Boston Public Library Boston, MA 02116 HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF HINGHAM, MASSACHUSETTS. IN THREE VOLUMES. Volume I. — Part I. HISTORICAL. PUBLISHED BY THE TOWN. 1893. 5 oosox fl£f /■ / <9tottocrsitu IQrrss : John Wilson and Sox, Cambridge. Reprinted by - HIGGDMSON BOOK COMPANY 148 Washington Street, Post Office Box 778 Salem, Massachusetts 01970 Phone: 978/745-7170 Fax: 978/745-8025 A complete catalog of thousands of genealogy and local history reprints is available from Higginson Books. Please contact us to order or for more information, or visit our web site at wvrw.higgiasonbooks.com. This facsimile reprint has been photo-reproduced on acid-free paper. Hardcover bindings are Class A archival quality. PREFACE. TN the year 1827 a History of Hingham was compiled by Solomon Lincoln, Jr., which was published by- Caleb Gill, Jr., and Farmer and Brown, of Hingham. It was a small volume of one hundred and eighty-three pages, the work of private enterprise, and only three hundred copies were printed. Many of the copies have been destroyed or lost, or distributed among the families of persons who have removed from Hingham ; collec- tors of rare books have also contributed to make the work still more scarce, and of greatly enhanced money value ; so that it has been difficult to secure information concerning the early annals of the town. Moreover the last half-century has been prolific with changes in our local affairs as important as any in all our previous history. It therefore became a matter of sufficient public interest for the town to take some action in relation to the publication of its history, and at the annual meeting in 1882 a committee was appointed to consider the expedi- ency of publishing a History of Hingham. This committee made a report at the annual town meeting, in 1883, recom- mending " that the town cause a History of Hingham to be prepared and published, and that a committee be appointed to have entire charge of the publication." vi Preface. The report was accepted, the recommendations adopted, and the following committee appointed to carry the same into effect, viz. : — George Lincoln. E. Waters Burr. Edmund Hersey. Fearing Burr. Elijah Shute. Amasa Whiting. John Cushing. Henry Stephenson. Joseph 0. Burdett. Francis H. Lincoln. John D. Long. Walter L. Bouve. Amasa Whiting was unable to serve, and Arthur Lincoln was appointed in his place. Liberal appropriations have been made by the town from time to time, for the accomplishment of the work. The first question which confronted the committee was, " Who shall write the History ? ' It was agreed at once that for the preparation of the Genealogies of Hingham families Mr. George Lincoln was best fitted, on account of the amount of material already in his possession, his many years of research, and his familiarity with the families of the town. He was therefore employed by the com- mittee to furnish that portion of the work. Had there been known to the committee any one person possessing the ability and taste for historical writing, the leisure to devote to it, and familiarity with the history and tra- ditions of our town, he would have given to the work a uniformity of style and continuity of narrative which is very desirable. But no one answering this description appeared to be available, and as assurances of a willing- ness to write upon special topics were given by several of our citizens, who seemed to be well adapted to such special work, the plan was decided upon which has its fulfilment in the following pages of " Historical " matter. The work of these authors has been without compensation other than Preface. vii the pleasure and satisfaction gained from the study of the past, and at much cheerful and voluntary sacrifice of time and strength. Many of the illustrations have been procured through the enthusiasm of some of our local amateur photographers. The work has grown far beyond any original expecta- tion of its magnitude, and, as it is, much has of necessity been omitted which it might be profitable and interesting to preserve ; the patience of the town has been taxed through many years of anxious waiting ; but it is hoped that the perusal of these pages, with their narratives of past accomplishments, may inspire a patriotic pride among our citizens to maintain an honorable place in the world's history for the Town of Hingham. TABLE OF CONTENTS. Volume 1. — Part I. Page The Geology of Hingham . . . Thomas T. Bouve . . 1 Mineralogy '• '• . . 75 Notes on Animal Life .... •• •• ... 79 The Botany of Hingham ... '•' •• 87 Trees and Shrubs of Hingham . Edward T. Bouve . . . 139 Ancient Landmarks " '•' ... 157 Early Settlers John D. Long .... 201 Military History Walter L. Bouve . . . 209 ILLUSTRATIONS Volume I. — Part 1. Page Portrait of Thomas T. Bouve i!4 Union Street Dike 34 Beach Street Dike 35 From a drawing by Edward T. Bouve. Double Dike, Rocky Neck 49 From a drawing by Edward T. Bouve. Pot Holes, Cohasset 54 Pot Holes, Cohasset 56 Kames near Great Hill . 60 Bowlder, Cobb's Bank 67 From a drawing by Edward T. Bouve. Bowlder, Derby Street 68 From a photograph by George E. Siders. Main Street, Hingham . 140 From a photograph by Francis H. Lincoln. Old Elm, East Street 150 From a photograph by Francis A. Osrorn. Old Elm, Prospect Street 150 From a photograpli by Francis A. Osborn. Tittling Rock 164 Engraved by Wallace Corthell from a photograph by George E. Riders. Pond Rock, Scituate Pond 169 Engraved by Wallace Corthell from a photograph by George E. Siders. Home of General Lincoln ISO Main Street, South Hingham 184 From a photograph by Henry F. Guild. Thaxter House 188 From a photograph by William Hudson. Corner of Main and Leavitt Streets 190 From a photograph by Francis A. Oshorn. xii Illustrations. Page Glad Tidings Eock ...... 195 Engraved by Wallace Cortiiell from a photograph by George E. Siders. Sprague's Bridge, Union Street 196 From a photograph by Henry F. Guild. Portrait of Joseph Blake 256 Portrait of General Lincoln 304 General Lincoln's Monument 306 Portrait of Governor Andrew 342 Statue of Governor Andrew 368 From a photograph by Henry F. Guild. Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument 371 From a photograph by Fraxcis H. Lincoln. MAPS TO ILLUSTRATE GEOLOGY. General Map of Hingham 4 District between Crow Point and Huit's Cove .... 30 District between Lincoln Street and Beal's Cove . . 42 Rocky Neck on Weir River 46 Hingham Village and West Hingham 52 HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF HINGHAM, MASSACHUSETTS. IN THREE VOLUMES. Volume I. — Part I. HISTORICAL. HISTORY OF HINGHAM THE GEOLOGY OF HINGHAM. BY THOMAS T. BOUVE. INTRODUCTION. Boundary Lines. The boundary-line of Hinghain, commencing on the water- front at Cohasset, near the head of Nantasket Beach, runs west through an elongated inlet of the sea or bay which lies east of the lower waters of Weir River, and from thence follows along this river, and subsequently skirts the coast at the base of the hills known as Planters' and World's End, in a northwesterly direction until it passes the latter, when it turns westerly and crosses outside the harbor of the town and the shores north to the mouth of Weymouth Back River. From there this river forms the boundary between the town and a part of Weymouth to the head of navigation, about three and a half miles. The other boundary-lines are artificial, dividing the town on the west from a part of Weymouth not separated by the river, on the south and southeast from Rockland and Norvvell, and on the east from Cohas- set. The boundary-line of the harbor leaves exterior to it Bunkin Island, which belongs to Hull, and that of the southern boundary crosses Accord Pond, the beautiful sheet of water from which Hingham draws its abundant supply. The shore-line of the water-front of the town, as distinct from that of the boundary, is much more extensive, following as it does the numerous indentures of the coast, and embracing the circum- ference of the islands. Notice should be taken of the distinction between the boundary and shore lines, as they comprise the limits between which the marine forms of life appear that may be here- after mentioned. The coast bordering upon the Weir River and Bay is of varied and picturesque character, with its alternating rocky projections and swampy plains. The shore-line, too, from Crow Point west VOL. I. — l 2 History of Hingham. to the mouth of Weymouth River presents much diversity, and at Huit's Cove, where the rocky cliffs are covered with forest growth, the scenery becomes again quite interesting, and continues so upon the river front to the head of navigation. "O' The Harbor. The harbor of Hingham, properly so called, is embraced within an extension of land on the east side which rises into hills of con- siderable magnitude, the outermost of which is World's End, and an opposite shore of less extent, which presents itself partly as a sandy and stony beach, but having towards its extremity some rocky prominences, finally terminating at an elevation of land which received at an early period the name of Crow Point, prob- ably from the great number of crows that congregated there. In the harbor, which is from three fourths of a mile to a mile in width and about one mile and a half in depth, are three beautiful islands, bearing the names respectively of Ragged, Sarah's, and Langlee's ; of which the first named is particularly picturesque, from the rugged outline of its coast and the dark savins upon its crags. They are all of moderate elevation, and shrubs of low growth cover their undulating surfaces. Only one deciduous tree is seen, and that a Linden of considerable size, upon the one known as Langlee's.1 Besides these three islands, there is yet another near the shore of the town, and which from its diminutive size received the name of Button Island. The harbor itself is a charming one when the tide is in, and by no means lacks beauty when this has ebbed. True, the lovely sheet of water has disappeared from view, but the exposed flats are covered everywhere with the dense sea- grass that rests recumbent on their surfaces, and there is seen meandering through its sombre green a silvery channel pleasing to the eye, and which is of sufficient width and depth to admit the steamers and other vessels that approach the town. Other large islands lie off the coast of Hingham, but the town line separates them from its possessions. Particular attention is called to those of the harbor and to the contour of the coast, in order to the better understanding of the geological phenomena to be hereafter presented. Area. The area of Hingham, as given in the Town Report for 1885, p. 76, is 12,973 acres. The greatest length of the town is that shown by a line from World's End to the southwesterly point at Rockland. This is over eight miles. 1 Since the above was written young trees set out upon the two islands, Sarah's and Langlee's, by the present proprietor, are becoming conspicuous, and promise to add much to the beauty of their surfaces and of the harbor generally by their growth. The Geology of Hingham. 3 The greatest width across the town, direct east and west, is from where Scituate touches the boundary to Weymouth. This is five miles. Across the northern part of the town, at the point of its junction with Hull and Cohasset, west to Weymouth River, the width is a little over four and a third miles. Between these two measurements it narrows on an east and west line to about three and a third miles. Topography. The topography of Hingham is of sucli marked character as to make it of exceeding interest to those who are at all acquainted with surface geology. The writer therefore hopes to be able to impart such knowledge of this in later pages devoted to the phe- nomena of glacial action as will add much to the pleasure of townsmen and strangers alike in travelling over its territory. The most noticeable features arise from the great number of the beautiful hills belonging to a class called by Irish geologists, Drumlins, signifying long, rounded hills, and by our own country- man, Prof. Charles H. Hitchcock, Lenticular Hills, from their lens-like form. They are distinguished by their oval and sym- metrical outlines, by their composition, and by the direction of their longest axes, which in this region is approximately north- west and southeast. They are products of the ice period, in the treatment of which a full account of them will be given. Otis Hill, Turkey Hill, Prospect Hill, Baker's Hill, Squirrel Hill, Great Hill, Planters' Hill, the Hills of World's End, the Hills of Crow Point and neighborhood, and many others of lesser magnitude, are of this character. Of much less prominence, but of not less interest to students of surface geology, are the Karnes, so called, consisting of ridges, hills, and hillocks, which occur over a large portion of territory in the western part of the town. These, like the Lenticular Hills, owe their origin to glacial action. In a very general way it may be said that the settlements of the town rest upon four surfaces of different elevations, namely : one along the harbor and spreading west towards Fort Hill and Wey- mouth River ; Lower Plain, so called, which rises from the first- mentioned, half a mile or more inland ; Glad Tidings Plain, a slightly higher level which succeeds the last, three or four miles inland, and which is separated from it by a depression of the land ; and finally, Liberty Plain, the highest of all, reaching to the southern boundary. This statement, however, though true of the several settlements of the town, affords but a very inadequate idea of the diversified character of the whole territory, for even the lowest region has several of the high hills mentioned rising from it, and bordering the second is Turkey Hill, having an altitude of 181 feet, which is only inferior to the highest of all in town. 4 History of Hingham. One of the most prominent of the elevations of the lowest plateau is Otis Hill, which rises quite near the harbor on its western side. The views from this are very fine, and should be seen by all who keenly enjoy an extended prospect. It is said that Daniel Webster ascended the hill whenever opportunity presented itself, feeling amply repaid for the necessary exertion in reaching its summit. On the east, beyond Nantasket Beach and the rocky shore of Co- hasset, the open sea spreads itself to the vision until lost in the distant horizon ; north, the coast of the opposite side of Massa- chusetts Bay may be traced until it, too, fades from sight towards Cape Ann ; and northwest, the domes and spires of the great city, with the expanse of water gemmed with islands and dotted over with vessels gliding among them, afford an enchanting scene. The height of Otis Hill is about 129 feet. The still higher ele- vation of the second plateau, Turkey Hill, before mentioned, affords yet grander views. No one who has not been here can appreciate the transcendent beauty of such as may be enjoyed from its summit, in looking towards the west and northwest just as the sun is sinking beneath the horizon, especially when hover- ing clouds are lit up by its rays and the intervening water is tinted by their reflections. The highest elevation of all is that of Prospect Hill, and it is worthy the name. This is in the south part of the town, and has a height of 218-^ feet. Measurements of other hills give the fol- lowing results : — Baker's, 141 feet; Squirrel, 133 feet; Great Hill, 120 feet; Planter's, 118 feet ; Old Colony, 70 feet ; Liberty Pole, 107 feet ; the highest of the World's End hills, 92, the lowest, 66 ; Crow Point Hill, 81 ; Pleasant, near Crow Point, 93 ; Bradley's, 87 ; Tucker's, between Crow Point and Pleasant, 65. Much of the remaining territory presents itself in rounded hil- locks of various elevations, and in the west part of the town these prevail over a great area. Unfortunately they have to a. great extent been denuded of trees. Barren wastes are found, unsightly to the eye where beauty might abound, and where profit might be realized if the surface could be devoted to forest culture. Nothing could be done that would be more advantageous to this almost destitute portion of the town than to cover it with the white pine, as there can be no doubt but that it would be a wise investment of money to do this if proper precautions were taken to protect the growth from destruction by fires. Independently of the interesting features of the landscape men- tioned, there is such variety of surface over the town as to make all parts attractive. In some portions are miles of rich and rocky woodlands, in other portions swamps impenetrable from forest growth. In places, high cliffs of rock rise from above the general level ; in others, green meadows of peaceful beauty stretch far before the The Geology of Hingham. 5 vision. Here may be seen from some elevation tree-clad hills and dales ; there, water checkered with islands, and the ocean itself receding in the far distance from sight. Here one may wander along a rock-bound coast, with objects of interest everywhere in view; or he may seek and find, in deep dark woods, sequestered glens as far remote seemingly from all human surroundings and associations as would be to him the recesses in the distant moun- tains. Few towns, indeed, can present more diversified features. Swamps. There are numerous swamps in the town, some of which are quite extensive, as Bare Swamp, which extends over a considera- ble tract of country, from the neighborhood of the West End depot to French Street, near Weymouth ; Hemlock Swamp, which lies between Hobart and High streets ; and several others southwest of these. Rivers. Excepting Weymouth Back River, which borders a part of the town on the west, and Weir River, there are none worthy the name. Many streams contribute to the latter, the most important of which has its origin in Accord Pond. Others of its tributaries flow from the swamps of the town, which, as before stated, are numerous, especially in its western portions. Ponds. Of the ponds of the town delineated on the map, Cushing's, Trip-Hummer, Fulling-Mill, and Thomas', are all artificial. The only natural one of any considerable area, of which any portion is within the borders of Hingham, is Accord Pond. This seems sin- gular, considering the many natural line sheets of water which are found in the surrounding territory. What Nature has, however, denied, has been in part provided through the enterprise of the inhabitants, who for manufacturing purposes have dammed the streams, spread their waters over surfaces bounded by hills, and thus greatly enhanced the beauty of the scenery in many locali- ties. Cushing's Pond resulted from the damming of one of the tributary streams of Weir River, known as Plymouth River ; Trip- hammer Pond, from the damming of another tributary known as Beechwood, or Mill River ; Thomas' Pond from the damming of the main stream ; and Fulling-Mill Pond from a small stream, sometimes called Cold Spring. PRELIMINARY REMARKS ON GENERAL GEOLOGY. Any account of the Geology of Hingham would necessarily be but of little service to the unscientific reader, unless preceded by some remarks upon the several ruck formations of the earth and the periods of their deposition. The advance of knowledge respecting these has been so rapid that the very terms but re- cently used to designate their relative age are not only obsolete to a considerable degree, but often misleading. For instance, it is not long since the word '; primitive " conveyed to all students the idea that the rocks so designated, the granites, were the earliest formed of all the earth's strata ; but now it is a well-recognized fact that these have been produced in nearly all periods of geo- logic time. All ideas based upon views taught in the books of a past generation respecting Primitive, Transition, and Secondary rocks should be dismissed from thought as being now but of little or no significance. In order that the mind may be receptive of the grand ideas which a knowledge of geological phenomena cannot fail to im- part, it is necessary first of all to disabuse it of the narrow con- ceptions of creation which have too long prevailed among men. It must recognize the sublime truth that the great Power which permeates and controls all matter has been for inconceivable ages evolving from the chaos of things the innumerable worlds that compose the universe ; and in fine must look upon the earth we inhabit, with all its multitude of living and ever-changing forms, as the result of the constant and never-ceasing action of creative energy for not only thousands, but for very many millions of years. The calculations relative to the age of the earth have been based upon several grounds, — one astronomical, by estimates of the time which would be required to reduce the sun from the dimen- sions embraced within the orbit of the earth to its present size. This Professor Newcomb makes 18,000,000 years. Add to this the time which he concludes might have passed before the tem- perature of the globe itself would have been reduced so as to allow of the existence of water upon it, 3,845,000 years, and the time estimated by him for the development of the several forma- tions composing the earth's strata, which he embraces within The Geology of Hingham. 7 a period of 10,000,000 years, and we have a total of 31,845,000 years since the globe was separated from the sun in a gaseous condition, and of but 1:3,815,000 years since the first incrusta- tion of its surface. Another method of determining the age has been to base esti- mates upon the internal heat of the globe and the rate of cooling. Sir William Thomson thus concluded that about 80,000,000 years must have elapsed for the globe to cool to its present con- dition, dating from the first incrustation upon its surface. Another method has been to base calculations upon the geo- logical changes that have been going on during comparatively recent times, b}' which sedimentary deposits have been formed at a known rate of thickness within certain periods. Dr. Croll estimates in this way that not less than 60,000,000 years must have elapsed, and probably much more since sedimentation began. Another investigator, Dr. Haughton, on the same basis extends the time to more than 200,000,000 years. It is unnecessary to add more on this point. It is sufficient to state that no man capable of forming a judgment, and who has duly investigated the question, has been able to come to any other conclusion than that our good mother the earth has been revolv- ing in her orbit, since incrustation and the commencement of sedimentation, for millions of years, and whether these be num- bered by tens or hundreds can be but of little moment, when the feast mentioned is more than long enough to appall the mind in its contemplation. It is however desirable, in view of a better understanding of what may follow relative to different periods in the earth's history, to give a table showing the estimated duration of each, assuming the whole length of time since incrustation to be 80,000,000 years, as calculated by Sir William Thomson. Of course, if it should be assumed that the whole period since incrustation was more or less than 80,000,000 years, the time estimated for each period would be proportionately lengthened or shortened. The time ratios of the several periods have been determined by Pro- fessor Dana from the relative thickness of the rocky sediments, and of the probable time required for their deposit, and though estimates thus based must necessarily be imperfect," yet by them we can approximate somewhat nearer to the truth than in any other way. The presentation will be useful in impressing on the mind of the reader the remote antiquity of the rocks of Hingham ; for if, as generally claimed, the greater portion of them had their origin in Archaean Time, basing their age on Sir William's esti- mate of the ao;e of the world, tbev must have been formed more than 30,000,000 years ago. The table is abbreviated from one presented in the very valuable work of Alexander Winchell, LL. D., Professor of Geology and Palaeontology in the University of Michigan, called " World Life, or Comparative Geology." 8 History of Hingham. Estimated Length of Geological Periods. Formations. Kock Measure. Feet. Percentage. Thomson's Basis. Years. PYROLITHIC TIME .... 123,200 27.77 22,216,000 ARCHAEAN TIME. 01,600 13.88 11,104,000 Eozoic Age. 41,200 9.20 7,408,000 20,400 4 62 3,696,000 PALAEOZOIC TIME. Silurian Age. Primordial Period 16,400 3.70 2,960,000 Canadian Period 45,400 10.23 8,184,000 Trenton Period 14,700 3.32 2,656,000 Niagara Period 7,100 1.60 1,280,000 Salina Period 2,050 .46 368,000 Lower Helderberg Period . . 7,500 1.69 1,352.000 Devonian Age. Oriskany Period 720 .17 136,000 Corniferous Period .... 2,800 .63 504.000 Hamilton Period . . . . 6,000 1.35 1,080,000 Chemung Period 4,900 1.11 888,000 Catskill Period ...... 7,544 1 70 1,360,000 Carboniferous Age. Lower Carboniferous Period . 7,500 1.70 1,360,000 Upper Carboniferous Period . 14,570 3.28 2,624,000 MESOZOIC TIME. 31,540 7.11 5,688,000 8,200 1.85 1,480,000 Cretaceous Period 5,020 1.26 1,008,000 CJEXOZOIC TIME. 11,735 2.65 2,120,000 Post Tertiary Age. 1,956 .44 352,000 Post Glacial Period .... 978 .22 100.00 176,000 Total Crust 443,073 80,000,000 It is proper to state here that investigations within a few years past by Dr. G. Frederick Wright, the author of the " Ice Age in North America," Warren Upham, and other geologists who have made special study of the phenomena of the Glacial Period, have satisfactorily determined that all that has happened on the surface since that period may not have required more than from ten to fifteen thousand years. When the above table was prepared, much less was known of glacial action than now. The Geology of Hingham. 9 A second table is presented, giving a list of the formations ; the forms of life that appeared in the several periods ; and some general remarks upon the land surfaces, the climatic conditions, and the mountain elevations. Periods not recognized in the first table are presented in this. Formations. PYROLITHIC TIME. ARCHAEAN TIME. Azoic Age. Eozoic Age. Laureutian Period. Huronian Period. PALAEOZOIC TIME. ilurian Age. Primordial Period. Canadian Period. Trenton Period. Note. From lack of definite knowledge of the particular pe- riods in which insect forms first appeared, mention of them is onl_y made after the close of remarks upon other life in the several periods of each Age. Indications of Marine Plants and of Protozoa, the lowest of the forms of animal life. General Remarks. Age of Invertebrates. Marine only ; Plants, sea-weeds. Ani- mals, all invertebrates. Protozoa, Radiata, Mol- lusca, and Articulata. Trilobites in immense numbers and of mam/ species are found. The largest of these became extinct before the close of this period. Crinoids ■ and Sponges appear. Marine only : Plants all sea-weeds. Animals, invertebrates. Among Cephalopods Or- thoceras first appear. Marine almost entirely. Some late discoveries of land plants have been made in Ohio and Ken- tucky. Animals all in- vertebrates. Physical condition making life im- possible. The continent in the Eozoic Age was limited to a region mostly within limits of British North America, but embracing, outside, the Adirondack region of N. Y., a region in Mich, south of Lake Superior, a long belt, including the Highlands of N. Y., and the Blue Ridge of Penn. and Va., also areas along the Atlantic Coast in Nova Scotia, Newfound- laud, and Eastern Mass. A long but narrow ridge existed along the line where afterwards were raised the Rocky Mountains. Four-fifths at least of the present surface of the continent were under water. A mild climate certainly prevailed in the Arctic regions during these periods, as proved by the forms of life found in high north- ern latitudes. The Appalachian region, embrac- ing that of the Green Mountains, was one of shallow waters, whilst areas of the rocks of Archasan Time formed islands and reefs. A barrier was thus partially formed, which led the interior continental sea to be compara- tively quiet, where flourished crinoids, mollusks, and corals, the detritus of which made up the growing limestone. This period of physical quiet, Dana remarks, was probably as long continued as " all the time that has since elapsed," a remark cal- culated to impress the mind very forcibly of its duration. 10 History of Hingham. Formations. Niagara Period Salina Period. 5 «2 Lower Helder- berg Period. Oriskany Period. Devonian Age. Corniferous Period. Marine only : Plants, sea-weeds. Animals, invertebrates. No evidence yet of fishes or of fresh-water life. Almost destitute of fossils. Fossils of the same generic character generally as in preceding periods, the species distinct. Trilobites common, but with them a new Crus- tacean appears for (lie first time, the Euryp- terus remipes, a foot or more in length. Plants generally marine. One species of Lijcopo- dium (ground pine) has, however, been found. No fishes yet noticed in American beds of this period, but in Europe their remains are met with in the Ludlow rocks, which are equiv- alent to the Lower Hel- derberg and Oriskany of America, and are the first vertebrates yet dis- covered in formations earlier than the De- vonian. Of the Class Arachnida: articulated animals having the body generally divided in two parts, as Scorpions, Spiders, Ticks, etc., — the first represented in the earth's formations were found in the Upper Silurian. Three species, all Scorpions. Of the true Insects, one specimen has been found in the Upper Silurian, but the character of this has not been clearly made out. It belongs to one of the orders of the Hexapoda. Age of Fishes. Marine Plants include a new form, the Spirophy- ton cauda galli. General Remarks. The Niagara Period was one of subsidence of the land over ex- tensive regions. The rocks of the Salina Period yield salt from brines contained in them. The subsidence men- tioned as occurring during the NiagaraPeriod continued through this. The extinction of species during the progress of the Silurian Age was great. ] )ana says, " There is no evidence that a species existed in the later half of the I'pper Silurian that was alive in the later half of the Lower Silurian." The greater part of the continent yet remained under water at the close of the Silurian Age. There is no evidence that the cli- mate, even in high latitudes, had become otherwise than warm and temperate as in the Lower Si- lurian Periods. During the Corniferous Period, a large part of the continent was covered with shallow seas, in The Geology of Bingham. 11 General Remarks. Hamilton Period. Chemung Period. Catskill Period. Land Plants : Lycopods, Ferns, and Conifers. Corals in great numbers, Echinoderms, Trilo- bites. Fishes, first appearance of in American rocks: Sharks, Ganoids, Placo- derms ; but no osseous species. Land Plants : Lycopods, Ferns, Eqoiseta ; but as yet no flosses. The Vertebrates are rep- resented only by Fishes. Goniatites, a group of Ce- phalopods first appear. Land Plants of like gen- era as in the preceding period. Trilubites, so abundant in former periods, have be- come rare. Remains of life rare. The plants are similar to those of the Chemung Period. The change in life during the Devonian Age was marked by the introduc- tion of many new forms and the extinction of many old ones, as in pre- vious ages. which corals of great variety flourished. The climate was warm, and proba- bly so over the Arctic regions. Articulates of the Myrio- poda, a class allied to In- sects, worm-like but having many segments and nu- merous feet, first appear in the Devonian Age. True Insects, of the class Herapoda, appear in several species. In the Hamilton Period, extensive forests of Lycopods. some similar to modern spruces and pines and others widely different from any known family, undoubtedly ex- isted, as shown by the Lepido- dendra and Sigillaria found in the strata. At the close of the Devonian Age the area of the continent had much increased, and embraced a large part of East Canada and New England, but the greater part of North America yet re- mained beneath the waters. Neither the Rocky Mountains nor the Appalachians yet existed. The Green Mountains were low hills compared with their present height. Great" disturbance seems to have followed the close of the age over the eastern part of the continen- tal area leading to elevation of a great portion of Maine, etc. The occurrence of Devonian species in the Arctics shows, as Dana remarks, that there was but little diversity of climate between the regions" now called Temperate and Arctic Zones. 12 History of Hingham. Carboniferous Age. Sub-Carbonifer- ous Period. Carboniferous Period. Permian Period. Sea-weeds similar to tbose of the Devonian. Land Plants : Lycopods, Ferns, Coni- fers and Calamites. The animal life was abun- dant, as shown by the profusion of the remains of Crinoids. Of Radiates : Polyp Corals. Of Brachiopods : Spi- rifer Productus. Of Cephalopoda : Go- niatites, Nautilus. Of Articulates : Trilo- bites, ( >rthoceratites, Scorpions, etc. Of Fishes : as in De- vonian Age. Of Amphibians : Foot- prints. Immense development of the coal-forming plants, the Tree-ferns, the Ly- copods, Sigillarids, the Fquiseta, Conifers, and Cycads. The latter first appeared in this period. No Angiosperms, no Palms, no Mosses yet discovered. Plants similar to those of the Coal Period. Of animal life, Goniatites, which first appeared in the Hamilton Period, and Trilobites, which appeared in the Primor- dial Period, both had become extinct. Several genera of the Mol- lusea, as Productus, ( )rthis,and Murchisonia, are not found later than this period. As might have been ex- pected from the immense development of vegetable life under tropical tempera- ture, the remains of great numbers of insects are found in the deposits of the Car- boniferous Age, during which theif first appeared. Species of the extinct Order Palseodictyoptera are espe- cially abundant, embracing General Remarks. During the Sub-Carboniferous Pe- riod a great mediterranean sea, as previously, covered a large area of the interior of the continent, and the temperature being fa- vorable, there was a great devel- opment of crinoids, corals, and the many forms of life now found in the strata. Forests and marsh areas were ex- tensive. The period was one of subsidence. The condition of the Arctic regions was yet undoubt- edly similar to the more southern portions of the continent, the air being warm and moist. This Period, differing from that of the Sub-Carboniferous, was one of extensive emergence instead of subsidence. As yet the Alleghanies did not ex- ist, but over their area were great marshes, where flourished the coal-making plants of the period. The beds of the Permian are marine. Palaeozoic Time has now come to an end. Great disturbances fol- lowed, leading to the elevation of the Alleghany Mountains and The Geology of Hingham. 13 Formations. MESOZOIC TIME Reptilian Age. Triassic Period. Jurassic Period. Cretaceous Period, ancient types of cockroach- es, walking-sticks, May-flies, etc. < )ther extinct Orders are also represented. Plants : Cycads and new forms of Ferns, Equiseta, Conifers. No species yet met. ivith of Grass or Muss. No Palms. No Angiosperms, the class which includes all our New-England plants having a bark, excepting Conifers, as maples, wil- lows, birches, oaks, etc. Animals : Vertebrates in great numbers and of great size. Fishes, Reptiles, perhaps Birds. First appearance of Mammals. Plants : Similar to those of the Triassic Period. Animals : Gigantic Reptiles, among them flying lizards. Marsupial mammals. First appearance of os- seous jishes. Birds. Plants : First appearance of the Angiosperms. Of the Angiosperms, oaks, beeches, poplars, willows, hickories, and others existed. First appearance of Palms. Animals : Reptiles were very nu- merous and of great size, one genus of which, Mosasaurus, had species varying from forty-five to eighty feet in length, and having been snake- like in form, may well be termed, as by Dana, sea-serpents of the era. General Remarks. In the deposits of the Pe- riods of the Reptilian Age, first appear insects of the to preat changes along the coast of New England, in New Bruns- wick, Nova Scotia, and generally over all the surface east of the Mississippi. The forests of this period differed much from those of the Carbon- iferous in having neither Sigil- larids nor Lepidodendrids. Tree- ferns, Conifers, and Cycads were the prevailing forms. There were great disturbances of the surface during the Triassic Period, as shown by the vast ridges of trap rocks which were forced up through the strata in a molten condition, and now form some of the prominent elevations of tiie eastern part of the conti- nent, as Mounts Tom and Holy- oke of Mass., the high hills near New Haven, Conn., the Palisades of the Hudson, etc. The Jurassic Beds of Europe em- brace those of three epochs, — - the Liassic, Oolitic, and Weilden. The first of these have yielded some of the best preserved and finest fossils that are to be found in our collections. Cretaceous rocks are common over a considerable portion of Europe, in the southeastern and southern parts of the United States, and in the Rocky Mountains. The well-known chalk composes great beds in England, and is found in France and other parts of Europe. Great changes of level seem to have taken place towards the close of this period, leading to increased height of the land in' the northern regions, causing much change in 14 History of Hingham. Formations. CJENOZOIC TIME. Tertiary Age. Laramie Pe- riod (or Lig- nitieP.). Note. — This period is included by some geologists in the Cre- taceous of Mesozoic Time. Alabama Period (same as Eocene). General Remarks. Orders Orthoptera, Neurop- tera, Hemiptera, Hymenop- tera, Coleoptera, JJiptera, and Lepidoptera. Plants : The deposits of this pe- riod yield great num- bers of the leaves of Augiosperms, — species of oak, poplar, maple, hickory, fig, magnolia, and others ; also of Con- ifers and palms. Nuts of some species are common. Animals : Freshwater shells and some manine species. No mammals. Pishes and Reptiles have been found in the Laramie beds. Plants : Trees mostly of the same genera as those of the present period. The infusorial deposits near Richmond, Va , yield a large number of species of Diatoms. Animals: The remains, vertebra;, and teeth, in great num- bers, of a large animal allied to a whale, called the Zeuglodon Cetoides, are found in the de- posits of this period in the States of Georgia, South Carolina, Mis- sissippi, and Alabama. The animal was at least seventy feet in length In beds of this period in the west are found remains of species similar to those of the present, as the rhinoceros, Mexican wild boar, horse, mon- key, and others, among them the earliest of the squirrels. Of the birds, one species from the Eocene of New Mexico was larger than the ostrich. the climates and a general de- struction of the life then existing upon or near the surface in both hemispheres. Estuary deposits in Mississippi, in the region of the Upper Missouri, in the Rocky Mountain region, and at Brandon, Vt. Called the Lignitic Period because of the prevalence of Lignitic beds in the deposits. Great disturbance of the surface in North America at the close of this period, that led to the eleva- tion of mountains in California, which, increased undoubtedly by subsequent movements, are now 4,000 feet high. Further disturbances at the close of this period, raising the bor- ders of the Gulf of Mexico, and probablv elevating above the pre- vious height the Rocky Mountain region. The Geology of Hingham. 15 Formations. Life. Yorktowu Period. (Miocene.) Sumter Period. (Pliocene.) Quaternary Age. Glacial Period. Champlain Period. Animals : Whales, dolphins, seals, walruses, bones of ta- pir-like animals, and of new species of horses and of hogs, rhinoce- roses of several genera, wolves, lions, beavers, etc. Animals : Of Birds : eagles, cranes, and cormorants. Of .Mammals elephants, camels, rhinoceroses, deer, tigers, horses, and the jirst of the mastodons found in American deposits. All the Orders of Insects the remains of which are found in the Mesozoic de- posits are also represented in the Caenozoic. Great numbers of species have been preserved to us in amber, a fossil gum of the Tertiary Age. Entire destruction of life over the glaciated North which extended in the eastern part of the United States as far south as Pennsylvania. Animal life : read under next period. The animal life of the two earlier periods of the Quaternary Age was of remarkable character, especially as shown by the remains of the Mam- mals found both in Europe and America. These show species were that the of enor- mous size compared with General Remarks. During this period, and culminating at its close, there is evidence of great disturbances over a large portion of the continent. By great volcanic action, extensive regions of the Pacific slope were overflowed by igneous rocks to the depth of thousands of feet, and the Rocky Mountains raided to their present elevation. Their uprise during the Tertiary Age, according to Dana, could not have been less than 11,000 feet. The height at which the deposits of the Miocene Period are found on the southeast and southern coast, being several hundred feet, shows the extent of the move- ments. The phosphatic beds of South Caro- 'ina are of this period. A period generally regarded as one of extreme cold, but there is rea- son to think the degree of this has been exaggerated. Ice cov- ered Eastern North America to the height of from 2,000 to 6,000 feet. The period of the passing away of the ice, and of great floods ; a period, too, of considerable de- pression of the surface and of extensive alluvial deposits. 16 History of Hingham. Formations. Recent Period. those of more ancient or of more recent times. In North America, roaming over the sur- face, were elephants, mastodons, horses much larger than the present, bison, tapirs, beavers of huge size, lions, bears, and others. In South America, massive sloth forms, as the megatheri- um, mylodon, and mega- lonyx, were numerous, as were many species of other genera. In Eng- land and other countries of Europe, bears, lions, hyenas, rhinoceroses, hippopotamuses, deer, were common. Man undoubtedly existed in this period, and proba- bly in the early portion, as his remains and the implements of his hands have been found with the bones of the Cham- plain animals, as the mastodon and reindeer There is evidence of man having appeared at a still earlier period, — possibly in the Tertiary Age. The animals of the Cham- plain Period largely passed away in the early part of this, destroyed undoubtedly by the colder temperature, and species of less size took the places of the huge forms that preceded them. Although man, as previously stated, was in existence, it was not until the modern era of this period that he attained the domin- ion over all other races since possessed by him. General Remarks. The deposits of this period are alluvial beds along rivers, drift- sands, deposits of rivers in the ocean, or from the washing and wearing away of the shores, coral-reef formations, shell lime- stone growth in the ocean or inland waters, bog-iron ore in marshes, stalactitic and stalag- mitic formation in caves, deposits from springs, lavas from volcanic action, etc. There was an elevation of the land in the high latitudes in the early portion of this period, which re- stored its height to about the de- pression of the Champlain. The temperature of the North, par- ticularly over Asia and Europe, became again extremely cold. The terraces so common around lakes and along river-courses in parts of New England owe their origin to the rise of land after the Champlain Period, and the action of waters. The Geology of Hingham. 17 Explanation of Names of Formations, etc., mentioned in the Tables above. Pyroliihic. From the Greek, fire-stone. Arclwan. Ancient; the beginning. Azoic. Without life. Eozoic. Dawn of life. PaUeozoic. Ancient life. Mesozoic. Middle life. Ccenozoic. Recent life. Primordial. First in order. Silurian. Geographical, first applied to rocks of Siluria. Devonian. Geographical, first applied to rocks of Devonshire. Carboniferous. Having the great coal fields. Cretaceous. Latin, for chalky. Triassic. Named from a series of three kinds of rocks. Jurassic. Geographical, from rocks of Alt. Jura. Permian. Geographical, from rocks of Permia, an ancient kingdom of Russia. Tertiary. Adopted from old classifica- tion, when the terms Primary, Second- ary, and Tertiary embraced ail the rock formations. Corniferous. From Latin cornu, horn, and fero, I bear, the rocks bearing seams of hornstone. Quaternary. From Latin qnatuor, four, applied to strata following Tertiary (third). Salina. From its salt-bearing brines ; salina, in Latin, being a place where salt is made. Other names geographical of known localities will not need explanation. Pyrolithic Time. — As the name denotes, the Pyrolithic for- mations were igneous only, for the condition of the molten, but gradually cooling globe admitted of none other. The immense period required for any approach to stability of the surface must have witnessed constant changes upon it, and over and over again must the earlier incrusted portions have been broken up and re- melted as they became from time to time, through the shrinking consequent upon refrigeration, submerged in the incandescent sea. At length when consolidation of the surface had increased, rocky masses undoubtedly appeared above the general level, but these were necessarily of a different character from any now known. They were the truly primitive rocks, and it is very doubtful if any trace of them can be found on the earth. Archaean Time. — Previous to the formation of the rocks of. Archaean Time, the cooling of the globe had proceeded to a de- gree allowing the existence of water in the atmosphere and its deposit upon the surface. Of its earlier rocks we can know as little as of those of Pyrolithic Time, for all now recognized appear to be the result of the wearing down of pre-existing formations, the deposit of their debris in the form of sands and clay as sedi- ments in water, and the subsequent crystallization of much of the material into gneisses, mica slates, etc. Other rocks of the time are conglomerates, sandstones, and clay slates. There is evidence that both vegetable and animal life existed in this early time, but only in its lowest forms. Paleozoic Time ; Silurian Age ; Primordial Period. — The rocks of this period were formed from the wearing away of those of Archaean Time, and the reconstruction of the material into new strata. Great interest is felt in these because, so far as clearly shown, they contain impressions of the remains of the first organ- VOL. I. — 2 18 History of Hingham. ized forms of life that have left impressions, the characters of which can be deciphered. All that can be known of the early species, therefore, vegetable or animal, must apparently be learned from what has been, or may yet be discovered in them. The estimated duration of this period, taking Thomson's basis as shown, by the table, is nearly 3,000,000 years. The forms of life preserved by the strata are all of course marine, and consist largely of impressions of Trilobites, — animals that lived in the shallow waters of the coasts, upon the muddy and sandy surfaces below, and finally became entombed in their substance. There were many species of these animals in these and later formations, but they all became extinct before the close of the Carboniferous Period. The fortunate discovery by Prof. Wm. B. Rogers of the remains of some of these in the slate rocks of Braintree, furnished proof that a part at least of the slate of the Boston Basin belongs to the Primordial Period. We will now pass over the immense time in the history of the earth, numbering many millions of years, during which other rocks of the Silurian and of the Devonian Ages were deposited beneath the sea to the enormous thickness of one hundred thousand feet, all abounding in forms of life, as scarcely more than a mention can be made of any period that has not left mementos of its pas- sage over or about this particular territory. Carboniferous Age. — Of the Carboniferous Age, it may be said that notwithstanding the contrary views hitherto held by geologists, it is yet by no means settled that the Conglomerates and Associated rocks of Hingham are not formations of this age rather than of the Primordial Period of the Silurian Age. However this may be, it is certain that a considerable portion of the rock formations near and south of Hingham, bordering Rhode Island and extend- ing into that State, is made up of the deposits of the Carboniferous Age, embracing not only Conglomerates of like character as those of the Boston Basin, but also large beds of Anthracite with the accompanying shales and fossil plants, demonstrating them to be contemporaneous with those of the great coal-fields of Pennsyl- vania and other regions of the continent. This fact suggests, what it is well to bear in mind, that the temperature of the region we inhabit, as well as that of the whole North, was then very much warmer than in succeeding ages, sufficiently so to allow the growth of tropical plants of which coal itself is a product, not only in the Alleghany and the western coal regions, but in those of Massachusetts, of Cape Breton, and of the Arctic Circle. It is certainly a striking fact that upon the surface of this town, where in after ages rested for thousands of years ice of great thickness, flourished tree-ferns, and other plants of forms now found only in the torrid zone ; but there can be no question that this was the case. The rock formations of the Carbon- iferous Age measure in thickness about 22,000 feet, and the esti- mated time for their deposit on Thomson's basis is about 4,000,000 The Geology of II Ingham. 19 years. It was not until after the close of this age that the Alleghany Mountains were elevated, bearing up with them the Carboniferous matter which now makes up the great body of the coal found in their strata. To the Carboniferous Age succeeded the Triassic, Jurassic, and the Cretaceous Periods of Mesozoic Time, and the several periods of the Tertiary Age in Camozoic Time. It was during the Creta- ceous Period of the former, and the periods of tbe latter that deposits were made along the eastern and southern shores of North America, forming strata which by subsequent elevation now compose a considerable part of the middle coast States, and nearly the whole of those that border the Gulf of Mexico, and it was, too, during these periods that a large portion of the strata now composing the Rocky Mountains were formed beneath the waters. These mountains did not attain to their present elevation until near the latter part of the Tertiary Age. The Reptilian and Tertiary Ages passed without leaving any traces now recognizable on the territory of Hingham. We have now reached a period which has received the name of Glacial, and which calls for particular notice, because nowhere perhaps can results of the extraordinary phenomena attending it be more readily seen than in Hingham. The extent of the change made upon the whole surface of the land north of Pennsylvania can never be fully realized, and it was probably as great over this town as over a like area anvwhere. What were the distinguish- ing characteristics of this period ? We have seen that in a pre- ceding ao;e, when the coal of the threat coal-fields of the continent CO? O was laid down, the climate everywhere north was tropical. We now find it to have changed to one of great cold, and that this continued, if we may rely on the estimate made by Thomson, more than 350,000 years. Life became extinct under its influ- ence, and over nearly the whole land north of Pennsylvania there came to be a covering of ice several thousand feet in thickness, which, governed by the same influences that affect the great bodies of ice in glacial regions at the present time, moved steadily and majestically towards the south, throwing off icebergs where it reached the sea, as is the case with the glaciers of Greenland now, and gradually melting and thinning out as it approached warmer latitudes on the land surface. Through the investigations of the Rev. G. Frederick Wright, Mr. Warren Upham, and others, we now have certain knowledge of a great part of the boundary line of the glacial sheet over the land, from as far west as Illinois to the Atlantic, this being well- marked by the morainic deposits of the debris brought from northern regions in and upon the ice, and deposited at its margin. Want of space will not permit the writer to dwell upon these, but the reader is assured that their character cannot be mistaken. The terminal moraine has a very irregular course east from Illi- nois, passing through the States of Indiana, Ohio, a part of Ken- 20 History of Hingham. tucky, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, reaching the ocean at Perth Amboy, where it is lost to sight. It is not difficult, however, to trace the limit of the ice sheet east from the land. The evidence by morainic deposits shows its front at one period to have been over Long Island, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket, from which it unquestionably extended far out over the ocean in a northeast direction, the shallowness of the waters at the Great Fishing Banks being due to the immense deposits from the glacier. What brought about the great change that converted a large area of the earth from one teeming with life to one where the silence of death reigned supreme, we may never certainly know. If not due entirely to the elevation of the land in the northern regions of the earth, which occurred in the later Tertiary Age, there can be no doubt but that this was a potent factor, for the Glacial Period was one of high latitude elevation ; nor can we fully account for the great subsecjuent reconversion of the same area, or much of it, to become again the abode of life after long ages of desolation. It is only with the results of the action of the ice upon the surface of the land that we have now to concern our- selves, and it is absolutely necessary to understand these in order to have the slightest appreciation of observed phenomena in Hing- ham as well as elsewhere over the North, consequent upon the great ice movement during the long period of its domination. One certainly was the bearing forward of a great part of all the loose material beneath its mass formed by the disintegration of the rocks, and redistributing it on the line of its advance south. Hence, a considerable portion of the rocky masses, bowlders, and pebbles, as well as of the gravelly and sandy material in which they are imbedded, now forming the surface upon the hills and fields of New England, have been borne from the North ; and whenever such bowlders and pebbles are of marked character, they can generally be traced to the locality of their formation. A good instance of this is seen in the bowlders and pebbles of porphyritic iron ore, found everywhere between Cumberland Hill, R. I., and the shores of Rhode Island, south, all on the line of the ice movement, — the masses, as might be expected, being generally of smaller and smaller size as the distance increases from their source, where a great bed of this peculiar ore exists in situ. The quantity of earth-substance moved forward over the surface must have been enormous, as is shown by the fact that many of the hills of the glaciated territory are composed en- tirely of it, and in the southeast of this State, over a large area, the rocky strata are buried beneath a covering of it to the depth of three hundred feet. Another result of the movement wras the wearing down, the planing, so to speak, of the rocky surfaces ex- posed to the great friction of the detrital material carried forward under the mass of the superincumbent ice. Whenever bowlders such as are seen everywhere in our New England soil, or even large pebbles, were torn off from the places of their origin, The Geology of H Ingham. 21 and became imbedded in the substance of the glacier below, they must necessarily have exerted an immense gouging force as they were borne on ; and consequently we see everywhere upon the rock-surfaces of New England deep traces of their passage, always showing the direction of the great glacial movement. These generally are found to be not far from south, 40° east, in this region. Many thousands of years have elapsed since these were traced, but still they are distinctly visible. The Glacial Period of intense cold, of the wearing away by the ice of the rocks over which it passed, of the excavation of valleys by its action, at length came to an end, and was followed by the Champlain Period. This period was of marked contrast with the preceding. It was one of great depression of the whole surface of the North in both hemispheres, and this was probably the cause, partly at least, of the great increase in the temperature which led to the melting away of the ice sheet that had for an immense period covered the earth. Land that now stands at considerable height was below the level of the sea, as shown by forms of marine life found at various elevations in northern New England, where it is evident they lived and died when submerged in the waters. Contrary to views that have been hitherto presented, this depression did not affect the surface to any considerable degree south of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. The occurrence of shells and other marine remains in elevated posi- tions above the sea, often cited as proofs of depression, at Point Shirley near Boston, and at Sancati Head, Nantucket, has been satisfactorily demonstrated to have been the result of the scoop- ing up from the bottom of the adjacent waters by the ice-sheet the material forming the Till Hills, in which such remains have been found. In these hills the shells do not occur, as in Maine and elsewhere north, in beds, showing the places they occupied in life, but scattered indiscriminately throughout the mass of ma- terial, and generally in a fragmentary condition. The degree of subsidence north, as shown by the heights at which remains of marine life have been found, increased with the latitude. On the coast of Maine the highest stated is 217 feet above the sea ; at Lake Champlain near 400 feet ; on the St. Lawrence near Montreal, 500 feet ; about the Bay of Fundy, near 400 feet ; on the Labrador coast, from 400 to 500 feet ; and at places in the Arctic regions, 1,000 feet. These figures are taken from Dana. As the glacier melted, great floods poured over and from it, and the stones, sand, and gravel in it were distributed over the land. It was a period of deposition of earthy matter from the ice, and of subsequent redistribution of portions of it by the waters. The direct deposits as now found are not stratified, or but very partially so, and are known as diluvium, while those which fol- lowed, the result of the action of the waters in redistributing the material, are known as alluvium. It was in this period that 22 History of Hingham. were formed the terraces so common along the borders of some of the river valleys of New England, and of the kames, so-called, of which notice will be presented hereafter. Following the passing away of the ice-sheet came another great change over the area which it had so long occupied. The sun's rays again rested upon and warmed the surface of the land, ren- dering it a fit abode for the manifold forms of vegetables and animals that appeared upon its remodelled hills and plains. The green herb and the fruit-bearing tree sprang up, and adorned the landscape with beauty. Rivers again teemed with life, birds and insects hovered in the air, and beasts small and large trod the earth ; while among these last walked with majestic mien Man, the crowning glory of all created forms. The remains of life of this period, and even of the Glacial pre- ceding it, demonstrate the existence of a great number of species of enormous size, such as were not found in either earlier or later eras. Of course, while the ice covered the surface but few forms could maintain life within its area, but it was otherwise south of its margin, and when it had passed away huge monsters roamed over the surface, spreading from more southern regions far to- wards the Arctic Circle in both hemispheres. In Europe, elephants of great size, gigantic deer, tigers surpassing the Bengal of the present day, horses and oxen proportionally large, and many other beasts occupied the land in vast numbers ; while in America there were elephants, mastodons, horses, beavers, and sloths, including the megatherium, the mylodon, and megalonyx, — all of colossal dimensions compared with the animals of like character now living. But of far greater importance than all else, Man as stated, undoubtedly appeared. With feeble frame he came among races of gigantic stature and strength ; but he came to wield do- minion over them, and to subdue and conquer by other power than that hitherto possessed on earth. It is not known precisely when Man first appeared, but the evidence is strong that it was in a pre-glacial period, as implements undoubtedly of human con- struction have been found in transported material from deposits of an anterior date. Again, a great change in the surface level of the North, and increased cold followed in Europe by a second glacial era, which by its sudden advance carried death to many of the animals that had found a home far north in the warmer Champlain Period. This is shown by the carcasses of elephants, and the perfect preservation of their flesh in Arctic ice. The change must have been not only sudden, but the cold extremely severe to account for these encased remains, and for other phenomena, such as the extension of the range of the reindeer and other Northern species to southern France where their bones have been found abund- antly. This, and the advance of ice again over parts of northern Europe gave the name of Reindeer, or Second Glacial Epoch to the early part of the Recent Period. There is no conclusive evidence The Geology of H Ingham. 23 of a second advance of the glacier on the American continent, though there is abundant proof of great refrigeration in tempera- ture, which was probably the principal cause of the extinction of most of the large animals, the elephants, mastodons, horses, and other species before mentioned, that roamed over the northern plains. The modern era of the period, that of the reign of Man, shows that the same causes that have produced changes of level of the surface and of temperature are yet active. There is evidence of the gradual subsidence of Greenland, and that it has been sinking slowly for centuries, and that a like change has been going on along a great part of the eastern coast of the United States. On the other hand it is shown that in other regions there has been a gradual elevation. The formation of rocks still goes on as in former times ; the ocean depths receive as in past periods the remains of siliceous and calcareous shells from the multitudinous forms that live in its waters ; the coral animals yet build up their reefs to become part of the strata of the dry land of the future ; volcanic action continues as of old to add to the surface its lavas, and vegetable life as in earlier ages of the earth's history, by ac- cumulation of peat and other plant structure, contributes some- thing towards future formations. Having thus by a rather elaborate preliminary essay presented what the writer has deemed essential to an understanding of the Geology of Hingham, by those who have not made the earth's history a study, he proceeds to remark upon the phenomena observable within the town limits, referring to what is exterior only as far as may be necessary for a clearer idea of the subject. 24 History of Hingham. GEOLOGY OF HINGHAM. The geology of Hingham, particularly that of the northern part of the town, though interesting, is of too abstruse a character to be even partially understood except by those who have made the rock-formations of the vicinity of Boston a study ; and its elucida- tion will require on the part of the writer much reference to what is exterior to the limits of the town. That of the greater portion of its territory inland is more simple, exhibiting Granite as the prevailing rock, but having some areas of Diorite, and occasion- ally dikes of Diabase, which cut through the others, and appear at the surface as black or dark-green rocks traceable often for considerable distances, having a width sometimes of but few inches, but frequently of several feet. Petrosilex is also found associated with the granite, but in very limited exposures. GRANITE. This has been mentioned as the prevailing rock of a large por- tion of the town. It seems necessary to first define what is meant by the name before referring to its particular exposures on the surface and its variation in character. Until quite recently geolo- gists called all such rocks as were composed of quartz, feldspar, and mica, granite ; using the term " syenite " to distinguish those which had hornblende in the place of mica. When all four min- erals were found together, the rock was called hornblendic granite. The advance of the science of lithology has led to more strict defi- nition. Now the use of the name u syenite " is restricted to rocks composed of orthoclase (one of the group of feldspars), or ortho- clase and hornblende, or orthoclase and mica ; while the essential constituents of granite, as now defined, are quartz and orthoclase. If to these mica is added it is called micaceous granite, and if hornblende, hornblendic granite. Hence the rock of Hingham, as well as of Quincy, is granite, and not syenite, as it is often designated. Over the whole of South Hingham and the greater part of Hingham Centre, wherever there are exposures of rock above the surface it is granite, excepting only the material of the dikes which are frequently found within it, and which will be hereafter '?c / The Geology of Hingham. 25 mentioned. Granite too underlies the whole of the areas named now covered over by the clays, the sands, and the gravels of the glacial period. It also extends north to the shore on Weir River, and to the coast line of the harbor on the eastern shore, where it is found bordering the channel from near the steamboat landing to Martin's Well, and showing itself prominent upon the adjacent uplands. It appears also within the harbor upon the small island known as Button Island. The rock varies in different localities, being sometimes found composed entirely of quartz and ortho- clase,but sometimes with mica added, making it a true micaceous granite. The color varies generally with that of the orthoclase, which is often of a reddish hue. Quartz veins are not infrequent in it, but these rarely furnish crystals ; some, however, of fine amethvstine tint were obtained a few years since from the rock of Old Colony Hill. The granite of Hingham is generally too much fissured to afford good blocks for building, though there are locations where, if better situated for cheap transportation of material, stone might be quarried to advantage. Near Long Bridge Lane a quarry was opened and worked for several years by Mr. Israel Whitcomb, and much excellent stone was obtained and made use of for local requirements. There are many places where fine red granite is found, but the color is not often persistent over any considerable area, and the stone is not sufficiently free from cracks to admit of good blocks being procured, though possibly these might disappear to some extent at a small distance from the surface. The exposures of granite are very numerous. A few that differ from the rest in general character are here mentioned : — er In Laseil .Street, reddish with epidote. In Central Street, red and flesh-colored from the tint of the orthoclase. In Union Street, with flesh-colored orthoclase. In Thayer Street, red, nearly binary. In French Street, flesh-colored, with mica and hornblende. In Whiting Street, very fine structure, light-colored and micaceous, with very numerous joints. In Summer Street, red, mostly binary. In Emerald Street, red, mostly binary. In Beechwood Street, decomposing. In Thaxter Street, finely porphyritic with red orthoclase crystals. Specimens of these may be found in the collection of the Public Library. DIORITE. Diorite, as mentioned, is found within the region generally occupied by the granite rocks, but it nevertheless may be noticed that in Hingham it is not found far from the sedimentary forma- 26 History of Hingham. tions, no exposure of it having been observed in all the region south of Hingham Centre. This rock contains necessarily but one constituent, a triclinic feldspar, usually oligoclase, but it has generally associated with it hornblende. Sometimes mica is also found in it and not infrequently particles of quartz. In Hingham, when composed of feldspar and hornblende in nearly equal proportions and when the grains of each are clearly perceptible, it appears not unlike granite, but having no quartz as a general constituent it may be readily distinguished. In limited areas it is found almost entirely of feldspar, when it presents itself simply as an impure white rock, its character being conse- quently more obscure. One of the best exposures on a highway of the town of typical diorite occurs in Summer Street, on the right side going south from the railroad crossing, and within 100 feet of Kilby Street. It juts into the road from the adjoining field, and presents itself with a smooth, rounded face about twelve feet across, on which the two minerals, feldspar and hornblende, are well defined and plainly visible. Two other exposures may be seen between the one men- tioned and Kilby Street, and in the field back from the road are several ridges of it. Another interesting exposure of diorite on a highway is to be found on the surface at the top of Fort Hill, just front of the cemetery. Here it is cut through by numerous narrow veins of a whitish granite, which by distortion and separation of parts afford an interesting studv for the observer. The rock of this locality should not be disturbed, as there is no other known instance in town where granite can be seen so clearly to have been intruded in veins into the diorite. The exposure here, too, is interesting from the glacial striae which may be plainly seen upon its surface. Diorite occurs abundantly on East, Kilby, Weir, and Hull streets. Going northeast from Horticultural Hall on East Street, some rocky elevations appear on the left side of the road which are known as Andrew Heights. The rocks of the slope facing the street are diorite, with the exception of an intervening portion of granite. This last rock also appears on the land opposite the diorite back from the road. Beyond the heights mentioned, all, or nearly all, the rocks of the street and of land contiguous are diorite until Kilby Street is passed. Intermediate between Andrew Heights and Kilby Street, by a reduction of the level of the road over an elevation, and the neces- sary excavation of rock, there is left exposed on the left side a cliff of considerable interest. The main body is a dark diorite, but there may be seen by close examination a distorted dike of felsite eight or ten inches in width, and a mass of diabase trap, both of which have been intruded into it. The trap contains an The Geology of Hlngham. 27 unusual quantity of sulphide of iron in crystals, as may be seen in specimens from this locality deposited in the general collection of the Public Library. The diorite of the area of this rock under consideration does not follow on East Street beyond Kilby, as its trend which is northeast and southwest, leads to its development along the latter street which has the same direction, and where it is found show- ing itself on the road and adjoining lands at various points for more than half a mile. At the junction of East and Kilby streets it follows the curve from the former to the latter directly in the roadway. Passing northeast on Kilby, it may be observed in lim- ited exposures on the left of the road until the crossing of the rail- road is reached, where there is a lateral extension of it 300 feet west on the line of the rails, and 150 feet east. About 500 feet from the crossing it again appears on the left side of the street, followed at a short distance by granite. On the right side of the road at 940 feet from the railroad may be seen a rock exposure presenting a face towards the street of about thirty feet, the first portion of which for twenty feet is diorite, the rest being granite. Proceeding; 420 feet more along the road there will be seen ledires on the left side back from the street which extend for a further distance of about 270 feet. These are all diorite. After passing these 130 feet, there may be observed on the right of the road, and just beyond the fence which borders it, a face of rock about twenty feet in width, the first portion of which, about one third, is granite, and the rest diorite. The two rocks are separated by a diagonal line having a declination of 45° N. E., thus showing the latter rock as resting somewhat upon the former. Just beyond this exposure granite follows for a distance of about 70 feet. There are no fur- ther exposures of diorite on the road towards Rockland Street, the few outcrops of rock observed there being all granite. Another area of diorite exists near the eastern border of the town towards Cohasset, showing itself extensively on Weir, East, Side Hill, and Hull streets. On Weir Street going from East Street, there is scarcely any other rock observable for at least one third of a mile. Beyond this, it alternates more or less with granite for about one eighth of a mile, when it gives place entirely to the latter. On the east side of the street, 2,310 feet from East Street, there is an exposure of rock presenting a face to the carriage-way, showing a singular mixture of both diorite and granite. This will be again and more particularly referred to in remarks to follow upon " mixed rocks," — a name given by Professor Crosby in treating of a like association observed by him at Marblehead and Salem. As a general fact, it may be stated here that the diorite of Weir Street is not so clearly typical as that of East and Kilby streets before described. A preponderance of the feldspar and partial decomposition, gives it in some cases a dirty white exterior. 28 History of Hingham. On East Street, passing from Side Hill Street towards Cohasset, may be found in the fields adjoining the right side of the road and back from it many extensive ridges of rock. Short of 200 feet a small exposure of granite occurs just within the fence-wall, and a little further on, say twenty or thirty feet, is one of diorite. Back of these about sixty feet is another of diorite. Following the road 310 feet from these, rock appears in patches over the sur- face for eighty feet, extending some distance back from the fence, which is likewise diorite. Passing beyond these exposures 140 feet, fields of rocks are reached occupying a great part of the sur- face for at least 700 feet. Some of them are diorite, some granite, while others among them, presenting surfaces of both diorite and granite, are apparently of the singular combination mentioned as mixed rocks. It would, however, be necessary to blast them in order to verify this. On the left side of the road there are but few exposures, and these are of the same general character as those mentioned. On Side Hill Street, and in fields adjoining, diorite appears abundantly. At a distance of 310 feet from East Street, a small exposure may be found on the right side of the roadway, and fifty feet beyond this another just within the border fence. Proceeding 300 feet further there is within view on the fields at the right many ridges and smaller rock masses extending over an area of two or three acres, all or nearly all of which are of the same rock. On the left of the road, 620 feet from East Street, a long ledge of rocks skirts the carriage-way, which extends 280 feet. For the first few feet it is diorite, the rest of it is granite. Granite is also the pre- vailing rock on the high ground of the adjoining field. When entering Hull Street from East Street, diorite appears on the right side, close to the junction of the two streets, both on the border of the roadway, and within the enclosure of the adjoining estate. Proceeding on Hull across the railroad, a high cliff of rock is seen back from the street. 200 feet or more in length, which exhibits upon some portions surfaces of diorite, upon others granite, — showing it to be probably of the mixed character mentioned in previous cases and to be described hereafter. This is succeeded by granite, and there is no more exposure of diorite on or near the street until about 2,060 feet from the railroad, where a ridge of it appears on the field at the left, not far from 200 feet from the fence ; and 300 feet farther some may be seen on both sides of the road. The rock exposures beyond these are all granite, until after passing Canterbury Street between three and four hundred feet, when there may be seen ridges on the fields skirting the left side of the road and extending for a quarter of a mile or more, which are likewise of the mixed diorite and granite. The rocks of the last 300 to 400 feet of the street within the town limits are all granite. All the exposures of diorite within the territory of the town that may be observed in passing along the streets and lanes have been The Geology of Hingham. 29 mentioned, except a limited one on Central Street, between four and five hundred feet from Elm Street, in a field adjoining the west side of the road, and two others of small area on a field at the corner of Central and Elm streets. Away from usual travel between Fort Hill Street and Weymouth River the rock appears in numerous exposures. Reference to the map will give their location. MIXED ROCKS. The rocks so-called by Professor Crosby, though simply com- posed of a mixture of the two kinds already described, are of such peculiar combination as to seem worthy of notice under a separate heading. There is no appearance among them, as far as observed, of anything like a dike of either penetrating the other. There is found simply a mixture of masses of every size and shape, each single mass being clearly distinctive as granite or diorite, the ele- ments of one in no case coalescing generally with the other. The locations of these rocks have been mentioned in the remarks upon the diorite. There seems no way of accounting for such mixture except by supposing that at the time of their eruption the rocks existed sep- arately beneath the surface in two contiguous zones, both being in a plastic condition, and that when forced to the surface they were made to intermix so as to present themselves as now found. PETROSILEX. The rocks of Hingham hitherto known as porphyry, compact feldspar, and felsite, the writer classes under the name of petrosi- lex, as with but one or two exceptions to be mentioned, all belong to that division of such rocks as contain over 63 or 64 per cent of silica, and which Phillips and others have designated as petrosilex, retaining the name felsite for those of a more basic character, and having a plagioclase feldspar instead of orthoclase as a constituent. The name " porphyry " is no longer in use as a substantive by geologists. It was applied by the ancients to rocks generally ho- mogeneous, but which contained crystals, commonly feldspar ; and this use continued to modern times. As, however, the rocks so- called differed widely in composition, and it became necessary in the progress of science to define their character more particularly, the name became obsolete. The word " porphyritic," however, remains in common use as an adjective expressing the texture of rocks of a homogeneous base, having crystals disseminated through- out their mass. Thus petrosilex with enclosed crystals is called porphyritic petrosilex, and diabase, the rock of trap dikes with enclosed crystals, is called porphyritic djabase or porphyritic trap. The writer, in communications to the Boston Society of Natural 30 History of Hingham. History and otherwise, has expressed the opinion that much of the pctrosilcx of the Boston Basin, and particularly the red rock of Hingham, was derived from conglomerate. This view is not held by others, whose opinions are entitled to respect ; but this has not shaken confidence in his own. There is petrosilex, however, in Hingham of quite a different character, but which he claims has another origin. Mention of that will follow some further remarks upon the red variety. Prof. Edward Hitchcock, in his great report upon the " Geology of Massachusetts," mentions under the head of Porphyry the red rock now under consideration, as occurring in Hingham in ridges a little north of the village. Undoubtedly this accurate observer found such ridges, though but one small exposure can now be found above. the surface. This is near the junction of Crow-Point Lane and Downer Avenue. Masses of this beautiful /ock may be seen in the stone walls of Lincoln Street near Thaxter, and sug- gest to the mind that in widening this street for the greater con- venience of travel the ridges noticed were dcstroved. The rock is called above beautiful. Professor Crosby speaks of it as the most beautiful of any in Massachusetts, and it undoubt- edly is so. The color is a bright red, with interspersed spots of lighter or darker hue. The variation was caused apparently in some cases from the enclosure of pebbles, which, with the general mass, became more or less fluent. The pebbly structure can be better seen on weathered surfaces than on those caused by recent fracture. The other variety of petrosilex referred to above, differs essen- tially from the red, being of different color, rather more glassy in lustre, entirely homogeneous, and presenting no appearance indi- cating enclosed pebbles. Of the origin of this variety there can be no question. It has the chemical constitution of granite, oc- curs associated with it, and is undoubtedly the same with granite, excepting that its mineral constituents are not crystallized, the rock being too rapidly cooled to admit of crystallization. This variety is always in Hingham associated with the granite. It may be found with the granite that forms the cliffs of Peck's Pasture, bordering the Home Meadows, and also on Lincoln Street, in the rear of the first house next north of the Unitarian Church which faces Fountain Square. Specimens from these and other localities are in the collection of the Public Library, where may also be seen those of the red variety. PORPHYRITE. The name Porphyrite has been given to basic rocks differing but little in composition from Diorite and Diabase. Like them they are composed of a triclinic feldspar with hornblende or augite, but they are not, like them, crystalline granular. They The Geology of Hingham, 31 contain from 56 to 58 per cent of silica. Rocks of this character, of various shades of color, are found at Nantasket, but only one exposure has been noticed in Hingham. This is on the shore of the marsh land that borders Weir River, quite near Rocky Neck. At this place it is of a dark-brown color, similar to that of the brown sandstone commonly used in structures of Boston and New York. It is a heavy, tough rock, and undoubtedly owes its origin to volcanic action, being, like melaphyr, an ancient lava. DIABASE. Diabase, like Diorite, is composed partly of a triclinic Feldspar, generally Labradorite, but differs from it otherwise in having Augite associated with it instead of Hornblende. Not unfre- quently Mica is found in its composition, and often Pyrite, though these are not essential ingredients. This rock is generally known as Trap, and the dikes which it forms in all parts of the town are called Trap Dikes. The rock as exposed at the surface exhibits more or less the results of decomposition, becoming of a dull green color, from the change of the Augite to Viridite. It has a much higher specific gravity than granite, and is exceedingly tough. The bluish, close-grained masses often found in the soil and called Blue Rocks are of this kind. Diabase forms dikes alike in the granitic rocks of the town, and in those of the Slates and Conglomerates to be hereafter mentioned. DIKES. Having now noticed all the rocks of the Crystalline series found in Hingham, — Granite, Diorite, Petrosilex, and Diabase,- — and as each of them is found in dikes within the Boston Basin, two of them at least in Hingham, it seems fitting to present here some special remarks upon the form of structure known under that name, and to give an account of localities where they may be observed. Dikes are igneous, unstratificd rocks, which occupy fissures in the formations, and which have been forced up from beneath the surface of the earth in a liquid or semi-liquid state, into the superincumbent rocks. This molten material undoubtedly at first spread itself, as does the modern lava of volcanoes, over considerable areas after reach- ing the surface. As seen in Hingham, the rock of the dikes is usually found only within the walls of the fissure that gave it pas- sage, the decomposition and washing away of the hundreds of feet of solid matter that once formed the surface having generally left for our view only what is now seen within narrow limits. Often, in forcing a passage through the invaded rock, masses of the latter 32 History of Hingham. were torn off and enclosed in the molten matter, and it is not therefore uncommon to find in Hingham instances of the enclos- ure of granite within the darker trap rock of the dike. The name Trap has heen generally used to designate the dark- green or black rock forming dikes ; but as it is now recognized that different rocks of like appearance constitute the invading ma- terial, it is necessary to be more definite in scientific description. The dikes of Hingham as far as examined, with two or three ex- ceptions only, are all of Diabase. In narrow dikes the rock has a homogeneous structure, as the sudden cooling prevented a crystallization of its mineral constitu- ents, but in those of any considerable width where the material cooled more slowly, it is often porphyritic towards the central portion, crystals especially of feldspar being disseminated. Upon the invaded rock the action caused by the introduction of the molten matter is generally more or less perceptible by a change in its structure near the junction of the two rocks, and frequently by the production of minerals along their margins. In Hing- ham, Epidote is not uncommonly found as the result of this action. Mention will now be made of some of the dikes which have come under the observation of the writer. Meeting-House Hill, Main Street, South Hingham. — There is a dike in the granite of this elevation but a few steps north from the church which may be seen on the surface of the rock and traced sixiy to seventy feet to the margin of the carriage road. It is from five to six feet in width, and runs in a northwest and southeast direction. Generations of men have come to the temple here to worship, wholly unconscious that their footsteps were over a record of events that took place millions of years before man breathed the breath of life. Leavitt Street and Jones Street. — Between these two roads on land of Mr. James Jones is a rocky hillock of granite about equidistant from both, in which may be found three trap dikes not far apart, one of which has the considerable width of ten feet. To readily find these, proceed from the bridge that crosses Weir River 700 feet in a southeasterly direction on Leavitt Street, which will bring one to Mr. Alanson Crosby's house on the left side. By passing to the rear of the house about 300 feet from the road, the rocks will be reached with their en- closed dikes. The most northerly of the three is about two and a half feet in width, the second, eighteen feet from the first, is ten feet wide and exposed for a distance of seventy-five feet. These two show well on the face of the granite cliff which en- closes them. The third, forty feet from the last-mentioned, is from three to four feet wide. This will not be readily perceived without close examination, as it is only on a comparatively level spot and obscured somewhat by surface soil. The direction of these dikes is east and west. Two hundred and fifty feet, more or TJie Geology of H Ingham. 33 less, east of these dike exposures occur considerable bodies of trap, but the connection with them is not perceptible. On Leavitt Street, about a mile and a half from Leavitt's Bridge going east, and less than a quarter of a mile before reaching the town line, a trap dike crosses the road diagonally. It appears first on the right side for a few feet, and the exposure on the left is seventy-five feet from where the first is lost to view. In neither place does it show above the surface more than a few feet, nor can it be traced beyond the two exposures. Its width is about six feet, and it is porphyritic. Its direction is east and west. Lasell Street. ■ — Considerable elevations of granite skirt Lasell Street on the left side, some of which approach and border the high- way. After passing Free Street 740 feet, one of these is reached, which presents a bold front, having a very interesting dike of about six feet in width. Lichens obscure this somewhat, on the face of the rock as seen from the street, and one needs to climb to the upper surface to study it to advantage. Here it is found extending itself a considerable distance east, showing, away from its margins, a porphyritic character, the crystals of feldspar being quite distinct. Fifty feet south of this is another dike, parallel with the first, but having a width of only thirty-two inches. This does not exhibit crystals of feldspar so perceptibly, its cooling having been too rapid for their favorable development. This dike cannot be seen from the street, as the front face of the rock has retreated from its border. The two dikes have both an east and west direction by compass, as have nearly all that are found in the granite not approximate to the rocks of the sedimentary series. Long Bridge Lane. — At the granite quarry of Mr. Israel Whitcomb, about a quarter of a mile from Union Street, may be seen two dikes east and west by compass, one about a foot wide, the other twenty-two inches. They are not far from thirty feet apart. Friend Street. — On the right-hand side of this street, pro- ceeding from Main, and not far from the latter, may be seen two dikes cutting through the granite of the roadway, both having a general direction of east and west, and both of which may be traced for considerable distances. The first is found 330 feet from Main Street, and varies from four to six feet in width. This may be observed in the adjoining field, 80 to 100 feet east from the road, and has been traced west across meadow land in differ- ent ledges, nearly 1,000 feet. The second one is about forty feet beyond the first-mentioned, and has a width of about two feet. It appears on both sides of the carriage way in the bordering ledge through which the street was cut, but is not so readily seen on the left as on the right without close observation. This has been traced 120 feet or more. Union Street. — There is a dike on this street, 360 feet from Lasell Street going east, which may be seen in a ridge of granite VOL. I. 3 34 History of Hingham. which extends along the left side of the road for a distance of about 120 feet. It varies in width from fifteen inches to nearly two feet, and is much distorted. The general direction is, how- ever, east and west. It may be traced nearly the whole length of the ridge. About 2,000 feet beyond this, going from Lasell Street, another dike occurs which crosses the street diagonally. It may be seen on both sides of the roadway in the granite, and may be traced into the adjoining field on the left seventy-five feet or more from the fence. Its width is about three and a half feet; its direction east and west. See Figure No. 1. The crosses (x x) represent exposures of the granite. I / 45 ft. from Me X XX X XXX X X 6 ft. between 20 ft between A*»X X X STREET Dike about 3% ft. wide. Traceable about /OO feet. Figure jSTo. 1. Old Colony Hill. — Proceeding from the harbor on Summer Street towards and up the slope of Old Colony Hill, there may be seen on the right side just above the surface a small exposure of trap, being part of a dike which passing east is lost to sight by the covering earth, but which again appears just in front of Mr. Bouve's stone wall, near the corner of Rockland Street. Here it presents a flat face upon which may be observed numerous glacial stride. The distance on the street is about 250 feet. From here the dike is lost to view for 130 feet, but may be found in an east- southeast direction upon the adjoining field, where it continues above ground 85 feet. It then again sinks below the surface, but reappears 190 feet further on in the same direction, and there shows an exposure of about 160 feet before finally disappearing. The whole length as thus presented is 815 feet. The width of the trap as it appears above the soil varies from five to twelve feet. Hull Street. — Two trap dikes, one three feet wide, the other over four feet, were observed on this street. Their direction was found to be east and west, but irregular. The Geology of H Ingham 35 Weir River. — In the granite rocks of the east side of Weir River, north of Rockland Street, may be seen several dikes. One may be found a few hundred feet below the Riverside House, ex- tending from the river bank in an east-southeast direction, having a width of six feet. There are two others not far distant having the same general direction, each about two feet wide. Still another was noticed of less width than either mentioned, having pieces of granite, through which it had cut, enclosed. Beach near Summer Street. — On the beach east of Hersey's wharf, near the steamboat landing and about ninety yards from it, may be seen a trap dike running east and west, having a width of nine feet. This dike has veins of epidotc. About twenty-eight yards beyond this there is another east and west dike of the same character, which is somewhat irregular and intermixed with granite, but showing, where distinct, a width of two feet. Fifty yards farther a dike is reached which crosses the beach in the granite, and which is particularly interesting, because it shows within its body a continuous mass of granite which was torn from the walls of that rock and enclosed in the igneous ma- terial, when this was irrupted from beneath in a molten condi- tion. See Figure No. 2. Figure No. 2. One hundred and twenty-five feet farther east a small cove, called Mansfield's Cove, is reached, where may be seen just at its 36 History of Hingham. entrance a dike six feet in width, of porphyritic texture and par- tially decomposed, its direction being, like the others, east and west. The cove is about ninety feet deep, and is bordered on its south- erly side by granite, having here and there more or less mixture of trap. Some Melaphyr is also seen in juxtaposition with the granite, and this rock also appears on the adjoining land near, but to a limited extent. Martin's Lane. — On the right of Martin's Lane and just beyond its termination, a dike may be observed within granite walls, having an east and west direction and traceable 100 feet. Its width is about six feet. JOINTS. Joint structure properly finds place here, as all the rocks of the town exhibit it, and none more than the granites. Probably there can be found no reader of these pages resident in Hingham who has not observed lines of fracture both in the granitic and the sedimentary rocks of the town, as his eyes have rested upon its numerous ledges. To explain these it will be well to give some account of different kinds of joints that occur in rocks, as they vary in character, have an entirely different origin, and give rise to varied structure. The first to occupy attention, then, are such as arise from the contraction by cooling, as in the case of igneous rocks, or by desic- cation, as in the case of sedimentary strata. This contraction results in cracks never parallel or intersecting, and are generally short and not continuous. In some igneous rocks the contraction tends to the formation of polygonal columns, which the joints then surround and embrace. The best exemplification of this structure is seen in the Basalt of the Giants' Causeway in Ireland, where this structure presents the whole rock mass in beautiful prismatic columns, each column separated into blocks having concave and convex surfaces. They vary in dimension and are somewhat irregular, but have been regarded by some as resulting from im- perfect crystallization. There is, however, nothing of crystalliza- tion in their formation, this being without doubt entirely due to contractive action. Professor Crosby has mentioned a case where the columnar structure was observed by him in the felsite of Needham, but no instances of the kind have been noticed in the rocks of Hinscham. The joints next to be mentioned are such as have now re- ceived the name of Joints of Expansion. Almost all rocky masses have, in addition to those of other character, joints, or seams as they are often called, that arc approximately horizontal, or nearly parallel with the surface of the ground. They may be observed in any quarry. They divide the rock into layers, and The Geology of H Ingham. 37 thus enable the workmen to get out blocks much more easily than would be otherwise possible. The origin of this kind of jointing, as first suggested by Professor Shaler, is now generally admitted by geologists to be due to the effect of the sun's rays upon the surface, leading to a permeation of more or less heat to a con- siderable depth, with consequent expansion, and finally to a sepa- ration of the rock into layers. The last kind of joints to which attention is called, and the origin of which has been by far the most difficult to explain, are those which are most readily observed upon all the exposed rocks of this town. They may be seen in parallel lines upon their sur- faces, sometimes extending for considerable distances, and often intersected by other lines which are also parallel with each other. These joints are approximately vertical and vary much in direc- tion, which, in view of their probable origin, is an important matter of consideration. Examination of the direction in many localities shows as follows : — North and south. North by west and south by east. North-northwest and south-southeast. Northwest and southeast. North-northeast and south-southwest. Northeast and southwest. East and west. East-northeast and west-southwest. East-southeast and west-northwest. Others are found varying in direction from all these, but they are not so noticeable. One of the best localities to observe this joint structure on an extensive scale, although not in this town, will be mentioned here, because it is within a short distance from its boundary and easily- observed. It is on Beach Street in Cohasset, very near Sandy Cove, where a large area of rock surface extends from the road- side west on an upward slope, covering a space of several hundred feet. The joints on this surface are particularly well-defined. The parallel lines under consideration may be observed on almost every exposure of rock, sometimes several feet apart but in other cases only a few inches. At one granite locality on Whiting Street they occur so near each other in some instances as to enable one to pry off pieces not over half an inch thick, specimens of which may be seen in the collection of the Public Library, made to illustrate the geology of the town. It has always been a source of great astonishment alike to students and casual observers, to find that in the severance of the conglomerate rocks the parts are often found divided as smoothly as if a knife had cut them asunder, and that the very pebbles contained in it are divided with the rest of the mass, instead of 38 History of H Ingham. being left intact upon one of the sides of the joint, as would have been judged likely, whatever the force that rent the rock apart. When two series of the joints under consideration are observa- ble upon any rock surface, those of one series running in a cer- tain direction will be found often to be intersected by those of the other, the result being to separate the rock more or less vertically in rectangular or rhomboidal divisions, and when, as is often the case in slates, there are also joints of expansion, cleavage planes, or planes of stratification, which are more or less transverse to the two mentioned, the rock will break into rectangular or rhomboidal blocks. Such may be obtained at Huit's Cove or more readily at Slate Island just outside the town limits. Fine specimens may be seen in the town collection of rocks from the former locality. It remains now to state the probable origin of the vertical in- tersecting joints. Much study has been given to the subject by several o-eolos;ists. To Professor W. 0. Crosbv is certainly due the credit of susro-estini:; and ablv advocating a theory that seems to the writer after much consideration, conclusive. The theory is that eartbquake action caused the phenomena. Space will not here allow further remarks, but the reader who wishes to learn more of it, is referred to the Proceedings of the Boston Society of Natural History, vols. xxii. and xxiii. THE BOSTON BASIN. The border line of the granitic and dioritic rocks of the town, whether near or far from the coast and however irregular its course, may be regarded approximately as part of the border of a great area which is known by geologists as the Boston Basin, and which embraces a portion of the towns of Cohassct, Hull, Hing- ham, Weymouth, Quincy, Milton, Hyde Park, Needham, Newton, Brookline, Somerville, Cambridge, Watertown, Maiden, Medford, Everett, and the city of Boston, with its harbor east to the outer islands, and possibly a considerable distance beyond, the diameter east-west being not far from twenty-five miles, and having a north- south diameter averaging about twelve miles. It is absolutely necessary to know much of the history of the formations of the Boston Basin in order to appreciate what may be said of that portion embraced within the limits of Hingham. There has been much discussion carried on over a long period respecting the age and the sequence of its formations. Recent investigations in all parts of it by Professor Crosby have thrown much light upon the subject, changing materially his own views and those of others, who have been informed of his important observations. One result of his work has been to establish the fact, that in- stead of there beino: but one formation of slate, as advocated by himself, there is shown clearly to be two, as claimed by other oh- The Geology of H Ingham. 39 servers; and another is to demonstrate that instead of the sedi- mentary rocks of the basin being of one period, the Primordial, a large portion of them are the deposits of a later age. Before going further the reader should recognize that in a very early period, probably in Archaean Time, there came to exist over the area of what is now known as the Boston Basin, a groat de- pression of the whole surface, probably largely due to subterra- nean igneous action, aided perhaps by long continued erosion by the sea. The certainty that in subsequent ages, through perhaps millions of years, the whole area became as it were a great crater, with violent volcanic action at many periods and in many parts of it, during which vast flows of lava were poured into it, form- ing a considerable portion of its rocks, makes it probable that subterranean action was the chief cause. Appreciating highly the value of the recent investigations of Professor Crosby referred to above, and agreeing with him gen- erally in his conclusions, the writer believes that he can do no better than to follow him in presenting a summary of the prin- cipal events in the history of the formations within the basin before giving a detailed statement of the sedimentary and asso- ciated rocks of Hingham. The formation recognized as the oldest in the basin is that of the primordial slates and accompanying Quartzite, known to be of primordial age by the discovery in the slates of Trilobites of that age. These slates occur at Braintree, where only such fos- sils have been found, at Weymouth near by, and in numerous places in the northern portion of the basin. As stated by Pro- fessor Crosby, they probably underlie a large part of the basin covered by the rocks of a later age. Subsequent to the deposition of the primordial strata a period of violent volcanic action followed, during which were torn asun- der the slates and the quartzite, and vast floods of basic lava, now known as Diorite, were poured in among them and over their surfaces. Following this, there appears to have come a long period of repose and erosion, which was terminated by another of prolonged violent igneous action, bringing to the surface and spreading over it the acid lavas which formed the granite and the pctrosilex. As the diorite is found intrusive in the primor- dial strata, and the granite and petrosilex are alike intrusive in the diorite and the primordial strata, it is clear that the latter are the oldest of these, and that the granite and pctrosilex are the most recent. If the granites and allied rocks of eastern Massachusetts are, as has been taught by Dr. T. Sterry Hunt and other geologists, Archaean, it may possibly be that these un- derlying the primordial and subjected to intense igneous action, became locally fluent, and thus were injected into and over the superincumbent strata. While, therefore, all thus injected and reformed above the primordinl may be regarded as more recent, it may not be true of those outside the basin. There is much, 40 History of Hingham. however, that can be said in favor of the view that all the gran- ites and other rocks of the region, hitherto considered Archa3an, are more recent than the Primordial, including even those of the well-known Quincy Hills. Indeed, the evidence that this is the case is well-nigh conclusive. Certainly there can be no question but that considerable areas of the granite were fluent and erup- tive after the primordial slates were formed. A very valuable and instructive article was published in the Proceedings of the Boston Society of Natural History in 1881, by Professor M. E. Wadsworth, on the relation of the Quincy granite to the primor- dial argillite of Braintrec, in which he demonstrated that in dif- ferent localities the granite was eruptive through the slates, as shown by the close welding of both rocks, and by the effect of the contact in altering the character of both near the line of junction. After the events narrated, the area of the basin became one of slow subsidence that must have continued through a vast period of time, as during its ages the oreat bodv of the rocks that form the conglomerate series was formed, — the conglomerates and sand- stones near the margins of the coasts, and the slates, the material of which was deposited by the rivers, in the deeper portions. As subsidence continued, the sea encroached more and more upon its shores, the margins of the land became more remote, and the great body of the slate was gradually laid down in the deep waters to a thickness of more than a thousand feet. Before proceeding further in the history of the basin, the writer will express views long held by him relative to the origin of the pebbles that made up the great body of the conglomerate in- cluding the sandstone, which is only rock of the same character formed of finer material, and of the slates. Of the conglomerate it may be said that the formation of this rock wherever found has generally been regarded as mainly due to the action of water, and its existence in the Boston Basin has been ascribed to the force of the waves beating for countless gen- erations against, and making an inroad upon, the coast, resulting in the wearing down of the rocks, and the formation by attrition of the bowlders and pebbles which subsequently were cemented into compact strata. This view the writer does not concur in, as he judges it impossible that in any number of ages the action of the waves alone on the area of the basin could have led to the production of such a body of bowlders and pebbles as make up the conglomerate. He believes there was a far more potent cause for their origin silently at work moulding them into form long anterior to their submergence in the surging waters. This cause is to be found in the highly corrosive character of the atmosphere in the early ages of the earth's history, by which the hills, origi- nally of course but rock elevations, became under its action rap- idly disintegrated. Such elevations of early periods in southern regions yet exist as monuments of this corrosive action, for the The Geology of Hingham. 41 decayed material remains upon them, showing, though but par- tially, the extent of the corrosion, much of the substance having been washed oil' the surface by the denuding action of rains. There is certainly no reason to suppose the general condition of the surface of the land prior to the glacial period was different over the area of the early formations of New England from what prevailed over formations of a like age south of glacial action. We may therefore picture to ourselves, with good reason, the country everywhere in the neighborhood of Boston covered with hills of considerable altitude, composed of the decayed material of the rocky formations, and having disseminated through it bowlders and pebbles of every size, that had not yet yielded to the decomposing influence. It is well known that corrosive action tends to produce such forms, though of course it is not questioned but that subsequent action of water and attrition had much influence in working a large portion of the pebbles found in the conglomerate into the shapes which they now present. The subsidence of the area of the basin after the primordial period mentioned, extending the water surface to the base of hills filled with the material for the conglomerate, the igneous action that followed and was active at times during the formation of that rock, causing more or less of oscillation and change of level to the surface, and the subsequent action of the waves upon the cliffs and beaches of coast margin, together, will amply account for the production of the conglomerate, but it will be recognized that the main factor in such view is to be found in the disintegra- tion of the rocky hills long before the action of other forces. The presentation now made of the origin of the conglomerate of the Boston Basin is greatly strengthened by the fact lately called to the notice of the writer by Professor Crosby, — that no pebbles of the basic rock diorite are found in the conglomerate with those of the acidic rocks. All will agree in the statement that pebbles of the granite, the quartzite, and the petrosilex rocks of the northern border of the basin, have contributed largely to make up the conglomerate ; but what became of those of the diorite, a rock quite as abundant in the ancient hills as any of them ? Its absence can only be accounted for by the view that it could not like the others withstand the corrosive action, as did partially the others, and therefore not even pebbles were left to help form the newer rock. Respecting the slates, their origin is clear. Simultaneously with the depression of the area of the basin below the sea level, there would commence a deposit of the finer sediment brought down by the rivers. This may well be thought to have been copious considering the char- acter of the country passed through, everywhere composed of the decayed remains of the earlier rocks. Indeed it cannot be doubted that the streams would be turbid with argillaceous mat- ter, and, as well known, this would be immediately precipitated upon coming in contact with salt water. Thus the material for 42 History of Hingham. the slates of the basin must have steadily accumulated through long ages. The origin of another abundant rock of the basin, associated with the conglomerate, the melaphyr, long continued to be a ques- tion of much discussion, but there is now no doubt concerning it. During all the immense time that subsidence continued, and while sedimentary strata were gradually accumulating, the area of the basin remained a great centre of igneous action, and vol- canoes here and there within it belched forth from time to time floods of lava which spread itself over the surface. Professor Crosby has made out in the Nantaskct region several flows of it, each of which alternates with deposits of conglomerate and sand- stone. In such cases the outpouring was probably beneath the surface of the water, where the deposits followed each period of activity. In Hingham the melaphyr is found in very great bodies not separated by deposits of the sedimentary rocks. One more great event in the history of the basin is yet to be mentioned. Long after the volcanic action tbat had produced the basic lava, melaphyr, bad ceased, and after all the sediments were deposited that produced the rocks known to us as the conglomer- ates, the sandstones, and the slates, a great disturbance occurred over the whole area of the basin and of the crystalline rocks surrounding it, caused by another manifestation of igneous en- ergy, which changed the whole character of the surface. With- in the basin, apparently from immense pressure exerted in north and south directions, the rocky strata were forced up in folds or in broken ridges. Through crystalline rocks and sedimentary strata alike, subterranean action brought to the surface, and probably poured over it, vast quantities of lava of highly basic properties, different from those of the previous eruptions, now known to lithologists as Diabase, an account of which has been given. The great erosion of after ages is undoubtedly the rea- son why the rock Diabase is not found spread over the surface, as well as within the walls of dikes. At length the disturbing action ceased, and the earth, which had been shaken from its foundations to its surface, and rent asunder in a thousand localities, once more became quiescent. The effect upon the area of the basin was great, for where the waters had for an immense period spread themselves over the surface, and under which conglomerates and slates had been laid down, dry land appeared. How strange to reflect that in these three words is embraced a fact without which all the stupendous events that have been mentioned, occurring over millions of years, would have re- mained entirely unknown to mortal man ; for with the waters covering the basin, where could a trace of its long history have been found ? The rocks of the Boston Basin as they present themselves in Hingham will now be noticed. Unfortunately the non-occurrence The Geology of Hingham. 43 of fossils in any of them makes it impossible to determine defi- nitely their age. The fact of slates within half a dozen miles of the town containing trilobites, thus showing them to be primor- dial, has led reasonably to the view that a part at least of those in Hingham might be found to be also primordial. The super- position of the strata, however, and their inclination, as far as these can be studied at their exposures, militate against this view. Nevertheless, considering how much is hidden from obser- vation where the great body of slate lies, towards Weymouth River, and the disturbances to which the formations have been subjected, it is by no means to be regarded as settled that slate of primordial age does not exist in Hingham as in other parts of the basin. It cannot, however, be shown that any is found resting; beneath the rocks of the Conglomerate Series. That which occurs alternating with the conglomerate must be regarded as of the same age as the conglomerate itself. The great body of slate referred to above, towards Weymouth River, seems by its dip, as far as this has been determined, to be superior to the strata of the conglomerate series, and therefore a later rock. This slate, on the maps is designated separately from that of the conglomerate series, as belonging to the Slate Series. The Conglomerate Series comprises Conglomerates, Sandstones, Slates, and Melaphyr, which have together a thickness of nearly one thousand feet. The great disturbances alluded to, by which all these rocks were rent asunder by faults, and forced into ap- proximately vertical positions, will be more clearly apparent by a glance at the maps than by hours of reading. THE CONGLOMERATE SERIES. Conglomerate is formed of pebbles or angular fragments and gravel derived from pre-existing formations, these being cemented together into a compact rock. Sometimes the enclosed masses are of considerable dimensions, being several feet in diameter. When the enclosed stones are pebbles, that is, are rounded, the rock is called Pudding-Stone ; when they are angular it is called Breccia. The pebbles or fragments vary much in character, — those of Petrosilex, Quartzite, Granite, and other rocks being often found in close juxtaposition. Such is the case with the conglom- erate of Hingham, as may be seen at almost any exposure. When the rock is "found made up exclusively of fine material, small gravel, and sand, it becomes a sandstone, and as such occurs in Hingham alternating with the coarser portions. Conglomerate is the predominant rock over considerable areas of the town. It presents itself prominently in the harbor, com- posing the strata of the islands known as Sarah's, Langlee's, and Ragged, and its walls face the water along the coast front of Melville Gardens. It crops out upon the surface in great abun- 44 History of Hingham,. dance over the hilly region between South and Elm streets, appear- ing near the former in cliffs of considerable altitude, and it forms, with the amygdaloidal melaphyr, a part of the shore rocks of Rocky Neck that border Weir River, east of Planter's Hill. It also occurs abundantly about and over the high lands contiguous to Unit's Cove. Away from the coast and the islands in the harbor the most imposing exhibition of this rock may be found in a narrow, pri- vate road that runs from Real Street towards Weymouth River, some distance north of the Hockley Lane. Soon after entering this road it turns towards the north, winding about the base of some exposures of the conglomerate which lie between it and Beal Street. Following the passage through low ground and through forest growth for the distance of about a quarter of a mile, there suddenly appear high cliffs of the rock partially ob- scured by trees, rising to the height of forty to fifty feet, and pre- senting the appearance of having been torn asunder by some convulsion of nature, large masses being found in the foreground. The rocks extend along the road and near it six to seven hundred feet. The exposure here is well worth visiting. The conglomerate rocks of Hingham were originally deposited upon the more ancient rocks, perhaps much farther inland than is now apparent, and were worn away by the erosion of the sur- face in after ages. At some localities, however, a partial coating of the conglomerate may be seen upon the granite, occupying depressions in it, showing where it once rested probably in con- siderable beds. CLAY SLATE, OR ARGILLITE, OF THE CONGLOM- ERATE SERIES. The slate of the conglomerate series in Hingham occurs, as may be seen by the maps, quite abundantly in the northern parts of the town, alternating with the conglomerate. The color of these slates varies considerably, a portion being of the ordinary bluish shade, while other portions are red or reddish. Both these colors are found quite near each other in the same exposure, as in Hersey Street on the left side going from, and not far from, South Street. The slate of the slate series will be mentioned after notice of melaphyr, which is included in the conglomerate series. MELAPHYR. The name Amygdaloid commonly applied to this rock was given because of the frequent occurrence in it of cavities filled with other minerals than those constituting its mass, which are often approxi- The Geology of Hingham. 45 mately almond-shape in their outline. These cavities, how- ever, may be entirely wanting, when of course the name amyg- daloid loses its significance. Moreover, rocks of a different composition have sometimes the same amygdaloidal structure. The name now applied to the rock by geologists is Melaphyr, and nowhere does it present itself in its typical and varied char- acteristics more advantageously for observation and study than in Hingham. The composition is the same as that of Basalt, which has as its essential elements, augite, magnetite, and titaniferous iron, but often containing a triclinic feldspar and other minerals, — the only difference being apparently the result of a change of some of the constituents by decomposition. Here it is found beautifully amygdaloidal over extensive areas, the amygdules being filled with minerals of several species which are sometimes arranged in concentric bands, the most common being epidote, quartz, chlorite, and calcite. At one locality, on land bordering Unit's Cove, there is an exposure of melaphyr, forming an escarp- ment on the slope of a hill, which is quite dark in color and in portions free from amygdules, and where these occur they are of calcite. This is found in the immediate neighborhood of other melaphyr, full of amygdules containing the various minerals men- tioned as common in the rock. The best exposures for the study of melaphyr may be found at the northeast part of the town along the shore of Rocky Neck, on the northeasterly slope of Squirrel Hill, Lincoln Street, and at Huit's Cove. At all these places the amygdaloidal rock is abun- dant, and specimens of much beauty can be easily obtained. In the amygdaloidal melaphvrs of Rocky Neck fine red jasper and vellowish white epidote occur, both in nodules and in veins. CLAY SLATE OF THE SLATE SERIES. This slate, which forms a great body resting with apparent con- formity over the rocks of the conglomerate series, has a thick- ness of over one thousand feet, and undoubtedly is spread, as indi- cated on the maps, over a great area of the town toward Weymouth River. Its exposures are, however, not numerous, as the drift of the glacial period covers it from observation. It shows itself on the border of Weymouth River at Deal's Cove, and also at Huit's Cove. At the south side of the latter it forms a point of land which extends into the water. Here it is well-jointed, and the lines of stratification are distinctly perceptible. The dip is west- erly, and the inclination about 60°. On the north shore of the cove it appears associated with conglomerate and melaphyr, and portions of it show clearly lines of cleavage which are not often manifest at the exposures of slate in Hingham. In a region where the rock formations have experienced great disturbance, as in Hingham, the dip of the strata varies very 46 History of Hingham. much at the several localities. In attempting to obtain this, it may be well to admonish the reader, if not a geologist, that in the case of slates and some other rock's, the true lines of deposition by no means correspond with the lines of cleavage. It is owing to the planes of the latter that the rock is serviceable for the uses to which it is put in the arts, as a roofing material, and for other purposes. This kind of cleavage is called Slaty Cleavage, and it is unquestionably due to great lateral pressure of the material of which slates are composed, after its deposition. The fact of such pressure being exerted upon the strata beneath the surface is well-known, and experiments by Sedgwick, Tyndall, and Daubree, upon clay and other substances, demonstrated that the effect of pressure was to produce lamination. The writer has thought it well, before closing his remarks upon the rock exposures of the town, to suggest two excursions that may be made to advantage by students interested in them. One of these is through the northern portion of Hersey Street, from South Street to Elm Street. The rocks mentioned rest immedi- ately on or quite near the margin of the road, and may be seen without going any distance from it in the adjoining fields. Since the examination has been made there has been some change on the east side of the street by the erection of a building, and the covering over of a portion of the rocks near ; but thus far none that will lessen interest in inspecting those yet undisturbed. The other excursion suggested is that of a visit to Rocky Xeck and a walk along its shores, as promising more pleasure and instruction than can be found in any other locality. Hersey Street. This street, in its northern part, affords a good opportunity to observe a succession of the sedimentary rocks of Hingham with the intrusive trap which is found with them. In ascending the rising ground from South Street, there occurs, on the right side, about 240 feet from the commencement of the road and back from it, an exposure of Conglomerate. It shows itself quite near the house of Mr. Allen A. Lincoln. Its face is parallel with the side of the house and at right angles with the road. On the next estate, 60 feet beyond, there is rock exposure near and facing the street, the first part of which is composed of trap and constitutes a dike six or more feet in width. This is succeeded bv conglom- erate, with which it makes a close junction. This conglomerate extends about 15 feet and is followed by a reddish slate extend- ing 20 feet, in the centre of which is a second trap dike. Suc- ceeding the slate is more conglomerate, which shows itself 50 feet or more. There is no further exposure on the right side of the road for 1090 feet, and then it is found that the limit of the Geology of Hingham. s«l'Timfl map t > r ON Weir River. reDiredby WO CROSBY. Scalp -'0 i ud-. or .\ W feel = I inch f .:. . Cutlqlnm frttfr. EXPLANATION OF COLORS firamtr Melaphvr f}m£f(i>mrra/c Dikes Fciuttx SECTION [I SL'CTION I Horizontal Scale. %30 -/" lerticcd Scale 10S1 '— /" The Geology of H Ingham. 47 sedimentary rocks has been passed, as granite now appears. This extends 30 feet and is followed by an exposure of trap. Beyond this trap, which here crosses the street, the rocks are all granite. On the left side of the street, ascending the hill from South Street and about 310 feet from it, there is an exposure of rocks which present themselves in the following order: conglomerate nine feet, slate six feet, sandstone twenty feet, slate again twelve feet, this last being succeeded by a dike of trap about nine feet in width. Beyond this trap there is no exposure for about 60 feet, at which distance another ledge appears, the first part of which shows blue and red slate six feet, the rest of it being conglom- erate, which extends 36 feet. Another space, of 72 feet, without rock follows the conglomerate, when this rock reappears in another ledge, — composing the first part of it for six feet, the rest of it, 45 feet, being blue and red slate. Still another space of about 80 feet occurs without rock, when sandstone appears along the road for the very considerable distance of 110 feet. Trap, partially covered with soil, succeeds the sandstone for about 40 feet, then conglomerate with an exposure of six feet. Beyond this conglomerate, which is the last seen on the road of the sedi- mentary strata, no other rocks appear on the left side of it for 650 feet. Then appears a considerable elevation of trap rock, which extends along the street about 30 feet and back upon the adjoin- ing fields towards Elm Street. As stated above, when mention- ing the portion of this dike exposed on the right side of the road, there are no other rocks beyond it excepting granite. Rocky Neck. East of Planter's Hill, and partially separated from it by a depression of the surface, is an elevation of land forming a prom- ontorv, which is bordered bv Weir River on its north and east- erly shores. The rocks here, finely exposed as they are along the water's edge, and exhibiting well their relation to each other, afford one of the localities the best worth visiting of any within the town. The map of course shows the development over and beneath the surface of the land as made known by the rock expos- ures ; but a statement of what may be readily observed in a walk along the margin of the water will perhaps help visitors to understand what they pass, and thus make such a trip the more interesting. At low water on the river front of the meadow that lies south of Rockv Neck, mav be seen close to the water's eds;e a small ridge of rocks which the student should especially notice, as they are composed of the basic rock Porphyrite, and no other exposure of this rock is known in Hingham. Following the shore north of the porphyrite and just where the land rises from low and marshy ground, the first rocks which appear above the surface and rest- 48 History of Hingham. ing somewhat back from the beach are conglomerates. Proceed- ing further a short distance, two dikes of diabase jut upon the beach, and not far inland may be seen to have cut through con- glomerate, the line of junction on a facing of one of them towards the water being distinctly perceptible The lirst of the dikes is about 450 feet from the porphyrite on the line of the beach, and the second about 40 feet further. The former of these will be more particularly mentioned before the close of these remarks upon Rocky Neck. Beyond the dikes, extending over the beach and along the shore for 350 feet or more, is a confused mixture of melaphyr with other rocks, petrosilex, porphyrite, granite, quartz- ite, etc. In portions the melaphyr forms with them a conglom- erate of which it is by far the larger part. Other portions can hardly be designated as conglomerate, being apparently the result of the intrusion of the melaphyr in a molten state among pebbles and masses unconsolidated, and absorbing them in its substance, each being now found surrounded entirely by the melaphyr. It is in this portion of the rock of the shore that there is found much good red jasper, affording cabinet specimens of some beauty. The formation of this was clearly due to the chemical action arising from the union of the molten melaphyr with the material invaded. There are some veins of quartz found in the rock and others of an impure, buff-colored epidote. Following this mixed melaphyr and conglomerate and less than 100 feet from it, is a very typical conglomerate containing peb- bles of granite, quartzite, and petrosilex. This extends about 90 feet. The jointing in this may be noticed as north and south. About 80 feet from the conglomerate, melaphyr appears and extends for the considerable distance of about 500 feet. In it may be seen veins of quartz and also of the yellowish, opaque epidote mentioned above as occurring in the mixed melaphyr and conglomerate, but in far greater abundance. This melaphyr at its termination abuts directly against conglomerate, the line of demarcation being distinct and nearly vertical, though in places this does not clearly appear. There is undoubtedly a fault here. The conglomerate from the junction of the two rocks extends along the coast line about 240 feet. In this conglomerate is an east and west dike four to five feet wide. Melaphyr follows for some 50 feet or more, of a character similar to that before de- scribed as mixed with other material. A bay in the land here occurs, and crossing it westerly on the beach at low tide the visitor finds cliffs of melaphyr which form a jutting point into the water. Crossing this a second bay is reached at a distance of about 100 feet. Here the rock displays the characteristic nodules that lead to its designation as amyg- daloid. Indeed a large portion of the melaphyr of Rocky Neck is finely amygdaloidal, and affords good specimens of this variety of the rock. On the beach here there is a protruding flat surface of rock, a yard or so in diameter, on which may be seen glacial The Geology of H Ingham. 49 striae, though probably exposed there to the elements for centu- ries. These lines are northwest and southeast, and south 30° east. Other lines on a neighboring rock are northwest by west and southeast by east. On the westerly side of the bay granite appears in a high cliff towards and extending into the water. By ascending this cliff, passing over it to its western declivity and descending to the narrow beach at its base, which should be done at low tide, a dike exposure may be seen of much interest. It is what is called a double dike, the molten material having made its way to the surface within two contiguous joints in the granite. The larger portion has a width of about eight feet, the Figure No 3. smaller one about one foot, and they are separated by about one foot of the invaded rock. See Figure No. 3. This double dike slopes to the south from the vertical at an angle of 45°. This is the extreme western end, on Rocky Neck, of the dike first mentioned as appearing on the eastern shore. It does not present there VOL. I. 50 History of Hingha/m. or generally over the surface of the neck its double character be- cause obscured by the soil. Across the water of the river, on Nantasket where it reappears, it shows itself double. THE GLACIAL PERIOD. A pretty full notice of the great glacier that rested over the North, and the phenomena attendant upon its advance and final melting away, has been given in the preliminary remarks. We have now only to treat particularly of the traces left upon the surface of the town by its passage. Those who bave atten- tively read what has been expressed will understand that the decomposed material of early rock formations making up the soil of the territory of Hingham prior to the advent of the ice was largely borne away by its movement, the solid rock founda- tions being laid bare, whilst a large part of that which now forms the bills and covers the valleys was brought forward by the on- ward progress of the glacier from more northern localities. The whole of the earth tbus disturbed and redistributed is known as Drift. Much of it was materially changed in the transportation. That directly beneath the glacier, and subjected to its enormous pressure and to great friction upon the rock surfaces below, was reduced to fragments, and even to the finest particles. The masses of rock, too, which were borne on beneath the glacier, that escaped destruction, were mostly smoothed, and often striated, like the rocky strata over which they passed. The part of the drift thus subjected to the crushing and grinding action of the glacier is known as Till. The definition of this term " Till," as given by James Geikie, the author of the exceedingly valuable work, " The Great Ice Period," is " a firm, tough, unstratified stony clay, with no very large bowlders, and having stones of a peculiar shape." The stones referred to are such as are oblong without being symmetrical in outline, and which exhibit strias most often in the direction of the longest axis. Till constitutes the lowest member of the drift deposits. It is the " moraine profonde,n or " ground moraine " of foreign geologists, the " bowlder clay " of most writers, the " hard pan " of our townsmen. It owes its compact and tough character undoubtedly to the immense pres- sure of the ice. A considerable portion of the drift which was borne in the body of the glacial sheet itself, and thus escaped its grinding action, upon the final melting of the ice was spread loosely over the whole surface to a varying depth of from one to ten feet, and in some places to a much greater thickness. It is generally com- posed of gravel and sand with enclosed pebbles, and often contains an abundance of bowlders of large dimensions. Like the till, this upper drift is unstratified ; but neither the bowlders nor pebbles in it are striated, as is the case with part of those of the former. The Geology of Hingham. 51 This is often called the Upper Till. It rests upon the general surface of New England, overlying the true till where the latter exists. It is easily distinguished from it by its somewhat dif- ferent composition, containing comparatively but little clay, and being much less compact, from not having been subjected to such great pressure. Its color, too, is generally yellowish, arising from the oxidation of the iron contained in it. There is yet a third glacial deposit to be mentioned ; it is known as Modified Drift. This undoubtedly owed its origin generally to the action of rivers, which upon the melting of the ice-sheet swept over it and conveyed the rock masses, gravel, and sand, with which it was laden, to many localities where they are now found. Having thus given an account of the origin of the drift deposits and their dissemination over the surface of the land, it remains for us to present the views of those who have made a special study of glacial phenomena respecting the peculiar hills that prevail in many sections over which the ice-sheet rested, and which form a predominant feature in the topography of the town ; and also of the less elevated summits and ridges known by geologists as Karnes, which likewise present themselves prominently over a large part of its territory. The first of these, the peculiar hills referred to, are what have been called by the Irish geologists " Drumlins," a name of Irish derivation, signifying a long, rounded hill, — and by Professor Charles H. Hitchcock they have been called " Lenticu- lar Hills," from their lenslike form. We will first dwell upon these hills, upon the grooving and striation of the rocks over which the glacier advanced, and upon what are known as " pot-holes," as phenomena of the period under consideration ; postponing re- marks upon the later drift deposits and much other matter con- nected with the passing away of the ice, which will be presented when treating of the Champlain Period. DRUMLINS, OR LENTICULAR HILLS. These remarkable elevations are found in many towns of east- ern Massachusetts, but nowhere are seen to form more interesting features of the landscape than in Hingham. Baker's Hill, Otis Hill, Prospect Hill, Great Hill, Turkey Hill, and Pleasant Hill at Crow Point are all elevations of this character. They are com- posed, wherever found, mainly of the lowest member of the drift, the till, or bowlder clay, having generally but a thin deposit on their surface of the gravel and bowlders of the upper drift. They vary much in size, sometimes presenting themselves as mere hil- locks, but often found half a mile or more in length, and not infrequently over a mile. In form they are generally oval, more or less elongated, having symmetrical, rounded summits, with gen- tle slopes in the direction of their longest axes and much steeper ones laterally. In height they sometimes exceed two hundred 52 History of Hingham. feet. These hills rest on rock surfaces which have been subjected to glacial action and show striation. Now when the fact is taken into consideration that all such hills are only to be found in countries which have been covered with the ice-sheet, that their longitudinal axes always coincide, or very nearly coincide, with the direction of the stria? upon the rocks of the regions where they occur, and that they are com- posed almost entirely of till, no one can reasonably doubt that they were originally formed under and by the action of the ice- sheet itself. How the till could be raised into such hills has been a subject of much question, but there is now a general acquies cence in the view that they had their origin in the gradual and long-continued accumulation of the clay and its accompanying pebbles in certain places favorable for the aggregation of the ma- terial, in the same manner that sand-banks are formed in rivers. GROOVINGS AND STRIATION OF THE ROCKS. The rock exposures in different parts of the town show clearly the wearing away of the material, causing extensive grooves upon their surfaces, and often fine striae, which mark unmistakably the course of the glacier over them. The granite, while it exhibits the smooth, rounded outlines and the deep groovings on a grand scale, seldom shows the finer and more delicate markings as seen upon the slate and diabase. Among the localities where the stria? mov be clearly discerned are the following : — Fort Hill. — The diorite on the side of the street next the cemetery very generally exhibits stria?. An examination of these shows their direction to be as follows, — compass measurement (which measurement will be given in all cases) : — East of south 1 0° East of south 1 2° East of south 15° Lasell Street. — On the left side of this street, going south, about 1000 feet from Free street, and extending from the carriage- way to the fence, is the flat surface of a dike of diabase, upon which are very numerous stria?. Several of these examined were found to run east of south 10°. Beal's Cove, Weymouth Back River. — There is here a consid- erable exposure of slate, through which is a large dike of diabase. On both rocks stria? are abundant. Examination showed them to vary in direction as follows : — East of south 10°, J East of south 15°, >on slate. East of south 20°, ) East of south 25°, on dike rock. The Geology of Hinghmn. 53 Rocky Neck. — On a beach of the northern shore, upon diabase, are glacial strise showing a direction southeast, and also cast of south 80°. Union Street. — On the left side of Union street, 1670 feet from Lascll, and just beyond Long Bridge Lane, is a granite ledge upon which are numerous striae. Summer and Rockland streets. — Just at the corner of these streets, by the roadside, is an exposure of diabase trap, before men- tioned when treating of dikes, upon which are striae which show variation in direction as follows : — East of south 10° East of south 12° East of south 15D Weir Street. — On the right side of the roadway of this street, a short distance from the railroad-crossing, is an exposure of dio- rite showing striae running — East of south 5° East of south 1CP INDIAN POT-HOLES, OR GIANTS' KETTLES OF FOREIGN WRITERS. It is well known that wherever there exist waterfalls of any mag- nitude, pot-holes, so-called, are often found beneath the rushing waters, formed by the friction of stones which have been lodged in the hollows of the rock surface over which the torrent pours, and which, having a somewhat circular motion imparted to them, gradually wear away the rock, with the result of producing these singular objects. It is not surprising that when these have been found, as has often been the case, where there was nothing to indicate there had ever been a river or running stream, they should have excited alike the wonder and interest of both scientific and unscientific beholders. It should be borne in mind that the knowledge of a great conti- nental ice-sheet resting over our whole northern region is but a re- cent acquisition, and that phenomena having their origin under such a condition of things could not possibly be understood previously by the most learned of observers. ' The ideas of the unlearned respecting such pot-holes are often ludicrous. With our own people they have been regarded as the work of the Indians, and where found have been called Indian Pot- Holes, from the thought that they had been wrought for and used as cooking vessels. Abroad they have been called Giants' Kettles, undoubtedly from the belief that they were made by giants for their culinary use. The study "of glacial phenomena within a few years has thrown a flood of light upon much that was before obscure, and we now 54 History of Hingham. can well understand how pot-holes may have been formed in lo- calities remote from any water-courses of the present period by rushing- torrents through crevasses in the great ice-sheet. The pot-holes to be mentioned, though not found within the limits of Hingham, are too near its borders, and too interesting as phe- nomena of the glacial period, not to be noticed here. They are to be found in Little Harbor, Cohasset, on Cooper's Island, so- called, which however is not an island in the sense of being a body of land surrounded with water, but from its being a somewhat elevated land surrounded partly by water and partly by low, marshy ground. There is a border of rocky cliffs on the northern portion of the east coast of this island which end at a beach that separates them from other cliffs farther south ; and it is near the termi- nation of those first-mentioned and quite close to the beach that the pot-holes are found. Just before this termination there is a partial separation of the rocky mass by an opening on the water side, which, however, rapidly narrows inland but a few feet from, the water. It is on the northern side of this opening, that is, on the rock that slopes towards the south, and very near the water at low tide, that two of the holes, or what remains of them, may be readily seen when the tide is out. Of the lowest of these, and the best preserved of them, and which is designated as No. 1 in Figure No. 4, there yet remains a pot- hole in the rock which will hold water to the depth of 1 foot 9 inches, having a well- defined rim just at the sur- face of the water. The di- ameter of it at rim is 25^ inches ; below the rim 30 inches. Above this rim the whole southern side of what once formed a portion of the pot-hole is gone ; but on the northern side there remains, as a concavity in the rock, what formed a part of it, having well-worn marks up- on the surface; and these are plainly discernible for a height of four feet. From the rock sloping away rapid- ly above, it is very probable that even these traces, wheh •I prove a depth of six feet, do not give the whole of that of the original vessel when it was intact. Exterior to this pot-hole the tide sinks below the level of its bottom, but at high tide all is covered. Figure No. 4. The Geology of Hingham. 55 The second pot-hole has its bottom three feet above that of the lowest one, and a perpendicular line from the centre of each shows the two to be three feet apart. The wall dividing them must have become, while yet action went on within them, very thin, and prob- ably one broke into the other before it ceased altogether. The whole southern side of this second hole, which is marked/No. 2 in Figure No. 4, is gone, and water can now stand in its bottom to the depth of only about two inches. The concavity above this, which formed the northern portion of the hole, exhibiting as it does a well-worn surface of three feet in width, shows that it must have been as large as or larger than the first. This concavity can be discerned to the height of live feet, where further traces are lost ; but, as is the case with No. 1, the whole depth of the pot-hole may have been much greater than what is indicated. The slope of what remains of the walls of these holes shows that the flow of water over the rock surfaces was from the northwest. That of No. 2 approximates to 30° from that direction towards the southeast. Of No. 3, so designated in Figure No. 4, there is but little to be said except that it is small and shallow. It is 4 feet 9 inches above No. 2 in a northwest direction, and there may be traced from it westerly a narrow water channel about six feet in length. The fourth of the pot-holes to be mentioned is or was the largest of all, and hence has been called by the people near by the" " Well." It is designated as No. 4 in Figure No. 5. Passing over the rocky elevation in a northerly direction, it may be found about a hundred feet distant from the others, in front of a cliff which faces an opening in the rocks more immediately near the water. This pot-hole, unlike those previously mentioned, is not found on a sloping portion of rock, but is on a flat surface directly at the base of the cliff. Horizontally, the form of it is oval, and its largest diameter, which is northeast and southwest in direc- tion, is four feet, the narrowest two feet ten inches. The depth at which water is now retained is about a foot. The cliff rises nine feet high from the margin of the "Well" and ten feet from its bottom. 'The " Well " itself was probably as deep at least as ten feet, the curvature and wearing of the rock of the cliff above the present hole clearly showing this. The rocky ridge in which all these pot-holes or kettles are found, has a height of from 20 to 25 feet, and is of granite. Besides the pot-holes of which an account has been given, there are other depressions showing distinctly a commencement of action towards their formation. Two of such may be found 20 feet in a north- erly direction from those numbered 1, 2, and 3; that is, between these and the one called the " Well," No. 4. One is shallow, appearing like the bowl of a spoon, about a foot across, show- ing, extending from it, a water-worn channel sloping easterly to the edge of the rock surface, about ten feet ; and on a lower sur- face of the same rock, another and larger depression just where 56 History of Hingham. water from the first might descend. Moreover, a large portion of the rock surface shows not only glaciation but continued water action. ■■WUfottM-M'j Figure No. 5. It is very certain that no river has ever existed in the region of the pot-holes at Cohasset to account for their existence. We are forced, therefore, to ascribe their origin to the flowing of water from the great continental glacier. Considering the shallowness of the portions of the pot-holes de- scribed on Cooper's Island remaining for our observation, and the probability that they have been visited by generations of people, both of the Indian and the white man, it is not surprising that no- thing is left of their contents in or about them. There is, however, one rounded stone in the possession of Mr. Charles S. Bates, the owner of the estate on which the pot-holes are found, which tra- dition states to have been taken from the deepest one mentioned. It is elliptical, nearly spherical, in form, — its longest diameter being about four and a half inches, its shortest four inches. Trans- versely, it is quite circular. It is of granite, not unlike that of the surrounding country. There is no reason to question the truth of the tradition. To account for the phenomena presented by the pot-holes de- scribed, it is necessary to recognize that when the great glacier The Geology of Hingluim. 57 lay over the land, many hundreds of feet in depth, during the summer, particularly towards the close of the period, rivers flowed over its surface, as they now do over the glaciers of the Alps. As there, crevasses were formed in the ice, into which the water poured and worked passages to the bottom of the great sheet, dis- charging itself in torrents, often conveying stones and other mo- raine matter to the rock surfaces below. Such passages in modern glaciers become somewhat circular in form and are hence called wells. They are also called moulins, the latter name from the noise made by the rushing waters in the ice, being not unlike that of a mill. The water, and the material conveyed by it through such wells of the great glacier of our continent, must have smoothed and worn rapidly away the rock surface on which they impinged, often causing, by the same kind of action as is witnessed under falls of water in some of our rivers, holes in the rocks like those now under consideration. Of course the action of the water and material conveyed by it would be immensely more rapid in form- ing such holes, falling, as they undoubtedly did, from a great height, and striking upon the rocks below with intense force. This would lead to the abrasion of the rock, by any rotating stones lodged in the hollows, so much more powerful than any action we know under falling waters of the present day as to render estimation of the result incalculable. It is doubtful, however, to the mind of the writer, if circum- stances often favored the formation of pot-holes directly beneath such a fall and where its full force would be felt. He is impressed with the view that if this were the case they would not be found ha vino; the form thev horizontallv present. It has, indeed, been thought strange that, as the ice moved con- tinuously on, the holes were not found generally elongated in the direction of the movement of the glacier rather than circular. Such thought, however, is only consistent with the presumption that the holes were made just where the water first fell upon the rock surface below. Far more reasonable is it to suppose that the holes were formed somewhat distant from this place, where the masses of rocks borne by the waters found a lodging in some depression, and there by rotation worked out the pot-holes. The ice might move on and the waters descend through the moulin far from where they first fell, yet continue their flow in the same direction as at first,' and go on with the work of rotating the contents of the hole through a whole season. In such case there could be, of course, no reason to expect elongation. The fact that pot-holes have been found in near proximity, and in such positions relative to each other as to show them to be apparently the result of independent falls of water, leads to a consideration of what has been noticed in the Alps. Observation upon the glaciers there shows that as a crevasse is carried for- ward by the general movement of the ice from where it received the flow of waters in the summer, and winter cuts off the supply, 58 History of Hingham. it closes, leaving only upon the surface of the glacier a mark show- ing where it had once been. Subsequently, a new one is formed just where in relation to the land at the margin of the glacier, the former one existed ; and the waters of the succeeding sum- mer again descend upon the rock surface near where they before fell, but not often, probably, in exactly the same place ; and thus other pot-holes are formed contiguous to those of a preceding sea- son, and yet far enough distant to make it evident that they were not produced by the same flow of water. Respecting the formation of the crevasses in about the same places on the ice-sheet, there can be no question but that this is due to the irregularities of the subglacial surface ; and as high ridges transverse to the direction of the glacial flow must favor their formation, it is no wonder that pot-holes are often found in the slopes of such ridges and at their bases, as in the case of those described at Cohasset. Though lenticular hills, strise upon the rocks, and pot-holes have been described as phenomena of the Glacial Period, it may be well to add that both pot-holes and striae upon rocks may in some instances have been formed in the Champlain Period, now to be presented. CHAMPLAIN PERIOD. The early part of the Champlain Period was characterized by the final melting away of the glacier. The phenomena attendant up- on the great and long continued flooding over the ice-sheet and over the surface of the land were of marked character. Un- doubtedly, there is to be ascribed to it the formation of the ridges and hillocks called Kames, and the singular hollows in the lands contiguous to these, known as " kettle-holes." Of these some ac- count will now be given. KAMES. There are found extensively over New England as well as in other regions where the great ice-sheet covered the surface, ridges of a peculiar character, which ordinarily run in a direction some- what approximate to that of the principal stria? on the rock sur- faces northwest and southeast. That is to say, the general direc- tion is this, but the variations are common, and often so like those of a stream of water in its course as to have suggested that the many rivers pouring over the glacial sheet during the prolonged period of its subsidence, cutting into its surface and receiving from it a large portion of its burden of rocky, gravelly, and sandy material, somehow led to the formation of these singular eleva- tions which have long excited the interest of beholders. The view is a reasonable one, and if such was the origin of the kames referred to, their general direction and sinuous course is readily The Geology of Hingham. 59 accounted for, as currents of water on the melting glacier would ordinarily run towards the retreating ice front. From quite a full account of the Karnes of New England by the Rev. G. P. Wright, published in the " Proceedings of the Boston Society of Natural History," Vol. XXII. , Part 2, there are several mentioned which had been traced over one hundred miles. These ridges vary in height from a few feet to nearly or quite one hun- dred, often having very steep slopes and narrow summits. Thev are composed generally of stones, gravel, and sand. It is necessary, before proceeding further, to mention that the term " kaines " is not now so restrictively used, to signify merely the long ridges of glacial material referred to above, but is made to include the numerous hills and hillocks of the same character, which are found often associated with the ridges, especially towards the termination of the ice-sheet, and, like them, deposited by the melting ice during its retreat from the surface. The ma- terial is the same and its origin the same, the only difference consisting in the method of its deposition. There are frequently found among the kame hills and hillocks, and often along the sides of the ridges, deep depressions of the surface, sometimes many acres in extent, which are known as " kettle-holes " and of which an account will be given further on. Few, if any, of the towns of the State can show more interesting mementos of the great ice period than Hingham. What with the grand lenticular hills ; the kame ridges and kame hills ; the gla- ciated and striated rocks ; the large bowlders dropped from the ice and scattered here and there over the surface ; the deep kettle-holes where masses of the ice rested, — one could scarcely ask for more. Besides all this, however, the Indian pot-holes of which a description has been given may be seen by taking a short ride to the town of Cohasset, once a part of Hingham. KAME RIDGES OF HINGHAM. One of the most interesting of the kame ridges of the town is to be found on the northern and northeastern borders of Accord Pond. Where the small structures of the Hingham Water Com- pany stand, at the margin of the pond near Whiting Street, the ridge, which was approximately continuous, is no longer so, and here are presented to view two transverse sections separated from each other for a distance of 350 feet. The direction of the kame at this place was about south-southeast, as shown by a line between the two exposed faces. Following this southern portion, it is found to skirt the pond in a somewhat irregular course, varying from cast to southeast, and ends just before reaching Hingham Street in Rockland. The northerly part of the kame, commencing 60 History of Hingham. from where it has been dug away at the line of boundary of the land of the water company, follows a somewhat serpentine course, first along the margin of the pond, southeast, and then in a north- erly direction towards Whiting Street. After crossing this street it continues in a northerly direction about 150 feet, then changing and running westerly about 320 feet, where it terminates. The whole length of the ridge is somewhat over five eighths of a mile. It is well worth visiting, being a good example of a typical kame ridge, and though generally wooded, is sufficiently open at the sum- mit to allow of free passage to pedestrians. Kames op Gushing Street. — Proceeding from Whiting Street north, through Gashing Street, the range called Breakneck Hills is at first seen at a considerable distance on the left, but these elevations gradually approach the road, and at about half a mile from Whiting Street terminate quite near to it. No sooner are these passed than there looms up on the right side of the way, in rear of a farmhouse and adjoining fields, a high and very re- markable ridge, which is well worth ascending, not only to study its construction, but because it affords quite an extensive view from its summit of the Breakneck (kame) Hills and other objects. The height of this ridge is about 80 feet, its length about 1200 feet, and the slope from the top, especially on the west side, very steep. A short distance north from the farmhouse mentioned, a great kame ridge crosses the street, the transverse sections exposed by digging the roadway through, rising high on each side. These show the base of the ridge to be about 200 feet. Its greatest height is about 100 feet. The length is greater than that of any other in Hingham, being about a mile. Its general course is east- southeast and north-northwest, but it is now so closely wooded as to make particular examination difficult. Its southerly termina- tion is quite near Gardner Street. Proceeding but a short distance further north on Cushing Street, another ridge is found to cross the road, but at a different angle from the first, its course being approximately northwest and south- cast. It consequently intersects the other at a point distant five to six hundred feet from the road, and there has its termination. In the angle between the two is a deep kettle-hole depression. This ridge extends northwest from the road between eleven and twelve hundred feet. Cushing Street passes through another kame deposit, but this is rather a hillock than a ridge, as it extends but a short distance from the road on either side. The Kames near Great Hill. — In passing through New Bridge Street towards Hobart, looking to the right may be seen, on land of Mr. F. W. Brewer, two high parallel ridges near the road, of about equal altitude, and which coalesce with each other about 900 feet from the street, by one of them — the most northerly — abruptly dividing, one branch crossing to the other ridge, the first con- tinuing beyond about 350 feet. The northerly kame crosses the mm y. The Geology of Hingham. 61 street, and its extreme length is 1825 feet. The height of these ridges is from 30 to 50 feet, with quite narrow summits, and hav- ing very sloping sides. Their composition is small stones, most- ly shingle, gravel, and sand. As seen from Great Hill, they are striking objects to the view. A view of these is given, which also shows in the distance, at the left, one of the beautifully rounded summits of a drumlin, that of Baker's Hill. A peculiarity of these kames is the fact that their direction is from west to east, thus being nearly at right angles to all others which have been referred to. This direction would be entirely inconsistent with the view that the great ice front of the glacier continued to present itself, as at an earlier period, along an un- broken line from west to east, for if so, the rivers caused by the melting glacier wTould have continued to flow south or nearly so. Mr. Upham, in endeavoring to account for deflection in the direc- tion of some of the lenticular hills described by him, makes re- marks which are quite applicable to the changed direction of the kames under notice. In writing upon the retreat of the ice-sheet in southeastern Massachusetts, he states : — " The warmth of the ocean, however, had begun to melt away the ice- fields which encroached upon its depths, more rapidly than they were driven hack upon the land, or in the shallow sounds south of New Eng- land. At their further departure it seems probable that this cause produced within the Gulf of Maine a great bay in the terminal front of the ice-sheet, so that it entirely melted away east of Massachusetts, while it remained in great depth upon all the territory except its southeast por- tion. The effect of this unequal rate of retreat would be to leave the ice upon our coast unsupported at the east side, and to cause its motion conse- quently to be deflected towards the vacant area." This view being taken as a correct one, it will be at once recog- nized that the direction of the ice movement itself would be also approximately that of the rivers that poured over it, and conse- quently of the kames formed by the ddbris washed into the river- beds from the glacier. There is not wanting other evidence than that here suggested to sustain the view that in eastern Massachusetts the onward movement of the ice changed towards the close of the Glacial Period from the normal southeast direction to one more east, as a second series of stria? are found on some of our rock exposures attesting this. Another remarkable system of kame ridges exists at the north- west extremity of Hingham, extending more than 3000 feet along the west side of Stoddard's Neck, and across Beal Street near the bridge over Weymouth Back River, from thence southward to a little indentation just north of Beal's Cove. These ridges run in a general north and south direction, although winding and branch- ing considerably south of Beal Street. On Stoddard's Neck the heavily wooded ridge varies from 50 to 75 feet in height ; on the west side above it is quite abrupt. South of Beal Street the steep 62 History of Hingham. ridges are about 50 feet high. There is another low ridge on the east side of Stoddard's Neck, and on the south side of Beal Street are several small ridges and kame hills, besides the high serpen- tine kames. A kame ridge of considerable length borders the western shore of Fulling-Mill Pond, and another skirts its southern shore. The first-named extended several years ago to the street line, but has been dug away 50 or 60 feet. The direction of this kaine is gen- erally north and south, varying in some portions toward the east and west of north, and its length is nearly 2000 feet. Its width at base is some 150 feet, and its highest elevation about 50 feet. Somewhat less than 1500 feet south from its northerly termination another ridge runs west at a right angle from this one, for a dis- tance of 750 feet, having an elevation of 25 feet, in places, and a basal width of 150 feet. Beyond these ridges, to the southward, are numerous kame hills, so covered by forest growth as to obscure observation. Still fur- ther away, especially east and southeast, are hills of this charac- ter, of considerable elevation. THE KAME HILLS AND HILLOCKS OF HINGHAM. The range called Breakneck Hills, which crosses Whiting Street some distance north of Cushing, and extends southwest half a mile or more, is a great kame deposit, the material of it not differ- ing from that of the kame ridges. The width of the range varies somewhat, but averages perhaps 1000 feet. The average height is about 50 feet. A very considerable depression of the surface ex- ists along the north side of the range, followed by other approx- imately parallel elevations, with depressions alternating for a considerable distance, of the same general character but less prominent. The long range of hills lying nearly parallel with, and north of the Old Colony Railroad, between North and East Weymouth, though outside the limits of Hingham, may well be mentioned here, as these hills can hardly fail to attract the attention of trav- ellers by the railroad, as they pass within full sight of them. These are kame elevations, and owe their origin to the great continental glacier. The general direction of this range is west-northwest and east-southeast. The separate kame hills and hillocks cover a very considerable portion of the surface, especially in the southern and western sec- tions of the town, where they present conspicuous features in the landscape. This is the case on the territory bordering French Street, from Hobart to High, and on High Street west. Here may be seen an area almost entirely covered with hills and hillocks, having many kettle-hole depressions among them. The same may be said of much of the territory bordering Main Street, from Cushing Street to Prospect Street, and some distance beyond. The The Geology of Hingham. 63 road indeed runs through and over hillocks of kame material until reaching' Prospect Street, where the surface becomes more level, and so continues until near Whiting Street. The kame elevations of Hingham are by no means limited to the ridges and the rounded hills that cover so large a portion of its sur- face. They indeed present themselves sometimes in extensive de- posits that can hardly be included under the head of either. One such is of so marked a character, and has such remarkable propor- tions, as may make particular mention of it desirable. This is to he found southwest from Great Hill, bordering the south side of Hobart Street, along which it extends irregularly. It may proper- ly be designated as table land, being of a height varying from 30 to 50 feet, and having at top a flat surface. It measures in length east and west about half a mile, and has a width of from 500 to 1000 feet. Its sides are very steep, and are thickly covered with trees. At the south side of it is a large kettle-hole, which is par- tially embraced in the kame limits by an extension of an arm from the main body. As a sketch of the kame, however rough, will give a better idea of its singular contour than any description, one is presented on the map of the town. The country about this interesting kame is well worth the ob- servation of those who would know of glacial phenomena in Hing- ham. North is Great Hill, one of the large drumlins, or lenticular hills, and south of it to High Street, and indeed far beyond, the country is covered with kame ridges and hillocks of irregular size and shape. The effect upon the surface of the town by the distribution of kame material was much greater than that caused simply by its deposit in hills, ridges, and other elevations, for it is likely that all these contain scarcely one half the whole quantity resting over its area. Temporary lakes formed by barriers of ice and other mat- ter, together with the flow of the waters, undoubtedly led to such spread of the gravel and sand as to result in the formation of the extensive plains that form at different levels so large a por- tion of the territory. This was not all, for great bodies of it were deposited in such depressions of the general surface as to choke up the water-courses. There is no doubt in the mind of the writer that our principal stream, that of Weir River, pursued its way in pre-glacial times through a very different channel from that it now follows, and instead of turning east of north as it does at Hing- ham Centre just before reaching Leavitt Street, and finally enter- ing the sea between World's End and Hull, it discharged itself directly into Hingham Harbor, which then was open to the spread of its waters but a few hundred feet from where the river takes an eastward course as mentioned. It is due to Prof. W. 0. Crosby to state that he suggested the probability of this to the writer, and that subsequent examination by both revealed to us that an extensive kame deposit here had caused the river, which had flowed for some distance directly north, to make the detour mentioned. 64 History of Hingham. KETTLE-HOLES. Intimately connected with the kames are depressions in the surface, sometimes of considerable depth, which have received this name. Their origin, formerly a puzzle to students of glacial phenomena is no longer so, as nature has been detected in the very act of their formation. From observations of Dr. G. F. Wright upon the glaciers of Alaska, he found tbat when a con- siderable surface of a melting ice-sheet had been covered over to any depth with earth material, rocks, pebbles, and sand, the ice thus prevented from melting beneath remained intact, whilst all more exposed over the field sunk away and finally disappeared. The result of this would be to leave a great mass, sometimes of large area, to settle as the glacier retreated from it, with enormous weight upon the subsoil below. Here it would remain until melt- ed, and it might require the heat of many summers to effect its entire dissolution, protected as it would be from the sun's rays by its earthy covering. As, however, the melting progressed, this covering matter would necessarily slide down around its margin, producing ridges and hillocks of material the forms of which would be more or less modified by the running water from the ice as it dissolved away. With the accumulated quantity of mat- ter thus deposited, the resting-place of the ice mass would be much below the surrounding surface. After knowing the results of Dr. Wright's investigations, it may be confidently stated that there can be no longer any reasonable doubt concerning the origin of these depressions. THE PASSING AWAY OF THE ICE-SHEET. Some suggestions respecting the kame ridges, the kame hills, and the kettle-holes may well be presented in remarks upon the passing away of the great ice-sheet that had for ages covered the land. The reality of the ice spread over the whole North, where previously for millions of years a tropical climate had prevailed ; its increase until it hid from the sun's rays the summits of all but the highest mountain-peaks ; its onward grand movement so fruitful of great results, bearing as it did upon and within it the material of the present hills and valleys ; and its final melting away, leaving an entirely remodelled surface, — are no longer questions for discussion. Let us therefore contemplate what the condition of the glacier was, particularly when passing away, first briefly referring to what was probable at an earlier date. The question sometimes presents itself to mind why, with the o:.ward movement of the ice for many thousands of years, was not all the loose material of the previously decayed rocks borne to its termination long before the change that led to its passing away, thus preventing its spreading over the land in its retreat such immense quantities of material now forming the surface in this The Geology of Hingham. 65 region, and constituting the innumerable kame hills and hillocks that diversify the landscape. In considering this question, it should be borne in mind that with the gradual increase of the ice in an epoch of intense cold, there could probably have been but little flooding of the elevated regions, and consequently less disturbance of the loose material than in a later age. Consideration of this may result in the view that the glacier during the greater part of its existence had less to do with the transportation of the kame material than when passing away, aided as it then was by the torrents of water that (lowed over its surface and swept the hills of all movable matter, as they emerged from the melting ice. The writer is strongly in- clined to this view, as it will satisfactorily account for the immense quantity of stones, gravel, and sand borne upon and deposited by the glacier when it finally disappeared from the surface. Now let us picture to ourselves if we can the probable state of things over and about this town when the ice-sheet had become reduced from possibly thousands of feet in thickness to a few hundred, bearing upon it great quantities of transported material, and having floods of water pouring over it and in its channels such as the world could never before have witnessed. Let us recog- nize, too, that its water-courses were being gorged with stones, gravel, and sand, and that vast collections of these were protecting great areas of the ice from the sun's rays, often causing the chan- nels of water to deviate from their normal course in seeking new channels. Let us note, too, that the great bodv of the ice itself had by lessened continuity ceased its onward movement, and we shall find reasons for all we see and wonder at in the marvellous diversity of the present surface over large portions of this territory. Where great areas of the glacier by the protecting debris were kept intact for a long period when that about them had melted away, there would be found about each such area, as before stated in treating of the formation of kettle-holes, hills and hillocks formed by the falling of the gravel and sand from its summit, more or less modified by the melting ice ; and when all the ice had melted there would remain a deep depression such as we now know as kettle-holes. Where channels existed of any length, and these became filled with the sand and gravel, there would be formed ridges ; and when large areas of the ice first melted away, the material flooded into these areas would form hills and ranges of hills such as we now find occupying a considerable portion of our territory. It will be readily recognized that, though the course of the chan- nels of the surface and in the glacier was generally the same as that of the movement of the ice-sheet itself, and consequently the ridges formed would be now found having a like direction, yet when, by the clogging of the channel's unequal melting, the water was forced to deviate, the ridges formed would present themselves varying much from the normal direction, as they now do in regions VOL. I. 5 66 History of Hingham. approximating to the termination of the great ice-sheet. Some of our ridges, notably those of Great Hill, have an east-west direction, such as it is supposed the glacier itself had near its closing period over eastern Massachusetts ; but others or portions of others vary so as to be found running in every direction. BOWLDERS. Bowlders are found scattered over all parts of the North within the region occupied by the ice, having been borne by it from more northern positions than those they now occupy. With a knowl- edge of the direction of the movement of the glacier, they can often be traced to the locality whence they came. A marked instance, often cited by geologists, and previously mentioned in the preliminary remarks upon the glacial period, is that of bowlders found south of Providence, of a character readily recognized, being those of a porphyritie iron ore from a well- known bed at Cumberland, R. I. They exist in the soil or upon the surface for a distance of thirty-five miles or more in the direc- tion mentioned, but are never found in any other. So of all bowlders found. If of distinctive character, they are often recog- nized as belonging to rock formations north, sometimes more tban a hundred miles distant. They vary much in size, from cobble-stones to masses of enor- mous magnitude, such as it is hard to realize have been trans- ported great distances. There are none in Hingham equal in dimensions to those found elsewhere. One of the largest ob- served by the writer is in woods bordering Rockland Street, but a few feet from the road upon the right side going east, not far from the foot of Old Colony Hill. It is of granite and measures nineteen feet in length, sixteen in width, and seventeen in height = 5,168 cubic feet. The weight of this must be over 430 tons. Some large masses have become detached from the main body and these are included in the estimate of size and weight. Large as this bowlder is, it is small compared with one in the town of Madison, N. II., which measures 75 X 40 X 30 feet = 90,000 cubic feet, and which consequently weighs over 7,500 tons. Great numbers of bowlders are found together in certain locali- ties of this town, the most notable of which is that of the south- western slope of Prospect Hill, where they cover a large portion of the surface. On the northeast slope of Otis Hill are a few bowlders which call for particular notice from the fact that they are of granite and that no rock of this kind occurs north of the hill less than fifteen miles distant. The ice therefore must have transported them at least as far as that and possibly very much farther. There is a bowlder now to be seen in what was once an exten- sive kame hill known as Cobb's Bank, which is fast disappearing by being dug away. The bowlder projects from the face of the cliff The Geology of Hingham. 67 and shows the more from its color contrasting strongly with that of the surrounding material. It is of deep-red granite. Its front face measures about eight feet across horizontally, is six feet high, and the upper surface from the front to the cliff which holds it is six feet. It probably does nut extend much farther back into the gravel, as this slopes from the rear to the front so as to give it support without such extension. As bowlders of this size are very rarely found in kame deposits, it has much interested geolo- gists. See Figure No. 6. Figure No. 6. One of the most interesting bowlders to visit in this neighbor- hood, though just beyond the town limits, may well be mentioned here. It is to be found on the left side of Derby Street, a short distance from the line that divides South Weymouth from Hing- ham. It is upon a high rock declivity where it was deposited by the ice many thousands of years ago, and where it will remain as 68 History of Hingham. many thousands more in all probability, unless vandal hands of man shall disturb its long repose. See Figure No. 7. Figure No. 7. At Huit's Cove, on laud formerly belonging to General Benja- min Lincoln, is a large bowlder of conglomerate, somewhat rec- tangular in form, which is about fifteen feet long, eight feet wide, and ten feet high. A measurement around its sides and end-; UTive a circumference of about 48 feet. RECENT PERIOD. Little can be said of the immediate effect of the great change that ushered in the earlier era of this period, a change arising, so far as can be now known, by the re-elevation of the land from the Arctic Circle south to about the latitude of Northern Massachu- setts. This rise of the land has been before mentioned, and fig- ures showing the degree of elevation at various points have been given. The magnitude of this was such as to have produced un- doubtedly a much colder climate over the country even far south of New England, and to this was probably due the destruction of the huge animals that had for nges roamed over the Continent from its most southern limits to the Arctic region. In Europe two eras of this period have been recognized, — the first characterized by a second advance of the Glacial sheet, The Geology of Hingham. 69 which led man)r Arctic species of animals to extend themselves south to the Mediterranean, among them the reindeer, and this era has hence been called the Reindeer Era, while the latter part of the period has been called the Modern Era. As there has been no evidence produced showing a second ad- vance of the Glacier in America such distinction does not apply here. We will embrace therefore what is further to be said under the heading of the Modern Era. MODERN ERA. Before limiting remarks to what appertains alone to the terri- tory of Hingham, it may be well to express a few words here upon changes of the era that have occurred in other regions, and which are of general interest. Among such changes may be instanced those that have taken place by elevation and depression of the earth's surface. It has been demonstrated by investigations made for the government of Sweden that the coasts of that country and of Finland have been slowly rising for the past one or two centuries. On the other hand, as is well known, a slow subsidence has been going on in Greenland during the past four centuries, for hundreds of miles along the coast, where in places the buildings of the early inhabi- tants have been found submerged. The Geologist of New Jersey. Mr. G. II. Cook, became satisfied from his investigations that a slow depression of the surface along the coasts of that State, and also along the coasts of Eong Island and Martha's Vineyard, had been in progress since the occupation of the country by the white man. An immense subsidence has been taking place over a large area of the Pacific Ocean which has carried beneath the waves hun- dreds of islands to the depth of thousands of feet. These in- stances are only given as indications of changes that are occurring extensively over perhaps a large portion of the globe. The extinction of species of life has been going on during this era as in earlier periods, accelerated undoubtedly by the agency of man. The cases of the Eodo and of the Solitaire in the islands of the Indian Ocean, of the Dinornis of New Zealand, of the ^Epyornis of Madagascar, and of the Great Auk of the North Sea, and of the coasts of Labrador, Maine, and Massachusetts, may be cited among birds. A noted instance of destruction tending fast to extinction is that of the noble animal of the western wilds, the Bison. At the time of the settlement of the country by the white man, immense herds roamed over territory extending from Mexico far north into British America, and from the Rocky Mountains east to the At- lantic, nearly or quite all of which have been annihilated, not so much by the reasonable requirements of civilization as by the 70 History of H Ingham. brutality of such as find sport in wanton slaughter of their unre- sisting victims, that they may boast of the numbers slain by their skill and prowess. Of vegetable species, some of the noblest are doomed to destruc- tion through the cupidity and recklessness of man. Of the early extinction of that giant of the California forests, the Sequoia, or Redwood, Dr. Asa Gray expressed himself as certain. We will now dwell upon the phenomena of the Modern Era of the Recent Period as presented in Hingham. At its advent vegeta- ble and animal life had spread over the surface, and the land was again undoubtedly clothed with verdure. In the low and swampy grounds peat-producing plants had extended themselves, while upon all the higher elevations shrubs and trees had sprung up and covered the earth with dense forests, under the shadow of which the gentle deer and other herbivorous species found suste- nance and safe retreats, and where, too, carnivorous beasts, the bear, the wolf, and others sought their prey. Notwithstanding the fact stated that since the re-elevation of the land that ushered in the Recent Period, it has remained very nearly stationary, yet there is much to show change, — mostly, however, caused by irruption of the sea and consequent destruction of barriers that protected the land from the waters. Within the memory of the writer a considerable body of peaty matter, sev- eral feet in thickness, rested upon the land below high-water mark in Huit's Cove, which of course was formed there when its whole area was an inland swamp. Many Hingham people will remember the peat swamp cut through between WTeir River Village and Hull Street when Rock- land Street was laid out and made, and particularly the huge trunks of trees that were found in the peat, some of which may yet be seen along the margin of the road. This whole territory had long been inundated with salt water at high tide, but it needs no argument to show that this could not have been so when the locality was congenial for the growth and development of the plants that formed the peat and the trees that flourished there. It would be interesting to fix the time when man first appeared in this locality, but this can never be known. It may be sur- mised, however, that it was not long after the commencement of the Modern Era, as he certainly existed upon the continent, and primitive man naturally made his home on the borders of rivers and about the inlets of the ocean, because of the nutriment easily obtained from the waters for his subsistence. The most that can be learned concerning the earliest inhabi- tants of the territory of Hingham, must be from the relics found in their graves, and from the tools and implements they used, found scattered in the soil, or in shell heaps about their habi- tations. So far as these have been examined there is no evidence of the existence of any race preceding the one found here when the white man first appeared. The Geology of Hingham. 71 Some account of investigations made to learn more than was known of the Indians of Hingham, and some mention of chance discoveries yielding information concerning the animals that were contemporary with them, will now be given. REMAINS OF AN EARLY PERIOD FOUND IN HINGHAM. In a shell heap on World's End there were found several years since by Professor Spencer F. Baird, Dr. Thomas M. Brewer, Mr. Francis W. Brewer, and others, bones of the Goose Fish, — Lophius piscatorius, Linn., Cod, — Gadus collar ins, Linn., with many of unknown fishes. Birds belonging to several species, large and small, but not recogniz- able. Deer, — Cariacus virginianus (Bodd), Gray. Foxes, — Vu/pes vulgaris, pennsylvanicus (Bodd), Coues. Otter. — Lutra canadensis, Turton. Red Squirrel, teeth of, — Scinrus hudsonius, Pallas. Beaver, teeth of, — Castor Jiber, canadensis (Linn.), Allen. Besides the bones, there were several pieces of pottery orna- mented by dots and lines. One deer bone was finely pointed apparently for use as an awl. The most of these relics were found on beds of charcoal. As the Indian went no farther for food than he could help, it may reasonably be inferred that the animals whose bones are men- tioned were found in the immediate neighborhood. In 1868 Professor Spencer F. Baird, Professor Jeffries Wyman, Mr. Fearing Burr, Dr. Thomas M. Brewer, and others, including the writer, joined in a party for the purpose of exploration at a known burial-place of the aborigines on the slope of Atlantic Hill near Nantasket Beach. The hill had been much duo: awav for roadways, and bones had been frequently found there with other relics, such as broken pottery, axes, chisels, etc. From what had been obtained by previous parties, and from what little was procured by the persons above-mentioned, it was manifest that the burials were comparatively recent. The best evidence that the locality was used as a place of sepulture since the advent of the white man, was the fact that among undoubted specimens of aboriginal art were quite as undoubted specimens of the skill of the European, notably in fragments of brass imple- ments such as kettles or pans. Wishing if possible to examine a burial-field where evidence of greater antiquity would be conclu- sive, the party proceeded to the slope of a declivity, facing south towards Weir River Bay, where numerous circular depressions on 72 History of Hingham. the surface indicated the ancient graves of the Indian. The writer will confess to a feeling somewhat repulsive as we com- menced digging open the resting-places of the dead and exposing their remains to the rude gaze of the alien race that had sup- planted them in the land the}- loved. This feeling did not how- ever last long, after finding that there were but few human remains to be disturbed ; for nearly all that had composed their corporeal forms in life, the flesh, the sinews, and the bones, had alike been, for a long period perhaps, resolved into their original elements, leaving but few traces behind. There was not found in the first grave opened a single relic of humanity. Much more care was taken in opening the second, the earth being very thinly scraped away as excavation was made downwards, every ounce being closely examined. In this one, strange to say, a part of the occiput of a skull was soon disinterred, which, however, was t >o far gone for preserva- tion, and some inches below, teeth of the body that had been placed here ; but not another bone or part of a bone of the whole skeleton. All had disappeared. The burial posture of the dead had been a sitting one, as shown by the fact that at a proper dis- tance from the surface there was found a collection of shells, all of which had been undoubtedly placed about the person in the posture stated. The investigators had indeed come upon the resting-place, with- out doubt, of such as had lived and died before, and perhaps long before, the foot of the white man impressed itself upon the soil. In swampy land brought under cultivation by Mr. John R. Brewer on the margin of Weir River a pair of deer's antlers and several rib bones were dug up. The corrugation on the antlers and the basal ring is perfect; the antlers measure in circumference 2| inches, and though the tips and prongs are broken off, their length on the outside curve is 11 inches. At another locality on Mr. Brewer's land not far from the foot of Martin's Lane, there was dug from low mendow-hmd, formerly a swamp, a pair of antlers attached to a part of the skull. A pine cone and several stone implements were found in the same ground not far distant. The writer has thought it well to state what little he has con- cerning the North American Indian in Hingham, confining himself simply to the fact of his existence upon these shores in the modern era, at a somewhat remote period before the occupancy of the white man, and incidentally mentioning some of the implements used by him in obtaining sustenance, as well as some of the ani- mals that were contemporary with him. What else relates to him. his life in war and in peace, what his association with our fathers, and through what causes he disappeared from the land, — all this belongs to the historian of human events, and it is hoped that he will be able to glean from records of the past much that yet re- mains unknown. The Geology of H Ingham. 73 Let us emphasize to our minds some of the changes in tin* past that we may the mure readily appreciate their surprising character. Those who have followed the writer in his attempt to portray past events in the history of this locality have been led 1o contem- plate it, at first, only as an undistinguished part of a molten globe wheeling with immense velocity through space about its parent sun, and gradually through countless ages cooling and tending to- wards consolidation. A second view, millions of years later, though immensely remote in the past from our own period, presents a very different scene. The earth has become incrustcd and the land and the waters di- vided ; the atmosphere is hot and murky by exhalations from the surface ; and corrosive rains descend upon the primeval rocks, dis- integrating their substance and washing it into the waters, where it is forming the first sedimentary strata of the planet. There is no life discernible, for conditions favorable to life do not exist on the gradually developing world. The third striking view in the order of events long after pre- sents the dry land of our territory limited to the area where now arc found the granitic rocks, and this land borders waters of an extensive basin, in which is being slowly deposited the sediment of rivers, and upon this sediment, which is of clayey matter may be seen moving forms of life ; for the Period is the Primordial, and trilobites abound in great numbers along the coast margin in its shallow waters. The next view is yet more striking ; for the whole surface of the land bordering the basins along the coast of the territory now of H high am and Nantasket is disturbed by violent igneous action, and volcanoes in active operation are pouring from their craters vast floods of lava over large areas of the surface. Many, very many millions of years more elapse before another glimpse is vouchsafed of this locality. Its characteristics arc not distinctly seen, but by a clear view of the landscape of the neigh- borhood and over a vast portion of the land, we recognize that they could not differ from those of the other regions. It is in the great Carboniferous Period, and tropical heat prevails even to the Arctic. The air is heavy with carbon, and gigantic trees and other plants, of a character now known only in the Torrid Zone, grow profusely over the surface. The next view presented is the marvellous one that has been dwelt upon, that of ice covering not only this territory but extend- ing from the Arctic Circle, far south and east, into the waters of the Atlantic, there dropping off icebergs as is now the case from the margins of the great ice-sheet of Greenland. We take another and a last retrospective view of the locality destined to be our abode. It is in the early part of the present era. Vegetable and animal life have again spread over the ter- ritorv. The Indian roams in the forests hunting deer and other 74 History of Hingham. animals, and he fishes from his bark canoe in the same waters where are now found the boat and the rod of the white man. A panorama truly of wonderful scenes, such as well may stagger belief in minds not accustomed to geological research, but which in the main can be as satisfactorily demonstrated as any events in human progress. If such contemplations incline us to dwell upon the insignifi- cance of Man, we have only to turn our thoughts to his great achievements to be astonished by their grandeur. Compared with the universe of matter, he is indeed, physically, but as a grain of sand, or a mote in the sunbeam, to a revolving world ; but as an intellectual and conscious being, he is more than all the mate- rial universe, in the great creation of God. Atom as he is on the earth he inhabits, time and space alike yield to him secrets unrevealed, so far as known, to other created intelligence. He turns over the strata of the earth as leaves of a book ; reads the record of thousands and millions of years, and the his- tory of the world he stands on is known to him. He directs his thoughts to the distant spheres in the infinitude of space, he weighs them as in a balance, he measures them, and their weight and size are alike revealed to him. He even asks of them their composi- tion, and lo ! they answer in letters of light on an instrument of his handiwork. He studies their motions and the velocities of their movements, and predicts with unerring certainty where in the canopy of the heavens they will be found long after his own mortal being shall have crumbled to dust. Well may he exclaim : " Thou hast indeed made man but little lower than the angels. Feeble and weak though he be, yet as the creature of Thy hand, endowed with power to comprehend something of Thy works, by no means to be despised." MINERALOGY. BY THOMAS T. BOUVK In view of erroneous ideas prevalent in the minds of many, a few remarks of a general character concerning minerals may not be out of place. It should be understood that mineral bodies are not limited to those of a stony nature, but that they embrace everything of an inorganic character that is found within or at the surface of the earth. This definition therefore includes not only all Rocks, Pebbles, Sands, and Clays, but even Water, and the Gases that form the atmosphere. Temperature alone determines the condi- tion of inorganic bodies so far as relates to their being Solid, Liq- uid, or Gaseous ; and at a low degree Ice is as much a rock as is Granite or any other solid earthy material. Raise the tempera- ture enough and all matter becomes Liquid or Gaseous. No one but admits Quicksilver to be a metal because at the ordinary temperature of the atmosphere it remains a fluid. Not an uncommon thing is it to meet persons who think that stones grow like organized beings ; and often this view is supposed by them to be fully demonstrated by the statement that after plow- ing a field and picking out, as they believe, about all the stones in the soil, they find quite as many as they first did when again plowing the same field a few years later. It is difficult sometimes to convince such persons that they are wrong. Of course there is no such thing as inward development of a stone, as is the case with organic life, and there is no possibility of a pebble or other rock mass in the soil adding one atom to its substance. There is often enlargement, where a rock is forming by accretion, as when hot waters containing carbonate of lime deposit it on that already formed, or when mountain rivulets that have taken up iron from decomposing rocks in their course, deposit this from time to time as a bog ore in marshy grounds. So in caverns, waters saturated with carbonate of lime dripping into them from above, form stalactites and stalagmites, slowly constructing the beautiful columns that are seen in the Mammoth, the Luray, and many other caves of our country. 76 History of Hingham. In all these cases it may in a sense be called growth, but there is no relation between it and the growth of animals and plants. It is increase by additions to the surface. Thus far mineral bodies have been mentioned. The rocks of the earth are generally composed of aggregations of minerals, as Granite, of Quartz, Orthoclase, and Mica ; and Diorite, of Oligoclase and Hornblende. Let us now consider briefly what a mineral species is. A mineral is a homogeneous, inorganic substance, either simple in containing but one element, as Sulphur, Carbon, Gold, Iron, Copper, Quicksilver, and the other native metals, or a compound of elements which have been united bv laws as immutable as those that govern the motions of the planets, or any others that act in the universe. To recognize this clearly is to awaken an interest in inorganic matter that tends to enlarge one's conceptions of the whole material world. The writer will refer to one or two mineral bodies as illustrations of the law of combinations. Quartz is a compound of two elements, Silicon and Oxygen, united in the proportion of three atoms of Oxygen to one of Sili- con, and these proportions never vary. The resultant substance, Quartz, or pure Silica, can and does unite as an acid with very many bases, which in relation to it act as alkalies, forming the greater portion of all known minerals ; and these unions are always governed by the law of definite proportions. Take Carbon. This appears as a native mineral in the Dia- mond ; but it appears also combined with Oxygen, forming Car- bonic Acid, in the proportion of one atom of Carbon to two of Oxygen. This Carbonic Acid, in its turn, unites with a large number of basic substances, forming carbonates of Iron, Copper, and very many others, always in definite proportions. Nothing more can be said here of the chemical unions by which minerals are produced ; but something must be added relative to the law of crystallization, by which particles of the mineral as formed are drawn together, and led to arrange themselves in crystals such as we see in nature. No one can behold these beautiful objects without admiration, and this is greatly increased in those who know something of the forces which lead to their development. Crystals of the mineral species have been rightly characterized as the flowers of the inorganic world. To have some idea of their formation, let the reader's mind consider the phenomena attend- ing the cooling of a hot saturated solution of any salt. As the water loses its heat, the particles of salt, in forming, will at once by attraction be drawn together, and the molecules will arrange themselves by the law of crystallization in well-defined forms, — if common salt, in cubes ; if alum, in octahedrons. If the water contains several salts, one will be found generally to have a ten- dency to crystallize before the others, and may be thus formed about any substance placed in the solution ; and subsequently crys- Mineralogy. 77 tals of the others will form upon the first and adhere to it, and these in turn will have others added to them. Let us now consider what has heen going on in nature. Fis- sures have been formed, by earthquake action or otherwise, extend- ing upwards through the rocky strata ; and the hot waters of thermal springs, holding in solution mineral elements dissolved from the rocks in deep recesses of the earth, have risen upwards, and losing more or less of their heat as they passed through the colder rocks towards the surface, have deposited minerals upon the. walls, one species often succeeding another. Thus were de- posited the magnificent crystallizations of Quartz, Fluor Spar, Galena, Carbonate of Lime, and other species from Cumberland and Derbyshire in Great Britain, specimens of which may be seen in the Hingham Public Library. Minerals are not only found to have been produced in liquid solutions containing their elements, but they are also produced whenever a molten condition of matter allows of the free move- ment of its particles ; consequently the elements of an igneous rock, as they cool in coming to the surface, will tend to aggre- gate themselves according to their chemical affinities, and to arrange themselves in crystals ; but the cooling being generally too rapid for this, we have, as in granite, only an aggregation of im- perfect crystals. With these very general remarks upon minerals, intended only as a very partial presentation of the matter, the writer will call attention to the few that are found in Hingham. The larger portion of these have been already mentioned in the Geology of the town as constituents of the rocks, namely, Quartz, Mica, Hornblende, Augite, Orthoclase, and Oligoclase. Quartz may be otherwise referred to than as a component part of a rock, as it appears forming veins in every part of the town ; and in cavities of these veins have been found some beautiful but small crystals of Amethyst, which is a variety of Quartz. Jasper, another variety of the same mineral species, is found at Rocky Neck, as stated in the Geology of that locality. Other minerals, not of the Quartz family, are — Pyrite (Sulphide of Iron), which often appears in small cubic crystals in the Trap rocks. Chalcopyrite (Sulphide of Copper), which has been found dis- seminated in a vein of Quartz. Molybdenite (Sulphide of Molybdenum), observed in small scales in granite blasted from a ledu-e on the line of the Nantasket Rail- road, near Weir River. Epidotc, often found at and near the junction of Trap with Granite, sometimes exhibiting slight crystallization. It also occurs, of an impure character, in veins at Rocky Neck. Calcite (Carbonate of Lime), found in digging a ditch on the line of and near Burton's Lane, where some rock was blasted 78 History of Hingham. below the surface having veins of Calcite. Specimens may be seen in the Geological Collection of the Public Library. One of them is a good example of vein structure. The rock is a decom- posed Diabase. Calcite is also found as pebbles in the Conglom- erate rock of Huit's Cove. Limonite (Bog Iron Ore), which has been dug up in consider- able masses from the low land of Mr. Francis W. Brewer, near Great Hill. Specimens of this may be seen in the collection of the Public Library. It may be confidently stated that there are no indications of mineral deposits in any part of the town that would justify exploration. NOTES ON ANIMAL LIFE. BY THOMAS T. BOUVE. There was in the minds of many people o'f the town a desire that not only its geology and botany should be presented in the proposed history, but that an account of its animal life should be given. The full accomplishment of such an undertaking would have required the labor of a large corps of naturalists many years, and the expense would have been enormous. To do this was therefore impracticable. Inasmuch, however, as considerable changes have been going on in the fauna of the territory within the present century, and more may be expected in the future, the writer, to meet the probable wishes of the living as well as those of future generations who may seek to know what forms of life have been and passed away, has thought it desirable to mention a few that were contemporary with the inhabitants of the town in a past period and are not now to be found, or which were common and are now seldom seen. The rare visits of some species never resident here will also be alluded to. So far as relates to marine life a few general remarks mav not be superfluous before referring to any species that live or have lived in the waters of the harbor. The encircling arm of Hull as it stretches itself far out in the ocean from the main land, shelters the harbor of the town from the heavy seas that often prevail outside that barrier, and thus exerts a considerable influence upon its fauna and flora, inasmuch as many forms of life, both animal and vegetable, which naturally exist in the sands and upon the exposed rocks of the open sea, find no home in the more placid waters within. While this influ- ence is generally of a character to lessen the number of species of invertebrate animals and of marine plants found on the shores of the town, it may also be said that some few are protected that would perish if exposed to the full action of the storms that strike the outer coast. The results are that very few of the mollusks which strew the beach at Nantasket after a storm have ever been found within the limits of the harbor of Hingham. On the other 80 History of Hlngham. hand, without the sheltering protection of the headlands of the harbor on the east, the common clam, which has been of inesti- mable value alike to savage and civilized man, would have been comparatively unknown. This and other species of the lower forms of life will be more particularly referred to after mention- ing- some of the higher that are or have been known in the harbor. Animals living in the water will first be mentioned. '8 MAMMALS. Perhaps it may surprise many who read these pages to learn that among the visitors to the harbor which have within quite recent periods entered it, may be included at least three species of the highly organized type of the mammalia, and particularly to be informed that one of these was of that family now so rarely seen west of Cape Cod, the Whale. Yet not many years since, within the memory of the living, one of these huge monsters of the deep, after amusing himself for a day or two just outside the boundary limits of the town, and around Bunkin Island, actually proceeded to enter and to pursue his way up the circuitous chan- nel. No sooner was this observed than a body of hardy citizens, duly prepared for encounter and inspired by a love of adventure, possibly by a desire for spoil, boldly but cautiously, as may well be surmised, ventured to go down the channel and approach him. Appreciating intuitively, no doubt, if he did not fully understand, the maxim of Shakspeare "that the better part of valor is dis- cretion," the whale quietly turned and went to sea. Another species of the mammalia and one quite common in Massachusetts Bay, the Porpoise, used formerly to frequently enter the harbor and sport in its waters. The effect of steam navigation has led to such visitations becoming rare. The writer has seen from the Hingham steamboat, some lifty years since, on the passage to Boston, a great number of these animals crossing and rccrossing before the bows of the vessel, apparently in sport, and this pastime was continued for a considerable time. The third and last of the three marine mammals referred to as entering our harbor is the Seal, an animal of such highly sensitive organism and superior intelligence as to call for particular notice, especially as many reside with us during all but the severe winter months. They are observed with great interest by the thousands of passengers who pass in the steamers through the islands of the town, resting upon the rocky shores in full confidence that they will not be harmed. When unmolested they will repose them- selves not far distant from man, and will not move except upon his quite near approach. Taken in captivity they become, like a dog, quite attached to those about them, and will not willingly be parted from them. Notes on Animal Life. 81 Kept as pets for a time, individuals have become so fond of per- sons about them as to manifest great uneasiness upon being re- stored to their native element, and have been known to work themselves over a considerable surface of land in order to re- join their captors. A vessel on which was a captured young seal has been known to be followed a great distance by the frantic mother, suffering from the loss of her offspring. Surely, animals with affection and sensibility quite equalling man's, and having the great intelligence which they are known to possess, merit and should receive all the protection which has been accorded to those of their number who have trusted themselves to the hospitality of the neighborhood. FISHES. The fishes of Massachusetts Bay have been admirably described and beautifully illustrated by Dr. D. Humphreys Storer in his " His- torv of the Fishes of Massachusetts." It is reasonable to suppose that individuals of very many of the species sometimes enter the harbor. Indeed one of the citizens, Mr. Charles B. Barnes, who has fished in its waters as much perhaps as any one living, and the accuracy of whose observations can be relied upon, has recog- nized a very large number of fish that have been caught by him and others within the limits of Hingham through the descriptions given in that work. A few wrords concerning the Smelt, that the future inhabitants of the town may know how greatly their predecessors were blessed by the abundance of this delicious lish. The number caught by hook and line in the harbor is very large, supplying the tables of most of the inhabitants in the fall months, and furnishing great quantities for the Boston market. During the right season numer- ous boats are always to be seen with parties engaged in fishing, while on the wharf margins, rows of men and boys may be ob- served intent upon drawing in the coveted prey. No idea can be given of the number taken during a season. MOLLUSKS. The Mollusks of the harbor are few in species, but fortunately for the town, the most highly prized member of them all, the Common Clam (My a arenaria, L. ), is exceedingly abundant. There can be no doubt, judging by the clam-shell heaps near the shores, that this species contributed largely towards the sustenance of the Indian when he alone occupied the territory ; and if in the present period it is not so absolutely necessary to sustain the life of the white man, it yet affords a luxurious repast for his table, and fur- nishes the material for hundreds of clam-bakes for the summer parties that daily visit the watering places. The number taken along vol. I. — 6 82 History of Hint /ham. the beaches of our coast, including those of the islands, is enor- mous, and has been estimated at upward of a thousand bushels during a season. The Razor Fish is mentioned because of its great rarity and the likelihood of its not being much longer found within the harbor. A fine specimen discovered near the shore was recently presented to the writer by Mr. F. W. Brewer. One other species will be mentioned because formerly found along the shores, although now no longer so, having become ex- tinct within the territory of the town. This is the Scallop Shell {Pecten concentricus, Say.). The fact of the shells of this species being objects of beauty has undoubtedly led to the animals being taken wherever found by the clam-diggers, and as they have an- nually turned over almost every foot of the muddy coast, the ex- termination of the scallop shell has followed. CRUSTACEA. The Crustacea of the harbor until within a few years included the Lobster, but it is now doubtful if any are to be found within its limits. The Common Crab, the Fiddler Crab, the Hermit Crab, and the species known to all visitors to the shores as the Horse Shoe are not uncommon. That most valuable bait for smelt and other fish, the Shrimp, is found in the shallow pools. To the above brief notes upon some of the forms of life observed in the waters of the town a few will now be given upon species found upon the land. MAMMALS. By the bones found in the peat-bogs of the town we know that the Deer was an inhabitant in an early period. How late he remained such is unknown. As where these animals exist Wolves always hover about, it is fair to presume that they also found here an abode. It is certain that Beaver were once numerous alone the streams, and there is no reason to doubt that the Bear like- wise found a congenial home in the territory. These have prob- ably passed away never to return. There are, however, some wild species of the mammalia, that were common in more re- cent years, and which after apparently becoming extinct have reappeared, sometimes in considerable numbers. Such has been the case with the Raccoon. This animal, commonly called the Coon, has at times suddenly manifested its presence in locali- ties of the town by depredations where it had not been known for many years. In 1882 Mr. Jacob Corthell, on Leavitt Street, lost many chick- ens undoubtedly by this animal, as about the same time four Notes on Animal Life. 83 young coons were treed by his dog, and the parent subsequently shot. Two of the young were kept a year after. Mr. Charles B. Barnes, to whom the writer is indebted for much information concerning wild animals of the land as well as of fishes, says that when young he trapped a coon in the woods between Old Colony Hill and Weir River, and shot the mate in a high tree near. In the winter of 1885-86 coons appeared in considerable num- bers, and many were killed, especially in Hingham Centre. One was trapped near the house of the writer in the following spring. Mr. Israel Whitcomb, who is a good observer, and much inter- ested in the animal life of the town, states that raccoons are by no means so rare in the woods between Hingham Centre and Cohasset as generally supposed. He has known more than twenty to be killed in a single season. Foxes were quite numerous half a century ago. Large parties of hunters with dogs were accustomed once or twice a year to scour the woods in the lower part of the town and drive them toward and beyond Planters' Hill across the bar that connects World's End with it, when, escape being cut off, they were readily killed. Mr. Francis W. Brewer informs the writer that in the spring of 1882 a fox had a hole in a meadow near his father's house, in which were its young. There are yet undoubtedly many foxes living in the woods of the eastern and southern sections of the town. The Mink, a pest of the poultry-yard, is unfortunately quite com- mon, and often manifests its destructive propensities to the great annoyance of and considerable cost to the farmer. In the summer of 1882 five hens were killed in one night in a hen-house on Mr. John R. Brewer's estate, Martin's Lane, by minks, one of which was trapped the following night, and another shot a few days afterwards. Mr. Israel Whitcomb, of Union Street, also lost during a night of the last season a considerable number of chickens by a visita- tion of this animal. The Weasel is another blood-thirsty visitor of the poultry-yard, but is comparatively much more rare than the Mink. The Otter, now extinct in the town, has not been so more than half a century. Mr. Charles B. Barnes remembers one that years ago frequented the swamp, not far from his home on Summer Street during a season, and he has known of others being seen in Hingham. 84 History of Hingham. The Musk-Rat is yet common in the town, and is found along slow-running streams. Many are yearly trapped in the vicinity of Weir River. Rabbits are yet frequently met with in the wooded parts of the town, but are less numerous than formerly. Of the squirrel tribe the little striped one known as the Chip- munk, and the Red Squirrel arc very common, the former sometimes being so numerous as to become troublesome. One season, when exceedingly abundant on the farm of the writer, they acquired the habit of burrowing holes in ripe fruit such as melons and pears, to obtain the seeds. The Red Squirrel is often quite mischievous. Mr. F. W. Brewer mentions that one caused constant vexation during a whole sea- son to a large Newfoundland dog, by descending from trees at every favorable opportunity, and stealing his food. Like the gray squirrel, the red will sometimes rob birds' nests of the eggs and the young. The Gray Squirrel is often seen in the autumn months grace- fully Floating, as it were, from tree to tree as he passes through the forest. The little Flying Squirrel probably yet exists in Hingham, though none have been reported as seen for several years. BIRDS. Of birds nothing will be said respecting those that are well known, and usually during a part of the year find a home in the town. Upon some species formerly abundant and now but occa- sionally seen, and upon the visitation of others rarely found in the region, a few remarks may be interesting. It is but a few years since there existed in the woods of the low, swampy ground between Old Colony Hill and Weir River an extensive heronry. When first known to the writer the nests of the birds might be seen upon almost every tall tree, high in the air over acres of ground. The species was the Night Heron. When the forest was cut through that Rockland Street mi slit be laid out, the colony that had perhaps existed there for hun- dreds of years was disturbed, but not broken up. Attachment to the locality, notwithstanding its exposure to increasing annoyance from gunners and others, kept the birds there for years after, but they finally departed in a body and were seen no more. There are undoubtedly some inhabiting the town, as they are heard uttering the peculiar sound that has led to the common name given them of Qua-birds, when flying at the approach of night towards the shores to obtain their accustomed food. Of several species of birds now becoming more and more rare, Mr. F. W. Brewer has expressed much in a communication to the Notes on Animal Life. 85 writer which is of interest. He states that the Great Blue Heron used formerly to visit the Hats of the harbor, but that he has not seiMi one for several years, and that the Green Heron, which was often observed there, now appears but seldom. He further stated that this last mentioned bird used to nest in Jacob Loud's woods, and that in 1883 a nest was found back of Mr. Keeshan's house near the foot of Pear-tree hill. After a violent and long-continued northeast storm in the spring of 1872 a considerable number of Little Auks were driven upon the coast by the severity of the gale. All of them seemed ex- hausted, and they could easily be knocked down with a stick. Mr. W. S. Brewer saw them singly and in small flocks of five or six. Several were picked up at different localities dead or in a dying condition. The same gentleman saw two at the edge of the water on Nantasket Beach in 1886, and procured one of them. Thus it appears that this interesting bird may be expected to appear at times on our shores after severe gales from the ocean. The Wild Pigeon, formerly a visitor in large Hocks, is now sel- dom seen. A pair came into the hen-yard on Mr. J. R. Brewer's farm about four years ago, and not far from that time a small number were seen upon a tree on Summer Street. The Carolina Pigeon, or Turtle-Dove, is rarely met with in Massachusetts, but it has been seen in Hingham at least twice within two or three years, once by Mr. Israel Whitcomb in the southern part of the town, and once by Mr. W. S. Brewer, near Martin's Lane. As in the case of the Turtle-Dove, the Indigo Bird, though ex- ceedingly rare, has been seen within a year or two both hy Mr. Israel Whitcomb in the southern part of the town, and by Mr. W. S. Brewer at Martin's Well. The last bird to.be noticed is the Scarlet Tanager. Though rarely seen, this very beautiful species unquestionably nests and breeds every year in Hingham. Choosing generally its abode in some deep forest away from the habitations of man, it is but seldom exposed to observation, as its shyness makes it cautious when visitors approach its precincts. There is exception to this when the young first leave the nest. The male then seems to lose all fear for himself in his solicitude to protect and to supply food for the young, which he does with the utmost assiduity. On this point the writer will quote some remarks from Nuttall, the celebrated ornithologist : • — " So attached to his new interesting brood is the Scarlet Tana- ger that he has been known at all hazards to follow for half a 86 History of Hingham. mile one of his young, submitting to feed it attentively through the bars of a cage, and with a devotion which despair could not damp, roost by it in the branches of the same tree with its prison. So strong, indeed, is this innate and heroic feeling that life itself is less cherished than the desire of aiding and supporting his endearing progeny." As most of our birds are known to suffer intensely in being- deprived of their young, it would seem that the recital of such a case as that given should lead to a feeling of more interest than is always manifested in protecting our native species from cruel molestation. It is pleasant to add that in the instance mentioned, of the young Tanager followed and tended by the courageous parent, the heart of the person having it in charge was so moved by the ex- hibition of parental devotion, that the cage was opened after four days, and the young set free. Happily reunited, parent and off- spring flew into the deep woods. The Tanager in some rare instances has been known to build its nest near the residence of man, when this has stood near the border of a forest. The body of the male is scarlet-red, and the wings and tail are black in the pairing season. In the autumn he becomes, like the female and young, of a dull green color. The Tanager is but for a short time a resident in the North, arriving about the middle of May, and leaving for his tropical home verv earlv in August. THE BOTANY OF HINGHAM. BY THOMAS T. BOUVE. PRELIMINARY REMARKS. In presenting to the public an account of the plants of Hing- ham, the writer desires to express his great indebtedness to sev- eral persons, without whoso aid the work of collecting specimens and identifying them could not have been accomplished in the short time allowed for its completion. Especially would he state that without the active co-operation of his esteemed friend Mr. Charles J. Sprague, many plants of our flora would undoubtedly have remained unknown, and certainly no attempt would have been made to include the Grasses or the Carices in the list of species. He gratefully acknowledges his indebtedness to the Misses Ellen and Isabel Lincoln, by whose zeal and intelligent assistance a considerable number of the plants enumerated were discovered within the town limits, and to Mr. Fearing Burr, Mr. I. Wilbur Lincoln, and Mr. Henry C. Cushiug also for valuable aid. It is to be regretted that the botanists of Hingham whose inves- tigations preceded those of the writer, Mr. James S. Lewis, Mr. Fearing Burr, and others, did not prepare and preserve herbaria for their own study, and for the service of those who should follow them. The Rev. John Lewis Russell was the only one who appears to have preserved the plants he obtained ; but he made such disposal of his collections, to different parties in distant places, as to make it practically impossible to examine more than a very few of the specimens found by him in Hingham. The list of plants as presented includes but very few that have not been collected by the writer, or by those referred to who have aided him. Those that have not come under his own eye and study have been admitted on the high authority of the Rev. Mr. Russell and Mr. Fearing Burr. Plants found in the immediate neighboring towns, even but a few feet from the boundary line, but not within it, have been rigorously excluded. Some reasons why many plants occurring in not far distant localities find no home in Hingham, may be of interest to the reader. Its climatic conditions, compared with those of other towns, particularly those of the North Shore, will account for this in a great degree. Cape Ann has the influence of the cold ocean currents between the Gulf Stream and the land. Hingham, being 88 History of Hingham. situated south of a shallow land-locked bay, loses this influence and has that of the prevalent summer southwest winds which come from the Gulf Stream. Although possessing a considerable sea margin on the north, it has no sand beaches, and therefore several of the peculiar plants of the ocean beaches do not occur upon its shores. These are stony, or have marsh grasses growing to the water's edge. Its ponds, excepting Accord Pond upon which it only partially borders, are all artificial, formed by damming its streams, and are lined with trees and thickets extending to the water, leaving no sandy margins like those of the Plymouth and Weymouth ponds, which afford a home for numerous plants not to be found in Hingham. A large proportion of the town's area has been cultivated for centuries and there remain few localities which have been undisturbed by the hands of man. It may be asked how thoroughly the task of presenting a full account of the flowering plants of the town has been ac- complished, and it will gratify all interested in the subject to be assured that, though it cannot be asserted that every spe- cies growing within our borders is included in the list given, yet it may fairly be stated that the omissions can be but few. It embraces not only the trees, the shrubs, and the flowering herbs, including the Grasses and Carices, but also the Equi- setaceEe (Horsetail Family), the Filices (Ferns), and the Ly- copodiacea1 (Club-moss Family). The Lichens, the Fungi, and other Cryptogamous forms have been necessarily omitted, as they could not have been presented without additional years of inves- tigation by specialists. In regions where glacial action has not led to a general mixing of the earth derived from various geological formations, and where that from the decayed rocks has been but little disturbed, it is always interesting to note the influence of the several soils upon the growth of species. This is so marked as to enable the student often to recognize the character of the geological forma- tions beneath the surface by the prevalence of certain trees. This of course is not the case in Hingham, yet there is much in the varying character of locations within its limits to influence greatly the kind of species which will find in them healthy devel- opment. Some arc found only in salt marshes, others only in fresh-water swamps and meadows: some only in dry, sandy, or gravelly localities, others only in rich soils. A large majority open their petals only in sunny exposures, whereas many expand their beauties only under the shade of trees or of sheltering rocks. That nature thus varies her gifts of beauty adds much to the charm of botanical research in Hingham, diversified as its sur- face is with hills and dales, with marshes and swamps, with ex- tensive woods and rocky elevations; for who can wander over its high lands and its low lands, along its water-courses, and into the romantic recesses of its forest glens, without being impressed by, and gladdened with, the beauty spread before him everywhere ? The Botany of Hingham. 89 There are some species that, without any apparent reason, are limited to certain localities, rarely being found elsewhere, not- withstanding circumstances seem equally favorable for their devel- opment. As among these are several of exceeding beauty and their extermination in the town would certainly be a calamity, the writer cannot forbear calling attention to the fact that some are fast disappearing, and will soon be no longer found in the town unless care is taken for their preservation. One of these is that rare plant, bearing one of the most lovely of flowers, the Fringed Gentian. Unlike the common Blue Gentian, this delicate species is propagated only by seeds. What, then, must be the result of a general plucking of the flowers when they are in bloom, leaving none to mature? Only extermination. And such plucking has been often done, and bouquets exhibited contain- ing scores of these flowers, when far better taste would have been sbown had but few been placed together instead of a multitude. Animals are not alone in danger of extermination by thoughtless- ness. The tendency to take plants from their natural habitats and transplant them into gardens where circumstances have been less favorable for their existence, has undoubtedly led to the entire destruction of several species of perennials from our flora. One of these, the Aselepias tuberosa, has doubtless met such fate. This plant, one of the most beautiful of all the perennials that adorned the woods, and always rare, there is reason to believe is now ex- tinct except in cultivation, as no specimen has been discovered for several years, after diligent search. It is however given in the list of species, as it certainly grew in at least two localities, and may possibly yet exist. Furthermore there is one plant still living which was transplanted more than twenty years ago from the woods of South Hingham to the grounds now of Mr. Henry C. dishing, where it yet may be seen yearly displaying a rich pro- fusion of its most charming orange-flowers. There are several other plants that are found in but one or two localities, which it is hoped may be allowed to remain members of the flora. One of these is the Sambucus racemosa, L., the Red- Berried Elder. Another exceedingly rare plant with us is the Hibiscus Moscheutos, L. (Swamp Rose Mallow.) This is a tall perennial, with quite large, showy, rose-colored flowers, the corolla being five inches in diameter. It is found near the salt water, and but a single plant is known in Hingham. Yet another species may be mentioned as observed in only one locality. This is the Lythrum Salicaria, L. The beautiful purple flowers of this may be seen upon a clump of the plants just at the edge of the water of Weir River, a short distance below the bridge on Leavitt Street. It is not only for the preservation of the exceedingly rare plants of the town that the writer would plead. Quite as earnestly would he urge that the transcendent beauty which is often pre- sented along the sides of our roads, especially of those bordered 90 History of Hingham. by forest-growth, may be allowed to display itself and gladden the eyes and heart of the wayfarer. Yearly many of these roads are adorned with flowers of varied hue, charming to every be- holder. In the spring the modest Violet, the delicate Anemone, and the showy Buttercup open their petals to the sight. As the summer " sun shoots full perfection through the swelling year," the Wild Rose, the Eglantine (Sweet brier), the Common Elder, and many other species display their loveliness and exhale their fragrance. Then follows autumn, and everywhere there start up to beautify our highways the many Asters and Golden-rods, and it is just when these expand in gorgeous loveliness, outrivalling all that man can produce by the most consummate art, that the de- stroyer comes and sweeps them away in a day. The writer cannot too strongly express his regret at the custom of mowing down every plant that shows a flower through miles of highway, where this is by no means necessary. A gentleman of much culture and taste, who had but recently visited and travelled extensively over England, remarked in con- versation : " 1 pined when abroad for the sight of wild flowers along the roads. The bordering grass-plots smoothly shorn to the hedge-rows became monotonous. I longed for the picturesque objects that everywhere attract attention here and which serve so much to interest the mind." The year before this was said, the writer had passed through the Third Division wood-road, where was displayed along its borders a profusion of fall flowers, making the view at many points simply exquisite. Delighted with the prospect of presenting to his friend a scene so in contrast with those mentioned, he was taken through the same road that had been spangled with beauty the previous season, with the hope that there might be a like display, but it was too late. The scythe had done its vandal work, and scarcely a flower was left to meet his eye. There is no desire to criticise in these remarks the work necessarily done for the convenience of wayfarers, whether on foot or in vehicles, but only to urge that what no person of taste would wish to have destroyed may be allowed to live. In the case referred to it is doubtful if ten persons could be found in the town who really would regard the devastation an improvement. Man should not ruthlessly destroy what has been given for his pleasure and refinement. In the following list of plants native to or occurring in Hing- ham, the names have been given in accordance with the recent edition of Gray's Manual, 1890. There have been numerous changes since the previous edition of 1848, and the student will therefore find this harmony with the last edition of great service to him in the identification of species. The names of the introduced species are printed in italics, that they may be thus readily distinguished from those indigenous to the town. PH^ENOGAMOUS OR FLOWERING PLANTS. POLYPETALOUS EXOGENS. 1. RANUNCULACE51. (CROWFOOT FAMILY.) The Ranunculaceae are mostly natives of cool regions, few- being found within the tropics, and these generally in elevated situations. The leaves are much divided, hence the popular name of crow- foot applied to some of the species. Flowers both regular and irregular, — some exhibiting remarkable forms, as those of the wild Columbine. Our flora is greatly enriched by plants of this family, and the fields and groves owe much of their beauty to them. Among those most common are the Buttercups, spangling the grass with their golden petals ; the Marsh Marigold of the swamps and wet meadows ; the Clematis, or Virgin's Bower, gracefully climbing over bushes in shady thickets, displaying in profusion its beau- tiful cymes of flowers ; the Wood Anemone, with its delicate white petals, often tinged with purple ; and the showy wild Columbine, delighting by its varied hues the visitor to its rocky recesses. The Peony, so commonly cultivated in the gardens, belongs to this family. Most of the species contain a very acrid juice, rendering them highly injurious as food, in a fresh state. Fortunately, heat and dryness deprive the plants of their poisonous character ; otherwise the cattle would suffer from its effects in partaking of hay from the pastures. Cooked or dried the species of this town are harm- less. There are genera, however, having exceedingly poisonous properties, — such as the Helleborus, the Aconitum, and the Del- phinium. As species of these are common in gardens under the names Monkshood, Wolfsbane, Larkspur, and Hellebore, care should be taken that children do not carry the flowers in their mouths. Clematis, L. Virginiana, L. Virgin's Bower. Anemone, Tourn. cylindrica, Gray. Long-fruited Anemone. Virginiana, L„ Virginian Anemone. nemorosa, L. Wind-flower. Wood Anemone. 92 History of Hingham. Hepatica, Dill. triloba, Chaix. Round-lobed Hepatica. Anemonella, Spach. ihalictroides, Spach. Rue Anemone. Thalictrum, Tourn. dioicum, L. Early Meadow-rue. purpuiascens, L. Purplish Meadow-rue. polygauium, Muhl. Tall Meadow-rue. Ranunculus, Tourn. aquatilis, L. var. trichophyllus, Gray. White Water-crowfoot Cymbalaria, Pursh. Seaside Crowfoot. abortivus, L. Small-flowered Crowfoot. abortivus, L. var. micranthus, Gray. sceleratus, L. Cursed Crowfoot. Pennsylvanicus, L. f. Bristling Crowfoot. fascicularis, Muhl. Early Crowfoot. repens, L. Creeping Crowfoot. bu/bosus, L. Bulbous Buttercup. acris, L. Tall Buttercup. Ficaria, L. Caltha, L. palustris, L. Marsh Marigold. Coptis, Salisb. trifolia, Salisb. Goldthread. Aquilegia, Tourn. Canadensis, L. Columbine. Actaea, L. alba, Bigel. White Baneberry. 2. BERBERIDACE-ffi. (BARBERRY FAMILY.) The only plant of this order found within the borders of Hing ham is the well known beautiful shrub, the Barberry, introduced from Europe. The stamens of the flowers are peculiarly sensi tive, springing back against the pistil on being lightly touched. The fruit is extensively used as a preserve, and boiled with sugar produces an excellent jelly. Berberis, L. vulgaris, L. Barberry. 3. NYMPH ffiACEiE. (WATER-LILY FAMILY.) An aquatic order, one species of which is the beautiful and sweet-scented Water-lily of our ponds. Brasenia, Schreb. peltata, Pursh. Water-shield. Nymphaea, Tourn. odorata. Ait. Water-lily. Nuphar, Smith. advena, Ait. f. Yellow Water-hlv. The Botany of Hingham. 93 4. SARRACENIACEJE. (PlTCHER-PLANT FAMILY.) The only Hingham species is the Side-saddle Flower. The leaves are singularly formed in a swollen tube and are generally more or less filled with water, containing drowned insects. Sarracenia, Town. purpurea, L. Pitcher-plaut. 5. PAPAVERACEiE. (POPPY FAMILY.) Three species only are found in this town, and but one of these is indigenous, — the beautiful Blood-root, so called from the color of its juice. This, if taken into the stomach, acts as an emetic and a purgative. The juice of some of the species has highly narcotic properties, — that of the Papaver somniferum, dried in the sun, forming the Opium of commerce. Argemone, L. Mexicana, L. Prickly Poppy. Waste places. Rare. Chelidonium, L. mqjus, L. Celandine. Sanguinaria, Dill. Canadensis, L. Blood-root. 6. FUMARIACE.SJ. (FUMITORY FAMILY.) An order containing many beautiful plants which have a watery juice. The flowers are irregular. But two species are found in Hingham. Corydalis, Vent. glauca, Pursh. Pale Corydalis. Fumaria, Tourn. officinalis, L. Fumitory. 7. CRUCIFERJB. (MUSTARD FAMILY.) An exceedingly useful family to man. furnishing many of the vegetables which he uses for food or as condiments, such as Turnips, Cabbages, Radishes, Cauliflowers, Cress, and Mustard. They all contain nitrogen, hence their highly nutritious qualities. Many of them have also an essential oil containing sulphur. Though acrid and pungent to the taste, none of them are poi- sonous. Plants of this family are easily recognized by their having four petals, which are regular and placed opposite to each other^ in pairs, forming a cross. This has given them the name of Crucifera3. Nasturtium, R. Br. officinale, R. Br. Water-cress, palustre, D C. Marsh-cress. Armoracia, Fries, Horse-radish. Cardamine, Tourn. hirsuta, L. Bitter Cress, hirsuta, var. sylvatica, Gray. 94 History of Hingham. Arabis, L. Canadensis, L. Sickle-pod. Barbarea, R. Br. vulgaris, R. Br. Winter Cress. Sisymbrium, Tourn. officinale, Scop. Hedge Mustard. Brassica, Tourn. nigra, Koch. Black Mustard. campestris, L. Rutabaga. Capsella, Medic. Bursa-pastoris, Mcench. Shepberd's Purse. Thlaspi, Tourn. arvense, L. Field Penny Cress. Rare. Lepidium, Tourn. Virginicum, L. Peppergrass. rudera/e, L. campestre, L. Field Pepper Grass. Rare. Cakile, Tourn. Americana, Nutt. Sea-Rocket. Raphanus, Tourn. Raphanistrum, L. Wild Radisb. 8. cistace^. (Rock-Rose Family.) Low, shrubby plants with regular flowers, possessed of no marked properties. Helianthemum, Tourn. Canadense, Mx. Rock-rose. Frost Weed. Lechea, Kalm. major, L. Pin Weed. thymifolia, Mx. minor, L. minor, L., var. maritima, Gray in herb. tenuil'olia, Mx. 9. violace^s. (Violet Family.) A family well known by the profusion of flowers of several species found everywhere within the town. Only one genus is represented in Hingham, — the Viola. All its species here are stemless, with a single exception. The Pansy and the great Purple Violet of the gardens belong to this order. The roots generally possess an acrid, sometimes an emetic property, which has led to their use in medicine. Viola, Tourn. lanceolata, L. Lance-leaved Violet. primulasfolia, L. Primrose-leaved Violet. blanda, Willd. Sweet White Violet. palmata, L. Common Blue Violet. palmata, L., var. eucullata, Gray. Rolled leafed Violet. sa^ittata, Ait. Arrovv-h-aved Violet. The Botany of Hingham. • 95 pedata, L. Bird-foot Violet. canina, L., var. Aluhleubergii, Gray. Dog Violet. 10. CARYOPHYLLACE2E. (PlNK FAMILY.) Herbs with entire, opposite leaves, except that the upper ones ;ire sometimes alternate, and with regular, symmetrical flowers. The stems are usually swollen at the joints. They are all harm- less in their properties. Dianthus, L. Armaria, L. Deptford Pink. deltoides, L. Maiden Pink. Saponaria, L. officinalis, L. Soapwort. Vaccaria, L. Silene, L cucubalus, Wibet. Bladder Campion. Armaria, L. Sweet- William Catch-fly. antirrhina. L. Sleepy Catch-fly. nodi flora, L. Night-flowering Catch-fly. Lychnis, Tourn. vespertina. Sibth. Rare. Githago, Lam. Corn Cockle. Rare. Arenaria, L. serpylUfolia, L. Thyme-leaved Sandwort, lateriflora, L. Stellaria, L. media, Smith. Chickweed. loiigifolia, Muhl. Long-leaved Chickweed. uliginosa, Murr. Swamp Chickweed. graminea, L. Cerastium, L. vulgatum, L. Mouse-ear Chickweed. arvense, L. Sagina, L. procumbens, L. Pearl wort. Buda, Adans. rubra, Dumort. Sandwort. marina, Dumort. Sea-shore Sandwort. Spergula, L. arvensis, L. Corn Spurrey. Gypsophila, L. muralis, L. 11 PORTTJLACACEiB. (PURSLANE FAMILY.) Succulent low herbs with regular but unsymmetrical flowers. The Claytonia, justly called the Spring Beauty, belongs to this family. The common Purslane is our only species, and this springs up abundantly in cultivated and waste grounds. It does not appear to be generally known as a very palatable food. Cooked 96 History of Hingham. as " greens," and properly served, it vies with the best in furnish- ing an attractive dish. The plants should not be too old. None of the species arc harmful. The beautiful Portulaca of the gar- dens is of this Family. Portulaca, Tourn. oleracea, L. Common Purslane. 12. HYPERICACEiE. (St. JoHN"S-WoRT FAMILY.) The plants of this family are all herbs in Hingham, though found as shrubs and even trees in other regions. They have opposite, dotted leaves, and an astringent, resinous juice, which in some species is very acrid, as in the H. perforatum. This is some- times used as a gargle, and internally in dysenteric cases. Hypericum, Tourn. ellipticum, Hook. perforatum, L. St. John's-wort. inaculutum, Walt, mutilum, L. Canadense, L. nudicaule, Walt. Elodes, Adans. campanulata, Pursh. Marsh St. John's-wort. 13. MALVACEiE. (MALLOWS FAMILY.) The plants of this family native within the town are all herbs. Elsewhere they are found as shrubs, and sometimes as trees. They form a very natural order. The species all have regular flowers and alternate leaves, and all abound in a muci- laginous substance, which is found in great quantity, particularly in the roots of many. This is much used in medicine as an emollient. None of the plants have deleterious properties. The young foliage of some has been used to boil as a vegetable. Cultivated species of several of the genera are seen in gar- dens : as the Althea and Hollyhock. Malva, L. sylvestris, L- rotiindifolia, L. Mallow. Abutilon, Tourn. Avicennce, Gcertn. Velvet Leaf. Rare. Hibiscus, L. Moscheutos, L. Swam]) Rose-M;dlow. Very rare. 14. tiliaceje. (Linden Family.) Trees and shrubs, mostly natives of tropical regions. Like the Malvaceae, they all possess mucilaginous properties of whole- some character. The Botany of Hingham. 97 The Tilia Americana, the well-known Linden or Bass-wood, is native of the town, being generally found near the shore. The species of this family commonly set out as an ornamental tree, is the European Linden. The inner bark of the trees of this family is very fibrous and strong. The jute of commerce is the product of one species. Tilia, Tourn. Americana, L. Linden. Basswood. 15. LiNACEiE. (Flax Family.) An order of mostly herbaceous plants with regular and sym- metrical flowers. The genus Linum, the only one represented in Hingham, has a bark of exceedingly tenacious fibre, from one species of which is formed the Linen Thread and Cloth in common use. The same plant also furnishes seeds which yield the well- known Linseed Oil, Linseed Cake, etc. The seeds are used ex- tensively in medicine, possessing as they do abundant mucilage, which is extracted by boiling water, producing thus Flax-seed tea. There are several other uses which the products of the plants serve, and it may perhaps be said that no one, not fur- nishing food, is more serviceable to man. There is but one species of the genus indigenous in our limits, the L. Virginianum. The other is the Common Flax, found sometimes springing up in fields from scattered seeds. Some species are mildly cathartic. Linum, Tourn. Virginianum, L. Wild Flax. usitatissimum, L. Flax. Not common. 16. GERANIACEiE. (GERANIUM FAMILY.) Chiefly herbs, with perfect but not always symmetrical flowers. The beauty of our gardens is largely due to plants of this family ; especially to the species of Pelargonium introduced from the Cape of Good Hope, where they are native, and to hybrid varieties. The plants generally have an astringent property, and many have a disagreeable odor. The Herb Robert, not uncommon with us, affords a marked instance of this. There are, however, species which give out an aromatic and agreeable fragrance. Some plants of the order have edible tubers, and others have leaves which are used as food, being pleasantly acid. The G. maculatum, common in every part of the town, has very astringent roots. An infusion of them is used as a gargte. Geranium, Tourn. maculatum, L. Wild Geranium. Carolinianum, L. Carolina Geranium. Robertianum, L. Herb Robert. vol. i. — 7 98 History of Hingham. Impatiens, L. fulva, Nutt. Touch-me-not. Oxalis, L\ corniculata, L., var. stricta, Sav. Wood-Sorrel. 17. ilicine-E. (Holly Family.) Trees and shrubs. Interesting to us as containing the Holly, the Neinopanthes, and the several species of Ilex, all contrib- utors to the beauty of the forests and swamps. It is one of the species of Ilex which displays, late in the autumn and early winter a profusion of bright red berries, that never fail to attract the attention and admiration of beholders. There is an astringent property in the bark and leaves of the Holly, and of other species of Ilex. The berries are purgative, and used medicinally. Ilex, L. opaca, Ait. Holly, verticillata, Gray. Black Alder, laevigata, Gray. Smooth Alder. Rare. glabra, Gray. Inkberry. Not common. Nemopanthes, Raf. fascicularis, Raf. Mountain Holly. Rare. 18. CELASTRACE^. (STAFF-TREE FAMILY.) Shrubs, rarely trees. One species only known to our flora, — the Celastrus scandens, or Waxwork. The fruit of this, with its orange and scarlet hues, is very attractive in autumn, as displayed among the foliage of the shrubs or trees upon which it climbs. The plants of this family have generally acrid and bitter prop- erties, sometimes emetic. Celastrus, L. scandens, L. Waxwork. 19. RHAMNACE5!. (BUCKTHORN FAMILY.) Shrubs and small trees, represented in Hingham by the Rham- nus catharticus, the Buckthorn, and by the Ceanothus Ameri- canus, New-Jersey Tea. The berries and bark of the Buckthorn are cathartic, and have been used in medicine. The leaves of the Ceanothus Americanus were much used during the American Revolution, by infusion, as a tea ; hence the common name. Rhamnus, Tourn. cathartica, L. Buckthorn. Not common. Ceanothus, L. Americanus, L. New-Jersey Tea. The Botany of Hingham. 99 20. viTACEiE. (Vine Family.) Climbing shrubs, represented in Hingham by two genera, — Vitis, the Grape, and Ampelopsis, the Virginia Creeper or Wood- bine. The estimable products of the vine are well known ; and, alas ! the effects of misuse of them too much so. The beauty of the Ampelopsis, as it climbs upon trees within its reach, espe- cially when its deeply tinted leaves in autumn contrast with the dark-green foliage of the Savin, affords a great charm to every observant eye. Vitis, Toum. Labrusca, L. Fox Grape. aestivalis, Mx. Summer Qrape. Ampelopsis, Mx. quinquefolia, Mx. Virginia Creeper. Woodbine. 21. SAPINDACEiE. (MAPLE FAMILY.) Trees, shrubs, and herbs. This order enriches our flora with the Sugar Maple and the Red Maple. Among those introduced for ornamental purposes are the Horse Chestnut, several species of the Buckeye, and the Negundo or Ash-leaved Maple. Narcotic and poisonous properties are found in some of the plants of the order ; yet bread is made from the seeds of one species. The nuts of the common Horse Chestnut contain a large proportion of starch, which renders them a very valuable food for cattle, swine, sheep, and horses. They are thus used extensively abroad, while here they are allowed to rot upon the ground. This is a matter worthy the consideration of those who have these trees upon their premises. It is stated that the fruit and leaves of the Buckeye of Ohio, the tEscuIus glabra, are quite poisonous. As this tree is found in cultivation with us, care should be taken not to confound the fruit with that of the common Horse Chestnut. The bark of several species is bitter and astringent, sometimes used for tanning and dyeing, and also in medicine, as a substi- tute for Peruvian bark. Acer, Toum. saechaiinum, Wang. Sugar Maple, rubrum, L. Red Maple. 22. ANACARDIACE51. (SUMACH FAMILY.) Trees or shrubs, with alternate leaves and inconspicuous flowers, having a resinous juice, which is acrid and sometimes poisonous. Some bear wholesome fruits ; others furnish valuable varnishes. We have in Hingham but one genus, — the Rhus. 100 History of Hingham. This includes the species best known to us as poisonous. One of them, Rhus venenata, or Poison Sumach, often called the Poison Dogwood, is found in nearly all our swamps. It is poi- sonous alike to the touch and taste, and at times imparts its noxious qualities to the atmosphere about it so as to cause per- sons inhaling it to be seriously affected. Common as this small tree is in Hingham, but few recognize it readily, and as it is particularly beautiful when colored by the tints of autumn, it is often collected, much to the suffering of those who handle it. It differs from the Rhus typhina and the Rhus glabra in having no serratures on the leaflets. Another species of the same genus common with us is the Rhus toxicodendron, known generally as the Poison Ivy. This is also a very pernicious plant to handle, though upon many per- sons it seems to have no effect. Undoubtedly both the species are more dangerous at times than at others, and something prob- ably depends on the condition of the individual. This is cer- tainly true, and it should be a strong incentive for precaution that when a person has once been poisoned, the system is ever after more susceptible to the noxious influence than before. Rhus, L. typhina, L. Stag-horn Sumach, glabra. L. Smooth Sumach, copallina, L. Dwarf Sumach, venenata, D C. Poison Dogwood. Toxicodendron, L. Poison Ivy. 23. POLYGALACE5]. (MILKWORT FAMILY.) Herbaceous plants, one genus of which only occurs in Hing- ham,--the Polygala. The name "milkwort" was given from the supposed influence of the plants in increasing the secretion of milk in the animal system. The roots of several species are used medicinally, and those of one. the P. Senega, are found very serviceable in many affections. These are known to us as the Senega root or Snake root. Polygala, Tourn. sanguinea, L. cruciata, L. verticillata, L. verticillata, var. ambigua. Nutt. polygama, Walt. 24. LEGUMINOS-SB. (PULSE FAMILY.) A very large family, six or seven thousand species being known. It embraces trees, shrubs, and herbs. The most of the plants have papilionaceous flowers, so called from their fancied re- semblance to butterflies. All the native species found in Hing- The Botany of Hingham. 101 ham have such flowers, except those of the genus Cassia. The fruit is always a legume or true pod ; but it varies, — being sim- ple, as in the Pea, or lobed, as in Desmodium. Within our bor- ders this great family is represented only by herbs, except in one introduced species, which has become naturalized, — the Robinia Pseudacacia, common Locust-tree. Other trees and shrubs of the family occur that have been set out for ornamental purposes, as the Gleditchia or Three-thorned Acacia, the Red-bud or Judas-tree, the Laburnum, Wistaria, etc. The Leguminosa? stand high among the families of the vege- table kingdom in their usefulness to man, furnishing as they do much of the food used by him and his domestic animals, many of the resins, and a large portion of the dyes used in the arts. Among food products are Peas, Beans, and Clover ; among medi- cines, Liquorice, Senna, Balsams, and Gums ; among those used in the arts, Gums Senegal, Tragacanth, and Arabic; Indigo, Brazil-wood, Logwood, and Red Sandal-wood. But few of the plants have injurious properties. The indigo of our households is very poisonous. This is mentioned because of the danger of its being handled by children. The leaves of our Cassia Marilandica can be used as a substi- tute for senna, having similar properties. Lupinus, Tourn. perennis, L. Lupine. Crotalaria, L. sagittalis, L. Rattle-box. Not common. Trifolium, Tourn. arvense, L. Rabbit-foot Clover. pratense, L. Red Clover. hybridum. L. Dutch Clover. repens, L. White Clover. agrarium, L. Yellow Clover. procumbens, L. Low Hop Clover. Melilotus, Tourn. officinalis, Willd. Yellow Melilot. alba, Lam. White Melilot. Medicago, Tourn. sativa, L. lupulina, L. Black Medick. Robinia, L. pseudacacia, L. Locust. Tephrosia, Pers. Virginiana, Pers. Goat's Rue. Desmodium, Desv. nudirlorum, D C. acuminatum, D C. Canadense, D C. Marilandicum. Boott. rifjidum, D C. 102 History of H Ingham. Lespedeza, Mx. procumbens, Mx. reticulata, Pers. Bush Clover. Stuvei, Nutt., var. intermedia, Watson. polystachya, Mx. capitata, Mx. Vicia, Tourn. saliva, L. Vetch. tetrasperma. Loisel. hirsuta, Koch. Cracca, L. Lathyrus, Tourn. maritimus, Big. Beach-pea. palustris, L. Marsh-pea. Apios, Boerh. tuberosa, Moench. Ground-nut. Strophostyles, Ell. angulosa, Ell. Kidney Bean. Amphicarpsea, Ell. monoica, Nutt. Hog Pea-nut. Baptisia, Vent. tinctoria, R. Br. Wild Indigo. Cassia, Tourn. Marilandica, L. Wild Senna. Chamascrista, L. Partridge Pea. nicitans, L. Wild Sensitive Plant. 25. ROSACE2E. (ROSE FAMILY.) This family, comprising trees, shrubs, and herbs, is an exceed- ingly valuable oue to man, supplying him as it does with deli- cious fruits, and with flowers that delight his eye with their beauty and enchant him with their fragrance. Who can think of the Rose, of the Meadow Sweet, and of the many other shrubs and herbs that open their petals and exhale their fragrance to the surrounding air; of the gorgeous blossoming of the Apple and the Pear, the Cherry and the Plum, or of the fruits of these which follow, in due season, without having his heart warmed with gratitude towards the great Giver of all good ? These all belong to this family, as do most of the berries we use for food, as the Strawberry, the Blackberry, and the Raspberry. But few plants of the order have injurious properties, though some, as the Almond and the Peach, contain Prussic Acid, which is a deadly poison. It is found mostly in the seeds, but not to an injurious degree, as partaken of by us. Prunus, Tourn. maritima, Wang. Beach Plum. Pennsylvania, L. f. Red Cherry. Virginiana, L. Choke Cherry. serotina, Ehrhart. Black Cherry. spinosa, L. car. insititia, sloe. Bullace Plum. The Botany of Bingham. 103 Spiraea, L. salicifolia, L. Meadow-sweet, tomentosa, L. Hardback. Agrimonia, To urn. Eupatoria, L. Agrimony. Geum, L. album, Gmelin. Avens. Potentilla, L. Norvegica, L. Five-finger. Canadensis, L. Low Five-finger, argentea, L. Silvery Five-finger. Anserina, L. Marsh Five-finger. Fragaria, Tourn. Virginiana, Mill. Strawberry, vesca, L. Rubus, Tourn. strigosus, Mx. Raspberry, occidentalis, L. Thimbleberry. villosus, Ait. Higb Blackberry. Canadensis, L. Low Blackberry, hispidus, L. Swamp Blackberry. Rosa, Tourn. Carolina, L. Swamp Rose. lucida, Ehrh. rubiginosa, L. Sweet-brier. Crataegus, L. coccinea, L. Scarlet Thorn. Pyrus, L. arbutifolia, L. f. Choke Berry. aucuparia, Gcert. European Mountain Ash. Amelanchier, Medic. Canadensis, Torr. & Gr. Shad-bush. 26. SAXIFRAGACE-SJ. (SAXIFRAGE FAMILY.) This family is interesting to us as containing a considerable number of our cultivated plants rather than of indigenous ones, of which we have but few representatives. The most important one is the Gooseberry. None of them are harmful. The Hy- drangea, frequent in cultivation, and the Red Currant belong here. Ribes, L. oxyacanthoides, L. Gooseberry. Saxifraga, L. Virginiensis, Mx. Early Saxifrage. Pennsylvania, L. Swamp Saxifrage. Chrysosplenium, Tourn. American um. Schwein. Golden Saxifrage. 104 History of Hlnyham. 27. CRASSULACEiE. (STONE-CROP FAMILY.) Herbs, represented in Hingham by two genera, — Penthorum and Seduni. The plants of the latter are very succulent. The Houselcek, Sempervivum tectorum, well known by its thick, fleshy leaves, belongs to this order. None of the species have noxious qualities. Penthorum, Gronov. sedoides, L. Stoue-crop. Sedum, Tourn. acre. L. Mossy Stoue-crop. Telepldum, L. Live-forever. 28. DROSERACEiE. (SUNDEW FAMILY.) Delicate, small plants occurring in boggy grounds, and gener- ally covered with glandular hairs. One species of this family, the Diomea muscipula, a native of North Carolina, is the cele- brated Venus's Flytrap, which has glands that exude a secretion of a character to attract flies. As soon as one alights upon the lobes of the leaf, which has projecting processes, they close upon the unfortunate insect. Excepting a slight bitterness, the plants of this family have no marked qualities. Drosera, L. - rotundifolia, L. Round-leaved Sundew, intermedia, Hayne, var. Americana, D C. 29. HAMAMELIDEJE. (WjTCH-HaZEL FaMTLY.) Trees and shrubs. The well-known tree, the Witch Hazel, is common in our damp woods. It is peculiar in blossoming late in autumn, when the wintry winds betoken early death to the flowers, and in not maturing its fruit until the succeeding sum- mer. The divining rods of those who seek metals or water in the earth through their agency are formed from the small branches of this tree ; hence the common name. The plants of the family are harmless. An extract of one species is much used as a medicine externally, and sometimes internally, with reputed advantage. Hamamelis, L. Virginiana, L. Witch-Hazel. 30. HALORAGE5I. (WATER-MlLFOIL FAMILY.) Water and swamp plants, with inconspicuous flowers, having no noticeable properties. Myriophyllum, Vaill. ambiguum, Nutt. Water Milfoil. ambiguum, Nutt., var. limosum, Torr. The Botany of Hingham. 105 Proserpinaca, L. palustris, L. Mermaid-weed. pectiuacea, Lam. Callitriche, L. verna, L. Water Starwort. 31. MELASTOMACEiE. (MELASTOMA FAMILY.) A tropical family, one genus only being found in temperate regions, and of this genus one species is a native of Hingham. It is strikingly beautiful, and fully worthy of the name it bears, — the Meadow Beauty. Rhexia, L. Virginica, L. Meadow Beauty. 32. LYTHRACEiE. (LOOSESTRIFE FAMILY.) This family is represented in Hingham by two genera, the species of which are found in marshes or swamps. The plants are all astringent. Lythrum, L. Hyssopifolia L. Loosestrife. Salicaria, L. Spiked Loosestrife. Very rare. Decodon, Gmel. verticillatus, Ell. Swamp Loosestrife. 33. ONAGRACE-S3. (EVENING PRIMROSE FAMILY.) Herbs with perfect and symmetrical flowers. The most showy plants in Hingham belonging to this family are the Primroses, and the Willow Herb. The cultivated ornamental plants belonging here are the Fuchsias, natives of South America and southern North America. All are harmless. Circsea, Tourn. Lutetiana, L. Enchanter's Nightshade. Epilobium, L. angustifolium, L. Willow-herb, lineare, Muhl. coloratum, Muhl. (Enothera, L. biennis, L. Evening Primrose, fruticosa, L. Very rare, pumila, L. Ludwigia, L. alternifolia, L. Seed-box. Not common, palustris, Ell. Water Purslane. 34. CUCURBITACE^!. (GOURD FAMILY.) Succulent herbs that creep or twine by tendrils. This family, which yields in cultivation several highly-valued vegetables, — 106 History of Hingham. the Cucumber, Squash, Watermelon and Muskmelon, — is known to the Hingham flora only by two introduced weeds. Sicyos, L. angulatus, L. Star Cucumber. Echinocystis, Torr. & Gr. lobata, Torr. & Gr. Wild Balsam-apple. 35. FICOIDEiE. An order separated from the Caryophyllaceae. Represented here by an insignificant weed having no important properties. Mollugo, L. verticillala, L. Carpet-weed. 36. UMBELLIFERiE. (PARSLEY FAMILY.) Herbs. Flowers, except in very rare cases and these not of Hingham species, in umbels. The genera and the species of the order are very numerous, and vary much in their properties. They are generally aromatic, some being harmless, while many are very noxious. Of the latter, the Cicuta maculata (Water Hemlock), the Cicuta bulbifera (narrow-leaved Hemlock), the iEthusa cynapium (Fool's Parsley), and the Sium lineare (Water Parsnip) are all deadly poisons when taken into the system. The seeds are stated to be always harmless, and many of them are in common use, as Anise, Carraway, Dill, and Coriander. The roots and herbage of several yield wholesome food, as the Carrot and Parsnip. Hydrocotyle, Tourn. Americana, L. Pennywort. Sanicula, Tourn. Marylandica, L. Sanicle. Marylandica, var. Canadensis, Torr. Daucus, Tourn. Carota, L. Carrot. Heracleum, L. lanatum, Mx. Cow-parsnip. Pastinaca, L. sativa, L. Parsnip. Angelica, L. atropurpurea, L. Great Angelica. Coelopleurum, Ledeb. Gmelini, Ledeb. Coast Angelica. /Ethusa, L. Cynapium, L. Fool's Parsley. Ligusticum, L. Scoticum, L. Lovage. Thaspium, Nutt. aureum, Nutt. Meadow Parsnip. Rare. The Botany of Hingham. 107 Cicuta, L. maculata, L. Water Hemlock, bulbifera, L. Narrow-leaved Hemlock. Sium, Touru. cicutaefolium, Gmel. Water Parsnip. Osmorrhiza, Raf. longistylis, D C. Sweet Cicely. 37. ARALIACE^EJ. (GlNSENG FAMILY.) The properties of the plants of this family are much the same generally as in those of the Umbelliferae. Some species furnish valuable medicines, as Ginseng, Sarsaparilla, and Spikenard. The order is represented in Hingham by one genus only. Aralia, Tourn. racemosa, L. Spikenard. hispida, Vent. Bristly Sarsaparilla. Rare. nudicaulis, L. Wild Sarsaparilla. trifolia, Decsne & Planch. Dwarf Ginseng. 38. CORNACEiE. (DOGWOOD FAMILY.) Trees and shrubs, very rarely herbs. There are two genera in Hingham, — Cornus and Nyssa. Of the former a number of spe- cies are common in all parts of the town. The bark is very astringent and that of the C. florida is used sometimes medicinally as a tonic. The Nyssa is represented by the tree known as Tupelo, which in autumn adorns our forests with its bright crimson foliage. Cornus, Tourn. Canadensis, L. Bunch-berry, florida, L. Flowering Dogwood, circinata, L'Her. Round-leaved Dogwood, sericea, L. Silky Dogwood, paniculata, L'Her. Panicled Dogwood, alternifolia, Lf. Alternate-leaved Dogwood. Nyssa, L. sylvatica, Marsh. Tupelo. GAMOPETALOUS EXOGENS. 39. CAPRIPOLIACE^J. (HONEYSUCKLE FAMILY.) Mostly shrubs, often twining, and rarely herbs. All have oppo- site leaves. The fine genus Viburnum enriches our flora with several species of great beauty. Some of the plants are used medicinally, as emetic and cathartic properties prevail in many. Triosteum perfoliatum, Fever-wort, has much reputation for effects similar to those of Ipecac. 108 History of Hingham. Sambucus, Tourn. Canadensis, L. Elder, racemosa, L. Red-berried Elder. Viburnum, L. aeerifolium, L. Maple-leaved Arrow-wood, deutatum, L. Toothed Arrow-wood, cassinoides, L. Withe-rod. Lentago, L. Sweet Arrow-wood. Triosteum, L. pertbliatum, L. Fever-wort. Lonicera, L. sempervirens, Ait. Trumpet-Honeysuckle. Dierviila, Tourn. trifida, Moench. Bush-Honeysuckle. Very rare. 40. RUBIACEiE. (M ADDER FAMILY.) Trees, shrubs, and herbs. Represented in Hingham but by a single shrub, the Button-bush, and by a few herbs, but among these last is one of rare beauty, far too little appreciated, the Mitchella rcpens, Partridge berry. This sweet little plant adorned with fragrant twin flowers, bright polished evergreen leaves, and showy scarlet berries is worthy of much more notice than is given it. Though our species do not furnish products of noticeable value, the family includes plants of great importance to man. Madder, so serviceable in the arts, is from the root of one of the species. Others furnish some of our most-highly prized medicines, as Peru- vian Bark, Quinine, Cinchona, Ipecacuana, etc. Coffee, the common luxury of our tables, is the product of a tree of this family. Houstonia, L. caerulea, L. Bluets. purpurea, L., var. longifolia, Gray. Cephalanthus, L. occidentalis, L. Button-bush. Mitchella, L. repens, L. Partridge-berry. Galium, L. Aparine, L. Cleavers, circrezans, Mx. Wild Liquorice, tritidum, L. Small Bedstraw. asprellura, Mx. Rough Bedstraw. triflorum, Mx. Sweet-scented Bedstraw. 41. composite. (Composite Family.) The compound flowers of early botanists. The plants of this order are readily recognized by their flowers being grouped in The Botany of Hingham. 109 numbers upon a common receptacle, the enlarged head of the flower stalk, and by the anthers of the stamens cohering in a tube. The marginal flowers generally have strap-shaped corollas, which, extending as rays around the receptacle, are often very showy, while the interior ones of the disk having only tubular corollas are comparatively insignificant. This gives the impression to observers unfamiliar with botanical details that only a single flower is seen where many are aggregated. Take the Sunflower, so called, for an example ; the very name of which implies it is one flower. In this case each of the yellow rays surrounding the whole receptacle is the corolla of a single marginal flower, those of the disk having no such rays. The greater portion of the Composita? of our town are of this charac- ter. The flowers of some have the corollas all strap-shaped or ligulate, as this form is called, as may be seen in the Dandelion and many others. The Composite, considering the vast number of species, do not furnish many useful products to man. A few supply food, as the Artichoke, Salsify, and Lettuce. The root of the Chickory is used extensively as a substitute for coffee. From the seeds of the Sun- flower and some others an oil is expressed which is valuable. A bitter principle, found in several species, combined with other properties, has led to the use of many of them medicinally, par- ticularly Wormwood, Camomile, Arnica, Artemisia, and Elecam- pane. Some are quite poisonous, as Arnica. As objects of beauty many of the cultivated species of the order surpass ifchose of any other in the autumnal season. How greatly should we feel the loss of the Asters, the Chrysanthemums, the Dahlias, and the varieties of Coreopsis from our flower gardens when nearly all their earlier companions " are faded and gone." Vernonia, Schreb. uoveboracensis, Willd. Iron Weed. Rare. Mikania, Willd. scandens, L. Hemp Weed. Eupatorium, Tourn. purpureum, L. Trumpet Weed. teucrifolium, Willd. sessilifolium, L. Boneset. perfoliatum, L. Thoroughwort. Solidago, L. cassia, L. Golden Rod. latifolia, L. bicolor, L. sempervirens, L. puberula, Nutt. odora, Ait. speciosa, Nutt. rugosa, Mill. Eliiottii, Torr. & Gr. HO History of Hingham. neglecta, Torr. & Gr. neglecta, Torr. & Gr., var. linoides, Gray. juncea, Ait. serotina, Ait. serotina, var. gigantea, Gray. Canadensis, L. nemoralis, Ait. lanceolata, L. tenuifolia, Pursh. Sericocarpus, Nees. solidagineus, Nees. White-topped Aster, conyzoides, Nees. Aster, L. corymbosus, Ait. macrophyllus, L. Novae-Angliae, L. patens, Ait. undulatus, L. cordifolius, L. lasvis, L. ericoides, L. multiflorus, Ait. dumosus, L. vimineus, Lam. diffusus, Ait. paniculatus, Lam. salicifolius, Ait. Novi-Belgii, L. Novi-Belgii, var. litoreus, Gray. puniceus, L. umbellatus, Mill. linariifolius, L. acuminatus, Mx. subulatus, Mx. Erigeron, L. bellidifolius, Mubl. Robin's Plantain. Philadelphicus, L. Fleabane. annuus, Pers. strigosus, Muhl. Daisy Fleabane. Canadensis, L. Horse-weed. Pluchea, Cass. camphorata, D C. Marsh Fleabane. Antennaria, Gaert. plantaginifolia, Hook. Plantain-leaved Everlasting. Anaphalis, D C. magaritacea, Benth. & Hook. Pearly Everlasting. Gnaphalium, L. polycephalum, Mx. Everlasting. uliginosum, L. Cudweed. Inula. L. Helenium, L. Elecampane. Rare. Tlie Botany of Hingham. m Iva, L. frutescens, L. Marsh Elder. Ambrosia, Tourn. artemisisefolia, L. Roman Wormwood. Xanthium, Tourn. Canadense, Mill. far. echinatum, Gray. Cockle-bur. Rudbeckia, L. hirta, L. Cone-flower. Helianthus, L. aim ti us, L. Sunflower. divaricatus, L. strumosus, L. decapetalus, L. tuberosus, L. Jerusalem Artichoke. Coreopsis, L. tinctoria, Nutt. Not common. Bidens, L. frondosa, L. Beggar-ticks, connata, Muhl. Swamp-ticks. cernua, L. Smaller Swamp-ticks, chrysanthemoides, Mx. Larger Swamp-ticks. Anthemis, L. Cotula, D C. May-weed. arvensis, L. Corn Chamomile. Rare. Achillea, L. Millefolium. L. Yarrow. Ptarmica, L. Sneeze-wort. Rare. Chrysanthemum, Tourn. Leucanthemum, L. Daisy. White-weed. Tanacetum, L. vulgare, L. Tansy. Artemisia, L. vulgaris, L. Mugwort. Senecio, Touru. aureus, L. Golden Rag-wort. vulgaris, L. Groundsel. Erechtites, Raf. hieracifolia, Raf. Fire-weed. Arctium, L. Lappa, L., var. minus, Gray. Burdock. Cnicus, Tourn. arvensis, Hoffm. Canada Thistle. lanceolatus, Hoffm. Common Thistle. pumilus, Torr. Pasture Thistle. altissimus, Willd., var. discolor, Gray. Tall Thistle. muticus, Pursh. Swamp Thistle. horridulus, Pursh. Yellow Thistle. Onopordon, Vaill. Acanthium, L. Cotton Thistle. 112 History of H Ingham. Centaurea, L. nigra, L. Knapweed. Krigia, Schreb. Virginica, Willd. Dwarf Dandelion. Cichorium, Tourn. Jnfybus, L. Chiccory. Leontodon, L. antamnalis, L. Hawkbit. Fall Dandelion. Hieracium, Tourn. Canadense, Mx. Canada Hawkweed. paniculatum, L. Panicled Hawkweed. venosum, L. Rattle-snake Hawkweed. scabrum, Mx. Rough Hawkweed. Prenanth.es, Vaill. altissima, L. serpentaria, Pursh. Taraxacum, Hall. officinale, Weber. Dandelion. Lactuca, Tourn. Canadensis, L. Wild Lettuce. integrifolia, Bigel. leucopha^a, Gray. Blue Lettuce. Rare. Sonchus, L. oleraceus, L. Sow-Thistle. asper, Vill. Spiny-leaved Thistle. 42. IiOBELIACEiE. (LOBELIA FAMILY.) Herbs with a milky juice. All the species are poisonous. One of them, the Indian Tobacco, Lobelia infiata, a common plant of our town, is very much so, and has been used too freely in char- latan practice, — many deaths having resulted from such use. One of the most beautiful and showy plants of our wret meadows is the Lobelia Cardinalis, which exhibits its large and bright scarlet flowers in the summer and early autumn. Lobelia, L. cardinalis, L. Cardinal-flower. Dortmanna. L. Water Lobelia, spicata, Lam. inflata, L. Indian Tobacco. 43. CAMPANULACEiE. (BELLWORT FAMILY.) Like the Lobeliaceoe, the plants of this family are herbs with a milky juice, but unlike them, they are harmless. Indeed, the roots and. young leaves of some of them are eaten for food. The flowers are generally blue. They are so in our two species. The Botany of Ringham. 113 Specularia, Heist. perfoliata, A. D C. Venus's Looking-glass. Campanula, Tourn. rapancidoides, L. Bell-flower. Escaped from gardens. 44 ERICACE^. (HEATH FAMILY.) Shrubby and Herbaceous plants, — dear to us for the luxuries furnished in our rural walks and upon our tables ; for what would a season be to us without Huckleberries, Blueberries of many species, and Cranberries ! As objects of beauty and fragrance, how could we spare the Trailing Arbutus, the Cassandra, the Andromeda, the Clethra, the Rhododendron, and the Kalmia, in our wanderings. All these and manv others of our flora make fragrant the air with the odors they exhale, or charm the eye by their beauty. With but few exceptions the plants of this family are entirely innocuous. The leaves of the Rhododendron and the Kalmia, however, con- tain a narcotic principle which sometimes renders them poisonous. Some of the species, as the Bearberry and the Chimaphila, are used medicinally, — - infusions of the leaves being found serviceable. Gaylussacia, H. B. K. frondosa, Torr. & Gr. Dangleberry. resinosa, Torr. & Gr. Black Huckleberry. Vaccinium, L. Pennsylvanicum, Lam. Dwarf Blueberry. vacillans, Solander. Low Blueberry. corymbosum, L. Tall Blueberry. macrocarpon, Ait. Cranberry. Chiogenes, Salis. serpyllifolia, Salis. Creeping Snowberry. Very Rare. Arctostaphylos, Adan. Uva-ursi, Spreng. Bearberry. Epigaea, L. repens, L. Mayflower. Gaultheria, Kalm. procumbens, L. Checkerberry. Andromeda, L. ligustrina, Muhl. Leucothoe, Don. racemosa, Gray. Cassandra, Don. calyculata, Don. Leather-leaf. Kalmia, L. latifolia, L. Mountain Laurel. angustifolia, L. Sheep Laurel. Rhododendron, L. viscosum, Torr. Swamp Honeysuckle. Rhodora, Don. Rhodora. VOL I. — 8 114 History of Hingham. Clethra, Gronov. alnifolia, L. White Alder. Chimaphila, Pursh. umbellata, Nutt. Prince's Pine, niaculata, Pursh. Spotted Wintergreen. Pyrola, Tourn. secunda, L. Wintergreen. ehlorautha, Swartz. elliptica, Nutt. rotundifolia, L. Monotropa, L. uuitiora, L. Indian Pipe. Hypopitys, L. Pine-sap. 45. PLUMBAGINACEiE. (LEADWORT FAMILY.) Seaside plants. Our species, the Sea Lavender or Marsh Rose- mary, is very common along our shores. The root is very as- tringent, and is much used in medicine, especially in cases of inflammation and ulceration of the throat. Statice, Tourn. Lituouiurn, L. Marsh Rosemary. 46. PRIMULACEiE. (PRIMROSE FAMILY.) None of the plants of this family serve important useful pur- poses, but all are harmless. The species are few in our flora, but they differ much in appearance and habits. The Trientalis is one of the most delicate of them and is often seen nestling in the thickets with its companions, the Anemones, bearing its beautiful star-shaped flowers ; while in contrast may be found in the wet swamps and stagnant waters, the Hottonia, a coarse plant with large inflated stems, interesting more from its peculiar character- istics than from its beauty. Hottonia, L. inflata, Ell. Featherfoil. Trientalis, L. Americana, Pursh. Star-flower. Lysimachia, Tourn. quadrif'olia, L. Loosestrife. stricta. Ait. mtmmiilaria, L. Moneywort. Steironema, Raf. lanceolatum, Gray. Anagallis. Tourn. arvensis, L. Pimpernel. Samolus, Tourn. Valerandi, L. var. Americanus, Gray. Brookweed. The Botany of Hingham. 115 47. OLEACE-3L (OLIVE FAMILY.) Trees and shrubs. Though possessing bitter and astringent properties they are harmless. The Olive tree is one of the best known of the family, as its fruit and the oil it produces are eaten throughout the civilized world. Among the cultivated plants are the Common and Persian Lilacs, the Virginia Fringe tree, and the Jessamine. The species native to our flora are the White, Red, and Black Ash. The Privet is extensively naturalized in all parts of the town. Ligustrum, Tourn. vuk/are, L. Privet. Fraxinus, Tourn. Americana, L. White Ash. pubescens. Lam. Red Ash. sambucifolia, Lam. Black Ash. 48. APOCYNACEJE. (DOGBANE FAMILY.) Apocynum, Tourn. androsiemifolium, L. Dogbane, cannabinum, L. Indian Hemp. 49. ASCLEPIADACE-EJ. (MlLKWEED FAMILY.) Herbs and shrubs ; but in Hingham, herbs only which belong to the genus Asclepias, and all bear umbels of flowers. Like the Apocynaceas, they have a milky juice, but the properties of this as well as the other parts of the plants are much less noxious. One of the most beautiful plants of New England is the A. tuberosa, which is exceedingly rare, if indeed it is yet to be found wild within the town limits. Asclepias, L. tuberosa, L. Butterfly-weed, incarnata, L. Swamp Milkweed. Cornuti, Decaisne. Hedge Milkweed, obtusifolia, Mx. phytolaccoides, Pursh. Poke Milkweed, quadrifolia, L. Four-leaved Milkweed, verticillata, L. Whorled Milkweed. 50. GENTIANACEiE. (GENTIAN FAMILY.) Herbs. This family has furnished us with one of the most beautiful and interesting of the plants of our flora, the Fringed Gentian, and care should be taken to prevent its extermination, now seriously threatened. The only way to prevent this is to leave at least a portion of the flowers to mature and drop their seeds, it being an annual and propagated only in this way. All 116 History of Hingham. the plants of the family have pervading them a very bitter princi- ple, which, affording a good tonic, has led to the extensive use of several of the species medicinally. Gentiana, Tourn. crinita, Froel. Fringed Gentian. Andrewsii, Griseb. Closed Gentian. Bartonia, Muhl. tenella, Muhl. Menyanthes, Tourn. trifoliata, L. Buckbean. Not common. 51. BORRAGINACEiE. (BORAGE FAMILY.) Mostly herbs. All our species are such, and all bristly or hairy. They are mucilaginous and harmless. Myosotis, Dill. arvensis, tloffm. verna, Nutt. laxa, Lehm. palustris, With. Foi'get-me-not. Symphytum, Tourn. officinale, L. Comfrev. Rare. Echium, Tourn. vulgare, L. Blue-weed. Rare. Echinospermum, Lehm. Lappula, LeJim. Stick-seed. Rare. Lythospernum, Tourn. arvense, L. Corn Gromwell. 52. CONVOLVULACEJE. (CONVOLVULUS FAMILY). Mostly herbs, twining about other plants; always so with those of our town. Two of these of the genus Cuscuta are parasitic upon the bark of the herbs or shrubs they climb upon. Some species are very ornamental in cultivation, as the Morning Glory and the Cypress vine. The roots of the plants have generally a milky juice which is used in medicine as a purgative. The Sweet Potato is a valuable product of a plant of this family, native to the East Indies, but now cultivated in all tropical and semi-tropical regions, and even to a considerable extent within the temperate zone. It will flourish well in Hingham and yield good-sized tubers, but they lack the sweetness of such as come from the Carolinas. Convolvulus, Tourn. sepium, L. Hedge Bindweed. arvensis, L. Smaller Bindweed. Gnscuta, Touru. Gronovii, Willd. Dodder, compacta, Juss. Rare. The Botany of Htngham. 117 53. SOLANACE-aB. (NIGHTSHADE FAMILY.) Herbs with us ; sometimes shrubs in other regions. This fam- ily furnishes that most valuable tuber, the potato; and also the nutritious and wholesome fruit of the Tomato and Egg plant. A narcotic alkaloid, however, pervades the species, rendering many noxious and some violently poisonous. Even the herbage of the potato and its raw fruit (not the tubers) contain too much of the alkaloid to be safe for food. Tobacco, one of the most potent of all the enemies that man puts into his mouth, is a product of the Nicotiana Tabacum, a native of Central America. Our wild species are all more or less poisonous, — the Datura tatula, or Thorn-apple, being the most so. As might be supposed from the active narcotic character of the plants of this family, many furnish useful medicines. Solanum, Tourn. Dulcamara, L. Nightshade, nigrum, L. Black Nightshade. Physalis, L. Virginiana, Mill. Ground Cherry. Rare. Nicandra, Adans. p/iysaloides, Gcert. Apple of Peru. Rare. Datura, L. Tatula, L. Purple Thorn-apple. 54. SCROPHULARIACE^J. (FlGWORT FAMILY.) Mostly herbs. A very large family of plants, inhabitants alike of cold and warm climates, and though properly classed together by natural affinities, yet exhibiting great diversity of character. One, a native of Japan, is a tree forty feet in height, and hav- ing a trunk two to three feet in diameter, yet bearing clusters of blossoms similar to those of the common Foxglove. We may contrast with this the Limosella, a plant from one to two inches in height, which grows in the tidal mud of the shores. The family is well represented in Hingham by the Gerardias, the Veronicas, and other well-known genera. The properties of the plants are not such as to inspire the lov- ing feelings towards them that are excited bv the Rosacea;, the Labiatoe, and some others, for they are acrimonious and dele- terious. One of them, a commonly cultivated species of the genus Digitalis, the Foxglove, is violently poisonous. This and several others of kindred nature afford to man some compensa- tion for their noxious qualities by furnishing medicines of great value. Many of the species are highly ornamental. 118 History of Hingham. Verbascum, L. Thapsus, L. Mullein. Blattaria, L. Moth Mullein. Linaria, L. Canadensis, Dumont. Toad-Flax. vulgaris, Mill. Butter-and-Eggs. Scrophularia, Tourn. nodosa, L. var. Marilandica, Gray. Figwort. Rare. Chelone, Tourn. glabra, L. Snake-bead. Mimulus, L. ringens, L. Monkey-flower. Gratiola, L. aurea, Mubl. Hedge Hyssop. Ilysantbes, Raf. riparia, Raf. False Pimpernel. Veronica, L. Anagallis, L. Water Speedwell, scutellata, L. Marsh Speedwell, serpyllifolia, L. Thyme-leaved Speedwell, peregrina, L. Purslane Speedwell. arvensis, L. Corn Speedwell. agrestis, L. Field Speedwell. Gerardia, L. pedieularia, L. Gerardia. flava, L. Downy Gerardia. quercifolia, Pursh. Oak-leaved Gerardia. purpurea, L. Purple Gerardia. maritima, Raf. Seaside Gerardia. tenuifolia, Vahl. Slender Gerardia. Pedicularis, Tourn. Canadensis, L. Louse-wort. Melampyrum, Tourn. Americanum, Mx. Cow-wheat. 55. OROBANCHACE5!. (BrOOM-RaPE FAMILY.) Plants without leaves ; low, fleshy, and of a reddish-brown or yellowish-brown color. All parasites upon the roots of other plants. There are in Hingham but two species, one of which exists upon the roots of the Beech and is consequently found only under the shade of this tree. The plants are astringent and. bitter. Aphyllon, Mitch. uniflorum, Torr. & Gr. Cancer-root. Epiphegus, Nutt. Virginiana, Bart. Beech-drops. The Botany of H Ingham. 119 56. LENTIBULARIACE^3. (BLADDERWORT FAMILY.) Aquatic herbs. Represented in Hingham by one genus, the Utricularia. The species are generally immersed, sometimes deeply, and have leaves much dissected, having upon them little bladders which being filled with air cause the plant to bear the flowers above the water. One species, the U. gibba has been found rooted in the marginal mud of a pond. The plants have no noxious properties. Utricularia, L. inflata, Walt. Inflated Bladderwort. vulgaris, L. Greater Bladderwort. gibba, L. Dwarf Bladderwort. intermedia, Hayne. 57. VERBENACEiE. (VERVAIN FAMILY.) Trees, shrubs, and herbs ; with us, herbs only, and confined to two species. The plants of this family are harmless and differ but little from those of the next in general characteristics ; but they lack the aromatic fragrance that makes the Labiatae attractive. The Teak wood of India, so renowned for its durability, is the product of a tree of this order, of large dimensions, having a height of about one hundred feet. *© Verbena, Tourn. hastata, L. Blue Vervain, urticaefolia, L. White Vervain. 58. LABIATiE. (MlNT FAMILY.) A family of pleasing and useful herbs ; pleasing by the aroma they exhale and useful in many ways to man. No species is harmful or, as the botanist Wood states, even suspicious. To it belong the Peppermint, Spearmint, Pennyroyal, Sage, Thyme, Lavender, Hoarhound, Catnip, and other well-known herbs. The foliage has small glands which secrete a volatile oil that yields the fragrance so marked in most of the species. Trichostema, L. diehotomum, L. Blue Curls. Teucrium, Tourn. Canadense, L. Germander. Mentha, Tourn. viridis, L. Spearmint. piperita, L. Peppermint. Canadensis, L. Wild Mint. 120 History of Hingham. Lycopus, Tourn. Virginicus, L. Bugle-weed. sinuatus, Ell. Cut-leaved Bugle-weed. Pycnanthemum, Ms. muticum, Pers. Mountain Mint, linifolium, Pursh. Narrow-leaved Mint. Origanum, Tourn. vidyare, L. Wild Marjoram. Rare. Hedeoma, Pers. pulegioides, Pers. Pennyroyal. Monarda, L. fistulosa, L. Wild Bergamot. Nepeta, L. Cataria, L. Catnip. Glechoma, Benth. Ground Ivy. Scutellaria, L. lateriflora, L. Scull-cap. galericulata, L. Brunella, Tourn. vulgaris, L. Self-heal. Ballota, L. nigra, L. Black Horehound. Leonurus, L. Cardiaca, L. Motherwort. Galeopsis, L. Hemp-Nettle. Tetrahit, L. Stachys, Tourn. arvensis, L> Woundwort. Rare. Lamium, L. amplexicaule , L. Dead-Nettie. intermedium, Fr. Rare. 59. PLANTAGINACEiE. (PLANTAIN FAMILY.) Stemless herbs without properties of any importance. The Plantago major, one of the species, is so common about our dwellings as to have given rise to the saying that wherever the white man puts his feet the Plantain is sure to spring up. Plantago, Tourn. major, L. Plantain. Rugelii, Decaisne. decipiens, Barneoud. Marsh Plantain. lanceolata, L. Ribgrass. Patagonica, Jacq., var. aristata, Gray, Rare. 60. HiLECEBRACE-a:. (Whitlowwort Family.) There are but two plants in Hingham belonging to this new order, separated from the Caryophyllacese. Their properties are unimportant. The Botany of Hinyliam. 121 Anychia, Mx. capillacea, Nutt. Forked Chickweed. Scleranthus, L. annuas, L. Knawel. APETALOUS EXOGENS. 61. AMARANTACEiE. (AMARANTH FAMILY.) Aii ordei' containing some shrubs, but mostly herbaceous plants, and found to some extent in temperate regions, although princi- pally natives of the tropics. Medicinal properties are ascribed to some species, and one at least produces edible seeds. The Cocks- comb, one of the Prince's Feathers, and other species, are com- mon annuals in our gardens. Amarantus, Tourn. paniculalus, L. Prince's Feather. Rare. albus, L. Amaranth, retrorlexus, L. 62. CHENOPODIACE2E. (GOOSEFOOT FAMILY.) A family of herbs or undershrubs, found all over the world, but chiefly natives of northern Europe and Asia. The Beet, Mangel-wurtzel, Spinach, and other edible plants, are of this or- der. Some species have medicinal value, and an oil is extracted from one. The ashes of several of them yield soda. Chenopodium, Tourn. album, L. Pigweed. glaucum, L. Oak-leaved Goosefoot. urbicum, L. hybridum, L. Maple-leaved Goosefoot. capitatum, Wats. Strawberry Blite. Rare. Atriplex, Tourn. patulum, L. Orache. arenarium, Nutt. Seaside Orache. Salicornia, Tourn. herbacea, L. Samphire, mucronata, Big. ambigua, Mx. Suseda, Forsk. linearis, Moq. Sea Blite. Salsola, L. Kali, L. Saltwort. 122 History of Hingham. 63. PHYTOLACCACEiE. (TOKEWEED FAMILY.) A small family of herbs or undershrubs, chiefly natives of the tropics. We have only one species, — the Garget or Pokeberry, the root of which is poisonous. Phytolacca, Tourn. decandra, L. Poke. 64. POLYGONACEiE. (BUCKWHEAT FAMILY.) This order includes a few trees and shrubs, but is almost en- tirely composed of herbaceous plants, principally natives of the north temperate zones, but found in nearly all parts of the world. Some species are medicinal, some furnish dyes, and to the food supply of the earth the order contributes Buckwheat, Rhubarb (the stalks of which are edible, the leaves containing so much oxalic acid as to be poisonous), and the fruits of some East and West Indian species. Polygonum, Tourn. orientate, L. Prince's Feather. Pennsylvanicum, L. lapathifolium, L., var. inearnatum, Watson. Persicaria, L. Lady's Thumb. Hydropiper, L. Smartweed. acre, H. B. K. Water Smartweed. hydropiperoides, Mx. Mild Smartweed. Muhlenbergii, Watson. Water Persicaria. aviculare, L. Knotgrass. erectum, L. Rare. ramosissimum, Mx. tenue, Mx. arifolium, L. Halberd-leaved Tear-thumb. sagittatum, L. Arrow-leaved Tear-thumb. Convolvulus, L. Bindweed. dumetorum, L., var. scandens, Gray. cilinode, Mx. Fagopyrum, Tourn. esculentum, Moench. Buckwheat. Rare. Rumex, L. salicifolius, Weinmann. White Dock. crispus, L. Curled Dock. obtusifolius, L. Bitter Dock. sanguineus* L. Bloody- veined Dock. Rare. Acetosella, L. Sorrel. 65. LAURACE.2EJ. (LAUREL FAMILY.) A very important order of trees and shrubs, natives of Amer- ica, Europe (one species), and Asia, but mostly tropical. The character pervading the order is a pleasant aroma, and The Botany of H Ingham. 123 among the products are Cinnamon, Camphor, Cassia, and other medicinal barks, and a number of aromatic fruits and oils. The timber of some species is valuable. Sassafras, Nees. officinale, Nees. Lindera, Thunb. Benzoin, Blume. Spice Bush. 66. SANTALACE-3E3. (SANDAL-WOOD FAMILY.) An order of trees, shrubs, and herbs, natives of Europe, Amer- ica, Australia, and the East Indies. The European and North American species are herbaceous, while the trees occur in the East Indies and South Sea Islands. The celebrated Sandal-wood is a product of several species of this order. The family has medicinal properties, and a tea is made from the leaves of one species, while another (the Buffalo-tree or Oil Nut J yields an oil. Represented in Hingham by one insignificant species. Comandra, Nutt. umbellata, Nutt. Toad-flax. 67. EUPHORBIACE^I. (SPURGE FAMILY.) A family of about 2,500 species, comprising trees, shrubs, and herbs, natives chiefly of warm countries, especially tropical Amer- ica. The few Northern species are herbaceous. The plants of this order abound in an acrid juice, which, in nearly all of them, is poisonous. Many are valuable in medicine, furnishing Croton Oil, Castor Oil, Cascarilla Bark, etc. The fruits and seeds of some, and the starch of others (yielding Tapioca, etc.), are edible. The timber of some trees is valuable, — African Teak, for example. Caoutchouc is the product of several South American plants of this order. Some species yield various dyes and many are cultivated for their beauty. Euphorbia, L. maculata, L. Spurge. Preslii, Guss. Cyparissias, L. Acalypha, L. Virgin ica, L. Three-seeded Mercury. 68. TJRTICACEJE. (NETTLE FAMILY.) A large and interesting order, embracing trees, shrubs, and herbs, principally natives of the tropics, although the temperate zones contain a considerable number. The trees and shrubs have generally a milky juice, the herbs a watery one. This juice in some of the sub-orders is acrid and poisonous. The celebrated Bohon Upas, one of the deadliest 124 History of Hingham. poisons known, is the concrete juice of one species found in the islands of the Indian Ocean. The hairs on the leaves of the nettles are proverbial for their stinging qualities. Notwithstand- ing the poisonous properties of the sap of some species, the cele- brated Cow-tree of South America supplies a milky juice which is wholesome and valuable as food or drink. This order also produces the Fig, Breadfruit, Mulberry, and other fruits, besides the Hop. Hemp, and Fustic, are also products of this family, as is Gum-lac. The famous Banyan-tree is one of the species. Ulmus, L. Americana, L. Elm. Celtis, Tourn. occidentalis, L. Hack-berry. Urtica, Tourn. gracilis, Ait. Nettle. dioica, L. urens, L. Pilea, Lin (11. pumila, Gray. Richweed. Bcehmeria, Jacq. cylindrica, Willd. False Nettle. Cannabis, Tourn. sativa, L. Parietaria, Tourn. Pennsylvaniea, Muhl. Pellitory. Rare. 69. PLATANACEiE. (PLANE-TREE FAMILY.) An order of trees and shrubs, natives of the Levant, Barbary, and North America. The trees of this family are immense ; specimens of our only species having been found in the West, thirteen feet in diameter. A tree of the Oriental Plane (P. ori- cntalis) standing on the bank of the Bosphorus, is 141 feet in circumference and believed to be 2,000 years old. The wood of the trees of this order is used in the arts. Platanus, L. occidentalis, L. Bnttonwood. 70. JUGLANDACB3!. (WALNUT FAMILY.) An important family, of about thirty species, principally in- habiting North America. It comprises trees of large size and imposing appearance, which are very useful in the arts ; fur- nishing valuable timber, besides affording a dye-stuff made from the husks and roots. Sugar similar to maple sugar is obtained from the sap, and the leaves and bark of some species are used in medicine. The fruit of many trees of this order is highly esteemed. The Botany of Hingham. 125 Carya, Nutt. alba, Nutt. Shag-bark Hickory, tomentosa, Nutt. Mocker-nut Hickory, porcina, Nutt. Pig-nut Hickory, amara, Nutt. Bitter-nut Hickory. 71. MYRICACEiE. (SWEET GALE FAMILY.) A small family, inhabiting the temperate parts of North Amer- ica, India, South Africa, and Europe. The fruit of the Bayberry affords a wax sometimes used in making candles. Myrica, L. cerifera, L. Bayberry. asplenifolia, Endl. Sweet Fern. 72. CUPULIFERiB. (OaK FAMILY.) This noble order comprises the Birch, Alder, Hornbeam, Hazel. Oak, Chestnut, and Beech. It inhabits principally the north temperate zone ; but species are common as far south as tbe mountainous districts of the tropics. It contains trees of magnificent size and grandeur, and low shrubs. Its importance to man, both in the arts and in medicine, and as furnishing food, is well known. Betula, Tourn. lenta, L. Black Birch, lutea, Mx. f. Yellow Birch, populifolia, Ait. White Birch. papyrifera, Marsh. Canoe Birch. Rare. AlmiS, Tourn. incana, Willd. Alder, serrulata, Willd. Smooth Alder. Carpinus, L. Caroliniana, Walt. Hornbeam. Ostrya, Micheli. Virginica, Willd. Hop Hornbeam. Corylus, Tourn. Americana, Walt. Hazel. rostrata, Ait. Beaked Hazel. Quercus, L. alba, L. White Oak. bicolor, Willd. Swamp Oak. Prinus, L. Chestnut Oak. Muhlenbergii, Engel. Yellow Chestnut Oak. prinoides, Willd. Chinquapin Oak. ilicifolia, Wang. Bear Oak. coccinea, Wang. Scarlet Oak. tinctoria, Bartram. Black Oak. rubra, L. Red Oak. 126 History of Hingham. Castanea, Tourn. sativa, Mill., var. Americana. Chestnut. Fagus, Tourn. ferruginea, Ait. Beech. 73. SALICACE.SJ. (WlLLOW FAMILY.) This family, comprising the Willows and Poplars, is found almost entirely in the temperate and frigid zones. Two species are the most northern woody plants known. The order embraces trees and shrubs; some trees reaching a height of eighty feet, and certain species of the shrubs, in alpine and arctic regions, rising scarcely more than an inch from the ground. The family is variously useful in the arts and valuable in medicine, and the leaves and young shoots furnish fodder for cattle in some countries. Salix, Tourn. alba, L., var. vitellina. Koch. White Willow. tristis. Ait. Dwarf Gray Willow. humilis, Marsh. discolor, Muhl. Glaucous Willow. sericea, Marsh. Silky Willow. petiolaris, Smith. Petioled Willow. rostrata, Richard. Livid Willow. lucida, Muhl. Shining AVillow. nigra, Marsh. Black Willow. myrtilloides, L. Myrtle Willow. Populus, Tourn. tremuloides, Mx. American Aspen, grandidentata, Mx. Large-toothed Poplar, balsamifera, L., var. candicans, Gray. Balm of Gilead. 74. CERATOPHYLLACE-SJ. (HORNWORT FAMILY.) Aquatic plants growing in slow streams and ponds. Ceratophyllum, L. demersum, L. Hornwort. 75. CONIFERS. (PlNE FAMILY.) An order of evergreen trees and shrubs, common to the tem- perate and torrid zones, but more extensive in the former regions. The tropical species differ entirely from those existing in cold climates. The family embraces both low shrubs and some of the tallest trees in the world ; the gigantic Pines and Redwoods of Cali- fornia. It is of great importance to man, furnishing timber, tur- pentine, tar, pitch, and resin, besides certain oils. The seeds of some species arc esculent, and the order is of value in medicine. The Botany of Hingham. Ill Chamaecyparis, Spach. spliEeroidea, Spach. White Cedar. Juniperus, L. communis. L. Juniper. Virgin iana, L. Red Cedar. Pinus, Tourn. rigida. Miller. Pitch Pine. strobus, L. White Pine. Picea, Link. nigra, Link. Black Spruce. Tsuga, Carr. Canadensis, Carr. Hemlock. MOXOCOTYLEDONOUS PLANTS : ENDOGENS. 76. ORCHID ACEiE. ( ORCHIS FAMILY.) A vast family of mostly herbaceous plants, although some in the tropics are shrubs. Many of the orchids are epiphytes; plants growing on living or dead trees, but drawing sustenance from the air. They are natives of all parts of the world, but most numerous in the tropical forests of America, and are re- markable for the extreme beauty and odd structure of their flowers, as well as for the grotesque character of the stems and roots of many species. The root tubercles of a few species fur- nish the ingredients of a nutritious article of food. Vanilla is a product of a climbing shrub belonging to the order. Only a few species grow in the United States. Corallorhiza, Haller. multiflora, Nutt. Coral-root. Spiranthes, Rich. cernua, Rich. Ladies' Tresses, gracilis, Big. Goodyera, R. Br. repens, R. Br. Rattlesnake Plantain, pubescens, R. Br. Arethusa, Gronov. bulhosa, L. Calopogon, R. Br. pulchellus, R. Br. Pogonia, Juss. ophioglossoides, Nutt. Habenaria, Willd. tridentata, Hook. blephariglottis, Torr. White Fringed Orchis. virescens, Spreng. lacera, R. Br. Ragged Orchis. psycodes, Gray. Fringed Orchis. fimbriata, R. Br. Large Fringed Orchis. Cypripedium, L. acaule, Ait. Ladies' slipper. 128 History of H Ingham. 77. iridace-E. (Iris Family.) Herbaceous plants, with tuberous roots, natives of the Cape of Good Hope, Central Europe, and North America. They are celebrated more for their beauty than for use, although some are medicinal and the root-stocks of a few are edible. Saffron is the product of one species. The Flower-de-Luce, Crocus, and Gladiolus are of this family. Iris, Tourn. versicolor, L. Blue Flag. prismatica, Pursh. Slender Flag. Sisyrinchium, L. anceps, Cav. Blue-eyed Grass, angustifoliuin, Mill. 78 AMARYLLIDACE5!. (AMARYLLIS FAMILY.) Generally bulbous herbs, mostly tropical, furnishing our gar- dens with some of their most splendid flowers. A few species have poisonous properties. The celebrated Mexican drink, pulque, is made from the Agave. Hypoxis, L. erecta, L. Star-grass. 79. LILIACEiE. (LlLY FAMILY.) A large family of principally herbaceous plants, with generally bulbiferous roots, found mostly in the warmer portions of the temperate zones. A few tropical species are trees or shrubs. The order embraces many of our most beautiful wild and cultivated plants. Some species are useful in medicine, furnishing squills, aloes, etc. A few such as Onion, Garlic, Asparagus, are edible Some are used in the arts. Smilax, Tourn. rotundifolia, L. Greenbrier. glauca, Walt. Rare. herbacea, L. Carrion-flower. Asparagus, Tourn. officinalis, L. Polygonatum, Tourn. biflorum, Ell. Solomon's Seal. Smilacina, Desf. racemosa, Desf. stellata, Desf. Maianthemum, Wigg. Canadense, Desf. Low Solomon's Seal. Hemerocallis, L. fulva, L. Day Lily. The Dolmny of Hlmjham. 129 Allium, L. vineale, L. Garlic. Canadense, Kalin. Muscari, Toarn. botryoides, Mill. Grape Hyacinth. Rare. Ornithogalum, Touro. umbellatum, L. Star of Bethlehem. Lilium, L. Philadelphicum, L. Orange Lily. Canadense, L. Yellow Lily. Erythronium, L. Americanum, Ker. Dog-toothed Violet. Oakesia, Watson. sessilifolia, Watson. Bellwort. Clintonia, Raf. borealis, Raf. Rare. Medeola, Gronov. Virginiana, L. Cucumber-root. Trillium, L. cernuum, L. Nodding Trillium. Veratrum, Tourn. viride, Ait. Hellebore. 80. PONTEDERIACE^J. (PlCKEREL-WEED FAMILY.) Aquatic herbs, natives of America and tropical Asia and Africa, growing in shallow water. Pontederia, L. cordata, L. Pickerel-weed. 81. XYRIDACEiE. (YELLOW-EYED GRASS FAMILY.) Sedge-like herbs, natives of the tropics, with few species in- digenous northward. Xyris, Gronov. flexuosa, Muhl. Yellow-eyed Grass. 82. juncace^i. (Rush Family.) Grassy or Sedgy herbs, generally natives of temperate zones, growing in dry or marshy grounds. Luzula, D C. campestris, D C. Wood Rush. Juncus, Tourn. effusus, L. Bulrush. Balticus, Dethard, var. littoralis, Engel. bufonius, L. VOL. t. — 9 130 History of Hingham. Gerardi, Loisel. Black Grass. tenuis, Willd. Greenii, Oakes & Tuck. pelocarpus, E. Meyer. acumiuatus, Mx. scirpoides, Lam. Canadensis, J. Gay. Canadensis var. longicaudatus, Engel. 83. TYPHACEiE. (CAT-TAIL FAMILY.) An order of marsh herbs common to all portions of the earth. The young shoots of some species are edible. The pollen is inflammable, and used in fireworks. The flags, or leaves, are made into chair-seats. One of the species is the Cat-o'-nine-tails. Typha, Tourn. latifolia, L. Cat-tail. Sparganium, Tourn. simplex, Hudson. Bur-reed. simplex, Huds., var. androcladum, Engel. 84. ARACE-5J. (ARUM FAMILY.) A large family, principally inhabiting the tropics. They are mostly herbaceous, though some tropical species are shrubby. Certain plants of the order are esculent, and others medicinal. Some species are very poisonous, if eaten. Arisaema, Mart. triphyllum; Torr. Indian Turnip. Peltandra, Raf. undulata, Raf. Arrow Arum. Calla, L. palustris, L. Water Arum. Symplocarpus, Salis. foetidus, Salis. Skunk Cabbage. Acorus, L. Calamus, L. Sweet Flag. 85. LEMNACR5!. (DUCK-WEED FAMILY.) These are the simplest, and some species are the smallest, of flowering plants. They float free on the top of the water, having no stems. Lemna, L. trisulca, L. Duck-weed, minor, L. Spirodela, Schleid. polyrrhiza, Schleid. The Botany of Hingham. 131 86. ALISMACE-3EJ. (WATER PLANTAIN FAMILY.) Aii order of marsh or water plants, chiefly natives of northern latitudes. The root-stock of one species is esculent ; otherwise the family is of no use to man. Sagittaria, L. variabilis, Euglm. Arrow-head. 87. NAIADACB5!. (PONDWEED FAMILY.) Aquatic plants found in both salt and fresh waters in all countries. Triglochin, L. maritima, L. Arrow-grass. Potamogeton, Touru. natans, L. Pondweed. Pennsylvanicus, Chain, hybridus, Mx. pulcher, Tuck. pauciHorus, Pursh. pucillus, L. Zostera, L. marina, L. Eel-grass. Ruppia, L. maritima. Ditch-grass. 88. ERIOCATJLE^J. (PlPEWORT FAMILY.) An order of plants growing in or contiguous to water, and mostly natives of South America. But one species has been found in Hingham. This grows on the borders of ponds, only a few inches high ; but in deep water the stem attains a length of several feet. Eriocaulon, L. septangulare, With. Pipewort. 89. CYPERACE51. (SEDGE FAMILY.) An order of plants akin to the Grasses, which occur in all zones. They are generally of low growth, although some species, as the Bulrush and Papyrus, reach a respectable size. The family is of little importance as compared with the Grasses, although the Egyptian Papyrus was of great value for a num- ber of purposes in ancient times, and the Bulrush and Cotton Grass are now used in the arts. A few species are esculent or medicinal. Cyperus, Tourn. diandrus Torr. Nuttallii, Torr. 182 History of Hingham. dentatus, Torr. esculentus. L. strigosus, L. filiculmis, Vahl. Dulichium, Pers. spatbaceum, Pers. Eleocharis, R. Br. ovata, R. Br. palustris, R. Br. tenuis, Schult. acicularis, R Br. Fimbristylis, Vahl. autumnalis, Rocm. & Schult. capillaris, Gray. Scirpus, Tourn. subterminalis, Torr. Club-Rush, pungens, Vahl. lacustris, L. maritimus, L. atrovirens, Muhl. Eriophorum, L. cyperinum, L. Virgiuicum, L. Cotton-grass, polystachyon, L. Rhynchospora, Vahl. alba, Vahl. Beak-Rush, glomerata, Vahl. Carex, L. folliculata, L. inturnescens, Rudge. lupulina, Muhl. lurida, Wahl. Pseudo-Cyperus, L. var. Americana Hochst. scabrata, Schw. vestita, Willd. riparia, W. Curtis. filiformis, L. var. latifolia, Boeckl. stricta, Lam. var. angustata, Bailey. stricta, Lam. var. decora, Bailey. crinita, Lam. virescens, Muhl. debilis, Mx. var. Rudgei, Bailey. gracillima, Schw. flava, L. pallescens, L. conoidea, Schk. laxiflora, Lam. laxiflora, Lam. var. patulifolia, Carey. laxiflora, Lam. var. striatula, Carey. platyphylla, Carey. The Botany of Hlngkam. 133 panicea, L. Pennsylvania, Lain. varia, Muhl. stipata, Muhl. vuloinohlea, Mx. rosea, Sehk. muricata. L. Muhlenbergii, Sckh. echinata, Murr. var. cephalantha, Bailey. echinata, Murr. var. microstachys, Boeckl. cauescens, L. trisperma, Dewey. broraoides, Schk. scoparia, Schk. silicea, Olney. stramiuea, Willd. var. aperta, Boott. straminea, Willd. var. fceuea, Torr. 90. G-RAMINEiE. (GRASS FAMILY.) All order of plants growing all over the world, but most preva- lent in the temperate zones, where they cover the ground with a low turf. Tn the tropics they rise to the stature of trees, as in the bamboos, and grow in an isolated manner, never forming a turf. This family, of about four thousand species, is of all the orders of plants the most useful to man. It comprehends all the grains, the farinaceous seeds of which form a chief part of human food, and the grasses furnish a very great proportion of the fodder upon which cattle live. Sugar is the product of a grass. The malt, and many spirituous liquors are made from fruit of some of the species. Many are used in the arts and a few yield oil. Only one species has been supposed to be poisonous, and the best authorities consider the supposition erroneous. Paspalum, L. setaceum, Mx. Panicum, L. filiforrne, L. glabrum, Gaudin. sanguinale, L. Crab-grass, agrostoides, Muhl. proliferum. Lam. capillare, L. virgatum, L. latifolium, L. clandestinum, L. dichotomum, L. numerous varieties, depauperatum, Muhl. Crus-galli, L. Barn -yard Grass. 134 History of Hingham. Setaria, Beauv. glauca, Beauv. Foxtail. viridis, Beauv. Bottle Grass. Cenchrus, L. tribuloides, L. Hedgehog- Grass. Spartina, Schreb. cynosuroides, Willd. Marsh Grass. juncea, Willd. stricta, Roth. var. glabra, Gray. Zizania, Gronov. aquatica, L. Wild Rice. Leersia, Swartz. oryzoides, Sw. White Grass. Andropogon, Royen. furcatus, Muhl. Beard Grass, scoparius, Mx. macrourus, Mx. Rare. Chrysopogon, Trin. nutans, Benth. Broom Com. Anthoxanthum, L. odoratum, L. Sweet Vernal Grass. Hierochloe, Gmel. borealis, Rcem. & Schult. Holy Grass. Alopecurus, L. pratensis, L. Meadow Foxtail. geniculatus, L. Floating Foxtail. geniculatus var. aristulatus, Mx. Aristida, L. Poverty Grass, dichotoma, Mx. gracilis, Ell. purpurascens, Poir. Rare. Oryzopsis, Mx. asperifolia, Mx. Mountain Rice. Muhlenbergia, Schreb. capillaris, Kunth. Hair Grass. Rare. Brachyelytrum, Beauv. aristatum, Beauv. Phleum, L. pratense, L. Herd's Grass. Sporobolus, R. Br. asper, Kunth. Rush Grass. vaginaeflorus, Vasey. serotinus, Gray. Drop-seed Grass. Agrostis, L. perennans, Tuck. Thin Bent Grass. scabra, Willd. Hair Grass. alba, L. White Bent Grass. alba, L., var. vulgaris, Thurb. Red Top. The Botany of Hingham. 135 Calamagrostis, Adans. Canadensis, Beauv. Blue Joiut Grass. Nuttalliana, Steud. Ammophila, Host. arundiuacea, Host. Sea Sand Reed. Cinna, L. arundinacea, L. Wood Reed Grass. Deschampsia, Beauv. flexuosa, Trin. Hair Grass. Holcus, L. lanatus, L. Velvet Grass. Danthonia, D C. spicata, Beauv. Oat Grass, compressa, Austin. Eragrostis, Beauv. minor, Host. pectinacea, Gr. var. spectabilis, Gray. Triodia, R. Br. purpurea, Hack. Sand Grass. Phragmites, Trin. communis, Trin. Reed. Briza, L. media, L. Dactylis, L. glomerata, L. Orchard Grass. Distichlis, Raf. maritima, Raf. Spike Grass. Poa, L. annua, L. Low Spear Grass. compressa, L. Wire Grass, serotina, Ehrhart. Fowl-meadow Grass, pratensis, L. Kentucky Blue Grass. trivialis, L. Rough Blue Grass. Glyceria, R. Br. Canadensis, Trin. Rattlesnake Grass. obtusa, Trin. nervata, Trin. pallida, Trin. fluitans, R. Br. acutiflora, Torr. Puccinellia, Pari. distans, Pari, maritima, Pari. Festuca, L. tenella, Willd. Fescue Grass. ovina, L. Sheep's Grass. elatior, L. var. pratensis, Gray. Tall Grass. nutans, Willd. Nodding Grass. 136 History of H Ingham. Bromus, L. secalinus, L. Chess. mollis, L. Soft Chess, ciliatus, L. tectorum, L. Rare. Agropyrum, Grcrt. repens, Beauv. Quitch Grass. Elymus, L. Virginicus, L. Lyme Grass, striatus, Willd. Lolium, L. perenne, Ray or Rye Grass. CRYPTOGAMOUS or FLOWERLESS PLANTS. 91. EQUISETACEiE. (HORSETAIL FAMILY.) A family of one genus, growing on wet or low grounds. The fossil remains found in coal deposits, show that these plants were once of enormous size, and formed a large part of the original plant life of the globe ; but the few species which exist now comprise low, simple, or in some cases branched plants, leafless, and hav- ing jointed hollow stems. They abound in silex, and are used somewhat in the arts. Equisetum, L. arvense, L. Horsetail, sylvaticum, L. 92. filices. (Ferns.) One of our most beautiful orders of plants which, in the early history of the globe, formed a very considerable part of its flora. They were of great size, and our vast coal-fields are largely com- posed of the fossil remains of ferns. With us they are low and slender, but in warmer regions they attain the size of small trees. Polypodium, L. vulgare, L. Polypody. Pteris, L. aquilina, L. Brake. Woodwardia, Smith. Virginica, Smith. Chain Fern, angustifolia, Smith. Asplenium, L. Trichomanes, L. Spleen-wort, ebeneum, Ait. Felix-foemina, Bernh. The Botany of Hingham. 137 Phegopteris, Fee. hexagonoptera, Fee. Beech Fern. Aspidium, Sw. Thelypteris, Swartz. Shield Fern. Noveboraeense, Swartz. spinulosum, Swartz. cristatum, Swartz. marginale, Swartz. acrostichoides, Swartz. Cystopteris, Bernh. fragilis, Bernh. Bladder Fern. Onoclea, L. sensibilis, L. Sensitive Fern. Licksonia, L'Her. pilosiuscula, Willd. Osmunda, L. regalis, L. Flowering Fern. Claytoniana, L. ciniiainoinea, L. Cinnamon Fern. 93. OPHIOGLOSSACEiE. (ADDER'S-TONGUE FAMILY.) The plants of this order have the general characters of the Filices, but differ in some structural peculiarities, for which they have been placed in a separate order. The Botrichium ternaturn is a beautiful species. Botrichium, Sw. ternaturn, Sw. Moonwort. several varieties. Ophioglossum, L. vulgatum, L. Adder's Tongue. 94 LYCOPODIACE^]. (CLUB-MOSS FAMILY.) An order of low, creeping, moss-like, evergreen plants ; but in the early ages of the world this family contained many of gigan- tic size. Some species are emetic, but otherwise their properties are unimportant. The powder (spores) contained in the spore- cases is highly inflammable and is used in the manufacture of fireworks. Lycopodium, L. lucidulum, Mx. Club-moss, obscurum, L. Ground Pine, clavatum, L. Club-moss, complanatum, L. Spreaditig-moss. auuotiuum, L. 138 History of Hingham. 95. SELAGUSTELLACEiE. Low, leafy, moss-like or marsh plants, differing from the club- mosses in having two kinds of spores. Selaginella, Beau v. rupestris, Spring. THE TREES AND SHRUBS OF HINGHAM. BY EDWARD T. BOUVE. The beauty of the natural scenery of Hingham, extremely diver- sified as it is by hill and valley, pond and stream, and by its long and varied coast-line, is greatly enhanced by the extent and vari- ety of its woodlands. Standing on some of the highest hills, the picture spread out to the view in various directions is that of a sea of verdure, stretch- ing to the far horizon, as impenetrable to the vision as the virgin forest that covered the land like a shadow when the pilgrims first set foot on the darkly wooded shore of this county. These woodlands are rich in the number of species, and add a corresponding variety to the landscape at all seasons. In winter and early spring the purplish-gray masses form a picturesque background to the snowy fields, except where these are fringed by dark evergreens. They vary in their summer dress from the black-green of the savins to the brilliancy of the oaks that reflect the flashes of sunbeams from their polished foliage. In autumn they light up the hillsides with colors of fire. But not alone do the continuous woods interest the observer. Individual trees remarkable for size and symmetry are not rare ; and the wild hedge-rows along fences or old stone-walls, as well as the clumps and thickets in the fields, are made up of shrubs and woody plants whose very existence, conspicuous as many of these are in their flower, fruit, or foliage, is no more recognized than is their beauty appreciated by the great majority of people who spend a lifetime side by side with them. A series of rambles over the hills, through the woods, by the meadow-bordered streams and along the seashores of Hingham, will always well repay "him who in the love of Nature holds Communion with her visible forms." The woody plants of New England embrace nearly two hundred and fifty species. Of these, there are indigenous to Hingham about half that number. BERBERIDACBiE. In all parts of the town grows that always beautiful shrub, the Barberry (_Berberis vulgaris, L.). 140 History of Hingham. It prefers the hillsides, although very fine specimens are found in rough, swampy land. Its delicate racemes of fragrant yellow flowers in the spring-time, its rich foliage through the summer, and brilliant clusters of scarlet fruit in autumn, make it at all seasons one of the most ornamental wild shrubs. TILIACEiE. The American Linden (Tilia Americana, L.) grows all along the water line of Hingham from Weymouth River and Huit's Cove, where there are many fine specimens, at intervals on the shores of the inner harbor, and plentifully on the borders of the pretty inlets and coves of Weir River Bay. Although also found inland, it much prefers the immediate neighborhood of the sea. ILICINEiE. The American Holly {Ilex opaca, Ait.) grows most plenti- fully in the woods of the eastern part of Hingham. although it occurs also elsewhere occasionally, notably at Turkey Hill and near Old Colony Hill. This tree is always brilliant, its shining, polished leaves, armed with spines, being even more noticeable in the winter woods than they are when new and fresh in summer. The small, white flowers are not showy, but the scarlet berries form a striking^ contrast to the evergreen foliage in the winter. The Black Alder (Ilex verticillata, Gray). This plant grows everywhere in Hingham, preferring low, wet lands. Its flowers, small and white, are in crowded clusters in the axils of leaves. The brilliant scarlet fruit is the cause of the beautiful display which this shrub makes, all along roadsides in low grounds, and in swamps, through the fall and early winter. The Single-berry Black Alder (Ilex laevigata. Gray) grows in Hingham in the deep swamps of the southern borders of the town. It differs from the I. verticillata in having more slender and delicate leaves, and larger, scarcer, and more orange-colored berries. The sterile flowers are on long peduncles. The Ink Berry (Ilex glabra, Gray) is found on the high lands of Union Street, Third Division woods, and rarely in the south- ern woods of the town. It is one of the most elegant of shrubs : and is from two to six feet in height, having brightly polished, narrow, evergreen leaves, and shining, black berries. The flowers are white, small, and inconspicuous, as in the other species of Ilex. Mountain Holly (Nemopanthes fascicularis, Raf.). An ele- gant shrub, with bluish-green leaves on purple or crimson leaf- stalks. The flowers are white, the fruit crimson-red berries on long red peduncles. It grows in the deeply wooded swamps of South Hingham, and at Turkey Hill and Lasell Street woods. X V. The Trees and Shrubs of Hlngham. 141 CELASTRACE^J. Nature's Waxwork (Celastrus scandens, L.) is common in many parts of the town, although it seems to prefer the approxi- mate neighborhood of the sea. It is a pretty climber, deriving its popular name from the brilliant and artificial cbaracter of its red and yellow fruit. RHAMNACEiE. The Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica, L.) grows sparingly in Hingham. It may be found at Turkey Hill and Third Division woods, possibly elsewhere growing wild, besides being cultivated somewhat for hedges. Jersey Tea (Ceanothus Americanus, L.). This pretty little shrub occurs in Lincoln Street woods, toward Huit's Cove, in the woods southeast of Old Colony Hill, at Peck's Pasture, Stoddard's Neck, and probably elsewhere. Tlie plant has a special interest, from having been used as tea during the Revolutionary war. VITACEiE. The Wild Grape is represented in Hingham by two species, the Common or Fox Grape ( Vitis labrusea, L.), and the more delicate Summer Grape ( Vitis aestivalis, Michx.) with its compact bunches of very small berries. This is more rare than the labrusea, occurring in the woods between Old Colony Hill and Weir River, as well as in Third Division, Union Street, and Lasell Street woods, and probably elsewhere in town. But the labrusea is found everywhere, and with its rapid growth covers the swampy woods with a tropical luxuriance of rich foliage, while its small and inconspicuous flowers in the spring, and dark purple or amber clusters of fruit in autumn fill the air with delicious fragrance. The Woodbine (Ampelopsis quinquefolia, Michx.) grows in every part of the township. Finest among our climbing vines, in summer covering in careless profusion of foliage the gray rock, or hanging in delicate festoons from tall trees, its strongly individual leaves, resembling somewhat an irregular, live-pointed star, render it conspicuous. But in the fall, flung with Nature's inimitable grace like a scarlet mantle around the cone of a savin, its younger sprays fringing here and there the flame-colored masses, there is no more striking contrast in the woodlands than its brilliancy and the black-green of the cedar. The deep blue of its corymbed berries adds variety to the picture. SAPINDACE^J. The Maple family is represented in Hingham by the Red Maple (Acer rubrum, L.), which grows everywhere in low and 142 History of Hingham. swampy lands, while it also flourishes on uplands. It is a hand- some tree, conspicuous in the fall through the bright uniform red of its leaves. The Sugar Maple (Acer saccharinum, Wang.) is also indigenous to this region, although the fact of its being so is not generally known. It grows, and specimens of large size are now standing, near the Cohasset line. This species, which is cultivated every- where in town as an ornamental tree, is always one of our most beautiful shade-trees. Bright and healthy in foliage all through the summer, in autumn nothing can exceed its beauty, the leaves turning red, scarlet, and yellow, these colors often mingling in patches with the bright green on individual leaves. The forests in the North, when made up mainly of the Sugar Maple, exhibit a splendor unparalleled elsewhere in the world. ANACARDIACEiE. The plants of the Rhus family are very common all over the township, and on one or two of the islands. The Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina, L.), its leaves coarser, and like the branch- lets and deep crimson fruit, very velvety-hairy, and the Smooth Sumac (Rhus glabra, L.) with leaves, branches, and scarlet fruit smooth, are found everywhere. The smaller and more delicate Dwarf Sumac (Rhus copallina, L.) grows east of the Old Colony Hill and in various other localities. It is a beautiful species, by no means so common as the preceding. The Poison Dogwood (Rhus venenata, D C ), a delicate low tree, is common in swamps everywhere; and the Poison Ivy (Rhus Toxicodendron, L.) grows in great profusion. No family of woody plants presents a more show}- beauty of foliage at all seasons than this. In the gorgeous apparel of autumn, the Rhus is particularly conspicuous, and of all the species, the most bril- liant is the dangerous Poison Dogwood. LEGUMINOSiE. This order has but one representative among our woody plants : the Common Locust (Robinia pseudacaeia, L.). The Locust grows on Lincoln Street, Kilby Street, at Rocky Nook, and elsewhere. Its delicate foliage and long racemes of fragrant white flowers would make it one of the most desirable of our ornamental trees but for the ravages of the worm which honeycombs its very hard and tough wood, and often destroys its beauty at an early age. ROSACEiE. This large order in its subdivisions is very fully represented in Hingham. The Beach Plum (Primus maritima, Wang.) still exists on The Trees and Shrubs of Hingham. 143 the westerly slope of Peek's Pasture, near the water, and prob- ably grew formerly all along' our beaches and shores. It may possibly be found now in some such localities, although it has be- come very rare. The best specimen known to have been lately standing, was growing a few years since near the steamboat- land- ing on Summer Street. It has unfortunately been destroyed. The American Red Cherry (Primus Pennsylvanica, Li.) grows in nearly every part of the town. It is a low tree, distinguished by its red bark, small, red, translucent fruit, and narrow leaves, tlie two semi-blades of which double toward one another, forming an angle with the midrib. The flowers of this species in favorable locations are very large and showy, and their beauty ought to lead to its cultivation as an ornamental tree. Bullace Plum (Prunus spinosa, L. var. insititia). This is a variety of the Sloe or Black Thorn, being a shrub with thorny branches, sharply serrate, ovate-lanceolate, somewhat pubescent leaves. It is very rare in Hingham, having been found on Weir River Lane. The Choke Cherry (Primus Virginiana, L.) is also common. It is a shrub or low tree, distinguishable from the Black Cherry by the peculiar serratures of the leaf, which are fine, sharp, and bend forward toward the apex. Its flowers also, are larger and more showy, and the very astringent property of its conspicuous and handsome fruit is familiar to every one. The Black Cherry (Primus serotina, Ehrh.) is found every- where in Hingham as a low shrub, as well as among our largest and finest trees. It grows to an immense size, although the wholesale destruction of our forests and individual trees has unhappily left but \ery few specimens of even respectable dimen- sions in this region. Of the Spiraeas, the Meadow Sweet {Spiraea salicifolia, L.) and Hardhack or Steeple Bush (Sph-cea tomentosa, L.) are beautiful denizens of our meadows. The Meadow Sweet grows sometimes to the height of six feet, and its fragrant white or rose-tinted blossoms and pretty delicate foliage make it an ever welcome midsummer and fall flower. Its cousin, the Hardhack, is one of our most common plants in low grounds, its tapering spike, cov- ered with rose-colored bloom, showing all along fence-rows and on hummocks in the meadows. Wild Red Raspberry (Eubus strigosus, Michx.). Common at rocky roadsides and in clefts of rocks. A plant hard to distin- guish from the Thimbleberry, except when in fruit. Thimbleberry (Rubus occidentalism L.). Common everywhere in fence-rows and thickets. The fruit purplish-black, while that of the Raspberry is red. The stems are covered with a heavier (bluish-white) bloom than those of the Raspberry. Common High Blackberry (Rubus villosus, Ait.). This plant is very common, the coarse, thorny stems reaching a height of 144 History of Hingham. eight or nine feet in favorable situations, such as damp ditches by roadsides. The white blossoms are very conspicuous. The fruit is firm, close-grained, sometimes hardly edible. Low Blackberry (Rub us Canadensis, L.). This is a trailing, thorny vine, growing in rough fields where the soil is sandy, and on hillsides in all parts of the town. The fruit is juicy and agreeable. Running Swamp Blackberry (Rubus hispidus, L.). A delicate, pretty species, with shining leaves, found in marshes and dam]) woods. The fruit is sour, and of a red or purple color. Quite common. The Swamp Rose (Rosa Carolina, L.). This is the common wild rose of our swampy lands. It is often, in wet places, a very tall plant, rising sometimes to the height of seven or eight feet. The deeply pink flowers grow in corymbs, and the fruit, scarlet and bristly, is very brilliant in the fall. The leaflets are dull above and pale beneath. The Dwarf Wild Rose (Rosa lueida, Ehrhart) is common, but on higher grounds, or the border of meadows, growing usually about two feet in height. The leaves are shining above and sharply serrate. The "Sweet Brier" of song and story (Rosa rubipe of Hingham aforesayd as it is now bounded with the sea northward and with the River called by the Englishmen weymoth River westward which River flow from the sea ; and the line that devide betwene the sayd Hingham and Wey- moth as it is now layd out and marked until it come to the line that devide betwene the colony of the Massachusetts and the colony of New Plimoth and from thence to the midle of accord pond and from the midle of accord pond to bound Brooke to the flowing of the salt water and so along by the same River that devide betwene Scittiate and the said Hingham untill it come to the sea northward ; And also threescore acres of salt marsh on the other side of the River that is to say on Scittiate side according as it was agreed upon by the commissioners of the Massachusets colony and the com- missioners of Plimoth colony Together with all the Harbours Rivers Creekes Coves Islands fresh water Brookes and ponds and all marshes unto Early Settlers. 205 the sayd Towneshippe of Hingham belonging or any wayes app'taineing with all and singular thapp'tenences unto the p'misses or any part of them. belonging or any wayes app'taineing : And all our right title and interest of and into the sayd p'misses with their app'tenences and every part and p'cell thereof to have and to hold All the aforesayd Tract of land which is the Towneshippe of Hingham aforesayd and is bounded as aforesayd with all the Harbours Rivers Creekes Coves Islands fresh water brookes and ponds and all marshes ther unto belonging with the threescore acres of salt marsh on the other side of the River (viz.) on Scittiate side with all and sin- gular thapp'tenences to the sayd p'misses or any of them belonging unto the sayd Joshua Hubberd and John Thaxter on the behalfe and to the use of the sayd inhabitants who are the present owners and proprietors of the present house lotts in hiugham their heires and assignes from the before- named time in the yeare of our Lord God one thousand six hundred thirty and four for ever And unto the only proper use and behoofe of the (the) sayd Joshua hubberd and John Thaxter and the inhabitants of the Towne of hingham who are the present owners and proprietors of the present house lotts in the Towne of Hingham their heires and assignes for ever. And the said Wompatuck Squmuck and Ahahden doe hereby covenant promise and grant to and with the ^ayd Joshua hubberd and John Thaxter on the behalfe of the inhabitants of hingham as aforesayd that they the sayd Wompatuck Squmuck and Ahahdun — are the true and proper owners of the sayd bar- gained p'misses with their app'tenances at the time of the bargaine and sale thereof and that the said bargained p'misses are free and cleare and freely and clearely exonerated acquitted and discharged of and from all aud all maner of former bargaines sales guifts grants titles mortgages suits attach- ments actions Judgements extents executions dowers title of dowers and all other incumberances whatsoever from the begining of the world untill the time of the bargaine and sale thereof and that the sayd Joshua hubberd and John Thaxter with the rest of the sayd inhabitants who are the present owners and proprietors of the present house lotts in hingham they their heires and Assignes the p'misses and every part and parcel 1 thereof shall quietly have hold use occupy possese and injoy without the let suit trouble deniall or molestation of them the sayd Wompatuck : Squmuck and Ahad- dun their heires and assignes : and Lastly the sayd Wompatuck : Squmuck and Ahadun for themselves their heires executors administrators and as- signes doe hereby covenant promise and grant the p'misses above demised with all the libertys previledges and app'tenences thereto or in any wise be- longing or appertaineing unto the sayd Joshua Hubberd John Thaxter and the rest of the sayd inhabitants of Hingham who are the present own- ers and proprietors of the present house lotts their heires and assignes to warrant acquitt and defend forever against all and all maner of right title and Interrest claime or demand of all and every person or persons whatso- ever. And that it shall and may be lawfull to and for the sayd Joshua Hubberd and John Thaxter their heires and assignes to record and enroll or cause to be recorded and enrolled the title and tenour of these p'sents according to the usuall order and maner of recording aud enrolling deeds aud evedences in such case made and p'vided in witnes whereof we the aforesayd Wompatuck called by the English Josiah sachem : and Squmuck called by the English Daniell and Ahahdun Indians : have heere unto set our hands and seales the fourth day of July in the yeare of our Lord God one thousand six hundred sixty and five and in the seaventeenth yeare of the raigne of our soveraigne Lord Charles the second by the grace of God 206 History of H Ingham. of Great Brittanie France and Ireland King defender of the faith &c. 1G65. Signed sealled and delivered In the presence of us : Job Noeshteans Indian the marke of W william Man ananianut Indian the marke of 8 Robert Mamun- tahgin Indian John Hues Mattias Q Briggs the marke of |" Jon Judkins the marke JO of (l. s.) Wompa- tuck called by the English Josiak cheif sachem, the marke J of Squmuck (t,. s.) called by the English Daniell sonne of Chickatabut. the marke fTTl 0I Ahahden (l. s.) Josiali Wompatuck Squmuck Ahahden Indians apeared p'soually the 19th of may 1668 and acknowledged this instrum't of writing to be theyr act and deed freely and voluntary without compulsion, acknowledged before Jno. Leverett, Ast. It needs but a glance at the names of the early settlers of Hing- ham, as given above by Mr. Lincoln, to recognize the founders of some of the most respectable and influential families of Massa- chusetts. Few names are more distinguished in the annals of the Commonwealth or nation than that of dishing. There is reason to believe that Abraham Lincoln was one of the manv descendants from Hingham stock who have made it illustrious in American history. Nearly all of the names in the foregoing lists are still familiar in this generation. These first settlers were men of character and force, of good English blood, whose enterprise and vigor were evident in the very spirit of adventure and push which prompted their outset from the fatherland and their settlement in the new country. They were of the Puritan order which followed Winthrop rather than of the Pilgrim element that settled at Ply- mouth a few vears earlier. The distinction between the two is now well understood. The Pilgrims were Brownists or Separatists, later called Independents, opposed to the national church, insist- ing on separation from it, and reducing the religious system to the simplest form of independent church societies. Indeed it was natural that the spirit that led to reform and greater simplicity in church methods and organization, which was the aim of the Puritans, should go still further and demand entire separation and independence, which was Separatism, and of which the most illustrious type is found in the Pilgrims who sailed in the " Mayflower," and settled in Plymouth in 1620. It is to be noticed that those who thus went to the extreme of ecclesiastical independence were consistent in granting the same liberty to others which they claimed for themselves ; and it is true that the Pil- grims were more tolerant than the Puritans. Lying on the border-line between the jurisdictions of Plymouth and the Massa- chusetts Bay, the first settlers of Hingham are not to be too closely identified with either. They were within the outer limits of the Early Settlers. 207 Puritan colony, but from an early day they manifested a good deal ■of independence of the Boston magnates ; and Peter Hobart's de- fiant attitude towards Governor Winthrop is one of the picturesque features of that early time. There is sometimes, undoubtedly, an inclination to exaggerate the religious element in the early settle- ments of New England. It was a mixed purpose that animated our forefathers. There was in them the genius of adventure and enterprise which in later days has peopled our own West with their descendants ; there was the search for fortune in new coun- tries over the sea ; there was the spirit of trade and mercantile in- vestment ; there was the hope of new homes, and the ardor of new scenes, all clustering around what was unquestionably the central impulse to find a larger religious freedom than the restrictions, legal or traditional, of the old country afforded. This is evident from the fact that while the population of Massachusetts grew rapidly by accessions from England till the execution of Charles the First, yet, as soon as that event happened, the republic of Cromwell and the supremacy of Puritanism during his Protec- torate were accompanied by a practical suspension of immigration to Xew England. For the next two hundred years it had little other growth than that which sprung from its own loins. In these first settlements the ministers were the leaders. Their influence was supreme. They gave tone to the time, and color to history ; and the communities which they largely moulded seem, as we look back upon them, to be toned by the ecclesiastical atmos- phere which the clergy gave to them. But with all this there was still all the time an immense deal of human nature. The picture of the early time, if it could be reproduced, would present a body of men and women engaged in the ordinary activities of life, culti- vating the farms, ploughing the seas, trading with foreign lands and among themselves, engaged in near and remote fisheries, maintaining the school, the train-band, and the church, holding their town-meetings, — a people not without humor, not altogether innocent of a modicum of quarrel and greed and heart-burning, yet warm with the kind and neighborly spirit of a common and inter- dependent fellowship. The Massachusetts settlers indulged in no mere dream of founding a Utopia or a Saints' Rest. They were neither visionary philosophers nor religious fanatics. Their early records deal with every-day details of farm and lot, of domestic affairs, of straying cattle and swine, of runaway apprentices and scolding wives, of barter with the Indians, of whippings and stocks and fines for all sorts of naughtinesses, of boundaries and suits, of debt and legal process and probate, of elections and petty offices civil and military, and now and then the alarum of war and the inevitable assessment of taxes. They smack very much more of the concerns, and the common concerns, of this world than of concern for the next. They are the memoranda of a hard, prac- tical life ; and if the name of Hingham now and then appears in them during the first half-dozen years of its existence, it is in 208 History of Hingham. connection with a fine for bad roads, or leave to make hay in Conihasset meadows, or permission to use its meeting-house for a watch-house, or the appointment of a committee to settle its difficulties with Nantasket, or something of equally homely import. There is in these records no cant nor sniffling, none of that pre- tentious sanctimoniousness which is so flippantly charged upon the Puritans. There is less reference to theology than to wavs and means ; and the practical question, for instance, of restraining the liquor-traffic and evil, seems to have taxed the ingenuity and attention of their law-makers and magistrates very much as it does in the case of their descendants. There is no waste of words in the grim sentences, but a plain, wholesome dealing with the material needs of the colony. One cannot read them and not feel the sense of justice and righteousness that inspired the leaders of the settlement, and that sought, rigorously indeed but honestly, to institute and maintain a commonwealth which should be ani- mated by virtue, thrift, education, the sanctity and sweetness of home, fear of God, and fair dealing among men. They were de- veloping that sturdy, educating, self-reliant New England town life which till forty or fifty years ago was so unique, but which since then has gradually been disintegrated and changed by the tremendous influence of the transportations of the railroad, the wide scattering of the New England seed, the influx of foreign elements, the rapid growth of large cities, the drain on rural sources, and the general change from diffusion to consolidation, and from the simplest and most meagre to the most profuse and complex material resources. MILITARY HISTORY. BY WALTER L. BOUVE. The story of the settlement of Hingham and of the struggles, employments, and daily life of her lirst inhabitants, is one differ- ing but little from that of many other of the older sea-coast towns of Xew England. Alike in their origin, their religion, and their opinions, similar in their pursuits and experiences, menaced by a common danger, and, with the exception of the Plymouth Colony communities, influenced by the same hopes and purposes and governed by the same laws, it was natural that in their growth and development the little hamlets forming a frequently broken thread from the Merrimac to Buzzard's Bay, should, fur a con- siderable period, bear a strong resemblance to one another. Yet each, from the first, possessed those peculiar characteristics which differences of wealth, the impress of particular families, and the influence of vigorous leaders inevitably create. This individualism was enhanced by the effects of time, of situation, and of interest, and in each grew up the legends, traditions, and local history peculiar to itself. If those of our own town are devoid of the dramatic and tragic incidents which light up the chronicles of Salem, of Deerfield, of Hadley, and of Merry Mount ; if no Myles Standish with his mar- tial figure, no Eliot with the gentle saintly spirit, and no Endicott with fiery speech and commanding will, grace our story, and if no battle-banner like that of a Lexington, a Concord, or a Bunker Hill, wreathes about us the halo of a patriotic struggle, there is nevertheless within the pages of our modest records not a little to awaken the absorbing interest which the tales of the grandfather always bear to those of the younger generations. And the local colorings, if not of unusual brilliancy, still glow for us with all the warmth of the home-hearth, and to the quaint pictures of the olden time the mellowing of change and of years only adds a hallowing light. The chapters, of which this is one, treating of the forefathers and their descendants, from the religious, indus- trial, social, educational, and public relations in which we find them, are mainly for ourselves and our children, for our and their use and pleasure, prepared with little ambition other than to preserve and transmit a fairly accurate account of the birth and growth of our native town, — one which even to this day is typical VOL. I. — 14 210 History of Hingham. of those modern democracies which form the distinguishing char- acteristic of New England. We cannot however isolate ours from the other settlements which already, two hundred and fifty years ago, formed, like it, parts of a complete commonwealth, with established customs, diverse interests, and self-reliant spirit. It is interesting to observe these sturdy and half independent plantations, bound together as they were by the common laws and necessities, re-enacting, each within its own limits, much of the complex life of the province at large. They were truly miniature commonwealths, and the claims of the State and the claims of the Church received as well the consideration of the people of the village as of the deputies at the capital; and the various commer- cial, religious, and social interests made themselves felt alike in the town meetings and in the legislative and council chambers. In each town, too, was the military organization and establish- ment, demanding and receiving from nearly every citizen active participation in its exacting and stern requirements. Like the civil authority it was, it is true, regulated and controlled largely by the central government, but it nevertheless possessed, from very necessity, much local independence. To the story of its part in the life of Hingham this article is devoted. And here it may not be inopportune to consider briefly a phase in the history and policy of the colony, and indeed of the other colonies as well, which has perhaps not at all times been accorded its full value, and which is well illustrated in the record and experience of our own town. From their situation and sur- roundings the North American colonies were necessarily little less than military provinces, whose armed forces were their own citizens. Of them Massachusetts was the most prominent, and her usual condition was that of an armed peace, with many of the incidents of martial law, not infrequently broken by open hos- tilities with her Indian and French neighbors. For more than one hundred years succeeding the organization of the government, a large portion of the legislative enactments pertained to the arm- ing and disciplining of the inhabitants, to the erection of forts, the purchase of military stores, and to other measures of defence and offence ; and no inconsiderable part of her expenditure was for the raising and equipping of troops, and for expeditions against the Indians and against Canada. The laws on these subjects were frequent, minute in their details, and often severe in their require- ments ; and they affected not only the individual citizen, but reached the towns in their corporate capacity and prescribed their duties as well. These enactments, with frequent experience in actual service, produced not only a hardy, disciplined, trained citizen soldiery ready for the emergency of the hour, but, continued as they were through the legislation of a century, they created the military tra- dition, knowledge, and discipline which were of such inestimable Military History. 211 value in the opening days of the Revolution ; and into that struggle sprang, nut alone the embattled farmer, but with a value far greater to the cause, the alert minute-man who had been at the taking of Louisburg, the trained-baud men who, like their able officers, had threaded the forests around Fort William Henry and Frontenac, and the sturdy regiments whose leaders had climbed the heights of Quebec with Wolfe, and seen the fall of Montcalm. It is well for us not to forget that the troops of Great Britain were met in 17TG, not by undisciplined levies, but by an Ameri- can army, whose great commander was a soldier of many years' invaluable experience in that best of military schools, service in the field ; that the hard lessons learned by the young colonel of twenty-one at Fort Necessity and Brad dock's defeat made possible the general of A^alley Forge, Trenton, and Yorktown ; that Putnam, with his English commission, attacking the Span- iards in 1762 was preparing for the sturdy old Continental com- mander of 1776 ; that Stark, the intrepid leader at Bennington, was but the Stark of 1756, grown a little older and more experi- enced; or that old Seth Pomeroy, fighting in the ranks, and old Richard Gridley, pushing on with his artillery at Bunker Hill, had both heard the roar of French guns in the campaigns which made them veterans. These, with scores and hundreds of others, both officers and privates, now enlisted in the ranks of liberty, gave to a large force the true character and discipline of an army. One of the earlier of the settlements, situated upon the very border of the Colony and adjoining the frontier of that of Ply- mouth, Hingham was peculiarly liable to suffer from the differ- ences which might at any time arise between the governments of either province and their Indian neighbors. A realization of this danger, and consequent thorough preparation, probably accounts for the remarkable immunity from attack and depredation which was so long the good fortune of the town, notwithstanding the fact that the Indian trail to Plymouth led directly through its southern part along the shores of Accord Pond. The Indians of Hingham formed a part of that great division among the red men known as the Algonquins. This mighty race comprised many powerful tribes, and occupied nearly the whole territory of the northeastern United States. The strength of the New England, and especially the Massachusetts nations had been greatly reduced by a great pestilence shortly before the set- tlement of Plymouth. For this the good King James was duly thankful, and he gratefully says in his charter — " that he had been given certainly to knowe that within these late years there hath by God's visitation reigned a wonderful plague together with many horrible slaughters and murthers committed amongst the savages and brutish people there heretofore inhabiting in a manner to the utter de- struction devastation and depopulation of that whole territorye so that there is not left for many leagues together in a manner any that doe claim or challenge anv kind of interests therein." 212 History of Hingham. These disasters were probably in 1617 or thereabouts. Only a little earlier, in 1614, Smith says : " The sea-coast as you pass shows you all along large corn-fields and great troupes of well proportioned people." Others computed the number of warriors at from eight thousand to twenty-five thousand. They were divided into a number of nations, and these again into tribes. Of the former, some of the principal were the Wampanoags, ruled over by Massasoit, a life-long friend of the English, and whose domin- ion lay between Cape Cod and Narragansett Bay ; the Narragan- setts, who lived in Rhode Island upon the western coast of the bay of that name, and whose chiefs were Canonicus and Miantonomo ; the Pequods, under Sassacus, whose territory lay between the Mys- tic and the Thames, then the Pequod River, in Connecticut ; and the Massachusetts, under Chickatabut, who occupied the territory to the south of Boston and extending as far as Duxbury. In 1633 Chickatabut was succeeded by Josiah Wompatuck. In addition to the above there were the Pawtuckets north of the Charles River, and the Chur-Churs and Tarantines in Maine. All played a part more or less important in the history of the New England settle- ments. Hingham, it will have been noted, lay within the land ruled, until just about the time the first settlements were made here, by Chickatabut ; and it was his son and successor, Wompa- tuck, together with Squmuck and Ahahden, who joined in 1668 in conveying to the English the territory now comprised in the towns of Hingham and Cohasset. For many years the intercourse between our forefathers and their red neighbors seems to have been peaceable and agreeable. The earliest known settlement of Hingham was made sometime in the year 1633, and the first houses were probably located upon what is now North Street, and near the bay which the erection of tide gates has converted into the Mill Pond. This little arm of the sea although fordable at low tide was still of sufficient depth to float craft of a size considered respectable in those days ; and many a fishing smack has ridden out in safety the gales of winter under the lee of the protecting hills which surrounded it, and upon whose sunny southern slopes were perhaps the first cleared lands in the town. Up it, too, sailed one day in the summer or early autumn of 1635, the Rev. Peter Hobart and his company ; they landed, as we are told, on the northerly shore about opposite to where Ship and North streets intersect, and here in the open air, the first public religious services were held. Not far from this spot, and but a few rods in front of where Derby Academy now stands, and upon a part of the hill long since removed, was erected the first meeting-house. This was a plain square building, low and small as compared with modern churches, but constructed of hewn logs and undoubtedly very substantial. It was surmounted by a belfry containing a bell, and around was a palisade for defence against the Indians. Military History. 213 Here then our Military History commences, and the church erected for the worship of Almighty God was in truth a fortress of the Lord against the heathen enemies of the bodv, as well as against the beguilers of the soul. Nor was the worthy pastor apparently less lilted to command in a temporal than to lead in a spiritual capacity. Of its actual use as a defensive post we have n> lack of evidence. In June, IGo'J, according to the "Records of the Governor and Company of Massachusetts Bay in New Eng- land"' (from which the authority for much here given is derived), k- Himrham had liberty to use their meeting house for a watch house ; " and again, December 1640, " Hingham Meeting house for the present is allowed tor their watch house." Already, in 1636, the delegates in General Court had ordered " that the military men in Hingham [with other towns] be formed into a regiment of which John Winthrop, Sen. Esq., be Colonel, and Thomas Dudley, Lieut.-Colonel." This indicates the existence here at a very early period of at least a part of a company, and our ances- tors certaiulv had eminent commanders in two such remarkable men as Governor Winthrop and Governor Dudley. Among the interesting orders from the central authority about this time was one providing that captains be maintained from the treasury, and not from their companies ; it was evidently passed for the purpose of giving greater independence to the officers, and was manifestly in the interest of the strict discipline towards which all legislation constantly tended. It was also enacted that musket-balls of full bore should pass current for a farthing apiece ; which, although pertaining to the finances and currency rather than to the mili- tary, is a fact of sufficient interest to justify its mention in this connection. In 1*335 it was ordered that no dwelling-house be built above half a mile from the meeting-house, and in this order Hingham had the honor of being specially included by name ; in- dicating perhaps that she had already shown a tendency to exceed that limit and to stretch herself out along the main street, towards the neighboring colony with which her people had later so much in common. Aers passed in 1634, 1635, and 1636 required towns to provide at their own charge a place in which to keep such powder and ammunition as the military authorities should order them to take from Boston, and fixed a penalty for neglect ; commanded all persons to go armed with muskets, powder, and ball, to all public assemblies, and forbade any one going unarmed at any time above a mile from his dwelling-house ; and specifically directed " that the military officers in every town shall provide that the watches be duly kept in places most fit for common safety, and also a ward on the Lord's day, the same to begin before the end of the first month and to be continued until the cud of September, and that everv person above the age of eighteen years (except magis- trates and elders of the churches) shall be compellable to this 214 History of Hingham,. - service either in person or by some substitute to be allowed by him that hath the charge of the watch or warde for that time, with punishment for disobedience." The settlement of 1633, then called Bare Cove, was in July, 1635, erected into a plantation, which carried the right of sending deputies to the General Court ; and in September of the latter year the name was changed to Hingham. House lots were granted to some fifty individuals in June and September, and other lands fur the purposes of pasturage and tillage. The former were situated mainly upon Town, now North Street, but during the year the settlement was extended to Broad Cove Lane, now Lincoln Street, and in 1636 the grants were upon what is now South Street and upon Batchelor's How, now the northerly part of Main street. And these early beginnings of our modern streets comprised the whole of the little town, with its two hundred odd inhabitants, when in 1637 it first became a duty to furnish a quota of her sons for the public defence. It was the second year of the Pequod War, and Massachusetts — which had already been acting with Connecticut -- was to raise an additional force of one hundred and twenty men, to be placed under the command of Capt. Israel Stoughton ; this number was subsequently increased to one hundred and seventy. Of these, six were men from our town. We unfortunately know the names of none of them, but we can follow in imagination the toilsome march of the little army of which our forefathers formed a small part, as it slowly and painfully made its way through the virgin thickets, almost impenetrable with the stiff', unbending, knarled scrub oak, the matted masses of luxuriant-growing and lacerating horse-brier, beautiful in its polished green, and the almost tropi- cally developed poison-sumac, seductive in its graceful form and rich coloring ; through i.he great forests, dark with the uncut forms of the towering pines ; and through the swamps of the coun- try around Narragansctt Bay, with the rich, black soil of the bot- toms, and the majestic white cedars rising, like great sentries of the red man, far into the air ; and thence up towards the Mystic, spreading widely over the country between. We need not re- hearse the details too minutely here ; we know the story, — the Indians defeated, their tribe destroved, and a dav of thanksgiving appointed ; this time October 12, when it was also ordered that the various towns should " feast" their soldiers, — an injunction doubtless faithfully obeyed, here at least. From the time of the Pequod War, apprehensions of renewed trouble with the natives, and the necessary precautions against it, continually grew throughout the colony. Among the enactments was one passed March 13, 1638, directing " that Hingham have a barrel of powder, to be paid for by the town," and from 1640 to 1644 frequent orders regulated the time for training the train- bands, and prescribed punishments for neglect. In the former of Military History. 215 these years, an interesting town record informs us that the follow- ing vote was passed, " That from the date hereof thenceforth there shall be no ti'ee or trees cut or felled upon the highway upon the pain of twenty shillings to be levied for the use of the town because all good trees are to be preserved for the shading of cattle in the summer time and for the exercising of the military."' The desirability of preserving the trees " for the exercising of the military " arose from the benefit to be derived from training the latter in the practical methods of Indian warfare, wherein every savage placed the protecting trunk of a tree between himself and the enemy ; a situation giving him a distinct advantage over troops in regular order. It was ignorance or neglect of this fact that led to the destruction of the brave Capt. Pierce of Scituate and his company in 1676 and to the defeat of Braddock nearly eighty years later. " Garrison houses," so-called, which for the most part were probably private dwellings of unusual size and adaptability for defence, were constructed, and stringent laws passed for the enforcement of military discipline. The location and appearance of such of the former as were then or after- wards erected in Hingham, it is not possible to fully determine. Among them, however, was what is now known as the Perez Lincoln house standing on North, and a little east from Cot- tage Street. It was erected by Joseph Andrews, probably in 1640. He was the first constable and first town clerk of Hing- ham. From him it passed for a nominal consideration, in 1665, to his son Capt. Thomas Andrews, and was then known as the Andrews house. It is the best authenticated " garrison house " that we have. Doubtless during many an alarm its massive tim- bers and thick log walls gave a sense of security to the settlers who, with their wives and children, had gathered within. A pecu- liarity of this building, now perhaps the oldest in town, is that, excepting its first transfer, it has never been conveyed by deed, but has continuously passed by will or simple inheritance for some two hundred and twenty-five years from one owner to another. Although now clapboarded and plastered, it is still one of the most interesting of the old landmarks, and its sound old ribs as seen within seem capable of defying the inroads of another century. Another of these primitive defences stood near what is now the easterly corner of Hersey and South streets, and on the site of the Cazneau house, — formerly belonging to Matthew Lincoln. Another was the house of Capt. John Smith, on the Lower Plain, about where the store of Mr. Fearing Burr now is. John Tower's house near Tower's Bridge was also a orarri- son house : and yet another, at South Hingham, was Capt. John Jacob's house, situated in the pass between Massachusetts and Plymouth. There were doubtless others, of which the record is lost. In 1612 military officers were empowered to punish neglect 216 History of Hingham. and insubordination by fine, imprisonment, corporal punishment, the stocks, etc., and every town was obliged to provide a place for retreat for their wives and children, and in which to store ammu- nition. The meeting-house answered for this double purpose in Hingham, although the military stores were often distributed among the commissioned officers of the town, thus securing greater safety and availability in case of surprise. Every smith was directed to lay aside all other work, and " with all speed attend the repairing of the ammunition of the several towns, fitting them for any sudden occasion, and shall receive country pay for it." In every town there was a council of war, consisting doubtless of the military officers, the selectmen, — generally including in their number these same officers, — and perhaps other prominent citi- zens. This council seems to have had certain advisory powers, and perhaps even of direction in emergencies, but in the event of its failure to act, the commander of the company was specially authorized to use his own discretion both for defence and offence. The General Court directed, too, the manner in which alarms mia'ht be given in case of danger. Anv inhabitant was empowered to distinctly discharge three muskets, to continually beat the drum in the night, or to fire the beacon, or to discharge a piece of ordnance, or to send messengers to adjoining towns ; and every soldier was to respond at once, under a penalty of live pounds. The captains of the three towns nearest that in which the enemy should be discovered were to proceed thither with their companies. The watches throughout the country were posted at sunset at the beat of the drum, and discharged at sunrise drumbeat. From this arose the custom of payments which we find made to many indi- viduals through a long series of vears for " maintaining the drum." Thus among the ;t disbursements paid out of the Towne rate for the Towne's use " in 1662, are the following: — " To Joshua Beals for maintenance of ye drum, <£01 00 00. " To Steven Lincoln for maintenance of ye drum, £00 10 00." And again, — besides many other similar disbursements, — " John Lincoln to be paid ten shillings a year for drumming, he to buy his own drum : " this in 1690. Increasing rumors of Indian conspiracies induced greater vigi- lance and more careful preparation from year to year. In 1043 the military officers were placed in charge of the arms brought to public meetings, and the care of ammunition in the farmhouses was given to them ; and in 1644 all inhabitants were compelled to keep arms ready for service in their houses. At a town meeting, June 24, 1645, it was voted to erect a palisade around the meeting-house " to prevent any danger that may come into this town by any assault of the Indians." Previous to 1645 Hingham appears to have had no captain, and it is probable that for pur- poses of military organization and discipline the soldiers of Hull and Weymouth were joined with our own in forming a company, Military History. 217 and that they were commanded by a captain residing- in the latter place. Winthrop says that in 1645 Hingham chose Lieutenant Eames, who had been the chief commander for the previous seven or eight years, to be captain, and presented him to the council for confirmation. For some reason not now known, the town be- came offended with Eames before his new commission could be issued, and a new election was held, or attempted to be held, at which Bozoan Allen was chosen captain ; whom, however, the council refused to confirm. A bitter controversy lasting several years ensued. The town became divided into partisans of the two officers, and the quarrel occupied much of the time of the deputies and magistrates until 1648. In it the Rev. Peter Hobart, together with many leading- citizens, became deeply in- volved, and the issues soon came to relate to civil and reli- gious, rather than to military interests. The details of this most unfortunate affair, which cost the town many of its best families and much of its prosperity, would seem to be- long more properly to the chapter on ecclesiastical history, and there they may be found at length. Lieut. Anthony Eames, the first local commander of the town, was one of the first settlers, coming here in 1636, in which year a house lot was granted him on the lower plain. He seems to have been an able officer and a leading and trusted citizen, being a deputy in 1637, 1638, and 1643, and frequently holding positions of responsibility and honor in the town. Together with Allen, Joshua Hobart, and others, he was chosen to represent the town's interests in Xantasket lands, and in 1643 he with Allen and Samuel Ward had leave from the town to set up a corn mill near the cove. From Lieutenant Eames, through his three daughters, — Milicent who married William Sprague, Elizabeth who married Edward Wilder, and Marjory who married Capt. John Jacobs, — many of the people of Hingham are descended. Pending the settlement of the trouble in the company, the General Court ordered, August 12, 1645, that " Lieutenant Tory shall be chief military officer in Hingham, and act accord- ing as other military officers till the court shall take further orders." Lieutenant Tory was from Weymouth, and was un- doubtedly appointed as a disinterested party to the controversy. He was succeeded in the care of the company in May, 1646, by Maj. Edward Gibbons. The same day that Lieutenant Tory was assigned to the charge of the company an important order was passed by the General Court to the effect that the commander of every company should select thirty men out of every hundred in their command who should be ready for service at half an hour's notice ; and further provided for the thorough arming and equip- ping of every man, with penalties for neglect. Provision was also made at the May session of the General Court for the training of youth between the ages of ten and sixteen years of age, by experi- 218 History of Hingham. enced officers, in the use of arms " as small guns, pikes, bows and arrows " but excepting such as parents forbade. This order was renewed in nearly the same form in 1G47. Another order pro- vided that any man not having arms might be excused from the usual penalty by bringing to the company clerk corn to one-fifth greater value than the cost of the articles in which he was defi- cient. " But if any person shall not be able to provide himself arms and ammunition through mere poverty, if he be single and under thirty years of age, he shall be put to service by some ; if he be married or above thirty the constable shall provide him arms, and shall appoint him with whom to earn it out." How indicative are all these orders, both of the constant dangers which necessitated them, and of the efficient and untiring provisions against surprise and ruin. The distaste for temporary officers from other towns, and the danger from farther delay apparently led the people to seek a settlement of the military trouble, and we find in the State archives the following petition : — The Humble Petition of the Soldiers of Hingham to the Honorable Court now sitting in Boston. Sheweth That we acknowledge ourselves thankful to you for many favors ; especially considering how little we have deserved them, either from the Lord or yon his instruments. Yet your bounty does encourage us and our own necessities forces us to crave help from you that so we may be provided for the defense of ourselves, wives, children, and liberties, against all oppressors. Therefore we crave this liberty, as the rest of our neighbors have which we take to be our due, to choose our own officers, which if granted it will be a great refreshment. But if we be not worthy of such a favor for present as your allowance herein, then that you would be pleased to set us in a way that we may be able to do you servis and provide for our own safety and not be in such an uncomfortable and unsafe condition as we do. So praying for the presence of our Lord with you, we are yours as he enables us and you command us. In answer to this it was ordered that Bozoan Allen be lieutenant, and Joshua Hobart, ensign. Three years later at the request of the town both these officers were promoted, and Allen obtained at last the rank for which he had vainly striven six years before. He was a man of much force and considerable pugnacity. On at least one, and probably two occasions he was compelled to humbly beg pardon for disrespectful words spoken of Governor Dudley, and in 1G47 he was dismissed from the General Court for the session. He held, however, many positions of honor in Hingham, being repeatedly elected a deputy, serving often with his friend Joshua Hobart. He came to [Iingham in 1638, and as already mentioned was, with Lieutenant Eames, one of the owners of the mill. He removed to Boston in lf!52 and died the same year. Joshua Hobart, a brother of the Rev. Peter Hobart, succeeded to the command of the company in 1053. He was a man of great Military History. 219 strength of character and one of the most distinguished citizens the town has had. In 1641 he was a member of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery company, — then a military organization, — was a deputy more than twenty-live times, serving with Allen, Lieutenant Flouchin of Boston, — who, according to the custom of the time, on several occasions served on behalf of Hingham, — and with other prominent citizens. In 1670 he was on a committee to revise the laws, and in 1673 was chosen to audit tbe accounts of the treasurer of the colony. In 1672 Captain Hobart and Lieu- tenant Fisher presented their report upon the boundary line between the colonies of Massachusetts Bay and Plymouth which they had been appointed commissioners to determine. In 1674 he was speaker of the House of Deputies. He was frequently a selectman and held other town oihees. Besides holding the posi- tion of commander of the military of Hingham during: manv years when unwearied vigilance, strict discipline, and constant prepara- tion were of the first importance to the welfare and preservation of the town, — for it must be remembered that suspicion, fear, and at times open war succeeded the defeat of the Pequods, and that at no time was the danger of destruction absent from the minds of the colonists, — Captain Hobart is said to have com- manded a company in active service in Philip's War. His house lot was on Main Street and included the spot upon which stands the Old Meeting-house, and here, in 1682, after having been Hingham's chief officer for nearly thirty years, he died full of honors, at the age of sixty -seven vears. Notwithstanding the uneasiness sue- ceeding the Pequod War, peace generally prevailed between the colonists and the Indians for a quarter of a century thereafter ; settlements multiplied and the older towns not only grew in num- bers, but began to prosper with the development of agriculture, the pursuits of the fisheries, the birth of manufactures, the trade in lumber, and the commerce which was already springing up with the West India islands. In the general prosperity Hingham shared, although her growth was not rapid, and, as has been said, the military and ecclesiastical dissensions at one time led to a serious loss in population, and consequent injury to the material advance. The soil was however fair and in many places rich, and its suc- cessful cultivation led to the rapid increase in the number and area of the " planting fields " which were granted from time to time. Our almost circular harbor surrounded and protected on all sides by hills clothed with a noble growth of oak, pine, and cedar, and guarded at its entrance by the three beautiful islands which like faithful sentinels stood as bulwarks against the storms of the open ocean, early turned attention to Hingham as an advantageous point for the construction of craft of various de- scription and size, and the development of a prosperous foreign trade. 220 History of Hingliam. Shipyards and wharves soon dotted the shore and multiplied with astonishing rapidity : and many a stately vessel received her baptism and commenced her perilous life in the little bay which washes our coast. The commerce which subsequently was one of the chief sources of local wealth began, too, almost with the birth of the town, and in 1679 we read of the loss at sea of a vessel in which Joshua Hobart, one of Hingham's stalwart mari- ners, was a part owner. Before this Winthrop mentions the over- turning off Paddock's Island of a small shallup of ten tons, in which was John Palmer, whose house lot was on Broad Cove, and two others. This was in 1639, and the shallop was perhaps one of the fishing smacks forming the advance guard of the fleet which lined our wharves and enriched many of our citizens, and which only finally disappeared within a very few years past. But while this town and her sisters grew and prospered and pursued their peaceful vocations, the shadow of a coming struggle lengthened, and the inevitable contest between the white race and the red race neared yearly and daily its culmination. In 1665 the town " Lyd out for powder, bullets, and match, £.11." — a very considerable sum for the time, and indeed a very large proportion of the total expenditures for the year. The following quaint order passed July 20, 1668, is interesting because of the glimpse it affords of the customs and vigilance of the period : — It is ordered by the Selectmeu of the town that all such p's's as are app1 & warned to watch on the constables watch shall from time to time appear at the meeting house half an hour after sunset to receive their charge ; and the constable is hereby ordered to meet them there at the said time or soon after to give them their charge according to law ; and we do also order that after the new watch is come about as far as the meeting house that then the 2 constables shall take their watches to give the watch in charge, that is, one constable f watch & the other another & so by turns till the time is expired which the law sets for the keeping up the sd watch. A generation had reached manhood since the extermination of the Pequods ; the town and the colony alike had attained to strength and confidence born of prosperity, and a feeling of security re- sulting from unceasing vigilance and preparation pervaded the settlements. Nevertheless fear of the French, jealousy of the Dutch, and suspicion of the Indian kept the weapons of prepa- ration bright. A rumor now and again of some forest outrage, an actual barbarity, and possibly a self-consciousness of not being without wrong on their own part, kept the colonists alert and active. The military enactments of the General Court grew more specific, more frequent, and more stern : the co-operation of the towns and their own watchfulness became more marked. A successful expedition against the French on the Penobscot in 1653, and another to Niantick to suppress a Xarragansett conspir- Military History. 221 acy in 1654, afforded valuable experience, although accompanied by little or no bloodshed. Suddenly the long anticipated conflict opened. An Indian was found drowned in Assawanset Pond near Middleborough. He was a friend of the whites ; three Wam- panoags were arrested, tried, and executed for the murder. On the 20th day of June, 1675, several houses were burned at Swansea, and the greatest of New England's native warriors opened the first of the two campaigns which only ended with the death of Philip at Mt. Hope August 12, 1676, sealing on that day the fate of a mighty race, and after the most extreme suffering and cruelty on both sides. Thirteen towns had been wholly destroyed, and many more sustained severe loss, while six hundred of the colonists lay dead upon the battle-field. On the other hand, the power of the red man was at an end in New England. Their wigwams had been burned, their wives and children sold into slavery, their warriors slain, and the tribes almost swept out of existence. The history is not a pleasant nor a wholly creditable one ; its detailed rela- tion fortunately belongs elsewhere. Into the struggle, however, the men of Hingham entered bravelv, and within her borders at least one incident in the great tragedv was enacted. Before tell- ing the story of her contributions in men and money, the honor- able part she took, and the loss she sustained, let us make a sketch of the old town as it appeared in the summer of 1675, relocate and repeople at least some of the houses, remap the old roads, glance at the occupations and characteristics and appear- ance of the inhabitants, and catch as we may in the gloaming some tracery of the homes and the lives of our forefathers. Away back in 1645 a dam had narrowed the entrance to the inner bay, then a beautiful sheet of water, undivided by the street connecting Main Street and the harbor. Tide-gates had finally closed the passage, and the friends Eames and Allen had set in motion the busy wheels which now for two hundred and fifty odd years, in the self-same spot, have sung their music in the starry midnight and the merry sunlight alike, grinding the corn and the grain of the settlers and their descendants for eight generations. Here, then, in this opening year of King Philip's war the little mill stood as now, not far from the public landing-place at the Cove. Built of stout logs and hewn planks, with jolly John Langlee, the miller, in the doorway, the rush of a foaming stream beneath, a gleam of blue waters to the north, and in front the dancing ripples of the glassy pond reflecting in the morning light the giants of the forest which clothed the sur- rounding hills and crept down to the very water's edge, it was indeed a pleasant place ; and here the farmer with the heavy ox- cart or pack-laden horse, the sailor back from some West Indian port, the bright-eyed school-boy, the idler from the town, the squire, the captain, and now and again even Parson Hobart him- 222 History of Hingham. self, might have been seen watching the hot meal as it poured from the stones, while hearing and telling what each might of news and rumor and gossip. Here the forebodings of the forest, the startling stories of Indian devastation and cruelty, the tales from over seas, the crop prospects, and the latest talk of the vil- lage whiled away many an idle hour, and doubtless, too, lost little in their later relation by the home firesides. To the eastward and westward of the mill stream, and sloping towards each other until meeting beneath its bubbling waters, rose two noble hills, their tops crowned with the oak and the pine, and their ocean- ward sides scantily protected by wind-twisted and stunted cedars. In Cobb's Bank, earlier known as Ward's Hill, we have, bare and unsightly, the little that remains of the first of these, which then, rounded and srreen, stretched awav for several him- drcd feet along the harbor, and gradually descending, finally dis- appeared in Wakeley's meadows. Through these last coursed a tiny run, which emptied into the sea by the " landing-place " of a subsequent period, — now a grass-covered wharf, long since disused for commercial purposes. An easy ford at the town dock ena- bled those having occasion, to reach the beaches along the base of the eminence, and thence, after crossing the run, to ascend the hill near the steamboat landing, and through the fields and woods reach Neck Gate Hill, Martin's Lane, and the planting lots beyond. The hill west of the stream also skirted the harbor for some distance, and then, drifting inland, continued far towards the western extremity of the town ; it remains materially unal- tered to this day. Old Town Street, with its name changed to North, follows now as in the early days its graceful, curving course along the base of the hill at whose foot it lies. Here and there its lines have been moved a trifle, this way or that, but from the harbor to West Street it is the same old road, border- ing the pond, the brook, and the swamp, as in the days when the Lincolns, the Andrews, and the Hobarts built their one-storied, thatched huts along its grassy ruts. From the Cove, where the mill, the town dock, and the ford crowd in neighborly friendship together, to the further extremity of the " Swamp," this, the first of Hingham's highways, has few spots uncelebrated in her history. Yet almost the whole interest is confined to the northern or upper side ; for not only -was its other boundary fixed so as to border upon the brook, but in fact the land on that side of the travelled way was generally too swampy to admit of its use for dwellings. Consequently we find that scarcely a building stood upon the southerly side of the street, and probably the only exception was the house of Samuel Lincoln and his son, occupying a site nearly opposite the pres- ent location of the New North Church. A very few years later, however, in 1683 or thereabouts, another mill was built upon the water side, and almost exactly where is now the little red Military History. 223 blacksmith-shop; parts of the dam may still be seen projecting from either shore of the pond. Starting at the Cove and going westward, we should have seen at this early period the charred remains of the houses of John Otis and Thomas Loring. But lit- tle was left, however : for the fire that destroyed them was an old storv many years back, and now had become little more than a tradition. Nevertheless, from a spot nearly opposite the smithy, their owners had looked out many a bright morning on the pretty scene before them. A few steps further, and near the corner of Ship Street, — or Fish Street, as formerly known, and which per- haps was a lane at even this early time, — was the home of Peter Barnes, the ancestor of the present family of that name ; and close by, for a neighbor, lived John Langlee, the miller, who was also a" shipwright, and later an innkeeper on the same spot. Now, however, he must go a-soldiering, and a-soldiering he went, and not over willingly, we may presume ; for not only do we know that he left a wife and one or two babies to fare as the fates should will, but we learn that he was impressed into the service. However, he shared with many a fellow-townsman in the glory of the brave and unfortunate Captain Johnson and his company, and was one of the two men from Hingham who were wounded in the great battle. He was the owner of the island originally granted to Richard Ibrook, now known as Laugley's Island, and from him descended Madam Derby. The house of Charles A. Lane stands on the spot where lived Joseph Church, brother of the famous Capt. Benjamin Church, the final conqueror of Philip ; and just beyond was the garrison house of Capt. Thomas Andrews, now occupied by the Misses Lincoln. With Captain Andrews lived his father, Joseph, the first town clerk, at this time one of the old men of the settlement. A hundred feet or so to the south, bubbling and rippling as it danced along, flowed the cool waters of the town brook, crossed a trifle higher up by a bridge, and broadened at that point into a drinking-pond for cattle and horses. Lincoln Building covers the spot from which the little pond long since disappeared. Captain Andrews' next neighbor to the westward was Capt. John Thaxter, who had served with distinction against the Dutch, and who was at this eventful period a selectman and one of the fore- most citizens. His family was a large one, and a son — later known as Capt. Thomas Thaxter — served at Martha's Vineyard under Captain Church. The old Thaxter house was known twenty-five years since, and for many years before, as the Leavitt house. The fine old mansion has given place to St. Paul's Ro- man Catholic Church. In the rear, " Ensign Thaxter's Hill " formed the northerly boundary of a wide training-field, which lay between it and the houses on the street. Next beyond, and just at the bend of the road, was the home of old Edmond Pitts, — Goodman Pitts, as he was called, — a weaver, sexton of the 224 History of Hingham. church, and a man of no little consequence. The house in its modernized form still remains, and is the first one west of St. Paul's Church. Directly in its front is Thaxtcr's Bridge, span- ning the brook, and diagonally across the street, as already men- tioned, was the abode of Samuel Lincoln, weaver and mariner, and of his son Samuel, who served in the war as a cornet of cavalry. Opposite the General Lincoln place, Broad Cove Lane, now Lincoln Street, branched off, passed a low, marshy thicket, which, cleared and filled, has become Fountain Square, climbed the gentle slope beyond, and then descended again until it reached the broad, and then deep arm of the sea from which the lane was named. Beyond this point it continued for perhaps half a mile, and terminated in pastures and planting fields beyond. From it another lane running nearly at right angles led, as does the wide avenue which has succeeded, to the deep water at Crow Point and to Weary-all-Hill, since called Otis Hill, where, through other lanes and by deep ruts and numerous bars the rich lands granted as planting lots were reached. Upon Lin- coln Street were located the homes of the Chubbucks, of John Tucker, and perhaps a few others ; and on the corner, and front- ing on Town Street, we should have found Benjamin Lincoln, great-grandfather of General Lincoln. He was a farmer, with a young family, and on his lot stood the malt-house given him by his father, Thomas Lincoln, the cooper; here was carried on one of the primitive breweries of our ancestors, and here doubtless was enjoyed many a glass of flip. Mr. Lincoln's next neighbors to the westward were his brothers-in-law John and Israel Fearing;, who occupied the family homestead nearly opposite to the site of the Universalist Church ; while just beyond, and extending for a long distance up towards the West End, were the domains of the Hobarts, a very prominent family at the time. Here was Edmund the younger, but now a venerable man of seventy -two years, a weaver by trade, prominent in town affairs, and a twin brother of the minister. His house was near Hobart's Bridge, where with him lived his son Daniel, who followed his father's occupation and succeeded to his influence. John and Samuel, elder sons, and both just married, had their homes with or near their father, while just beyond, and opposite Goold's Bridge, the Rev. Peter Hobart occupied the parsonage, which for forty years had been the centre of social and intellectual life in the town. It may be well to mention here that the brook, which in general occupies nearly its original bed for the greater part of its length, has had its course materially altered in recent years between the site of John and Israel Fearing's house and Hobart's Bridge. It formerly flowed quite up to, and in places even into the present location of North Street between these points ; and the line of the sweep of the marsh and old Town Street is clearly indicated by the segment of a circle upon which the houses from Military History. 225 Mr. David Cushing's to the Andrews' are now built. Rev. Peter Hobart's neighbors to the westward were Thomas Gill and his sons, Lieut. Thomas, and Samuel, and his son-in-law, Josiah Lane ; and beyond them were Thomas and Ephraim Marsh, one or both of whom lived in the paternal homestead which came from George Marsh, their grandfather, and which bounded west- erly on Burton's Lane. On the further side of this passage-way the brothers Ephraim Lane, who served in Captain Johnson's company, and John Lane, the carpenter, occupied their father's place, while near them was George Lane, an uncle. On Mars Hill, Thomas Lincoln, the cooper, one of the old men of the vil- lage, and ancestor of the Benjamin Lincoln family, occupied the spot which has been the home of his descendants to the present time. Jacob Beale lived near by, but the exact spot is not easily located. Apparently Thomas Hobart was the sole inhabitant of West Street at this period, although Caleb Lincoln's house was on the corner, but probably facing Fort Hill Street. The latter's twin brother Joshua, and their father, Thomas Lincoln, the husband- man, were close by, as were Sergeant Daniel Lincoln and his son Daniel, Thomas and Ephraim Nicolls, Moses Collier, and Thomas Lincoln, the carpenter, Henry Ward, Robert Waterman, Samuel Stowell and his sons John and David, Joshua Beale, who main- tained the drum, and his brother Caleb, at this time a con- stable; all were located on Fort Hill Street. Here also, and probably on the crown of the hill, and within a very few feet of the street to which it gave its name, was erected at this time one of the three forts which formed a part of the defences against the Indians. The location was admirable, the eminence over- looking and commanding the fertile fields on its several sides, as well as the village clustered around its base, while the road to Weymouth, much of the water supply, and a wide range of country were within the protecting fire of its guns ; while signals by day or a beacon light at night would carry an alarm to distant points. Leaving this locality and proceeding along what is now South Street, we should have found on the Gay estate of a later day William Hersey, and near him John and James and William Hersey the younger, and Widow Hewitt and her brother-in-law, Timothy Hewitt. On the westerly corner of Austin's "Lane, now Hersey Street, were John Beale, and John his son, while on the easterly corner another garrison house formed the connecting defence between the fort at West Hingham and Captain An- drews' garrison house at Broad Bridge. The house belonged to Steven Lincoln, and the Cazneau cottage stands nearly upon its site. In the immediate vicinity were Simon Gross, Joshua Lin- coln, Richard Wood, and Samuel Bate, who had a daughter born April 12, 1676, "in the garrison," — not improbably the garrison house of Steven Lincoln, which was undoubtedly already occupied as a place of refuge in consequence of the alarm pre- VOL. I. 15 226 History of Eingham. ceding the attack of a few days after in the south part of the town. Other neighbors were Dr. Cutler, known as " the Dutch- man," and Arthur Caine ; while Joseph Bate's house stood where Mr. William 0. Lincoln, who is of the eighth generation occupying the same spot, now resides, — Clement Bate, the father of Joseph, being the first. Next east lived Nathaniel Beal, Senior, cordwainer and constable, and who had formerly been chosen by the selectmen to keep an ordinary to sell sack and strong waters, and who may still have been engaged in the same pursuits. His ordinary and home was about opposite Thaxter's bridge. Across the travelled way, and on the lot occupied by the building in which the District Court holds its sessions, were the stocks, — conveniently near the place where the strong waters, which perhaps frequently led to their occupancy, were dispensed. The street now so beautiful in all its long course from Broad Bridge to Queen Anne's Corner, is the street of the old days which we are picturing, and has undergone little change of location. Its northerly part was known however at that time as Bachelor's Row. We must recollect, however, that the hill upon which Derby Academy stands then extended over the pres- ent Main Street, sloping down nearly to the houses on the west, and that going south it fell away to about the present level of the street in front of Loring Hall, when the ascent again com- menced, terminating in quite a little eminence opposite the Bas- sett house, but which has largely disappeared through the cutting off of the crown and the filling of the swampy tract beyond, — a process which, repeated a short distance south, in the vicinity of Water Street, has also modified the appearance of Main Street quite materially at that point. The old road was in fact a suc- cession of ascents and descents almost continuously, until after reaching the level above Pear-tree Hill. The first meeting-house stood upon the part of the hill near Broad Bridge, which has been removed, and probably not far from, and a few rods in front of, the site of Derby Academy. It has already been described. Over the hill, and probably to the eastward of the Meeting-house ran a road, and around the base was another, doubtless more easy to travel. These two commencing at the same point near the bridge, soon united into one again at or near where Loring Hall stands. On the slopes of the hill and around the meeting-house our fathers were buried, and there they doubtless thought to sleep undisturbed forever. Their remains now rest in the old fort in the cemetery, of which in life they were the garrison, — a most fitting sepulchre for the sturdy old soldiers. This fort, still in an admirable state of preservation, was probably erected in 1675 or early in 1676, and was the main defence of the inhabi- tants. It overlooked and commanded most of the village and the main approaches thereto, and in connection with the palisaded Meeting-house and the garrison house across the brook, provided Military History. 227 ample protection to the settlement. The two latter completely covered the stream for a long distance, making it impossible for the Indians to deprive the townspeople of its sweet waters. Nearly every house on the lower part of Main Street was within range, and under the protection of the guns of the fort, which also commanded an unobstructed view of the whole territory between Captain Andrews' and the harbor, whose blue waters, framed in their bright setting of green, then as now made a beautiful and peaceful picture, as seen from its ramparts. The present appearance of the fort is outwardly that of a circular, sodded embankment, two or three feet in height, upon which are planted several of the oldest of the gravestones; but from within, the earth walls appear to be considerably higher, and the excavation is rectangular, with sides about forty feet in length. In the centre, from the summit of a mound, there rises a plain granite shaft, inscribed upon the southwesterly and northeasterly sides respectively as follows : — To The Erected First Settlers by the of Town, Hingham, 1839. The late Hon. Solomon Lincoln, in his " History of Hingham," mentions in a foot-note a tradition related to him as coming from Dr. Gay, to the effect that " this fort was built from the fear of invasion by the sea, by the Dutch, etc." There can be no doubt that the tradition referred to another fortification, also in the cemetery, probably built for defence against the Dutch or the Spanish, the remains of which were discovered a few years since while constructing a road in that part of the burying-ground tow-ards Water Street, by Mr. Todd, the superintendent. The location, as described by him, was on the northerly side of the hill formerly owned by Isaac Hinckley, whose family lot is upon its crown, the situation entirely commanding the harbor and its approaches, and affording a magnificent view, and a valuable out- look for military purposes. The defence was probably in the nature of a stone battery, upon which it was intended to mount a gun or guns, and the remains consisted of several tiers of large stones, placed regularly together and backed by earth. Unfortu- nately they have been removed. On Bachelor's Row, and near where Elm Street now intersects the main highway, Daniel and Samuel Stodder, brothers, and each with a numerous family, occupied neighboring houses. Daniel attained a greater age than has any other person in Hingham, finally dying at one hundred and four years. A few rods south, Ensign Joseph Joy, by occupation a carpenter, bore them company ; and on the opposite side of the street, and not far from where the Old Meet- ing-house now is, was the home of blacksmith and lieutenant Jeremiah Beale, with his family of seven children. Close by, for 228 History of Hingham. a neighbor, was the famous Captain of the Trainband, Joshua Hobart, the most prominent of the townspeople, excepting- his brother, the minister. As already said, his lot included the land upon which the meeting-house of 1681 stands. Here too, then, or a little later, we should have found probably the only gathering-place outside the Meeting-house, for the ma- trons of these early times in our history; for here Dame Ellen, the worthy wife of the Captain, kept a little shop, in which were sold the gloves and ribbons, the laces and pins and needles and thread, and possibly even, now and then a piece of dress goods of foreign make, and all the little knick-knacks as dear and as necessary to our great-great-grandmothers as to the wives and sisters of the present day. Upon the homestead of his father on the easterly side of the street, lived Samuel Thaxter, a cordwainer, and ancestor of Joseph B. Thaxter, who occupies the same spot ; while a little south, and about opposite the head of Water Street, Andrew Lane, a wheelwright, settled upon a lot of some four acres, with John Mayo near by. A little beyond, and very near to where Winter Street intersects Main, John Prince, a soldier of the war, made his home. At this point also we should have seen the tannery of the Cushings, stretching for a considerable distance along the street, as tanneries almost always do, with the sides of leather drying in tlie sun, the bits scattered here and there, the piles of red bark, and the inevitable tan entrance and driveway ; all making the air redolent with an odor bv no means disagreeable. Upon the lot now occupied by Dr. Robbins at the foot of Pear-tree Hill, a few rods north of his residence, Matthew dishing, who died in 1G60 at seventy-one years of age, the progenitor, probably, of all the families of that name in the United States, had established the home which remained uninterruptedly in the family until 1887 : and here still lived his wife, who died subsequently to the war, aged ninety-six, his son Daniel, then and until his death town clerk, and one of the wealthy men of the period, and Matthew a grandson, afterwards lieutenant and captain. Not far away Matthew Gushing senior's daughter Deborah lived with her husband, Matthias Briggs, while on the opposite side of the street, at what is now the Kecshan place, Daniel the younger, a weaver by trade, established a home and reared a numerous family. The Cushings were shopkeepers in addition to their other occupations, and probably the little end shop built onto the dwelling on cither side of the street contained articles of sale and barter, — produce and pelts and West India goods and ammunition. We may suppose that these small centres of trade, together with the tannery in the immediate vicinity, gave quite a little air of business to the neighborhood, — forming indeed the primitive exchange of the period. Not far from where Mr. Fearing Burr's store now is, Lieut. John Smith, Captain Hobart' s able second in rank, had a home and a fort combined, being one of the " garrison houses " whose wise Military History. 229 location probably saved the town from a general attack. Lieu- tenant Smith is stated to have been in active service during- the \v;ir. and to have commanded a fort. lie was a man of marked ability, holding many positions of public trust, representing the town in the General Court and succeeding to the command of the foot company in 1683, after the death of Captain Hobart. He was also one of the wealthiest of Hingham's inhabitants, leaving prop- erty valued at upwards of <£1100, a considerable sum for the time. Commencing at his house and thence extending south to the present location of Pleasant Street and cast to that of Spring Street and bounded north by Leavitt, and west by Main Street, was a large common or training-field in which, probably not far from where is now the Public Library, was Hingham's third fort, doubtless under the immediate charge of Lieutenant Smith ; and which in connection with his garrison house, provided a fair means of defence to most of the houses on the plain. Around this field were the lots of many of the first settlers, and the homes of their descendants formed at this time cpnte a village. Among them on Main Street was that of Matthew Hawke, afterwards the third town clerk. From him is descended Col. Hawkes Fear- ing, whose house is upon the same spot. Matthew, one of the first settlers, was by occupation a schoolmaster. His granddaughter married John Fearing, Colonel Fearing's paternal ancestor. James Hawke, son of Matthew, also resided at Hingham centre and probably with his father, — he too becoming town clerk in 1700, succeeding Daniel Gushing ; and was himself succeeded in the same office by his son James, also a resident of this part of the town, and with whom the name ceased. He left two daughters, one becoming the mother of John Hancock. Next them was Fran- cis James, and but a short distance further south, about where Mi-. David Hersey's house now is, was the homestead of the Ripleys, and on or near it were located John Ripley and Jolin junior and his brother Joshua. Their nearest neighbor, John Bull, " Goodman Bull," was the progenitor of many of the present inhabitants of the town. Bull's Pond, a small bit of water opposite Grand Army Hall, takes its name from the old settler, and marks the location of his property. On Leavitt Street Deacon John Leavitt, tailor, and the father of thirteen children, had the grant of a house lot. He appears, however, to have made his home as far from the centre as he well could, as his residence was in that part of the town known as " over the Delaware." He was not only one of the deacons of the church, but a trusted and leading citizen and officer, represent- ing the town for many years in the General Court. His two sons, Josiah the cooper and fanner, and Israel the husbandman, lived on the same street. Nathaniel Baker, a farmer, large landowner, and a selectman in 1076, and a soldier in the war, was conven- ientlv located at the iunction of Leavitt and East streets. Never- theless we find under date of Dec. 18, 1676 the following : — 230 History of Hingham. To the Constable of Hingham. You are hereby required iu his ma- jestys name forthwith at the sight hereof to destraine upon the goods or chattels of Nathaniell Baker of this Town to the value of twenty shillings for his entertaining a Indian or Indians contrary to a Town order which fine is to be delivered to the selectmen for the use of the Town. Hereof you are not to fail. Benjamin Bate in the name of & by the order of the rest of the Selectmen of Hingham. This is a true copy of the warrant as attest Moses Collier Constable of Hingham. The line imposed upon Mr. Baker was in consequence of his disobedience of an order passed by the town forbidding the em- ployment or entertainment of an Indian by any person. It was almost immediately followed by petitions from Baker, John Jacobs, and others to the General Court asking that they be permitted to retain their Indian servants, and it appears from the State Ar- chives that the following similar request had already been granted. It is of added interest for its illustration of the conduct of the war and the standard of the times. John Thaxter petitions the Hon. Gov. and Council now sitting in Boston &c. that his son Thomas Thaxter was in service under the com- mand of Capt. Benjm Church at Martha's Vineyard and Islands adjoining where they made many captives and brought them to Plymouth ; and Captain Church gave ye petitioner's son an Indian boy of abt nine years old and the selectmen having made an order that no Inhabitant shall keep anv Indians in his family, &c. — hence the petition — Granted Jan. 11, 1676. From the residence of Nathaniel Baker, going east, there were few, if any, houses until reaching the vicinity of Weir river on East Street, then a little travelled lane. Here, however, we should have come upon the farm of John Farrow with whom lived his sons John and Nathan, while beyond and near if not upon the very spot where the Misses Beale now live, was the last residence of Sergeant Jeremiah Beale ; and near him his friend and neigh- bor Purthee McFarlin, the Scotchman, found himself blessed with nine bonny lassies and three sturdy laddies. Beyond, in what is now Cohasset, then known as the Second Precinct, there were a few settlements whose story seems properly to belong to that of our sister town. On the farther side of the common before referred to, Simon Burr the farmer, and his son Simon, a cooper, located on a lane which has since become School Street ; and not far off, Cornelius Cantleberry, John Mansfield, and his son John, and perhaps a few others made homes for themselves. On the corner of Union Street Captain Fames had lived, and it was in that part of the town known then as now as " over the river," and where Israel Whitcomb grows his beautiful asters in such profusion, that Millicent Eames, daughter of Capt. Anthony, went to live with her husband William Sprague, the first of a long line of descendants Military History. 231 many of whom have become celebrated ; and here in this exciting period was a little settlement almost by itself, of which Antony and William Sprague, the younger, Robert Jones, then quite an old man, his son Joseph with his family, and the Lazells, John and his sons Joshua and Stephen, formed the greater part. From the Lazells the street bearing their name was called, and probably their homes were upon it. Leaving the common with its fort in easy reach of all the surrounding houses, and following the general direction of Main street as it now lies, we should have come at Cold Corner to the lot allotted John Tower. Upon it he built his house, which was admirably located for defence from Indian attack, and commanded not only a considerable portion of the highway, but also a long line of the river and no inconsiderable part of the country in its vicinity. Tower was a resolute man, who determined to take advantage of his position and defend his home untrammelled by the behests of the town authorities. To this end he petitioned as follows : — To the Honored Gov. & Council convened in Boston, March 10, 1675, John Tower Senior of Hingham is bold to inform your Honors that he hath at his own proper charge fortified his house & to begg your flavor that his four sonns & one or two persons more that he may hire at his own cost may be allowed to him for garrisoning his house ; and may not be called off by the Comittee of the Town for to come into any other garrison, my sonns having deserted their own dwellings and brought their goods into my fortification. I shall thankfully acknowledge your Honors ffavor herein & be thereby further obliged to pray for a blessing on your Counsels. Your humble Servant J. Tower, Senior. Ibrook Tower, one of his sons, probably lived near his father, and together with John Jr., Jeremiah, and Benjamin, constituted the " four sonns " of which his garrison was to mainly consist. John Tower was not only a brave man, but a diplomatic one also, and is said to have possessed no little influence with the red men. There is a tradition that even during the war, and while lurking in the vicinity, the Indians permitted him to get water from the river without molestation. Edward Wilder, Jr., ancestor of all the Hingham Wilders and husband of Elizabeth Eames, owned at one time all the land between Tower's and Wilder's hridges and resided between High and Friend streets, on Main. He was a soldier in the war against Philip. With him lived his son Jabez and in the immediate vicinity several more of his children, including Ephraim and John. The region about the meeting-house at South Hingham was occu- pied largely at this time by the Jacobs, a wealthy and influential family. Foremost anions- them was Capt. John Jacob, a member of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company, probably one of its officers and perhaps at one time its commander, and an able 232 History of Hingham. and trusted officer in the war against Philip. Captain Jacob succeeded to the command of Captain Johnson's company after that officer's death, and directed the defences at Medfield when that town was attacked and partially destroyed Feb. 21, 1676. On this occasion there were with him Lieutenant Oakes and twenty troopers, besides his own foot company of about eighty men. The only Hingham name upon the roll at this time of which there is reasonable certainty, besides his own, is that of Nathaniel Beal. With Captain Wadsworth, Captain Jacob was engaged during the winter in guarding the frontiers from Milton to the Plymouth colony bounds, — Weymouth, Hingham, and Hull, being specially assigned to the latter. The service was an important and arduous one, and these towns were fortunate in having so able an officer assigned to their protection ; it may well be that to this is to be ascribed the small loss sustained from attack by any of them during the two eventful years. He was among the moneyed men of the town, his estate being appraised at X1298. He owned a saw- mill and a fulling mill, besides much land and considerable per- sonal property. He too was a son-in-law of Captain Eames, having married his daughter Marjery. Their son John, a young man of twenty-two years and who had served in the war, was perhaps the onlv inhabitant of Hingham ever killed in the course of military hostilities upon her own soil. Preceding the descent upon the southern part of the town, to be hereafter spoken of, he was slain near his father's house April 19, 1676. Joseph, a brother of Captain Jacob, was also a resident of this part of the town, and Samuel Bacon, who married Mary Jacob, and Peter Bacon were near neighbors. At Liberty Plain, Humphrey Johnson, who had been turned out of Scituate, set up the house which he removed from that town, but only on condition that he should remove it out of Hingham on short warning, as he was a troublesome man. Later he was admonished to accept a fence line quietly. He. however, in part atoned for his short-comings by serving his country in the conflict then going on. His son Benjamin, a black- smith and afterwards proprietor of Pine Tree Tavern, doubtless resided with his father at this time. Other residents of Liberty Plain were James Whiton, whose house was burned by the Indians, and his son James who lived near by, and William Hiliard. On Scotland Street a Scotchman, Robert Dunbar by name, made his home, and from him have descended the Dunbars of the present time. Nathaniel Chubbuck, also one of those whose houses were destroyed on the 20th of April, lived not far away, and probably near or upon Accord Pond. On the 25th of February, 1675, it was ordered, on request of Capo. John Jacob, " that his house standing in the pass between this colony and Plymouth be forthwith garrisoned, and such as are his nearest neighbors are to joyne therein." This was the last of the defences of the town of which we have any knowledge, Military History. 233 although it is more than probable that there were other garrison houses in the small hamlets, like that " over the river " or the one in the vicinity of Weir River. The " pass " where Captain Jacob's garrison house was situated is somewhat uncertain. It may have meant simply the street leading toward Plymouth Colony, or possibly the Indian trail near Accord Pond was so denominated. This, then, was the Hingham of 1675, and these, with perhaps a few more whoso names the kindly and gentle hand of time has shadowed into the great oblivion, were the heads of families in this olden time, — a little town consisting of perhaps one hundred and twenty homes, divided among several small villages and a few nearly isolated settlements ; a half-dozen or so streets, of which Town, or North, Fort Hill Street, South, Bachelor's Row, a part of Leavitt, what is now School, and the part of Main from Bachelor's Row proper to the extreme southern boundary, were the principal. These streets, however, were mere grassy lanes, almost unimproved, whose deep-cut ruts were strangers to any other vehicles than the heavy, lumbering teams which served as farm wagons two centuries ago. Here and there it is probable that necessity or the public spirit of an individual, or perhaps the combination of several, had resulted in trilling attempts at road making, and in some of the swampy sections bits of corduroy were constructed. One such, at least, was upon the low approaches to the brook at Broad Bridge, and some of its remains were found several years since, and even yet lie in the bottom of its bed. Road surveyors and superintend- ents and working out of taxes, and even taxes themselves, were for the most part blessings of a later period. There were no sidewalks either, and along the little side paths leading from house to house and farm to farm, the blue violet blossomed in the early days of May as now, and the white violet scented the air with its delicate fragrance, while the wild rose and the golden rod in their season made the ways bright with their beauty. The chipmunk, his cheeks filled with the yellow Indian maize stolen from the adjoin- ing field, sat saucily upon the fresh-cut stump and chipped at the passer, while the golden-winged woodpecker tapped for insects in the tree overhead, the kingfisher flashed his steel-blue breast across the waters of the bay and uttered his shrill cry, and the robin and the cat-bird danced along with their familiar friendliness be- fore the settlers' feet. On either hand, and nestling near together for mutual protection, were the low log or hewn-board thatch- roofed homes of the people, in most of which glazed windows were unknown, the light entering through oiled-paper panes and the opened door. Heavy board shutters added something to the warmth and much to the safety of the interior after dark. The rooms were few in number, unplastered and not always sheathed inside, while a single chimney, with a great open fireplace and a crane, served as oven and furnace alike. Here and there, how- 234 History of Hingham. ever, more pretentious, and in one or two cases perhaps, even stately edifices had been erected. Some of these had a second story, overhanging slightly the first, and this added greatly to the power of resisting an attack. A few had glass windows, and here and there a little shop protruded from one end. Besides these the three forts, the garrison houses, and the meeting-house gave a certain diversity and rough picturesqueness to the landscape. Fine tracts of wood covered a large part of the territory, but nu- merous planting fields had been granted from time to time, and the axe of the settler during forty years had made no inconsider- able mark, and the clearings had been industriously cultivated from Otis, or Weary-all-Hill, to World's End. The soil was new and fairly good, and prosperity had lightened the lot of not a few, so that while certainly far from rich as wealth is measured in these days, the appraisal of some estates indicates the accumula- tion of the means of considerable comfort and influence. The people were for the most part sturdy, industrious, English farmers with a fair proportion of carpenters, blacksmiths, and coopers, more, probably, than the necessary number of inn-keepers with their free sale of strong-water and malt, a few mariners, several mill owners and millers, two or three brewers, not a larger number of shop-keepers, a tailor, a tanner perhaps, one or two " gentle- men," a schoolmaster, and last, and on many accounts most im- portant of all, the parson. As already said, the inhabitants were for the most part English, but a large proportion of the younger generation was native born, and there was also a small sprinkling of Scotch. In addition there remained a few Indians, whose wig- wams were pitched outside the settlement, besides a small number employed as servants in the houses of several of the whites ; and in the same capacity a negro might here and there have been found. From a people mainly composed at first of the British middle-class, impelled to emigrate and settle rather from an am- bition to improve their worldly lot than from any deep-seated dis- satisfaction, either with the government or institutions of home, or even from especially intense religious aspirations, there had developed a sober, industrious, earnest, self-sustaining community, whose energy was already laying the foundations for the com- merce with the West Indies which afterwards became extensive, and for the varied manufactures which for so many years gave employment to our people. A few small shallops too were owned here, and some of the inhabitants had an interest in one or two vessels of larger size; but fishing, which subsequently became a great industry, had scarcely begun at this period. The real business of the settlement as yet was farming. The families of the day were not small, and year by year added to their propor- tions ; Rev. Peter Hobart himself was father to no less than eighteen children while others were hardlv less numerous. Men and women alike were commonly dressed in homespun, and un- Military History. 235 doubtedly the style of their garments was that so often seen in the pictures of the period. Can we not, for the moment, people our streets with them once more ? — the men in their tall-crowned, broad-brimmed hats, the short coat close-belted, with broad buckle in front, the knee breeches, long stockings and buckled shoes varied by the better protection of long boots worn by others, especially in winter, and in this latter season the long cape hanging gracefully from the shoulders ; the women in their be- coming hoods, faced it may be with fur, the straight, rather short skirts, and the long enveloping cloaks, with gloves or mittens in cold weather. The costumes were picturesque if the materials were not of the finest, but we have no reason to suppose an utter absence of more elegant fabrics when occasion demanded, and not a few are the traditions of silks which would stand alone, carefully treas- ured as their chief pride by our great-great-grandmothers, while doubtless velvet coats and knee-breeches, with famous paste or silver buckles, and perhaps even a bit of gold lace, about this time forbidden by the General Court to all but certain excepted classes, found proud and dignified wearers on days of importance among the town fathers and military commanders. We read, too, of the bequest of swords in some of the wills of the period, and it is not unlikely that they were at least occasionally worn by the grandees of the town, as well as by the trainband officers, on ceremonious occasions. Nor must it be forgotten that from necessity, as well as by mandate of law, the musket had become so constant a companion that, though strictly not an article of dress, it may at least be considered as a part of the costume of the men ; it was upon their shoulders in the street, it rested against the nearest tree when the farmer toiled, it went with him to meeting on the Sabbath, and leaned, ready loaded, in the corner at the house when he was at home. The heavy cloud which had so long threatened Plymouth, and which finally burst upon Swansea in June, was extending over Massachusetts also. The border towns were immediately upon the defensive. Hingham, with her boundary upon that of the Plymouth Colony, and peculiarly bound to it by neighborhood, by frequent marriages between her families and those of the Pilgrim settlements, and by the removal of some of their people to live among hers, may well have benefited by the kindly influ- ences of the sister colonv, and imbibed a liberalism and ima«;i- •/ 7 O nation not common among the Puritans. At all events, no persecution for conscience' sake mars the records of the old town, which a little later loyally followed for more than half a century the teachings of Dr. Gay, with his broad and embracing Chris- tianity. Now, with sympathy for her friends and apprehension for herself, the town quietly, soberly, grimly prepared for the contest, and awaited the call for duty. 236 ' History of Hlngham. Under Captain Hobart's direction the three forts were erected, the garrison houses provisioned, and the careful watch and strict discipline maintained. The summer slipped away, the people pursuing their usual vocations. The drum-beat at sunrise relieved the weary sentinel, called to life the sleeping town, and put in motion the industries of the field, the shop, and the home. And while the men labored at their various vocations, the women were equally industrious ; for not only were the children and the homes and the dairies to be cared for, but the very clothes must be woven and made in the kitchen of every house. Probably the mill, the inns, and the malt-houses were favorite places of gathering for the men during their leisure moments, while Mrs. Hobart's shop formed the ladies' exchange of the period, and many a confidence and bit of gossip were here whispered, only to reach the goodman's ears a few hours later. On the Sabbath-day all attended meeting, and after the ser- vices— probably several hours long — lingered around the porch to exchange greetings and make inquiries about friends and relations too scattered to visit during the week. An occasional sail whitened the placid bosom of the little cir- cular harbor, whose outlet was nearly hidden by the three islands with their dark cedar foliage. Grand old trees here mirrored themselves, and again in the waters of the inner bay and the beautiful pond, which belonged to Plymouth and Massachusetts alike, while fields of maize ripened and yellowed on the hillsides. The sharp stroke of the axe, the occasional report of a musket, the voice of the plowman talking to his cattle, the grinding of the mill wheels, the music of the anvil, the merry splash of the bounding stream, the whir of the partridge, the not distant howl of the wolf, the stamp of the startled deer, the crackling of dry boughs beneath the foot of an Indian, whose swarthy form flitted silently and ominously along the trail to the sister colony, — these were the every-day sights and sounds of the summer of 1075. The weeks following the attack on Swansea had seen the up- rising of tribe after tribe, allies of Philip, the destruction of town after town in various parts of the colony, and the ambuscade and defeat of various bodies of troops under brave and able officers. United action on the part of Plymouth, Massachusetts, and Con- necticut became necessary. Governor Winslow was appointed commander-in-chief, and additional companies were raised by the three colonies. Among these was one commanded by Captain Johnson, of Roxbury, already a distinguished officer, who had led a company of Praying Indians in the earlier days of the con- flict. He was known as the brave Captain Johnson, and in his command it was the good fortune of a part of the men from our town to serve. The following quaint report marks Hing- ham's entry into the struggle, and indicates also the names of those who served her in the field : — Military History. 237 TO THE HoNORD COCNSELL NOW SITTING IN BOSTON : In persuance of an order from the Hon. Major Thomas Clarke bearing date of the 29 of ye 9 m 1G75, we have accordingly by the constables given notice to our souldiers impressed for the countrys service to appear as expressed in the sayd order and find those that appear completely fur- nished for the service. Others we are informed [are] to be at Boston making provision for the sayd service. So as we [be able] they will be completely furnished according to sayd order. The names of these souldiers are as follows, Benjn Bates, John Jacob, John Langlee, Edward Wilder, Thomas Thaxter, Ebenezer Lane, Sam- merwell Lincoln Junr, Ephraim Lane, John Lazell, John Bull, William Woodcock, William Hersey Junr, Francis Gardner, Nathaniel Beal Junr, Nathaniel Nicols, Humphrey Johnson. Joshua Hobart, Captain. John Smith, Sergt. Hingham, Dec. 1, 1675. Upon inquiry 1 of the above souldiers are found to want coats which we hope will be taken at Boston to supply. J. H. William Woodcock was missing when the time came to march, but he subsequently appeared and served. In addition to the above, the New England Historical and Genealogical Register gives the names of the following as in service from Hingham : Henry Chamberlin, William Chamberlin, Joseph Benson, Christ. Wheaton, Isaac Prince, Isaac Cole, Sam- uel Nicholson, John Dunbarr, Paul Gilford, Richard Francis, John Chamberlin, and Dr. John Cutler. Dr. Cutler, known as '; the Dutchman,1' was one of the surgeons attached to the Massachu- setts regiment under Major Appleton at the great battle with the Narragansetts. In his professional capacity, the care of John Langlee and John Faxton, wounded fellow-townsmen, fell doubt- less to him. A note also says that Josiah the Sagamore went to fight against the Mohawks. A report of Capt. John Holbrooke, of Weymouth, shows that he had upon his rolls six men and four horses, and two men from Hingham, but that among the " de- fects " were Jno. Feres and Arthur Sherman from our town. From the town records we get the names of many individuals paid for arms and coats lost in the war. Among them are Samuel Stodder, a sergeant, James Whiton, Andrew Lane, Ephraim Wil- der, and Simon Brown. By the same authority we learn that Nathaniel Baker helped fill the town's quota. The following petition from the State archives adds two soldiers to our list: — To the much hond Governeur and the rest of ye Honrd Magestrates now sitting in Councill, the petition of James Bate of Hingham, Humbly sheweth, that whereas your petitioner having now for the space of more than two months had two sons prest into the service against the Indians whereby many inconveniencyes and great Damages have been sustained By us for want of my Eldest Son who hath house and land and cattle of his own adjoining to mine being a mile from the Town and therefore nobody to look after them in his absence, and whereas there are many in 238 History of Hingham. our Town that have many sons that were never yet in this Service who have also declared their willingness to take their Turns and seing God hath been pleased hitherto to spare their Lives, If he should now take them away before I doe again see them (upon several considerations) I know not how I should beare it. My humble request therefore to your Honours is that you would be pleased to consider our Condition and grant them a Release from their Long service. So shall you as he is in duty bound for your Honours prosperity pray and remain yours to serve in what he is able. James Bate. These sons were probably Joseph and Benjamin. Besides these, dishing tells us in his diary that on October 28, 1675, his son Theophilus was pressed for a soldier, and marched to Men- don, and that on December 11 lie returned home. In 1725 seven townships were granted to the officers and soldiers living, and the heirs of those deceased, who were in the war of 1 675 ; one of these townships was Bedford, and among the grantees were a number from Hingham. Besides including part of the names already given as in the service during this eventful period, we find those of Joseph Thorn and Samuel Gill, then still living. Cornelius Cantlebury's heirs, John Arnold's heirs, and Israel Vickery for his father. In this connection it may be interesting to add that on June 6, 1733, a meeting of the proprietors of Bedford was held on Boston Common, and that Col. Samuel Thaxter presided, and that subsequently he, with others, was appointed on a committee to lay out the town. Including Capt. John Jacob, we are thus enabled to furnish the names of some forty-five men who served from Hingham in the war against the great Indian warrior. Besides these there were the six or eight in Captain Holbrooke's company, and doubtless very many others whose names the imperfect lists have failed to preserve to us. Indeed, if the tradition that Captain Hobart commanded a company in active service is well founded, the probability is very strong that it was largely, if not entirely, composed of Hingham men. The day after the draft for Captain Johnson's company was observed as a " solemn day of prayer and humiliation, to suppli- cate the Lord's pardoning mercy and compassion towards his poor people, and for success in the endeavors for repelling the rage of the enemy." On the 20th of December, after a night spent in the open air without covering, and a toilsome march through deep snow, the combined troops of Massachusetts, Plymouth, and Connecti- cut arrived before the great fort of the Narragansetts, near Po- casset, in Rhode Island. At about one o'clock the little army moved to the attack, the advance led by Captain Johnson, who was killed at the first fire, as was Captain Davenport, who fol- lowed him. Before gaining the final victory, six captains were Military History. 239 lost, and over one hundred and ninety of the English were killed or wounded, of whom over one hundred belonged to Massachu- setts, out of a total of about rive hundred and forty. In the " great Narragansett fight" the men of Hingham, under their unfortunate captain, led the way. We must regret having but little record of their individual experiences. We know, how- ever, that the retreat from the Narragansett country was one series of hardship and suffering, and that besides the death of many ol the wounded on the way, that the unharmed nearly per- ished from exposure and hunger ; so that when General Winslow readied his headquarters four hundred of his little army, besides the wounded, were unfit for duty. On the 24th of February, Weymouth was attacked and seven houses destroyed, and by March the Indians had become so aggressive that Massachusetts ordered garrisons to be established in each town, and a select number of minute-men were to spread the alarm upon the first approach of the savages. That the three forts, and perhaps all of the garrison houses were occupied permanently at this time there can be little doubt. Lieutenant Smith, as has been said, is known to have commanded a fort, — more than probably that near his residence upon the Lower Plain ; while Captain Hobart, though exercising general supervision of all the defences, took immediate personal charge of the one in the cemetery, directing, we may presume, the gar- rison of the fortification at Fort Hill to obey the orders of Ensign John Thaxter, then the third officer of the company. The Town Records have the following : — '& •'At a meeting of the freemen of Hingham on the 18th day of October, 1675, on complaint made against Joseph the Indian and his family, who were in the town contrary to the views of most of the inhabitants, and on suspicion that he will run away to the enemy to our prejudice, therefore the freemen at the said Town meeting passed a clear vote that the con- stable forthwith seize the said Indian and his family, and carry them up to Boston to be disposed of by the Governor and Council as they shall see cause." October 13, 1675, Hingham was ordered to pay ,£30 toward carrying on the war. Besides this tax, the selectmen's records show many allowances for arms lost, for money allowed the soldiers, and suras voted for transporting them to Boston, and various other military purposes, including an allowance for " lick- ars" for the committee having some duty connected with the war. In February, 1676, the selectmen forbade, under a penalty of twenty shillings for each offence, any person from harboring or entertaining any Indian within the limits of the town. Early in February the little army of Massachusetts returned to Boston, and the men were dismissed to their homes. But the vigorous prosecution of the campaign by Philip in the very first 240 History of Hingham. days of spring, his successful attack on one place after another, together with the destruction of Captain Pierce, of Scituate, and nearly all his command, while in pursuit of a body of Indians near Scekonk, the burning of Marlborough, and the murders at Long Meadow, all on March 26th, imperatively called for the speedy reasscmblage of the troops, and for vigorous measures by the three colonies. It would not be easy to overestimate the anxiety and alarm at this time. Various plans were proposed, and among them was that of building a continuous stockade from Charles River to the Merrimac. This was only negatived because of its magnitude. In the various towns the forts and garrison houses were constantly occupied, and the utmost precaution taken against surprise. May we venture, for the sake of the better understanding of the time, to attempt one more sketch, outlined by the recorded facts and the bits of tradition, but shaded and filled in rather by the assistance of our general knowledge of the people, the times, and the situation, than by any particulars of the especial day ? It is the 16th of April, and the Sabbath-day ; a bright, crisp morning, but the sun is already softening the surface of the quiet pools thinly skimmed, perhaps for the last time in the earlier hours ; the frost coming out of the ground makes moist the paths ; the brook at the foot of the meeting-house hill is dancing with its swollen flood and sparkling in the sunlight, while over and along it the pussy-willows are already nodding, and the red maple's blossoms go sailing and tossing in the pools and eddies. A little further up the stream the ever-graceful elms are begin- ning to look fresh and feathery in their swelling and opening buds, while on the slopes rising up from the valley the blossoms of the wild cherry and the dogwood gleam white among the dark trunks and branches of the oaks and the sombre shadows of the evergreens. In the warm nooks the blue, and in the swampier meadow the white violet breathes out the same faint sweetness which in the same spots, two hundred years later, will delight the school-children of another age, while above them the red berries of the alder and the seed-vessels of last year's wdd roses give brightness and color to the shrubbery not yet awakened to its new life ; the bluebird, the song sparrow, and the robin twitter in the branches, while a great black crow lazily flaps his way across to the horizon ; possibly here and there, in some shaded and protected places, the melting remnants of a late snow linger yet, but in the clearings elsewhere the young grass has already veiled the earth in fresh green. The furrows of the planting fields show that the farmer has already commenced his prepara- tion for the spring sowing, but some of the more distant lots tell of the universal apprehension, for last autumn's stubble in them still stands unmolested. The quiet of the Puritan Sabbath has no fears for his highness the barnyard cock, whose clarion and Military History. 241 cheery notes arc heard far and near, while faint columns and blue wreaths of smoke rising here and there each mark the home of a settler. Hours since, with the rising sun, Steven Lincoln has beaten the drum, and the tired and half-frozen sentry has been relieved and replaced by the " warde for the Lord's day ; " the quaint, palisaded log building, with its belfry, which had served so long as a house of worship, of a meeting place for pub- lic conference, of refuge in alarm, of storage for ammunition, of defence from danger, and which is getting old and must soon be deserted, still stands overlooking the village, its doors wide open for the nine o'clock service, and the clanging of its little bell bidding the living to " remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy," while to them under the little green mounds on the slope between the two roads it tolls a requiem. Goodman Pitts, the venerable sexton, still restrains with his watchful eye the small boy and awes him into a temporary quiet, while the people move decorously into their allotted places, the men and the women each into their own parts of the house. See them as they come picking out the best and dryest places between the deep ruts and along the paths, now two or three abreast, and now in single file, stretching along the ways leading to the meeting-house. How sturdy the men look, with their belted coats and broad- brimmed hats, and the inevitable musket, which each places against the building or some neighboring tree before entering! How cheery the goodwives seem, even in the midst of the gen- eral anxiety, as they greet each other and pause for a word of inquiry about the children — by no means few in number — who are trailing along after ; and how sweet the Puritan maidens seem to us as they glance shyly at the great rough lads, whom danger and responsibility have so quickly transformed into manly young soldiers. Here from the Plain comes John Bull, and his young- wife, Goodman Pitts's daughter, bringing perhaps a message and report to Captain Hobart from Lieutenant Smith, whose watchful care for the fort keeps him away to-day. Indeed, many a one is forced by the threatening peril to an unusual absence, and the attendance will be strangely small. Still, most of the people from the lower part of the town are on their way, though with anxious hearts, and many a thought will wander from the long sermon of the day to the little home, and every sound from without will strain again the already weary ears. There, crossing the bridge by the corduroy road, is John Langlee, leading his little daughter Sarah, and talking by the way to young Peter Barnes ; while close behind come Sergeant Thomas Andrews, with his wife and six children ; and a few rods further back we see Mr. Samuel Lincoln and Mrs. Lincoln, with their straight young son Samuel, whose title of cornet is well deserved, and who is not only the pride of his parents, but one of the heroes of the town for his gallant part in the great Narragansett fight ; there, too, are his VOL. I. — 16 242 History of Hingham. brothers, and two or three of his little sisters, following as sol- emnly as youth and a bright day will permit. Just stepping out of his door is Benjamin Lincoln, whose wife, Sarah, with her little son John and six-years-old Margaret, are stopping to greet their uncles, John and Israel Fearing, who live next door. Rounding the corner of Bachelor's Row, with a brisk stride and erect carriage, we see Ensign John Thaxter, who has come down from the fort on Fort Hill, where all seems tranquil, leaving Ser- geant Daniel Lincoln in charge while he attends meeting and holds a council of war with Captain Hobart. On his way we presume he stopped at the garrison house at Austin's Lane to speak a word of warning and make a kindly inquiry for Mrs. Bate and the four-days-old girl ; and only a moment ago we saw a sterner look as he sharply inquired of the luckless inmate of the stocks what folly had made him a victim on this Sabbath morning. Near a large tree upon the hill, and against whose broad trunk rest half a dozen muskets, quietly awaiting Ensign Thaxter, stands one of Hingham's two foremost citizens, the late speaker of the House of Deputies and captain of the town forces. Captain Hobart is sixty -two years of age, and among the darker locks the gray hairs are thickly scattered, yet in his well-knit figure there is little sign of age ; a strong, able, brave, wise man, loaded with all the honors in the gift of his townsmen, faithful for many years in their service, he is crowning his work by a care and watchfulness which will save those whose confidence is so well reposed in him from the horrors which have devastated so many sister communities. Even now he might have been seen coming along the path among the trees that runs between the meeting-house and the central fort, the garrison of which latter he has in part relieved for the services of the day. As the soldier in long boots, short-belted coat and sword, with his alert military air waits, we note the similarity and yet the dissimilarity between him and the slightly bent and older figure which in long cloak and buckled shoes is rather slowly mounting the hill, though declining the proffered arm of Ensign Thaxter. It is Parson Hobart himself, ten years the senior of his distin- guished brother, and in disposition scarcely less a soldier. His long ministry is drawing near its close, but there is little diminu- tion in the sparkle of his eye or the vigor of his manner. We can almost see the grave salute with which the Captain greets the Elder, and the equal gravity with which it is returned ; we seem to hear the brief inquiry and reply, after which the one passes into the presence of his assembling congregation, while the other remains for a short interview with his subordinate. Within the house are the Hobarts, brothers and nephews of the old parson, the Beals, Dr. Cutler, Joseph Church, Daniel and Samuel Stodder, with numerous members of their large families, Joseph Joy, Samuel Thaxter, and many others. Even now we Military History. 243 can almost feel the uneasy restlessness which pervades the wor- shippers. Many of the friends, usually so regular in their attend- ance, are away in the forts and garrison houses, and all through the sermon, probably several hours long, the thoughts of the listeners wander, and the strained ears catch with apprehension every unusual noise from without. We imagine, too, that when at last Captain Hobart and Ensign Thaxter enter to join in the service, neither will take their accustomed seats, but more likely will remain near the door, and where perhaps the keen eye of the commander can keep within view the muskets without, and oc- casionally catch a glimpse of the " warde," moving from one point of vantage to another. Meanwhile the latter, not perhaps sorry to be in the open air this April morning, keeps eye and ear alert for sign or sound of the wily foe. From the summit almost the whole of the lower village can be seen. Across the glassy waters of the inner bay, which, stretching away from his very feet, are broken into several shady coves and dotted with islands, he is following with ill-pleased attention a canoe paddled by an Indian, who a moment later may be seen climbing the cliffs on the eastern shore and losing himself in the forest paths which lead toward Neck Gate Hill, from behind which a faint blue smoke rises and fades slowly away. There on the southeastern slope, and nearly at the foot of the hill, are the Avigwams of the little-trusted countrymen of Philip who yet remain in the vicinity. This spot, by tradition said to have been the last camping-place of the Indian in Hingham, is comprehended in the property now owned by Mr. T. T. Bouve, and called, from the fact and the configura- tion of the land, " Indian Hollow." The smooth lawn of the present clay shows no sign, but the plow would reveal a long and broad line of disintegrating clam-shells, doubtless a shell-heap of the former inhabitants, and several implements have been picked up in the immediate vicinity which were formerly in use by them. However, beyond a mental growl of dissatisfac- tion at what he termed the folly of allowing the encampment to remain, our sentry of 1676 could do nothing ; so, turning towards the blue waters of the harbor, his eye falls upon the ship-yard of William Pitts, the first one established in Hingham. He watches, too, for a few moments the white sails of a West Indiaman as she passes between Nantasket and George's Island and thence towards Boston. Then he walks slowly over to the new fort, and carefully scans the country in every direction as far as the eye can reach and the forests permit. And so the long hours pass away until the close of the service brings the uneasy officers out of the meeting, first of all for a conference with the watch, who, however, has little to report. And now the worshippers are wending their way homeward, singly and in groups, some discussing the weather, and others, it is probable, commenting, like their descendants of later generations, upon 244 History of Hingham. the sermon which they have just heard, while we may be sure all are thankful to return once more to undespoiled homes. Others, who come from a great distance, meet together and eat the frugal CJ / CD CD luncheon between the morning and afternoon service, while a few, husband and wife, mount pillion fashion the horses which have been awaiting the close of the services under the trees, and ride to their homes. As the rich glow of the setting sun crimsons the glassy harbor and turns to gold the fleecy clouds of April, while the shadows creep up from the valleys, the tap-tap and rattle and roll of Steven Lincoln's drum sings the vespers of the Puritans, and the Sabbath is over. Then comes the new watch, who being properly instructed and posted begins his hours of vigil. The garrisons are carefully looked to ; the orders for the night issued. The poor victim of the stocks, if not before released, is now given liberty. The restraints upon the children are relaxed, and during the brief period of twilight secular pursuits are resumed ; the cattle are seen to, the wood brought in, and the wide old-fashioned fireplaces blaze and crackle with the long sticks, while above the kettle hisses and sings and its cover rises and falls and rattles. Here and there the tallow dip assists in its poor faint way ': the busy housewife ply her evening care," and then an hour later, the low thatched-roof cottages are wrapped in darkness, and the stars shine out upon the town at rest. Only the half-chilled, weary soldier on guard watches for the beacon, or listens for the signal guns which shall call the men of Hingham to the aid of Nan- tasket or Scituate or Weymouth, or awaken them to the defence of their own wives and children and homes. What a dreary duty it is, too, this waiting and fearing for the dreaded warwhoop of the Indian in the still and lonesome hours of the night. How the eye grows strained peering into the dark- ness and the ear weary listening, and with what a nervous start each new sound, each before unnoticed shadow is noted by the young sentry moving among the aisles of the great trees on the height overlooking the village ! What a relief, though all too brief, is the visit of Captain Hobart, whose vigilance causes many a restless and wakeful hour in these trying days ; and how doubly appalling seems the solitude as the sound of the Captain's re- treating steps die away in the distance, leaving the long hours until dawn to be counted away alone, before whose coming the sentry's breath shall more than once stop, while he hears the beating of his own heart, at the imagined creeping form of an Indian. The defences of Hingham and the preparation for the protection of her inhabitants have already been described. Even in the absence of other evidence, the comparative immunity of the settle- ment from serious loss and the total failure on the part of the Indians, almost constantly lurking in the vicinity, to effect any- thing like a general surprise, would in themselves be strong Military History. 245 indications of the ability and watchfulness of those responsible for the safety of the town. The incidents attending the several attempts upon it, and the intelligent location of the forts and garrison houses, with their garrisons at this time made permanent, the mutual support which they afforded each other, and the fact tli at scarcely a house from Fort Hill to Broad Bridge, and thence to South Hingham, was beyond the range of tire of one or more of them, added to the vigilance which anticipated and forestalled panic when the hour of peril and trial at last came, furnish indu- bitable proof of the military instinct, knowledge, foresight, and faithfulness of Joshua Hobart, John Smith, and John Thaxter. Beyond question it is to this due that the two known attempts against the town met with comparative failure ; of others, con- templated but abandoned, owing to the thorough dispositions for meeting them, we of course know little. In this connection we recall the old tradition that Philip himself was at one time concealed within our borders and awaiting per- haps a favorable opportunity to make a descent. As the story runs, he lay somewhere in the region known as the swamp, which in those days extended with scarcely a break from Broad Bridge to near the Weymouth line, and included the location of Round Pond and the district known as Bear Swamp. The sagacious chief probably concluded that the chance of success was too small and the risk of severe loss too great to justify a movement against the lower part of the town, and therefore prudently withdrew. No amount of caution, however, could insure individual life or the safety of isolated farms against the silence and celerity of the Indian war parties. One of these, having perhaps eluded Captain Jacob, whose small force could hardly hope to cover the long frontier assigned to its care, was moderately successful at South Hingham in bringing the terror and horrors of the war home to our own firesides. On Wednesday, the 19th of April, young John Jacob, who, as it will be recalled, had served against Philip the previous autumn, and had seen his brave captain fall before the fort of the Narra- gansetts, took his gun and went out to shoot the deer that had been trespassing upon "a field of buckwheat near his father's house and not far from the site of the present Great Plain Meeting-house. He was a famous hunter and of a lisrhting stock, and he had been heard to declare that he would never be taken alive by the Indians. Little did he dream that spring morning that his would be the only blood ever shed by a public enemy upon the soil of his native town. The simple and brief accounts, with a little assistance perhaps of the imagination, bring like a living panorama before us the events, the homes, and the actors of that and the following day in the far away time when our prosaic town was making a part of the history which has become one of the romantic chapters of New 246 History of Hingham. England's story. On this 10th of April, then, of the year 1676, and shortly after the disappearance of Jacob, the sound of a musket breaking the stillness and echoing against the "Teat solitary rock that stands like a mighty monument in the field not far from the travelled way, momentarily attracts the attention of the neighbors whose habits of industry have overcome the general prudence, and who had been enticed to a little early planting on the home lot. Beyond the fleeting thought of their friend's success in his efforts to chastise the mischievous destroyers of the winter wheat, the incident attracts no attention, and soon passes from the minds of the workers. With the lapse of considerable time, however, and the continued absence of the hunter, there arises a fcelimr of strained uneasiness; finally a search is made, and there beside his gun, which has been battered to pieces, the young soldier lies dead. The terrifying truth flashes across the searchers as they tenderly and hastily bear their neighbor to his father's home. The Indians are in Hingham and have been lying concealed during the night near the wheat-field, and almost close to the homes of the settlers! And now in an instant and from every side, out of the calm and quiet of the village street there starts the life, the uncontrolled excitement, the panic and terror of the community, above and about whom the threatening horror of the tomahawk and sealping-knife already seems to gleam, and before whose fevered imagination come all too readily pictures of cruelty and torture. The blanched faces of men and women alike, the cling- ing fear of the children, the hurrying to the nearest garrison houses of those not already therein, the exaggerated stories and rumors, the cry "The Indians! the Indians!" rising above all other sounds, repeated again and again, carrying consternation from the Great Plain to the harbor, and falling upon the startled ear of the farmer in the field and the wife in the kitchen, — how the sights and the sounds of that dav thrill us throiiG.li these passed centuries ! And soon we hear the sharp clanging of the little bell on the meeting-house, the beat and roll and rattle of the drum, the sharp reports of the three alarm muskets, and into the forts, the pali- saded church, and the garrison houses come the streaming, hurry- ing throng. We fancy we can see brave Joshua Hobart making, calmly and sternly, his dispositions for defence, and even person- ally visiting and instructing each sentry and urging to unceasing vigilance; or brilliant John Thaxter ably seconding his chief, and inspiring with confidence the garrisons at Austin's Lane and Fort Hill; or John Smith cheering the people as they flock into the protecting works on the common field. And there come be- fore us, too, sturdy John Tower and his sons and "one or two more persons," as his petition reads, holding his little fort and covering a long section of the river and the homes of his neigh- bors with his muskets, while he checks the panic with his plain, Military History. 247 strong words. Nor is it possible to overlook the figure in the long cloak, moving more slowly, it is true, than when speaking his mind to the magistrates, but still with considerable vigor and the natural grace of a man of superior mind and strong will ; every- one recognizes immediately the venerable minister, and many a word of hope and many an admonition to duty he speaks as he passes among his people exerting his quieting influence upon them. With our knowledge of his younger days, we cannot help thinking that he had moments of impatience in the reflection that his age and calling prevented a more active participation in the move- ments against the enemy ; nor would it surprise us to learn that Parson Hobart more than once thought, and even said, that if he were Captain Hobart the military operations would be conducted with more reference to an offensive policy. Be that as it may, the latter's dispositions saved the town and the lives of those whose safety was committed to his care. Succeeding the first alarm there followed many weary hours of anxictv and waiting. The dav, with its exciting rumors and exaggerated stories, wore away, and a night of watchfulness, with a terror hanging over the people huddled together in their strange quarters difficult to picture, seemed interminable. Xor was the dawn much more reassuring, for soon the smoke from the burning homes of Joseph Jones and Anthony Spraguc " over the river," and of Israel Hobart, Nathaniel Chubbuck, and James Whiton rose into view from widely separated points on the south- ern horizon, and added fresh consternation to the anxious watchers. These fires, however, were the last acts of the Indians, who abandoned the attack. The second visit was just one month later, being the 20th of May. It was even more fruitless, and the savages soon passed into Scituate, which thev largely destroved. Oct. 12, 1676, the General Court ordered" " That Hingham be allowed and abated out of their last tax rates towards their losses by the enemy the sum of ten pounds." The soldiers from Hingham appear to have been engaged in some of the most arduous service of the war, for besides leading the van in the great Narragansett fight, as already stated, we find them serving under the immediate command of their old towns- man, the brave Captain Church, on Martha's Vineyard and the adjacent islands ; and it need not be said that service under that officer was of the most active kind. August the 12th Philip was killed at Mt. Hope and the war closed, but the military preparations of the colony rather in- creased than otherwise, and the towns as a necessary conse- quence participated in the general activity. In 1679 a petition for leave to form a small troop of horse in Hingham, Weymouth, and Hull, signed by Captain Hobart and others, was granted, and in June of the following year Ensign John Thaxter, whom we have already seen as one of Captain Hobart's company officers, 248 History of Hingham. and who earlier, in 1664, had served with such distinction in the expedition against the Dutch in New York as to be " preferred for," as the phrase runs, under orders of Cromwell, was commis- sioned to its command, with Samuel White, probably of Wey- mouth, as lieutenant, and Matthew Cushing as cornet, "so as the said Matthew Cushing take the oath of freedom," which he appears to have done. The same year Jacob Nash was appointed quartermaster, and the new troop together with the rest of the military in the town was attached to a new regiment under Map Wm. Stoughton. Sergt. Jeremiah Beale was appointed ensign of the foot com- pany May 11, 1681, which remained under command of Captain Hobart until his death in 1682, when the periodical trouble which this company seems to have given the government whenever new officers were to be chosen again called forth a sharp reproof, with a reminder that an acknowledgment of error was expected. This time the difficulty was over the desire of a part of the command that Thomas Andrews be commissioned ensign instead of James Hawke. The magistrates, however, disapproved of both, and appointed Lieutenant Smith to be captain, Ensign Beale as lieutenant, and Thomas Lincoln to be ensign. A reminder of " The late Indian Warr," as the old State paper terms it, is found in a grant dated June 4, 1685, as a re- ward for services, to " Samuel Lvncolne and three more of Hing- ham, and others of other towns, of land in the Nipmuck country." Among the many interesting entries in Daniel Cushing's diaiy, from which not a little of the town's history has become known, is this : " 1688, Nov. 5th, soldiers pressed 11 to go against the Indians." These men were perhaps a part of Sir Edmund Andros's small army of eight hundred with which he marched to the Penobscot, an expedition in which, it will be remembered, little was accomplished of value. April 18, 1689, Gov. Edmund Andros was arrested by the peo- ple of Boston, who had risen against the tyranny and corruption of his government. The next day the conduct of public affairs was assumed by the Council of Safety, of which Bradstreet was chosen president. On May 8th, acting doubtless under the orders of this extraordinary body, the train band went to Boston where on the ninth were gathered the representatives of forty-three towns. Cushing's diary tells us that a town meeting was held on the 17th to choose a member of the Council. The choice fell upon Capt. Thomas Andrews, already distinguished in town affairs, and who had been a representative in 1678. It was a distinction wisely bestowed, and doubtless while performing the delicate duties of his new office in a critical period, attention was called to that ability which soon after gave him the distinguished honor of being selected as one of the twenty-one captains ap- pointed for duty with Sir Wm. Phips in his attempt at the reduc- Military History. 249 tion of Canada. This officer, recently appointed high-sheriff of New England, sailed from Boston early in the spring of 1690 for Port Royal. The fort surrendered with hut little resistance, and three weeks later Sir William returned to Boston to prepare for the more ambitious attempt upon Quebec. August 9th, he sailed with upwards of thirty vessels and two thousand Massachusetts men, among whom were Captain Andrews, Lieutenant Chubbuck, and other Hingham men ; how many we do not know- October 5 the fleet dropped anchor beneath the castle which was commanded by Frontenac, an old and distinguished French officer. The attack commenced on the 8th, and was continued during; the two following davs. when the colonial troops retreated after suffering great loss. Sir William returned to Boston with the remnant of his army and fleet, arriving there November 19. At least one of our townsmen was killed in the attack upon Quebec, while another, Isaac Lasell, died a few days after, proba- bly uf wounds, while Paul Gilford, Samuel Judkins, Jonathan Burr, Daniel Tower, and Jonathan May, and " two more of the town " were carried off by the small pox, which broke out in the fleet and added its misfortunes to the disasters of the expedition. On the 25th of the month Captain Andrews succumbed to the dreaded disease : a stone m the old Granary burying-ground marks his last resting-place. The succeeding day Lieutenant Chubbuck died also. This ill-fated attempt was followed by the long struggle between France in the New World and New England and the colonies south and west, which only terminated a few years preceding the American Revolution. The history of the period is that of exasperating and wasteful incapacity, oftentimes on the part of British commanders in this country, of disastrous defeats, of glorious victories, of cruelties on both sides which we would gladly forget, of bravery, persistence, and enterprise by Massachusetts men of which we may well be proud, and of final triumph, due in very large measure to the arms of New England and the training of a soldierv under the laws of our own and the neighboring colonies which only made success possible. It is the history of Louisburg, of Fort Necessity and its gallant young commander, of Crown Point, Fort William Henry, Acadia and its piteous story, Shirley and Winslow, Wolfe and Montcalm, and the Heights of Abraham. During its telling we learn of Braddock's defeat, of Ticonderoga, of Fort Frontenac ; we become acquainted with the Howes, with Gage, Fraser, and a score of other English officers who afterwards played a part in the contest with the mother country. We first meet Washington and soon come to know why none other could have been the future American commander ; we see Gates and Putnam and Stark in their earlier days, while Franklin and Otis already are shaping the legislation and destiny of their respective States. During all this period, in all the wars, and in nearly every battle fought in the North we shall find, on 250 History of Hingham. sea and on land, the sons of Hingham creditably participating. They are in the contest as soldiers, as officers, as councillors and advisers, and in numbers which seem at times almost incredible considering the probable population of the town. It is interest- ing too, to note the individual names of those concerned in the later French wars, and afterwards to observe the use to which so many put the invaluable experience and knowledge then gained, in the subsequent service of the Revolution. The extremely small scale, as compared with modern days, upon which financial matters were carried on by the town in connection with its military interests, will doubtless have been observed. An interesting illustration is afforded by an entry in the Selectmen's Records of 1691, as follows : — The first clay of July, 1691, then received by the Selectmen of Hing- ham tenn pounds in silver money of Mr. Daniell dishing. Sen., of Hing- ham. which hee, the said Daniell Cushimr. lend to the Country for the carving one the present expedition against the Common enemys of the Country and is to have it payd to him, his heirs, exexutors, administrators, or asigns, in silver money on or befor the last day of September next insuing the dat hearof. Cushing's diary, under date of July 14, 1694, says that " Edward Oilman was pressed to be a soldier to go out against the French army," and under date of October 29 of the same year we are informed " that Edward Oilman came home out of the country's service." This small draft from Hingham, if indeed it was all, was probably her proportion of the force raised to meet the barassing and incessant incursions of the Indians, incited by the French, which for the ten closing years of the century left no peace to the colony, and which had for its principal episode in that year the attack on Groton, July 27th. Captain John Smith, who died in 1695, was probably succeeded in the command of the company by Thomas Lincoln, who had long served as an officer, having been an ensitrn as earlv as 1681. At all events we find in the town records of 1697-98, the following : — The town stock of ammunition is in the hands of the 3 commanders of Divs. viz., Capt. Thomas Lincoln 1 bbl. of powder and 198 weight of bullets and 260 flints : to Lieut. David Hobart, 1 bbl. of powder and 200 and a half of bullets, gross weight, & 260 flints : to Ensign James Hawks 1 bbl. powder & 190 weight of bullets, net, and 260 Hints. In 1702 a second company was formed in that part of Hingham which is now Cohasset, and which been me what was formerly known as the Second Precinct. In 1722 the colony declared war, owing to exasperating Indian depredations upon Ipswich and other places, and among the names of men serving under Captain Ward, of Scarboro', are Military History. 251 those of John Murphy, a corporal, and Edmund Moorey, or Mooncy, both of Hingham. Murphy was again found serving against the French on behalf of Hingham in 1725, — this time upon a small vessel of which Lieut. Allason Brown was commander. Among the many conferences held with the Indians of Maine in the endeavor to secure the safety of the settlements, was one bv Governor Belcher, at Falmouth, in Casco Bay, in 1732, at which he was accompanied, as would appear from an account found in the Thaxter papers, by Col. Samuel Thaxter, Rev. Nathaniel Eells, and Ebenezer Gay. Colonel Thaxter was a very prominent and trusted citizen, was colonel of the regiment in which Bingham's companies were included, and held many important offices. Among these was that of one of his Majesty's Council, in which capacity probably he acted as adviser to the Governor. On one occasion, while moderator of a meeting, he was grossly insulted by Cain, who dared him to fight. Colonel Thaxter quietly ordered the constable to remove Cain. The meeting being concluded, however, Cain obtained all the fight he wished, for Colonel Thaxter found him, and administered a severe thrashing. It is probably safe to assume that, although frequently moderator of the town meetings, Colonel Thaxter was never subsequently troubled by personal challenges. This inci- dent recalls to mind the fact, that with the occupation of the new meeting-house of 1(381, there followed the uses to which the earlier building had been applied, and that not only were the town meetings held in the same place as the religious services, but that the military character of the old belonged, at least to a degree, to the new building also. We should find in searching the yellow and stained records of the selectmen for the year 1736, an account of an inquiry made by those officials into the amount and places of deposit of the town's ammunition, and the discovery that in Colonel Thaxter's hands was a barrel of powder weighing two hundred pounds, two hundred and sixty-three pounds of bullets, and a thousand Hints, besides a large amount held by Capt. Thomas Loring, and considerable by Mr. Jacob Cushing, all of which, together with other purchased by the town, " we removed into the ammunition house made in the meeting-house of the first parish in Hingham." In the absence of other infor- mation, this record may justify the inference that Captain Loring then commanded one of the Hingham companies. Of this, how- ever, there is no certainty. Captain Loring represented the town at one time in the General Court, and from his son Benjamin are descended some of the present Hingham Lorings. During the colonial period there were two expeditions, at least, by Great Britain against the Spanish possessions in the "West Indies in which Xew England actively participated, and in which, almost as a matter of course, men from Hingham served. The 252 History of Hingham. first of these was in 1740, when Governor Belcher received orders to enlist a force to be sent to Cuba to the relief of Admiral Ver- non, who was in need of reinforcements. Among the five hundred soldiers recruited in Massachusetts, there is much reason to believe that quite a number were recruited in Ilingham. The rolls are, however, not only very imperfect in other respects, but they fail entirely to name the towns from which men served. We know, however, that among the officers was Lieut. Joshua Barker, who had declined a captaincy, and who now went as second in the company commanded by Captain Winslow, Lieu- tenant Barker was one of the very few survivors of this ill-fated expedition, in which, it will be recollected, was Lawrence Wash- ington and a Virginia contingent. The forces of Massachusetts and Virginia together stormed the castle of Carthagena, the prin- cipal town of the Spanish Main in New Granada. The place was not taken, however, and the expedition was a dismal failure. It is said that only fifty of the men from Massachusetts returned. Lieutenant Barker afterwards, as Captain Barker, served in nil the wars of his country from this time until 1762, when he was again engaged in the second and more successful attack upon the Spanish West Indies. He held a commission in the British service, and was a kind and able man. He resided upon the spot where now stands the Hingham Bank. There was also a Nathaniel Chubbuck in this service, who may have been a townsman. On the night of September 30, 1741, a number of the Spanish prisoners escaped from Boston with a large sail-boat. As they were armed, great fear was felt for the safety of the New Eng- land coasting vessels, and Capt. Adam dishing, formerly one of HinghanVs selectmen, and now an able officer, was ordered in pursuit, with special instructions to search the creeks of Hing- ham and Wevmouth. There remains no account of his success or otherwise. In 1740. a division of the town into the wards whose limits remain unchanged to this day took place, and it is interesting to note that this division was solely for military purposes, and that the ward boundaries were merely those of the several companies, which the town thereafter maintained. At this time Cohasset, which had been made the second precinct in 1702, continued to be so designated, while the third comprised what is now known as the middle ward, embracing that part of the town south of the town brook, as far as Cold Corner, the remainder lying in the former fourth, now the south ward. The first, or north ward, then as now, embraced the country north of the brook. The first powder-house in Hingham was built by the town in 1755. It stood a little north and nearly on the site of the New North Meet- ing-house. Afterwards it was removed to Powder-house Hill, near where Mr. Arthur Hersev's house now is, off Hersev street. Military History. 253 Frequently in the archives of the State and of the various towns there are references to the " Old French War," to the " Ex- pedition to the Eastward," to the " Expedition to Cape Breton," and to the " Capture of Louisburg." The expressions are all rather misleading, because they were, and unfortunately still occasionally are, indiscriminately used in referring to each of the several attempts made at different times upon the French pos- sessions in the northeast provinces, or to either of the several wars between France and England in America subsequent to 1700. The mischief of the expressions becomes the greater when leading, as it sometimes does, to historical errors. Indeed, it is to this cause that the accurate placing of a number of our own citizens, as to the time and place of service, becomes impos- sible. The expression "Old French War" — and indeed the others mentioned also — more generally and more properly relate to the events in North America between the years 1744 and 1748, during which occurred that wonderful New England military expedition and crusade which resulted in the capture by some four thousand men, assisted by the English fleet, of the strongest fortified city in the New World, and which was considered capable of resisting an army of thirty thousand. In the limits of a local history it is impossible to give even the outlines of this romance of New England's arms. We can only tell the very little of which we have any record concerning our own townsmen's con- nection with the brave Sir William Pepperell, and Commodore Warren, and the officers and men who sailed from Boston in March, 1745, and entered as victors the " Dunkirk of America" on the 17th of June following. It is most unfortunate that the rolls of these troops are lost from the State archives, and that such as exist in the possession of the Massachusetts Historical Society are not only very imperfect, but are comparatively value- less, from the fact that the places from which the men enlisted are not given. It is probably owing to this that we are enabled to give the names of only a few as serving from Hingham. These are Thomas Lewis, Ralph Smith, and Edward Ward. Among a number who signed a voluntary agreement to engage in a hazardous attempt to storm the Island battery in the harbor of Louisburg, we find the name of Ebenezer Beal, presumably a Hingham man. Israel Gilbert, who died later in the service, is said to have been a soldier in the " Old French War." Samuel Lincoln and John Stephenson were also at Louisburg in some capacity, and received pay for assisting in " wooding the garrison." The following were also soldiers at Louisburg, and there can be little doubt were Hingham men ■ John Lewis, Joshua Lasell, Thomas Jones, Samuel Gilbert, and John Wilder. By the terms of the peace of Aix-la-Chapelle, concluded in 1748, Louisburg was surrendered to the French, and the work of taking it had subsequently to be done again. 254 History of Hingham. The peace was, at least in America, more nominal than real, and the usual encroachments of each party upon the claimed possessions of the other, with all the attendant barbarities of border war, recommenced almost with the signing of the treaty. Nevertheless, the fifty years' conflict between the civilization and aims of the Saxon and the civilization and aims of the Latin was drawing to its close, and the year 1754 saw the beginning of the end. In the South its first notes were heard in the conflict between the Virginians under Washington and the French on the Ohio ; in the North the real signal was the march of an army of eight hundred Massachusetts men, under Gen. John Winslow, to secure by forts the passes from Quebec to New England, although negotiations were carried on between France and England even months later for an amicable settlement of all disputes between them. General Winslow fortified several places on or near the Kennebec. In his regiment, in Capt. John Lane's company, were Sergeant Elijah Cushing, Ephraim Hall, and Isaac Larrabee, of Hingham. Engaged in this same expedition probably, was the sloop " Mermaid," of eighty -live tons, of which Samuel Lincoln was master, Samuel Johnson mate, and Charles Clapp and James White were sailors. Clapp's residence is unknown. The others, as well as the sloop, undoubtedly belonged in Hingham. Samuel Lincoln was styled Captain in later life. In the spring of the following year, negotiations having been broken off in December, troops and transports began to arrive from England, and in April Shirley and the other colonial gov- ernors met Braddock in consultation. The events which fol- lowed can be scarcely more than named. Parkman, in his " Montcalm and Wolfe," has related them with a charm and grace which give to the hard facts of history the enchantment of romance. Yet with many, perhaps nearly all, of the occurrences in the North and East, Hingham was so closely and intimately connected, through the very large number of her sons Avho participated in them, that some brief explanations, expanding occasionally into narrative of what has elsewhere been better told, may be allowable here. If the rolls of participants in the first taking of Louisburg were incomplete, and the numbers serving from this town were apparently meagre, the fulness of the former and the length of names making up the latter, which are to be found in the Commonwealth's papers, at once sur- prise and gratify, although the task of eliminating repetitions in the different returns, and crediting the men properly to the places to which they belonged, is extremely difficult. After the death of General Braddock, Governor Shirley, of Massachusetts, became for the time the commander of the British forces in America, and among the several expeditions planned by him was Military History. 255 one having in view the capture of Crown Point on Lake Cham- plain. To this end a large number of men were recruited in New England, New York, and New Jersey, the burden, as usual, fall- ing principally upon Massachusetts, which voted both troops and money with a liberal hand. To William Johnson, afterwards knighted for his services, was given the command. On Sep- tember 8, Baron Dieskau, with a force of French and Indians, attacked Johnson near the head of Lake George, but was defeated. The attempt upon Crown Point was however aban- doned for the time, and the troops went into winter quarters at Fort William Henry. For this expedition there was enlisted in Hingham a company commanded by Capt. Samuel Thaxter, and attached to Col. Richard Gridley's regiment. A note in Hon. Solomon Lincoln's private copy of the " History of Hingham " says that this company marched September 23, 1755, with fifty- live men, and that they were at Fort Edward. Besides the Hingham men there were undoubtedly many from Weymouth and other towns in the neighborhood. Those from Hingham were Samuel Thaxter, captain, Thomas Gill, Jr.. sergeant, Samuel Joy, clerk, Thomas Hollis, corporal, Lot Lincoln, corporal, Hosea Dunbar, corporal, Nehemiah Blancher, private, Thomas Chubbuck, Joseph Carrel, Joseph Dunbar, Seth French, Thomas Hearsey, Mathias Hartman, a a Joseph Jones, private, Joseph Lyon, " Silas Lovell, Geo. McLaughlin, " William Magnor. " Richard Newcoinb, " John Sprague, " Stephen Saulsbury, " Benjamin Tirrell, " Abel Wilder, Jonathan Whitton, " Samuel Trask, " In the mean time the expedition which finally resulted in the Acadian tragedy had been planned by Gov. Shirley, and sailed from Boston May 22, 1755. It consisted, in the main, of some two thousand men, under the immediate command of its lieu- tenant-colonel, John Winslow, Shirley himself being its nominal colonel. On the 1st of June the fleet and transports anchored off Beausejour, the French fort at the small isthmus connecting Nova Scotia with the main land, and on the 16th the fort and garrison surrendered to the English. Within a few days after, all of Acadia fell into British hands. Then followed the removal of the unhappy people of this province from their homes, and their dispersion among the English colonies from Massachusetts to Georgia. The sad story has been the subject of poetry and romance ; the best and most just account is to be found in Park- man's pages, but there are local associations with the events whose relation properly belongs here. One of the most inter- 256 History of Hingham. esting of these is that Joseph Blake, whose father had been a resident of Hingham, was, although but sixteen years of age, an officer under Colonel Winslow, and was sent with a detachment of the French Neutrals, as the Acadians were called, to this town. Lieutenant Blake, who afterwards came to live here, went to Crown Point the next year as an officer in Major Thaxter's com- pany. Little is known concerning the Acadians who came here ; even their names are for the most part unrecorded and forgotten. They were, however, generally very poor, and worked at almost any employment obtainable. Some of them were for a time lodged in the old Hersey house on Summer Street, now the prop- erty of A. H. Hersey and Mrs. Andrew, where within a few years a window was preserved upon whose small panes some of the exiles had scratched their names or initials with the stone in a ring belonging to one of them. In the field near this old house, so tradition says, these poor unfortunates were in the habit of meeting, to hold, in quiet and peace, religious services in the faith of their youth and their homes. Another family occupied a part of the old dishing house at the foot of the Academy Hill ; and still another what is generally called the Welcome Lincoln residence at West Hingham. The few names that remain to us of these people are as follows : Joseph and Alexander Brow, Charles, Peter, and John Trawhaw, and Anthony Ferry. Beyond the inhumanity of their expatriation, the treatment of the Acadians by the people of New England was often kind, and even sympathetic. Without a country, separated from the neighbors and friends with whom they had spent all their happy days, in some cases members even of their own families lost to their knowledge, their sunny homes destroyed, their lands forfeited to the stranger, deprived of the ministrations of their religion, hearing always a foreign tongue, seeing always un- familiar faces, watched, suspected, trammelled, poor, their condi- tion, let us be thankful, was at least not aggravated by extreme bodily suffering, or by the coldness, neglect, and indifference of their conquerors. Indeed, many of those who reached Canada looked back with longing eyes towards the land of the Puritans, where a kinder welcome and more generous charity softened their hard lot than that given by their compatriots. The town records of Hingham contain many entries showing liberal disbursements for the benefit of such of these people as were in want ; and in the volumes devoted to the French Neutrals in the State archives, are several accounts allowed by the Province of Massachusetts Bay to the town for money expended in their behalf. Among these is the following in relation to a family which came here Nov. 29, 1755 : — . JOSEPH BLAKE. Military History. 257 Province of Massachusetts Bay. Suffolk ss. To the Honble Josiah Willard Esq. Secretary In pursuance of an act of the Great and Gen1 Court of the Province aforsd, the following is the account of the Selectmen of the town of Hing- hain in the County aforsd of their expense in the support of the French called Neutrals late Inhabitants of Nova Scotia sent to said town by order of the Committee appointed to dispose of the same, the family sent to sd town wei-e Anthony Ferry & wife & five small children and one single woman in all Eight, this accompt is from the First day of June 17.36 to the tenth day of Novr 1756 for tools & provisions &c is twelve pounds fourteen Stirling and four pence £12: 11: 4 Daniel Beal ^ Selectmen Enoch Lincoln V of The Town Joseph Thaxter ) of Hingham. This family was subsequently increased by the arrival of an aged mother and by the birth of another child. The Ferrys were removed to Boston in 17(30 by order of the committee. Some of the old diaries contain references to the employment, from time to time, of one or another of the Acadians, about the farm-work then in hand. Here are a few extracts : — 1760 April 18 Two French boys for husking corn May 23 Employed the Frenchmen. Charge them with 38 lbs. Salt Beef Joseph Brow, Alexander Brow, Charles Trawhaw, Peter Trawhaw, John Trawhaw. Oct 28 Employd the old Frenchman Alexander Brow and Peter Trawhaw also the other Brows and Trawhaws at Husking for several days The fate of these families is lost in the obscurity of history. It is probable that they entirely died off or removed from Hing- ham, for no descendants of any of them are known to exist. Among the men impressed and enlisted by Colonel Lincoln out of his regiment for service in Canada in 1759, were, besides Lieutenant Blake, Capt. Jotham Gay and Gideon Hayward, of all of whom he speaks as having been in the Nova Scotia expedition of 1755. Whether there were others or not is not known, as the rolls of Winslow's troops are not to be found. After a year of open hostility, England on the 18th of May, and France on the 9th of June, 1756, at last declared war. The capture of Crown Point was by no means abandoned, but the French during the interval had constructed a powerful defence at Ticonderoga, and this too was included in the objects of a new expedition planned by Shirley, who chose John Winslow for its leader. Before the campaign commenced Shirley was removed and the command was first given to General Abercromby, who arrived in June, and then to the Earl of Loudon, who came in July. VOL. I. — 17 258 History of Hingham. In the mean time the raising of the new army went on, The method was to call for volunteers, but if the requisite number did not appear a draft was made, by the colonels of the militia regi- ments, of enough men to supply the deficiency. This will explain some facts to be hereafter related. A bounty of six dollars was offered to stimulate enlistments, and the pay of private soldiers was one pound and six shillings a month. If a man brought a gun his bounty was increased two dollars. If not, one was sup- plied, for which he was to account, as well as for powder-horn, knapsack, canteen, blanket, etc. Subsequently a coat of blue cloth, a soldier's hat, and breeches of red or blue were supplied. Probably this was the first American force of any considerable size wearing a uniform, although some regiments had done so previously ; it will be noted that the color was the same which has since become enshrined in the affections of the armies of the republic who have succeeded these troops. The regiments gen- erally were composed of ten companies of fifty men each. Besides their rations each man was promised and insisted upon having, a gill of rum daily. The troops mustered at Albany, and soon encamped a short distance up the Hudson. One of the regiments was commanded by Richard Gridley, afterwards conspicuous for his services at Bunker Hill ; its major was Samuel Thaxter, who, in accordance with the custom of the time, was also captain of a company. This latter was from Hing- ham. There are several rolls in existence at different periods of its service. The first bears date of May 4, 1756, and contains the following names of men from this town : — '» Samuel Thaxter, major and captain, Robert Tower, Joseph Blake, lieutenant, Win. Hodge, Jeremiah Lincoln, ensign. James Fearing, Jonathan Smith, Knight Sprague, Jr., Caleb Leavitt. Daniel Stoddard, George McLaughlin, Abel Wilder, Elijah White, Joseph Loring, Joshua Dunbar, George Law, Israel Gilbert, Joshua French. Thomas Slander, A roll of about the same time added the names of Thomas dishing, Zebulon Stodder. Another roll, bearing date Oct. 11, 1756, gives the following names of Hingham men, in addition to those previously mentioned : Noah Reals, George Lane, Isaac Gross, John Lincoln. We also learn from it that Ensign Lincoln was killed or taken : an account of his capture and escape is given later ; that John Military History. 259 Canterbury, Joshua Dunbar, Israel Gilbert, Wm. Holbrook, George Ranclallwining, Thomas Slander, Josiah Tourill, Robert Tower, and Elijah White were already dead in the service, while Jona- than Smith, James Fearing, Wm. Hodge, and Wm. Jones were sick at Albany or elsewhere. The men might well be sick, if the accounts of regular British officers of the camps of the New England troops are not exagger- ated. Lieut. -Colonel Burton describes them as dirty beyond de- scription, especially that at Fort William Henry ; he speaks more favorably of the camp at Fort Edward, but says that, generally speaking, there were almost no sanitary arrangements, that kitchens, graves, and places for slaughtering cattle were all mixed, that the cannon and stores were in great confusion, the advance guard was small, and little care taken to provide against surprise. The several chaplains in the camp present a similar moral picture of the army. Meanwhile, on the 14th of August, Oswego surrendered to the French, and all thoughts of the capture of Ticonderoga or Crown Point were, for the time, abandoned. Of the miserable jealousies of the colonies, the dis- graceful failures of a campaign conducted by twelve hundred thousand people against eighty thousand, and the lessons it teaches of the superiority in military matters of an army over a mob, of the trained soldier over the political civilian, only the briefest mention can be made. The summer and autumn of 1756 fur- nishes a striking illustration, and perhaps an unusually pointed one ; for here were men, many of them, used to discipline, and experienced in more than one war, sacrificed to the lack of methods, discipline, and leadership, indispensable in the success- ful conduct of war. The opposite of all this was true in the French camps, and the results were equally different. Loudon had ten thousand men posted from Albany to Lake George. Of these about three thousand provincials were at the lake under Winslow, with whom was Gridley and his regiment. Montcalm was at Ticonderoga with an army of about five thou- sand regulars and Canadians. On the 19th September, Captain Hodges, of Gridley's command, and fifty men were ambushed a few miles from Fort William Henry by Canadians and Indians, and only six escaped. Bougainville, aide-de-camp to Montcalm, who was with the expedition says that out of fifty -three English, all but one were taken or killed; he adds that a mere recital of the cruelties com- mitted on the battle-field by the Indians made him shudder. Among the dead was Captain Hodges, and undoubtedly also Israel Gilbert, Thomas Slander, Elijah White, and Robert Tower; Ensign Jeremiah Lincoln, then apparently a lieutenant, was, with others, captured. These men all belonged to Major Thaxter's company. Mr. Lincoln, in the history of the town, says that a man named Lathrop, who also belonged here, was killed at the same time. 260 History of Hingham. Lieutenant Lincoln was taken to Quebec, where, after spending the winter, he made his escape in the night with three others. Two of these became so exhausted that they went to surrender to the French at Crown Point, while Lincoln and his companion finally reached Fort Edward after great suffering, during which they were obliged to subsist upon the bark of trees. In November the army dispersed, leaving a small garrison at Lake George. The provincials returned to their homes, while the English regulars were billeted in different parts of the country ; those at Boston being sent to Castle William. To the lists alreadv given as servine; in the Crown Point armv, there should be added the following taken from a note in Mr. Lincoln's private copy of his history : — Ralph Hassell, John Blancher, James Hayward, Jonathan Taunt, Seth Stowers, Jedediah Newcomb. Elijah Lewis, Engaged also in this service was the Hingham sloop "Sea Flower," commanded by John Cushing, a brother-in-law of Gen- eral Lincoln. Here is a copy of a paper at the State House : — A Portledge Bill of sloop Sea Flower. Jno Cushing master and sailors in His Majesty's Service in the Crown Point Expedition 1756 Jno Cushing master Sept 30 Jn° Burr mate Seth Davis pilot Samuel Tower sailor Timothy Covell " Isaiah Tower " Joseph Blake " To hire of Sloop Sea Flower 74 tons at 2 s per ton a month from Sept 30 1756 to Dec 15 On the back of this is an acknowledgment by Benjamin Lincoln for Capt. John Cushing of the receipt of 27 2.3 £. Captain Cushing married Olive, daughter of Colonel Lincoln, and resided at South Hingham. John Burr, his mate, at this time lived on Leavitt street. Samuel and Isaiah Tower were brothers. Besides all these, Isaac Joy served in Colonel Gridley's own com- pany, and Robert Townsend, Jr., in Captain Read's company, in Colonel Clapp's regiment. Mr. George Lincoln says that Nehemiah Joy was also in the service at Lake George. The next year Loudon with the best of the army sailed from New York for Halifax, leaving Lake George comparatively un- guarded, with the hope of taking Louisburg, — an expedition, by the way, that proved a total failure. Meanwhile Montcalm gath- ered an army at Ticonderoga, and by the end of July he had Military History. 2G1 eight thousand French, Canadians, and savages encamped there. Parkman gives a wonderful picture of this army and its march towards Fort William Henry. On the third of August it appeared before the fort, which was commanded by Lieut.-Colonel Monro, a Scotch veteran. With him were twenty-two hundred men in- cluding eight hundred from Massachusetts, under Colonel Frye, who arrived on the first of the month. The siege began on the fourth, while General Webb at Fort Edward did nothing but send to the colonies for militia which could by no possibility arrive in time. They however made the attempt, even as far as from east- ern Massachusetts. After a brave defence the garrison surren- dered, and the next day, the tenth, occurred the frightful massacre of the prisoners, which has cast the only serious stain upon the character of Montcalm. \n the intrenched camp where they had passed the night, and as they were about to march under escort for Fort Ed- ward, the English army with many women and children were startled by the warwhoop of the Indians. Immediately the hor- rible butchery commenced. Probably towards a hundred were slain, and some two hundred carried into captivity. Among the latter was Zebulon Stodder, whom Colonel Lincoln writes of under date of July 25, 1758, as being heard from in Canada. Knight Sprague escaped after being partially stripped. In an account afterwards he said that fifteen out of fifty of the company to which he belonged were killed that day. His captain was stripped naked, as were many soldiers and women he passed in his Might towards Fort Edward. Sprague's captain was probably still Major Thaxter, although we have no roll of the company at this time. Major Thaxter was stripped of his clothing, bound to a tree, and about to be roasted alive, when he was saved by a French officer. Seth Stowers, who subsequently became a captain in the Revolutionary service, at the commencement of the attack upon the prisoners stuffed his coat with articles of clothing taken from the military stores, and darted into the woods. He was immediately pursued by a number of the Indians. As the fore- most got dangerously near, he would throw some of his burden as far as possible to one side. The greed of his pursuers for plun- der was so great, that they would stop to recover the abandoned garment, thus enabling him to gain slightly upon them. Re- peating the ruse as long as the articles held out finally gave him sufficient advantage to elude pursuit. Other Hingham men who • ■scaped death were Thomas Gill, Thomas Burr, and Elijah Lewis; there were probably many more. Thomas Burr became a lieuten- ant in the company commanded by Capt. Peter Cushing in the Revolution, and Elijah Lewis was also a soldier in that war, as were Lot Lincoln and Thomas Hersey, both previously named as on Captain Thaxter's rolls, Hersey becoming a captain in the service of the patriot army. A list of the Hingham men not included in the surrender, be- 262 History of Hingham. longing to Major Thaxter's company, is as follows ; the men were probably on some detail away from the fort : — Johnson Anderson, Benjamin Joy, James Caunidy, Stephen Randall, Joseph Dwelly, Freeman Smith, James Hayward, Joshua Bates. Another account gives the name of Townsend Smith. To these lists there should be added a list of invalids, whom Lieutenant Blake reported as belonuinu; to Uimrham and able to march, and who were probably members of Thaxter's company. The date is June, 1757, and it is not unlikely that these men were at Fort William Henry and included in the surrender. It would appear from Knight Sprague's account that a large proportion of the company were murdered, and this may explain the fact that little more appears to he known concerning them. They were as follows : — George Phillips, Benjamin Sampson. Moses Bradbury, Reuben Donnells, James Bunker, Dennis Morrison, James Brayman, Samuel Winchester. Major Samuel Thaxter, scarcely less famous than his able grandfather Col. Samuel Thaxter, was a brave soldier as well as a prominent and trusted citizen in civil affairs. He was reported in Hingham as having lost his life in the massacre which followed the surrender, and a funeral sermon was preached by Dr. Gay. After the sermon Mr. Caleb Bates was engaged in driving his cows at Hockley, when whom should he meet but the Major him- self coming home on horseback. Throwing up both hands in astonishment, Mr. Bates exclaimed, " Good God, Major, is that you ? Why, we have just buried you ! " Major Thaxter was a quick-tempered and kind-hearted man. On one occasion he got into considerable trouble by killing some of his neighbors' dogs, who were worrying deer driven into the town by a severe storm. He had a number of children, among them Dr. Gridley Thaxter, doubtless named after his old colonel, who served with credit in the Revolutionary army. The Thaxter home was on North Street ; and not far from him, after the war, came to live his old commander, Gen. John Winslow, and his lieu- tenant, Joseph Blake. General Winslow resided until his death on Main Street, where is now the house of Mr. John Sidors. The church-bells tolled when his body was removed to Marshfield. Lieu- tenant Blake lived where the Bassett house is, opposite the Old Meeting-house on Main Street; his son Joshua was a lieutenant in the United States navy. We can imagine that these three old veterans spent many an hour together in the after years, recalling the stirring events of the last French and Indian war. Military History. 203 To General Webb's request for militia to march to the relief of Fort William, there was immediate response from the colonies, and Massachusetts especially wasted no time in getting a large number of men into the held. We already know the uselessness of the effort ; indeed, Monro had already capitulated several days before the troops from eastern New England started ; although this was of course not known until later. Upon receipt of the necessary orders, Col. Benjamin Lincoln commanding the third Suffolk regiment, at once detached from his command the com- pany in Hingham commanded by Ebenczcr Deal, and started it on the march the 15th of August. The roll of Hingham men in the company was as follows : — Ebenezer Beal, Capt., Daniel Lincoln, Lieut., Benjamin Gushing, Ensign, Joseph Stowers, Sergt., John Fearing, " John Blancher, " Obadiali Lincoln, " David Farrow, Corp., John Keen, " Elisha Tower, Jr., '•' Abijah Whiten, Drum., Peter Lincoln, Private, Obadiali Stowell, " Joshua Remington, Matthew Lincoln, Ezra French, Philip Nye, David Waterman, Ephraim Marsh, William Murch, Isaac Gross, Consider Jones, Jotham Loring, Isaac Burr, Ignatius Orcutt, Nath11 Lincoln, Isaac Lincoln, Jun., Xath11 Stodder, Daniel Tower, Solo: Dunbar, Sam1 Dunbar, David Wilder, Zach Loring, Sam1 Gill, Jun., Joseph Sprague, Asa Burr, John Wilent, John Wheelwright, John Pratt, Calvin dishing, Price Pritchart, Jacob Beal, Frederick Bate, Job Tower, Simeon Bate, Hosea Orcutt, Benjamin Beal, Japhet Hobart, Elisha Lincoln. Micah Nichols, Nehemiah Jov, There was also a company containing a number of Hingham men, under the command of ' Capt. Ebenezer Thayer of Braintree, in Colonel Lincoln's regiment, which marched at the same time. Their names were : — Stephen Gushing, Lieut., David Cushine, Cornet, Noah Nichols, Corporal, Joseph Gushing, Private, Benjamin Thaxter, " Thomas Barker, u 204 History of Hingham. David Lincoln, Private, Lot Lincoln, Private, Thomas Lothrop, " Joseph Loring, " John Burr, " Caleb Joy, " Uriah Oakes, " Obadiah Beal, " Benjamin Garnet, " It will be recalled that soon after the termination of the war with Philip, permission was granted to Capt. Joshua Hobart, and others, to form a small troop of horse in Hingham, Wey- mouth, and Hull, and that John Thaxter became its first com- mander. With the foot companies of Hingham and other towns in the vicinity, this troop was attached in 1680 to a new regiment under Major Wm, Stoughton. It would seem that subsequently the troop came to be composed almost entirely of men belonging to Hingham and Braintree, and that was still the fact when. August 12th, 1757, it marched to the relief of the fort, which had already surrendered. By the above roll it will be seen that a majority of its officers were from the former place. Its service ended the 23d of the same month. In July, 1757, Pitt, who shortly before had been dismissed from office, became the controlling force in foreign affairs and in the department of war. With him there came a new light to Eng- land and the colonies ; the tide of defeat and disaster was checked, hope was reawakened, and a vigor and wisdom instilled into the conduct of public affairs, which eventually led to the triumph of the British arms and the conquest of Canada. Early in June, 1758, Admiral Boscawen and General Amherst, with eighteen frigates and fire-ships, twenty-three ships of the line and a fleet of transports, on board of which were eleven thousand six hundred soldiers, all regulars except five hundred provincial rangers, appeared before Louisbourg. Amherst's briga- diers were Whitmore, Lawrence, and Wolfe. July 27th the fort surrendered after a determined resistance, and over five thousand men became prisoners in the hands of the English. In the siege Jotham Gay, who commanded a company from Hingham shortly after and perhaps at this time also, is said to have participated. Among the Massachusetts regiments raised for the prosecution of the war was one commanded by Col. Joseph Williams. It was recruited early in 1758, and contained a company of Hingham men, commanded by Capt. Edward Ward, who had already served at the capture of Louisbourg in 1745. The roll of this com- pany was as follows : — Edward Ward, Captain, Isaac Smith, Sergt.. Nath" Bates, Private. Lott Lincoln, Corp., Joseph Beal, " James Howard, " Mordica Bates, '; James Lincoln, " Joseph Battles, Jr.. " Military History. 265 Joseph Carrell, Private, Primus Cobb, negro, Robert Dunbar, Seth Dunbar, Solomon Dunbar, Jr Jonathan Farrow, Ezra French, Nathu Garnet, Jr., Xorman Garnett, Isaac Gross, Ezra Garnett, Noah Humphrey, Japhet Hobbart Peter Jacob, Jr., Nath1 Joy, Elisha Keen, Elijah Lewis, " Another roll of this company, earlier, contains these names, not Thomas Colsen, David Bate, Abner Bate, Beza Cushing, tt it 11 u u a a tt it it a l( u it it it u a Thomas Lothrop, Private, John Neal, " Flanders, negro, Micah Nichols, Joshua Remington, Obadiah Stowell, Nath1 Stoddard, Oliver Southward, Jerome Stevenson, Solon Stevenson, Daniel Tower, Jr., Joseph Tower, Jr., Shad rich Tower, David Waterman, Solomon Whiton, Jonathan Whiton, Jonathan Ward, " probably one of a few months included above : — Calvin Cushing, Thomas Culson, James Lincoln. Thomas Burr also served in this regiment, but in Captain Parker's company, — probably with other Hingham men whose names are not preserved. A journal kept by him gives some par- ticulars of the experience of the command ; and from this and a return of Colonel Lincoln, in 1759, showing former service of cer- tain enlisted men from his regiment, we learn something of the part which Hingham had in the conquest of Canada. The fifth of July, 1758, Abercromby, with over six thousand regulars and nine thousand provincials, left his camp on the scene of Dieskau's defeat and Montcalm's victory, and embarked upon Lake George. The army was in nine hundred bateaux, a hun- dred and thirty-five whaleboats, and a number of flatboats carry- ing the artillery. The day was bright, and amid the romantic scenerv the line, six miles in length, with gorgeous uniforms and waving banners, presented a superb spectacle. The life of the army, and its real commander, was Lord Howe, a brother of the brave o-encral who led the Ens-lish at Bunker Hill. In the even- ins;, lvino; bv the side of John Stark, then an officer of Rogers' rangers, he inquired about the situation and best manner of at- tacking Ticonderoga ; and the next day while at the head of the column with Major Israel Putnam and two hundred rangers, he fell dead under the (ire of a small body of French commanded by Langy. The loss of Howe was the ruin of the army, and Aber- cromby preserved neither order nor discipline ; indeed, he was upon 266 History of Hingham. the point of abandoning the expedition. Colonel Bradstreet, how- ever, opened the way for the array and it reluctantly followed his lead. In the mean time Montcalm, on the seventh, threw up a wonderfully strong defence, and here with thirty-six hundred men he awaited the English. At one o'clock on the eighth the attack commenced. At half-past seven the French general had won his great victory, and the British army, after losing two thousand men, was in full retreat, covered by the provincials. In this disastrous attempt Captain Ward's company probably participated, as Colonel Lincoln mentions a number of men as engaged at Lake George whose names occur on the above roll. He speaks also of William Russ as a soldier of his regiment on the same service. After the defeat Abercromby reoccupied and refortified the camp which he had left but a few days previously. Colonel Brad- street obtained, after much persuasion, three thousand men, mostly provincials, and with these and a small number of Oneidas he embarked, August the twenty-second, in his fleet of whaleboats and pushed out onto Lake Ontario. His destination was Fort Frontenac, and as Thomas Burr, who was in this expedition, says in his diary, the troops came in sight of the French works on the twenty-fifth., and landed about dusk, and to quote the diary, "pitched against the fort " on the twenty-sixth. The next day the garrison surrendered, together with nine armed vessels and a large amount of stores and ammunition. Forming a part of Colonel Bradstreet's command, and partici- pating in his triumph was Captain Ward's company of Hingham men, — if indeed, the whole of Colonel Williams' regiment was not in the expedition. Subsequently many of them were at the Great Carrying Place. This latter was the name of a post upon the Mohawk, then being fortified by General Stanwix, with whom Bradstreet left a thousand men on his return from his victory. Among them were Beza dishing, Noah Humphrey, John Neal, Isaac Gross, Isaac Smith. James Hay ward. David Tower, Jona- than Farrow. Townsend Smith, Joseph Carrel, Robert Dunbar, Solo. Whiten, William Garnett, and Thomas Lothrop. Not pre- viously named, but at Frontenac, in addition to others, were Ralph Hassell, and John Sprague : they would seem to have enlisted in other companies in Colonel Williams' regiment. May 4, 1750, Gov. Thomas Pownall sailed from Boston with a regiment commanded by himself, and constructed a fort upon the Penobscot. Among Colonel Pownall's captains was Jotham Gay, with a company from Hingham. Captain Gay's company seems however to have been sent to Halifax somewhat earlier, and a return sworn to by him indicates that it formed part of the garrison of that post from March until November of that year. Capt. Jotham Gay was born in Hingham, April 11, 1733, and as already seen, was in the king's service from 1755 until near the close of the last French war. Subsequently he was a colonel in the Continental army, and a representative from Military History. 267 Hingham in 1799 and 1800. His brother Calvin died at Quebec in 1765. They were sons of the Rev. Ebenezer Gay, who was minister of the Old Church in Hingham for sixty-nine years. Rev. John Brown, of that part of Hingham which is now Cohasset, was a chaplain in the army in 1759, and was stationed at Halifax. He was a friend of Dr. Gay, who corresponded with him, and in a characteristic letter, dated June 25, 1759, he writes to Mr. Drown, " I wish you may visit Jotham (captain) and minister good instruction to him and company, and furnish him with suit- able sermons in print, or in your own very legible, if not very in- telligible manuscripts, to read to his men, who are without a preacher ; in the room of one, constitute Jotham curate." Colonel Gay died October 16, 1802. The following is the list of the Hingham men in the company commanded by him in 1759 : — Jotham Gay, Capt., George Lane, Lieut., Thomas Lothrop, "■ Isaac Smith, Sergt., Nathaniel Bangs, " Samuel Joy, Corp., Joseph Blake, Private, Benjamin Beal, •' Issachar Bate, " Isaac Burr, " Beza dishing, " Calvin Gushing, " Jacob Dunbar, " Jonathan Farrow, " Isaac Groce, Noah Humphrey, John Hobart, Gedion Howard, Micah Humphrey, Ralph Haswell, James Ha ward, Joseph Jones, John Lincoln, Private. .. a a Caleb Leavitt, Levi Lewis, Elijah Lewis, " Urbane Lewis, " Israel Lincoln, " John Lasell, " Joseph Lovis, " Ephraim Marsh, " Micah Nichols, " John Neal, " Charles Riplev, " William Rust', " Luther Stephenson, " Jusitanus Stephenson, " Jerome Stephenson, "' John Sprague, " Knight Sprague, " Daniel Stoddard, " Daniel Tower, " Seth Wilder, « There is also a roll in the State archives giving the names of the following, and headed " A return of men Enlisted for his Majesty's Service for the Total Reduction of Canada, 1760 : " — John Stowel, Nath1 Joy, Japhet Hobard, Enoch Stoddard. Joseph Sprague, Samuel Burr, Asa Burr, John Nash, Job Mansfield, Levi Lincoln, Abijah Hersey, Daniel Lincoln, Joseph Beal, Joshua Remington, 268 History of Hingham. Zacheus Barber, John Garnet, William Lincoln, Stephen Frances, Richard Stodard, Seth Dunbar. Benjn Stowel, Of the particular service of these men there appears to be no record. The following from the papers belonging to the Com- monwealth indicates, however, that a number of them were with the army in New York : — " Money owed John Faye, for money paid by him to invalids returning from Albany, Selectmen of Hingham. Chas Cushing ) David Cushing, Colo." Military History. 317 The same officers make another return, showing that Nathan Thisining enlisted in Col. Henley's regiment in May, while in June, Jaspar Mason, Esriglolm Millery, Christian Rouschorn, Jonas Foughel, Conrad Workman, Peter Dushen, Frederick Gateman, Amada Bourdon, John Dager, Frederick Bower, Joseph Teot or Scot, John Rodsfell, John Wielele, Christopher Creigor, as Hingham men swore to uphold the Republic in Col. Crane's Artillery. It is difficult to avoid a slight suspicion that these men may have been a part of the deserting Hessians from Bur- goyne's army, whose enlistment by Massachusetts called forth vigorous remonstrance from Washington, and soon ceased. The town fathers appear to have been at least not deficient in shrewd- ness, however, for these recruits were en2"ao;ed for three vears and credited to Hingham for the long term although the period required under the call of Congress at that time was only nine months. Let us hope that these swiftly made citizens and eager patriots upheld the honor of the town while serving under their new colors. In July of this year, the French fleet under D'Estaing appeared off Newport, and the Admiral and Gen. Sullivan, who commanded in Rhode Island, prepared to drive the enemy from the State. Two Continental brigades from the main armv was sent under Lafayette, and the Massachusetts militia marched under John Hancock as Major-General, at the same time. The whole force numbered ten thousand men, and great hopes were entertained of its success. They were doomed to be disappointed, however, and after nearly a month of fruitless delays, the Americans evacuated the island after having fought one unsatisfactory battle. The following Hingham men took part in the attempt : — Benj. Jacob, Thos. Joy, Elijah Lewis, Japath Hobart, Benj. Joy, Moses Whiton, Kent Simmonds, Jonathan Gardner. They were probably members of a company of which John Lincoln was a lieutenant, and were paid by the town £ 122. Hon. Solomon Lincoln says there were nineteen other Hingham men engaged six weeks in Rhode Island, and also twenty -two in a Capt. Baxter's company for the same length of time. The names of the latter are here given : — Zachariah Whiton, 2 Lieut., Able Whiton, Robert Gardner, Serg't, Jonathan Farrar, Ambross Bates, " Levit Lane, Jacob Joy, Thomas Willder, 318 History of Hingham. Robart Willder, Stephen Stodder, Isaiah Hearsey, Isaac (?) Whiton, Cushing Burr, Elishe Whiton, Ruben Hearsey, James Stodder, Charls Burr, Cornelus Bates, Canterbury Barns, Zebulon Willcutt, Daniel Wilder, Jacob Lincorn. Thomas Stodder, Captain Baxter was from Braintree, from which town also came a large part of his company. Lieut. Whiton subsequently appears to have become a captain, and is spoken of with distinction in Thacher's " Military Journal." Colonel Mcintosh commanded the regiment. The Dorchester Heights works were also garrisoned by a com- pany consisting of thirty -four men, under Capt. Elias Whiton for three months. Captain Whiton. who early in the war had also served as lieutenant in Capt. Pyam Cushing's company when stationed at Dorchester, was taken with the small-] >ox and died in the service, aged thirty-five years. Almost at the same time Captain Whiton's elder brother, Capt. Enoch Whiton, who also had commanded a company in the Revolution died, aged forty-five years. A third brother, Elijah, was a soldier in the same war. They were all residents of South Hingham, near Liberty Plain. The town re- cords show that the thirty-four men were paid out of the town trea- sury ,£402-2 for their services. The company belonged to Colonel Lyman's regiment of Guards ; its roll was - — Elias Whiton, Capt. Jona Hobart, Zachariah Whiton, Lieut., Joshua Beals, Samuel Hobart, " Willm Hobart, John Cushing, Thomas Sprague, Thomas King, Samuel Leavitt, James Tower, Thomas Joy, Joshua Stowel, Abel Whiton, David Gardner, Jacob Dunbar, Ezekiel Hearsey, Peter Tower, John Hearsey, Jonathan Farrow, Thomas Chubbuck, Jeremiah Gardner, Jonathan Gardner, David Chubbuck, Caleb Leavitt, David Loring, David Lamman, Laban Tower, John Hobart, Seth Wilder, Benjn Stowel, Esquir Hook. Nehemiah Hobart, After the surrender of Burgoyne at Saratoga, Oct. 17, 1777, his army was conducted to Boston, and quartered at Cambridge, where it remained until November, 1779. During the intervening period the duty of furnishing guards devolved largely upon the militia of Massachusetts, and of this, Hingham had a full share. Military History. 319 It is not possible to give accurate lists of the men engaged in this and the similar service of caring for and protecting the Continen- tal stores at Boston and Watertown, so imperfect are the rolls. The town records contain items of payments to men recruited for these purposes. One, in 1778, would seem to indicate that there were seven of our townsmen with Capt. Benjamin Beal, but " a pay abstract of Capt. Benj. Beal company of militia and Col. Jacob Garish (regt) Drafted in July 1778, to Guard the Troops of Con- vention and the Stores In and About Boston " contains the following names of undoubted citizens. The regiment was Colonel Gerrish's. Benj. Beal, Capt., Moses Gardner, Peter Dunbar, Lieut., Joshua Stowell, Joshua Beal, Sergt., Jedediah Joy, Caleb Marsh, Corp., Seth Wilder, David Ilearsey, Drum, Daniel Dunbar, Joseph Hobbard, Hosea Dunbar, Stephen Mansfield, Melzer Dunbar. Also " Capt Benj. Lapham Compy in Col. John Reeds Regt., in service of the United States, at Cambridge, taken from 2 April, 1778, to July 3, 1778," has upon its roll : — Jos. Tower, Sergt. James Lewes, Daniel Stodard, Corp., Richd Tower. The town disbursements for the year contain items for the pay- ment of three men employed in guarding Continental stores, nearly three months, twenty men " for guarding Gen1 Burgoynes army, at Cambridge, 4 months & 26 days," " to 11 men for Guarding the Continental Stores in Boston 2 months 11 days." At the town meeting held in February, there was a tax laid of .£2370 of which £ 195-7-2 was for the procuring of Continental soldiers, for three years ; £ 1274-12-10 for paying the men em- ployed in the expedition against General Burgoyne ; £300 for guarding General Burgoyne's army at Cambridge, and £300 for defraying the usual expenses of the town. Subsequently we find Joshua Leavitt paid for a gun lent the town, and Jacob Leavitt for painting the carriage and wheels of the cannon ; also David Beal for assisting in transporting powder from Watertown to Hingham. There are, besides these, payments to Capts. Benj. Lapham, Elias Whiton, and Peter Cushing, for serving as committees to hire soldiers. There is a roll of Captain Stowers' company showing service from August to November of this year; the location of its employment is not indicated, but its roll contains, in addition to the names given as members of the same command, in August, 1776, the following : — ■•& Sam'l Stodder, Daniel Beal, Reuben Stodder, Thos. Lincoln, 320 History of Hingham. Job Mansfield, Stephen Whiton, Benj. Barnes, Jr., Luke Orcutt, Jacob Whiton, Caleb Leavitt, Enoch Leavitt. October 1, 1778, General Lafayette was in Hingham and lodged, with his servant, at the Anchor Tavern, then standing upon the present location of Mr. William 0. Lincoln's house, on South Street, and a favorite resort of the French officers at Nantasket. It was a famous hostelry in its day , and was occupied as a private dwelling by Governor Andrew in the early part of the Civil War. Lafayette was on his way to Hull, where he was going to inspect the fortifi- cations at that place. He was dressed in a blue coat with buff trimmings, the regular uniform of an American officer, and at- tracted much attention. Upon the news of his death many years after, all the bells in town were rung. Among other curious documents in the State House are certain inventories showing the amount of clothing received from the several towns for the public service. One, dated Dec. 17th, 1778, shows that Hingham furnished 128 shirts, 69 pairs of shoes, and 102 pairs of stockings ; being much more than by any other town in the county with the exception of Boston. The great difficulty of ascertaining precisely the date of en- listment of many of those who entered the Continental service lias been intimated. In addition to the names previously given, the following would seem to have entered the army in 1778 : — Alexander Atkins, Boston, Gershom Bcal, Caesar Blake, Maxitinde Basasobel, Boston, Thomas Burke, Caleb Bates (killed), Simeon Butler, Wm. Booding, Ezekiel Bragdon, Braxton, Abel Cushing, Isaac Crosby, Waltham, John Carter, Boston, Ronald Cameron, " Wm. Clarke, Pownalboro, John Clark, James Dishet, Perez Gardner, Isaac Gardner, Jesse Humphrey, Joseph Hobart, Daniel Hearsey, Peter Husen, Boston, Captain Colonel Langdon, Jackson, Winship, Alden, Allen, Putnam, Bayley, Alden, Langdon, Jackson, Burbeck, Crane's Artil., Langdon, Jackson, Lane, Nixon, Lane, Shepard, Alden, Langdon, Jackson, « Bayley, u Vose, Williams, Greaton, Pilsbury, Wigglesworth, Light Horse, Langdon, Jackson, Military History. 321 Captain Colonel Luther Lincoln, Briant, Crane, John Mansfield (dead), Bayley, Ebenczer Ripley, Caesar Scott. Alden, Moses Stoddar, Joseph Wilcott. Burbeck, Crane. Tn September of 1778 General Lincoln was placed in command of the department of the South. A brief account has already been given of his persistent efforts to raise an army, and of the long struggle for supremacy which finally terminated at Charleston, in May, 1780, by the surrender of the town, with the garrison, to Sir Henry Clinton. The Committee of Safety in 1779 were Samuel Norton, Dr. Thomas Thaxter, Capt. Theophilus Wilder, Capt. Charles Cushing, and Joseph Thaxter. The military service performed by Hingham men during this year was very considerable, besides that rendered by the soldiers of "the Continental regiments with Washington and elsewhere, but the records are so incomplete that but little detail can be given. The English evacuated Rhode Island in the autumn of 1779, but they had no intention of permanently abandoning the State, and the fear of their return necessitated the employment of a considerable American force for its defence until the close of the war. A pay roll for December, 1779, of Capt. Luke Howell's company in Col. Nathan Tyler's regiment, on duty in Rhode Island, contains the names of the following Hingham men : — John Lincoln, Lieut., Jonathan Farrow, Jr., Private, Ezekiel Hersey, Drum, Jacob Whitton, Elijah Lewis, Private, William Gardner, Elisha Beals, " Nathaniel Bates Jonathan Farrow, " In the same State there were six men in Capt. Job Cushing's command, and seven men for five months in the company in which Jacobs was a lieutenant. There were also four men engaged upon guard duty at Boston, who were probably Robert Gardner, Jonathan Gardner, Elijah Whiton, Jr., and James Hay ward. They certainly received pay from the town for service in Boston this year. Lieut. Elijah Beal, who resided at West Hingham and who at the time was about twentv-nine vcars of age, was stationed at Claverack, New York, with fifteen of his townsmen. Efforts to ascertain their names have not met with success. This year, too, saw Capt. Theophilus Wilder adding active military duty to the service he was giving his country in the support of the war as a civilian, and again we find him with VOL. I. — 21 322 History of Hingham. his company, this time containing eighteen Hingham patriots, in the fort at Hull. This roll, like several others of 1779, has not been found. Hon. Solomon Lincoln states that Lieut. John Lin- coln commanded a company at Rhode Island in Webb's regiment from Sept. 1, 1779, to Jan. 1, 1780, in which were several soldiers from Hingham. The records preserve the names of only the following as enlist- ing in the Continental service during 1779 ; they appear to be re-enlistments : — James Cook, Capt. Bradford, Col. Bayley, Joseph Stockbridge a. o^? Jacob Gardner, Col. Greaton. The town appropriations for war purposes had by this time be- come very large, although it must not be forgotten that the}* were in a very much depreciated currency. In October it was voted to "raise £6000 for the purpose of paying the soldiers that went to do duty in the State of Xcw York." The following indicate services not otherwise recorded : To Zaclih Whiton for his service to Rhode Island in 1778 £41-17 To Jothain Loriug for his service in Canada omitted £ 1 8. There were also payments for large amounts of beef and salt purchased for the soldiers, and as in every other year of the war, generous sums were voted for soldiers' families. We have these records also : — To Jon? Hearsev towards his service at Rhode Island £22- 0-0 To David Hearsev for D° 39- 2-0 To Elisha Beal for D° 35-17-0 To Ezek1 Hearsey for D° 44-1 8-8. The names of four more of Hingham's soldiers are thus indi- cated, although no light is thrown on the particular expedition in which they served. Perhaps no better examples can be selected to illustrate the ex- traordinary depreciation of the paper currency than the following: To Capt. Setli Stowers for 7 Bush1 Corn for the Soldiers who went to Rhode Island £63-0-0 To Bradford Hearsey for a pr shoes to Hosea Stodder £4-4-9. In July an expedition against the British post at Penobscot was fitted out by Massachusetts. Colonel Lovell, who sometime before had become a brigadier-general in the militia, was one of the com- manders, and, as already said, the brig " Hazard " which took part in the expedition, had a number of Hingham men in her crew. Upon the promotion of Colonel Lovell, which took place in 1777. David Gushing of Hingham became colonel ; Thomas Lothrop of Military History. 323 Cohasset, lieutenant-colonel ; Isaiah Cushing of , major ; Samuel Ward of Hingham, second major ; and the members and officers of the Hingham companies were : 2d, Benjamin Laphain, Capt., Herman Lincoln, 1st Lieut., Joseph Beal, 2d Lieut. ; 3d, Jabez Wilder, Capt,,Zach. Whiting, 1st Lieut., Robt. Gardner, Jr., 2d Lieut. ; Oth, Peter Gushing, Capt., Thos. Burr, 1st Lieut., Thos. Fearing, 2d Lieut. The following served seven months in Gazee's Rhode Island company of artillery ; the year is not certainly known, but it is probable that at least a portion of this time was included in the \ ear 1779 : Enoch Dunbar, Amos Dunbar, Daniel Dunbar, Melzar Dunbar, Luther Gardner, and Peleg Whiton. In 1780 the Committee of. Correspondence, Inspection, and Safety consisted of Israel Beal, Capt. Charles Cushing, Ebenezer Cushing, Joshua Leavitt, and Isaac Wilder, Jr. In July of this year General Heath asked for reinforcements for his araiy in Rhode Island, an attack on Newport being threat- ened by Sir Henry Clinton. Under this call Capt. Theophilus Wilder marched with his company, belonging to Ebenezer Thayer's regiment, and served three months. The roll of Hingham men is given below : — Theophilus Wilder, Capt., Jeremh Gardner, Thomas Venson, Lieut., Perez Gardner, Walter Hatch, 2d Lieut,, Elisha Whitten, Peter Wilder, Scrgt.-Major, Conr Barns, Elijah Lewis, Sergt., Isra Whitten, Isaiah Hearsey, " Amos Dunbar, Uriah Beals, ' " Sher Corthwell, Ezra Gardner, Corp., Abel Cushing, Israel Stowell, " Cushen Burr, Peter Hearsey, Drum, John Cushing, Bcla Tower, Fife, Molah Tower, Jacob Canterbury, Laban Cushing, Be Cushing, Jerem1' Hersey, Eliph. Ripley, Ezekel Harsey, Stephen Stowell, Israel Hearsey, John Hearsey, John Dill, Zedeok Harsey, Nathaniel Dill, Dan1 Harsey, Joseph Jones, Jon Gardner, Caleb Cushen. Stephen Gardner, The urgent need of soldiers frequently induced the States to authorize enlistments for short terms, much against the judgment of Washington, and greatly to the injury of the service and the country. The town of Hingham supplied few men by authority of these acts, and, as already stated, under a nine months call, in one 324 History of H Ingham. instance at least, enlisted her quota for three years. Indeed, most of the men joining1 the Continental service and credited to Hing- ham were for the long term, and many have against their names the large letters " D. W.," which mean " During the War." The following, however, joined the army for six months, "agreeable to a resolve of the General Court of the fifth of June," 1780 : Lot Lincoln, Jesse Humphrey, James Bates, Daniel Woodward, Levi Gardner, Ezekiel disking, Leavitt Lane. They were sent to Springfield, and thence to the army under Captain Soaper, Cap- tain Burbank, and Lieutenant Cary, in July, August, and October. Mr. Lincoln says that there were also five men on duty as guards at Boston. At a town meeting held on the 13th of June it was voted to raise thirty thousand pounds toward paying the soldiers, and four thousand pounds to purchase clothing for the Continental army. The town records also show large sums of money paid for beef, blankets, wood, corn, etc., supplied the army upon requisition from the State. In one instance, however, the General Court threatened a fine of twenty per cent if a requisition was not promptly responded to ; and the town voted " to comply, provided it be not brought as a precedent in future time;" this was in the year 1781. This latter year Samuel Norton, Capt. Charles Cushing, Heman Lincoln, Capt. Peter Cushing, and Elisha Cushing, Jr., were chosen as the Committee of Correspondence. Under a resolve of the General Court passed December 2, the following enlisted into the Continental service for three years, or the war ; the bounties paid are also given : — Henry Shepperd £51 Thomas Lightfoot £60 John Daniels 108 Reuben Wright 55-10 Lewes Freeman GO Amos Adams 51-12 Emmuel Busson 60 Francis Comer 63 James Cook 61-4 The following furnishes an illustration of the means by which some of these men were secui'ed : — Hingham, Dec. 24, 1781. These may certifie that I the Subscriber Hired Emmuel Bussen for the class whereof I am Chairman & that He passed muster the 8th day of No- vembr past, and that He engaged to Serve three years in the Continental Army ; also that I gave Sixty pounds for his so engaging in Hard money. John Thaxter. Others enlisting this year and receiving a bounty were — Isaac Gardner, Jack Freeman, Juba or Tuba Freeman, Benj" Jacobs, Absolum Davis, Caesar Blake, Military History. 325 Thomas Newell, Daniel Dill, Jesse Humphrey, Abel Gushing, Lot Lincoln, James Hayward, Fortune Freeman, James Bates, Xath1 Stoddard, Perez Gardner, John Dill, Benj" Ward. Perez Gardner was three years in Colonel Vose's regiment, and with him were John Tower, killed at Morrisania on a scout, James Bates, and James Hay ward, both of whom died in the service at West Point, and John Daniels, Abel dishing, and Solomon Lor- ing, — the latter not given in the above list, — and Jack , a colored man, doubtless Jack Freeman, killed at New York. Mr. Lincoln says there were also eleven men in Rhode Island four months under Capt. John Lincoln. The only roll discovered, however, gives in Colonel Webb's regi- ment in Rhode Island, Aug. 2, 1781, John Lincoln, captain ; Robert Corthell, sergeant ; Sherebiah Corthell, private, as be- longing to Hingham. The names of the others have not been ascertained. It was towards the close of the summer when the American and French armies, after remaining some six weeks near Dobbs' Ferry in New York, crossed the Hudson, and under the general com- mand of General Lincoln commenced the march across the Jer- seys, Maryland, and Virginia, which terminated in the great victory at Yorktown on the 19th of October following. The distinguished part performed by General Lincoln in the last great campaign of the Revolution has been already alluded to. The personal history of other Hingham soldiers has, with a few exceptions, been lost or obscured with the passing years. Of this we may be certain, that wherever the commands to which they belonged were, there they were too, serving faithfully to the end. Among those at Yorktown was Daniel Shute, a young surgeon who had graduated at Harvard College in the opening year of the contest, and immediately placed his talents at his country's service. He is said to have commanded a college com- pany during the siege of Boston, and soon after was commissioned a surgeon's mate and attached to the Hospital Department. At Yorktown he was the first surgeon to perform an amputation on a wounded soldier. At the close of the war he was surgeon of the 4th Massachusetts Continental Regiment, commanded by Colonel Shepperd. Dr. Shute resided a short time in Weymouth after the close of his military service, but soon removed to Hing- ham, where he died April 18, 1829. Upon the staff of General Lincoln was Major Hodijah Baylies, aide-de-camp, who subsequently married a daughter of the general. He became collector at Dighton, and held other offices. Several of his children were born during his residence in Hingham. 326 History of Hingham. The capitulation of Cornwallis was the last great military event of the Revolution. Nevertheless, much of the country was still occupied by the British army, and besides the necessity of gain- ing and holding possession of those portions, there remained the possibility of renewed hostilities, requiring the retention of a con- siderable force. On the second of November the army under General Lincoln embarked at Yorktown and proceeded to the head of the Elk, from whence it went into winter quarters in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and upon the Hudson, in New York. The Committee of Correspondence and Safety elected in 1782 were Israel Beal, John Fearing, and Theophilus Cushing; they were re-elected in 1783. The probabilities of peace made the enlistment of soldiers ex- ceedingly difficult, and there were very few recruited after the close of the Virginia campaign. The only names of recruits known to have joined the Continental army in 1782 are Solomon Lavingin and Elijah Beals. Hon. Solomon Lincoln says that in 1783 there were twelve men in the service at Hull. Neither the date nor the organization to which they belonged have been preserved, and no list of these last soldiers in the Revolution from old Hingham has been found. There remain to be added a few names not hitherto placed, known to have served in the army in some capacity, but whose company or regiment, place, or time, have not been ascertained. These are — Jedediah Beal, Bela Lincoln, served on the " Pro- Daniel Dill, tector," Lemuel Dill, Benjamin Lincoln, Daniel Egrey, Noah Nichols, Francis Gardner, died 1780 on Moses Sprague, Jersey prison-ship, Jacob Sprague, carried to Halifax Jared Joy, and died on guard-ship, 1778, Benjamin Leavitt, Ebed Stodder, Seth Thaxter. Serving upon the staff of General Lincoln during the earlier part of the war as an aid-de-camp, and probably with the rank of colonel, was Nathan Rice. Colonel Rice came early to Hing- ham, where he resided many years. At the close of the war he was major in Colonel Bailey's Continental regiment, and subse- quently commanded a body of troops at Oxford during the threat- ened difficulties with France. From the lists of names given, it appears that Hingham fur- nished over one hundred and fifty different persons to the regular Continental service, of whom, however, it is probable that only about eighty were actual residents of the town. The commis- sioned officers, so far as known, were, — Military History. 327 Major-Gen. Benjamin Lincoln. Col. Nathan Rice, aide-de-camp to General Lincoln. Lieut-Col. Jotham Loring, 3d Mass., Colonel Grcaton ; dismissed. Major Hodijah Baylies, aide-de-camp to General Lincoln. Daniel Shute, surgeon 4th Mass., Colonel Shepperd. Capt. -Lieut. Nath'l Coit Allen, paymaster 10th Mass., Colonel Tapper. Lieut. Hezekiah Ripley, Jr., 2d Mass., Colonel Bailey; Brigade Qr. in 1783. Lieut. Joseph Andrews, Crane's artillery ; mortally wounded at Brandy wine. Lieut. John Lincoln, 2d Mass., Colonel Bailey. To these should perhaps be added — Capt. Amos Lincoln, formerly of Hingham ; moved to Weymouth. Dr. Gridley Thaxter who is stated to have been a surgeon in the army, but in what branch of the service is unknown. Dr. Peter Hobart, also a surgeon, the particular record of whose service is lost. John Woodman, a private in the 7th Mass., Colonel Brooks, and marked " promoted." Possibly, also, Chaplain Joseph Thaxter, formerly of Colonel Prescott's militia regiment, should have his name placed upon the Continental rolls ; he certainly was in the army later, but the command is not stated. Another brilliant officer, who was a citizen of Hingham pre- ceding the division, but who by that event became an inhabitant of the new town of Cohassct, was Capt. James Hall. It is possible to make an approximation only to the number of men who served their country from Hingham in other than the regular Continental regiments during the war of the Revolution. Many of the rolls are entirely lost, others are incomplete, and some are partially worn and illegible ; the selectmen's records furnish valuable but very meagre information, while from private sources almost nothing has been obtained. From available in- formation, — mainly the rolls heretofore given, and which are literal copies of originals in the State House, — it would appear to be certain that some six hundred different individuals per- formed military duty in the several branches of the service. There were doubtless many more whose names were recorded upon the lost rolls, or whose identity cannot be determined, owing to the fact that oftentimes lists still exist which are nearly value- less from a failure to make any mention of the town to which the soldier belonged. There is reason to think that a number of men doing garrison duty at the Castle, — now Fort Indepen- dence,— in Capt. the Hon. Thomas Cushing's company, were from Hingham ; but there is an uncertainty arising from the home 328 History of Hingham. or place of enlistment of the men composing it being in no case stated ; and the doubt in this instance is of sufficient importance to make it unsafe to credit the town with any of them. It is quite probable, too, that numbers of our citizens served in some of the various armed ships authorized by Congress or the Common- wealth, but of other than those given as upon the " Hazard " and " Protector," if such there were, no satisfactory records are known. Very many, if not most, of the soldiers from Hingham served on several different occasions during the war ; and not a few enlisted or were called out four, live, and six times, while the indisputable evidence furnished by existing rolls proves that several responded to no less than eight calls to duty in garri- son and camp. In a few instances the periods of service were short, being comprehended in a few days, but for the most part they extended over many months, embracing the year consumed in the siege of Boston, the time occupied in the campaigns in Canada, in the northern department against Burgoyne, in the operations near West Point, those around New York, the several Rhode Island expeditions, that to the Penobscot, a part of Wash- ington's first campaign in New Jersey, and the many months, aggregatine: several vears, of garrison dutv at Hull, besides that performed in Hingham itself while the town was a military post. It is impossible to reduce the whole to a standard of number of men serving; for a stated time, but if every different service had been performed by different individuals, the aggregate outside of those in the regular three-years regiments would probably exceed one thousand. As observed previously, it seems reasonable to estimate the different individuals as about six hundred in number : indeed, the preserved rolls name some five hundred and seventy. Of these, approximately, the Lincolns furnished forty-eight: the Cushings, thirty-seven ; the Beals, thirty ; the Whitons, including all the variations of spelling the name, thirty ; the Stoddars, Stoddcrs, Stoddards, Stodars, twenty-five; the Hearseys, Harscys, Hcrseys, twenty-four ; the Gardners, twenty-one ; the Hobarts, nineteen ; the Towers, sixteen ; the Lorings, fifteen ; the Batcses, fifteen ; the Burrs, thirteen ; the Spragues, thirteen ; the Wilders, thirteen ; the Dunbars, eleven ; the Leavitts, eleven ; the Lewises, eleven ; the Stowclls, ten ; the Joys, ten ; the Fearings, eight ; the Lanes, eight ; the Thaxtcrs, seven ; the Barneses, seven ; and the Marshes, seven. That is two dozen names of the soldiers from Hingham included four hundred and nine individuals. The Hingham officers of Continental regiments have already been named ; those in other branches of the service, as far as known, were — Major-Gen. Benjamin Lincoln (before his Continental commission), Capt. Benjamin Beal, Capt. Peter Gushing, " Charles Cushinor, " Pvam Cushiiur, " Job Gushing, " Isaiah Gushing, Military History. 329 .. u Capt. Thomas Hearsey, Benjamin Lapham, James Lincoln, John Lincoln, Seth Stowers, Job Tower, Theopliilus Wilder, Elias Whiton, Stephen Whiton, Enoch Whiton, Levi Bates, Elijah Beal, Joseph Beal, Thomas Burr, Isaac dishing, David dishing, Peter Dunbar, u u Lieut. 2d " 2d " Lieut. 3d " 4th " a 2d Lieut. Thomas Fearing, " Walter Hatch, 2d Josiah Lane, Jacob Leavitt, Heman Lincoln, Levi Lincoln, Isaac Lincoln, 2d " Nathan Lincoln, " Peter Nichols, " Jerom Stephenson, " Knight Sprague, " Joshua Tower, " Thomas Vinson, Jabez Wilder, 2d " Zach Whiting, prob- ably subsequently a captain. From official records still existing and other reliable sources of information, it may be safely stated that the town of Hingham contributed to the military service of the Revolution, including those in the Continental regiments and on armed vessels, nearly seven hundred and fifty men, of whom over fifty were commis- sioned officers. The number probably was really largely in excess of that here stated. It cannot but be regretted that these records of the old town's part in the Revolutionary contest are so largely composed of mere lists of names, and that there is so little of incident to brighten the too statistical narrative. In this connection, however, one little event may not be without interest. It will perhaps be recalled that during the last war between France and the Colonies, one of the chaplains was Rev. John Brown of Hingham. The years which had rolled by since 1759 had doubtless incapacitated the minister for further service in the field, but under the mac:- nificent elm standing opposite to the old Cashing house at Rocky Nook, he preached to a company of our townsmen on their march to the post of danger, and sent them on the way with the blessings and approval of the Church ringing in their ears, and, let us trust, consoling their hearts. Almost from the surrender of Yorktown the armies of the new republic had been melting away, and when, on the 3d of Sep- tember, 1783, the treaty was signed at Paris which acknowledged the independence of the United States, there remained with Washington at Newburg scarcely more than a skeleton of the vic- torious force which had taken a part in the grand drama enacted on Virginia's soil nearly two years before. November 25th the commander-in-chief entered New York with General Knox and the officers of the army eight abreast, and, at Fraunce's tavern on 330 History of Hingham. the 4th of December following, Washington bid farewell to the comrades who for eight years had with him patiently and bravely endured the dangers and privations of the field and the camp. At about the same time General Lincoln resigned his office of Secretary of War and retired to private life. From the opening hour of the Revolution to its closing moment, the roll of Hing- ham's drums and the inspiring music of her fifes had echoed through her streets and been heard on many a weary march, while the rattle of musketry and the dull roar of artillery served by her children had testified to her unflinching and unwearying patriotism on land and sea. Beneath the kindly enshrouding soil in secluded shady and forgotten places, from Canada to the Potomac, rest those who laid their young lives down in the heat of the conflict, while many an old moss-grown stone in the town cemeteries marks the burial spot of some soldier who in the early days of the nation " shouldered his crutch and told how fields were won," to his children and grandchildren long after the close of the War for Independence. While with the advent of peace there doubtless came that reaction from interest in military matters which is common to all human affairs where the undivided attention has been too long fixed in a single direction, there was still, fortunately, enough patriotism left in the wearied people to listen to the urgent sug- gestions of Washington, and in a small regular army and the West Point establishment, provide a nucleus at least, around which might be gathered the forces for the defence of the young nation. Many of the statutes under which the armies were gath- ered and the militia governed still remained in force, and these derived powerful support from the dangerous and threatening con- dition of a number of the Indian tribes, from the menace which the continued occupancy in the West and North of posts and forts by the British constantly offered, and from the ill-concealed contempt felt by the empires of the world for the small, weak, and exhausted State in the Western Hemisphere. More than all, there was the internal discontent and distrust experienced by a weary and debt-laden people entering upon the experiment of new forms of government towards which many were antagonistic, and in which a large number had little faith. To all this must be added the bitter disappointment of the discharged and half-paid soldiery, who, after giving eight of their best years to the service of the country, found themselves adrift, poverty-stricken, and for a time, at least, neglected. Fortunately, for the most part these men were Fed- eralists, and believers in and supporters of their old officers, more particularly of Washington, and were generally friends of a strong government and a national spirit. Fortunately, too, the militia organization for the most part remained intact, and many a fine regiment which had seen active service during the war was still under the command of its old officers, and in the ranks were Military History. 331 numbers of disciplined veterans. The continued efficiency of these troops enabled General Lincoln, who had been commissioned major-general April 3, 1786, to crush the armed mobs under Shays with a celerity and absence of unnecessary violence which reflected credit alike upon the men and the officers, and furnished an added illustration of the tact and ability of Lincoln. Colonel Rice was also engaged in the service at the time, with other citizens of Hingham. The old town might well feel satisfied with her part in the termination of this small rebellion. In 1781 Charles dishing was colonel of the Second Regiment of militia ; Theophilus Cushing, captain, David Gushing, 1st lieutenant, and Edward Wilder, 2d lieutenant of the second company ; and Thomas Fearing, captain, Thomas Cushing, 1st lieutenant, and Elijah Whiting, 2d lieutenant of the third com- pany. Theophilus Cushing became colonel June 9, 1787, Thomas Vinson, lieutenant-colonel, and James Stodder, major, while Quincy Thaxter had already been commissioned adjutant on the 8th of January previously. Colonel Cushing became brigadier- general Sept. 12, 1793. If there are anv records extant of the Hingham militia com- panies from the close of the Revolution until the commencement of the War of 1812, it is to be hoped that the meagre historical notes here given — for they amount to no more — may incite production. In musty old volumes in a small, dark room in the basement of the State House, may be found the names of an enor- mous number of persons commissioned in the militia, which was for many years an organized army of no small dimensions — on paper. Beyond the dates which these commissions bear and the regiments to which their holders belonged, very little informa- tion is sfiven. From the list have been selected the names of citizens of this town, but no attempt has been made to state the companies of which they were officers. As will be seen here- after, there were two companies formed later of which some details appear : — Daniel Wilder : Ensign . . . Lieutenant . . Thomas Thaxter: Quartermaster . Benjamin Andrews: Ensign . . . Lieutenant . Jedediah Lincoln: Ensign . . . Captain . . . Major .... John Fearing: Ensign Lieutenant . . Captain . Washington Cushing Ensign March 3, 1788. May 3, 1796. June 10, 1793 March 3, 1788. May 23, 1792. May 2, 1797. Sept. 3, 1800. March 26, 1806. Sept 3, 1800. April 10, 1806 April 1, 1809. April 12, 1804. Captain . . . Major . . . . Lieutenant-Col. Colonel . . . John Barker: Captain . . . Major . Lieutenant-Col. Robert Thaxter: Surgeon's-Mate . John Cushing, 3d: Captain . . David Cushing, Jr.: Captain Solomon Jones: Lieutenant . Captain March 28, 1807. May 3, 1813. June 20, 1816. March 28, 1818. Oct. 23. 1788. May 18, 1797 May 25, 1801. Sept. 1, 1S00. March 3, 1788. March 3, 1788. Sept. 3, 1800. April 10,1806 332 History of Hingham. Levi Sprague: Lieutenant . Sept. 26, 1811. Ensign . April 10, 1806 Captain . April 15, 1812. Lieutenant . . May 13, 1809. Major . June 13, 1814. Seth Hersey: Edward Wilder: Lieutenant . . April 13, 1807. Lieutenant . . March 3, 1788. Nehemiah Cushing : Captain . May 3. 1796. Lieutenant . . March 28, 1807 Thomas Andrews: Joseph Cushing: Lieutenant . . Oct. 23, 17S8. Ensign . Sept 26, 1811. Francis Thaxter: Lieutenant . . April 15, 1812. Quartermaster . Sept. 16, 1799. Elijah Waters, Jr.: Ephraim Andrews: Ensign . March 3, 1788. Quartermaster . June 7, 1S02. Lieutenant . . May 2. 1797. Thomas Loud: Captain . . May 7, 1799. Quartermaster . Oct. 2, 1S04. Kufus Lane: John Beale- Ensign May 23, 1792. Adjutant . . June 7, 1802. Jonathan Cushing: Laban Hersey: Ensign May 3, 1796. Captain . Sept. 28, 1800. Lieutenant . Sept. 3, 1800. Scarlet Hudson: David Win ton: Lieutenant . . April 11, 1803 Ensign Sept. 3, 1800. Edward Wilder, Jr. Lieutenant . April 12, 1804. Ensign . March 28, 1807 Joseph Hammond: Moses Humphrey: Ensign . . April 11, 1803. Ensign . . April 23, 1807. Martin Fearing: Abner Hersey: Ensign Oct. 26, 1809. Captain . . . Feb. 12, 1807. In 1812 the Hingham Rifle Company received a charter from the State, and for many years it was one of the famous militia organizations in the Commonwealth. Its first captain was Dun- can McB. Thaxter, while the other officers were Jairus Sprague, lieutenant, and Daniel Bassett, ensign, all commissioned May 21, 1812. It was subsequently attached to the Light Infantry Battalion as Company D, although a part of the Second Regiment until that organization was disbanded. Early in October the company made its first public parade in a uniform described in the " Boston Patriot " as " perfectly neat," with '• rifles lately procured from an American armory of domestic manufacture, with complete accoutrements." On this occasion a standard was presented on behalf of the ladies by Miss Mary Lincoln, daughter of Mr. Solomon Lincoln, and accepted by Ensign Daniel Bassett in a patriotic if somewhat grandiloquent speech. Besides this company there were at this time the three stand- ing militia companies belonging to the same regiment, and prob- ably officered respectively as follows : Moses L. Humphrey, captain. April 16, 1812; Samuel Hobart, lieutenant, April 16, 1812; Nathan- iel Wilder, ensign, April 16, 1816 ; Martin Fearing, captain, April 15, 1812 ; Joseph Cushing, lieutenant, April 15, 1812 ; Adna Cushing, ensiun, April 15, 1812 ; Washington Cushing. captain, March 28, 1807; Joseph Wilder, ensign,' May 11, 1812. The regiment was the Second Infantry, of which Nehemiah Ripley became quartermaster March 30, 1812 : Thomas Loring, pay- master, March 25, 1812; Ned Cushing, adjutant. March 20, 18J2 (he had previously been paymaster), and William Gordon, sur- Military History. 333 geon, Feb. 10, 1813, while Henry Colman had been chaplain since July 6, 1807. In addition to these the citizens exempted by law from military duty formed themselves into three companies of infantry and one of artillery, the whole constituting a local bat- talion commanded by Capt. Edward Wilder. The North Ward company had for its officers : captain, Gen. John Barker ; lieu- tenant, Major Jedediah Lincoln ; ensign, Solomon Lincoln. Tin? Middle Ward : captain, Laban Hersey ; lieutenant, Capt. Solomon Jones; ensign, Lieut. John Fearing. South Ward: captain, Jona- than dishing ; lieutenant, Edward Wilder, Jr. ; ensign, Joseph WTilder. The Artillery Company was commanded by Captain Thomas Brown, and the lieutenants were Ezra Lincoln and John Hersey, Jr. Ned Cushing was adjutant, and Ebenezer Gay paymaster of the battalion, and Thomas Thaxter appears also to have been an officer. The Artillery had but one gun, which was kept in the engine- house then standing on the land now occupied by Ford's Building. There is little to record of local history and military service during the three years in which was fought the War of 1812. Even the Commonwealth possesses no rolls of the men who served their country during this period, and neither tradition nor private journals have contributed greatly to supply the omission. John Todd is known to have been killed at Sackett's Harbor in 1813 ; and Alexander Gardner, of the same company, was wounded at the time. The following also appear to have been soldiers in this war, and some of them received pensions : — Jesse Churchill, Bela Tower, Enoch Curtis, Walter Whiton, Allen Cushing, Cornelius Lincoln, David Stoddar, Josiah Gardner, Warren Stoddar, Matthew Stodder, Ebed Stoddar, Job S. Whiton, Archelaus Whiton, Peleg Dunbar, Samuel Stoddar, Constant Gardner, Luther Stoddar, Anthony Gardner, Enoch Dunbar, Daniel Wilder. David Gardner, Joshua Blake, born in Hingham, Sept. 27, 1778, died in Boston, Dec. 23, 1843, was a lieutenant in the navy, and subsequently served with Decatur during the trouble with Tripoli. He was a son of Joseph Blake, who lived in the house on the corner of Main and Elm streets, and who served with Major Samuel Thaxter in the French War. Charles Blake, known as Capt. Charles Blake, served upon a privateer during a part of the war. He was captured and con- 334 History of Hingham. fined in Dartmoor Prison. Moses L. Humphrey commanded a company composed, at least in part, of Hingham men, and stationed at the Castle, now Fort Independence, in Boston harbor. Samuel Stodder was in his command. Walter Whiton was born Nov. 28, 1783 ; he was a major in the United States army, and was killed at the battle of Bridge water ; his home was at Liberty Plain. Archelaus Whiton, or Whiting;, enlisted from the frigate " Con- stitution " to go to the Lakes, and probably died in the expedi- tion. Ebed Stoddar was taken prisoner and confined at Dartmoor Prison, whence he escaped, but was never afterwards heard from. Alexander Anderson was also confined at the same place. During the War of 1812 most of the Hingham vessels were hauled up in the town dock or at Broad Cove, excepting, how- ever, a few of the packets ; and some of these, it is said, had their masts and spars removed, and after being towed up Weymouth River, were boarded over and concealed in order to prevent their being seized by the British. The sloop " Washington " was launched when she was partly planked up, sufficiently so to float her, the owners fearing that she would be burnt by excursion parties from English ships then lying off Boston Light. At this time numerous depredations were committed by parties of the British ; one of them landed on Hog Island, in barges, and burned a barn full of hay ; and other property in the vicinity was destroyed. There were several vessels belonging to Hingham captured and destroyed by the enemy during the war ; among them was the " Emily," commanded by Capt. Barnabas Lincoln, and in part owned by him. It was a sad sight for the old sailor, who at another time had his vessel taken by pirates, to sec the fine ship, in which were the fruits of many years of toil, given to the flame and the sea. Captain Lincoln was well treated upon the English man-of-war, and was soon released and allowed to return home. The schooner " Sally," always called the " Old Bull " in Hingham, was also captured and burned by the English cruisers : she was commanded by Capt. Samuel Stoddar. The crew were all married men excepting Martin Beal, and were released. Beal, being single, was taken to Dartmoor Prison, but through the influence of Dr. Gordon's wife, who came from the vicinity, was soon released. Ebed Stoddar was in a Hingham vessel that was captured and burnt. He was taken to Halifax and confined in Dartmoor Prison, but escaped with others and took a small vessel to come home in. It is said that he was never heard from afterwards, and that the vessel was supposed to have foundered. Mr. Leavitt Sprague, however, is authority for the statement that Ebed Stod- dar afterward shipped on a privateer from New York and was never heard from. June 11. 1814, the town was alarmed by messengers with the statement that the English ships lying off Cohasset were about to Mili turn History. 335 land a force and commit depredations on the town. The Hing- ham companies were hurried to the scene with the idea of repelling the intended invasion. Whether because of the preparations for defence or otherwise, the landing was not attempted, and the enemy soon withdrew. The companies, or at least a portion of them, were detained a number of days at Cohasset, however. Joseph J. Whiton was commissioned captain 16 August, 1813, and a roll of his company which march (id to Cohasset and was on duty there the 11th and 12th of June. 1814, is now in posses- sion of Mr. Seth S. Hersey, and is as follows : — Musician, Private. Joseph J. Whiton. Captain, Seth S. Hersey, Sergt. Isaiah Wilder, " Ezekiel Fearing, " Bela Hobart, Jacob Spraguc, Isaiah Tower. Josiah Gardner, Hosea Dunbar. Charles Whiton, Nathaniel Hersey. Stephen Gardner, Jr Samuel Gardner, Jr. Silvanus Whiton. Joseph Whiton, Theophilus Whiton, Charles L. Smith. Laban Wilder, Charles Gardner, Luther Whiton, Hosea Whiton, Isaiah Whiton, Daniel Whiton, Jr. John Titterton, Israel Sprague, Henry Stoddard, Lazarus Bowker, Bela Thayer, Robert D. Gardner, Reuben Sprague, Jr. u u ct Enoch Dunbar, Jr., Private, Samuel Dunbar, " Hawkes Hobart, Jr., " Joshua Tower, " Quincy Gardner, " Jesse Gardner, Warren Gardner, Hosea Gai'dner, Constant Gardner, Moses Tower, Reuben Simmons, Thomas Stockbridge, Isaac Whiton, Hosea Cushing, Jr., Benjamin Wilder, Hosea Stoddard, Leavitt Tower, Thomas Humphrey, Jared Jernegan, Daniel Shute, Jr. Anthony Gardner, El)ed Hobart, Daniel Dill, Josiah Chubbuck, Silas Chipman, John Shute, Caleb Stoddard, Jr. Jeremiah Gardner, Ji Warren Thayer, u a At the time of the alarm Ned Cushing was adjutant of the Second Regiment ; he went into the Meeting-house during divine service, and gave public notice of the news from Cohasset. Jairus Lincoln, probably a soldier at the battle of Bunker Hill, was generally known as " Old Rodney." He was impressed into the British navv, and was under the command of Admiral Rodney 336 History of Hingham. when the fleet under that officer was engaged with the French fleet under the Count De Grasse. When peace was at last declared the rejoicings in Hingham, as in New England generally, were most enthusiastic. Stephen dishing came from Boston on horseback bringing the news. Mr. Royal Whiton used to tell of Mr. Samuel Simmons coming to his shop with a horse and sleigh, and of the two then riding through the town proclaiming the news. " We went to South Hingham, and all the way Mr. Simmons kept singing out at the top of his voice, ' Peace ! peace!' -he kept his voice going the whole dis- tance." There was a collation at Capt. Samuel Hobart's, the military paraded, the bells were rung, and in the evening bonfires were lighted on the hills and private dwellings illuminated. At some of the public-houses the celebration was of quite as marked, if different, character. It is said that Captain Hobart's House, especially, was the scene of a gathering composed of many of the leading wits and political lights of the town, and that the rejoic- ings, which were carried far into the night, were quite worthy of the great occasion. For a time subsequent to the war little occurred of interest in local military circles. The Rifles maintained their existence as one of the crack companies of the day, and the standing companies continued for a considerable period the usual existence of militia organizations of the time. The officers commissioned since 1812, excepting those already mentioned , were — William Gordon: Surgeon . Daniel Shute, 3d: Surgeon 's-Mate Joseph Cushing: Captain Major . . . . Lieutenant-Col. Perez Lincoln: Lieutenant . Captain Jacob Cushing, Jr. : Ensign Lieutenant . . Captain Seth S. Mersey: Lieutenant Captain Blossom Sprague: Lieutenant . John Thaxter: Ensign Lieutenant . Samuel Fearing: Ensign Lieutenant . Captain . . . Feb. 10, 1813. April 21, 1816. July 25. 1814. Feb. 16, 1818 March 28, 1818. June 25, 1717 May 31, 1819. July 25, 1814. March 5, 1818. March 22, 1820. May 16, 1814. March 5, 1818. March 21, 1816. June 25, 1816. May 31, 1S19. March 5, 1818. March 22, 1820. March 26, 1822. James W. Sivret: Lieutenant . Seth Cushing, Jr. : Ensign Cushing Leavitt: Ensign Joshua Tower: Ensign Joseph Richardson: Chaplain . Henry Thaxter, Jr.: Paymaster . . Jairus Sprague: Captain Samuel Hobart: Captain . , Seth S. Hersey: Captain . Adna Cushinjr : Captain . Lazarus Bowker: Ensign Lieutenant . Captain Laban Hersey, Jr. : Ensign Captain June 29, 1820 March 5, 1818. May 2, 1S20. Sept. 25, 1820. April 20, 1816. Nov 7, 1817. March 21, 1816. June 25, 1817. March 5, 1818. March 5, 1818. May 16, 1814. March 5, 1S18 June 29, 1820. March 21, 1816. April 12, 1820. Military History. 337 Lieutenant-Col. Colonel . . Charles Lane: Lieutenant . Captain Major . John Kingman: Ensign . . Captain . . Marshall Lincoln: Ensign Lieutenant . Henry Gushing: Ensign Quartermaster Joshua Humphrey: Ensign Lieutenant . Captain Benjamin Wilder: Ensign Lieutenant . Lincoln Gould: Ensign Samuel W. Loring: Ensign . . Lieutenant Benjamin Thomas, Ensign . . Lieutenant . Joshua Hersey, Jr. Ensign . . Captain . Caleb Gill, Jr.: Ensign . . Lieutenant Captain Alfred C Hersey: Lieutenant . Captain Jacob A. Nichols: Captain Robert T. P. Fiske Surgeon . Mav 21, 1823. . Sept. 3, 1827. . May 2, 1820. . May 31, 1S23. . Sept. 3, 1827. . May 31, 1819. . May 7, 1822. . May 2, 1820. . May 31, 1823. . Oct. 13, 1821. . April 12, 1822. . May 7, 1821. . Sept. 13, 1822. . May 3, 1825. . May 29, 1822. . Aug. 29, 1825. . May 3, 1825. . Aug. 29, 1S25. . July 2, 1827. Jr.: . April 20, 1826. . Nov. 27, 1827. . July 2, 1827. . Oct. 18, 1830. . Nov. 27, 1827. . April 15, 1820. . June 19, 1832. . June 12, 1824 . May 21, 1827. . Aug. 1, 1825. ' . Oct 1, 1827. John K. Corbett: Ensign Lieutenant . Captain . Charles Lincoln : Ensign . . . Lieutenant . James Stephenson, Jr Ensign Lieutenant . Captain Anson Nickerson: Ensign . . Lieutenant . Captain Leavitt Lane, Jr.: Ensign Lieutenant . Joshua D Turner: Lieutenant . Captain . . Enoch Lake: Lieutenant . . Captain . David Gushing: Lieutenant . Isaac Waters : Lieutenant . Charles Shute: Captain Luther J. Barnes : Paymaster . Samuel L Fearing: Ensign Lieutenant . Theophilus Gushing, Ensign Lieutenant . Captain . . Joseph Jacobs: Ensign Lieutenant . Captain Captain . April 15, 1830. June 19, 1832. Sept. 2, 1833. Sept. 13, 1822. May 3, 1825. May 13, 1823. April 20, 1826. Nov. 27, 1827. March 1, 1S26. May 21, 1827. April 19, 1830. May 21, 1827. April 19, 1830. May 30. 1S21. March 27, 1822. March 26, 1S22. May 15, 182-4. March 27, 1822. June 24, 1828. Aug. 1, 1825. March 12, 1824. April 19, 1830. March IS, 1834. 2d: Oct. 18, 1830. Feb. 7, 1831. March 13, 1834. May 3, 1831. Dec. 25, 1833. April 7, 1843. April 17, 1844. In 1833 the Washington Guards were formed and received a charter from the State. The Hingham " Gazette " of that and sub- sequent years contains numerous notices of meetings, some at Col. Laban Hersey's Hall, at West Hingham, and some at the Old Colony House, at which latter place they sometimes had dinners with speeches. Their first meeting with muskets appears to have been on Nov. 1, 1833. The meeting of December 13 was called at Wilder's Hall, situated in Wilder's Tavern, Lincoln Street. On December 25 the members were notified to meet at the Old Colony House to choose officers ; at this meeting Edward Cazneau was elected captain, Joseph Jacobs, lieutenant, and Charles W. Seymour, ensign. The uniform adopted was to consist of scarlet vol. i. — 22 338 History of Hingham. coats and white trousers, similar to that worn by the Boston Fusileers. In June, 1834, the Quincy Light Infantry visited Hingham, and was received by the Guards at the town line and escorted to the Union Hotel, where the two companies dined. July 4, 1834, the ladies presented a flag to the company at Captain Cazneau's house, Miss Almira Seymour making the address. Afterwards there was a dinner at the Old Colony House, and it is recorded that twenty toasts were drunk. Oct. 9, 1834, the volunteer companies of the First Brigade First Division of the militia assembled at Milton, near the Roxbury House, for inspection and review. In addition to an artillery battalion, there were eight companies, including the Hingham Rifles and the Washington Guards, com- prising a regiment commanded by Colonel Spooner. At that time Captain Corbett commanded the Rifles and Captain Cazneau the Guards, between which organizations there was sharp rivalry. The account says they made a fine appearance. Both companies appear to have maintained their existence until the general dis- band ment in 1843, at which time they were attached to the Third Battalion of Light Infantry then or lately commanded by Colonel Seymour. Joseph Jacobs, however, received a second commission as Captain of the Guards, — then called Company G, — April 17, 1844, and he was not finally discharged until Feb. 12, 1846. The following are additional commissions issued, generally, after the formation of the Guards : — Charles Gordon : Surgeon's Mate William White: Paymaster Charles Lane: Colonel John Stephenson : Ensign Lieutenant . 1st Lieutenant Captain Ivery B. Gerry: Captain . . . Isaac G. Sprague- Ensign Lieutenant . John C. Webb: Ensign Solomon L. Damon: Ensign . . . Joshua Tower, Jr. : Lieutenant . Captain . Lincoln B. Sprague: Lieutenant . Enoch Whiting: Ensign . Caleb Hersey: Lieutenant . Captain . Sept. 27, 1830. Sept. 13, 1830. June 28, 1830. Sept. 2. 1833. June 9, 1837. May 18, 1840. March 31, 1841. May 3, 1838. June 19, 1832. Sept. 2, 1833. March 13, 1834. March 18, 1834. March 13, 1834. May 3, 1836. May 3, 1836. Sept. 11, 1S36. May 3, 1836. Mav 7. 1839. Benjamin S. Whiti Lieutenant . Thomas Corbett: Ensign Lieutenant Captain . . Elijah L. W hi ton: Ensign Lieutenant 1st Lieutenant Charles Churchill: Ensign Lieutenant Edward Cazneau: Captain . John Todd: 3d Lieutenant Quartermaster Rufus Lane, Jr. : 3d Lieutenant Paymaster Joseph Sprague: 2d Lieutenant Adjutant Joseph P. Batson: 3d Lieutenant 2d Lieutenant John C. Eldridge: 2d Lieutenant ng: . May 7, 1839. . June 9, 1837. . Feb. 28, 1839. . Aug. 15, 1839. . June 10, 1837. . June 23, 1S38. . IS May, 1840. . Feb. 28, 1S39. . Aug. 15, 1839. . April 23, 1842. . April 5, 1841. . July 13, 1841 . May 18, 1840. . July 13, 1S41 . May 18, 1810 . July 13, 1841. . Aug. 6. 1841. . April 23, 1842. Mav 27, 1840. Military History. 339 Joshua Hersey, Jr. : Major .... Ezra Stephenson: Surgeon . . . Joseph M. Whiting: Ensign . . Charles W. Seymour Ensign . . Lieutenant Captain Captain Colonel , . Moses Humphrey: Ensign . . , Moses L. Whiton 3d Lieutenant . 2d Lieutenant . Captain . . May 2, 1838. July 13, 1841. May 1, 1838. Dec. 25, 1833. June 10, 1837. June 23, 1838. April 5, 1841. June 17, 1841. June 23, 1838. Aug. 22, 1840. April 5, 1841. Aug 6, 1841. Elijah B Gill: 2d Lieutenant May 18, 1840. 1st Lieutenant . March 31, 1840. Nehemiah Ripley, Jr : 3d Lieutenant 2d Lieutenant . Elihu Thayer, Jr.: 3d Lieutenant . 2d Lieutenant . Bela S. Hersey: 2d Lieutenant 1st Lieutenant . Lincoln B. Sprague: 3d Lieutenant . Henry Lincoln, 3d: 3d Lieutenant . Nelson Corthell: 1st Lieutenant . May 18, 1840. March 3, 1841. May 26, 1841. Aug. 6, 1841. Aug. 22, 1840 April 5, 1841. March 31, 1841. April 23, 1842. May 27, 1846. Christopher C. Eldridge: 4th Lieutenant . May 27, 1846. By a general order April 24, 1840, very many of the above officers who were then in office were discharged, but some of the number received new commissions to the same rank as those pre- viously held. As early as 1831 the company commanded by Captain Nichols was disbanded and annexed to Captain Nicker- son's company in the Middle Ward ; thus the two north military wards became one. After the historical Second Regiment was disbanded, there remained in Hingham only the volunteer com- panies, the Hingham Rifles and Washington Guards. These were attached to the Third Battalion of Light Infantry, and with its disbandmcnt March 31, 1843, the Rifles ceased to exist. The Guards appear to have lingered somewhat longer, for on May 27, 1846, Nelson Corthell and Christopher C. Eldridge were commis- sioned lieutenants in the company. Little was heard of it there- after, however, and Hingham was soon without a company of organized militia, for the first time in some two hundred years. In a little one-story wooden building, slightly altered in appear- ance in these later days for its occupation as the intermediate school at Centre Hingham, and standing near Spring Street, on what was once a part of the Common lands, and not far from the site of the old fort of brave John Smith and his men, there was quartered in 18G1 a company of the Fourth Massachusetts Volunteer Militia, known in military circles as the Lincoln Light Infantry, composed of some of the best young men of the town, and having a wide reputation for its discipline and efficiency. It was organized on the 28th of October, 1854, and January 20 of the following year Hawkes Fearing, Jr., was elected its first commander. The other officers were : Joseph T. Sprague, 1st Lieut. ; Luther Stephenson, Jr., 2d Lieut. ; Edwin Fearing, 3d Lieut. ; E. Waters Burr, 4th Lieut. Edwin Fearing died, and E. Waters Burr became 3d 840 History of Hingham. Lieut., while William Fearing was chosen 4th Lieut. The two latter officers resigned subsequently. July 4, 1855, the company had its first parade ; and from that date to the day of its disbandment in 1862, this last of the many military organizations which had faithfully served the country, and kept bright the honor of the town, maintained the reputation of its predecessors. At the opening of the Rebellion its com- mander was Joseph T. Sprague; but its high standing was largely due to its first captain, who had then recently become lieutenant- colonel of the regiment. To the little armory where were kept its arms, equipments, and colors, which had been the pleasant gathering-place of its members and the scene of its drills and instructions, came with sober faces, and probably heavy hearts, the soldiers of the company on the afternoon of the 17th of April, 1861. The booming of the cannon across the bay of Charleston, sounding the minute-guns of slavery's death-knell, left to the townsmen of Benjamin Lincoln no alternative ; and in the great march towards liberty which then commenced, the Hingham which nestled in her bosom the sleeping remains of the heroes of four wars knew no faltering. The voice of the great leader who had arisen was not strange in her ears ; and as it reached the home of his ancestors and bade the descendants of the Hobarts and Herseys and Cushings and Lincolns take up the old battle for freedom and give their lives that others might live, the response was as in the days of Church, of Wolfe, and of Washington ; and the town whose forebears had first settled down here at Bare Cove and given it the name of the English home they had left, whose firstborn had helped subdue Philip, whose sons " went out " against. the French, and strove with the Redcoats at Bunker Hill, through all the weary and sad and disheartening days of the long contest gave freely and gen- erously of her means, and honored many a southern battle-field with the graves of her children. The details of the story can be scarcely more than touched upon here ; the briefly related facts expand too greatly the limits of this chapter. In glancing back at the history of this exciting period, we cannot repress a little local pride in the recollection that the beloved President belonged, at least in a sense, to the old town, being a descendant of the Hingham Lincolns; that the Governor of the Commonwealth was our own loved fellow-citizen ; that the company which upheld the town's honor and continued her noble record of devotion to duty was named after her great general, and its commander was descends] from the old soldiers of the Revolution ; and that, moreover, many of its members bore the honored names of ancestors who had faced death at the cannon's mouth nearly a hundred years before, — while the second officer of the regiment to which it was attached was a grandson of the Hawkes Fearing who drew the Hingham cannon to Hull in 1776, and a relation of Capt. Thomas Fearing of the Revolutionary army. Military History. 341 On the 16th, after a meeting of the field officers of the regiments near Boston in the Governor's room at the State House, Lieut- Colonel Fearing came to Hingham and called a meeting of the Lincoln Light Infantry at its armory. During the day, Lieut. Luther Stephenson, Jr., had received a despatch from the Governor announcing the discharge of Captain Sprague, and ordering him to report with the company by the first train in Boston. At one o'clock p. m. of Wednesday, the 17th, the members assembled at the armory, and at four o'clock marched out amid the ringing of bells and the cheering of the multitude. Taking the train, Boston was reached late in the afternoon ; and the com- pany soon joined the Fourth Regiment, to which it belonged, at the State House. After receiving equipments and listening to a brief address from Governor Andrew, the Fourth and Sixth Regi- ments together marched for the depots, — the former proceeding by the Old Colony, and the latter by the then Worcester road. April 20, the Fourth reached its destination, Fortress Monroe. The following is the roll of the Lincoln Light Infantry of April 19, 1801 : — Luther Stephenson, Jr., Capt., Charles Sprague, 1st Lieut., Nathaniel French, Jr., 2d " Peter X. Sprague, Sergt., Joshua Morse, Henry Stephenson, Corp., Lyman B. Whiton, u Samuel Bronsdon, Fifer, George W. Bibby, Private, Jacob G. dishing, " * The above were members of following joined at the time of George M. Adams, Private, Charles H. Bassett, Andrew J. Clark. John Creswell, Fergus A. Easton, John W. Eldredge, George A. Grover, James M. Haskell, George E. Humphrey, John Q. Jacob, Benjamin L. Jones, George Miller, u Henry S. Ewer, Private, Levi Kenerson, " Josiah M. Lane, " George R. Reed, " Benjamin S. Souther, " James S. Sturtevant, " William S. Whiton, " Joseph N. Berry, Weymouth, Pr., Parker E. Lane, " " Daniel W. Lincoln, " " the company previously, but the its departure : — William T. Nelson, Private, Ebenezer F. Roberts, John S. Souther, William J. Stockwcll, Alvin Tower, Isaac G. Waters, George Wolfe, Elijah Prouty, Weymouth, Priv., Theodore Raymond, Weymouth, Private, Alfred W. Stoddard, Marshfield, Private. u .. The company, which numbered forty-two at this time, was increased to seventy-nine on the 22d of May by the arrival of the following recruits : - u 342 History of Hingham. Henry F. Binney, Jacob Ourish, James B. Bryant, Albert L. Peirce, John W. Burr, Charles H. F. Stodder, Thomas A. Carver, Demerick Stodder, Silas H. Cobb, William Taylor, Charles Corbett, Charles H. Damon, W. Scituate, Jerry J. Corcoran, George C. Dwelly, Hanover, Isaac M. Dow, Hosea Dwelly, " Levi H. Dow, Francis W. Everson, Weymouth, George Dunbar, Charles A. Gardner, W. Scituate, George W. Fearing, Henry C. Gardner, Henry C. French, John D. Gardner, Albert S. Haynes, Herbert Graves, " Edwin Hersey, William B. Harlow, Hanover, William H. Jacob, E. A. Jacob, West Scituate, William H. Jones, Jr. John H. Prouty, " " Alfred A.Lincoln, William Prouty, Jr., " " Daniel S. Lincoln, Alpheus Thomas, South " William H. Marston, Two days after the departure of Lieutenant Stephenson with his men, a meeting of the citizens was held at the Town Hall for the purpose of devising means for the relief of such families of mem- bers of the company as might need assistance during its absence. Caleb Gill presided, and eight hundred dollars for the purpose was subscribed by persons in the hall. It was the anniversary of the battle of Lexington. On Sunday, the 28th, a large number of ladies, under the general direction of Mrs. Solomon Lincoln, met in Masonic Hall, in Lincoln Building, for the purpose of making clothing to be sent to Hingharn's company at Fortress Monroe. April 30, Charles W. Cushing presided over a town meeting, at which six thousand dollars were appropriated to furnish supplies to the families of those who had been, or thereafter should be, called into the country's service. The Fourth Massachusetts was stationed a portion of its time at Newport News, and a portion at Hampton, from which last place it returned to Fortress Monroe on the expiration of its term of enlistment. It reached Boston July 19, and went into camp at Long Island. On the 23d the Lincoln Light Infantry, having with the rest of the regiment been mustered out of service, proceeded to Hingham, where it was given a formal public reception. A procession consisting of a detach- ment of the Second Battalion of Infantry, a company of " Home Guards," the fire department, a cavalcade, and a large number of citizens, was formed upon the wharf. Subsequently Cobb's Light Battery headed the escort. In front of Lincoln's Building a service of thanksgiving was held, and addresses were made. At the close of the exercises the procession proceeded to the Town Hall amid the ringing of the church bells and the firing of cannon ; here a collation was served, and the men returned to the homes which they had left so suddenly three month? before. Military History. 343 The subsequent history of this company was uneventful ; it may as well be briefly related here. Feb. 17, 1862, Joshua Morse was elected captain, vice Luther Stephenson, Jr., honorably dis- charged. May 26, 1862, the company, then numbering forty-two men, was ordered to report to Boston for active service, but was sent back to Hingham on the 28th. June 23, Captain Morse having resigned, Peter N. Sprague was elected captain. Sep- tember 29 of the same year, the company was disbanded. May 3, 1861, President Lincoln issued his first call for volun- teers to serve three years. Elijah B. Gill, then a resident of Boston, but a native of Hingham, enlisted in Company I of the First' Mass. Volunteers, and was made lieutenant of the company. Lieutenant Gill was mortally wounded July 21, and buried at Centreville, Va. He was the first Hingham man killed in the war. The following also enlisted in 1861 : — First Regiment. John William Gardner, Co. I; also in Navy. Died in service. George P. Kilburn, Co. I. John W. Chessman, Co. H. Transferred to Veteran Reserve Corps. Seventh Regiment. William Dunbar, Jr., Co. K. Born Hingham, Nov. 2, 1828. While a member of the 35th Infantry he was mortally wounded at Weldon Railroad, and died April 19, 1864, in the 36th year of his age. Eleventh Regiment. James J. Healey, Co. E ; also Co. K, Sergt. ; twice wounded. Lemuel S. Blackman, Co. K. Quota Dorchester ; former resident Hingham. Born Dorchester Feb. 18, 1840. Died June 13, 1870, from disease contracted in service. Daniel H. Burr, Co. K. Born Hingham Feb. 19, 1838. Wounded at Williamsburg May 5, 1862. Killed at Gettysburg July 2, 1863, aged 25 years. James S. Dustin, Co. K. Musician. Nathaniel Gill, Co. K. Musician. William T. Barnes, Co. K. Charles H. Marsh, Co. K. Born Hingham July 12, 1828. Mortally wounded at Williamsburg May 5, 1862, and died the next day, asred 34 vears. Edwin Humphrey enlisted April 20, 1861. June 13 he became First Lieutenant Company G, and October 11 he was made Captain of Company A. Captain Humphrey was the son of Leavitt and Muriel Humphrey, and was born in Hingham Sept. 6, 1831. He was the first man to enlist for three years upon the town's quota. He was a brave officer, and was mor- tally wounded at Gettysburg, July 2, 1863 ; he died the next day. The Grand Army Post in Hingham is named in his honor. 344 History of Hingham. Twelfth Regiment. Alexander Hitchborn, Co. F. Killed at Chancellorsville. Captain Hitchborn was born in Hingham in 1822, and removed to Brockton in 1854. After resigning from the Twelfth Massa- chusetts, he became Assistant Surgeon in the Seventh Regular Infantry, and was killed at the opening of the battle. George Gardner, Co. E, Corporal. John H. Blackmail, Co. H. Quota Wevmouth. Born Dorchester June 6, 1842. Killed at Fredericksburg Dec. 13, 1862. Brother of Lemuel S. Laban F. Cushing. Co. K. Quota Manchester. James D. Dunbar, Co H. Quota Weymouth. John J. Edmonds, Co. G. Transferred to V. R. Corps. James Fitzgerald, Co. G. Born Nova Scotia, 1841. Mortally wounded at Antictam, and died Nov. 6, aged 21 years. Jacob Gardner, Jr., Co. H. Samuel Spencer, Co. E. Mortally wounded at City Point, and died June 25, 1864, aged 20 years. Henry Swears, Co. H. Quota Weymouth. Killed at Fredericks- burg Dec. 13, 1862, aged 20 years. Francis Thomas, Co. H. Born Hingham, Feb. 1, 1844. Lieu- tenant Thomas was at the time of his enlistment but 17 years of aire, and the first of five brothers to enter the service. Enter- ing the army as sergeant-major, he became in 1862 adjutant of the regiment, and in January, 1863, Inspector of the Second Brigade, Second Division, First Army Corps ; he was killed at Gettysburg, July 3, 1862, aged 19 years. Thirteenth Regiment. William Wallace Sprague, Co. B. Quota Boston. Prisoner at Belle Isle. Fourteenth Regiment. William Carter. Transferred to 1st Heavy Artillery, 1862. Anton Tapp, Co. L. Transferred to 1st Heavy Artillery, 1862. Fifteenth Regiment. John E. Morse, Co. B. Quota Fitchburg. Captain in the Invalid Corps. Afterward in 20th Regiment. Sixteenth Regiment. Michael Fee, Co. E. Born Leitrim County, Ireland, December, 1820. Wounded at Gettysburg, and died in service Sept. 26, 1863, aged 43 years. Charles W. Blossom, Co. I, Corporal. Born Chicopee June 29, 1840, and died at Hingham from disease contracted in service Aug. 26, 1862, six days after reaching home. Dennis Meagher, Co. A. Died or killed in service. Military History. 345 Seventeenth Regiment. Owen Murphy, Co. C, Sergt. David Pettengill. Probably enlisted in 1861. Philip Sullivan. Probably enlisted in 1861. Eighteenth Regiment. Thomas Weston, Co. E, Middleborough, Capt. Colonel Weston entered the service as Captain of Company E., became Major Oct. 15, 1863, and Brevet Lieutenant Colonel Sept. 2, 1861. He was a brave and efficient officer, and was wounded at the second Battle of Bull Run. Has been for many years a resident of Hindi am, and represented the district in the legislature in 1892. "Was Commander of Post 104, G. A. R., in 1890 and 1891. Benjamin F. Meservey, Co. H, 4th M. V. M., Quincy, 2d Lieut. Major Meservey became Captain of Co. K, 18th Mass. and was wounded severely at second Bull Run. A brave officer. Brevet Major. Henry Jones, Co. E, Sergt. Quota Duxbury. Wounded at Bull Run, and again at Petersburg. William H. Jones, Jr., Co. K. First served in Lincoln Light Infantry. Became Sergeant in Captain Meservey's company, in which, also, his father served. A brave soldier. Born Wey- mouth Jan. 26, 1841. Died from disease while in service, Feb. 12, 1864, aged 23 years. Nelson F. Corthell, Co. A, Corp. Born Hingham April 1, 1838. Killed at second Bull Run, Aug. 30, 1862, aged 24 years. Thomas Churchill, Co. A. Quota Boston. Born Hingham, Feb. 5, 1808. Died in service, Aug. 7, 1862, aged 54 years. James M. Downer. John Q. Jacob, Co. K. Transferred to V. R. Corps. First ser- vice in Lincoln Light Infantry. William H. Jones, Co. K. Afterward Co. C, 4th Cavalry. Born Boston, March 23, 1816, and died in service Sept. 19, 1864, aged 48 years. Mr. Jones was the father of Sergt. Wm. H. Jones, Jr., and of Gardner Jones, both of whom also laid down their lives for their country. Samuel T. Mears. Quota Duxbury. William W. Robinson, Co. K. First served in Co. H. 4th Infantry, M. V. M. Born Hingham, April 14, 1835. Died of disease contracted in service. Jeremiah Spencer, Co. K. George E. Smith, Co. G. Edward L. Tracv, Co. K. Robert Tufts, Co. K. 346 History of Hinyham. Nineteenth Regiment. Samuel Bronsdon. Musician. Also served in Lincoln Light Infantry, M.V.M. James McKay, Co. I. Twentieth Regiment. Alvin Tower, Co. A. Born Cohasset, Sept. 13, 1832. Mortally wounded at Fair Oaks June 1, 1862, and died June 8, aged 30 years. First service in Lincoln Light Infantry. Edward 0. Graves, Co. K. Afterward in 59th and 57th. Twenty-first Regiment. George A. Grover, Co. E. Also in Lincoln Light Infantry; wounded. Andrew Jacob, Co. E. Twenty-second Regiment. Charles F. Alger, Co. K. Quota Boston. John B. Crease, Co. A. Quota Boston. Born Scotland, May 26, 1839. Died in service May 16, 1862, aged 23 years. William B. Cushing, Co. D. Twenty-third Regiment. George E. Humphrey, Co. H, Sergt. Wounded. Also in Lincoln Light Infantry. Edward C. Blossom, Co. A, Corp. Also in 29th Regt. of Infantry. Andrew J. Clark, Co. H. Also in Lincoln Lt. Infty. Samuel M. Lincoln, Co. H. Born Hingham Dec. 28, 1841 ; died in service Oct. 2, 1864, aged 23 years. Twenty-fourth Regiment. George L. Gardner, Co. E. John W. Lincoln, Co. C. Quota Northborough. Justin A. Carver, Co. C. Thomas Conway, Co. F. Twenty-eighth Regiment. Peter Ready, Co. F. Twenty-ninth Regiment. Joseph H. Barnes, Co. K, Capt. Boston. Captain Barnes became Lieutenant-Colonel in December, 1801. Brevet Brig.-Gen. Waldo F. Corbett, Co. Ff, Corp. 1st Lieut. 1st U. S. Heavy Artil- lery (Colored). George Thomas, Co. A. Thirtieth Regiment. Jacob Ourish, Co. I, Sergt. Wounded. Also in Lincoln Light Infantry. Joseph C. Burr, Co. C, Corp. Also in V. R. C. Military History. 347 John Brown, Co. E. William J. Stock well, Co. I. Also in Lincoln Light Infantry. Born Hingham, Feb. 24, 1842. Died in service, Aug. 9, 1863. John Sullivan, Co. E. Thirty-second Regiment. The Thirty-second Regiment, of which the basis was a battalion originally raised to garrison Fort Warren, contained many more men from Hingham than did any other in the service. Indeed, three of the companies, A, E, and F, were so largely composed of recruits from this town as to be regarded almost as Hingham organizations ; and the movements of the regiment were prob- ably followed with greater interest by our citizens than any other in the army. Its magnificent record for bravery and faithful- ness more than fulfilled and repaid the expectations and pride felt in it. Capt. Luther Stephenson, Jr., recruited and commanded Company A, which eventually contained twenty-four from Hing- ham. Captain Bumpus, of Braintree, commanded Company E, in which thirty-two Hingham men enlisted, and in Company F there were twenty-two of our fellow-townsmen ; besides these, there were six others scattered through other companies, — making eighty -four Hingham soldiers in the regiment. The names of those enlisting in subsequent years will be found in their proper places. Luther Stephenson, Jr., who, it will be recalled, commanded the Lincoln Light Infantry on the departure of the Fourth Regiment, M. V. M., was born in Hingham, April 25, 1830. He became Major of the Thirty-second Regiment Aug. 18, 1862, and December 29 was commissioned lieutenant-colonel. He was severely wounded at Gettysburg, and again on the 18th and 22d of June, 1864. Colonel Stephenson was a brave officer, and by order of General Grant was breveted colonel and brigadier- general March 16, 1865, for gallant services. He was chief of the State Detective Force from March, 1875, to July, 1878, and in 1883 was appointed Governor of the United States Soldiers' Home at Togus, in Maine, with the rank of a brigadier-general in the army, which office he still holds. George R. Reed, Cos. A and I. Born Hingham, Dec. 17, 1839. First service in Lincoln Light Infantry. Sept. 1, 1862, became 2d Lieut. ; 1st Lieut. Dec. 30 ; July 20, 1864, commissioned Captain. George W. Bibby, Co. A. Member Lincoln Light Infty. Aug. 21, 1862, 2d Lieut., and 1st Lieut. Aug. 22, 1863. Killed May 20, 1864. Nathaniel French, Jr., Co. A. Born Hingham, Aug. 28, 1858. 2d Lieut. Lincoln Light Infty. April 20, 1861, and of Co. A, 32d Regt. Nov. 16 ; 1st Lieut. March 7, 1862, and transferred to Co. D. Died in service, Aug. 9, 1862. u a a u u u u u u .th( 3rs in the service. 348 History of Hingham. Amos P. Holden, Co. A. 2d Lieut. March 26, 1862. Edward T. Bouve", Co. G, 1st Lieut. See 4th Cavalry. Lyman B. Whiton, Co. I. Born Hingham, Jan. 17, 1834. Sergt. in Lincoln Light Infty ; 2d Lieut. Co. I, 32d Regt. ; 1st Lieut, May 26, 1862; Capt. 3d Co. Heavy Artil., Dec 31, 1862: Major 3d Regt. Heavy Artil. Sept. 8, 1864 ; Commander Post 104, G. A. R., 1892. Thomas A. Carver, Co. E, Sergt. Wounded. Trans, to V. R. C. ; first served in Lincoln Light Infantry. Charles Corbett, Co. A, Sergt. Menib. Lincoln Lt. Inftv. John W. Eldredge, Co. E, - Wounded. Henry S. Ewer, Co. A, " James M. Haskell, Co. A, " Born in Augusta, Me. ; one of six brothers Mortally wounded at Gettysburg. James McCarty, Co. A, Sergt. A very brave soldier. Charles S. Meade, Co. A, " Born Walpole, N. H., March 1, 1844. Enlisted at 17 vears of age, and died in service, March 7, 1864. Peter Ourish, Co.*E., Sergt. Born Buffalo, N. Y., April 15, 1845. Enlisted at 16 years of age. Mort. wounded; died June 8, 1864, aged 19 years. John Parrv, Co. A, Sergt. Nathaniel Wilder, 2d, Co. E, Sergt. Transferred to V. R. C. John C. Chadbourn, Co. A, Corp. Wounded. Silas H. Cobb, Co. E, Corp. Member Lincoln Light Infty. Jacob G. Cushins:, Co. D, Corp. Member Lincoln Light Infantry. Born Oct. 8, 1836. Mort. wounded at Laurel Hill, May 12, 1864. John C. Eldredge, Co. E, Corp. Harvev M. Pratt, Co. A, " Wounded. Edgar P. Stodder, Co. E, " Simmer A. Trask, Co. A, " Edwin Hersey, Co. E, Musician. Also in Lincoln Light Infty. Charles H. F. Stodder, Co. E, Musician. Also in Lincoln Light Infantry. Otis L. Battles, Co. E. Wounded at Cold Harbor. William Breen, Co. A, Corp. Died a prisoner in the service. Henrv F. Binnev, Co. E. Also in Lincoln Light Infantry. Ichabod W. Chandler, Co. E. Transferred to V. R. C. William Fardy, Co. E. George French, Jr., Co. A. Transferred to V. R. C. Stephen P. Gould, Co. E. Warren Hatch, Jr., Co. A. Samuel J. Henderson, Co. A. John Q. Hersey, Co. E. Born Hingham, Sept. 23, 1829. Died in the service. William Hersey, Jr. Wallace Humphrey, Co. E. Born Hingham, Sept. 2, 1836. Killed at Cold Harbor, June 3, 1864. Alfred A. Lincoln, Co. E. Member Lincoln Light Infty. Military History. 349 Meltiah Lorintr, Co. A. Frank H. Miller, Co. E. Wounded Feb. 6, 1865. Paul McNeil, Co. A. John M. Nolan, Co. A. Nathaniel B. Peare, Co. E. George M. Prouty, Co. F. James B. Prouty, Co. E. Thomas Rafferty, Jr., Co. E. Foster Remington, Co. E. William F. Riley, Co. E. John E. Snell, Co. E. Wounded at Gettysburg. Franklin A. Stodder. Transferred to V. R. C. Horace L. Studley, Co. E. Born Scituate, Sept. 24, 1837. Died in the service, April 1, 1863. William H. Thomas, Co. A. Ezra Wilder, Jr., Co. E. George Wilder, Co. A. Joshua Wilder, Co. A. Horatio P. Willard, Co. A. Born Ashburnham, Sept. 25, 1819. Died in service, Nov. 6, 1862. George A. Wolfe, Co. E. First Battery Light Artillery. James R. French. Third Battery Light Artillery. Geonre F. Tower, e First Cavalry. William A. Daggett, Co. K, Bugler. Transferred to Co. K, 4th Cav. First served in Co. C, 4th Regt. M. V. M. Charles D. Kilburn, Co. B, Corp. Born Boston, June 22, 1839. Mortallv wounded at Hope Church, Va., November, 1863, and died Jan. 4, 1864. William 0. Lincoln, Jr., Co. A, Commissary Sergeant. Nov. 15, 1861, the town voted to raise three thousand dollars in aid of the families of volunteers. March 3, 1862, at a town meeting, a committee previously chosen reported that they had expended for uniforms, clothing, caps, shoes, etc., for the Lincoln Light Infantry, $1,331.27, and to volunteers in other companies, $18.50. July 5, 1862, the town voted $5,000 for the payment of State aid, and $1,000 as town aid, to volunteers and their families in the service of the United States. July 11, a meeting of citizens, held in reference to raising the town's quota of three hundred thousand men called for by the President on the 2d of the same month, voted to recommend the payment of $75 to each man volunteering on the town's quota ; at a meeting four days later, the amount recommended for this purpose was increased to $100, and this sum was voted by the town at a meeting on the 19th. 350 History of Hingham. Numerous meetings of citizens were held in aid of recruiting by the town during the summer, and on August 15, at a town meet- ing, it was voted to give one hundred dollars in addition to the sum previously voted to be paid to volunteers for three years on the first quota ; and at a meeting of the town on the 29th of the month the amount of bounty to be paid for each volunteer upon the second quota was increased fifty dollars. In the autumn of 1862, two companies of " Home Guards " were formed ; they paraded as a battalion on the 22d of October, and a second parade took place November 1. During the summer of 1802 the Government had called for three hundred thousand nine-months men, in addition to those already required for three years' service. On the quota for nine months, Hingham was required to furnish eighty-three men. Many of these were at the time borrowed from Plymouth, Middleborough, and Quincy, but were soon afterwards returned. The following were enlisted for nine months : — Fourth Regiment. Tilson Fuller, Co. K, Corp. Caleb B. Marsh, Co. A. Prisoner at Donaldsonville. Fifth Rkgiment. Jairus Lincoln, Jr., Co. E, Sergt. Sixth Regiment. George Smith, Co. F. Quota Newton. Wounded. Forty-second Regiment. Augustus Boiling, Co. C. Swan P. Colberg, Co. C. James Corcoran, Co. C. Patrick McCrane, Co. C. Michael Reardon, Co. C. Forty-third Regiment. John C. Whiton, Lieutenant-Colonel. Born Hingham, Aug. 22, 1828. First served as Captain of the Second Battalion M. V. M., in garrison duty at Fort Warren, then as Captain and Lieutenant- Colonel in the 43d Regiment of nine-months men. Was sub- sequently Lieutenant-Colonel and Colonel of the 58th Regiment, and was wounded at Bethesda Church. Dexter Grose, Co. F, Sergt. Two brothers of Sergt. Grose were in the service. George W. Fearing, Co. K, Corp. Formerly in Lincoln Light Infantry. Loring H. dishing, Co. K. Isaac F. Goodwin, Co. K. Military History. 351 Hollis Hersey, Co. K. Born Hingham, May 3, 1833. Died from disease contracted in service, Aug. 30, 1865, aged 31 years. Peter Loring, Co. K. Daniel McKenna, Co. K. Samuel C. Souther, Co. K. Thomas Souther, Co. K. Charles Tower, Co. K. William Waters Sprague, Co. A. Robert M. Cummings, Co. B. From Braintree ; served in Hing- ham's quota. Frederick W. Cotton, Co. K. Forty-fourth Regiment. Alvin Blanchard, Jr., Co. D. Charles H. Bailey, Co. A. James L. Hunt, Co. H. William Jones, Co. D. Levi Kenerson, Co. D. First service in Lincoln Light Infantry. John H. Litchfield, Co. D. John A. Reed, Co. D. Ezra T. C. Stephenson, Co D. William L. Stephenson, Co. D. Forty- fifth Regiment. Robert Burnsidc, Co. I. Of Boston. Ernest F. Eichborn, Co. G. Edwin G. Evans, Co. B. Of Dorchester. Jacob A. Evvell, Co. B. Of Dorchester. Francis Hersey, Co. G. Henry 0. Little, Co. G. William Lowry, Jr., Co. G. Josiah L. Marsh, Co. G. John R. Mayhcw, Co. G. Daniel W. Pendergast, Co. G. Died of disease contracted in service. James Souther, Co. G. Artemas Sprague, Co. G. Edward Trabbitts, Co. G. Of Boston. Hubert J. Tullev, Co. G. Daniel J. Wall/Co. G. Fiftieth Regiment. Charles H. Brown, Co. E. Eleventh Light Battery. Joseph M. Thomas. Lieut, in 42d Regt. 352 History of Hingham. The three-years men who enlisted in 1862 were : — First Regiment. William H. Beal, Co. K. Born Hingham, Oct. 9, 1841. Severely wounded at Gettysburg- ; gradually failed, and died Dec. 20, 1865. Also in 24th Regt. Joseph M. Poole, Co. F. Thomas Tinsley, Co. K. Born England, Aug. 7, 1821; died May 11. 1863, from wounds received at Chancellorsville. Second Regiment. Isaac B. Damon, Co. I. Seventh Regiment. Ebcnezer F. Roberts, Co. A. Wounded and transferred to V.R.C. First served in Lincoln Light Infty. Ninth Regiment. John J. Breen, Co. K, Corp. Wounded at Spottsylvania. Eleventh Regiment. William C. Miller, Co. B. Wounded at Williamsburg, May 3, 1862. Thirteenth Regiment. George W. Stodder, Co. H. Twentieth Regiment. Daniel Daley, Co. H. Wounded at Fredericksburg. Twenty-fourth Regiment. Albert F. Barnes, Co. A. James Booth. Thirty-first Regiment. John G. Dawes, Co. K, Sergt. Transferred to 2d La. Volunteers, and commissioned 2d Lieut. Thirty-second Regiment. George M. Hudson, Co. F. 2d Lieut. Dec. 29, 1862; 1st Lieut. Sept. 29, 1863. Wounded at Laurel Hill, May 12, 1864. Thomas D. Blossom, Co. E, Sersrt. Wounded at Petersburg, June 18, 1864. Leonard E. Buker. Co. F. Wounded at Gravcllv Run. Isaac G. Waters, Co. F. Trans, to V. R. C. First served with Lincoln Light Infty. Theophilus Cushing, Jr., Co. F, Corp. Military History. 353 William L. Dawes, Co. F. Wounded Cold Harbor. Thomas L. French, Co. F, Corp. Washington I. Stodder, Co. F, Corp. Born at Hingham,Aug. 26, 1841. Mortally wounded Spottsylvania Court House, May 12, 1864. Ephraim Anderson, Co. F. Daniel L. Beal, Co. F. Born Cohasset, June 23, 1832. Died in service, July 29, 1864. Laban 0. Beal, Co. F. Patrick Callahan, Co. K. Rufus Churchill, Co. F. Gustavus T. Corthell, Co. F. Henry Gardner, Co. F. Transferred to V. R. C. and made Sergt. William H. Hersey, Co. F. Svlvanus H. Higgins, Co. F. Joshua Jacob, Jr., Co. D. Frank Jermyn, Co. F. Gardner Jones, born Boston, Jan. 10, 1843. Died June 1, 1864, of wounds received at Laurel Hill, aged 21 years. Morallus Lane, Co. F. Henry G. Morse, Co. F. John S. Souther, Co. A. First service in Lincoln Light Infantrv. Demerick Stodder, Co. F. Born Hingham, Nov. 23,1839. First served in Lincoln Light Infty. Killed at Gettysburg, Julv 2, 1863. William Taylor, Co. F. First served in Lincoln Light Infantry. Thirty-fifth Regiment. Oliver Burrill, Co. H. 2d Lieut. Aug. 11, 1862; 1st Lieut. Dec. 15, 1862. George M. Adams, Co. H, Sergt. Wounded. Trans, to V. R. C. Served in Lincoln Light Infty. Jason Gardner, Co. H, Musician. Quota Weymouth. David W. Cashing, Co. H. Born Weymouth, Dec. 8, 1831. and served in quota of that town. Killed at Antietam, Sept. IT. 1862. Perez F. Fearing, Co. I. Born Hingham, Aug. 19, 1842. Mort. wounded at the Mine, July 30, 1864. Hiram Thomas, Co. D. Quota Waltham. Thirty-eighth Regiment. James H. Wade. Capt. Aug. 20, 1862. Louis T. V. Cazaire, Co. I. 2d Lieut. June 16, 1864. Subse- quently in 89th Regt. U. S. Colored Troops, and later on staff of General Can by. Billings Merritt, Co. D, Sergt. Henry Brown, Co. D. Transferred to the navy. Cyrus H. Chase, Co. I. Thomas Hervey, Co. I. Of Charlestown. Killed Aug. 13, 1863. at Bisland, La., aged 37 years. vol. i. — 23 354 History of Hingham. Joshua Roach, Co. H. Died in service, June 1, 1863, aged 38 yrs. Cushman Rounds, Co. H. Peter H. Royal, Co. H. William Rich, Co. I. Thirty-ninth Regiment. Thaddeus Churchill, Co. D, Sergt. 2d Lieut. 3d U. S. Col'd Infty. John H. Prouty, Co. G, Sergt. ; 2d Lieut. First served in Lincoln Liffht Infty. John W. Bailey, Co. G, Sergt, Henry C. French, Co. G, Sergt. Born Hingham, June 30, 1836. First served in Lincoln Liedit Infantry. Murdered while a prisoner at Belle Isle, Va., Aug. 26, 1864, aged 28. One of three brothers, all of whom gave their lives for their country and ours. William H. Jacob. Co. G, Sergt. Charles C. Bailey, Co. G, Corp. Benjamin C. Lincoln, Co. G. Capt. 2d U. S. Col'd Infty., 1863; Major, July 20, 1864. Born Hingham, Aug. 12, 1840. Mort. wounded at Natural Bridge, Fla., March 8, 1865. Henry F. Miller, Co. G, Corp. Burn Salem, Jan. 30, 1845. Mort. wounded at Laurel Hill, May 8, 1864, aged 19 yrs. Charles C. Young, Co. G, Corp. Charles E. Bates, Co. G. Born Cohasset, Dec. 16, 1837. Wounded at Laurel Hill. Died in service, Nov. 2, 1864, aged 26 years. Timothy B. Chapman, Co. G. Eleazer Chubbuck, Jr., Co. G. James T. Churchill. Born Hingham, May 9, 1841. Died in Andersonville Prison, June 23, 1864, aged 23 years. John Cresswell, Co. G. First served in Lincoln Lt. Infantry. Andrew J. Damon, Co. G. Born Scituate, June 14, 1843. Died of disease contracted in service, Oct. 27, 1863, aged 20 years. Charles E. French, Co. G. Born Hingham, Aug. 2, 1842. Died a prisoner at Salisbury, N. C, Nov. 28, 1864, aged 22 years. George D. Gardner, Co. G. Born Boston, Aug. 27, 1828. Died in service, Aug. 4, 1864, aged 36 years. Alvin R. Glines, Co. G. Albert S. Haynes, Co. G. Born Hanover, Sept., 1843. First served in Lincoln Light Infty. Mort. wounded at Laurel Hill, and died June 11. 1864, aaed 21 vears. Albert Hersey, Co. G. George L. Hersey, Co. G. I fenry F. Hersey, Co. G. Prisoner at Libby Prison. Charles Leroy, Co. G. John S. Neal, Co. G. Born at Hebron, N. H., Nov., 1831. Died in prison at Salisbury, N. C, July 16, 1865, aged 33 years. Levi C. Newcomb, Co. G. Charles H. Poole, Co. G. Benjamin W. Prouty, Co. G. Elijah Prouty, Co. G. Died in service Dec. 9, 1863. Served in Lincoln Litrht Infant r v. Military History. 355 Isaac Prouty, Co. G. Transferred to V. R. C. William Prouty, Jr., Co. G. Served also in Lincoln Light Infty. Joseph Simmons, Co. G. Born Scituate, April 11, 1829. Died in service March 3, 1864, aged 35 years. Edward A. F. Spear, Co. G. Born Norwich, Vt., March 13, 1828. Died in Salisbury, N. C, prison Jan. 20, 1865, aged 37 years. Thomas Sprague, 2d, Co. G. Born Oct. 25, 1826. Died in service April 24, 1864, aged 37 years. Scth M. Sprague, Co. G. Alonzo G. Stockwell, Co. G. Wounded at Weldon Railroad. Charles H. Tisdale, Co. G. Frank J. Torrey, Co. G. Wounded at Laurel Hill. Albert Wilder, Co. G. Born Hingham, Feb. 28, 1842. Mortally wounded at Laurel Hill, May 8- 1864. Died June 1, 1864, aged 22 years. Fortieth Regiment. Jeiemiah J. Corcoran, Co. A. First served in Lincoln Light Infantry. Mort. wounded June 3, and died June 10, aged 28 years. Ensign Lincoln, Co. I. At a town meeting held March 9, 1863, the sum of $9000 was placed at the disposal of the Selectmen for the payment of State aid to the families of volunteers ; it was also voted to raise 8800 as town aid to the families of volunteers. Aug. 14 the town voted that $15000 be raised by the Town and appropriated for the aid of the wives, children, parents, brothers, and sisters of such as might.be drafted into the service. During this year numerous war meetings were held by the citizens for the purpose of encouraging enlistments, and strenuous efforts were also made to procure recruits in order to avoid the necessity of a draft being enforced in the town. These proved unavailing, however, and on July 20 a number of names were drawn at Taunton for the purpose of supplying the only deficiency that ever occurred in any of Hingham's quotas. So far as is known, only William K. Gould, Sewall Pugsley, and Don Pedro Wilson ever joined the army under the requisition, while fifteen others obtained exemption by the pay- ment of the sum required by law for commutation. Sewall Pugsley and Don Pedro Wilson never returned to the homes which they loved, both laying down their lives in the country's service. The names of the men enlisting for three years in 1863 are — Eleventh Regiment. Wallace Thomas, Co. K. 356 History of Bingham. Sixteenth Regiment. Don Pedro Wilson, Co. A. Born at Dracat, Aug. 16, 1821. August, 1863, drafted into the service. Probably taken pris- oner Oct. 23, 1863, and never since heard from. Twenty-second Regiment. William K. Gould, Co. F. Also in 5th Battery and 32d Regt. Sewall Pugsley, Co. F. Born Hiram, Me., March 20, 1831. One of the three drafted men from Hingham ; died in service Nov. 12, 1863, aged 32 years. Thirty-second Regiment. William K. Gould, Co. L. One of the three drafted men from Hingham. Fifty-fourth Regiment. David H. Champlin, Co. B. Louis L. Simpson, Co. G. Fifty-fifth Regiment. Alphonso Marsh. Private 21st Mass. Infty. 2d Lieut. 55th Infty. Aug. 21, 1863. 1st Lieut. July 9, 1864. Tenth Light Battery. Hosea 0. Barnes. Born Scituate, June 13, 1842 ; killed at Jones's Farm, May 30, 1864, aged 22 years. First Regiment Heavy Artillery. Webster A. Cushing, Co. D, Corp. Third Regiment Heavy Artillery. Lyman B. Whiton, Major. See 32d Reg. Edwin Thomas, Co. K, Captain. Born Hingham. Private 1st Unattached Co. Heavy Artil. ; Jan. 1863, 2d Lieut. 3 Co. : Mav 25, 1863, 1st Lieut ; Sept. 8, 1864, Capt. Co. K., 3d Regt. Heavy Artil. Quota Weymouth. Francis K. Meade, Co. A. Qt. Sergt. Franz Burhenne, Co. A, Corporal. John B. Batchelder, Co. A, Artificer. Jonathan B. Ackerman, Co. A. Fielder Botting, Co. A. George A. Chubbuck, Co. A. Transferred to Navy. Daniel H. Miller, Co. A. Levi H. Dow, Co. E. Served in Lincoln Light Infty. and in Co. E, 17 Regt. U. S. A. (Regulars). Joseph H. Noyes, Co. A. Also in 1st Regt. Mounted Rifles U. &. A . (Regulars). Refused commission in rebel army in 1861. Military History. 357 George E. Richardson, Co. A. Transferred to Navy. Joseph Rollins. Charles E. Spurr, Co. A. Warren R. Spurr, Co. A. Henry Whitman, Co. A. Second Regiment Cavalry. Thomas T. Barnes,- Co. B. Fourth Regiment Cavalry. Alfred Gardner, Co. C. George W. Farrar, Co. B. Samuel Newcomb, 2d, Co. D. Transferred to Navy. Edward Spellman, Co. A. Philo C. Winslow, Co. A. Veteran Reserve Corps. The following are in addition to the men transferred to this corps and noted in the general lists : — Michael Carr, Lawrence Hicks, Michael Casey, John Keefe, John Dolan, James McGregor, Patrick Donnelin, Edward McLaughlin, Moses Fairfield. James Tettler, Michael Flemming, Charles Timmons, Thomas Foley, Henry B. Livingston. Died in Peter Forrester, service May 21, 186-1. Edward Galvin, Unknown. John Ryan. Under the call of the President of Oct. 27, 1863, for 300,000 additional volunteers, the quota of Hingham was fifty. Forty-two men were soon obtained, and the re-enlistment of twenty-two sol- diers of the 32d Regiment enabled the town to have credited to it a considerable surplus above all previous calls. March 7, 1864, the annual meeting of the town was held, and it was voted to appropriate $800 for town aid to the families of volunteers, and to borrow $8,000 for the purpose of paying State aid. It was also voted to raise $1,000 for the expenses of recruiting. At a town meeting, held April 11 it was voted to raise $8000 for the purpose of refunding to individuals the money contributed by them towards rilling the town's quotas under the calls of the President of Oct. 17, 1863, and Feb. 1, 1864. At this meeeting, too, the selectmen were requested to obtain authority from the 358 History of Hingham. Legislature to defray the expenses of obtaining and interring the bodies of such officers and soldiers belonging to the town as may die in the service during the rebellion. The enlistments into the three-year organizations in 1864 were — Seventeenth Regiment. Owen Murphy, Co. C. One year enlistment. David Pettingill, Co. C. One year enlistment. Philip Sullivan, Co. C. One year enlistment. Twentieth Regiment. George Gramburg. Twenty-sixth Regiment. Charles Bolster, Co. E. Corporal. Edwin Barr, Co. E. John O'Brien, Co. B. Nelson T. Wood, Co. E. Twenty-ninth Regiment. Caleb H. Beal, Sergt. Also served in Co. K, 35th Regt. John Manix, Co. I, Corporal. Edward C. Blossom. Also served in Co. A, 23d Regt. Robert Grace. Thirty-second Regiment. Hiram Newcomb, 2d, Co. E. Born Hingham, Jan., 1842. Died of disease contracted in army Oct. 15, 1867, aged 25 years. Charles E. Wilder, Co. E. Born Hingham, Aug/, 1832/ Wounded at Laurel Hill, May 12, 1864. Died of disease in the service, Dec. 23, 1864. Thirty-fifth Regiment. Charles H. Beal, Co. K. First served in 84th N. Y. Vols. After- ward, 2d Lieut. Co. E, 107th N. Y. Vols. Finally transferred to Co. I, 29th Mass., where he was a sergeant. Fifty-fifth Regiment. Peter N. Sprague, Co. A. Born Hingham, Dec. 16, 1826. First served in Lincoln Light Infantrv. 2d Lieut. Co. A, 55th Regt. Aug. 20, 1864. 1st Lieut. May*15, 1865. John T. Talbot, Co. B. Fifty-sixth Regiment. George Bailey, Co. I, Corporal. Killed at Petersburg, June 17, 1864, aged about 30 years. George A. Clapp, Co. H. Military History. 359 Fifty-seventh Regiment. Edward 0. Graves, Co. C. Also served in Co. K, 20th Regt., and Co. C, 59th Regt. A musician. John Welch, Co. G. Also served in 59th Regt. Fifty-eighth Regiment. John C. Whiton, Colonel. William M. Carter, Co. H, Sergt. Wounded ; one year enlistment . John McDonald, Co. A. James L. Litchfield, Co. D. Fifty-ninth Regiment. Alfred Tyler, Co. F, Corporal. Edward 0. Graves, Co. C, Musician. Transferred to 57th Regt. William C. Torrey, Co. G. Enlisted from Dedham. John Welch, Co. G. Transferred to 57th Regt. First Regiment Heavy Artillery. William Carter, Co. G. One-year enlistment. Transferred from 14th Infantry. Anton Tapp, Co. L. One-year enlistment. Transferred from 14th Infantry. Third Regiment PIeavy Artillery. Edwin F. Tirrell, Co. B, 2d Lieut. Enlisted from Weymouth. Isaiah W. Loring, Co. A, Corporal. Joshua Crosby, Jr., Co. A. Francis Mayhew, Co. A. One-year enlistment. George Peacock, Co. A. One-year enlistment, Aaron D. Swan, Co. M. One-year enlistment, Second Regiment Cavalry. Eben Hart, Co. L. John McLaughlin. Fourth Regiment Cavalry. Edward T. Bouve, Co. G. Born Hingham, Aug. 14, 1841. 2d Lieut. 32d Inftv. June 30, 1862; 1st Lieut. Sept. 1, 1862; Capt, 4th Cavalry Jan. 22, 1864 ; Major 26th N. Y. Cavalry, Feb. 28, 1865 ; Major 4th Mass. Cavalry. Commander of Post 104, G. A. R., in 1877, 1878, and 1879. Benjamin Thomas. 2d Lieut. Dec. 1863. 1st Lieut, and Quarter- master 4th Cavalry Jan. 1, 1864. A. A. Q. M. Tenth Army Corps. Thomas Hickey, Co. M. Born Hingham Jan. 14, 1841. First served from Waltham in Co. M. 1st Regt. Cavalry in 1861. 360 History of Hingham. Color-Sergt. 4th Cavalry ; 2d Lieut. Aug. 9, 1805. Prisoner at High Bridge Aug. 1865. Destroyed the colors to prevent their falling into the hands of the enemy. Frank H. Gilman, Co. B, Sergeant. Arvander Merrow, Co. B, Sergeant. James G. Raymond, Co. D, Corporal. From Weymouth. Died at Hilton Head May 24, 1864, aged 18 years. Thomas Cloney, Co. F, Musician. William A. Daggett, Musician. Also in 1st Reg. Cavalry. Orietes L. Bailey, Co. C. Charles Campbell, Co. D. Transferred to Navy. Cornelius Connell, Co. D. Prisoner at Florence, Ala. Samuel N. Corthell, Co. D. Prisoner at Florence, Ala. Also served in Co. K, 7th Infantry. William L. Cummings, Co. D. Charles Gardner. Enlisted from Brighton. James Hickey, Co. C. William H. Jones, Co. C. Died of wounds Sept. 19, 1864, at Magnolia, Fla., aged 48 years. Served also in 18th Infantry. Lost two sons in the service. Joseph S. Miller, Co. F. Wounded at Deep Bottom. Va. Thomas Rafferty, Jr., Co. F. Dennis Scully, Co. D. Born County Cork, Ireland, Sept., 1834. Died in service, April 26, 1864, aged 29 years. Frank H. Tilton, Co. C. Died in service July 12, 1864. aged 18 yrs. Fifth Regiment Cavalry. Rufus Clark, Co. B. Thomas Davis, Co. I. George Jones, Co. G. Matthew H. Lucas, Co. B. Joseph Nathan, Co. B. In 1864 the President called for 85,000 men to serve for 100 days. Those enlisting for this service from Hingham were — Fifth Regiment. Robert Cushing, Co. F. Revere Lincoln, Co. F. Forty-second Regtment. Joseph M. Thomas, Co. A. Born Hanson, Aug. 24, 1841 : 2d Lieut. July 14, 1864. Also served in 11th Battery. Fergus A. Easton, Co. E. Sergeant. First served in Lincoln Light Infantry ; then as Orderly-Sergt. in 6th N. Y. Cavalrv. in which he was' 2d Lieut. June 27, 1862, and 1st Lieut. March 22. 1863. Military History. 361 George Dunbar, Co. D, Corporal. First served in Lincoln Light Infantry. 2d Lieut. Co. I, 4th Mass. Vol. Militia. John Henry Stoddar, Co. D. Arthur Beale, Co. A, Commander of Post 104 G. A. R., 1893. Sixtieth Regiment. Andrew W. Gardner, Co. B. The following members of the Thirty-second Infantry re-enlisted as veteran volunteers for three years from Jan. 5, 1864. Ephraim Anderson, Charles S. Meade, Otis L. Battles, James McCarty, William Breen, Frank H. Miller, John C. Chadbourn, Peter Ourish, Jacob G. dishing, Harvey M. Pratt, William L. Dawes, William F. Riley, John W. Eldredge, Charles H. F. Stodder, Thomas L. French, Edgar P. Stodder, Edwin Hcrsey, Washington I. Stodder, Wallace Humphrey, Nathaniel Wilder, 2d, Gardner Jones, George A. Wolfe. Under the head of '• Unassigned Recruits " the following names occur in " Hingham in the Civil War": William Burtes, trans- ferred to Navy, and Charles Richardson. There were enlisted for one year the following-named men : — Sixty- first Regiment. John E. Wilson, Co. E, Corporal. William H. Allen, Co. F. Thomas S. Brio-ham, Co. G. Wakefield Carver, Co. F. John R. Donaven, Co. F. Michael Franev, Co. K. William Hilton, Co. F. Patrick J. Kelley, Co. C. James McNamara, Co. F. John A. Watson, Co. F. Fourth Regiment Heavy Artillery. James M. Cleverly, Co. G. John A. Farrington, Co. C. George J. Fearing, Co. G. William M. Gilman, Co. G. Henry Hart, Co. C. Charles Helms, Co. G. Michael Landers, Co. G. Michael Roach. Co. G. 362 History of Hingham. Charles Shute, Co. D. Probably enlisted from Worcester. Melzar Vinal, Co. C. Henry B. Vogell, Co. G. Joseph N. Wall, Co. G. Also served in 23d Regt. On the first of December the town had to its credit twenty-six men above all calls, having furnished two hundred and fifteen soldiers to the army during the year. On the 29th December a meeting of citizens liable to military duty was held at the town hall for the purpose of forming a company in accordance with the provisions of an act of the Legis- lature approved May 14. Henry Jones, who had served in the 18th Infantry Mass. Vols., was elected captain. The law was shortly after repealed, and this, the last of Hingham's militia companies, never met for parade or drill. March 6,1865. At the annual town-meeting it was voted to hire $9000 for the payment of State aid, and to appropriate $800 for town aid to families of soldiers. There were enlisted for one year the following men in 1865 : — Sixty-first Regiment. James W. Gray, Co. K, Corporal. James Daley, Co. I. George C. Dunham, Co. I. John H. Hayes, Co. K. Joseph H. Hilton, Co. I. George W. R. Putnam, Co. H. George L. Rich, Co. H. Sixty-second Regiment. Andrew W. Gardner, Co. C. Regular Army. There enlisted in the regular army at various periods during the war, the following : — Richard J. Farrell, Co. G, 2d Regt. U. S. Artillery. Born in Dungarvan, Ireland, Jan. 10, 1841. Enlisted June 10, 1861. Wounded on the Peninsula, and died March 24, 1864, aged 23 years. Dennis Mullian, 19th Infantry. Enlisted May 10, 1864. Joseph H. Noves, 1st Mounted Rifles. William Perkins, 19th Infantrv, May 10, 1864. Michael F. Thompson, Co. D^ 5th Regt. U. S. Artil., Sergeant. Born Ireland, March 9, 1840. Died of disease contracted in service Jan. 6, 1867, aged 27 vears. Joseph W. Welsh. Enlisted Sept, 24, 1864. James H. Williams, 19th Infantry, May 10, 1864. Military History. 363 Under the title " Enlistments in other States of Natives or Residents of Hingham," we find in " Hingham in the Civil War" — Hawkes Fearing, Jr. Colonel Fearing was born in Hingham May 20, 1826, and became Captain of the Lincoln Light Infantry upon its organization in 1855. In 1860 he was Lieutenant- Colonel of the Fourth Regiment, M. V. M., in which capacity he first went into active service. September 24, 1861, he was com- missioned as Colonel of the Eighth New Hampshire Volunteers. April, 1863, Colonel Fearing was wounded at Bisland, in Louisiana. During the years 1871 and 1872 Colonel Fearing represented the district comprising Hingham and Hull in the General Court. He was one of the original members of Post 104 of the Grand Army, and Commander in 1869 and 1870. Colonel Fearing has been for some years Librarian of the Hingham Public Library. James Ballentine. Born in Roscommon County, Ireland, April, 1842. Enlisted May, 1860, in the Third Infantry, U.S.A., and was soon taken prisoner by the rebels. He subsequently enlisted in the Fifteenth Independent Volunteers, New York, and was killed at Weldon Railroad. William Barnes, Lieutenant in a New York Regiment. Prisoner at Andersonville. George Bicknell, 2d New York Infantry. Wounded at Bull Run. Martin dishing, in a Pennsylvania Cavalry Regiment. Henry H. Cushing, Captain in 88th Illinois Vols. Buried in Hingham Cemetery. David P. Eldredge, Orderly Sergt., Co. G, 7th Kansas Cavalry. John J. L. French, Co. E, 1st Regt., N. H. Heavy Artillery. Caleb B. Gill, Sergt,, Co. I, 57th Indiana Foot Volunteers ; 2d Lieut. April 3, 1863. Died April 24, 1867, from disease con- tracted in the service. John Gorman, Sergt., 25th N. Y. Cavalry. Wounded at Malvern Hill July 1, 1862 ; prisoner at Libbv Prison. Hosea Harden, Co. G, 40th N. Y. V. I. Elijah Hobart. Born Hingham Oct. 4, 1821 ; killed near Point of Rocks, Va., July 4, 1864. A grandson of Caleb Hobart of the Revolutionarv Armv. Captain of Co. B, 93d Regt. N. Y. Vols. Allen G. Jennings, Co. H, 121st Regt. N. Y. Vols. Afterwards pastor of Second Unitarian Church in Hingham. Charles B. Leavitt. Oct. 20, 1863, 1st Lieut. Co. M, 6th U. S. Colored Heavy Artillery. March 13, 1864, Lieut.-Col. 70th U. S. Colored Infantry. Twice wounded. Beza H. Lincoln, Quartermaster-sergeant, Co. E, 1st N. H. Heavy Artillery. John Lincoln, Jr., Co. G, 13th Conn. Vol. Infantry; Sergeant. Leavitt Lincoln, Sergt., Co. I, 61st Illinois Vols. Born Hing- ham March 2, 1823. Died in service Dec. 7, 1864. 364 History of Hingham. Allyne C. Litchfield, Capt. 5th Michigan Cav. Lieut. -Col. 7th Michigan Cav. Prisoner at Libbv Prison. Brevet Brigadier- General. In 1871 Consul-Genera 1 at Calcutta. James Lowry, 3d District of Columbia Regt. Daniel Murphy. Born Boston Nov. 22, 1840. Died in Hospital at Washington prior to Nov. 24, 1862. Soldier in 15th N. Y. Vols. William L. Neal, 6th N. H. Infantry. Charles Remington, Lincoln Body Guard. John F. Rogers, Co. A, 74th Regt. Illinois Vols. Henry E. Spaulding, 13th N. H. Infantry. Now a physician in Hingham. Isaiah F. Tower, Captain Co. G, 93d Regt. Ohio Vol. Infantry. Wounded at Nashville Dec. 16, 1864. Benjamin S. Whiting, Lieut. 17th U. S. Infantry. Webster A. Whiting^ Capt. 88th Illinois Vols. Conrad P. Yager. Born Mergantheim, Wurtemberg. Enlisted in Co. F, 2d Regt., Lincoln Guard. Died in service Oct. 15, 1863, aged 20 years. The Navy. The natives or residents of Hingham serving in the Navy, so far as known, numbered thirty-seven, as follows : — Charles H. Loring, 3d Asst, Engineer, Feb. 26, 1851 ; 2d Asst. Engineer May 21, 1853 ; 1st Asst. Engineer May 9, 1857 ; Chief Engineer March 25, 1861. Served on the " Minnesota " and " Susquehanna." Thomas Andrews. Born Hingham June 9, 1816, and died in service Feb. 27, 1865, aged 48 years. Acting-Master U. S. Navy. Captain Andrews was a direct descendant of Capt. Thomas Andrews who died in Sir William Phips's expedition against Canada. Served on " Vermont," " Courier," " Crusa- der," and " Pensacola." Lemuel Pope, Acting Master's Mate, Sept. 10, 1862 ; Acting Ensign, Feb. 11, 1864; Acting Master, July 18, 1865. Andrew Tower, June 2, 1863, Acting-Assistant Paymaster, U.SN. Served on " Norfolk Packet," " C. P. Williams," " Para," and " Passaic." Franklin Nickerson, Acting-Assistant Surgeon, U. S. N. Served on " Shokokon " and " Brittania." Edward W. Halcro. Born Hamburg Jan. 24, 1836. Acting Ensign Dec. 15, 1863. Died in Norfolk Hospital April 5, 1867. Buried in Hingham. Served on " Genesee," " Ovetta," " Sarah Bruen," " Idaho," and " New Hampshire." Charles M. Fuller, Acting Master's Mate. Served on " Mace- donian," " Essex," and " Ozark." Charles A. Stewart, March 16, 1865, Acting Ensign. Prisoner at Charleston, S. C. Served on " Wachusett," " Southfield," " Underwriter," " Muscoota," and " Saco." Military History. 365 John M. Trussell, Acting 3d Assistant Engineer. Served on "Connecticut," " Iuka," and " Clyde." Augustus Barnes, Captain's Clerk. Served on " Marion " and " Pocahontas." Frederick C. Blair, Master-at-Arms. Served on " W. G. Ander- son," the prize " Arizona," " Potomac." " Metacomet," and " Seluia." Alfred B. Whiting, Master-at-Arms. Served on " Colorado." Charles Campbell, Gunner's-mate. Served on " Vermont " and " Para ; " was also in U. S. Army. Henry W. Hersey, Paymaster's Steward. Prisoner. Served on "Sachem," "Diana," "Onondaga," and "Otsego." Elkanah Binney, Signal Quartermaster ; wounded in Mobile Bay. Served on " Oneida." Samuel Newcomb, 2d Signal Quartermaster. Served on " Bra- ziliera," and " South Carolina." Alden Lincoln, First-class Fireman. Served on " Genesee." George A. Grover, First-class Fireman. Served on " Acacia" and prize " Julia." Daniel S. Lincoln, First-class Fireman. Served in Lincoln Light Infantry and on " Monadnock," " Connecticut," and " Iuka." William Eldrcdge, Seaman on " Vincennes." John W. Gardner. Born Hingham, Aug. 17, 1820. Died in service June 24, 1863, aged 42 years. Served in Co. I, First Mass. Infantry, and in Co. I, 12th Maine Infantrv, and on " Hartford." George E. Richardson. Served in 3d Mass. Heavy Artillery and on " Massasoit." George A. Chubbuck. Served in 3d Unattached Co. Heavy Artil- lery, and on " Glaucus " and " Mather Vassar." William G. dishing. Served on " Gemsbok." Benjamin Hatchfield. Served on " Louisville." Daniel Stodder. Served on " Conewaugh." Thomas R. Murphy. Served on " Ethan Allen." Isaac M. Dow. Served on " Massasoit." Daniel Daley. Robert F. Fardv. Served on " Queen " and "Passaic." Edward Gottchell. Served on " Queen " and " Passaic." Benjamin L. Jones. Served on " Hetzel " and "Louisiana." George H. Merritt. Born Scituate Sept. 11, 1842. Died at Little Washington, N. C, Feb. 7, 1863, aged 20 years. Served on " Hetzel " and " Louisiana." Daniel J. Thompson. Served on " Ohio." Henry Trowbridge. Served on " Hetzel " and " Louisiana." William Burtes. Edwin Barnes. Under the heading of " Additional Enlistments in Hingham in the Civil War," the following names appear. Of most of them 366 History of Hingham. little else is known than the fact of their being recruited, and that they were either natives of Hingham or served upon its quota. Edwin Allen, three years, Thomas Griffin, three years, Louis Anderson, Edward Hackett, three years, Calvin R. Baker, Mark Hall, John Baker, three years, Otis C. Hardy, three years, Joseph Barstow, served with Kit James Hayes, Carson, William Hillarston, George W. Boen, three years, Edward Bourne Hinckley, Clergy - George H. Bonney, three years, man, Edwin Booth, Henry A. Hitchcock, three years. John Brown, three years, Jeremiah Hurley, Melzar W. Clark, Edward Kelley, John Collins, three years, Joseph B. Kelsey, Thomas Collins, three years, Kittredge, William Colman, William H. Lane, three years, Barney Conaley, Jacob Lowe, 5th (U. S.) Artil. Charles Cook, three years, John C. Maguire, Co. G, 5Gth Henry Daggett, three years, Mass. Horatio M.Dallas, one year, Cap- Patrick Mahoney, tain in frontier service, Michael McGrane, 9 months, Thomas D. Dalton, three years, Charles H. Muschatt, three years, Albert Damon, George H. Osborn, James Dempsey, three years, Edwin Poiney, three years, Henry B. Downes, three years, Edward L. Preston, Co. A, 5th Josiah Edson, Cavalry, West D. Eldredge, three years, William Randall, Lenclal Hanscom Ewell, Co. H, Edward Roach, three years, 4th Rcgt. David P. Robinson, Thomas M. Farrell, Albert Sawyer, John G. Gorman, Franklin Simmons, Timothy Gordon, Capt. Co. G, William T. Sprague, three years, 4th Regt. William Thompson. James Gorman, 21st Regt. The roll of honor which Hingham cherishes with love and pride for its record of bravery and devotion contains the names of four hundred and seventy-three soldiers and sailors who served upon her quota, besides nineteen who marched with the Lincoln Light Infantry in the first days of the war and did not subsequently appear on the lists ; making four hundred and ninety -two different men furnished by the town for the defence of the country. To this number should be added twenty-eight Hingham men who joined regiments in other States, bringing the whole number up to five hundred and twenty. The number re-enlisting cannot perhaps be accurately ascertained, but the aggregate of enlist- ments from Hingham during the war, and not including the mem- bers of the Lincoln Light Infantry, is stated in " Hingham in the Military History. 367 Civil War " to have been seven hundred and five. There were mortally wounded or killed in battle thirty-one men and seven officers ; died in the. service, twenty-seven men and three officers, besides one man murdered and six others who died while pris- oners ; nine men and one officer died from disease contracted in the service during or soon after the war. Thus there was a loss of eighty-two of our townsmen, most of whom were citizens at the time, as a direct result of the conflict. Many more have passed away since, in consequence of the months and years of privation and exposure. In addition to the casualties above, there were thirty men and seven officers wounded, and seven men and three officers taken prisoners. The names and rank of the officers from Hingham, as far as known, are : — IN THE ARMY. BVT. BRIGADIER-GENERALS. Luthpr Stephenson, Jr. : wounded. Allyne C. Litchfield ; prisoner. Joseph H. Barnes. colonels. John C. Whiton, 5Sth Infty.; wounded. Hawkes Fearing, Sth X. H. Infty. LIEUTENANT-COLONEL. Charles B. Leavitt, 70th U. S. Infty.; twice wounded. BVT. LIEUTENANT-COLONEL. Thomas Weston, 18th Infty. ; wounded. MAJORS. Benjamin C. Lincoln, 2d U. S. Infty. ; killed in battle. Edward T. Bouve, 4th Cavalry. Lyman B. Whiton, 3d Heavy Artill'y. BVT. MAJOR. Benjamin F. Meservey, 18th Infantry; wounded. CAPTAINS. Edwin Humphrey, 11th Infty. ; killed. Alexander Hitchborn, 12th Infantry ; killed. Elijah Hobart. 93d X. Y. ; killed. John E. Morse. Invalid Corps. James H. Wade, 28th Infantry. Edwin Thomas, 3d Heavy Artillery. Henrv H. Cushing, 88th Illinois Webster A. Whiting, S8th Illinois. Isaiah F. Tower. 93d Ohio; wounded. Timothy Gordon. 4th Infantry. Horatio M. Dallas, Frontier Service. George R. Reed, 32d Infantry. FIRST LIEUTENANTS. Peter N. Sprague, 55th Infantry. Benjamin Thomas, 4th Cavalry. Oliver Burrill, 35th Infantry. Alphonso Marsh, 55th Infantry. George M. Hudson, 22d Infantry; wounded. Nathaniel French, Jr., 32d Infantry; died in service. Charles Sprague, 4th Infantry. Elijah B. Gill, Jr., 1st Infty. ; killed. George W. Bibby, 32d Infty. ; killed. Fergus A. Easton, 6th X. Y. Cavalry. Waldo F. Corbett, 1st U.S. Heavy Art. Francis Thomas, 12th Infty. ; killed. SECOND LIEUTENANTS. Amos P. Holden, 32d Infantry. John G. Dawes, 2d Louisiana. Joseph M. Thomas, 42d Infantry Louis T. V. Cazaire, 89th U. S. Infty. Thaddeus Churchill, 3d U. S. Infty. John H. Prouty, 39th Infantry. Caleb H. Beal, 107th X. Y. Infty. Thomas Hickey, 4th Cavalry. Caleb B. Gill, 57th Indiana Infty. Edwin F. Tirrell, 3d Heavy Artillery. Benjamin S. Whiting, 17th'U. S. Infty. William Barnes, — N. Y. ; prisoner. 368 History of Hingham. IN THE NAVY. CHIEF ENGINEER. ACTING ASSISTANT SURGEON. Charles H. Lormg. Franklin Nickerson. "6 ' ACTING MASTER. ACTING ENSIGNS. Edward W. Halcro: died in service Thomas Andrews; died in service. Char]es M Fl(ller Lemuel Pope. Charles A. Stewart. ACTING ASSISTANT PAYMASTER. ACTING THIRD ASSISTANT ENGINEER. Andrew Tower. . John M. Trussed. Fifty -six Hingham men, who received commissions in the ser- vice of their country during those eventful years in which was fought the Civil War; fifty-six men who, like their comrades in the ranks, served her faithfully and bravely, and in many instances even unto death. No account of the soldiers of Massachusetts, however brief, and especially of those belonging to Hingham, would be complete without at least a reference to the loved fellow-townsman who within the Commonwealth was commander-in-chief during the long period of anxiety and sacrifice from 1861 to 1865. This is no place in which to eulogize John A. Andrew, and for the people of the town no eulogy is needed. Yet in this their book they would feel it amiss, if to his noble wreath no laurel leaf were to be added by them as a memorial to the kind words and warm-hearted deeds with which the great chief sped his comrades from Hingham on their way, cheered and sustained and cared for them in the field, and received and welcomed them again to the common home ; a leaf glistening and gleaming with the sunshine which his great heart carried to the waiting hearths, beside which sat the wearied and watching, — gold-lighted with its record of the hope his ten- derness brought to the sorrowing, while he gently helped lay in their mother earth the town's brave who had fallen asleep in her service. Proudly and lovingly we claim this man as one of the soldiers of Hingham. *o* Near the close of the record of Revolutionary services the num- ber of the men bearing certain of the most numerous surnames which occurred among those representing Hingham, and belong- ing undoubtedly to the twenty -four largest families, was given. A similar statement, but with the same selection of names, and taken in the same order, may not be without interest to the dwell- ers in this old town, which, while maintaining with little change so many of the customs of the olden time, has preserved also no inconsiderable number of the names of the early settlers in the families of to-day. Serving in the Union army there were six- teen Lincolns, eleven Cushings, live Beals, three Whitons, nine '■«fe' ^ TATUE OF UOVERXOK ANMM'.W Military History. 369 Stodders, eleven Herseys, thirteen Gardners, one Hobart, five Towers, four Lorings, one Bates, three Burrs, eight Spragues, six Wilders, three Dunbar's, one Leavitt, four Fearings, four Lanes, seven Barneses, four Marshes, while from our military lists the Lewises, Stowells, Joys, and Thaxters have entirely disappeared. This chapter, with aU its length, yet all too short for a satisfac- tory memorial to the children of the town who have cared naught for suffering and death when duty beckoned along the dangerous path, is fast drawing to its close. A few words only remain, and those mainly for the living. To promote Loyalty, Fidelity, Char- ity, there was organized, August 5, 1869, Edwin Humphrey Post, No. 104, of the Grand Army of the Republic. Col. Hawkes Fear- ing was its first commander, Major Benjamin F. Meservey, senior vice-commander, Capt. Peter N. Sprague, junior vice-commander, Lieut. George R. Reed, quartermaster, Samuel J. Henderson, officer of the day, William H. Jacobs, officer of the guard, and Henry Jones was appointed adjutant. These, together with George Thomas, William H. Thomas, Isaac B. Damon, Edward T. Blossom, William Jones, Hubert J. Tulley, John A. Reed, and William S. Whiton were charter members. Colonel Fearing was again chosen commander in 1870, and the same office has been held since that date by Capt. Peter N. Sprague in 1871-1874, Lemuel Pope in 1875, Captain Sprague again in 1876, Major Edward T. Bouve in 1877-1879, — during which the Post became uniformed, and raised a considerable charity fund, — Lieut. George R. Reed in 1880, Isaac F. Goodwin in 1881 and for part of 1882, resigning April 8 of the latter vear, William H. Thomas for the remainder of 1882 and in 1883, Charles H. Wakefield for 1884-1886, John H. Stoddar in 1887 and 1888, J. Henry Howe in 1889, Col. Thomas Weston in 1890 and 1891, Major Lyman B. Whiton in 1892, and Arthur Beale in 1893. Since its organization one hundred and forty names have been upon the rolls of its com- rades. The present number is seventy-seven. Eleven comrades have joined the greater army which responds only to Heaven's trumpets ; they are Samuel J. Henderson, Thomas Murphy, Edward W. Marston, Samuel Bronsdon, William Hersey, John W. Gault, Charles Sprague, Stephen A. Hall, Octavius R. Barry, George T. Kilburn, William Taylor. In 1888 the Post," with the aid of funds raised by fairs and contributions of citizens, built a hall well adapted for its purposes at Centre Hingham, and within a short distance of the old fort commanded by Capt. John Smith in the days of King Philip. Here the members meet for business, mutual assistance, encour- agement, and pleasure ; and here on each Memorial Day are held appropriate exercises in which the Woman's Relief Corps, the Sons of Veterans, visiting comrades, and the citizens of the town kindle anew the fires of patriotism, and lay upon the altar of the heroic dead the flowers of memory. vol i — 24 370 History of Hingham. To assist and encourage the Post of the Grand Army in its noble work, to aid its charities, and to inculcate and diffuse the spirit of patriotism among the children, a branch of the Woman's Relief Corps was organized here December 17, 1885. Its first president was Mrs. Mary Whiton, who held that office two years ; she was succeeded by Mrs. Martha C. Wakefield during the next three years, and by Mrs. Martha S. Litchfield, who was presi- dent in 1891. The next president was Mrs. Hattie M. Lowe, who was chosen in 1892, and again this year. There is a small relief fund for the benefit of the needy among soldiers' families. The present membership is seventy -six, and monthly meetings are held at Grand Army Hall, which is also the headquarters of the Corps. A cam]) of the Sons of Veterans, called the Charles S. Meade Camp, also meets at the hall of the Post. It was organized March 10, 1887, and its successive commanders have been Arthur L. Whiton, C. Sumner Henderson, Gustavus 0. Henderson, Hosea H. Batchelder, J. Arthur Batchelder, and Fred S. Wilder. The Camp numbers about forty -eight at this time, and the mem- bers materially assist in the ceremonies of Memorial Day. In the declining hours of the day, near the close of the beauti- ful spring month of May of each recurring year, when the fra- grance of a thousand flowers scents the air with its sweetness, and the bright green of the young grass and new leaves clothes New England in freshness, a little band of blue-coated men fast growing into years, and with ever feebler steps marching under the folds of the flag which to them has been a shield by day and a star by night, to the music which was once an inspiration in battle, which sung paeans in victory, lulled to slumber in weariness and death, whispered ever of home, and to this day is never heard without sending a thrill to the heart, enters the old cemetery, — the village burial-place of the fathers, — and passing beneath the pines which shade moss-grown stones and tombs, through wind- ing paths leading by sunken graves, by the first settlers' monu- ment, down into a quiet valley and up again to the height beyond, ranges itself in line before the resting place and white statue of their friend and comrade, the great War Governor. Here, aided by comrades from a Post bearing his name in the city where his official life was mostly spent, with a few earnest words breathing his spirit, and with simple and brief exercises, the Grand Army lays upon the grave of Andrew its annual memorial. A few steps farther, and around the granite pillar inscribed with the names of the sons who so gallantly served her, the people of Hingham await the ceremonies which keep bright the memories of those who fell to sleep in the love of their country. Here are the rulers of the town, the selectmen, chosen each March to guide its affairs through the ensuing year, the constable with scarcely perceptible insignia of office and inspiring little Military History. 371 awe, the ministers of the several churches and of the Old Meeting- House ; here are others with even better right, — an old gray- headed man who leans upon the arm of no stalwart son ; a black-robed woman who, standing by a low flower-covered mound, will never again hear her bright boy's "Mother;" a younger woman, too, but also past the meridian of life, leaning against a stone bearing a soldier's name, and beside which flutters a little SOLDIERS' AND SAILORS' MONUMENT. Erected by the Town; Dedicated June 17, 1870. flag, — a woman whose wearied face with its far-away look is full for a moment of the bright but never-to-be-fulfilled promise of the thirty years ago ; yes, and others still whose short happiness was almost effaced by the sorrow which time has hardly yet softened 372 History of Hingham. into a sweet memory, and whose sadness is only tempered by an unspoken hope. They are all here, — these and the young maiden, the coming men, and the happy children of to-day. And they all gather closer as the Grand Army forms in front around the large semi-circle of baskets overflowing with the blossoms brought to mingle their brightness with the green of earth. In front is the monument, and to the east, upon the side of the highest ground in the cemetery, was the fort erected to defend the harbor against the Spaniards ; on an adjoining elevation northwesterly still stand the defences of 1676, when Philip menaced the town ; between the monument and the valley, and beyond it by and near the old general's resting-place, lie the slumbering brave of the Revolution ; everywhere, among the fathers, beside the old sol- diers, and in the new ground alike, the flags which mark the sleep- ing heroes of the Civil War wave gently in the soft spring breeze. From the band stationed near floats a hymn, — an old one, dear and familiar ; the chaplain hushes the assembly in prayer ; a short, earnest plea for country, a tender tribute to the fallen, a word of pride in their sacrifice, of sympathy for the sorrowing, and the orator — local and uncelebrated perhaps, but reverent and full of the occasion — is through. A word or two from the commander of the Post, a signal, quietly given, and the violets and the lilies are blooming and nodding in new places, and saying, in language equalled by no other, that here sleeps a soldier whom his loved ones, his comrades, and the great Republic have not forgotten. Again the music sounds; the street, full of the homes and the history of other days, re-echoes with the martial strains; the sun- light fading away from the lowly mounds gilds still the Old fleeting-house steeple, touches with its rays the top of the monu- ment, and reflected from the masses of clouds in the western horizon paints the harbor with the color of the rose. From the distance the last notes of " retreat " borne from Grand Army Hall come floating on the evening breeze, "old glory" flutters to the ground from many a staff, and Memorial Day, fitly and faith- fully observed in this old town of the mingled Puritans and Pilgrims, has come to its close. With the exception of the company formed under the law of 1864, which elected Henry Jones captain, but in consequence of the repeal of the Act soon after, never met for drill or parade, there has been no strictly local military organization in Hingham since the disbanding of the Lincoln Light Infantry, September 29, 1862. Upon rising ground stretching along Broad Cove, overlooking the early anchorage of many of the fleet which long years ago whitened Hingham's bay, — some undoubtedly built in the ship- yard then situated just below the bluff, but since disappeared and forgotten, — and directly opposite the southern slope of Otis Hill, Military History. 373 lies the beautifully located military post of the First Corps of Cadets, and the scene of its camp in each recurring July. In the rear and looking toward the setting sun as it crimsons the placid waters which finally shrink into a little winding brook, the view extends across the green meadows and far up the valley in the direction of Weymouth Back River. On the opposite side and about a half-mile distant the church spires and roofs of the houses — themselves half hidden by the inter- vening hill — indicate the nearest village, while to the east the harbor of blue in its setting of green, with its steamers plying back and forth, is seen through a break in the land bordering Otis Street. Beyond its natural attractiveness there is no little historical interest attaching to the place as the training-field of the militia in the olden days, and still more, as being the probable location of the barracks, — certainly situated in the immediate vicinity, if not on the ground, — erected for the accommodation of Captain James Lincoln and his company when Hingham was a garrisoned town in the early part of the Revolution. In plain view, too, is the road, once called Broad Cove Lane, but now Lincoln Street, down which marched Captain Lincoln's command, and the other companies of the town, as well as those of Scituate and Weymouth, when hastening to drive the English from Grape Island May 21, 1775. Here, in the succeeding years, come large numbers of people interested in the regular order and beautiful ceremonies of a military camp, and the snow-white streets are thronged each evening with listeners to the concert of the fine band. While having no official connection with Hingham, the posses- sion by the corps of these increasingly attractive grounds with the bright green and well-kept parade and fine rows of growing maples, together with the annual tour of duty performed here by it, the fact that no inconsiderable number of the town's young men have been from time to time enrolled in its ranks, as well as that among her citizens are three of the present officers, have gradually created a feeling of local ownership in the corps, which is now claimed and regarded, as in a sense at least belonging to the town, and as one of her institutions. The First Corps of Cadets was organized in 1741, and is the modern outgrowth of the famous " Governor's Company of Cadets," which composed a part of the militia, both before and since the Revolution. While commanded by Hancock, — whose mother, it will be recalled, was a Hingham lady, — the then company was disbanded by Governor Gage for its adherence to the patriotic cause, but was reorganized and served under General Sullivan in Rhode Island. At the opening of the rebellion the corps was sent to garrison Fort Warren, and later it furnished many officers to the army, and particularly for the Forty-fifth Massachusetts Infantry, generally known as the Cadet Regiment. 374 History of Hingham. It is one of the two organizations forming a separate branch of the militia of the Commonwealth, and at the present time com- prises four companies armed as infantry, and having headquarters at the armory on Columbus Avenue, Boston. It is commanded by Lieut. -Col. Thomas F. Edmands, a distinguished officer in the Civil War, while Major George R. Rogers, Captains William H. Alline and Andrew Robeson, and Lieut. Edward E. Currier, are all veterans who were in active service in the Union's cause. Several of our present or former citizens have held commis- sions m the military service of the Commonwealth since 1865. The following is believed to be a correct list : — '» Solomon Lincoln, Jr., Colonel and Aide-de-camp to his Honor Lieut.-Governor Talbot, acting Governor, May 26, 1874 ; Colonel and Aide-de-camp to his Excellency Governor Talbot, January 14, 1879. Arthur Lincoln, Captain and Judge Advocate, 2d Brigade, July 30, 1877 John D. Long, Governor and Commander-in-chief, 1880-1882. Edward T. Bouve', Colonel and Aide-de-camp to his Excellency Governor Long ; Cantain and Engineer on staff of Brig.-Gen. Nat. Wales, 1st Brigade, M. V. M., Feb. 9, 1883 ; Captain and Provost Marshal, 1st Brigade, May 24, 1887 ; Captain and Aide-de-camp, 1st Brigade, April 10, 1888. Elijah George, Captain and Judge Advocate, 2d Brigade, M.V.M., August 12, 1882. Charles E. Stevens, 1st Lieutenant and Quartermaster, Feb. 26, 1868, Captain and Paymaster, Jan. 9, 1874, First Corps Cadets. Charles C. Melcher, 1st Lieutenant and Quartermaster, First Corps Cadets, Feb. 9, 1875. Walter L. Bouve, 1st Lieutenant, First Corps Cadets, Feb. 20, 1889. United States Regular Service. Not previously mentioned in these pages : — Charles H. B. Caldwell, son of Charles H. Caldwell and Susan Blake, born in Hingham, and died in Boston, Nov. 30, 1877, Commodore in U. S. Navy, June 14, 1874. Charles L. Corthell, graduated at West Point June 14, 1884, 2d Lieutenant, 4th Artillery, June 15, 1884 ; 1st Lieutenant, Apr. 24, 1889. HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF HINGHAM, MASSACHUSETTS. IN THREE VOLUMES. Volume I. — Part II. HISTORICAL. HISTORY OP THE TOWN OF HINGHAM, MASSACHUSETTS. IN THREE VOLUMES. Volume I. — Part II. HISTORICAL. PUBLISHED BY THE TOWN. 1893. Elmbcrsitg \?vtss : John Wilson and Son, Cambridge. TABLE OF CONTENTS. Volume I. — Part II. Ecclesiastical History . . . . Education Manufactures and Commerce Agriculture Publications Public Conveyances Fire Department Water Works Public Institutions Lodges and Societies Native and Resident Physicians Native and Resident Lawyers . Native Ministers Burial Grounds Miscellaneous Matters .... ju riiiicta -ii. MJinvuiii . a a 83 George Lincoln . 155 Edmund Hersey 1S1 Fearing Burr . 193 Francis H. Lincoln . 211 a a 257 Charles W. S. Seymour 261 Francis H. Lincoln . 271 a a . 289 George Lincoln . . . 307 Francis H. Lincoln . 327 a a . 341 George Lincoln . . . . 355 Francis H. Lincoln . 379 INDEX 387 ILLUSTRATIONS. Volume I. — Part II. PAGE Old Meeting-House 1 Portrait of Dr. Gay 24 From a photograph by Francis II. Lincoln, from the painting. Old Meeting-House Pulpit 35 Cohasset Meeting-House 37 South Hingham Meeting-House 40 New North Meeting-House 49 Baptist Meeting-House 57 From a photograph by Francis H. Lincoln. Methodist Episcopal Meeting-House 62 Universalist Meeting-House 65 Evangelical Congregational Meeting-House 67 Free Christian Mission Chapel 69 From a photograph- by Francis H. Lincoln. Episcopal Church 71 From a photograph by Francis H. Lincoln. Bishop's Chair in the Episcopal Church 73 Engraved by Wallace Corthell from a photograph by Francis H. Lincoln. Catholic Church 79 From a photograph by George E. Siders. Hingham High School 99 Derby Academy 116 Portrait of Madam Derby 126 From a photograph by Francis H. Lincoln, from the painting. Seal of Derby Academy 135 Portrait of Dr. Ezekiel Hersey 138 From a photograph by Francis H. Lincoln, from the painting. Hingham Public Library 145 Engraved by Wallace Corthell. Portrait of Albert Fearing . 148 viii Illustrations. PAOE Hingham Public Library 154 From a photograph by Francis H. Lincoln. Hingham Harbor 170 From a photograph by Henry F. Gdild. Steamer Eagle , . 244 Steamer Lafayette . 244 Steamer General Lincoln 245 Steamer Mayflower 246 Steamer Nantasket 247 Plan of Steamboat Landings 249 Steamer Governor Andrew 250 Accord Pond 261 From a photograph by Charles W. S Seymour. Accord Pond 269 From a photograph by Charles W. S. Seymour. Loring Hall, Insurance Company, and Savings Bank Building 280 "Wilder Memorial „ 2S7 Society of Mutual Aid 304 Portrait of Lieut. -Governor Levi Lincoln. ..... 334 Portrait of Solomon Lincoln . 336 Portrait of Governor Long 338 Early Settlers' Monument, Fort Hill Cemetery . . . 362 From a photograph by Francis H. Lincoln, Entrance to High Street Cemetery 364 From a photograph by Francis II. Lincoln. Entrance to Hingham Cemetery 366 From a photograph by Francis II. Lincoln. Tomb of Rev. Ebenezer Gay, D. D 368 From a photograph by Francis II. Lincoln. Hingham Cemetery Chapel 369 First Settlers' Monument, Hingham Cemetery .... 370 View in Hingham Centre Cemetery . 373 From a photograph by Francis II Lincoln. Town Seal - 386 Engraved by Wallace Corthell. ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. BY FRANCIS H. LINCOLN. THE OLD MEETING-HOUSE, HINGHAMo (ERECTED 1681.) FIRST PARISH. The first church in Hingham was formed in September, 1635. Rev. Peter Hobart, of Hingham, in Norfolk, England, came to Charlestown in June, 1635. Mr. Hobart was educated at Mag- dalene College, Cambridge, where he was graduated in 1625. He declined the invitations of several settlements to become their pastor, preferring to join that at Bare Cove, where many of his fellow-townsmen in the old country were already established. On the second of September, 1635, the name of Bare Cove was changed to Hingham ; and on the eighteenth of the same month Mr. Hobart and twenty-nine others drew for house-lots. Here Mr. Hobart gathered the church which was the twelfth in order of time in Massachusetts proper. VOL. I. 1* 2 History of Hingham. During the few years immediately succeeding 1635 settlers came in quite respectable numbers to Hingham ; and there is every rea- son to suppose the church was in a prosperous condition. Nov. 28, 1638, Mr. Robert Peck was ordained Teacher of the church. In the " Peck Genealogy," by Ira G. Peck, we find the following account of him : — " Rev. Robert Peck was born at Beccles, Suffolk County, England, in 1580. He was graduated at Magdalene College, Cambridge; the degree of A. B. was conferred upon him in 1599, and that of A. M. in 1G03. He was set apart to the ministry, and inducted over the church at Hingham, Norfolk County, England, Jan. 8. 1605, where he remained until 1G38, when he fled from the persecutions of the church to this country." He was a talented and influential clergyman, a zealous preacher, and a non-conformist to the superstitions, ceremonies, and cor- ruptions of the church, for which he was persecuted and driven from the country. Brook, in his " Lives of the Puritans," givea many facts of interest in relation to him. In particular, giving some of the offences for which he and his followers were perse- cuted, he says : — " For having catechised his family, and sung a psalm in his own house on a Lord's day evening, when some of his neighbors attended, his lord- ship (Bishop Harsnet) enjoined all who were present to do penance, requiring them to say, ' I confess my errors,' etc." Those who refused were immediately excommunicated and re- quired to pay heavy costs. This, Mr. Brook says, appears from the bishop's manuscripts under his own hands. He says : " He was driven from his flock, deprived of his benefice, and forced to seek his bread in a foreign land." He arrived here in 1638. In relation to his arrival the town clerk of Hingham here says : — " Mr. Robert Peck, preacher of the gospel in the town of Hingham, in the county of Norfolk, old England, with his wife and two children and two servants, came over the sea and settled in the town of Hingham ; and he was a Teacher of the Church." Mr. Hobart, of Hingham, says in his Diary that he was ordained here Teacher of the church, Nov. 28, 1638. His name frequently appears upon the records of the town. He had lands granted him. His family consisted of nine children. He remained here until the long Parliament, or until the persecutions in England ceased, when he returned and resumed his rectorship at Hingham. Mr. Hobart says he returned Oct. 27, 1641. He died at Hing- ham, England, and was buried in his churchyard there. Cotton Mather, in his " Magnalia Christi Americana," has the following: — Ecclesiastical History. 3 '* Mr. Robert Peck. — This light, having been by the persecuting prel- ates ' put under a bushel,' was, by the good providence of Heaven, fetched away into New England, about the year 1638, where the good people of our Hingham did ' rejoice in the light for a season.' But within two or three years the invitation of his friends at Hingham in England persuaded him to a return unto them ; where being, though a great person for stat- ure, yet a greater for spirit, he was greatly serviceable for the good of the church." In " Blomefield's Norfolk " is the following : — •' 1605, 7 Jan. Robert Peck, A.M. Tho. Moor; by grant of Francis Lovell, Knt., he was ' a man of a very violent schismatical spirit ; he pulled down the rails and levelled the altar and the whole chancel a foot below the church, as it remains to this day ; but being prosecuted for it by Bishop Wren, he fled the kingdom and went over into New-England, with many of his parishioners, who sold their estates for half their value, and conveyed all their effects to that new plantation, erected a town and col- onie, by the name of Hingham, where many of their posterity are still remaining. He promised never to desert them ; but hearing that Bishops were deposed, he left them all to shift for themselves, and came back to Hingham in the year 1646. After 10 years' voluntary banishment he resumed his rectory, and died in the year 1656.' His funeral sermon was preached by Nathaniel Joceline, A. M., pastor of the church of Hardingham, and was published by him, being dedicated to Mr. John Sidley, high- sheriff ; Brampton- Gurdon and Mr. Day, justices of the peace ; Mr. Church, Mr. Barnham, and Mr. Man, aldermen and justices in the city of Norwich. " 1638, 25 Mag. Luke Skippon, A.M., was presented by Sir Thomas Woodhouse, Knt. and Bart., as on Peck's death, he having been absent about two years. And in — "1640, 11 April, the said Luke was reinstituted, the living being void by lapse, it appearing that Peck was alive since Skippon's first institution ; and now two years more being past, and he not appearing, it lapsed to the Crown, as on Peck's death. But in — " 1646, Peck came again, and held it to his death." A controversy which seriously affected the harmony of the church and town arose in 1644. The cause was insignificant in comparison with the principles it involved. Anthony Eames, who had been Lieutenant, was chosen Captain of the company of militia, and was presented to be commissioned by the Council. Before this was accomplished, dissatisfaction arose, and Bozoan Allen was selected. " Winthrop's Journal " gives a long account of the affair, which is quoted at length in Lincoln's " History of Hingham." Mr. Lincoln's comments are valuable, and he leaves nothing new to be gleaned. The writer of this chapter, with a filial respect for the opinions and industrious research of one whose interest in this town and its history were unceasing, pre- fers to insert the narrative as given by him rather than to attempt any description of his own. 4 History of H Ingham. CONTROVERSY WITH THE MAGISTRATES. [From the "History of Hingkaiu," by Solomon Lincoln, 1827.] It does not appear that the harmony of the church or the pros- perity of the town was interrupted until the year when the un- fortunate occurrence of the military difficulties caused a serious injury to both. The prominent part which Mr. Hobart took in this unpleasant controversy rendered him less popular at home and obnoxious to the government. His friends, however, were much the most numerous and influential party in the church ; and his conduct in relation to the minority, although it gave rise to some jealousy, and in a few instances to strong dislike, does not appear to have diminished the attachment which a majority of the citizens had uniformly exhibited towards him. From the severe and burthensome fines and expenses to which he was subjected in consequence of his zeal for popular rights, he appears to have been relieved by the liberality of the people of his charge. Previously to the difficulties of 1644, we have reason to suppose that the town was flourishing and prosperous. The situation was eligible ; the facilities for fishing and for intercourse with other towns by water contributed to enrich it. In 1654 it is described by Johnson, in his " Wonder-Working Providence," in the follow- ing manner, viz. : — "A place nothing inferiour to their Neighbours for seituatiou ; and the people have much profited themselves by transporting Timber, Planke, and Mast for shipping to the town of Boston ; as also ceder and Pine- board to supply the wants of other townes, and also to remote parts, even as far as Barbadoes. They want not for fish for themselves and others also. This towne consisted of about sixty families. The forme is some- what intricate to describe, by reason of the Seas wasting crookes where it beats upon a mouldering shore. Yet have they compleat streetes in some places. The people joyned in Church covenant in this place were much about an hundred soules, but have been lessened by a sad, un- brotherly contention which fell out among them, wasting them every way — continued already for seven yeares' space, to the great grief of all other Churches." It is this "sad unbrotherly contention"' which first attracts our attention in the early history of Hingham. It is to be re- gretted that most of the writers of the time when these difficul- ties arose should have been of that class which disapproved of the proceedings of a majority of the citizens of the town, and that no statement by those opposed to them in opinion has been preserved ; because, by comparing opposite statements, we should perhaps view the conduct of those of our ancestors who were then considered to be acting in an unjustifiable and disorderly Ecclesiastical History. 5 manner, as the result of principles more consonant to the spirit of the present age than to the feelings of men at the time when they lived. I am aware, however, that there is justice in the remark of the learned editor of Winthrop, when, in speaking of Governor Winthrop's account of these affairs, he says, " An unusual fairness for a party whose feelings had been so much engaged in the con- troversy is here shown by our author." These difficulties origi- nated among the members of the military company, gradually enlisted the feelings of the whole town, arrested the attention of the church, were taken cognizance of by the neighbouring churches, and at last required the interposition of the govern- ment. A sketcli of the rise, progress, and termination of these difficulties will illustrate the principles of our fathers, and give some indication of the spirit and asperity of controversies when the prejudices of religion and of politics were unfortunately blended together. Winthrop, in his Journal, vol. ii. p. 221, in- troduces the subject as follows : — " 1645. This court fell out a troublesome business which took up much time. The town of Hingham, having one Ernes their lieutenant seven or eight years, had lately chosen him to be their captain, and had pre- sented him to the standing council for allowance ; but before it was accomplished, the greater part of the town took some light occasion of offence against him, and chose one Allen to be their captain, and pre- sented him to the magistrates (in the time of the last general court) to be allowed. But the magistrates, considering the injury that would hereby accrue to Ernes (who had been their chief commander so many years, and had deserved well in his place, and that Allen had no other skill but what he learned from Emes), refused to allow of Allen, but willed both sides to return home, and every officer to keep his place until the court should take further order. Upon their return home, the messengers, who came for Allen, called a private meeting of those of their own party, and told them truly what answer they received from the magistrates, and soon after they appointed a training day (without their lieutenant's knowl- edge), and being assembled, the lieutenant hearing of it came to them, and would have exercised them, as he was wont to do, but those of the other party refused to follow him, except he would show them some order for it. He told them of the magistrates' order about it ; the others re- plied that authority had advised him to go home and lay down his place honourably. Another asked, what the magistrates had to do with them ? Another, that it was but three or four of the magistrates, and if they had all been there, it had been nothing, for Mr. Allen had brought more for them from the deputies, than the lieutenant had from the magistrates. Another of them professeth he will die at the sword's point, if he might not have the choice of his own officers. Another (viz. the clerk of the band) stands up above the people, and requires them to vote, whether they would bear them out in what was past and what was to come. This being assented unto, and the tumult continuing, one of the officers (he who had told them that authority had advised the lieutenant to go home and lay down his place) required Allen to take the captain's place; but 6 History of Hingham. he not then accepting it, they put it to the vote, whether he should he their captain. The vote passing for it, he then told the company, it was now past question, and thereupon Allen accepted it, and exercised the company two or three days, only about a third part of them followed the lieutenant. He, having denied in the open field, that authority had ad- vised him to lay down his place, and putting (in some sort) the lie upon those who had so reported, was the next Lord's day called to answer it before the church, and he standing to maintain what he had said, five witnesses were produced to convince him. Some of them affirmed the words, the others explained their meaning to be. that one magistrate had so advised him. He denied both. Whereupon the pastor, one Mr. Hubbert, (brother to three of the principal in this sedition), was very forward to have excommunicated the lieutenant presently, but, upon some opposition, it was put off to the next day. Thereupon the lieuten- ant and some three or four more of the chief men of the town informed four of the next magistrates of these proceedings, who forthwith met at Boston about it, (viz. the deputy governour, the sergeant major general, the secretary, and Mr. Hibbins). These, considering the case, sent war- rant to the constable to attach some of the principal offenders (viz. three of the Hubbards and two more) to appear before them at Boston, to find sureties for their appearance at the next court, &c. Upon the day they came to Boston, but their said brother the minister came before them, and fell to expostulate with the said magistrates about the said cause, complaining against the complainants, as talebearers, &c, taking it very disdainfully that his brethren should be sent for by a constable, with other high speeches, which were so provoking, as some of the magistrates told him, that, were it not for the respect to his ministry, they would commit him. When his brethren and the rest were come in, the matters of the information were laid to their charge, which they denied for the most part. So they were bound over (each for other) to the next court of assistants. After this five others were sent for by summons (these were only for speaking untruths of the magistrates in the church). They came before the deputy governour, when he was alone, and demanded the cause of their sending for, and to know their accusers. The deputy told them so much of the cause as he could remember, and referred them to the secretary for a copy, and for their accusers he told them they knew both the men and the matter, neither was a judge bound to let a criminal offender know his accusers before the day of trial, but only in his own discretion, least the accuser might be taken off or perverted, &c. Being required to give bond for their appearance, &c, they refused. The deputy laboured to let them see their errour, and gave them time to consider of it. About fourteen days after, seeing two of them in the court, (which was kept by those four magistrates for smaller causes), the deputy required them again to enter bond for their appearance, &c, and upon their second refusal committed them in that open court. " The general court falling out before the court of assistants, the Hub- berts and the two which were committed, and others of Hingham, about ninety, (whereof Mr. Hubbert their minister was the first), presented a petition to the general court, to this effect, that whereas some of them had been bound over, and others committed by some of the magistrates for words spoken concerning the power of the general court, and their liberties, and the liberties of the church, &c, they craved that the court would hear the cause, &c. This was first presented to the deputies, who Ecclesiastical History. 1 sent it to the magistrates, desiring their concurrence with them, that the cause might be heard, &c. The magistrates, marvelling that they would grant such a petition, without desiring conference first with themselves, whom it so much concerned, returned answer, that they were willing the cause should be heard, so as the petitioners would name the magistrates whom they intended, and the matters they would lay to their charge, &c. Upon this the deputies demanded of the petitioners' agents (who were then deputies of the court) to have satisfaction in those points, whereupon they singled out the deputy governour, and two of the peti- tioners undertook the prosecution. Then the petition was returned ao-ain to the magistrates for their consent, &c, who being desirous that the deputies might take notice, how prejudicial to authority and the honour of the court it would be to call a magistrate to answer crimi- nally in a cause, wherein nothing of that nature could be laid to his charge, and that without any private examination preceding, did intimate so much to the deputies, (though not directly, yet plainly enough), show- in or them that nothing criminal &c. was laid to his charge, and that the things objected to were the act of the court &c. yet if they would needs have a hearing, they would join in it. And indeed it was the desire of the ^puty, (knowing well how much himself and the other magistrates did suffer in the cause, through the slanderous reports wherewith the deputies and the country about had been possessed), that the cause might receive a public hearing. " The day appointed being come, the court assembled in the meeting house at Boston. Divers of the elders were present, and a great assembly of people. The deputy governour, coming in with the rest of the magis- trates, placed himself beneath within the bar, and so sate uncovered. Some question was in court about his being in that place (for many both of the court and the assembly were grieved at it). But the deputy tell- in^ them, that, being criminally accused, he might not sit as judge in that cause, and if he were upon the bench, it would be a great disadvan- tage to him, for he could not take, that liberty, to plead the cause, which he oucrht to be allowed at the bar, upon this the court was satisfied. " The petitioners having declared their grievances &c. the deputy craved leave to make answer, which was to this effect, viz. that he accounted it no disgrace, but rather an honour put upon him, to be singled out from his brethren in the defence of a cause so just (as he hoped to make that appear) and of so publick concernment. And although he might have pleaded to the petition, and so have demurred in law, upon three points, 1, in that there is nothing laid to his charge, that is either criminal or unjust ; 2, if he had been mistaken either in the law or in the state of the case, yet whether it were such as a judge is to be called in question for as a delin- quent, when it doth not appear to be wickedness or wilfulness ; for in England many erroneous judgments are reversed, and errours in pro- ceedings rectified, and yet the judges not called in question about them ; 3, in that being thus singled out from three other of the magistrates, and to answer by himself for some things, which were the act of a court, he is deprived of the just means of his defence, for many things may be justified as done by four, which are not warrantable if done by one alone, and the records of a court are a full justification of any act, while such record stands in force. But he was willing to waive this plea, and to make answer to the particular charges, to the end that the truth of the case, and of all proceedings thereupon might appear to all men. 8 History of Hingham. " Hereupon the court proceeded to examine the whole cause. The deputy justified all the particulars laid to his charge, as that upon credible information of such a mutinous practice, and open disturbance of the peace, and slighting of authority, the offenders were sent for, the principal by war- rant to the constable to bring them, and others by summons, and that some were bound over to the next court of assistants, and others that refused to be bound were committed ; and all this according to the equity of the laws here established, and the custom and laws of England, and our constant practice here these fifteen years. And for some speeches he was charged with as spoken to the delinquents, when they came before him at his house, when none were present with him but themselves, first, he appealed to the judgment of the court, whether delinquents may be received as competent witnesses against a magistrate in such a case ; then, for the words themselves, some he justified, some he explained so as no advantage could be taken of them, as that he should say, that the magistrates could try some criminal causes without a jury, that he knew no law of God or man, which required a judge to make known to the party his accusers (or rather witnesses) before the cause came to hearing. But two of them charged him to have said that it was against the law of God and man so to do, which had been absurd, for the deputy professed he knew no law against it, only a judge may sometimes, in discretion, conceal their names &c. least they should be tampered with, or conveyed out of the way &c. " Two of the magistrates and many of the deputies were of opinion that the magistrates exercised too much power, and that the people's liberty was thereby in danger ; and other of the deputies (being about half) and all the rest of the magistrates were of a different judgment, and that authority was overmuch slighted, which, if not timely remedied, would endanger the commonwealth, and bring us to a mere democracy. By occasion of this difference, there was not so orderly carriage at the hear- ing, as was meet, each side striving unseasonably to enforce the evidence, and declaring their judgments thereupon, which should have been re- served to a more private debate (as after it was), so as the best part of two days was spent in this publick agitation and examination of witnesses &c. This being ended, a committee was chosen of magistrates and depu- ties, who stated the case, as it appeared upon the whole pleading and evidence, though it cost much time, and with great difficulty did the com- mittee come to accord upon it. " The case being stated and agreed, the magistrates and deputies consid- ered it apart, first the deputies, having spent a whole day, and not attain- ing to any issue, sent up to the magistrates to have their thoughts about it, who taking it into consideration, (the deputy always withdrawing when that matter came into debate), agreed upon these four points chiefly; 1. that the petition was false and scandalous , 2. that those who were bound over &c. and others that were parties to the disturbance at Hingham, were all offenders, though in different degrees, 3. that they and the peti- tioners were to be censured, 4. that the deputy governour ought to be acquit and righted &c. This being sent down to the deputies, they spent divers days about it, and made two or three returns to the magistrates, and though they found the petition false and scandalous, and so voted it, yet they would not agree to any censure. The magistrates, on the other side, were resolved for censure, and for the deputy's full acquittal. The deputies being thus hard held to it. and growing weary of the court, Ecclesiastical History. 9 for it began (3) 14, and brake not up (save one week) till (5) 5, were content they should pay the charges of the court. After, they were drawn to consent to some small fines, but in this they would have drawn in lieutenant Ernes to have been fined deeply, he being neither plaintiff nor defendant, but an informer only, and had made good all the points of his information, and no offence found in him, other than that which was after adjudged worthy of admonition only ; and they would have imposed the charges of the court upon the whole trained band at Hing- ham, when it was apparent, that divers were innocent, and had no hand in any of these proceedings. The magistrates not consenting to so manifest injustice, they sent to the deputies to desire them to join with them in calling in the help of the elders, (for they were now assembled at Cam- bridge from all parts of the United Colonies, and divers of them were present when the cause was publickly heard, and declared themselves much grieved to see that the deputy governour should be called forth to answer as a delinquent in such a case as this was, and one of them, in the name of the rest, had written to him to that effect, fearing lest he should apprehend over deeply of the injury &c.) but the deputies would by no means consent thereto, for they knew that many of the elders understood the cause, and were more careful to uphold the honour and power of the magistrates than themselves well liked of, and many of them (at the request of the elder and others of the church of Hingham during this court) had been at Hingham, to see if they could settle peace in the church there, and found the elder and others the petitioners in great fault &c. After this (upon motion of the deputies) it was agreed to refer the cause to arbitrators, according to an order of the court, when the magistrates and deputies cannot agree &c. The magistrates named six of the elders of the next towns, and left it to them to choose any three or four of them, and required them to name six others. The deputies finding themselves now at the wall, and not daring to trust the elders with the cause, they sent to desire that six of themselves might come and confer with the magistrates, which being granted, they came, and at last came to this agreement, viz. the chief petitioners and the rest of the offenders were severally fined, (all their fines not amounting to 50 pounds), the rest of the petitioners to bear equal share to 50 pounds more towards the charges of the court, (two of the principal offenders were the deputies of the town, Joshua Hubbert and Bozone Allen, the first was fined 20 pounds, and the other 5 pounds), lieutenant Ernes to be under admonition, the deputy governour to be legally and publickly acquit of all that was laid to his charge. "According to this agreement, (5) 3, presently after the lecture the magistrates and deputies took their places in the meeting house, and the people being come together, and the deputy governour placing himself within* the bar, as at the time of the hearing &c. the governour read the sentence of the court, without speaking any more, for the deputies had (by importunity) obtained a promise of silence from the magistrates. Then was the deputy governour desired by the court to go up and take his place again upon the bench, which he did accordingly, and the court being about to arise, he desired leave for a little speech, which was to this effect. '"I suppose something may be expected from me, upon this charge that is befallen me, which moves me to speak now to you ; yet I intend not to intermeddle in the proceedings of the court, or with any of the 10 History of Hingham. persons concerned therein. Only I bless God, that I see an issue of this troublesome business. I also acknowledge the justice of the court, and, for mine own part, I am well satisfied, I was publickly charged, and I am publickly and legally acquitted, which is all I did expect or desire. And though this be sufficient for my justification before men, yet not so before the God, who hath seen so much amiss in my dis- pensations (and even in this affair) as calls me to be humble. For to be publickly and criminally charged in this court, is matter of humiliation, (and I desire to make a right use of it), notwithstanding I be thus acquitted. If her father had spit in her face, (saith the Lord concerning Miriam), should she not have been ashamed seven days ? Shame had lien upon her. whatever the occasion had been. I am unwilling to stay you from your urgent affairs, yet give me leave (upon this special occa- sion) to speak a little more to this assembly. It may be of some good use, to inform and rectify the judgments of some of the people, and may prevent such distempers as have arisen amongst us. The great ques- tions that have troubled the country, are about the authority of the magistrates and the liberty of the people. It is yourselves who have called us to this office, and being called by you. we have our authority from God, in way of an ordinance, such as hath the image of God emi- nently stamped upon it, the contempt and violation whereof hath been vindicated with examples of divine vengeance. I entreat you to consider, that when you choose magistrates, you take them from among your- selves, men subject to like passions as you are. Therefore when you see infirmities in us, you should reflect upon your own, and that would make you bear more with us, and not be severe censurers of the failings of your magistrates, when you have continual experience of the like infirmi- ties in yourselves and others. We account him a good servant, who breaks not his covenant. The covenant between you and us is the oath you have taken of us, which is to this purpose, that we shall govern you and judge your causes by the rules of God's laws and our own, according to our best skill. When you agree with a workman to build you a ship or house &c. he undertakes as well for his skill as for his faithfulness, for it is his profession, and you pay him for both. But when you call one to be a magistrate, he doth not profess nor undertake to have suffi- cient skill for that office, nor can you furnish him with gifts &c. therefore you must run the hazard of his skill and ability. But if he fail in faith- fulness, which by his oath he is bound unto, that he must answer for. If it fall out that the case be clear to common apprehension, and the rule clear also, if he transgresses here, the errour is not in the skill, but in the evil of the will : it must be required of him. But if the cause be doubt- ful, or the rule doubtful, to men of such understanding and parts as your magistrates are, if your magistrates should err here, yourselves must bear it. " ' For the other point concerning liberty, I observe a great mistake in the country about that. There is a twofold liberty, natural (I mean as our nature is now corrupt) and civil or federal. The first is common to men with beasts and other creatures. By this, man, as he stands in rela- tion to man simply, hath liberty to do what he lists ; it is a liberty to evil as well as to good. This liberty is incompatible and inconsistent with authority, and cannot endure the least restraint of the most just authority. The exercise and maintaining of this liberty makes men grow more evil, and in time to be worse than brute beasts ; omnes sumus licentia deteri- Ecclesiastical History. 11 ores. That is that great enemy of truth and peace, that wild beast, which all the ordinances of God are bent against, to restrain and subdue it. The other kind of liberty I call civil or federal, it may also be termed moral, in reference to the covenant between God and man, in the moral law, and the politic covenants and constitutions amongst men themselves. This liberty is the proper end and object of authority, and cannot subsist without it ; and it is a liberty to that only which is good, just, and hon- est. This liberty you are to stand for, with the hazard (not only of your goods, but) of your lives, if need be. Whatsoever crosseth this, is not authority, but a distemper thereof. This liberty is maintained and exercised in a way of subjection to authority ; it is of the same kind of liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free. The woman's own choice makes such a man her husband ; yet being so chosen, he is her lord, and she is to be subject to him, yet in a way of liberty, not of bondage ; and a true wife accounts her subjection her honour and freedom, and would not think her condition safe and free, but in her subjection to her husband's authority. Such is the liberty of the church under the authority of Christ, her king and husband; his yoke is easy and sweet to her as a bride's ornaments ; and if through frowardness or wantonness &c. she shake it off, at any time, she is at no rest in her spirit, until she take it up again; and whether her lord smiles upon her, and embraceth her in his arms, or whether he frowns, or rebukes, or smites her, she appre- hends the sweetness of his love in all, and is refreshed, supported, and instructed by every such dispensation of his authority over her. On the other side, ye know who they are that complain of this yoke and say, let us break their bands &c. we will not have this man to rule over us. Even so, brethren, it will be between you and your magistrates. If you stand for your natural corrupt liberties, and will do what is good in your own eves, you will not endure the least weight of authority, but will murmur, and oppose, and be always striving to shake off that yoke ; but if vou will be satisfied to enjoy such civil and lawful liberties, such as Christ allows you, then will you -quietly and cheerfully submit unto that authority which is set over you, in all the administrations of it, for your good. Wherein, if we fail at any time, we hope we shall be willing (by God's assistance) to hearken to good advice from any of you, or in any other way of God ; so shall your liberties be preserved, in upholding the honour and power of authority amongst you.' " The following notes of the proceedings of the deputies and magistrates in relation to this affair were collected by Mr. Savage and published in his edition of Winthrop : — " The first order of the magistrates is as follows : ' Fined the persons after named in such sums as hereafter are expressed, having been as mod- erate and gone as low as they any ways could with the holding up of authority in any measure, and the maintenance of justice, desiring the concurrence of the deputies herein, that at length an end may be put to this long and tedious business. Joshua Hubbard is fined £20 00 00 Edmond Hubbard 5 00 00 Thomas Hubbard 2 00 00 Edmond Gold 1 00 00 John Faulshame 20 00 00 12 History of Hingham. John Towers £5 00 00 Daniel Cushin 2 10 00 William Hersey 10 00 00 Mr. Bozon Allen 10 00 00 Mr. Peter Hubbard, the first that subscribed the petition, 2 00 00 All the rest of the petitioners being fined 81, out of which number are ex- cepted three ; viz., Mr. Peter Hubbard, John Foulshame, and John Tow- ers. The rest, making 78, are fined 20 shillings a piece, the sum of which is — £155 10. " ' We have also voted, that, according to the order of the general court, for so long time as their cause hath been in handling, the petitioners shall bear the charge of the general court, the sum of which costs is to be cast up and agreed by the court when the cause is finished.' " ' The House of Deputies, having issued the Hingham business before the judgment of our honoured magistrates upon the case came down, they have hereunder expressed their determinate censures upon such as they find delinquent in the case ; viz., — Joshua Hubbard is fined £20 00 00 Anthony Eames 5 00 00 Thomas Hubbard . 4 00 00 Edmond Hubbard . 10 00 00 Daniel Cushan 4 00 00 > William Hersey 4 00 00 Mr. Allen, beside his proportion with the trainband . 1 00 00 Edmond Gold 2 00 00 " ' The rest of the trainband of Hingham. that have an equal vote allowed them by law for the choice of their military officers, are fined 55 pounds, to be paid by equal proportion ; the which said sums of 50 and do pounds are laid upon the said delinquents for the satisfying of the charge of the court occasioned by the hearing of the cause, in case the said charge shall arise to the sum of 105 pounds. The deputies desire the consent of the magistrates herein.' " Several discordant votes passed each branch before the business was brought to its close." After giving an account of the proceedings of the court, Winthrop remarks as follows : — " I should have mentioned the Hingham case, what care and pains many of the elders had taken to reconcile the differences which were grown in that church. Mr. Hubbert, the pastor there, being of a Presby- terial spirit, did manage all affairs without the church's advice; which divers of the congregation not liking of, they were divided in two parts. Lieutenant Ernes, &c, having complained to the magistrates, as is before expressed, Mr. Hubbert, &c, would have cast him out of the church, pre- tending that he told a lie ; whereupon they procured the elders to write to the church, and so did some of the magistrates also ; whereupon they stayed proceeding against the lieutenant for a day or two. But he and some twelve more of them, perceiving he was resolved to proceed, and finding no way of reconciliation, they withdrew from the church, and openly declared it in the congregation. This course the elders did not approve of. But being present in the court when their petition against the deputy governour was heard, Mr. Hubbert, perceiving the cause was Ecclesiastical History. 13 like to go against him and his party, desired the elders to go to Hingham to mediate a reconciliation (which he would never hearken to before, being earnestly sought by the other party and offered by the elders) in the interim of the court's adjournment for one week. They readily accepted the motion, and went to Hingham and spent two or three days there, and found the pastor and his party in great fault, but could not bring him to any acknowledgment. In their return by water they were kept twenty-four hours in the boat, and were in great danger by occasion of a tempest which arose in the night ; but the Lord preserved them." But the difficulties did not terminate here. The authority of government was resisted when the marshal attempted to levy the fines imposed on the petitioners. The following is Winthrop's account of the matter : — "1G46. 26. (1.) " The governour and council met at Boston to take order about a rescue which they were informed of to have been committed at Hingham upon the marshal, when he went to levy the fines imposed upon Mr. Hubberd their pastor and many others who joined with him in the petition against the magistrates, &c. And having taken the infor- mation of the marshal and others, they sent out summons for their appearance at another day ; at which time Mr. Hubberd came not, nor sent any excuse, though it was proved that he was at home and that the summons was left at his house. Whereupon he was sent for by attachment directed to the constable, who brought him at the day of the return. And being then charged with joining in the said rescue by ani- mating the offenders and discouraging the officer, questioning the au- thority of his warrant because it was not in the king's name, and standing upon his allegiance to the crown of England and exemption from such laws as were not agreeable to the laws of England, saying to the marshal that he could never know wherefore he was fined, except it were for peti- tioning, and, if they were so waspish that they might not be petitioned, he knew not what to say to it, &c. — all the answer he would give was, that, if he had broken any wholesome law not repugnant to the laws of England, he was ready to submit to censure. So he was bound over to the next court of assistants. " The court being at Boston, Mr. Hubberd appeared, and the marshal's information and other concurrent testimony being read to him and his answer demanded, he desired to know in what state he stood, and what offence he should be charged with, or what wholesome law of the land, not repugnant to the law of England, he had broken. The court told him that the matters he was charged with amounted to a seditious practice, and derogation and contempt of authority. He still pressed to know what law, &c. He was told that the oath which he had taken was a law to him; and, besides, the law of God, which we were to judge by in case of a defect of an express law. He said that the law of God ad- mitted various interpretations, &c. Then he desired to see his accusers. Upon that the marshal was called, who justified his information. Then he desired to be tried by a jury, and to have the witnesses produced viva voce. The secretary told him that two were pi-esent and the third was sworn to his examination (but in that he was mistaken, for he had not been sworn) ; but to satisfy him he was sent for and sworn in court. The matters testified against him were his speeches to the marshal before 14 History of Hingham. thirty persons against our authority and government, &c. 1. That we were hut as a corporation in England ; 2. That by our patent (as he understood it), we could not put any man to death, nor do divers other things which we did ; 3. That he knew not wherefore the general court had fined them, except it were for petitioning; and if they were so wasp- ish (or captious) as they might not be petitioned, &c. — and other speeches tending to disparage our authority and proceedings. Accordingly a bill was drawn up, &c, and the jury found that he seemed to be ill affected to this government, and that his speeches tended to sedition and contempt of authority. Whereupon the whole court (except Mr. Bellinoham, who judged him to deserve no censure, and desired in open court to have his dissent recorded) adjudged him to pay 20 pounds fine, and to be bound to his good behaviour till the next court of assistants, and then farther if the court should see cause. At this sentence his spirit rose, and he would know what the good behaviour was, and desired the names of the jury arid a copy of all the proceedings, which was granted him ; and so he was dismissed at present." In 1646 the celebrated petition of Dr. Child and six others for the abolition of " the distinctions which were maintained here, both in civil and church estate," and that the people of this country might be wholly governed by the laws of England, was presented to the House of Deputies. Six of the petitioners were cited before the court and charged with great offences contained in this petition. They appealed to the Parliament of England, and offered security to abide by their sentence; but the court thought proper to sentence the offenders to fine and imprisonment. The petitioners then resolved to lay their case before Parliament , and Dr. Child, Mr. Vassall, and Mr. Fowle went to England for that purpose.1 But it appears that they met with very ill success in their exertions. Their papers were published at London by Major John Child, brother of Dr. Robert Child, in a tract entitled " New England's Jonas Cast up at London," in allusion, probably, to the remark of Mr. Cotton in one of his sermons, " that, if any shall carry any writings or complaints against the people of God in this country to England, it would be as Jonas in the ship." This tract was answered by Mr. Wiuslow, who was then in England, in another tract, entitled " The Salamander," " wherein," says Winthrop, " he cleared the justice of the proceedings" of the government here. I introduced this notice of the petition of Dr. Child and others for the purpose of correcting an error into which Hutchinson and Neal have fallen in confounding this controversy with that of our military dispute which created so much excitement in the country. It is proper to mention, however, that Mr. Hobart was suspected of "having a hand in it," and consequently was obliged to suffer another of the mortifications to which the relentless spirit of per- 1 An amusing account of the superstitious terror of some of the passengers in the vessel in which the petitioners went to England, and of the ill success of their petition, may be found in Neal's "History of New England." Ecclesiastical History. 15 secution had subjected him. I give, however, Winthrop's account in his own words : — "In 1646. (9). 4. ] This court the business of Gorton, &c, and of the petitioners Dr. Child, &c, were taken into consideration, and it was thought needful to send some able men to England, with commission and instructions to satisfy the commissioners for plantations about those com- plaints ; and because it was a matter of so great and general concernment, such of the elders as could be had were sent for, to have their advice in the matter. Mr. Hubbard, of Hingham, came with the rest ; but the court, being informed that he had an hand in a petition which Mr. Vassall carried into England against the country in general, the governour pro- pounded that if any elder present had any such hand, &c, he would with- draw himself. Mr. Hubbard sitting still a good space, and no man speaking, one of the deputies informed the court that Mr. Hubbard was the man suspected ; whereupon he rose and said that he knew nothing of any such petition. The governour replied, that, seeing he was now named, he must needs deliver his mind about him ; which was, that, although they had no proof present about the matter of the petition, and therefore his denial was a sufficient clearing, &c, yet in regard he had so much opposed authority and offered such contempt to it, as for which he had been lately bound to his good behaviour, he thought he would (in dis- cretion) withdraw himself, &c, whereupon he went out. Then the gover- nour put the court in mind of a great miscarriage, in that our secretest counsels were presently known abroad, which could not be but by some among ourselves, and desired them to look at it as a matter of great unfaithfulness, and that our present consultations might be kept in the breast of the court, and not be divulged abroad, as others had been." Winthrop then remarks upon a special providence of God (as he terms it), in which he takes it for granted that Mr. Hobart, the people of Hingham, and Dr. Child entertained similar views, if they did not openly combine their efforts to promote them. " I must here observe a special providence of God, pointing out his dis- pleasure against some profane persons who took part with Dr. Child, &c, against the government and churches here. The court had appointed a general fast, to seek God (as for some other occasions, so) in the trouble which threatened us by the petitioners, &c. The pastor of Hingham, and others of hi* church (being of their party), made light of it, and some said they would not fast against Dr. Child and against themselves ; and there were two of them (one Pitt and Johnson) who, having a great raft of masts and planks (worth forty or fifty pounds) to tow to Boston, would needs set forth about noon the day before (it being impossible they could get to Boston before the fast ; but when they came at Castle Island there arose such a tempest, as carried away their raft, and forced them to cut their mast to save their lives. Some 6f their masts and planks they re- covered after, where it had been cast on shore ; but when they came with it to the Castle, they were forced back again, and were so oft put back with contrary winds, &c, as it was above a month before they could bring all the remainder to Boston." The editor of Winthrop in noticing these remarks very justly observes, that " unless we be always careful to consider the cause 16 History of Hingham. of any special providence, we may fail in our views of the dis- pleasure of God ; " and notices the fact that the clergy, when they came to this town to reduce the church members to sobriety, " were kept twenty-four hours in the boat, and were in great dan- ger by occasion of a tempest." The last time at which Mr. Hobart was made to feel the dis- pleasure of the government was in 1647. Winthrop mentions it in the following manner : — " 4. (6). There was a great marriage to be solemnized at Boston. The bridegroom being of Hingham, Mr. Hubbard's church, he was pro- cured to preach, and came to Boston to that end. But the magistrates, hearing of it, sent to him to forbear. The reasons were, 1. for that his spirit had been discovered to be adverse to our ecclesiastical and civil government, and he was a bold man, and would speak his mind, 2. we were not willing to bring in the English custom of ministers performing the solemnity of marriage, which sermons at such times might induce, but if any minister were present, and would bestow a word of exhortation, &c, it was permitted." I have thus gleaned from Winthrop all the facts which his val- uable journal contains, relating in any manner to the military difficulties in this town, and to the conduct of the most promi- nent individuals concerned in them. The dispassionate reader, while he will give to Winthrop all the credit to which his impartiality entitles him, cannot fail to discover some circumstances which tend to extenuate the crimi- nality of the conduct of a large and respectable portion of the inhabitants of this town. The convictions which the deputy gov- ernor entertained of the disorderly and seditious course of Mr. Hobart and his friends were deep and strong ; and in some in stances his conduct indicated anything but a charitable spirit towards those whose principal error (if any) consisted in their attachment to more liberal views of government than those gen- erally entertained at that time. Winthrop acknowledges, that "the great questions that troubled the country were about the authority of the magistrates and the liberty of the people." " Two of the magistrates and many of the deputies," esteemed for piety, prudence, and justice, " were of opinion that the magistrates exercised too much power, and that the people's liberty was thereby in danger," and the ten- dency of their principles and conduct was (in the opinion of the deputy governor), to have brought the commonwealth "to a mere democracy." Thus we learn that one of the military company here pro- fessed " he would die at the sword's point, if he might not have the choice of his own officers." Some of the principles and privileges for which our fathers contended, were undoubtedly too liberal and republican for the spirit of the age in which they lived. They were, perhaps, injudicious and indiscreet in their Ecclesiastical History. 17 endeavors to promote their views ; and probably in some instances might not have expressed that respect for the constituted authori- ties to which their character entitled them. The most superficial reader, however, may discover in the conduct of the deputy gov- ernor something of the spirit of bigotry which was, unfortunately, too often allowed to affect the judgments of the wisest and best of men at that time, and which operated very much to the injury of those who entertained more liberal opinions in politics and religion. The deputies, although conscious of the disorder which such principles might cause in the community, did not feel so strong a disregard of the motives of the people of Hiugham, which impelled them to the course which they pursued, as to in- duce them to consent to impose on them heavy fines, without great reluctance. The deputy governor appears to have been very sensitive on the subject of innovations upon the authority of government, and strongly bent, not only upon punishing, but desirous of publicly disgracing the " profane " people of Hingham. He seems to have " engulphed Bible, Testament, and all, into the common law," as authority for the severe measures which were taken to mortify their feelings and to check the spread of principles so democratic in their tendency, and so dangerous to the interests of the com- monwealth. Accordingly, we find that the magistrates sent to Mr. Hobart to forbear delivering a discourse on the occasion of the marriage of one of his church, at Boston, among other rea- sons, " because he was a bold man, and would speak his mind." The effect of this controversy does not appear to have been ultimately injurious to the most conspicuous individuals engaged in it. Mr. Hobart, the pastor of Hingham, enjoyed the esteem of his people, and as has been before remarked, was relieved from the severe penalties which he incurred, by the liberality of the people of the town. His brother Joshua was afterwards frequently a deputy, and in 1674 he was honored by an election to the office of Speaker to the House of Deputies. It is to be admitted that the excitement necessarily caused by the agitation of this business served to retard the growth and prosperity of the town ; and while the effects of the displeasure of the government were operating to its injury, many of the in- habitants removed to other places. The affairs of the church were apparently in a peaceable and prosperous condition after the conclusion of this troublesome af- fair. Nothing of importance occurred until the declining strength of the venerable pastor necessitated the settlement of a succes- sor in the person of Mr. John Norton, in 1678. Mr. Hobart was now in his seventy-fifth year, and he had served this people faith- fully and with marked ability for over forty-three years. VOL. I. — 2* 18 History of Hingham. THE LIFE OP MR. PETER HOBART. BY COTTON MATHER. It was a saying of Alphonsus (whom they sir-named " the wise, King of Arragon,") that " among so many things as are by men possessed or pursued in the course of their lives, all the rest are baubles, besides old wood to burn, old wine to drink, old friends to converse with, and old books to read." Now, there having been Protestant and reformed colo- nies here formed, in a new world, and those colonies now growing old, it will certainly be no unwise thing for them to converse with some of their old friends, among which one was Mr. Peter Hobart, whom therefore a new book shall now present unto my readers. Mr. Peter Hobart was born at or near Hingham, a market town in the county of Norfolk, about the latter end of the year 1604. His parents were eminent for piety, and even from their youth " feared God above many ; " wherein their zeal was more conspicuous by the impiety of the neighbourhood, among whom there were but three or four in the whole town that minded serious religion, and these were sufficiently maligned by the irreligious for their Puritanism. These parents of our Hobart were such as had obtained each other from the God of heaven, by Isaac- like prayers unto him, and such as afterwards " besieged Heaven " with a continual importunity for a blessing upon their children, whereof the second was this our Peter. This their son was, like another Samuel, from his infancy dedicated by them unto the ministry, and in order thereunto, sent betimes unto a grammar school ; whereto, such was his desire of learning, that he went several miles on foot every morning, and by his early appearance there, still shamed the sloth of others. He went afterwards unto the free-school at Lyn, from whence, when he was by his master judged fit for it, he was admitted into a colledge in the University of Cambridge ; where he remained, studied, profited, until he proceeded Batchellor of Arts ; giving all along an example of sobriety, gravity, aversion from all vice, and inclination to the service of God. Retiring then from the university, he taught a grammar school ; but he lodged in the house of a conformist minister, who, though he were no friend unto Puritans, yet he employed this our young Hobart sometimes to preach for him ; and when asked, " What his opinion of this young man was? " he said, "I do highly approve his abilities ; he will make an able preacher, but I fear he will be too precise." When the time for it came he returned unto the university, and proceeded Master of Arts : but the rest of his time in England was attended with much unsettlement of his condition. He was employed here and there, as godly people could obtain permission from the parson of the parish, who upon any little dis- gust would recal that permission : and yet all this while, by the blessing of God upon his own diligence and discretion, and the frugality of his virtuous consort, he lived comfortably. The last place of his residence in England was in the town of Haverhil, where he was a lecturer, labori- ous and successful in the vineyard of our Lord. His parents, his brethren, his sisters, had not, without a great affliction to him, embarked for New-England ; but some more time after this, the cloud of prelatical impositions and persecutions grew so black upon him, Ecclesiastical History. 19 that the solicitations of his friends obtained from him a resolution for New-England also, where he hoped for a more settled abode, which was most agreeable to his inclination. Accordingly, in the summer of the year 1635, he took ship, with his wife and four children, and after a voyage by constant sickness rendered very tedious to him, he arrived at Charlestown, where he found his de- sired relations got safe before him. Several towns now addressed him to become their minister ; but he chose with his father's family and some other Christians to form a new plantation, which they called Hingham ; and there gathering a church, he continued a faithful pastor and an able preacher for many years. And his old people at Haverhil indeed, in some time after, sent most importunate letters unto him, to invite his re- turn for England ; and he had certainly returned, if the letters had not so miscarried, that before his advice to them, there fell out some remarkable and invincible hindrances of his removal. Not long after this, he had (as his own expression for it was) " his heart rent out of his breast," by the death of his consort; but his Christian, patient, and submissive resignation was rewarded by his marriage to a second, that proved a rich blessing unto him. His house was also edified and beautified with many children, on whom when he looked he would say sometimes with much thankfulness, " Behold, thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord ! " and for whom he employed many tears in his prayers to God, that they might be happy, and, like another Job, offered up his daily supplications. His love to learning made him strive hard that his hopeful sons might not go without a learned education ; and accordingly we find four or five of them wearing laurels in the catalogue of our graduates ; and several of them are at this day worthy preachers of the gospel in our churches. He was mostly a morning student, not meriting the name of Homo Lec- tissimus, as he in the witty epigrammatist, from his long lying a bed; and yet he would improve the darkness of the evening also for solemn, fixed, and illuminating meditations. He. was much admired for well-studied ser- mons ; and even in the midst of secular diversions and distractions, his active mind would be busie at providing materials for the composure of them. He much valued that rule, study standing ; and until old age and weakness compelled him, he rarely would study sitting. . . . And when he had an opportunity to hear a sermon from any other minister, he did it with such a diligent and reverent attention, as made it manifest that he worshipped God in doing of it ; and he was very careful to be present still, at the beginning of the exercises, counting it a recreation to sit and wait for the worship of God. Moreover, his heart was knit in a most sincere and hearty love towards pious men, though they were not in all things of his own perswasion. He would admire the grace of God in good men, though they were of senti- ments contrary unto his ; and he would say, u I can carry them in my bosome : " nor was he by them otherwise respected. There was deeply rooted in him a strong antipathy to all profanities, whereof he was a faithful reprover, both in publick and in private ; and when his reproofs prevailed not, he would " weep in secret places." Drinking to excess, and mispence of precious time in tipling or talking with vain persons, which he saw grown too common, was an evil so ex- tremely offensive to him, that he would call it " sitting at meat, in an idol's temple ; " and when he saw that vanity grow upon the more high profes- 20 History of Hingham. sors of religion, it was yet more distasteful to him, who in his own beha- viour was a great example of temperance. Pride, expressed in a gaiety and bravery of apparel, would also cause him with much compassion to address the young persons with whom he saw it budding, and advise them to correct it, with more care to adorn their souls with such things as were of great price before God : and here likewise his own example joined handsomeness with gravity, and a moder- ation that could not endure a show. But there was no sort of men from whom he more turned away than those who, under a pretence of zeal for church discipline, were very pragmatical in controversies, and furiously set upon having all things carried their way, which they would call " the rule," but at the same time were most insipid creatures, destitute of the " life and power of godliness," and perhaps unmoral in their conversations. To these he would apply a saying of Mr. Cotton's, " that some men are all church and no Christ." He was a person that met with many temptations and afflictions, which are better forgotten than remembered, but he was internally and is now eternally a gainer by them. It is remarked of the Patriarch Jacob that when he was a very old man, and much older than the most that lived after him, he complained, 'l Few and evil have been the days of the years of myJlife," in which complaint the few is explained by the evil. His days were winter-days, and spent in the darkness of sore calamity. Winter- days are twenty-four hours long as well as other days, yea, longer, if the equation of time should be mathematically considered, yet we count them the shorter days. Thus, although our Hobart lived unto old age, he might call his days few, because they had been evil. But " mark this perfect man, and behold this upright one ; for the end of this man was peace." In the spring of the year 1G70, he was visited with a sickness that seemed the " messenger of death ; " but it was his humble desire that, by having his life prolonged a little further, he might see the education of his own younger children perfected, and bestow more labour also upon the conversion of the young people in his congregation. " I have travelled in the ministry in this place thirty-five years, and might it please God so far to lengthen out my days, as to make it up forty, I should not, I think desire any more." Now, the Lord heard this desire of his praying servant, and added no less than eight years more unto his days. The most part of which time, except the last three-quarters of a year, he was employed in the publick services of his ministry. Being recovered from his illness, he proved that he did not flatter with his lips in the vows that he had made for his recovery, for he now set himself with great fervor to gather the children of his church under the saving wings of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in order thereunto he preached many pungent sermons on Eccl. xi. 9, 10, and Eccl. xii. 1, and used many other successful endeavours. Though his labours were not without success, yet the success was not so general and notable but that he would complain, " Alas, for the barren- ness of my ministry ! " And when he found his lungs decay by old age and fever, he would clap his hands on his breast, and say, " The bellows are burnt, the founder has melted in vain ! " At length, infirmities grew so fast upon this painful servant of our Lord, that in the summer of the year 1678 he seemed apace drawing on to his end, but after some revivals he again got abroad ; however, he seldom, if ever, preached after it, but only administered the sacraments. In this time his humility, and consequently Ecclesiastical History. 21 all the other graces which God gives unto the humble, grew exceedingly and observably ; and hence he took delight in hearing the commendations of other men, though sometimes they were so unwisely uttered as to carry some diminutions unto himself, and he set himself particularly to put all respect and' honour upon the ministers that came in the time of his weak- ness to supply his place. After and under his confinement, the singing of psalms was an exercise wherein he took a particular delight, saying, " That it was the work of heaven, which he was willing to anticipate." But about eight weeks before his expiration, he did with his aged hand ordain a successor ; which, when he had performed with much solemnity, he did afterwards with an assembly of ministers and other Christians at his own house, joyfully sing the song of aged Simeon, " Thy servant now lettest thou depart in peace." He had now " nothing to do but to die," and he spent his hours accordingly in assiduous preparations, not without some dark intervals of temptation, but at last with "light arising in dark- ness "unto him. While his exteriour was decaying, his interiour was re- newing every day, until the twentieth day of January, 1678, when he quietly and silently resigned his holy soul unto its faithful Creator. EPITAPHIUM D. PETRI HOBARTI. Ossa sub hoc Saxo Latitant, defossa Sepulchro, Spiritus in Coelo, carcere, missus agit. Mr. Savage, the learned editor of " Winthrop's Journal," says of this mention of Mr. Hobart in the " Magnalia " : — " As usual, Mather proves his kindness more than his accuracy ; for he speaks of Hobart as having been a minister at Haverhill, in England, and without hesitation affirms that he was earnestly invited to return thither after he had been here some years. Hobart's own journal does not en- courage such a representation, and -all other old writings in our Hingham uniformly claim the derivation of the pastor and flock from the village of the same name in Norfolk. This is probably a mere blunder, for the ecclesiastical historian, as he has sometimes been absurdly called, has repeated correctly some things, — as that he was born in 1604 and died January, 1678-9. Mather says he took ship in the summer of 1635, when we know it was in April ; and he adds that, on arriving at Charles- town, 'he found his desired relations got safe there before him.' But his father had been here nearly two years, and two of his brothers, at least, not less than one year, so that he, no doubt, had letters from them before leaving home. From Mather, too, we might be in doubt whether he had ' four, or five ' sons in the ministry, though the author had certainly in- quired of one of them. Such is the customary laxness of the ' Magnalia.' ' Rev. John Norton, the second minister, was born in Ipswich about 1650, and was graduated at Harvard College in 1671, Chief- Justice Sewall being one of his classmates. He was ordained colleague pastor with Mr. Hobart, Nov. 27, 1678. Of Mr. Norton little is known. His ministry seems to have been for the most part quiet and peaceable. He is described as a man of amiable character, fervent piety, and religious zeal, a faithful and beloved 22 History of Hingham. pastor. Only one of his sermons was printed. This was an Election Sermon, delivered on May 26, 1708. Judge Sewall makes the following entry in his " Diary " : — " Midweek, May 26, 1708. Mr. Jno. Norton preaches a Flattering Sermon as to the Governour." " May 27. I was with a Comittee in the morn, . . . and so by God's good providence absent when Mr. Corwin and Cushing were order'd to Thank Mr. Norton for his sermon and desire a Copy." Praise of Governor Dudley was distasteful to Judge Sewall, who was opposed to the policy of the Governor. March 26, 1710, Judge Sewall " went to Hingham to Meeting, heard Mr. Norton from Psal. cxlv. 18. Setting forth the Propi- tiousness of God." Mr. Norton died Oct. 3, 1716, in the sixty-sixth year of his age, and the thirty-eighth year of his ministry. It was during the ministrv of Mr. Norton that the first meeting- house became too small for the growing town, and a second house was erected. The first meeting-house was built shortly after the gathering of the church in 1635. It was on the main street, on a hill in front of the present site of the Derby Academy. It was surrounded by a palisade erected in 1645 " to prevent any danger that may come into this town by any assault of the Indians," and was surmounted by a belfry with a bell. Around it upon the slope of the hill the dead were buried. The hill was removed in 1831, and the re- mains, which were disinterred by the removal, were buried within the old fort in the Hingham cemetery, and a monument erected over them by the town, bearing the inscription " To the first set- tlers of Hingham. Erected by the Town, 1839." The first meeting-house was undoubtedly a rude structure, but there are indications that it was not wholly without ornament. For forty-five years it was the only house for public worship in the town. Jan. 19, 1679-80, the town agreed to build a new meeting-house " with all convenient speed," and a committee was appointed to view the meeting-houses of other towns, for the purpose of ascer- taining the dimensions of a building necessary to accommodate the inhabitants, and the probable expense. This committee were to report to the town at the next town-meeting in May following. May 3, 1680, the Selectmen were directed to " carry on the business to effect about building a new meeting-house," and it was voted " to have the new meeting-house set up in the place where the old one doth now stand." On this last question the Town Records give the names of thirty-four persons voting in the affirmative, and eleven in the negative. Aug. 11, 1680, the dimensions of the house were fixed by the town as follows: length, 35 feet; breadth, 45 feet; and height Ecclesiastical History. 23 of the posts " twenty, or one and twenty feet," with galleries on one side and at both ends. May 2, 1681, the town approved of the action of the Selectmen in relation to the building of the new meeting-house, and the place where it was to be set. Thirty-seven persons dissented from this vote. These transactions were brought to the notice of the Gov- ernor, and the authority of the magistrates interposed. The following are copies of papers in the State archives : — Boston, May 16th, 1681. The Governor and Magistrates having considered the prsent motions in Hingham relating to the placing of a New meeting house, and also perceiving by Information of the Hond Wm- Stoughton and Joseph Dud- ley Esq" who were desired to view the place of the present House (which is judged to be inconvenient by them), do therefore hereby disallow of the setting up of a New meeting house either in the old place or in the plaine. And do further order that a new meeting of all persons in the Towne who have right to vote in such cases be speedily ordered at which it may be fairly voted where to place the new meeting house, and the Selectmen are hereby required to make a speedy returne of the number of votes to the Honrd Governor. Jn°- Hull, pr order. Superscribed to the Selectmen of Hingham, to be communicated to the Towne. At a Towne meeting holden at Hingham on the 24th day of May, 1681, Thomas Andrews was Chosen moderator of that meeting, and at the said meeting the vote passed by papers, with seventy-three hands for the new meeting house that is now building in Hingham to be set in the conve- nientest place in Captaine Hobart's land, next or nearest to Samuell Thaxter's house. As Attest, Daniell Cushing, Towne Clarke. 26 May, 1681. The magis*3 having Considered the Returne of the Selectmen of Hing- ham in refferenc to the voate for setting the meeting house there, Doe Approove of said vote and Judge meete, all Circumstances considered, that the new meeting house be errected accordingly in the convenientest place in Cap| Hubbards land neerest to Samuell Thaxters house. Past by y" Council, Edwd Rawson, Secre1- And so, after a controversy of more than a year the location of the new house was settled. Immediate measures were taken to carry the votes of the town into effect. July 8, 1681, Capt. Joshua Hobart conveyed to the town by deed of gift the site for the meeting-house, which is the same upon which it now stands. The frame of the meeting-house was raised on the 26th, 27th, and 28th days of July, 1681, and it was opened for public wor- ship Jan. 8, 1681-82. It cost the town £430 and the old house, 24 History of Hingham. the necessary amount being raised by a rate which had been made in October, 1680. There is a tradition that the site for the house was fixed on the Lower Plain, and that on the night preceding the day ap- pointed for the raising of the frame it was carried to the spot where the house now stands ; but there is no record of a vote of the town fixing the site on the Plain, and the story does not have a very plausible foundation. After the death of Mr. Norton the parish was without a settled minister for a period of twenty months. During this interval Mr. Samuel Fisk and Mr. Thomas Prince were invited to take the office, but neither accepted the invitation. Towards the latter part of the year 1717 Mr. Ebenezer Gay preached as a candidate, and on Dec. 30, 1717, the church and congregation by their unani- mous votes invited him to become their minister. Mr. Gay ac- cepted the invitation, and was ordained June 11, 1718. Mr. Gay was born in Dedham, Aug. 26, 1696. l He was gradu- ated from Harvard College in 1714, being one of a class of eleven members, of whom four were from Hingham. At less than twenty -two years of age this remarkable man be- gan his ministry here. " He was a burning and a shining light," and this people did " rejoice in his light for a season ; " his min- istry falling short, by a few months only, of seventy years. He died on Sunday morning, March 8, 1787, when he was preparing for the services of the day, in the 91st year of his age. He re- ceived the degree of S. T. D. from Harvard College in 1785. MEMOIR OF THE REV. DR. GAY. BY SOLOMON LINCOLN. The Rev. Dr. Gay was the third minister of this my native town, and of the parish in which I was born and nurtured. Though he had passed away before I came upon the stage, I have had a good opportunity of exploring the best sources of information concerning him, and of gather- ing many traditionary reminiscences illustrative of his character. Dr. Gay outlived two generations of his parishioners ; and not one of those who was a member of the parish at the time of his birth, was living at his decease. Nor can I ascertain that a single individual who was an acting member at the time of his ordination survived him. More than three fourths of a century has elapsed since his decease, yet his mem- ory is preserved fresh in the traditions of the generations who knew him long and well. I have known many persons who recollected him in his old a"e. He was of about the middle size, of dignified and patriarchal appear- ance, and, if we can judge of his features as delineated by the pencil of Hazlitt, they were not particularly handsome. He had, however, in the recollection of those who knew him, a grave, yet benignant expression of 1 August 15, 1606. — Dedham Records. A. §Gw- C'j- Ecclesiastical History. 25 countenance. Those who loved him held him in such affection and rev- erence that they would not admit that Hazlitt's portrait was not a beauti- ful picture. The Hon. Alden Bradford, in his Historical Sketch of Harvard Uni- versity, published in the American Quarterly Register, in May, 1837, states that he recollected seeing three venerable and learned men, — Dr. Gay, Dr. Chauncy, and Dr. Appleton, — pass through the college yard to the Library. " Dr. Gay and Dr. Chauncy were on a visit to Dr. Ap- pleton, and they walked up to the chapel together, two being nearly ninety years old, and the other, Dr. Chauncy, about eighty-three. It excited great attention at the time." Great intimacy existed between these three patriarchs during their long and useful lives. Chauncy and Gay died in the same year. Appleton 's death took place about three years earlier. At the ordination of Mr. (afterwards Dr.) Simeon Howard, as pastor of the West Church, in Boston, Dr. Chauncy preached the Sermon, Dr. Gay gave the Charge, and Dr. Appleton presented the Fellowship of the Churches. They were often associated in similar services. The earliest sermon of Dr. Gay's which was printed was delivered at the ordination of Rev. Joseph Green, at Barnstable, from Acts xiv. 15, — " We are also men of like passions with you," — which was much ad- mired for its wise lessons, seasonable admonitions, and moving exhorta- tions. His classmate (Foxcroft) accompanied its publication with a Prefatory Address "To the Reader," commending the sermon in the most affectionate terms. Towards the close of this most impressive discourse, we find the following passages in Dr. Gay's peculiar vein. Speaking of the candidate for ordination, Joseph Green, he says : " We trust that he will be a Joseph unto his Brethren, whom he is to feed with the Bread of Life, and that God sendeth him here to preserve their Souls from Perishing. The Lord make him a. fruitful Bough, even a fruitful Bough by a well, grafted into the Tree of Life, and always Green, and flourish- ing in the Courts of our God." Dr. Gay was remarkable in the selection and application of the texts of his sermons. Having for a long time been unsuccessful in procuring a well of water on his homestead, he introduced the subject into his prayers, and also preached a sermon from Num. xxi. 17, "Then Israel sang this song, Spring up, O well, sing ye unto it." In 1728 he delivered a lecture in his own pulpit " to bring Lot's wife to remembrance," from the text in Luke xvii. 32, " Remember Lot's wife," and entitled this very able and interesting lecture, " A Pillar of Salt to Season a Corrupt Age." The text of his sermon preached at the instalment of the Rev. Ezra Car- penter, at Keene, in 1753, was from Zech. ii. 1, "I lift up mine eyes again, and looked, and behold a man with a measuring line in his hand." Whatever may have been the theological views entertained by Dr. Gay in the early part of his ministry, it is well understood that he sympathized with the spirit of free inquiry, which gradually wrought a change in the opinions of many eminent divines, commencing about the middle of the last century. In his Convention Sermon of 1746, he attributes dissensions among the clergy to " ministers so often choosing to insist upon the offensive pecu- liarities of the party they had espoused, rather than upon the more mighty things in which we are all agreed." He was opposed to creeds, or written Articles of Faith, proposed by men. He thus expresses himself, in 1751, in his sermon at the ordina- 26 History of Hingham. tion of Rev. Jonathan Dorby, at Scituate : " And 'tis pity any man, at his entrance into the ministry, should, in his ordination vows, get a snare to his soul by subscribing, or any ways engaging to preach according to an- other rule of faith, creed, or confession, which is merely of human prescrip- tion or imposition." He was a warm friend of the celebrated Dr. Mayhew, of Boston, whose biograpber thinks tbe latter was indebted to Dr. Gay for the adoption of the " liberal and rational views " which he embraced. President John Adams, in a letter to Dr. Morse, dated May 15, 1815, remarks as follows : '• Sixty years ago my own minister, Rev. Lemuel Bryant, Dr. Jonathan Mayhew, of the West Church, in Boston, Rev. Mr. Shute, of Hingham, Rev. John Brown, of Cohasset, and perhaps equal to all, if not above all, Rev. Dr. Gay, of Hingham, were Unitarians." By some, who fully understand the position of Dr. Gay after the mid- dle of the last century, he has been claimed to have been the father of American Unitarianism. This must be conceded, that his discourses will be searched in vain, after that point of time, for any discussions of contro- versial theology, any advocacy of the peculiar doctrine regarded as ortho- dox, or the expression of any opinions at variance with those of his distinguished successor in the same joulpit, the Rev. Dr. Ware. But I cannot leave Dr. Gay without adverting to his political opinions, for our traditionary information concerning them finely illustrates his char- acter. He was opposed to the measures which preceded the American Revolution and Declaration of Independence. His sympathies were not with the Whigs. Yet, such was his discretion that he maintained his po- sition at the head of fa large and intelligent parish, comprising all shades of political opinion, but in the main Whigs, without alienating the affec- tion of his people or impairing his usefulness. On one occasion he and his friend and neighbor, Dr. Shute, who was an ardent Whig, were in- vited to address the people in town-meeting on a political question, and they both succeeded so well that the town gave them a vote of thanks. Still, Dr. Gay's political sentiments were well understood, and were a cause of occasional uneasiness among his parishioners during the period of the Revolution. We have this anecdote from an authentic source : It was a part of the duty of the Committee of Correspondence, Inspection, and Safety to call upon suspected citizens, and those known to be loyalists, to demand a search for arms. It was proposed that the Committee should call upon Dr. Gay and demand his arms, probably not because they sup- posed he had any of which he would make improper use against the new government, but because the opportunity was a good one to give him a sort of official admonition that he held obnoxious sentiments, in which some of the most influential of his people did not share. That the thing to be done was a little aggravating did not take away the zest of doing it ; it would have been ungenerous also, had there not been a very perfect accord between Dr. Gay and his parish, as pastor and people, on all sub- jects save politics. The Committee presented themselves before the Doc- tor, who received them in his study, standing, and with entire calmness and dignity, when he inquired of them, " What do you wish with me, gentlemen ? " "We have come, sir, in accordance with our duty as the Committee of Safety, to ask you what arms you have in the house." He looked at them kindly, perhaps a little reproachfully, for a moment or two before answering, and then said, laying his hand upon a large Ecclesiastical History. 27 Bible on the table by which he stood, " There, my friends, are my arms, and I trust to find them ever sufficient for me." The Committee retired with some precipitation, discomfited by the dignified manner and implied rebuke of Dr. Gay, and the chairman was heard to say to his associates, as they passed out of the yard, "The old gentleman is always ready." Notwithstanding the political opinions entertained by Dr. Gay, he found among the clergy who held opposite views his most ardent friends. The intercourse between him and the Rev. Dr. Shute, of the Second Parish, who was a zealous Whig, was of the most friendly character, and he was on excellent terms with Mr. Smith, of Weymouth, the father of Mrs. John Adams, and Mr. Brown of Cohasset, who, at one time was chaplain to the troops in Nova Scotia, before the Revolution. Dr. Gay's son, Jotham Gay, was a captain in the same department. The Doctor, in writing to Mr. Brown, says, " I wish you may visit Jotham and minister good instruction to him and his company, and furnish him with suitable sermons in print, or in your own very legible, if not very intelligible manuscripts, to read to his men, who are without a preacher, — in the room of one, constitute Jotham curate." I *Mnk I may safely say that New England could boast of few minis- ters during the last century who exerted a wider influence than Dr. Gay. Many amusing and characteristic anecdotes are told of Dr. Gay. The following will illustrate his ready wit and humor. During the Revolutionarv War, a little before the time of the annual Thanksgiving, and when it was generally expected that there would be a great deficiency of the foreign fruits, as raisins, currants, etc., with which that festival had abounded, several Eng- lish vessels laden with those productions were driven by a storm upon our coast, captured, and brought into Boston. Dr. Gay, who was considered a prudent loyalist, was accustomed on Thanksgiv- ing Days to make mention in his prayer of the special blessings of the year. Such a token of Divine favor did not escape without due notice. Accordingly, in his Thanksgiving prayer, he grate- fully acknowledged the unexpected bounty somewhat after this sort : " Oh Lord, who art the infinite Disposer of all things, who rulest the winds and the waves according to thy own good pleas- ure, we devoutly thank thee for the gracious interposition of thy Providence in wafting upon our shores so many of thy rich boun- ties, to make glad the dwellings of thy people on this joyful oc- casion." Shortly after its occurrence, some one repeated the Doctor's ejaculation to Samuel Adams, who, with his usual promptness and decision, exclaimed, " That is trimming with the Almighty." Dr. Gay had, for some time, missed the hay from his barn, and was satisfied that it was stolen. With a view to detect the thief, Dr. Gay took a dark lantern and stationed himself near his barn. In due time a person whom he knew passed along into the barn, and quickly came out with as large a load of hay as he could carry upon his back. The Doctor, without saying a word, fol- 28 History of Hingham. lowed the thief took the candle out of his dark lantern, stuck it into the bundle of hay, and then retreated. In a moment the hay was in a light blaze, and the fellow, throwing it from him in utter consternation, ran away from his perishing booty. The Doctor kept the affair a secret, even from his own family, and within a day or two the thief came to him in great agitation, and told him he wished to confess to him a grievous sin, — that he had been tempted to steal some of his hay, and as he was carrying it away the Almighty was so angry with him that he had sent fire from heaven, and set it to blazing upon his back. The Doctor agreed to forgive him on condition of his never repeating the offence. A young minister having preached his first sermon in Dr. Gay's pulpit, and having, as he thought, done it with considerable eloquence, was anxious to obtain the approbation of his learned brother. "Tell me sincerely what you think of this first effort of mine." " I think it sensible and well written," replied Dr. Gay, " but another text would have been more appropriate." " What would you have selected, sir?" "When you preach it again, I would advise you to prefix this text, ' Alas, master, for it was borrowed.' " On one occasion Dr. Barnes, of Scituate, preached for Dr. Gay, when he was at home to hear him. The manner of Dr. Barnes was exceedingly drawling, and when the services were concluded, and the two clergymen were on their way home, Dr. Gay said : "Dr. Barnes, your discourse was excellent, but you spoil all you say by your manner. Your method of drawling out your words is so in- tolerable that you put nearly all my people to sleep." To which frank testimony Dr. Barnes then and there made no reply. Now it happened that Dr. Gay had an unusually large mouth. In the afternoon Dr. Barnes again occupied the sacred desk, and after going through the preliminary services, — putting the congrega- tion, as usual, to sleep in the long prayer, he came to the sermon. " My text, my brethren," he said, " may be found in the eleventh verse of the fourth chapter of the Book of Exodus, and is in these words," — he paused, and looking down over the high pul- pit into the pew of Dr. Gay beneath, and upon the very top of Dr. Gay's head, he proceeded with a drawl more pronounced than ever, but with a manner most emphatic, " in these words : ' Who — hath — made — man's — mouth.'' Dr. Gay had no occasion then to complain of the drowsiness of his congregation, for they all woke up and audibly tittered. The old Arminian and Calvinistic clergy, ere the bitter contro- versy broke out, used to meet and criticise, in a friendly way, each other's theology. In the same association met Dr. Gay and Dr. Dunbar, — the former representing Arminianism, the latter Cal- vinism. It fell to the lot of Dr. Dunbar to preach before the As- sociation. He felt moved to be very positive, and make a very distinct enunciation of Calvinism. With each of the five points Ecclesiastical History. 29 he would bring down his fist upon the desk, with the exclamation, " This is the gospel ! " First, total depravity was depicted, with the emphatic endorsement, iC This is the gospel ! " Then election and reprobation, then irresistible grace, then effectual calling, and so on to the end ; and under each a tremendous sledge blow on the pulpit, with " This is the gospel ! ': After service the minis- ters met, and each in turn was asked by the moderator to give his views of the sermon. Dr. Gay had a sly, genial humor, which diffused good-nature through the clerical body he belonged to, and kept out of it the theological odium. His turn came to criticise the sermon, and he delivered himself in this way : — "The sermon reminded me of the earliest efforts at painting. When the art was in its infancy, and the first rude drawings were made, they wrote the name of an animal under the figure which was drawn, so that the people could be sure to identify it. Under one rude figure you would see written, ' This is a horse ; ' under another, ' This is an ox ; ' and so on. When the art is perfected a little, this becomes unnecessary, and the animal is recognized without the underscript, I am greatly obliged to my brother Dunbar, in this infancy of the art, that he helped me in this way to identify the gospel. As I followed him through the five fig- ures which he sketched for us, I must confess that unless he had written under each one of them, in large letters, ' This is the gos- pel ! ' I never should have known it." The following is from an article in the Massachusetts Gazette, shortly after his decease : — " His prudent and obliging conduct rendered him amiable and beloved as a neighbour. His tender feelings for the distressed induced him to afford relief to the poor, according to his ability. His beneficent actions indicated the practical sense he had of the Lord's own words, ' It is more blessed to give than to receive.' The serenity of his mind and even- ness of his temper, under the infirmities of advanced years, made him agreeable to his friends, and continued to the last the happiness which had so long subsisted in his family; in which he always presided with great tenderness and dignity." Dr. Gay retained his mental faculties in a remarkable degree of vis;or to the very close of his life. In his celebrated sermon, entitled " The Old Man's Calendar," delivered Aug. 26, 1781, from the text, " And now, lo, I am this day fourscore and five years old" (Joshua xiv. 10), in speaking of his parishioners he says, " I retain a grateful sense of the kindness (injuries I re- member none) which I have received from them." This ser- mon was reprinted in England, translated into the Dutch language and published in Holland, and several editions were published in this country. In a note attached to Rev. Peter Hobart's Diary, written by Nehemiah Hobart, we read : — 30 History of Hingham. " The Revd Mr. Gay, the third pastor of the town, gave us an excel- lent sermon, Sept. 17th, 1735, on the conclusion of the first century, from 1 Chron. xxix. 15." It was during the ministry of Dr. Gay that the East, or Second, Precinct was formed and a church established at Conohasset (now Cohasset). In 1713 the proprietors of the undivided lands of Hingham gave their consent to the erection of a meeting-house by the in- habitants of Conohasset " on that land called the Plain." At a town-meeting, March 7, 1714-15, the inhabitants of Cono- hasset " desired the town that they would be pleased to give their consent that they might be made a precinct, or that they might be allowed something out of the town treasury to help to main- tain the worship of God amongst them, or that they might be abated that which they pay to the minister to maintain the wor- ship of God at the Town ; and the vote of the town passed in the negative concerning all the forementioned particulars." This petition having been rejected, the inhabitants of Cono- hasset presented their case to the General Court, but the inhabit- ants of Hingham opposed their petition and a committee was chosen " to give answer to it " at the General Court in June, 1715. In July, 1715, the town voted to remit to the inhabitants of Conohasset their ministerial taxes, on condition " that they pro- vide an orthodox minister among themselves, provided they cheer- fully accept of the same ; " but the reply was made " that they could not cheerfully accept thereof." In September, 1715, the town voted to reimburse to the inhab- itants of Conohasset, or to those who should afterwards inhabit the first and second divisions of Conohasset uplands and the sec- ond part of the Third Division, all their ministerial and school taxes so long as they should maintain an orthodox minister among themselves, but this did not give satisfaction ; and in March, 1715-16, the town voted to remit to them their ministerial and school taxes for that year, but even this was not satisfactory. In November, 1716, a committee was chosen by the town to oppose the petition of the inhabitants of Conohasset before the General Court, and again in 1716-17 the town defeated a motion looking to an agreement with the inhabitants of Conohasset about a precinct. In May, 1717, a committee was appointed by the town to meet the committee of the General Court appointed to view the " lands and dwellings of the inhabitants of Conohasset [or Little Hing- ham, as it was also called], to see if it be convenient to make them a precinct;" and about this time the desired privileges of a separate parish, for which so long an effort had been made, were obtained, a house of worship was erected, and soon after a minis- ter was settled. Ecclesiastical History. 31 In consequence of the creation of the Second Precinct, the re- maining inhabitants of Hingham, not included within the limits of Conohasset, composed the First Parish or Precinct, and or- ganized as such, March 6, 1720-21, succeeding to the parochial rights of the town. Still another church was formed within the original limits of Hingham during the ministry of Dr. Gay. A meeting-house was erected at what is now South Hingham in 1712. This parish was set off March 25, 1745-46. This church was the " Third Church " until the establishment of Cohasset as a separate town in 1770, since which time it has been styled the " Second Church." The second and third churches were not formed as separate organizations without the earnest protests of the parent church. Perhaps, like a fond mother, she could not bear the thought of trusting her children alone, separated from her protecting influ- ence. But she could not restrain or control the independent de- termination of her children, and, in spite of all her opposition, they forced her to accede to their wishes. Undoubtedly this sentimental view had much influence, but our ancestors were in a great degree matter-of-fact people, and there was a practical side to this opposition to the foundation of new parishes, which had more weight than any sentiment. All real estate within the territorial limits of a parish was in those days taxable for the support of preaching. Much of the real estate lying within the limits of the proposed Conohasset and South Parishes was originally granted to residents of the more thickly settled portion of the town, and had been inherited or purchased by those who would still remain residents of the First Parish ; and naturally enough there was strong objection to being taxed for the support of preaching in parishes from which no direct benefit would be derived. The fourth minister of the First Parish was Rev. Henry Ware. He was born in Sherborn, Mass., April 1, 1764, was graduated at Harvard College in 1785, and was ordained minister of the church and congregation Oct. 24, 1787. In 1805 he was chosen Hollis Professor of Divinity in Harvard University, and his request for a dismissal from his pastorate was granted. He delivered his valedictory discourse May 5, 1805, in the eighteenth year of his ministry. In 1806 he received the degree of S. T. D. from Har- vard College. Dr. Ware died July 12, 1845. He was a man of liberal views, admirably adapted to follow up the sentiments of Dr. Gay in religious matters, of logical mind, sound judgment, and large attainments. After the close of Dr. Ware's ministry, several candidates were heard. A majority of the Parish preferred Rev. Joseph Richard- son, and he was invited to become the minister. The call was not 32 History of Hingham. unanimous. " Behold, there ariseth a little cloud, like a man's hand," and soon "the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain." There was great disaffection on the part of a large minority, and an eventual separation of those opposed to Mr. Richardson's settlement. The controversy has been described as the second " sad, unbrotherly contention " in the town ; and it is certainly to be regretted that a more con- ciliatory spirit was not shown on both sides. At this distant day, more than three quarters of a century after this unfortunate event, we may look calmly and without prejudice upon the jeal- ousies and unwise actions of our ancestors. Whether the differ- ing sentiments and opinions of the members of the parish upon matters not pertaining to their spiritual welfare would have ultimately found some other cause for dissension, or whether the season was already ripe for action, of course, it is impossible to say. History, however, deals with facts and not opinions, and the statement of the cause of this unhappy difference must be confined to the fact that a large number of the members of the church and congregation found it impossible to continue their connection with their ancestral religious home under the minis- trations of Mr. Richardson. The result was the formation of the " Third Congregational Society," which was incorporated Feb. 27, 1807. The effects of this separation were of long continued dura- tion. The harmony of the town was disturbed in consequence of it. Happily the olive branch of peace was long since held out and accepted and we may well hope that the words of Scripture may find in this town no verification in " visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation." Rev. Joseph Richardson, the fifth minister, was born in Bille- rica, Feb. 1, 1778. He was graduated at Dartmouth College in 1802, and was ordained pastor July 2, 1806. During his ministry he filled various public offices. He was a member of the conven- tion for the revision of the State Constitution, in 1820-21. He was a member, by repeated elections, of the Senate and House of Representatives of Massachusetts, and was elected to Congress for the term commencing March 4, 1827, and was re-elected for the term commencing March 4, 1829. He continued to per- form his parochial duties until the spring of 1855, when, on ac- count of increasing infirmities of age, his active ministry ceased, and Rev. Calvin Lincoln was, with Mr. Richardson's consent and approval, settled as associate pastor. Mr. Richardson's official connection with the parish ended with his death, Sept. 25, 1871, in the ninety-fourth year of his age, and the sixty-sixth of his ministry. Appropriate services were held in commemoration of the completion of the fiftieth year of his ministry, on which occa- sion Mr. Richardson delivered a discourse ; and on Feb. 1, 1863, a sermon prepared by him was read by the associate pastor, from the text, " And now, lo, I am this day fourscore and five years Ecclesiastical History. 33 old," (Josh. xiv. 10), — the same as that selected by Dr. Gay as the text for his " Old Man's Calendar," preached at the same age from the same pulpit. When about to build his house in Hingham, Mr. Richardson stipulated with the workmen that at the " raising," and during the building, no liquor should be used, as was the custom, agreeing to pay as much additional money as the cost of the liquor would amount to. From this incident he is spoken of by some as the " original prohibitionist " of the town. Rev. Calvin Lincoln, the sixth minister, was a native of Hing- ham, and was born Oct. 27, 1799. He was graduated at Harvard College in 1820, was ordained over the First Parish in Fitchburg June 30, 1824. His pastoral connection was dissolved in Fitch- burg May 5, 1855, and he was inducted as associate pastor of the First Parish in Hingham May 27, 1855. After the death of Mr. Richardson, Mr. Lincoln continued as sole pastor until his death, except during the three years 1877 to 1880, when Rev. Edward A. Horton was associate pastor with him. Mr. Lincoln was a close student, and although he cannot be considered a brilliant pulpit orator, his preaching was marked by sound common-sense, and at times, especially in extempore speaking, he seemed to pour out his whole soul in the earnestness of his appeals. He was not inclined to controversy upon new theological questions, preferring to consider many points as already settled beyond dispute, but he nevertheless kept himself well in- formed upon all the signs of the times in which he lived. He was a welcome friend to all the denominations in the town, and few of our ministers have possessed in as great a degree as Mr. Lincoln the respect of the people of Hingham, without distinction. Mr. Lincoln died Sept. 11, 1881, in the eighty-second year of his age, and the twenty-seventh of his ministry here. On Thurs- day, Sept. 8, 1881, the day appointed by the Governor for prayers for President Garfield, Mr. Lincoln, standing in front of the pul- pit in the meeting-house, and while in the act of praying for the recovery of the wounded president, was stricken with paralysis, and died on the following Sunday morning. Rev. Edward A. Horton, the seventh minister, was born in Springfield, Mass., Sept. 28, 1843. He was ordained at Leomin- ster Oct. 1, 1868, where his pastoral connection was dissolved Oct. 1, 1875. He was installed as associate pastor of this parish April 25, 1877. His pastoral connection was dissolved May 3, 1880, and he was installed pastor of the Second Church, Boston, May 24, 1880. Rev. H. Price Collier, the eighth minister, was born in Daven- port, Iowa, May 25, 1860. He was graduated at the Harvard Divinity School in 1882, and was ordained minister of this parish VOL. I. — 3* 34 History of Hingham. Sept. 29, 1882. He resigned his pastorate Nov. 1, 1888, to accept a call from the " Church of the Savior," Brooklyn, N. Y. March 10, 1890, the parish voted to invite Mr. Eugene R. Shippen, who was graduated at Harvard College in 1887 and at the Harvard Divinity School in 1890, but the invitation was not accepted. Rev. John W. Day, the ninth and present minister was born in Woburn, Mass., June 13, 1861. He studied theology at the Meadville Theological School in 1881-82 and afterwards at the Harvard Divinity School, where he was graduated in 1885. He was ordained at Newport, Jan. 6, 1886, as minister of the Chan- ning Memorial Church, and remained there until 1887. From 1887 until 1890 he was minister of the First Unitarian Society of Ithaca, N. Y. Oct. 1, 1890, he became minister of this parish, the services of installation taking place Oct. 8, 1890. Deacons of the Church of the First Parish. Henry Smith . chosen Jan. 29, 1640. Remove d to Rehoboth Ralph Woodward 1 1 t< (i t i d. 1663 Thomas Loring . . d. 1661 Thomas Thaxter . d. 1651 Matthew Cashing . . d. 1660 . set. 71 yrs. John Fearing . d. 1665 John Leavitt . . d. 1691 , set. S3 yrs. ] Were the deacoDs when . the new meetiDg-house John Smith . d. 1695 i was erected. David Hobart . d. 1717 . set. 66 yrs. Benjamin Lincoln . d. 1727 . set. 55 yrs. Peter Jacob . . d. 1753 . set. 86 yrs. Joshua Mersey • . d. 1740 . set. 63 yrs. Solomon Cushing . . d. 1769 . set. 77 yrs. Chosen before 1737. Thomas Andrews . d. 1781 . set. 86 yrs. Josiah Lincoln . d. 1774 . set. 74 yrs. Joshua Hersey . . d. 1784 . set. 80 yrs. Succeeded his father. Benjamin Lincoln (( 3en.) d. 1810 . set. .77 yrs. ) Joseph Thaxter . . d. 1808 . set. 85 vrs. > Chosen Feb. 15, 1769. Benjamin Cushing . d. 1812 . set. 87 yrs. ) Tsaac Cushing . d. 1815 . set. 69 vrs. Thomas Fearing . d. 1820 . set. 70 yrs. William Cushing . d. 1848 . . set. 94 yrs. Succeeded his father. Caleb Hobart * . . . d. 1846 . set. 92 yrs. David Lincoln . d. 1825 . set. 59 yrs. Nehemiah Ripley . d. 1863 . . set. 83 yrs. Caleb Hobart . . . d. 1865 . . set. 82 yrs. Succeeded his father * Succeeded Dea. Wui. disking. Originally a Puritan church, under the influence of Dr. Gay, with his spirit for free inquiry, the opinions of the people became less and less Calvinistic. The Trinitaran became Unitarian. It cannot be said that there was any fixed date of this change ; it was gradual. When the Unitarians were acknowledged as a denom- ination, this parish was confessedly Unitarian and has continued as such to the present time. The same is true of the Cohasset and Second parishes already referred to. The Third Congrega- tional Society is also of the Unitarian denomination. There was Ecclesiastical History. 35 not in this town any division of the churches on denominational lines, as was common in other places in the latter part of the last century. The meeting-house of the First Parish, or the " Old Meeting- house" as it is now called, was built in 1681. Parts of the first meeting-house were used in the construction of the new one. Its antiquity makes it one of the principal objects of interest in Hingham. No house for public worship exists within the original limits of the United States, which continues to be used for the OLD MEETING-HOUSE PULPIT, HINGHAM. purpose for which it was erected, and remaining on the same site where it was built, which is so old as the meeting-house of the First Parish in Hingham. In 1730 it was enlarged, and again enlarged in 1755. In the latter year the present pulpit was built and placed nearly in its present position. Dr. Gay preached from it for the first time after it was built from Nehemiah viii. 4 : " And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood which they had made for the pur- pose." In the same year the first pews were built, viz. : two rows of square pews all around the house, excepting the spaces occu- pied by the pulpit and the aisles leading from the porches. There was a pew in front of the pulpit known as the elders' pew or seat, and an enclosed seat or pew in front of the elders' pew, facing 36 History of Hingham. the broad aisle, for the deacons. The two latter pews were re- moved in 1828. The central space or body of the house was oc- cupied by long oaken seats for the occupancy of males on one side of the broad aisle and of females on the other. These seats were removed from time to time, until the whole space was cov- ered by pews. In 1799 five pews were built in the front of ench side gallery, and in 1804 the same number in the rear of those first built, making twenty in all. At subsequent dates all the side gallery pews were removed and new pews built in their places, viz. : eight in the eastern gallery in 1854, the same num- ber in the western gallery in 1855, and in 1857 four were built in the eastern, and four in the western, galleries. In 1859 four pews were built in the front gallery, and in 1868 four more had been built in the same gallery. In 1822 stoves were introduced for the purpose of heating the house. In 1869 the present new pews were built on the floor of the house, furnaces were introduced, and extensive repairs were made. On the occasion of the reopening of the meeting-house, Sept. 8, 1869, appropriate services were held to commemorate the event. In 1867 an organ was placed in the front gallery. Previously to this date for many years the choir had been accompanied by a flute, bass-viol, and other instruments at various times. In 1869, at the time of the general repairs, the location of the organ was changed to the platform on the easterly side of the pulpit, and in 1870 a new and larger organ was purchased. It is the one now in use. The parish seal was adopted in 1869. It consists of a picture of the meeting-house in the centre, surrounded by an ornamental circular border, which is encircled by another, leaving a space between the two in which is the following : — "LET THE WORK OF OUR FATHERS STAND, — 1681." In 1870 the Parish received from Hon. Albert Fearing the gift of a lot of land adjoining its other land on the southerly side, " being a part of the land granted to Robert Peck, Teacher of the First Church in Hingham, in the year 1638," as the deed of the same recites. Aug. 8, 1881, very interesting and impressive exercises were held in the meeting-house in commemoration of the 200th anni- versary of the building of the house. Mr. Charles Eliot Norton, a lineal descendant of the second minister, during whose ministry it was built, delivered the principal address. At this time a tab- let of brass, set in mahogany, was placed upon the wall on the westerly side of the pulpit, containing a list of the ministers, and a statement relating to the building of the meeting-house. Jan. 8, 1882, a discourse was delivered by Rev. Edward A. Hor- ton, on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the opening of the meeting-house for public worship. Ecclesiastical History. 37 The Parish House, which stands on Main Street, nearly opposite the meeting-house was completed and dedicated March 20, 1891. There being no vestry room or chapel connected with the meeting-house, the need had long been felt of a suitable building for the uses of the Sunday-school and other purposes connected with the religious and charitable work and social life of the parish. For fifteen or twenty years efforts had been made by those interested, with good success, to accumulate a fund suffi- cient for the erection of such a building. The Ladies' Benevolent Society connected with the parish, by means of fairs and enter- tainments, made substantial contributions to this fund ; Rev. Calvin Lincoln, by his will, left to the parish a sum of money which could be used for the purpose ; these with other amounts being invested from time to time increased by the accumulations of interest ; money was subscribed for the purchase of the lot ; and in due time this Parish House was built. Peabody & Stearns were the architects. SECOND PARISH (COHASSET). »_^ The difficulties at- tending the formation of this parish have al- ready been stated. In what year a meet- ing-house was erected in Conohasset does not appear by the records. It was probably in 1713, possibly not until after 1717, but certainly be- fore 1721. Probably there was preaching in it before the settlement of the first pastor. Its dimensions were thirty- five by twenty-five feet, and it was situated on the Plain a little to the south of the present house. May 14, 1713, it was voted " that the proprietors of the undivided lands give their consent to the inhabitants of Conohasset to erect a meeting- house on that land called ' The Plain.' " Many facts relating to the history of the Second Parish may be obtained from the valuable and interesting discourses delivered by the Rev. Jacob Flint, on the completion of the first century of its existence. COHASSET MEETING-HOUSE. 38 History of Hingham. Mr. Nehemiah Hobart, a grandson of the Rev. Peter Hobart, the first minister of Hingham, preached as a candidate from July 13 to Dec. 13, 1721, on which day he was ordained pastor, the church having been organized the day previous. After his ordination, Mr. Hobart wrote in his book of records: — " O my soul, never dare to forget that day and the solemn charge I re- ceived therefrom, but be mindful of 2 Tim. iv. 1, 2, — the preacher's text, — that at the last day I may be able to say as in Acts xx. 26, 27. ' I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men, for I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.' " The new society was weak in numbers, and their meeting- house was built in accordance with their means. It was small and plain. At the formation of the church, Mr. Hobart drew up a covenant ending in these words : — " We do, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, in the presence of God and the holy angels, explicitly and expressly covenant and bind ourselves in manner and form following, namely : We do give up ourselves to God, whose name alone is Jehovah, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. To God the Father, as our chief and only good ; and unto our Lord Jesus Christ, as our prophet, priest, and king, and only Mediator of the covenant of grace ; and unto the Spirit of God, as our only sanctifier and comforter. And we do give up ourselves one unto another in the Lord, covenanting and promising to walk together as a church of Christ, in all ways, of his own institution, according to the prescriptions of his holy word, promis- ing that with all tenderness and brotherly love, we will, with all faithful- ness, watch over each other's souls, and that we will freely yield up our- selves to the discipline and power of Christ in his church, and attend whatever ordinances Christ hath appointed and declared in his word ; and wherein we fail and come short of duty, to wait upon him for pardon and remission, beseeching him to make our spirits steadfast in his covenant, and to own us as his church and covenant peojJe forever. Amen." Rev. Nehemiah Hobart was born in Hingham, April 27, 1697, and was graduated at Harvard College in 1714, in the same class with Rev. Ebenezer Gay. In the call, settlement, and ministry of Mr. Hobart there was perfect harmony. There seems to have been no opposition to him on the part of any one in the parish. He was a " truly devout, enlightened, and liberal divine." Between him and his neighbor, Dr. Gay, there was a warm sympathy and affection. He died May 31, 1740, in the forty-fourth year of his age, and the nine- teenth of his ministry, much lamented by his people. The parish, says Mr. Flint, " lost no time, after the death of Mr. Hobart, before they took measures suitable to fill his place with an- other well-educated and respectable pastor ; . . . but they did not immediately find one in whom they could unite." Finally, after Ecclesiastical History, 39 hearing several candidates, Mr. John Fowle, of Charlestown, was ordained, not without a strong opposition, though with the ultimate consent of a number of the parish, Dec. 31, 1741. Mr. Fowle was graduated at Harvard College in 1732, and " was allowed, by good judges, to be a man of considerable genius, and handsome acquire- ments." He soon, unfortunately, developed " a most irritable nervous temperament, which rendered him unequal in his per- formances, and at times quite peevish and irregular." The number of those opposed to him increased, and his pastoral con- nection with the parish was dissolved in the fifth year of his ministry. At this time the parish had so increased in numbers and ma- terial prosperity that the need was felt of a new and more com- modious meeting-house. The work of building the same was commenced about the time of Mr. Fowle's dismissal, and in the ensuing vear the house now standing was erected, at a cost of £1522 19*. 9c?. The building was sixty feet by forty-five. On the northerly end of the roof was a belfry, and two flights of stairs leading to the galleries were on the inside. The front porch and the steeple were added at a later date. Before the completion of the new meeting-house, several candi- dates were heard, and with great unanimity Mr. John Brown, a native of Haverhill, was invited to become the pastor. He was a graduate of Harvard College in 1741, and was ordained over the Second Parish Sept. 2, 1747. The following anecdote is told of his settlement. It is said there was one opposer only, whom Mr. Brown recon- ciled by a stroke of good humor. Calling to see the opposer, he inquired the cause of opposition. " I like your person and man- ners," said the opposer, " but your preaching, sir, I disapprove." " Then," said Mr. Brown, " we are agreed. My preaching 1 do not like very well myself ; but how great the folly for you and I to set up our opinion against that of the whole parish." The opposer felt, or thought he felt, the folly, and was no longer opposed. u The talents of Rev. John Brown were considerably more than ordinary. In a stately person he possessed a mind whose percep- tions were quick and clear, and his sentiments were generally the result of just reflection. He thought for himself ; and when he had formed his opinions, he uttered them with fearless freedom. Acquainted from childhood with the Holy Scriptures, from them he formed his religious opinions. He believed the Son of God when he said, ' The Father is greater than I ; ' and although he believed that mankind was sinful, yet he did not attribute their sins to his immediate act who is the Author of all good. Till advanced in life he was fond of social intercourse, and was able always to make society innocently cheerful." He served in one campaign as chaplain to a colonial regiment in Nova Scotia, and 40 History of Hingham. by his word and example, during the Revolutionary period, encour- aged his fellow-citizens to maintain the struggle for liberty. He died in the sixty-seventh year of his age and the forty-fifth of his ministry. He preached until the last Sabbath of his life, and was buried in Cohasset. It was during the ministry of Mr. Brown that Cohasset was set off from Hingham and incorporated as a town in 1770, and from that time the history of this parish ceases to be a part of the history of Hinglmm. THIRD (AFTERWARDS SECOND) PARISH, SOUTH HINGHAM. The Third Parish, in Hingham, was set off March 25, 1745, and a meeting-house had already been erect- ed in 1742. It com- prised the southerly portion of the town. There was much oppo- sition in the town to the setting off of this as a separate parish, and bitter controver- sies arose in conse- quence ; but by persist- part of the town at last \W Bj^.tsiv, !»«//« P ■ SOUTH HINGHAM MEETING-HOUSE. ent efforts the inhabitants of the south succeeded in carrying out their wishes. On the church record we find : — "Nov. "20, 1746. The church in the south parish, in Hingham, was embodied by the rev*? Nathanael Eelles, of Scituate, and the rev"? Wil- liam Smith, of Weymouth." And the covenant to which the members assented was the fol- lowing : — " We, whose names are hereunto subscribed, apprehending ourselves called of God into a sacred fellowship with one another in the profession and practice of the holy christian religion as a particular Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, do solemnly covenant with God and with one another as follows : — " In the first place, We avouch the Lord this day to be our God, yield- ing ourselves to him to be his servants, and chusing him to be our por- tion forever. " We give up ourselves unto that God, whose name alone is Jehovah, and is the Father, and the Son. and the holy Ghost, to be his people, to Ecclesiastical History. 41 walk in his ways, and to keep his statutes, and his commandments and his judgments, and to hearken unto his voice. We declare our serious belief of the christian religion, as it is taught in the Bible, which we take for a perfect rule of faith, worship, and manners. " We acknowledge the Lord Jesus Christ as the head of his people in the covenant of grace, and accept him as our prophet, priest, and king, and depend on him in the way which he hath prescribed for instruction, pardon, and eternal life. " We profess our serious resolution to deny, as the grace of God teach- eth us, all ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world, to endeavor that our conversation may be such as becomes and adorns the gospel. " We promise to walk together in all ways of holy communion as brethren in the family of Christ and children of our Father, who is in heaven, to keep the faith and observe the order of the gospel, chearfully to support and conscientiously to attend the public worship of God in all the instituted duties thereof; and to submit to the discipline of his -king- dom, to watch over one another with christian tenderness and circumspec- tion, to avoid sinful stumbling blocks and contentions, and to endeavor our mutual edification in holiness and comfort. " Farthermore, We dedicate our offspring, with ourselves, unto the Lord, engaging to bring them up in his nurture and admonition, to serve him with our household, and command them to keep the way of the Lord ; and, as far as in us lieth, to transmit the ordinances of Christ pure and entire to them who shall come after us. " All this we do in the presence and fear of God, with a deep sense of our unworthiness to be admitted into covenant with him, and to enjoy the privilidges of the evangelical Church state, and our own insufficiency to perform the duties of it, and do therefore rely on and pray to the God of grace and peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, that great Shepherd of the Sheep, through the blood of the ever- lasting covenant, to pardon our many sins and to make us perfect in every good work, to do his will, working in us that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen." The record says : — " Decern br 10th, 1746. Daniel Shute was ordained Pastor of the third Church of Christ, in Hingham." The following letter, sent on the day before the ordination, by Rev. Ebenezer Gay to the Third Church in Hingham, indicates the state of feeling in the town towards the new parish : — Beloved Brethren : — I communicated to the Church under my pastoral care the letter you sent to us desiring our presence and assistance at the Ordination you are proceeding to. By withholding the vote of compliance with your request, the greater part of the Brethren by far signified their unwillingness to grant it : whence, and by what I can since learn, 't is plain to me that I cannot attend the ordination of your minister as a Delegate from the Church, it being the mind of the generality of them not to send any. I am sorry that matters are so circumstanced betwixt you and your brethren here that they are not free to countenance and assist you more in the set- tlement of the Gospel Ministry among you. I meddle not with what has 42 History of Hingham. been in controversy between you and them, being of a civil nature. Therefore shall be ready to serve you all I can in your religious affairs and interest as a Christian neighbour and Gospel Minister. Tho' I now may not in the particular you have desired as the Messenger of a Church — than whom an Elder in an Ecclesiastical Council is nothing more, — since the important affair before you may be as well managed without as with us, I pray you to be content that this Church should not be active in it, and explicitly encouragiug of it, since they have not sufficient sight therefor. I believe it seems hard to you to be refused what you have asked of your mother, . . . but you know it has been a day of temptation and provocation in the town, and angry resentments, whether just or unjust, are not wont soon to be quite laid aside after the strife between contend- ing parties is at an end, and the conquered, when they submit, are not presently so loving friends as afterwards they sometimes prove. If you patiently and silently pass over the conduct of the Church to- wards you, I hope there will be a comfortable harmony of affections be- tween you and us. On the walls of a new meeting-house were once engraven these words, "Build not for faction nor a Party, but for pro- moting Faith and Repentance in communion with all that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity.'''' May this be verified in the House you have erected for Divine Worship. I wish you God's presence in it at all times, and especially on the morrow at the Ordination of a Pastor over you, and I pray God to make him a great blessing to you and to your children. I am your sincere and affectionate friend, and late unworthy Pastor, Hingham, Decern 9, 1746. E- ^AY- To the Third Church of Christ iu Hingham. In the face of the facts indicated by the above letter, one can hardly suppress a smile at the very first vote in the records of the first meeting of the church after the ordination of Mr. Shute, on Jan. 13, 1746-7, which is as follows : — " That the church will choose a committee to request of the First Church, in Hingham, some part of the furniture of their communion table, provided the Revd Mr Gay shall think proper to advise to it." It is almost needless to state that, at a meeting held on the twenty-fifth of the same month, the committee reported " that upon their application to Mr. Gay he did not advise to it." The principal facts concerning the formation of the Third Church and Parish, and Dr. Shute's ministry, are contained in an excellent memoir prepared by the father of the writer in 1863. It would be an affectation of an ability not possessed by his son to attempt any improvement upon, or addition to his accurate state- ments relating to the history of affairs in this town, or his esti- mate of its leading men, and it is a pleasure to be able to give his words as prominent a place as possible in this " History of Hing- ham." The accomplishment of such a work was his hope, but that hope, though long entertained, he was not destined to see fulfilled. Ecclesiastical History. 43 MEMOIR OF THE REV. DR. SHUTE. BY SOLOMON LINCOLN. Daniel Shute, a son of John and Mary (Wayte) Shute, was born in Maiden, the residence of his parents, on the 19th of July, 1722. He entered Harvard College in 1739, remained there for the whole term of four years, and was graduated in 1743. Among his classmates were the Hon. Foster Hutchinson, of the Supreme Court of the Province of Mas- sachusetts ; Major Samuel Thaxter, of Hingham, a distinguished officer in the war against the French and the Indians; the Hon. James Otis, father of the celebrated Revolutionary patriot and orator ; and the Rev. Gad Hitchcock, D.D., a distinguished divine of Pembroke. Mr. Shute, having chosen the profession of Divinity, was invited in April, 1746, to commence his professional career as a candidate in the South Parish of Maiden. In June of the same year he was invited to preach as a candidate in the recently formed Third Parish in Hingham. This Parish was set off from the First Parish (Dr. Gay's) in that town, March 25, 1745, and at that time was designated the Third, as Cohasset, which was the Second Precinct, had not then been incorporated as a sepa- rate district or town. This was done in 1770, and the Third Parish of Hingham has since been known as the Second Congregational Parish. The inhabitants composing this Parish, which embraced territorially the south part of the town, had contended zealously for nearly twenty years for separate parochial privileges, which were denied to them. Some alien- ation of feeling naturally grew out of a controversy so long protracted. Confident of ultimate success in their efforts, the inhabitants of the south part of the town had, in 1742, erected a commodious meeting-house on Glad-Tidings Plain, which is now standing in a good state of preservation. Mr. Shute declined an invitation to settle in Maiden, and in September, 1746, accepted the call at Hingham. In the following November a church was embodied by the Rev. Nathaniel Felles, of Scituate, and the Rev. William Smith, of Weymouth. Mr. Shute was ordained their pastor, De- cember 10th, 1746. The Rev. Messrs. Eelles of Scituate, Lewis of Pem- broke, Emerson of Maiden, Bay ley and Smith of Weymouth, were invited, with delegates, to form the Ordaining Council. The part performed by each on that occasion is not known. The exercises were not printed. Mr. Gay of the First Church was also invited to be present with dele- gates, but he declined the invitation in behalf of his church, and did not himself attend. He wrote a very conciliatory letter to the new church. . . . But a short time elapsed before the most friendly relations were estab- lished between the two parishes and their pastors. In May following the settlement of Mr. Shute, he exchanged pulpit services with Dr. Gay, and continued to do so until the death of the latter. Mr. Shute was a fre- quent guest at the hospitable table of Dr. Gay, and they enjoyed many a frugal repast and rich intellectual feast together. There was entire harmony in their religious opinions ; and it has been said that there was great unanimity of sentiment between all the members of the Association to which they belonged, of which Drs. Gay, Shute, Hitchcock, Barnes, Smith, Brown, Rand, and others were members. At a subsequent period of their lives, Gay and Shute took opposite views of a 44 History of Hingham. the great political questions which agitated the country, — the former bein<^ a moderate Tory and the latter an ardent Whig. Their political differences, however, caused no interruption to their friendship. During a severe illness of Mr. Shute, Dr. Gay manifested the most anxious solicitude for his recovery, and expressed the warmest feelings of attach- ment. The first marriage of Mr. Shute was solemnized by Dr. Gay, and at the funeral of the latter, Mr. Shute, in his discourse on that occasion, paid a most affectionate tribute to the memory of his distinguished friend. The ministry of this venerable man covered more than the last half of the last century. During that period pastors and people were severely tried by the French and Revolutionary wars. In both, Mr. Shute entered warmly into the feelings of the great body of the people, and used an active influence in forming and guiding public opinion. In 175S, he was appointed by Governor Powuall chaplain of a regiment commanded by Col. Joseph Williams, raised " for a general invasion of Canada." In 1767 he delivered the Annual Sermon before the Ancient and Hon- orable Artillery Company, from the text, Ecclesiastes ix. ltf : " Wisdom is better than weapons of war." In 17G8 he preached the Election Ser- mon from the text, Ezra x. 4: "Arise, for this matter belongeth unto thee ; he will also be with thee ; be of good courage and do it." Both these discourses were printed, and bear marks of careful composition, sound views, and strong common sense. His sermon at the funeral of his venerated friend. Dr. Gay, in 1787, was also published, and was a most impressive and fitting memorial of the character of that eminent divine, in whose footsteps he delighted to tread. No discourse of his has been published which presents any discussion of points of controversial theology. Indeed, tradition informs us that his public performances were remarked for the absence of all such topics; yet it is well understood that he sympathized with those who entertained what were termed " more liberal views " than those entertained by the great body of the clergy. In this respect there was great harmony of opinion in the whole town, and in all the parishes which it then contained. The sound judgment and knowledge of the human character possessed by him were often called into requisition on Ecclesiastical Councils. From his papers, which have been carefully preserved by his descendants, who hold his memory in veneration, he appears often to have been a peacemaker, and to have aided, by his moderation and discreet advice, in composing unhappy differences in parishes quite remote from his own, but to which his reputation had extended. His salary was a moderate one. His parish was not large, and was composed chiefly of substantial farmers and mechanics. To procure the means of a more independent support, he took scholars to prepare them for college and the pursuits of business. His pupils being generally sons of wealthy patrons, he derived a considerable income from their board and tuition, whereby he enlarged his library, and acquired a respectable amount of real estate, which is now held by his descendants. Among his scholars are recollected the Hon. Thomas H. Perkins and the Hon. John Welles of Boston, and sons of General Lincoln and Governor Hancock. In 1780 he was chosen by his townsmen a delegate to the convention to frame a Constitution for the State, — such was the confidence reposed in his abilities and patriotism. In 1788 he was associated with General Lincoln to represent the town Ecclesiastical History. 45 in the Convention of Massachusetts which ratified the Constitution of the United States, and on this occasion voted and took an active part in favor of adopting the Constitution. In the brief sketches of the debates which have been preserved there is the substance of a speech which lie deliv- ered on the subject of a Religious Test, which strikingly illustrates his liberality and good sense. It is characterized by a vigorous and manly tone, taking the ground that to establish such a test as a qualification for offices in the proposed Federal Constitution, would be attended with inju- rious consequences to some individuals, and with no advantage to the com- munity at large. After the close of the Revolutionary war, Mr. Shute devoted himself almost entirely to his parochial duties, indulging occasionally, by way of recreation, in agricultural pursuits. In 1790 he was honored with the degree of Doctor of Divinity from Harvard College. In November, 1797, on account of the infirmities of age and a failure of his sight, he wrote to his parish, " Whenever it shall become necessary for you to settle and support a colleague with me, I will relinquish my stipulated salary, and I will do it as soon as you shall supply the pulpit after I must resign preaching." In April, 1799, he renewed the proposi- tion in a letter to the parish, in which he remarks : "This relinquishment of my legal right in advanced age, in the fifty-third year of my ministry, I make for the Gospel's sake, — persuading myself that, this embarrass- ment being removed, you will proceed in the management of your reli- gious concerns with greater unanimity and ardor." Dr. Shute relinquished his public labors in March, 1799, from which time he retained his pastoral relation until his decease ; but gave up his salary, as he had proposed. The Rev. Nicholas Bowes Whitney, a native of Shirley and a graduate of Harvard College in 1793, was ordained as a colleague of Dr. Shute, January 1, 1800. Dr. Shute died August 30, 1802, in the eighty-first year of his age and the fifty-sixth of his ministry. At his funeral a sermon was delivered by the Rev. Henry Ware (senior), the successor of Dr. Gay as pastor of the First Parish. In that sermon Dr. Ware represents him as having enjoyed a distinguished rank among his brethren for talents, respectability, and public usefulness ; as having possessed a quick perception and clear discernment, and been capable of tracing a thought in all its various relations ; as having aimed in his preaching at enlightening the understanding, impressing the heart, and improving the life ; as having framed his discourses in such a manner that they were level to common capacities, while yet they furnished food for the more reflecting and intelligent; as having united great solemnity with great pertinence in his addresses at the throne of grace ; as having mingled with his people with great freedom and kindliness, and sought to promote their advantage, temporal as well as spiritual, by every means in his power. In short, he represents him as a fine model of a clergyman, and as having enjoyed in an unusual degree the confidence of the commu- nity in which he lived. And I may add that tradition is in full accord- ance with Dr. Ware's statements. Dr. Shute possessed an excellent constitution, and lived to the age of fourscore years in the enjoyment of an uncommon degree of health until near the close of his life. The partial loss of sight was borne with pa- tience and serenity, and the approach of the end of life did not deprive him of his usual cheerfulness. 46 History of Hingham. Rev. Nicholas Bowes Whitney, the second minister, was born in Shirley, March 21,1772, and was graduated at Harvard College in 1793. He was ordained colleague pastor Jan. 1, 1800, and after the death of Dr. Shute continued as sole pastor until April 15, 1833, when his connection with the parish was dissolved in the thirty-fourth year of his ministry. He died Nov. 26, 1835. Rev. Charles Brooks says of him in a funeral sermon after his death : — "Mr. Whitney had much ill health. Circumstances of constitution led him to struggles which few could have more valiantly sustained. With nerves tenderly strung, and a depression of spirits at times weighing mountain-heavy upon him, he was not fitted to make speedy progress among the sharp angles of life. He was naturally a diffident man. That press-forwardness which offensively pushes itself into puhlic obser- vation, which has no rest till it is seen, acknowledged, and admired, was no part of his character. At a time when many seem striving for office with twice the zeal they strive for heaven, it was comforting to find one who courted neither place nor power. His home and his parish were the centre, however wide the circumference. His ideas were clear, natural, and practical. He loved no warfare. He was willing that others should venture out upon the boisterous sea of controversy and bear the pelt- ing of sectarian storms ; and wherever the waves of polemic strife ran high, we found him mooring his bark far up in some quiet haven." Rev. Warren Burton, a graduate of Harvard College in 1821, succeeded Mr. Whitney. His ministry extended from May, 1833, to the latter part of 1835. Rev. John Lewis Russell was the minister for one year, begin- ning in 1836 ; from May, 1842, to June, 1849 ; and rather irregu- larly in 1853 and 1854. Mr. Russell was born in Salem, Dec. 2, 1808, and died there June 7, 1873. He was a graduate of Harvard College in 1828. He was a man of eminent talents. The various branches of natural history afforded him abundant scope for the gratification of his tastes, and he was widely known among students for his scientific knowledge. He was somewhat eccentric, at times blunt and extremely outspoken, and was distinguished more as a scientist than as a divine. It has been said of him in a memoir by Rev. Edmund B. Willson, of Salem : — " Mr. Russell's chosen profession was that of the ministry. Though he did not spend the greater part of his active years in permanent pastoral relations with any religious society, his heart was in this calling. He was interested in theological study, and marked its progress with a keen atten- tion. He had great respect for good learning, and never failed to pay due honor to true scholarship. Though his personal tastes led him persuasively to the study of nature, and his deep moral convictions and humane feelings impelled him strongly to certain forms of philanthropic discourse and action, he set none the less value upon patient research, sound criticism, and the fruits of thorough professional culture. "Mr. Russell showed marked fondness for botanical observation and Ecclesiastical History. 47 study. Side by side with his ministerial work it held its place in his regard, without, however, causing his earnestness in the minister's work to flag. He was an earnest and uncompromising opponent of American slavery, at a time when slavery had many and powerful apologists in the Northern States. Although a ' hard hitter ' in the field of theological controversy, he was no sectarian." Under Mr. Russell's ministry in the Second Parish the follow- ing covenant was adopted July 7, 1844 : — " With a deep sense of our need of improvement and with a desire of performing all our religious duties through the means of grace provided for us in the mission of Jesus Christ, whom we receive as the Messenger of Truth from God, we enter into the communion of his disciples; ear- nestly praying that by imitating his example, and by imbibing his spirit, we may walk together in the fellowship of the Gospel." During the interval between the first and second terms of Mr. Russell's ministry, Rev. Mr. Pickering was the settled minister from August to November, 1837, and Rev. Lyman Maynard from April, 1838, to May, 1842. Rev. John Prince was employed as minister for five months in 1850, and Rev. B. V. Stevenson from April, 1851, to March, 1853. Rev. William T. Clarke was minister for four years from 1855 to 1859. The Church and Parish were reorganized and united under Mr. Clarke's administration, the following covenant being adopted : "Acknowledging our dependence upon the Infinite Father and the obligations that rest upon us as rational, moral, and immortal beings, earnestly desiring to perform all our duties and extend the reign of truth and righteousness among men, with Jesus for our teacher and guide, we unite with this church, that by mutual assistance and co-operation in spiritual things we may make that improvement and accomplish that good in the world which as individuals we cannot effect." Rev. Jedediah J. Brayton was minister for two years ending in 1860, Rev. Robert Hassel for three months, Rev. J. L. Hatch for two years, from 1862 to 1864, Rev. Mr. Sawyer for one year, and Rev. John Savary, a graduate of the Harvard Divinity School in 1860, for two years until 1868. Rev. Allen G. Jennings was ordained minister of the Parish June 9, 1870, and continued in the office until 1881, a period of eleven years. Mr. Jennings was a faithful and energetic pastor, and was, during the last nine years of his ministry, the Superintendent of the public schools of the town. By his labors in the cause of edu- cation the schools of the town were much improved, and he laid the foundation for that further development which has brought them to a high rank among others in the Commonwealth. 48 History of Hingham. Rev. William I. Nichols, a graduate of Harvard College in 1874, was engaged as minister, and took charge of the parish Sept. 4, 1881. After a year's service he was ordained pastor Oct. 4, 1882, and continued as such until Oct. 7, 1883, when he resigned. It was his first settlement. Mr. Nichols had previously been the preceptor of Derby Academy. Rev. Alfred Cross was the minister from Nov. 1, 1883, to July 31, 1886. After the pastoral relations of Mr. Cross had been dissolved, the parish was for four years without a settled minister. In the meantime the pulpit of the Third Congregational Society had become vacant, and arrangements were made to settle a minister, who should have both these parishes under his charge, services to be held in the New North Church on Sunday mornings and at South Hingham in the afternoon. This plan was satisfactory to the members of both parishes and Mr. Charles T. Billings became the minister. He was born in Fitchburg, Mass., Feb. 27, 1863, and was graduated at Harvard College in 1884. After teaching two years at the Adams Academy in Quincy, Mass., and studying a year in Europe, he pursued his theological studies at the Harvard Divinity School, where he was graduated in 1890. He was ordained minister of the two parishes July 2, 1890, the ordination services being held in the New North Meeting-house. He is the present minister. The meeting-house was raised June 22, 1742, on the lot on Main Street, where it now stands. The parish was set off March 25, 1745. The original front of the building was on the southr erly side, having an entrance there, and another entrance to the galleries on the westerly side. The pulpit was on the northerly side, with a sounding-board over it ; the floor was occupied by square pews, and long seats were in the galleries. Extensive repairs were made in 1756, but the house remained substantially as it was built until about 1792, when a porch was built on the westerly side ; a tower was built on the easterly side, and additional pews and seats were constructed. In 1793 a bell was placed on the meeting-house. Stoves were introduced in 1822. In 1829-30 the southerly and westerly entrances were abandoned ; the tower was widened to the roof ; the easterly end under the tower became the main entrance, with two doors ; a larger bell was pur- chased ; the old square pews were removed and new long ones took their places ; the pulpit was removed to the westerly end. In 1869 extensive improvements and changes were made. An organ gallery was built in the westerly end in the rear of the pulpit and an organ was placed in it ; the pew doors were removed, and the interior was quite generally renovated. In 1881 the clock was placed in the tower. This parish is of the Unitarian denomination. Ecclesiastical History. 49 THIRD CONGREGATIONAL SOCIETY (UNITARIAN). THE NEW NORTH MEETING-HOUSE, HINGHAM. The circumstances which gave rise to the formation of the Third Congregational Church and Society in 1806 have already- been alluded to. This society was incorporated by an Act of the Legislature, Feb. 27, 1807. The church was organized under the name of the Third Church in Hingham, June 16, 1807. _ The meeting-house was built, upon the same lot of land on which it now stands, at the time of the formation of the society by the proprie- tors, who were incorporated by an Act of the Legislature under the name of the New North Meeting-House Corporation, and was dedicated June 17, 1807. The two corporations exist the same to-day. Rev. Henry Colman, the first minister, was born in Boston, Sept. 12, 1785, and was graduated at Dartmouth College in 1805. He was ordained pastor of this society June 17, 1807, and was dismissed, at his request, March 14, 1820, in the thirteenth year of his ministry. He died in Islington, England, Aug. 17, 1849. After leaving Hingham he opened an academy in Brookline, con- tinuing it for a few years, when he became the pastor of the Independent Church in Salem, holding that office from Feb. 16, 1825 to Dec. 7, 1831. He then became almost exclusively a farmer, having purchased a farm at Deerfield, Mass. Influenced by this pursuit and commissioned by the State, he visited Eng- VOL. I. 1* 50 History of Hingham. land, France, and other foreign countries, and fell ill in London, with a fatal disease. Mr. Colman possessed excellent abilities, was very fascinating in person and manners, and is said to have been more hospitably received by the aristocracy of England than any other private American citizen. In a letter in the writer's possession, he says : — a I have spent three days at the Duke of Richmond's, at Goodwood, and have now promised positively that I will go to Gordon Castle in September to spend at least a fortnight, when he says he will show me the whole county." Lord Hatherton said of him in a letter to a friend in America, after Mr. Colman's death : — " I never knew any foreigner so identified with us and our habits and so entirely adopted by the country. And yet there was no lack of inde- pendence of thought and action, and he avowed preference of most things both in civil and social life in his owu country. Yet he was so candid and true and honest, and so fond of those qualities in others, and with great talents there was so charming a simplicity of character, that he won on everybody he approached. There is no exaggeration in his printed letters, in which he so often spoke of the innumerable solicitations he received from persons in every part of England to visit them. All who had once received him wished a repetition of the pleasure, and their report caused him to be courted by others." A monument to his memory stands in Highgate Cemetery, Middlesex, England, which was erected by order of and at the expense of Lady Byron. Rev. Charles Brooks, the second minister, was born in Med- ford, Oct. 30, 1795, and was a graduate of Harvard College in 1816. He was ordained pastor Jan. 17, 1821. The following is an extract from a " Memoir of the Rev. Charles Brooks " by Hon. Solomon Lincoln : — " Upon his settlement Mr. Brooks entered at once upon active dutv» engaging with great earnestness in all the measures which he thought would be useful to his parish or the community. He established a Sunday School in his society in 1822 ; a parish reading society ; and, during the first year of his ministry, he wrote a Family Prayer Book, intended for his people, which was afterwards published in Hingham. Eighteen editions of it were issued, many having 4,000 copies each. " Mr. Brooks took an active interest in the Peace cause, he was an ardent friend of the American Colonization Society, by his influence the Savings Bank was established in Hingham, he was an early advocate of the Temperance cause in the Old Colony, he was the first person to intro- duce anthracite coal into Hingham, and he started the project of a line of steamboats between Boston and Hingham. " Mr. Brooks was an early and constant friend of popular education, serving as a member of the school committees of Hingham and Medford for nearly forty years, and he was also a Trustee of Derby Academy. Ecclesiastical History. 51 " The various employments in which Mr. Brooks engaged with great readiness, and in which he worked with enthusiasm and perseverance, besides the discharge of his parochial duties, bore heavily upon his strength. He sought relief and rest by a change of scenes and occupation. He visited Europe in 1833, and made the acquaintance of many distinguished per- sons, among them Rogers, Campbell, Wordsworth, Jeffrey, Cousin, Arago, Schlegel, Mrs. Hemans, Miss Martineau, and many others of note. "It was during the voyage to Europe that he became interested in the Prussian system of education. His room-mate was Dr. Julius, of Hamburg, who was sent to this country by the King of Prussia, to collect information respecting our prisons, hospitals, and schools ; so that Mr. Brooks, in a passage of forty-one days, had a fine opportunity of becom- ing acquainted with the Prussian system, and of enlarging his European correspondence. In 1835 he addressed his people on Thanksgiving Day on the subject of Normal Schools ; and from that day forward, on every opportunity, he lectured before conventions to advance the cause into which he had entered with so much enthusiasm. He lectured in nearly one hundred different towns and cities, — in every place where he was invited. By invitation of the legislatures of Massachusetts, New Hamp- shire, Vermont, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Pennsyl- vania, he delivered to crowded assemblies, in each, two or three lectures, besides speaking in most of the capitals between Boston and Washington. The results were the establishment of Boards of Education and Normal Schools. A distinguished educator, who is entirely competent to judge in this matter, says that Mr. Brooks, for Ids long, disinterested, and unpaid labors in the cause of education, is entitled to be considered, more than any other individual, what he has been called, the ' Father of Normal Schools.' " The citizens of Plymouth County owe him a debt of gratitude for the influences which he set in motion resulting in the establishment of the Normal School at Bridgewater. It was in 1838 that the celebrated meet- ing of the ' Plymouth County Association for the Improvement of Com- mon Schools 'was held at Hanover, where brilliant speeches were made by Horace Mann, Robert Rantoul, George Putnam, John Quincy Adams, and Daniel Webster, and a powerful impression was made upon the public mind. It was on this occasion that Mr. Adams, after speaking of what monarchs had done to establish Normal Schools through their realms, exclaimed, 'Shall we be outdone by kings?' and closed a very eloquent speech amid the acclamations of the assembly. Mr. Webster spoke also, with his accustomed simplicity, directness, and power. ' If,' said he, ' I had as many sons as old Priam, I would send them all to the public schools.' " Mr. Brooks was present at this meeting ; took the lead in the meas- ures proposed, and was deferred to as the engineer of the work to be done to create a correct public sentiment. " In 1838 he was elected professor of Natural History in the University of the City of New York, and proposed to visit Europe to qualify himself for the duties of his new office. He accepted the office with the concur- rence of his parish, and it adopted resolutions on the dissolution of the connection, expressing gratitude for his past services, and wishes for his future success. " In 1839 he departed for Europe, where he remained upward of four years. He devoted his time to scientific studies, and such as he deemed 52 History of Hingham. of importance to him in the professorship. On his return to this country the failure of his sight compelled him to resign his professorship, and to retire to private life. Always engaged in some philanthropic object, he turned his attention to the condition of aged and destitute clergymen. He collected statistics, and formed a society for their relief. It has been emi- nently useful, dispensing its blessing with a liberal hand. He devoted much of his time to Sunday-schools, and was an efficient officer of the Sunday-school Society. "Mr. Brooks was sincere in his friendship, candid in his judgment, genial, cheerful, and affable. He was averse to all controversy ; he avoided theological polemics, and was a peace-maker, adding to a life of practical benevolence the graces of a Christian character." Mr. Brooks's pastoral connection was dissolved Jan. 1, 1839, after a ministry of a few days less than eighteen years. He died in Medford, July 7, 1872. The following letter from Mr. Brooks in relation to the introduc- tion of anthracite coal into Hingham is worthy of preservation : To Hon. Solomon Lincoln : — My Friend, — Knowing you are the only person who could pardon me for sending a bill of coal,1 dated Nov. 15th, 1825, 1 would let my expla- nation be my apology. In 1825 all anthracite coal was called Lehiyh coal. The difficulty of igniting it gave rise to grave objections and nimble wit. One person proposed to bore a hole into the centre of the mine, then to creep in and be perfectly safe in the general conflagration. I read something about the coal and believed it would be just the thing for my study ; I therefore purchased of Messrs. Lyman & Ralston, of Boston, a sheet- iron pyramidical stove, lined with fire-brick, and one ton (then 2,000 lbs.) of coal. That good-natured captain, Peter Hersey, Jun., brought the stove and coal to Hingham in his packet, on the 15th day of November, 1825, and arrived about 4 o'clock, p. m., of that day. I have the im- pression that this was the first piece of anthracite coal introduced into the town, and perhaps into the county. Like most strangers, on first introductions, my ton of coal met with some singular treatment. The passengers on board the packet interested themselves in handling it ; breaking it, or rather in trying to break it ; in guessing about its properties ; in wondering how heat could be got out of it ; and finally in concluding to try to burn some in the open cabin fire- place. The packet had a light head-wind, and therefore the curious and i Boston, 15th Nov. 1825. Mr. Chas. Brooks, Bought of Lyman & Ralston, 71 Broad Street. 1 small Sheet Iron Stove $13.00 1 ton (2,000 lbs.) Lehigh Coal 8.00 Trucking 50 $21.50 Rec'd Pay't, Lyman & Ralston, By S. D. L g. Note. — This was the first anthracite coal brought into Hingham ; and this stove the first one used for burning it. C. B. Ecclesiastical History. 53 inquisitive passengers had time enough to try their experiment. They took three or four pieces and put them upon the live coals, and expected them to blaze very soon. Fifteen minutes passed, and the coal was as black and almost as cold as ever. The bellows were brought and began to do their best, but no signs of ignition. Another pair of old bellows was pressed into the service, and two strong young men began to blow. The fun now commenced. Out of twenty passengers, half of them at least proposed some new way of setting fire to the queer stuff. Every way that promised the least success was faithfully tried, and yet not the slightest appearance of fire could be discovered in the black masses ! The experimenters reasoned rightly about it. They said, if it was capable of ignition, fire would ignite it ; and as they had fire enough to melt iron, they could ignite that coal, and several of them resolved to work upon it till they arrived at the wharf ; and they did so. The fun which these operations produced was great indeed, and ought to have been saved by some historian as part of the queer triumphal entry of Lehigh coal into Hingham. The tardy packet at last reached its wharf in the Cove, and as the passengers went down to take a last look at the undisturbed black- ness of their inexplicable subjects, there was a general verdict against the wisdom of the minister, and as general a desire to see the coal burn, if that phenomenon could ever be witnessed. This matter became a town talk, and was better for Lyman & Ralston than all their advertisements. If those three or four pieces of irresistible Lehigh had been saved, I should certainly put them into the Cambridge Museum. On the next Monday morning, the tinman came with a few pieces of new funnel, and my stove was properly prepared for the great event. First shavings, then charcoal, then Lehigh and then a match, and the thing was done. In one hour I had my stove full of ignited coal, and I kept it replenished a week without its going out. The news spread, and visitors enough I had ; and such laughable exclamations and raw wonder as my experiment elicited were truly refreshing to me. One anxious friend, after examining the fire, lugubriously said, " Those red-hot stones may give out some heat, but I am afraid they'll set fire to your house." A gentleman said, " I '11 not take any insurance on your house." Another asked, " Do you think you can cook with your red stones ? " A good neighbor said, " We shall not sleep contentedly while we know you have such a fire going all night." A brother minister from another town came to see it, and though he liked it, he could not help saying, " It is lucky for you that you have a good salary ; for if you hadn't, you'd find that eight dollars a ton for such stuff would empty your purse before April." Thus, my dear sir, you see what fiery trials I went through ! My Lehigh, in the mean time, burnt itself into popularity — and you know the rest. Hoping to see you at the next meeting of the Historical Society, I am, with kind regards, Yours, Charles Brooks. Medford, March 10th, 1862. Rev. Oliver Stearns, the third minister, was born in Lunenburg, June 3, 1807, and was graduated at Harvard College in 1826. Mr. Stearns was ordained at Northampton, Nov. 9, 1831, and after short terms of ministerial service in Northampton, New- 54 History of Hingham. bury port, and Boston, was obliged to give up preaching for a time on account of illness. His pastoral connection with the Third Congregational Society in Hingham began July 1, 1839, under an engagement for one year, and he became the settled pastor April 1, 1840. On the first Sunday of April, 1840, he preached a sermon recognizing the permanency of his pastoral relation with the Society, which was the only form of his instal- lation in Hingham. His pastoral relation was dissolved Oct. 1, 1856, in the eighteenth year of his ministry here. From the time of his leaving Hingham in 1856, to 1863, he was President of the Meadville Theological School, and from 1863 to 1878 he was a Professor in the Harvard Divinity School at Cambridge. He received the degree of S. T. D. from Harvard College in 1857. He died Julv 18, 1885. Dr. Stearns was a learned divine and a fine writer. He was not of a rugged constitution. Lack of physical strength and endurance prevented him from undertaking much outside the lines of his pastoral and professional duty, yet by his patient industry and constant application lie accomplished a surprisingly laro:e amount of work during his long life. He was of a O CD CD mild and amiable temperament, a man of positive convictions, a stanch advocate of the abolition of slavery in the United States, and fearless in expressing his opinions. Although the life of Dr. Stearns does not present as many marked charac- teristics for biographical notice as many others of the clergymen of Hingham, yet the candid critic will credit him with being one of the most scholarly and learned of those who have been settled in the town. Under his ministry the society prospered, and he was much respected. Rev. Daniel Bowen, the fourth minister, was born in Reading, Vt., Feb. 4, 1831, and was a graduate of the University of Roch- ester. His theological studies were pursued at the Theological Seminary of Rochester and at the Harvard Divinity School. He was ordained pastor of the Third Congregational Society, Dec. 21, 1859, and this connection was dissolved Sept. 24, 1863. Mr. Bowen discontinued preaching in 1867, and removed to Florida. Rev. Joshua Young, the fifth minister, was born in Pittston, Maine, Sept. 29, 1823, was a graduate of Bowdoin College in 1845, and of the Harvard Divinity School in 1848. He was pastor of the " New South Church "in Boston from 1849 to 1852, and was settled in Burlington, Vt., from 1852 to 1862. Having preached to the society in Hingham for a short time previously, he began his services under engagement as pastor in April, 1864, and continued in that office until Dec. 20, 1868. Rev. John Snyder, the sixth minister, was born in Philadelphia, Pa., June 14, 1842, and was graduated at the Meadville Theologi- Ecclesiastical History. 55 cal School in 1869. He was settled over this parish in September, 1869, and was ordained Jan. 20, 1870. He resigned Dec. 31, 1872, to accept a call from the Church of the Messiah, in St. Louis, Mo. Rev. William G.Todd, the seventh minister, began his parochial connection with the parish in April, 1873, and resigned in De- cember, 1875. Rev. Henry A. Miles, D. D., was living in Hingham at the time of Mr. Todd's resignation, and was invited to preach on the first Sunday in January, 1876. He continued for the following Sun- days, and received a call to become the settled minister, March 13, 1876. He was installed April 9, 1876, and resigned his active duties Sept. 30, 1883, but continues his parochial connection to the present time as pastor emeritus. Dr. Miles was born in Grafton, Mass., May 30, 1809. He was graduated at Brown University in 1829, and at the Harvard Di- vinity School in 1832. He was ordained at Hallowell, Me., Dec. 14, 1832, and was settled there as minister until 1836, when he accepted a call from the Unitarian Society in Lowell, Mass. His ministry in Lowell continued from 1836 to 1853. After varied services in the line of his profession, but without any long con- tinued parochial connection with any religious society, he removed to Hingham, and shortly afterwards became connected with this society as already stated. He received the degree of D. D. from Brown University in 1850. It is not the part of the historian to be the eulogist of the living, yet the writer cannot forbear to say that Dr. Miles has the affectionate regard and universal respect of the people of his parish and the town. After the relinquishment of active duties by Dr. Miles, Rev. Alexander T. Bowser, born in Sackville, New Brunswick, Feb. 20, 1848, and a graduate of Harvard College in 1877, received a call to become the minister. Mr. Bowser's first year in the ministry, after graduation from the Harvard Divinity School in 1880, was devoted to mission work in St. Louis, Mo. He was ordained there, in the Church of the Messiah, May 2, 1881, Rev. John Snyder, pastor of that church and a former minister of this so- ciety in Hingham, giving him the right hand of fellowship. After two years spent in Evansville, Indiana, as the representa- tive of the American Unitarian Association, he received the call from Hingham, Jan. 24, 1884. He was installed June 11, 1884, and continued as pastor until Jan. 2, 1887, when he resigned to accept the position of pastor of the First Unitarian Congregation of Toronto, Canada. Rev. Charles T. Billings, the present minister, was ordained minister of this society and the Second Parish, July 2, 1890, 56 History of Hingham. and entered upon his pastorate at that time. A more detailed account of Mr. Billings and his settlement over the two parishes has been given in the history of the Second Parish. The " New North " meeting-house was erected, as has been stated, in 1807. No material change in the exterior of the build- ing has been made. New pews were placed in the galleries about 1833, at the time of the purchase of an organ. March 18, 1833, John Baker, Jairus B. Lincoln, Martin Lincoln, and Jairus Lin- coln were chosen a committee " to purchase a church organ for the society, the expense of which shall not exceed the sum of twelve hundred dollars." This organ was formerly the property of the Handel and Haydn Society in Boston. In 1849 a contract was made with George Stevens for a new organ, to cost twelve hundred dollars. This latter instrument is the one in use at the present time. In 1852 the appearance of the interior was much changed by the removal of the draperies back of the pulpit, and the painting of the walls and ceilings in fresco, which included upon the wall over the pulpit a tablet bearing the inscription, " Sanctify them through thy truth." A commemorative sermon was preached by Rev. Oliver Stearns, Dec. 12, 1852, on reopening the meeting- house after these expensive repairs and alterations. In the spring of 1890 still further changes were made in the interior of the meeting-house. The fresco painting gave way to tinted walls and ceiling of a less ornate character, some of the front pews were removed to give additional open space in front of the pulpit, new pulpit stairs were built, a background of drapery was put upon the wall behind the pulpit, and the organ was thoroughly repaired and improved by the addition of new pipes and stops. The clock, procured by private subscription, was placed in the tower in 1845. Ecclesiastical History. 57 THE FIRST BAPTIST SOCIETY. BAPTIST MEETING-HOUSE. here for several joined them in the same succeeding years, religious A meeting was There is nothing to indicate that any per- sons professing Baptist sentiments lived in Hingham previously to the year 1814. In that year Mr. Nathaniel T. Davis made this town his place of residence, and he, with his wife and Miss Hannah Beal, were the only Baptists few others subsequently belief, and the first prayer- held at the house of Mr. Davis in 1818. Mr. Asa Wilbur, of Boston, was visiting in town, and was invited to be present at the meeting. He became much interested in the efforts of this small band of worshippers, and was afterwards often present at their meetings. For his earnest labors and finan- cial aid to the Baptists of this town, through many succeeding years, he is held by them in grateful remembrance. In this same year, 1818, the first sermon by a Baptist was preached in Hingham by Mr. Ensign Lincoln, and a Sunday- school was organized. This was the first Sunday-school in Hingham. Its meetings were held in the schoolhouse which stood on the hill in front of- the Derby Academy. It was col- lected and organized by Nancy Studley, Polly Barnes, Betsey Lincoln (afterwards Mrs. Rufus Lane), and Hannah Kingman, and there was an attendance of ninety scholars on the £rst Sun- day. This school was not under the patronage of any religious society, but was an independent school. The first three named ladies were connected with a few Baptists who held meetings, as before stated, at the house of Mr. Davis. Not long afterwards, Rev. Mr. Richardson of the First Parish, and Rev. Mr. Colman of the Third Congregational Society (both Unitarian), thinking the instruction in the school too evangelical, withdrew the children connected with their parishes and formed schools of their own. The original school continued, however, though with a diminished number of scholars ; and when the Baptists, in 1828, became a branch of the Second Baptist Church, of Boston, the school be- came a Baptist school, and has so continued to the present time. In 1820 the first baptism took place, making a strong impres- sion upon many of those who witnessed it. The early struggles of this little band to establish and main- 58 History of Hingham. tain worship according to their faith were great. Services were held at private houses until August, 1823, when a hall was se- cured for the purpose in the building next south of the black- smith-shop on North Street, near the harbor.- It was a rough room, in strange contrast to the elaborate churches of the present time. The walls were not plastered, the seats were simply boards nailed upon blocks of wood, which together with a small pine table and chair constituted the furniture. In this room meet- ings were held for nearly a year, and in spite of opposition and disturbance, both outside and inside the building during the ser- vices, the worshippers increased in number. A building was found in a more quiet location, which could be purchased ; but on account of the objection likely to arise if it should be known that it was to be sold to the Baptists, it was deemed prudent to obtain the assistance of some person outside the denomination to make the purchase, that the purpose for which it was to be used might not be suspected. Mr. Ebenezer Shute was willing to purchase the building, costing about $450, provided some individual could be found who would arrange the bargain with discretion. Capt. Laban Hersey, a Unitarian, con- sented to take the deed in his own name, and subsequently con veyed the property to Mr. Shute. This building was the one now occupied by M. & A. McNeil, near Hobart's Bridge. The upper story was suitablv arranged for meetings, and for more than two years afforded a convenient and pleasant place for worship. Up to this time the pulpit had been supplied by many different ministers, among them Rev. Thomas Conant, who was engaged Cj CD C" to come and labor here as often as his other engagements would permit, Deacon Wilbur becoming personally responsible for the expense thus incurred. As an illustration of how earnest these Baptists were in such days of struggle and sacrifice to maintain preaching, it is related that on learning late on a Saturday that the preacher expected from Boston was unable to come, Aunt Polly Barnes, as she was called, mounted her horse in the early evening and set out for Scituate to engage Mr. Conant for the next day's services. As she went on her way over a lonely road, a man suddenly sprang from the woods, seized her horse by the bridle and demanded her money. " You must wait until I can get it," she said, " for I have but one hand." (She had lost her left hand by amputation.) The highwayman released the bridle for a moment, thinking his booty now secure, when she struck her horse a sharp blow ; he sprang away, and the rider reached Mr. Conant's house in safety, engaged him to preach the next day, and rode quietly home to Hingham, some six miles, the same evening. March 9, 1828, twenty persons were publicly recognized as a branch of the Second Baptist Church, of Boston, Mr. Nathaniel T. Ecclesiastical History. 59 Davis receiving the right hand of fellowship in behalf of the H high am society. In this year Deacon Caleb S. Hunt removed from Boston to Hingham. He organized and for many years led an efficient choir in this church. March 7, 1829, the society voted to pur- chase a bass-viol, and made an appropriation of five dollars to pay for it, " if a sufficient sum cannot be otherwise obtained ; " and May 10, 1833 it was •• Voted, To pay amnt of eighteen dollars for a clarionet, which had been previously purchased by some individual and used in the Baptist Meeting-house, and that the clarionet shall be the property of the church, and shall be under their direction." Sept. 21, 1828, Rev. Harvey Ball was ordained as an evangelist, and served as pastor of this church for two years. Under his en- couraging ministry a house of worship was built. A day of spe- cial prayer was set apart that a location might be agreed upon, and soon after the lot upon which the meeting-house now stands, upon Main Street, was purchased for $500. This was conveyed July 1, 1829, to Asa Wilbur, of Boston, and Quincy Hersey, of Hingham. The meeting-house was erected, costing $3,300, and dedicated Dec. 3, 1829, amid much rejoicing. In May, 1875, the house and land were conveyed to the deacons of the church and their successors forever, in trust for the benefit of the church and society. After Mr. Ball's resignation in August, 1830, Mr. Timothy R. Cressey, a student at the Newton Theological Institution, often preached to the society. Mr. Cressey was a graduate of Amherst College in 1828. He" was ordained pastor, May 5, 1831, and the church recognized as an independent body with fifty-one members. Mr. Cressey's ministry continued for three years and a half, dur- ing which a vestry was built in the basement of the meeting-house, and twenty-eight were received into the church, twenty-one of these by baptism. Mr. Cressey was born at Pomfret, Conn., Sept. 18, 1800, and died at Des Moines, Iowa, Aug. 30, 1870. For the two succeeding years the church was without a pastor, Rev. John G. Naylor supplying the pulpit much of the time. Sept. 29, 1836, Mr. Waterman Burlingame was ordained pastor, and continued as such for nearly five years, until Aug. 5, 1840. During his pastorate twenty persons were received into the church, seventeen by baptism. For an interval of more than two years the church was without a regular pastor. Rev. Charles M. Bowers frequently preached and labored here during this interval. 60 History of Hingham. July 22, 1842, Mr. Sereno Howe accepted a call with the under- standing that he was not to enter upon the full discharge of his duties until after the completion of his theological studies ; but in order that he might be qualified to administer the ordinances of the church, he was ordained as an evangelist at Charlestown. Sept. 28, 1842, he was installed as pastor of this church, and continued as such for nearly seven years. His resignation took effect July 8, 1849. During his pastorate seventy-five persons were received into the church, fifty-seven of them by baptism. Again, for a period of more than two years, the church was without a regular pastor, during which their spiritual needs were ministered to by many different clergymen and students from the Newton Theological Institution. Among the latter was Mr. Jona- than Tilson, who first preached here Dec. 22, 1850. May 3, 1851, he received a call to become the minister, which he accepted on the completion of his theological studies in the following August. His labors began September 28, and he was ordained November 5, of the same year. During the summer of 1851, the meeting-house was moved for- ward eighteen feet and raised three feet, the vestry removed, and a larger one built with a committee room in the rear of it ; the interior was improved, a new pulpit took the place of the former one, and new furniture was procured. Mr. Tilson's pastorate was the longest in the history of the church, ending Sept. 24, 1876, after a fruitful service of a quarter of a century. He received into the church one hundred and fifty- six persons, of whom one hundred and twenty-five were by bap- tism. During his long period of service, Mr. Tilson interested himself in the affairs of the town as well as the church, and was much respected. Rev. A. Stewart McLean, of Charlestown, was installed pastor June 28, 1877, and resigned July 7, 1878. During his pastorate the house was extensively repaired, at a cost of $1,500, and the church received ten persons, of whom seven were by baptism. In December, 1878, Rev. Henry M. Dean, of Dayton, Ohio, en- tered upon the duties of minister, and continued until June 30, 1887. During his pastorate twenty-seven persons were received into the church, of whom twenty-one were by baptism. In 1886, still further repairs were made upon the meeting- house, and colored glass substituted for the former plain glass windows. The next minister was Rev. Edward S. Ufford, a graduate of Bates Theological Institute, of Lewiston, Maine. He entered upon his pastorate Nov. 1, 1887, which continued until Nov. 1, 1889. During his pastorate twenty-six persons were admitted to the church, twelve of them by baptism. Ecclesiastical History. 61 Rev. Sylvanus E. Frohock was the next minister. He was graduated from Brown University, in 1889. His first settlement was in Old Warwick, R. I., where he was ordained in 1886. He was pastor of this church from April 6, 1890, to Feb. 14, 1892. During his pastorate, in the winter of 1891-92, extensive im- provements were made in the interior of the meeting-house. New pews, a baptistery, and an organ were put in and the in- terior otherwise made attractive and convenient. Rev. Irving Eugene Usher entered upon the duties of pastor August 28, 1892. He was graduated at Madison (now Colgate) University, Hamilton, N.Y. in 1887, and took a partial course in the theological seminary there. He was first settled in Charles- ton, N. Y., where he was ordained in 1887, and remained there two years. From June, 1889, to June, 1892, he was at McGran- ville, N. Y. Since his settlement here four persons have been admitted to the church, two of them by baptism. All the settled ministers, with the exception of Mr. McLean, Mr. Ufford, and Mr. Usher, have been graduates of the Newton Theological Institution. A church library was established as early as 1830. Deacon Joshua Thayer died Feb. 26, 1874. ' By his will, he de- vised his homestead, on Elm Street, near the meeting-house, to the deacons of the church and their successors forever, in trust for the church and society, for the purposes of a parsonage. The first deacons to receive a deed of this property were Joseph Ripley and Levi Hersey. The first deacons were chosen in 1835. The following per- sons have held that office : Joshua Thayer, Nicholas Litchfield, Issacher Fuller, Joseph Ripley, Levi Hersey, Walton V. Mead, Martin T. Stoddard, and George W. Horton. This society has never been large, and its growth has not at any time in its history been rapid, yet an earnest purpose to adhere unswervingly to evangelical truth has always prevailed among its members ; and from a small beginning amid opposi- tion which amounted to persecution, the growth has been healthy and full of promise to those who have felt that they were devoutly " contending for the faith once for all delivered to the saints." 62 History of H Ingham. METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH. METHODIST EPISCOPAL MEETING-HOUSE. The town of Hing- ham was included in what was known as the Scituate circuit from 1807 to 1826. From the latter year until 1828 it was in- cluded in the Wey- mouth Society, and in 1828 it became a sep- arate society. In 1807 Rev. Thomas Asbury, on the Scituate cir- cuit, was the first Methodist minister who preached in Hing- ham. He was an Englishman, said to have been a cousin of the celebrated Bishop Asbury. He married Rachael Binney of Hull, and subsequently removed to Ohio, purchasing land on the present site of the city of Columbus. In 1809, Moses Tower, of Hingham, married Mary Binney, of Hull, who was a member of the Methodist Church, and their house, and that of Robert Goold, were opened to Methodist meetings for many years. Methodist ministers occasionally preached in these houses. One of the Sab- bath appointments for the Scituate circuit was Cohasset, where a house of worship was erected, and where the Methodists of Hing- ham worshipped until 1826, when they attended church services in Weymouth for about two years. The following ministers preached occasionally in Hingham be- fore 1828, when, on the formation of a separate society, a regular pastor was stationed here : Thomas Asbury, George Pickering, John Broadhead, Joseph Snelling, Joseph A. Merrill, Benjamin F. Lambord, Stephen Baily, Edward Hyde, Aaron Lummus, Richard Emery, Bradbury Clay, B. Otheman, Orin Roberts, Ben- jamin Hazelton, Jothain Horton, Isaac Jennison, F. Upham, A. D. Sargent, Stephen Puffer, Benjamin Jones, John Adams, Moses Sanderson, L. R. Sutherland, Samuel Norris, Jared Perkins. The first class of Methodists was formed in 1818, by Rev. Ed- ward T. Taylor, of Boston (Father Taylor), and consisted of seven members, namely : Robert Goold, Mary Goold, George Lincoln, Abigail Goold Tower, Jane Goold, Mary Goold Pratt, and Isaiah Wilder. Ecclesiastical History. 63 The early meetings of this little band were attended with oppo- sition and disturbances from outside the houses in which they were held, but their number gradually increased. In 1828 Rev. Stephen Puffer, who was a local preacher residing in Hingham, gave funds for the erection of a meeting-house, which was dedi- cated July 3, 1828, and the lot and building were conveyed to a board of trustees. Mr. Puffer built the house at his own expense, and sold the pews to cover the cost of building and furnishing. The amount expended was $1,820. After the meeting-house was built Hingham became a station, and has been supplied by travelling and local preachers down to the present time. The following is a list of the ministers : — 1828 . . Samuel Heath. 1855 . 1828 . . Nathan Spalding. 1856 . 1829 . . Selah Stocking. 1857 . 1830 . . Chauncey Richardson. 1858-59 1831 . . A. U. Swinerton. 1860-61 1832 . . Stephen Puffer. 18G2 . 1833 . . Ralph W. Allen. 1863-65 1834 . . P. W. Nichols. 1866-68 1835 . . Apollus Hale. 1869-71 1836 . . George W. Bates. 1872-73 1837 . . Daniel Wise. 1874-75 1838 . . James Mudge. 1876 . 1839 . . Daniel L. McGear. 1877 . 1840 . . Robert Goold. 1878 . 1841 . . William Davenport. 1879 . 1842 . . Abel Gardner. 1880 . 1843-44 . Levi Daggett. 1881 . 1845 . . S. C. Cook. 1882 . 1845 . . Geo.W. Ilodgers (supply). 1883 . 1846-47 . Adin H. Newton. 1884 . 1848 . . Thomas Spilsled. 18S5 . 1849 . . J. Burleigh Hunt. 1886 . 1850 . . Samuel Beedle. 1887 . 1851 . . E F. Hinks. 1888-89 1852-53 . Daniel Webb. 1890 . 1854 . . F. A. Loomis. 1891-92 Paul Townsend. Lyman Leffingwell. Amos Binney. F. A. Loomis. Robert Clark. Edward B. Hinckley. William Henry Starr. George E. Fuller. Merritt P. Alderman. James H. Nutting. Charles Hammond. James O. Thompson. Annie Howard Shaw. Charles M. Comstock. George H. Huffman. Henry M. Cole. Winfield W. Hall. Angelo Canol. W. F. Lawford. Arthur Thompson. W. D. Woodward. B. F. Jackson. George B. Norton. John H. Newland. Samuel F. Johnson. Edwin G. Babcock. In 1828 the society numbered 30 members. 1829 " " " 59 1830 " " " 65 1831-32 " " 70 " From 1832 to the present time, the society has waned and in- creased by turns. In 1841-42 there were 40 members. 1860-61 " " 70 " 1863 " " 53 The society now numbers about seventy members. The first record of a Sunday-school is on July 29, 1844, when the school numbered a superintendent, seven teachers, and forty- five scholars, with three hundred and thirty books in the library. 64 History of Hingham. In 1863 there were a superintendent, ten teachers, and seventy scholars, and over six hundred books in the library. In 1863 Rev. William H. Starr, the pastor, wrote an interesting historical sketch of the society, in which he attempts to account for the slow growth of Methodism in Hingham. It is chiefly a record of the opinions of the author, but his statement of one cause of weakness is so subtle and entertaining, and so compli- mentary to the attractions of the " devoted sisters," that it is quoted : — " One more circumstance I will mention which has taken strength from this society " The following preachers, R. W. Allen, Amos Binney, P. W. Nichols, Francis Messeur, J. M. Carroll, William Hambleton, and E. M. Anthony, in some way learned that we had talented and devoted sisters suited to become valuable help-mates in their ministerial labors, and have come once and again and taken those loved and useful sisters from the bosom of this society to other fields of labor and usefulness. May God bless and prosper them wherever they go in their work of love and self-denial. Their sphere of usefulness has been enlarged, and you who were so closely connected with them ought to thank God that you have had daugh- ters and sisters called, I trust, not only by man, but also by the Spirit of God to so glorious a work." Extensive alterations were made in the meeting-house in 1845, and in 1867 the building Was moved back about thirty feet, raised, vestries built, and a new front and spire added, at an expense of nearly $4,000. This building stood at the corner of North Street and Marsh's Bridge, facing west. At the time of the latter extensive repairs, interesting services were held at the laying of the corner-stone, and a box contain- ing many interesting mementos was deposited beneath it. In 1882 the lot on the opposite side of North Street, at the corner of Thaxter Street, where the meeting-house now stands, was purchased and the building moved to the new location. In 1883, with the aid of gifts amounting to $1,000 from Mrs. Stephen Puffer, the widow of Rev. Stephen Puffer, who aided in the original building of the meeting-house, a parsonage was built upon the land belonging to the society, in the rear of the meeting- house, and it was furnished by the exertions of the members of the church. The record of this church is not one of large membership and numerous accessions, but rather that of an earnest band of Chris- tians, zealously striving for the cultivation and promulgation of those principles which, according to their faith, lead to the sal- vation of souls. Ecclesiastical History. 65 FIRST UNIVERSALIST SOCIETY. .V»' ■•£& ^ UNIVERSALIST MEETING HOUSE. of a mutual sympathy and the desire of spreading these latter organized as the First Universalist Hingham. The following was their declaration of faith : — On Nov. 1, 1823, there was a meeting of several members of the First Universalist Society, of Scituate, at the house of Capt. Charles W. Cushing, in Hingham. With them also met a num- ber of persons of the Universalist belief, from Hingham, and, under the inspiration their faith, Society of " We whose names are hereunto subscribed, being sensible of the un- changeable and universal love of God to mankind, exhibited in the Redeemer, and in humble thankfulness to Him for disposing our hearts to unite together in the bonds of Christian love and fellowship, think it our duty, as tending to the good order of society in general, and the improvement and edification of each other in particular, to form ourselves into a church of Christ, which, we conceive, consists of a number of be- lievers united together in the confession of faith of the gospel." The meeting-house was erected in 1829, and was the same now occupied by the society, on North Street. The corner-stone was laid May 18, 1829, and the house dedicated to the worship of God Sept. 19, 1829, on which occasion the sermon was preached by Rev, Hosea Ballou. Chapter 90 of the Acts of the Legislature of 1829 is " An Act to incorporate the Proprietors of the First Universalist Meeting-house in Hingham." " Moses L. Humphrey, Henry Nye, Marshall Lincoln, Ensign Barnes, Jr., Jairus Thayer and others who have associated or may hereafter associate with them and their successors " were the persons named in the Act as the members of the corporation. Among the ministers have been the following : Thomas J. Greenwood, Joseph P. Atkinson, Albert A. Folsom, John F, Dyer, Samuel A. Davis, Jeremy H. Farnsworth, Josiah W. Talbot, M. M. Freston, Albert Case, John D. Cargill, Emmons Partridge, John E. Davenport, Phebe A. Hanaford, Daniel P. Livermore, and S. R. H. Biggs. VOL. I. — 5 * 66 History of Hingham. Mr. Atkinson was born in Gloucester, Mass., Nov. 17, 1809, and died in Boston, Dec. 27, 1888. He studied theology with Rev. Thomas Whittemore, D. D., and was ordained in 1829. He was installed in Hingham April 30, 1830. His pastoral settlements were in Hingham, Dover, N. H., Weare, N. H., Marblehead, Mass., Westbrook, Me., Orleans, Mass., and Orange, Mass. During the last thirty-six years of his life his residence was chiefly in Laco- nia, N. H. After his retirement from his settled pastorates he administered for a time the affairs of the Universalist Publish- ing House in Boston with success. His funeral services took place in the Unitarian Church, Laconia, N. H., and were conducted by Rev. A. A. Miner, D.D., of Boston, assisted by several of the local clergymen. Mr. Folsom's pastorate was of about seven years' duration, and Mr. Livermore was the minister for eleven years. Mr. Biggs began to preach for the society in September, 1888, having charge of a parish in the neighboring town of Norwell at the same time. After a few months he received a call to become the settled pastor. His services as such began in March, 1889, and continued until July 1, 1891. He was a graduate from the Tufts Divinity School. From a time almost as early as the formation of the society the ordinance of the Lord's Supper has been administered to all who have felt its helpfulness, and in 1856, during the ministry of Rev. Mr. Cargill, a distinct church was organized, consisting of members who subscribed to the Winchester Confession of Faith. The installation of Mr. Atkinson, and the ordinations of Rev. John Nichols and Rev. Phebe A. Hanaford have taken place in this meeting-house. The Sunday-school of this society has been in a flourishing condition during these many years, having had at times a mem- bership of one hundred and twenty-five scholars. The Universalist denomination has not found in Hingham a very productive field for its growth. Enthusiasm and determina- tion have not been wanting among those of this faith in Hingham, especially in the early days of the society, but the predominant strength of the Unitarians, existing in the older parishes, has given the Universalists less opportunity for increasing their num- bers than might have been the case had they found themselves surrounded by other ecclesiastical neighbors. Ecclesiastical History. 67 EVANGELICAL CONGREGATIONAL SOCIETY. EVANGELICAL CONGREGATIONAL MEETING- HOUSE. The first minister of this church and society was Rev. Ebenezer Por- ter Dyer. Mr. Dyer was born in South Alding- ton, Aug. 15, 1813, en- tered Amherst College in 1829, where he re- mained one year, and was graduated at Brown University in 1833, af- ter which he pursued his theological studies at the Andover Theo- logical Seminary. He was licensed to preach in 1838, at Carlisle, and was ordained by the wayside at Stow, Sept. 25, 1839. He was for a time pastor of the Evangelical Congregational Church in Stow, from which he was dismissed in March, 1846. He served as city missionary in Boston from February, 1846, to October, 1847. While city missionary, in August, 1847, upon invitation of the Norfolk Conference of Churches, he visited Hingham with a view to establishing Evangelical Congregational preaching here. Religious services according to this faith had previously been held by Rev. Mr. Loring, in the Town Hall, and in September, 1847, with financial aid from the Norfolk Conference, an engage- ment was made for Mr. Dyer to preach in the Town Hall for a period of one year. In October of the same year a Sunday-school was organized. Dec. 21, 1847, a church was formed, with eleven members, of which Asa H. Holden was chosen deacon. In 1848 the present meeting-house was erected, at the junction of Main and Pleasant Streets, and on Jan. 4, 1849, it was dedicated. At the close of Mr. Dyer's engagement of a year he became the settled minister, and his installation took place on Jan. 4, 1849, the dav of the dedication of the meeting-house. Mr. Dyer was dismissed from his pastorate Nov. 17, 1863, after sixteen years' service, during which he served the church faith- fully, and he was a good citizen of the town as well. The ministers of this church who succeeded Mr. Dyer have been the following : — Rev. Henry W. Parker, a graduate of Amherst College and 68 History of Hingham. Auburn (N. Y.) Theological Seminary, who supplied the pulpit for over a year, commencing in March, 1864. Rev. Henry W. Jones, a graduate of Amherst College and Hartford Theological Seminary, who was installed in May, 1866, and dismissed June 7, 1871 Rev. Austin S. Garver, educated at Pennsylvania College and a graduate of Andover Theological Seminary. He was ordained as pastor Oct. 31, 1872, and his pastorate ended in July, 1875. Rev. Edward C. Hood, a graduate of Princeton College and Union Theological Seminary, from September, 1875, to Septem- ber, 1882. Rev. Edward A. Robinson, a graduate of Harvard College in 1879, and of Union Theological Seminary, who was ordained July 11, 1883. His pastorate ended July 29, 1888. Rev. Frank L. Goodspeed, acting minister, from June 1, 1889, to June 1, 1890. Mr. Goodspeed was a graduate of the School of Theology, Boston University, and during his year of service in Hingham was pursuing his studies as a member of the senior class in Harvard College, from which he was graduated in 1890. Rev. Albert H. Wheelock, the present minister, a graduate of Bangor Theological Seminary, in 1888. He was ordained July 3, 1888, as pastor of the Congregational Church in Topsham, Maine, where he remained until he came to this parish in November, 1891. The deacons of the church have been Asa H. Holden, Caleb S. Hunt, Samuel G. Bayley, Jacob 0. Sanborn, Tobias 0. Gard- ner, George E. Kimball, and Charles Bates. During the pastorate of Mr. Hood the meeting house was ex- tensively repaired, a new organ purchased and placed by the side of the pulpit, and a piano purchased for use in the vestry. Further alterations and repairs were made in the winter of 1886-87, and stained-glass windows were put in. The clock was placed in the tower and started April 19, 1887. For about thirty years the church received financial aid from the Home Missionary Society. In 1878 the system of raising money for parish expenses by weekly offerings was adopted. By a vote of the parish, May 17, 1882, self-support was assumed, and it has been self-sustaining since that time. © In another part of this chapter it has been stated that the parishes in Hingham did not divide upon denominational lines, as was common in the latter part of the last century. For nearly two centuries after the settlement of the town there were no other churches within its original limits, except those which be- came Unitarian. Doubtless the inclination of the sons to follow in the footsteps of their fathers in matters pertaining to religious faith and church allegiance will account for the fact that no earlier effort was made to establish an Evangelical Congregational Society here. The policy of this denomination in Hingham has Ecclesiastical History. 69 not been extremely aggressive, but tolerant of others' opinions, and it is not strange that, in a town but little subject to changes in the characteristics of its inhabitants, it has not grown to a very large membership. It should be credited, however, with an earnest, self-respecting, and constant devotion to the principles of its faith. THE FREE CHRISTIAN MISSION. FKEE CHRISTIAN MISSION CHAPEL. This Church and So- ciety was organized Jan. 29, 1873, under the name of " The Free Christian Mis- sion " by those hold- ing the belief in the •' Second Advent," and it has continued under the same faith to the present time. Three years before the organization of the society, a little Sunday-school and meetings were started by two sisters. Prominent among those who were instrumental in establishing the society, or who have contributed largely for its support, have been John Tuttle, Henry W. Sinclair, William H. Searles, William H. Crockett, Alonzo Manuel, and Joseph H. Hackett. Others also have aided according to their means and ability, with money and work, to keep alive the Christian work in the vicinity of the church. The society has always been self-sustaining, and an in- dependent body in its relations to any denomination, conference,, or mission. The chapel, situated near the junction of High and Ward Streets, was built in 1873 with contributions of money collected bv a committee. The following extract from the Town Records will explain the manner in which a permit to build a chapel was obtained from the town : — " March 4th, 1872. Voted, That the report of the Committee to whom was referred the request of John Tuttle and others, to build a Chapel to he used for the purpose of religions worship, at the junction of High and Ward Streets, be amended by striking out the words 'thirty feet,' and ' Selectmen,' and adding ' Road Commissioners,' and as amended be accepted. REPORT. To the inhabitants of Hingham, in Town Meeting assembled: — The Committee to whom was referred "the question of the town grant- ing consent to John Tuttle and others, to build a Chapel to be used for the purpose of Religious worship, on land near the junction of High and Ward 70 History of Hingham. streets, with instructions to take into consideration all the facts in relation thereto," have given to the subject a careful examination and respectfully Report. The advantages which follow an attendance upon public wor- ship are apparent to nearly every candid and thinking person. A com- munity is not only improved in intelligence, virtue, and happiness thereby, but with these characteristics come a more earnest recognition and main- tenance of law and order, as well as an increased interest in the prosperity and general welfare of society. From our local history, we learn that the early settlers of the town were a godly and law-abiding people ; and to a considerable extent their characteristics have been sustained by their descendants. The first church in Hingham was formed in 1635. From it have sprung ten other religious societies, all having places for public worship within the original limits of the town, which included Cohasset. At the present time a number of our fellow citizens desire to establish another church. With their associates they number about one hundred persons, a majority of whom reside on Ward and High Streets, or in that vicinity. They have held meetings during the past year at their residences, and these meetings, we learn, have been well attended. In many instances the house occupied was not sufficiently large to accommodate all who were present. On account of the interest thus manifested, the erection of a Chapel is contemplated. To this end several hundred dollars have already been pledged or subscribed ; but the amount does not at present meet the necessary requirements. By renewed exertions, however, those interested in the movement expect soon to overcome this difficulty. The piece of laud which the petitioners ask the town to permit them to build upon is eligibly situated and well adapted for their purpose. It has laid unimproved for the past fifty years without benefit to any one. Your committee have sought in vain for any title in the premises other than that of the town. They have corresponded and conferred with people who have been familiar with the locality for the past seventy years. They have also carefully searched the records of Suffolk County, be- ginning with the time when the lot was first occupied by James Hayward, and thus far have been unable to find any conveyance of the property, either by will or deed. In view of these circumstances, and of the benefits which the town may receive from an increase of taxable property in that locality, your com- mittee recommend : — First. That the town reserve thirty feet of the said lot, fronting on High Street, for widening and otherwise improving that street; and Second. That the petitioners have liberty to enclose a lot for the pur- poses of erecting a chapel thereon as requested, within such limits as the Selectmen shall fix and determine upon ; and that a plan of the same shall be filed in the Town Clerk's office. George Lincoln, ) Ckocker Wilder, >- Committee. Elijah Siiute, ) Hingham, March 4, 1872. The membership at the present time is thirty, and the usual attendance at the services has been from fifty to one hundred. Rev. William II. Crockett has been the minister since 1879. Ecclesiastical History. 71 EPISCOPAL CHURCH. PARISH OF ST. JOHN THE EVANGELIST (PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL). Before the organi- zation of any Epis- copal mission or church in Hingham, there had been for many years inter- mittent services in the town. In 1824, the first services of the Epis- copal Church were held in Hingham, and continued for a time, with good at- tendance, in a hall fitted up for the purpose by Mr. Daniel Bassett, an ardent Epis- copalian. The number of those interested for any length of time was so small, however, that no attempt was made to establish a church on a permanent foundation. From the Hingham Gazette we learn that Rev. Mr. Cutler preached on the Sunday following Christmas, 1827 ; and from a private letter that the Rt. Rev. Alexander Viets Griswold, S. T. D., Bishop of the Eastern Diocese, preached in Hingham on an even- ing in June, 1828, which was probably the first visitation of a Bishop to Hingham. About the year 1841 Rev. Samuel Cutler, of Hanover, held services in Bassctt's hall, being assisted by clergymen who chanced to be in the vicinity during the summer season. The families of Daniel Bassett, Atherton Tilden, and Edward Wilder were the only residents of the town, so far as can be as- certained, at that time identified with the church. In 1843, services were again held in the same hall by Rev. John P. Robinson, of Quincy. The hall was loaned for the purpose, seats were put in, and prayer-books purchased, which were marked upon the covers, " Episcopal Church, Hingham." Some of these books are now in use. The services were abandoned after a short time, as the number interested in them was small. Rev. Theodore W. Snow, a missionary in 1844, " visited many places in the Diocese, and among others held one of more services in Hingham." May 30, 1869, an evening service was held in Loring Hall, and through the following summer continued regularly. The Rt, Rev. Manton Eastburn, S. T. D., LL.D., Bishop of Massachusetts, 72 History of Hingham. preached at one of these evening services, which were conducted mostly by Rev. Mr. Street, of Weymouth. There were occasional services during the summer of 1870 and 1871. Finallv, in 1879, a successful effort was made to establish per- manent Episcopal services. July 6, 1879, services were con- ducted, in Southworth's hall, on Broad Bridge, by Rev. Julius H. Ward, of Boston, and they were continued regularly through the summer, and as often as twice in each month in the following winter, under the charge of Rev. Thaddeus A. Snively, of Quincy, and Rev. George S. Bennett, of Dorchester. In November, 1879, a Sunday-school was organized. The apostolic rite of Confirmation was administered, for the first time in Hingham, by the Rt. Rev. Benjamin Henry Paddock, S. T. D., Bishop of Massachusetts. June 13, 1880, to six persons. Through the summer of 1881 the services were in charge of Rev. Percy C. Webber, and during the following winter, of Mr. Sherrard Billings, as lay reader, then a candidate for holy orders, and a student at the Episcopal Theological School at Cambridge. July 1, 1881, a lot of land on Main Street, opposite Water Street, was purchased for -f 1,000, and a fund for the erection of a church was started. At Easter, 1882, a mission was organized; and July 1,1882, Rev. Charles L. Wells was placed in charge. Mr. Wells was a graduate of Harvard College in 1*79. Services continued in Southworth's hall until 1883. With the proceeds of a sale, the efforts of the Women's Guild, and amounts subscribed by generous friends, sufficient funds were procured to justify the building of a church on the lot already purchased, and ground was broken for it in November, 1882. Mr. Edgar A. P. Newcomb, of Boston, was the architect, and gene- roiisly contributed his services. The church was finished and consecrated June 5, 1883, by the Rt. Rev. Benjamin Henry Pad- dock, S. T. D., Bishop of Massachusetts. The occasion was one of much interest. Over two hundred persons were present at the services of consecration, in which about thirty clergymen assisted. The dimensions of the church are sixty-four by twenty-four feet, and it has a seating capacity for about one hundred and fifty. Its cost was about $3,000. The chancel window was the gift of Miss Blanche Shimmin in memory of her grandmother, Mary George Parkman. The large window in the west end of the church was the gift of Mrs. George S. Glover and Governor John D. Long in memory of Mary Woodward Long, the daughter of Mrs. Glover and wife of Governor Long. The chancel furniture and font were gifts as well as the organ, the latter presented by St. Paul's Church, of Stock- bridge, Mass. The brass jewelled receiving basin came from London, England, and was also a gift. Ecclesiastical History. 73 The chalice and pa- ten of silver and gilt, engraved and in- scribed, enclosed in a case of polished oak, were sent from St. Andrew's Church, of Hingham, England, and still further gifts of a lectern and bish- op's chair, of oak, massive and elabo- rately carved, which had been in use in that ancient church, were sent across the ocean and presented as a sign of Christian brotherhood and in- timate church rela- tionship between the old and the new Hing- ham. The following extracts from " The Hingham Deanery Magazine," of April, 1883, are interesting in connection with these latter gifts from St. Andrew's Church, of Hingham, Eng- land : — " Hingham in Amer- ica.— The Rector has received a letter from New York from an American lady, who vis- ited our parish last sum- mer, in the hope of gain- ing some information concerning an ancestor, Thomas Joy, 'who left Hingham, England, with a band of Puritans about the year 1630, and after a short stay in Boston, Massachusetts, founded a town near by, which they named Hingham, in tender memory of their English home.' The lady's letter enclosed a letter addressed to herself by the ' Minister in charge of the Mission of St. John the Evangelist,' dated Hingham, March 5, 1883. He gives an account of a small church which is in course of building there, and which it is hoped to open for Divine service in the beginning of May. This church is to cost about £600, and there seems little doubt of the money being forthcoming. bishop's chair in the episcopal church. 74 History of Hingham. Alluding to a request for aid which he had heard of having been made a year ago to the Rector of our Hingham, the Minister says : ' I should prefer not to receive money from there, even if he were able and in- clined to send it. I will say, however, that a book, or window, or some article of church furniture (if possible something that had been used there) would be a pleasant memorial of our Mother Church. ... I do not think we ought to receive aid from Hingham, but some token of Christian brotherhood and Church relations would be of inestimable value.' The wish thus expressed will surely find a response. A committee has been formed of three ladies, to consider in what way the Church people of Hingham, Norfolk, can best manifest their sympathy with the Church builders and worshippers of Hingham, Massachusetts." Hingham Rectory, Attleborough, March 21, 1883. Dear Sir, — I have lately received and read with much interest and pleasure a letter of yours to Mrs. Dyer, in which you give her an ac- count of Church work at Hingham, Mass. I read your letter to-day to a working party of ladies who are employed much in the same way as the Guild that you write of. They will be much pleased to carry out your suggestion and to make some present to your Church which may be a token to you and your people of the interest felt for them by the parishioners of Old Hingham. . . . There is a fine old chair which has stood in our Church a long time, which, if you have room for it, I think we might send you to represent your Bishop's "cathedra." Yours faithfully, Matxard W. Currie. To Rev. Charles L. Wells. Hingham Rectory, Attleborough, April 12, 1883. My dear Sir, — ... I think our means would suffice to procure a chalice and paten suitable for your little church, — if that is what your congregation would like. The chair which I offered is large and rather unwieldy, but if you think it worth being carried across the Atlantic, I am sure the church-wardens would be willing to send it. There is a lectern of proportions suitable, I should think, to your church and made of old oak, which would be much at your service. Let me assure you of my appreciation of the sentiments expressed in your letter to Mrs. Dyer, and of the sympathy of the Church people of Old Hingham with you and your people of the new. I am, my dear sir, Yours faithfully, Maynard W. Currie. To Rev. Charles L. Wells. Hingham, Attleboro', July 27, 1883. My dear Sir, — ... The committee of ladies of which I told you have made a collection among their friends here, to which I hope to be Ecclesiastical History. 75 allowed to make an addition, and I may say that we thus have a sum of £20 (twenty pounds) to be devoted to the procuriug of something for your church which would be acceptable to you and your congregation as a token of the sympathy and brotherly regard felt by the Church people of the Old Hingham for the Church people of the new. It occurs to me that a silver chalice and paten would be an appropriate gift to your church, and a durable memorial of the regard which we wish to express. ... I have not forgotten the wish you expressed to have some furniture that had been in use in the old church. ... I will write you again about the chair, and if it is not too big for you and you wish to have it, I feel sure our church-wardens will offer no objection to my sending it. . . . Yours very faithfully, Maynard W. Currie. To Rev. Charles L. Wells. Hingham, Massachusetts, August 11th, 1883. Rev. and dear Sir, — Your favor of the 27th ult. is at hand, and I thank you heartily for the kind and cordial feeling which it expresses. We are delighted with the exceedingly generous expressions which it promises us of the brotherly regard of the Church-people of Old Hingham for us of the New. Above all, we thank you for your interest in bring- ing about a happy result ; it will be a joy and an inspiration to us for many years to come. Nor can we conceive of a more desirable, more acceptable, or more appropriate form in which to express the Christian love and Church brotherhood than that which you suggest. The Chalice and the Paten used in celebrating the memorial of the redeeming Passion of our common Lord will thus serve not only to bring before us our communion with Him and with each other, but also to re- mind us, continually, in a beautiful and significant manner of our com- munion with our Mother Church across the sea, " to which," as the pre- face to our own Prayer Book so truly and so beautifully says, " the Church in these States is indebted under God for her first foundation and long con- tinuance of nursing care and protection." May the union be strong and lasting, ministering to the glory of God and to the prosperity of His Church. . . . Believe me, with the greatest respect and esteem, Very faithfully yours, Charles L. Wells. To Rev. Maynard W. Currie. The silver chalice and paten were ordered from Messrs. Keith & Son, Denmark Street, Soho, with the following inscription : " Presented by the Church-people of Hingham, England, to the Church of St. John the Evangelist, Hingham, Massachusetts, U. S. A.," engraved on the under side. On the paten is added the text, " We being many are One Bread and One Body." 76 History of Hingham. April 24, 1883. My dear Sir, — Before leaving home for a few weeks I ordered the chair and lectern, both of which have stood in our old Parish Church, to be sent to you. . . . Yours very truly, Maynard W. Currie. To Rev. Charles L. Wells. Hingham Rectory, Attleborough. St. Luke's Day, 1883. My dear Sir, — The enclosed extract from our " Deanery Magazine " will show you that we have acted on your acceptance of the proposal contained in my last letter. The Chalice and Paten have been on view for the last ten days. It has been suggested that your congregation would like to think that they had been used in the Mother Church, and I propose to use them on Sunday next in the celebration of the Holy Communion. The vessels, in their box, shall then be sent up to London for transmission to Boston. I trust that they will arrive safely, and I know that your people will re- ceive our gift as a token of the brotherly love which we entertain for our kinsmen across the ocean. . . . I am with kind regard, Yours faithfully, Maynard W. Currie. To Rev. Charles L. Wells. Mr. Wells resigned in the autumn of 1884, and during the fol- lowing winter the Mission was in charge of Mi-. Walter E. C. Smith, a candidate for Holy Orders in the Episcopal Theological School, at Cambridge. Rev. James I. T. Coolidge, D. D., was in charge from 1885 to Nov. 1, 1888, his first sermon being on Whitsunday, 1885. He was graduated at Harvard College in 1838, and received the degree of Doctor of Divinity from Hobart College in 1870. Rev. Alsop Leffingwell, the present rector, was born July 23, 1858, in Fairfield, Conn. He was graduated at Wesleyan Univer- sity in 1880; entered Berkeley Divinity School, Middletown, Conn., in 1886, from which institution he was graduated, in 1889. He was temporarily connected with the parish Iixuti June to Octo- ber, 1889, and since that time he has been regularly in charge. The organization as a parish took place in June, 1885. Ecclesiastical History. 77 UNITED SOCIAL SOCIETY OF SOUTH HINGHAM. In the extreme southerly part of the town religious meetings had been held occasionally but not regularly for some years pre- viously to 1890. In the vicinity of Gardner and Whiting Streets there is quite a village. In the spring of 1890, there being no place near enough to that village to enable the inhabitants to attend church, or the children to go to Sunday-school, it occurred to Mrs. Annie Belcher and her sister, Mrs. Sarah Chubbuck, of Gardner Street, that a Sunday-school could be established there. They consulted with the families in the neighborhood, and finding them all in favor of the undertaking, and willing to assist, not only in the formation of a Sunday-school, but also in establish- ing regular Sunday services, a room was engaged in a building erected by Leonard Gardner for a wooden-ware manufactory, situated on Gardner Street, and the first meeting was held and a Sunday-school organized on the first Sunday in May, 1890, Rev. Jacob Baker, of South Weymouth, officiating, and I. Wilbur Lincoln being Superintendent of the Sunday-school. The meet- ings continued with unabated interest during the summer and autumn of 1890, the attendance increased, and during the summer fifteen persons were baptized. Upon the approach of winter the meetings were discontinued, as there was no means of heating the room in Mr. Gardner's building, but the Sunday-school was held in different houses during the winter. The enthusiasm which first prompted and had so successfully carried on the good work during the season continued to increase, and the project was then conceived of erecting a building suitable for the wants of the society. In the autumn of 1890 twenty -two persons formed an incorporated organization under the name of the " United Social Society of South Hingham," with the following officers : — J. Fremont Belcher, President. Miss Clara J. Gardner, Secretary. Mrs. Lloyd Raymond, Treasurer. Charles A. Gardner, > Mrs. Charles A. Gardner, « ,. Mrs. J. Fremont Belcher, > n . .? t Ticr-iu t • i i Committee. 1. Wilbur Lincoln, Mrs. Charles M. Clark, J It was decided to proceed at once to the erection of a chapel ; a building committee was chosen ; a lot of land at the junction of Gardner and Derby streets was given to the society by Lewis Gardner, and work upon the building was immediately begun. Owing to the cold winter^ however, it was not completed until 78 History of Hingham. the following spring. It is a tasteful building, twenty-two by forty feet, with an alcove for the minister and choir. The total cost, exclusive of labor performed by various members of the society, was over $800. To a small society of twenty-two mem- bers the erection of this chapel seemed quite an undertaking; but friends from Hingham and adjoining towns gave encouragement and substantial aid, which, combined with the persistency and faith of the members of the society from its commencement, completed a building which exceeded the expectations of those directly interested in its construction, and which would be a credit to any community. The chapel was dedicated Sunday, May 16, 1891, with appropriate exercises. At the exercise of dedication an appeal was made to the congregation by one of the visiting speakers, for aid to reduce the debt incurred in building the chapel, and $151 were contributed. The society is now free from debt. The organ, chairs, and some other furni- ture were the gift of the sewing society. Services are held every Sunday. There is no settled minister, but clergymen from Hingham and adjoining towns officiate at the services. This society is doing a good work. Although the original limits of the South Parish extend to the southern boundary line of the town, yet the natural boundary line of Liberty Pole Hill marks the division between Glad Tidings Plain and Liberty Plain and the adjacent country. The thickly settled portion of extreme South Hingham forms a village quite a distance from the Meeting-house, and partly from this cause and perhaps also from a diversity of opinion there has been a demand for a nearer place of worship. As has been previously stated there had been occasional relig- ious meetings and Sunday-schools through many years in this part of the town. Beginning some forty years or more before the formation of this society, meetings were held regularly for a number of years in the schoolhouse, which brought together on Sundays a large congregation, not only from this immediate vicinity, but also from Scituate and Hanover. Rev. George Lincoln preached. There was a large Sunday-school connected with these meetings. In 1859-60 there were religious services in Liberty Hall, at which Rev. J. F. Dyer preached. The formation of the United Social Society of South Hingham is the natural outcome of these earlier efforts to maintain regular religious services. Ecclesiastical History. 79 CHURCH OF ST. PAUL (ROMAN CATHOLIC). At the time when services of the Ro- man Catholic Church wore first- held in Hingham, the town was with- in the limits of the Q u i n c y parish. This was soon after 1850. Afterwards it was attended from Randolph, then from Abing- ton, until 1867, at which time Wey- mouth became a separate parish. Hingham was then attached to the Weymouth parish and so continued until it was itself made a separate parish in 1876. The first organization of Cath- olics in Hingham was in 185G, when the "Hingham Catholic Association " announced a course of eight weekly lectures, be- ginning Feb. 5, 1850, upon subjects connected with the history of the Roman Catholic Church, by Rev. Mr. Roddan, of Quincy, " in the Society's rooms near the depot." These lectures were favor- ably noticed in the " Hingham Journal." For about twenty years after the first services here, the Cath- olics of Hingham felt the great need of a suitable edifice in which to worship God after the form of their own religion. During that time their religious services had been held in the Town Hall. Efforts had been made from time to time to erect a church, but no progress was made in that direction until Rev. Hugh P. Smyth, the pastor of the Weymouth parish, which included Hing- ham, took the matter in hand. Father Smyth determined to have a church in Hingham. He bought a site for it in the commanding position on North Street, opposite Broad Bridge. He labored indefatigably to build a church for his congregation, and on June 12, 1870, the corner-stone was laid with impressive ceremonies. In the absence of the Bishop the Very Rev. P. F. Lyndon, V. G., officiated as celebrant. The dedication sermon CATHOLIC CHURCH. 80 History of Hingham. was preached by Rev. Charles Lynch, of North Adams, Mass. The following clergymen also took a part in the ceremonies : Rev. M. Moran, Abington ; Rev. Thomas McNulty, North Bridge- water; Rev. James Sullivan, Quincy ; Rev. Michael Supple, Charlestown ; Rev. Michael Lane, and Rev. F. Dolan, South Bos- ton. The services were conducted in the presence of a large con- gregation. The energy of Father Smyth was unceasing in urging on the completion of the church, and it was so far finished as to be dedi- cated July 23, 1872, a testimony at once of the pastor's zeal and the people's earnestness. Among the clergymen present at the dedication were the Right Rev. John J. Williams, Bishop of Boston ; Rev. James A. Healey, St. James Church, Boston ; Rev. Sherwood Healey, rector of the Cathedral ; and Rev. Peter A. McKenna, of Marlboro'. A choir under the direction of Mr. Lloyd, of St. James Church, Boston, sang with good effect. The ceremony of dedication was performed by the Right Rev. Bishop according to the ritual, which was followed by the Mass, at which Rev. Sherwood Healey offici- ated. The sermon was preached by Rev. Peter A. McKenna, of Marlboro'. The church is of wood and its dimensions are one hundred and eleven by fifty-six feet, with a tower and spire one hundred and twenty-eight feet high. In the basement is a spacious vestry with a number of anterooms connected with it. The interior has a finish of chestnut capped with black walnut. The architect was P. C. Kelley, of Brooklyn, N. Y. It has numerous windows of stained glass, which were contributed by devoted members of the parish. For some time the pastor, Father Smyth, was assisted in his parish work by Rev. Peter J. Leddy. When Hingham was made a separate parish, Father Leddy was appointed pastor. He was an affable and genial man, respected in the town. He died here, much lamented, Jan. 15, 1880. Father Leddy was followed by Rev. Gerald Fagan, the present pastor. During a portion of the time Father Fagan was assisted by Rev. Hugh J. Mulligan. The church is dedicated to Saint Paul. This church has a larger membership than any other in the town, and is active in all matters relating to the work of the Roman Catholics. In reviewing the ecclesiastical history of New England much has been written about the intolerance of our Puritan ancestors, — those " holy and humble men of heart " by whom our Colonies were planted. Mr. Winthrop speaks of them as " sublime exam- Ecclesiastical History. 81 pies of piety, endurance, and heroic valor," and says, " We some- times assume to sit in judgment on their doings. We often criticise their faults and failings. There is a special proneness of late to deride their superstitions and denounce their intoler- ance." The church in Hingham began its existence under the spiritual guidance of Rev. Peter Hobart, who was a man of too large and liberal views to be a bigot in religious matters. Quoting again from Mather, " his heart was knit in a most sincere and hearty love towards pious men though they were not in all things of his own persuasion, saying, ' I can carry them in my bosomc.' ' Under the lead of such a man there appears to have been no unusual intolerance here. Possibly the discipline of the church was no less severe in Hingham than in the neighboring towns, but he who searches our early church records will find no mention of such cases of discipline as are found in the records of many churches. It may be that the ecclesiastical history of Hingham is very much like that of many other New England towns, but we cannot study it closely without being impressed with one central and pervading principle, — not that of intolerance, but of independence. That independent spirit which gave the people of this town the courage born of their convictions, the boldness to assert their opinions, the determination to establish and maintain their faith, and the resolute adherence to the right of search after truth according to the dictates of conscience, is manifest throughout all their history. That independent spirit is seen in our Puritan ancestors, who left their homes, crossed the sea, and settled here to escape per- secution ; in Peter Hobart, the bold, fearless, resolute man, in his controversy with the magistrates ; in Ebenezer Gay, who dared to promulgate broader and more progressive opinions than most of his contemporaries ; in the inhabitants of the Second Precinct and South Parish in their determined efforts to secure for them- selves independent churches ; in the founders of the Third Con- gregational Society ; in the Baptists and Methodists, who struggled and persisted in establishing churches of their own faiths, over- coming opposition amounting almost to persecution ; and in the more peaceful, yet none the less loyal efforts of those of other churches, whose history lias been told. Out of all this independence has come logically a spirit of toler- ation. There can hardly be found in New England a community in which there is so much liberty of religious opinion as in Hing- ham. Ministers of the various churches have been accustomed to stand in each others' pulpits and deliver their holy messages to appreciative and sympathizing congregations, and in the spirit of true Christianity are always ready to lend a helping hand and speak a consoling word to any who are in trouble, regardless of denominational affiliations. Happily for the welfare of the town, VOL. I. — 6* 82 History of Hingham. the members of all churches are at peace with each other. They differ without acrimony, each in his own way endeavoring to " worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father seeketh such to worship Him." " In pleasant lands have fallen the lines That bound our goodly heritage ; And safe beneath our sheltering vines Our youth is blessed, and soothed our age. " What thanks, O God, to thee are due, That thou didst plant our fathers here, And watch and guard them as they grew, A vineyard to the Planter dear. " Thy kindness to our fathers shown, In weal and woe, through all the past, Their grateful sons, O God ! shall own, While here their name and race shall last." EDUCATION. BY FRANCIS H. LINCOLN. Where schools are not vigorously and honourably encouraged, whole colonies will sink apace into a degenerate and contemptible condition, and at last become horribly barbarous ; and the first instance of their barbarity will be, that they will be undone for want of men, but not see and own what it is that undid them. Mather's Magnolia. PUBLIC SCHOOLS. It is impossible to determine accurately at what date a school was first kept in Hingham. That one existed very early is certain, for in 1661-62 we find an item in the Selectmen's Records for money " paid to John Stodder and Joseph Church for worke done about the Schoole house." In another place an account will be given of the several schoolhouses built by the town, and it will be shown that the site of the earliest buildings was on the hill for- merly in front of the Academy. It was on this hill that the first meeting-house was erected, as we know, but there is no evidence of the date of its erection, as there is none of the erection of a schoolhouse prior to 1661-62. It is natural to suppose that Church and School early received the attention of the first settlers. By a law of 1642 " respecting children and youth," it was ordered : — il Forasmuch as the good education of children is of singular behoof and benefit to any commonwealth, and whereas many parents and masters are too indulgent and negligent of their duty in that kind : " It is ordered, that the selectmen of every town, in the several precincts and quarters where they dwell, shall have a vigilant eye over their breth- ren and neighbors, to see, first that nr Rev. John Snyder 1872-1872 Rev. Allen G. Jennings 1872-1881 John F. Turgeon 1881-1882 William C. Bates 1 882-1 8S4 Allen P. Soule 1884-1887 Louis P. Nash 1887- The High School. The term "High School" does not appear in our statutes from the earliest time until the publication of the Public Statutes in 1882, but for many years, by common usage, it has been the des- ignation of those schools which the statutes required to be " kept for the benefit of the whole town." The act of 1(347 required every township of one hundred fami- lies to maintain a grammar school, whose master should be qual- ified to fit boys for the University. In 1692 the master of this school was to be " well instructed in the tongues." In 1789 such a school was to be maintained by towns having two hundred families, the master of which was to be " well in- structed in the Latin, Greek, and English languages." The grammar school of those days must not be confounded with those of the same name at the present time. They were under- stood to be the schools in which Latin and Greek were taught. The grammar school was the head of the system of gradation in the town-schools, and therefore the type of the High School of to-day. The act of 1826 established our present system of High Schools. Towns of five hundred families were required to maintain one school of the higher grade, but Latin and Greek were not required to be taught until towns had a population of 4000. The increased number of Academies throughout the Commonwealth afforded facilities for classical instruction, and undoubtedly had the effect of eliminating Latin and Greek from the list of required studies in the advanced schools of the smaller towns. In 1857 (Acts of 1857, chap. 206) the list of studies required to be taught in all the public schools was revised. Latin and seve- Education. 99 ral of the sciences were included in those required in the school " for the benefit of the whole town," in towns of 4000 inhabitants. Hingham had grown to this required population, and from this time until the establishment of our High School in 1872, the legal requirements were not carried out. That no such school, in accordance with the requirements of the later statute, was kept in Hingham until 1872 must not be at- tributed to any desire of the town to avoid the law. The princi- pal reason for this neglect arose probably from the fact that the branches usually taught in High Schools were taught in the Derby SSS^*** THE HINGHAM HIGH SCHOOL. Academy, and in great measure the children of the town were furnished with such instruction as to comply with the spirit of the law. Two unsuccessful efforts were made by the town to make the Academy serve the purpose contemplated by the statute, a more particular account of which will be found in the history of the Academy. But the Academy was not recognized by the Common- wealth as a High School, and the town's portion of the Massa- chusetts School Fund was consequently withheld. There was no choice for the town. Any inhabitant could demand a free edu- cation for his child, such as the law made provision for. All hope of utilizing the Academy as a High School having dis- appeared, the town took the necessary action, and in 1872 the Hingham High School became a reality. The school has main- tained a high rank from the beginning. Mr. Jacob 0. Sanborn has been its principal teacher from the opening of the school to 100 History of Hingham. the present time. To say that this has been fortunate for the town is small measure of praise for one " who has impressed him- self upon the youth of the town," in its higher education, with an unfailing attachment of pupils and parents alike. The school has constantly increased in its annual member- ship. Beginning with two regular teachers, their number has been increased to four. The number in attendance at the opening of the school in 1872 was 39 The number in attendance in September, 1891, was 106 The whole course is four years, and the studies are arranged so that a Classical or English course may be pursued at the election of the pupil. There is also a special course arranged for those who desire to fit themselves for college or the higher educational institutions. For twelve years or more, under the energetic superintendence of Mr. Sanborn, there was an organization of the scholars called the " High School Industrial Society." The sweeping of the schoolrooms was done by the members of this society, for which they were paid by the town. With the money thus earned many articles for the permanent benefit of the school were purchased, and it is largely due to the voluntary exertions of this society that our High School has an excellent and valuable collection of chemical and philosophical apparatus. Rev. John Lewis Russell, who died in Salem, Mass., June 7, 1873, and who was once the minister of the Second Parish in this town, by his will gave " to the Town of Hingham one thousand dollars as a fund to aid in the support of a public High School in that town." This legacy was to be paid after the decease of his wife and his sister, and became available in the latter part of 1889. At the annual meeting, March 3, 1890, the town passed the following vote : — *» Voted, That the legacy from the late Rev. John Lewis Russell be accepted by the town ; that the investment and management thereof be entrusted to a board of three, to be known as the Trustees of the John Lewis Russell Fund, said board to consist of the town treasurer, ex officio, and two citizens to be chosen annually by the town ; the income of said fund to be held at the disposal of the school committee, to be expended by it for the benefit of the High School. Cost op the Public Schools. The following table shows the comparative cost of the public schools. It does not include the amounts paid for the erection of schoolhouses. It must be borne in mind that a considerable number of children in town have always been educated in private schools at private expense, which of course is not included in the table. The amounts have varied somewhat, but dates 1670 . . £24. 1855 . . 1695 . . 35. 1870 . . . 1715 . . 40. 1871 . . . 1728 . . 80. 1760 . . 90. 1872 . . . 1765 . . 100. 1781 . . 130. 1873 . . . 1783 . . 144. 1780 . . 200. 1874-1878 1793 . . 300. 1884 . . . 1828 as ,076.00. 1832 . i 1,524.78. 1891 . . . 1848 . 1 !, 53 1.84. Numbers of Education, 101 are selected to show the tendency of a steadily increasing cost. Spasms of economy occasionally reduced the amount for a year or two : — $5,212.50. 8,845.33. 11,944.10, including music teacher, SI, 000. 13,961.23, including High School one half-vear. 15,373.25, including High School whole year. 12,710.78, lowest, $15,028.22, high- est. 15,115.69, including schoolbooks one half-year. 15,820.72, including schoolbooks whole year. Pupils. The statute of 1826 was the first to require returns to be made by School Committees to the Commonwealth. For some ten years previously, the School Committee's records give the numbers on the lists at the several visitations of the Committee during the year. The October visitations show the largest numbers; and in that month, from 1817 to 1827 inclusive, the numbers vary from 457 to 537. To show how unequally the schools were arranged previously to the new system adopted in 1828, and how impossible it was for a single teacher to accomplish good results, I give the numbers on the lists of a few of the male schools ; and it must be remembered that the schoolrooms were much smaller than the smallest in use at the present time. In 1828 one school had 109 pupils on its list; in 1825 two schools had 87 pupils each ; in 1826 five schools had 77, 77, 90, 93, and 99 pupils respectively ; in 1827, five schools had 60, 38, 94, 103, and 105 pupils respectively. The annual returns to the Commonwealth give the following as the numbers belonging to the Public Schools : — 1829 . . . 610. 1870 . . . 640. 1830 . . . 642. 1880 . . . 775. 1849 . . . 664. 1890 . . . 741. 1860 . . . 686. In 1890 the average membership of all the schools was 648.7. The per cent of attendance, based on the average number belong- and fifteen ing, was 90.6. Census of children Vporc • in town May 1, between five 1828 . . 1838 . . 1848 . . 1850 . . . 879. 1860 . . . 837. . 995. 1870 . . . 784. . 864. 1880 . . . 696. . 747. 1890 . . . 559. 102 History of Hing/tam. The Poor and School Fund. The following is from the report of the Auditors to the town, April 30, 1879 : — " The foundation of the Poor and School Fund was laid in the action of the proprietors of the undivided lands in Hingham, who, at a meeting held April 9, 1788, " ' Voted, That all the Proprietors' ways and undivided lands he given up to the town for their use and benefit forever, on the conditions following, viz.: That a highway be laid out, beginning at the Northerly end of the road leading from Thomas Cushing's house, to extend North 27 degrees West, and four rods in width, till it comes into the town road leading from Great Plain. Also that a road be laid out, beginning at the Northwest corner of the road leading from Elisha Lane's shop, to extend North 49 decrees West, three rods in width, till it comes into the aforesaid road, and that the land between the two roads aforesaid be reserved for a Burying- place, and that no building be erected upon the said Training-field or Burying-ground. '• ' That the town accept the aforesaid roads and all the Proprietors' ways, and repair them as other Public roads, if necessary.' '•These lands were held by the town, no part being sold until 1818, when, by a special act of the Legislature, entitled ' an act to authorize the town of Hingham to sell real estate,' the inhabitants were empowered at any legal meeting to appoint ' a committee of three discreet freeholders,' who should have power to sell and pass deeds of any and all parcels of land held by said inhabitants. The second section of this act is as follows, viz. : — " ' Be it further enacted that the money which shall be received for the sale of said lands, after deducting all expenses which shall be incurred in the transaction of the business, shall constitute a fund, the interest of which shall be applied exclusively to the support of the Public Schools and the maintenance of the poor of said town. And the Selectmen and Treasurer of said town for the time being shall be trustees of said fund and place the same at interest and apply said interest, as received, to the purposes aforesaid.' "By an act passed in January, 1819, the provisions of the above-named act were extended ' to all lands within the said town of Hingham held by the original proprietors in common and undivided,' and given to the town by the vote above quoted. The last sale was made in 1864, and the amount received for lands sold to that date, after deducting expenses, appears to be $9,738.70. This sum has been loaned to the town, the trustees holding the Treasurer's note for the amount, the same bearing interest at 5 per cent." There never was a strict compliance with the provisions of the act in devoting the interest directly to the support of the schools and the poor, except in the last year of the existence of the fund, although the town apparently had the benefit of an annual amount of interest credited to the fund. The fact that this interest was annually credited as money received for the purposes named in the act probably did not affect the amount of appropriations for the Education. 103 schools or poor one way or the other. The fund and its interest were merged into the other money of the town, and the whole affair resolved itself into a matter of book-keeping. By chapter 11 of the Acts of 1880 the previous acts were abol- ished, the fund ordered to be paid into the town treasury, and all money received for land sold after the passage of this act was to be paid into the treasury of the town for town purposes. The town accepted this last act March 1. 1880. Rev. Charles Brooks. The history of education in Hingham would be incomplete were not some mention made of the services and influence of Rev. Charles Brooks, the minister of the Third Congregational Society from 1821 to 1838 inclusive. His efforts to promote the cause of education, and especially his success in establishing Normal Schools are so much a part of his life that a more extended no- tice of him in this connection will be found in the chapter on Ecclesiastical History. SCHOOLIIOUSES. The erection of a schoolhouse in Hingham at a given date does not necessarily imply that a school was established at the same time. In many cases schools were kept in rooms or buildings not owned by the town, for which rent was paid. Especially was this the case with the early " female " schools, and the records show that an allowance was often made to the teacher for rent in addition to the regular salary. The chronological order in which the various schoolhouses in all parts of the town collectively were built, is not followed, as the subject can be presented more clearly if the districts are treated separately. Let it be remembered that in the earliest days there was the town ; later we have the First, Second (Cohasset), and Third (South Hingham) Parishes ; and later still, the North, Middle, and South Wards. These divisions were subdivided from time to time. For the sake of clearness the town is divided into the districts, which are most familiar at the present time, viz. : (1) North, (2) West, (3) Middle, (4) Rocky Nook, (5) North district of the South Ward, and (6) South district of the South Ward. 1. North District. From the beginning until 1720-21 the only schoolhouse for the whole town was within the limits of the present North District. It has been previously stated that the site of the earliest build- ings was on the hill formerly in front of the Academy. The evidence for this is as follows : The schoolhouse built in 1806 is well remembered by many now living as the one standing 104 History of Hingham. on this hill and removed in 1830. This was " set where the old one now stands " (1806). The " old one " referred to Avas built in 1743, and was " erected at the north end of the town where the old one now stands " (1743). That " old one " was built in 1668, " in the place where the old Pound did stand." Also, there is a record of the appointment of a committee by the town in 1769 " to see whether the old house should be repaired or a new one built," and that committee recommended the building " another upon the hill near to where this house now stands." That a schoolhouse was standing at an early date is evident from an item in the Selectmen's Records for money paid " for worke done about the schoole house" in 1661-2. The date of its erection, and whether it was built at public expense, cannot be ascertained. In 1668 the town " agreed that there should be a schoolhouse built." Many items in the Selectmen's Records show payments in 1668, 1669, and 1670, for work and materials for the school- house. That the house was actually built in 1668 there can be no doubt if we consider the custom of the day ; for one item in the records of that year is for a sum of money paid " for drinks to them that helped to rayse the school house." What became of that building is not known. It served its purpose for seventy-five years, ■ — a worthy record of honest work. In 1743 a new house was built. This continued in use until 1806. In 1769 a committee reported to the town that it was very much out of repair, and that the expense of putting it in proper condition would be fourteen or fifteen pounds ; that it was " too streight for the comfortable reception of the children usually attending this school ; " that it " has always been supposed to contain the Grammar scholars, and conse- quently the inhabitants of the other parts of the town have a right to improve it as such;" and that there was a necessity for its being enlarged. The committee recommended its sale to the "highest bidder," and "that £20 be granted by the town, which, together with the money arising from the sale of the old house " should be used for building a new one, 20 X 22 feet. This report was not accepted, but <£10 were granted for the repair of the old house, and in 1770 £6 additional " towards the schoolhouse in the North Parish " were granted ; but in 1771 this last grant of £6 was reconsidered and the town " refused to grant anything additional to what was formerly granted towards the expense of the North School House." After the building of a new one in 1806, this house, built in 1743, was removed, and now forms the rear part of the store of George Hersey & Co., at West Hingham. In 1806 another house was built " where the old one now stands " similar to the one lately built in the South Parish near Wilder's Bridge (1801). In 1819 a house for the "female school " was built. This build- ing is the one now occupied by William Lane & Son as a paint Education. 105 shop on South Street, and it stands upon its original lot. It continued to be used for the " female school " until the house on Elm Street was enlarged in 1849. In 1840 it was enlarged by an addition of eleven feet to its length. After it was abandoned for the use of a schoolhou.se it was let by the town for business purposes, and was finally sold in 1863. It was originally a one- story building. In 1829 the town voted to build four new schoolhouses, for the "male schools." They were similar in style, the one in North Dis- trict being larger than the others. The dimensions of the one in this district were 31 X 40 feet, and 13 feet in height, with accom- modations for 125 scholars. This building was opened for a school, July 12, 1830, with appropriate exercises, including an address by Rev. Joseph Richardson. In 1830 the hill in front of the Academy was removed. The house standing thereon, which was the one built in 1806, was re- moved to the West District, and fitted up for the " female school." Its subsequent history will be found in that district. In 1848 the town voted to make an addition to the length of the house in Elm Street (built in 1829-30) and to add another story to its height. This house was rededicated in 1849, Rev. Henry Hersey making an appropriate address on the occasion. It is the large schoolhouse which is now in use there. In 1878 a new one-story house was built for the Intermediate School upon a lot adjoining the other schoolhouse lot on Elm Street, and is now in use for that purpose. 2. West District. The question of building a schoolhouse at the west end of the town for the accommodation of the school came before the town, according to the records, as early as 1774, and again in 1784. But it was not until 1795 that a disposition was shown to supply the want of that section. In 1795 it was voted to build a school- house at the west end of the North Parish. The inhabitants of that district, however, could not agree upon a suitable location. For nearly a year there was controversy upon the subject. One committee after another was appointed to " appoint a spot " and report to the town; and it was not until a committee was appointed in 1796 to confer with the inhabitants of the west part of the town and agree with them, if possible, upon a location, and " if not, to set it where they think proper," that the matter was decided. It was located in the square near Marsh's Bridge, about where the reservoir now is, upon what was then a slight elevation. In 1815 it was moved to the lot near by, just west of where George Hersey & Co.'s store now stands, backing upon the brook. The people of the district had a cupola built upon its roof, and furnished it with a bell, which was regularly rung for school and at other times until about 1822, when it became cracked. The building was of poor material and was sold in 1829 for $15. Being unfit for removal, it was demolished. Its dimensions were 19 X 25 feet. 106 History of Hingham. In 1829 one of the four schoolhouses voted to be built was located in the West District. Its dimensions were 31 X 34i feet, and 12 feet high, with accommodations for 100 scholars. It was built upon the lot on South Street, where the West Intermediate School now stands, and was for the " male school." It was opened with appropriate exercises Nov. 23, 1829, which included an address by Caleb Gill, Jr. The present West Intermediate School is the same building, enlarged at a later date. In 1830 the " male-school " house on the hill in front of the Academy was removed to this same lot in the West District, and fitted up for the " female school." In 1841 it was enlarged by an addition of 10 feet to its length. It was sold in 1857, removed to Thaxter Street, and converted into a dwelling-house, where it now stands, owned by Edward Shea. In 1857 the present two-story schoolhouse on Thaxter Street was built for the accommodation of the Grammar and Primary Schools. It was dedicated Nov. 5, 1857, an address being delivered by Rev. Calvin Lincoln. In the same year the house on South Street (built in 1829) was entirely remodelled inside for the use of the Intermediate School, though not enlarged at this time, but 15 feet were added to its length in 1882. At Fort Hill the schoolhouse was built in 1850, and dedicated on the 4th of October in that year. Nathaniel P. Banks delivered an address on that occasion. This is the only schoolhouse which has been built by the town in that part of the West District. 3. Middle District. In 1721 a schoolhouse was erected " near to Peter Ripley's." This was in the vicinity of the junction of Main and Pond Streets. This house was removed in 1728 to " Great Plain," and its sub- sequent history will be found in the South District. There appears to have been no other schoolhouse " on the plain " until 1758. The distance was not great to the school in " the town " and it was no great hardship for those who thirsted for knowledge to " resort to " that school. In 1758 a committee appointed for the purpose fixed upon a site for a new schoolhouse in the south- east part of the First Precinct as follows : " A spot of ground in the west part of Daniel Waters' Home lot, near to Jonathan Burr's house in the highway leading to Isaac Lane's." The town accepted the site, but whether the schoolhouse was actually built there is not certain. The site would be very near the entrance to the Cemetery, where Short Street intersects School Street, within the present Cemetery grounds. This building stood on the south side of the Common, near to or upon the site of Mr. John Leavitt's house before 1799. Possibly it was moved there in 1797, for the town voted to build a new schoolhouse " on the Plain in the North Parish," and the School Committee were directed to re- move the old schoolhouse and dispose of it to the best advan- Education. 107 tage after the new one was built. It was not sold at this time. This building seems never to have rested in one place very long. It had found its way, before 1818, to another spot; for the town voted in that year that " the old schoolhouse that stands near the old Alms House, be removed to some suitable place and put in sufficient repair to keep the female school in." It found its way to a point near the present Grammar-school house, though somewhat north of it, within the present limits of the Cemetery. In 1829 it was sold, removed first to Middle Street, then near the steamboat landing, and finally to Cobb's Bank (Green Street), where it was converted into a dwelling-house, and is still standing. The house built in 1797 for the " male school " stood on the site above described as the " west part of Daniel Waters' Home lot." Its dimensions were 19 X 27 feet. In 1829 it was removed to the site of the old " female-school " house, sold in the year above-mentioned, and occupied by the " female school." In this same year, 1829, another of the four new schoolhouses in the town was built in the Middle District, upon the spot where the previous house had stood. Its dimensions were 31 X 34i feet and 12 feet high, with accommodations for 100 scholars. It was opened with appropriate exercises, including an address by Solo- mon Lincoln, Jr., Nov. 24, 1829, and was for the " male school." In 1848 both schoolhouses, being within the burial-ground, were removed to the lot upon which the houses now stand, the " male-school " house (1829) being put upon the site of the present Grammar-school house and the " female-school " house (1797) in the rear. In 1857 the house built in 1797, which had been enlarged in 1840 by an addition of 10 feet in length, was sold at public auction and removed in two parts to Hobart Street, nearly opposite the Pound, and converted into two small dwelling-houses, which are now standing. The house built in 1829 was moved farther back upon the lot, and subsequently occupied as an ar- mory by the Lincoln Light Infantry. In this same year, 1857, the present two-story schoolhouse was built for the accommodation of two schools. It was dedi- cated Nov. 9, 1857, an address being delivered by Henry Edson Hersey. In 1875 the "Armory" was fitted up for the Intermediate School, and in 1883 it was again altered and enlarged. 4. Rocky Nook. The earliest date at which a schoolhouse in this district was the property of the town was 1821. A school of some description had been kept there many years before, according to the Town Records ; for in 1768 " the question was put whether the town would keep the schoolhouse in repair at Rocky Nook ; passed in the negative." Provision was also made for a school there in the new arrangement of 1794. 108 History of Hingham. In 1821 the School Committee, under instruction from the town to consider the subject of " a schoolhouse at Rocky Nook," reported the following : — " The building which has been for some time past used as a school- house is now very much out of repair. It can be purchased for twenty dollars. The probable expense of purchasing, repairing, and moving it to some more central situation for the district would amount to sixty dollars. It would be for the interest of the town to purchase, repair, and move to some more convenient situation the building alluded to than to build a new one." The report was accepted and the Selectmen directed to carry the same into effect. The location of this house was in a bend of the road on Weir Street, not far from East Street. It was a small building about twelve or fourteen feet square. After it ceased to be used for a school in 1841, it was sold, removed to the other end of Weir Street, and made into a dwelling-house. A few years after 1850 it disappeared altogether. In 1841 a new house was built on Hull Street, near the present North Cohasset railroad station. The house and lot were sold in 1859 to James Beal, who with additions converted it into the dwelling-house in which he now resides. It stands on its original location. In 1857 the town voted to build a new schoolhouse similar to the one at Fort Hill. Its location was the subject of much dis- cussion in town-meeting for nearly a year. It was dedicated May 2, 1859, and was situated on Canterbury Street, named in honor of Cornelius Canterbury, the earliest settler in that part of the town, and an extensive landholder there. The lot contains an acre, which, together with that portion of the street which is between the schoolhouse lot and Hull Street, was presented to the town by David A. Simmons of Roxbury. Rev. Henry Hersey delivered the address at the dedication. It is the same house which is now occupied by the mixed school of that district. 5. North District of the South Ward. In 1728 the town voted " that Great Plain should have liberty to remove the schoolhouse (near Peter Ripley's) where it shall best accommodate them, provided they do the same at their own cost and charge." This house was moved from the Middle District to " near Theophilus Cushing's," as it is described in 1730. In 1752 allusion is made to it as standing " in the front of Mr. Shute's land," when liberty was granted to remove it " to some more convenient place." The location above mentioned was in the highway near the junction of Main and South Pleasant streets. In 1830 this house was sold and moved to a lot on Main Street a few rods north of High Street, where it became an addition to the rear of a dwelling-house, known as the Isaac Tower house, Education. 109 lately owned by the Higli Street Cemetery Association, but now demolished. In 1801 a new schoolhouse was built on land of Captain Edward Wilder on Friend Street, near to Main Street. In 1830 this house was removed to the lot on Main Street on which " the new schoolhouse now stands," just south of the present school- house lot. One of the four new schoolhouses ordered to be built in 1829 was in this district. It was 31 X 34 1- feet and 12 feet in height, with accommodations for 100 scholars. Its location was, as just stated, on Main Street. It was opened with appropriate exercises, including an address by Rev. Charles Brooks, Aug. 2, 1830. These two houses, built in 1801 and 1830 respectively, were sold, after the building of a new one in 1848, to Joseph Jacobs, and converted into dwelling-houses. The earlier one (1801) was subsequently sold and removed to Whiting Street, Hanover, near the line of Rockland, where it now stands, belonging to John Damon. The later one (1830) still stands just south of the present schoolhouse, on its original site, the property of Mrs. Joshua Leavitt. In 1848 the present house was built. It was the first two-story schoolhouse built in the town, and was "originally for the accom- modation of two schools. In 1874 it was enlarged for the accom- modation of three schools. 6. South District op the South Ward. In 1781 a schoolhouse was built on the east side of Main Street, where the Widow Solomon Gardner's house now stands. At some time later than 1796 it was sold and moved farther south to the opposite side of Main Street, where it was attached to the dwelling-house now known as the Howard Gardner house, and used as some kind of a workshop. In 1796 a house was built on the corner of Scotland and Main streets. This house was 19 X 25 feet. It was sold in 1843 and is now standing and occupied as a dwelling-house on the Isaac Burrill estate at South Hingham. In 1822 there is mention of " the female school in the South Parish near the Turnpike," and in 1823 the Selectmen agreed with Jeremiah Gardner for the purchase of the " west schoolhouse near the Turnpike for $85." This was on Gardner Street. In 1826 the Scotland-Street house was thoroughly repaired. At this time the Gardner-Street house was abandoned for school purposes, and in 1830 it was sold and removed to West Scituate to be made into a dwelling-house. In 1843 the present schoolhouse on the east side of Main Street at Liberty Plain was built and is occupied by the South Mixed School. It was dedicated Oct. 31, 1843, an address being delivered by Rev. John L. Russell. 110 History of Hingham. COHASSET. SECOND OK EAST PRECINCT. It is probable that a schoolhouse was first erected in Cohasset soon after 1730. In that year the town refused to build a school- house there, but it " Voted, That the Inhabitants of the East Precinct be hereby allowed to draw out of the Town Treasury ye whole of what was by them paid towards the building of a schoolhouse in the year 1721-22, and now stands near Theophilus Cushing's, provided the same is by them improved towards the building a schoolhouse in sd Precinct." In 1734 =£10 were granted to Cohasset, over and above what had already been granted it towards the erecting a schoolhouse in " sd Precinct." Money was paid from the town treasury in 1743 and in 1753 for repairs on the schoolhouse in this district. Cohasset was incorporated as a separate town in 1770. The following Second Precinct records confirm the above records of the town: — "Dec. 30, 1731 : It was voted to build a schoolhouse in the second precinct." That a schoolhouse was begun but not finished would seem probable, as we find — "Oct. 7. 1734: Voted, To proceed in building a schoolhouse, and that the frame now raised should be continued and finished." It is probable, therefore, that 1734 is the year which must be accepted as that in which the first schoolhouse in this precinct was built. It stood on the Plain, according to the Report of the School Committee of Cohasset for 1876-77, " between where the houses of Captain Samuel Hall and Mr. Zenas Lincoln are now located." There was only one schoolhouse there until 1792. Teachers. The following list of teachers in the public schools of Hingham contains the names of all those found upon our records. Dates are given to indicate the beginning and end of service, but they must not, in many cases, be understood to be years of continuous service. The earlier records fail to give the names of all the teachers, but from the beginning of the records of the School Com- mittee, in 1794, the list is believed to be very nearly complete. 1670 Henry Smith . . . . . 1672 1685 Thomas Palmer . . . 1687 1673 James Bate, Sr. . . . . 1678 1688 Samuel Shepard . . . . 1690 1674 Joseph Andrews . . 1675 1690 Bichard Henchman . . . 1692 1676 Benjamin Bate . . . . 1676 1693 Joseph Estabrook . . . 1705 1679 Matthew Hawke . . 1679 1697 Jedidiah Andrews . . 1697 1697 John Norton . 1705 John Odlin . 1706 Joseph Marsh 1708 Daniel Lewis 1712 Jonathan Cushing 1714 Job Cushing . 1717 Samuel Thaxter 1717 Adam Gushing 1717 Mr. Allen . . 1718 Cornelius Nye 1734 Richard Rand 1735 Samuel Holbrook 1737 Benjamin Pratt 1737 Mr. Jommings 1742 Isaac Lincoln 1745 James Humphrey 1747 Amhrose Low 1747 Jonathan Darby 1748 Dea. Lazarus Beal's 1749 Matthew Cushin 1749 Cotton Tufts . 1750 Samuel French 1752 Thomas Brown 1752 Jonathan Vinal 1753 Samuel Cushing 1753 Theophilus Cushing 1754 Samuel Foxcroft 1755 Joseph Stockbridge 1756 Jonathan Gay 1758 Mr. Bowman 1759 Jotham Gay . 1759 Jotham Lincoln 1759 David Lincoln 1760 Simeon Howard 1761 Joseph Lewis 1762 Paul Lewis . 1763 Thomas Phipps 1766 Thomas Loriug, Jr. 1768 Asa Dunbar . 1768 Jacob Cushing 1768 Joseph Thaxter 1770 Mr. Fisher . 1771 Hawke Fearing, Jr 1772 Joshua Barker, Jr. 1773 Nathan Rice 1781 Bezaliel Howard 1781 Caleb Marsh . . 1781 James Lincoln . 1782 Thomas Loring, 4th 1782 Heman Lincoln 1782 Thomas Hutchinson 1782 John Andrews . 1783 Thomas Loring . 1783 Samuel Gardner . 1784 Ebenezer Bowman 1785 William Cushing 1785 Samuel Marsh . 1786 George Lane . . 1786 Henry Lincoln . 1786 Jainis Beal . . sone Education. 111 1713 1787 Molly Loring . . . . 1787 1706 1787 Mary Gardner . . . . 1787 1707 1788 Thomas Loring, 3d . 1788 1712 1788 Levi Lincoln . . . 1788 1713 1788 Abner Lincoln . . . 1788 1718 1788 James Smith . . . . . 178S 1717 1788 Peter Jacob . . . . . 1788 1720 1794 Polly Cushing . . 1796 1718 1794 Hannah Cushing . 1794 1745 1794 Mrs. Joseph Loring . 1794 1734 1794 Rebeckah Hearsey . . 1796 1735 1794 Jenny Cushing . . 1794 1737 1794 James Warren . . 1794 1737 1794 Mr. Goold . . . . 1794 1757 1794 Crocker Wilder . . . 1819 1747 1794 Joseph Jacob . . 1798 1758 1794 John Morse . . 1798 1749 1794 Mr. Collier . . . . 1794 1748 1796 Polly Simmons . . . 1796 1749 1796 Patty Whiton . . . 1819 1751 1796 Lydia Cushing . . 1796 1751 1796 William Cushing . 1798 1752 1796 Jerusha Lincoln . 1796 1754 1796 Elijah Whiton . . . 1796 1754 1796 Joseph Stockbridge . 1796 1753 1796 Gael Tower . . 1796 1754 1796 William Norton . . . . 1796 1755 1798 Doct. Marsh . . 1798 1756 1798 Mr. Lincoln . . . . 1798 1759 1801 Samuel Heath . . . . 1801 1759 1805 Abel Cushing . . . 1812 1759 1805 Jotham Lincoln . . 1806 1782 1805 Martin Thaxter . . . 1806 1762 1805 Mr. Studley . . . . 1806 1778 1809 Artemus Hale . . . 1814 1776 1811 Mary Lincoln . . . 1813 1768 1811 Martha Marshall . 1811 1778 1811 Emma Jacob . . . . 1811 1768 1811 Polly Barnes . . 1815 1772 1811 Ann Hersey . . . . 1811 1778 1811 Christiana Cushing . . 1820 1771 1811 Cynthia Gardner . 1811 1772 1811 William Brown . • . . 1811 1772 1811 Josiah Bowers . . . . 1811 1773 1811 Artemus Brown . . . . 1811 1782 1811 William Gragg . . . . 1811 1788 1811 Silers Armsby . . . . 1811 1782 1S11 Jerom Loriug . . 1821 1787 1812 Abel Wilder . . . . . 1812 1783 1813 John Milton Reed . . . 1813 1782 1813 Duncan McB. Thaxter . 1817 1782 1813 LvdiaGill . . . . . 1814 1783 1813 Sally Tower . . . . . 1814 1784 1813 Roxanna Wilder . 1815 1784 1813 Ruth Marsh . . . . . 1813 1785 1813 Hannah R. Jacobs . . . 1815- 1785 1813 John Chase . . . . . 1813 1788 1814 Benjamin Chamberlain . 1815 1787 1814 Lydia Souther . . . . 1815 1786 1814 Joana Whiton (Whitin ?)■ 1815 112 History of Hingham. 1815 Mr. Loring . . . . 1815 1828 Charles Gordon . . 1829 1815 Melzar Flagg . . . 1818 1829 Sarah Wilder .... . 1833 1815 Joseph Wilder, Jr. . . 1828 1829 Rachel Hersey . 1829 1815 Martha Whiton (Whiti ug) 1822 1829 Joseph Tilson 1832 1815 Lucy Lane . . . . . 1815 1S29 I. Pierce 1830 1815 Harriet Wilder . . . 1815 1830 J. Sprague .... 1S30 1817 Henry Hersey . . . 1817 1830 James S. Russell . . 1831 1817 John Sargent . . . 1817 1830 Susan B. Hersey 1840 1817 Thomas Hobart . . 1818 1830 T.N.Keith .... 1831 1817 Deborah Todd . . . 1819 1831 Emeline Cushing 1832 1817 Ophelia Davis . . . 1817 1831 Abigail Gardner . . 1831 1817 Mary Hapgood . . 1827 1831 Thomas P. Ryder . 1832 1817 Joanna Wilder . . 1819 1831 Mary F. Hobart . . 1832 1817 Abigail B. Whiting . 1817 1831 Olive Stephenson . 1S40 1818 Ivory H. Lucas . . 1821 (See Olive Corbett) 1818 Nathaniel Clark . . . 1827 1831 J. P. Washburn . . . . 1832 1818 Joshua Studley . . . 1818 1832 Emily N. Gray . . . 1832 1818 Abigail T. Bowers . . 1821 1832 Jason Reed .... . 1832 1818 Martha C. Wilder . . . 1818 1832 Esther F. Sturgis . . 1832 1818 Deborah Wilder . . 1819 1S32 Thomas S. Harlow . . 1833 1818 Elizabeth Hersey . . 1818 1832 Oliver March . . . 1832 1819 Seth Gardner, Jr. . . . 1819 1832 Mary Miles .... 1833 1819 Lucy Jones . . . 1822 1S32 George W. Brown . 1833 1819 Mary Whiting . . . . 1824 1832 Charles Harris, Jr. . 1833 1819 Sabby Woodworth . . . 1819 1832 Ira Warren .... 1835 1820 Susan Harris . . . 1820 1833 Jairus Lincoln . 1835 1820 Hannah H. Wilder . . . 1831 1S33 Catherine Gates . . . 1834 1820 Caroline Whiting . . . 1821 1833 Almira S. Seymour . 1834 1821 Winslow Turner . 1827 1833 Frederick Kingman 1835 1821 P. Southworth . . . • 1821 1833 Daniel S. Smalley . . 1836 1821 Susan Waterman . 1821 1833 Mary Hersey .... 1833 1821 Susan Lincoln . . . 1826 1833 Abigail G. Wilder . . 1840 1821 Ann C. A. Whitney . . 1821 1833 Hiram Perkins . 1834 1821 Bethia Whiting . . . . 1821 1834 Mary L. Hobart . . 1834 1822 Joseph S. Clark . . . . 1822 1834 Susan L. Thaxter . 1836 1822 Joshua Flagg . 1822 1834 Bertha L. Hobart . . 1842 1822 Mary Waterman . . 1822 1834 Benjamin F. Spaulding 1836 1822 Harriet T. Bowers . . . 1824 1835 Daniel French . . . 1836 1822 Matilda Wilder . . . 1822 1835 Adeline Whiton . . . 1839 1822 Harriet Lincoln . . . 1822 1835 Mary F. Wilder . . . 1849 1822 Lavinia Whiton . . . 1822 1835 Quincv Bicknell, Jr. 1840 1823 Seth Gardner . . . . 182G 1835 Clark 'H. Obear . . . 1836 1823 James S. Lewis . . 1846 1836 I. F. Moore .... 1837 1824 Wealthy B. Jones . . 1832 1836 Susan M. Lincoln . . 1836 1824 Clorina Adams . . . . 1824 1836 Angelina H. Tower 1S38 1824 Lydia B. Whitney . . . 1830 1836 Benjamin S. Whiting . 1844 1824 Sarah Bailey . . . . 1825 1836 John E. Dix .... 1837 1824 Israel Clark . . . . 1825 1837 Timothy D. Lincoln 1838 1825 Capt. Malbon . 1827 1837 Frederick D. Lincoln . 1838 (See Micajah Malbon) 1837 Ephraim Capen . 1838 1825 Miss Shute . . . . 1825 1838 Edwin W. Peirce . . 1839 1S27 Theophilus Cushing . 1832 1838 Joseph D. Peirce . . 1839 1827 Lydia M. Hobart . . 1831 1839 Mary L. Gardner 1843 1827 Catherine Beal . . . 1833 1839 Joel Pierce . . . . . 1839 1827 Mary Wilder . . . . 1S28 1839 William F. Dow . . . 1840 1827 Miss L. Whiton . . . 1827 1S39 Hosea H. Lincoln . . 1843 1827 Miss L. Bates . . . 1827 1839 Davis J. Whiting 1840 1828 William C. Grout . . 1828 1840 Darius A. Dow . . . . 1842 1828 John Maynard . . 1829 1840 Jotham Lincoln, Jr. . . 1841 1828 Abijah W. Draper . . 1830 1840 Jane S. Hobart . . 1843 Education. 113 13-10 Helen E. Cushiug 1540 Sidney Sprague . 1811 Mary F. Hobart . 1811 Susan F. Wilder 1541 Mary B. Ripley . 1841 Mary R. Tower . 1541 Betsey L. Seymour (Bee Elizabeth L Rogers. 1811 Nathaniel Wales 1542 Mary J. Tower . . 1812 Hanuah M. Lincoln 1842 John Kneeland . . 1842 Nathan Lincoln . . 1843 Elizabeth S. Cushing 1543 Betsey Shute . . 1843 Sarah^A. Howard . 1843 William B. Tower . 1843 Micajah Malbon . . (See Capt. Malbon.) 1843 Mary R. Wliiton . 15 44 George W. Beal . . 1814 Richard Edwards, Jr. 1844 Olive Corbel t. . . (See Olive Stephenson/ 1345 Hannah B. Guild . 1845 Thomas B. Norton . 1845 Alson A. Gilmore . 1345 John A. Goodwin . 1845 G. S. Chapin. . . 1846 H. Chapin . . . 1846 William P. Hayward 1847 Mr. Gilmore . . . 1847 Sylvander Hutchinson 1847 Mary E. Nash . . 1848 Anna H. Tower . . 1848 Mr. Kingman . . 1848 Rebecca D. Corbett 1343 Julia A. Muzzey . 1843 George R. Dwe'lley 1849 Susan H. Cushiug . 1849 Paul B. Merritt . . and 1871 to 1879 1849 Perez Turner, 2d . 1849 Mary E. Riddle . . 1849 Miss A. Waters . . 1849 Mr. A. G. Boyden . 1850 G. C. Smith . . . 1850 Miss I. W. Clark . 1S50 Mr. H. A. Pratt . 1850 Ann C Sprague . . 1850 Samuel Paul . . . 1850 Ira Moore . . . 1351 Catherine H. Hobart 1851 Grace L. Sprague . 1351 Bradford Tucker 1851 AlmiraG. Paul . . 1851 Thomas H. Barnes . 1851 Ellen McKendry . 1852 Susan G. Hedge . 1352 L. L. Paine . . . 1847 1843 1841 1847 1843 1843 1850 1843 1342 1846 1847 1843 1844 1844 1843 1844 1845 1844 1849 1846 1849 1846 1845 1845 1846 1846 1849 1850 1847 1852 1860 1850 1848 1351 1852 1849 1860 1855 1850 1886 1851 1850 1851 1851 1850 1853 1855 1850 1881 1853 1854 1851 1852 1852 1855 1852 1852 Elizabeth Hill ... . 1852 1852 George Pratt 1853 1S52 Miss M. L. Prentiss . . 1854 1852 Augusta C Litchfield . . 1853 1552 Samuel A. W. Parker, Jr. 1852 1852 William A. Webster . . 1853 1852 Andrew E. Thayer . . . 1853 1852 DeWitt C. Bates . . . 1869 1852 E. A. French 1S53 1853 Francis W. Goodale . . 1853 1553 Frederick W. Wing . . 1855 1853 Thomas F. Leonard . . 1853 1853 Hannah E. Emerson . . 1854 1853 George Chapin .... 1854 1853 Maria A. Clapp .... 1854 1854 Lemuel C Grosvenor . . 1855 1854 Mary S. Litchfield . . . 1854 1854 Joanna K. Howard . . . 1857 1854 Sarah L. Cushiug . . . 1854 1854 Franklin Jacobs (1864-65) 1855 1854 Elizabeth T. Bailey . . 1S56 1S55 Francis M. Hodges . . . 1856 1855 Daniel E. Damon . . - 1858 1855 Henry J. Boyd .... 1856 1855 Mrs. A. S. Wakefield . . 1856 1855 George Bowers .... 1856 1855 James B. Everett . . • 1856 1856 Ann S. Snow .... 1857 1856 John W. Willis ... 1857 1856 Lois M. Newcomb . . . 1856 1856 William H. Mayhew . . 1858 1856 Joseph B. Read .... 1857 1856 Marv H. Tower .... 1S63 1857 Olive M. Hobart . . - 1870 1857 Annie L. White . . . . 1858 1857 Susan P. Adams . . . 1858 1857 Adeline V. Wood . . . 1857 1857 Ellen M. Davis .... 1864 1857 George Farwell .... 1858 1857 David G. Grosvenor . . 1857 1857 Mr. G. S. Webster . . . 1857 1857 Emma C Webster . . . 1859 185S Emily J. Tucker . . . 1862 1858 Edmund Cottle .... 1860 1858 Wales B. Thayer . . . 1860 1858 Benjamin C Vose . . . 1859 1859 Harriet J. Gardner . . . 1868 1859 Laura D. Loring . . . 1859 1859 Susan P. Adams . . . 1859 1859 George B. Hanna . . . 1860 1859 Soreno E. D. Currier . . 1860 1860 Mary E. Hobart . . . 1860 1860 Ellen Williams .... 1861 1860 Mr. J. W. Josselyn . . 1860 1860 William E. Endicott . . 1860 1860 Pliny S. Boyd .... 1862 1860 Martha B. Corthell . . . 1868 1860 Elizabeth L. Rogers . . 1871 (See Betsey Seymour.) 1860 Sarah J. Hersev, 1860, 1864, 1865 VOL. I. 8* 114 History of Hlngham. 1860 Susan L. Hersey . . . 1879 1879 1860 Alfred Bunker . . . . 1863 1879 1S61 Eben H. Davis . . . . 1862 1879 1862 Margaret E. Lefler . . . 1862 1879 1862 Mary A. Bates . . . . 1862 1879 1862 Ellen Lincoln . 1875 1879 1862 Byron Groce .... . 1865 1880 1862 William H. Gurney . 1863 1880 1863 Hosah G. Goodrich . 1879 1880 1863 F. Josephine Randall . . 1863 1863 Arthur S. Lake . . . 1864 1881 1864 Mary A. Bates . . . . 1864 1881 1864 James E. Parker . 1864 1881 1864 Jacob O. Sanborn, 1865; and 1881 after 1872, High Schc ol. 1882 1S65 Mary S. Stoddard . . . 1866 1882 1865 Mehitable W. Seymour . 1S74 1S82 1865 Alonzo Meserve . . . . 1865 1882 1866 Charles M. Tucker . . . 1866 1882 1866 Nathan T. Soule . . . . 1874 1883 1866 John G. Knight . . . . 1S69 1883 1S67 Abby G. Hersey . . . 1871 1883 1868 Mary E. Hobart . . . 1876 18S3 1868 L. Webster Bates . . . 1869 1883 1S68 Elizabeth L. Stodder . . 1886 1883 1868 George T. Chandler . 1S82 1883 1869 Joseph O. Burdett . . 1869 1883 1869 Simeon J. Dunbar . . 1870 1884 1870 Thomas H. Tread way . . 1871 1884 1870 M. Anna Hobart . " . . 1876 1885 1870 Lydia A. LeBaron . . 1874 1885 1871 Elisha C. Sprague . . 1879 1885 1871 Esther J. Cushing . . 1872 1885 1871 J. M. W. Pratt . . . . 1871 1885 1871 Cassia M. Barrows . . . 1871 1871 Anna P. Lane . . . . 1S73 1885 1871 Leonard B. Marshall (mu sic) 1874 1885 1872 Ella J. Corthell . . . . 1873 1886 1873 Martha F. Bailey . , . 1875 1886 1873 Lydia A. Whiton . . . 1876 1886 1874 Sara A. Hammett . . 1875 18S6 1874 Joanna W. Penniman . . 1876 1887 1874 Mary A. Shea . . . 1876 1887 1874 Orra B. Hersey . . 1882 1887 1874 Alfred H. Bissell (music ) 1886 1887 1875 Harriet L. Gardner . 1876 1887 1S75 Fannie 0. Cushing. 1887 1875 Katharine W. Cushing . 1879 18S8 1876 Haunah K. Harden . 1879 1888 1876 Tilson A. Mead . . . . 1878 1888 1876 Mary A. Crowe. 1888 1877 Mary F. Andrews. 1889 1877 Helen Whiton . . . . 1883 1889 1877 Lena C. Partridge . . . 1877 1889 i8:s William C. Bates . . . 1882 1889 (Appointed Superintendent. > 1889 1878 Abbie G. Gould . . . . 1878 1889 1879 Evelyn Smalley . . , . 1884 1889 1879 Philander A. Gay . . 1882 1889 Emma I. Brown Lucy W. Cain . . Alice M. Merrill Edith E. Taggart . Edgar R. Downs Viola M. White . . Nelson Freeman Alice Shepard . . John F. Turgeon . (Appointed Superintendent.) Gustavus F. Guild . Lizzie H. Powers . Mary A. Gage . . Mrs! Wallace Corthell John S. Emerson Charles H. Morse . Susan E. Barker Irene I. Lincoln Harriet N. Sands . Willard S. Jones James H. Burdett . Arthur Stanley . Adair F. Bonney Mary I. Longfellow Charlotte B. Harden Emma L. Thaver Martha B. Beale . Agnes Peirce William H. Furber . Lucy M. Adams E. Harriot Curtis . Edwin H. Holmes . Hugh J. Molloy . . Louis P. Nnsh . (Appointed Superintendent.) Lilian M. Hobart . Mary W. Bates . . Gracia E. Read . . Henry H. Williams Maud E. Roberts . Ida F. Spear . . . George W. Win slow James S. Perkins David B. Chamberlain S. Elizabeth Bates. A. E. Bradford (music) Helen Howard. Harry N. Andrews . E. Marion Williams David Bentley . . Henry B. Winslow . Alvau R. Lewis . . Alice M. Ryan . . Ernest H. Leavitt. Charles G. Wetherbee Annie Sawyer . . Annie C. Lawrence Murray H. Ballou . Priscilla Whiton 1889 1882 1880 1883 1879- 1879 1883 1880 1881 1883. 1881 1882 1886 1885 1883 18S3 I8S5 1883 1S85 1S85 1884 1890 1883 1885 1890 1888 18S6- 1886 1885 1SS9 1S88 1887 1887 18S9 1889 1888 1887 1891 1889 1889 1888 188S 1890 1889 1888 1889 1890 1890 1890 1890 1890 1892 1891 Education. 115 1890 J. Quinsy Litchfield. 1891 Alice S. Hatch. 1890 Julian L. Noyes. 1891 Lucy W. Harden. 1890 Katherine D. Jones . 1891 1891 Edith L. Easterbrook . . 1892 1890 Edward H. Delano . . . 1891 1891 Ellen B. Marsh. 1890 Mabel S. Robbins. 1892 Edith H. Wilder. 1890 Lillian M. Kennedy . 1891 1892 Edgar W. Farwell . . . 1892 1891 Hannah E. Coughlan. 1892 Charles A. Jenney. 1891 Margaret Hickey. 1893 Gertrude W. Groce. 1891 Helen Peirce. DERBY ACADEMY. Sarah Langlee (the name being the same as Langle, Langley, Longly, and Longle, on our records), the daughter of John Langlee and Hannah, his wife, was born April 18, 1714. She is described as being possessed of great beauty, and with- out the advantages of early education. She was doubtless illiter- ate, but her lack of education has been exaggerated. It has been said that she could not write her own name. This is not true, for she wrote many letters and signed her own name to them. Her signature may be seen on her will and other papers in the Suffolk County Registry of Probate. Many amusing anecdotes are told to illustrate her peculiarities, but they are founded upon no stronger evidence than tradition and ought not to be related as facts in history. It seems sufficiently evident, however, that it was her beauty which attracted the attention of Dr. Ezekiel Hersey, — ■ a graduate of Harvard College in 1728, and an eminent physician in his native town of Hingham, where he practised his profession for many years, — for she was married to him July 30, 1738. Dr. Hersey died Dec. 9, 1770, and his wife survived him. We can well believe that she. was comely, for, although she had reached the age of fifty-seven, another admirer presented himself, and she was married to Richard Derby, of Salem, Oct. 16, 1771. Mr. Derby died Nov. 9, 1783, his wife surviving him. Mrs. Derby died in Hingham June 17, 1790, aged seventy-sis, and was buried in Dr. Gay's tomb in the cemetery back of the meeting-house of the First Parish. Dr. Ezekiel Hersey was a man of means and charitable. It has been said that the Derby Academy was first established by him and placed on a firm foundation by Madam Derby at her death. There is no evidence of such a fact. It is undoubtedly true that the property which enabled Madam Derby to establish the institution was derived from Dr. Hersey, and it would have been a delicate acknowledgment of the fact had she given it the name of " Hersey School ; " but there is no substantial evidence to show that the idea originated in any mind but her own. It is fair to presume that the charitable character and education of Dr. Hersey would have led him to suggest to his wife such a dis- position of his property after she was done with it. It is quite as probable that Madam Derby, sensible of her own lack of early education, with a worthy motive to relieve others from an experi- 116 History of Hingham. ence like her own in this respect, might herself have conceived of this charity. Dr. Hersey, by his last will, dated Nov. 29, 1770, gave his wife all his estate on the condition of her paying one thousand pounds to Harvard College, the income of which was to be appropriated towards the support of a Professor of Anatomy and Physics, and thirty-six pounds to the three daughters of Dr. Gay. He made Ills wife sole executrix, but as no inventory was filed, there is no means of ascertaining the amount of his property. He made no provision for any school by this or any other will. In a prior will, made in 1756, which was in existence many years after his death, but which was revoked by his last will, he devised the lot of land on which the Academy now stands to the town of Hing- THE DERBY ACADEMY, HINGHAM. ham, and directed that his executrix should pay to the town two hundred and twenty pounds lawful money for the erection of a workhouse or a house for the use of the poor of the town. This perhaps gave the hint to Madam Derby to appropriate the same lot for public use in another way ; but there is nothing else to show cause for her doing it, so far as Dr. Hersey is concerned. From a careful examination of Madam Derby's will it would seem that she intended to leave so much of her property, at her death, as was acquired from her second husband, to his family connec- tions. It can therefore be repeated, with truth, that the Acad- emy was established with property acquired from Dr. Hersey. The first formal act of Madam Derby for the establishment of a school was the execution by her of a Deed of Bargain and Sale, dated Oct. 20, 1784, and a Deed of Lease and Release, dated Oct. 21, 1784. Education. 117 Deed of Bargain and Sale. This Indenture made this twentieth day of October in the year of our Lord seventeen hundred and eighty-four and in the eighth year of the Independence of the United States of America by and between Sarah Derby of Hingham in the County of Suffolk & Commonwealth of Mas- sachusetts on the one part and Ebenezer Gay and Daniel Shute Clerks and John Thaxter and Benjamin Lincoln Esquires all of said Hingham and Cotton Tufts of Weymouth and Richard Cranch of Braintree both in the County aforesaid Esquires and William Cushing and Nathan Cushing both of Situate in the County of Plymouth & Commonwealth aforesaid Esquires and John Thaxter of Haverhill in the County of Essex Esquire and Benjamin Lincoln of Boston in the said County of Suffolk Gentleman on the other part Witnesseth that the said Sarah for and in consideration of the sum of five shillings paid her by the said Ebenezer, Daniel, John, Benjamin, Cotton, Richard, William, Nathan, John & Benjamin and divers other good causes her thereunto moving hath granted bargained & sold and by these pres- ents doth grant, bargain and sell unto the said Ebenezer, Daniel, John, Benjamin, Cotton, Richard, William, JSathan, John and Benja- min, their executors or administrators a certain piece of land lying in the north parish of said Hingham containing by estimation one quarter of an acre more or less bounded westerly on the Highway, southerly on land late of Benjamin Loring of said Boston deceased, eastwardly on land of Elisha Leavitt of said Hingham, northerly on other land of said Sarah and separated therefrom by a picked fence with all the buildings standing on the same with all the priviledges, easements & appurtenances to the said land and the buildings belonging, To have and to hold the same to the said Ebenezer, Daniel, John, Benjamin, Cotton, Richard, William, Nathan, John and Benjamin their Executors or administra- tors for and during the term of one vear next ensuing the date of these presents and then to be fully complete and ended Yielding and Paying therefor the rent of one barley corn at the expiration of said term should it be lawfully demanded. To the end that by virtue of these presents and by force of the Statute for transferring uses into possession the said Ebenezer, Daniel, John, Benjamin, Cotton, Richard, William, Nathan, John and Benjamin may be in the actual possession of the land and buildings aforesaid with their priviledges and appurtenances and be thereby enabled to take a grant and release of the inheritance thereof to their heirs and assigns forever. To and for the uses, trusts, intents and purposes intended to be limited and declared in a certain indenture of Release intended to bear date the day next after the date hereof and made between the same parties as are parties to these presents. In Wit- ness whereof the abovenamed parties to these presents have hereunto interchangeably set their hands and seals the day and year first above written. Signed, Sealed and Delivered in presence of us. Sarah Derby. (Seal.) Benj11 Cushing. William Cushing. 118 History of Hingham. Deed of Lease and Release. This Indenture made this twenty-first day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty-four, and in the eighth year of the Independence of the United States of America, by and between Sarah Derby of Hingham, in the County of Suffolk and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Widow, on the one part; and Ebenezer Gay, and Daniel Shute, Clerks, and John Thaxter and Benjamin LixcoLN, Esquires, all of said Hingham ; Cotton Tufts of Weymouth, and Richard Cranch, of Braintree, Esquires both in said County of Suffolk ; William Cushing and Nathan Cusiiing, both of Scituate in the county of Plymouth and Commonwealth aforesaid, Esquires ; John Thaxter of Haverhill, in the Count}" of Essex and Commonwealth aforesaid. Esquire, and Benjamin Lincoln of Boston in the County of Suffolk, Gentleman, on the other part, witnesseth, that the said Sarah, for and in con- sideration of the sum of five shillings, lawful money of the Commonwealth aforesaid, paid her by the said Ebenezer, Daniel, John, Benjamin, Cotton, Richard, William, Nathan, JonN and Benjamin, and divers other good causes her thereunto moving, hath sold, released and con- firmed, and by these presents doth sell, release and confirm to the said Ebenezer, Daniel, John, Benjamin, Cotton, Richard, William, Nathan, John and Benjamin, their heirs and assigns, a certain piece of land lying in the north parish of said Hingham, containing by estima- tion one quarter of an acre, more or less, bounded westerly on the high- way, southerly, on land late of Benjamin Loring, of said Boston, de- ceased, eastwardly on land of Elisha Leavitt of said Hingham, north- erly on other laud of said Sarah and separated therefrom by a picked fence ; with all the buildings standing on the same, with all the privileges, easements and appurtenances to the said land and buildings belonging; which said land and buildings are now in the actual possession of them the said Ebenezer, Daniel, John, Benjamin, Cotton, Richard, William, Nathan, John and Benjamin by virtue of a bargain and sale to them thereof made by the said Sarah, for the term of one year, in consideration of five shillings, by Indentures bearing date the day next before the day of the date of these presents, made between the same parties, as are parties to these presents and by force of the statute for transferring uses into possession. To have and to hold the said land and buildings with all the privileges, easements and appurtenances thereto belonging, to them the said Ebex\te- zer, Daniel, John, Benjamin, Cotton, Richard, William, Nathan, John and Benjamin, their heirs and assigns forever to the use of the said Sarah during her life, and from and after her decease, then to the use of the said Ebenezer, Daniel, John, Benjamin, Cotton, Richard, William, Nathan, John and Benjamin, their heirs and assigns forever, upon such trusts, nevertheless, and to and for such intents and purposes as are hereinafter mentioned, expressed and declared of and concerning the said premises, that is to say : Upon trust and to the intent and purpose that the said Ebenezer, Daniel, John, Benjamin, Cotton, Richard, William, Nathan, John and Benjamin, as soon as may be after said Sarah's decease, lease out and improve to the best advantage, the said land and buildings, except such parts thereof as are hereafter otherwise appropriated, and appropri- Education. 119 ate the rents and profits arising therefrom, for and towards the main- tenance and support of a School for the teaching of the Youth of the aforesaid north parish of Hingham and others, and all of the age and description hereinafter mentioned, in such arts and branches of literature as are also hereinafter set forth : said School to be subject to such rules, orders and regulations, as the said Trustees, their survivors, or successors may think fit from time to time to prescribe, that is to say : The said School is to be maintained and supported as aforesaid, for the instruction of all such males as shall be admitted therein, in the Latin, Greek, English and French languages, and in the sciences of the Mathe- matics and Geography : and all such females as shall be admitted therein, in writing and in the English and French lanerson to fill the vacancy, and the person so elected shall be a Trustee with all the powers of trustees hereinbefore named. If, however, upon the death or resignation of any Trustee, a majority of the surviving Trustees shall vote that it is inexpedient to fill such vacancy, they may omit to do so, but may at any time afterwards reconsider such vote and fill such vacancy ; provided, however, that in no case shall the number of Trustees be less than ten nor more than fifteen. Fifth. The said Trustees may, at any time they see fit, and if they deem it expedient, apply to the legislature for an act of incorporation and may transfer to said corporation the real and personal estate of which the fund may then consist, including the Library and Furniture. The Trus- tees shall be under no obligation to apply for such an act, and neither the Trustees nor such corporation, if established, shall sell the said real estate, nor purchase nor erect a building elsewhere, unless the same becomes ab- solutely necessary in the judgment of and by a formal vote of not less than three-fourths of the whole number of Trustees. Sixth. It shall be the duty of the Trustees to keep the funds committed to them safely invested, and they shall have the power to change the in- vestments thereof from time to time as they may deem expedient. Now, in consideration of the premises, the said persons, parties of the second part, hereby siguify and declare their acceptance of the real and * On the delivery of the deed and indenture. Mr. Fearing paid to the Trustees Five Thousand Dollars in cash, which was accepted in lieu of the Bonds before mentioned. Education. 151 personal estate aforesaid, including the Library and Furniture, and do hereby engage to hold and manage the same upon the trusts and for the uses hereinbefore mentioned. In witness whereof, the parties hereto have hereunto set our hands and seals interchangeably the day and year first above written. Signed, sealed, and delivered \ in presence of ■ Henry Siders. ) [Stamp, cancelled.] [L.S.] Albert Fearing Calvin Lincoln. Solojion Lincoln. " Ezra Stephenson. " Fearing Burr. " Jonathan Tilson. " Henry W. Jones. " QUINCY BlCKNELL. " George Hersey, Jr. " Elijah Shute. " Amasa Whiting. " William Fearing, 2d. " Arthur Lincoln. " Lincoln Fearing. " Davtd Whiton. " Thos. T. Bouve. GIFT OF $10,000. At a special meeting of the Trustees, held May 10, 1871, a com- munication was received from Hon. Albert Fearing, announcing a Gift, in addition to his previous donations, of the sum of Ten Thousand Dollars, to be added to the Trust Funds of the Library, for the purpose of enlarging its usefulness, and upon the terms set forth in his communication, which was as follows : — HINGHAM public library. Whereas, I Albert Fearing, of Hingham, in the County of Plymouth, and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, by my deed, dated the fifteenth day of June, in the year one thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, conveyed certain land and the building thereon, situated in said Hingham, and more particularly described in said deed, to Calvin Lincoln and others, Trustees therein named, for the purposes of a Library for the Inhabitants of said Hingham, to be called the Hingham Public Library ; and whereas, I, the said Albert Fearing, paid to said Trustees the sum of Five Thousand Dol- lars in money, in addition to the gift of land and building, for the uses, support and maintenance of said Library, according to the provisions of Indentures between the said Fearing and Calvin Lincoln and others, Trus- tees therein named, which Indentures bear even date with said deed and are to be construed in connection therewith ; and now being desirous of increasing the means of said Trustees for enlarging the usefulness of said Library, I have this day paid to William Fearing, 2d, Treasurer of said Trustees, the sum of Ten Thousand Dollars, to be by them used and applied for the same purposes to which, by the Indentures aforesaid, my original 152 History of Hingham. trift of the sum of Five Thousand Dollars was required to be used and ap- plied by them, and also upon these further requests and considerations. The town of Hingham having granted the sum of Five Hundred Dollars for two successive years for the maintenance and support of the Library, and the Inhabitants of said town having, in town meeting assembled, ex- pressed by formal vote their approval of the objects which I had in view in the establishment of a Library for their use, I request as follows : — First. That the Trustees in filling any future vacancy or vacancies in the Board of Trustees, shall, at their discretion, select for such vacancy or vacancies whenever they determine to fill the same, according to the pro- visions of the Indentures aforesaid, the person or persons who may at the time of filling the said vacancy or vacancies, be Town Clerk or Town Treasurer of Hingham, if either or both of them are not at the time mem- bers of the Board of Trustees. Second. I also request the Trustees to permit as an act of courtesy and good neighborhood, the Inhabitants of the adjoining towns of Hull, Co- hasset, Scituate, South Scituate, Abington, and Weymouth, to visit the Library for the purposes of reference, reading, study, and consultation of the books therein, in conformity to the rules and regulations of the Trus- tees. I make this request with the hope that the value of Public Libra- ries may be better known and appreciated, and especially that their useful influence may be extended to all those towns with which the inhabitants of Hingham have the most friendly associations. Third. I request the Trustees by a formal vote to act upon the accept- ance of this additional gift and the trust hereby created. Dated at Hingham, this eighth day of May, 1871. Albert Fearing. Executed in presence of Chas. L. Riddle, Chas. H. Fletcher. Upon the reading of the foregoing communication, it was Voted, That the Trustees accept with gratitude the munificent gift of the sum of Ten Thousand Dollars by Hon. Albert Fearing, to be added to their funds for the purposes and upon the conditions set forth in his communication ; and that it will be their desire and intention so to admin- ister the affairs of the Library as to conform to his wishes, and to promote the highest interests of the community for whose benefit this noble bene- faction was conferred. Voted, That the Secretary be directed to communicate a copy of the foregoing vote to Hon. Mr. Fearing, and to express the grateful acknowl- edgments of the Trustees for his numerous and large donations and ex- penditures to establish and improve the Library, which in the aggregate exceed the sum of Thirty-one Thousand Dollars. In addition to his previous gifts, Mr. Fearing made further pro- vision for the uses of the Library, at his death in 1875, by a legacy in his will of $10,000, making the entire amount of his expenditures and donations exceed the sum of $41,000. Education. 153 dommonincaltf) of ilHassacfjusetts. In the year one thousand eight hundred and seventy-two. AN ACT TO INCORPORATE THE HINGHAM PUBLIC LIBRARY. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives, in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same , as follows : Section 1. Calvin Lincoln, Solomon Lincoln, Ezra Stephen- son, Fearing Burr, Jonathan Tilson, Quincy Bicknell, George Hersey, William Fearing, 2d, Elijah Shute, Amasa Whiting, David Whiton, Arthur Lincoln, Thomas S. [T.] Bouve, Albert Fearing, Lincoln Fearing, their associates and successors, are hereby made a corporation by the name of the Hingham Public Library, for the purpose of maintaining a public library in Hingham ; with all the powers and privileges, and subject to all the duties, restrictions and liabilities set forth in all general laws which now are or hereafter may be in force applicable to such corporations. Sect. 2. Said corporation may hold real and personal estate for the purposes aforesaid to an amount not exceeding one hundred and fifty thousand dollars, exclusive of books, papers, collections in natural history, and works of art. Sect. 3. The members of said corporation shall not be less than ten or more than fifteen in number, and all vacancies occurring therein may be filled at such times and in such manner as the corporation may determine. Sect. 4. Said corporation may receive and hold for the purposes aforesaid, any grants, donations, or bequests, under such conditions and rules as may be prescribed in such grants, donations, or bequests ; provided, the same are not inconsistent with the provisions of law. Sect. 5. Said corporation shall have power to adopt proper regulations for the use and management of the Library, and so long as it shall allow the inhabitants of Hingham free access to and use of its library, said town may annually appropriate and pay to said corporation money to aid in supporting the same. Sect. 6. This act shall take effect upon its passage. From the purchase of books through the gift of Mr. Fearing, and from donations by other public-spirited citizens several thou- sand volumes were collected together. The building and its con- tents, including the early records of the Trustees, were totally destroyed by fire January 3, 1879. The present more commodious building was immediately erected upon the same site, and opened to the public April 5, 1880. Its shelves are well filled with stand- ard literature, books of reference, and popular works. Among other valuable donations to the library, since the erec- tion of the new building, may be mentioned one of one thousand 154 History of Hingham. dollars for the purchase of books, by Ebed L. Ripley, E. Waters Burr, John R. Brewer, and Charles B. Barnes ; the fitting and furnishing of an art gallery by the late Amasa Whiting ; a miner- alogical collection, consisting of a general collection of minerals ■?& JBSm JM:y w\li-- ■■ry~?^ S;lv ^ =j^^=^ ^L.^=^>^==l±IS^.||iMW>, '| THE NEW PUBLIC LIBRARY, HINGHAM. of the world, a geological collection, embracing specimens of all the rocks of Hingham, and a paleontological collection, all by Thomas T. Bouve". The present number of volumes is about 7,000. The architect of the first Public Library building was Nathaniel J. Bradlee, and of the second, Carl Fehmer. Both buildings were built by Justin Ripley. TRUSTEES. Calvin Lincoln.* Solomon Lincoln.* Ezra Stephenson.* Fearing Burr. Jonathan Tilson.* Henry W. Jones.* QUINCY BlCKNELL. George Hersey, Jr.* Elijah Shute. Amasa Whiting.* William Fearing, 2d. Arthur Lincoln. Lincoln Fearing. David Whiton.* Thomas T. Bouve. Albert Fearing.* Austin S. Garver.* Hawkes Fearing. John D. Long. E. Waters Burr. Edward C. Hood.* Ebed L. Ripley. J. Winthrop Spooner. Jacob 0. Sanborn. Frederic M. Hersey. Henry W. Gushing. 1869 Henry Siders * Deceased or resigned. LIBRARIANS. . 1874 1S75 Daniel Wing 1875 Hawkes Fearing. 1875 MANUFACTURES AND COMMERCE. BY GEORGE LINCOLN. The first notice of the establishment of a corn-mill in Hingham is in 1643, when on June 12 of that year Anthony Eames, Samuel Ward, and Bozoan Allen had leave from the town to set up a corn- mill near the cove. In November, 1645, Gowan Wilson was re- moved from the office of miller. There are on record numerous •conveyances of mill sites and privileges near the cove, the dates of which extend from the early days of the settlement of the town to recent years. The present mill at the Cove, operated by Ben- jamin Andrews, represents the location of one of these mills ; the other stood nearly in the rear of the blacksmith's shop now occu- pied by Daniel Hickey, on North Street, near the Mill Pond. Mills were undoubtedly erected at Strait's Pond soon after 1679, when on the 17th of May of that year permission was " granted to certain petitioners, inhabitants of Hull, and others of Hingham, as may see fit to join them, to erect a Dam and Mill at the Straits Pond." From 1700 to 1725 there were many transfers of owner- ship among the dishing families in Hingham of " the Grist Mill and Saw Mill, with the upland, meadow, and housing thereunto belonging, lying partly in Hingham and partly in Hull." These mills passed through various ownerships, and tradition says that the grist-mill at Strait's Pond was in operation until it was de- stroyed by fire about 1800, and that the mill house, which stood at the corner of Jerusalem Road and Hull Street, was removed soon after the fire, and became the westerly end of the old Lincoln House on Jerusalem Road. There was formerly a small mill for grinding corn on the stream above Cushing's Bridge, which had a history dating back before the Revolution, and covering a period of some sixty years or more. It was erected by Captains Stephen and Peter Cushing, and at the close of its career was owned by the late Deacon Ned Cushing, the youngest son of Captain Peter. It was for many years in charge of Daniel Burrell, a well-known "miller" and resident of this locality. The last person employed at this mill was the late Cornelius Lincoln, Sr., who died in 1883 at the age of ninety- three years. It was demolished prior to 1820. 156 History of Hingham. Thomas Andrews and Joshua Bate were the proprietors of a saw-mill in the second precinct of the town (Cohasset), probably at or near Gannett's Corner. The tax lists for the year 1737 show that Thomas Andrews and Joshua Bate were each taxed for one half a saw-mill, and Aaron Pratt was afterwards the proprietor of one half a saw-mill in this locality. In 1737 Isaac Lincoln was taxed for one half a corn-mill at Cohasset, and in 1754 Isaac Lin- coln and his brother Jacob were taxed as the owners of this mill. Twenty-five years previously it was taxed to Mordecai Lincoln, the father of Isaac and Jacob. There was a saw-mill at Saw-mill Pond (now known as Trip- hammer Pond) at the commencement of the last century. The exact date of its erection, however, is uncertain ; but as Matthew Cushing, the original proprietor, who was born 1605 and died 1715, was the owner of a large estate, I conclude that the mill was estab- lished shortly before 1700. Boards, clapboards, and shingles were prepared here for market from trees grown in the vicinity, and the property was improved for the same or similar purposes, and in the same locality, for many years. Jacob dishing, the oldest son of Matthew, came next into possession, and in the town rates for 1737 he is taxed for "1 sawmill, £0-00-00." His son Jacob and grandson Jacob were probably the successive owners or part own- ers of this mill, which was destroyed by fire about the year 1823. A new mill was afterwards erected on the same spot, probably by Benjamin Thomas, Sr., for the manufacture of ship-chandlery work, including windlasses, etc. Reuben Thomas and Moses Jones car- ried on the business, and to facilitate production a trip-hammer was purchased for the mill ; hence the present name of " Trip-hammer Pond," from which source the power for this industry was ac- quired. The mill building has since been sold and removed. It is now a farm building on Union Street. The mill at Shingle-mill Pond (next above Trip-hammer Pond) was probably erected by Isaac Cushing at or about 1800. It is recorded in Suffolk Deeds, vol. cxcii., p. 253, that, Oct. 8, 1799, Charles Cushing sold to his brother Isaac his privilege in the old mill stream, etc. Charles and Isaac were sons of Jacob and grand- sons of Matthew, previously mentioned as the early proprietor of the mill at Saw-mill Pond. John Leavitt, who married Isaac Cush- ing's daughter Sally, afterwards occupied the older part of this mill as a grist-mill ; but at the time box-making was a prominent industry here, the work at the mill was principally sawing shingles, box-bottoms, and headings for hoop-boxes. More recently, John and Thomas Leavitt, sons of John, manufactured ships' pumps and other articles of marine merchandise. Thomas J. Leavitt, the present occupant of the old mill, is still engaged in the pur- suits followed by his father and grandfather. A saw-mill, formerly known as the Stockbridge Mill, on or near Union Street, is still in working order near the boundary line be- tween Himrham and Norwell. Manufactures and Commerce. 157 Capt. John Jacob was the owner of a saw-mill and a fulling-mill on Crooked Meadow River, South Hingham, at a very early period of our history. At his decease, in 1693, his sons Peter and Sam- uel came into possession ; but another change of ownership took place shortly after, owing to the decease of Samuel in 1695. Capt. Theophilus dishing followed the Jacobs as proprietor of the saw- mill, and afterwards added to his purchase by erecting a grist-mill on his ten-acre lot at what is now Cushing's Pond. His tax on the saw-mill in 1737 was £10 ; in 1752 it was for a saw-mill £2, for a grist-mill £10. These mills at Cushing's Pond continued in the ownership of the last-named family until about 1850, and were owned successively by Captain Theophilus, Brigadier-General Theophilus, and Colonel Washington Cushing. Robert D. Gardner was the last person permanently employed here as " miller." Early in the last century Capt. Abel Cushing was the owner of a fulling-mill and other buildings connected therewith for the fulling and dyeing of cloth at " Fulling-mill Pond," on South Pleasant Street. He was an older brother of Capt. Theophilus Cushing, previously mentioned as the proprietor of a saw-mill and grist-mill. Abel served an apprenticeship with Peter Jacob, the clothier and fuller, and subsequently married his daugh- ter Mary, so that the mill business at the south part of the town was, for a while, virtually controlled by the members of one family. Abel died in 1750, and was succeeded by his son Abel, who, however, survived his father but a few years. In 1764 Benjamin Lincoln, Jr., as guardian of Hannah, daughter of the late Abel Cushing, made a transfer of her portion of this property. May 23, 1778, Hannah Cushing, widow, conveyed to Colonel David Cushing her interest in the fulling-mill and pond, with half an acre of land. Among the later transfers are the following : Oct. 7, 1785, David Cushing, of Hingham, "gentleman," conveys to " my son David Cushing, Jr., clothier, my clothiers shop and all the tools thereunto belonging, with the Fulling Mill and pond and Dam, with all the land it flows round or over when it is full of water, and the brook below running from the said mill. Also the fulling mill standing at Beechwood River so called, with the whole stream through my land, and a privilege to pass to and from said mill over my land with teams." In 1792, David Cush- ing, Jr., makes a conveyance of his mills to his brother Hosea Cushing. Laban Cushing, a son of Hosea, was the last owner and occu- pant of the one prominent building left of this mill property to carry on the business for which it was originally intended. It finally became a factory for the manufacture of shoe-pegs, and was destroyed by fire March 7, 1845. Iron works were established in Hingham at an early date, as the following abstracts of agreements show : — 158 History of Hingham. May 27, 1703. Agreement by Thomas Andrews, Daniel Lin- coln, Aaron Pratt, Gershom Ewell, Mordecai Lincoln, Josiah Litch- field, Jr., and Thomas James, reciting that they had entered into an agreement to set up a forge or iron works upon a stream in Thomas Andrews's lot in the third division in Conahasset ; and, sensible that they shall have occasion to make use of some of his land, do appoint Captain Chitenton and Lieutenant Briggs, both of Scituate, and Samuel Thaxter, of Hingham, to award the dif- ference in value of said Andrews's land that the referees have viewed upon the day of the date hereof, being Gershom Ewell's and Daniel Lincoln's land lying adjoining said Andrews's on the southeast side of the said stream or river, called " Ganits River," in the third division, etc. There were also iron works on the stream above Pratt's mill in Cohasset. Jan. 13, 1703-4. Agreement reciting that Thomas Andrews* Daniel Lincoln, Thomas James, Aaron Pratt, all of Hingham, and Mordecai Lincoln, Gershom Ewell, and Josiah Litchfield, Jr., of Scituate, have a piece of land in common amongst them in the third division upon which they have erected a dam across a stream in the same ; also iron works and other buildings, also a dwell- ing-house on a piece of land Mordecai Lincoln aforesaid gave to the owners of said works, to be held in joint tenancv for twentv years, to do what the major part of the said owners of the prop- erty shall think fit, etc. The iron works here referred to appear to have been taxed in Hingham for a number of years after the dates previously given. In December, 1828, the building at Thomas's Pond, in Weir River, containing the furnace for the casting of iron ware, be- longing to Benjamin Thomas, was consumed by fire. The build- ing was nearly new, having been built but a few years (after 1824), and the loss was a serious one to the owner as well as to the town. Another and much larger building was erected in the same locality soon after by Mr. Thomas, and the business was greatly increased. The Hingham Malleable Iron Company erected a brick building on the foundry lot, near the pond, about 1840; and during the few years of its existence as a corporation, its projectors held an interest in the foundry plant. Among its officers connected with Hingham were Albert Fearing, Benjamin Thomas, Luther Stephen- son, Charles Howard, and Reuben Thomas ; Asa H. Holden was its superintendent. The malleable iron business did not prove to be a success, and the foundry again came into the sole control of Mr. Thomas. He was succeeded by his sons Reuben and David. After the decease of the latter, in 1869, there were several impor- tant changes in the management within a few years. William Thomas was the next person to carry on the business. He soon admitted Col. Thomas Weston into a partnership, and they were succeeded by the firm of Weston & Walker. This connection was Manufactures and Commerce. 159 of short duration, and Colonel Weston continued as sole proprietor until the second fire occurred on this spot, which was on the morn- ing of Sept. 8, 1876, when the large foundry building, with the carpenter's shop and pattern-shop, were all destroyed. Colonel Weston afterwards erected another large building upon the same spot, 95 feet by 45, with an annex 25 feet square, which on May 16, 1888, met the fate of its predecessors. It was occupied at the time by J. E. Sherry & Co. for the purpose of scouring and cleans- ing wool, and with its valuable contents of stock and machinery was totally destroyed. The business was then giving employment to about twenty-five men. On Friday evening, Feb. 20, 1846, the Eagle Iron Foundry, situated on Summer Street, at the harbor, was entirely consumed by fire with its contents, consisting of the steam-engine, castings, moulds, patterns, tools, etc. The loss was estimated at about $6,000, which was partly covered by insurance. The foundry was owned and occupied by Asa H. Holden & Co., — Charles Howard, Sr., James and Luther Stephenson, with Mr. Holden constituting the firm, — and was erected in the autumn and spring of 1844—45. By this occurrence from twenty to thirty hands were thrown out of employment. The enterprising proprietors immediately commenced the work of rebuilding the foundry, which is the present structure. Since February, 1853, the foundry building, pattern shop, smith shop, and sheds have been owned by Charles Howard, who for many years made castings for furnaces, window-weights, caboose- stoves, etc. Owing to competition in the business, and to unsatis- factory prices, the buildings have been closed, and the manufacture discontinued for several years. Joseph Jacobs commenced the manufacture of hammers in the rear of his residence on Main Street, South Hingham, about the year 1836, the work being then done principally by hand. During the year following, however, horse-power was introduced, both to facilitate production and to improve the manufacture by the pro- cess of grinding and polishing. Some eight or ten years later (about 1846), a steam engine was purchased to take the place of horse-power, and the business was extended so as to include the manufacture of hatchets and other edge-tools. In 1850 the busi- ness had increased to such an extent that it was found necessary to procure a larger engine, and to employ from twenty-five to thirty hands. The manufactured goods, which at first were sold only in Boston and New York, soon found a ready market in all the principal cities of the United States, and also in Australia and South America. In 1860 Joseph Jacobs, Jr., became a partner with his father, and the works were removed to Wilder's mill at Cushing's Pond, where additional facilities and power were furnished. Mr. Jacobs, the founder of the industry in Hingham, retired in 1875, and the business was continued by his two sons, Joseph, Jr., and Freder- 160 History of Hingham. ick S., under the firm name of Joseph Jacobs' Sons. Upon the withdrawal of Joseph, Jr., from the firm in 1878, his younger brother, Frederick S., assumed the control of the business as man- ager and proprietor until 1883, when he sold the entire plant to the Underbill Edge Tool Company of Nashua, N. 11., and the business was removed from Hingham. Charles Whiting manufactured axes and hatchets at Accord Pond for a number of years, commencing about 1845, giving steady employment to eight or ten hands. The product of his factory was sold principally in Boston. His successor was Amasa Whiting, who afterwards sold out to John Hart and John Scully. The hatchet factory at Accord Pond was destroyed by fire in January, 1870. The establishment of a copper and brass foundry in Hingham was among the possibilities of the year 1827. The industry was commenced on North Street, near the harbor, during the summer of that year, with Moses Pattingall as superintendent, who an- nounced through the columns of the " Hingham Gazette," that he would furnish " rudder-braces, hinges, spikes, and all kinds of ship-work of the best quality and upon the most reasonable terms." Owing to insufficient patronage the project was soon abandoned. Nails were manufactured several years in Hingham near the Weymouth line, on Fort Hill Street, by the Weymouth Iron Company. For the year ending June 1,1855, the product was 240,000 'lbs., the value of which' was 810,000. The machines in use gave employment to eight hands. In July, 1868, the water privilege, land, and buildings, including a blacksmith's-shop in Hingham, near the Weymouth line, were advertised for sale. Wrought spikes were made in a building previously occupied as a cooper's-shop, at the head of Long Wharf, by William Thomas, before 1850, and for a few years afterwards. Guns or fowling-pieces were manufactured by Benjamin Thomas, Jr., at his shop on Leavitt, near Main Street. The number manu- factured during the year ending April 1, 1845, was fifty. Scales and balances were manufactured on Main Street, Hing- ham Centre, by Stephenson, Howard, & Davis, and afterwards by L. Stephenson & Co. They manufactured the " Dearborn Patent Balance," well and favorably known throughout the country, especially in the cotton districts. The business continued for many years, Henry Stephenson being the last of the family, so long identified with it, to manage it. After the death of Mr. Stephenson, in 1887, George A. Loring carried on the business for a short time. The shop stood nearly opposite the Public Library. Shortly after the close of the Revolution, Gen. Benjamin Lin- coln and his son Theodore established a Hour and grain mill at Weir River. Wheat and corn were ground here, then put into barrels and shipped in vessels to Boston and other markets. The mill was located at or near what is now the westerly terminus of Manufactures and Commerce. 161 Weir Street. Connected with it was a cooper's-shop, a smith's- shop and other buildings. Upon the removal of Theodore Lin- coln to the State of Maine, Martin Lincoln, another son of the general, accepted the vacant position, and the firm name of Ben- jamin Lincoln & Son was continued. The head miller employed by the firm for a number of years was Isaac Smith. Some idea of the nature of the business carried on at this establishment may be gained by an entry copied from the day book of Messrs. Leavitt & Rice, merchants of Hingham, as follows: "1785. Benj. Lincoln & Son Cr. by 128 bbls. Flour, and 4 bbls. Naval Stores." ' After the death of General Lincoln in 1810, the main building was converted into a woollen factory, and in 1812 a company was formed, with David Andrews, Jr., as agent. James Hall was em- ployed to superintend the manufacture. At the annual meeting of the proprietors, held April 20, 1813, Ebenezer Gay, Martin Lin- coln, Thomas Thaxter, 3d, Henry Sigourney, and John Souther were chosen directors. The business was continued under the same management until April, 1816, after which Henry Hapgood became the proprietor and manager. Improved machinery was introduced for tbe manfacture of cassimeres and satinets ; a dye- house was established, and there was a ready sale for the goods in Boston and New York. Mr. Hall remained as superintendent of the mill, and the business was said to be prosperous. On Satur- day night, May 16, 1829, the woollen factory, dwelling-house, and outbuildings of Henry Hapgood at Weir River were destroyed by fire. It was the most destructive tire in Hina;ham for manv vears. The manufacture of upholstery trimmings, cords, tassels, etc., was begun in Hingham in 1836 at the corner of North and Main streets (now Thayer's Building) by John Baker and Barnabas Lincoln. Nov. 13, 1841, Abner L. Baker was admitted a member of the firm, which continued under the name of Baker, Lincoln. & Co. until 1846, when Captain Lincoln withdrew. Other changes of membersbip in the firm and location of the business took place prior to or soon after the date last mentioned. Willard Hall, which was owned by J. Baker & Son and Capt. Barnabas Lincoln, was destroyed by fire Jan. 17, 1847, as also was the long building in the rear, which was used for making cord. The second story of Willard Hall was occupied by the Bakers for their weaving rooms. These buildings were soon replaced by two others, one being erected in the same lot, and the other on the opposite side of the street. E. Waters Burr of Hingham and Benj. F. Brown of Bos- ton became partners in the firm, January 1, 1853. On Oct. 1, 1855, the firm of J. Baker & Son, consisting of John Baker, James L. Baker, John 0. Baker, E. Waters Burr, and Benj. F. Brown, was dissolved by mutual consent. A copartner- ship was then formed by James L. Baker, E. Waters Burr, Benj. F. Brown, and Edwin Fearing, " under the style of Burr, Brown, & Co., for the purpose of manufacturing upholstery, carriage and VOL. I. — 11* 162 History of Hingham. military trimmings, and to carry on the same business as pursued by the late firm of J. Baker & Son." Messrs. Baker and Fearing have since deceased, and John 0. Remington has become a member of the firm. The firm name re- mains the same. The spacious structure which the firm now occupy on Cottage Street was erected in 18G5, and was dedicated Jan. 15, 1866. The establishment of this industry in Hingham has been a pub- lic benefit from its inception. Its continuance through more than half a century lias given steady employment to a host of opera- tives, and many deserving families have been assisted thereby. It would have been well for the town if other manufacturing inter- ests in times past had been as firmly established as the one here referred to. A manufactory of silk and worsted fringes, gimps, cords, tassels, etc. was commenced about 1846 in the Welcome Lincoln Building, lately David Cain's, on South Street, by the new firm of Lincoln, Bampton & Co., which, upon the retirement of Mr. Bampton was succeeded, May 31, 1847, by Lincoln, Leavitt, . Blossom. 1838. Published by Thomas D. Blossom. With the last number in March the publication of the " Hingham Gazette " was discontinued. " Hingham Patriot." The first number of the " Hingham Patriot" appeared July 2, 1838, and from this time to Oct. 18, 1839, there were two weekly newspapers published in Hingham: the " Hingham Patriot," and the " Gospel Wit- ness and Old Colony Reporter." The " Hingham Patriot " was but the " Hingham Gazette " continued, with change of title, and enlarged columns. Jedidiah Farmer was publisher, and it was issued on Saturdays from Ford's Building. From 1838 to 1840, inclusive, no change. In 1841, with the commencement of the volume in July, Jedidiah Farmer transferred his interest in the paper to William W. Wilder and John Gill, and the publication was continued by them under the firm of Wilder and Gill. 1842. With the expiration of the volume, June 25, John Gill retired and William W Wilder assumed the management. Issued on Saturdays. 1843. Same as last year up to July, when the time of publication was changed to Friday evening. Styled " A Family Paper, devoted to Politics, Agriculture, Literature, and News." 1844. At the close of the volume in June, William W. Wilder retired. After omitting the issue of one week, John Gill became editor and publisher. 1845 and 1846, inclusive, no changes. 1847. Same as last year to the close of the volume in June. July 2 the paper was enlarged by the addition of another column to the page. New type throughout, and a new press with modern improvements, fol- lowed a change of proprietorship, J. Franklin Farmer becoming asso- ciate with John Gill. 1848. Published every Friday evening at Ford's Building, North Street. J. Franklin Farmer and John Gill, proprietors. John Gill, editor. At the close of the year, Mr. Gill withdrew from the paper in conse- quence of ill health, and Mr. Farmer not being disposed to assume the responsibility of publisher, it was suspended. 1849. No paper was published in town. " Hingham Journal and South Shore Advertiser." 1850. With the commencement of this year, our local paper appeared under a double title and new management, — James H. Wilder being editor and proprietor ; Thomas D. Blossom and Albert Whiton, printers. Published Friday afternoons at Ford's Building. 1851. The same. No number issued the first week in January. Year commences January 10. 1852. Again change of management. Joseph D. Clark associated with Thomas D. Blossom, publishers, under the firm of Blossom and Clark. 1853. No change. 1854. Paper enlarged. With the commencement of the year Mr. Clark retired. Joseph Easterbrook formed a connection with Mr. Blossom,, and the firm of Blossom and Easterbrook became editors and proprie- tors. New type, and new press. Ford's Building. Issued Friday 240 History of Hingham. afternoons. "A neutral paper, devoted to Morals, Education, Agri- culture. News, and General Intelligence." 1855. The same. No change, except the withdrawal from the head of the sheet that the paper is " neutral." 185G-58, inclusive. No changes. 1859. Published Friday mornings. Typographical change in heading. 18G0-63, inclusive. No changes. 1864. No change, except in terms of subscription, which was advanced in September from $2.00 to $2.50 per annum. 18G5-68. No changes. 18G9. New type, and paper much enlarged. 1870. No change. 1871. The same, until April 28. when Mr. Blossom retired, and Joseph Easterbrook became publisher. 1872-78. No important alterations. 1879. Mr. Easterbrook died on the 8th of May, and the paper was pub- lished for the proprietors by Fred H. Miller from May 9 until August 29, when he assumed the sole management. 1893. With the exception of the months of April, May, and June, 1838, and the year 1849. our local newspaper has been regularly printed from the time it was established, in .January, 1827, to the present time. 1893, a total of more than sixty years, including an aggregate of 3,500 copies. Complete hies are indeed rare. A bound series, in fine condi- tion, was lost at the burning of the Public Librar}r in 1879. Copies of volumes have from time to time been contributed by our citizens, and the. set has been nearly restored. Four or five additional full collections are all that are now known to remain, and the loss of one must necessarily add value to the already limited and diminishing list. These volumes include a vast amount of facts pertaining to our town's history not to be found elsewhere, and they must increase in interest and importance with the progress of time. " Gospel Witness and Old Colony Reporter." Immediately following the withdrawal of the "Gazette" in March, 1838, appeared the " Gospel Witness and Old Colony Reporter." It was published weekly, on Fridays, from the old office in Ford's Building. The first number bears date of April 6, 1838. Thomas D. Blossom, proprietor. Albert A. Folsom, editor. This paper was printed in the interest of the Old Colony Association of Universalists, and devoted to the welfare of the " cause of heavenly truth " in the territory over which this body held jurisdiction ; " a publi- cation which the Association could properly call its own, the religious matter being of the character everywhere distinguished by the name of 1 Universalism.' " A department of the newly established paper, bearing the title " Hing- ham Gazette," was devoted to town topics of intelligence and general interest. The " Gospel Witness " was published for one year and about six months, or until Oct. 18, 1839, when it was discontinued. Copies do not appear to have been generally preserved, and unbroken files are exceedingly rare. PUBLIC CONVEYANCES. BY FRANCIS H. LINCOLN. The avenues for transportation of people and merchandise from Hingliam to the neighboring country have been two-fold. The boat by water and the beast by land have conveyed to the desired destination the inhabitants and the products of their in- dustry. By water, first shallops, then the larger packets, and finally the steamboats ; by land, oxen, horses with the saddle and pillion, then wagons and stage-coaches, and finally the railroad, represent the evolution. Public highways were established as increasing necessity for communication between towns required them. Other roads were made and streams bridged over by private enterprise when public works did not supply the need of short routes. These were the turnpike roads. The establishment of stage lines for public travel came about gradually. In the early days the people travelled as they could ; then the more affluent neighbor's horse and chaise were bor- rowed or hired, until the increasing desire to go abroad demand- ed greater accommodation, and better roads made it possible to travel with heavier vehicles and larger loads. In a work entitled " Wonder Working Providence of Sion's Saviour, in New-England," published in London, 1634, said to have been written by Capt. Edward Johnson, Hingham is de- scribed as " a place nothing inferiour to their Neighbours for scit- uation, and the people have much profited themselves by transport- ing Timber, Planke and Mast for shipping to the Town of Boston, as also ceder and Pine-board to supply the wants of other townes, and also to remote parts, even as far as Barbadoes." Naturally, as the town was on the sea-coast and there were no roads, the earliest method of transportation for people and merchandise was by water. Rev. Peter Hobart, the first minister, came to Hing- ham by water, and landed where Ship Street now joins North Street, probably coming into the cove as far as the depth of water made it navigable. In considering the means of transportation, therefore, we take first in order the water routes. VOL. I. — 16* 242 History of H Ingham. PACKETS. It is of course very difficult to ascertain when the first vessels were in service as public conveyances ; in fact, it is doubtful if there were any regular lines of packets until the latter part of the last century. There is an entry of money paid by the town to Sergt. Daniel Lincoln and Nathaniel Beal " for carrying soldiers to Boston " in 1671 ; but this service was probably performed with the private boats which the thrifty owners were willing to use for turning an " honest penny." About the middle of the last century Capt. Andrew Todd was master of the sloop " Susanna," which was a packet, and in 1751: the " Sharp-pen " was here as a packet. All the packets hereafter mentioned, except one, were sloops of from 30 to 45 tons. In 1790 the " Hingham racket," Capt. Jotham Lincoln, was the only regular packet running between Hingham and Boston. The " Lincoln " was soon afterwards built, probably in 1793 ; " Fairplay " in 1794 : " Union " in 1797 ; "Harmony "in 1800, and "Friendship" in 1801, for Matthew Burr and others. All these were built in Hingham, and all by John Souther, except the " Hingham Packet," which was built by Joseph Bassett. In 1802 there were five or six packets run- ning regularly, and in 1815 seven or eight. In the early part of this century, when political party feelings ran to extremes, there were two lines of packets, known as the Republican and Federal lines. Republican Line. Harmony Capt. Matthew Burr. Friendship Capt. John Lincoln. Fairplay Capt. Elijah Lewis. Russell Capt. Hubbard Smiths Federal Line. Experiment Capt. Wilson Whiton. Liberty Capt. Caleb Sprague. Industry Capt. Elijah Whiton. Traveller Capt. David Whiton. Probably these packets did not run here at one time, as the "Traveller" was not built until 1805. She was commanded shortly afterwards by Capt. Elijah Whiton, and the " Liberty '' closed her career about 1810. The "Experiment" was built at the " Lime Kiln," Weir River. The " Rapid " was built by Daniel Bassett, in 1811, for Caleb Sprague, and launched off Bassett's Wharf. She was the first vessel built by Mr. Bassett. When Captain Sprague was asked what color she should be painted, he Public Conveyances. 243 answered very forcibly, " True blue." Her captains were Caleb Sprague, Calvin Gardner, Isaiah Whiton, and Nathaniel French. The "Washington" was built by John Souther, in 1812. Her captains were Wilson Whiton, Ezra Whiton, George Thaxter, and Peter Hersey. The "Brilliant" was built at Middletown, Conn., iu 1820. Her captains were John Lincoln, Leavitt Lincoln, and Elijah Beal. The " Rapid " and " Brilliant " ran on the Repub- lican line, and the "Traveller" and "Washington" on the Fed- eral line. The " Escort " was built at Piermont, N. Y., in 1849. Her captains were Elijah Beal, William Beal, Alexander G. Rich and Alexander Olson. Long after the names "Republican" and "Federal" had ceased to be the designations of the lines the " Washington " and " Escort ' continued as packets. The " Washington " was broken up in October, 1872, and the " Escort," the last of the Hingham packets, was sold in November, 1881. The schooner " Bell," Capt. Joshua Higgins, ran about the time of the " Washington " and " Escort," for one season, from Nye's Wharf. The packets were occasionally in the coasting trade, and made trips here and there as freights offered. For many years they were the favorite means of transportation to Boston. Passengers and freight came from the neighboring inland towns, as well as from Hingham, and competition was often very active. Represen- tatives of the Republican and Federal lines would station them- selves on Broad Bridge and solicit patronage from the wagons as they came into town with their passengers and merchandise from the neighboring towns. The trips were sometimes long, when there was a calm, and sociability was a distinguishing feature of them. Timorous old ladies thought it necessary to be seasick when crossing " Bran- try " Bay, and were much disappointed when the captain omitted to tell them that they were in that dreaded locality. Often at low tide the passengers were landed at Crow Point, necessitating a long tramp home. The Hingham " Station Packets," which lay on the south side of Long Wharf, at the head of the dock, where State Street Block now stands, were for many years a well-known institution. They were usually old vessels, housed over, kept as a sort of consign- ment station for buckets, eggs, knit woollen stockings, and other products of the industry of residents of the South Shore. Berths were let and frequently occupied by South-Shore people who re- mained in Boston over night, and meals were furnished to packet- men and others. In short, they were a sort of floating hotel. The Republican and Federal lines both had " Station Packets." The " Friendship" and " Russell," and afterwards a schooner, "John Moulton," were used for a number of years for this purpose. The " Genet " was the last of the station packets. She lay latterly at the foot of State Street Block. She was formerly a sloop, 244 History of Hingham. commanded by Capt. Barnabas Lincoln, in the coasting trade, carrying passengers and freight. She was larger than the others, and had a large cabin and good accommodations. She was finally towed to South Boston flats, where she sunk. The schooner " General Lincoln " was once used for this pur- pose. There were two " Station Packets " before the war of 1812. STEAMBOATS. The " Eagle " was the first steamboat which ran between Bos- ton and Hingham. She made a number of excursion trips to Hingham in 1818, but in 1819 and 1820 she ran res;- ular trips, when she was commanded by Capt. Clark and Capt. James Moorfield, and afterwards by Capt. Barnabas Lincoln. She was a sidewheel boat, with " comfortable accommoda- tions for about two hundred passengers." Between the morning and evening trips to and from Boston she made regular trips to Nahant and other places, during a portion of the time in which she was on the Hingham route. Her passengers were landed at Union Wharf at high tide, and sometimes up by Souther's ship-yard, but at Barnes's Rocks at low tide, where at one time there was a wire bridge, which was blown over and destroyed in 1819. For one winter at least this boat was hauled up in the creek at Broad Cove. In 1821 the " Eagle " was probably taken off the Hingham route, as no reference to her occurs in any advertisements, although she was advertised to run to Salem. The " Eagle " was a sufficiently large and stanch boat to make occasional outside trips to Portland and elsewhere. In 1822 there are no notices or advertisements of steamboats. In the early days of steamboats excursion trips were made here by the " Tom Thumb," " Connecticut," " Mas- sachusetts," and proba- bly others. The " Lafayette," for- merly called " Hamil- ton," which name always remained on her stern, made her first trips between Hingham and Boston in the autumn of 1829. Capt. George Thaxter commanded, her until August, 1830, when Capt. Public Conveyances. 245 George Beal took charge, and so continued until she was sold in the spring of 1832 to go to Eastport, Me. She was a much smaller boat than the " Eagle," with but one deck, the after part of which was raised. Her engine was " on the low-pressure principle," and she made the passage in about two hours. With a good stiff breeze the sailing sloop packets from Hingham could sail faster than this steamboat. On one occasion when she had gone as far as the Castle a fresh " nor'wester" set in, and Capt. Thaxter had to put her about and return to Hingham. The fare for the trip was 37£ cents. An advertisement in the Hingham Gazette, May 21, 1830, states that " the proprietors have erected a pier at Barnes's Rocks, from which the boat can start any time of tide." The Boston and Hingham Steam Boat Company was incorpo- rated June 10, 1831, and early steps were taken towards building a new boat and erecting a hotel in Hingham. The boat was built and named " General Lincoln," making her first trip to Boston June 16, 1832, under the command of Capt. George Beal, who was her only commander during her service on this route. This boat was built in Philadel- phia. She had two boilers and two en- gines, burnt wood, like her predecessors, and made the trip to Boston in an hour and a half. The fare was 37£ cents until 1844, when it was reduced to 25 cents. This has been the usual fare ever since. She was advertised as " ready to tow vessels in Boston Harbor between her regular trips." This boat was sold early in 1845, and the " Danin " took her place on the route for a short time before the " Mayflower " arrived here. The hotel which the company decided to build was the Old Colony House. It was opened June 4, 1832, and was built on " Neck Gate Hill." The hill then became known as " Old Colony Hill." The house was an unprofitable investment, and in 1837 the Company voted to sell the whole property, — steamboat and Old Colony House. This was done March 28, 1837. A new company with new by-laws was subsequently formed under the same name, and the steamboat continued to be one of Hingham's institutions. The hotel subsequently passed into private ownership, and after varying fortunes as a summer resort was burned Oct. 7, 1872. In connection with the Steamboat Company and Old Colony House was the Old Colony Grove on Summer Street, southeast of the hotel, which was for many years used as a place of resort for picnics and excursions by steamer. After the Steamboat Company had driven piles for a wharf op- posite the bend in the channel, about 1832, they intended to make 246 History of Hingham. a short route for foot-passengers across Mansfield's Cove to the road which Capt. Laban Hersey laid out at Barnes's Rocks, by building a floating bridge and securing it to each shore. The wharf for which piles were driven could be approached by carriages only by way of Martin's Lane, and foot passengers would have to make quite a circuit to shorten the distance. The owners of the land on the south side of the cove objected to hav- ing the floating bridge secured to their land, and an entry in the day-book of Capt. Laban Hersey, June 21, 1832, states that he forbade anything being put across from his premises to Mr. Burr's, " Capt. James Harris & Capt. Charles Shute, witnesses." The floating bridge was built, however, and secured as had been proposed. A watch was kept over it night and day by employees of the Steamboat Company, but it was cut adrift one night and floated off near Pine Hill. Large quantities of pine wood used to be piled on this wharf and up to the wind-mill near by, which was used for pumping water. The " General Lincoln " used to take in wood and water here. The floating bridge was never brought back to connect this wharf with the passageway leading to Barnes's Rocks. The " Mayflower " was built in New York expressly for this company, and arrived in Hingham July 5, 1845, when she began her regular trips for the season. Her commanders were Capt. George Beal, 1845-50; Capt. Elijah Beal, 1851-1855 : Capt, Alfred L. Rouell, 1856. Her average time in mak- ing the trip to Boston was an hour and a quarter. The (Nahant) steamer " Nelly Baker," Capt. Rouell, took the place of the " Mayflower " for a few days in June, 1854. The company having decided to build a new boat, the " May- flower " was sold, to go to New York, and made her last trip from Hingham Dec. 3, 1856. Capt. George Beal was pilot for the boats of the company for many years after he ceased to be in command. His steamboat service on Hingham boats dates from the days of the " Eagle " to the "Rose Standish," a period of over fifty years. His reputation as a pilot was so great that many passengers would have consid- ered it unsafe to make the trip unless he was at the wheel. In 1846 a new pier was built on Beach Street on the same site which has continued to be the steamboat-landing to the present time (1893). In 1857 the " Nantasket " succeeded the " Mayflower," mak- ing her first trip May 21, 1857. She was built for the company in New York under the supervision of Capt. Alfred L. Rouell, who commanded her while she ran here. Her average time on Public Conveyances. 247 the trip was one hour, and she was considered, the fastest boat in Boston Harbor. The rivalry between the " Nantasket " and « Nelly Baker," the Nahant boat, was very great. Both boats left on their afternoon trip at the same hour through the summer months, and brushes between these boats, as far as Deer Island, were frequent. The writer, on one occa- sion, was on board the " Nantasket " when she was running so closely alongside the " Nelly Baker," both boats being at full speed, that a deck-hand of the "Nantasket" jumped aboard the " Nelly Baker " and back again. Those who deprecate racing in these later days hardly realize how spirited were the contests then. In the "Mayflower" and "Nantasket" days there was much sociability and enjoyment on the trips among the passengers. It was a daily meeting of intimate acquaintances and friends. The merry jest went round and stories were told, giving life and ani- mation to the trip. In later days, with more people and more boats, each one feels less obligation to his neighbor, and it is more common to see the man of business absorbed in his daily newspaper. The landing in Hingham, until 1869, was the common centre for all the neighboring towns, as well as Hingham, and it was no uncommon sight, on the arrival of the boat, to see the pier crowded with vehicles, which stretched away almost up to the head of the wharf. The bustle was great as the South Scituate and Rockland House stages and the other public and private carriages rolled off, loaded with their merry companies or passengers. In 1862 the " Nantasket " was in government employ in the South, and during a part of that season the company put upon the route the steamers " Gilpin " and " Halifax," the latter a " stern- wheeler." The " Nantasket " resumed her trips in the autumn of 1862, for a short time, when she was sold to the United States, to be used as a transport steamer during the war of the Rebellion. Another new boat was then built for the company, at Brooklyn, N. Y., and named " Rose Standish." She had a saloon on the upper deck, where her predecessors had been open. She arrived in Hingham July 11, 1863, and began her regular trips July 13. She was commanded bv the following : — 1803 — Capt. Alfred L. Rouell. 1864 — Capt. A. W. Calden. Capt. H. C. Mapes. 1865 — Capt. Samuel Easterbrook. 1866 — Capt. George F. Brown. 1867-68 — Capt. Charles E. Good. And others in later years. 248 History of Hingham. July 10, 1864, she was impressed into the United States gov- ernment service for about twelve days, for war purposes, when she made a trip to Alexandria, Va. In 1869 the company established a route to Nantasket Beach, and after that time the fleet of boats belonging to the company gradually increased. For several seasons the " Rose Standish " made the spring and fall trips from Hingham. Later on she was rebuilt and finally sold for service in the vicinity of Eastport, Me. For thirty-six years — from 1831 to 1867 ■ — the Boston and Hingham Steam Boat Company was the only one running boats between Hingham and Boston. This company was the child of Hingham enterprise, and largely of Hingham capital, and it is not to be wondered at that any invasion of its territory should be looked upon with uneasy feelings by its managers and stockholders. In 1867 the " People's Independent Line " advertised to run steamboats between Hingham and Boston. This company was under the management of Harvey T. Litchfield, who had pur- chased the wharf next west of the old company's pier, in Hingham, formerly occupied as a lumber wharf and known as Cushing's Wharf. A pier was extended from this wharf, and a channel dredged to it. The steamer " Emcline," formerly the " Nantasket " already spoken of, began her trips for this com- pany, under command of Capt. Alfred L. Rouell, June 24, 1867. In the same month the " Win. Harrison," Capt. Rouell, came to the route, the " Emeline " being transferred to a route between Boston, Hull, and Strawberry Hill, where a wharf had been built. It may be mentioned that Hull had always been an intermediate landing for boats of the old company. The " Win. Harrison " was built in Keyport, N. Y., in 1865. The fare on both lines during the season of 1867 was 25 cents, except for a short time in the beginning of the season, when it was 30 cents on the old line. In 1868 the " Rose Standish " ran from Hingham for the Bos- ton and Hingham Steam Boat Company, and the " Wm. Harrison," Capt. E. S. Young, with the " Emeline," Capt. A. F. Doane,a part of the summer, for the People's Line, with the fare at 25 cents. In 1869 the Boston and Hingham Steam Boat Company pur- chased the very fast steamer " John Romer " in New York, and she made her first trip May 20. She was commanded by Capt. Charles E. Good. Fares on this line were reduced to ten cents during a portion of the season. The " Rose Standish " was put upon the beach route. The " Wm. Harrison," Capt. E. S. Young, was the boat of the People's Line, with fares at twenty-five, ten, and five cents, as competition increased and excitement ran high. In this year Litchfield's Grove was opened for picnics and pleasure parties in connection with the People's Line. This grove was southeast of the Old Colony House station of the railroad, on Summer Street. PLA N STEAMBOAT LANDINGS JSrewer. ^ AT VARIOUS TIMES. ^ ffBowh'nyA/tey OOff/ce Otd 'Dupas' Comp/tect from the most authentic sources. by Fra ivc/s H. L incola/. /8p0. 250 History of Hingham. establish his oil-works there, making it a summer resort, was transformed into "Down- 1870 was another exciting year in steamboat matters. Fares on both lines were ten cents the greater part of the season. October 1st the " Wm. Harrison " was taken off the route for the season, when the fare on the old line was raised to 25 cents. This brought out the " Wm. Harrison" again on October 18th, with a ten-cent fare, and from this time until the " Wm. Har- rison" was withdrawn for the season (October 31st) the old line carried passengers free of charge, then restoring the fare to 25 cents for the month of November, and closing the season December 1. During 1871 and 1872 competition continued, fares varied from 10 to 25 cents, and there was no change in boats, Capt. Wesley Collins being commander of the " John Romer." After 1872 the People's Line seems to have abandoned Hingham and given its entire attention to the Strawberry Hill route. This line having passed into new hands, became absorbed into the Boston and Hingham Steam Boat Company in 1888. The large tract of land known as " Crow Point" had been for some years owned by Mr. Samuel Downer and others. It was Mr. Downer's original intention to but later he conceived the idea of The result was that " Crow Point " er Landing." Mr. Downer put a large amount of capital into the enterprise, and, what was equally essential, a large amount of energy. He laid out house-lots, made roads, and built a number of summer cottages and other buildings, including a hotel, the " Rose Standish House." He also opened pleasure grounds well fitted with all the necessary accessories for the amusement of picnic and pleasure parties during the summer season, to which he o-avc the name of " Melville Gardens." He also built a wharf for a steamboat landing. The whole transformation was rapid and wonderful. All this was in 1871. The " Wm. Harrison," of the People's Line, had the sole privilege of landing there during this season. In 1872 Mr. Downer had built two additional wharves, one for freight vessels and one for the landing of the boats of the Boston and Hingham Steam Boat Company. This has since been one of the landing-places for the boats on their trips to and from Hingham. In 1874 the steamer " Gov. Andrew " was built for the Boston and Hingham Steam Boat Company, and made her first trip June 30, 1874. Capt. George F. Brown was her commander for this and many succeeding seasons. The People's Line having abandoned the Hingham route, the field was occupied without competition, and the " Gov. Andrew " Public Conveyances. 251 was the Hingham boat, and so continued for a series of years. The fleet of the Boston and Hingham Steam Boat Company had been increased to three boats. A fourth, the new " Nantasket," built for the company in Chelsea in 1878, was added in that year. In 1881 the control of the company passed from its former owners, and the new management gave its special attention to the accommodation of travel to Nantasket Beach. Intimately con- nected with the boats was the Nantasket Beach Railroad, which had been opened in 1880. In this year the Old Colony and Hing- ham Steamboat Company was incorporated under the general law. Its stockholders were principally those who had formerly been in control of the Boston and Hingham Steam Boat Com- pany. They sold their interest in the old company and purchased the steamer " Gov. Andrew," with certain privileges of landing at Hull, Downer Landing, and Hingham. The " Gov. Andrew " continued her regular trips to Hingham, and the Boston and Hingham Steam Boat Company discontinued trips to Hingham. The name of the Old Colony and Hingham Steamboat Com- pany was changed by an Act of the Legislature, March 16, 1882, to the Hingham, Hull, and Downer Landing Steamboat Company. In 1884 the Hingham, Hull, and Downer Landing Steamboat Company purchased the steamer ' Nahant," built in Chelsea in 1878, made improvements upon her nid changed her name to " Gen. Lincoln," and placed Capt. Charles E. Good in command of her. These two boats — the " Gov. Andrew " and " Gen. Lincoln " — continued to be the boats for Hingham for several succeeding years. In 1888 the Hingham, Hull, and Downer Landing Steamboat Company increased its capital, bought the property and franchises of the Boston and Hingham Steam Boat Company, and the former owners again regained control of all the routes between Boston, Hull, Strawberry Hill, Nantasket Beach, Downer Landing, and Hingham. In 1890 the name of the company was changed to the Nan- tasket Beach Steamboat Company. In 1891 the steamer " Mayflower " was built in Chelsea for this company, and made her first trip June 27th, with Capt. George F. Brown as her commander. Her capacity is for two thousand passengers. In the foregoing account of the steamboats no attempt has been made to give a history of the steamboat companies or boats except as they have been connected with Hingham. STAGE-COACHES. There was no regular stage communication between Hingham and Boston until near the close of the last century. The " Mas- sachusetts Register" publishes for the first time in 1802 a list of 252 History of Hingham. stage-lines running out of Boston. It states that the Plymouth stage started from King's Inn, and adds the following note : " N. B. Plymouth stage passes through Bridgewater every Wednesday and Thursday, and through Hingham all the other regular days." There are similar notes in 1803 and 1804. The time of leaving was five or six o'clock in the morning, according to the season of the year. In 1805 the announcement is, " Ply- mouth mail stage (through Hingham and Hanover) sets off from Mrs. King's Inn every Tuesday and Friday at 5 o'clock in the morning. Leaves Plymouth every Monday and Thursday." The Plymouth stage continued for many years to run through Hing- ham certain days in the week, and was the regular afternoon stage to Boston, and the morning stage from Boston. Hingham as a line by itself first appears in the " Register " in 1815, when the stages were announced to leave Boston " from Boyden's, Dock Square, Mon. Thur. Sat. 4 P. M." Three days in the week was the arrangement until 1826, when it ran five days, and in 1827 Abiel Wilder advertised that his stage would leave his house every day, except Sundays, at 6 o'clock A. M., and Capt. Riley's, No. 9 Elm Street, Boston, at 4 o'clock P. M. Mr. Wilder's was the regular Hingham stage, apparently without competition, until the autumn of 1828. The following list of stage lines and proprietors, which is as complete as can be ascertained, will show the stage arrangements in and after 1828 in a convenient form. Possibly the list is in- complete, but there continued to be a regular stage to Boston until about the time of the opening of the railroad in 1849. 1828. Abiel Wilder. Scituate & Boston Accommodation, Amos H. Hunt. Marshfield, Scituate, Cohasset, and Hingham Mail, Jedediah Little and Co., through Hingham three times a week. 1828-1832. Little & Morey. 1832. Moses Pattangall — winter of 1832-33. 1833. A. & B. Wilder. Little & Morey. 1834. A. & B. Wilder. 1835. A. Wilder, Agt. 183G. A. Wilder, Agt. 1836-1842. Little & Morey. 1842-1843. Hersey & Hichborn. 1844. Warren A. Hersey, proprietor ; Wm. Hichborn, driver. J. W. Thayer, winter of 1844-45. 1845. W. Hichborn, driver. 1846. "Railroad Line," connecting with Old Colony Railroad at Quiney ; Wm. Hichborn, driver. " Old Line," Reuben Gardner, — Hing- ham to Boston. 1847-48. P. Jones & Co. "will run a stage through Hingham." The last insertion of the stage-coach advertisement was in the " Hingham Patriot," Aug. 11, 1848. The fare was at first $1.00. In 1830 Little and Morey reduced it to 75 cents, and in 1841 to 50 cents. Other lines adopted the same rate. Public Conveyances. 253 It is no fancy of memory to say that the teams were of the very best. The crack of the whip and dash of the horse was not wanting, and the same pride on the part of the drivers to come into town in good style, which is the tradition of old stag- ing days, was felt here in Hingham as elsewhere. There are many anecdotes of the brilliant exhibitions of the drivers' skill. One venerable resident has told the writer how well he remem- bers the usual sight as the Plymouth stage came down by the Old Meeting-house, where the driver would crack his whip, the horses dash into a full gallop, and be brought gracefully to a full stop at the Post Office, which, in those days, stood on the hill in front of the Academy ; and also the ringing sound of the horn in the west part of the town in the early morning, announcing the arri- val of the mail in town, hurrying the postmaster to his station to receive it. Among the popular drivers " Ben " Bates and " Jake " Sprague, of the Plymouth line ; " Bill " Furgerson, of the Scituate line ; and " Tom " Morey and " Bill " Hichborn, of the Hingham line, are well remembered by the older residents and patrons. The team was usually four horses, and a stop was made on the way at Quincy, for rest and " refreshment." The steamboat landing was for many years the terminus of lines from the neighboring towns, and there has been no lack of local accommodation in later years. The fine four-horse " Steamboat Coach," owned and driven by Joseph Haskell, to con- nect with the steamer " Gen. Lincoln," in 1834, and other years about that time, was the admiration of the town. It was for local accommodation. RAILROADS. The Old Colony Railroad was opened from Boston to Plymouth Nov. 10, 1845. The route was through Quincy, Braintree, and Abington. The distance from Hingham to Quincy was about six miles, and to Braintree about ten miles. Naturally the question of a railroad through Hingham to connect with the Old Colony soon began to be agitated. There was much discussion about the location of the road, opinions differing widely as to the most de- sirable route ; but it was settled by the charter of the South Shore Railroad Company, which was granted March 26, 1846, the loca- tion being somewhat changed by a subsequent Act. This road was a branch from the Old Colony from North Braintree to Cohasset, passing through Hingham between North and South streets. The road was opened for travel Jan. 1, 1849, with stations in Hingham at the corner of West and South streets, called " West Hingham ; " on North Street between Thaxter's Bridge and Broad Bridge, called " Hingham ; " on Summer Street, called " Old Colony House ; " and on East Street, near the Cohasset line, called " Nantasket," and afterwards " North Cohasset." Until Oct. 1, 1852, the road was leased and operated by the 254 History of Hingham. Old Colony. For a number of years after that date it had its own equipment of engines and cars, the engines running to Braintree only, where the cars wTere attached to trains on the main line. In September, 1871, the Old Colony bought the controlling inter- est in the South Shore, and Oct. 1, 1876, it was consolidated with the Old Colony. It was largely owing to the enterprise and energy of Mr. Alfred C. Ilersey, a native of Hingham, that the South Shore railroad was established, and he was elected its first president. There was great rejoicing in Hingham, as well as in the other towns on the route, on the day of opening the road, and a salute was fired from Powder House Hill. The following account of the opening day's proceedings ap- peared in " The Chronotype," a Boston daily paper, edited by Elizur Wright, in the issue of Jan. 2, 1849 : — South-Shore Railroad. After infinite palaver, as Carlyle would say, the South-Shore Road has got itself located and opened. Is not this a proof of the feasibility of republics ? The people in the one hundred and one coves and inlets of our many-sided Boston Harbor are somewhat like frogs, — the grant of a railroad for them caused any amount of clack. Should it be here, or there ? One would have said, with such pulling and hauling, it would be nowhere. We can testify it is there. Yesterday was one of the brightest possible winter days, and at 12 o'clock an immense, long train waited half an hour for the City Govern- ment, and then started, rolled on over the Calf Pasture by Dorchester, Neponset, Quincy, and Braintree, and gracefully curved off upon the new road, which the glorious amphibious people of North Braintree, Weymouth, Hingham, and Cohasset have built for themselves. It passes through a populous and thriving country, where the children are abundant, living off from both the land and the sea. They seem to have curved the road a good deal, to suit as many as possible. Passing through the ancient hive of Hingham, the folks made us promise to come back and take supper. Arrived at Cohasset about half-past-two. Cohasset is of itself no small place. It has considerable ground to stand upon, besides the water beyond it. We saw two churches, many snug houses, multitudes of people. Probably some, by permission of their mothers, came from Hull. At Cohasset is a spacious Car House, some two or three hundred feet long, the whole of which was converted into a summery sort of bower, with evergreens for foliage and red and white bunting for blossoms. Two long tables were bountifully spread, and the crowd passed in without let or hindrance. We should guess there were at least one thousand, per- haps more. After an air from the fine Weymouth Brass Band and the invocation of a blessing, the eatables were attended to. We must not forget to mention that besides a most bountiful and various cold collation, with hot coffee, there was a hogshead or two of chowder, piping hot, ladled out. As Daniel Webster was not on hand for the responsible service of superintending the chowder-pot, our friend John Wright, of Exchange Street, had performed that duty. This does not Public Conveyances. 255 argue that Cohasset people do not themselves make chowder. They look as if they did. The President of the road, Mr. Alfred C. Hersey, opened the speech- making very handsomely in a brief address, and Mr. Johnson read the first toast to the Old Colony Road, which called forth Mr. Derby, its President. He complimented very justly the ladies of Cohasset for the fine appearance of the Hall, and the bountiful supply of the tables, and ended with a toast for Boston, which was responded to by three cheers for Ex-Mayor Quincy. A toast to the good old Commonweath of Massachusetts was responded to by Mr. Amasa Walker, who is truly as much the embodiment of Massa- chusetts spirit as any man. He gave in few words a striking view of what Massachusetts has done for railroads, and what they have done for her. Mr. Degrand, of Boston, in his inimitable manner, demonstrated that the South-Shore Railroad had cost $100,000 less than nothing. It had raised the value of land for a mile on each side of it on an average $50 an acre. Sic vos non vobis, the stockholders might say, but Mr. Degrand did not mind that. He went on to advocate a road to San Francisco, and to prove in the same way that it would cost less than nothing. When the City Government was toasted, our friends Kimball and Wood- man did the honors, with an unction which showed how well they deserve their seats in that honorable body. Moses related how a certain roaring " Bull of Bashan " opposed the mortgaging of the State for the Worces- ter Railroad, and how another common but dangerous bull of Worcester County opposed to his cost the progress of the first locomotive which trav- ersed that county. And then he drew a parallel, which brought down the house, between the one bull and the other ; at last letting the ignorant know that the Bull of Bashan was B. F. Hallett. The Press being toasted, unfortunately the only thing in the shape of an editor was the Ishmaelite of the Chronotype, who, alluding to the re- markable fact that though Hull belonged exclusively to the Courier he had some interest in Cohasset, having partly educated one of its Parsons, and gave for a toast : " The People of Cohasset. From the liberty with which they have used their ladles to-day, they deserve to dwell on the brim of the great chowder-pot of the world." Time would fail us even to name all the good things that were said and toasted. At the hour of four the immense throng piled themselves into the cars, and returned to Hingham, where, in one of the most beautiful station buildings in the country, they were invited to another " light repast." It was light in regard to the illumination, but quite substantial as to the amount of sponge cake and coffee, — nothing stronger. Indeed the whole jollification was on temperance principles, and the very wittiest men used nothing but cold water. At seven o'clock, the whole party having enjoyed the best possible time of it, — a brand new edition of toasts, jokes, and compliments being got out at Hingham, — returned to Boston by eight. It was a capital sentiment offered by Mr. David Kimball, brother of the Museum man : " The improvement of travelling and collations, — the former with steam and the latter without." Such grand railroad doings without liquor speak well for Massachusetts. God bless her ! The Duxbury and Cohasset Railroad, chartered in 1867, and an extension of the South Shore, running from Cohasset through 256 history of Hingham. Scituate and Marshfield to Duxbury, was opened in the summer of 1871. This road was extended to Kingston, where it connected with the Old Colony, and opened June 21, 1874. Thus Hingham came into more direct communication with the shire town of its county. The Duxbury and Cohasset Road was consolidated with the Old Colony Oct. 1, 1878. The Nantasket Beach railroad was chartered and opened in 1880. This road connected with the Old Colony at " Old Colony House " Station, and ran to the head of Nantasket Beach, in Hull, and thence to Windmill Point, just beyond Hull Village, making- close connection with the steamboats at Nantasket Beach and Hull. After several seasons of experience in running as an inde- pendent road, it was finally leased to the Old Colony in 1888, on such terms as to make it virtually a part of that road. FIEE DEPARTMENT. BY FRANCIS H. LINCOLN. Our ancestors early endeavored to protect themselves from losses by fire. In the Selectmen's First Book of Records arc the following orders : — Hingham, 1662. It is ordered by the Selectmen of this Town that Euery house holder shall have a sufficient Ladder proportionable to ye height of his house always in Redyness in case of Danger & sucli as are found defective herein or weake after the publication of this order shall pay hue shillings for Euery weeke that he or they continue in this Defect as a fine to ye vse of ye towne and any one of the Selectmen are hereby impowered to execute this order. Hingham, 1663. It is ordered by the Selectmen that if any person shall take away the Ladder belonging vnto the Meeting-house except it be in case of present Danger of fire, and then not to keepe it above four and twenty houers, shall pay as a fine to the vse of the Town the sum of ten shillings. Edmund Pitts is to execute this order. Regulations of a like nature -to the above were made, according to the records, at later dates. There is little of interest relating to the means of putting out fires for many years. Fire Wards were appointed according to law, whose badge of office was a red staff surmounted with a brass spike or spear, and such precautions as naturally suggested themselves were taken by private individuals. At the beginning of the present century there was a movement to procure fire-engines. They were not purchased and owned bv the town, but by private individuals as " proprietors." The town provided houses to keep them in, and in 1802 one hundred and sixty dollars were paid by the Selectmen " for building 2 Engine Houses." These were for the " Precedent, No. 1," and " Centre, Xo. 2." There was a rivalry — when was there not rivalry in iiro-cnginc matters ? — between those inhabitants " on the Plain " and those " clown town," who had decided to procure these en- gines, as to which should be completed first. The one for " the Plain " was built there with the exception of the copper work, which was clone by Hunneman & Co. of Boston. James Stephen- son and Benjamin Thomas did the iron work. Peter Sprague VOL. I. — 17 * 258 History of Hingham. built the tub and Ezra Leavitt made the wheels. The one for " down town " was made by Hunneman & Co. of Boston. The engine for " the Plain " was completed first, and for that reason was named the " Precedent." It was located about where the' public scales now are (1893), adjoining the Hingham Centre Post Office. The earliest records are dated May 4, 1819, and show Moses Sprague to have been elected Master or Director. The records continue through 1841. The other engine was called the " Centre." Both were com- pleted in 1802, and were "bucket tubs" without suction attach- ments, and had to be filled by hand. The water was then forced through the hose and pipe. If one were to imagine a fire in those days he would see a com- pany of perhaps fifteen men at work upon the brakes and attend- ing to the hose and pipe, while a line of men and women stretched away to the nearest water, which they passed from hand to hand in buckets, emptying it into the tub, passing the empty buckets back by another line to be filled again. The house for the "Centre" stood at first about where the North Street end of Ford's Building now is (1893). It was afterwards moved to Thaxter's Bridge on the southerly side of the Town Brook, where the Anthes Building now stands. Here the old " Centre" remained until she ceased to be used, except for the last few years of her stay in Hingham, when she was kept in the barns of Norton Q. Thaxter and Thomas L. Hobart. When her former owners had all passed away, deserted, and no longer fit for duty, she was taken to Crow Point and put on board a vessel bound for Miramichi. A list of the original proprietors of the " Centre " engine, dated Feb. 20, 1802, gives 124 names, of which 12 were women. Dea. David Lincoln was the first captain of the " Centre." A meeting of the proprietors was called for April 5, 1851, " to see what disposition they will make of the engine," which will give some indication of how long she remained in town. After the " Precedent, No. 1," and " Centre, No. 2," came the " Constitution, No. 3." She was located near the Meeting-house at South Hingham, and was owned, like the others, by proprietors. The town paid for the building in which she was kept, according to the Selectmen's Records : " 1805, Paid for building an Engine House in the South Parish, $95." She was also a bucket tub. smaller than No. 1 and No. 2. Her brakes ran " athwartships," and not " fore and aft," as was the later fashion. The " Torrent, No. 4," was purchased by citizens of West Hingham in 1826. Isaac Little was elected the first captain Feb. 21, 1826. The town paid for her house #141. June 16, 1830, the first suction engine, "Hingham, No. 5," was brought into town, being built by Stephen Thayer of Boston, and purchased like her predecessors by citizens of the lower part of the town, more especially around the harbor, at a cost of about •1600. Luther J. Barnes was her first foreman. In addition to Fire Department. 259 the private subscription the town paid $100 for a suction appara- tus and 840 for a hose carriage, and built a new engine-house which cost $185.75. Sept. 13, 1826, there was a grand parade of the Fire Companies of Hingham with their engines, for exercise and practice. This was the first exhibition of fire companies in Hingham. At a town-meeting Nov. 14, 1843, an article in the warrant, " Will the town adopt any measures for the formation of regular companies for the several engines in town ? " was referred to a committee, which reported at a meeting Nov. 27, 1843, as follows : " Your Committee recommend that companies consisting of 20 members each be raised and attached to engines No. 1, ' Prece- dent ; ' No. 2, ' Centre ; ' No. 3, ' Torrent ; ' and No. 4, k Con- stitution ; ' and a company of 40 members for Engine No. 5, 'Hingham;' and that individuals composing said companies be allowed the amount of their poll tax." Companies were very soon formed for the several engines. At the annual town meeting in 1846, a committee was chosen to see what could be done to secure better protection to the property of the town from fire. This committee reported at the April meeting, recommending that the town purchase four new suction engines, one to be the " Hingham, No. 5," if satisfactory arrangements could be made with the proprietors. This the town voted to do, and appointed a committee to purchase the engines, stipulating that they should be all alike, to avoid rivalry. This committee purchased the " Hingham " of its proprietors, and three new ones of Hunneman & Co. The " Hingham" remained at the harbor, and was called No. 1. No. 2 was stationed at West Hingham, and like the former one was named " Torrent." No. 3 was stationed at Hingham Centre, and named " Niagara," and No. 4 was stationed at South Hingham, and named for her prede- cessor, kt Constitution." These engines were manned by volun- teer companies, without pay, and the fire department has been so made up to the present time. The first foremen for the new engines were the following : — Torrent — William Jones. Niagara — John Lincoln. Constitution — Joseph Jacobs. In February, 1852, the town purchased a new engine of Howard and Davis, to take the place of the " Hingham," which had proved unsatisfactory, and located it at the harbor. This engine was named " Extinguisher, No. 1," and her first foreman was John K. Corbctt. In 1874 a hook and ladder truck was built for the town by Whiton and Marble, of Hingham, which was stationed at Hing- ham Centre, in the house with Engine No. 3. A company was organized March 21, 1874, of which J. Edwards Ripley was the foreman. 260 History of Hingham. In 1879 the town voted to place the Fire Department in charge of a Board of Engineers, who took control May 1, 1879. George dishing was elected chief engineer, and has continued in that office to the present time (1893). After the introduction of Accord Pond water there was gravity pressure enough to throw water over the highest buildings. There was no further need of engines, except perhaps at the south and west parts of the town, in streets to which the water pipes did not extend. The town voted to take water from the Hingham Water Company and set fifty hydrants, — which number has since been increased, — and purchased a new horse hose-carriage, capable of carrying 1200 feet of hose, which was stationed at the junction of North and South streets, and named "Isaac Little." It was built by Abbott, Downing, & Co., of Concord, N. II., and cost the town 8<>70. Hiram Howard was chosen foreman. In 1881 Engines 1 and 3 were put out of commission and the companies disbanded. Hose companies were formed to have charge of the hose-carriages belonging to those engines. A new four-wheeled hand hose-carriage was purchased, with a capacity for 850 feet of hose, which was placed in the house of Engine No. 3, at Hingham Centre. Its cost was £550, and it was named for the engine " Niagara." In 1883 a new four-wheeled hose-carriage was purchased, at a cost of 8585, which was placed in the house of Engine No. 4. at South Hingham, — the engine being still retained, ready for use, but out of commission. In this same year "Extinguisher," Engine No. 1. was sold to the town of Proctorsville, Vt., for $245, and her hose company was disbanded. In 1884 "Niagara," Engine No. 3, was sold to the town of Needham, Mass., for 8250. In 1887 the hook-and-ladder truck, being much out of repair, was sold for 8:25, and a new one purchased of Abbott, Downing,