F 74 .D4 S614 Copy 1 ®I|0 Utxt. 3l0l|n HtUiama l^nua^ The Rev. John Williams House BY GEORGE SHELDON AND J# M. ARMS SHELDON DEERFIELD 1918 A.^-'K^^L jj o Hi r-1 J l~ ^ o ;; ^ ce u u ti, ■*-> I. s § o >-. ja a; -c m u S n O cd X o (fi C Tl aj '■^ tn ^ Q J ffl j2 >— 1 Ui > <: o oi w >, J3 X! H C A VISIT TO THE OLD PARSON WILLIAMS HOUSE IN DEERFIELD.* By George Sheldon. The first thing which claims attention, on approaching this venerable mansion, is a magnificent sycamore, the pride of the village, grandly towering above the surrounding elms and ma- ples. The trunk is hollow, and more than half a century ago tliere was a large opening made into the interior, about ten feet from the ground, by the loss of a large limb, through which two generations of boys were wont to descend into the cavity to get punk for Fourth of July fireworks. A vigorous growth in later years has nearly closed this opening, and the tree bids fair to bve and bless generations of children yet to come with its shadow, its ' ' cinnamon, ' ' and its ' ' fur balls. ' ' The house stands fronting the east, is two stories high, the main part 47x21 feet, a gambrel-roofed ell 40x23 projects from the southwest rear, and a "lean-to," 20x10, from the northwest rear; the whole covered with rived or cleft clap-boards, nicely joined. There are nine windows in front and five at each end, and they are rather narrow. The upper tier are set close under the cornice, the lower ones are finished with handsome pointed pediments. There are three doors — one in front, one in the southwest corner of the main building, and one in the ell. The front entrance is quite an elaborate affair ; the door is double or folding, each divided into three parts, the upper finished with oblong, the center with square panels, and the lower with a sort ■of crusaders' cross. In the top of the door is a window, and a fine old brass knocker invites entrance. But we will wait a mo- ment to study the complex ornamentation about the door : An *This paper and the two following papers were published in the Greenfield Gazette and Courier under dates of July 2, July 30, and Aug. 6, 1877, for the purpose of arousing interest in the old house, and thereby saving it from destruction. imitation of rustic masonry surrounds the whole, upon which are superimposed fluted Tuscan pilasters, resting on a rustic pedestal of similar character, with the dies paneled. The architrave of the entablature is enriched by a large rose over each pilaster, and surmounting the cornice is a pediment of peculiar construc- tion. It is formed of two long-armed volutesi, which nearly meet at the apex, each bearing a rose. In the niche of the pediment stands a paneled pedestal supporting a sort of urn, the top of which occupies the space between the volutes. The door at the southwest corner has three tiers of plain panels, the ornamen- tation similar to the front, but the pediment corresponding with those over the windows. Now we will seize the quaint knocker and enter the broad hall running across the house, lighted by windows in the upper sections of the doors at either end. On the right and left are doors opening to the front rooms. These are finished with fine chimney-pieces, rich panels, and a heavy cornice, while the massive summer-tree across the center cuts the ceiling into two large, deep panels. The cupboard in the south room is a curi- osity in cupboards, from the number of its cubby-holes, hard for the uninitiated to find ; while that in the north room is the most elaborate piece of architecture about the premises, and at once reminds the visitor of a Catholic shrine. Its form is that of half of an upright domed cylinder, with a pilaster at each side, the arched vault is fluted or scalloped to the likeness of a huge shell, and the queer shelves running around the walls are nar- row and finished with a rounded projection in front.* Both rooms have barred wooden shutters, and cosy window-seats, sug- gesting security and comfort. The stairs from the hall are a notable afl^air, broad, easy of ascent, with a wide square landing, a balustrade, heavy and rich- ly ornamented, and remarkable for the time and place of con- struction. At the second floor one comes to the ''blue room'' with its high windows, sombre walls, cerulean hangings, and a Jit place for a fit of the "blues." *This corner cupboard is now in Memorial Hall. 5 Up another flight of the same generous stairs we come to the garret, now desolate enough, but at the death of "Aunt Esther" abundantly stored with the treasures of the past. In the south end a room is finished off, and here begins the mystery which is one of the prime attractions to the curious. From this room a flight of stairs winds down under the roof to a room in the second story which was entirely isolated from the rest of the chambers. Here is a closet and fire-place, back of which is a snug cavity built in the chimney, a fit receptacle for papers or small valuables, and easily secured from prying eyes. Adjoin- ing this room is another, some eight feet square, near the center of the house, in the floor of which is a trap-door. This being raised discloses a very narrow and crooked staircase landing in a small, dark closet on the lower floor, and with a trap-door in this, the cellar might be reached, thus affording communication between the garret and cellar secluded from observation and en- tirely distinct from the hall stairs or the back stairs in the ell. No one pretends to explain the object of this passage, but theo- ries are plenty and romance has full play. The old kitchen fire-place, its crane, pot-hooks, and tram- mels, is an attractive feature to the young and the artistic. The cellar wall is a fruitful theme for study and speculation, about which many questions are asked that at present no one can an- swer. Those who love the native wood finish find much to ad- nn're in one chamber in the ell : Pine panel-work, dark with age and uncontaminated by paint or oil, composes its walls. The "lean-to" was occupied as a kitchen and bed-room. It keeps up the reputation of the house for queer, out-of-the-way works, has odd old paper hangings, and a unique crane in the fire-place which is highly suggestive of a steaming candle about bedtime. If the history of this old homestead and the buildings there- on, with the leading events in the lives of their occupants, be ever written, we shall see an important chapter in the history of old Pocuratuck and of the Connecticut Valley. HISTORICAL AND GENEALOGICAL GOSSIP ABOUT THE OLD PARSON WILLIAMS HOMESTEAD AND ITS OCCUPANTS. NO. 1. By George Sheldon. In the year 1686, "The Inhabitants of Deerfield, to Incour- age Mr. John Williams to settle amongst them to dispenc the blessed word of Truth unto them, have made propositions unto him as followeth: That they will give him 16 cowcommons of meadow land, with a homelott that lieth on the Meeting house hill. That they will build him a house : 42 foot long, 20 foot wide, with a lentoo of the back side of the house, & finish sd house; to fence his home lott, and within two yeares after this agreement, to build him a barn, and to break up his plowing land." A short time after, "The Comitty approves and ratifies the above sd propositions on the Condition Mr. Williams settle among them. ' ' So stands the record on the original parchment- covered folio. These "Inhabitants" were the feeble few who had returned to their naked lands, after the desolations of Philip's War, with a few more adventurers who had been induced to join them. "The Comitty" were acting as agents for the Proprietors of the 8000-acre Dedham Grant. These propositions having been accepted by Mr. Williams, he became the first settled minister of Deerfield. His "home lott" lay near the center of the town plat, fronting easterly on the training field, bounded south and west on the road to the Meadows, afterwards the highway over the Hoosac Mountains to Albany. On this piece of land the feeble band set to work with energy and pious zeal, and soon a house was ready for their minister and his brave, young bride, he having married the same \ ear Eunice Mather, a grand-daughter of Richard of Dorchester, the first of the name in New England, and also of John War- ham, predecessor of Richard Mather at Dorchester, and after- 8 wards a pillar of the church in Connecticut. The young min- ister and his wife were born the same year, and were twenty- three years old. They at once took possession of the new house, and he entered upon the arduous and responsible duties of a ministerial life in a frontier settlement. In this house they passed sixteen eventful years, and here eleven children were born unto them. Here they were quietly sleeping on that fateful morning of February 29, 1704. Over its threshold, reeking with the blood of the two younglings of their flock, and Parthena, their faithful negro nurse, the father and mother with their living children were dragged to a terrible death, or more terrible captivity. The house was plundered, and the fire fiend, eager to aid its savage ally, was unchained within its walls. Looking back from the highlands on the northwest, to which the captives had been taken, the sorrowful minister saw this dwelling, reared by the loving hands of his j)eople, hallowed by so many tender associations, lying a heap of smoking ruins. The sad tale of the murder of Mrs. Williams, the next morning, near the foot of Leyden Glen, the long captivity of Mr. "Williams and children, the marriage of his daughter Eunice to Amrusus, the St. Francis Indian, and her lapse into barbarism, tlie final recovery of Mr. Williams and many of his charge through the agency of Ensign John Sheldon, are all as familiar as a thricetold tale. When Mr. Williams landed in Boston on his return from Canada, it seems to have been a question whether he would come again to Deerfield. Nine days after his arrival in Boston, a town meeting was held here, and Capt. Jonathan Wells, Ensign John Sheldon and Thomas French, were chosen a committee to go down to the Bay to treat with Mr. Williams in regard to his resettlement. They were authorized to ask in behalf of the town for aid from the General Court, and "in all thes partick- ulars to act and doe according to best of their discration." They were successful in their mission ; Mr. Williams returned, and the General Court made a grant of money. We are ig- norant of the "partickulars" of the arrangement, but it is safe to conclude one item related to rebuilding his house; for at another town meeting, January 9, 1706- '07, "It was voted y* y^ Towne would build a house for Mr. Jno. Williams in Derfield as big as Ens Jno Sheldon's a back room as big as may be thought convenient." Ensign John Sheldon, Sergt. Thomas French and Edward Allen were chosen "a Comity for carrying on said work." The energetic Ensign went vigorously to work; the people, happy in the return of their revered pastor, and many (.f their kindred and friends, hopeful for the future, lent will- ing assistance, so that on the 17th of October, the record speaks of Mr. Williams house "yMs nerly bilt." This structure was upon the original home lot, but set fai'ther towards the east than the first one, encroaching some- what on the training field, or common; and the town made a formal grant to Mr. Williams covering the site of the building, and bringing the east line of the home lot "ten foots before his house." A subsequent grant brought it up to its present limit. Mr. Williams married September 16, 1707, "Mrs. Abbigall Bisel of Windsor," another grand-daughter of John Warham, £!nd settled down in his new home, where the number of children increased to sixteen. In 1728, the town voted to build a new meetinghouse; dur- ii!g the following winter the people were busy with prepara- tions. In April, the site was agreed upon, and "Cake and drink" voted for the raising. Mr. Williams, watching the op- erations from his house, could congratulate the people and him- self, that they would soon occupy as fine a building as any on the Connecticut river. This, however, was not to be. June 12, 1729, he was taken to his reward, to the "Great Surprise and distress" of the people and a "Grievous breach upon Deerfield." A contemporary speaks of his death as a fall of "one of the pillars of the Land," of him, as one who "taught by example, as vsell as by Preaching;" as "an ardent lover of New England, its religious principles, its Ecclesiastical and Civil Rights & Lib- erties. " After the death of Mr. Williams, his widow occupied the eld home until she died, June 21, 1754, leaving her son Elijah lO to succeed to the ownership. Here he was born, and after an eminently useful life, here he died. About two years after his mother's death, Capt. Elijah Williams either made extensive repairs on the old house, or pulled it down, and "built anew. The ''Old Indian House," built about 1698, stood 150 years, and when taken down, its timber:! were as sound as when hewn in the primeval forest. Is it prob able that a frame built of the massive oak of the period, in 1707, Yvould need to be taken down in 48 years? The condition of the present house, which has stood Avith its present finish for 120 years, should be sufficient answer. Nor can we suppose the house built in 1707 was displaced to erect a larger one, the small increase in size over the one voted by the town forbids that. The two houses are of the same width — the present one four or five feet longer than the one voted in 1707, but is it not much more probable that this small change in the size was made criginally, than that it needed to be pulled down in 48 years? I'rom considerations like these, and internal evidence, it seems safe to conclude that the main building is the same built for the "Redeemed Captive" in 1707, with the interior changes made in 1756. Elijah Williams, born 1712, graduated at Harvard College in 1732, took degree of Master, 1758. In 1733, he was chosen Town Clerk, and continued in that office until his removal to Enfield ; he was always a leading man in town affairs. He wa-5 a civil engineer, and hundreds of existing plans bear his name as surveyor. He made his first venture in trade by opening a liardware store on the southeast corner of his home lot, in May, 1742, occupying a part of the building now standing there, owned by the P. V. M. Association. In anticipation of hostilities with France, he was appointed Captain of the Snow Shoe Men, Jan. 12, 1743. During the Old I'rench War, he was at the head of the military operations in this vicinity with headquarters at his store. In 1746, Capt. Williams was at the head of a company in Gov. Shirley's army, raised for the reduction of Canada, This expedition failed for II want of co-operation from England, but his company was em- ployed on detached service on the frontier, between Fort Dum- mer and Massachusetts, about which a cloud of the enemy were hovering throughout the season. In 1747, he commanded a com- pany in Colonel Joseph Dwight's regiment, which was made up of men in Deerfield and adjoining towns. Caleb Keeup, an In- dian from Northfield, whose name is left there on " Keeup 's Hill," was one of the company. August 3d of that year, (as the account books show,) was a busy time at the Corner Store, On that day, Capt. Williams opened accounts with sixty-seven soldiers, to each of whom he charged 24s cash, and to most, vari- ous articles of merchandise. August 6th, he had similar deal- ings with ten more, thus paying out about 2000s in the two days. This money seems to have been advanced pay, and the £iecounts were generally settled by orders for "King's wages," "Province wages," or "Canada wages;" in some instances, men had credit for both King's and Province wages. From August 6th to September 3d, no charges appear on the books ; doubtless the store was closed, and Captain Williams absent with his com- mand on an expedition against the enemy. About the close of this war, Capt. Williams removed to En- Celd, Conn., and engaged in trade. His books, now in the hands of the P. V. M. Association, show an extended business, and con- tain the names of hundreds of citizens of the adjoining towns. While in Enfield, his wife, Lydia Dwight of Hatfield, whom he had married in 1735, died, and he married, in 1750, Mar- garet, daughter of Col. William Pynchon of Springfield. In May, 1751, he returned to his store in Deerfield. He had a con- siderable trade in peltry, and the books show names of several Indians among his customers. HISTORICAL AND GENEALOGICAL GOSSIP ABOUT THE OLD PARSON WILLIAMS HOMESTEAD AND ITS OCCUPANTS. NO. 2. By George Sheldon. On the breaking out o£ the last French War, Deerfield was made the depot o£ the military supplies for Northern Hamp- shire Capt. Williams was appointed Assistant Commissary with'the rank of Major, and put in eharge o£ the troops posted here and the Old Corner Store again became the center of mil- itary operations. Here were fitted out the numerous scouting par- sf sent out towards the lakes and Canada for the proteet^n of he frontiers. The road from the Connecticut River Valley to Albany via Hoosac Mountain, ran from this »vner down Hitchcock Lane, and this was the point of departure for the troops marking to join land expeditions for the conqu^t of Canada with their ammunition, baggage and stores. Septem- be 21 1755 Maj. Williams writes Col. Williams, "Beside the ammunition for Crown Point, there arrived at Sunderland, ^d will be here, to-morrow, 200 hatchets, 200 ™™^ & -'J-' f '^ blankets, 100 tin kettles, 300 knapsacks and taU*^^|^- ^^- men in Col. Worthington 's [the Southern Hampshire] E g_ can be supplied here if they wish." Beside men in the field the cordon of forts, from Dummer to Hoosac were all supplied from 'depot, in' addition fo powder and lead, the ~- « char-ed by Maj. Williams for snow shoes, "mogasins, leat ei o Ldiaii shoes, leather for shoe strings and patches bi^le pouches, melting ladles, steelyards, grindstones swan shot and bullets, daffells, pay and expenses of expresses, Asa Child, o pUoting men," "entertaining a man while after a doctor foi .. m n sitk at Fort Massachusetts," (doctor and Pat-t 5° -de anart) "rhum" and sugar for sick soldiers, rhum for 'Coutk for expresses, for posts, transportation of swivells fo 14 Charlemont, of ammunition and stores to Fort Massachusetts, "West Hoosac, to Fort Dummer, to Burk's Fort, to Morrison's Fort, to Lucas' Fort, to Taylor's Fort, to Hawks' Fort, of pow- der for Charlemont svvivells," &c., &c. In 1756, there is one charge of "ammunition delivered to several marching compa- nies: powder, 764V^ pounds, lead, 1519 pounds, 4388 flints." Beside his military services, Maj. Williams was owner or partner in several grist and saw mills; was largely engaged in the manufacture of pot and pearlash, and in general mercantile operations, and the Corner Store was the center of business for Northern Hampshire. He held the office of Esquire, and gen- erally officiated as Justice for the surrounding country. On one occasion, Nov. 26, 1758, he imposed a fine of 20 shillings on Judah AVright of Montague, "for neglecting attendance on Di- vine worship in that town," the money to inure to the benefit of the j)oor. If similar rulings were in force among us, how few would remain poor! Maj. Williams died July 10, 1771. A short time before, he gave the store to his two younger children, and the business was carried on under the firm of "John and Eunice Williams." Eunice kept the books of the firm, and was the active manager of its affairs, while her brother was trying to establish himself as a lawyer in Salem. In 1773, she married William Felton of Eoxbury, and the partnership with John was dissolved. John Williams, son of Maj. Elijah, and grand-son of Rev. John, was born in 1751 ; he graduated at Harvard in 1769, the third in a class of thirty-nine, iof which the eighth was The- ophilus Parsons. Before the marriage of his sister, he had re- turned to the store in Deerfield, but his sojourn in the east was not without its fruits. September 1, 1774, he brought to the old homestead his bride, Miss Elizabeth Orne of Salem. About this time he took James Upham as a partner, and the business at the old store was carried on by "Williams & Upham" until 1785. "Esquire" Williams, as he was universally called in after years, engaged in many outside operations. He was the lead- ing spirit of a "Mast Company," Avhich sold at Hartford and 15 Middletowu masts run down the river from Vermont and New iCampshire. He manufactured oak staves for the West India market, to which place he also exported horses, and made oc- Ccisional ventures in the East India trade. He was interested in several mills which sent large quantities of sawed lumber down the Connecticut river, also in making potash and pearlash for the general market, and at one time was largely engaged in barreling beef. He was one of the foremost in planning and building the canals at South Hadley and Turners Falls, the bridges at Cheapside and Montague, as well as in laying out im- portant highways. Throughout his life, Esq. Williams was active and useful ill town affairs, holding many positions of honor and trust. He held intimate relations with the royal Governors of Massachu- setts, and existing letters from Gov. Wentworth of New Hamp- shire, show him to have been his trusted agent. Of course he was a Tory. In 1781, he was arrested and put under bonds, as being "unfriendly to the Independence of the United States." In May, 1783, he was chosen Representative to the General Court, but was not allowed to take his seat on account of his Toryism. Another election was ordered to fill the vacancy for the second session, (the years were so long, or the session so short that the Legislature then met twice a year,) and, although the parties were almost equally balanced, personal consider- ations prevailed, and Esq. Williams was again returned, with bat one vote against him. This election was held, July 31st. In September following he was indicted by the court at Spring- field for taking part with Great Britain in the war. When he appeared to take his seat at the second session of the General Court, he was again rejected by a vote of 114 to 78. In May, 1784, he was arraigned for trial on the charge of sedition, but pleading the 6th article of the Treaty of Peace with Great Bri- tain, he was released. In May, 1784, he was once more chosen Representative; his case was referred to a Committee of the General Court, who reported favorably; he was admitted and re-elected until 1788, becoming an influential member of that body. In 1787, he was chosen Register of Deeds for the North- i6 crn Hampshire District. The office was at the old Corner Store, which, like his father, he had made the center of all his busi- ness operations. As a Justice of Peace, Esq. Williams had an f.mount of business hard to realize in these quiet times, when litigation seems at its minimum in quantity, although at its maximum of expense. Being instrumental in breaking up a large combination of counterfeiters, which were flooding the land with base silver coin, he was presented a valuable service of silver plate by the banks of Philadelphia. He was one of the most active in establishing Deerfield Academy, contributing gen- erously of his means, and at his death he left the bulk of his estate as a fund for that institution. He died July 27, 1816, leaving no children. It is a singular fact, that not a single de- scendant of any one of the sixteen children of Rev. John Wil- liams, has lived in Franklin County for nearly half a century. Esq. Williams left the Register's office in 1796; his suc- cessor was Elijah Williams, better known to the older people as ''Uncle Josh." He bought the Corner Store of Esq. John, and continued the Registry there, and also carried on his trade of saddler. In 1801, the corner was sold to Orlando Ware, who continued in trade there through life, accumulating a handsome property. Edwin Ware, his son, succeeded to the place ann huilding. You will recall that the seeond house of John Will- iams was to be as big as Ensign Sheldon's. It was, an fact, a trme larger, measuring 47.21 ft. though the lean-to was only " ^Au'through the spring of 1707 there were frequent Indian alanTs so thaf the inhabitants of Deerfield sent to Co ■ Samu^ Partridge for help to straighten their weak fortifications. In Col Partridge's appeal to the General Court, dated May 28, 1707 he speaks of ''The Nessessetie of Eebuild.ng the Forts " 'so a stTtake in Mr. Williams his house & -^^ f J houses for Inhabitants that are & will repaire there for en- largm't & strengthening the plaee."t 'under date of Oet. 17, 1707, a Pettion was ^»t " *he to eral Court; for assistance as the people had been at Consider erai i^ouiu lu -Rnilrqins- a House & providing :r=rrcTn^::n:srZ Bescttlemen^t of our Eev'd Pastor". •Hetedity .nd early environment of John Winiams. By George 22 The second Williams house stood a little farther east than the first one and nearer the training field; it remained on this site for 169 years. Here in the golden autumn of 1707 John Williams brought liis wife, Mrs. Abigail Bisel, the daughter of Abigail Warhani and Capt. Thomas Allen of Windsor, Ct. She came not to fill the place of Eunice Mather — whose place could indeed never be filled — but to be a help-mate in the new and needed service for home and town. It must be borne in mind that John Williams and Abigail, his wife, came to Deerfield when the dark shadows of Queen ^Nnne's war rested over all New England; when the red man and the white man were playing the secret and fatal game of hide- and-seek; when war and rumors of war haunted the homes and the hearts of the people as they haunt our homes and hearts today. No one knew better than John Williams the horrors of an Indian massacre or of Indian captivity. Some men would have sought a safer and more comfortable home, near a large pro- tecting centre; not so with John Williams. He chose to go where he was most needed, and he went with a determination to hold strongly and steadily to his orbit to the end. Let us now forget the shadows and join in spirit John and Abigail Williams as they survey their new home. We walk from the Street through the training field to the hospitable front door. Crossing the threshold we stand in a hall, which though not large, impresses one as broad and generous; it runs through the house and lean-to opening upon the green fields and blue hills to the west. At the right of the entrance is the "best room". Surely the new owners must look with delight on the beautiful wainscotted wall! Across the ceiling runs the conspicuous summer-tree Avhich, true to its name, bears faith- fally its heavy burden. The open fireplace and the shuttered windows with inviting window seats suggest the blessedness of home. On the left of the front hall is a similar room though not quite so ornate. It is flooded with warm, golden sunshine 23 which, let us rejoice, is reflected in the hearts and upon the faces of John and Abigail Williams. The "best room" leads into a smaller room in the lean-to, probably used as a bedroom; the south room into a little entry with a south, outside door, and a west door which opens into the large kitchen in the lean-to with its great, warm-hearted fire-place. Ascending the broad front stairway with its ornamental balustrade, and turning to the right we find on either side a large chamber; another flight leads to the north garret. There is no way of reaching the south garret save by the narrow, steep l;ack stairs. These begin in the lean-to and run up to a trap door in the floor above ; raising this, we find ourselves in a lit- tle dark room about eight feet square. This opens into a small chamber with one south window. From this room narrow stairs lead up under the roof to the south garret. These stairs and rooms will be used by the servants of the family— it may be by Meseck and Kedar. The main part of the house consists, as we have seen, of four good-sized rooms, two little rooms, with the halls and the north and south garrets. The lean-to contains three rooms, bed- room, kitchen and kitchen chamber. How we long to know just what were the furnishings of the house and what were the daily happenings in the home. No diary has been found to bring us in close touch with the fam- ily life so we must depend upon other testimony. The inventory of the estate of John Williams "reported to the Court Sept. 3, 1729", and preserved in the Court Records of Old Hampshire County, throw much light on the family pos- sessions. In this inventory reference is made to "the study^^, -study chamber", "outward room", "outward chamber , "kitchen" and "kitchen chamber". We may assume that the study contained the library of 190 volumes and 349 pamphlets, truly "a rich collection under the circumstances, but there was no poetry or so-called fiction We know there was "a Table in the Study & Small Andirons and 24 Tongues". In the other rooms there were in all three tables, "6 Small Black Chairs with a Great also," "3 Great Chairs & 15 Small ones ". "A Chest ", " A Sea Chest with Lock & Key ' ' ; also "a Chest of Draws and Cloth upon it". Hanging upon the walls were three looking-glasses; there is no mention of pictures or portraits. The fireplaces were provided with "a pair of Andirons and Tongues". The light was supplied by candles in "a Long Can- dle Stick, 2 Iron, 3 Pewter ones", and "1 Brass Candlestick". The following would seem to prove there was a bed in sev- eral rooms. "A Bedstead Cord & Iron Rods in y*" Study Chamber" with bed and bolster. "A Bedstead & Cord in the Outward Chamber" with feath- er bed and bolster. *'A Bedstead Cord & Rods in the Outward Room" with bed and bolster. "Bedstead Cord & Iron Rods in y*" Hall" with a featherbed and bolster. There was also "a Trundle Bedstead and cord" with bed and bolster. Judging from the low value placed on the bedsteads they must have been exceedingly plain. The furnishings of the high-posters we are able to restore with more detail. There were "Blew Linsey Woolsey Curtains & Vallance", "Callico Curtains & Vallance", "Green Curtains and Vallance". The sheets were mostly linen, but one pair of cotton sheets were listed at 1£ 10s, another pair at 15s and one cotton sheet at Is 6d. In addition to the bolsters there were pillows with "Hol- land cases" and cases made of cotton. The blankets were of various color and material. There were white blankets, "a Bought white Blanket", "a Callico quilt and a China Head Cloth for a Bed". "A white Sattin blanket", and a yellow blanket of the same material. The coverlets were of different hue and design. "A Black & white Coverlet", "A Yellow homemade Coverlet", "A Check- 25 erd Coverlet fringed at both Ends", another "fringed at one End". "A Black & white Coverlet w*" white at 1 end", "A Coverlet w'*' blew Stripes & a flowerd Cov"". On the floor were, at least, "A Blew Rugg" and two green rugs. After all, it is the old-time kitchen that wins us to itself. Ilow we Avould love to gather round that great roaring fire and watch the sparks fly upward while we dream dreams of our won- derful future. Say what we may, go where we will, it is the HOME, symbolized by the open fire and the hearthstone that forever holds the human heart. The record in regard to the simple kitchen furnishings and utensils is surprisingly full. Here we find "A Long fowling piece", ''A Gun one of the Queen's Arms", "A Great Brass Skillit", "A Warming pan", "An old Trunk", "A Brass Milk pan", "2 pottage Pots", "A Great Brass Kettle", "three Por- ringers", "2 Salt Sellars", "6 Patty pans", "A Pair of Great Stilliards", "Two Knot Dishes", 14 old trenches, 2 wooden platters, a frying pan, slice, chaffing dish, gridiron, trivet, brok- en pot-hooks, branding iron, etc. The table was provided with table cloth, linen napkins and blue china. There were pewter plates, platters and basins, also a silver tankard, silver cup and 10 silver spoons. You will notice that in the furnishings of the house there is no mention of the "high-boy" or "low-boy". These names are not found in old inventories since they did not come into ex- istence till near the middle of the eighteenth century. The "Chest of Draws", however, would be called a high-boy today. To our surprise the inventory is lacking in certain articles we should expect to find. There are no settles mentioned, no sundials and no clocks of any kind, notwithstanding these had been in use some years, no writing desk of the period, no stools and no betty lamps. Doubtless many precious heirlooms were destroyed when the first house of Mr. Williams went up in flames in 1704. As year after year joined those gone before they left five little ones in the home— Abigail, John, Eliakim, Elijah and 26 Sarah. While these children were developing through the in- fluences of home and school, John Williams himself was grow- ing mentally. We find him in frequent and intimate personal correspondence with Samuel Sewall, the distinguished jurist of Boston. Under date of May 9, 1709 Judge Sewall records in his ' ' Papers ".* "In the evening Mr. Williams of Derefield comes in to see me." Again, June 6, of the same year, "Artillery-day. I went with Mr. John Williams of Dearfield, to the Funeral of Mr. Pierpont at Eeading".t "July 16, 1711. In the afternoon was great Thunder, Lightening, Rain . . . The discourse of Capt. Torrey put me upon asking Mr. Williams to pray with us, who did it excellently, and thank 'd God for the Opportunity 'Ml "May 28, 1712, Election- day. Coming to Town the Gov"" took Gov"" Vetch; and I had Ero^ Mr Williams of Dearfield".* Oct. 30, 1713. "Mr. Jn" Williams preached for my son in the morn, and went at Noon to preach for Mr. Walter".^ "June 2, 1717, Mr. R. Cotton preaches a. m. Mr Jn° Williams post m. "'^ Judge Sewall 's wife died in May, 17"20; under date of May 26 he records that Mr. Williams was one of several who "visit me in a very friendly and Christian manner".' Rev. Thomas Prince, pastor of the Old South Church in Boston, says, "Mr. Williams used every May, yearly, to come down to the General Convention of Ministers of the Province of Boston ; where he was always very affectionately entertained. At the convention in May 1728 ... he preached a very moving Sermon to the Ministers".** I have given these extracts from Judge Sewall 's writings to prove that while John Williams lived in a small, poor, unsafe frontier town he kept in touch with the strong, competitive in- tellectual life of the city, and his horizon broadened with the years. He loved his native air, but he loved still more the op- portunity for splendid service in the home of his adoption. * Sewall's Papers, Vol. II, p. 255. tPapers, Vol. II, p. 257. II Papers, Vol. II, p. 319. JII, p. 348. I Papers, Vol. II, p. 406. 2 III, p. 131. 3 Papers, III, p. 255. **History of Deerfield, Sheldon I, p. 463. 27 111 June, 1709, John Williams was appointed Chaplain in the expedition against Canada ; in 1710 and 1711 he was chosen again for the same work. Cotton Mather writes in his Diary,* *'A worthy minister [John Williams] a Chaplain in our forces now [July, 1711] going against Canada needs the Kindnesses oi some good People to furnish him with Convenencies for his Voyage. I would promote his accommodation. I would also pro- cure him to be furnished with Books of Piety to be dispersed among our Souldiers". Two years later Mr. Williams was appointed Commissioner to go with Col. John Stoddard to Canada to arrange for the re- lease of captives. Something Avhich was called Peace had come with the treaty of Utrecht, Mar. 30, 1713, and according to the terms of the treaty the English prisoners were to be sent home. On Nov. 5, 1713, Mr. Williams left the delights of his happy home for the hardships of a northern journey and the trials of a nine months' stay in Canada. The daily efforts in behalf of the captives are recorded in Col. John Stoddard's "Journal" now in Memorial Hall. It is a story of strenuous and persistent appeals on the one hand, and of wily political schemes and unfulfilled promises on the other. Would that we might find the letters that John Williams wrote his wife, Abigail, through this long, trying period. Doubt- less the hearthstone and the summer-tree heard them all, but they are loyal and tell no tales. We have seen that John Williams was a part of the civil and military as well as the religious life of his time. He was, in fact, intimate with the leading men of the colony, and many of them sat around his hospitable board in the big kitchen of the Williams house. ' ' Having a well furnished Table ' ' says Rev. Isaac Chauncy of Hadley, Mr. Williams ''cared not to eat his ]\Iorsel Alone And having the portion of a full and overflowing Cup others might be welcome to share in it. How often did he invite persons of other Towns (occasionally there) to rest and repose themselves under his Roof. And his winning carriage was an inducement to them to accept of the Invitation". ♦Part II, p. 87. 28 We know that on Sept. 1, 1716, the famous Judge Sewall visited Mr. Williams. It is pleasant to picture these two friends of many years sitting together in the beautiful "best room" or, it may be, in the sunny south room discussing the political and religious problems of the day. Verily, a house that has held within itself the leading spirits of an age becomes like them in character. It takes on a marvelous personality, strong and abiding. It is this person- ality of the John Williams house that is its greatest charm. Standing in the shade of the ancient Button Ball — oldest inhabitant by far of Deerfield — we pause and ponder. Lights and shadows play across the roof tree of the John Williams home. We see the young Eliezer, fresh from Harvard, going forth to his lifework as pastor and guide of the Church at Mansfield, Ct. We hear music and laughter and Esther Williams, in the beauty of her young womanhood, leaves the home-nest with Joseph Meacham by her side. These two have given the prom- ise — the mosit sacred promise a man or a woman can give, — and henceforth they are both pledged to the service of Church and home. Look ! the sunshine grows more intense until it seems to illumine every room in the house. A child is born to John and Abigail Williams, and little Sarah is making sunshine in their hearts. As one child comes, another goes, for now Stephen, the boy captive, wearing the laurels of Harvard, departs for his life- work of sixty-six years in Longmeadow. And yet again the good bye and the Godspeed are spoken when Warham, still another Harvard graduate, seeks his Water- town home. Fain would we give color to the picture by painting Eunie'3 Williams in her Indian blanket, but the historical student must depend for historical truth upon evidence, and the evidence in this case is strongly against the supposition that Eunice ever returned to her father's home. So we must leave her in her Canadian wigwam for some years longer until, in 1740, she visits her brother Stephen in Longmeadow. The clouds are gathering and the shadows deepening over 29 the lonely home. It is the twelfth of June, 1729. A profound, unbroken silence, more significant than any spoken word, tells the tale that the man who has serenely sruided his people in paths of useful service has himself passed to that larger sphere of action beyond the veil. Not only the name but the very soul of John Williams is eternally impressed upon his homestead and upon the history of Old Deerfield. Twenty-five years passed and Abigail Williams lived on with her son Elijah, who had graduated from Harvard, married Lydia D wight of Hatfield, and settled down in his father's home. During this time the house probably remained essential- ly unchanged. About 1756 Elijah Williams made certain marked altera- tions in the house both externally and internally. He took away the south part of the lean-to, and in doing this cut off the end of the back stairs. He then moved up to the main part of the building a low, gambrel-roofed, weather-worn house whose pre- vious history is not known. This addition, measuring 40x23 ft., formed the ell. As the ell had stairs of its own the original back stairs of the John Williams house proper fell into disuse. In the course of years these became the "secret stairs" enshrouded with mystery and mythical tales. Elijah Williams was a leading man in the business and civil life of his day. Wlien he died in 1771 the house passed to I'.is son John. "Esquire John", as he was called, was a Har- vard graduate so deeply interested in education that he was active in establishing Deerfield Academy, and at his death gave a fund for its maintenance. While "Esquire John" occupied his grandfather's house, the Eev. William Bentley of Boston, later distinguished for his antiquarian knowledge, visited the town. A sentence in Mr. Bentley 's "Diary" shows how the Williams house impressed the stranger at this time. He says, "In my visit to Deerfield, in the winter of 1782, I was very greatly entertained. I went on horseback from Cambridge. The elevation of Deerfield Street is not gradual but rather sudden north of the meeting 30 house which stands on the west side, has an handsome appear- ance, electric rods, a public clock with pointers and a good Bell . . . the school is in the open square in which the church stands. . . . Back stands the Elegant House belonging to Mr. Williams." "Esquire John" lived in his "elegant" home till 1789, when for some reason I have been unable to discover he sold his an- cestral homestead to Consider Dickinson, one of Thomas Dickin- son's "remarkable family of children". Consider Dickinson, or "Uncle Sid", was a stanch and shrewd New England farmer, "especially noted for his exhaust- less fund of humorous anecdotes and songs". Among the man- uscripts in the Deerfield Town Alcove in the library of Memor- ial Hall is one entitled, "Uncle Sid's Adventure with the In- dians, taken down by R. B. Field of Guilford", Mr. Field writes that Mr. Dickinson "was a man over 6 ft. in height, strongly built, powerful and athletic, with a will and energy possessed by very few men". Uncle Sid's adventure with two savage Indians while cross- ing Lake Champlain in a canoe in October, 1785, proves that he saved his own life and that of his companion by his coolness an