64 " 
 
 " Ebenezer Tisdale's " 31 " 
 
 Making in all four hundred and seventy men who marched from 
 Stoughton and Stoughtonham on that eventful day. 
 
 On the 27th of April, Capt. William Bent's company, fifty-nine 
 men, marched to Roxbury for three months and twelve days' ser- 
 vice. 
 
 In June, Capt. Frederick Pope enlisted a company of fifty-eight 
 men, for one month and nine days' service. 
 
 Capt. Endicott, on the 4th of March, 1776, marched with his 
 company of forty-one men '" to the assistance of the Continental 
 Troops, when they fortified on the heights of Dorchester." A 
 little later in the same year, with eighty-two men, he marched to 
 Ticonderoga, and on the 2Sth March, 1778, to Roxbury, "agree- 
 able to an Order of Council," with seventy-eight men. 
 
 On the 22d March, 1776, Capt. Theophilus Lyon's Company, 
 forty-seven men, marched to Braintree, — and on March i, 1778, 
 Capt. Lyon, with forty-nine men, marched to Castle Island. 
 
 Capt. Rob't Swan, with sixty-two men, marched to Bristol, R. I., 
 and with thirty men, to the Castle, on Dec. 19, 1777. 
 
 Capt. Abner Crane, with fifty-eight men, in 1779, marched 
 with his company " in a campaign to Claverack on the Hudson 
 River." 
 
21 
 
 The promptness with which the mihtia met every call was 
 most creditable. Nor was the town less jDrompt in furnishing its 
 quota to the continental army. For this, the town furnished 
 nearly or quite two hundred men, for terms of service varying 
 from six months to three years, or during the war. Some of our 
 men having served for the full period of four years. 
 
 May 35, Thomas Crane was chosen to represent the town in 
 the Provincial Congress, for the six months following, and Peter 
 Talbot, Christopher Wadsworth, and Benj" Gill were appointed 
 a Committee of Correspondence. 
 
 On July loth, Stoughton and Stoughtonham, in town meeting 
 assembled, elected Thomas Crane to represent them in a great 
 and General Court, to be held in Watertown, on Wednesday, the 
 19th day of July, i775* 
 
 Very little action of importance in town meeting, was trans- 
 acted during the remainder of the year 1775- 
 
 We come now to the year 1776. On March iSth, Messrs. 
 Elijah Dunbar, Peter Talbot, Josiah Pratt, Theophilus Curtis, 
 John Kenney, Christopher Wadsworth, and David Lyon were 
 chosen a Committee of Correspondence and Inspection. 
 
 All of these men, except the chairman, had marched to the 
 linens, to the music of fife and drum, on the 19th of April, — two of 
 them, Talbot and Pratt, as captains, each in command of a com- 
 pany. 
 
 On May 22d, another town meeting was held, at which, 
 we may well suppose, the men who had mustered and 
 marched so promptly on the 19th of April, were present. An ar- 
 ticle in the warrant had informed them that the question of Inde- 
 pendence was to be acted on by the ineeting. The first business 
 was the choice of Representatives, and Benjamin Gill and Thomas 
 Crane were chosen. 
 
 You will bear in mind, my friends, that the date of this meet- 
 ing was May 22, six weeks prior to the adoption of the Declar- 
 ation of Independence, by the continental congress, and while the 
 question there was trembling in the balance, our fathers passed 
 this Resolve : 
 6 
 
23 
 
 " Voted^ That if the Honourable Continental Congi-ess should, 
 for the safety of this Colony, Declare us Independent of the 
 Kingdom of Great Britain, We, the Inhabitants, will Solemnly 
 engage with our lives and fortunes to support them in the Meas- 
 ure." 
 
 All honor to these men of seventeen hundred and seventy-six. 
 
 On the fourth of July, 177^' *^"^ hundred years ago to-day, the 
 Declaration of Independence was adopted. I give the action of 
 the Massachusetts Council, showing what measures were taken 
 to give publicity to the document: 
 
 '•'•In Council^ y^f-ly ^^th, 1776. 
 "Ordered, That the Declaration of Independence be printed, 
 and a copy sent to the Minister of each Parish, of every Denom- 
 ination within this State, and that they severally be required to 
 read the same to their respective Congregations as soon as divine 
 service is ended, in the afternoon, on the first Lord's Day after 
 they shall have received it : And after such Publication thereof to 
 deliver the said Declaration to the Clerks of their several Towns 
 or Districts, who are hereby required to record the same in their 
 respective Town or District Books, there to remain as a perpetual 
 Memorial thereof. 
 
 In the Name and by Order of y*" Council. 
 
 R. Derby, Jr., President. 
 A true Copy^ Attest^ Jon^' Avery, Dcp. Sec'y.'" 
 
 And our Town Clerk adds, ' faithfully recorded.' 
 
 Attest^ George Grossman, 
 
 Town Clerk" 
 
 On July iSth, the town voted to raise, by taxation, a sum of 
 money to give to each man to the number of thirty-eight men, 
 that shall enlist into the service for the Northern Department, 
 against Qiiebec, the sum of £6. 6s. Sd. as an addition to their 
 bounty. 
 
 J 777, May 2 1 St. John Kenney was chosen as " agent of the 
 town, to procure evidence against tlie ' toreys,' and a committee, 
 consisting of John Kenney, Christopher Wadsworth, David Vin- 
 
23 
 
 ton, Peter Talbot, Capt. Pratt, Capt. Endicott, and Benjamin 
 Tucker, was chosen to see to the enforcement of the " Reg- 
 uhxting Act." 
 
 May 28th. A committee chosen to examine the accounts of the 
 town's committee of correspondence, etc., made report, which was 
 accepted. 
 
 Some of the items of these accounts I give you, as showing the 
 character of the work performed by the committee. 
 
 The account of Elijah Dunbar, Esq. contained, among others, 
 these items : 
 " 1776. 
 
 March iSth. To ^ day writing circular letters, . £0 4. 5. 
 " 20th. To ^ day at Johnson's about getting 
 
 wood for the army, 2. o. 
 
 May 13th. To ^ day taking cognizance of those y' 
 
 have been unfriendl}' to y*" countiy, i. loj. 
 
 June 3rd, To ^ day at Capt. Smith's to take some 
 
 order with those who refused to sign 
 
 the Test Act, 2. o. 
 
 July 22 and 26, To 2^ days at Johnson's about procu- 
 ring hard monev, etc 4. o. 
 
 1777. 
 
 Feb. 12 and 13, To 2 days on y*" business of Regulating 
 
 prices, 8. o." 
 
 The full amount allowed Mr. Dunbar was, £2. 17. 6. 
 
 " Capt. Peter Talbot attended all the above said service, except 
 the writing of notifications about regulating prices, and over and 
 above y" aforesaid account he attend'* y"^ County Convention at 
 Dedham and singley he went about ^ day to get the Test Act 
 signed." Capt. Talbot's allowance was .... £2. 4. 4. 
 Capt. Christopher Wadsworth, attended substantially the same 
 service that Capt. Talbot did, — and was allowed, £2. 4. 4. 
 Capt. Theophilus Curtis was allowed, .... £1. 3. loj. 
 
 Capt. David Lyon, £2. 8. o. 
 
 Capt. Josiah Pratt, £1. 10. 10^. 
 
 And John Kenney's is allowed £3. 3. 8. 
 
24 
 
 the same as Capt. P. Talbot, and over and above, for one journey 
 to Gen' Washington, sent by the Selectmen." 
 
 On May 26th, the selectmen exhibited to the town meeting a 
 list of those persons that, in their opinion, have endeavored since 
 y"' 19th of April, 1775, to counteract y" United Struggles of this 
 and the United States, for the preservation of their Liberties and 
 Privileges, as follows : — 
 
 William Curtis, Edward Taylor, 
 
 Noah Kingsbury, Kenry Crane, 
 
 Samuel Capen, Edward Shall. 
 
 The report is signed by Benj. Gill, Adam Blackman, Jonathan 
 Capen, and James Endicott, Selectmen. 
 
 Some, if not all of these men must have joined the lo^-alist 
 party but a short time prior to the presentation of this report, for 
 both Edward Taylor and Edward Shall marched with Endicott's 
 company on the 19th of April, and on two later occasions, in 
 1776, Shad's name appears upon the muster rolls. 
 
 177S. March i6th. The town voted to accept the Report of 
 the committee chosen to make an average or Equal Balance of 
 Duty, by fixing the pay for the difierent kinds of service, as fol- 
 lows : — '' 
 
 The eight months at the Lines in 177^, . . £3. o. o. 
 
 The two months service at y'" Lines in 177^1 • i. 4. o. 
 The twelve months service in 1776, excepting the ^ 
 
 men that went with Capt. Pope, . . . ^ ' ' ' 
 
 The 13 months service with Capt. Pope in 1776, 15, o. o. 
 The 4 months service at Ticonderoga, in 1776, \^ o 
 each man giving credit for bounty received, . ) 
 
 The 4 most service at the Lines in 1776, . . 4. o. 
 
 The 2 " " at York in 1776, . . * 6. o. o. 
 
 The 3 " " " " " 1776 & 1777, . 7. o. o. 
 
 The 3 " " '^ y*" Lines in 1777, . • 3. 10. o. 
 
 The 12 days service at Castle Island in 1777, . o. 15. o. 
 
 The 3 weeks service at Bristol, R. L in 1777, • 2. o. o. 
 
 The 2 months " "• North Kingston, R. 1. in 1775, 5. o. o. 
 
 o. o. 
 o. 
 
25 
 
 The 3 months senice at Stillwater and other ) 
 
 places, in 1777, • J ' ' ' 
 
 The 4 " " " Rhode Island in 1777, . 6. o. o. 
 
 The I " " " y*^ Secret Expedition in 1777, 3. o. o. 
 
 The 5 " " toGen.Burgoyneini777& 1778, 7. o. o. 
 
 To 3 " " at Dorchester & Boston in 1778, 2. 10. o. 
 
 " 3 " " in Rhode Island in 177S, 6. o. o. 
 
 " 3 " " atNoddle'sIsland&Hullin 1776,3. o. o. 
 
 In this year the town began to be excited about a new form of 
 government, for the State of Massachusetts, proposed by the Gen- 
 eral Court. 
 
 March 23d it was " Voted That Messrs. Elijah Dunbar, Peter 
 Talbot, Wm. Wheeler, Jed" Southworth, John Kenny, Adam 
 Blackman, Hezekiah Gay, NatlV Fisher, Samuel Shepard, Geo. 
 Grossman, Isaiah Johnson, James Hawkes Lewis, and Samuel 
 Talbot, be a committee to take under consideration the new form 
 of government, and make report to the town." 
 
 April 7th, " Voted That Elijah Dunbar, Esq. and Capt. Jede- 
 diah Southworth, be a committee to meet in a county convention 
 at Dedham, on the zSth day of this inst, to take into conside- 
 ration y" new form of government." 
 
 And on May iSth, The committee of 13, app'' 23* March, 
 made an elaborate report against the proposed new form of gov- 
 ernment. And it was voted unanimously, to disapprove the same. 
 235 votes being given. 
 
 May 2Sth, Thomas Crane, Esq. was elected Representative, 
 and the town voted him the following instructions : 
 
 " To Thomas Crane, Esq_. 
 
 Sir. — The town of Stoughton having made choice of 
 you to Represent them in a Great and General Court, y" ensuing 
 year, it must be agreeable to you, (if you consider 3^ourself the 
 servant of y*^^ town and accountable to them as you really are,) to 
 know y'' minds of your constituents, respecting y° important Duties 
 of your Station, who have chosen you to act for their safety & 
 happiness, as connected with y" whole & not for your own private 
 emolument or separate interest, & therefore, y'' Town think fit to 
 7 
 
26 
 
 give you the following instructions : You are by no means to vote 
 for any person belonging to y" following orders of men to have a 
 seat in y° legislative Council, but use your Influence that they may 
 be excluded, (viz,) the members of the Continental Congress and 
 officers holding Commissions under them, — -Judges of y" Su- 
 perior Courts of Common Pleas, Judges of the maritime Courts, 
 — Judges of Probate, Registers of Probate, Sheriffs, — Members of 
 the Board of War, & all Executive Officers who have a fixed an- 
 nual stipend. As soon as y" Two Branches of the Legislature are 
 settled and properly organized, your primary object must be the 
 Prosecution of the War with spirit and vigour, with a view to 
 bring it to a speedy & honourable issue. 
 
 " For this purpose you are directed to exert yourself to have y" 
 Continental Army completed in the most expeditious manner, & 
 see that negligent Towns and Delinquent officers are punished ac- 
 cording to law in that case made and provided. And also, you 
 are to vote for such large and speedy supplies as may appear to 
 you necessary to enable y*"' Commander-in-Chief of our armies to 
 answer the expectations of his Country, that y*" war, if Possible, 
 may be ended the ensuing campaign with Immortal Honour to 
 himself & Permanent Glory and Security to y" United States of 
 America." 
 
 Lengthy additions were made to these instructions by the town, 
 which may be found duly recorded in the Records. They were 
 also published in the Continental Journal of June iS, 177S. 
 
 1779, June I. ' " Voted^ To give our Representative y" same 
 Instructions our Representative had y"' last year. Together with Y 
 following Instructions, ( viz : ) 
 
 " To Elijah Dunbar, Esq. — Sir : Whereas y'' Town of Stough- 
 ton thought proper to instruct their Representative y^ last year in 
 matters that concerned the 2:)ublic weal, — and you being the Pres- 
 ent Legislative Servant of this Town, & as such you have solicited 
 instruction from your constituents for the guidance of your Gen- 
 eral conduct in that Capacity y'' ensuing year, Therefore, y" Town 
 think fit to Direct & Instruct you strictly to adhere, and in the 
 most caucious manner observe & obev " . . . " v" instructions 
 
27 
 
 given to their Representative y" last year," ..." excepting 
 these two Paragraphs in said Instructions which rehite to the form 
 of Government that was proposed to the consideration of the in- 
 habitants of this State for approbation or Disapprobation, which 
 paragraphs are now redundant, as we find by a resolve of the 
 General Court, pass'^ Feb^' 29'"' 1779, that s"* form hath been Dis- 
 approved by a majority of y*" Inhabitants of said State, — And also, 
 you are further directed and impowei'ed by your constituents to 
 vote for y'' calling a State Convention for the sole purpose of form- 
 ing a New Constitution or Form of Government, provided it shall 
 appear, on Examination, that a majority of y" people present & 
 voting at their respective Town meetings choose, at this time, to 
 have a New Constitution or Form of Government made, and if 
 such a Convention should be voted to be called, you are hereby 
 instructed to exert your utmost endeavors that some mode may be 
 adopted, whereby the inhabitants of this State, (as nearly as pos- 
 sible,) may be equally Represented in said Convention ; and fur- 
 thermore, you are enjoined ever to be watchful of the Rights & 
 Liberties of the (people,) and whenever any Infringement shall 
 be attempted on them : or you are apprehensive that their safety 
 or Interest are in Danger, You are, like a faithful Sentinel, to 
 give the alarm to your Constituents." 
 
 August 9. " The Town made choice of y'' Rev''- Mr. Jedediah 
 Adams for our Delegate to sit in State Convention for y'^ sole 
 purpose of forming a New Constitution." 
 
 Paper money had now become so much reduced in value, that 
 the town adopted a report of a committee, regulating the prices 
 of certain articles. I give a sample of these prices, as established- 
 August 9, 1779. 
 
 " Cyder £6. per bbl. and for making, iS^. per bbl. Pertators 
 and Turnips \'$>s. per bushel, & other sauce in proportion. For 
 a common dinner 155. other meals in proportion. For lodging 
 35. per night. West India Tod}' at i2i-. per Bowl. New Eng- 
 land do. 95. per bowl. Horse keeping one Night on grass iSj-. on 
 Hay 155. Beef 55. per lb.. Mutton, Veal & Lamb 45. per lb., 
 Butter, 115 per lb.. New Milk Cheese 65. per lb., New Milk 25, 
 
per Qiiart, English Hay, 2)^s. per Hundred. For Shoeing a 
 Horse £4. — a yoke of Oxen £8." 
 
 A committee of twenty-one persons was selected to inform the 
 Committee of Correspondence of any breaches of the Resolution 
 respecting these prices. 
 
 1780. On May 24, Thomas Crane, Esq. was chosen Representa- 
 tive, and on Sept. 4th, the first Election for Governor took place 
 agreeably to a Resolve of the State Convention, passed on the i6th 
 day of June, and John Hancock had fift3'-three votes, the whole 
 number thrown. 
 
 October loth. Elijah Dunbar, Esq. and Thomas Crane were 
 chosen Representatives ; Thomas Crane was excused from serv- 
 ing, and Capt. James Endicott was elected. Capt. Endicott was 
 excused from serving, and Mr. Christopher Wadsworth was cho- 
 sen. 
 
 In 1781, April 3d, the vote for Governor was as follows : — 
 
 John Hancock had 47 votes. 
 James Bowdoin had 3 " 
 
 1783, May 1 6th. John Kenney was chosen representative, and 
 sundry instructions were voted him, showing a violent state of 
 public feeling in regard to the tories ; and showing, also, the first 
 recorded eviclence that the war was ended. I make these extracts : 
 
 " 2d. Whereas we have reason to believe that this year every 
 effort will be made for the return to their possessions of that aban- 
 doned set of men, very justly described by the Laws of this Com- 
 monwealth, Conspirators and absentees, who voluntarily at the 
 beginning of the war, not only deserted their countrv's cause, but 
 have aided and assisted the Enemy with their counsels and money, 
 and many of them with their personal services, most inhumanly 
 murdering innocent women and children, therefore, we instruct 
 you to attend the General Court constantly, and use your utmost 
 exertions that they, and every one of them, be forever excluded 
 and Barred from having Lot or portion aniongstus. And that the 
 Estates they formerly possessed and have justly forfeited, may 
 be immediately sold, aiul the money arising therefrom be applied 
 to the Discharge of our public debt; and that such of them as 
 
29 
 
 have unwariedly crept in among us, may be immediately and for- 
 ever removed out of this Commonwealth." 
 
 "4th. And, whereas the war is at an End, we earnestly rec- 
 ommend it to you to use your interest in the General Court that 
 our army, both officers and privates, may be paid oft' as soon as 
 possible, either in money or securities, according to the public 
 engagements made to them when they entered the service. But 
 on no account are you ever to give your voice or vote for the es- 
 tablishing of half-pay officers amongst us, or any thing that may 
 be called an equivalent, but to use vour utmost exertions against 
 it." 
 
 On the thirtieth of November, 17S2, the preliminary treaty of 
 peace was signed by the Commissioners of the two countries, by 
 which the Independence of the United States was acknowledged. 
 
 When the news was promulgated here, we may well believe 
 there was great rejoicing. In 17S3, a meeting was held in the old 
 meeting house, at which the venerable Dunbar was present. His 
 prayers at the Doty Tavern had been answered, and he was 
 doubtless ready himself to depart hence, to be here no more for- 
 ever. At that great meeting of gladness and joy, it is humiliating 
 to reflect that religious intolerance should have prevented the at- 
 tendance of the veteran Gridi.ey, whose services in the French 
 War had been so valuable to his king, and in the early days of 
 the revolution, so important to the Republic. I may add, how- 
 ever, that his neglected remains will soon be removed by careful 
 hands to yonder cemeteiy, where a suitable spot has been voted 
 by the town, and that a monument will be erected, with becoming 
 ceremonies, to perpetuate his memory. 
 
 17S7. May 7. Elijah Dunbar and Col. Frederick Pope were 
 elected representatives. 
 
 The bitter feeling which existed in 17S3, as shown by the in- 
 structions to representative Kenny, before quoted, appears to have 
 subsided. I make these extracts from the vote of instructions to 
 Messrs. Dunbar and Pope : 
 
 "These discriminating and disqualifying acts, which sei've to 
 
30 
 
 irritate the minds of the people, instead of promoting the desirable 
 blessing of peace, your constituents wish to have repealed, to- 
 gether with all other laws that appear repugnant to the common 
 good." 
 
 " You will inquire whether the liberty of the Press, so essential to 
 the security of freedom in a State, has been in any manner violated 
 or restrained in this Commonwealth, and if so, you will endeavour 
 to have the violators impeached and future restraints prevented." 
 
 " That if the Tender Act should be continued, which, on ac- 
 count of the present scarcity of Cash, may be for the best, ior a 
 limited time, you will endeavor to have amended, so that property 
 may be appraised at the same rate for the payment of a Creditor, 
 as it would have been at the time when the particular Debt was 
 contracted." 
 
 " In order that all the Inhabitants in the Commonwealth may 
 have full employ, be beneficial to themselves and the Public : You 
 will endeavor by every feasible and rational method, to encourage 
 & promote Ship Buildings Whale and Cod Fishery^ Agri- 
 culture, and every necessary & useful manufacture that may be 
 profitably carried on in the States: — & that large Duties be laid 
 on all imported articles that might be thus manufactured in them ; 
 and also upon all articles of Luxury & Extravagance, and that 
 moderate Duties be laid upon many articles of convenience, but 
 none upon the real necessaries of life." 
 
 From 17S3, for several years, the attention of the town was 
 given to the division of Suftblk County, which the town heartily 
 favored. Success finally crowned this enterprise, and Norfolk 
 County was incorporated March 20, i793- 
 
 The obstructions to the passage of fish up the Neponset, by the 
 dams at Milton, were fruitful sources of contention and litigation, 
 so that, at one time, serious trouble was imminent, — a partv from 
 Stoughton went to Milton to remove obstructions, when they 
 were set upon by the employees of the mill owners and driven 
 away. A special town meeting was called to take action thereon 
 — a committee of fourteen members was chosen to join with the 
 fish committee in getting the wav through Leeds' dam, and another 
 
31 
 
 committee of twenty members, as the vote expresses it, was 
 chosen " to stir up the People to go down and assist in opening 
 Leeds' dam, for the fish to go up ; " but cooler counsels prevailed, 
 and the parties contested their rights in the courts. 
 
 In 1794 a novel experiment was tried for supplying the town 
 treasury, by voting that the person who should be chosen repre- 
 sentative, should serve for 6s. 'jd. per day, and if the General 
 Court should fix the pay at a higher rate " y" overplus is to be re- 
 tijj-ned to the town." Col. Frederick Pope was chosen and ac- 
 cepted the condition prescribed. It is probable that the experiment 
 proved not to be remunerativ^e, for at the next election the subject 
 was dismissed. 
 
 INCORPORATION OF CANTON. 
 
 In 1795, the Inhabitants of the First Parish met in legal meeting, 
 held at the meeting house, on the ninth day of March, and voted 
 on the 13th article, (which was to see if the Parish will petition 
 the General Court to be set ofi' as a separate town,) that Elijah 
 Dunbar, Esq., Col. Nathan Crane, Mr. Joseph Bemis, Col. Benj. 
 Gill, and Capt. Elijah Crane, be a committee to prepare a Petition 
 for the Inhabitants to sign for a Division of the town. And fur- 
 ther voted that Col. Gill, Capt. Elijah Crane, and Col. Nathan 
 Crane be a committee to present the petition to the General 
 Court. 
 
 A petition was accordingly prepared, signed by one hundred 
 and forty-three inhabitants of the Parish, and is here given : — 
 
 PETITION. 
 
 To the Honourable Senate and Honse of Rep7-ese7ttatives of the 
 Com'th of Mas s^^"^ in General Court assembled: 
 
 The Petition of the Subscribers, Inhabitants of the first 
 Parish in the Town of Stoughton, in the County of Norfolk in s*^ 
 Com"'' humbly showeth that the local situation of said Town of 
 
32 
 
 Stoughton is very singular, being near Eleven Miles in length & 
 about four Miles in breadth, as may appear by a Plan thereof, and 
 also that there is a large body of land laying upon and contiguous 
 to the line between the North and South Parishes, which is and 
 always will be incapable of any valuable improvement, which 
 throws the bulk of the Inhabitants of said Parishes at a great dis- 
 tance from each other, which peculiar circumstance makes it 
 always inconvenient & sometimes impracticable for the Inhab- 
 itants of either of said Parishes to attend Town Meeting as they 
 have been usually held for some years last past, by reason of the 
 great distance of way & sometimes impassable roads. — 
 
 Therefore, your Petitioners humbly pray that the lands within 
 the said first Parish & the Inhabitants thereof, (except those per- 
 sons and their property that wish to remain with the Town of 
 Stoughton,) may be incorporated into a Distinct and separate 
 Town. And vour Petitioners, as in duty bound, shall ever 
 pray. 
 
 Sto7(ghton, Apr"" 17"'' 1795. 
 
 Elijah Dunbar. Michael Shaller. Thomas Allen. 
 
 Benj'n Gill. Sam'l Strobridge. Jarath'l Crane. 
 
 Nathan Crane. Isaac Billing. Silas Crane. 
 
 Elijah Crane. Seth Strobridge. Elijah Crane, 2d. 
 
 Joseph Bemis. Archibill McKendry. James Endicott. 
 
 Sam'l Capen, 2d. Samuel Gooch. George Jordan. 
 
 William McKendry. Lem. Tant. Luther May. 
 
 Ezekiel Fisher. John Wentworth. Henry Bailey. 
 
 David Hartwell. Rodolpis Kinsley. George Grossman. 
 
 Jno. Kenney, Jr. Wm. Crane. Joseph Chandler. 
 
 Charles Fenno. James Reed. * Richard Wild. 
 
 Sam'l Wales. Lemuel Davenport. Benjamin Lyon. 
 
 Nath'l Hill. Fisher Kingsbury. Sam'lMorse. 
 
 Moses Baker. Ebenezer Holmes. John Capen, 2d. 
 
 Redmon Spurr. Edward Downs. Benj'n Wentworth. 
 
 Thomas French. Samuel Canterburv. Enoch Dickernian. 
 
33 
 
 Ezekiel Johnson. 
 
 John Putier. 
 
 Abel Pufter. 
 
 Ephraim Hunt. 
 
 David Talbot. 
 
 Nathaniel Pitt. 
 
 William Bent. 
 
 Nath'l Fisher. 
 
 John Kenney. 
 
 James H. Lewis. 
 
 Laban Lewis. 
 
 Benj'n Bussey. 
 
 Elijah Puffer. 
 
 Lem'l Whiting, 
 
 Sam'l Tucker. 
 
 Simeon Tucker. 
 
 Samuel Tucker, Jr. 
 
 Benjamin Tucker. 
 
 Benjamin Silvester. 
 John Madden. 
 James Tucker. 
 Elisha Haws. 
 Elijah Wentworth. 
 Joseph Henry. 
 Stephen Blake. 
 James Smith. 
 John Morse. 
 Ephraim Smith. 
 Amos Upham. 
 John Dunlop. 
 John Gill. 
 Arunah Wentwerth 
 Joses Hill. 
 
 Henry Crane. 
 Nath'l Shepard. 
 Henry Morse, Jr. 
 John Tant. 
 John Tant, Jr. 
 William Wheeler. 
 Samuel Wheeler. 
 Sam'l Billing. 
 Joseph Billings. 
 John Tucker. 
 Nath'l Tilden. 
 
 Ephraim Jones. 
 Seth Wentworth. 
 Philip Whiting. 
 
 Adam Blackman. 
 Oli'r Wentworth. 
 Josiah Tilden. 
 Nath'l Wentworth 
 Jonathan Farrington. 
 John Billing. 
 Nath'l Whiting. 
 Daniel Tucker. 
 Adam Blackman, Jr. 
 Sam'l Blackman. 
 Nathaniel Kenney. 
 Jno. Blackman. 
 Benj'n Lewis. 
 George Blackman. 
 John Withington. 
 Sam. Morse, Jun'r. 
 Henry Morse. 
 
 Elijah Gill. 
 
 Lem'l Fisher. 
 
 Abel Wentworth. 
 
 Abel Fisher. 
 
 Comfort Hoyton. 
 
 Paul Wentworth. 
 
 Elijah Fenno. 
 Jacob Billings. 
 
 Stephen Billings. 
 
 Nath'l Billing. 
 
 Nathan Billing. 
 
 Peter Billing. 
 Judah Henry. 
 
 Oliver Shepard. 
 
 Israel Bailey. 
 Jona. Billing. 
 
 Dudley Bailey. 
 George Stone. 
 Daniel Billing. 
 Enoch Leonard. 
 Wm. Shepard. 
 Elijah Endicott. 
 Lemuel Smith, 2d. 
 Joseph Stearns. 
 Thomas Shepard. 
 Richard Gridley. 
 Uriah Leonard. 
 Calvin Crane. 
 Peter Thayer, Jun. 
 Silas Kinsley. 
 Oliver Downs. 
 
34 
 
 At the date of this petition there were but one hundred and forty 
 voters in the Parish, so that there were on this paper three names 
 in excess of the entire number of legal voters. 
 
 The petition was presented to the General Court, June ii, and 
 an order of notice thereon issued, returnable at a later day. 
 Stoughton, in the mean time, chose a committee, consisting of 
 Samuel Talbot, Samuel Shepard, Joseph Richards, and James 
 Pope, to oppose the petition. 
 
 January 20, 1796, a remonstrance, signed by Lemuel Drake and 
 one hundred and sixty-nine others, was presented in the House, 
 being an excess of fifteen names over and above the whole num- 
 ber of legal voters in the Second Parish, — in fact, a few names 
 from the First Parish were upon this Remonstrance. 
 
 On June 10, 1776, the committees of the parish, and of the 
 town, agreed that the matter should be refered to the Hon. Seth 
 Bullard of the Senate, and Judge Bullock of Rehoboth and Mr. Jo- 
 seph Hewins of Sharon, of the House. This committee was in- 
 structed to visit the town, — hear the parties and report thereon ; 
 they spent four days here in this service, and on Sept. 3, 1796, 
 made their report in favor of an Act of Incorporation, and on the 
 23d of February, in the year 1797, the town of Canton was duly 
 incorporated. 
 
 On February 24, Thomas Crane, Esq. issued his warrant to 
 Laban Lewis, requiring him to warn the qualified voters to meet 
 at the meeting house in Canton, on the 6th of March following, at 
 one of the clock, P. M., then and there to choose all such officers 
 as towns are required by law to elect. 
 
 At a meeting held in pursuance of this warrant, Elijah Dun- 
 bar, Esq. was chosen Moderator, and Elijah Crane, Town Clerk. 
 Elijah Crane, Dea. Benj. Tucker, and Col. Nathan Crane, Se- 
 lectmen and Assessors, and Joseph Bemis, Town Treasurer. 
 
 On April 3d, the first meeting of the new town was held for 
 the election of Governor, and Increase Sumner had thirty-nine 
 votes, James Sullivan twenty, Edward H. Robbins ten, Moses 
 Gill seven, and William Heath one. 
 
35 
 
 May I St. Elijah Crane, the first Representative, was elected by 
 a unanimous vote. 
 
 On the same day there was voted : 
 
 For Highways, $983 ^7 
 
 For salary of Rev. Zach'h Howard, for 1797, 300 00 
 And at an adjourned meeting: 
 
 For town charges, ..... 800 00 
 
 For schooling, ...... 500 00 
 
 In 1798 the town voted for highways $1 000., town charges 
 $600., schooling $500., Mr. Howard's salary $300., and also voted 
 to clapboard the back end of the meeting house and board and 
 clapboard the back side of the belfry, also to paint the house. 
 
 These votes, and some that follow, will sound strangely to us 
 at this day, when the town has nothing to do with the building or 
 repair of meeting houses or the support of the ministry, and every 
 individual selects for his favor and support such church as best 
 suits him, and is under no obligation to support any other. On 
 the same page of the record from which I extract the foregoing 
 vote, I find the registry of a certificate of a committee of the de- 
 nomination of Qiiakers, chosen at their monthly meeting, held at 
 Lynn, " that Jonathan Leonard of Canton, doth belong to said » 
 Society." Such certificates were then necessary in order to relieve 
 the person from liability to taxation for Parish purposes. Many 
 present will remember Mr. Leonard, who was engaged with Adam 
 Kinsley in the manufacture of iron and steel, and as I well re- 
 member, was usually called '' Qiiaker Leonard." The house in 
 which he lived now forms a part of the Massapoag House. 
 
 In 1799, at a meeting held in December, an article was inserted 
 in the warrant, " to see if the town will procure and set up a 
 stove in the meeting house, for the convenience and comfort of 
 those who attend Public Worship in the winter season," and 
 the article was dismissed. How long the Parish continued 
 without a stove I know not, but if the heating apparatus of the 
 meeting houses in our day were dispensed with, I fear the attend- 
 ance in winter would be very small. 
 
36 
 
 In 1800, we find the town instructing their representative to pe- 
 tition the General Court, and use his influence, to get the fine 
 remitted that was imposed upon the town for not sending a rep- 
 resentative to the General Court in 1799. 
 
 In i8o3, I find this entry upon the records : — . 
 
 " Voted that the selectmen procure Lombard de Poplar trees at 
 the expense of the town, and that they notify the inhabitants to 
 assist in setting them out without expense to the town." 
 
 In this manner, doubtless, the poplar trees, so common, many 
 years ago, were introduced. 
 
 1803. I select these passages, — April 4th : " Voted that the 
 selectmen post notification in the Belfry, calling on Youth and oth- 
 ers not to make a tarry in Belfry after Public Worship is begun." 
 
 This suggests a query whether the youth of that day were es- 
 sentially different from what they are to-day. 
 
 Again, May 2d., "Voted that Joseph Bemis, Wm. Wheeler, 
 Henry Bailey, Capt. Abner Crane, Benj. Lewis, and Adam Kins- 
 ley, be a committee to deliberate on the subject of Enlai^ging the 
 Singers' Pew, as also, the subject of singing in general, to the end 
 that that part of publick worship may be performed with conve- 
 niency, decency and in good order." 
 
 In 1805, this vote, " That Henry Bailey, Joseph Bemis and 
 jona. Leonard, be a committee to hear the aggrieved parties as 
 respects their time and expense in search for Jack Battus, (the 
 murderer of the young girl Talbot,) and report at April meeting." 
 At April meeting sixteen persons were allowed, in all, $46 50 for 
 this service. 
 
 I now propose to give you an idea of the way and manner in 
 which they made a contract for a parish minister, seventy years 
 ao"o, which may furnish valuable hints to churches and parishes 
 at the present day. 
 
 April 6. " Voted unanimously, that the town concur with the 
 church in giving Mr. Wm. Richey a call to the pastoral charge of 
 said Church and Society of this town." Thereupon, a committee 
 of twenty-five persons was chosen to confer with Mr. Richey, as 
 to salary, &c., and report at an adjourned meeting. 
 
37 
 
 One might suppose that poor Mr. Richey would have stood no 
 chance whatever with a committee of twenty-five full grown, 
 sharp, sagacious men. But he seems to have met the ordeal 
 bravely, for on the 15th the committee reported that the town 
 should grant Mr. R. $1000. as a settlement, upon certain stated 
 conditions as to length of service, &c., and pay him a salary of 
 $575. per annum, " to be computed upon the following staple ar- 
 ticles of life, on the ist week of May, annually, by such committee 
 as the town shall appoint, joined with Mr. Richey, by the Boston 
 prices, viz : Corn, Rye, Flour, Salt-Beef & Salt-Pork, Butter, 
 Cheese, Wool, Flax, Sole Leather, & Coflee," and then they pro- 
 vided that if the salary was not paid in three months after it 
 became due, " then Mr. Richey to have interest after it becomes 
 due till paid." " Also, that the town grant him eight cords of 
 good, merchantable fire-wood annually, during the time he shall 
 remain without a family, and sixteert cords annually, when he 
 shall have a family." 
 
 It is clear that an impression soon got abroad that the parson 
 had been too sharp for the committee of twenty-five ; that question 
 of interest to be computed on overdue salary, was uncomfortable. 
 So, at the next meeting, so much of the foregoing vote as related 
 to interest was erased, or expunged. But Mr. Richey, on being 
 informed of the repeal, quietly said, in a note to the committee, 
 that he thought he ought to receive his salary when due, and that 
 he should expect interest to be allowed, should there be a delin- 
 quency of payment. And the town, on hearing the letter read, 
 again voted the interest clause, in a somewhat modified form. 
 
 Another difficulty ! How much should be paid in cash under 
 the contract based upon the market price of corn, salt pork, and 
 the other articles named in the contract. Messrs. Dunbar, Tucker 
 and Bemis labored with this problem, for I know not how long, 
 but they solved it at last, and reported the result, — and also the 
 process by which they arrived at the I'esult, as they said it might 
 be useful thereafter, as a precedent. The result was that the cash 
 pay for the salary of the minister for the second year of his ser- 
 vice was reduced from $575. to $480.49. The minister appended 
 10 
 
38 
 
 a certificate to the report, slightly suggestive of a sort of quiet hu- 
 mor, that he had reviewed the calculations made by the^com- 
 mittee and found the result of them to correspond with the letter 
 of the contract. This contract, however, did* not always operate 
 to the minister's disadvantage, for in one year, during the war of 
 1812, his salary amounted to nearly $900. 
 
 1S08. March 7. "Voted to pay a bounty of one dollar per 
 head or tail, for every Rattlesnake absolutely taken & killed within 
 the town in the months of April. May & October the present year." 
 
 Practically this was very much like oflering a bounty of two 
 dollars for each snake killed, and very likely it was found to be so, 
 for the next year, the town voted the same sum for rattlesnakes' 
 tails^ and cautioned the Treasurer " to guard against deception 
 when he is applied to for such bounties." 
 
 May 2d. At the election for the choice of a representative, 
 Mr. Bemis, who had been the representative for eight successive 
 years, and was a candidate for re-election, was also the town clerk. 
 His record reads thus : — "The votes being given in, sorted and 
 counted, it appeared that Dea. Benj. Tucker had 33 votes, Joseph 
 Bemis had 29 votes, and Andrew Capen i vote, and of course," 
 says the record, " Dea. Benj. Tucker was elected." 
 
 181 3. The war of 181 3 now begins to be recognized in the 
 records of the town. May 4th, Voted to make up the pay for 
 persons volunteering to fill up the quota of 100 000 men, to $14. 
 per month, if they go into actual service. 
 
 August 15, It was voted that such addition be made to the pay 
 of those persons who were drafted from this town under the 
 last requisition ol the President of the U. S. as shall make their 
 monthly pay eighteen dollars. 
 
 Sept. 12. The town voted to furnish each non-commissioned 
 officer and soldier with sixty rounds of ball cartridges, and directed 
 the selectmen immediately to purchase six hundred pounds of 
 pork, two hundred pounds of beef, and eight hundred pounds of 
 bread, for supplying the militia of the town, when called to de- 
 fend their country. And also to procure covered baggage wag- 
 
39 
 
 gons, to be in readiness to accompany the militia when called to 
 the service of their country. 
 
 I have no means of giving a statement of the number of men 
 furnished for the defence of the country in this war. The rolls 
 are all in the custody of the United States, at Washington. 
 
 It is however apparent that the town was in favor of a vigorous 
 prosecutiojii of the war, and could brook no opposition. It ap- 
 pears that in 1813, the Rev. Edward Richmond of Stoughton 
 preached a sermon in Mr. Richey's ( Ritchie's ) pulpit, on Fast 
 Day, in which it is supposed he denounced the war. The town 
 took the matter in hand. On the 5th of April a committee of 
 fifteen made this report : — 
 
 "Gentlemen of the town, — Your committee, appointed to take 
 into consideration the subject of the Rev. Edward Richmond's 
 fast day sermon have attended the duty assigned them, and do 
 recommend that the town pass a vote expressive of their disap- 
 probation that the Rev. Edward Richmond should hereafter be 
 introduced into the Desk of Canton Meeting House on Lord's 
 Days, Fast Days, Thanksgiving Days, and Lecture Days, as a 
 teacher of Religious Morality, &c., and that the Town Clerk be 
 directed to serve the Rev. William Richey with a copy thereof 
 without delay. Elijah Dunbar, per order." 
 
 The clerk certifies that the above vote was taken by yeas and 
 nays, and it passed in the affirmative. 
 
 1S16. April I. A committee reported that they had purchased 
 for the town Mr. Andrew Capen's farm for $2,750. This is the 
 present town farm, which was afterwards sold and again pur- 
 chased, of Mr, Elisha White, about the year 1S37. ^^*"- Andrew 
 Capen was the father of Nahum Capen, Esq., the able author of 
 the "-History of Democracy," and formerly postmaster of Boston. 
 
 A joke is not imcommon in our Records. 
 
 May 6, Art. 11, "To see if the town will give a bounty on 
 crows' heads the present year. 
 
 Voted, on motion of Gen. Elijah Crane, " that every man kill 
 his own crows." 
 
40 
 
 1S19. Nov. 27. In the warrant for town meeting this article 
 was inserted on petition : 
 
 " To see if the town will express their opinion, as there are 
 three Religious Societies within the town, whether they are wil- 
 ling to raise, in any case, any sum of money as a town, for min- 
 isterial purposes." 
 
 Dec. 6. On that article it was " Voted that the towp of Can- 
 ton do not raise any money in future, as a town, for ministerial 
 purposes." 
 
 From the date of that vote, I think the town had no further 
 connection with Parish affairs, thus anticipating legislation four- 
 teen years, for the statute dissevering the parishes from the towns 
 did not pass till April i, 1S34. 
 
 Having now culled from the town records such matter as I 
 have thought might be of interest, down to the year 1820, I am 
 admonished that I cannot pursue this line further. 
 
 We have seen the country emerge from a state of subjection 
 to the British Crown, into a state of national sovereignty and in- 
 dependence, and have traced briefly, some of the steps by which 
 it was accomplished. 
 
 Stoughton in 1776, was not an insignificant town. In 1765 it 
 stood, by the Massachusetts Census, in point of population, the 
 nineteenth in the State ; the list standing in this order: — Boston, 
 Marblehead, Dartmouth, Salem, Bridgewater, Gloucester, Ip- 
 swich, Rehoboth, Middleboro', Nantucket, Newbury, Newburyport, 
 Springfield, Taunton, vScituate, Andovcr, Hingham, Braintree, 
 Stoughton. 
 
 The population of Dorchester, the mother town, in 1776 was 
 but 15 13, while Stoughton had 2097, and Sharon, which before 
 that date, liad been set oft' from Stoughton, had 1261 ; together, 
 then, these two towns, exceeded the population of old Dorchester 
 by 1S45 souls. In the year iSoo, Dorchester had a popidation of 
 2347, Stoughton 1020, Canton 11 10, and Sharon 1018. 
 
 The population of the State in 1776, was 295,080. In 1S75 it 
 had swelled up to 1.651 912. 
 
 The population of the United States in 1776, imperfectly taken. 
 
41 
 
 perhaps, under the authority of the Continental Congress, was 
 2.389 300, and by the U. S. census of 1790, it was 3.929 214. In 
 1870, the last census taken, it was 3S.55S 371. 
 
 In 1S60, there were in the United States, 3-950547 slaves, ex- 
 ceeding by 21.333, the entire population of the country in 1790. 
 
 In the early days our inhabitants were, to a very great extent, 
 located in the central and northerly parts of the town ; this con- 
 tinued even to a comparatively recent period. Here stood the 
 old meeting houses ; the post office, the taverns, and the stores 
 were here. A person of sixty or sixty-five years of age, may well re- 
 member when there were but twenty dwellings, or thereabouts, 
 on the old Taunton road, between the house of Mr. Samuel 
 Downes and the Sharon line ; and but half a dozen at the 
 Stone Factory Village. Now the southerly portion of the town 
 contains, by far, the larger part of the population ; four, of the 
 five churches, the banks, nearly all the stores, and most of the 
 manufactories. In this town, as everywhere else, the century 
 now closed has witnessed the feeble commencement, as also the 
 full development of our manufacturing industries. As already 
 shown, it was the policy of Great Britain to discourage manufac- 
 tures in the colonies. Independence gave our people their oppor- 
 tunity, and well have they improved it. One hundred years ago, 
 this was, per force, an agricultural town. Now our people aie 
 devoted to manufacturing pursuits. 
 
 Col. Wright, Chief of our labor and Statistical Bureau, has 
 kindly favored me with some statistics of the town, from his forth- 
 coming report, viz : 
 
 Population and Sex. 
 
 Males 1975 
 
 Females 2217 
 
 Total 4192 
 
 11 
 
42 
 Polls and Voters. 
 
 Ratable Polls 999 
 
 Native voters 506 
 
 Naturalized voters 237 
 
 Total voters 733 
 
 Families and Dwelling-Houses. 
 
 Number of dwelling-houses 645 
 
 Families S59 
 
 Color and Race. 
 
 MALES. FEMALES. 
 
 White 1970 2209 
 
 Black 5 . . . .■ 8 
 
 Conjugal Condition. 
 
 MALES. FEMALES. 
 
 Single 1202 1312 
 
 Married 728 728 
 
 Widowed 44 1 73 
 
 Divorced i 4 
 
 Place of Birth. 
 
 MALES. FEMALES. 
 
 Born in Canton 861 906 
 
 " " other towns in Mass. 384 .*. .471 
 
 " " "- States 169 314 
 
 " " foreign countries. . . .546 613 
 
 Birthplace unknown 15 13 
 
 Manufactures and related Occupations. 
 
 Number of establishments 30 
 
 Capital invested $1,158 550 
 
 Value of goods made and work done 3-085 68i 
 
 Value of stock used i .903 679 
 
 Persons employed 974 
 
 i 458 males. 
 
 \ 5i6fem'es. 
 
43 
 1 8 () 5 . 
 
 Number of establishments 19 
 
 Capital invested $631,375 
 
 Value of goods made and work done 3.229 ^5-^ 
 
 Value of stock used i .540 847 
 
 Persons employed 653 
 
 Males 430,— Females 223 
 
 The Valuation of Canton, as established by the legislature, at 
 the last session, for the basis of State taxes, is $3,242,254 00, as 
 assessed by the assessors in 1875, not including corporate stocks, 
 $3-058.555 oo- 
 
 Schools. 
 
 Number of scholars betv^een the ages of five and fifteen 930. 
 Number of schools seventeen. Number of teachers nineteen. 
 
 The resident Representatives, during the century,- number in 
 all but thirty-eight different individuals. I give their names, with 
 the service of each, viz : 
 
 Benjamin Gill, 177^- 
 
 Thomas Crane, 1776, '77, '78, '81. 
 
 Elijah Dunbar, 1780, '82, '87, '93. 
 
 Christopher Wadsworth, 1 780. 
 
 John Kenny, 1783. 
 
 Capt, James Endicott, 17S4, '85, '86, '90. 
 
 Capt. Frederick Pope, 1787, '8S, 89, '91, '92, '96. 
 
 Elijah Crane, 1795, '97. 
 
 Joseph Bemis, 1800, '01, '02, '03, 'o/^, '05, '06, '07, '11, '12, '13. 
 
 Benjamin Tucker, 1S08, '09, '10. 
 
 Lemuel Whiting, 1811, '12, '13. 
 
 Abel Wentworth, (senior,) 181 2, 
 
 Friend Crane, 1814. 
 
 John Bailey, 1815, '16, 17. 
 
 Samuel Capen, 181 9, '20, '29. 
 
 Jonathan Leonard, 1823. 
 
 Thomas French, 1824, '26, '27. 
 
44 
 
 Thomas Tolman, 1828, '36. 
 
 Elijah Spare, 1830. 
 
 James Endicott, 1832, '33. 
 
 James Blackman, 1834, '35- 
 
 Michael Shaller, 1834, 35. 
 
 Nathaniel French, 1S37. 
 
 Abel Wentworth, 1836, '37, '38. 
 
 Isaac Horton, 1838, '39. 
 
 John Gay, 1840, '41, 42. 
 
 John Endicott, 1843, '44. 
 
 Lyman Kinsley, 1849. * 
 
 Charles Endicott, 1851, '57, 58. 
 
 Charles H. French, 1853, '54. 
 
 George Capen, 1855- 
 
 Samuel Davenport, 1S56. 
 
 John S. Eldridge, 1859, '60. 
 
 Oliver S. Chapman, 1S63, '64. 
 
 Joseph Leavitt, 1868. 
 
 Frank M. Ames, 1869. 
 
 James S. Shepard, 1871, '72. 
 
 Elijah A. Morse, 1S76. 
 
 I have, on this occasion, neither time nor material for church, 
 family, or individual history ; that must be given hereafter, by abler 
 pens. Fortunately, we have those who are competent for the 
 task ; Mr. Ames can tell us the age of everybody living, and all 
 the historv of such as are dead, — of the legislation of the British 
 Parliament, and the action of the king in council with reference 
 to the entire legislation of the Colony and Province, — of the his- 
 tory of the Redman Farm, and the early land titles, both of Nor- 
 folk and Plymouth. 
 
 Mr. Noyes can give us graphic descriptions of the old church 
 and its ministers, from Morse to Savary, embracing, among 
 others, Dunbar, Howard, Ritchie, Huntoon, and Brpwnson. 
 
 Mr. Iluntoon will give us individual and family history, — throw 
 further light upon the history of the cluu-cli and its ministers, — tell 
 
45 
 
 us of Ponkipog and the apostle Eliot, — of the famous meetings at 
 Doty's Tavern, and everything known of the old English church 
 and its last minister, — and finally, point out to us the " ancient 
 landmarks." 
 
 With these gentlemen, and their tomes of local historic lore, there 
 can be no excuse if Canton is not speedily provided with a com- 
 plete and most valuable history. 
 
 It is useless for me to attempt to portray the progress of the 
 century; it may be seen in almost everything and almost every- 
 where. 
 
 Our civilization has spread from the coasts and shores of the 
 Atlantic, step by step, across the fertile valleys and over the mag- 
 nificent prairies of the West to the golden shores of the Pacific. 
 
 Eighty thousand miles of railway traverse the country, and 
 every city and town is within easy reach of the station and the 
 telegraph. 
 
 We have freedom of conscience and the freedom of the Press. 
 The equality of rights for all men, declared in the Declaration, 
 has become an actual fact, instead of a "glittering generality." 
 
 The great War of the Rebellion came, and the nation, for nearly 
 five years struggled for existence ; but in that struggle, the gigantic 
 institution of American slavery, holding in its grasp four mil- 
 lions of slaves, tottered on its old foundations and went down 
 forever. And now, we are at peace with all the world, let us de- 
 mand of the government that it be not lightly disturbed. Justice 
 and Freedom, Peace and Prosperity, should be the national aim. 
 
 Our flag is respected by all the nations ; and when, but yes- 
 terday, it was rudely assailed by fratricidal hands, a million brave 
 men bared their breasts to its defence, and bore it aloft to tri- 
 umphant victory. 
 
 Let us hope, by the blessing of Almighty God, that the Old 
 Flag, with 
 
 •' Its broad stripes aud bright stars," 
 
 may continue to be the living emblem of our United Nationality, 
 to the latest generation. 
 
46 
 
 At the close of Mr. Endicott's Address, the choir sang 
 "The Star Spangled Banner." Then followed short, but appro- 
 priate remarks by Rev. George W. Hosmer, D. D. of New- 
 ton, Rev. William H. Savary, Hon. Charles H, French, 
 J. Mason Everett, Elijah A. Morse, Thomas E. Bowman, 
 Robert Draper, and Frederic Endicott, of Canton. Mr. 
 Morse was invited by the President to speak in behalf of the leg- 
 islature, and responded as follows : 
 
 The legislative form of government of the Colony of Plymouth 
 and of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts was born with the 
 compact in the cabin of the Mayflower, amidst the prayers of de- 
 vout and godly men. For two hundred and fifty years the legis- 
 lature of Massachusetts has been loyal to the King of Kings, true 
 to liberty, to education, to the rights of man, did her duty nobly, 
 spoke to the country and to the world with no uncertain sound, 
 in the great struggle for liberty, when threatened by treason. 
 The legislature of 1S76, not degenerate sons of noble sires, but 
 the peer of the legislature of any State, of any land, in any 
 clime beneath the bending arches of the skies. 
 
 The hymn "■ America," was then sung, and the exercises 
 closed with the Benediction. 
 
 The following are names of the persons, composing the choir: 
 
 Mr. Horace H. Mansfield, Director. 
 
 Mrs. Frank M. Ames. Mrs. James S. Shepard. 
 
 Miss J. Annie Bense. Miss Georgia A. Shepard. 
 
 Mrs. W. Henry Bcnsc. Mr. Geo. Frederick Sumner. 
 
 Miss Eveline L. Bullard. Mr. W. Henry Bense. 
 
 Mrs. Emma P. Capcn. Mr. Robert Draper. 
 
 Miss Annie I. Cajoen. Mr. Charles H. Eager. 
 
 Mrs. Samuel Crowther. Mr. Edward R. Hixon. 
 
 Miss Cyn.'ia A. Endicott. Mr. George F. H. Horton. 
 
 Mrs. D. C. F. Ellis. Mr. Richard Howard. 
 
47 
 
 Mrs. Granville D. Harlow. 
 Mrs. Billings Hewett. 
 Miss Ella M. Hill. 
 Mrs. Alexander R. Holmes. 
 Mrs. Albion W. Kinsley. 
 Miss Helen G. Kinsley. 
 Mrs. William B. Shattuck. 
 
 Mr. Frank M. Howes. 
 Mr. Jonathan Linfield. 
 Mr. Luther H. Morse. 
 Mr. John B. Robinson. 
 Mr. William B. Shattuck. 
 Mr. Willis S. Shepard. 
 
 ! 
 
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 
 
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