Nov. 9, 1697 Sept. 30, 1710 DORCHESTER (MASS.) TOWN RECORDS. MOONEDAY, 3 November, 1633. It is now ordered, that if the overseers, aforesayde, do upon vewe, find any pales of the feilds, aforesayde, defective, and give notice to the p'tye that is to amend it, and he doth not do it within Two dayes after, he is to pay 5s. for every 2 dayes, vntil the next meeteing, and then p'sently to be levied. It is ordered, likewise, that if any doe pull downe any pale, or throwe downe, he is p'sently to amend, or elce to pay 5. shillings for so doing. It is ordered, that there shall be a generall Rate thorow out the Plantation, to the making and maynetayneing gate* and fences of the Plantation and bridges, and that the Raters shall be m'. Woolcott, The north gate of the town was probably not far from what is now the line between Dorchester and Boston, a little south of the causeway, on Boston street, and near what was since the residence of Capt. William Clap, deccased. Deacon James Humphreys, for many years one of the Deacons of the First Church in Dorchester, who died July 13, 1845, aged 92 (See Register, iv. 198), has left the following record. "There was a fence running from the old mill by the marsh of Capt. W. Clap and Henry Humphreys, across, a little below and back of said Clap's barn, castward, to the marsh north of Thomas Moseley's house. There was erected a Gate in the road which led to Mattapan or the neck, which place was called Neck-gate-hill.' In the revolutionary The first war a breast-work was erected nearly on the same spot running in the same direction, and instead of a gate there was a chevaux-de-frise. The neck was then in common. inhabitants being settled near each other, each one chose his Home lot, and was then allowed by the selectmen their portion of out lands. The neck, as is said, was in Common; they planted their corn there, and raised large quantities of field peas, sowed broadcast; when ripe, they had a tool called a pea-hook to gather them up, and large loads were frequently brought off, when ripe, as loads of hay. Pea and bean broth not uncommon. When the harvest was gathered in, the Cattle turned on, in Common.” Within the memory of "one of ye oldest inhabitants" "neck-gate-hill" was standing. The boys used to receive a penny or two a piece for opening the gate to transient drivers of vehicles who came that way, being the only place of ingress to "the neck," now South Boston, then thinly inhabited, where a public house of entertainment was kept by Mr. Abraham Gould. On a sign near the house, was inscribed, in large letters, the words-"No entertainment on the Sabbath." The abovementioned hill has long since been levelled to accommodate the increased travel on Boston street, where the comfortable Mount Bowdoin horse cars now make their half-hourly passages. The well known serpentine causeway on Boston street has been somewhat raised and widened; in other respects we may suppose that it retains nearly the original shape of the "old cow walk" of more than two centuries ago, when what is now South Boston was one great pasture for Dorchester cattle. 24* VOL. XXI. m'. Johnson, Geo. Hull, Will. Phelps, Eltwid Pumry and Giles Gibbes. It is generally agreed, that m'. Israel Stoughton shall build a water mill, if he see cause.† It is agreed, that their shall be a decent buring place, ‡ bounden in *The surname only, of Mr. Johnson, is given on the records. He may have been Edward Johnson who went to Roxbury. The veritable Blake in his Annals of Dorchester, under date of 1633, says :-This Year y Plantation Granted Mr. Israel Stoughton liberty to build a Mill upon Neponset River, which I suppose was ye first Mill built in this Colony, and y Sa River has been famous for mills ever since." Lynn.-We are informed, in the History of Lynn, that on the 12th of July, 1633, "the inhabitants made a grant to Mr. Edward Tomlins, of a privilege to build a corn-mill, at the mouth of the stream which flows from the Flax Pond," the mill mentioned by Wood, we presume, in 1634. "This was the second mill in the colony, the first having been built at Dorchester the same year." In reference to this Lynn corn-mill, depositions were taken June 3, 1678; among them, one by Clement Coldam, son of Clement, of which the following is an extract:-"This I, Clement Coldam, aged about 55 years, doe testifie, that the grant of the old mill was in July ye 12, 1633, to Edward Tomlins, which was the second mill in this colony.” If Coldam's statement be correct, the Lynn grant precedes the Dorchester agreement nearly four months. This need not, necessarily, raise a doubt as to the priority of Stoughton's "grinding" operations. Lewis's Lynn, 2d edition, pp. 81, 82; Lewis and Newhall's History of Lynn, page 143. Plymouth.-Stephen Deane was allowed by Plymouth Colony, in 1632, "to set up a water worke to beate Corne uppon the brooke adjoining to the town of Plymouth for the benefit of the Commonwealth." "Afterwards he was allowed to erect a grinding mill, but to surrender up his beating mill." Register, iii. 378; Thacher's Plymouth, 1st ed. p. 86. Roxbury.-Newbury.-Ellis says that "a water mill was built at Roxbury, in 1633, by one Dummer." (History of Roxbury, p. 82.) Savage informs us that this was Richard Dummer. He erected the first grist mill in Newbury in 1636. Winthrop's Journal, i. 196; Gage's Rowley, p. 411. Wood, in his New England's Prospect (1634), says of “ Rozberry:" "a quarter of a mile to the North-side of the Towne, is another River, called Stony-ricer; upon which is built a water-milne." Watertown." Neither the exact date nor the builder of the first mill in Watertown has been ascertained; but it was probably built in 1634, by Edward How, at the joint expense of himself and Mr. Matthew Cradock. It was built at the first fall, at the head of tide water, on Charles river, on Mill Creek." "It is probably the oldest artificial mill race or canal in this country that has continued in uninterrupted use.' Bond's Watertown, p. 1038. Ipswich." In 1635, R. Saltonstall had leave to set up a grist mill, with the right, if the town shall need another, to erect it if he choose." Felt's Ipswich, p. 95. Salem." In 1636, a water mill for grinding corn was erected by William Trask, on the North River, in Salem, above what is commonly known as Frye's Mills." Felt's Annals of Salem, ii. 165. Duxbury.-In 1639, Thomas Hilier and George Pollard agreed to set up a grist mill in Duxbury, "as also stampers to beate Indian corne at." Previous to this date, the inhabi tants of the town had been obliged to procure their grist from Plymouth, which was very inconvenient. Winsor's Duxbury, p. 43. Medford.-Mr. Brooks, in his History of Medford, p. 392, says :-"The building of a mill required more iron and stone work than our fathers in Medford were at first prepared to carry through; they therefore adopted the Indian's mill; which was a rock hollowed out in the shape of a half-globe, and a stone pestle. The mortar held half a bushel, and the pestle weighed forty or fifty pounds. A small, flexible tree was bent down, and the pestle so tied to its top as to keep it suspended immediately over the mortar. When the pestle was in motion, the elastic spring of the tree would continue its blows on the grain for a minute or more. "They found a mill driven by wind, cheaper than one driven by water; nevertheless, the water power here was sufficient, and so convenient that it soon became serviceable." This was the second place of interment, being a part of the present "old burial ground,” corner of Boston and Stoughton streets; that portion of it directly opposite the now residence of Mr. Samuel B. Pierce, 2d. It was ordered to be laid out five rods square, as appears by a vote of the town, Nov. 3, 1634. We have no information as to how soon after the laying out of this ground the burials were made. The oldest inscription extant, and with a single exception-so far as we can learn-the oldest in the United States, is the oft mentioned one of Mr. Barnard Capen, who died Nov. 8, 1638 (see Register, iv. 165), though the stone which contains it is comparatively modern. The oldest original stone in this ground bears the early dates of 1644 and 1648. See Register, ii. 381. See also, Barber's Historical Collections of Connecticut, p. 132, and Stiles's History of Windsor, p. 51, for the inscription on the monument of the Rev. Ephraim Huet, who died in Windsor, Sept. 4, 1644, supposed to be the oldest original monument in Connecticut, and cotemporary, as all be seen, with the oldest original one in Dorchester, from which town many of the early settlers in Windsor emigrated. 1867.] * Dorthester Town Records. upon the knapp, by Goodman Grenwayes, and that shall be done by the Raters aforesayde, and also a bare,† to carry the dead on. It is order[ed, that a pound shall be] also made and set up, upon the knapp of ground, on the right hand] of Walter filers and Goodman Hoskeines, out of the publique rate. upon the It is ordered, that such as desire to have lotts, shall monethly meeteings manifest the same, and then the Company p'sent are to approve of the same, and in what quarter, and then they are to repayre to William Phelps and Ancient Stoughton, and they to set out the same. And such as desire lotts are to allowe in p'sent worke for their paynes, signed, John Mavericke, John Warham, William Gaylard. 2d December, 1633. It is ordered, that such as have great lotts, they shall joyne this yeere in paling, and if they will not, then such as are beyond, if they will pale, are to remoove to the last that will pale, and he that will not, to go without; every one that will pale to give in his name by to morrowe sevennight, and they that p'mise to pale, it is agreed that there pales, posts, and Rayles, are to be in place by the last of ffebruary next, or elce forfeited their lotts to any one that the Plantation shall thinke fit to pale and enjoy it. Item, ordered, that Rich: Rocket is to have an acre addition to his home lott, in consideration of removing his pale, in regard a publicke way is to be through his lott. Item. It is ordered, that William IIosford shall have one of the Two great lotts that were captain Southcotts.§ The first burying ground in Dorchester is thought to have been nigh the first meeting house, that is, near the junction of what is now Pleasant and Cottage streets. William Blake, in his Will of Sept. 3, 1661, proved Jan. 29, 1663, gives "vnto the towne of Dorchester, twenty shillings, to be bestowed for the repairing of the buring place"-this second ground-" soe yt swine and other vermine may not anoy the graues of the saints: prvided it be repaired within one yeare after my decease." Register, xii. 153. On the 18th of March, 1694-5, the town voted to enlarge the burial ground. It was See Register, v. again enlarged in 1728. Ralph, son to Thomas and Mary Blackman, who died the 13th of October of that year, was "ye First that was buried in ye new Addition." 358. This ground has been extended at various times, until it now contains" (says Hist. of Dorchester, p. 655) "not far from three acres." According to Deacon James Humphreys, the enclosure was in the form of a wedge, running from near a point, by the west gate, opposite the present engine house, "in a straight "Afterwards," he says, "an addition was made by line East of Gov. Stoughton's tomb." a strip of land East and running nearly parallel somewhere about Col. Estes Hatch's tomb. The second enlargement runs parallel east of the row of tombs; the third, the land We do not lying back of the late Capt. Edward Bird; the fourth, still eastward, in a straight line, about half an acre, running the whole length of the burying place." know, precisely, how to reconcile the "wedge-shaped" land described by Deacon H., with the ground as laid out "five rods square." Possibly his statement may correspond with its form after the next enlargement. As it may be of interest, in this connection, to read the old inscription in Fairfax County, Virginia, we quote the following from Howe's Hist. Coll. of Virginia, p. 261: "The annexed epitaph was copied from a tombstone on the banks of Neabsco Creek, in October, 1837. It is, without doubt, the oldest monumental inscription in the United States. From the earliness of the date, 1608, it is supposed that the deceased was a companion of Capt. John Smith on one of his exploratory voyages."- Here lies ye body of Lieut. William Herris, who died May ye 16th, 1608: aged 065 years; by birth a Britain, a good soldier; a good husband and neighbor.' Knap, the top of a hill or rising ground. Phillips's New World of Words. + Bier, beer, bier-balks, anglo saxon, baran, to bear; that which bears. Usually applied to that which bears a corpse to burial; by R. Gloucester. Richardson. Thomas Stoughton, the Ensign, brother to Israel Stoughton. The word ancient is corrupted from Ensign; ancient, in war, was ensign bearer. Richardson. Mr. Thomas and Mr. Richard Southcoate or Southcott, of Dorchester, both desired to be måde freemen in 1630. "Capt. Southcoate" took the oath in 1631. Not unlikely this was Item, it is ordered, that after the decease of Every p'son that have seates in the meeteing house,* the officers of the church, in their discretion, to order who shall succeed in those seates, and to be sould, and the money expended for the reparations of the sayde meeteing house, signed, John Mavericke, John Warham, William Gaylard. The 6th January, Mooneday, 1633. It is ordered, that their shall be a fort made upon the Rocke,† above m'. Johnson's, and that the chardge thereof shall arise out of p'te of the publicke rate now made in the Plantation, and to that end, the sayde rate is to be dobled, which is to be payd to Thommas fford, and Roger Clapp, who are appoynted to receave the same, and payment to be made before the first day of ffebruary next, at the house of the sayde Thommas fford. It is agreed, that the great lotts, from m'. Rosciters to John Hills lott, tow[ards] Naponset, in bredth, and eight score in length, shall be forthwith enclosed by good sufficient Pale, and that the pale shall be set up and finished by the 20 of March next, and whosoever fayles, shall forfeit his sayd lott: And [these] Pales to be sixe foote long, and the rayles to be not above 10 foote betweene the Postes. Item. It is ordered, that the marsh and swamp before Goodman Hosford and davy Wil[ton] shall be devided among themselves and Symon Hoyte. Item. It is ordered, that all trees that are now felled out of the lotts, or shall be hereafter, and not vsed w'hin three moneths, all men who have occasion to vse them may take them, Provided, m3. Israel Stoughton, for the p'sent, is given 12 months tyme for such trees as he hath now felled for his house, and the mill which he is to build at Naponset. Item. It is ordered, that m'. Israell Stoughton shall have the pri valadge of a weare‡ at Naponset, adjoyning to his mill, and shall injoy it from the sayd weare to the bridge, where now it is, over the sayde Naponset, without interruption, as also betweene the sayde weare and the salt water, that none shall crosse the river with a nett or other weare to the p'judice of the sayd weare. And the sayd m'. Stoughton is to sell the alewives § there taken, to Richard. In July, 1631, Capt. Southcoate had liberty from the Court "to goe for England, p'miseing to returne againe wth all convenient speede." Probably he did not return to Dorchester, as his name is not found afterwards on the records, and his land was alloted to others. This first meeting house was probably erected in 1631; the second, in 1646; the third, in 1678; the fourth, in 1744; and the fifth, in 1816, which is the present meeting house of the first church and society. + This was probably at what is now Savin Hill, near the summit of which is still to be seen a large flat rock. "A place or engine for catching or keeping fish (Somner); also a dam, to keep up, keep back the flow of water." Richardson. "Wear or Ware, a Stank, or great Dam in a River, fitted for the taking of Fish, or for conveying the Stream to a Mill." Phillips's New World of Words. § Alewives, a well-known kind of fish much like herring. Wood, in his New England's Prospect (see the beautiful re-print by the Prince Society, page 41), says, in 1634, that Dorchester "is the greatest Towne in New England; well woodded and watered; very good arable grounds, and Hay-ground, faire Corne-fields, and pleasant Gardens, with Kitchingardens: In this plantation is a great many Cattle, as Kine, Goats and Swine. This plantation hath a reasonable Harbour for ships; here is no Alewife-river [he had just mentioned one in Weymouth] which is a great inconvenience. The inhabitants of this towne were the first that set upon the trade of fishing in the Bay, who received so much fruite or their. labours, that they encouraged others to the same undertakings." |