The private dwellings are neat and commodious, conferring value on well cultivated farms, beside which there are a few well accustomed stores. Populous in itself, and within the circle of several towns of similar description, Abington is an agreeable, healthy, and pleasantly situated village. Its proximity to Weymouth Landing, and to Hingham, gives it an immediate and easy water communication with the metropolis, thereby commanding local benefits over more inland towns. Population. Census of souls, A. D. 1790, souls 1453, heads of families 254 1800, 66 1623, houses 66 1704. 200 In the autumn of 1805 a mortal fever prevailed, causing an unusual number of deaths of adults. The annual average in the bills of mortality may be stated seventeen, for a series of years, in the whole town, fifteen and twenty being the extremes. Three persons died in 1814, each of whom was about ninety years of age, and there are now (1815) living the following persons above that age: William Hersey, Caleb Chard,* Daniel Lane, Mrs. Far row. First Church. Ecclesiastical History. Succession of ministers. Rev. Samuel Brown, ordained Nov. 17, 1714; died Ezekiel Dodge, ordained May 23, 1750; died Samuel Niles, ordained Sept. 25, 1771; died Holland Weeks, installed Aug. 9, 1815. Rev. Mr. Brown was born at Newbury, 1687, graduated at Harvard College, 1709; there are some of his descendants, who continue in Abington. Rev. Mr. Dodge was born at Ipswich Hamlet* (now Hamilton) 1722, and was graduated at Harvard College, 1749. * William Chard was clerk of writs in Weymouth, 1669. + Or in Manchester. Rev. Mr. Niles was born in Braintree, Dec. 14, 1745, (a son of the late Hon. Samuel Niles) and was graduated at Princeton College, about 1768. For the two last years of his life his publick labours were suspended by paralytic affections. His surviving widow was a daughter of his predecessor, Mr. Dodge. Second Church. In the year 1808 a number of the inhabitants of the south part of Abington and of the east of Bridgewater were incorporated as the "Union Calvinistic Society." The meeting house, already noticed under publick edifices, is in Abington. Rev. Daniel Thomas, a graduate of Brown University, 1803, was ordained June 1, 1808. Third Church. 1813 "The third society in Abington" was incorporated in the northerly part of the town. Rev. Samuel W. Colbourn, who is a graduate of Dartmouth, 1795, was installed, October 27, 1813. There seems a large proportion of religious societies in Abington, compared with its population and territory, yet comprising, as is common, parts of border towns, it may have local convenience, of the expediency of which those who reside in more compact towns may not be exact judges. History. The Court of Plymouth Colony early intended a future town on the territory above Scituate and below Bridgewater. The first grants, which fall within it were made as follows: 1654. A considerable tract to Mr. Nathaniel Souther,* who had been their first Clerk of Court, "above Weymouth path." 1664, a further grant to his heirs; and also, under the same date, to the heirs of Clement Briggs,† another tract in that vicinity. Mr. Souther, who had removed, was dead, 1659. He was first chosen clerk, 1636 His heirs and children were John Blake and Mrs. Hannah Johnson of Boston. t Clement Briggs (felt-maker) arrived at Plymouth in the Fortune, 1621, and removed to Weymouth. Another grant was made to his heirs above Bridgewater, which falls in Mansfield. This name is common in these places. 1672. Subsequent to this date, the heirs of Phineas Pratt have grants located there. He was of the Weymouth first planters, coming from thence to Plymouth in 1623, when that plantation was broken up. 1656. Three miles square from Accord Pond southerly above Scituate was granted Mr. Hatherley and others. This grant was sold in 1663; the greater part of it to Otis, Thaxter, Jacob, &c. Hingham partners, and yet bears the name "great and small shares," now partly in Abington and partly in Hanover. 1668. A tract two miles long by three fourths of a mile wide, was sold by the colony to James Lovell, John Holbrook and Andrew Ford of Weymouth for 231. above Mr. Hatherley's grant, and adjoining the colony line.† These two latter grants, therefore, constitute nearly the whole north line of the town. Under this date also, Robert Studson and others, bought a tract south of the Hatherley grant, (laid out in 1684) and which probably falls in Abington, or it may be Pembroke. Lieut. Peregrine White of Marshfield at a certain period (before 1660) had a grant of land, which falls in Abington, described as being between two brooks, in the fork of them, and in which description the aboriginal names of the brooks are given, which clearly proves them to be the Beaver Brook, and the one east of it, and enables us to affix, with historical truth, an aboriginal name to Abington, which is Manamooskeagin, "much or many beavers"-a type of industry and of mechanical ingenuity. When the colony line was completed, 1664, many gores of lands remained, and were assigned to the towns respectively, on either side; thus it seems Bridgewater and this plantation below it shared one. In the year 1683, "Accord Pond Shares" paid a colonial tax of 22s. and the "Ford's Farm Lands" 13s., while the whole plantation was, as to civil concerns (but not the soil) an * Phineas Pratt, (joiner) was in Plymouth about 1623. He removed to Charlestown, and was living there, 1677. He married at Plymouth a daughter of Cuthbert Cuthbertson, 1630. + This grant took the name "Ford's Farm Lands," and became a general name for the plantation. nexed to the constablerick of Bridgewater, 1690, and received corporate privileges under Massachusetts, 1712. Settlements began, probably, about 1668 or 9. The first town meeting was held March 2, 1712-13, when William Reed was chosen town clerk, and William Hearsey, William Tirril, William Reed, Selectmen. As to the origin of the population, it is evidently, the greater part, from Weymouth, Hingham and Scituate, with a few early names from Duxbury, Bridgewater, Pembroke, Braintree, Dorchester, &c. The census of 1790 gives these proportions of origin. There are many miscellaneous names, most of which are probably from Weymouth and Hingham. When we began these inquiries in Abington, the territory which it comprises seemed to be a chasm in Plymouth colonial history, for which, while tracing the history of older corporations, we could not account to our satisfaction. It is an opinion on the spot, that it was taken from Bridgewater; but a critical research evidences that it was only from its temporary civil jurisdiction. Under the heads of church and ministerial dates and manufactures, much assistance has been afforded by the accurate and intelligent communications of Mr. Jacob Dyer of Abington, to whom this publick tribute of acknowledgment is due. It may be further remarked, that the aboriginal name for the beaver, which we find here, seldom occurs in the Narraganset dialect, where another and a very different name prevailed for that animal, and which is typical of "floods," indicating the dams, which they construct. SKETCH OF WALPOLE, (N. H.) BY MR. A. BELLOWS. WALPOLE is a post town in the county of Cheshire, N. H. It is situated on the eastern bank of Connecticut River, opposite to Westminster, (Vermont.) It has Charlestown on the north, Alstead and Surry on the east, and Westmoreland on the south. Its distance from Portsmouth is 118 miles; from Dartmouth College, 48; from the Massachusetts line 25, and from Boston, (Mass.) 90, with which it has easy and frequent communication. The face of the town is beautifully diversified with hills and vales. Its soil is characterized by nothing distinct from other towns on Connecticut River. The meadows afford excellent tillage and the uplands are inferior to none in the state. Cold River passes through the north part of this town, and forms a junction with the Connecticut. There are two toll bridges here across Connecticut River; one of which is directly over the well known Cataract, Bellows' Falls, affording to the traveller, as he passes, a view most sublime and interesting. Two turnpike roads pass through the town. The first settlement was made in 1749; and two years after was granted by |